For several days in a row, Qin Lu stayed quietly at home.

He paid no attention to the outside world, focusing solely on grinding experience.

Every day was a repetitive cycle of intense grinding.

He also deeply understood the principle of not biting off more than one could chew, so during this period, he concentrated on mastering the few skills he had already learned.

Among them, the progress of the 【Ignition Technique】 was particularly pleasing. After days of continuous spellcasting, he successfully raised its proficiency level to Mastery.

The effects of the upgrade were quite noticeable. Not only did the range of the small fireball increase, but its speed and power also improved significantly.

The 【Water Qi Shield】 talismans he had been specially crafting were also becoming more familiar to him. Aside from two failures caused by distraction, he had achieved perfect success every other time.

He had accumulated twelve 【Water Qi Shield】 talismans, ready to be sold at any time.

What surprised Qin Lu the most was that after adjusting to a better daily routine, the proficiency of his cultivation technique, the 【Mystic Sun Mantra】, was steadily increasing. It had already reached ninety-nine points and was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Everything was moving in a positive direction.

However, during these days, another debt collector had visited intermittently, forcing him to part with the few Spirit Stones he had left.

As his Spirit Stones continued to dwindle, a sense of anxiety gradually rose in Qin Lu’s heart.

……

Noon.

Qin Lu sat at the redwood table, writing furiously. He would occasionally look up to think before lowering his head to write again.

Soon, he finished writing.

On the paper were nine names, each followed by a number, neatly listed in a row.

This was the total of all his current debts.

“The debts from my memories should all be here…”

Qin Lu sighed.

Looking at the total debt of three hundred Spirit Stones, he couldn’t help but mentally curse his former self with some choice words.

After all, three hundred Spirit Stones could allow one to live comfortably in Wuji Market for at least a year or two.

“Slap!”

Qin Lu stuck the white paper on the wall as a reminder to himself.

After staring at the paper for a moment, Qin Lu reached into his robe to feel the Spirit Stones inside, and his expression immediately turned troubled.

Of the fifty Spirit Stones he had exchanged for the gambling tools, only two remained.

Qin Lu turned to look at the dozen or so talismans on the table, then glanced at the dwindling supply of spirit rice and beast meat, his expression growing serious.

“The Spirit Stones are running out. It seems I have to go out today…”

Once he made up his mind, Qin Lu began preparing to leave.

First, he needed to prepare the black cloth, an essential item for setting up a street stall.

If he tried to sell his few talismans at a shop, they wouldn’t be worth much, and the shop might not even accept them. His only option was to set up a stall at the market.

“And the sword, Spirit Stones, talismans, and some gold too. I can also buy some fruit to eat. Can’t neglect the vitamins…”

“I’ve been wearing this robe for days. Should I buy a Cleansing Talisman to wash it? Or maybe buy a new one later…”

“I’m also running low on talisman paper for crafting. Need to buy some more…”

Qin Lu muttered to himself while making plans.

It took about ten minutes for Qin Lu to gather all the necessary items.

Adjusting the various bags on his person, he rubbed his face, put on a serious expression, and gently pushed open the door.

……

In The Slums, there were far more pedestrians during the day than in the early morning, and this was the busiest time.

Moreover, the wary expressions on people’s faces were not as pronounced, indicating that daytime offered a certain degree of safety.

Qin Lu naturally noticed this characteristic and thought to himself:

“It seems I should go out during the day from now on. Nighttime is still a bit dangerous…”

“Hey! Old Qin!”

Suddenly, a greeting sounded from behind him.

Qin Lu quickly turned around and saw a man about his own age walking toward him from a distance.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with features that seemed honest yet carried a hint of slyness. His complexion was somewhat pale, as if he had indulged a bit too much.

With just one glance, Qin Lu’s memories began to surface.

This person was called Chen Wen, one of the former owner’s few unsavory friends in The Slums.

“Long time no see! I thought you were dead!”

Chen Wen came over and slapped Qin Lu on the shoulder, looking somewhat excited.

Qin Lu felt no closeness to him whatsoever now and could only reply vaguely:

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve been in seclusion recently…”

“Seclusion my ass! As if I don’t know you!”

Chen Wen looked disdainful. Then, he cautiously glanced around, covered his mouth, and whispered:

“I heard a lot of people have been coming to collect debts from you lately. Did you run away? Where have you been hiding?”

“Just hiding at home…”

“Then you must be getting beaten up every day! You don’t have the money to pay back, right?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Oh, right! I have things to do. Let’s have tea sometime, catch up later!”

Qin Lu had no mood to chat with him. After giving a vague reply, he quickly quickened his pace to bid farewell and leave.

The former owner had a terrible reputation, and his friends were all of the same ilk. Qin Lu wanted nothing to do with them.

“Strange…”

Chen Wen watched Qin Lu’s retreating back, his face full of confusion. “Old Qin… that guy feels like a completely different person now…”

……

After parting ways with Chen Wen, Qin Lu kept his head down and cautiously entered the market area, quickly making his way to the Scatter Cultivator Market.

Compared to the sparse stalls in the early morning, the market was now bustling with noise and activity, filled with people coming and going. The loud hawking nearly made Qin Lu think he had stumbled into a concert venue.

“Damn, so many people. I hope there’s still a spot…”

Qin Lu felt nervous. It seemed he had come a bit late.

Carefully pushing through the crowd, he carried his bags and began searching for a spot to set up his stall.

Wuji Market was a major market under the Wuji Sect. Due to its proximity to the famous East Head Ridge Beast Forest nearby, many loose cultivators and sect disciples would come here to rest and resupply before entering the forest to hunt beasts or explore.

This contributed to Wuji Market’s prosperity and liveliness.

“If there’s no empty space to set up a stall, I’ll have to try selling at a shop. Who knows if they’ll even accept my stuff…”

Qin Lu felt conflicted, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, looking for a suitable place.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He saw an elderly cultivator in a corner of the market packing up his items, clearly preparing to leave.

Seeing this, Qin Lu hurriedly moved in that direction. Soon, he stood before the old cultivator.

The old cultivator noticed Qin Lu’s presence but paid it no mind. He gave a slight smile and continued packing his stall items.

The market stalls didn’t have many strict rules. As long as one didn’t block the passageways, the stationed cultivators from the Wuji Sect wouldn’t interfere too much. Stalls were generally first-come, first-served.

After a short while, the old cultivator gathered his black cloth, stood up, and said with a smile:

“I’ll leave this spot for you, young friend.”

A warmth spread in Qin Lu’s heart. He imitated a cupped-hand salute and replied:

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist.”

The old cultivator gave a slight nod and left the stall.

Just as Qin Lu stepped forward to lay out his black cloth, a tremendous force suddenly struck his shoulder. Losing his balance, he stumbled and was sent flying.

“Thud!”

He landed heavily on the ground, his entire body aching from the impact.

Qin Lu looked up in shock and saw a fierce-looking young man already standing in his original spot, looking down at him with an arrogant expression.

“What are you looking at! This spot is mine now!”

The young man growled.

“You!”

Qin Lu quickly stood up, his expression furious.

This person had not only taken his spot but also attacked him!

“What? You want to test me?”

The young man cracked his shoulders, speaking with disdain.

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