Lie Zhanfeng stepped out of the space, his mind swirling with thoughts of the two men who had chased him. His fingers clenched into fists as he recalled the unease that had settled within him when he entered the shop. That shopkeeper... something about him just didn't sit right. No, it was more. A gut feeling told him the man was tied to those men, somehow.
In his past life, as a businessman, he'd learned to trust his instincts. He'd dealt with the kind of people who would hire assassins just to eliminate a rival. It wasn't uncommon to meet shady characters who lived by underhanded means. He had survived countless backstabbing and deceitful deals, his instincts honed over years of narrow escapes.
"Looks like this world isn't much different," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.
But then the differences became glaring. In his previous life, everything was underpinned by law. Disputes were settled in court, and power came from influence and connections. But in this world? Strength ruled. There were no contracts or laws here, only the sheer force of one's abilities.
"Too weak… too weak right now," Lie Zhanfeng sighed helplessly, his shoulders slumping. He could already sense it. Even if he knew who was behind all of this, he couldn't do anything yet. Not in this state. Not when his strength was so limited.
With a frustrated groan, he looked around and found himself at the doorstep of his humble home. He hadn't even realized how far he had walked, his mind consumed by the troubling thoughts. Shaking his head, he pushed the door open, stepped inside, and shut it behind him. The familiar sights of his home gave him little comfort today.
"I need to get stronger. Fast," he thought, determination rising within him.
Without wasting time, Lie Zhanfeng headed straight for the space. There, he began to refine his cultivation using the spirit stones he had acquired. The space was his sanctuary—a place to train, free from distractions, where time seemed to stretch on. He threw himself into his training. If he wanted to survive this world, if he wanted to avoid being trampled by those more powerful than him, strength was the only thing that mattered.
---
One Month Later…
---
A month passed by like a blur. Within that time, Lie Zhanfeng made immense progress. Inside the space, he was immersed in the study of the Primordial Tyrant Codex, a martial technique suited for his unique physique. The more he trained, the more his power surged. He was slowly but surely becoming stronger, and it felt good.
"Seventh level of Qi Refining," Lie Zhanfeng muttered to himself, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
The breakthrough had been hard-earned, but it was a sign of his growing strength. And that wasn't the only milestone he had achieved. Lie Zhanfeng's cultivation wasn't the only thing that flourished. Just last week, he had harvested a bounty of medicinal herbs and sold them in town, netting him 350 taels. After paying off his debts and clearing the interest, he was left with a bit more than a hundred taels.
"At least the debts are settled," he chuckled softly. "No more being chased by those creditors."
The day's training session came to a close, and Lie Zhanfeng stepped out of the space, stretching his limbs. Just as he was about to step outside his house, a voice drifted toward him.
"Can you believe it?" a voice carried through the air, faint but clear to Lie Zhanfeng's sharpened senses. "That guy, Lie Zhanfeng, actually managed to grow those two plants. Morningdew Turnips and Moonshade Basil, of all things!"
"No way," another scoffed, the tone heavy with doubt. "You must be mistaken. He's just a rookie when it comes to farming. Didn't he almost ruin his first plot last month because he didn't water it properly?"
"I thought so too," the first voice admitted. "But I saw it myself when he brought the crops to town. The turnips were perfect—smooth and fresh, just like in the stories. And the basil practically shimmered under the sunlight."
"Must've been pure luck," a third voice chimed in, tinged with bitterness. "It takes real skill to keep harvesting like that. I'll bet he won't pull it off again."
Lie Zhanfeng stepped out of his house, hearing every word despite the distance. A sly grin crept onto his face. He wasn't exactly trying to eavesdrop—well, maybe a little—but their disbelief was far too entertaining to ignore.
"Morningdew Turnips, perfect size and all?" he muttered, glancing at his field. "Maybe I should start calling myself a farming prodigy."
Though he chuckled at the thought, he knew his success wasn't just a stroke of luck. It had taken hours of work, trial and error, and meticulous care to grow those tricky plants, and most importantly—The Spiritual Spring.
Still, there was something deeply satisfying about proving the doubters wrong.
"Let them talk," he murmured, the smile still lingering on his face. "It doesn't bother me."
He glanced around at the land he had just harvested. There was more work to be done—he still had to figure out his farming schedule. But his immediate concern was running low on spirit stones. His stash was nearly gone, and though he had learned his lesson after that encounter at the shop, he still needed to find a reliable source.
"Not going back to that shop," Lie Zhanfeng muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Not after what happened last time."
He glanced toward the distant town, the thought of traveling there weighing on his mind. The town wasn't exactly the most promising place. Occupied mainly by mortals, the spiritual energy in the area was weak at best. If he wanted to find a place where there were more cultivators and higher spiritual energy, he would have to travel farther. That would take time, though, and right now, he wasn't ready to make that journey just yet.
With a sigh, he puffed out his cheeks, an expression that never quite fit his rugged features.
"Guess I'll have to go to town again," he muttered. "But I'll need to be careful. I'm not going to let those men get to me."
His decision made, Lie Zhanfeng began preparations to head to the town. The first thing he did was cover his face. He didn't want to risk being spotted by anyone who might cause trouble. The last thing he needed was to be recognized and dragged back into a mess.
He headed out to find the village's coachman, asking him to take him to the town. The journey wouldn't be quick, but it was the safest option for now.
"Uncle Zhao, take me to town," Lie Zhanfeng said, settling into the coach.
Uncle Zhao, nodded, none the wiser to the complexities of his passenger's thoughts, and the journey to town began.
---
The journey to town went smoothly, with Lie Zhanfeng observing the hustle and bustle of the streets. But he didn't have time to lose. He set out with a clear goal—To find a place that accepted spiritual stone exchanges.
He asked around, questioning vendors and passersby with his usual directness. "Do you know any shops that accept spiritual stones for transactions?" he would ask, earning a few confused glances and vague directions. Afterall, the majority in town are mortals. Some of them didn't even know what spirit stones are.
After some time, the clues he gathered finally pointed him toward the most unexpected place—the casino.
"Wait, what?" Lie Zhanfeng muttered to himself. His brows furrowed. "The casino? Really?" But there was no denying it. Every lead he followed seemed to circle back to this chaotic establishment.
Once inside the casino, the noises of clinking chips and muffled conversations enveloped him. He wasn't here to gamble, but to settle a different matter.
It didn't take long for him to find the manager, a man he had dealt with before.
A week ago, when he was paying for his debt, it had been one of the lackeys that accommodated him instead, so Lie Zhanfeng didn't notice anything unusual at all. Now, standing before him, Lie Zhanfeng could feel something different. There was a faint spiritual fluctuation around the manager.
"A cultivator?" Lie Zhanfeng thought, blinking in surprise. "This world's about as unpredictable as a fish in a desert. Last time, I was just a mortal and couldn't sense a thing, but now I find out the guy running the casino has some cultivation. Who would've guessed?"
The manager hadn't noticed Lie Zhanfeng's own cultivation, though. First off, his cultivation was weaker, so he didn't have the strength to detect it. Secondly, Lie Zhanfeng's Primordial Tyrant Body had a natural shielding effect, keeping his true power hidden from others. The same shielding had also kept the Han family from ever realizing the original owner's potential.