I returned to the hidden safe and began examining the pill bottles one by one, my movements were unhurried.
I lifted each bottle, letting a thread of spiritual sense brush against its contents.
Most were ordinary refined medicinal pills with stable auras and clean circulation. Qi-Nourishing Pills. Healing pills. Detoxifying pills. Nothing unusual.
Then my fingers stalled.
Several bottles felt different the moment I touched them.
Inside, a dark, viscous crimson liquid sloshed faintly and a faint metallic scent leaked through the bottles.
My gaze darkened.
The earlier conversation between the bandit leader and accountant surfaced in my mind, clear and unmistakable.
Blood of young and virgin girls.
"So this is what you've been feeding on," I murmured coldly.
I forced myself to continue, suppressing the revulsion and fury simmering beneath the surface.
One bottle after another, I sorted them carefully, separating the blood essence from the legitimate pills. When I finished, the results were clear.
Thirty bottles of blood essence.Twenty bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills.Fifteen bottles of Healing pills.Five bottles of Detoxifying pills
With a flick of my fingers, sword qi activated and etched clean markings onto the surface of each medicinal bottle, labeling them precisely every type accounted for.
The bottles containing blood were left untouched.
I turned next to the spirit bags stacked within the safe. which are filled with thousands of spirit stones years of accumulation meant for a single breakthrough. Gambling profits soaked in despair and blood of greedy.
The moment I lifted one, I felt its weight.
Heavy.
I overturned the bags.
Spirit stones spilled onto the stone floor in a glittering torrent, the sharp clatter echoing softly in the confined space. I swept my spiritual sense across them, counting silently.
Nearly forty thousand.
Without hesitation I began organizing immediately.
First, I stored two bottles of each medicinal pill, five thousand low-grade spirit stones; tokens, and several talismans from accountant's bag into my personal spirit bag. These were essentials things I might need at a moment's notice.
The remaining spirit stones were transferred directly into the system's inventory slot that I reserved for currency, they vanishing instantly.
Next, I selected the largest storage spirit bag with a ten-cubic-meter capacity. One by one, I loaded it with medicinal boxes, spare spirit bags and the accountant's spirit bag too.
Then came the pill bottles.
Excluding the blood essence, every bottle disappeared into the large spirit bag.
After that, I withdrew the Vermilion Rice grains and stalks from my inventory and added them as well to the spirit bag, consolidating everything into a single container
Only then did I summon the system panel.
The inventory opened before me.
Two slots were already occupied - one holding my parents' relics, the other filled with spirit stones. Three slots remained empty.
Without pause, I stored the thirty bottles of blood essence into one slot.
The large spirit bag went into another.
When the panel closed, only two items remained in my hands - my personal spirit bag and the system farmer's sickle.
I slid the spirit bag close to my chest beneath the robe, ensuring it rested securely. Then, with a thought, I willed the sickle into a palm size toy, and tucked it beneath the sleeve at my left wrist, completely concealed by the system farmer robe.
Everything was secured.
The harvest was finished.
-----
The safe was empty now stripped clean of everything worth taking.
I scanned the cabin one last time, making sure I hadn't overlooked even the smallest detail.
Then my gaze settled on the dead body.
The accountant lay where he had fallen, expression frozen in disbelief, head separated cleanly from his shoulders. Blood had pooled beneath him, dark against the floor.
I let out a slow breath.
"There's still this to deal with."
I picked up one of the lesser spirit bags left behind and crouched down. Placed the corpse inside, sealing it away without ceremony. The bag pulsed faintly, then stilled.
I stored the spirit bag containing the body into the remaining empty inventory slot.
Next, I retrieved a cleansing talisman. With a quiet surge of spiritual energy, I ignited it soundlessly in my palm and flicked it toward the bloodstained floor.
Soft white light unfurled as the talisman activated.
The effect was immediate.
Blood dissolved as if washed away by invisible water. Dark stains faded from the stone. Even the faint metallic, fishlike scent lingering in the air vanished completely, leaving behind nothing.
When the talisman burned itself out, not a trace remained.
The cabin looked pristine.
Untouched.
As though no one had ever drawn a blade there.
I gathered the remaining miscellaneous items scattered across the room and returned them to the safe, arranging them carefully.
When everything was in place, I closed the hidden compartment and reset the mechanism, restoring it perfectly to its original state.
With a thought, I activated the robe's concealment effect.
My presence blurred, dissolving into the surrounding shadows.
I slipped out of the cabin without a sound and blended into the stream of gamblers filtering out of the underground den. Laughter, curses, and drunken complaints washed over me as I followed the crowd upward, my figure swallowed by the chaos.
Faces passed by me.
Bodies brushed past.
No one noticed.
By the time I emerged into the open air the sun was high in the sky.
-----
I made a brief stop at a talisman shop along the street.
From my spirit bag, I took out the jade spirit rice stalks I had carefully stored earlier originally meant as feed for the cattle and chickens I planned to raise in the future.
Five mu worth of stalks.
The moment the shopkeeper saw them, his eyes lit up. He lifted a bundle, rubbing the fibers between his fingers, inspecting them with professional familiarity.
"Good quality," he said approvingly. "Clean, intact, and well preserved. These will make excellent talisman paper."
He did a quick calculation on a wooden abacus before nodding."Ten talisman papers per one mu of stalks."
That meant fifty talisman papers in total.
A not so fair exchange.
But I accepted without haggling, storing the papers away, and left the shop without lingering.
My next destination was Old Han Son's Restaurant.
Though the place was small, it was bustling with life. Even at this hour, every table was almost occupied. Steam billowed from the kitchen, carrying the rich scent of bone broth, spices, and simmering meat into the street. Laughter, clinking bowls, and quiet conversations filled the air.
Uncle Han moved between tables with practiced ease, sleeves rolled up, face flushed but lively. Behind the counter, Aunt Li worked tirelessly, her expression focused as she stirred pots and assembled bowls with quick, efficient motions. They were busy in work.
I chose an empty seat near the corner and sat down.
Uncle Han soon approached, wiping his hands on a cloth, a warm and familiar smile on his face.
"What would you like, guest?"
"Bone soup noodles," I replied.
"Yes, sir. Please wait"
The food arrived quickly. The broth was thick and fragrant, coated with a thin sheen of oil, the noodles firm and springy. I ate slowly, savouring the warmth that spread through my body with each bite.
When Uncle Han returned to collect payment, I placed twenty spirit stones on the table.
While the cost was only five spirit fragments.
He froze.
"Guest, this is too much," he said hurriedly, trying to push the stones back. "Please take the rest."
I shook my head lightly.
"It was worth it."
Then I leaned forward, lowering my voice so only he could hear.
"There is a commotion going to happen in the city If you want your family to live a long life," I said calmly, "leave the city for a month."
His expression stiffened.
"Within two days," I continued. "Today would be best."
He stared at me, confusion slowly giving way to understanding as he met my gaze. I didn't wait for a response. I stood, turned, and left the restaurant behind.
As I passed by Senior Wu's shop, I flicked a folded letter through the crowd, letting it land quietly on the counter. The young clerk noticed it almost immediately. He picked it up, read a few lines and his expression changed.
Without a word, he signalled another worker to watch the shop and hurried off toward the city center.
-----
With everything set in motion, I adjusted my robe and continued walking, my steps steady as I headed toward the heart of the city.
Before long, Jin Shang Hall came into view once more.
I entered under a different appearance than my first visit, my aura restrained and unremarkable, careful not to draw unnecessary attention.
This time, however, I had no intention of leaving empty-handed.
I intended to spend lavishly.
The same female attendant from earlier received me the moment I approached the counter. She didn't recognize me.
"I wish to make a purchase," I said calmly.
She offered a polite smile. "Please tell me what you require, sir."
"Bring out the Tier-1 and Tier-2 spirit rice seeds," I said without hesitation. "Along with their corresponding seed condensation methods."
Her expression shifted, but I continued before she could respond.
"I also want a Tier-2 spirit farming legacy, and a Tier-1 alchemist legacy with its associated pill formulas."
Her eyes widened slightly.
I wasn't finished.
"Additionally, prepare defensive formation array plates. Two Tier-1 Earth Spike formations, and one Tier-1 Illusion Mist formation."
The attendant's breathing hitched, her fingers tightening briefly against the counter.
Then I added, almost casually, "Do you also have any Tier-2 spirit-gathering formation plates suitable for plant cultivation?"
For a brief moment, she could only stare at me, clearly stunned by the scale of the request. Then, gathering herself, she bowed deeply.
"Please wait a moment, sir," she said carefully. "I don't have the authority to sell Tier-2 items. I'll inform the manager immediately."
I nodded and stepped aside, folding my hands within my sleeves as I waited in silence, my gaze drifting calmly across the hall.
------
After a short while, the female attendant returned, this time accompanied by a woman who immediately drew my attention.
She appeared to be in her late twenties at first glance, but her actual age might be more than thirty. Her figure was lush and full, curves accentuated by a fitted robe that clung her body.
She carried herself with practiced elegance, every movement deliberate, her aura subtly alluring. Her gaze lingered on me longer than necessary, sharp and assessing, as though trying to peer beneath my disguise.
For an instant, my thoughts wavered.
Despite my age, my body had long surpassed that of an ordinary child. The physique transformation had refined every aspect of me, even blessing some areas.
And the sudden gaze of her caused heat in my lower body and a faint disturbance in my mind made me have improper thoughts about her.
Then.
A cool sensation bloomed from the pendant at my chest.
Like cold water poured over a heated furnace, my thoughts cleared instantly.
I realized at once.
Seduction art.
'You old fox, trying to seduce me with your nasty techniques. I think I need to teach you a lesson'
I steadied my breathing and deliberately allowed my expression to remain unchanged, letting my gaze linger at her chest area just enough to appear affected while my mind stayed calm and alert.
The woman smiled faintly, evidently satisfied.
She stepped closer and spoke in a gentle, honeyed tone.
"Esteemed customer, I am the assistant manager here you can call me manager Hong, your purchase is… quite substantial."
"Tier-1 and Tier-2 legacies, formation array plates, spirit farming techniques…Such items take time to prepare." she murmured. "Waiting in the main hall may be tiresome."
I nodded, then
She stepped closer.
Close enough that I could smell a faint, floral fragrance
She lightly took my arm, her grip firm yet seemingly casual.
"Why don't we speak somewhere more private?" she suggested. "So we may discuss details… comfortably."
Her fingers brushed my sleeve
I nodded and opened my mouth to speak, but
Without waiting for a reply, she guided me toward an inner room and turned her head slightly.
"You may stay here," she said to the female attendant.
As I was led away, I caught sight of the attendant lowering her head, guilt flashing briefly across her face. She shot me an apologetic glance before quickly looking away.
The door to the private room closed behind us.
And the real negotiation battle was about to begin.