Zheng Jinbao felt helpless as well.
He really hadn't expected this.
That an insignificant, bottom-tier Cultivator like Li Chang'an would actually know the Young Miss.
Unsure how much Li Chang'an meant to the Young Miss, he had no choice but to spend his way out of trouble.
'I can't afford to offend the Young Miss over him!'
In the end, Li Chang'an accepted the Spirit Stones.
Seeing this, the smile on Zheng Jinbao's face grew a bit wider.
"Alright, Chang'an, I still have matters to attend to in the Marketplace. Let's talk more when we have the chance."
"Take care, Steward Zheng."
"Alright."
Zheng Jinbao was all smiles as he turned and left.
The moment he turned, the smile vanished from his face. He inwardly cursed his rotten luck.
...
Indoors.
Li Chang'an closed the door to his room.
He calmed himself and thought for a moment.
'Zheng Jinbao's status isn't low. He definitely felt resentful for having to apologize to a bottom-tier Cultivator like me.'
Still, as long as he was inside the Marketplace, he shouldn't dare to make a move on him openly, thanks to his connection with the Young Miss.
At this thought, Li Chang'an warned himself.
'From now on in the Marketplace, I need to be cautious with my words and actions and cultivate discreetly. As long as I don't cause any trouble, Zheng Jinbao will have no reason to act against me.'
'Until I'm strong enough, the more discreet, the better!'
'Strength is the foundation of everything!'
Li Chang'an sat down cross-legged, not wasting a single moment, and began today's cultivation.
At the same time, there was a bit of anticipation in his heart.
'I wonder what tonight's Divination will be?'
Time passed, and the sun set behind the western mountains.
Before he knew it, the night was deep.
「Just after Midnight.」
A golden light suddenly flashed before Li Chang'an's eyes, transforming into a few lines of text.
[Divination Refreshed]
[Today's Divination: Evil]
[A friend will invite you to explore an ancient cultivator's abode. You will go eagerly, but a sudden disaster will strike within. Your group will suffer heavy casualties, and you will be gravely wounded.]
An Evil Trigram!
Li Chang'an's eyelid twitched.
'An invitation from a friend?'
Li Chang'an pondered. He didn't have many friends.
Just the few who had failed the Immortal Sect's entrance trial alongside him and later came to the Qinghe Marketplace.
A few of them were from his hometown, and he was on good terms with them.
'If it's an invitation from them, I would most likely have gone, only to end up gravely wounded.'
Li Chang'an was secretly relieved.
'With the Divinations, my path to Cultivation Immortality is so much more secure!'
...
「The next day, at noon.」
A knock sounded at the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...
Li Chang'an got up to open the door.
Standing at the door was a dark-skinned young man with a simple, honest face.
It was Xu Fugui. He came from the same mortal village as Li Chang'an, had embarked on the path to immortality with him, and had come with him to the Qinghe Marketplace.
Of all the people from their village, he and Li Chang'an were the closest.
The reason was simple. In this life, Li Chang'an's parents had passed away early on. Seeing him orphaned and alone, Xu Fugui's parents had often helped him out.
"Fugui, is there something you need?"
Li Chang'an asked with a smile.
Xu Fugui's face was alight with excitement.
"Brother Li, it's good news, great news!"
He sounded thrilled, as if he'd stumbled upon the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Early this morning, while Chu Daniu and I were in the mountains gathering firewood, we discovered an old abode left behind by a cultivator from a past era."
It was just as the Divination had described.
He had come to invite Li Chang'an to explore the abode with him.
"Brother Li, that abode is protected by an Array, but the Array is already in ruins! If we work together, we can definitely break through its weak point and get it open!"
Xu Fugui's eyes gleamed with excitement.
They guessed that the abode was left behind by, at the very least, an expert at the Late Stage of Qi Refining. There had to be a lot of Treasure inside.
"Brother Li, hurry and come with me! We're going to get a few more people!"
Xu Fugui could hardly wait.
But Li Chang'an shook his head slightly.
"Fugui, an ancient abode like that might not just have Treasure. It could also have all sorts of traps and mechanisms. I prefer to play it safe and I'm not willing to take that risk."
"Huh?"
Xu Fugui was startled.
A look of astonishment appeared on his face.
"Brother Li, this is a rare opportunity!"
"Fugui, you should understand that opportunity and danger go hand in hand."
Li Chang'an's voice was calm as he looked at him and said,
"Actually, I hope you won't go either."
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Fugui was suddenly torn.
Before leaving home, his parents had instructed him that he must listen to Li Chang'an.
But now, with such a great opportunity right in front of him, he really didn't want to give it up.
"Brother Li, I... I'll go discuss it with Chu Daniu and the others."
Xu Fugui bit his lip and hurriedly ran off.
Li Chang'an didn't say anything more.
He was grateful for the help Xu Fugui's parents had given him, so he had spoken up to dissuade him.
But he couldn't forcibly stop Xu Fugui; after all, he had no reason to.
The matter of the Divinations was his biggest secret.
He wouldn't tell anyone.
Not long after, Xu Fugui, Chu Daniu, and the others finished their discussion and decided to head into the mountains together.
Their group consisted of more than ten people.
Although they were all in the Early Stage of Qi Refining, with the strongest being only at the Qi Refining Third Layer, they were all very confident.
"With all of us working together, we'll definitely be able to break that Array!"
Xu Fugui pumped his fist.
Before leaving, he glanced back at Li Chang'an's residence, thinking it was a shame.
'The haul from this is going to be huge. It's a shame Brother Li isn't coming.'
Xu Fugui sighed.
...
Indoors.
Li Chang'an sat cross-legged, circulating his Spiritual Power.
He pushed the matter of the abode to the back of his mind and focused solely on his personal cultivation.
Before he knew it, it was late at night once more.
Just after Midnight, a new Divination appeared before Li Chang'an's eyes.
[Divination Refreshed]
[Today's Divination: Auspicious]
[You will go into the mountains to fell trees and will unexpectedly discover a fox den. Inside, you will find a Jade Scroll containing a "Talismanic Inheritance".]
"A Talismanic Inheritance!"
Li Chang'an's gaze burned, and he felt a sudden surge of joy.
In the Cultivation Immortality Realm, there is the concept of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortality.
Skills such as Alchemy, Talisman Painting, Artifact Refining, and Array Formation all belong to the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortality.
A Loose Cultivator with one of these Skills has a much easier path than an ordinary one!
'As long as I have a Skill, even just a Tier One Low Grade one, I can cover my basic cultivation needs!'
The reason why Li Chang'an's cultivation had been slow in the past was not just because his talent was poor.
It was also because he lacked cultivation resources!
Without resources like Elixir Pills and Spirit Medicine, one's cultivation speed could never be fast relying solely on absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
'I'll go find that Jade Scroll first thing in the morning!'
Li Chang'an suppressed his excitement and did not plan to go look for it now.
'The mountain forests are extremely dangerous at night!'
'Many Demon Beasts prefer to hunt at night.'
Although he was desperate to get the Jade Scroll, he still prioritized caution above all else.
'My life is what's most important!'
Li Chang'an closed his eyes slightly and continued to cultivate.
The night passed without incident.
When he opened his eyes again, the morning light outside was brilliant.
He immediately left, slinging a basket over his back and grabbing his axe before hurrying to the forest where he usually gathered firewood.
This time, his luck was good.
He had only been chopping wood for about ten minutes when he saw a fox den.
The den was filled with a large pile of debris—twigs, dry grass, and leaves—and tucked among it all was the Jade Scroll described in the Divination.
"Found it!"
Li Chang'an's eyes lit up as he reached out and took it.
He quickly browsed the contents of the Jade Scroll and immediately beamed with joy.
"It really is a Talismanic Inheritance! Although it's only a Tier One Low Grade inheritance, it's enough for now!"