Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 3 The Old Cultivator Possessed by Evil
Of course, that's all if you accept the time travel.

Recognize reality.

This game interface is pretty appealing.

Just like you, under pressure from your family, tearfully bid farewell to the goddess you secretly admired and had to accept an arranged marriage. On the wedding day, you discovered that the bride was surprisingly good—fair-skinned, beautiful, with long legs, well-educated, and with a good temperament, plus a dowry that was worth a small amount.

Although he deeply resented arranged marriages, he got on board for free before he even had a chance to lick the boots, and could no longer enjoy the pleasure of being a simp.

But if you grit your teeth and bear it, isn't it not unacceptable?
The panel's properties are clear and concise.

He glanced at it briefly, then fixed his gaze on lifespan.

Life expectancy: 40/98 years

"The first number should be the body's age at that time, and the second number is estimated to be its death date."

A smile involuntarily appeared on Chen Li's face.

Compared to the average lifespan of 76 years before the time travel, living to 98 years old is definitely considered a long life.

The resentment that Chen Li had felt for having aged twelve years in vain after time-traveling had largely dissipated.

Even if you subtract 12 from 98, 86 years old is still far above the average, outperforming the vast majority of people.

"In this world that can be described as ancient, to have such a long lifespan must be due to the influence of the Longevity Technique," Chen Li said thoughtfully.

After all, the name of the cultivation technique is "Longevity Technique," so it's hard not to make those connections.

To be honest, he was not really aware of his Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation before this.

This body doesn't feel much different, except that my five senses are a little more acute and my body feels a bit lighter. As for the rest, it doesn't seem to be fundamentally different from before I transmigrated; at most, I'm just at the standard of an athlete.

Looking at it now, putting everything else aside... at least it has a long lifespan.

Chen Li chuckled silently a few times, trying to find humor in his predicament. He then suppressed his laughter and continued studying the game panel in front of him, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't find any way to operate it.

The game panel has neither smart interaction nor a recharge option.

There was no extra value service he had hoped for that would allow him to travel back in time; it was just an inanimate object.

Turn it on, turn it off!
Turn it on, turn it off!
……

Chen Li played for a while, his excitement coming and going quickly.

Half an hour later, it became boring.

He turned off the game panel and obediently returned to his seat to continue drawing talismans.

The game panel was a pleasant surprise, but he still had to work hard to make ends meet.

Next, whether it was due to the residual memories of the original owner or the effect of the game panel, he drew talismans as if divinely inspired. Except for two accidental mistakes at the beginning, he succeeded every time after that, and each success brought new insights and understandings.

He became completely addicted to it.

Later, Chen Li even tried to omit the various complicated pre-trial blessing rituals, and the results were still smooth with no failures.

……

"puff!"

The half-finished cleaning talisman burned quickly, but Chen Li was used to it and calmly picked up a tattered rag and covered it.

My body was completely devoid of spiritual energy, and my brain was also throbbing with a dull pain.

Chen Li rubbed his temples and peered through the crack in the door.

The sky was already bright outside; the next day had arrived.

"I didn't realize I'd stayed up all night!"

He drew a total of 12 pictures throughout the night, and counting the three mistakes, he drew a total of 15.

Drawing talismans is time-consuming and mentally taxing, especially since you're not very skilled at it at first. The complicated rituals and prayers beforehand are quite time-consuming, and by the end of the night, Chen Li felt completely drained.

"I absolutely can't stay up all night again next time. There's no compensation for dying from overwork." Chen Li stretched, and his stiff bones cracked slightly.

Then he remembered something, and with a thought, the attribute panel appeared silently.

Name: Chen Li

Life expectancy: 40/98 years

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 3: 31/100]

[Technique: Longevity Technique Proficiency: 23/200]

【Skill:
Talisman Crafting: Cleansing Talisman Proficiency: 45/200 [Supernatural Abilities: None]

Chen Li was surprised to find that after just one night of drawing talismans, his skill in Cleansing Talismans had jumped from 'Beginner: 1/100' to 'Proficient: 45/200'.

"This game panel is quite useful; at least it can display my attributes and progress rate in a very intuitive way using data," he thought to himself.

He turned off the panel, and as soon as he relaxed, fatigue washed over him like a tidal wave.

"Go take a nap first, then we'll talk!"

Chen Li blew out the oil lamp and prepared to stand up, but his legs went weak and he sat down again. He sat there for a long while before he finally managed to stand up and walked to the bedroom in a daze.

As soon as my body touched the bed, I fell into a deep sleep.

……

"Bang bang bang!"

"Open the door."

"Fellow Daoist Chen, open the door!"

No one can remain calm when woken from a deep sleep, and no one can stay composed when the door is banged on loudly. If it weren't for the prompt return to rationality after being woken up and understanding of their situation, they would have already started cursing.

But even so.

When he opened the door with his bloodshot eyes, his face still showed stubbornness and impatience that anyone could see.

Everyone has a bad temper when they wake up.

What came into view was a disheveled old monk, his greasy robe looking as if it hadn't been washed for years, covered in patches of black and gray, and withered grass still clinging to his gray hair.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, hurry, hurry, do you still have any exorcism talismans? Quickly, lend me one, it's extremely urgent, I'll give it to you as soon as I have the money." As soon as the door opened, the old cultivator grabbed Chen Li's sleeve and said anxiously.

'Troublesome, looks like it's someone the original owner knew.'

Chen Li's heart pounded, but he didn't show it on his face. He pretended to be concerned and asked, "What happened? But I don't have any talismans right now. I've sold everything I could to pay the rent these past few days."

Upon hearing this, the old monk was so angry that he stomped his feet.
"Sigh, you...you...what can I say about you? You have no ambition at all. Brothels are bottomless pits. You can squander all your money. What's so great about women? You might as well gamble at the casino with that money."

Chen Li's face stiffened.

So even I was looked down upon by gambling addicts.

The old cultivator seemed oblivious, continuing his rambling:

"Forget it, I won't say anything more. You wouldn't listen anyway, even if I told you."

A few days ago, I asked you to go to the old mine to pan for gold and iron, do you remember? Luckily, you didn't go. Afterwards, we dug up the skeleton of someone else, but I didn't think much of it.

I don't know how I got infected by evil spirits, but I've been having nightmares these past few days, and now I'm too scared to even sleep..."

The old monk sighed, his expression filled with alarm.

Chen Li's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he took a step back without making a sound.

I hope I won't get infected.

"By the way, can you draw the talisman before tonight?" The old cultivator looked at Chen Lidao, his cloudy eyes full of expectation.

Whether it was psychological or not, Chen Li felt that the other person's pale face seemed to carry a faint sense of gloom and mania.

"This... I'm afraid it's really not possible today. I haven't prepared the materials yet!" Chen Li explained, as he didn't have the ability to draw such talismans right now.

To enhance the persuasive effect, Chen Li continued:
"Moreover, this level of talisman cannot be drawn casually. Exorcising talismans require gathering the true fire energy of the sun. The best time to draw the talisman is at noon. If it is drawn any later or earlier, it will most likely fail. Look, it is almost afternoon now. There is no time left."

This is not something Chen Li made up on the spot.

That's what it says in the book.

The old cultivator's face fell upon hearing this:
"Ugh, you're really going to ruin me. Do you have any money? Can you lend me a few spirit stones to tide me over? I'll pay you back once I make up for it."

Chen Li resisted the urge to swear: "Where would I get the money? I just scraped together enough for the rent yesterday, and I don't have a single spirit stone left."

Perhaps the old monk was just being persistent, because he couldn't borrow the money and didn't press the matter further. He left dejectedly.

Watching the old cultivator's figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Chen Li turned around and closed the door.

"What kind of people did the original owner know?!"

(End of this chapter)