20: Are you coming again?

Inside the secret room, a bone-chilling cold filled the air.

Zhou Wannian sat cross-legged, holding that piece of ink-black yin chen wood in both hands, his breathing almost nonexistent.

The icy aura emitted by the yin chen wood seeped into his Meridians through his palms. Instead of causing frostbite, it acted like a sedative, slowing down his once-racing blood flow. Even his heartbeat became extremely sluggish, thumping only three to five times a minute.

The Turtle Breathing Technique focused on the concept of "spirit wandering beyond the world, body like withered wood."

Originally, this Spell was extremely difficult to master because Cultivators were accustomed to the fullness of Spiritual Qi circulating in their bodies; it was hard to endure that "death-like" silence.

But with this top-grade yin chen wood as an aid, Zhou Wannian seemed to truly transform into a piece of decayed wood buried underground for a thousand years.

Three days and three nights passed without him moving an inch.

Until the morning of the fourth day.

"Whew..."

Zhou Wannian slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi. This breath actually condensed into frost, falling to the ground and refusing to dissipate for a long time.

He opened his eyes. His once brilliant gaze was now turbid and dim, and the spiritual power fluctuations on his body had plummeted off a cliff, dropping directly from the third layer of Qi Refining to the Early Stage of the Qi Refining Second Layer. Furthermore, his aura was weak and unstable, making him look like a destitute Loose Cultivator with a damaged Foundation and little Lifespan remaining.

"Turtle Breathing Technique, Minor Achievement."

Zhou Wannian stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff joints.

This disguise wasn't a simple illusion; it was a comprehensive suppression of physiological functions. Unless a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator specifically used their Divine Sense to probe his Meridians inch by inch, no one within the Qi Refining stage could see through his true cultivation.

"Now, even if I stand before Chen Li, he will only see me as an insignificant ant."

Zhou Wannian satisfiedly put away the yin chen wood.

With this layer of protection, he could finally step out with peace of mind... As he pushed open the courtyard gate, he happened to run into his neighbor, Gu Fan, coming out to take out the trash.

"Eh? Fellow Daoist Zhou?"

Gu Fan was stunned for a moment when he saw Zhou Wannian, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. "I haven't seen you for a few days, Fellow Daoist Zhou. Why does your complexion... look so poor?"

In his perception, Zhou Wannian's entire being exuded an air of senescence, as if he had just suffered a major illness.

"Sigh, don't mention it."

Zhou Wannian gave a bitter smile and coughed violently twice. "A few days ago, I tried to draw a new Talisman. I ended up overexerting my mind and soul, damaging my Origin Qi. I'm afraid I'll have to recuperate for a while."

"Drawing Talismans earns money, but you must take care of your health."

Gu Fan didn't suspect anything; instead, he showed a look of sympathy. Although Talisman masters seemed glamorous, it was common for exploding Talismans to injure the body. It seemed this neighbor's life wasn't easy either.

"Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Gu. By the way, how has the market been these past two days?" Zhou Wannian took the opportunity to inquire.

At the mention of this, Gu Fan's expression instantly became incredibly grim.

"It's a mess, a complete mess."

Gu Fan pointed toward the west and lowered his voice. "I heard that over in the Shantytown... a 'plague' has broken out."

"A plague?" Zhou Wannian's heart stirred.

Cultivators were immune to a hundred diseases; where would a plague come from? Unless... "It's Devilish Qi erosion!"

Gu Fan's eyes were full of terror. "In the last few days, many Loose Cultivators in the Shantytown suddenly went mad, biting anyone they saw, and their corpses turned black after death. The Chen family says it's poisoning by demonic Cultivators and has already blockaded the entire Shantytown. Only entry is allowed, no exit!"

Zhou Wannian's heart sank abruptly.

The Shantytown was the place where he had lived for three years.

"I'll go take a look."

...The west district of the market, at the junction between the outer district and the Shantytown.

The checkpoint, which used to be bustling, was now heavily guarded by the Chen Family Enforcement Team. A pale red Formation light curtain rose into the sky, enveloping the entire Shantytown like a giant cage.

Through the light curtain, thick smoke could be seen billowing, and the faint sounds of shrill screams and the roar of Spells could be heard.

Outside the checkpoint, hundreds of Loose Cultivators who had luckily escaped from the Shantytown were gathered, kneeling on the ground and pleading piteously.

"Sir! Please let us in! My wife is still inside!"

"Sir! I'm not infected! Let me into the outer district! I have Spirit Stones! I have five Spirit Stones!"

However, facing these pleas, the Chen Family Enforcement Team only held cold Magical Artifacts.

"Back off! Anyone who dares to approach within ten zhang of the checkpoint will be executed without mercy!"

The leading enforcement captain held a dharma sword, slashing a beam of Sword Qi onto the ground, carving out a deep trench.

Zhou Wannian mingled in the crowd of onlookers in the distance. Having activated the Turtle Breathing Technique, he looked like an unremarkable bystander.

Looking at the purgatory-like Shantytown, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Fortunately.

Fortunately, he had saved enough money half a month ago and decisively moved out.

Otherwise, the one locked in that cage waiting for death right now would be him, Zhou Wannian!

"This is the fate of low-level Loose Cultivators."

Zhou Wannian's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

In the eyes of those powerful figures, the thousands of lives in the Shantytown were perhaps truly just consumables used to block the spread of Devilish Qi.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd.

"Let me through! I am a manager here! I know Steward Chen!"

A fat man in rags and covered in blood was rushing toward the checkpoint like a madman.

Zhou Wannian focused his gaze, his pupils shrinking slightly.

It was Steward Zhou The Exploiter.

The landlord who used to be so overbearing and arrogant in the Shantytown was now like a stray dog.

One of his legs seemed to be broken, dragging on the ground, and the silk robe he usually couldn't bear to wear had become tattered rags.

Most terrifyingly, his face and neck were covered in black patterns—a sign of deep Devilish Qi erosion!

"Get lost!"

A Cultivator from the Law Enforcement Team kicked him in the chest with disgust.

Bang!

Steward Zhou The Exploiter rolled away like a ball, crashing heavily onto the ground and spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

"I am a manager... I've collected rent for the Chen family for ten years... You can't do this to me..."

Steward Zhou The Exploiter struggled on the ground, his voice hoarse and desperate.

But the black Qi in his eyes grew thicker and thicker, and his sanity seemed to be slipping away.

Suddenly, he let out a beast-like roar and actually opened his mouth, lunging to bite the nearest Loose Cultivator!

Puchi!

A cold flash of light passed by.

Steward Zhou The Exploiter's head flew high into the air, and his headless corpse twitched twice before becoming still.

The one who drew the sword was the leading enforcement captain.

"Already demonized, executed on the spot." The captain coldly sheathed his sword as if he had merely stepped on a bedbug.

The surrounding crowd went deathly silent for a moment, then erupted in even more terrified screams, retreating one after another.

Zhou Wannian stood at a distance, quietly watching this scene.

Steward Zhou The Exploiter was dead.

This man, who was once an insurmountable "mountain" in his eyes, had died so casually by the roadside, with no one even to collect his body.

"Devilish Qi erosion..."

Zhou Wannian touched the Storage Pouch in his bosom.

Lying there were dozens of "Earthworm Version Cleaning Talismans."

He knew very well that as long as he slapped one on Steward Zhou The Exploiter to suck out the Devilish Qi in his body, the man might have been saved. Even if he were willing to act, many of the lightly infected Loose Cultivators outside this checkpoint could survive.

But he did not move.

His hands remained tucked in his sleeves, his eyes as indifferent as a pool of stagnant water.

Save people?

With what?

Once he brought out a Talisman that could restrain Devilish Qi, what awaited him would not be gratitude, but more frantic capture and dissection research by the Chen family. Even those he saved might unhesitatingly betray him just to stay alive.

"I'm just an ordinary person who wants to survive; I can't save the world."

Zhou Wannian took one last look at Steward Zhou The Exploiter's corpse, lowered his bamboo hat, turned against the flow of people, and silently left this place of trouble... Returning to Cuizhu Lane, Zhou Wannian did not go back to his room immediately.

He first went to Gu Fan's house.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, let me borrow your 'Formation carving knife' set."

"Ah? What do you want the carving knives for, Fellow Daoist Zhou?"

"To reinforce my Formations."

Zhou Wannian had a serious expression. "Something big happened in the Shantytown, and this outer district might not be safe either. I'm going to upgrade the Formations at home again."

Hearing that something happened in the Shantytown, Gu Fan also became nervous and lent him the carving knives without a second word.

Back in his own courtyard.

Zhou Wannian took out the piece of yin chen wood.

He had originally intended to use this wood to slowly nourish his Divine Soul, but the current situation gave him a more urgent plan.

"Although I can't save others, I must ensure I can survive."

"This yin chen wood is perfect to use as the hidden Formation eye for the 'Lesser Five Elements Maze Formation'."

"Plus the 'Devilish Qi Talisman' in my hand..."

Zhou Wannian's gaze fell on the jade box containing the sealed poison Talisman, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

"If it really comes to a last resort, this Talisman will be the final 'gift' I've prepared for any intruders."

For the next few days, Zhou Wannian closed his doors to guests.

He busied himself day and night in the courtyard, carving the yin chen wood into a Formation Plate and burying it underground. As the Formation Plate clicked into place, the aura of the entire Courtyard Jia 16 became even more obscure and indecipherable. From the outside, it still looked like there was only a light white mist, but to Divine Sense, it felt like a black hole that swallowed everything.

Only after finishing all this did Zhou Wannian breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"Formation upgrade complete, cultivation concealment complete."

"Next is to stockpile resources and wait for the storm to pass."

He tallied the Spirit Stones in his Storage Pouch.

There were still one hundred and ten left.

"Enough. As long as I don't court death, these Spirit Stones are enough for me to lay low for half a year."

However, the tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop.

Late at night on the third day after Zhou Wannian prepared to enter "long-term shut-in" mode.

The midnight had passed.

As was his custom, he took out the Heavenly Secret Dao Disk.

"I ask the Heavenly Secret: in the next three days, will there be any calamity in Cuizhu Lane that affects me?"

Buzz—

The bronze tortoise shell spun. This time, it spun exceptionally fast, even exuding an aura of anxiety.

[Today's Divination: Ominous!]

[Source of Calamity: Next door, Courtyard Jia 15.]

[Divination Text: While repairing a Formation Plate for 'Old Black Junk Shop', Gu Fan unintentionally discovered a 'demonic path map' hidden among the waste materials. The power behind Old Black Junk Shop (the Robber Cultivator group 'Black Wind Stockade') has noticed and will move to silence him tomorrow at the midnight.]

[Implication: When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. After the silencing, the Robber Cultivators will conveniently clean up the 'witness' next door (i.e., the Host).]

Looking at the divination, the corners of Zhou Wannian's mouth twitched violently.

"Gu Fan, oh Gu Fan..."

"You are truly a jinx!"

"I already saved you once, and you still managed to attract even bigger trouble?!"