Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 44: Criticizing Sang and Huai
The next day, the move began.

There was no one to say goodbye to.

Most independent cultivators live on the edge, and they are extremely wary of each other. Since Chen Li transmigrated, he has met quite a few people, but most of them are just nodding acquaintances. He is only relatively close to Lin Gui.

Unfortunately, Lin Gui's house was also deserted; they were probably taken away to refine elixirs.

Although the Linghu Gang no longer exists, no gang would let go of a hidden talent like Lin Gui, a worthy relic of the countryside, a talent buried in obscurity, as long as they are not blind.

Chen Li was not worried about this.

This is a good thing for Lin Gui; at least his safety is guaranteed.

Without making a big fuss, Chen Li and Zhou Hong each carried a bundle and quietly changed their lodgings without informing either of them. In the afternoon, the two went to the market again to buy spirit rice, meat, vegetables, and other daily necessities that were missing.

It wasn't over even when I returned in the evening.

The two then visited their neighbors, carrying a gift (a talisman), and their busy day finally came to an end.

I'm not physically tired, but mentally exhausted.

However, looking at his clean and newly decorated new home, Chen Li still felt a sense of satisfaction.

My heart settled down again.

Fame earned through bloodshed is often accompanied by intrigue and hatred.

Ultimately, it often ends in bloodshed.

It's either you kill me, or I kill you.

Once you're dead, all is forgotten; once you've won, it's another new cycle.

He was fed up with all of this.

Now all he wants is to live a peaceful life and cultivate himself.

Although Chen Li wasn't someone who was solely devoted to the Dao, the feeling of watching the numbers on the game panel constantly change and his strength grow stronger day by day was still irresistible.

……

night.

Chen Li finished practicing his swordplay, panting heavily. He drank some water to replenish his fluids and then opened the game panel.

Name: Chen Li

Life expectancy: 41/112 years

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 4: 6/100]

[Technique: Longevity Qigong Expert: 535/800]

【Skill:】

制符：清洁符精通：310/400；静音符熟练：181/200；指路符熟练：185/200；辟邪符熟练：16/200
Spells: Master of Spirit Flick: 1859/3200; Proficient in Rebuke: 12/400
Swordsmanship: Basic Swordsmanship Expert: 358/800;
[Supernatural power: none]

"Sigh, the progress has been delayed a lot lately!" Chen Li sighed inwardly.
"An arrow-avoiding talisman..."

The thought of the arrow-avoiding talisman made him feel troubled.

I've been researching on my own for so long, but I still haven't made much progress.

"I'm really not a genius. I should find someone to teach me. There are quite a few people in the market who can draw arrow-avoiding talismans. I can just pay some tuition!" Chen Li thought to himself.

……

I slept well all night. It was my first night in the new house, so I was naturally excited. When I woke up in the morning, I dragged Zhou Hong out for another round.

Zhou Hong was exhausted from all the commotion and drifted off to sleep again in a daze.

Chen Li ignored her, took a picture of himself with a cleansing talisman, got dressed, and walked out of the bedroom looking refreshed.

Of all the things he's happy with in his new home, it's the yard. Although there's nothing planted there right now except for weeds, Chen Li has decided that once winter is over and spring is here, he'll plant a few fruit trees.

……

"Good morning, Fellow Daoist Zhong." Chen Li walked out of the courtyard.

"Uh, who are you? Oh, I remember now, you're Chen Wen, the new fellow Daoist next door." Zhong Shiqing was initially a little confused, but he quickly remembered.

After moving here, Chen Li used the alias Chen Wen to refer to himself, as he was a scholar who cultivated both literature and science. As for his surname, he didn't change it.

"From now on, we'll be neighbors, so please take good care of me, Fellow Daoist Zhong!" Chen Li cupped his hands and said with a smile.

The other party was a local gang member, and a minor leader at that.

He also has a family.

If you want to live a peaceful life, there's no harm in building a good relationship with this kind of person; at least you'll become acquainted with them.

"Haha, no problem, no problem!" Zhong Shiqing said politely, not paying any attention, and quickly went out and left in a hurry.

After this little incident, Chen Li went to the market.

……

In front of a stall selling talismans.

Chen Li held a talisman that warded off arrows, stroking it inch by inch, feeling the brushstrokes and the flow of spiritual energy. Unfortunately, he couldn't discern anything for the time being, so he asked:
"This arrow-avoiding talisman was drawn by you, fellow Daoist. I feel the ink is a bit too heavy in this section of the pattern; is there any significance to it?"

"How strange, I've never seen anyone ask this when buying a talisman... Oh, so you're a fellow practitioner. No wonder you're asking this, trying to steal my skills... Come on, put the talisman down, we don't sell you anything here." The middle-aged rogue cultivator selling talismans clearly recognized Chen Li, who was selling exorcism talismans, and immediately began to shoo him away in a sarcastic tone.

Chen Li wasn't angry when he heard this. He chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist, since we're in the same profession, why make enemies? I see you even sell 'Lightness Talismans' here, so I guess you wouldn't care about the meager income from 'Arrow Avoidance Talismans.' Besides, I won't let you teach me for free; I'll pay with spirit stones."

"Pay with spirit stones?" The middle-aged rogue cultivator looked him up and down suspiciously. Seeing that he was wearing a robe and had an appearance and demeanor unlike ordinary people, he was clearly not one of those down-on-their-luck rogue cultivators who couldn't even scrape together a single low-grade spirit stone: "How much are you paying?"

"How about five low-grade spirit stones?" Chen Li habitually bargained down to the bottom price.

"Five low-grade spirit stones, and you want me to teach you how to avoid arrows? Keep dreaming! This is a skill that can sustain you for a lifetime. Five low-grade spirit stones? Are you out of your mind?" The middle-aged rogue cultivator couldn't hold back his anger, his face flushed red, and he said irritably.

"Brother, calm down, calm down. You're asking for the moon, but we'll negotiate. We're all business people, respectable people... So, how much do you want? Name your price. If it's too high, forget it. I'll go find someone else to learn. Anyway, you're not the only one here who can draw arrow-avoiding talismans. If I don't earn any spirit stones, I'll just have more competitors later," Chen Li said with a grin.

The middle-aged rogue cultivator suppressed his anger, thinking that this made sense, and remained silent for a while: "If you want me to teach you, it's not impossible, but you'll need at least fifty low-grade spirit stones."

"Fine, I won't haggle anymore. Fifty it is! I'll pay twenty low-grade spirit stones first, and thirty more after I learn it. Where do you live? I'll pay you a visit tonight." Chen Li took out his money pouch from his sleeve and counted out twenty low-grade spirit stones.

"Aren't you afraid that after I take the spirit stones, I won't teach you?" The middle-aged rogue cultivator took the spirit stones and looked at Chen Li with a sudden chuckle.

"Twenty low-grade spirit stones aren't much for you. You're a smart person, why take such an unnecessary risk for such a small amount of spirit stones?" Chen Li said.

The middle-aged rogue cultivator looked frustrated: "I'll only teach you for three nights. If you can't learn it, then forget it."

He picked up a twig, wrote the address on the muddy ground, and quickly erased it after Chen Li memorized it.

"As long as you don't deliberately hold back!" Chen Li said.

"Don't worry! I, Zhang Yan, have always acted with integrity and honesty. I would never do such a shameless thing!" the middle-aged rogue cultivator snorted.

Chen Li suspected that this fellow Daoist named Zhang Yan was making veiled accusations, but he had no evidence.

(End of this chapter)