Chapter 794: Ling Yin Must Not Be Left Lightly

Soda kiln, Qingrong Silk Shop.

Duan Shuqun arrived at the shop half-burned, waiting for the accountant to calculate the losses.

The silk shop’s chief clerk, Yue Changyou, stepped forward to take blame: “Master Duan, I’m useless—whether to beat me or punish me, I submit to your judgment.”

Yue Changyou was a Level Five Wu Xiu; seeing his battered body, Duan Shuqun knew he had fought to the death.

“Changyou, are you certain this was Ma Wu’s doing?”

Yue Changyou gritted his teeth: “Master Duan, I stake my life on this—this was done by Ma Wu’s men,

I recognize several of them! If I speak a single lie, take my life right now!”

Duan Shuqun frowned slightly, narrowing his eyes.

Yue Changyou said: “Master Duan, give me more men—I’ll go find them and settle this score. If I don’t strike back, I can’t even eat my rice anymore!”

Duan Shuqun shook his head: “Changyou, don’t rush. Wait for the Proprietor’s orders.”

The accountant finished tallying the losses; Duan Shuqun immediately reported to He Jiaqing: “Almost all the silk and cloth were burned. Only scraps remain in the warehouse—not worth much. The shop is a total loss.”

He Jiaqing replied with one sentence: “I know about this.”

Duan Shuqun added: “Jiaqing, we’ve also had two factories smashed. The soda kiln business won’t survive.”

“Tell the brothers to stay calm. Don’t act rashly.” He Jiaqing cut the connection—he was on Ma Wu’s new land now, and couldn’t speak freely.

He wore a coarse cotton jacket, a dog-skin hat, painted wrinkles on his face, pasted on a beard, dyed his hair white, and disguised himself as an old hunter, carrying a wild boar into a group of settlers.

“This boar was just killed—anyone want to buy?” He Jiaqing set down the boar and bowed to the crowd.

The settlers gathered around—some wanted meat, some wanted the hide, some wanted the ears. He Jiaqing waved his hand: “I don’t sell meat alone, or hide alone—I sell the whole boar.”

The hunters shouted in chorus:

“Who can afford a whole boar? And it’s too much to handle.”

“Working here is hard enough—we just want some pork to satisfy our cravings. Even the bones, give us a discount.”

“This is a Iron-Haired Boar, right? The hide’s quality is excellent—sell it alone, you won’t lose out. Let me do the math for you.”

He Jiaqing haggled with the crowd; the boar’s quality was indeed fine, and more people gathered.

Some of the settlers looked familiar—he’d seen them working on his land just days ago.

This confirmed it: the ones who had come to poach workers from He Jiaqing’s land were Ma Wu’s men!

He Jiaqing thought inwardly: Is Ma Wu targeting me? How did he find out about the thirteen new plots?

Did Li Qi tell him?

That’s possible—Li Qi and the peddler had an unusually close relationship; the peddler must have revealed the truth to Li Qi.

Ma Wu’s land is already over ninety percent developed and about to be officially recognized; he still has a large number of Three-Headed men.

He’s come to steal workers from my land—that’s a direct challenge.

If I don’t teach Ma Wu a lesson now, next time he’ll steal my land itself!

He Jiaqing made up his mind, but he wouldn’t act today—he was here only to scout. “Chuang Yao Tang” must wait for a better opportunity.

He planned to take something valuable from Ma Wu, to make him hurt badly.

But he had no intention of killing Ma Wu—he didn’t want to fight Li Qi to the death.

Speaking of which, where was Li Qi?

With everything going on, why was he completely silent?

Li Qi was hiding in Room Thirty-Two, staring at a crack in the wall.

Zhao Xiao moaned, tracing the crack: “Husband, I’ve tested the gloves—this crack is ventilated, proving there’s another room behind, but we can’t open it.”

Li Banfeng’s eyebrows twisted into a knot. He walked through each room, then turned back to Zhao Xiao:

“Wife, something’s wrong here!”

Zhao Xiao nodded: “It is wrong—but the Old Master is asleep, we can’t investigate properly, and we dare not act rashly.”

Li Banfeng didn’t understand his wife’s meaning: “What does the Old Master have to do with this?”

Zhao Xiao didn’t understand Li Banfeng’s meaning either: “Isn’t this the Old Master’s affair?”

“You can’t rely on the Old Master for everything. What’s ours to do, we must do ourselves.”

“What exactly are you talking about, husband?”

“Twenty rooms, nothing inside—this isn’t how people live!”

Zhao Xiao stared blankly for a long while, then carefully counted.

Room Thirteen was newly added, containing only a table, nothing else.

The remaining nineteen rooms had just appeared—no table even.

Counting them up, it was exactly twenty rooms.

“Dear husband, is this important?”

Li Banfeng widened his eyes: “Is furnishing a home not important? Then what is? Write a list—I’m going out to buy furniture!”

Zhao Xiao looked at Jiu’er: “Husband can’t be wrong—did I misunderstand something?”

Jiu’er looked at Li Banfeng: “Ah Qi, marry Ah Yi too—I think she’s unsuitable for Old Train, and also not right for Autumn Elephant.”

Li Banfeng asked: “Why unsuitable?”

Jiu’er said: “Autumn Elephant won’t do—he’s not crazy enough. Old Train isn’t quite right either—when he was at his craziest,

I still think he doesn’t match you and my sister.”

Li Banfeng wasn’t crazy—he truly meant to go buy furniture. He thought this was genuinely important.

Seeing him rush toward the door, Zhao Xiao quickly stopped him: “Dear husband, you must learn the technique quickly. A Zhai Xiu at Yun Five has unstable cultivation base—you’re already Yun Six, your foundation is weak, and you’ve added another layer. If you keep this up, disaster will come.”

This was urgent. Li Banfeng walked up to the Bronze Lotus: “I want to learn a technique—Zhai Xiu technique.”

The Bronze Lotus coughed lightly: “I don’t know Zhai Xiu techniques. I’m just a pill alchemist.”

Li Banfeng stared at the Bronze Lotus for a long time, making her uneasy.

“Ah Qi, just say it out loud—I really can’t teach you techniques. I’m not lying.”

Li Banfeng touched the lotus heart: “Actually, all my techniques were taught by you, weren’t they?”

The Bronze Lotus chuckled: “Don’t say such things—your wife would flay me alive if she heard! Your Zhai Xiu techniques were all taught by her.”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “My wife didn’t originally know Zhai Xiu techniques.”

The Bronze Lotus hooked a lotus leaf under Li Banfeng’s chin: “At your cultivation level, don’t you understand Zhai Xiu rules? The house teaches the Zhai Spirit first; the Zhai Spirit understands it on its own, then teaches the Zhai Xiu. Your techniques were learned this way.”

Li Banfeng still shook his head: “The Suishenju didn’t know Zhai Xiu techniques either.”

“Oh my! Is that possible?” The Bronze Lotus sounded genuinely surprised. “Then where did your techniques come from? Is there another secret hidden in this house?”

Li Banfeng picked up the Bronze Lotus: “Some secrets can’t be seen from inside. Let’s go outside and talk.”

The Bronze Lotus huffed: “What are you taking me outside for? To scare someone? Do you think the peddler’s still outside?

How many days has it been? Do you think he’s been watching the door all this time?

I tell you—even if he’s outside, I’m not afraid. Ah Qi, I’m looking out for you—you’d be exposed to heavenly light if you go out, so let’s not go—Qi Lang! Let’s talk this through! Don’t go out!”

The Bronze Lotus’s scream was clearly heard by all thirty-two rooms.

Li Banfeng set down the Bronze Lotus: “I want to learn this.”

The Bronze Lotus, still shaken: “Which one?”

“You just said ‘exposed to heavenly light’—I’ll learn that one. Isn’t it called Xuan Guang Zhu Xie?”

The Bronze Lotus sighed softly: “I do know something about this technique, but there are many better Zhai Xiu techniques. Advancing a level is hard—we could learn others, like Qing Xin Feng Mo, Cao Tang Hai Na, Chun Xiao Zhang Nuan—

All excellent techniques.”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I only want to learn Xuan Guang Zhu Xie.”

This wasn’t stubbornness—Xuan Guang Zhu Xie had been mentioned by Ah Yu, and Li Banfeng had experienced it; he had some grasp of it.

The techniques the Bronze Lotus mentioned—he had no concept of them at all. Learning blindly would mean letting her control him.

“Fine! I’ll teach you Xuan Guang Zhu Xie!” The Bronze Lotus agreed. “First, bring me your most precious object. I’ll show you how to leave a Ling Yin.

A Ling Yin is like a Zhai Xiu’s mark—only when triggered can Xuan Guang Zhu Xie be used. The technique is a chain—no step can be skipped. Wait, why are you bringing your wife over?”

Li Banfeng set down Zhao Xiao: “Didn’t you say ‘most precious’?”

The Bronze Lotus said: “I meant an object, not a person.”

Li Banfeng looked at the Bronze Lotus: “Why would I be exposed to heavenly light if I take you outside?”

The Bronze Lotus said: “Because I’m an object.”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “Nonsense—you’re a person.”

The Bronze Lotus didn’t deny it: “Do I still look human now?”

Li Banfeng thought: “If my wife turned into a phonograph, could she leave a Ling Yin?”

The Bronze Lotus waved her lotus leaf: “That’s exactly right—”

Zhao Xiao shoved Li Banfeng: “Crazy man, stop fooling around—find an object quickly, learning the technique is urgent.”

Li Banfeng was searching for an object when Tang Dao jumped out: “Lord, leave a Ling Yin on me—if I ever get lost…”

Hong Ying kicked Tang Dao: “Who’d steal you? Bringing you back would just be a nuisance—better leave you on the gloves.”

The gloves shook a finger: “Thank you, Second Madam, but I don’t need a Ling Yin—I won’t get lost. Anyone who tries to take me is asking for trouble.”

Hong Ying said: “I say don’t overthink it—just test it. Pick any object at home—a cup, a plate, anything.”

The Bronze Lotus said: “Ah Qi, I’m warning you—be careful. This technique isn’t for casual use, and Ling Yin isn’t to be left lightly.”

His wife offered a suggestion: “We all look out for each other—we won’t lose anything. But the house key has no spirit—it’s the one we must guard.”

“Wife is right!” Li Banfeng went outside and retrieved the Suishenju key.

The Bronze Lotus instructed: “First, drip a drop of blood—half on the key, half on your heart.”

Li Banfeng wiped away the blood, and the copper lotus spoke again: “Press the key against your chest and squeeze hard—see if it hurts.”

He squeezed it lightly, then held the key to his ear, listening for a moment: “He says it hurts!”

The copper lotus swayed its lotus leaves: “Who asked him? I asked you—does your chest hurt?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I squeezed him—why should I feel pain?”

“That’s why this technique is hard to learn,” the copper lotus closed its leaves and went to sleep. “You only truly leave the spiritual seal when you yourself feel the pain.”

Li Banfeng pondered the key all afternoon, marking it several times; by six o’clock, he handed the key to Hong Ying.

Hong Ying’s heart fluttered: “Seventh Lang , do you trust me? Will you entrust this household to me now?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I just want you to squeeze it. This key has been with me too long—I’m too attached to him. I can’t bring myself to do it.”

Hong Ying sniffed, reaching to squeeze it, when Li Banfeng added: “Go to the second wing and squeeze it there. Don’t let me see—seeing him suffer makes me ache inside.”

As Hong Ying turned toward the second wing, Li Banfeng added one more warning: “Don’t squeeze too hard. Don’t break it.”

In the second wing, Hong Ying adjusted her grip carefully, without warning, and squeezed the key.

Li Banfeng cried out in pain from the main chamber: “Ow! Lighter!”

The copper lotus opened its leaves, surprised.

Hong Ying had squeezed the key in the second wing. Li Banfeng had not activated Jin Qing, nor used any spiritual perception, not even the most basic awareness—but he still felt the pain.

This proved the spiritual seal had truly taken root.

The copper lotus sighed: “It’s because you’ve mastered your family’s secret technique well.”

Li Banfeng asked the copper lotus: “What should I do next?”

The copper lotus said: “The spiritual seal is formed, and you now have perception. Next, you must recover what was lost. Do you know where the key is?”

Li Banfeng called out: “Yingying, find a room and hide. Don’t tell me where.”

Hong Ying vanished instantly. Li Banfeng sensed carefully for a long while, then asked: “Is it in the twelfth wing?”

Hong Ying replied: “It’s in the sixteenth wing!”

The copper lotus chuckled: “That’s way off. Try again.”

Li Banfeng practiced for over two hours. Without any other aids, he guessed correctly two or three times out of ten; the rest were off by no more than one or two rooms.

The copper lotus said: “That’s good enough. Now, let a beam of light emerge from your body.”

Li Banfeng frowned: “How?”

The projector stepped forward: “Seventh Director, I know how.”

He lit up the lens.

The copper lotus shook its leaves: “Not external light—emit light from your own cultivation.”

Zhao Xiao’s eyes glazed over: “How can cultivation produce light?”

The copper lotus said: “I can’t explain it clearly. Think about what Xuan Guang looks like. Think about its origin and destination. Think about how it resonates with the spiritual seal. There are countless ineffable mechanisms—you must awaken them yourself.”

Li Banfeng sat on the floor, pondering for a long time: “From which angle should I begin to understand?”

Not only Li Banfeng couldn’t grasp it—no one in the household understood the copper lotus.

Zhao Xiao looked toward Jiu’er, who had studied technique mechanics most deeply.

But Jiu’er had never seen Xuan Guang Zha Xie; she could only speculate: “If it’s about emitting light, Fire Cultivators should be best at it. Maybe the mechanics are similar?”

Jiu’er’s tone was uncertain. She wanted to confirm with the copper lotus—but the copper lotus gave no reply.

Hong Ying walked back into the main chamber, holding her sword, and said to the copper lotus: “Jiu’er’s speaking to you. Can’t you hear? You just don’t want to teach properly!”

The copper lotus pushed away the sword: “I’ve said everything I can. If he lacks insight, that’s his own failure. You’ve taught him techniques too—didn’t you once say technique must flow with the heart, not overthought? Too much thinking ruins the mind.”

“You—”

Hong Ying, stung, raised her hand to strike the lotus.

Zhao Xiao stepped forward to block her. She turned to Li Banfeng: “Husband, at this level, technique mechanics are indeed elusive. When I studied An Qiao Pao, I learned some knowledge from the Outer Provinces. Let’s study together—we might find a clue.”

Why did his wife mention the Outer Provinces?

Was this technique connected to those Outer Province teachings?

Yes, it was.

“Ineffable” was a term for dark matter and dark energy. The Outer Provinces’ knowledge system described light emission far more intuitively. When Li Banfeng returned to Yuezhou University, Professor Song had specifically introduced him to relevant research.

His wife had recently been refining An Qiao Pao and understood dark energy thoroughly. She quickly found the materials—Professor Song’s lecture notes repeatedly mentioned the concept of dark matter emitting light.

It was a seemingly contradictory theory: dark matter neither absorbs, emits, nor reflects electromagnetic radiation—that is, it is “non-luminous” in physics. Yet in Professor Song’s mathematical models, under certain special conditions, dark matter could emit light.

Li Banfeng had studied hard under Professor Song—but never fully grasped this theory. Now, rereading the materials, he still found them grueling.

Sipping tea, pinching his thigh, he read for hours, slept for days—his eyes grew too heavy to stay open.

His wife helped him to bed, tucked him in, and sang him a lullaby.

In his dream, Li Banfeng returned to university. Professor Song stood at the podium, wielding a pointer: “Dark matter barely interacts electromagnetically and does not participate in strong interactions. This was once an iron law of dark matter research.”

“But this iron law may soon be broken. Certain chaotic changes dominated by dark matter produce unpredictable yet observable forms of energy conversion—”

Hearing these theories, Li Banfeng could fall asleep even in his dream.

He glanced at Professor Song, intending to sneak a nap while she wasn’t looking.

But her clothing began to change—and his drowsiness slowly faded.

Her black suit skirt transformed into a blue-green qipao. Her bob cut became cascading waves.

Her slender figure, accentuated by the qipao, moved between podium and blackboard.

Professor Song had become Zhao Xiao.

His wife held the pointer, turned, and asked: “Husband, can you learn it now?”

Li Banfeng nodded firmly: “I can!”

He Jiaqing spoke from beside him: “Banfeng, now that you’ve learned, you must go to Puluo Province.”

Li Banfeng blinked: “Why go to Puluo Province?”

The copper lotus beside him said: “You promised to return me to Puluo Province.”

He Jiaqing nodded: “Yes, you promised.”

Yes, I promised.

Li Banfeng looked at He Jiaqing: “Stay away from me!”

He turned to the copper lotus: “You too—stay away. Touching you draws heavenly light!”

The copper lotus snorted: “Without drawing heavenly light, where would your cultivation come from?”

True—where did my cultivation come from?

Li Banfeng suddenly woke, sitting upright on the bed, staring at the copper lotus: “Where did my cultivation come from?”

The copper lotus opened its leaves, speaking softly: “You’ve forgotten? You drew heavenly light, gained Dao affinity, used the Rumen powder, and cultivated diligently to gain your cultivation base.”

Zhao Xiao wiped the sweat from Li Banfeng’s brow: “Husband, did you have a nightmare?”

Li Banfeng pondered the copper lotus’s words carefully.

Hong Ying thought there was nothing to ponder—it was all basic Daoist doctrine.

Li Banfeng asked: “What’s the difference between Dao affinity and cultivation?”

Zhao Xiao said: “Dao affinity isn’t cultivation. Dao affinity is—”

Li Banfeng interrupted: “Dao affinity is dark energy, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Zhao Xiao began to understand.

Li Banfeng gathered all knowledge he had acquired—from his wife, the peddler, Professor Song, Cui Ti, the old train, and the Dark Star Bureau—and wove together the Daoist theory.

“Accumulating Dao affinity is like gaining dark energy—but dark energy is chaotic, causing unstructured bodily changes.”

“Daoist powder acts like a navigation device, guiding cultivators, turning chaotic dark energy into ordered dark energy, producing structured bodily transformation. That’s why the Outer Provinces call it a ‘guide agent.’ Am I right?”

Li Banfeng looked at the copper lotus.

The copper lotus corrected him slightly: “Those just entering the path aren’t yet cultivators.”

Li Banfeng nodded: “Right. They only know the path—they haven’t walked it yet. So they aren’t cultivators.”

“Cultivators follow Daoist rules to cultivate—that’s the process of turning chaos into order. I’m not wrong, am I?”

The copper lotus sighed: “Oh, you’re speaking too profoundly. I don’t understand.”

Hong Ying sat beside the copper lotus and nodded: “Seventh Lang , you’re speaking too deeply. I don’t understand either.”

The copper lotus fell silent, then shifted farther away: “I’m not really confused. I’m teasing you. We’re not the same.”

Li Banfeng scratched his head, grasping the key insight: “Turning chaos into order is cultivation. Turning order into chaos—that’s Xuan Guang. Am I right?”

The copper lotus exclaimed: “I don’t understand Outer Province knowledge—but I think Seventh’s right!”

Hong Ying picked up the key: “Seventh Lang , I’ll go to another room. Try again.”

Li Banfeng nodded: “Be careful. Don’t let heavenly light harm you.”

Hong Ying smiled easily: “Don’t worry—I can dodge heavenly light when it comes.”

The copper lotus said: “Seventh, think carefully before you try.”

Hong Ying went to the eleventh wing and called out: “Seventh Lang , I’ve hidden the key. Go ahead!”

She wasn’t overconfident—she placed the key on the table.

Li Banfeng immediately sensed the key’s location and prepared to unleash Xuan Guang.

But as his body began to glow faintly, he stopped.

Li Banfeng felt something was wrong.

Zhao Xiao also felt it: “Husband, don’t try yet.”

Li Banfeng looked at the copper lotus: “This technique can’t be used lightly—because it drains cultivation, right?”

Copper Lotus nodded: “That’s why I told you, don’t leave spiritual seals lightly.”

Order becomes chaos; cultivation base is traded for destructive power. The technique of Xuan Light Slays Demons appears immensely powerful, yet the cost is shockingly heavy.

“Seventh Brother, why don’t you try it?” Hong Ying returned to the main chamber with the key, heard Zhao Xiao’s explanation, and felt Li Banfeng had been seriously cheated. “Who ever trades cultivation base just to use a technique? The more you use a technique, the faster your cultivation advances! Seventh Brother, we’re not learning this.”

Copper Lotus sighed: “It’s too late. From the moment you learned to make a spiritual seal, this technique has already taken root.”

Hong Ying snapped: “There are so many techniques you could’ve taught, yet you chose this one—you’ve got no good intentions!”

“General Hong, speak reasonably!” Copper Lotus pointed a lotus leaf at Li Banfeng. “I never forced him or deceived him. He chose this himself.”

Li Banfeng had no reply.

Hong Ying comforted him: “Even if you learned it, it’s fine—we just won’t use it again.”

Copper Lotus said: “That’s not up to him. Once a technique is truly mastered, if you lose the key, you’ll sense it. Once that sensation comes, Xuan Light will automatically activate. So let me remind you once more: never leave a spiritual seal lightly.”

PS: Banfeng didn’t feel cheated—he believed this technique still had great utility.