With only seven Spirit Stones to his name, Qin Lu did not let Zhang Meng and her child go hungry.

Early the next morning, he took the two Water Qi Shields he had drawn and went to set up a stall to sell them.

After successfully selling them, he bought a good amount of talisman paper and ink, returning home to continue drawing talismans.

He threw himself wholeheartedly into the work of talisman-making, even setting aside the minor techniques he usually practiced daily.

Drawing talismans, setting up a stall to sell them, purchasing materials…

After a few days of this cycle, the Spirit Stones gradually began to accumulate.

Round and round it went.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed in a flash.

……

In the room.

Qin Lu looked at the small mountain of Spirit Stones piled before him and couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh of relief.

He had just counted them. This pile contained over one hundred and eighty stones, enough to clear his debt of one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones to the Jishan Store.

The past half-month of selling talismans had been a rollercoaster, full of twists and turns.

Originally, in his plan, he could draw eight Water Qi Shields a day. Combined with their superior quality, over fifteen days, he should have earned at least three hundred or more Spirit Stones.

After deducting the costs of talisman ink, paper, and other materials, he should have been able to save close to two hundred stones.

Not counting the Jishan Store debt, the remaining twenty-some stones would have been more than enough to cover daily expenses like food and drink.

But he never expected that later on, his talismans simply couldn’t all be sold. Every time he set up his stall, a few would be left over.

Left with no choice, he had to lower the price, but the effect wasn’t very noticeable either.

Just as Qin Lu was at his wit’s end, the situation suddenly took a turn for the better.

That was when Cao Yunxi and his family of three suddenly paid him a visit. They expressed their gratitude for the Vitality Pill he had given them that day and then returned thirty Spirit Stones.

This once again solved Qin Lu’s urgent problem.

But before he could even catch his breath, the Wuji Sect steward responsible for managing this area of the market came knocking.

Rent day had arrived.

Under the cold gaze of the Wuji Sect steward, Qin Lu had no choice but to hand over fifteen Spirit Stones for the rent.

This meant his Spirit Stones were still not enough to repay the debt.

And just as Qin Lu was pondering how to convince the Jishan Store to let him pay in installments, a customer suddenly appeared at his stall.

This person was a disciple from some sect, adorned with exquisite magical artifacts and extremely generous with his spending. After a bit of smooth talking from Qin Lu, he ended up buying the entire remaining stock of Water Qi Shields.

Only then, today, did he finally gather all the necessary Spirit Stones.

……

“It’s time to go.”

After packing the one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones, Qin Lu stood up and walked out of the room.

In the courtyard, Xiao Ziyun was happily running around with a wooden sword, chasing a fluttering butterfly.

Seeing Qin Lu, Xiao Ziyun immediately stopped pursuing the butterfly and quickly walked over, saying excitedly,

“Senior!”

Qin Lu crouched down, grabbing Xiao Ziyun’s shoulders, and said,

“Be good now, Ziyun. Uncle needs to go out for a bit. You stay home and be good, alright?”

“Okay~” Xiao Ziyun immediately agreed.

During the day, Zhang Meng was always on duty at the Yueman Tower. Usually, it was Qin Lu who looked after the child. Even when he went to set up his stall, he would take Xiao Ziyun along.

But today, he was going to the gambling den to repay money. That place was a mixed bag, and bringing a child along was really inappropriate. Qin Lu could only instruct Xiao Ziyun to stay home alone.

After repeating his instructions a few more times, Qin Lu finally walked out of the courtyard gate, locking it behind him to prevent Xiao Ziyun from opening it and running out.

Tightening the money pouch inside his robe, Qin Lu headed towards Joyous Lane.

During the day, Joyous Lane wasn’t as thrilling and bustling as at night, but it was still crowded and extraordinarily lively.

The sounds of drinking from the taverns, the opera singing from the theaters, and the laughter from the pleasure houses all combined to paint a picture of prosperity.

Qin Lu walked and looked, soon arriving at the entrance of the Jishan Store.

Looking at the familiar signboard and storefront, he let out a heavy breath and then strode inside.

As soon as he entered, he was met with a clamor of noise.

The vast gambling hall was filled with gambling tables. Many cultivators crowded around the tables, shouting loudly, their faces flushed.

Seeing this familiar scene, Qin Lu’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

His former self had struggled here for many days and nights…

Even though the soul was now different, that addictive feeling from the body itself was still incredibly strong. His hands couldn’t help but itch.

“Steady! Steady!”

Qin Lu hurriedly suppressed these wrong thoughts.

After calming down a little, he began to survey the people inside.

With this look, he actually spotted quite a few of his former creditors, sitting at various tables, fighting their battles.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Heaven-Swallowing Python! Long time no see! Your mouth still hasn’t gotten any smaller, huh~”

Suddenly, someone walked up and enthusiastically patted Qin Lu on the shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah…” Qin Lu replied with an awkward smile.

The conversation between the two immediately attracted the attention of many others.

“Hey, it really is Big Mouth Qin! I thought you were dead, not coming to gamble for so long.”

“Hey, Big Mouth, where have you been making your fortune lately? Not going to bring your old brother along?”

“Haha, here to play a couple of hands today?”

“……”

Familiar faces in the hall kept greeting Qin Lu.

Seeing this, Qin Lu could only put on a full-faced smile to deal with these gambling addicts, though his heart was filled with disdain.

Smiling on the outside, cursing on the inside.

After briefly responding a few times, he headed towards the stairs of the gambling den.

The second-floor gambling tables were all in private rooms, with no one visible.

Qin Lu gave them a quick glance and then proceeded to the third floor.

In his memory, the third floor housed the Jishan Store’s internal rooms and was also the office of the store’s manager.

The manager of the Jishan Store was named Wu Hao. It was said his cultivation had reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining, and he was famously known in Joyous Lane as a smiling tiger.

In his memories, Qin Lu also discovered that his former self seemed to have offended this Wu Hao. There was a period where he had been constantly on edge at home, fearing retaliation.

But later, nothing seemed to happen, and his former self had finally relaxed.

“What’s your business?”

At the doorway, a gambling den enforcer raised a hand, blocking Qin Lu’s path.

Qin Lu shook the money pouch in his hand and replied,

“Here to repay Spirit Stones.”

Hearing this, the enforcer nodded, turned, walked to the door, and knocked softly.

A moment later, he gestured for Qin Lu to enter.

Qin Lu walked into the room with the money pouch.

As soon as he entered, he saw Wu Hao sitting in the center, with He Liang, whom he had seen half a month ago, standing beside him.

“Brother Qin, chasing down this hundred-plus Spirit Stones of yours hasn’t been easy…” Wu Hao was the first to speak, lightly teasing.

“My sincere apologies, Manager Wu. It’s truly because I’ve been facing some difficulties recently, which is why it’s been delayed for so long.”

Qin Lu stepped forward, placed the money pouch on the table, and gave a slight bow, saying,

“Manager Wu, please take a look. Inside are one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones. I present them to you now with my own hands!”

“Haha, Brother Qin must have come into some wealth~”

“A small fortune, a small fortune…” Qin Lu said vaguely.

Wu Hao let out a loud laugh and lightly tapped the tabletop with his finger.

He Liang behind him was very perceptive. He immediately stepped forward, picked up the money pouch, opened it, and carefully counted the contents.

After a while, he bowed and said softly,

“No problem.”

“Good!” Wu Hao laughed heartily, his gaze burning as he stared at Qin Lu, saying cheerfully,

“Brother Qin, you really are a man of your word. You’re welcome to come and enjoy yourself at the store often!”

Ahaha, I’ll definitely drop by when I have some free time…” Qin Lu brushed it off with a vague reply, then paused for a moment before adding,

“Since the debt is cleared, then I… should take my leave?”

“Don’t be in such a hurry. Wait a moment.” Wu Hao said, squinting his eyes with a smile.

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