The lake water shimmered at night, glinting with a warm sheen beneath the moonlight.
After the boatman finished speaking, the person at the very front made a move.
The person held incense in their left hand while slowly raising their right, extending it toward the boatman.
Their right wrist was covered in dense scars.
The scars were long strips; one glance showed they had been cut by a sharp weapon. Several were still fresh, proving they had been inflicted not long ago.
The boatman reached out with his left hand and gripped the person's right wrist, while his other hand planted the bamboo pole into the river.
The boatman's index fingernail suddenly lengthened, lightly slicing across the person's wrist.
Blood sprayed from the wrist, trickling down the back of the hand and dripping onto the lake's surface.
At that moment, the boatman somehow produced a huge jar and held it beneath the bleeding wrist.
Blood continued to drip, and the person's face became exceedingly pale.
Before long, the boatman finally set the jar aside and gently brushed a hand over the person's wrist.
The wound gradually closed, leaving only a brown scar.
"Board the boat."
The boatman, his eyes blood-red, spoke only those two simple words before turning his gaze toward another person.
The person's face was pale and their steps unsteady, yet they still held the incense in their left hand and tremblingly walked onto the boat.
After that, every person repeated the same process.
Once the bamboo raft was full, the boatman pushed with his pole and rowed toward the island in the middle of the lake, gradually disappearing into the distance.
The lakeshore fell silent, with no one left lingering there.
The next day arrived. Shen Bai yawned and stared at the mist before him, waiting patiently.
Before long, the mist gradually gathered into a line of brand-new text that floated before Shen Bai's eyes.
Heart-Cleansing Incantation lv.2 (Clear Mind +2, Equanimity +2): 1000/1000
After the mist dispersed, Shen Bai let out a long breath. His mouth was a little dry, so he picked up the tea beside him and took a sip.
For the entire night, Shen Bai had done nothing but recite the Heart-Cleansing Incantation in his room.
To be honest, chanting the Heart-Cleansing Incantation at night sounded rather creepy.
Fortunately, there had been no one in the room, and the night's gains had been quite substantial.
Now, the Heart-Cleansing Incantation had reached the threshold of a qualitative transformation. He only needed to gain one more wisp of Killing Intent for it to reach level three.
After reaching level two, the Heart-Cleansing Incantation had gained an additional Equanimity attribute.
Shen Bai found this attribute rather interesting.
So-called Equanimity allowed Shen Bai to remain calmer in critical moments.
It looked like an ordinary attribute, but Shen Bai knew that under certain special circumstances, it could have an enormous effect.
For example, in moments of extreme danger, anyone would feel panicked. Even Shen Bai was no exception.
But with the Equanimity attribute, Shen Bai could make himself increasingly calm in situations of extreme peril.
There was another point as well: when facing certain special abilities, this attribute could be highly effective.
For instance, some abilities could make people feel negative emotions such as fear. Equanimity could allow Shen Bai to maintain absolute calm within their range.
"So I really should consider taking a look at that locust tree now."
Shen Bai set down his teacup and gently rotated it.
Killing Intent was an important component of the Cheat System. After grinding relentlessly for an entire night, Shen Bai had decided to go see the enormous locust tree the Old Daoist Priest had mentioned.
As for whether it was dangerous, Shen Bai believed danger was certain.
What Shen Bai needed to care about was whether the danger and the rewards were proportional.
When the rewards far outweighed the risks, then it was worth taking a gamble.
Of course, Shen Bai was not thoughtless. He planned to observe from afar first, approach carefully, and see exactly what was going on with that locust tree.
"If I can make a move, then I'll make a move."
With that in mind, Shen Bai brewed himself another dose of Qi-Blood Medicine and drank it. Only after his qi and blood had been replenished somewhat did he tidy up and head outside.
Outside the house, the street vendors had already begun another brand-new day.
The world was chaotic, but people still had to live.
Even in a remote county like Ascending Cloud County, the common people struggled stubbornly onward.
Shen Bai found a breakfast stall. After eating and resting briefly, he planned to head for Liuyun Lake.
But before leaving, Shen Bai returned to the pawnshop.
Zhang Chaofeng had already gone home, and his wife was a tigress.
Shen Bai guessed Zhang Chaofeng had gotten up early and sent his wife back to her parents' home.
The entire pawnshop held only Shen Bai. He briefly sorted things out inside, then brought a set of black clothes, a black face covering, and an oil-paper umbrella.
A pawnshop had all sorts of strange and unusual things, so having a set of night-traveling clothes was nothing unusual.
Shen Bai remembered that this thing had been pawned to him by a destitute, one-armed wandering swordsman.
He had even paid two coins for it at the time.
His reason for bringing it was simple. In these troubled times, if he could avoid exposing his identity, then he would avoid exposing it.
After all, some things were forever better in the shadows than in the light.
After making all his preparations, Shen Bai shut the door and hurried toward Liuyun Lake.
There was a village near Liuyun Lake, considered rather far among the villages surrounding Ascending Cloud County.
Since arriving in this world, Shen Bai had rarely traveled far. This time, he seemed somewhat leisurely.
Though he was going to inspect the enormous locust tree, Shen Bai still understood the principle of balancing tension and relaxation.
To reach Liuyun Lake, he needed to take the official road.
Although the Great Zhou Dynasty was currently in turmoil, the official road was still far safer than any smaller path.
Shen Bai did not want unexpected complications halfway through, so he did not take a shortcut.
Carriages passed by from time to time along the official road.
These carriages did not belong to the ordinary people of Ascending Cloud County, but to various merchant associations.
Walking alone along the official road, Shen Bai looked somewhat out of place.
There was no helping it. If he took a carriage, he would have to wait a long time.
Shen Bai was not slow on foot. With the qi within him as well, he estimated he could arrive by afternoon.
And so, after walking for roughly another half hour, the weather shifted from clear to overcast.
The current season in Ascending Cloud County was rainy to begin with, and showers drifted through from time to time.
The common people had long grown accustomed to it.
Shen Bai had prepared in advance. He took an oil-paper umbrella from his bundle, intending to open it when the rain began.
After walking for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Shen Bai suddenly stopped and frowned.
Not far ahead on the official road, a White-robed Monk sat cross-legged at the roadside, his palms pressed together.
The young White-robed Monk was handsome, with nine scar marks atop his head. Dressed in white, he carried an air that seemed apart from the mortal world.
At that moment, the White-robed Monk saw Shen Bai, rose to his feet, and walked toward him, his gaze fixed on Shen Bai all the while.
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