Chapter 23

He practiced all night, without ever tiring.

The next day, just as dawn broke.

Luo Qingchen lowered his fists, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and checked his cultivation progress.

[Bone Fortification: 70/1000]

His cultivation progress had risen from 40 last night to 70 now!

The results were still excellent.

And there was still more than half of the medicinal effect left in his bones.

That potent medicinal energy had once again made him clearly understand the importance of blood.

No wonder the cultivators here would stop at nothing to get blood.

As he stepped outside, he couldn't help turning to look at Chen Ju's house nearby. Its doors and windows were still tightly shut, just as they had been yesterday. It seemed no one had come out.

He didn't knock again and went straight out through the back courtyard.

Tonight, it would be their turn to patrol together. Surely the other man would come out then.

He went to the kitchen first and had breakfast before leaving the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion.

The streets were still dim and deserted. Pedestrians and vendors all walked with drooping heads, their eyes vacant and their expressions wooden, like walking corpses.

He went to the Blood Shop first.

He still needed two taels of silver to get the Ten-Soul Banner back.

Behind the counter, the black-robed old man was leafing through a book. When he saw Luo Qingchen, he paused and asked in a low voice, "What is it? Something happen?"

Luo Qingchen said, "I'd like to sell my blood again."

"What? Sell it again?"

The black-robed old man furrowed his brows and glanced at the wound on his wrist. He couldn't help sneering. "Are you tired of living, boy? You came here just two days ago and sold a whole big bowl. Now you're back to sell again? Aren't you afraid you'll drop dead?"

Luo Qingchen said, "I still need two taels of silver."

The black-robed old man frowned and studied him a little longer, then said indifferently, "Let me make this clear beforehand. If you sell this much blood, even if nothing happens on the spot, you might fall ill afterward from weakness. Getting sick here is no different from dying. If that happens, it has nothing to do with me."

Luo Qingchen said, "I understand."

Seeing this, the black-robed old man said no more. He took a dagger and the large bowl from beneath the counter, then went over and shut the shop door.

"Only two taels?"

Luo Qingchen nodded and placed his wrist on the counter. "Two taels is all I need."

The black-robed old man said nothing more. He gripped Luo Qingchen's wrist and lightly drew the dagger across it.

The scabbed-over wound split open again.

Bright red blood quickly flowed into the bowl.

Luo Qingchen stared at the blood in the bowl, and for a moment, it felt like he was in a dream.

Perhaps because he had cut open the wound so often, he no longer felt much pain. The spot only felt cold and numb.

"That's enough. Two taels."

After filling a little less than half the bowl, the black-robed old man released the fingers pressing down on Luo Qingchen's wrist, then took two taels in broken silver from beneath the counter and tossed them onto it.

The silver rang crisply and bounced across the counter until it came to rest by Luo Qingchen's blood-soaked wrist.

Luo Qingchen took the silver, hastily bandaged his wrist, and left the shop.

The sky outside was as dark as night.

With the bloodstained silver tucked against his chest, Luo Qingchen walked into Old Wu's General Store.

The white-haired, one-armed old man was dozing behind the counter. Hearing footsteps, he raised his eyelids and glanced at Luo Qingchen, his voice weary. "You're early. The item hasn't been brought back yet. Come again this afternoon."

Luo Qingchen took out the two taels of silver he had just earned by selling his blood and placed them on the counter. After a pause, he couldn't help asking, "Senior, will my little sister be all right?"

Old Wu glanced at the bloodstains on the silver and said blandly, "How would I know? I can only be sure the item will be repaired for you. As for the soul inside, I can only say it's probably fine."

After speaking, he closed his eyes again, clearly unwilling to say more.

Luo Qingchen glanced once more at the silver on the counter, then left without disturbing him further.

Since he still had to stay alert while patrolling tonight, he didn't linger in the streets. He returned to the back courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, entered the second room, and lay down on the bed after putting all the safety measures in place.

He closed his eyes.

He slept fitfully.

Perhaps he was worried about his little sister's soul, or perhaps he feared unseen dangers in the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion. He drifted in and out of sleep, plagued by one nightmare after another.

When he woke in the afternoon, he hurried straight outside.

When he arrived at Old Wu's General Store, a woman dressed in black robes, with wine-red hair hanging loose, had just come out. She glanced at him indifferently, then quickly walked away.

Luo Qingchen entered the shop. Before he could speak, Old Wu tossed the small banner in his hand onto the counter. "You're right on time. The Ten-Soul Banner was just brought back. The woman you saw at the door was Senior Sister Chen, who repaired it for you. She's one of the top artifact refiners up above."

Luo Qingchen hurriedly picked up the Ten-Soul Banner from the counter and examined it from every angle.

The two holes in the middle of the banner had both been repaired. There wasn't a trace of the repairs, though the colors were brighter than the other faded parts.

The cracks in the shaft were still there.

"You paid eight hundred taels, so this is all they could do. It should last at least another year or two," Old Wu explained.

"Thank you."

Luo Qingchen's lips moved. He very much wanted to ask again whether his little sister's soul was safe, but he knew the old man couldn't answer. He could only thank him and turn to leave.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't see his little sister's soul.

Back in the cave, he had once tried asking Tian Feng indirectly when cultivators could see ghosts.

The other man had answered, "After opening the apertures, once your soul arts reach a basic level."

Body Tempering consisted of Flesh Refinement, Bone Fortification, Blood Exchange, Spirit Nurturing, and Strength. Only after completing all of them could one enter the Aperture Opening Realm and cultivate soul arts. Once they reached a basic level, one could see souls.

So he had to cultivate hard and reach the Aperture Opening Realm as soon as possible. Only then could he see his little sister.

Even if all he saw was her soul, he would still be happy.

He didn't linger in the streets. He went straight back to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, entered the second room, and continued cultivating.

Having gotten the Ten-Soul Banner back, he felt much more at ease.

As for his debts, he didn't need to think about them for now. There was no point.

He didn't need to repay the pawnshop's seven hundred taels just yet.

Even if he dragged it out for a month, they wouldn't forcibly kill him to take his soul. They would have to wait until he died on his own before they could claim it.

After all, his person and his life didn't belong to him. They belonged to Tian Feng.

As long as he stayed alive, he would have a chance to get back the contract for the soul he had pawned.

For now, he needed to repay A-Yun's twelve taels of silver first.

After all, A-Yun had to support not only herself, but her whole family as well.

"Whoosh!"

He didn't dwell on it any longer and began practicing his punches.

The light outside the window gradually dimmed.

When night began to fall, he quickly gathered his things and left the room.

Chen Ju's door nearby was still shut.

Tonight, it was his turn to patrol with Chen Ju. The other man still hadn't come out. It seemed there really was something wrong.

"Squeak..."

Just as Luo Qingchen was about to head to the front of the building alone, Chen Ju's door suddenly opened.

"Brother Luo, were you waiting for me? Good thing I'm not late."

Chen Ju saw him and walked out of the room with a broad smile, then closed the door behind him.

Luo Qingchen clearly saw Chen Ju's right leg move. It seemed somewhat stiff.

By then, night had completely fallen.

The entire Hundred Fragrance Pavilion was instantly plunged into boundless darkness.

The expressions on their faces began to blur as well.