"Someone died last night."
"Isn't that the truth? The Market is getting more and more chaotic, and the Moyun Sect isn't doing anything about it..."
"Hush, watch what you say."
The clamor of footsteps and hushed arguments woke Zhao Zuo from a deep sleep. He opened his mouth to curse, but quickly remembered he was in a different world and held his tongue.
Still, driven by curiosity, he removed the wooden wedge and pushed the door open a crack.
He watched in secret.
Peeking through the crack, he saw it. Leaning against the base of the wall diagonally across from him was a human head, completely drained of blood. Its eyes were wide open, frozen in an expression of utter disbelief.
Zhao Zuo knew that face well. It belonged to his neighbor, a Talisman Master at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. The man earned a handsome income from his craft of creating talismans and was considered one of the wealthier residents of Qingni Lane. He was a frequent, unrestrained patron of the Qunfang Pavilion.
Even the body's original owner had once been envious of the Talisman Cultivator next door.
But now he was dead. Not only that, his head had been chopped off, denying him even a peaceful burial.
Zhao Zuo immediately slammed the door shut and jammed the wedge back in place. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, a wave of cold fear washing over him. He had been up 'grinding experience' late into the night, yet he hadn't heard a thing from just a wall away. 'If that Tribulation Cultivator had come for me instead...' The thought was terrifying.
'Does this kind of vicious infighting, which reduces the number of Loose Cultivators, actually benefit the ruling Moyun Sect?'
'Everything that happens must have a reason.'
'Sigh... what a hellish world. It's too dangerous!'
The day's events, especially the image of those eyes that could not be closed, were a stark reminder of this world's cruelty.
Zhao Zuo made a private resolution: from now on, he would stay inside as much as possible to avoid any potential danger.
Of course, simply hiding wasn't enough; he also needed to increase his own strength. His right hand brushed over the Sky-Breaking Saber at his waist. The cold touch of the metal gave him a small measure of security. Even if a Tribulation Cultivator came to his door, he wouldn't be completely helpless.
'It would be a fight to the death, but who's afraid of that!'
In a life-or-death moment, even the most timid person can find a surge of desperate courage.
After the morning's shock, Zhao Zuo revised his plan. For the time being, he would focus all his energy on 'grinding experience' to upgrade his Magical Artifact, the Sky-Breaking Saber. Increasing his life-saving trump cards came first; then he would work on raising his Cultivation.
He simply cooked some Spirit Rice and Demon Beast meat. He downed three large bowls of the mixture but still didn't feel satisfied.
After his meal, Zhao Zuo felt a warm current spreading through his abdomen. He hurried back to the bed in his room and began to meditate, refining and extracting this Spiritual Power.
An unknown amount of time passed before Zhao Zuo felt a stinging pain in his Meridians. He quickly shifted his technique, circulating the stagnant Mana from his Dantian to soothe them.
He also calmed the somewhat agitated Spiritual Power, spending about another quarter of an hour before finishing his Cultivation session.
Zhao Zuo opened his eyes, feeling an unbearable thirst. He grabbed the nearby kettle, poured a large bowl of cool water, and gulped it down.
"Refreshing!"
This Cultivation session had increased the amount of Mana in his Dantian again. The progress was slight, but with daily accumulation, it would eventually amount to something significant.
'This is where I have to thank the body's original owner for leaving me with the Three Spirit Roots talent,' he thought. 'It's not top-tier, but it's a damn sight better than those poor saps who start with Five Spirit Roots.'
'Er, I mean, my predecessors.'
'Brother Han, Brother Wang, Brother Shi, please watch over me. Help me attain the Dao and achieve immortality,' Zhao Zuo prayed silently.
After a short break to clear his head, Zhao Zuo went back to 'grinding experience.' Fueled by his Mana, the Sky-Breaking Saber spun and danced around his body. The constant practice was making him increasingly proficient with the Magical Artifact.
If a real fight broke out, he wouldn't be caught fumbling.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Zhao Zuo's body went taut. A few seconds passed before he stood up and called out.
"Who's there?"
"It's me, brother! Quick, open up!"
The familiar voice triggered a memory from the body's original owner. An image surfaced in his mind: a slender man, about 1.7 meters tall, whose face always seemed to carry a faint smile.
Zhao Zuo opened the door and said politely, "Oh, it's you, Brother Yan."
Yan Fang. He had met the body's original owner ten years ago on a Flying Ship. Both had failed the Outer Sect entrance examination and had settled down together in the Moyun Market. There was a time when they had even trusted each other with their lives.
Two years ago, however, Yan Fang had picked up a gambling habit. It started with small, recreational bets, but soon he was gambling away every Spirit Stone he earned. He had borrowed Spirit Stones from the original owner a few times at the start, but never paid them back. Eventually, the original owner refused to lend him any more. After being turned down several times... their relationship grew distant, and they stopped seeing each other.
Now, he had shown up at the door unexpectedly. Zhao Zuo wondered what he was up to.
Zhao Zuo blocked the doorway with his body, showing no intention of letting him in.
"Hahaha, I heard someone died in Qingni Lane, so I came to make sure you were safe." Yan Fang didn't seem fazed by Zhao Zuo's refusal to invite him in, laughing as he spoke.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Brother Yan," Zhao Zuo replied politely. Inwardly, however, he was on edge, worried the man might suddenly turn violent.
"There's no need for such pleasantries between us. The important thing is that you're safe." Yan Fang's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept properly in a long time.
'He's clearly been at the gambling den all night again,' Zhao Zuo thought.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, reminiscing about old times, and the atmosphere became a little less stiff.
"Brother Zhao, are you flush with Spirit Stones at the moment? Lend your brother some so I can win my money back. I'll pay you back double when I do!" Seeing his chance, Yan Fang grabbed Zhao Zuo's sleeve and spoke with an unnerving friendliness, as if he were offering a golden opportunity.
Zhao Zuo sneered inwardly. 'He had already guessed Yan Fang's real goal. All the concern for his safety and reminiscing about the past was just a tactic to soften him up.'
"To be honest, Brother Yan, I haven't even scraped together next month's rent money," Zhao Zuo said, putting on a miserable, downtrodden act. "Sigh, times are tough. How about this? Why don't you pay back one or two of the Spirit Stones I lent you, so I can make rent?" He was fighting fire with fire.
Hearing this, Yan Fang immediately let go of his sleeve and instinctively took half a step back.
"Hey now, where would I get Spirit Stones to pay you back? I've already lost everything!"
Zhao Zuo offered a sincere-sounding suggestion. "Brother Yan, how about you sell your Protective Magical Artifact? You can give me half for my emergency, and use the other half to win your money back."
"Ahem, how could I possibly sell my Protective Magical Artifact in times like these?" Yan Fang immediately shot down the idea.
Then, his gaze fixed on Zhao Zuo as he demanded.
"Do you really not have any Spirit Stones, or are you just unwilling to lend them to me?"
Hearing the thinly veiled threat in his question and feeling the intensity of those bloodshot eyes, Zhao Zuo's heart clenched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He felt an immense sense of danger and discreetly began channeling Mana into a hidden clasp at his waist.
"I really don't!"
"Fine, forget it. It seems we've really grown apart, brother." Yan Fang sighed and turned to leave.
Zhao Zuo quickly shut the door, breaking out in a cold sweat.
'He was definitely about to attack! I just don't know what made him back down.'
For the next several days, Zhao Zuo fell into the monotonous routine of an Ascetic. His waking hours were spent activating the Sky-Breaking Saber to 'grind experience.' Yan Fang never showed up again, which allowed Zhao Zuo's frantic heart to settle down somewhat.
While his Mana recovered, Zhao Zuo would use the time to cook. After eating, he would immediately start his Qi Cultivation, absorbing the Spiritual Power from the food.
When he felt tired, he pushed through it. When he felt sleepy, he would drink some cold water to stay awake.
Furthermore, the shadow of his neighbor's murder loomed so large that Zhao Zuo didn't dare sleep in his bed. Instead, when he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, he would curl up to rest in the woodpile in his storage room.
He was also practicing how to leave a sliver of his Spiritual Sense on alert while he slept. Although it diminished the quality of his rest, such a side effect was trivial in the face of survival.
Thanks to his round-the-clock grinding, the experience points for upgrading the Sky-Breaking Saber skyrocketed, surpassing his original plan and reaching a whole new level.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +1 · Sky-Breaking Saber]
[Experience: 350/400]
[Status: Not Upgradeable]
[Creation Points: 0]
'Just one more day, and the Sky-Breaking Saber can be upgraded again.'
Although the pace of his Qi Cultivation had slowed slightly during this time, Zhao Zuo understood that improving his means of self-preservation was a necessary strategy in this dangerous world.
He frequently reviewed the original owner's memories, trying to cross-reference them to formulate goals and learn from past experiences.
And he had indeed reached a conclusion: the body's original owner hadn't been cautious enough. He'd had no clear grasp of the world's dangers, which had led to several near-death experiences.
'Caution. That was the most important lesson he learned from reviewing those memories.'
'And steady progress would be his path forward.'
However, because Zhao Zuo had been eating to his heart's content, the supply of Spirit Rice that was supposed to last ten days was now down to only about three meals' worth.
Thinking of danger even in times of safety, Zhao Zuo knew it was time to venture out. He needed to buy more Spirit Rice and also check out the place where the original owner used to earn Spirit Stones. He had to establish a source of income as soon as possible.
If possible, he would also try to find a repairable Defensive Magical Artifact at one of the street stalls to bolster his defenses. Then, he'd have the Sky-Breaking Saber for offense and another Magical Artifact for defense.
It would be a simple but effective combat setup: one for attack, one for defense.
After dinner, Zhao Zuo didn't take the opportunity to cultivate. Instead, he went right back to 'grinding experience.' Upgrading the Sky-Breaking Saber was his most crucial trump card for venturing outside, and he was determined to finish it as soon as possible, even if it meant wasting some Spiritual Power.
That night, after once again depleting his Mana, Zhao Zuo went to the well for a quick rinse. Then, he threw on his Taoist Robe and began to organize the items he would need for his trip out the next day.
First were the Vajra Talisman and the Sharp Arrow Talisman; he definitely had to bring those.
The former was a One-Tier, Middle-Grade Talisman capable of blocking a single strike from a Lower-Grade Magical Artifact—an essential life-saving item. The latter wasn't as powerful as a Magical Artifact, but it had the advantage of being easy to activate, making it a good opening move.
Next were several types of Pill Medicine. This included Spirit Revitalizing Pills, which could rapidly restore Mana in the heat of battle. They were a must-have for Magical Combat and cost six Spirit Stones each.
He also had to bring Golden Wound Medicine to treat external injuries.
'I'll take all four Spirit Stones... Spirit Rice costs one Spirit Stone for ten jin, and they usually sell it in ten-jin increments. The original owner used to buy twenty jin every ten days.'
'I can use three Spirit Stones to try and find a repairable Magical Artifact at a stall, and use the last one to buy Spirit Rice.'
That would be going all-in, leaving himself with no safety net. It was a definite risk.
Zhao Zuo was still hesitating on the exact plan.
Especially since rent was due in just thirteen days.
He needed to earn four Spirit Stones in thirteen days!
...
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