Soon, people grew familiar with the little shop's owner.
The owner was an old man with a full head of white hair and a white beard. His spirit was still sharp, and his body looked hale and hearty.
However, if one got close to him and probed with their Divine Sense, they would discover a decaying aura emanating from the old man's body. It was clear he didn't have many years left to live.
A few days later, the shop's grand opening discount ended, but many people, having heard of its reputation, still came to visit.
The little shop's business was booming.
Du Youqian could actually refine High Tier Magical Artifacts and Elixirs, but there was no need.
His ambitions did not lie here.
Time flowed on, as calm as still water.
It passed in a flash.
Soon, three years had passed.
On this day, Du Youqian woke up, used a Cleaning Art to tidy himself, and leisurely opened the shop's door, ready for business.
At that moment, he was struck by a sudden, baseless intuition: his time was up. He only had a few days left.
The feeling was so clear it couldn't possibly be a delusion.
So, he closed up shop early, divided the goods inside into several portions, and visited a few friends he had made over the years, giving each of them a farewell gift.
After all, none of it was particularly valuable.
Though if he sold it all, it would still be worth a few Spirit Stones.
But it wasn't worth wasting the last moments of his life dealing with it, and he couldn't be bothered to pack it up and take it with him.
Then, he found the steward from the Feng Family and terminated his lease.
"Old Fang, is your... time almost up? I heard you were out and about today, giving gifts to quite a few people. Are you... getting your affairs in order?"
Du Youqian handed the last gift package to the steward and said with a smile, "That's right. My time is short. You can't take these things with you when you die, so I figured I might as well give them to my friends. As for what I wanted to leave to my descendants, I've already sent it off. I no longer have any attachments here."
The Feng Family steward was accustomed to matters of life and death, so he didn't put on a false show of sympathy. He simply invited Du Youqian for a cup of Spirit Tea and made some small talk, a final courtesy for an acquaintance.
Only then did he return the Spirit Stone deposit Du Youqian had paid.
Du Youqian took the Spirit Stones, went straight to another shop, and bought a Secret Technique he had long coveted: "Binding the Azure Dragon with Bare Hands." He spent every last Spirit Stone.
He learned the Secret Technique on the spot, and the Jade Scroll that stored it immediately shattered into pieces.
Only then did he leisurely depart from the North Shore Market. He headed south, planning to use his remaining time to rush back to Soul-shaking Mountain, make some arrangements, and have himself buried next to Long Ruzhen.
Along the way, Du Youqian pondered "Binding the Azure Dragon with Bare Hands."
This Secret Technique was two or three tiers higher than the "Blood Burning Art," and its price was naturally a bit steeper.
The Blood Burning Art was expensive purely because it was a Demon Sect Secret Technique with limited avenues for acquisition.
"Binding the Azure Dragon with Bare Hands," on the other hand, was truly a great value.
The main purpose of this Secret Technique was to trap enemies.
Even against a Cultivator one Realm higher than oneself, it could briefly control the opponent for a moment.
In a battle, a single moment is enough to do many things.
One could imagine that this Secret Technique's practical combat effectiveness was top-notch.
If this were an Immortal Cultivating game, "Binding the Azure Dragon with Bare Hands" would definitely be one of the skills that players in the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp would place in their skill bar in the Early Stage.
However, this Secret Technique required one to use both Divine Sense and Magical Power to cast it.
Du Youqian felt that in the future, he would need to acquire a Cultivation Technique or Secret Technique specifically for training his Divine Sense.
"Sigh... Come on out," Du Youqian said with a sigh, suddenly halting his Paper Crane.
"Hahaha! Old Man Fang, you've only got a few days left. You're not actually thinking of fighting me, are you? Just obediently hand over all your belongings and make a copy of all your Secret Techniques, and I'll let you go!" A young Cultivator who looked like a Scholar appeared to his right.
Du Youqian then looked to his left.
"You discovered me too? You've got sharp instincts, old man!"
A gloomy-looking Cultivator in black robes appeared, seated atop an eagle-like Spirit Pet.
Du Youqian sighed. "Has the North Shore Market degenerated to this point? They're letting Tribulation Cultivators run rampant."
"Hehe," the Scholar sneered, "we're not Tribulation Cultivators. We're just honest, law-abiding Loose Cultivators. Everyone knows you're off to find a place to be buried, and you won't be coming back. What does this have to do with Tribulation Cultivators? Who's going to investigate?"
"So that's how it is."
The look in Du Youqian's eyes changed. His expression turned grim, and his aura began to surge.
"Blood Burning Art? You've got to be kidding me! Old Man Fang, don't be rash! Stop! Is this really necessary?" The Scholar couldn't wrap his head around it.
Who starts casting the Blood Burning Art after exchanging just a couple of sentences?!
Besides, how many days do you even have left, old man?
Don't die of old age before you can even finish casting the spell.
Du Youqian ignored him. He simply activated the Blood Burning Art and sent a Flying Sword shooting toward the Scholar.
This was not the Flying Sword Elder Tao had given him, but an ordinary, Lower Grade Flying Sword he had forged for practice over the years.
The Flying Sword shot forward menacingly, but halfway to its target, it began to wobble like a drunken strongman. It staggered a bit further before suddenly exploding.
The explosion was still some distance from the Scholar. He hastily waved his hand to cast a Defense Magic and was unharmed.
When they looked back at Du Youqian, the light in his eyes had already dimmed.
The Paper Crane, now uncontrolled, drifted downward in a strange arc and quickly threw Du Youqian off its back.
"Damn it! This stubborn old codger was quite the firecracker," the Scholar cursed under his breath.
The gloomy, black-robed Cultivator was also stunned. After a long moment, he said with a bitter twist of his lips, "Let's hurry and find his body. Maybe the old guy still had some savings."
"What savings could he have? Someone saw him spend his entire fortune on that Secret Technique. He learned it on the spot, and the Inheritance Jade Scroll even shattered."
"That old guy ran a shop in the North Shore Market for years, earning one or two thousand Spirit Stones annually. I refuse to believe he doesn't have some hidden treasures stashed away!" the black-robed Cultivator said viciously.
But when they found Old Man Fang's body—smashed into a bloody, meaty pulp—and searched it over and over, they only found items worth less than 30 Spirit Stones. They had to admit that this robbery was not worth the effort.
The informant fee they had paid for this tip had cost them 50 Spirit Stones.
***
As Du Youqian fell from the back of the Paper Crane, his consciousness gradually sank into a silent, soundless darkness.
'It's about to begin,' his last shred of awareness thought.
Sure enough, a speck of light appeared in the darkness.
'My life is about to flash before my eyes,' Du Youqian knew.
Then, the light and shadows began to swirl and blur.
His life played out before him, scene by rapid scene, like a highlight reel flashing before his eyes.
As a high-spirited Young Man, he shouldered his bag and set off on a long journey.
He toiled for over a decade, traveling thousands of miles, yet his path to immortality remained elusive.
Reaching the Peak of the Human World was not my desire; my loyal heart wished only for Becoming an Immortal.
Entrusted with a task, I remained loyal. A gentleman's promise meant eighteen years of silence, exchanged for a chance at immortality.
"To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening without regret." I earned the favor of a noble benefactor.
Decades of bitter hardship, never daring to relax for a moment. But alas, my aptitude was ordinary, and my achievements were limited.
I learned several skills to get by, made a few good friends, and found a soulmate.
Though my life was unremarkable, I never wasted my time.
Though I die, I have no regrets.
Rating: C+.
Gained: 2 points of Spirit Root.
Remember:
Only a death by natural causes allows for Reincarnation. A violent death does not lead to the cycle.
Before the age of 18, you will turn all misfortune into good fortune and every disaster into a blessing. At the age of 18, you are guaranteed to overcome the Mystery of the Womb.
Furthermore, while in a Land of the Dead Spirit, the feedback is insufficient. If you cannot break through to the Nascent Soul Realm and perceive your true self within ten reincarnations, you will no longer be able to maintain the cycle of Reincarnation.
Return, O soul!