It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

"Aaaaaah—!"

Back in his own house, after confirming that no one was home, he revealed himself and plopped down on the familiar, half-warm kang (heated brick bed).

All the tension, discomfort, and embarrassing moments that had been suppressed exploded instantly.

Qinghe Miao clutched his head and collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), pressing his face against the mat, his body rolling back and forth involuntarily.

The hard, brick-and-stone surface of the kang mat hurt him terribly.

What on earth is he doing?!

Once he calmed down a bit, he remained in that position and started the system with a sullen expression.

He looked straight at the status bar, his gaze landing on the entry he had only managed to cultivate in his lifetime:

[Murderous Intent]

[Due to long-term suppression of the killing desire to gain experience, when faced with targets that can easily provide experience, there is a subconscious tendency to disregard life and resolve the situation in the most efficient way. There is an unconscious expectation and impulse towards combat and reaping.]

As long as you "fight monsters," you can level up, become stronger, and even... perhaps one day achieve immortality.

This is undoubtedly a huge and irresistible temptation for anyone who possesses such an ability.

Even the gods might find it hard to resist.

Don't you see, even demonic arts that involve killing to increase one's cultivation level can tempt countless people, let alone something as good as this.

In his previous life, Qinghe Miao was nothing more than a corporate slave living a meaningless life in his 30s. What self-control could he possibly have?

Therefore, once he confirmed that "leveling up by defeating monsters" was the correct way to activate the system, his perspective on other creatures naturally and unconsciously underwent a subtle change.

As the saying goes, "He who possesses a sharp weapon will naturally harbor murderous intent."

Holding a hammer, everyone looks like a nail.

Having a system makes the whole world feel unreal; everything around me seems like an NPC.

For Qing Hemiao, these people, in addition to their original identities, all have an additional label: "experience package".

There is nothing that cannot be killed.

In other words, he had died once, gained experience, and became more open-minded.

Having gained considerable control over his life, he wasn't in a hurry to improve his cultivation, which is why he didn't actively go out and cause trouble.

But he also longed for an opportunity to quickly gain experience and level up.

This naturally leads to a prolonged state of "murderous intent".

But when the opportunity actually presented itself, he shamefully hesitated because of various emotional entanglements.

Entering a dungeon should be for "combat and having fun"!

Look at what he's been doing!

If this were in his previous life, Qinghe Miao would have done some things that harmed others for his own benefit.

He felt at ease at that time.

Because he knew perfectly well that he was also part of the oppression and exploitation.

If you don't harm others, you might suffer losses.

Therefore, hurting others is the fault of the environment, and has nothing to do with his/her own will.

But now the situation has been reversed, and for the first time he has the right to choose whether or not to share the cake with others.

This made him a bit awkward in his social interactions.

I actually hesitated.

"I really envy those who can resolutely choose to be villains..."

Qinghe Miao couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Being a villain with a purely grand goal and unwavering will also requires talent.

But it seems that he didn't.

The most pitiful one is himself, someone who can't even be a bad person if he wants to.

"Ugh……"

He let out another long sigh.

Qinghe Miao decided to put it aside for now and not go looking for the main characters.

What's so interesting about Li Xingyun, who can't even be helped by Gangzi?

Let's just level up near the spawn point.

In any case, in such chaotic times, there will never be a shortage of bandits, defeated soldiers, and wild beasts.

Killing anything is killing!

Just as Qinghe Miao was adjusting his mindset and replanning his strategy for utilizing the "copy," the sound of a door opening and familiar footsteps came from the outer room.

"What are you doing lying on the kang with your butt sticking out like that? All you do on holiday is stay cooped up!"

The sound of Qing's mother's habitual scolding drifted in; she was still wearing the tattered clothes she wore while working.

"What time is it? Why don't you heat up the kang (heated brick bed)? The room is practically an icebox!"

At this time of year, in the winter outside the Great Wall, the temperature drops extremely quickly indoors if there is no continuous heat source.

The fire in the stove had long since died down, leaving only a few dark red embers. The warmth in the room was rapidly dissipating, and it would soon become unbearable to stay there.

Qinghe Miao retracted his slightly dejected posture, rolled over and lay sprawled on the kang (a heated brick bed), facing the roof, and weakly replied:

"I feel like I've accumulated immeasurable merit and made a breakthrough in my spiritual realm. I'm so tired, I don't want to move."

"You're just being lazy! 'Meritorious deeds'? I think you're just half asleep!"

Qing's mother glared at him irritably, complaining as she went about her business, turning to fetch firewood to start a fire again to heat the kang (a heated brick bed) and prepare dinner.

A short while later, Qing's father also returned, bringing with him the chill of the outdoor air and a faint smell of tobacco.

Soon, the sounds of Qingmu tidying up pots and pans and preparing to cook came from the kitchen.

After a while, Qing's father's slightly puzzled voice came from the back kitchen:

"Hey? Has anyone seen those flatbreads in the cabinet? I remember there were still some left?"

Hearing this from inside the room, Qinghe Miao blinked and casually replied loudly:

"Oh, I ate it. I broke through my cultivation level and felt hungry, so I found it and ate it. There's also the old cake from my grandpa's room."

By the way, I've told you so many times, don't eat cold food directly, your stomach will suffer sooner or later.

After saying that, he stopped lying there, quickly got off the kang (a heated brick bed), put on his cotton shoes, walked out of the house, and began to help with the work.

When it's mealtime, not only do people need to eat, but the livestock at home also need to be fed.

Before eating, rural people often have to take care of these things first.

His parents never wanted their son, Qinghe Miao, to do any particularly dirty or tiring work, fearing that he would be looked down upon at school.

But tasks like chopping wood, carrying heavy buckets of water to add water to livestock, or pushing carts are all physically demanding jobs.

For Qinghe Miao, who possessed cultivation, it was naturally a piece of cake.

It can make them feel relaxed.

Therefore, after time-traveling, his quality of life declined compared to more than ten years later.

Now, we can even enter a dungeon set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which is like going back in time.

"Alright, we've eaten it. I'll buy some more next time I go to the market."

Qingmu's voice came from the main room as she carried a large basin of vegetables, which she was about to wash, through the central hall.

"You've been practicing all day, but I haven't seen you develop any real supernatural powers. You can't fly or eat. You'd be better off using that energy to read more books and try to get into a good university."

This is a typical dialogue pattern between ordinary parents and their children in the older generation.

I always subconsciously carry a hint of unhappiness and negativity.

"Really? I saw you seemed quite happy when you went out and showed it off, didn't you?"

Having studied twice and gained more experience, Qinghe Miao already understood this and wasn't angry. While working, he shared his life experience, saying:

"Also, I've reminded you so many times. I'm not the only one in this world who understands spiritual practice and has the ability. The country has its own special laws for 'extraordinary people' like us."

Being too conspicuous and having too much impact will easily attract attention, which is not a good thing. But do you still find it hard to control your tongue?

Chapter 31 Food

"Go away! I made a mistake in giving birth to you."

Faced with Qing Hemiao's rebuttal, Qing's mother retorted loudly.

Nobody is stupid; any normal person knows what they're doing.

But if one can stand on the moral high ground and avoid consequences, then one should naturally not admit to something if one should not.

This was just a mistake, but not fatal, and Qinghe Miao didn't really care.

And so, the family lived together for a long time, and it was inevitable that they would clash, with the air filled with the smell of burning firewood amidst their arguments.

After the two elderly people returned from outside, everyone began to eat.

……

It looks like a grain and oil shop from any era.

The air was filled with a mixture of grain dust, grease, and the greasy smell unique to aged wooden cabinets.

The same applies to the small town of Miaojia in Qinghe.

The counter and the floor were piled with all kinds of rice and flour bags, and there was also a large mechanical scale for weighing livestock.

The shop owner was a capable middle-aged man.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these shops are usually dirty and messy.

But these days, opening an oil and grain store isn't easy.

Upon seeing Qinghe Miao enter, he warmly greeted her, and after learning that she had come to buy food, he pointed to a row of bags of rice and introduced them:

"Young man, buying rice? Look at this brand, it's freshly arrived, tastes great, and has a lingering fragrance after cooking!"

Perhaps seeing that He Miao was young, they tried to fool him from the start.

Rice from outside the Great Wall is already among the best in the country.

For locals, they can basically choose from the surrounding production areas, as the taste is consistent and they are used to it.

Going for brands from other regions is not only more expensive, but it's also like opening a blind box.

Basically, it's a thankless task.

Qinghe Miao glanced at it again and shook his head:

"Boss, do you have any rice in bulk? Not in these bags."

"Loose? Yes, we do!"

The shop owner immediately turned to the back of the shop, where several huge, open burlap sacks were piled up, filled with white rice:

"Here, this is it, all new rice. But the price is about the same as the bagged kind, not much cheaper."

Upon hearing this, Qing Hemiao frowned slightly, but without even looking at him, he continued to ask:

"Is there anything cheaper?"

The shop owner scratched his head, walked around the store twice, and quickly patted the burlap sack in another corner:

"This is early-maturing glutinous rice, which is much cheaper than the previous one. It has a high yield and keeps well. Many large canteens, construction sites, or families with many members who want to save money buy this. It's just that the texture isn't as delicate; it's a bit rough."

Qinghe Miao approached and looked at the price, silently calculating for a moment, but still hesitated:

"What else?"