Chen Li fiddled with the mid-grade Spirit Stone in his hand which was obviously more lustrous and translucent than the other stones.
He was somewhat enamored with it.
A mid-grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.
Even more than that.
As he knew, according to the current market conditions in the shops, if exchanged, it could even fetch one hundred and two low-grade Spirit Stones.
Adding to the one he already had in his possession.
His wealth suddenly amounted to a total of one hundred and twenty-three Spirit Stones.
This was undoubtedly a considerable fortune.
With it, he could pay ten years' worth of rent!
He could buy one thousand two hundred and thirty catties of Spirit Rice!
Even if he had no income from selling Evil-Repelling Talismans, he could comfortably live for two years.
After toying with the mid-grade Spirit Stone for a while, Chen Li picked up a pen and paper, his mind buzzing with thoughts of going on a shopping spree.
He would keep the mid-grade Spirit Stone and spend all twenty-one low-grade Spirit Stones to improve his life.
"I must buy a new set of clothes, the elbow is already torn with a hole. Toiletries, bedding, and the like also need to be replaced; even though the body is the same, it's psychologically repelling to use them.
And I need to buy a few pairs of shoes too, the sole is practically worn through from the last time I came back from the wilderness," he muttered to himself.
Chen Li paused his pen, thought for a moment, and then wrote down 'Amulet' and 'Featherweight Talisman'.
The world was too dangerous, and these two talismans were just in case of emergencies. After all, if they weren't used, they could be sold again, essentially providing an added layer of insurance for himself.
"Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!"
Just then, a door knocking sound came from outside.
'Who could that be!'
The knocking did not sound like the style of his next-door neighbor, Zhou Hong, and neither did it resemble the old gambler Cultivator.
Speaking of the gambler, he hadn't been seen since the last time he swung by—could it be… he had died?
"Who is it? I'm coming!" Chen Li cautiously stood up, preparing to open the door.
"I'm your new neighbor, came to greet Fellow Daoist. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me," came a crisp and melodious voice, as if echoing through a valley.
Chen Li paused upon hearing this; this mode of speech did not seem typical of a Loose Cultivator living in a shanty area.
Too polite.
After taking a couple of steps, he hurried back, scrambling to hide the Spirit Stones.
It's not wise to reveal one's wealth.
After stashing the pouch in a concealed spot, he went to open the door.
Standing outside was a young female Cultivator, around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, wearing a bright red Daoist robe and a simple bun on her head. With her heroic-looking eyebrows and bright eyes, she exuded vigor, although her polite smile did not convey much warmth and seemed rather sharp instead.
Chen Li did not dare to neglect, and promptly greeted her with folded hands.
After exchanging names, the visitor courteously handed over a bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills and then left briskly.
Chen Li smiled as he watched her return to her home, then turned and went back inside.
Looking at the bottle of 'Qi Replenishing Pill' in his hand,
"I remember the Qi Replenishing Pills in the market are about ten Spirit Stones per bottle, aren't they?" he mused.
"Truly generous!"
Chen Li's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"This person is clearly not a Loose Cultivator, what is she doing in this polluted place?"
This area was almost a slum within the Cultivator community, with a mix of dragons and snakes, all kinds of people.
During the day it was still okay, but at night Chen Li dared not venture out; often when walking to the market, he could still see fresh bloodstains on the ground.
Such a figure was out of place here.
"Forget it, why bother with so much? It's none of my business," he shook his head.
```
"As for this bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills, I'll sell them off tomorrow, and return the favor later, depending on the situation."
He didn't want to pop pills.
Simply couldn't afford to.
A bottle of medicinal pills containing ten Qi Replenishing Pills, each worth one Low-grade Spirit Stone, was not something ordinary people could afford to consume.
If he were to use Qi Replenishing Pills to aid his cultivation, even if he drew talismans every day and spent all his savings, it would take less than six months to exhaust everything. It was better to work harder on his own.
...
The next day, he went to the market to sell goods and stock up, but let's not dwell on that.
After that, for a month.
Chen Li turned a deaf ear to the outside world.
He diligently practiced all kinds of skills every day.
Sometimes, learning skills could really be addictive.
Especially when watching the skills improve bit by bit, there was an indescribable sense of motivation and accomplishment.
Every time he had a moment to spare, he couldn't help but want to practice.
As his swordsmanship improved, his body became increasingly strong and his appetite grew larger and larger.
To prevent his body from becoming deficient, he began to buy large amounts of Demon Beast Meat, and with the equally increased consumption of Spirit Rice, the monthly expenses for food alone exceeded ten Spirit Stones.
Fortunately, with the proficiency of the Evil-Repelling Talisman improving and the success rate gradually rising to fifty percent, plus the eight Spirit Stones he had earned from selling the Qi Replenishing Pills, he was just barely maintaining a balance between income and expenses.
During this time, the slum area became busier and busier.
Many unfamiliar faces appeared, and the usually quiet streets now buzzed with activity.
This put Chen Li on alert.
Clearly, something he was unaware of was happening.
...
"Fellow Daoist Gao, you don't know either?"
In the evening, taking advantage of the fact that Gao Bo and Zhou Hong were both at home, Chen Li, bringing a few unsold 'Direction Talismans' as gifts, paid them a visit.
Gao Bo shook his head seriously, "These people are clearly not Loose Cultivators. I've asked around, and while there are all sorts of explanations, I suspect most of them are just excuses. But one thing is certain; these people don't all come from the same sect."
Each sect has its own distinct temperament, determined by the Cultivation Techniques and the sect's style. Experienced Loose Cultivators can often tell which sect the other belongs to just by their temperament.
"Do you think this will affect us?" Chen Li asked. This was his primary concern.
"Even if a sect war breaks out, as long as you stay out of it and don't join the commotion, what danger would there be?" Zhou Hong interjected, her gaze shifting away, unable to look at him.
It was clearly a hangover from the last time she was gifted a hairpin.
"Wait..." Gao Bo seemed to remember something, furrowed his brow in thought, and then asked Zhou Hong, "How old is the Golden Core Ancestor of the Longevity Sect this year?"
"You've forgotten? He just celebrated his six hundredth birthday ten years ago." Zhou Hong seemed to realize something as well, "Are you suggesting?"
Chen Li was completely confused.
And felt a shock in his heart.
To have lived for six hundred years, through six centuries, was like living from the early Ming Dynasty to the twenty-first century.
He couldn't even imagine it.
How did one live like that?
The next moment, he saw Gao Bo solemnly take out a Silencing Talisman, activate it, and waited for the spell's faint light to envelop the area. Only then did he lower his voice, "The Golden Core's lifespan limit is eight hundred, but almost none live to that age. Generally, a Golden Core Ancestor would be nearing their limit at six hundred, so perhaps some mishap has befallen this Ancestor recently."
"Ah, but what about us?"
"We'll just wait and see. It's just a change in the ruler of these lands, otherwise life goes on as usual," Gao Bo said.
...
A few minutes later.
Chen Li returned home laden with heavy thoughts, unable to calm down for a long time.
"I must continue with the wilderness trials."
While a 'military coup' might not affect the commoners at the bottom, there was a chance of accidental harm. This place was about to become a hotbed of conflict, and he certainly didn't want to leave his life up to the whims of luck or the benevolence of those in power.
```