Leaving Seclusion

Since the several Secret Manuals in the wooden box were all methods for countering inner demons, Duan Rong flipped through them casually, then raised his hand again and tapped the light screen with his fingertip.

The light screen rippled open, revealing a face-sized hole where his fingertip touched. Duan Rong's right hand holding the Secret Manuals suddenly blurred, and the books had already entered the wooden box on the stone table. The box's lid had been closed as well.

The face-sized hole in the light screen immediately sealed shut. Several breaths later, the light screen, shimmering with faint ripples, vanished too.

Only then did Duan Rong bend down and feel for the Beast Head beneath the stone table, giving it a gentle twist.

Outside the Thatched Hut, Chu Wushang sat on a low stool, intently weaving a bamboo-strip basket.

The afternoon sunlight fell upon his hands as they nimbly worked the pale green bamboo strips. Those callused hands moved with a certain rhythm, as though they were dancing amid the green-tinged strips of bamboo...

Just then, dull thud, thud, thud sounds suddenly came from the roof beam inside the hut. It was the sound of a rusty, thick iron plate striking the wooden beam.

When the thud, thud, thud sounds rang out, Chu Wushang's brows furrowed slightly. He had just entered a certain state, but the sudden noise had clearly disturbed him.

He wanted to ignore the disruptive sound and continue weaving the bamboo-strip basket, but the rhythm between his hands had already fallen into disarray. He tried several times, yet could no longer recover that earlier feeling.

Chu Wushang sighed, set the bamboo-strip basket on the ground, rose alone, turned, and walked into the hut.

The instant he stepped inside, the dull thud, thud, thud sounds happened to stop.