[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"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},2264604,4420,"Chapter 4: The Secret Art of the Virgin","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>Although it was only noon, the killing intent in the room was so intense it made one’s hairs stand on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin looked at the face across from him, cold as ice, and said, “Brother Wang, I’m mediocre at best—I don’t even know how to punch. How can I help you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to fight. Just follow us during the operation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin didn’t believe it—how could simply tagging along help someone kill a wraith?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Lin stay silent, Wang Tianyou’s stern expression cracked. He sighed helplessly: “That wraith… carries extreme yin energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mm-hmm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin nodded, listening closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She was born in a yin year, yin month, yin day. After death, she became a wraith. Her power isn’t strong, but her yin energy is suffocating—most spells and techniques are useless against her. She’s especially troublesome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it normal for a wraith to carry heavy yin energy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, no, Brother Li, you’re mistaken,” Wang Tianyou explained. “Most wraiths are fueled by grievance. Heavy yin energy… is rare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My apologies—I truly didn’t know,” Li Lin bowed, but felt no shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knowing is not knowing—there’s no need to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he’d only become a Spirit Hunter less than half a year ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what does heavy yin energy have to do with me? Do I crush specters with my blood qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blood qi was indeed stronger than a normal Spirit Hunter’s, but only slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if sensing Li Lin’s confusion, Wang Tianyou smiled and explained: “I asked fellow hunters in the county—they said, among all of them, you, Brother Li, have the strongest yang energy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin instinctively leaned back: “Yang energy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not blood qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou looked at Li Lin with an odd expression: “Generally, those who retain their virginity have stronger yang energy. Since you’re both a virgin and a Spirit Hunter, your yang energy is exceptionally potent. Merely being near a wraith with heavy yin energy suppresses it severely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin blinked. “So none of the dozen or so hunters in the county have strong yang energy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou cleared his throat lightly: “All of us in the county… are married.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because among the dozen or so hunters in Yulin County, he alone was still a virgin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Wang Tianyou had come to him—a half-baked hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of virginity… he hadn’t been one before, but now he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Lin’s embarrassment, Wang Tianyou wanted to laugh but held it back: “Brother Li, don’t worry. If you agree to come with us, whether we succeed or not, there’ll be generous reward afterward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How generous?” Li Lin asked without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou regarded him with appreciation and replied without pause: “If you agree, I’ll give you three gold ingots upfront. After the matter is settled, I’ll give you a secret technique—choose one: sword, spear, fist, or Spirit Control scripture.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Lin was deeply tempted. After thinking it over, he asked: “What about my safety?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. Your yang energy is so strong, the wraith will fear you—it won’t even think of harming you,” Wang Tianyou said, seeing Li Lin’s interest. “The real danger lies with us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin thought for a moment. “Fine. I’ll do it. When do we leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just show up—no fighting needed. What a perfect job!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At noon, three days from now, gather at the county government office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou stood, waved his hand, and three gold ingots appeared on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too kind,” Li Lin said cheerfully, pocketing the three ingots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go prepare then,” Wang Tianyou said, rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin saw him out of the village. After walking a while, Wang Tianyou spotted the altar in the village center and walked over, bowing to the dead tree: “Tree Immortal Lady, long time no see. May I have a moment of your time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The altar remained still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou’s expression turned disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin asked beside him: “You know the Tree Immortal Lady too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve seen her in the county before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin was surprised: “Can she leave this altar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—if she wishes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Tianyou waited a moment longer, then, receiving no reply, walked toward the village exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing him off, Li Lin turned to head home—only to see the Gowned Apparition floating above the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked over and said: “He wanted to see you, you didn’t come out. Now he’s gone, you appear. What’s the meaning of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gowned Apparition said nothing. She glanced at Li Lin, then vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Presumably, she’d returned to the dead tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin got no answer. He shrugged helplessly and went home to cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ate another large pot of blood rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then sat cross-legged on the bed to refine it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivation method he practiced now was ordinary: “Rejuvenating Nourishment Art”—any clinic could sell it for one silver tael.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it granted Li Lin no special abilities, it worked well for refining blood rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blood Qi +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blood Qi +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blood Qi +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivation was joyful, especially when feedback was visible—it made one even more addicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was nearly finished refining the blood rice in his dantian, he seemed to hear shouting outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin opened his eyes, senses returning, and heard Zhao Xiaohu’s urgent voice: “Brother Lin! Brother Lin! Are you home? Something huge has happened in the village!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin leapt from the bed, threw open the door, and asked: “What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaohu’s face lit up when he saw him, then twisted into panic: “Xiuniang is gone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin wasn’t alarmed. “Maybe she went to wash clothes by the river!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villages like this were built beside rivers—women washing clothes there was common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaohu’s already large eyes widened further in panic: “No! Uncle Wu said Xiuniang was unwell and didn’t leave the house all day. But now she’s not inside, and we’ve looked everywhere!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this be!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin shut the door. “Let’s go see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village was small. Li Lin and Xiaohu reached Uncle Wu’s house quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dozen villagers had gathered. Aunt Wu sat on the ground weeping. Uncle Wu crouched by the door, face filled with despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone spotted Li Lin and called out: “Spirit Hunter Li is here! Let him check if a wraith took Xiuniang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stared at Li Lin, hopeful but too afraid to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fundamentally… Li Lin, as a Spirit Hunter, was a kind of “official.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Common folk feared officials—it was instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Make way! Don’t block the door. Let Young Master Li enter and inspect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao himself was there. His voice boomed like a tiger’s roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin nodded to Zhao, then stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaohu tried to follow, but his father yanked him aside and scolded: “What are you rushing in for? Don’t get in Young Master Li’s way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaohu scratched his head sheepishly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin walked through the house, then came out and told Uncle Wu: “No wraith energy. Xiuniang must have wandered off on her own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1173,"2026-06-19T19:39:18.782Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","644adecbb5d6cd9d84842c2d0d30b4c90345688a7478747096f5240ab1c44ead","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-5","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-3",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]