Chapter 61 - 25-35 Immortality Cultivation: I Farm in the System Space

Chapter 25: Mr. Jiang Arrives

The two of them entered the house, and when Luo Luo saw Ning Yue come in, she ran straight over.

"Mom."

At this moment, the brazier inside the house was burning vigorously, making the whole room incredibly warm, and Luo Luo's little face was a bit rosy. 

"Good girl, Luo Luo. Mom will be able to stay at home with Luo Luo tomorrow."

Ning Yue reached out to brush away the bangs from Luo Luo's forehead and spoke softly. 

"Mom doesn't have to go out anymore?"

"That's great!"

Luo Luo cheered.

"Uncle Lin said that there are more and more demonic beasts outside, and every time Mom goes out, Luo Luo is very worried."

"Mom is fine. Starting from tomorrow, Mom will be at home with Luo Luo every day."

As she spoke, Ning Yue rubbed Luo Luo's head.

"Yay…"

Luo Luo cheered, a child's innocence is always so straightforward.

Since a month ago, the beast tide had intensified, with demonic beasts continuously attacking human settlements, and many families had suffered severe damage.

Some families' Spirit Fields were even destroyed by demonic beasts.

Many families also reduced their external businesses to resist the beast tide with all their might, while the smaller ones grouped together to resist.

Moreover, even the outskirts of the Fang Market had suffered attacks from demonic beasts.

Although in the end, they were slain by the Guard Team patrolling the Fang Market.

However, several cultivators who lived on the edges of the Fang Market perished to the jaws of the beasts.

So, during this time, people within the Fang Market were panic-stricken, fearful of demonic beast attacks, especially for those like Lin Jing who lived on the periphery of the market.

Fortunately, Lin Jingzhi had heeded the advice of the Outer Area Manager before, renting this courtyard which is quite close to the inner part of the market.

Therefore, they had been relatively safe during this period, without any demonic beast attacks.

After the three of them had dinner, the other two left.

Tonight, he had more work to do, because the Spirit Rice and Seven-Star Grass in the Spirit Field space had matured and were ready to be harvested.

Upon entering the System Space, Lin Jing immediately opened the Alchemy Room panel.

Alchemy Room: Level 1

Divine Sense Strengthening: 10%

Alchemy Success Rate Increase: (First Grade 10%) Elixir Medicine Quality Enhancement: (First Grade 10%)

Pure Elixir Appearance Chance: (First Grade 10%)

Upgrade Requirement: (94/100 Harvest Points)

Looking at the system panel, Lin Jing murmured to himself,

"After this harvest of Spirit Plants is complete, the Alchemy Room can be upgraded."

Then, Lin Jing picked up the sickle and started to get busy.

With improved cultivation, Lin Jing's speed of harvesting Spirit Plants had also increased significantly.

In a short while, an acre of Spirit Rice was harvested by Lin Jing.

"System Notification: Congratulations to the host for harvesting an acre of Superior Spirit Rice, reward obtained: 2 Harvest Points."

"It really is true; the higher the level of the Spirit Plant, the more Harvest Points awarded.'

Without pausing, Lin Jing continued to harvest.

This time, he chose an acre of Seven-Star Grass.

Soon, the Seven-Star Grass was also harvested, earning a reward of 3 Harvest Points.

It seems that the quality of the Seven-Star Grass is a bit higher than that of the Superior Spirit Rice.

Lin Jing took almost twenty hours to finish harvesting the twenty acres of Spirit Field,

After the harvesting was complete, 10 acres of Superior Spirit Rice and 10 acres of Seven-Star Grass amounted to a total of 50 Harvest Points credited to the account.

Lin Jing sat at the edge of the field and opened the panel again. Upgrade Requirement: (144/100 Harvest Points) (Upgrade Available)

The Harvest Points were sufficient, and the option to upgrade was now available.

Lin Jing didn't hesitate and chose to upgrade immediately.

Shortly after, the system interface changed.

Alchemy Room: Level 2

Divine Sense Strengthening: 20%

Alchemy Success Rate Increase: (First Grade 20%), (Second Grade 10%) Elixir Medicine Quality Enhancement: (First Grade 20%), (Second Grade 10%)

Pure Elixir Medicine appearance probability: (First Grade 20%), (Second Grade

10%)

Required for upgrade: (44/500 Harvest Points)

Looking at the panel, Lin Jing smiled with satisfaction.

"The success rate of alchemy has increased again."

By the time he came out of the System Space, it was already dawn of the next day.

After a busy day, he didn't care about anything else and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"Thump thump thump"

An urgent knocking sound came from the door outside.

Lin Jing, who was sound asleep, was awoken by this sudden knocking.

Lin Jing got up and walked out of the house.

"Who could it be at this time?"

"The sound doesn't seem like Ning Yue. Her knocks are always very light, but this knocking is urgent."

Lin Jing pondered and then opened the door, when a familiar face came into view.

It was the manager who had shown Lin Jing to this place when he rented the room.

"Manager Jiang."

Lin Jing had learned from Zhang Sen that this man's surname was Jiang.

"Lin Daoyou."

Manager Jiang's eyes lit up when he saw Lin Jing.

"I've been knocking for a long time just now, I thought you weren't home,

Daoyou."

"I was a bit exhausted from affairs yesterday, so I slept more deeply."

"My apologies."

"It's no trouble," said Manager Jiang with a wave of his hand.

"What brings Manager Jiang here at this time?"

Lin Jing looked at Manager Jiang. This was only the second time he had seen him since he moved here. Presumably, if it was not for something important, Manager Jiang would not have come.

"Lin Daoyou, you must have heard about some of the things that have happened recently."

Manager Jiang began.

"Yes, I've heard that there have been several Demonic Beast attacks recently, all around the outskirts of Fang Market, causing a lot of panic."

"It's about that," said Manager Jiang with a sigh.

"Sigh…'

"This Demonic Beast upheaval has had a huge impact, causing panic within the

Fang Market."

"I came here about that very issue."

Lin Jing then asked, "Does Fang Market have a strategy to deal with it, Manager Jiang?

"Fang Market has issued an announcement to recruit personnel to join the Guard Team to maintain peace in the market."

"However, given the current difficult situation and the need for a large number of Spirit Stones to recruit personnel…"

"So… Fang Market has decided that each household must contribute ten Spirit Stones as a fund to recruit the Guard Team."

"I see," said Lin Jing.

"Hold on a moment, Manager Jiang. I'll go get them for you."

Since he came out in a hurry, Lin Jing did not carry Spirit Stones with him. After responding to Manager Jiang, he headed back inside the house.

Shortly after, he came out of the house and handed ten Spirit Stones to Manager Jiang.

Manager Jiang took the Spirit Stones and then spoke again:

"Lin Daoyou, as you can see the situation, next year's rent… will not be the same price, and I think you can understand that." 

"I'm informing you in advance so you can prepare."

"Naturally," replied Lin Jing.

"Well, then I'll go to the next house."

"Lin Daoyou, a word of advice. If possible, you should stock up on some necessities. We don't know how long this Demonic Beast turmoil will last."

"Lin Daoyou, farewell."

After reminding Lin Jing, Manager Jiang took his leave.

Following Manager Jiang's departure, Lin Jing closed the door and returned inside. He did not continue to rest but instead contemplated Manager Jiang's words.

"Stock up on necessities?"

It seemed he might know something..

Chapter 26: The Man in Black

Lin Jing, upon awakening, initially felt a hint of sleepiness, but that sensation had now vanished after this matter.

After washing up, Lin Jing left the house.

In this period, he had concocted quite a few elixir medicines, and now it was time to sell them.

Arriving at Yuebaolou, Elder Yu was not present, instead, a slightly portly middle-aged man stood behind the counter.

Lin Jing couldn't help but inwardly sigh with disappointment.

He had intended to ask Elder Yu some questions, but now he had no choice but to let it go.

Approaching the counter, Lin Jing handed over all the lower-grade elixir medicines he had previously selected to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man tapped away rapidly on an abacus, eventually quoting a purchase price of 60 Spirit Stones.

After selling the elixir medicines, Lin Jing bought materials for 100 Energy Gathering Pills. Due to severe demonic beast chaos, both elixir medicine prices and material costs had risen.

In addition to the Spirit Stones earned from selling the elixirs, Lin Jing had to pay an extra 60 Spirit Stones to purchase the materials needed to concoct these 100 Energy Gathering Pills.

Afterward, Lin Jing left Yuebaolou directly.

Once he had finished concocting these 100 Energy Gathering Pills, he should be able to reach the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.

Next, Lin Jing didn't return home but instead started wandering around Fang Market.

He did so until the sky had completely darkened.

It was only after disguising himself that Lin Jing headed towards the business that had sold Pure Elixir Medicine before.

His skills in disguise were not proficient, and during the day, it was easy for someone to see through him.

Therefore, Lin Jing had chosen to sell elixir medicine at night.

Upon arriving at the business, the shopkeeper and a man in black, the two of them were engaged in conversation.

The man in black frowned at the shopkeeper, complaining,

"Shopkeeper, isn't the price of this single elixir medicine a bit too expensive?

It's more than half as much again as usual."

The shopkeeper, with a placating smile, began,

"Esteemed guest, you are surely aware of the current situation."

"With the fierce unrest of demonic beasts, there is a scarcity of elixir medicine, and the current price is very fair."

"Fair?" exclaimed the man in black.

"Even on the black market, the price is nearly the same as it is now, right?" The shopkeeper gave the man in black a meaningful glance and then said,

"Guest, it seems you haven't been to the black market for quite some time! Nowadays, not just elixir medicine but nearly everything has nearly doubled in price there."

The man in black looked astonished and then nodded in agreement. 

"Yes, I've been rather busy and haven't been there for a long time."

After saying this, he wisely stopped talking to avoid giving himself away.

In truth, he had never been to the black market, because to enter, one not only needs a Token but also someone to lead the way. Without a guide, it's impossible to find the entrance to the black market.

He had simply come across a Black Market Token by chance and often showed it off for bragging rights.

After all, gaining entry to the black market was not something ordinary people could manage.

But the shopkeeper was different; it was clear he was a person who frequented the black market.

At that moment, Lin Jing walked in.

The shopkeeper immediately recognized Lin Jing as the person who had sold him Pure Elixir Medicine the other day.

"Esteemed guest, welcome," greeted the shopkeeper with a beaming smile, coming forward and leaving the man in black standing where he was.

"Do you have any elixir medicine to sell today, guest?"

"Hmm," Lin Jing nodded.

He then took out a bunch of small porcelain bottles filled with elixir medicine from his Storage Bag.

"Shopkeeper, could you give me an estimate of how much these are worth?"

"Certainly, please wait a moment," replied the shopkeeper, as he opened the bottles, examining each one in turn.

This time, Lin Jing did not take out all of the elixir medicines he had concocted.

Instead, he only brought out a part of them.

Having sold elixir medicines here not long ago, Lin Jing thought that bringing out too many again might arouse suspicion.

Watching Lin Jing take out so many elixirs at once, the man in black was also shocked and leaned forward to look at the porcelain bottles in the shopkeeper's hands.

It wasn't long before the shopkeeper had finished checking the elixirs.

"Dear customer, the quality of your elixirs is impeccable, and this time the quantity is even more than the last," the shopkeeper said.

"Not to hide it from you, due to the recent rampages by the Demonic Beasts, the prices of elixirs have risen sharply. Therefore, our purchasing price has also risen, about a twenty percent increase compared to before." 

"Your elixirs, after my calculations, are worth a total of 530 Spirit Stones."

"Are you satisfied with this price?"

"Hmm, satisfied," Lin Jing nodded.

"Good, customer, please wait a moment. I'll fetch the Spirit Stones for you." As he spoke, the shopkeeper collected the elixirs.

The man in black, having overheard the shopkeeper's words, was already dumbfounded.

530 Spirit Stones, that was the fruit of his labor for several years.

Before long, the shopkeeper had prepared the Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Jing.

Having completed the transaction, Lin Jing took his leave from the shopkeeper.

"Fellow Daoist, please hold on a moment."

However, not long after he stepped out, someone called out to him.

Lin Jing turned around, only to see that it was the man in black from the shop.

"Fellow Daoist, may I inquire what you need?" Lin Jing asked.

The man in black sized up Lin Jing and then spoke:

"Seeing how you handled so many elixirs at once, I presume you are an alchemist, correct?"

"Yes," Lin Jing answered simply, without any concealment.

"I would like to propose a transaction with you, Fellow Daoist. What do you think?"

"A transaction?" Lin Jing frowned.

"That's right," the man in black said, taking out a black token from his person.

"I have here a Black Market Token, which allows anyone holding it to enter the black market."

"As an alchemist, Fellow Daoist, by holding this token and entering the black market, you can sell the elixirs you produce for more than fifty percent extra." 

"And I am not asking much for this token – just 500 Spirit Stones, and it's yours. It can be said to be quite a bargain."

"You might want to think about it. Based on the amount of elixirs you sold today, you could make back your investment and even earn quite a bit more after just a few transactions."

"You should consider it, that's over fifty percent profit…"

At this point, the man in black became somewhat excited.

After his excitement, the man in black looked straight at Lin Jing, awaiting his response.

In his mind, such a profitable deal was one that Lin Jing had no reason to reject.

However, Lin Jing's next words shattered his illusion.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

With that, he prepared to leave.

The man in black had evidently seen Lin Jing earn the Spirit Stones, which was why he had proposed this transaction.

Who knew if the token was real or fake. Moreover, even if it was real, the black market was probably not as simple as the man in black had described, allowing one to enter and exit at will.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

The man in black again blocked Lin Jing's path.

"You must think my token is fake, right?"

"If you don't trust me, we can go back and ask the shopkeeper we spoke with just now. He can verify that this token is genuinely authentic."

"Please step aside, I'm going back," Lin Jing replied, without any hint of uncertainty, and continued forward.

Leaving the man in black standing alone on the spot.

"Ptui…!" the man in black spat.

"Ungrateful. I'll remember you, just you wait," he said venomously, watching Lin Jing's retreating figure..

Chapter 27: Zhang Sen Borrows Spirit Stone Again

Now that night had just fallen, there were still many people on the streets, and Lin Jing felt no fear from the man in black doing him any harm.

Because in Fang Market, there were rules that no one could attack at will, otherwise, the penalty would be light in some cases, such as the abolition of one's cultivation, followed by expulsion from Fang Market.

In severe cases, the offender would be killed on the spot.

However, even so, there were still people who caused trouble at midnight, especially on the outskirts of Fang Market, where monitoring was not so strict, and people often disappeared.

As for the Fang Market itself, they turned a blind eye, as long as there was no trouble within the market itself.

The outskirts were just home to some Loose Cultivators who depended on Fang Market, and were not considered that important.

After leaving, Lin Jing strolled around for a bit before selling some elixir medicines in small quantities at other shops, and then he returned home.

Once home, Lin Jing poured out all his Spirit Stones and counted them.

With those sold today, Lin Jing now had nearly 1,800 Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

These Spirit Stones should be enough to buy a decent Magic Artifact, but he was unsure if he could afford a Magical Treasure that was a bit cheaper.

"Hmm, I'll go to Yuebaolou tomorrow to see if there are any Magical Treasures that are a bit cheaper,"

Lin Jing contemplated.

At night, Lin Jing entered the System Space, neatly putting away the harvested Spirit Rice and Seven-Star Grass.

After a few more days, he could sell the Spirit Rice and Seven-Star Grass.

Once everything was in order, Lin Jing commenced his alchemy work.

Perhaps due to bad luck, he didn't produce a single Pure Elixir that evening.

The next day, at Yuebaolou.

"Lin Daoyou, this Concealment Artifact can block the Divine Sense probes of late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Its effects could be said to be quite remarkable, and it's priced at only 1,200 Spirit Stones."

Lin Jing looked at the black cloak-like artifact. Wearing it on the head would be so conspicuous, what good would it do if it could defend against Divine Sense probes?

He couldn't help shaking his head.

The artifact was too conspicuous, and it could only guard against the Divine Sense probes of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, which did not meet his requirements.

However, with his finances, this was probably the best level of Concealment Artifact he could buy.

Magic Artifacts crafted by cultivators below the Golden Core Stage were called

'Magic Artifacts.'

Only Magical Treasures created by Golden Core Stage and above Cultivators were termed as Magical Treasures.

The Concealment Magical Treasure of the Golden Core Stage that Lin Jing wanted was too expensive, with the cheapest starting at tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

As for why Lin Jing didn't directly buy a Foundation Establishment Concealment Artifact,

It was because in the future he needed to frequently sell elixir medicines, and he needed to change his identity often to avoid attracting attention.

Moreover, most of the backers behind the various shops were Golden Core Stage Cultivators. In the future, Lin Jing would unavoidably sell a large quantity of Pure Elixir Medicines and have to interact with them; the Concealment function of a Foundation Establishment Artifact was practically nonexistent against Golden Core Stage Cultivators.

Buying one might as well be the same as not buying at all.

Feeling helpless, he could only put the idea aside for now. At present, it was still fine, as he had always been very careful and had not attracted anyone's attention. For the time being, there was no harm.

Then, Lin Jing returned home. Just as he arrived at the gate, stepping into the courtyard, someone called out to him.

"Brother Lin."

Lin Jing turned around to see that it was the brothers Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin.

"Brother Zhang, what is it?" Lin Jing asked.

Ever since he found out that the two were addicted to gambling, Lin Jing's impression of them had not been very good.

However, remembering that Zhang Sen had been of help when he had first arrived, Lin Jing did not show it too obviously.

"Brother Lin," Zhang Sen appeared somewhat uneasy, then continued to speak. 

"This time we're troubling Brother Lin to save us brothers. Please lend us 10 Spirit Stones so we can pay the management fee for this period at the Fang Market. We beg you, Brother Lin."

"Management fee?" Lin Jing pondered for a moment, then remembered.

Wasn't that what he paid yesterday? What was the matter with these two?

Logically speaking, it shouldn't be difficult for the two mid-stage Qi Practitioners to earn ten Spirit Stones, yet now they could not even produce that amount.

"Could it be that they gambled again?" Lin Jing thought subsequently.

"Sorry, I just paid the management fee, and I'm not very well-off lately," Lin Jing said, declining directly.

"Lin Brother, we've really run into some trouble this time. In consideration of us being neighbors, please help us out just this once,"

"Otherwise, I'll be chased out of here. There are demonic beasts everywhere outside now, and if I get chased out, we'll have no chance of survival,"

"I promise, after this time, I will quickly pay back the spirit stones I owe you."

Lin Jing had heard these words countless times already, and he found it hard to believe Zhang Sen anymore.

Lin Jing spoke coldly:

"Sorry, I truly don't have any spirit stones to lend you."

Zhang Sen became somewhat anxious and blurted out:

"That's impossible, how can you not have spirit stones? I just saw you leaving

Yuebaolou yesterday."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jing's expression collapsed:

"What I do doesn't require an explanation to you."

"Lin Brother, sorry, my brother spoke out of turn. Please, help us one more time, just this time,"

Zhang Sen's face now bore a pleading expression, while Zhang Lin beside him was keeping his head down, shivering.

Lin Jing looked at the two brothers, Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, with a cold expression:

"Gentlemen, out of neighborly consideration, I already did my duty by lending you spirit stones last time."

"Now, you haven't yet returned what you borrowed last time, and you're here to borrow again. Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

"Furthermore…"

"Shouldn't you be returning the spirit stones you borrowed last time…"

Just then, Ning Yue walked over with Luo Luo. Luo Luo ran up, grabbed Lin Jing's arm, looked up at him, and said:

"Uncle Lin, are those two trying to borrow your spirit stones again?"

"You must not lend it to them, they're bad people, and they just know how to cheat Uncle Lin of his spirit stones."

"Yesterday, my mother and I saw them coming out of… that place, what's it called, Qianjinfang."

"Mother said they lost all their money again, and they're definitely going to cheat people next. Uncle Lin, you must not fall for their tricks."

At this time, Ning Yue also spoke up:

"Lin Daoyou, you can't trust what they say."

Lin Jing nodded.

He looked at Zhang Sen again, whose complexion had darkened, knowing he definitely wouldn't be able to borrow this time.

"About the spirit stones borrowed last time, please give me a few more days,

Lin Brother. We'll return it as soon as possible," 

"Lin Brother, I'll take my leave."

With that, Zhang Sen bade farewell to Lin Jing and left.

However, the view of his back as he turned around seemed somewhat forlorn.

"Hmph…!"

Luo Luo snorted, then wore a triumphant face, as if she had won a great battle.

After Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin had walked far away, Luo Luo turned back around and put on a bitter face.

"Uncle Lin, save me," Luo Luo said with a cry.

"This little girl," Lin Jing said with a laugh yet not quite able to laugh.

"What's wrong with Luo Luo now? Who has bullied you? Tell your uncle."

"Mother is bullying me! She wouldn't let me come over to Uncle Lin's to mooch a meal yesterday."

"And Mom tried to cook like Uncle Lin. She's too clumsy, after following Uncle Lin for so long she still hasn't learned. The food isn't tasty at all, and she still insists I eat it."

"I really have it tough-"

Saying this, Luo Luo wiped away non-existent tears, feigning sadness. 

"Luo Luo, are you asking for it again?"

Luo Luo's voice wasn't quiet, Ning Yue heard every word clearly.

At this moment, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and with a lioness' roar, she startled Luo Luo into quickly running behind Lin Jing for cover.

Fearing a spanking..

Chapter 28: Ning Yue's Cooking Skills

Looking at the two, Lin Jing couldn't help chuckling and crying at the same time.

"Alright, alright…"

Lin Jing quickly intervened, worried that Luo Luo's bottom might soon get smacked if this continued.

"Yesterday, I sold some elixir medicine and bought some Superior Spirit Rice, so today we can try it together."

"Yay!"

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

After speaking, Luo Luo immediately ran into the courtyard.

"Lin Daoyou, the price of Superior Spirit Rice is so high nowadays, isn't that a bit wasteful?"

Ning Yue was somewhat worried, fearing that Lin Jing was being extravagant, especially since alchemists tend to spend a lot of Spirit Stones in the early days.

Lin Jing was well-prepared for such concerns.

"Ning Daoyou, take a look inside."

With that, Lin Jing took out a porcelain bottle and handed it over.

Ning Yue took the bottle, and as soon as she opened the stopper, a distinct fragrance unique to elixir medicines assaulted her senses, a scent she was very familiar with.

"Supreme Elixir Medicine!! ! "

Ning Yue's pupils dilated as she cried out in surprise.

She hadn't expected that Lin Jing would be able to produce Supreme Elixir Medicine so quickly.

Afterward, Ning Yue poured the elixirs into her hand and started to examine them closely.

The elixir medicine was smooth and free of any impurities, all the while emitting bursts of fragrance.

It was undoubtedly a Supreme Elixir.

Lin Jing scratched his head:

"Yesterday, I had the good fortune to concoct a Supreme Elixir, and I thought I'd reward myself, so I bought this Superior Spirit Rice."

"I also have to thank Ning Daoyou. If it weren't for your help, I would have probably given up on alchemy a long time ago."

"You're too modest, my friend."

Ning Yue put the elixirs back in the bottle and handed it to Lin Jing.

Thinking about how she had spent several years in alchemy yet hadn't achieved the results that Lin Jing had in just a few months, Ning Yue couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Your talent in alchemy is truly remarkable. I didn't really help you much; it's all down to your own efforts."

"Besides, you've been taking care of Luo Luo for so long. It's only right that I do these little things."

Lin Jing shook his head and said, 

"You're being too humble."

"Without the help of Ning Daoyou, I would probably still be failing every day and have run out of Spirit Stones by now, let alone treat myself."

"All of this is thanks to your contributions."

"Mommy, Uncle Lin…"

Ning Yue was about to say more when a sudden shout interrupted her.

Seeing the two just standing at the doorway and not entering, Luo Luo quickly asked:

"What are you two doing? I'm getting hungry."

"Mommy, didn't you say you wanted to learn cooking from Uncle Lin?"

Luo Luo's words made Ning Yue's face turn slightly red, causing her to give Luo Luo a glare.

This little girl was becoming more and more cheeky.

"Lin Daoyou, look…"

"It's no big deal, sure."

Lin Jing agreed before Ning Yue could finish her sentence. 

"It's just about lunchtime now. Ning Daoyou, let's go together." Saying this, Lin Jing led Ning Yue towards the kitchen.

When it comes to cooking versus alchemy,

Lin Jing felt that the difference wasn't significant; both required control over the heat and mastery of ingredient proportions.

Compared to alchemy, in fact, cooking seemed somewhat simpler.

The reason Ning Yue couldn't cook was because she had never focused on cooking.

Lin Jing had some understanding of Ning Yue's background.

Ning Yue herself was the treasured pearl of an Alchemy Dao family, where she never had to worry about her basic needs.

That is until she met Luo Luo's father and they fell in love at first sight. However, her family did not approve of their relationship.

But by that time, Ning Yue was already pregnant, so the two of them eloped to Nanshan Market together.

Things were alright before, with Luo Luo's father around to take care of most matters, and naturally, the cooking fell on his shoulders as well.

But after an accident befell Luo Luo's father, all the household responsibilities fell squarely on Ning Yue's shoulders.

Not only did she have to take care of Luo Luo, but she also had to find ways to earn Spirit Stones, leaving her no time to specifically learn how to cook.

After all, in Fang Market, one could hardly move an inch without Spirit Stones.

But now things were okay, as she had earned quite a few Spirit Stones from alchemy a while ago, and she didn't have to worry about Spirit Stones for the time being.

Moreover, ever since she had tasted the food made by Lin Jing, eating her own cooking…

Was like eating chalk and cheese, simply too hard to swallow.

No wonder even Luo Luo would come over to air her grievances.

Both of them busied themselves with the cooking, and indeed, it was much faster than when Lin Jing worked alone; in less than half an hour, the meal had already been served.

And Luo Luo had already been sitting at the table, unable to contain her impatience.

Once the three of them were seated, Luo Luo quickly picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.

"So delicious…" Luo Luo mumbled unclearly.

"Luo Luo, try this one."

Lin Jing pointed to a plate of green vegetables as he spoke.

Ning Yue felt somewhat nervous beside him because she was the one who had cooked this dish.

"Okay, Uncle Lin's cooking is always delicious."

As she spoke, Luo Luo picked up a piece of the vegetable and put it in her mouth.

After chewing twice, she seemed to sense something wrong; her small face scrunched up, and then with a 

"wah," she spat the vegetable out. 

"Uncle, this isn't made by you, is it?"

Luo Luo asked with a pained expression, looking at Lin Jing and simultaneously giving Ning Yue a sidelong glance that could not have been more obvious.

Initially, he hadn't planned on letting Ning Yue try her hand at cooking, but after watching for a while, she wanted to give it a try.

So, Lin Jing agreed to it.

Turning to Ning Yue, her face was already beet red to the tips of her ears at this moment.

Lin Jing also felt curious; was it really that bad?

With that thought, he reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of green vegetable, and put it into his mouth.

This taste…

Salty mixed with sour, and after chewing twice more, a bitter taste spread throughout his mouth, which was no wonder Luo Luo had spat it out directly.

Lin Jing looked at Ning Yue with a strange look in his eyes.

Ning Yue, feeling embarrassed, lowered her head.

Lin Jing swallowed the green vegetable in his mouth with difficulty and chuckled.

"Hehe…"

"Not bad, keep trying next time."

"Let's hurry up and eat before the dishes get cold."

It seemed teaching Ning Yue how to cook was going to be quite the long and arduous journey…

After the meal, with nothing much to do, Lin Jing started discussing alchemy with Ning Yue.

Time flowed like water and slipped away in an instant.

When the two of them snapped back to reality, it was already time to have dinner.

This time, under Lin Jing's guidance, Ning Yue stir-fried another dish, which, after being tasted by their little taste tester Luo Luo…

Received a verdict of 'edible'.

Ning Yue rolled her eyes, but her joy was evident in her expression.

In the following days, the two of them came over often.

Each time they arrived, they would bring some chicken, fish, meat, and vegetables, clearly showing Ning Yue's determination to learn cooking well.

During these evenings, besides practicing alchemy, Lin Jing also went out once or twice, selling some elixir medicines.

Until this day.

Lin Jing had just finished selling some Elixir Medicine and bid farewell to the Shopkeeper.

As he walked down the street, Lin Jing consistently felt something was off—he had the sense that someone was following him.

He stealthily looked back but saw nothing.

Lin Jing's brow furrowed tightly; during this time, he had been very careful, selling Elixir Medicines in different shops every time.

Plus, the quantity sold was not large, so certainly, he should not have drawn any tailing from anyone.

As he pondered with his brows knitted, a plan suddenly sprang up in his mind.

Lin Jing's lips curved into a smile:

"Let's see whether it's just my imagination or if someone is indeed following

Chapter 29: The Destruction of the Man in Black

Afterward, Lin Jing walked forward as if he had noticed nothing.

The feeling of being followed persisted throughout the journey, at times fading in and out of perception.

Not until he had left the Fang Market and entered the outskirts did this sensation suddenly intensify.

Lin Jing could even feel his heartbeat quickening beyond its normal pace.

"Ding"

The sudden sound of the system alert left Lin Jing momentarily stunned.

"System alert: Host detected in danger, alert function automatically upgrading."

"Alert function upgrade requires the deduction of 10 Harvest Points. Detecting that the host currently has 49 Harvest Points, deduction will proceed automatically." 

"Current remaining Harvest Points: 39."

"System upgrading…"

"Ding"

"Alert function upgrade complete, this function can now be used externally."

"Warning!"

"Within alert range, someone harbors lethal intent towards the host, please respond promptly."

Seeing the system notification, Lin Jing finally realized.

"Indeed, my feelings were correct. There really is someone tracking me, and they bear ill intent.'

Someone wanted to kill him.

It was obvious that after leaving the Fang Market, this person could no longer hold back.

As if oblivious, Lin Jing continued on until he reached an alleyway. With a turn, he entered the alley. 

"System."

"Enter System Space."

Upon stepping into the alley, Lin Jing silently called out to the system and entered the System Space.

"System, activate Observation Mode."

Just after entering the System Space, Lin Jing activated the Observation Mode.

His perspective shifted and Lin Jing began to surveil, with an unobstructed view of the outside world.

He saw a person clad in black clothing hurriedly approaching after Lin Jing's disappearance.

"Eh? Where's the person?"

The individual looked around but did not see Lin Jing, then expressed doubt.

While under Observation Mode, Lin Jing could see this person's appearance clearly.

It was the same man dressed in black who had tried to sell him the Black Market Token that day.

Lin Jing frowned in contemplation:

"Could this person have been eyeing me for some time?"

However, the man in black soon provided Lin Jing with the answer.

After searching around and seeing no one, the man in black started to doubt. 

"Where could he have gone, how could he just vanish all of a sudden?"

"Impossible, a mere Qi Refinement initial stage cultivator couldn't possibly have noticed me. Was I exposed already?"

"Does that mean I've been waiting here for days in vain?

The man in black was quite frustrated as he muttered to himself.

Ever since that incident, he had been lying in wait at the Fang Market for several days, just to catch Lin Jing making another appearance.

He had waited until today, finally seeing Lin Jing, only to lose him. The man in black felt unspeakably upset.

In his opinion, Lin Jing was merely a Qi Refinement third layer cultivator, while he was at the seventh layer, there was no reason for him to lose track of Lin Jing.

After all, he had been monitoring that fellow with his Divine Sense, yet he had disappeared suddenly.

After listening to the man in black's words, Lin Jing now understood that since the Black Market Token incident, this person had been waiting for him.

It was probably not just for revenge, it was very likely he also had plots of robbery and murder.

Thinking back to that day, after he had sold his Elixir Medicine and the behavior of the man in black, Lin Jing felt even more certain of his conclusion.

"It seems this person must be eliminated."

This man had memorized the way he looked in disguise, and Lin Jing had no skill in altering his appearance. No matter how he might disguise himself, it would be in vain and eventually, a flaw would be exposed.

And he didn't possess a magical treasure to change his appearance now; being targeted by this person meant he would likely never know peace in the future.

Therefore, this person had to be eliminated.

Having decided to dispose of this person, Lin Jing immediately took out his Storage Bag and fetched two talismans from within.

The two Five Thunder Talismans previously given by Senior Han.

This was Lin Jing's assurance.

At this moment, the man in black who had been searching outside for a while still hadn't found Lin Jing and was hanging his head, preparing to leave.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"You've been following me for so long, do you want to make a deal with me?"

The man in black was startled by this sudden voice, swiftly turned around, and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Lin Jing standing there.

"It's you! How did you appear?"

The man in black stared at Lin Jing, confusion in his voice.

"You need not worry about that."

"You've followed me all this way, could it be you want to trade your so-called Black Market Token with me again?" The man in black suddenly laughed.

"A trade?"

He finished speaking, took out a Black Market Token, and toyed with it in his hand.

"Are you talking about this?"

"This is a great item, but what a pity, you don't know its worth."

After saying this, the corners of the man in black's mouth curved into a cruel arc.

"Die you shall."

The man in black erupted into action, conjuring a Flying Sword magic artifact, and charged towards Lin Jing.

The person before him was too strange, and to avoid prolonging the night and more dreams, he decided not to delay and to kill him outright.

Lin Jing, however, was far from panicked, his eyes blazing as he intently watched the man in black approaching.

When the man in black was still about a dozen meters away from Lin Jing—

Lin Jing let out a light shout and quickly threw the Five Thunder Talisman he was clutching behind his back.

By the time the man in black noticed and saw it clearly, the Five Thunder Talisman was already in front of him.

"Five Thunder Talisman!!

The man in black was immediately scared witless, his arrogance gone, and he hurriedly halted his charge, trying to retreat backward.

However, it was too late to retreat now.

"Explode!"

With Lin Jing's command, the violent energy contained within the Five Thunder Talisman instantly tore the talisman to pieces, with dozens of bolts of lightning appearing out of thin air, brigh tening the sky and continual thunder rumbling, instantly engulfing the man in black.

"Ahhh…"

The man in black tumbled uncontrollably, emitting pitiful screams…

However, the screams did not last long before they vanished.

As for the man in black, he no longer made a sound.

It was no joke, this was a Five Thunder Talisman that only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could create, and the spell it released was equivalent to a full-strength attack from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

And what was the man in black's cultivation? Naturally, he couldn't withstand the attack from the Five Thunder Talisman.

A moment later, the lightning dissipated, the energy in the Five Thunder Talisman had been fully unleashed.

Only then did Lin Jing move forward to see the man in black's tragic state; half of his body had already disappeared, and most of the remaining torso was charred.

Clearly, he was dead beyond any doubt.

Lin Jing sighed in relief, then put away the second Five Thunder Talisman.

Picking up the broken Flying Sword from the ground, Lin Jing started rummaging through the man in black's corpse. It didn't take long for a Storage Bag to come into view.

"Good thing the Storage Bag is intact."

Having said that, Lin Jing picked the Storage Bag off the corpse, then reached out to catch it and put it away.

"With such a commotion having taken place here, it won't be long before someone comes to investigate. If discovered, he would be in a lot of trouble."

Considering this, Lin Jing applied a Godspeed Talisman and an Invisibility Talisman to himself, then looked around, finding no other people nearby. Empowered by the Godspeed Talisman, Lin Jing swiftly left the area.

Chapter 30: Black Market Token

After returning, Lin Jing took out the storage bag belonging to the man in black and probed into it with his divine sense.

Inside, there weren't many items: only a few dozen spirit stones, two common cultivation techniques, several low-level talismans, and the black market token.

The two cultivation techniques were of the sort found everywhere, one being the Qingmu Skill and the other the Sword Control Technique, which could be bought at the first floor of Yuebaolou for just a few dozen spirit stones, so they were not considered valuable.

Lin Jing naturally had no interest in flipping through them.

However, the black market token did pique his interest.

Lin Jing took the token out of the storage bag and started to examine it carefully.

The token was black all over, made from an unknown material that resembled metal—you could feel its cold touch, yet it was very light.

Considering the behavior of the man in black earlier, this token was most likely genuine.

Lin Jing examined the token in his hands, filled with questions.

"With this token, one can enter the black market? But where is the entrance to the black market?"

Just a token in hand, he couldn't figure it out no matter how much he investigated, and before long, Lin Jing put the token away.

He then recalled the battle that had taken place that day.

It must be said that the Foundation Establishment Stage Five Thunder Talisman is formidable. Beneath the enveloping lightning, the man in black had no chance to escape before he was dead.

"It seems I should buy a few more to have on hand for the future," Lin Jing thought to himself.

"Enter the System Space."

After putting away the storage bag of the man in black, Lin Jing entered the System Space once more.

Having harvested the Spirit Rice and the Seven-Star Grass a few days ago, he

Had yet to start the new planting.

Just today, he had bought some seeds.

These seeds were precisely the Spirit Plants required for concocting the Energy Gathering Pills.

With the constant upheaval caused by Demonic Beasts, the prices of elixir materials in the Fang Market were getting more and more expensive. In this large environment, Lin Jing decided to become self-sufficient.

Having his own fields, he naturally felt more secure.

As for the spiritual energy needed to cultivate these Spirit Plants, that was even less of a concern; the ample spiritual energy in the System Space was enough to nourish them.

After a busy night, Lin Jing was thoroughly exhausted.

However, even so, half of the Spirit Field within the System Space was still not planted.

Another day should be enough to finish it.

During the day, Ning Yue came over again with Luo Luo.

As the two entered, Lin Jing quickly took the ingredients and headed to the kitchen.

Ning Yue followed Lin Jing into the kitchen.

"Lin Daoyou, there was a fight last night in Green Smoke Alley; have you heard about it?" Ning Yue asked.

"Where is Green Smoke Alley?"

Lin Jing thought for a moment; he had never heard of this alley.

"I don't mean to conceal anything from Ning Daoyou, but I have just woken up and have not heard any news."

Ning Yue quickly explained:

"Green Smoke Alley is some distance away from here and is also close to the inner part of the Fang Market."

"Last night, there was a fight in the alley, where a Late Stage Qi Refining cultivator was struck dead with a thunder technique, seemingly at the hands of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

Hearing Ning Yue say this, Lin Jing instantly realized that this must be about the man in black he had killed last night being discovered.

It turned out that the scene of last night's killing was in Green Smoke Alley.

At the time, Lin Jing had chosen the location at random without much thought.

"Did the Fang Market get involved? What did they say?" Lin Jing hurriedly asked Ning Yue, wanting to know the attitude of the Fang Market.

Ning Yue replied:

"The Fang Market is already overwhelmed with dealing with Demonic Beasts, they can't manage these matters. As long as the fights don't occur within the Fang Market itself, they always turn a blind eye to the outside conflicts."

"The Fang Market has simply said it was a case of murder and robbery, and then there was no further investigation. They just told us to be more careful in the future."

Lin Jing thought to himself, 

"As expected, the Fang Market didn't probe any deeper. "

Before getting involved in this matter, Lin Jing had already anticipated the current situation, as the multitude of cultivators living on the periphery was not important to the Fang Market.

That was also why the man in black revealed his killing intent only after he left the inner parts of the Fang Market.

Because…

Inside the Fang Market, he would not dare to make a move.

After finishing, Ning Yue continued to caution Lin Jing:

"I know you sometimes go out at night, but it's better to go out less these days.

The Fang Market is becoming more and more unsafe.

"You never know when you could be ambushed like that Late Stage Qi Refining cultivator. "

After speaking, Ning Yue sighed.

"It's not only unsafe here, but the outskirts near the border areas are even worse. It's said that every few days, people are attacked by Demonic Beasts."

"Who knows how long this surge of Demonic Beasts will last."

"I just hope it doesn't spread here."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jing also fell silent for a while.

It seemed he would have to make some preparations in advance.

In the following days, Ning Yue continued to learn cooking with Lin Jing.

Over these few days, her culinary skills had improved greatly, to the extent that even Luo Luo was impressed.

After eating, with nothing else to do, Lin Jing looked at Luo Luo playing around in the room and suddenly spoke:

"Ning Daoyou."

"Luo Luo isn't young anymore, why haven't you let her start cultivation yet?"

This question had been on Lin Jing's mind for a long time. Other children Luo Luo's age had already started cultivating.

Ning Yue looked at Luo Luo and then spoke with a somber tone:

"When Luo Luo was born, her father and I tested her."

"Luo Luo… she has no Spiritual Root, and she can only be a mortal all her life." 

"But aren't both of you cultivators?" Lin Jing was full of confusion.

Offspring born to cultivators often had a high chance of possessing Spiritual Roots, and although the quality of the Spiritual Roots might not always be high, it was very rare for them to have none at all.

Moreover, Ning Yue had reached the Late Stage Qi Refining at her age, clearly indicating she had a very good Spiritual Root.

Lin Jing estimated that she must have at least a tri-attribute Spiritual Root.

It was said that Luo Luo's father's cultivation was not much different from Ning Yue's, so his Spiritual Root could not be poor either.

For Luo Luo, being the product of their love yet not having a Spiritual Root, was an extraordinary occurrence.

"We also checked many times…" Ning Yue said softly.

"I see…"

Lin Jing then looked down at Luo Luo, who was playing, and did not say more.

It was such a pity that Luo Luo couldn't cultivate. 

"Lin Daoyou."

Ning Yue suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

Lin Jing looked up at Ning Yue.

"Ning Daoyou, what's the matter?"

"In two days, it's New Year's Eve. In the past, we would gather with Wei Daoyou on this day. Would you like to join us?"

Before Lin Jing could respond, Luo Luo ran over, tugging at Lin Jing's hand and coquettishly said:

"Uncle Lin, come join us-I'

Lin Jing looked down at Luo Luo, her eyes full of anticipation.

Having been close to Lin Jing over this period of time, Luo Luo naturally did not want to be apart from him on such an important day.

"Alright."

He answered, gently ruffling Luo Luo's hair.

After speaking, Lin Jing's thoughts drifted away…

"So it's almost New Year's already…"

"I wonder how my family in that other world is doing?"

Chapter 31: Unparalleled Beauty

At dusk, the two of them departed.

Lin Jing once again entered the System Space and bustled about all evening before finally filling the Spirit Field with Spirit Plants. These Spirit Plants, unlike Spirit Rice, mature in half a year.

However, they mature quite rapidly.

But, the longer the age of the Spirit Plants, the better the effects of the Elixir Medicine refined from them.

Especially the main ingredient for the Energy Gathering Pill, Three-Leaf Spirit Grass, the older it is, the easier it is to refine high-quality Energy Gathering Pills.

If there is enough Spiritual Energy, the Three-Leaf Spirit Grass can even evolve again, growing into Five-Leaf Spirit Grass.

Five-Leaf Spirit Grass is extraordinary, as it is the main ingredient for refining the Second Rank Elixir, Gathering Yuan Pill.

By planting them in advance now, when the System Space upgrades and the concentration of Spiritual Energy increases again, these Three-Leaf Spirit Grasses are highly likely to evolve into Five-Leaf Spirit Grass.

By then, Lin Jing's Alchemy skills should also have reached the Second Rank. Having these Five -Leaf Spirit Grasses, he can start refining Gathering Yuan Pills directly.

Of course, even if they don't evolve into Five-Leaf Spirit Grass by then, it won't matter.

With these Three-Leaf Spirit Grasses, he can continue to refine Energy Gathering Pills and sell them, earning a good amount of Spirit Stones.

Time flew by, and soon it was New Year's Eve.

Just past noon, Lin Jing left the house.

Even though Demonic Beasts were causing trouble, the Fang Market was still full of New Year spirit, with crowded bustling streets, hawkers calls rising and falling one after another, and everyone dressed up and smiling.

It was as if the Demonic Beast uprising had never happened.

Perhaps this was the difference between the inside and the outskirts of the Fang Market.

Lin Jing bought some gifts and headed towards Yuebaolou.

With New Year's almost upon them, he planned to visit Elder Yu, who had been good to him and had also helped him in the past.

Also, Lin Jing intended to ask Elder Yu about the Black Market Token.

In Lin Jing's view, Elder Yu should know how to use the Token.

When he arrived at Yuebaolou, Elder Yu wasn't there.

After some inquiries, Lin Jing learned that Elder Yu had already left Nanshan Market some time ago and was not expected to return until after the New Year.

With no choice, Lin Jing had to leave.

After a stroll around the street, he specifically prepared a gift for Luo Luo and bought some food ingredients before heading home.

Close to home, Lin Jing bumped into the brothers Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin. Perhaps due to the previous incident, this time, contrary to usual, Zhang Sen didn't take the initiative to greet Lin Jing.

The two were dressed rather disheveled, heads lowered, hurrying past Lin Jing. As they got closer, Lin Jing saw that their complexions were slightly pale, as if they had been injured.

"They're probably being chased for debts by Qianjin Fang," Lin Jing thought.

The reason for this suspicion was that Ning Yue had mentioned this matter a couple of days earlier.

They had accumulated a batch of gambling debts at Qianjin Fang and were currently being pursued for payment.

Though they looked miserable now, Lin Jing had no sympathy for them; still gambling despite being in such a dire situation.

They had brought this upon themselves.

Lin Jing didn't return to his own courtyard but went to Ning Yue's front door instead.

"Knock knock knock"

Lin Jing knocked on Ning Yue's courtyard gate.

Then he heard Luo Luo's voice coming from inside the yard.

"Is that Uncle Lin?"

"It's me, Luo Luo, open the door," Lin Jing called out.

Soon, the door was opened by Luo Luo, and behind her stood Wei Zhengqing.

"Brother Wei."

Lin Jing greeted with clasped hands.

Wei Zhengqing nodded and responded with clasped hands, 

"Brother Lin."

Luo Luo immediately came over and grabbed Lin Jing's hand, saying happily:

"Uncle Lin, you've finally come."

"Mhm," Lin Jing said as he patted Luo Luo's head.

Then he handed over the puppet that he was holding in his other hand.

"Luo Luo, here, this is a gift for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin," Luo Luo took the puppet, her face brightening with joy.

"Uncle Lin, come in, this is your first time at our house, right?"

Luo Luo said, pulling Lin Jing toward the courtyard.

At this moment, Ning Yue also walked out from the kitchen and greeted Lin Jing before getting back to her busy tasks.

Seeing this, Lin Jing also went to the kitchen to help, while Wei Zhengqing, who could not cook, could only play with Luo Luo.

The bustle lasted for most of the day, and it quickly got dark outside as the households lit their lamps.

By now, everyone was seated at the table, which was covered with a feast of delicious food, making Luo Luo's mouth water almost to the point of drooling.

It was then that Ning Yue spoke up:

"Brother Zhengqing, Lin Daoyou,"

"Please wait a moment, I'll go and dress up."

Wei Zhengqing nodded his head.

Lin Jing, on the other hand, was somewhat baffled. She looked fine as she was, so why did she need to dress up?

Although he was curious, he did not voice his questions, instead nodding in response.

After all, that was a woman's private matter, and it would be rude to ask.

It was then that Luo Luo came over to Lin Jing's side, tugging on his sleeve.

Lin Jing looked down at Luo Luo.

"Don't be shocked later…"

Luo Luo whispered, as if she had a secret.

As Lin Jing pondered this, he saw Luo Luo wink mischievously.

He suddenly remembered.

Luo Luo had mentioned before that her mother was actually very beautiful.

"Could it be…"

After a while, Ning Yue, having dressed and made up, walked out slowly.

Seeing Ning Yue, Lin Jing was stunned on the spot.

He saw her eyes shining like bright moons, her face clear and beautiful, and her demeanor exceedingly charming, with a pure white long dress that perfectly outlined her figure…

She was truly a peerless beauty.

For so long, Lin Jing had never seen anyone who could compare to her.

"Ning Daoyou?

Lin Jing couldn't be sure and asked with a hint of doubt.

Ning Yue's cheeks turned slightly red, and she nodded.

"I apologize for not daring to show my true face due to the circumstances and keeping Lin Daoyou in the dark for so long."

Lin Jing took her in from head to toe, then waved his hand and said:

"It's alright, in these times, for someone with your looks…"

"It's indeed not suitable to show your true face. You've done the right thing."

Lin Jing was being sincere. If Ning Yue had not hidden her true appearance, she probably would have been captured as a dual cultivation furnace cauldron long ago, even with her late-stage Qi refining cultivation.

And the fact that Ning Yue would reveal her true appearance in front of Lin Jing clearly showed that she had complete trust in him. She believed he would never disclose her secret.

Lin Jing, of course, understood this.

They trusted him so much, and he would certainly keep their secret.

"Uncle Lin, what do you think? I told you my mother is beautiful, right?"

Luo Luo said proudly.

"Hmm?"

"Did you already tell Uncle Lin about this before?

Ning Yue pretended to be angry.

Frightened, Luo Luo shrank her neck and secretly hid behind Lin Jing, saying softly:

"Yes."

Ning Yue then lectured Luo Luo:

"Lucky for you, Uncle Lin is a good person."

"Otherwise, if others knew about this, we both wouldn't be able to run away. Do you understand?"

"Don't ever do this again, do you hear me?"

Knowing she was at fault, Luo Luo slowly came out and hastily apologized:

"Mother, I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again."

Seeing Luo Luo admit her mistake, Ning Yue softened her tone. 

"Alright, stop hiding behind Uncle Lin. Come over, let's start our meal.."

Chapter 32: New Year's Eve Party

They all sat down together and started chatting while eating.

Ning Yue's culinary skills had progressed remarkably since before.

After tasting today's dishes, Luo Luo praised them repeatedly, and even Wei Zhengqing nodded, agreeing with Luo Luo's opinion.

This made Ning Yue a bit embarrassed and he kept attributing the success to Lin Jing's merits.

At the table, Ning Yue inquired about Wei Zhengqing's recent circumstances.

Wei Zhengqing spoke at length.

Only then did Lin Jing learn that Wei Zhengqing often frequented the black market.

Lin Jing's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Brother Wei, I've inadvertently obtained a Black Market Token, but I am unsure whether it's authentic or fake. I was hoping you could take a look for me," he said.

As he spoke, Lin Jing took the Black Market Token out of his Storage Bag and handed it to Wei Zhengqing.

Wei Zhengqing took the Token and then examined it carefully.

Soon, Wei Zhengqing finished his examination and returned the Token to Lin Jing without asking where Lin Jing had acquired it from.

He nodded and said,

"This Token is real."

After that, Wei Zhengqing posed another question, 

"Brother Lin, have you never been to the black market before?"

Lin Jing nodded in response, 

"Yes, I acquired this Token by chance and don't even know what the black market looks like."

"The black market…"

"Unlike the Fang Market, it's filled with all sorts, selling both the good and the sinister. However, it predominantly deals in goods that can't see the light of day."

"As such, it's even more secretive, and ordinary people can't get in even if they have a Token."

"Then how does one enter?"

"To enter the black market, just having a Token isn't enough. You also need someone to lead you, otherwise, you won't even be able to find the entrance," he explained.

After speaking, Wei Zhengqing looked at Lin Jing and asked,

"Do you wish to enter the black market?"

"Yes," Lin Jing nodded.

"I want to buy some Magic Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques. I've searched many places, but haven't found anything satisfactory. That's why I thought of trying the black market."

In truth, this was only part of the reason; more importantly, Lin Jing wanted to sell Elixir Medicine through the black market.

As Wei Zhengqing had described, the black market was known for dealing in items that couldn't withstand the light of day and maintained strict confidentiality, which was perfectly suited for Lin Jing's current situation.

Especially having experienced the incident with the man in black, Lin Jing became even more cautious—selling more Elixir Medicine would make him a target for similar situations again.

He couldn't simply stop selling Elixir Medicine.

Therefore, finding a safe method to sell Elixir Medicine was of utmost importance.

Wei Zhengqing thought for a moment in silence.

"Indeed, the Fang Market has a variety of Magical Treasures and Cultivation Techniques, some of which may even be much cheaper than outside for certain reasons. However, it's best not to practice these as it's easy to offend certain powers," he said.

Instantly, Lin Jing understood that these must have been techniques that circulated from various families and sects.

"Are you sure you want to go to the black market?"

"If you want to enter, I can take you there," Wei Zhengqing repeated, seeking confirmation from Lin Jing.

Lin Jing nodded, 

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Wei when the time comes."

"Alright, after these few days pass, I'll take you there to have a look," Wei Zhengqing promised.

"Thank you, Brother Wei. "

"No need," Wei Zhengqing replied.

Afterward, everyone continued.

Ning Yue even brought out a jar of Spiritual Wine and poured some for the two of them.

As they drank their rounds, Wei Zhengqing, unlike before, opened up and started to chat with Ning Yue.

Lin Jing listened quietly on the side.

Meanwhile, the little girl was enjoying her meal thoroughly.

After listening for a while, Lin Jing came to know.

It turned out that Ning Yue and Luo Luo's father had come from the same place as Wei Zhengqing, and they had arrived at Nanshan Market together at the beginning.

No wonder they were so close to each other.

"Do you really not plan to go back?" Wei Zhengqing asked Ning Yue.

"I don't know, I don't even know how to face them," Ning Yue replied.

Ning Yue's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, her eyes reflecting a complex expression, as she shook her head.

Lin Jing remained silent, quietly listening to the conversation between the two.

He could tell that Ning Yue seemed to be in a dilemma. Wei Zhengqing's brows also creased as he said,

"But you can't keep going on like this."

"What about Luo Luo? You can't possibly take care of her for a lifetime, can you?"

As Wei Zhengqing reached this point, he stared intently at Ning Yue, then continued,

"Brother Su has already passed away and can't come back. Staying here isn't a solution either. Even if not for yourself, you have to think about Luo Luo."

"She lacks a Spiritual Root and is simply not suited for staying here. Back with the clan, she might have a better life."

Luo Luo, whose full name was Su Xinluo, was the biological daughter of Brother Su, mentioned by Wei Zhengqing.

Ning Yue was silent, knowing all too well that returning to the clan was indeed the best option for Luo Luo.

Yet, when she had snuck out back then, she had caused so much trouble for her parents.

Now, she simply could not face her family with any semblance of dignity.

"Remaining here is never a long-term plan, especially now with the Demonic Beats constantly causing chaos, and even Fang Market becoming more and more unsafe."

"I think if Brother Su were alive, he wouldn't want this for you." Wei Zhengqing finished speaking.

Then he picked up his cup from the table and drained it in one gulp.

Lin Jing also fell silent, knowing this was not the time to interject. After a long pause, it was Luo Luo who broke the oppressive atmosphere.

"Mother, Uncle Wei, Uncle Lin."

"Come on, try this; Mother's cooking has really improved, almost half as good as Uncle Lin now."

"Brother Wei, Daoist Ning," Lin Jing reminded them.

"Alright, let's eat."

Ning Yue temporarily composed herself.

And after a moment of silence, Wei Zhengqing spoke,

"To stay or to leave, that's your decision to make."

"Don't worry, even if you choose to stay here, as long as I'm around, I will never fail Brother Su's trust and will protect you and Luo Luo."

Having said that, Wei Zhengqing seemed to be hit by the effects of the wine.

He lifted his cup towards Lin Jing and said,

"Brother Lin, no retreat until we're drunk, how about it?"

"Good."

Lin Jing lifted his cup, clinked it against Wei Zhengqing's, and then drank it all down.

As Lin Jing and Wei Zhengqing were enjoying their drinks,

In the courtyard diagonally across from them, Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, the two brothers, were in a pitch-black room.

The room lacked even the glow of an oil lamp, completely dark, in stark contrast to the brightly lit opposite side. 

"Cough… cough cough…"

Zhang Sen couldn't stop coughing in the room.

"Big brother, how are you feeling?

Zhang Lin hurried to Zhang Sen's side and gently patted his back, trying to make him feel a little better.

"I'm fine."

Zhang Sen gestured for Zhang Lin to stop his patting.

"Those people from Qianjinfang are too ruthless, injuring you so badly." Zhang Lin said resentfully.

"It's inevitable, they are from Qianjinfang, with Foundation Establishment masters backing them, and we can't afford to provoke them." 

"These days, I've been thinking, we might have been tricked."

"The entire thing was probably a trap set by Qianjinfang, first baiting us to gamble, allowing us to win, then slowly sinking us deeper in, until we're completely bankrupt at the end."

As if aggravating his wounds, Zhang Sen clenched his teeth and frowned, then said,

"But knowing this now, what can we do? We still owe Qianjinfang several hundred Spirit Stones; they definitely won't let us off until we repay them.."

Chapter 33: Conspiracy

"Big Brother, I do have a method…"

Zhang Lin suddenly spoke up at this moment.

Zhang Sen turned his head toward his younger brother, asking urgently, 'What method? Speak quickly."

Zhang Lin's eyes gleamed coldly as he stared in the direction of Ning Yue's

small courtyard and suddenly asked Zhang Sen:

"Big Brother, do you think cultivating the Alchemy Technique consumes Spirit Stones?"

Zhang Sen nodded in affirmation:

"Of course, without a large number of Spirit Stones as a foundation, how could one cultivate the Alchemy Technique?"

"Especially at the beginning, when the failure rate is extremely high—if there weren't a large number of Spirit Stones to rely on, one certainly couldn't persist."

"However, once successful, an Alchemist could be considered the most profitable profession, with Spirit Stones flowing in endlessly." After finishing, Zhang Sen looked at Zhang Lin, puzzled: "What? You want to cultivate the Alchemy Technique?" He then shook his head, saying self-deprecatingly: "Given our current situation, better not to think about it…"

Yet Zhang Lin suddenly cut in, interrupting Zhang Sen:

"You've misunderstood, Big Brother."

"It's not so easy to master the Alchemy Technique; I know that all too well and wouldn't entertain such fanciful ideas."

"But isn't someone else cultivating the Alchemy Technique? If he didn't have Spirit Stones, how could he dare to pursue this Alchemy Technique?"

Zhang Sen suddenly came to a realization:

"Are you talking about Brother Lin?"

"But we haven't seen any activity from him lately; I think he must have given up by now."

"Whether he has given up or not, I am not sure, but I do know that he definitely has a substantial amount of Spirit Stones on him. As long as we take his Spirit Stones…" Zhang Lin said, his eyes brimming with malicious intent as he looked across.

"Then won't we have nothing to worry about?"

Zhang Sen frowned, hesitating:

"Doing such a thing doesn't seem right; Brother Lin hasn't done anything to wrong us. If we do this, wouldn't it be rather inappropriate?"

"Tsk…"

Zhang Lin was disdainful, scoffing at the notion.

"Big Brother, have you gone daft?"

"Have you forgotten the scene where we begged him at his doorstep just two days ago?"

"You were practically kneeling to him, but did he show you even a shred of

"Don't say he has no Spirit Stones."

"The fragrance wafting from his house these past few days, I've smelled it distinctly—it's definitely Superior Spirit Rice."

"He has the money to eat Superior Spirit Rice but refuses to lend us a single Spirit Stone, yet we're supposed to be neighbors."

"What Brother Lin? Pah…

Thinking back to that day made Zhang Lin extremely infuriated; neither he nor his brother had ever groveled so low before anyone.

Zhang Sen said nothing more and merely hung his head in silence.

Zhang Lin looked at his brother and, seeing that he wasn't defending Lin Jing, knew his words had taken effect.

He then continued to embellish and incite, saying:

"Big Brother, think about it."

"When Lin Jing first arrived here, wasn't it you who explained everything about this place to him every day? Without you, Big Brother, how could he have adapted so quickly here?"

"What's more, wasn't it you who introduced Ning Yue to them both?"

"Look at how close the two of them are now, sticking together every day, even sharing meals, they are practically one step away from sharing a bed." After finishing, Zhang Lin then added leisurely:

"Right, didn't we see him carrying things into the Su family's door this afternoon?"

"The two of them might still be drinking at this moment, and who knows what they'll do after finishing their wine…"

Zhang Sen looked up, his gaze pensive as he peered across.

Zhang Lin continued:

"They've all reached this point, and not only do they not thank you, Big Brother, they also give you the cold shoulder every day," said Zhang Lin. "Especially that widow, Ning Yue, she's the most detestable."

"If it were not for the fact that I can't beat her, I would have long…" Zhang Lin didn't continue his words…

Licking his lips, Zhang Lin began to let his imagination run wild.

"Although that widow Ning Yue isn't much to look at, her figure is definitely top-notch. If only…"

As Zhang Sen listened to Zhang Lin, he lowered his head in contemplation, reflecting on the recent encounters, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Don't forget, that Ning Yue is a Late Stage Qi Refining cultivator, and we are no match for her."

"He and Brother Lin… no, Lin Jing are so close; he certainly won't sit by and do nothing. "

"Besides, there's one person we can't overlook—that Wei fellow. If he's around, he might kill us both on the spot."

Zhang Lin smirked and reminded him:

"Big Brother, have you forgotten what time it is now? In a few days, Ning Yue and that Wei person will definitely go out, and that will be our chance." Zhang Sen's eyes lit up, "The anniversary of Ning Yue's husband's death…" "Exactly, we'll have at least one whole day," said Zhang Lin.

"Both of us are at the Mid Stage of Qi Refining, and that Lin Jing is only at the early stage. What's there to fear about not being able to handle him?"

"When the time comes, we'll sneak over the wall and get in. We'll capture him first to prevent him from hiding the Spirit Stones, then we can interrogate him. After we've finished plundering everything, we can just give him one slice and he's done for."

"That way, no one will be the wiser."

"What do you think about this plan, Big Brother?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Sen nodded in agreement.

"Alright, that's the plan."

Afterwards, with a sinister look in his eyes, he gazed towards the opposite side:

"If you're heartless, then don't blame me for being unrighteous."

Meanwhile, across the way, Lin Jing was drinking wine. At this moment, slightly drunk, he was unaware that a conspiracy against him was about to unfold.

The gathering continued until late into the night before it ended.

Afterward, Lin Jing returned home and immediately entered the System Space.

Once inside the System Space, Lin Jing sat down cross-legged and began to drive the effects of the alcohol out of his system.

Because tonight, he had an important task to accomplish.

The outside world was becoming increasingly chaotic, and he too needed to rapidly enhance his own strength.

"System, open the panel."

Lin Jing summoned the system panel to check his cultivation.

Lin Jing (24/90)

Spiritual Root: Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root (Low Grade)

Cultivation: Qi Refining Third Level (96%) Cultivation Technique: Qingyuan

Dao Method (First Layer), Qingyuan Sword Control Technique (Beginner),

Controlling Fire Technique (Proficient)

Secondary Occupation: First Grade Alchemist (1982/3000)

"96% in cultivation. Just one Pure Elixir is needed to reach the Fourth Level of Qi Refining."

The Fourth Level of Qi Refining marks the Mid Stage.

The Mid Stage Qi Refining is completely different from the Early Stage.

The biggest difference is that only at the Mid Stage can one fly with swords and also begin to practice intermediate spells.

Even at the Third Level of Qi Refining, he could only practice some basic spells such as the Wind Blade Technique, Fireball Technique, and Item Control Technique.

The Qingyuan Sword Control Technique he practiced at Qingyuan Sword Sect was one such basic spell. Even at its utmost proficiency, its power is limited.

Therefore, Lin Jing has not been practicing it, finding the use of Talismans to be simpler and more convenient, as they only require spiritual power to activate.

Of course, the Controlling Fire Technique is different.

The Controlling Fire Technique is a fundamental auxiliary spell that every Alchemist must learn, and it's not meant for combat.

As for sword flying, there's no need to say more, as Lin Jing had been looking forward to it for a long time..

Chapter 34: Breakthrough Failure

Following that, Lin Jing took out a Pure Jade Box from his Storage Bag, containing a Pure Energy Gathering Pill.

This Energy Gathering Pill had only been refined a few days ago and he had yet to take it.

After adjusting his condition, Lin Jing began preparations for his breakthrough.

Opening the Pure Jade Box, Lin Jing picked up the Energy Gathering Pill and placed it directly into his mouth.

He then closed his eyes and started to operate his cultivation technique.

Soon, the Spiritual Power contained within the Energy Gathering Pill burst forth; Lin Jing felt a surge of comfort and immediately, without delay, he began to exert his full strength in operating his cultivation technique to absorb the potency of the elixir.

Time was untrackable…

It was at this critical moment, while Lin Jing was frowning in deep concentration, absorbing the elixir's potency and attempting to break through. Suddenly, a system warning sounded, abruptly awakening Lin Jing.

"Ding"

"Warning! The host's foundation is detected to be unstable while forcibly attempting to break through to the next realm. The host is advised to cease immediately."

At this moment, the recently startled Lin Jing had a confused expression, unclear about the current situation.

The System had actually taken the initiative to prevent his breakthrough.

"System."

"What's going on?"

Lin Jing called out to the System and asked aloud.

Soon after, the System's voice resonated.

"Host, the System has detected that the time since your last breakthrough is too short. Your Divine Sense Realm is not stable and cannot support the host's breakthrough to the next stage. Forcing a breakthrough could, at best, result in severe injury or, at worst, death."

"Please, host, cultivate diligently and wait for your Divine Sense Realm to stabilize before attempting to break through on your own."

"So that's how it is."

Lin Jing suddenly realized; he had been trying repeatedly to break through with great difficulty, none of which had been successful.

Originally, he thought it was because of his low talent that he had difficulties in breaking through and was exerting his utmost effort to do so.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Lin Jing suddenly noticed something was amiss.

The abrupt interruption of his breakthrough did not calm the Spiritual Power within his body, which was continuing to grow.

A vast amount of Spiritual Power was bombarding his meridians, causing Lin Jing to feel as if his body was swelling, ready to burst, and the discomfort was unbearable.

"System."

Lin Jing hurriedly called out to the System.

"A large amount of Spiritual Power is accumulating in my meridians; is there a way to resolve this?"

"Please wait, host. The System is working on a solution for you," responded the System.

No sooner had the System's words fallen than Lin Jing felt the Spiritual Power within his meridians dissipating slowly.

In no time, Lin Jing's body returned to normal. Only then did Lin Jing breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness for the System."

Afterward, he carefully reflected on the recent times. Besides Alchemy and reviewing elixir recipes, he occasionally took Luo Luo out to the Fang Market.

He seldom meditated for cultivation, thinking he could rely on Elixir Medicine to breakthrough, but who knew he would encounter this situation.

No wonder, considering that he previously had an exceptionally poor talent for cultivation, identified as a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root. It was impossible for him to have breakthroughs so swiftly, and naturally, he had never faced an unstable Divine Sense Realm before.

Probably even his predecessor's father hadn't expected that one day he could break through so quickly, and so he had never explained so much to him.

Faced with such a big blunder, Lin Jing could only smile wryly.

Cultivation, cultivation—it seems that I need to focus on it after all.

Following this.

Lin Jing decided not to waste any more time and immediately began to sit in meditation for cultivation.

In the following days, Lin Jing stopped wandering around aimlessly.

He stayed home and cultivated earnestly.

Early this morning, Ning Yue and Wei Zhengqing took Luo Luo with them and left the house.

Lin Jing knew that today was the memorial day for Luo Luo's father, and they were heading up the mountain outside the Fang Market to pay their respects.

Although Demonic Beasts were present outside the Fang Market, with both Wei Zhengqing and Ning Yue being at the Late Stage Qi Refining, there shouldn't be any problems.

Even if he came across Demonic Beasts he couldn't defeat, escaping was still not a problem.

As for Ning Yue, she still, as always, hid her true appearance, which made Lin Jing, who had seen her real face, somewhat unaccustomed.

Such an unparalleled beauty, yet forced to disguise herself every day, afraid to display her looks in front of others.

It showed the chaos of the Cultivation World.

Lin Jing was also alerted by this, realizing he must keep the fact that he could craft Pure Elixirs a secret from others.

If by accident someone discovered his high success rate in crafting Pure Elixirs, what awaited him would likely not be admiration, but captivity.

Then, he would become another's tool for Alchemy.

If he were even more careless and people found out about the System, the consequence, he need not think about it, was outright destruction.

In the room, Lin Jing was meditating and cultivating, condensing his Divine Sense.

Although Spiritual Energy was scarce here, it did not affect the cultivation of Divine Sense; there was no need for Lin Jing to enter the System Space to cultivate.

And so he continued, until night fell.

Lin Jing still seemingly unaware, was engrossed in his cultivation.

Suddenly, the system alert sounded.

"Warning! Someone has breached the perimeter. Host, please respond in time."

Lin Jing, who was meditating, instantly opened his eyes, sensing that two people had climbed over the wall and into his yard.

The perimeter he had set was based on the entire yard; as soon as any strangers broke into the yard, the system would sound an alert to notify Lin Jing.

"Enter System Space."

Lin Jing's first reaction was to duck into the safety of the System Space.

Putting aside the intentions of the two individuals in the yard, with Lin Jing's current level of cultivation, no matter who it was, he feared he would not be a match for them.

Therefore, ensuring his own safety was of utmost importance.

Besides, sneaking into someone else's yard by climbing the wall late at night, could it ever be for a good reason? "System."

"Activate Observation Mode."

After taking refuge in the System Space, Lin Jing immediately activated Observation Mode, wanting to see who had suddenly broken into his home at this hour.

Just as Lin Jing entered the System Space, the two people in the yard were taken aback and stood still.

Zhang Lin was the first to speak:

"Big brother, what's going on?"

"Just now I could still sense his presence, how did it suddenly disappear?"

"Could I have sensed it wrong? We've been watching all day, and he definitely hasn't left the house."

Zhang Sen stared intently at the house. No lights were on inside, it was pitch black. Moments before, just like Zhanz Lin, he had also felt Lin Jing's presence suddenly vanish.

Then, he stretched out his hand to stop Zhang Lin, who was about to move forward, and whispered:

"Be careful, something's off."

Under Observation Mode, even though the two had taken some basic precautions to conceal themselves, Lin Jing could still make out their appearances.

"It's actually those two, what are they trying to do?"

Lin Jing's brows furrowed tightly, and a surge of anger rose from the bottom of his heart.

He didn't recall offending them, and he had even helped them previously, paying off their debts.

And yet, in the blink of an eye, they had snuck into his home.

It seemed, one really couldn't be too trusting of others.

Lin Jing kept his eyes fixed on the two, pondering. He still had one Five Thunder Talisman, but facing both of them at once, he probably wouldn't succeed.

The two, due to Lin Jing's sudden disappearance, were now very cautious, constantly on the alert.

If Lin Jing were to suddenly appear, chances were they would become even more vigilant, and even if he threw the Five Thunder Talisman…

With their current level of caution, it probably wouldn't have much of an effect.

"Could it be that I need to use Fixed Point Teleportation again?

Chapter 35: The Night Raid on the Home

"Never mind."

"Let's see what exactly they intend to do first."

There weren't any valuables in Lin Jing's house; even the only valuable item, the Pill Furnace, was still kept in the System Space, so he just let them do as they pleased.

What was most important was to see their true purpose. If they posed a threat to him, then he must think of a way to remove them both. Thus, Lin Jing watched as two people barged into his house.

"Big brother, there's nobody here."

The intruder, Zhang Lin, quickly scanned the room and then spoke in a low voice.

Zhang Sen hurriedly said, "Never mind that now, quickly look for the Spirit

Stone."

Then the two of them began searching the house. Although it was night, their mid-stage Qi Refinement abilities meant that the darkness didn't affect them much.

Before long, the entire house had been turned upside down; clothes and miscellaneous items were scattered everywhere, the place was a complete mess.

"There's nothing…"

"Not even a Pill Furnace. How could this be?"

Zhang Lin looked at the disordered room, unable to believe his eyes.

Zhang Sen lowered his head in thought, then raised it and said to Zhang Lin,

"Let's go."

Yet, Zhang Lin was reluctant: "This can't be. How could there be nothing?"

"It's not that there is nothing; it's that he has everything on him. He has a Storage Bag, " said Zhang Sen with certainty.

"A Storage Bag…!" Zhang Lin exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed. I didn't expect him to hide it so well; I didn't see it coming. He's been on guard against us all along, keeping the fact that he owns a Storage Bag from us."

Zhang Sen's tone revealed a hint of helplessness.

"So we're just going to let it go?" asked Zhang Lin.

"What else can we do? He's been on guard against us, especially with what happened today, which is too strange. We clearly didn't see him leave the house, yet he isn't inside."

"It's very likely that he used some other method to deceive us, just like when we first came in. We clearly sensed his presence, but it suddenly disappeared."

Zhang Sen said this and looked around the room but didn't find anything unusual.

"Let's go; let's leave this place first."

"Let's go back. That widow Ning Yue could return at any moment, and we're not safe here."

"After we get back, keep an eye on this place. If the widow Ning Yue returns, we'll act as if nothing happened today and as though we don't know a thing."

"But…"

Zhang Sen looked out the window with a cold gaze:

"If Lin Jing comes back first, we don't have to hold back; just kill him directly. This kid is too secretive; I have a bad feeling about him. We can't let him live."

"You're right, big brother."

After Zhang Lin agreed, the two of them quickly climbed over the wall to leave.

Before leaving, they didn't forget to use a Spell to clean up any traces of their presence they had left behind.

After the two had gone,

Lin Jing also exited Observation Mode.

Inside the System Space, Lin Jing's brows were tightly furrowed as he contemplated his next move.

The danger hadn't passed yet; he couldn't leave the System Space just now.

"Those two have murderous intent against me; they definitely can't be spared," Lin Jing thought to himself. But as to how to eliminate them, that needed to be carefully considered.

In fact, Lin Jing could use either Ning Yue or Wei Zhengqing to dispose of them.

But that would leave many things unexplained.

For example, how would Lin Jing know their conspiracy and how did he know it was those two who had broken into his house?

After all, they had been quite thorough; they left no trace behind.

Lin Jing sighed:

"It looks like I'll have to do it myself after all."

Following that, Lin Jing didn't go out but started to cultivate directly inside the System Space.

Fortunately, with the time accumulation feature in place and having learned from past experiences, Lin Jing always reserved some time to enter the System Space.

It wasn't much, just twenty hours, but that was already enough to deal with the crisis Lin Jing was currently facing.

Moreover, Ning Yue and Wei Zhengqing were almost back. With both of them around, the brothers Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin wouldn't dare to cause trouble.

Soon, Lin Jing, who was cultivating in the System Space, was startled awake by an alert from the system.

"Alert! An intrusion has been detected within the Derimeter. Dlease resoond promptly, Host."

Lin Jing entered Observation Mode directly and saw the people who had entered his yard.

It was Wei Zhengqing and Ning Yue, and Luo Luo was with them as well.

Wei Zhengqing walked into the house, his face ashen as he observed the disarray inside.

Following him into the house, Ning Yue also frowned at the mess.

Luo Luo, clutching Ning Yue's hand, expressed her concerns in a soft voice: "Mother, what's happened to Uncle Lin's home? Is he all right?"

"There is no smell of blood. It looks like a burglary, or perhaps a search for something."

"It is very likely that the thief came when Brother Lin was not home, otherwise, the house would not have been left in such chaos."

After observing the situation, Wei Zhengqing concluded.

"Lin Daoyou is usually very discreet and shouldn't have provoked anyone. From the looks of it, could it really be a case of burglary?"

After Ning Yue finished speaking, she comforted Luo Luo. "Don't worry, your Uncle Lin should be fine now." "Oh," Luo Luo replied.

Seeing this, Lin Jing exited Observation Mode.

"It's time to go out."

Now that Ning Yue and Wei Zhengqing had returned, his safety was assured; it was time to go back.

"System, activate Fixed Point Teleportation."

It had to be said that the Fixed Point Teleportation feature was indeed very handy.

Quickly, Lin Jing confirmed the teleportation location, spent a few Harvest Points, and teleported out.

The place he chose to teleport to was not far from home.

He quickly returned to his house, found his front door wide open, and, pretending to know nothing, he cried out in shock and rushed inside.

Inside the house, Ning Yue and Wei Zhengqing were cleaning up for him, and Luo Luo was also helping. "Fellow Ning, Brother Wei."

"What has happened here?"

Lin Jing asked, looking shocked.

"Uncle Lin, you're back," said Luo Luo as she ran over to him.

"Uncle Lin, did you know that there has been a thief in your house that made a mess of everything? We are helping you clean up," Wei Zhengqing said as he addressed Lin Jing:

"Brother Lin, have you offended anyone recently?"

Lin Jing was taken aback and responded, "No, as you know, I rarely interact with others, let alone offend anyone."

Wei Zhengqing nodded after hearing this.

"Then it must have been a burglary."

"You are lucky not to have been inside; otherwise, you might have been in grave danger."

"Such incidents, though not common around the outskirts of Fang Market, are not unheard of."

Ning Yue also spoke up at this time:

"Fellow Lin, see if anything important is missing."

Lin Jing reassured, "Fellow Ning need not worry, all my belongings are in the Storage Bag, there's nothing valuable left around the house."

"That's good," Ning Yue sighed in relief.

"It's also fortunate you weren't home, who knows what might have happened.."