Song Yan had two Jade Tokens in his arms, one of his own, with 83 points, and another belonging to Miss Qiu, with 7 points.
Miss Qiu, to show her usefulness, worked tirelessly on skin-making and managed to accumulate 7 Contribution Points over the course of half a year, then... handed them all to Song Yan.
The youth headed towards the mountain foothills' low-level market with familiarity. Midway, he dug out a bundle from beneath a marked rock and changed into a low-hood cloak and a human skin mask.
These items were what he had scavenged during his trips to the market over the past few months, along with three bottles of Strengthening Ginseng Pill, costing a total of 1 Contribution Point.
The human skin mask was merely a mask used by Jianghu people; anyone cultivating profound arts could easily perceive and uncover it, rendering it of little use. Hence, it was cheap, but for Song Yan, it was quite useful—it could lead others to mistake him for a robber or a sinister Jianghu character.
Despite gaining a substantial sum over these months, he showed no signs of anomaly and descended the mountain normally, thus learning that even people from outside Jianghu sometimes visited the market below.
Puppet Sect, clearly regarded by sinister martial artists of Jianghu as a high and mighty emperor, was far more useful than a mortal dynasty's emperor.
Through those people and Qiu Lianyue's conversations, Song Yan also realized that the world he transmigrated into seemed vast, with many dynasties, and the Puppet Sect he belonged to was situated at the Three Kingdoms Border, part of an evil cultivation force.
The Three Kingdoms, however, were mortal kingdoms with names coincidentally like Wei, Shu, and Wu, yet... these Three Kingdoms evidently had no connection with the Three Kingdoms from before Song Yan's transmigration.
For this reason, whenever Puppet Sect needed people, they would plunder any kingdom as they wished, a seemingly endless supply.
As for controlling a dynasty, Puppet Sect seemed uninterested. Firstly, because mortal dynasties lacked Profound Stones and Profound Veins, thus were a waste of time and meaningless; and secondly, as they still needed mortal dynasties to continually provide "people" as resources.
Song Yan arrived at the foot of the mountain, pretending to wander outside for a while, but today he did not buy Strengthening Ginseng Pills nor visit the usual stalls; instead, he entered an attic, skillfully swiping the Jade Token on the "goods vertical board."
A stream of goods information immediately surfaced in his mind.
Song Yan swiftly swiped the Jade Token, spending 88 points to purchase Qi Concealment Technique and Qi Arrow Technique, then reluctantly gazed at the newly added goods from last month.
Soul-Searching Skill—Refining Profound Magic Technique, usable, priced at 199 Contribution Points.
The more one feared something, the more one desired it.
Song Yan very much wanted to buy it.
But 199 Contribution Points were still too expensive for him...
Song Yan glanced over, quickly leaving.
He was about to circle around, handle the human skin mask and cloak, then return to the cliff top when he suddenly heard a commotion from the market entrance.
It was the sound of clamor, accompanied by some malicious laughter.
He halted his steps, turned to look at the market entrance, and saw carts of prisoners approaching from afar. Though dust-covered and despairing, they were exceptional—handsome men, beautiful women, all exuding a noble aura, certainly not ordinary people.
Nearby, some Jianghu folks laughed wantonly.
"The Wei Kingdom is about to be completely destroyed—female imperial family members and princes have all been captured. Although the Blood Gun Gang rebelled, they acted wisely by sending all these people to Puppet Palace to honor the Immortals."
"Rumor has it that the Wei Kingdom's royal family possesses a trace of Mountain and Sea Kingdom's Multi-tailed Fox Race bloodline. Although extremely weak, insufficient for cultivation, it grants them exquisite looks, men and women alike... now it seems the rumor wasn't unfounded."
"Look, isn't that the eldest princess Cao Yanran leading them? Tut tut tut, I've heard of her beauty in Jianghu—the first beauty of Great Wei. Yet, what does it matter? Still sent to Puppet Palace, destined to be nothing more than a lowly maid here."
Song Yan stared at the foremost prison cart—the woman there indeed radiated charm that no man could resist. Though Qiu Lianyue possessed a modicum of beauty, she paled in comparison.
Reflecting on the words of those Jianghu folks, Song Yan sighed inwardly, "Looks like the outside world isn't safe either."
Were this scene merely "watching TV or movies," he might feel sympathetic, but in this world, he found ensuring his own survival already challenging enough.
The world being so, each should mind their own business.
"Need to become stronger."
...
...
That night.
Song Yan recounted today's sights and hears at the market to Miss Qiu.
He remembered Miss Qiu was also from Wei Kingdom.
And upon hearing Song Yan's account, Qiu Lianyue froze for a long time, trembling as she spoke, "Even the eldest princess was captured?"
Song Yan replied, "I heard those Jianghu people say she's called Cao Yanran."
Qiu Lianyue said, "Peerlessly beautiful, peony of Wei Palace…"
She muttered, then sighed heavily, her eyes turning red as tears streamed down.
Song Yan asked, "Do you know her?"
Qiu Lianyue replied in a mournful tone, "Our family business in Great Wei relies on Eldest Princess Yanran as its background. My father took me to meet her once.
At that time, I stood in front of her, feeling only a dazzling brilliance, not daring to even raise my head, much less look her in the eye...
Brother Song, you mentioned the Blood Gun Gang rebellion, but that happened just in the past half year. Since Eldest Princess Yanran and many of the royal family were captured, our family's business likely suffered collateral damage too."
Originally, Qiu Lianyue still harbored a slight wish to return home, but now... that meager hope was being completely shattered.
Her face turned pale, her eyes hollow, murmuring, "Dynastic changes come and go, yet these Profound Cultivation Sects persist eternally..."
Suddenly, she became agitated, tightly clinging to Song Yan's hand, her voice trembling, "Brother Song, you must succeed, you're a good person, you must succeed.
Actually, I guessed it, I guessed that your cultivation needs harvesting from me, don't be gentle, you've bought me plenty of medicine, harvest a bit more, you mustn't fail! I don't want you to fail! You can't fail!"
Song Yan scratched his head.
In truth, what troubled him now wasn't failure, but concealment.
After Qiu Lianyue finished her shift in the first half of the night, he sat again in front of the Suspended Room's door, his expression shifting slightly, bringing up the panel:
[Name: Song Yan]
[Remaining Life: 17/3908]
[Talent: Remaining Life Dao Fruit]
[Realm: Refining Profound Level One]
[Spirit Root: Inferior Ghost Profound Root (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
[Cultivation Technique: Profound Qi Guiding Technique (completed) (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
[Magic Technique: (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
"Qi Concealment Technique" (entry-level)
"Qi Arrow Technique" (entry-level)
Over seven months allowed him to accumulate ample remaining life, and regarding the relationship between [Cultivation Technique] and [Magic Technique], his understanding had deepened.
Cultivation Technique is a peculiar method of cultivation, a tool for cultivation, without any tiers. Utilizing this method, you draw in Profound Qi, which is the significance of [Cultivation Technique]. However, this in no way implies that [Cultivation Technique] is simple; on the contrary, it is quite complex, with various requirements like visualization, heart method, and other details within the "Profound Qi Guiding Technique."
And the true Slaughter Technique lies in magic.
A Magical Battle is not about Cultivation Technique but magic.
After purchasing "Qi Concealment Technique" and "Qi Arrow Technique," Song Yan also realized that magic has tiers: entry-level, Xiaocheng, Great Success, and Perfection.
Now, he focused his attention on the "Qi Concealment Technique."
Only by concealing his aura, avoiding detection, could he proceed with choosing to break through his Realm.
[Select Life Span Investment]
Song Yan began the familiar attempt.
The remaining life figures started changing.
[You invested one-year studying "Qi Concealment Technique," spent three months, entered entry-level, after another three months, achieved Xiaocheng, by year's end reached Great Success. You realized that so-called concealment is actually just gathering Qi, hiding Qi. The human body, akin to a labyrinth, with muscles, bones, skin, blood, organs, meridians, can all contain Qi. For someone to probe your Realm, unless obvious, they must use Qi to assess. Upon contact with your Qi, they naturally learn your Realm. But if you hide it beforehand, preventing discovery, then... that Qi is naturally concealed]
"Achieved Great Success in just a year?"
Song Yan was slightly surprised.
But remembering this was a common skill, and considering his focused dedication during cultivation, he found it reasonable.
Seeing he still had plenty of remaining life, he decided to go big. After all, he remembered Qi Yao mentioning before, "the terrifying aspect of a Ghost Cultivator is in mutating ordinary magic, twisting them into Illusion Technique, Devouring and such."
[You invested ten years studying "Qi Concealment Technique," after a year, completed Perfection. You could gather Profound Qi within your body, hide it anywhere within, occupying only one location. Unsatisfied, you continued attempting concealment, with minimal success. Yet, in repeated experiments, you finally noticed an anomaly; your internal Profound Qi wasn't normal Profound Qi but Evil Profound. Evil Profound Evil Profound, Evil mixed within Profound, you began contemplating how to use this special power. Five years later, you realized "Soul-Collecting Technique," capable of temporarily separating Evil Qi within the body, allowing you to counter anyone daring to intrude with Qi to probe your Realm and information with Evil Qi. Still unsatisfied, you continued trying. After four more years, you achieved nothing]
Song Yan glanced at the panel.
[Magic Technique]
"Soul-Collecting Technique" (Perfection)
Clearly, the mutation magic technique he realized required no further cultivation.
'Still having substantial remaining life, converting it into power is more secure, so... continue.'