Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Once one has gained a foothold in the Scolding Skill, subsequent practice follows a gradual and orderly progression, without hindrance.

With only a few days of sporadic practice in his spare moments, Chen Li had already mastered the incantation silently, causing only a slight tremble in the air when chanting, with very little noise.

He did not wish to be diligent; it was just that the Scolding Skill was quite draining on the mind and spirit. Just three consecutive uses would cause dizziness, seeing stars, and leave him feeling drowsy for half the day.

...

"Scram!"

Chen Li looked at the Evil-Repelling Talisman that had failed yet again today. He casually threw the useless talisman into the waste basket and chanted a spell silently, then once more broke into a celestial chant.

Scolding Skill +1

The Scolding Skill doesn't necessarily require one to say "scram."

Any other word would do.

It serves merely as the final trigger for the spell; what is said doesn't matter much.

However, after much thought, Chen Li couldn't think of any word that was more succinct, easy to understand, and full of strong emotion than "scram."

Chen Li glanced at the game panel and quickly turned it off, then returned to his bedroom to sit in meditation and restore his energy.

A week had passed since the departure of the Artefact Sect's Flying Boat, yet no news had come from the front lines. During this time, Chen Li visited the market and found that the entire shanty area and even the Green River District were beginning to grow restless; business had dropped significantly.

He decided not to go out anymore and continued to practice at home.

His Qi Cultivation pace was getting faster and faster, especially after his proficiency in the Longevity Skill advanced to expert three days ago, which once again increased his cultivation speed. Reaching the fourth level of Qi Cultivation was not far off.

...

Autumn was deepening, carrying a hint of desolation.

Even the large tree by his door began to turn yellow, and its withered leaves tumbled with the wind.

In the evening, Zhou Hong suddenly came to find Chen Li, "It's been somewhat unsafe outside recently, it's best if you don't go out for the next few days."

Chen Li nodded and, feeling somewhat worried, asked, "Has no message come through yet?"

"Hmm, Luoluo City is after all far from here... but all of this is none of our concern. Just be careful," Zhou Hong said, then quickly left.

Chen Li looked towards the sky, a vast expanse of unblemished blue.

He sighed.

"An autumn of troubles!"

...

Zhou Hong's warning had not been given long ago.

Just the next day, an earth-shattering piece of news had already arrived.

In a single night, all members of the Artefact Sect had quietly evacuated the Green River District.

Chen Li was also taken aback when he heard this news, lamenting how quickly the banners change atop the city walls, with both arrivals and departures in haste. What he didn't know was that this was just a taste of the chaos to come that day.

By almost noon, an even more shocking rumor began to spread rapidly.

During the fierce battle, when it seemed the sect was about to have its gates breached, the Golden Core Ancestor of the Longevity Sect, rumored to have undergone a transformation, suddenly appeared in a rage at the critical moment and dragged several others down with him before his demise.

After the battle, several Golden Core Ancestors from the Longevity Sect and the Artefact Sect had fallen; two others were severely injured, their fates unknown.

...

Chen Li peered through the gap in the door at the outside.

People were everywhere, rushing to the market.

The shanty area was in chaos again, nearly a repeat of the last time. Although the Artefact Sect had withdrawn, there were still things in the market that couldn't be taken, and many items that could be taken but weren't deemed valuable enough.

Items like decorations made of precious materials and luxurious wooden furniture... For many Loose Cultivators in the slums, these items still represented a significant fortune.

"This damned place, there's never a moment of peace," Chen Li couldn't help cursing in his heart.

"We can't stay here!"

After chaos comes slaughter, and now that the entire slum is without even the mountain overhead, the chaos will only be greater than last time.

Chen Li's heart pounded violently, and after observing for a while, he went to the kitchen and stuffed some recently smoked jerky into his bundle.

He planned to first find refuge in the wilderness, waiting for the slum to settle down before returning.

"Knock knock knock!"

"Chen, open the door please."

Chen Li hurried to the door and opened it, finding Lin Gui outside wiping sweat continuously.

"Lin, what's the matter?" Chen Li asked.

"Alas, now that the Artefact Sect's people have all left and the Longevity Sect might not send anyone to manage this market again, this place is going to get chaotic. For now, us few neighbors can only stick together for warmth, help each other out. We should all meet up this afternoon; I wanted to let you know first, and now I'm going to find Zhou." Lin Gui said with a grave expression.

"Okay!" Chen Li hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Having said his piece, Lin Gui went to knock on Zhou Hong's door. Zhou Hong glanced at Chen Li and nodded as well.

He then proceeded to the other houses on the street.

Chen Li returned to his room with a tightly furrowed brow, his thoughts heavy. He somewhat regretted agreeing to Lin's proposal, but then a hint of fierceness crossed his face.

"Forget it, I just don't believe it will be that dangerous to stay here!"

Furthermore, the wilderness might not be any safer than here.

...

After lunch.

When Chen Li stepped into Lin Gui's house, there were already three people inside.

An old man and a young couple.

They were all acquaintances from the same street, who would greet each other when they met. Those who had stayed instead of going to the market were doubtless all respectable and honest folks.

The old man was named Wen Yuquan, and the young couple was Fang Jiutang and Yang Bingzhi.

"Greetings to all the fellow daoists."

"Chen, you're too polite, have a seat!" The old man greeted him warmly with a smile and a gesture of the hand.

Fang Jiutang was much colder, merely nodding at Chen Li until Yang Bingzhi playfully tugged at his sleeve, prompting him to belatedly return the greeting with a reluctant hand gesture.

Chen Li didn't mind and took a seat: "Wen, is anyone else missing?"

"We're just waiting for Zhou and Qiao," Wen Yuquan said with a smile.

"Are you referring to Qiao Guanyuan?" Chen Li felt a sourness in his heart, somewhat envious of Lin Gui's ability to network. In just a few days, Lin seemed to know everyone around, unlike Chen himself, who only had superficial relations with most, being only familiar with their faces.

And one of them was Lin Gui himself. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Exactly, that's Qiao!" Wen Yuquan said.

While they were speaking, Zhou Hong and Qiao Guanyuan strolled in, chatting and laughing, followed by Lin Gui.

Chen Li looked at Zhou Hong with surprise; when had the two become so well acquainted?

"Everyone here is a neighbor on the same street; we all know each other, so I won't bother with introductions. Let's not delay any further and discuss how we can help each other from now on," Lin Gui said.

Not delirious... no, when he was sober, Lin Gui was actually quite normal.

Fang Jiutang and Yang Bingzhi spoke affectionately in undertones, then spoke up, "What's there to discuss? If there's danger, we all just go help, that's all."

"That's not enough. What if we're too late?" Wen Yuquan stood up and raised his voice, "In the last disturbance, forget about those who died in the market, just in this area where we live, over a hundred people lost their lives."

"Are you suggesting that so many people living together can't even live their lives?" Fang Jiutang said.

"I think we should do this: every night, two people should patrol. If they see anyone suspicious, they should raise the alarm loudly. We can rotate among ourselves. However, there are still too few people here; it would be better to include the whole street in this mutual aid, encompassing hundreds of households," Qiao Guanyuan suddenly said, smiling.