The next morning.
Chen Li awoke and filled a basin with water from the tank, ready to wash his face and freshen up.
By chance, he saw his reflection in the water.
He couldn't help but be slightly startled.
Compared to when he had just transmigrated, he looked several years younger. His skin, once sallow and aged, was now rosy and lustrous. The scheming slickness had lessened in his brow and eyes, replaced by an air of soaring ambition.
It was merely a simple change in temperament, but it dramatically transformed his entire image.
"If I said I was only thirty-five now, I bet some would believe it," Chen Li said, his eyes crinkling with pleasure.
Becoming a middle-aged man in his forties with a decrepit appearance was always a sore point for him. Although he would live a long life, and an even longer one if he was fortunate enough to achieve Foundation Establishment, who wouldn't want to look younger in the present?
Even if it was just the appearance.
At last, his insecurity had been resolved.
After quickly washing up, he checked his equipment. His magic artifacts and sword were never far from him, and he carried the "Evil-Repelling Talisman," "Amulet," and "Featherweight Talisman" on his person. With some smoked jerky and water that he had prepared himself, he stepped out the door in high spirits.
Today he intended to give himself a day off and get some fresh air in the wilderness.
Autumn arrived swiftly.
Not long ago, it was the scorching summer, but in the blink of an eye, the season had turned to a crisp autumn. Since the war resumed, the shanty area visibly quieted down.
But Chen Li was content with this.
With fewer potential desperadoes around,
he expected the security here would greatly improve.
Since his transmigration, whenever he went to the market early in the morning, he always saw remnants of blood on secluded, uninhabited paths, sometimes even scattered pieces of human limbs.
In this shanty area, which seemed 'peaceful' by day, the darkness under the cover of night never ceased.
What was more alarming was that the people here had grown accustomed to it, no longer finding it strange.
Even Chen Li… had become somewhat used to it.
...
Standing in the wilderness.
Chen Li activated a "Pathfinder Talisman."
The colors before his eyes faded rapidly, and the world turned into shades of black and white.
All directions were safe.
Chen Li casually chose one and strode forward.
The effect of the Pathfinder Talisman was limited, providing little more than psychological comfort.
Of course, he didn't plan on going too far.
Getting some air outside to clear his mind was only one reason; practicing his "Spiritual Power Finger Snap" was the main one.
As the might of the "Spiritual Power Finger Snap" grew stronger, continuing to practice at home was clearly no longer appropriate. The commotion was far too substantial, and even though he always aimed at the soft earth, the disruptions it caused were not insignificant.
Besides, since receiving his new magic artifact, he hadn't practiced much with it. Without getting used to it now, he would be likely to fumble when it really mattered.
He had to admit that the resurgence of the war, though it hadn't affected the Green River District, had inevitably stirred some unease within him.
As he walked, he used the "Spiritual Power Finger Snap" to shoot at insects startled by his footsteps.
He kindly spared the smaller flies and mosquitoes, but dealt ruthlessly with anything larger.
The Spiritual Power Finger Snap was silent when triggered, but upon impact, the mana structure would violently burst, obliterating any insect it hit into dust.
Just then, he heard faint voices nearby.
Chen Li quickly stopped what he was doing, stepped aside, and quietly waited for the people to pass by.
It was a group of three Loose Cultivators carrying herb baskets on their backs and herb hoes in their hands, chatting and laughing as they walked. They paused when they saw Chen Li, then after a slight hesitation, they greeted him with a cupped fist salute and continued on their way, their voices only growing louder once they were at a distance.
Chen Li withdrew his gaze and resumed practice.
He practiced intermittently, without any urgency, controlling the consumption of the spiritual power within his body.
Until it was nearly noon.
An invisible Qi Force instantly traveled forty to fifty meters and struck a large tree as thick as a sea bowl.
The next moment.
With a "boom,"
The large tree was blasted in half at the waist.
He withdrew his gaze and quickly opened the game panel.
To his surprise, Spiritual Power Snap had evolved from its original 'Master level' to 'Grandmaster: 1/3200."
"Huff!"
Chen Li exhaled and shifted his attention to the 3200 points of experience necessary for the breakthrough to Grandmaster.
"Practicing is becoming slower and slower!"
This was still the easiest skill to practice, with minimal Spiritual Power consumption and rapid activation. Yet, it had taken him a full four months just to barely advance to Grandmaster level, not to mention other skills.
None could be improved in a short time; it could only be achieved through time and effort.
Especially the Evil-Repelling Talisman, which was still at a 'beginner' level.
"It's time to learn a new skill!"
...
In the evening, when he was close to home,
He saw that a large crowd had gathered around Lin Gui's house next door, and the inside was in chaos, like a heated argument.
Chen Li moved closer to see.
And indeed, Lin Gui was in trouble.
Four middle-aged female cultivators were cursing loudly while continuously tearing at Lin Gui, scratching and clawing with their nails. Lin Gui looked disheveled, his face was streaked with blood from the scratches, and he dodged frantically, letting out screams like a slaughtered pig.
"Stop hitting, stop hitting!"
"You damn thing!"
"Born without an asshole!"
"Specially making those poisonous pills to harm people..."
"My dead man can't go a day without his medicine now, he feels unwell, where do we get that much money, you're killing us!"
Lin Gui shouted in defense, "It's not poison, it's not poison, I eat it every day too, look at my radiant face..."
This sentence undeniably added fuel to the fire.
"That's for denying it's poison!"
"That's for your radiant face!"
"Kill this stinking alchemist."
"Strip him naked, drag him out for everyone to have a good look."
...
At this moment, when Lin Gui saw Chen, his eyes lit up, and he found the strength from somewhere to break free from the grip of the female cultivators, tumbling and crawling to hide behind Chen's back: "Fellow Daoist Chen, please help, save my life!"
"What now, you're going to stick up for this stinking alchemist?" one of the female cultivators stood out, speaking abrasively.
Chen faced the mob of aggressive women and felt a tingling in his scalp:
"Sigh, ladies, please calm down... Arguing like this solves nothing, it's of no help. How about this, list down how much medicine each of you has bought, let Fellow Daoist Lin compensate you with money to the best of his ability to settle this matter. What do you think?"
"I have the money, I have the money, I've recorded how much medicine each family bought, what pills, and how much you paid. I'll refund it all, everything!" Lin Gui hastily shouted, rattling off his words with surprising fluency.
"Just refunding the money is not enough, there has to be compensation."
"Yeah, my man's been poisoned, no compensation, and I swear I'll tear you apart tonight."
Although these women still looked fierce, it was clear the rage in their hearts had subsided, leaving just the haggling over whether the compensation was satisfactory.
Chen silently stepped back from the crowd, shook his head, and hoped that Lin Gui would learn from this lesson and restrain himself a bit.
Otherwise, he feared Lin might have to flee to another district again.