The cultivation of the Qingqiu Body Tempering Art required medicinal herbs as an aid.
Shen Lin felt that if he directly used the system to forcefully deduce it, he should also be able to master this martial art, but the efficiency would definitely be low, and it would consume more Demon Lifespan.
Although none of the medicinal herbs listed on the beast-skin scroll were ordinary, and acquiring them would cost no small amount of silver,
it was obvious that spending some silver to save some Demon Lifespan was still a worthwhile bargain.
Shen Lin was carrying more than seven thousand taels of silver at the moment, which was certainly enough.
He took the silver notes and was just preparing to leave when he suddenly stopped and swept his gaze around.
Cultivating the Qingqiu Body Tempering Art required a medicinal bath made from those rare herbs.
But right now, in this dilapidated courtyard and shabby house left behind by his predecessor, there was not even a bathing tub...
Forget it...
Shen Lin sighed and returned to the room.
When he came out again, he had a cloth sack slung over his shoulder and a treasured sword in his hand.
He had brought along all his belongings.
It was already good enough to have lived in this broken place for several days. He certainly could not keep staying here forever.
He might as well change houses today.
When Shen Lin walked down the main street carrying bundles of all sizes, many of the vendors and pedestrians along the road greeted him warmly.
"Master Shen, could you give me a few more days for this month's payment? Business has really been terrible lately..."
"Master Shen! I'm begging you!!! Please spare my Yu'er. She's only twelve this year!"
"Freshly roasted chicken, Master Shen. Have a taste. Um, don't you think this year's bill should..."
Along the way, some people who saw Shen Lin immediately packed up their stalls and ran. Those who could not get away simply knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, hoping he would give them a few more days.
Three old men clung to his legs, hoping he would spare their daughters, while five restaurants hesitated to ask for payment of the bills he had previously run up.
Seven others even stuffed silver into his palm, hoping he would look after their brothers and sisters in prison.
What the hell was all this supposed to mean?!
Although he had already learned from his predecessor's memories that this fellow's conduct after becoming a constable had been utterly inhuman, he had not expected his evil reputation to have reached the point where it could silence crying children.
There was no helping it. After all, these were debts left behind by this body.
Shen Lin could only ignore the vendors, give the old men some money to calm them down, and say that he had merely been joking before.
Then he used the silver notes in his hand to settle the restaurant bills, drove away those who had stuffed him silver, and made his way to the broker's agency in a sorry state.
After that journey, the seven thousand taels in silver notes on him had dwindled by seven hundred.
Seven hundred taels!
In the Great Wei Dynasty, a sheep cost only one tael and two mace.
Converted to the previous world, that was nearly four or five hundred thousand yuan.
How had his predecessor managed to owe people so much money???
After transmigrating to this world, this was the first time he had gone out for a stroll, and he had discovered just how extraordinary his status as a constable was.
He was not even a minor clerk, yet he could rack up seven hundred taels in debt within the county town, and the other party still did not dare ask him to pay.
But then he thought of the urban management auxiliary officers in small county towns in his previous life...
It seemed times had not progressed all that much...
Shaking his head, Shen Lin banished the possibly-unpublishable content from his mind and entered the broker's agency. He found a broker and said, "Take me to see the best house your agency has."
The broker had been chatting with someone else when he was suddenly dragged over, and the speaker's tone was so grand that he assumed someone was playing a prank. He turned around with an unhappy expression.
But when he saw Shen Lin's handsome face, he immediately dropped to his knees with a thump.
"Master Shen, please spare me. My wife only occasionally dresses up well enough to look at. Usually, she doesn't bother with her appearance, and she reeks all over. Besides..."
Shen Lin's face darkened. He waved his hand and said, "Cut the damn nonsense! Didn't you hear what I said?"
The broker hesitantly rose to his feet and ventured, "Then, my wife..."
"If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll go stay at your house tonight!"
The broker jolted and sprang upright at once.
A quarter of an hour later, the broker brought Shen Lin to a luxurious residence.
"Master Shen, this was originally Seventh Master Li's residence. But recently, Seventh Master went to the provincial capital to retire, so he put this house up for sale. It wouldn't be a problem for you to stay here for a few days, but..."
The broker's expression was extremely troubled.
Who in Qiulin County did not know what Master Shen was like?
His favorite thing to do was a deal that cost him nothing.
There would be no problem if he merely borrowed this house for a few days, but if he stayed indefinitely...
Shen Lin paid no attention to his reaction. Without saying a word, he walked straight inside.
The residence was not too large, covering less than half a mu, but the layout inside was exceptionally elegant.
After entering the rear courtyard and seeing a bathing pool built from jade inside the house, Shen Lin immediately asked, "How much?"
"Huh?"
The broker failed to react for a moment. Only when Shen Lin frowned did he hurriedly reply, "Master Shen, although this residence isn't large, great care went into its decorations... Seventh Master Li is asking for a thousand taels of silver."
Without much hesitation, Shen Lin took out the silver notes and said, "Here's the money. Once you finish the relevant paperwork, send it to the County Yamen!"
"Don't get any crooked ideas. Otherwise, I'll make you serve me and your wife as we go to sleep!!!"
The broker grimaced and hurriedly shook his head. "I wouldn't dare deceive you, Master Shen, no matter whom else I might deceive."
Master Shen had money. This did not surprise the broker too much.
After all, who in the county did not know that this man had achieved great mastery in martial arts and had personally killed a demon?
No matter how he had gone about slaying the demon, the reward he received from the Demon Suppression Division would certainly not be small.
What surprised him was that Master Shen was actually willing to spend money...
After sending the broker away, Shen Lin looked around the courtyard with satisfaction. Once he had put his things down, he went out again.
When he returned with a pile of medicinal herbs, the sun was sinking in the west and dusk was near.
After putting all the herbs, which had cost him five hundred taels of silver to gather, into a large pot to boil, he finally let out a breath, then rested for a while.
It would have been best if servants could handle these chores for him.
But Shen Lin was carrying quite a few secrets and did not dare let strangers stay beneath the same roof as him.
Before long, the various medicinal herbs mixed together, and their pungent medicinal smell gradually transformed into a delicate fragrance.
The heat was about right.
After pouring the decoction bucket by bucket into the bathing pool, Shen Lin eagerly rubbed his hands, stripped completely naked, and leaped straight into the pool.
I hope this Qingqiu Body Tempering Art can bring me a few pleasant surprises!
System! Begin deduction!
The bubbling pool gradually settled, and everything around him became utterly quiet.
Just as Shen Lin was about to enter that special state, he suddenly heard a faint sound. A figure leaped in through the window.
The intruder looked relaxed, as if he had merely returned to his own home.
If not for the night clothes he was wearing, Shen Lin might have suspected that the damned broker was trying to sell the same house to two buyers.
In the next moment, the intruder's footsteps suddenly stopped. He stared blankly at Shen Lin, who was bathing in the nude.
The instant their eyes met, time froze, and the system began its deduction.
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