Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

After a flurry of busy arrangements, Village Chief Li personally led Zhou Qingfeng and his group to a village house that exuded a warm, woody fragrance.

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered. Village Chief Li bowed respectfully, his attitude humble, his words full of reverence: "Esteemed immortals, please rest here for a while. I will not disturb you."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly, his gaze following Village Chief Li's retreating figure until the door closed gently with a steady sound.

He then walked slowly to the table, gently lifted his shirt, sat down gracefully, and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Hongyun, go and follow Village Chief Li. Report any suspicious activity immediately."

Upon hearing the order, Xiao Hongyun quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute, and his figure instantly transformed into a fine wisp of sand, which drifted away lightly in the night breeze and disappeared without a trace. The mystery of his supernatural power was truly astonishing.

Zhou Qingfeng continued to issue instructions: "Cheng Wuquan, go and investigate the details of this village. Make sure you find out everything about every household. Record anything unusual, and be careful to keep it hidden so as not to attract anyone's attention."

At this point, Zhou Qingfeng looked at the three female cultivators, his expression calm and his tone leaving no room for doubt: "You go with Cheng Wuquan to investigate. Be careful in your actions, and don't let things go wrong."

Cheng Wuquan smiled and clasped his hands in response: "Yes, Captain."

"Yes, Captain." The three female cultivators exchanged glances, clasped their hands in greeting, and turned to leave.

Zhou Qingfeng suddenly called out to them, "Wait, I don't know your names yet."

The three female cultivators paused, turned around, clasped their hands in greeting, and introduced themselves.

The female cultivator in black clasped her hands and said, "Kaohsiung City, the Tantai family, Tantai Minglan."

The green-clad female cultivator clasped her hands and said, "Du Yanran, from the Du family of Nanzhao City."

The white-robed female cultivator clasped her hands and said, "Sun and Moon City, Duan Family, Duan Hongsu."

Zhou Qingfeng hummed in agreement and waved his hand in acknowledgment.

Upon seeing this, the three female cultivators clasped their hands in greeting and withdrew from the village house.

"What about me?" Ye Tingxiu was a little puzzled. Everyone else had been assigned tasks, but he was the only one with nothing to do.

Zhou Qingfeng glanced at him and said with a smile, "Your task is to stay by my side; you don't need to go anywhere else."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu shrugged and said, "Alright, that saves me the trouble of running around."

As they were talking, Ye Tingxiu sat down to pour himself some tea.

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng took out a cup of bamboo tube milk tea from his storage bag and tossed it to Ye Tingxiu: "Drink mine."

"Old Zhou, you're as cautious as ever." Ye Tingxiu took the bamboo tube of milk tea and took a sip.

There's no need for the two of them to be too formal in private.

Calling Zhou Qingfeng "captain" in front of outsiders is a way of establishing his position as a core leader.

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "Better safe than sorry."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Ye Tingxiu sipped his bamboo tube milk tea, pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows in agreement, but his facial expressions were so rich and vivid that he looked a bit like he deserved a beating.

Zhou Qingfeng felt a little hungry, so he took out a piece of ginseng and ate it with elegant manners.

The blood-soaked ginseng writhed like fresh human flesh.

If you bite into it, fresh blood will seep out.

It looks a bit scary, but it actually tastes pretty good when eaten raw.

The meat is crisp and tender, and you can taste different meat flavors with every bite. The key is that the blood is spicy, which can evoke a sense of pain. The more you eat, the spicier and more painful it is, and the more painful it is, the more enjoyable it is to eat.

If you have the means, turning them into delicious dishes would be an excellent experience.

Unfortunately, conditions are limited right now, so we'll just eat it raw.

As he ate, he mobilized the Devouring Thief Blood within his body to digest the flesh and blood, transforming it into essence and vital energy.

By eating, he can continuously strengthen his body, prolong his life, and maintain his youth.

This is why the Great Sage Devouring Thief is ranked first in Disaster-level physical skills.

Even without cultivating magic, one can maintain extremely strong combat power solely through physical skills, and without needing a complicated body-forging process, one can continuously become stronger simply by eating.

Unfortunately, no matter how strong his physical body is, he will always remain at the level of the Food Calamity Realm. When facing a higher level of life, such as the Food Fiend Realm, he will still be able to break through his defenses with a single finger and be crushed into dust.

This is a fundamental difference in the level of life, a difference in social class like that between a god and an ant.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

Under the cover of darkness, Village Chief Li quietly approached the renowned ancient temple in the village.

This temple is not only a sacred place where the Taoist master Dingsun practices in seclusion, but it is also closed year-round, like a forbidden area. Even most of the villagers do not dare to easily touch this tranquility.

Before the red-lacquered gate, Village Chief Li moved with exceptional caution, each knock conveying reverence: "Knock knock knock... Immortal of Damage Assessment, I have urgent business to report."

The door opened with a click, and the moment Village Chief Li stepped inside, the scene inside the temple suddenly opened up.

Amidst the bright lights, rows of oil lamps illuminated an old man in a Taoist robe, with a childlike face but white hair and beard. He held a whisk in his hand and sat upright on the altar, like a deity transcending the mortal world.

Village Chief Li dared not delay and immediately knelt down, bowing deeply: "This humble one pays respects to the Immortal of Determination."

"What urgent matter is it?" The voice of the Master of Damage Assessment was calm yet authoritative.

Village Chief Li prostrated himself, his voice respectful yet urgent: "Immortal of Determination, seven outsiders, suspected to be immortals, have suddenly visited Peach Blossom Village and are currently residing here..."

He poured out all the details and his doubts.

As the damage assessor listened, a fleeting hint of surprise and contemplation crossed his face before he regained his usual composure.

After Village Chief Li finished speaking, he couldn't help but ask, "These seven people seem to know nothing, like visitors from outer space. They are extremely suspicious. Should the Immortal of Damage Assessment personally verify their identities?"

The fortune teller did not answer immediately, but fell into deep thought; after a long time, he finally spoke, his tone calm but decisive: "When the first light of dawn appears tomorrow, we can invite them into the temple for a talk."

"As you command, Immortal of Determination." Village Chief Li respectfully rose and slowly withdrew from the temple; under the cover of night, everything returned to tranquility, as if the secret conversation just now was nothing more than a wisp of smoke in the night breeze.

Inside a village house, Xiao Hongyun was the first to return and report.

A wisp of quicksand slowly coalesced into a human shape.

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng put down the lychee black tea in the bamboo tube, gestured for Xiao Hongyun to sit down and said slowly, "So, did you get anything out of keeping an eye on Village Chief Li?"

Xiao Hongyun sat down and smiled slightly: "As expected, Village Chief Li took advantage of the night to find the Loss Assessment Master and report our situation. The Loss Assessment Master also intended to meet with us in the early morning to verify our identities."

Zhou Qingfeng asked, "Did the damage assessor notice you?"

Xiao Hongyun shook his head: "No, I personally feel that he is very weak. It seems that he has cultivated some low-level techniques practiced by mortals. Apart from his unusually strong vitality, there is nothing special about him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly: "That's good. Let's meet tomorrow."

At this moment, Cheng Wuquan, Tantai Minglan, Du Yanran, and Duan Hongsu returned together.

Tantai Minglan spoke first, cupping her fists and saying, "Captain, after my careful investigation, I have indeed made some discoveries."

"This village has more than 400 households, and each household sends one male member to join the village protection group."

"The village protection group consists of hundreds of strong young men, all of whom are cultivators."

"They had a clear number on their wrist that indicated how many days they had left to live."

"After observing them, I found that these people who practice martial arts generally have very short lifespans, but the martial arts they develop still have a certain killing power against some demons and monsters that are not of a certain rank."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at Tantai Minglan and nodded slightly: "You did a good job, very thoughtful."

Upon hearing this, Tantai Minglan smiled, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for the praise, Captain."

Du Yanran stepped forward, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Captain, I have also made another discovery. I have discovered a warehouse where secret manuals are stored. From the manuals, I have discovered that the cultivation system of cultivators in this world is based on lifespan."

"They refine their lifespan to temper their physical body, and then refine their lifespan into vital energy. They use this vital energy to drive martial arts to kill enemies, and then use this vital energy to build their foundation, condense their golden core, and transform into a nascent soul, step by step refining themselves into a ginseng fruit."

"This does resemble the cultivation system for mortals in the world of Food Purity."

"But the only difference is that the mortals of the Food Purity World have transformed themselves into immortal beings."

"The mortals of this world cultivate by consuming life-extending essence, but they end up with short-lived beings. However, the essence of their life-extending essence is concentrated in their bodies, making it a highly nourishing source of cultivation. Whoever consumes them will experience a surge in life-extending lifespan and vitality."

As the daughter of the Nanzhao City Lord, Du Yanran was a member of the upper echelons of power in this corrupt world. She knew many things that the middle and lower classes did not. She was knowledgeable and experienced, so she was able to report with ease.

"Captain, this situation is not uncommon in the breeding world. Many city lords will throw some low-grade cultivation techniques that require consuming lifespan into the breeding world, so that the humans who are breeding them can refine them into high-grade cultivation resources."

"I judge that the cultivation civilization in this world is still in the mortal stage and cannot pose a threat to us."

Of those present, Ye Tingxiu, Xiao Hongyun, and Cheng Wuquan only understood a fraction of what they heard, since their social class had little access to information about the Food World and the Breeding World.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng waved his hand and said, "Du Yanran, I know you are eager to make a contribution and show your abilities, but the situation is unclear right now, so don't make any wild guesses, lest you misjudge the situation and put us in danger."

"Yes, Captain, I was being presumptuous." Du Yanran pursed her lips and silently stepped aside.

Then Duan Hongsu and Cheng Wuquan reported their findings one after the other.

The two of them went to the only school in Peach Blossom Village, thoroughly examined the various books piled up in the school, obtained a lot of information they needed, and even got a tattered map.

The background of this world of raising animals is that the longevity-eating families and sects divide up their territories and govern themselves. Each longevity-eating sect and family has its own territory, which can be used to build cities, towns or villages to raise mortals and provide them with the lifespan required for cultivation.

The Loss Assessment Master is a cultivator who cultivates by consuming life essence. He is responsible for raising the mortals of Peach Blossom Village. Whether he belongs to a family or a sect is currently unknown.

While listening to the two men's verbal reports, Zhou Qingfeng unfolded the map and examined it carefully: "Duan Hongsu, Cheng Wuquan, you two did a great job. With the map, it will be very helpful for our team's next move."

Duan Hongsu and Cheng Wuquan exchanged a glance, chuckled, and remained silent. They naturally knew what Zhou Qingfeng wanted, so they went to the school to investigate, and fortunately, their efforts were not in vain.

As night deepened, Zhou Qingfeng frowned, his fingers tracing patterns on the map, pausing occasionally and then moving quickly across it, as if he were constructing a strategic blueprint in his mind.

"Tomorrow, we will face more than just a simple meeting."

Zhou Qingfeng's voice broke the silence: "Behind the real person who assesses damages, whether it's a family or a sect."

"Those are all unknown forces that we do not understand."

"We must be fully prepared to appear friendly while also being ready to deal with any unexpected situations."

He turned to Cheng Wuquan and Duan Hongsu: "You two study the map carefully again, mark all possible retreat routes and hiding places, and make sure we have enough contingency plans."

"Remember, our goal is to gather as much intelligence as possible while ensuring our own safety."

Then, Zhou Qingfeng's gaze fell on Du Yanran: "Du Yanran, your understanding of the Longevity Cultivation System is a great advantage for us. I hope that you can analyze the weaknesses of the True Person of Determination based on the existing information. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle."

Then, he looked at Xiao Hongyun and Tantai Minglan: "You two are in charge of the security work. We need to make sure that no matter what happens, we are not caught off guard."

Finally, Zhou Qingfeng looked at Ye Tingxiu and said, "Ye Tingxiu, you don't need to do anything. Just stick close to me and protect me immediately if there is any danger. That is your most important task."

The night passed quickly, and the next morning, the dark clouds dispersed and the rain finally stopped. The group of undead from the previous night, having received thirty days of lifespan, were now able to walk and wield weapons.

However, these dozens of undead were missing their souls and had their lifespans reset.

Even if they had the lifespan to extend their lives after being washed away by the rain disaster, their brains were still somewhat damaged.

They all had no memory, and most of their emotions were also missing; they didn't know what fear was.

They are incredibly curious about everything, just like newborn babies.

Zhou Qingfeng watched with great interest as they practiced martial arts in the village through the window. He thought that extracting people's souls to cultivate a group of assassins to serve them seemed like a pretty good idea.

It wasn't until Village Chief Li came to visit that Zhou Qingfeng put aside his other thoughts and went to open the door. Ye Tingxiu, Xiao Hongyun, and others followed behind Zhou Qingfeng and gathered there.

Village Chief Li stood at the door, bowing respectfully and clasping his hands in greeting: "This humble one greets all the venerable immortals. Please follow me, Venerable Immortal of Determination has been waiting for a long time."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly: "Then I'll trouble Village Chief Li to lead the way."

The temple is located in the heart of the village.

As dawn breaks, golden sunlight filters through sparse clouds, casting a warm glow on the mottled red walls of this ancient building.

On either side of the temple gate, two stone lions stand majestically. Despite the erosion of time, their dignified demeanor remains undiminished, as if they are guardian deities, silently witnessing the passage of time.

Above the lintel is a horizontal plaque with the words "Peach Blossom Temple" written in bold, vigorous characters.

Upon entering the main hall, the True Man of Determination sat firmly on the altar.

Inside the incense burner in front of the altar, wisps of smoke rise and intertwine with the light, creating an atmosphere that transcends the mundane world. The walls on both sides are covered with banners and prayer flags, each carrying the villagers' prayers and gratitude.

Village Chief Li strode forward, knelt down and kowtowed: "Immortal of Damage Assessment, I have brought the person here."