Shen Bai's gaze shifted to a spot not far away.
At a nearby table, a thin man was just sitting down.
The man was dressed in white robes with a folded fan hanging from his waist, the very picture of a refined scholar.
In the Great Zhou Country, despite the current turmoil, the nation could still barely maintain control.
After all, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.
Examinations were held every year, so scholars were, of course, a common sight.
There was an academy right here in the county town, where many aspiring scholars studied to achieve official honors.
Shen Bai could tell at a glance that this man was a Scholar from Shengyun County.
But the Scholar's current state didn't seem right.
His eyes were ringed with dark circles, and though his hair was tied up, it was as dry and withered as a patch of weeds.
Most notably, the young man was clutching a piece of wood.
The piece of wood was as thick as an arm and about the length of a ruler.
Yet the young Scholar held it tightly, as if it were a priceless treasure.
The restaurant waiter spotted the white-robed Scholar and walked over with a smile.
"What would you like to eat, sir?"
The Scholar glanced around before ordering a few dishes.
The waiter's brows furrowed, but he said nothing and quickly turned to leave.
'Braised pork knuckle, soy-braised beef, and strong spirits... A scholar is eating this kind of food?'
Shen Bai stroked his chin, feeling that something was off.
Shen Bai knew a thing or two about the scholars of Shengyun County; destitute ones often came to his pawn shop to hock their family's possessions, all for a chance at passing the exams.
In Shen Bai's view, having ambitions was a good thing, but bankrupting your family for unrealistic dreams was just foolish.
From those destitute scholars, Shen Bai had learned that these men of letters usually prized elegance, and even their meals were quite plain and simple.
But this one had ordered such heavy, greasy meats and strong spirits. Shen Bai felt something was definitely wrong.
Of course, he was just curious.
It was none of his business, and he had no intention of meddling.
After eating for a short while, the Scholar called the waiter over to pack up the leftovers.
This scene was even stranger.
The Scholar had only taken a bite or two of the food on the table, and had barely sipped the liquor. He clearly didn't enjoy the meal.
'But why order it then?'
Shen Bai's curiosity grew.
By this time, the waiter had finished packing up all the food.
Shen Bai had also more or less finished his meal. He paid his bill, ready to head back to the pawn shop.
The Scholar tipped some money out of his withered coin purse, which was immediately empty.
But the Scholar paid without hesitation, then picked up the packed food and left his seat.
Shen Bai yawned. He planned to stop by the apothecary to get some more Qi Blood Medicine and ask the physician if they had anything stronger.
After all, the current Qi Blood Medicine didn't seem to be potent enough for him anymore.
But just as he was about to leave, his eyes subconsciously fell on the Scholar's back, and his brow furrowed.
From this angle, a tree branch was protruding from the Scholar's shoulder.
And the Scholar had hung all the packed food on that branch.
Shen Bai saw a trace of cold, sinister Qi flowing along the branch before seeping into the food.
'This Qi feels so familiar... Where have I encountered it before?'
Shen Bai watched the Scholar's retreating figure, stroked his chin, and fell into thought.
A few figures flashed through his mind.
A moment later, Shen Bai finally remembered where he had encountered it.
The eerie Qi.
'So cold and sinister, with a hint of terror... It's exactly the same as the Qi from an eerie entity.'
Now that Shen Bai had Qi in his body, he was much more sensitive to such things.
After a moment of thought, Shen Bai quietly began to follow the Scholar.
If it was a person, one could still distinguish good from evil. But if it was an eerie entity, there was only evil.
These things held an endless loathing and hatred for the living. There was nothing wrong with drawing your sword and cutting one down on sight.
Shen Bai didn't know why this Scholar had gotten involved with an eerie entity, but he was in desperate need of the Evil Qi they provided.
After all, the transformation of both the ancient True Scripture and his Bright Jade body required Evil Qi to supplement them.
「...」
Shen Bai followed him through the bustling streets.
The streets went from bustling to quiet, and before long, they arrived at a secluded alley.
The Scholar was very cautious, looking back from time to time.
Fortunately, Shen Bai was a Cultivator, so this posed no difficulty for him. He easily avoided the Scholar's gaze.
Before long, the Scholar walked into the alley.
Within the alley was a small, dilapidated courtyard.
The Scholar went straight in, opened the old wooden door, and disappeared behind it.
Shen Bai looked at the low earthen walls around him, thought for a moment, then vaulted up, using the wall to conceal himself as he peered into the courtyard.
He couldn't be blamed for getting involved; he was truly desperate for Evil Qi.
The courtyard was simply laid out, with a dirt path indicating that its owner didn't have much money.
But in a corner of the yard grew a tall Locust Tree.
As soon as he was on the wall, Shen Bai saw the Scholar place the branch at the base of the Locust Tree.
Looking at the branch and the tree, Shen Bai finally understood where the branch had come from.
'So it's a branch from the Locust Tree. What is this guy up to?'
Shen Bai didn't move, but continued to observe.
After putting down the branch, the Scholar took the food out from the takeaway containers and placed it at the base of the Locust Tree.
Once he had done all this, the Scholar, not minding the dirt, knelt directly before the Locust Tree and began to kowtow.
"My lady, I beg you, please help me. Please grant me that photographic memory again."
The Scholar kowtowed repeatedly, muttering to himself.
After the Scholar had kowtowed loudly several times, a terrifying scene unfolded.
The Locust Tree actually began to tremble slightly.
Yet there was no trace of wind in the air.
As the tree's branches shook, the branch on the ground once again emitted a cold, sinister stream of Qi.
As soon as this stream of Qi appeared, the temperature in the entire courtyard dropped significantly.
The Scholar subconsciously hugged his arms and shivered.
The food placed on the ground rapidly withered and rotted, turning into a pile of ash in the blink of an eye.
At that same moment, the dark circles under the Scholar's eyes grew even heavier.
But he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he jumped up and began to dance for joy.
"My photographic memory is back! I'll definitely pass the exams and earn a title this time!"
The Scholar shouted as he danced, as if he had obtained the most precious thing in the world.
As the Scholar was shouting, a branch suddenly shot out and, with lightning speed, wrapped itself around his neck.
The overjoyed Scholar was choked, his tongue lolling out as he began to struggle desperately.
His eyes, ringed with black, began to bulge from their sockets.
The eerie Qi grew even thicker.