Longevity! There Are Cockroaches!

"That's how it is. My name is Ling Ziyu, and I come from the great city of Southern Fujian Commandery. My elder brother was ambushed and killed on Lone Wolf Mountain years ago. When I found him, I discovered that he had been buried, but the lineage token he carried was gone. That token is very important to my Lineage."

"I heard that you often run toward the mountains, little brother. I wonder if you were the one who buried him?"

"If you were, I don't want a single coin of the silver on my brother. Just return that token to me. At the same time, I can give you one hundred taels of silver as compensation. What do you say?"

Ling Ziyu looked at Lin Changsheng and spoke with cupped fists.

He had already questioned five Pasture City residents who had entered the mountains years ago. Lin Changsheng was the last one.

"Gao Yang?"

Hearing Ling Ziyu's words, Lin Changsheng's heart stirred. He immediately shook his head. "Brother, I'm sorry. Although I do run in the mountains, I haven't buried anyone. You should ask elsewhere!"

"No..."

Hearing this, disappointment appeared on Ling Ziyu's face. He cupped his fists and said, "Then forget it. I'll go ask someone else."

Ling Ziyu left with the old man. The moment he turned around, a shadowy glint flashed through his eyes.

[Sun-Moon Breathing Method Experience +1!]

Lin Changsheng stood in the courtyard, bathing in the sunlight as messages continuously popped up on the panel.

The old man behind Ling Ziyu swept his gaze over the pile of unburned bamboo shavings outside Lin Changsheng's courtyard. His eyes narrowed, and he quickened his pace to follow Ling Ziyu.

Lin Changsheng sat in the courtyard, basking in the sun.

"Ah! Changsheng, come quickly! There are cockroaches!"

About a quarter of an hour later, Yu Wenjing's startled cry suddenly came from her room. Her voice trembled, as though she had encountered some great terror.

"Hm? Cockroaches?"

Hearing Yu Wenjing's cry, Lin Changsheng got up and headed inside. He found that Yu Wenjing was in the rear room. When he walked over, he discovered that the door was bolted from within. He sent a burst of inner force from his hand, shattering the bolt at once, then entered the room.

Yu Wenjing was crouched in the corner. Terror showed on her exquisite face, and her body trembled. Only a towel covered her, her lush curves faintly visible beneath it.

A large bathing tub sat on the floor, half full of steaming water.

"Where are the cockroaches?"

Lin Changsheng hurriedly shifted his gaze elsewhere and asked.

"They're under that table. There are so many of them."

Fear filled Yu Wenjing's beautiful face as she shivered.

"It's all right. I'll stomp them to death."

Lin Changsheng stepped forward, moved the table aside, found seven or eight cockroaches, and crushed them one by one. Then he took a broom and swept out the corpses before saying to Yu Wenjing, "All right. They've all been wiped out."

Lin Changsheng went out and casually closed the door behind him.

"Girls really are timid. Afraid of a few cockroaches..."

Lin Changsheng shook his head and went outside into the courtyard to continue basking in the sunlight.

"It's over. He saw everything."

Yu Wenjing shut the door, a flush appearing on her pretty face. She was unbearably embarrassed. Just now, she had only been wearing a towel.

East Street.

In a courtyard five li away.

"People nearby saw this Lin Changsheng practicing archery! There are unburned bamboo shavings outside his courtyard, and not far from his home is a bamboo grove with traces of cutting!"

"The chief and more than thirty brothers died that night to arrows made from bamboo like this!"

"Even if the culprit who wiped out the gang that day wasn't Lin Changsheng, he must be connected to him!"

An elderly man dressed in black looked in the direction of Lin Changsheng's home, fear showing in his eyes.

The chief had been a second-rate expert, yet this man had killed him with four arrows!

If that man wanted to kill him, it would likely be even easier!

"Killing the chief was one thing, but you should never, ever have killed my son!"

A venomous glint flashed in Old Liu's eyes. "I'd rather give up the reward than let you live! I will avenge my son!"

Liu Li's son had been at Ma Family Manor that night and had been shot dead by the culprit who wiped out the gang.

Lin Changsheng was in the courtyard.

Suddenly, he felt an icy chill in his chest, and his brows immediately furrowed.

It should have been very warm while basking in the sun, yet that sensation grew stronger and stronger. Lin Changsheng immediately pulled open his collar and looked down, only to find an egg-sized skull pattern appearing on his chest.

It was lifelike, as though it might come alive at any moment!

"What is this? Why has this appeared on my body?"

Seeing the pattern, Lin Changsheng was alarmed. He immediately recalled the Yin Energy Invasion on his panel.

Hadn't the Yin Energy Invasion weakened?

Lin Changsheng hurriedly circulated the Sun-Moon Breathing Method. Surging inner force coursed through his meridians, and he saw the skull pattern on his chest gradually dim before finally vanishing.

He looked at the panel. The Yin Energy Invasion was still there!

"Looks like I still need to speed up the improvement of my strength."

Lin Changsheng pressed his chest and thought to himself.

This skull pattern had suddenly appeared, and he had no idea why. But he knew one thing: as long as he became strong enough and his aura was powerful enough, the Yin Energy Invasion state would disappear.

Evening.

Yu Wenjing finished making dinner and called Lin Changsheng to eat.

The two sat facing each other. Perhaps because Lin Changsheng had seen all of her delicate body that afternoon, Yu Wenjing kept her head lowered. Her beautiful face was flushed red, as though she felt embarrassed.

"Wen Jing, your cooking has improved tremendously lately!"

Seeing Yu Wenjing like this, Lin Changsheng immediately changed the subject.

"Really?"

A glimmer of light appeared in Yu Wenjing's beautiful eyes.

"Of course. Didn't you see me eat two huge bowls?"

Lin Changsheng laughed heartily. Seeing that he did not seem to care about that awkward incident in the afternoon, Yu Wenjing relaxed and began chatting happily with him.

Grand Canal.

A thousand li away.

Within a sprawling, luxurious estate.

A handsome young man dressed in white sat before a desk, reading through case files.

At that moment, a man in black appeared before him like a ghost and dropped to one knee. "Young Master, the Divine Eagle Guard has also arrived at the Grand Canal to investigate the matter of the princess's ship being blown up."

"I understand."

"Continue gathering intelligence."

Hearing the black-clad man's report, the young man in white waved his hand. The man respectfully backed away several steps, then turned and left.

"Divine Eagle Guard? So what?"

A gloomy look appeared in the young man's eyes as he said in a low voice, "There won't even be whole corpses left. I'd like to see what choice you have besides me."

East Street.

Deep in the night, insects chirped in waves.

Lin Changsheng's home.

[Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia (Great Perfection)!]

"Tomorrow, I'll become an official medicine apprentice."

Lin Changsheng sat in a chair in the courtyard, looking at his panel with anticipation in his eyes.

After two days of effort, he had mastered the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia to Great Perfection.

All the knowledge in the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia had fused into his mind.

At Hundred Herbs Hall, once one passed the examination on thoroughly memorizing the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia, one could begin preparing medicinal ingredients, assist an alchemist, or work as a pharmacist in the storefront.

Naturally, pharmacists earned more.

Assisting an alchemist as a medicine apprentice paid less, but it had a future.

Lin Changsheng had not come here for silver, but to get started in alchemy. Since he had the Great Dao of Simplicity Panel, becoming an alchemist later would be very easy.

At the thought of swallowing Blood-and-Qi Pills like candy and watching his qi, blood, and inner force soar higher and higher, Lin Changsheng was filled with anticipation.

Suddenly, the sound of clothes slicing through the air rang out.

A black-clad masked man landed in the courtyard. Seeing Lin Changsheng sitting beneath the jujube tree, the man froze for a moment.