Chapter 81: Entering the Illusion Again

The red pill was strange; even Su Huafang could not tell what it was.

But after Li Lin came over and glanced at it twice, he said, "Thousand-People Mask. A pill refined from human flesh and the menstrual blood of women born in a yin year and yin month. Consuming it boosts blood qi."

Su Huafang and Bai Liwei looked at Li Lin with great surprise.

Zhao Hao, however, wore an expression of complete naturalness.

Li Lin flipped through the nameless secret manual.

【Nether Fetus Profound Treasury +1】

It was the Wraith Womb Secret Rite again.

In the eyes of the Spirit Hunters, this cultivation method was no good thing.

So Su Huafang, without a second word, burned the secret manual.

The silver notes were split four ways, but regarding the remaining Thousand-People Masks, Su Huafang hesitated.

Li Lin stood up, waved his hand, and said, "This thing is a bit too stimulating for me."

Zhao Hao also stood up and waved his hand in the same manner.

Su Huafang and Bai Liwei exchanged a glance, then smiled and said, "Then we'll split it fifty-fifty."

"Agreed."

The two middle-aged men had seen much and possessed a certain open-mindedness that spared them no delicacies.

The four returned to the county government office. Huang Yan had not left; he was still sitting in the public hall, seemingly waiting for them.

Seeing the four return, his stern expression softened considerably.

"How did it go?"

Su Huafang stepped forward and recounted the events.

After listening, Huang Yan nodded lightly: "You four have worked hard. The reward will be delivered to you in a few days."

The four clasped their hands in salute, all thanking the County Magistrate.

Huang Yan stroked his beard contentedly and continued, "Additionally, the grand play concerning Taowu Zhenjun is about to begin. Li Xunshou, Bai Xunshou, Zhao Xunshou, you may go and take a look. Remember the same words: if you encounter trouble, give my name. If you give my name and someone still refuses to show you respect, come back and find me."

The three clasped their hands in salute together.

Afterwards, Huang Yan spoke to Li Lin: "Remember, stay in the village peacefully. No need to join the commotion."

Li Lin nodded.

He knew Huang Yan was doing this for his own good.

Because it was already late, he returned to his new home to rest.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Lin went to bed to rest, but did not fall asleep. Instead, he took out the handwritten copy of the 'Obscure Character Art' placed at the head of the bed and flipped through it again.

He read it over and over.

After reading it roughly ten times, he once again entered the previous illusion.

It was still that white ocean, with the silver moon in the sky large and round.

A transparent ice path descended from the sky and sank into Li Lin's body.

At first it was quite comfortable, but then it grew colder and colder.

He finally could no longer endure it, forcibly opened his eyes, and struggled out of the illusion.

This time, it was much, much colder than last time.

The breath he exhaled was white.

The surface of the entire bedroom seemed to have a faint layer of white frost.

Li Lin shivered, fished out a few Life-Breath Pills from his bundle, stuffed them into his mouth, felt it was not enough, and then poured the remaining Life-Breath Pills into his mouth.

Only then did he feel somewhat better.

Then he sat cross-legged and began to cultivate the Spring-Returning Health-Nurturing Heart Method.

He dared not cultivate the Yin-Nurturing Art. He was already cold, with insufficient yang energy; cultivating the Yin-Nurturing Art on top of that would only add cold to cold!

The chill in his body was slowly eliminated, and Li Lin let out a light sigh.

He stood up, feeling his body was the same as before.

At the same time, he had a doubt: what use is the Obscure Character Art cultivation method?

Is it just to freeze oneself?

Entering the illusion twice and coming out again, he felt no special change in his body.

Could it be that his cultivation power is not yet sufficient?

Li Lin, carrying this question, returned to Shangtiku Village.

He arrived at the altar, and the Village Immortal Lady immediately manifested.

She held Li Lin's arm, extended her snake tongue, and gently licked out a wisp of white essence.

Afterwards, both of them froze.

Previously, Li Lin's essence had always been red and radiating like rays.

But now Li Lin's essence had turned white and was shaped like a water droplet.

"What is going on?" Li Lin was somewhat puzzled.

The Tree Immortal Lady extended her pink snake tongue again and gently licked the 'essence' floating in mid-air.

Then her face showed a look of delight, and she immediately swallowed this essence in one gulp.

She then held Li Lin's hand again and began to lick his palm.

She licked faster and more happily than before.

After quite some time, the Tree Immortal Lady had absorbed enough essence. She floated in the air, looking at Li Lin with great satisfaction.

"Lady, my essence has turned like this. What is going on?"

"Good news."

Having said this, the Tree Immortal Lady faded back into the altar.

Li Lin let out a breath of relief, went back to his own home, cooked some blood rice, and ate.

Then he began to practice talisman art.

He continued researching the technique of fusing the Fallen Thunder Incantation into talisman art.

Several days passed quickly, and then outsiders arrived in the village.

It was a martial man, a blade hanging at his waist.

He came to the outside of Li Lin's courtyard and called out: "By order of my family's Young Master, I bring martial techniques."

Li Lin went out to greet him and invited the man inside for a cup of tea before he left. The martial man hesitated for a moment, then entered Li Lin's house.

"Li Xunshou, I've heard your name several times from the Young Master's own lips." The martial man cradled his teacup as he spoke: "He says you're a rare good man."

Li Lin smiled and said: "Young Master Wang is too kind."

The martial man instinctively turned the tea before him, and after a good while said: "I have a matter to ask of you."

"Please speak — depends on whether I can do it."

The martial man's face showed an awkward look, and only then did he say: "I'd like to buy some blood rice from you."

"Why?" Li Lin was somewhat curious.

The martial man said: "I've always wanted to become a Spirit Hunter, but my talent is middling. I need a small amount of blood rice to consolidate my blood qi before there's any chance of me cultivating yin qi heart methods."

"There are plenty of people with blood rice — why come to me?"

The martial man said: "Because you're a virgin, the blood rice you need isn't much, so you have surplus."

Li Lin was silent for a moment, then asked: "Actually, it was Young Master Wang who sent you, wasn't it!"

The martial man laughed awkwardly: "Sure enough, I can't hide it from Li Xunshou."

"Young Master Wang is a generous man. For him to beat about the bush like this… just who exactly needs my blood rice."

The martial man said softly: "It's the Eldest Young Master."

Li Lin had always known that Wang Tianyou was not the eldest son.

Moreover, the blood rice the government now distributed had increased in quantity — from fifty jin to seventy jin — and he did indeed have roughly half of it as surplus.

Only, he vaguely sensed that something about this matter didn't seem quite right.

Why would the Wang family need blood rice? As far as he knew, with the Wang family's resources, getting some blood rice wouldn't be hard.

Why bother seeking it from an outsider.

Li Lin narrowed his eyes and said: "Then let Wang Tianyou, Young Master Wang, come here in person to collect the grain."

The martial man said, somewhat troubled: "My family's Young Master has matters to attend to and can't travel far."

"Then I'll wait for him to come." Li Lin smiled: "Whenever he comes, I'll sell to him then. No rush."

The martial man gave a light laugh, then suddenly said softly: "Li Xunshou, you and the Young Master are friends. If you don't want to harm him, you must not sell."

Then the martial man left.

Li Lin, meanwhile, sat in the house and laughed as well.

What a fucking laugh — a family's brothers in internal strife, and it actually dragged him into it.

Only it seemed the problem wasn't with Wang Tianyou; the problem should lie with that Eldest Young Master.

Li Lin was somewhat vexed, then gave a snort. But the moment he was displeased, a surge of icy current rushed through his mind, and a flash of 'inspiration' appeared.

He had an idea for combining the Fallen Thunder Incantation with talisman art.

(End of chapter)