Leaving

``` [Moonlight Treasure Mirror · Holder Status]

[Name: Chen Mo]

[Realm: Qi Refining (Aperture Opening)]

[Bone Age: Nineteen years and five months]

[Remaining Lifespan: Approximately 1090 days]

[Root Bone: Grade B, Lower Tier (Yin Meridian Affinity)]

[Spirit/Soul: Grade B, Upper Tier]

[Qi and Blood: Normal (Origin damaged, slightly replenished)]

[Cultivation Method: Nether Paper-Crafting Art - Incomplete 3rd Layer (Can be deduced and completed, requires Moonlight Spiritual Rhyme > 1)]

[Cultivation Method: Taiyin Evil Form Technique Qi Refining Realm - Opening Yin Apertures]

[Cultivation Method: Yin Sha Bone-Tempering Method 1st Layer: Tempering Bones like Iron]

[Martial Skill: Willow Catkin Movement Technique - Proficient, Gale Blade Technique (Incomplete) - Entry]

[Moonlight Spiritual Rhyme: 0.73]

His lifespan had increased to over a thousand days.

The addition of "slightly replenished" after his Qi and Blood status made his heart ease slightly.

The pure Taiyin Qi nourished his body, not only improving his root bone but also providing some benefit in mending his origin; although slow, it was ultimately a source of hope.

After opening the Dantian aperture, his lifespan had increased by more than two years, and his Moonlight Spiritual Rhyme had grown to 0.73, not far from reaching one.

I wonder if opening subsequent apertures will continue to increase my lifespan? Chen Mo pondered. The Qi Refining realm requires opening a total of nine Yin Apertures to form a unique Yin Meridian.

But judging by my current progress, it will likely take about another year to open all the apertures.

The speed is still too slow.

After opening the aperture, the biggest change was not an increase in strength, but a much finer perception and control over the Taiyin Qi.

Although the wisp of Taiyin Qi within his body was thin, it moved as easily as his own arm.

The core of the Nether Paper-Crafting Art in controlling paper puppets lies in dividing one's spirit and using essence blood to drive them. In the past, I relied entirely on my spirit and my own essence blood to hold on, which was not only draining but lacked precision.

A gleam of light appeared in Chen Mo's eyes. Now that I possess Taiyin Qi, its quality is far superior to Earth Yin Qi, and it naturally resonates with the Yin attribute of the paper puppets. If I use my own Taiyin Qi as a guide, combined with dividing my spirit to control them...

No sooner thought than done, he moved his mind, and a Weaponized Paper Puppet appeared silently before him.

He focused his mind to mobilize the cold stream of air in his Dantian Yin Aperture, extending a wisp to his fingertip, and gently tapped the cinnabar talisman seal on the puppet's forehead.

Hum!

The puppet's body trembled, and its previously somewhat dull form instantly came to life. On its blank face, the cinnabar talisman seal shimmered with a faint purple glow.

Chen Mo felt his connection to this paper puppet suddenly tighten several times over, making it as natural to control as breathing.

With a slight shift of his intent, the puppet performed corresponding actions, swift and silent, even capable of completing intricate maneuvers that were previously difficult to achieve.

Moreover, while maintaining this state of control, the consumption of his own spirit was significantly reduced, and the consumption of Taiyin Qi was negligible, as the Yin Aperture could even slowly replenish itself from the moonlight.

Good, it seems that sensing Qi is only the entry, and opening apertures is the true beginning of cultivation.

Under the moonlight, Chen Mo controlled the Weaponized Paper Puppet to complete a series of complex and agile movements.

When he withdrew his intent, the puppet instantly went still, returning to deathly silence.

Using Qi to drive the puppet is indeed much less strenuous than using essence blood, and the control is far more nuanced. If I were to face that Painted Skin Ghost again, I would never be in such a sorry state.

He evaluated the changes in his strength, but his gaze could not help but drift to the corner of the bed, where the eerie scalp of the Painted Skin Ghost was suppressed.

The core of the Taiyin Evil Form Technique lies in the "Evil Form," fusing specific parts of powerful demons or ghosts to absorb their essential traits, and even gaining partial innate abilities, significantly enhancing one's cultivation and combat power.

This is a shortcut, but also a perilous path.

If the fusion fails, the best case is a regression in cultivation and a backlash of Yin Qi.

The worst case is having one's consciousness polluted, one's flesh deformed, and becoming a monster that is neither human nor ghost.

Chen Mo recalled the warning in the Taiyin Evil Form Technique regarding the first fusion: "At the beginning of the Evil Form, avoid being greedy for progress."

The Painted Skin Ghost's scalp still retained strong resentment and chaotic Yin Qi; fusing it directly carried extremely high risks.

One must eat a meal one bite at a time, and walk a path one step at a time.

He suppressed the desire for power in his heart, and reason took the upper hand.

The top priority is to open the subsequent Yin Apertures as soon as possible to solidify my foundation. Perhaps I can consider this scalp after my cultivation improves in the future.

He refocused his attention on his own cultivation.

After opening the aperture, the speed of absorbing moonlight had slightly increased, but it was still a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed to fill the next aperture.

Cultivation resources...

Chen Mo tapped his fingertips against the edge of the bed, pondered for a moment, and took out the Yin Cicada Slough gifted by the Rain-Listening Pavilion from the wooden box under the bed.

The Yin Cicada Slough felt ice-cold to the touch; though thin as a cicada's wing, it was exceptionally tough, and the natural patterns on its surface emitted a faint, eerie glow in the dim light.

He stared at the precious medicine gifted by the Rain-Listening Pavilion resting in his palm, his fingertips sensing the pure yin energy contained within.

To absorb it rashly, while his own strength was meager and his foundations unclear, would be far too risky.

Cultivation resources can be gathered slowly, and the threat to my lifespan cannot be resolved overnight, but if I take one wrong step and fall into someone else's trap, I fear there will be no turning back, Chen Mo warned himself. After a moment of hesitation, he placed the Yin Cicada Slough back into the wooden box and pushed it under the bed.

This item might have other uses in the future, but it was certainly not for now.

Early the next morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Chen Mo knocked on Chen Dachuan's door.

After hearing his account of what he had seen the previous night, Chen Dachuan's expression flickered with uncertainty. "Why on earth did you go running out there last night?"

"Is that the point?" Chen Mo was speechless.

"There are hundreds of thousands of people across the three counties of Linhe; the United Government won't just ignore this."

Chen Dachuan's brows were tightly locked, and he seemed unable to make up his mind. "Besides, Jin City is not like Linhe—everything from eating and drinking to relieving yourself costs money..."

Before he could finish, Chen Mo interrupted him by thrusting a stack of banknotes into his hand. "Are we leaving or not?"

"We're leaving!"

Chen Dachuan happily took the banknotes and counted them; there were a full twelve hundred taels. "Where did you get so much money?"

"I found it."

Chen Mo couldn't stand his lack of ambition; if he had brought out the ten thousand plus, it would have scared him to death.

Once Aunt Liu and her daughter were also up, the house instantly became a flurry of activity. Yuanyuan clutched her little bundle, looking at the grave expressions of the adults, and didn't dare to make a sound.

They could only take what was essential: gold, silver, valuables, and a small amount of dry rations.

Anything of value was left in the cellar.

By the time the sun hung high in the sky, they had only managed to pack two modest bundles.

As he locked the front door, Chen Mo instinctively glanced at the Li family next door.

The courtyard gate was left slightly ajar, and it was eerily quiet.

Just as they were about to leave, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar, and a sturdy carriage with a green canopy pulled up to the Li family's shop.

Two men dressed in gray cloth tunics stepped down from the carriage and quickly entered the courtyard.

Before long, Widow Li and her daughter, Li Siqing, emerged, each carrying a small parcel. They kept their heads down and hurried into the carriage.

The carriage then kicked up a cloud of dust as it sped away; from start to finish, Li Siqing never once glanced toward the Chen household.

"They..." Chen Dachuan was stunned.

"Let's go."

Chen Mo's heart was filled with growing suspicion, but he had no time to investigate further.

It was clear that Li Siqing's family had also received some kind of wind.