Weakness is the Original Sin

In Wang Chen's impression—or rather, in the memories left behind by the original owner—

Traveling merchants had always seemed kind and approachable.

Whenever they appeared carrying pack cases hung with copper bells, they would invariably draw a crowd of children trailing after them.

Making the rural wilderness livelier.

Traveling merchants supplied the scattered bottom-layer cultivators with all kinds of daily necessities while purchasing materials of every description.

Making life more convenient for everyone.

They were always smiling, their deals fair, and they rarely tried to cheat anyone on purpose.

The traveling merchant Wang Chen had met two days ago.

Had perfectly matched the image in his memories.

Yet it was that very man who had broken into his home in the dead of night to take his life!

Why?

Murder for wealth!

Wang Chen could think of no other reason.

Without question, over the past few days, he had earned quite a few Spirit Stones by clearing out Earth Rhinoceroses.

And attracted someone else's covetous gaze!

Wang Chen recalled that not long after the traveling merchant had left that day, several farming households had come asking for his help.

Nine times out of ten, that fellow had been the one spreading the word.

So Wang Chen could earn even more Spirit Stones.

Fatten him up before slaughtering him.

The man had probably investigated him as well.

The more Wang Chen thought about it, the more terrifying it became!

Wang Chen realized that he had been too high-profile lately.

When he had first crossed over.

And learned of this world's cruelty, he had once thought about lying low.

But Wang Chen had spent two or three decades in his Previous Life living in a stable, peaceful environment.

Some habits had become second nature.

One moment of carelessness, and he had nearly buried his own little life.

In truth, up to now, Wang Chen had earned only around a hundred Spirit Stones.

Not even enough to buy a Storage Bag with slightly more capacity.

Yet even for this little amount of Spirit Stones, people could still bring themselves to commit murder!

Wang Chen was completely awake now.

His strength was far too weak.

And in the Cultivation World, Weakness is the Original Sin!

He could not stop earning Spirit Stones.

But he had to keep an even lower profile in his actions—slip quietly into the village, no shooting guns.

Looking at the corpse on the ground, Wang Chen's gaze hardened.

He could not make the same mistake again. Raising his strength was the most urgent task!

He carefully searched the traveling merchant's corpse once more.

At last, he felt out a jade pendant.

This turtle-shaped jade pendant had hung around the corpse's neck, hidden close against the body beneath his clothes.

When Wang Chen pulled it out, its surface was covered in cracks.

It was clearly ruined.

Recalling last night's events, Wang Chen guessed that this had been a protective Magic Tool.

If his Gengjin Finger had not broken through to the Great Accomplishment stage.

Then the one lying on the ground would probably have been him!

After putting away the jade pendant, Wang Chen took out the White Jade Bottle containing the strangely scented Powdered Medicine.

He opened the stopper and poured some powder over the corpse's wound.

Sizzle—

The Powdered Medicine, barely more than a fingernail's worth, began to give off wisps of white smoke the instant it touched flesh and blood.

The wounded area started melting at a visible rate.

It really was Corpse Dissolving Powder!

Misty Immortal Pot, Corpse Dissolving Powder, Rebirth Talisman...

This guy definitely wasn't robbing and murdering for the first time.

Wang Chen picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground and jabbed several bloody holes into different parts of the corpse.

He poured Corpse Dissolving Powder into each of them.

The corpse's rate of corrosion and melting abruptly accelerated.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a corpse weighing over a hundred jin, clothes and all, had dissolved into a puddle of putrid fluid.

Wang Chen took out the only Rebirth Talisman from the Storage Bag.

With the front of the talisman facing outward and its back pressed tightly against his palm, he gently pushed his hand forward.

At the same time, he infused it with mana to activate it.

The Rebirth Talisman against his palm immediately blazed with light, specks of Spiritual Light dancing like drifting fireflies.

Many of them fell into the putrid fluid on the ground.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth, may the departed soul return to the thick earth..."

Wang Chen silently recited the Rebirth Incantation in his heart.

The appraisal and use of low-grade Pills, Talismans, Magic Tools, and even formations were all foundational knowledge for cultivation.

As an outer sect disciple of the Yunyang Sect, Wang Chen could visit the Hall of Inherited Teachings once every month to attend a lecture free of charge.

Though the Elder of Inherited Teachings was not a Purple Mansion cultivator, he was still a highly accomplished cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation.

One could learn much useful and practical cultivation knowledge there.

The original owner had joined the Yunyang Sect outer sect for five years and had never missed a single lecture.

He could not have been more diligent in his studies.

But alas, his talent was limited.

As a low-grade talisman, the Rebirth Talisman was one of the talismans every cultivator had to understand and master.

Cultivators who died unnatural deaths often harbored resentment at the moment of death.

After dying, they could easily condense into Vengeful Souls, then transform into Evil Spirits!

Even those who died naturally

had a certain chance of turning into Evil Spirits.

Thus, they needed to be sent on.

That was precisely what the Rebirth Talisman was for!

Yet what Wang Chen had not expected was that just as he finished reciting the Rebirth Incantation, a plume of black smoke suddenly shot up from the putrid fluid on the ground.

The black smoke gathered into a ball before him, churning and twisting violently.

It actually took on the shape of a human head.

It bore a startling six or seven tenths resemblance to the traveling merchant Wang Chen had killed!

It opened its mouth wide and let out a soundless howl.

As though it wanted to devour Wang Chen alive!

Wang Chen could clearly sense the evil and venomous malice contained within that ball of black smoke.

It sent chills down his spine.

He involuntarily took a step back, then reached into his Storage Bag and pulled out an Exorcism Talisman.

He fiercely slapped it forward!

A burst of light exploded, and an intense aura of Pure Yang instantly drowned the black smoke in the shape of a head.

The latter was like ice and snow exposed to the blazing sun, melting away in an instant!

When the black smoke vanished completely, Wang Chen could still vaguely hear an inexplicable shriek filled with bitter resentment and venom.

Before he knew it, cold sweat had drenched his entire body.

If not for the Rebirth Talisman and Exorcism Talisman he had just seized, Wang Chen truly did not know what might have happened.

He lowered his head and saw that the putrid fluid on the ground had already disappeared.

Not a single trace remained.

Only then did Wang Chen truly set his mind at ease.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and put away all the spoils.

Including that dagger.

Now that he had a new, large Storage Bag, there was naturally no need for the old piece of junk.

He transferred everything inside, including the Spirit Stones.

Wang Chen inspected it carefully and confirmed there were no hidden marks on the new Storage Bag.

Only then did he boldly hang it from his waist.

Unless specially custom-made, the Storage Bags commonly used by cultivators were all roughly the same in style and size.

One could not tell their capacity at all merely from their appearance.

"Cough, cough!"

Having just sorted out the Storage Bag, Wang Chen felt a tightness in his chest and could not help coughing violently.

He even coughed up blood!

Only then did he realize that he had suffered internal injuries.

Wang Chen's cultivation was too low, and his physique was not particularly strong.

At that life-and-death moment last night, he had forcibly driven the Gengjin Finger to its fullest power. While killing his enemy, he had also injured his own meridians.

The index and middle fingers of his right hand had both been torn open, flesh split and skin shredded.

He had been so excited while looting the corpse just now that he had overlooked his own injuries.

Only now did he feel the pain.

Wang Chen hurriedly took out a Healing Pill and swallowed it.

Come to think of it, the Rebirth Talisman, Exorcism Talisman, Corpse Dissolving Powder, and the Healing Pill he was taking now—

All of them had belonged to the traveling merchant.

No wonder the man had turned into a Vengeful Soul even after death.

"Wang Chen! Wang Chen! Are you up yet?"

Wang Chen had just swallowed the Healing Pill and had not yet had time to refine its medicinal power.

When he heard a familiar voice calling from outside the courtyard.

Damn you!