The next morning.

The charming and alluring Zhang Meng nestled in Qin Lu’s arms, the two embracing and exchanging tender words, the atmosphere charged with an unmistakable intimacy.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Meng, her face flushed bright red from being teased, quickly got up and headed to wash herself.

Leaning back against the bed, Qin Lu rested his head in his hands, gazing at her retreating figure. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips—a smile born of cherished memories.

Hehe! So smooth!

In his previous life, Qin Lu had dated two girlfriends, and coupled with the ‘lessons’ gleaned from adult films, he was thoroughly experienced in this area.

And though the original owner of this body was obsessed with gambling, he was actually quite indulgent, often using his winnings to rescue fallen female cultivators in brothels.

With both his body and soul well-versed in the art of intimacy, combined with Zhang Meng’s natural, unforced cooperation, last night had been utterly harmonious for them.

A perfect balance of Yin and Yang.

It had completely dispelled Qin Lu’s earlier tension.

“The spirit of Jian’an still lingers today, the legacy of Wei Wu endures forever—looks like I’ve ended up just like Cao Cao after all…”

Qin Lu murmured softly, yet he felt no regret in his heart.

At thirty-six years old in this life, by ancient standards, he could easily be the father of an eighteen-year-old girl. To seek out another eighteen-year-old would truly be inappropriate.

Zhang Meng, on the other hand, was twenty-six, beautiful, and had a lovely personality—perfectly suited to be with Qin Lu.

Though she was a widow, Qin Lu didn’t care about that. After all, he’d seen countless cases in his past life of men remarrying and taking on stepchildren. Besides, in this turbulent, chaotic world, huddling together for warmth was the norm—simply sharing life together.

…

Only after Zhang Meng left for work did Qin Lu finally get up and wash himself.

After having breakfast with Xiao Ziyun, he once again sat down before the rosewood table, picking up where he’d left off last night with his work plan.

Yesterday’s scheme orchestrated by Jishan Store had served as another wake-up call for him.

His cultivation level was simply too weak!

Although he possessed two minor spells with considerable power, they’d likely prove useless against a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. After all, as one’s cultivation deepens, their reflexes and agility sharpen dramatically.

Thus, cultivating his own strength was now his top priority.

But speaking of which, Qin Lu was remarkably disciplined when it came to cultivation.

At first, perhaps it was the data displayed on his attribute panel that spurred him into relentless, grueling practice. Yet after two months, the initial excitement faded, but his discipline remained intact.

Day after day, he never missed a single session of meditation.

Through observation, Qin Lu had come to realize that many loose cultivators lacked any sense of urgency when it came to cultivation. Many spent years, even decades, without advancing a single step.

A lifetime of mediocrity was all too common.

Take Zhang Meng, for instance. She was currently at the second layer of Qi Refining. As for cultivation, she had no plan whatsoever, acting entirely on whims.

By day, she worked at a tavern; after work, she’d spend some time playing with Xiao Ziyun; later still, she’d wash up and go to bed. Throughout the entire day, she often never cultivated at all. Unless she had nothing else to do, she might sit in meditation for a moment.

And people like her were as numerous as grains of sand in The Slums—most loose cultivators lived just like this, busy with the mundane tasks of daily life.

Thus, a cultivator like Qin Lu, meditating five times a day, was truly rare.

While Qin Lu drifted in thought, he continued scribbling away.

…

“Auntie Li, long time no see!”

Qin Lu arrived at Auntie Li’s home with Xiao Ziyun, paying a visit.

Auntie Li still wore her exaggerated, heavy makeup, and upon seeing Qin Lu, her eyes lit up with delight.

“Eh, it’s Big Mouth! What brings you here today? Could it be that you…”

“Hehe! I’m here today to thank Auntie Li!”

Qin Lu raised the spiritual fruits in his hand, smiling cheerfully.

With nothing much to do in the afternoon, Qin Lu had bought some spiritual fruits and gifts to express his gratitude to Auntie Li, who had played matchmaker for him. After all, if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have ended up with Zhang Meng.

“Oh, just come by anytime—you don’t need to bring anything!” Auntie Li said with a twinkling smile.

“Of course, of course…”

Qin Lu laughed heartily and placed the gifts on the table.

No sooner had he sat down than Auntie Li began asking about his recent situation. Qin Lu didn’t hide anything, openly revealing his relationship with Zhang Meng and expressing his heartfelt gratitude to Auntie Li.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qin Lu left five spiritual stones as a token of appreciation and took his leave.

He headed toward the marketplace with Xiao Ziyun.

“Uncle Qin, look! Someone’s flying in the sky!”

Xiao Ziyun suddenly pointed upward, shouting excitedly.

Hearing this, Qin Lu looked up—and his eyes immediately lit up.

For the dark figure in the sky wasn’t a common flying artifact, but rather a person soaring through the air under their own power!

“This must be… a Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

Since discovering how much he lacked in knowledge, Qin Lu had recently been buying books and studying diligently. After reading, he had gained a good understanding of some common knowledge in the cultivation world.

The books made it abundantly clear: at the Qi Refining stage, one could only fly with the aid of flying artifacts; but a Foundation Establishment cultivator could soar freely through the air.

“Soaring through the skies—it’s truly humanity’s dream! Alas, I wonder when I’ll ever reach Foundation Establishment…”

Gazing at the dark figure in the sky, Qin Lu was filled with profound emotion.

But as he watched, his expression grew increasingly grim.

For that dark figure was heading straight toward him!

“Damn it! Could it be that he’s coming for me?!”

Panicked, Qin Lu quickly pulled Xiao Ziyun behind a street corner, nervously watching the Foundation Establishment cultivator hurtling downward.

Fortunately, the cultivator wasn’t coming for him.

After diving down, the cultivator’s figure simply hovered motionless above a house in The Slums.

He was a man around fifty years old, tall and powerfully built, with a cold, angular face bearing an expression of icy indifference. Standing in mid-air, he bellowed loudly toward the house below:

“You two dare to lay hands on my grandson? No need for further words—come out and face your death!”

Hearing this, Qin Lu was utterly astonished. Had someone really provoked a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

“Hahaha!”

From the house leapt two figures, both men in their thirties.

“How absurd! Your grandson attacked us in the Beast Forest, and we fought back with all our might to survive! Now a Foundation Establishment cultivator comes to bully us with his cultivation prowess?!”

One of the men shouted furiously, his face contorted with rage.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator’s expression turned icy cold as he snapped, “Even if he engaged you in combat, you had no right to beat him so severely! If I hadn’t left him a defensive artifact, wouldn’t he have died at your hands?!”

“There’s no such thing as being beaten without the right to fight back!” the other male cultivator immediately roared. “Is it only allowed for the Green Mountain Sect to kill, but not for us to strike back?!”

“That’s right! If he makes the first move, he must be prepared to die!” the other chimed in.

The three men’s heated argument instantly drew many loose cultivators out onto the streets to watch. Before long, a large crowd had gathered.

This surprised Qin Lu, who realized that this usually quiet street could suddenly swell with so many people. A dense murmur of voices filled the air.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator’s face turned ashen with fury as he growled, “You two clever little talkers! You dared to harm my grandson, and I will never forgive you!”

With that, the Foundation Establishment cultivator moved swiftly, charging into the courtyard.

“The Green Mountain Sect is bullying others with its power!”

“You dare defy the Wuji Sect?!”

The two men hadn’t expected the Foundation Establishment cultivator to actually attack in broad daylight, and they screamed in terror.

Yet in the very next instant, their voices fell silent.

A flash of light. Two heads tumbled to the ground.

The entire crowd fell deathly silent, many faces etched with panic.

Whoosh!

With a soft sound, the Foundation Establishment cultivator shot up from the house, clutching the two mutilated bodies in his hands, and sped off toward the marketplace at incredible speed.

After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd began to murmur among themselves.

“These Sun brothers made their living by hunting beasts and were always kind and gentle—who would have imagined such a tragedy today…”

“Alas, the Green Mountain Sect is truly overbearing—what can we do?”

“Hmph! It’s absolutely his grandson who tried to commit murder—the Sun brothers were forced to defend themselves, and now even that’s considered wrong!”

“So pitiful—everyone should be extra careful…”

…

Qin Lu stared at the two severed heads lying on the ground, goosebumps rising all over his body. A chill crept up from his very core, and a wave of tension swept over him once more.

One word out of place, and life vanished in an instant.

No reason. No justice.