Old Crow's Phone Call

In the dim living room.

Li Yi sat motionless on the floor, his eyes lightly closed and his breathing even, completely immersed in cultivation.

The incomplete Knife Coin had brought him an unimaginable advantage. Pure energy flowed endlessly into his body under the guidance of his mind and was then absorbed.

After receiving the nourishment of this energy, the cells in the human body actively began to evolve.

Evolved cells divided faster, lived longer, and possessed greater strength than before. These subtle changes would ultimately manifest in the complete individual. Thus, cultivators had stronger physical abilities, tougher bones, and, naturally, longer lifespans.

It was a transformation in every respect.

Thus, cultivation was a process of self-evolution.

However, after Li Yi had meditated for roughly two or three hours, a powerful hunger suddenly rose from his body, forcing him to open his eyes and interrupt his cultivation.

"So hungry." He licked his lips.

His stomach rumbled. An intense hunger and thirst flooded his entire body. Everything he had eaten that evening had long since been completely digested. He needed food immediately.

Li Yi did not panic. He knew this was normal. Since his body had evolved, it consumed more energy as well. The most obvious change was that he could eat an enormous amount, so he had no choice but to get up and cook himself something first.

The milk, dried noodles, and instant noodles in the refrigerator were quickly swept clean, but he was still starving. In the end, he even dissolved the white sugar used for seasoning in warm water and gulped down every drop.

Only after eating everything edible in the house did Li Yi's hunger finally fade.

"No wonder some people say Medical Pods aren't made for Silent Ones, but for cultivators. Now I understand. After entering a Medical Pod, cultivators can obtain a comfortable and stable cultivation environment. The Medical Pod can automatically regulate air temperature and humidity, block out noise, massage the body to promote blood circulation, and prevent illness from prolonged sitting. Of course, most importantly, it can automatically replenish the Nutrient Solution the cultivator's body requires."

Li Yi glanced at the two Medical Pods in the room and thought to himself.

"A second-hand Medical Pod is worth at least one million. If it's the newest model, the starting price is over thirty million. The cheapest Nutrient Solution costs one thousand per vial and can sustain a Silent One's basic consumption for ten days. But top-grade Nutrient Solution costs one hundred thousand per vial. It's practically liquid gold. That kind of Nutrient Solution should be for cultivators."

"Otherwise, cultivators would get hungry and wake up to eat every few hours. That would greatly affect cultivation efficiency."

"So if ordinary people want to cultivate, they need at least a Medical Pod and enough Nutrient Solution. If they have more money, they'll hire a guide to help direct Cosmic Energy into the cultivator's body, greatly shortening the time cultivation requires."

"Putting it all together, cultivation is full of places where money has to be spent. It seems most people aren't unwilling to cultivate because they fear that cultivation is poisonous, but because they have no money. With money, all these problems can be solved."

After drinking the sugar water in his hand, Li Yi smacked his lips. After running the numbers in his head, he was secretly shocked.

"So, the urgent matter is that I need to find a job that can make big money, fast money. Otherwise, even with this incomplete wondrous item, my cultivation path will be rough. And besides supporting my own cultivation, I also have to support my parents, so they can lie healthy and sound in the Medical Pods and sleep. After all, I can't keep feeding them the cheap Nutrient Solution that costs one thousand per vial forever."

"Once I have money, I'll replace these with the newest, best Medical Pods and buy Nutrient Solution that costs one hundred thousand per vial."

His goals had changed, and the desires and ambitions in Li Yi's heart had grown greater as well. He was no longer satisfied with the meager wages he earned from odd jobs.

"Continue cultivating. Tomorrow, I'll ask Lin Yue how those who have entered cultivation make money."

Li Yi entered meditation once more and resumed cultivating.

The night quickly passed.

At daybreak.

Li Yi left home early. He was starving, and all the food at home was gone, so he headed straight for the breakfast shop downstairs.

"Boss, give me twenty buns first."

His voice was loud and full of vigor. Though hungry, he was in astonishingly good spirits. His entire body felt light and strong, without the slightest trace of the exhaustion he used to feel from working odd jobs.

This was only his first day of cultivation.

As Li Yi lowered his head and ate, he pondered how to make money today. He only had a little over one thousand left in hand, and the family could be said to be out of food. If he could not bring back two vials of Nutrient Solution before evening, his parents would have to go hungry along with him.

As he thought, his train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

Li Yi picked it up and saw that the caller was the black-hearted intermediary who usually introduced him to work: Yellow Curly-Haired Bro.

"Is this Li Yi?"

The moment he answered, the voice on the other end was not Yellow Curly-Haired Bro's. It was low and familiar, as though he had heard it somewhere before.

He remembered.

It was Old Crow, whom he was not very familiar with.

Li Yi's heart tightened, and his expression instantly turned grave. He had not expected the other side to settle the Investigation Bureau's trouble so quickly. It seemed this group was no ordinary cultivators, but people with some status and backing.

"It's me, Old Crow." Rather than avoiding him, Li Yi chose to confront him directly.

"You ran pretty fast yesterday. In the blink of an eye, you were gone. Where are you now?" Old Crow asked.

Li Yi said, "Just say what you have to say. Don't beat around the bush. You're not interested in a poor kid like me. What interests you is the thing I brought back from the Ruined City, right?"

"You know how to read the wind. Hand it over. That thing isn't something you can keep. Don't go looking for trouble." Old Crow's low voice carried a hint of threat.

"Am I looking for trouble, or are you? We agreed that once I found the thing, you'd pay me. Yet I still haven't received the money. Did you think I wanted to run yesterday? First, you didn't pay. Second, you wanted to silence me forever. You were the first to break faith. Bah, what kind of trash are you?"

"I'm giving you ten minutes. Transfer the money to me immediately, or I'll take this pile of stuff to the Investigation Bureau and report it as stolen goods."

Li Yi immediately spoke with righteous confidence and unleashed a torrent at Old Crow over the phone.

You could witness me from ten meters away, but through a phone screen, there was surely nothing you could do to me.

Moreover, the more righteously confident Li Yi acted, the more it proved that he did not have a guilty conscience after stealing their things.

Old Crow's face twitched at once. He was so angry he nearly crushed the phone in his hand, then explained, "Liu Yan's death was an accident. We did kill her, but she had been possessed by a ghost at the time. She was beyond saving, so we had no choice but to take her out."

"Whether she was possessed by a ghost is whatever you say it is. If you find me now, I'll probably be possessed by a ghost too. You've already lost all credibility. If you want the things back, transfer the money first. Otherwise, I'll report the wondrous item and the stolen goods together. No one will have an easy time of it." Li Yi said.

Old Crow fell silent for a moment. Only after quite a while did he reply, "Fine. The money can be transferred first, but photograph the things and send them over so I can confirm they're still in your hands."

"Money first, then you see the goods," Li Yi said.

Old Crow's voice turned icy. "Brat, you really want money more than life. Do you think I have absolutely no way to deal with you? If I can get through to your phone today, I can find your home tomorrow. You should know that there aren't many households in Tianchang City's Old Town District with two Medical Pods. You were exposed long ago. I advise you to be sensible."

Li Yi's heart tightened at those words, and he immediately fell silent.

If something happened, he could run. But his parents were lying in the Medical Pods and could not run. That was his weak spot.

"Photograph the things and send them over first. I'll give you a sum based on their value," Old Crow said. Though he had issued a threat, he did not dare push Li Yi too hard.

What if this kid really took the things and ran to the Investigation Bureau? Then they would suffer the greater loss.

They were cultivators. They were not worth being dragged into the water by a few worthless lives.

Fortunately, this was the safe zone. If it had been the Ruined City, Old Crow would truly have wanted to kill him and silence him forever, sparing himself future trouble.

Li Yi had no choice. Under such threats, he could only swallow his anger and compromise. "Fine. I'll photograph what I took and send it to you."

After saying that, he opened his backpack, took out the large pile of tattered clothes inside, photographed them, and sent the pictures over.

After receiving the photos, Old Crow immediately showed them to Ning Wu beside him.

"These are the burial goods Li Yi took from the second underground level. See if they're worth anything."

Ning Wu stared at the images. "Those clothes indeed aren't products of our world, and the material is unusual. But the chance that they are wondrous items is very small. Wondrous items are difficult to destroy, while those clothes are all rotten and damaged, so they are almost worthless. It seems our attention should still be focused on Wang Hu and Wei Li."

"Could he be lying and concealing some things?" Old Crow asked in a deep voice.

Ning Wu closed her eyes and recalled yesterday's scene. Then she said, "The possibility of concealment is low. The number of clothes in the pictures matches the number Li Yi held yesterday. But to avoid further complications, give him some money and recover the things."

"Alright, I understand."

Old Crow nodded, then resumed his call with Li Yi. "What you have is a pile of junk. It isn't worth anything. But considering the special nature of this matter, I'm still willing to pay ten thousand to buy it back."

"Only ten thousand? Didn't we agree on two million?" Li Yi nearly started cursing.

Old Crow sneered. "They're just a few tattered clothes. Do you think you're holding a wondrous item and dare ask for two million? Ten thousand. Take it or leave it. If you don't want it, then you won't even get ten thousand."

Li Yi gritted his teeth and forced out one word. "Take it."

However small a mosquito, it was still meat.

Sure enough, these people were black-hearted to the bone. If he had not collected fifty thousand as a deposit beforehand, he would be losing badly now.

"I suppose you're so scared of dying that you don't dare show your face. Put the things in a storage locker at the mall. I'll have someone collect them," Old Crow said.

"Fine."

Li Yi hung up. One moment he had been gritting his teeth in fury, and the next he let out a sigh of relief.

He should have fooled them.

He did not know how long he could keep fooling them, but at least for the short term, Old Crow's group would not keep their eyes on him.

Of course, Li Yi also understood that it was not because his methods were so brilliant, but because the other side's attention had been drawn to Wang Hu and Wei Li. After all, those two had a greater chance of possessing wondrous items.

But he also knew clearly that as long as he continued cultivating, the matter of him possessing a wondrous item would likely be exposed the next time they encountered him.

Because the difference between cultivating with a wondrous item and without one was enormous. It was far beyond anything the words "you're a genius" could explain.

Therefore, before that happened, he had to gain some ability to protect himself. At the very least, he had to awaken as a Spirit Medium like that woman.

Thinking of this, Li Yi took a deep breath. A heavy sense of crisis enveloped his entire body.

After dealing with Old Crow's matter, he immediately set off for Uncle Biao's Meditation Room.

His understanding of cultivation was still far too lacking. He needed to consult Lin Yue.