Chapter 71: Beautiful Apparitions Are Extremely Scarce Resources

Li Lin arrived at the North City Gate and saw Su Huafang and the others already there.

When they saw Li Lin, they laughed.

Li Lin walked over: “Ready to depart?”

“Yes,” Su Huafang said with a smile. “Five Qi Refiners’ vital energy isn’t enough to form a barrier, but I bought some Barrier Powder—this next stretch will be much easier.”

Bai Liwei couldn’t help laughing: “You’re still the most reliable, Old Su—you’ve thought of everything for us.”

“Ah, after you’ve traveled outside for a few more years, you’ll be the same.”

But most Qi Refiners never leave their county—or even another prefecture—for years, sometimes decades.

Su Huafang is rather unique among Qi Refiners.

Just as the group was about to set out, a delighted shout came from behind.

“Senior Su, Senior Bai… it really is you.”

Everyone turned and saw He Yumao from Changfeng Escort Agency leading dozens of commoners toward them.

Su Huafang stepped forward and said: “Didn’t you plan to stay a few more days?”

He Yumao smiled: “Good luck, good luck—we just happened to meet a group heading back to Yulin County.”

“Congratulations,” Su Huafang bowed and smiled.

“Wanna cooperate?” He Yumao pulled Su Huafang aside and whispered: “There are fewer people this time, so the pay will be much lower—ten silver taels. How’s that?”

“Fine,” Su Huafang agreed.

After all, they were heading back to Yulin County anyway—this was a detour that earned them ten more silver taels. Why not?

Meanwhile, Bai Zhiwei walked up to Li Lin, sniffed the air, and said: “Brother Li, you’ve got a strong scent of rouge on you—did you visit a brothel? Why didn’t you call me?”

Li Lin paused. It was normal for him to have rouge on him—he’d just been to a cosmetics shop.

But logically, his bloodstain odor should’ve been stronger.

Yet Bai Zhiwei couldn’t smell it at all.

Why?

Li Lin smiled: “I didn’t go.”

Bai Zhiwei didn’t believe him.

Li Lin had to say: “I bought lip rouge from a cosmetics shop.”

“Eh? Brother Li has a girl in mind?” Bai Zhiwei asked curiously. “Is something good about to happen?”

Li Lin shook his head: “The Tree Immortal Lady asked me to buy it.”

At this, Bai Zhiwei’s expression froze.

Bai Zhiwei, Zhao Hao, and Su Huafang all turned to look.

Their expressions were filled with envy.

Li Lin blinked: “Why are you all staring at me like that? It’s creepy.”

Bai Zhiwei stepped aside, looking deeply disappointed.

Bai Liwei and Zhao Hao merely smiled bitterly.

Su Huafang walked over, pulled Li Lin aside, and said: “You need to build ties with the Ding family—try to learn their dual-cultivation technique, even if you only get fragments.”

“Why?”

“Are you pretending to be dense with me?” Su Huafang frowned. “I’ve treated you with sincerity—why won’t you speak the truth?”

“I’m not.”

“Then tell me honestly—do you want to form a union with the Tree Immortal Lady?”

Li Lin paused, saying nothing.

Su Huafang had been his mentor—he couldn’t lie.

After seeing the Tree Immortal Lady’s face, then imagining her figure—no worse than a foreign beauty—Li Lin, being a normal man, couldn’t help but harbor such thoughts.

Su Huafang smiled and continued: “Don’t think you’re the only one. Every Qi Refiner wants to keep a beautiful female Apparition. You think Wang Tianyou really wanted to kill that beautiful female Apparition at the Tudimiao last time? He wanted to take her back. Understand?”

“Why?”

“Because that’s how Qi Refiners cultivate Yin energy faster,” Su Huafang sighed. “Beautiful female Apparitions are extremely rare. That’s why you understand why the Wang family was so furious when Wang’s son failed last time.”

Oh, Li Lin noted that.

Su Huafang added: “The Ding family favors spellcraft. Your Thunderbolt Spell could be traded—if it has annotations, they might give you the full dual-cultivation technique.”

Li Lin thought for a moment: “Too bad the Ding family is in Guicheng—it’d take at least a month round-trip. Now that Yuecheng is in turmoil, the County Magistrate won’t let us Qi Refiners leave the county for long.”

“There’ll be chances later,” Su Huafang patted Li Lin’s shoulder.

Then he went back to speak with He Yumao.

A while later, Bai Zhiwei seemed to shake off his disappointment and came over quietly: “Senior Li, teach me.”

“Teach you what?”

“How to win the favor of a female Apparition like the Lady!”

Li Lin thought a moment: “Talk to her often—even if she doesn’t answer, don’t be afraid. Keep greeting her. Over time, it should work.”

That’s what he’d done. At first, the Tree Immortal Lady only interacted with him when drawing his essence; otherwise, she ignored him.

Now they could chat—though she still spoke sparingly.

Bai Zhiwei nodded eagerly: “So it’s persistence, huh? Female Apparitions aren’t so different from women.”

He felt confident now—he just needed to meet a beautiful female Apparition.

Li Lin patted his shoulder in encouragement.

Su Huafang soon finished negotiating with He Yumao and returned, handing each person a small money pouch.

“He Yumao is generous—he paid upfront.”

Ten silver taels might seem small, but getting paid for a detour was still very “sweet.”

Soon, the group set out.

The first four nights passed normally, with no issues.

But on the fifth night, an accident occurred.

A woman couldn’t hold her urine and refused to relieve herself near the group—she still had shame.

So she walked farther, to the edge of the Barrier Powder circle, and hid behind a clump of grass to urinate.

She didn’t realize that, being too close to the Barrier Powder… her urine was too much, seeping into the powder and even washing away a small gap.

Then she was snatched by an Apparition.

She screamed.

The five Qi Refiners heard the sound and immediately reacted, rushing out to rescue her.

Su Huafang immediately reapplied the Barrier Powder. Li Lin and the others’ Bai Yu plaques glowed red as they followed the screams.

Inside the Barrier Circle, He Yumao was raging: “I’ve told you countless times—don’t wander far from the group! Someone always ignores me! If you want to die, die alone—don’t drag others down!”

A man knelt before him, pounding his head on the ground, sobbing: “Master He, please, save my wife! Our two children are too young—they can’t live without her!”

He Yumao stormed over and kicked the man down, shouting: “You dare cry? You can’t even control your own wife? Go die—you’re a disgrace to men!”

Two small children trembled beside him, clinging to their father, too terrified to move.

The crowd fell utterly silent—no one dared speak. Only the man’s sobs echoed.

But after a while, several figures burst into the Barrier Circle—it was Li Lin and the others.

Bai Zhiwei and Bai Liwei were dragging a woman back between them.

It was the woman who had been taken by the Apparition.

But seeing her, everyone except the Qi Refiners stared in horror.

Including her husband—the man who had wept so desperately moments ago.

Because her belly was enormous—like a woman nine months pregnant.

(End of Chapter)