Retreating After Success

"Heh, this world is truly realistic and cruel. I, myself, am a cultivation-crippled body..."

Li Qingyun retracted his gaze and shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, appearing completely at ease.

He picked up a bottle of True Essence Pills and looked inside. Ten sky-blue elixirs lay within, each about the size of a peanut, emitting a potent aura of spiritual energy.

Just by smelling them, he felt his internal mana flow quicken slightly.

"Truly good medicine. It's said one True Essence Pill is worth at least ten spirit stones!"

His spiritual sense swept over the bottle, and he put it away.

He walked towards the main hall of the Zhou Mansion.

The new blue daoist robe he wore today fluttered gently, accentuating his handsome, serene, and composed demeanor.

Inside the hall, Madam Zhou, still immersed in grief for her deceased husband, was accompanied by Zhou Heng and another adorable, rosy-cheeked little girl.

"Daoist Li, you're leaving?"

Madam Zhou looked at the handsome young man standing tall in the hall, her eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of reluctance.

During the recent chaos in Yinshan Town, the Zhou Mansion had been at the center of the turmoil, and their lives had been in grave danger. They owed their survival entirely to Daoist Li Qingyun, who had eliminated Qin Qing and his collaborators and had guarded them until now.

"Yes, my senior brother should be back soon, and we'll depart immediately then."

Li Qingyun nodded, then asked with concern, "Commander Zhou has unfortunately perished. Madam Zhou, what are your plans?"

Earlier, while chatting with Li Ke, the Prefect had mentioned that the Old Ghost Tushan had been killed.

That ghostly creature had been stuck in the Dao Foundation Realm for a long time. This time, it had conspired with Jia Song, intending to perform a blood sacrifice on the entire town. Its goal was to absorb a massive amount of souls and yang energy to break through to the Opening Mansion Realm. However, Li Qingyun had disrupted its plan beforehand, leading to its ultimate demise.

But Jia Song was extremely cunning. Using a stealth and escape artifact, he had fled deep into Great Yin Mountain.

If Madam Zhou's family remained in Yinshan Town, they might be targeted by Jia Song for revenge, which was why Li Qingyun had inquired about their plans.

My husband had some good acquaintances in You Capital. So, I plan to settle our affairs in a couple of days and then take Heng'er, Yu'er, and the others back to You Capital to live. The Daoist Office has also said they will send escorts, so you don't need to worry about us, Daoist Li...

When speaking of her late husband, Madam Zhou couldn't help but show a flicker of sadness.

But she knew that at a time like this, she had to be strong. The entire family depended on her.

"That's good."

Li Qingyun's expression relaxed, and he felt reassured.

Just then, Zhao Yifan's cheerful call came from outside the door.

He finished the tea in his cup, stood up, walked to Zhou Heng's side, patted his head, and then gracefully walked out.

Whoosh!

The Big Black Cat leaped out and followed its "litter box cleaner" unhurriedly.

"Big brother, will I see you again?"

Zhou Heng, tears of reluctance streaming down his face, called out from behind, clutching a paper butterfly.

If the paper butterfly lost its magical support, it would revert to ordinary folded paper in a day or two.

"If you can enter the Daoist Academy, then perhaps we'll meet again."

Li Qingyun waved his hand gently backward, without looking back.

He walked through halls and corridors, his movements light, free, and serene under the rare afternoon sun of Yinshan Town, before disappearing into the distance.

Zhou Heng, Madam Zhou, and the rest of the Zhou Mansion watched their benefactor depart until his figure mounted a horse and merged into the bustling crowd on the street.

They bowed in unison, a grand gesture to see him off.

On the official road outside the town, two riders sped along.

"Junior brother, this trip down the mountain was truly thrilling, but the rewards are also great! The Dao Division rewarded us with twenty spirit stones, plus the rewards from the temple missions. It's wonderful!"

Zhao Yifan had an injured left arm, wrapped in bandages, so he could only hold the reins with one hand. However, he was spirited and full of pride.

"Mm, it was alright!"

Li Qingyun smiled faintly, his response somewhat perfunctory, showing no particular joy.

The cultivators in this world were too indifferent, and Senior Brother Zhao Yifan was no exception.

The Yinshan Town incident had resulted in five hundred and six casualties – how tragic. Yet, Zhao Yifan, Chi Hui, and the others didn't seem to care much, instead chattering excitedly about their own rewards and being overjoyed.

Li Qingyun also did a quick calculation: this trip down the mountain had already yielded a Nightmare Eye Orb, a Hundred Treasures Pouch, three bottles of True Essence Pills worth hundreds of spirit stones, and over sixty spirit stones in pure currency.

Compared to the self-satisfied Senior Brother Zhao, his gains were far greater.

"Senior brother, I was fortunate to accompany you down the mountain this time. I've gained a lot and even broke through during a critical moment, marking my entry into cultivation. However, I've always preferred tranquility and dislike disturbances. I hope that after we return to Lingbao Temple, you can cover for me a little!"

"Haha, senior brother understands. Don't worry! I just want to quietly pull you into our Scripture Recitation lineage..."

At dusk, Li Qingyun and the two arrived at a deserted village and spent the night there.

In the night, there were occasional disturbances from wandering spirits and Corpse Dogs, but Li Qingyun no longer paid them any mind, easily dispatching them.

The next day at noon, they returned to Lingbao Temple.

Zhao Yifan went to the External Affairs Hall to report and collect his reward, which he heard was twenty spirit stones and some contribution points.

On the way, Zhao Yifan had already said that the temple's reward would be split equally between the two of them.

This time, Li Qingyun had performed exceptionally well during their trip down the mountain, and as the senior brother, Zhao Yifan felt embarrassed to take too much.

The mission to quell the ghosts and bring peace to Yinshan Town was completed successfully and without incident, which had caused some discussion among the higher-ups at Lingbao Temple.

The Azure Blood Talisman that shot up into the sky had been seen even by Lingbao Temple, which was located far away in Maple Mountain.

The powerful figures in the temple naturally understood the significance of the Azure Blood Talisman. Therefore, they were quite surprised to see Zhao Yifan and Li Qingyun, a new, seemingly useless casual guest disciple, return safely.

One of the deacons even specially called Zhao Yifan over and asked with great interest about the whole affair.

With Li Qingyun's account, Zhao Yifan naturally downplayed his own performance and role, which saved him a lot of trouble.

In the back mountains, as dusk fell, the maple forest was still a vibrant red.

Compared to Yinshan Town, Lingbao Temple was much more peaceful and serene.

Li Qingyun walked lightly towards his bamboo hut. A gentle breeze caressed his face, ruffling his clothes and hair. From afar, he could hear the wind chimes hanging in front of the bamboo hut tinkling with familiar, pleasant sounds. His heart, weary from his travels, suddenly calmed down.

He pushed open the door, and the room inside was empty and quiet.

His roommate, He Xiao, was not there again; he was likely still busy with chores in the front temple and hadn't returned yet.

As for the two talismans on the desk, they were still unfinished, just as usual.

A figure flashed through Li Qingyun's mind – the young madam of the Cai Family of Luoshui.

"It's time for me to get a private single room! But first, I need to go to the Scripture Repository to redeem the later layers of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art."

"Based on my current rate of cultivation and mana increase, reaching Grand Perfection in the Qi Refining Realm will only take about half a month. This time, I'll just buy all the essential techniques for the Qi Refining Realm!"

"Techniques like the Dust Avoidance Technique and the Cleanse Technique, if they aren't too expensive, I should learn a couple. Otherwise, I'll still waste a lot of time on daily chores."

"Also, I need to get a movement technique..."

With wealth boosting his Dao heart, Li Qingyun felt a surge of confidence.

He put down his gourd and took out his unwashed Daoist robe and undergarments from his bundle, planning to soak them in the nearby spring pool tomorrow.

He wrapped the thirty spirit stones and some gold into a small parcel, held it in his hand, and went out again, heading towards the Scripture Repository in the twilight.

The Hundred Treasures Pouch was not something he could "show off" yet, so he kept it close to him.

As for the Big Black Cat, Yuanbao, he let it be. Its master gave it plenty of freedom, as long as it didn't cause trouble for him.

The cat had disappeared after coming up the mountain and was probably enjoying itself somewhere right now.