Chapter 141: Protective Barrier Powder Formula

Ding Yingqiu studied every character in the small booklet very seriously.

She read it carefully.

Li Lin drank tea nearby, waiting patiently.

About an hour and a half later, Ding Yingqiu finally finished reading.

She took a deep breath and said, "So that's how it is. So our meridians can be practiced this way. Compared to the methods in this book, the cultivation methods we practice are all inferior."

Li Lin shook his head and said, "Actually... the Spring-Returning Health Preservation Art is not bad. Although the circulation path of the cultivation method is a bit rough, its concept is compatible with this cultivation method."

It is just a pity that the founder of the Spring-Returning Health Preservation Art was 'ambitious but incompetent'; he realized some truth, but his knowledge base was relatively narrow, not as impressive as the person behind the 'Foundation Establishment Method', so the Spring-Returning Health Preservation Art he designed has a lower ceiling.

"Indeed so, there are points of compatibility."

Ding Yingqiu had also seen the 'Spring-Returning Health Preservation Art', after all, it was a cultivation method found everywhere.

She closed the book, then took out a piece of paper from the side and said, "This is the formula for the protective barrier powder."

Li Lin took it, but after only glancing at it twice, he asked, "I also want to ask, near Yulin County, besides the Gou Lou Cave Mansion of Beiliu County, are there any other cave mansions?"

He suspected... that his slow absorption of spiritual energy might be because the spiritual energy nearby was almost sucked dry by him.

Or perhaps, these places simply had little spiritual energy to begin with.

And for immortals to cultivate, they must find a place abundant in spiritual energy; such places are the so-called 'cave mansions'.

"I need to ask my family to confirm this matter."

"Alright." Li Lin stood up and said, "As per the old rule, if there are any, I am willing to 'exchange' information with you."

"No problem."

She saw Li Lin out the door, then immediately turned to the butler beside her and said, "I am going to cultivate; no one is allowed to disturb me. If guests come, ask them to return another day. Do you understand?"

The butler bowed with clasped fists.

Ding Yingqiu immediately returned to her room, read the contents of the booklet once more, then sat cross-legged to cultivate.

Li Lin returned home and began reading the formula.

Soon, a row of 【Alchemy +1】 proficiency points appeared.

Then came a new prompt.

【Alchemy: Minor Mastery】

In his mind, new alchemy formulas suddenly appeared.

Spiritual Energy Pill!

Moreover, he also understood the method for refining the protective barrier powder.

And its true purpose.

It has no direct relation to 'cultivating immortality', yet there is an indirect connection.

The protective barrier powder is used to block 'impure qi'.

The true usage is to mass-produce it into bricks, then build a small house with them!

All impure qi is blocked outside, and inside is pure spiritual energy.

Additionally, the protective barrier powder also has the effect of slowly transferring impurities into spiritual energy.

As for its ability to ward off desolate anomalies, the reason is simple... the protective barrier powder can block resentful qi, which is why desolate anomalies dislike crossing over the protective barrier powder.

If there is a small house made of protective barrier powder, it counts as a de facto spring of spiritual energy.

But he calculated that making a ten-square-meter small house of protective barrier powder required a sum of money that was an exaggerated number.

So this trip to Bobai Military Town must bring back more money.

By night, Li Lin continued dual cultivation; now, the qi he transferred from Huang Qing and Hong Luan was already spiritual energy.

Therefore, in just over ten days, the physical constitution of these two had improved significantly.

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "Starting tomorrow, you two will practice the cultivation method with me as well."

"Why?"

"If you don't practice, it feels like a waste of your excellent physical constitutions."

Huang Qing smiled and said, "I will listen to my master."

By the next day, Li Lin taught them the White Tiger Rolling Posture.

Although the two had good physical constitutions, because they lacked sufficient 'domineering spirit', their Tiger Fist was forced into a 'Meow Meow Fist'.

Looking at it, it was strangely cute.

Li Lin did not urge them, letting them practice slowly and understand slowly.

A Meow Meow Fist is a Meow Meow Fist; actually, it is quite good, serving the purpose of exercising the body.

After breakfast, Li Lin arrived at the county government office, then saw Jiang Jili walking over; his expression held some apprehension and some anger.

But he still controlled his emotions well: "County Commandant Li, do you have time at noon?"

"You want to treat me to wine?" Li Lin asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Jiang Jili clasped his fists and said, "At noon at the Wealthy Wine House, please do me the honor."

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I will come find you at noon."

Jiang Jili sighed with relief and turned to leave.

Li Lin arrived at the soldiers' quarters and saw that all the government office Runners were present, and there was also an extra dark-skinned youth.

Li Lin walked over and asked, "You're here... what is your name? I forgot to ask you yesterday."

"Su Bei!"

"Do you have a courtesy name?"

The youth shook his head.

Li Lin beckoned to him: "Follow me."

Su Bei came along, following closely behind step for step.

The two arrived at the household office. Jiang Jili wasn't there, but Huang Ying was.

"Elder brother-in-law, is something the matter?" Huang Ying asked.

"There should still be vacancies in the township army, right?"

"There are."

"This fellow's name is Su Bei. Register him as a township army soldier."

"Done!" Naturally, Huang Ying wouldn't say anything about this matter.

A single township army quota — the county commandant truly did have the qualifications and the authority to slot someone in, so long as it wasn't excessive.

Li Lin was about to leave, to take Su Bei to the township army camp, when Huang Ying called out to him.

"Elder brother-in-law, I'd like to ask... where has Sister Yan Jing gone? The madam at Red Sleeve House said that before she vanished, you went to see her."

Not many people knew that Li Yanjing had become a Zhenjun at Li Lin's home.

Even Huang Yan didn't know — he still thought the 'guai' Li Lin kept had been brought out from home.

Because generally speaking, turning a great guai into a Zhenjun was actually quite a troublesome matter.

"She's gone straight."

Ah!

Li Lin smiled, turned, and walked away.

Huang Ying was a bit baffled.

A guai... gone straight?

He hadn't even had the chance to enjoy her favors yet.

Whoever was so lacking in virtue as to hide away even the top courtesan — far too inhumane.

Then Li Lin took Su Bei to the township army camp.

It was also called the garrison camp. When these township soldiers weren't training, they would also do a certain amount of planting and clearing of wasteland.

The several duotou at the township army camp, seeing that Su Bei was someone Li Lin had brought personally, immediately showed tremendous enthusiasm.

This also let Su Bei breathe a sigh of relief.

He had been quite worried that, having just arrived, he might be bullied.

Two days remained before departing for Bobai Military Town.

Li Lin then took his men on a trip to the 'Lingti Zhenjun Temple' outside the city.

Lingti Zhenjun had a dog's head and a human body. If one had to describe it, the dog's head was of the slim hound type, with a long, pointed snout.

But the body was a human body, appearing quite robust.

"You smell very good." Lingti Zhenjun stared at Li Lin, drool constantly streaming from the dog's mouth.

Li Lin pretended he hadn't heard that, and said: "Lingti Zhenjun, would you be willing to go to the village as its guardian?"

Lingti Zhenjun nodded vigorously: "Naturally willing."

"Then I'll take you to Shiti Kou Village first, how about it?"

"No problem." Lingti said gratefully: "I've truly had enough of staying in this godforsaken place."

Lingti Zhenjun was the weakest great guai in all of Yulin County. The reason was simple — he lived outside the city, and the human qi and blood qi he heard were very scarce.

Over time, his strength declined.

Li Lin waved his hand, and a dozen or so farmers came in. They used many hemp ropes to bind the entire altar, then pulled with force in eight different directions at once, and the heavy altar was thus 'hoisted' up.

Eight strong farmers hauled the altar outward, then carefully set it down on a wooden cart that had already been prepared.

Pulling the cart were three large horses.

The cart rolled slowly forward, taking one shichen to reach Shangtikou Village.

Before the altar had even entered the village, Old Village Chief Zhang came over.

"Greetings, County Commandant Li."

The old village chief bowed respectfully.

He was an old man, and had previously felt he could speak with Li Lin as an 'equal', but now Li Lin was already the county commandant, a true official. To speak as he had before was no longer appropriate.

"Old village chief, dispense with the ceremony. Is something the matter?"

The old village chief, bent at the waist, asked in a low voice: "Are you taking the Tree Immortal Lady away and replacing her with another Zhenjun?"

"Yes!"

Old Village Chief Zhang asked with some concern: "What's the temperament of the new Zhenjun?"

"Decent enough."

"Could we not switch?" the old village chief said carefully: "The Tree Immortal Lady has been here for several decades now. Although she doesn't much care to meddle in our affairs, she's never done anything to us either. I've heard some Zhenjun are very fond of eating people."

"That's a rumor," Li Lin explained: "Zhenjun are by nature guardians of a region. They don't eat people."

"That's good then, that's good then."

While the two were talking, the farmers had already carried the altar down from the cart.

And carried it into the village.

Old Village Chief Zhang departed.

At that moment, a black shadow flew backward out of the village.

It plunged into the stream at the village entrance.

The black shadow quickly straightened up again. Li Lin looked — wasn't this Lingti Zhenjun?

Then he saw the Tree Immortal Lady, drifting through the air, slowly 'swimming' over.

Her long snake tail swayed in the air, quite striking.

At least, watching from the sidelines, Li Lin found it very satisfying.

"What's wrong?" Li Lin asked.

The Tree Immortal Lady did not answer.

Lingti Zhenjun, covering her face, cursed: "Liu Zhe, don't push it too far. I was only discussing with you, asking your man to share a few mouthfuls of blood qi with me, and you won't even agree. We've known each other for several decades—can't you give me even this little bit of face?"

"Do you want to die?" the Tree Immortal Lady asked coldly.

Lingti Zhenjun immediately went silent, not daring to flare up again.

He also felt some surprise: "How has your strength grown so fast?"

The Tree Immortal Lady ignored him, turned, and headed toward the village entrance center.

Li Lin hurried to catch up, smiling as he asked: "Just over this little thing, and you beat him up?"

The Tree Immortal Lady said nothing, still wearing that cold-faced look.

When they reached the village center, they saw the farmers waiting there.

Seeing Li Lin, they asked: "County Lieutenant Li, have you spoken with Zhenjun? Can we move this altar now?"

The Tree Immortal Lady looked at Li Lin, her eyes seeming somewhat puzzled.

"Remember what I said, about wanting you to stay in the county town and live together with us?" Li Lin smiled. "Now is the time."

"Alright!" The Tree Immortal Lady's voice softened a little.

She beckoned, and the flowering peach tree beside her transformed into a streak of flowing light and sank into the altar.

Oh… so that's where the Tree Immortal Lady's title comes from.

Though she looks like a snake woman on the surface, her true form is actually a tree?

(End of chapter)