The flame of the oil lamp flickered softly in the quiet room.
Outside the window, the night had deepened. A thin veil of mist drifted through the narrow streets of Riverfall County, swallowing the faint sounds of the sleeping town.
Inside the modest residence, Li Shen sat alone at a wooden desk.
Before him lay a thin notebook bound with a simple thread.
He dipped his brush into the inkstone, paused for a moment, and then began to write.
---
Third Year of the Azure Calendar — Ninth Month, Day Seventeen
It has been exactly one hundred days since I awakened in this world.
According to the lifespan record left behind by the previous owner of this body, I have roughly twelve years remaining to live.
Not a comforting number.
Li Shen tapped the brush lightly against the page.
In his previous life, he had never bothered keeping journals. Recording daily thoughts had always seemed like a waste of time.
But now, time itself has become his greatest enemy.
If each day slipped past unnoticed, he might one day realize—too late—that the end had already arrived.
So he wrote.
Not out of sentiment.
But to remind himself that every single day mattered.
---
Ninth Month, Day Eighteen
Completed four spirit-clearing assignments today.
The bureau rewarded me with two hundred and ninety merit points.
Not enough to exchange for another bottle of meditation pills.
Which means I effectively lost an entire day of cultivation.
Unacceptable.
Ninth Month, Day Nineteen
Finally gathered enough merit points for a new supply of calming pills.
Lin Qingyu offered several bottles from her own storage.
I refused.
Accepting favors too easily is a dangerous habit.
Besides… my pride refuses to rely on charity.
However, after exhausting today's pills earlier than expected, I may need to reconsider.
Life rarely follows the plans one makes for it.
Ninth Month, Day Twenty
Cultivation.
Day Twenty-One
Cultivation.
Day Twenty-Two
Cultivation.
---
Li Shen paused and rubbed his temple.
The quiet scratching of the brush had become the only sound filling the room.
His life had grown painfully simple.
Eat.
Train.
Hunt spirits.
Repeat.
Yet that very simplicity brought him a strange sense of peace.
In a world where demons roamed freely and cultivators struggled constantly for survival, distractions were luxuries few could afford.
---
Day Twenty-Five
Nearly broke through to the next cultivation stage today.
During meditation, spiritual energy surged unexpectedly and pressed against the barrier of the next realm.
I restrained it.
Advancing too quickly can damage the foundation.
If impurities remain within the spirit channels, the consequences later could be disastrous.
My goal is not merely to reach the next realm.
I intend to climb far higher.
Which means patience is necessary.
---
Li Shen turned the page.
His handwriting remained steady and precise.
---
Day Twenty-Six
Chief Yan delivered a lecture today.
Topic: High-grade spectral entities within our province.
There are three particularly dangerous ones.
Entities so powerful that even veteran Spirit Wardens avoid confronting them alone.
The first is called the Nine-Lament Serpent.
A monstrous spirit with multiple heads that wails like a crying child.
Eight years ago, it nearly destroyed an entire prefecture.
Countless cultivators attempted to slay it.
All failed.
Eventually, the Imperial Grand Talisman Master personally sealed the creature beneath the earth.
Li Shen paused after writing that final line.
A Seventh Realm cultivator.
Someone capable of suppressing a disaster-level spirit alone.
Power like that felt almost mythical.
One day, he thought quietly.
I will reach that level.
The brush resumed moving across the page.
---
The second entity is known as the Snow Widow of Yishan.
She appears as a beautiful woman.
But beauty is often the most deceptive mask.
Every summer, she summons blizzards across the northern mountains.
Anyone unfortunate enough to encounter her becomes an ice statue.
Apparently, she keeps those frozen bodies inside her cavern as decorations.
An unpleasant thought.
Given my constitution, I suspect I would be an easy target.
Hopefully I survive long enough not to find out.
---
Li Shen leaned back slightly in his chair.
The oil lamp crackled softly as its flame danced in the draft.
After a moment, he continued writing.
---
Chief Yan mentioned a third calamity-level spirit as well.
But halfway through explaining it… he forgot the name.
Overwork is beginning to affect his memory.
Perhaps next month I should buy him some medicinal walnuts.
---
He flipped to another page.
---
Day Twenty-Nine
I discovered something interesting today.
Divination techniques in this world are surprisingly reliable.
I have been using coin divination before each mission recently.
So far, the predictions have never been wrong.
Curiosity led me to attempt a more complex method tonight—astrological fate calculation.
According to the birth date of this body, my destiny star appears to be the Heavenly Strategist Star.
People with this fate are supposedly intelligent planners who excel at assisting powerful rulers.
Li Shen frowned slightly as he wrote.
Assistants.
Advisors.
Second-in-command.
Not exactly inspiring titles.
He dipped the brush into ink again.
---
Naturally, I recalculated using the birth date from my previous life.
That result was much more satisfying.
The Imperial Star occupies the fate palace.
A destiny associated with rulers and legendary figures.
Unfortunately, the text also notes that most people with this fate die young.
Conclusion: astrology is nonsense.
---
He closed the notebook halfway—then hesitated.
After a brief moment, he opened it again.
One more entry.
---
Tenth Month, Day One
Lin Qingyu mentioned something about the capital today.
Apparently, the Emperor spends most of his time cultivating.
Court affairs are largely handled by the imperial council and Princess Zhaoning.
Lin Qingyu spoke about the princess for several minutes.
Mostly describing how beautiful she supposedly is.
I suspect there may be some rivalry involved.
To end the conversation, I told her something philosophical.
"Beautiful faces are common. Interesting souls are rare."
She seemed pleased by that answer.
I'm not entirely sure why.
---
Li Shen finally set the brush aside.
The lamp flame wavered as a cold draft slipped through the window.
He closed the notebook and placed it neatly beside the bed.
His days might appear repetitive.
But every page marked progress.
Every spirit slain strengthened his cultivation.
And every quiet night brought him one step closer to the power he sought.
Li Shen swallowed a meditation pill and sat cross-legged on the floor.
As he steadied his breathing, spiritual energy began circulating slowly through his meridians—warm currents flowing through unseen pathways beneath the skin.
Outside, the mist thickened, curling through the silent streets.
The world of mortals slept peacefully.
But in the unseen darkness beyond the town…
Countless spirits still wandered.
And sooner or later—
They would cross paths with him.