"It's not cowardice. I'm just playing it safe." Zhao Zuo was a little embarrassed, but he explained stubbornly. Deep down, however, he knew Shen Yunjiao was right.
His cowardice was why he believed Elder Li's warning of a bloody calamity, and why he had specifically waited for Shen Yunjiao.
"Heh." Shen Yunjiao just smiled, choosing not to call him out on it.
Before long, the two had returned to Qingni Lane.
Before they parted ways, Shen Yunjiao said with great solemnity, "If you're afraid because you're weak, you'd be better off buying a Purifying Spirit Pill to speed up your Cultivation. Since you're a regular customer... I'll sell you one for four Spirit Stones."
Zhao Zuo thought to himself, 'Good heavens, she really seizes every opportunity to push her products. How did I never notice Shen Yunjiao was such a money-grubber before?'
'I have eight Spirit Stones right now, and rent is four, so I can afford it. Besides, I've already obtained the Defensive Magical Artifact I was planning for. The best thing to do is convert these Spirit Stones into Cultivation as quickly as possible.'
"Careful, walls have ears," Zhao Zuo whispered, leaning close to Shen Yunjiao. "Come inside with me. I'll buy it."
Shen Yunjiao's expression brightened, and she followed Zhao Zuo into the house, not at all bothered by his sudden closeness.
The floor of the house was covered in ash and marked with several messy footprints. Zhao Zuo's expression didn't change. This was normal. After all, being a Tribulation Cultivator required courage, while being a thief only required caution.
Of course, Zhao Zuo had taken all his important valuables with him when he left, such as... the gold bars, Spirit Stones, and the book titled *Artifact Refining Introduction*.
The Spirit Wood he had hidden in the firewood pile likely hadn't been found, and besides, it wasn't worth much.
Shen Yunjiao also saw the footprints, but her expression didn't flicker. Clearly, she was used to this sort of thing. She casually took a porcelain bottle from her Storage Bag, uncorked it, and held it to her nose for a sniff.
"A Purifying Spirit Pill from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. The quality is guaranteed."
Zhao Zuo handed over four Spirit Stones, completing the transaction.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, if you need Pill Medicine in the future, you can look for me. I still have three more Purifying Spirit Pills," Shen Yunjiao said to Zhao Zuo, her smile becoming quite genuine.
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Zhao Zuo replied with a nod, not at all dismissive. Although the origin of the Pill Medicine Shen Yunjiao sold was dubious, that drawback seemed less significant when he could save a Spirit Stone.
Over the years, Shen Yunjiao had met many people and tried to build friendships. But when interests diverged, so-called friendships naturally became incredibly fragile. Would the man before her be an exception?
Shen Yunjiao thought not.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, I only make friends with people who can help me earn Spirit Stones."
"I'll remember that," Zhao Zuo replied earnestly.
'From their few interactions so far, he could confirm that Shen Yunjiao was a trustworthy person. In the future, if he had someone to act as a front while he sold Magical Artifacts from behind the scenes... the level of danger would be drastically reduced.'
'This front person had to be someone he could control. He had to have the upper hand in their partnership.'
Zhao Zuo briefly checked the condition of his home. Other than the little bit of Spirit Rice in the rice vat being taken, and though other areas showed signs of being rummaged through, nothing else was missing... The Spirit Wood was still there.
Zhao Zuo spent half an hour cleaning the bedroom, which really just meant wiping away some dust. He mainly rested and cultivated in the firewood pile in the storage room anyway.
So, the cleanliness of the bedroom wasn't a major issue.
For dinner, Zhao Zuo cooked a pound of Spirit Rice. It was delicious, but he felt something was missing. He figured it was probably the lack of meat. Unfortunately, he hadn't come across any stalls selling Demon Beast meat on his two trips to the Market.
He'd have to keep an eye out next time he went to the Market and buy a dozen or so pounds of Demon Beast meat.
After dinner, Zhao Zuo sat cross-legged amidst the firewood to cultivate, as was his routine. As he progressed, he could feel an incredibly faint aura emanating from the Clear Heart Jade Pendant on his chest, flowing along his Meridians. It did indeed have the effects of Calming the Mind and Gathering Qi, as well as Nourishing Meridians and Body Protection, but unfortunately, it was barely noticeable.
The effect was basically negligible.
Four hours later, Zhao Zuo opened his eyes. Because of his poor diet, he had temporarily given up on his Body Refining Technique while at home. That, combined with the thin Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power, slowed his Cultivation progress. Grinding experience for the Sky-Breaking Saber was the best option.
A little over a minute later, the Sky-Breaking Saber landed in his palm. It was less than three hundred experience points away from an upgrade. If he went all-out grinding, he could get it done before October 1st.
By then, its power would be comparable to a Middle Grade Magical Artifact.
Zhao Zuo now understood how to obtain Creation Points, but a serious problem remained in the development of his Golden Finger. His own stamina was insufficient, which meant he could only use the magical artifact for short periods, making it impossible to level it up quickly.
If he could solve this problem, his strength would increase rapidly in a short amount of time.
Zhao Zuo didn't use the Purifying Spirit Pill. He planned to save it for when he entered secluded cultivation in an Earth Fire Chamber. After all, that environment would be safer, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power far more concentrated.
After grinding out two rounds of experience, the Meridians in his body began to ache faintly. Although the Clear Heart Jade Pendant was still releasing a cool energy to repair them... the speed was just pathetic.
Beside the firewood pile, Zhao Zuo used the last rays of the setting sun to study *Artifact Refining Introduction*. He soon discovered many details between the lines that he had previously overlooked. His understanding of Spirit Patterns was improving rapidly; perhaps this was the benefit of his increased comprehension.
As the last glow of the sun sank below the horizon, the room fell into darkness.
Zhao Zuo didn't light an oil lamp. Instead, he placed the Spirit Wood in front of him and, relying on memory, repeatedly tried to draw the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern. Moonlight streamed through the window into the storage room, illuminating his determined, focused face. Under the moonlight... Zhao Zuo himself seemed to glow.
He closed his eyes, tracing the pattern he had drawn thousands of times by feel alone.
Every step forward, every bit of growth, made him ecstatic. True despair came from endless effort with no tangible results, because progress itself was the greatest motivator of all.
Two hours passed. Zhao Zuo now had some confidence in drawing the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern, but he knew it would still take countless more attempts before he could even think about trying actual Artifact Refining.
The night grew deep. Zhao Zuo hid himself in a gap within the firewood pile. The space was a tight, uncomfortable squeeze for his frame, and he couldn't even lie down to rest.
But it gave him a tangible sense of security that was irreplaceable.
Before sleeping, Zhao Zuo placed the fragile porcelain bottle in the gap between the firewood and the wall. He leaned against his slightly damp quilt, taking in the scent of the wood around him, closed his eyes... and gradually drifted off to sleep.
—CREAK.
The faint sound of the door being pushed open jolted Zhao Zuo from his sleep. His gaze instantly sharpened from a sleepy haze to piercing alertness.
'That was unmistakably the sound of the door. The person outside had already removed the wooden wedge and slipped into my house... The intruder is probably creeping toward the bedroom right now.'
Zhao Zuo took out a Sharp Arrow Talisman and placed a Vajra Talisman against his chest.
His preparations complete, he slowly emerged from the firewood pile. 'If I can't hide... then I'll just have to kill them!'
...