Hearing Zhao Huai refuse outright, Li Yanqing felt slightly disappointed.
Zhao Huai glanced at him and said slowly, "This is the second lesson I'm teaching you: do what lies within your ability, and don't show off."
"Because you don't know how many of them there are. What if killing one brings a pack, and killing a pack brings a whole nest? What would you do then?"
"So the best course is not to go."
After hearing Zhao Huai's words, Li Yanqing nodded thoughtfully, as if he understood. He said firmly, "I understand, Senior. I won't go to brothels anymore."
"It's good that you understand. Go back first. As long as the Demonic Qi on your body hasn't been completely removed, cultivating True Qi is impossible." Zhao Huai stood with his hands behind his back.
"Understood."
Though Li Yanqing felt helpless, there was nothing he could do. Who could blame him for being so unlucky?
"Wait."
Li Yanqing had just turned around when Zhao Huai called out to him.
"What is it, Senior?"
Zhao Huai took out three talismans from the Mysterious Ring and smiled. "Take these three Dao talismans first. You really did help a great deal with the constables today. With these talismans, you'll be able to repel ordinary demons and monsters. At least you'll have time to run."
Li Yanqing accepted the talismans, a trace of delight flashing through his eyes. It seemed Senior did care about him after all, deliberately leaving him three Dao talismans for protection.
"You have neither True Qi nor spiritual power, so when you use them, just aim and throw."
Zhao Huai added another reminder.
Li Yanqing beamed. "Understood, Senior. If you need any help in the future, just come to me. A teacher for a day, a father for life—your business is my business. I'll be taking my leave."
Watching him depart, Zhao Huai could not help but fall into deep thought.
The Demonic Qi on Li Yanqing's body was indeed not weak. Among the demons and monsters Zhao Huai had encountered, it should have ranked near the top—though, of course, he had not seen many demons and monsters to begin with.
Speaking of demons and monsters, after carefully recalling the past three years since arriving in this world, the number he had personally seen probably did not exceed the number of fingers on both hands.
His understanding of demons and monsters was also quite limited.
At present, Zhao Huai only knew the following.
First, demons and monsters enjoyed eating people. They could disguise themselves as humans, wear human skin, lurk within the Mortal World, deceive people, and eat them. They were often exceptionally vicious; some were beasts, while others were ghostly creatures.
Powerful demons and monsters would even keep humans in captivity, fattening them up before eating them.
Fortunately, they also had weaknesses. No matter how convincingly they disguised themselves as humans, there would still be flaws. Often, some part of their body would reveal their demonic traits.
Second, demons and monsters were also divided into ranks, though he did not know the specifics. He had heard that the more human-like a demon or monster was, the higher its rank. Some were almost identical to humans, their distinctive flaws so slight they were nearly impossible to detect.
Finally, magical treasures were the best weapons for cultivators to slay demons and monsters. The stronger the magical treasure, the better its effects. Magical treasures were ranked from one to nine stars by power, with nine-star magical treasures being the strongest treasures in the world.
Every year, quite a few disciples from immortal cultivation sects descended the mountains to eliminate demons, maintaining order in the Mortal World. The human race still held the upper hand for now, and weaker demons and monsters did not dare show themselves lightly.
As for more information, Zhao Huai had not researched it very thoroughly. Much of what he knew above had come from consulting Ancient Books.
For instance, how did demons and monsters disguise themselves as humans? Where were their gathering places located? What kinds of demons and monsters were there? He did not know the answers to these questions either.
Back then, the first demon Zhao Huai had seen was during his flight south. By a lakeside, a group of people had been drinking water.
As he drank, someone across from him was suddenly dragged into the lake by some indistinct monster hiding beneath the water.
At the time, he had only just turned twenty. How could a young man like him have ever seen such a sight? His face turned deathly pale from fright, and he fled on the spot.
Only after witnessing the miserable scene of human lives being as cheap as grass in those chaotic times had his unwavering Dao heart for immortal cultivation been forged.
It had tempered in him the calm and detached state of mind he now maintained in the face of any hardship.
Pulling back his thoughts, Zhao Huai walked toward the house.
Yet after looking around for quite some time, he saw no sign of his wife.
"Not in the kitchen?"
"Did she go out?"
He made a round of the place and saw the prepared food on the table, leaving him slightly puzzled.
At the same time, there was now a medicine furnace in the middle of the kitchen. It steamed with heat, though he did not know what was being brewed inside. The fragrance of medicinal herbs wafted out from it.
"Husband, I'm back."
Just as Zhao Huai was pondering this, a familiar voice came from the back door.
Zhao Huai saw Yu Qinghan return with a vegetable basket in hand and could not help but smile wryly. "Wife, where did you go just now? You vanished in the blink of an eye."
Yu Qinghan placed the basket in the kitchen and smiled.
"I saw that Husband was awake, so I went out to buy some medicinal herbs. Aren't you going to cultivate? I happened to buy my own share as well. This medicine needs to be boiled for a long time, so Husband will have to wait a few days."
Yu Qinghan was telling the truth. Her cultivation had broken through rapidly, and while she did not need pills to advance, she did need medicinal power to stabilize her cultivation.
"Let's eat first."
"Alright."
By afternoon, Zhao Huai was idling behind the counter while his wife had gone out to watch a play.
The pawnshop's business was still rather mediocre. Occasionally, people came to pawn silver, jade, and the like, but it was all small money in the end.
With plenty of time on his hands, Zhao Huai would generally choose to cultivate where he was.
Now that he happened to have some free time, he might as well properly upgrade his fates and clear out some of the fates gathering dust at the bottom of the chest.
Zhao Huai began inspecting his mind and discovered that aside from several evergreen fates, quite a few still needed upgrading.
For example, Light as a Swallow (Human-Grade Middle) and Swordplay Expertise (Yellow-Grade Upper).
These two fates had accompanied Zhao Huai for a long time, and their effects needed no questioning—they were quite decent.
Their grades were simply a little too low and had to be raised.
Without hesitation, Zhao Huai first broke down the two fates Literary Talent and Painting Skill Novice.
All the white starlight in his mind surged into Light as a Swallow.
A bright yellow glow descended, and a new fate was born.
Swift Walker (Yellow-Grade Upper): Your movement technique is fast, and your speed rises drastically, becoming twice what it was before.
Zhao Huai nodded in satisfaction.
With his speed doubled, he would absolutely be able to crush a large number of people at the same realm.
Next came Swordplay Expertise.
"Break down Classics Scholar and Social Butterfly."
Zhao Huai recited silently in his heart.
He had planned this in advance. Classics Scholar could only strengthen his learning in the classics, which had little to do with him.
Then there was Social Butterfly. As for this sort of social fate, he felt his brain was already sufficient for the time being. There was no need to upgrade it; it would be better used for something more useful.
He still intended to keep Treasure Appraisal Expert in reserve. After all, it was what put food on the table, and perhaps it could prove useful in the future.
The yellow motes of light vanished from his mind, and a deep blue new fate was born. Swordplay Expertise had finally transformed.
Zhao Huai fixed his eyes on it.
Sword Dao Prodigy (Mysterious-Grade Upper): You possess unparalleled talent in the Sword Dao, and cultivate the Sword Dao very quickly. (Special Effect) Sword Enlightenment: Enter the state of Man and Sword as One for one hour, once per week.
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