Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Yuanha Town, one of the three major towns in Lantian County, was built against a hill and got its name due to its clam-like shape.

The day Zhang Ze dragged the tipsy Tang from the tomb, he came straight here.

In the town's tavern.

"Enjoy your meals and drinks, call me if you need anything." The fat owner with the chin dimple put down the dishes and left the private room.

Zhang Ze found the man's appearance curious and stared at the owner's chin for a moment. But when he turned back, the chicken that had just been served was gone.

Li, Huang Silang, and Tang had certainly mastered the art of eating chicken.

Tang sat with his chest exposed, licking his fingers and burping contentedly, savoring the taste of the salt-baked chicken he just had.

Although he looked like he'd puke if he ate more, he still said to his grandson, "Dear grandson, go order two more chickens, one plain, one braised."

"Grandpa, can you still eat?" Tang, feeling full himself, looked at Tang's round belly.

"For cultivators, this is a small matter.

Your grandpa will teach you a body refining technique and pass on a pill formula. Then you can eat as much as you want."

"Watch closely: use your hand to circulate energy, place it on your lower abdomen, three circles to the left, three to the right..." Tang picked his teeth with his right hand and placed his left hand over his navel.

This method indeed had some miraculous effects, as both Tang and Huang Silang felt much better after following it.

Li didn't bother copying because he was a bottomless pit and was only half full.

Once Tang saw that his grandson and Huang Silang felt better, he pulled out three pills, giving each one a piece, "This pill formula was found in a secret realm under the river. I decided to name this pill the River Health Stomach Digestion Pill."

"After consuming it, you'll have a smooth digestive tract and feel light all over."

Zhang Ze watched the three regain their strength after taking the pills and got up, saying, "I'll order two more tables of dishes for you."

"Bring a whole plate of honey-glazed ribs!" Li raised his hand to remind.

"Chicken, bring us another roast chicken." Huang Silang pounded the table.

Zhang Ze wasn't sure whether this family-run inn had enough stock for them to indulge, so he ordered two more tables of dishes but didn't return to the private room; instead, he went straight to the rooftop.

He wanted some peace and quiet.

Thanks to those big shots, the area around the inn was now exceptionally quiet.

Those big shots had also left the grand tomb with Tang and were now squatting in the inn's backyard.

They didn't hide their cultivation at all, their Divinity Transformation Stage aura constantly emitting without restraint.

This overbearing behavior naturally suppressed the Golden Core Ancestors and Nascent Soul Old Monsters in Yuanha Town.

The fat owner with the chin dimple told him that people had been coming by to inquire about Zhang Ze for the past two days, and even though the owner said nothing, he made a fortune from the greetings they brought.

He wished Zhang Ze and company would stay a few more days.

The inn had now become a forbidden zone for the wastrels of Yuanha Town.

Thus, at the end of a plotline, what should have been a predictable scenario of wastrels launching a surprising attack on the grand hotel, followed by a face-slapping scene, never occurred.

What a pity.

Temporarily free from his trouble-magnet nature, Zhang Ze sat on the rooftop ridge, contemplating his position as Dragon Tiger Mountain's Grand Elder.

Good news, the title really worked. He could now redeem and try Dragon Tiger Mountain's heart method and cultivation technique at a discount, practically for free.

Bad news, the Sect Leader had just left him a message via Jade Token.

The Sect Leader said not to mention this when the Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain arrived in Diannan.

Zhang Ze thought this made sense. Titles and status were backed by strength, and he currently had little.

If he started pulling rank and made those old Celestial Masters, who started with Divinity Transformation, call him Uncle Master, that would indeed be shameless.

Apparently, the Sect Leader had already sorted things out with Dragon Tiger Mountain, and both sides temporarily agreed to pretend nothing happened to avoid embarrassment.

But then again, Zhang Ze still couldn't understand why Tang insisted on taking him on as a good junior brother.

The Sect Leader, a First Generation Grandmaster, though crafty, always showed traces of logic in his actions.

But with someone like Tang, you never knew when he was serious or just having an episode, and his words were half true, half false.

Like now.

"Back in the day, your grandpa broke through the enemy camp with a hundred horsemen, shocking the world. He cut down the Hook Snake during a rainy night in Jiangnan and took down the Mountain Monarch in Yindang Mountain."

Right below where Zhang Ze was sitting was their private room, and Tang was now telling Tang little stories of his youthful escapades.

The Hook Snake story was true, something Tang did before he started acting crazy, a righteous act.

But the hundred horsemen breaking through enemy lines was pure nonsense because that line was something Zhang Ze copied from a scrapped storybook.

Ignoring Tang, Zhang Ze opened the system, because each time trouble ended, it was time for the tense and thrilling loot box opening.

[Mission of Diannan Mystery Cave completed, reward granted]

Perhaps due to opening many chests, Zhang Ze was now as calm as still water.

He felt that no matter what bizarre item he got, he could accept it. So he didn't bother calculating whether today was lucky or not, he just opened the chest.

The chest glowed gold, and Zhang Ze smiled faintly, but when the golden light faded, his smile dropped.

The chest contained a black tight-fitting thermal shirt.

However, according to the system's description, this thermal shirt was part of the Night Demon Emperor Armor set, just like the mask, and was also partially invisible.

As for why it didn't have a cool design, and was just an inner lining, the system didn't explain.

Although it was the season for thermal wear, Zhang Ze stared at the shirt for a long time and couldn't figure out its use.

Zhang Ze thought that as the second piece of a set, any other part would be more useful than this thermal shirt.

If it were a right arm, he could cosplay Yang Guo; if a left arm, he could cosplay Shanks. Even a thermal bottom might allow him to take the risk of getting beaten up to cosplay Pavilion Master Zhengyi.

But with this thermal shirt, Zhang Ze truly couldn't think of a use.

Zhang Ze put the shirt into the Hundred Treasures Bag, and just as he was about to return to the private room and continue bragging with Tang, a brilliant glow appeared on the distant horizon.

A group of Taoists appeared in the sky, riding clouds, and Zhang Ze counted ten wearing purple robes, with a few looking quite young.

Not sure if it was an illusion, Zhang Ze vaguely heard a curse nearby.

"Damn, have we been discovered?"

Then Zhang Ze saw black smoke rise from the street ahead, and a few black figures broke through the smoke racing out of town.

It seemed like a gang of evil cultivators was terrified and tried to escape in panic.

And as expected, those hasty Demon Path members were struck by several Golden Thunders thrown casually from above, their souls scattered.

Not just them, the whole Yuanha Town fell into temporary chaos due to the arrival of these Taoists. Several figures flew out from different parts of Yuanha Town, likely local noble family cultivators.

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul old men hovered low, rubbing their hands, looking very uneasy.

They had never seen such a grand occasion and didn't know what this group came to do in this remote place. They weren't sure if they should approach and greet them or just wait here.

These Celestial Masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain naturally came for Tang and little Tang, so Zhang Ze wasn't afraid. Due to the hubbub, the gloom from opening the thermal shirt was swept away.

However, before he could enjoy it for long, among the celestial clouds, he saw a familiar figure.

"Hmm? Why is my Master here?"

Zhang Ze remembered that because he embarrassed himself, his master lost face too.

And there his master was, standing right behind him, having lifted him up.

"Tell me, what have you been up to lately?"

"I, I've been good. You know me, Master. I always behave," Zhang Ze argued.

"The Sect Leader has told me the proper way to guide you. Hurry and explain everything clearly, or you'll be in big trouble when we get back." That Big Iron Rod was already in Li's hand, ready to use.