Chapter 9: The Ancestor Is Simply Too Cautious

The architecture of Yunmeng Market was arranged in three concentric circles. The innermost circle was a bustling street lined with shops, as well as the residences of the disciples of the Jade Water Sect and the great families. The middle circle featured shared courtyards available for co-renting. Compared to the outermost dwellings, these offered much greater security—at the very least, the enforcers of the Jade Water Sect lived nearby, exerting a certain deterrent effect.

Shen Lian presently resided in the outermost circle, a place where cultivators were all too often preyed upon by demonic cultivators who would literally rip out their hearts. Now that he had started earning spirit stones, Shen Lian found himself toying with the idea of moving. In the past, he had no choice—no matter how terrifying a demonic cultivator was, poverty was far worse. Now, with at least some spirit stones in hand, the horror of the demonic cultivators had ascended to the top of his priorities.

But when he tried to arrange a move at the General Affairs Hall, he ran into a wall. The cultivators of the Jade Water Sect were truly exasperating—each one as stubborn as a mule. Rentals in the outer dwellings were strictly anonymous, recognized only by the identity plaque. If rent was not paid on the first day of the month, the enforcers of the Jade Water Sect would come in the very next day and clear the dwelling. Freelance cultivators were like chives, cut down again and again by the rental system. If a cultivator happened to be out in the wild and couldn't return in time, they had no choice but to find a new place to rent.

Shen Lian currently lived at No. 9, Black Rock Alley, in the southern district of the market. He had just rented three new rooms—two nearby, on the streets in front and behind his current residence, no more than thirty paces apart. With the Burrowing Talisman, the distance was just right. The third room was in the western district. Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, he secured four dens for himself, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.

Instead of returning straight home, he took a walk around the alleys where his new rooms were located, carefully noting their exact positions so that, should he need to burrow away in a hurry, he wouldn't accidentally emerge in some female cultivator's abode.

Back in his Black Rock Alley residence, Shen Lian sat cross-legged on his bed to rest and circulate his breath, pondering his future path in cultivation. The situation with the mine was still fermenting, and there was no way to be sure when the Jade Water Sect would get involved directly. He still had a hundred blank talisman papers, which he needed to quickly turn into Miasma-Dissipating Talismans and exchange for spirit stones while he could.

The next morning, Shen Lian rose, tossed aside his bedding, and set to work drawing talismans. He didn't start with the Miasma-Dissipating Talismans, but instead crafted Burrowing, Evasion, and similar defensive talismans for his own protection. After all, even in his own home, he was not truly safe. These thin, wooden-walled houses could keep out most freelance cultivators, but they were no match for demonic cultivators. With four dens now in his possession, he refused to believe his luck was so bad that he'd run into demonic cultivators in all four at once.

Once he'd finished, Shen Lian immediately took out a Burrowing Talisman and activated it, rehearsing his escape twice by burrowing into his new rooms in the adjacent alleys. The results were precise—both in distance and target.

Five days passed in a flash.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door sounded! In the midst of his cultivation, Shen Lian tensed instantly. He kept to himself in Yunmeng Market, his only friend being Fifth Lady.

Shen Lian opened the door to find the middle-aged cultivator neighbor he had run into a few days prior.

"My name is Yang Li. I moved in recently and thought I'd pay you a visit," Yang Li said, bowing with clasped fists.

Shen Lian did not respond coldly, but returned the courtesy. "I am Shen Lian."

Yang Li did not enter. Shen Lian's room was so small that a single glance sufficed to take it all in. The leftover ink bottles from his talisman-making lay beside the bed, clearly visible to Yang Li.

"So, Fellow Daoist Shen is a talisman master?"

"I just dabble in the craft, enough to earn a few spirit stones for my cultivation," Shen Lian replied modestly.

Yang Li nodded in understanding, not doubting his words. The myriad arts of cultivation—whether alchemy, artifact forging, or talisman crafting—all consumed vast resources. Freelance cultivators without family backing were destitute; to become a talisman master was even harder for them than for the scions of great families.

"It's not easy for us cultivators—either we risk our lives or we grind away at our skills," Yang Li remarked, then extended an invitation. "By the way, a new ore vein was discovered outside the market. Would you be interested in coming with me to take a look?"

The sudden invitation set Shen Lian on high alert. Was this man mad? We barely know each other.

"I've made an agreement with Steward Weng of the Treasure Pavilion to draw talismans. I have no time," Shen Lian replied.

"You know the steward of the Treasure Pavilion? You're truly fortunate," Yang Li said, envy flickering in his eyes. The lowest-ranking stewards at the Treasure Pavilion were at least at the seventh level of Qi Refining, with monthly stipends and commissions on the sale of spiritual items—a life all freelance cultivators yearned for.

"To be acquainted with a steward of the Treasure Pavilion, your talisman skills must be more formidable than you let on," Yang Li continued. "If I ever need talismans in the future, I hope you'll be willing to part with some."

"Of course," Shen Lian replied.

After Yang Li left, Shen Lian closed the door, utterly bewildered. They were barely acquainted and had only nodded in passing because they lived next door. To show up and issue such an invitation was far too abrupt.

He mulled over it for a while, unable to make sense of it, and decided to keep his guard up.

Night fell.

Shen Lian neither cultivated nor slept, but lay quietly on his bed, breathing steady as though asleep. In his hand, he clutched the talismans he had made—Fire, Burrowing, and others. At the slightest disturbance, he would be gone in an instant.

…

Next door, in Yang Li's room.

As darkness descended, a demonic aura began to ripple through the otherwise calm room.

Hiss, hiss—

A flower-patterned snake, as thick as a finger and around a foot long, slithered out. Though a demonic serpent, its eyes were blood-red, brimming with malice and a trace of dark intent.

"Senior," Yang Li's body trembled involuntarily.

"Well?" A cold voice echoed in Yang Li's mind.

"Senior, the neighbor is a talisman master and may be acquainted with the steward of the Gathering Spirit Pavilion. So I have excluded him from the list of targets," Yang Li whispered, recounting the day's events in detail.

The snake coiled its tail before him, raising its upper body like a meditating cultivator.

"You've done well. My current condition is unstable—any risk of complications must be avoided outright," the snake's voice intoned.

"All thanks to your wise guidance, Senior."

"Do not choose those with complicated connections. Do not choose those who run in groups. Do not choose those who are too strong. Do not choose those whose depths are uncertain. Follow my rules and you will never go wrong."

"There are other cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining in this alley. I will soon select a suitable candidate for you, Senior," Yang Li said, kneeling on his bed and kowtowing to the snake.

"Within three days, choose the next blood sacrifice. My power—"

"Rest assured, Senior. By tomorrow, I will have your blood sacrifice selected."

"Remember, be careful. Do not cause me trouble. Once I have passed this period of dormancy, I will…"

"Yes, Senior. Your rules are etched in my mind," Yang Li said, his forehead pressed to the bed, striving to show his utmost obedience.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, the senior had ordered that the chosen targets must pose as little risk of unforeseen complications as possible. Today, Yang Li had visited his neighbor, Shen Lian. At the fourth level of Qi Refining, Shen Lian met the baseline requirements. But as a talisman master with supposed ties to the Treasure Pavilion, it seemed suspicious for such a person to be living in the outer district. Who knew if his words were true? He even refused to take on the ore vein mission—clearly a recluse.

Yang Li couldn't be bothered to investigate further; there were plenty of mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the market. The time spent probing a single person's story would be better used helping his senior hollow out someone else's heart.

Thus, Yang Li excluded Shen Lian from consideration.

Truly worthy of being a reborn ancestor—so cautious in every deed. Yang Li held the utmost respect. The ancestor was, indeed, exceedingly prudent.