Whoosh, as the heavy rain washed over him, the figure covered in mud and sludge gradually became clean.
It was the Mountain Bandit Leader.
“Damn that Black Bear Demon, and damn that Detective Yan…”
The Mountain Bandit Leader cursed as he moved his body in the mud.
After he struggled to crawl out, he spat a few times, then raised his hands to let the storm wash over him.
After a few minutes of rinsing, he regained some strength and shook his head, saying:
“I’ve Cultivated the art of digging tunnels in Xiao Liuzi Town for over three years.
I know exactly what kind of soil is easy to dig and how to dig it.
Now, this poorly guarded village dungeon actually thinks it can hold me?
Ridiculous, truly ridiculous…”
The Mountain Bandit Leader said, slowly starting to laugh, then laughing louder and louder.
Today, he had successfully escaped again.
He had also shown some people that some individuals are simply destined not to be confined!
But he was also grateful that the Black Bear Demon incident had distracted the Constables, who had casually found a temporary place to hold him.
Otherwise, it would have been difficult to dig.
At the same time, the Mountain Bandit Leader looked at the blurry mountain silhouette in the distant rain curtain.
“They’ve probably been busy these past few days looking for Jianghu helpers and searching the forests and patrolling the mountains.
Now that they haven’t come to escort me, either they forgot, or the Black Bear has not yet been found.
If it hasn’t been found, that’s good news.”
The Mountain Bandit Leader made a judgment and prepared to return to Xiao Liuzi Town first.
He still had some money hidden there.
Over a hundred taels!
One tael of silver was a thousand cash.
With the current dynasty’s stable production and peaceful populace, about five taels of silver was enough for a family of three’s normal expenses.
One hundred taels was enough for a family to live for twenty years.
The Mountain Bandit Leader could abandon the unseen brotherhood, but he couldn’t abandon this real, tangible silver.
‘Only things that can be seen and touched are real.’
In the rainy night, the Mountain Bandit Leader discerned the direction and walked straight towards Xiao Liuzi Town… The next day, dawn broke.
At the ruined temple.
“Snore…”
Chen Guan got up from the bed, feeling much better in his hand.
Although it still felt a bit awkward when he exerted force, the stinging pain from yesterday was gone.
‘I wonder what my sister sorted out.’
Chen Guan was looking forward to seeing the spoils of war.
When he exited the side room, Xiao Qing was at the back door of the ruined temple, eagerly looking towards the side room.
“Brother!”
When she saw Chen Guan appear, she jumped up and down in place.
If she wasn't unable to leave the ruined temple, she would have floated over to greet him.
“Roar.”
Chen Guan said good morning to her, then came to the ruined temple and looked at the corpse.
This Daoist priest might have something on him.
His corpse hadn't attracted any insects.
“Brother, sachet!”
Xiao Qing manipulated Yin Qi to manifest, then, as if presenting a treasure, took out an embroidered sachet from behind the idol.
Chen Guan looked at it and smelled a faint herbal fragrance.
This should be the reason for repelling insects.
“Xiao Qing tried it; with it, many insects won’t come near!”
Xiao Qing floated beside Chen Guan, “Brother, wear it, and some insects won’t bite you!”
“Roar.” Chen Guan felt a warmth in his heart seeing his convenient sister being so thoughtful, and tried to show a gentle smile.
Xiao Qing, however, didn't mind her brother's strange appearance, and then took out a book.
Chen Guan looked at it and saw a small area on the top of the cover, stained with dried blood.
In the middle of the cover, there were three characters: “Swallowing Qi Art.”
‘Is this a Cultivation Technique? A Cultivation Technique?’
Chen Guan was very interested when he saw this and carefully took it with his bear paw.
Because he had a Spiritual Root, a Fire Spiritual Root in his previous life.
Now, after more than ten days, he hadn't figured out any particular methods.
But this book might have something written on it.
Of course, Chen Guan also regretted killing the Daoist priest, otherwise he could have asked some questions about Cultivation.
But facing an unknown Qi Cultivator and unknown methods, even if he risked injury to hold back, and in his restricted state, crippled his hands and feet, Chen Guan still felt it wasn't safe.
Now, whether for his convenient sister or because he had already practiced for over a hundred proficiency points, Chen Guan didn't want to die.
And even if he were to die, it should at least be for a greater value.
Just for some Cultivation information, it wasn't worth it.
However, his luck was quite good now.
Because as the Secret Manual opened, there were some introductory annotations on it.
Chen Guan also learned that some 'low-grade Spiritual Roots' needed to be 'activated'.
Like his low-grade fire attribute, it should belong to the low-grade.
Because he couldn't sense the fire attribute in the air.
And some people with extraordinary talent, even without Cultivating, could sense the difference in the air.
It was like opening Yin-Yang Eyes, allowing one to see the existence of Spiritual Qi with the naked eye.
At the same time, after Chen Guan understood these things, it seemed to trigger memories from his first life.
In his memories, Chen Guan vaguely remembered that his convenient Grandson often told him,
‘Grandpa, why are there so many red flowers in the air, like the firewood in the stove?’
Hearing these whimsical ideas, his original self had never paid attention.
He even thought his Grandson seemed to have ‘bad eyes’.
Later, in his first life, out of deep love for his Grandson, he traveled hundreds of miles within a few years, taking his Grandson to see many doctors.
It was during this search that he met a traveling Cultivator.
Then his Grandson was taken away by that person.
Now, Chen Guan understood that those ‘bad eyes’ that could still see sparks were ‘excellent Aptitude, extraordinary talent’.
According to the Rank in this book, it should be a ‘Fifth-Rank Spiritual Root’.
It was also recorded in the Secret Manual that Spiritual Roots ranged from ‘one to nine’, with one being the highest and nine the lowest.
He should currently be at the ‘Ninth-Rank’, the lowest.
But these Ranks weren't worth much attention.
Because Chen Guan knew that in a world with gods and demons like this, it might not be long before he would learn about something beyond first Rank, such as ‘Supreme, Ultra-Supreme, and Human, Earth, Heaven’ and so on.
After all, this was just a common, popular Secret Manual.
The records on it were naturally limited by the author's perspective.
But his reincarnation seemed to be an ‘infinite stack’.
After finishing the Ranks, Chen Guan flipped further back.
Xiao Qing quietly accompanied Chen Guan, not making any sound.
Just like that, flipping through, until the entire Secret Manual was read.
First, he had to thank this Daoist priest for his habit of writing down insights, which made some of the obscure and difficult-to-understand terms straightforward.
As a thank you, Chen Guan would cremate him later and scatter his ashes across the world, allowing him to merge with nature and permeate the Dao.
Afterward, through his annotations, Chen Guan learned how to Cultivate.
The first step was to find ‘Qi sense’.
As for how to find Qi sense, it required one's mind to be calm and to perceive the elemental Spiritual Qi in the air, then integrate it into the body and make it one’s own.
This was the first step in Cultivation.
Refining Essence into Qi.