Heading to Liuyun Lake, White-robed Monk

The lake shimmered in the night, reflecting the moonlight with a gentle glow.

As soon as the boatman finished speaking, the person at the very front of the crowd made a gesture.

The person held incense in their left hand, then slowly raised their right hand, extending it towards the boatman.

There were numerous scars on the person's right wrist.

The scars were long and thin, clearly indicating they were caused by a sharp object, and several of them were still fresh, proving they were recent injuries.

The boatman reached out with his left hand, took hold of the person's right hand, and with his other hand, plunged a bamboo pole into the river.

The boatman's index fingernail suddenly elongated, and he lightly grazed it across the person's wrist.

Blood spurted from the wrist, dripping down the back of the hand onto the lake's surface.

At this point, the boatman somehow produced a large jar and held it beneath the bleeding wrist.

Blood continued to drip, and the person's face became extremely pale.

After a short while, the boatman finally set the jar aside and lightly rubbed the person's wrist.

The wound gradually healed, leaving only a brownish scar.

"Board the boat."

The boatman, whose eyes were bloodshot, said only those two simple words before turning his gaze to another person.

The person's face was pale, and their steps faltered, but they still held the incense in their left hand and shakily walked into the boat.

Next, every person repeated this process.

Once the raft was full, the boatman pushed off with the bamboo pole and steered towards the island in the center of the lake, gradually moving further away.

The lakeside became silent; no one remained there.

The next morning, as the new day dawned, Shen Bai yawned, watching the mist before him, patiently waiting.

Before long, the mist gradually converged, forming a line of new characters that appeared before Shen Bai's eyes.

Heart-Cleansing Incantation Lv.2 (Heart-Cleansing +2, Equanimity +2): 1000/1000

After the mist dissipated, Shen Bai let out a long breath. His mouth felt a little dry, so he picked up the tea beside him and took a sip.

All night long, Shen Bai had done nothing but chant the Heart-Cleansing Incantation in his room.

To be honest, chanting the Heart-Cleansing Incantation at night sounded quite terrifying.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the room, and the gains from that night were considerable.

Now, the Heart-Cleansing Incantation was on the verge of a qualitative leap; he just needed to acquire one more wisp of Malevolent Qi to reach Level 3.

After reaching Level 2, the Heart-Cleansing Incantation had gained an additional attribute: Equanimity.

This attribute, in Shen Bai's opinion, was quite interesting.

The purpose of this so-called Equanimity attribute was to allow Shen Bai to remain calmer in critical situations.

It seemed like a commonplace attribute, but Shen Bai knew that in certain special circumstances, this attribute could be incredibly useful.

For example, when facing extreme danger, people naturally panic, and Shen Bai was no exception.

But with the Equanimity attribute, Shen Bai could make himself even calmer in extremely critical situations.

Moreover, this attribute had another point: it could be very effective when dealing with certain special abilities.

For instance, some abilities could induce negative emotions like fear, and Equanimity would allow Shen Bai to achieve a state of absolute calm within that range.

"So, I really should consider checking out the Sophora Tree now."

Shen Bai set down his teacup, gently twirling it.

Malevolent Qi was a crucial component of his Cheat System, and after a night of intense effort, Shen Bai had decided to go see the massive Sophora Tree that the Old Daoist Priest had mentioned.

As for whether there was danger, in Shen Bai's view, there definitely was.

What Shen Bai needed to consider was whether the danger and the reward were proportional.

When the reward significantly outweighed the risk, then it was worth taking a chance.

Of course, Shen Bai was not a reckless person. He planned to observe from a distance first, approach cautiously, and assess the Sophora Tree's specific situation.

"If I can act, I will."

Thinking this, Shen Bai brewed himself another dose of Qi-Blood Medicine and drank it. After his Qi and blood were slightly replenished, he tidied up and walked out the door.

Outside the house, street vendors had already begun their new day.

Times were chaotic, but people always had to live.

Even in Ascending Cloud County, this remote county town, the people were living tenaciously.

Shen Bai found a breakfast stall, ate, rested briefly, then planned to head to Liuyun Lake.

However, before going, Shen Bai made a quick trip back to the Pawnshop.

Zhang Chaofeng had already gone home; his wife was a real tiger.

Shen Bai estimated that Zhang Chaofeng had already sent his wife back to her family by now.

Shen Bai was the only one in the entire Pawnshop. He quickly tidied up the Pawnshop, then grabbed a black outfit, a black face covering, and an oiled paper umbrella.

It wasn't surprising for a Pawnshop to have such oddities; a set of night-traveling clothes was perfectly normal.

Shen Bai remembered that this particular item had been pawned by a down-on-his-luck one-armed swordsman.

He'd even given them two copper coins for it back then.

His reason for taking it was simple: in these chaotic times, it was best to keep one's identity hidden if possible.

After all, some things were always better done in the shadows than in the light.

Having made all his preparations, Shen Bai closed the door and headed towards Liuyun Lake.

There was a village near Liuyun Lake, one of the more remote ones around Ascending Cloud County.

Shen Bai had rarely traveled far since arriving in this world, so this journey felt somewhat leisurely to him.

Even though he was going to see the massive Sophora Tree, Shen Bai understood the importance of balancing urgency with composure.

He needed to take the main road to Liuyun Lake.

Though the Great Zhou Dynasty was currently in turmoil, the main roads were still much safer than the smaller paths.

Shen Bai didn't want any unexpected complications along the way, so he didn't take any shortcuts.

Carriages occasionally passed by on the main road.

These carriages didn't belong to ordinary residents of Ascending Cloud County but to various merchant guilds.

Shen Bai, walking alone on this main road, seemed somewhat out of place.

He couldn't help it; if he were to take a carriage, he'd have to wait a long time.

Shen Bai's walking pace wasn't slow, and with the Qi in his body, he estimated he could arrive by afternoon.

Just like that, after another half an hour or so, the weather turned from clear to overcast.

Ascending Cloud County's current season was already prone to rain, with showers drifting by now and then.

The locals had grown accustomed to it.

Shen Bai had prepared in advance, taking an oiled paper umbrella from his satchel, intending to open it when the rain started.

After walking for about another incense stick's worth of time, Shen Bai suddenly stopped, a frown creasing his brow.

Not far from the main road, a White-robed Monk sat cross-legged at the edge of the road, hands pressed together in prayer.

The young White-robed Monk was handsome, with nine incense scars on his head. His white robes accentuated his ethereal, otherworldly aura.

At this moment, the White-robed Monk saw Shen Bai, rose, and walked towards him, his gaze fixed on Shen Bai.