[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-62":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344502,4583,"Chapter 62: A Beautiful Shadow Under the Umbrella","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-62",62,"\u003Cp>After scouting the area, Xu Qing lowered his head to pick up the blood-stained pouch belonging to the middle-aged cultivator. He then sprinkled corpse-dissolving powder over the body; under the washing of the rain, the mangled corpse collapsed into blood, merging with the accumulated rainwater on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having finished this, Xu Qing returned to his magic boat and sat cross-legged in the cabin. He opened the other man's pouch, but after a quick glance, his brow furrowed; aside from some miscellaneous items, there were no spirit stones or cultivation resources inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no magic boat either, only a blood-colored jade slip and an identity token. However, following the man's death, the identity token had lost its luster; Xu Qing could not see the exact amount of contribution points within, nor could he transfer them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This item required the owner's active cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His belongings must be stored elsewhere...\" Xu Qing sighed inwardly. When he had struck earlier, he had acted out of a habit of prioritizing the kill, making it difficult to get the opponent to transfer the contribution points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next time, if there is an opportunity, should I severely injure them first?\" Xu Qing thought about it, but still felt this was not secure. He picked up the blood-colored jade slip, and after examining it, his eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A bounty?\" This was not a standard bounty jade slip, but rather something released privately. Inside was a list of character information, all of them disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes, with prices marked next to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the entries was clearly Xu Qing's name, even pointing out his nickname from the scavenger camp. The price offered was fifty spirit stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ancestor of the Vajra Sect!\" A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. The only person who could know his information and offer a fifty spirit stone bounty was the ancestor of the Vajra Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the other party had already tracked his trail and discovered his information within the Seven Blood Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, although Deer Horn City was a branch city of the Seven Blood Eyes, the Vajra Sect also had connections in that region, so it was not too difficult to investigate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fact that the Vajra Sect ancestor could find this information so quickly shows that he also has certain connections within the Seven Blood Eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But hindered by the rules of the Seven Blood Eyes, he dared not act personally, so he issued a bounty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing pondered, looked at the blood-colored jade slip, and after some manipulation, simply accepted the mission to kill himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must focus on cultivation and then finish off the Vajra Sect ancestor as soon as possible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flew by, and several days passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rain fell for four full days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day, it turned into a great storm, whipping up giant waves that seemed intent on sweeping through the entire harbor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, under the suppression of the main city's formation, no matter how astonishing the storm was, the harbor remained as steady as a rock, unmoved. It was not until the morning of the fifth day that the storm, unable to continue its rampage, reluctantly chose to retreat, and the wind and rain gradually lessened significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked up at the sky outside; although it was morning, the firmament was gray and filled with oppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He organized his elixirs and walked out of the magic boat. Just as he stepped onto the shore, the fishy scent of the sea permeated the wind and rain outside, mixed with a faint, lingering trace of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the storm had raged for four days, for the Homicide Department, duty continued regardless of wind or rain. Only, their daily work now included one extra task besides searching for clues about the Night Dove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was hunting down criminals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Seven Blood Eyes, whenever a storm arrived, due to the harsh weather and the suspension of various departments, coupled with the fact that most cultivators did not go out, secret plundering and killings would suddenly skyrocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just four days, according to statistics obtained by the Homicide Department of the Seventh Peak, over eighty disciples had perished in the harbor area, seven of whom were disciples of the Homicide Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the death toll in the other six districts, outsiders did not know, but it was clearly unlikely to be much lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the storm, it was difficult to find any clues, and such matters were nothing unusual in the Seven Blood Eyes, failing to attract much attention. The Homicide Department was accustomed to it and only conducted superficial investigations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the Sixth Team, where an old member had died, no one went to inquire about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During these few days, Xu Qing had also found an opportunity to ask the Captain about the old man at the Banquan Road inn. He was told that the man was not of the human race and had used connections from the First Peak to obtain the right to reside in the main city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinarily, they lived in peace. As for the inn harboring filth, out of respect for the First Peak, as long as they did not cross the line, the Homicide Department did not pay much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this, Xu Qing learned that in this world, the human race was not the only race; there were many non-human races.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had only seen the old man at the inn, so he kept this matter in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, after checking in at the Homicide Department, Xu Qing held an umbrella and walked down the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He prepared to go to the apothecary to sell the White Pills he had refined over these days in exchange for more herbs. Because he was carrying a large number of White Pills, Xu Qing was even more vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because the rain had eased, there were more people in the city today than in the previous few days. Under Xu Qing's alert gaze, it was not long before he arrived at the apothecary he frequented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were not many people in the shop, but Xu Qing saw a familiar figure: Zhou Qingpeng, who had entered the sect in the same batch as him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingpeng also saw Xu Qing. He hesitated for a moment, not recognizing him at first, only feeling that the person before him looked somewhat familiar. After all, during the test that day, Xu Qing had been dressed as a filthy scavenger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing did not speak. The old shopkeeper at the side smiled after seeing him enter. He had a deep impression of Xu Qing; after all, it was rare for someone who was not a disciple of the Second Peak to have such an understanding of herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've come at the right time. I have something good here today.\" The shopkeeper spoke with a smile, taking a specially crafted leather pouch from behind him. He opened it to reveal five withered blue insect corpses inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These insects looked ferocious, with long mouthparts, four pairs of legs, and natural patterns on their backs resembling ghost faces. Each ghost face was different—some seemed to be crying, some laughing, and some angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they were only the size of a palm, they were covered in sharp thorns, and their tails even had mouths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could see that the tiny teeth were incredibly sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they were dead, dried out, and shriveled, a glance at them was enough to shake one's spirit with their ferocious appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs!\" Xu Qing's expression shifted slightly. He took a few quick steps forward to observe them carefully. He had heard Master Bai speak of these Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs before; they only lived in the deep sea and were very rare on the market, belonging to a very obscure type of poisonous insect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their blood was blue and highly toxic, but when combined with special preparations, they could be made into a sacred medicine for healing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingpeng, who was checking elixirs in the shop, also glanced over upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really do recognize them.\" The shopkeeper laughed, holding Xu Qing in even higher regard. He knew very well that even among the disciples of the Second Peak, few recognized such obscure poisonous insects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was even more curious about where this handsome young man had learned such impressive knowledge of the way of medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How much?\" Xu Qing was tempted and asked the shopkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I dare not sell them.\" The shopkeeper coughed and put the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs away. Seeing that Xu Qing's gaze remained fixed on the pouch containing the poisonous insects, seemingly very reluctant, he smiled and explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My proprietor spent a great deal of effort to obtain these. They were only delivered today, and the proprietor will be here to collect them in a moment. How could I dare to sell them... I just took them out for you to admire; after all, these things are rare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing felt a bit regretful and withdrew his gaze. He did not immediately take out the White Pills, but waited for a while until Zhou Qingpeng had paid and left. Only then did Xu Qing take out the leather pouch containing his White Pills and place it on the counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not buying herbs today; I'm selling pills.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\" The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed. He immediately opened the pouch and took a look, instantly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So many White Pills?\" He did not check them immediately, but instead carefully washed his hands at the side. He then put on a pair of gloves, signaled to Xu Qing that they were dust-free, opened the pouch, and took out the White Pills inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he laid them out on the counter, his eyes showed astonishment. There were indeed over five hundred pills, and each one was incredibly round, with the fragrance of medicine wafting out to fill the apothecary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This caused many customers in the shop to smell the scent and look over. Xu Qing's brow furrowed slightly, and his right hand landed naturally beside the pouch containing his black iron skewers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the shopkeeper carefully inspected the elixirs, feeling very surprised. He looked up and took a deep look at the young man before him. He had originally thought the boy's knowledge of herbs was already excellent, but now he knew the boy's pill-refining technique was even more outstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These pills were naturally formed, clearly successful on the first attempt without any errors or secondary refining. Each one was white and translucent, containing natural medicinal oils, looking just like mutton-fat jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not everyone among the Second Peak disciples possessed such technique. After counting them, the shopkeeper pondered and offered a price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about ten spirit stones?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing knew the prices in the main city; White Pills usually sold for about thirty spirit coins, and one spirit stone was worth about one thousand spirit coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking about it, he nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper hurriedly took out the spirit stones and handed them to Xu Qing, then organized the pills on the counter. Xu Qing scanned the people around him, his eyes narrowing, and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reached the door, a young girl walked in from the outside. Before she was even close, the fragrance of medicine arrived first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, holding a white umbrella and wearing a light orange Daoist robe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had to know that in the entire Seven Blood Eyes, disciples under each peak wore gray Daoist robes; only core disciples could wear solid colors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the light purple of the Seventh Peak, that was how it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Daoist robe represented her noble status!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing's eyes narrowed; he stepped aside to avoid her and scanned her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the white paper umbrella, the girl had shoulder-length black hair draped casually over her shoulders, with slanted bangs that just brushed over her eyelids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under long eyelashes were eyes that shimmered with water, and the light orange Daoist robe looked like a long dress on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her waist was slender, and she was flawlessly beautiful, as if she did not eat the food of mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now, as the wind and rain blew, two strands of hair by her cheeks were gently brushed across her face, revealing skin as fine and moist as warm jade, with a soft, delicate luster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also saw Xu Qing. After sweeping a glance over his face, she did not show the arrogance of a core disciple, but instead gave a refined smile and let him pass first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing nodded, withdrew his gaze, and left from the side. After he left, the girl who had entered the apothecary brought a fresh fragrance that quietly spread throughout the entire shop, slowly permeating the hearts of everyone inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Proprietor, you're here. Actually, there was no need for you to come in person; I could have just sent them to you.\" The shopkeeper ran over hurriedly, his expression very respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Peng, you don't need to be so polite. I was tired of refining pills in the mountains, so I came out to clear my head.\" The girl spoke with a smile and walked to the counter with the shopkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's only right, it's only right.\" The shopkeeper remained respectful, followed quickly, took out the pouch containing the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs from the counter, and handed it to the girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the shopkeeper still being so polite, the girl shook her head helplessly. After taking it and preparing to leave, her beautiful eyes suddenly swept over and landed on the White Pills that had not yet been fully cleared from the counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly gave a light exclamation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her slender, jade-like white right hand, gently picked up one pill, and held it before her pure and flawless face to gaze at it carefully. A trace of surprise clearly appeared in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Proprietor, what's wrong with this pill? Is there a problem?\" Seeing this, the shopkeeper asked carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is no problem.\" The girl held it to her nose and smelled it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This pill is very good, the purity is extremely high. Such pills are rarely seen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper was even more surprised to hear this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Proprietor, you are a core disciple of the Second Peak and a genius of the pill path. Even you think the purity of this pill is rare? But no matter how high the purity of a White Pill is, it's still just a White Pill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl laughed upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Peng, you are right. White Pills are just basic elixirs. Although higher purity is better, in terms of efficacy, eating a few more will achieve the same result.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But purity represents the refining technique. This point is what interests me.\" The girl examined the pill in her hand again, a glimmer of interest appearing in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then had the shopkeeper take out all the White Pills from this batch. After checking them one by one, the surprise in her eyes grew stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every single one is like this. Given the quantity and the medicinal warmth, they were refined in batches, the earliest of which must have been yesterday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This shows that at the medicinal liquid stage, the person has already reached the extreme; every batch is perfectly consistent.\" The girl murmured, telling the shopkeeper to pack up all the White Pills from this batch, as she intended to take them back for careful study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, she remembered something and asked a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Peng, where were these White Pills acquired from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A disciple from who knows which peak. He just left; you should have seen him when you came in, Proprietor.\" After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he looked outside the apothecary, where Xu Qing's figure was long gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl recalled the figure of the very handsome young man she had just seen in her mind, and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Peng, if that person comes to sell pills again, please do not sell any of them. Keep them for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the proprietor's instructions, the shopkeeper was also surprised and hurriedly agreed. At the same time, his curiosity about Xu Qing grew even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chapter is four thousand words long~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This little newbie has truly risked his life for this book; for the past few days, I’ve been drafting the outline for the subsequent plot, working until three or four in the morning every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My longboard has gathered dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My frisbee has gone missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven't seen my fitness coach in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Friends call to go drinking? I don't go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Authors call to play cards? I ignore them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Girls call for a date? I refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything that hinders my blade-drawing... has been cast to the back of this little newbie's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am fully immersed in writing the book and drafting the outline, ensuring it remains logical, consistent with character personalities, shaping popular supporting characters, structuring greater climaxes, and writing in a touch of warmth... so far, the outline is nearly 60,000 words long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My handsome friends and lovely ladies, seeing how hard I'm working, could you bear not to offer a little encouragement?\u003C\u002Fp>",2889,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","0281e79c77c35c33b49c9d91f021fefdefb379202908b3ffe4e5a81b232c9d0d","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-63","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-61",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]