Chapter 31: Bestowing Favor Without Seeking Recognition

Li Lin stared at this object, which resembled certain leather goods, and sensed a faint aura of evil.

Evil aura is a level higher than resentment aura.

Resentment aura gives rise to minor spirits; evil aura gives rise to major spirits.

Someone is stirring trouble in Shangtikou Village.

Li Lin surveyed the surroundings, then jumped down and used a wooden stick to lift the leather-like object, placing it aside before re-covering Xiuniang’s coffin board.

“Xiuniang, rest well beneath the earth—don’t think of returning.”

Afterward, he used his hoe to push the soil back into the grave and rebuilt the mound.

By the time he finished, evening was nearly upon him.

He returned to the village, which had grown quiet; villagers had instinctively returned home, closing doors and windows, with only a few still busily occupied with unfinished tasks.

Li Lin carried the evil-tinged leather object to the altar.

At once, the Tree Immortal Lady appeared, regarding the leather-like item in Li Lin’s hand with a strange gaze.

“Lady, what is this?”

“Placenta.”

So this was the placenta the Tree Immortal Lady had mentioned earlier?

That meant she had known about Xiuniang’s problem all along!

Why didn’t she tell me?

Then he realized: back then, he hadn’t even learned the Spirit-Subduing Heart Method, let alone fist or spear techniques—he was merely a novice spirit hunter with decent blood qi.

She had already done him a favor by even naming the placenta.

If she’d said someone was causing trouble outside the village, the real issue wasn’t whether he dared go stop it—but whether he could stop it at all.

Going meant death; not going meant losing face.

Thinking of this, Li Lin smiled at the Tree Immortal Lady: “Thank you, Lady, for your concern.”

The Tree Immortal Lady gave a light hum and pointed to the altar.

Li Lin placed the placenta upon it.

Soon, the evil aura vanished, and the placenta caught fire, quickly turning to ash.

The Tree Immortal Lady disappeared.

Li Lin returned home, ate dinner, and began refining pills.

He still used the large iron pot.

【Pill Refining +1】【Pill Refining +1】【Pill Refining +1】

Two hours later, a large pot of fragrant Shengxi Pills was ready.

But one-third were duds.

“I really need a pill furnace,” Li Lin said with regret.

After bottling the Shengxi Pills, he swallowed two and climbed onto the bed to sit in meditation.

【Nourishing Yin Heart Method +1】

【Nourishing Yin Heart Method +1】

After some time, just as dawn broke, he suddenly felt his spirit tremble, then a tingling warmth arose in his lower dantian, surging upward along his meridians straight into the niwan palace of his head.

In his consciousness, countless drifting sparks appeared, dense and numerous, filling his entire “vision,” spinning and dancing.

But he was still with his eyes closed—these sparks were illusions.

After a while, the sparks blurred and vanished.

He felt his body light and filled with coolness.

“Finally reached the grade!” Li Lin opened his eyes and smiled.

Reaching the grade means Ninth Grade; cultivating yin energy within a living body is extremely difficult—ordinary people simply cannot do it.

With yin energy clinging to him, he could now use spell techniques.

But Li Lin still had no spell technique manuals.

This reminded him of Huang Qi’s words.

In a few days, the Demon-Slaying Office would send someone who could teach him spell techniques.

The problem was… all gifts come with a price.

He had asked Huang Qi, but the latter had only smiled without answering.

Just as he was worrying about where to obtain a spell technique manual, Zhao Xiaohu’s voice came from outside.

“Lin Ge! Lin Ge!”

He opened the door and saw Zhao Shu and his entire family had come.

Zhao Shu held cured pork in his left hand and a large fat chicken in his right.

Hua Shen carried a heavy basket, likely filled with many items.

Zhao Xiaohu held a jar of wine in each hand.

Li Lin welcomed them in, invited them to sit, and smiled: “You’re planning to make Xiaohu a spirit hunter, aren’t you?”

Zhao Shu nodded: “Yes. Xiaohu is slow-witted—I’ll leave him in your care, Li Xiaolang.”

“I’ll only be his guide, not his master.”

At this, Zhao Xiaohu grew anxious.

Li Lin continued: “But I’ve always regarded Xiaohu as a younger brother—I’ll teach him fist techniques, spear techniques, and the Nourishing Yin Heart Method. When I learn spell techniques, I’ll teach them to him too. But how well he learns, and which path he follows afterward, must be decided by him alone.”

Zhao Shu sighed in relief: “That’s enough. It’s already very good.”

He knew well that fist techniques, spear techniques, and heart methods were far beyond the reach of ordinary people like them; Xiaohu couldn’t even read—if no one taught him, even handing him a manual would be useless.

Zhao Xiaohu also relaxed.

Zhao Shu chatted with Li Lin for a while, left the tuition, then left with Hua Shen.

Xiaohu stayed behind, eagerly asking: “Lin Ge, what do we start with?”

“Today we learn nothing,” Li Lin smiled. “We eat first—red rice. Let’s fully nourish your body first.”

Zhao Xiaohu nodded vigorously: “Alright, I’ll wash the rice and cook.”

Li Lin nodded with a smile.

At noon, Zhao Xiaohu ate one bowl of red rice. Afterward, his body heated up, his face flushed red, and he wanted to stand and shout to release the pressure.

“Hold it in,” Li Lin said calmly.

Zhao Xiaohu sat still in his chair, his clenched teeth and bulging forehead veins revealing how much pain he endured.

Li Lin sat cross-legged on the bed, cultivating the Blood Rice’s essence with the Reviving Health Method, while watching Zhao Xiaohu closely in case of sudden trouble.

After a long while, Zhao Xiaohu felt less discomfort and asked: “Lin Ge, you ate more than I did—why are you fine?”

Li Lin opened his eyes: “Because I’m a true spirit hunter. You’re not yet.”

Oh! Zhao Xiaohu’s eyes filled with anticipation.

In truth… when Li Lin first ate Blood Rice, he ate a whole bowl, felt nothing, and even thought it tasted good.

The difference between people is truly immense.

After another hour, Zhao Xiaohu’s blood qi calmed.

Li Lin checked his pulse and nodded gently: “Not bad. Your body has recovered considerably.”

Zhao Xiaohu grinned foolishly.

At that moment, a voice came from outside: “Is Spirit Hunter Li at home?”

The voice was familiar.

Li Lin opened the door and saw Bai Liwei and Bai BuFan standing outside the courtyard, with a donkey tied behind them.

The donkey carried a pile of large and small packages.

“Senior Bai, Spirit Hunter Bai!” Li Lin bowed and stepped forward: “You’ve traveled far—please come in!”

Then he turned and said: “Xiaohu, boil water and brew tea for our honored guests!”

(End of Chapter)