Chapter 31: Doing Good Without Speaking of It
Li Lin stared at this object that resembled some kind of leather product and could also sense a faint trace of evil qi coming from it.
Evil qi was a level above resentment qi.
The things born from resentment qi were only minor gui.
Evil qi could give rise to major gui.
Someone was planning something in Shangtikou Village.
Li Lin inspected the surroundings.
Then he jumped down, used a wooden stick to lift the leather-like object, set it aside, and replaced the lid of Xiuniang’s coffin.
“Xiuniang, stay peacefully underground. Don’t think about coming back again.”
Afterward, he used his hoe to push the surrounding soil back into the grave and rebuilt the mound.
By the time he finished, it was already close to evening.
He returned to the village.
By now, the place had become very quiet.
The villagers habitually stayed inside their homes with doors and windows shut.
Only a handful of people, unable to finish their work, were still busy outside, working nervously.
Carrying the evil qi-infused leather-like object, Li Lin arrived before the altar.
The Tree Immortal Lady immediately appeared and looked strangely at the leather-like item in Li Lin’s hand.
“Your Ladyship, what is this?”
“Placenta.”
So this was the placenta the Tree Immortal Lady had mentioned some time ago?
That meant she had already known about Xiuniang’s problem back then!
Why hadn’t she told him?
After thinking about it, Li Lin immediately understood.
At that time, not to mention a spirit-controlling cultivation method, he had not even learned fist techniques or spear techniques.
He had merely been a rookie Spirit Hunter who had just entered the profession and possessed somewhat decent qi and blood.
The fact that she had even mentioned the word placenta was already showing him considerable respect.
If she had directly told him someone was causing trouble outside the village, the real issue would not have been whether he dared to stop it.
The core issue was whether he could stop it at all.
If he went, he would probably die.
If he did not go... that would be embarrassing.
Thinking this, Li Lin smiled at the Tree Immortal Lady.
“Many thanks for looking after me, Your Ladyship.”
The Tree Immortal Lady gave a light snort and pointed at the altar.
Li Lin placed the placenta on top.
Before long, the evil qi on the placenta vanished.
At the same time, the placenta began to burn and quickly turned into ashes.
The Tree Immortal Lady also disappeared.
Li Lin returned home.
After dinner, he began refining pills.
He still used the large iron pot.
【Alchemy +1】
【Alchemy +1】
【Alchemy +1】
Two shichen later, a large pot of fragrant Shengxi Pills had been produced.
However, one-third of them were defective products.
“Looks like I really need a proper alchemy furnace.”
Li Lin said regretfully.
After bottling the Shengxi Pills, he swallowed two of them and sat cross-legged on the bed to practice.
【Nourishing Yin Cultivation Method +1】
【Nourishing Yin Cultivation Method +1】
He did not know how much time had passed.
Just as dawn was breaking, he suddenly felt his mind tremble.
A tingling current emerged in his lower abdomen and traveled upward along his meridians until it rushed directly into the Niwan Palace in his head.
Then countless drifting points of light appeared within his consciousness.
They densely filled his entire “field of vision,” constantly dancing and spinning.
Yet his eyes were closed.
In other words, these points of light were merely illusions.
After some time, the points of light gradually blurred and disappeared.
He felt his body become light and filled with a refreshing coolness.
“I’ve finally entered the ranks.”
Li Lin opened his eyes and smiled.
Entering the ranks meant becoming ninth-rank.
Nurturing yin energy within the body of a living person was extremely difficult.
Ordinary people simply could not do it.
With yin energy accompanying him, he could now use spells.
The only problem was that Li Lin still did not possess a spell manual.
That reminded him of Huang Qi’s words.
In a few days, people from the Demon Suppression Bureau would arrive.
Among them would be someone capable of teaching him spells.
The problem was...
Every gift came with a price.
When he had questioned Huang Qi, the latter had merely smiled without answering.
Just as he was worrying about where to obtain a spell manual, Zhao Xiaohu’s voice sounded from outside.
“Brother Lin, Brother Lin!”
He pushed open the door and saw Uncle Zhao’s family of three standing there.
Uncle Zhao carried cured meat in his left hand and a large fat chicken in his right.
Aunt Hua carried a heavy basket that appeared to contain quite a few things.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohu held a wine jar in each arm.
Li Lin welcomed all three inside and invited them to sit down.
Then he smiled.
“It seems you’ve decided to let Xiaohu become a Spirit Hunter.”
Uncle Zhao nodded.
“That’s right. Xiaohu is rather slow-witted. I’ll have to trouble Little Brother Li to teach him in the future.”
“I’ll only be his guide. I won’t become his master.”
The moment those words came out, Zhao Xiaohu became somewhat anxious.
Li Lin continued,
“But I’ve always regarded Xiaohu as a younger brother. I’ll teach him fist techniques, spear techniques, and the Nourishing Yin Cultivation Method. If I learn spells in the future, I’ll teach those to him as well. But how much he learns, and how he walks the path ahead, will depend entirely on himself.”
Uncle Zhao let out a sigh of relief.
“That is enough. That’s already very good.”
He understood clearly that things like fist techniques, spear techniques, and cultivation methods were unimaginably distant from ordinary people like them.
Xiaohu could not even read.
Without someone teaching him, even if a secret manual were thrown in front of him, he would not understand it.
Zhao Xiaohu also relaxed.
After chatting with Li Lin for a while, Uncle Zhao left behind the tuition gift and departed with Aunt Hua.
Xiaohu stayed behind.
Expectantly, he asked,
“Brother Lin, what are we learning first?”
“Today we’re not learning anything.”
Li Lin smiled.
“We’ll eat first. Blood rice. We’ll build up your body completely before anything else.”
Zhao Xiaohu nodded repeatedly.
“Okay. I’ll wash the rice and cook.”
Li Lin smiled and nodded.
At noon, Zhao Xiaohu ate a bowl of blood rice.
After finishing it, his entire body grew hot and his face turned red.
He desperately wanted to stand up and shout to vent the energy.
“Endure it.”
Li Lin spoke calmly.
Zhao Xiaohu obediently remained seated.
However, his clenched teeth and the veins bulging on his forehead clearly showed how uncomfortable he was.
Meanwhile, Li Lin sat cross-legged on the bed.
As he circulated the Spring Renewal Health Preservation Art to refine the qi and blood from the blood rice, he also kept an eye on Zhao Xiaohu’s condition in case something suddenly went wrong.
After quite some time, Zhao Xiaohu felt somewhat better and asked,
“Brother Lin, you ate more than I did. Why aren’t you affected at all?”
Li Lin opened his eyes.
“Because I’m a real Spirit Hunter, and you’re not.”
“Oh.”
Zhao Xiaohu’s eyes filled with anticipation.
In truth...
When Li Lin had eaten blood rice for the first time, he had consumed a large bowl.
Nothing happened at all.
He had even thought it tasted quite good.
The differences between people could truly be enormous.
After waiting for more than another hour, Zhao Xiaohu’s qi and blood finally calmed down.
Li Lin checked his pulse and nodded lightly.
“Not bad. Your body has recovered quite a bit too.”
Zhao Xiaohu grinned foolishly.
At that moment, a voice came from outside the door.
“May I ask whether Patrol Hunter Li is at home?”
The voice sounded familiar.
Li Lin pushed open the door and walked outside.
There he saw Bai Liwei and Bai Bufan standing beyond the courtyard.
Behind them, they were leading a donkey.
The donkey carried numerous large and small bundles on its back.
“Senior Bai, Patrol Hunter Bai.”
Li Lin clasped his fists and went forward to greet them.
“You’ve traveled a long way. Please come in quickly.”
Then he turned his head and said,
“Xiaohu, boil some water and prepare tea. We have honored guests to receive.”