Reality

After obtaining the Blood Demon Pill and planting a gu insect inside Chen Lin, Yu Yuehai stopped keeping watch over him.

Chen Lin waited two days. When the man still failed to appear, he ventured out of the courtyard.

Only after walking a considerable distance without anyone emerging to stop him did he confirm that Yu Yuehai was indeed no longer restricting his movements.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Losing his freedom had been truly unbearable.

Yet he was also somewhat worried. The more freedom he was allowed, the more it suggested that the gu insect inside him was extraordinary, and that Yu Yuehai had complete confidence in it.

Removing the gu insect himself was probably impossible.

Lost in thought, he soon reached the Market in Shanty Town.

He had not been here in quite a while, and Chen Lin noticed that the crowds had grown.

People chatted and laughed in twos and threes. More stalls lined the streets, their vendors calling out their wares, filling the place with the bustle of everyday life.

The roadside trees had sprouted new branches, lush with green, and waves of fresh, grassy fragrance drifted into his nostrils.

Everything brimmed with life.

Yet the sight did not lift his spirits. Instead, it left him feeling oppressed.

In another month, this rich and colorful painting would be torn to shreds.

The more beautiful the scenery was now, the more tragic it would be then.

After sighing for a while, Chen Lin regained his composure.

He was merely a tiny ant in the cultivation world. He could barely protect himself, much less change anything.

Besides, even if he shouted everything he knew for all to hear, these people whose minds had already been influenced would never believe him. They would only think him mad.

Even if someone believed him, it would be futile unless they could sever the red lines binding them.

He had better look after himself.

Shaking his head, he drew a breath of fresh air and stepped into the Zhang Clan Trading Firm.

Zhang Mazi was still sitting brazenly in his chair, looking every inch the grand old master.

The shop now had two additional clerks, however, both busy attending to customers.

With the weather warming, monster beasts caused less trouble. In turn, it was time for cultivators to venture out to hunt and gather heaven and earth treasures, so more people were buying supplies.

It was hard to imagine that the cultivators here had noticed nothing amiss for years, believing all along that they were living normal cultivator lives.

This monstrosity was truly terrifying.

He glanced at the sky through the open window. The sun blazed, heaven and earth shone clear, and he could sense not a trace of evil.

But that was only the surface. He had witnessed the enormous, hazy shadow that appeared that night with his own eyes, and had also seen the red line descend onto him.

He did not know how Yu Yuehai could see the red lines. He had never asked, and the man had never explained.

Sometimes, Chen Lin wondered whether he could have escaped safely if he had left before seeing that hazy shadow.

Back then, no red line had attached itself to him. He had been completely normal.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

He had missed his chance. Now he could only pin his hopes on Yu Yuehai.

Life was fickle like that. His greatest enemy had become his hope of survival.

"Well, if it isn't Master Talismanist Chen! Haven't seen you in quite some time. Have your skills improved so much that my little shop is beneath you now?"

Zhang Mazi's sarcastic voice broke into Chen Lin's thoughts.

"Haha, I'm just a lowly rogue cultivator. How could I dare look down on you, Fellow Daoist Zhang? I've been in seclusion lately and haven't come out."

Chen Lin gave a laugh and offered an explanation.

Zhang Mazi smiled and nodded, clearly pleased with Chen Lin's attitude.

But his demeanor immediately changed. Casting him a sidelong glance, he sneered, "Hmph, you wouldn't dare. A mere early Qi Refinement Realm rogue cultivator-even if you can make a few lousy talismans, you're still nothing in Master Zhang's eyes!"

Chen Lin was speechless.

Naturally, though, he would not squabble with a man who was about to die. He only found him pitiful.

Shaking his head, he stopped engaging with him. He intended to buy some pill-refining materials and return home to test whether Yu Yuehai's gu insect could alleviate the Enlightenment Pill's aftereffects.

He ignored the man, but Zhang Mazi suddenly sprang from his chair and pointed at him, crying out in disbelief.

"You-you! Why are your mana fluctuations so strong? You've broken through to the mid Qi Refinement Realm!"

His voice immediately drew the attention of everyone in the shop, and they turned surprised, envious gazes on Chen Lin.

None of them, however, made as much of a fuss as Zhang Mazi.

Among Shanty Town's rogue cultivators, the mid Qi Refinement Realm already counted as a high level of cultivation. Even if they could not befriend him, they would do their best not to offend him.

"Heh, it's only the mid Qi Refinement Realm. A little seclusion was all it took to break through. Why so surprised, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"

Chen Lin spoke calmly.

He felt helpless too. Since he had not learned a Cultivation Concealment Spell, he could not hide his cultivation. Anyone whose cultivation was close to or higher than his could see it at a glance.

That clashed badly with his cautious, low-profile approach.

Besides buying materials for refining pills, he had come out this time to see whether he could purchase a spell to conceal his cultivation. A magical tool would also do.

Zhang Mazi's expression went through quite a spectacle.

He looked Chen Lin up and down, as though meeting him for the first time.

Finally, still looking surprised and doubtful, he nodded. "Then congratulations, Fellow Daoist. Your long accumulation has finally borne fruit. A whole new world lies ahead of you."

Zhang Mazi cupped his hands, his earlier contempt gone.

Although the early and mid Qi Refinement Realms were only one minor realm apart, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

An early Qi Refinement Realm cultivator was merely a somewhat stronger ordinary person, unable even to practice spells. A mid Qi Refinement Realm cultivator could not only practice spells but also wield magical tools. Their combat abilities could not be mentioned in the same breath.

Only upon reaching the mid Qi Refinement Realm could one go out to hunt monster beasts. Those in the early Qi Refinement Realm could only dig up ores and medicinal herbs.

"Would you be interested in joining our Zhang Family, Fellow Daoist Chen?"

His eyes flickered as he extended the invitation.

The man's return to this old subject made Chen Lin's face darken.

"What, has that widowed cousin of yours still not found a suitable husband, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"

Zhang Mazi took no offense at Chen Lin's teasing. "That was then, this is now. Having broken through to the mid Qi Refinement Realm, your status is naturally different. If you're interested, I can invite you on behalf of the Zhang Family to become our guest elder. The terms will certainly satisfy you."

Then he added with a smile, "If you truly wish to marry into our Zhang Family, Fellow Daoist Chen, I can also report it to the clan and select an unmarried woman in the early Qi Refinement Realm to join you in a happy union."

At these words, all the surrounding cultivators looked envious.

Although rumors said that the Zhang Family's Foundation Establishment Realm patriarch had gone missing, it remained one of the Five Major Families, and its standing in the city had not changed. Securing its backing would certainly let someone leap above the masses.

Chen Lin was somewhat taken aback.

They really were pragmatic.

As his cultivation and talismancrafting skills improved, the terms Zhang Mazi offered kept getting better.

Before the gu insect had been planted in him, he might truly have agreed. Perhaps he could have used the Zhang Family's influence to escape Yu Yuehai's oppression. But now it was too late for any of that. No matter how favorable the terms, they were useless.

He shook his head helplessly and declined.

"My apologies. I'm accustomed to an idle, unrestrained life and don't wish to be bound by obligations. I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Fellow Daoist Zhang."