Qin Lu remained holed up at home for several full days.

His mind was in turmoil, weighed down by heavy worries. Several times, he felt the urge to return to the scene of the crime to check for any oversights he might have missed that night.

But in the end, he restrained himself.

His greatest fear now was the Green Mountain Sect. If the Sect intervened on Wu Hao’s behalf and conducted a thorough investigation into the matter, he would be in grave danger of exposure.

Once exposed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The memory of the Green Mountain Sect’s ancestor instantly obliterating two cultivators in The Slums was still vivid in his mind.

They didn’t bother with reason, nor did they care if you were a battle-hardened late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. If they decided to act, they would take your head in the span of a few breaths and leave without a backward glance.

The chasm between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was simply too vast.

If Qin Lu, a mere fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator, were targeted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could only wait for death with open hands. There was no other option.

However, after waiting several days without any news surfacing, he gradually began to relax.

……

Qin Lu took stock of the spoils from that night.

To be honest, it wasn’t much. The Spirit Stones looted from the black-clad men added up to only a little over a hundred—quite a pitiful haul.

There were a few magical instruments and two pills, but they were all cheap goods.

The most valuable item was likely the disc-shaped magical instrument capable of opening the breath-concealing formation. However, Qin Lu didn’t plan to sell it; he intended to keep it for his own use.

Such a tool might come in handy someday.

As for the other magical instruments, they were useless to Qin Lu. He planned to sell them all in one go at a shop once the heat from the incident died down.

Over the past few days, the weather had finally warmed up considerably.

Qin Lu estimated the temperature was now around minus ten degrees Celsius—no longer the bone-chilling, frightening cold of some time ago. Although winter clothes and padded jackets were still necessary, the cold was no longer a hindrance for cultivators.

Xiao Ziyun had also gotten out of bed. Occasionally, he would run into the courtyard to practice his increasingly refined swordsmanship.

Swish!

Xiao Ziyun held a wooden sword, flipping and dancing with it, his young face full of seriousness.

Qin Lu pulled a chair to the door of his room and sat down, holding a cup of warm water and taking small sips.

The water was infused with goji berries and red dates.

Ever since Zhang Meng had stopped going on duty, the two of them had become inseparable. Consequently, Qin Lu had begun to pay serious attention to the health of his kidneys.

While sipping his health-preserving warm water, he offered guidance on Xiao Ziyun’s sword forms.

But as he watched, Qin Lu couldn’t help but sigh. He recalled what Zhang Meng had told him two days ago.

The little one was already four years old, approaching the age for the spirit root test. Soon, they would have to take him to see if he possessed the potential for cultivation.

Two different answers would lead to two vastly different paths.

If he possessed spirit roots and had the chance to embark on the path to immortality, Zhang Meng would save money to purchase suitable cultivation techniques for Xiao Ziyun, allowing him to practice alongside them as a cultivator.

If he had no spirit roots, Zhang Meng had frankly stated that she would follow a merchant caravan away from the market district. She would take Xiao Ziyun to a mortal dynasty and live a life of luxury there as part of the upper class.

Zhang Meng had already given up on her grand aspirations for the Great Dao. Now, she only cared about Xiao Ziyun’s future.

“Defying heaven’s will…”

“Seeking longevity…”

Qin Lu murmured to himself. He didn’t have a strong opinion about Zhang Meng’s idea of leaving the market district.

But after his experiences during this period, an aspiration for the Great Dao had unknowingly sprouted in his heart.

If he returned to the spirit energy-barren mortal world, his cultivation progress would inevitably slow to a crawl; he might very well end his days in frustration.

This was something Qin Lu was unwilling to accept.

Therefore, he now only hoped that Xiao Ziyun would test positive for spirit roots so they could stay together in the market district. That would be the best outcome.

Thinking of this, Qin Lu focused his mind and opened his attribute panel.

【Name: Qin Lu】

【Lifespan: 36/117 years】

【Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 5: 14/100】

【Cultivation Techniques:】

「Mystic Sun Mantra」(Master): 213/3000

【Skills:】

Spells:

「Ignition Technique」(Master): 35/3000

「Finger Flick Technique」(Master): 50/3000

「Illumination Technique」(Proficient): 584/600

「Cutting Technique」(Proficient): 586/600

「Soft Wind Technique」(Proficient): 62/600

「Spirit Shield Technique」(Novice): 41/100

「Heavenly Eye Technique」(Novice): 25/100

Talisman Crafting:

「Water Qi Shield」(Master): 2/3000

「Cleansing Talisman」(Novice): 48/100

「Body Protection Shield」(Novice): 75/100

「Swift Step Talisman」(Novice): 2/100

Sword Arts:

「Gray Shadow Sword Art」(Proficient): 60/600

【Talent: None】

Two new spells had appeared on the panel.

These were what he had learned from Simple Spell Cultivation Methods: Middle Volume.

The middle volume recorded quite a few spells, but most were offensive ones similar to the Water Arrow Technique, Wind Strike Technique, or Freezing Technique.

Qin Lu felt his Master-level 「Finger Flick Technique」 was already powerful enough, so he didn’t waste time studying more attack spells.

Instead, he chose the 「Spirit Shield Technique」, which served a defensive function.

With this technique, one simply extended a palm and channeled spiritual energy to manifest a shield in front to block attacks.

However, at its current Novice level, the shield was very small—only slightly larger than a palm—and practically useless.

But Qin Lu wasn’t anxious. He knew that as its proficiency increased, the shield’s effectiveness would improve. So, he practiced the 「Spirit Shield Technique」 from time to time, aiming to raise it to the “Proficient” level first.

The other spell was called the 「Heavenly Eye Technique」. According to the manual’s introduction, it was a detection spell capable of seeing through a cultivator’s specific cultivation level.

Upon seeing this description, Qin Lu didn’t hesitate and immediately began studying it.

In the market district, what he feared most were cultivators who feigned weakness to prey on the strong—those who let others bully them freely, only to suddenly rise up, slapping faces left and right while shocking the crowd with a terrifying display of power.

In Qin Lu’s view, this was rather foolish behavior.

Therefore, by learning the 「Heavenly Eye Technique」, he could identify such pretentious individuals and avoid getting close to them.

As for talismans, after much consideration, Qin Lu ultimately chose the 「Swift Step Talisman」, which could increase movement speed.

After all, running fast increased one’s chances of living long.

Constantly learning attack spells and offensive talismans inevitably fostered a combative mindset, which might one day lead to dying miserably on some street corner.

Looking at his attribute panel, a satisfied smile appeared on Qin Lu’s face. This level of strength far surpassed that of an ordinary fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

Just as he was secretly feeling pleased with himself, Zhang Meng suddenly walked out of her room.

She was dressed warmly, with a scarf wrapped around her neck, looking like she was about to head out.

“Are you going out?” Qin Lu asked curiously.

“Yes!” Zhang Meng smiled slightly. Her gaze fell on Xiao Ziyun, and a warm expression softened her face. “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, isn’t it? I’m going out to buy some New Year goods.”

“New Year?!”

Qin Lu widened his eyes. He put down his water cup and asked, somewhat bewildered, “Do we celebrate New Year too?”

Zhang Meng gave Qin Lu a strange look. “What kind of question is that? Of course we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new! Alright, I’m heading out now!”

Seeing this, Qin Lu quickly asked, “Did you bring Spirit Stones? Do you need to take your Storage Bag?”

“No need! It’s not much stuff; I can carry it back myself. I’ve got Spirit Stones with me too!” Zhang Meng waved her hand dismissively.

“Then be careful out there… Oh, right! Did you take that dark red dagger I gave you?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! It’s right here in my robe!”

Zhang Meng responded with a smile, opening the courtyard gate and walking out slowly.

Watching Zhang Meng leave, Qin Lu leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the azure sky, a reminiscent expression appearing on his face.

“Without realizing it, I’ve already been here for four months… It’s almost New Year.”