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

However, nothing was gained.

There was no gathering of yin energy, no lingering spirits, no scurrying rats, and no crawling insects.

Even the normal stress release traces caused by changes in temperature and humidity in the wood did not match the timing of that soft sound.

This is actually not a very unusual thing.

Many people have experienced this in their past lives, even if they didn't have extraordinary powers.

As soon as the lights are turned off at night and a person lies down, in that liminal state between sleep and wakefulness, the cabinets or other furniture will often make a similar noise.

It was neither loud nor continuous, just a perfectly timed sound, as if it were deliberately waiting for the right moment.

In his past life, when Qinghe Miao was still a pure materialist, there were a few times when he was in a bad mood, he would deliberately get up and turn the lights back on, staring wide-eyed as he searched for the source of the sound.

They even moved everything out of the cabinet to check, but found nothing.

Unexpectedly, even after transmigrating and gaining extraordinary Stand abilities, I still can't find the exact cause of the sound.

This made Qinghe Miao secretly make a decision:

When I achieve success in my cultivation in this world in the future, even if I don't become an immortal, I will at least reach the level of "second only to one person" like the Celestial Master.

He was determined to try again to see if the same soft sound would still be heard before he went to sleep, and to find out the underlying principle!

Is it like a bug in the world, or is it just a psychological effect?

Of course, it's definitely not a big deal.

But across two lifetimes, he remained exceptionally curious.

After confirming that the Stand was functioning normally, he could only suppress his doubts, use the system to recall the Stand with one click, readjust his breathing, force himself to relax, and obediently drift off to sleep.

……

Time flows by like a stream beside the village, neither too fast nor too slow.

Before I knew it, it was the weekend, which happened to coincide with the town market that happens to be held several times a month.

As Qing's mother cleared away the dishes, she muttered to Qing Hemiao, who was about to return to her room:

"Don't stay cooped up at home all the time. Young people should go out more, meet people, and get some fresh air. There's a market today, it's lively, you should go and take a look, you might as well buy some snacks."

Qinghe Miao, who was taking a break from her busy schedule to meditate, didn't think there was anything interesting about interacting with "people".

The hardest job in the world is dealing with people.

But thinking that he could conveniently check on his master's recent situation along the way, he nodded and agreed:

"Okay, then I'll go out for a walk."

The market in the countryside is one of the most vibrant and lively sights in this land.

Before we even got close, a wave of noise hit us.

The long street was lined with vendors, all wearing colorful sunshade awnings.

Stalls selling farm tools, seeds, pots and pans, and cheap clothes, shoes and socks were lined up one after another.

The air was filled with a complex mix of smells: dirt, livestock, cooked food, fruit, and the sweat of people.

The sounds of hawking, haggling, greetings and laughter between acquaintances, children playing, and bicycle bells... all create an old-fashioned scene, brimming with a raw yet vibrant vitality.

Qinghe Miao moved slowly with the flow of people, her eyes scanning the dazzling array of goods.

He first stopped in front of a rather clean-looking old-fashioned pastry stall and bought two packs of peach shortbread and baked cakes wrapped in oil paper.

Next, I weighed out half a pound of fragrant roasted sunflower seeds and half a pound of crispy peanuts.

Passing by the meat stall, I saw the dark red, glistening homemade smoked meat and cut off a small piece.

Finally, he stopped in front of a tobacco and liquor store, hesitated for a moment, and then bought a bottle of locally produced bulk liquor.

The money he used was pocket money he earned when he was occasionally asked by people in the village or neighboring villages to do divination.

It's not much, but it's enough to buy these small snacks.

Otherwise, how did he get the title of "Qing Banxian"?

However, it must be said that even in the world of "Under One Person" where extraordinary powers truly exist, many things in daily life are still largely "psychological effects".

Since he started his business, he has rarely encountered a truly difficult situation that required the use of a substitute or Qi to resolve.

Most of the time, it's all about eloquence and the ability to deceive.

All we can say is that we should trust science.

Thinking this, Qinghe Miao turned around and found a quiet corner where no one was around. He stood with his back against a dusty cement utility pole.

With a thought, he brought up the system panel and changed the currently equipped Stand from [Sub-Void Miasma] to [Red Hot Chili Pepper] in the Stand equipment section.

The moment the switch was completed, a completely different energy sensation became intimately connected with him.

It should be noted that there are nine equipment slots included with the system.

These are the main weapon, secondary weapon, helmet, chest armor, belt, lower body armor, boots, ring, and a most unique item—the stand-in equipment slot.

Although most of the other slots are currently empty, as the name suggests, they are used to equip corresponding items or props.

If used properly, it can also serve as a space appliance to some extent.

Only the "stand-in" section is somewhat special.

Normally, the Stand that Kiyoha Miao obtains can be summoned and used freely, just like in the original "JOJO" manga.

Theoretically, as long as he can mentally withstand it, he can even summon multiple clones at the same time.

However, these summoned Stands also inherited the weaknesses from the original work.

For example, the common principle is that when a Stand is injured, the damage will be simultaneously reflected back to Qinghe Miao's main body.

Stands are the embodiment of spiritual energy.

In the world of "Under One Person," which contains concepts such as "Qi" and "soul attacks," there are plenty of ways to inflict effective damage.

Moreover, even among the most powerful Stands.

Its destructive power, in this world where superhuman methods are endless, is not considered sophisticated and should be used with caution.

Therefore, Qinghe Miao is very careful and rarely exposes his Stand's physical form directly to outsiders who might "see" or perceive it.

The substitute placed in the "equipment slot" is in a different state.

It does not need to be summoned; Qinghe Miao's main body can directly use the Stand's core ability, just like his own awakened superpower.

However, this method of use has its limitations.

The extent to which one's abilities can be utilized is constrained by Qing Hemiao's own "strength".

If his stats are higher than the Stand's original "stats", then the effect of his abilities may be more powerful than the original Stand.

Conversely, if his stats are lower, then the effectiveness of his ability will be reduced accordingly, and he won't be able to unleash the full potential of the original Stand.

This method can be considered as "internalizing" the Stand's ability, thus avoiding the risk of exposing the Stand's physical form.

However, only one Stand can be equipped at a time, and it cannot utilize any of the Stand's characteristics other than its core ability.

For example, right now.

Without any additional movement, his body immediately began to etherealize as he focused his mind, with faint crackling sounds of electric arcs emanating from his body.

Chapter 9 Master

In the next instant, Qinghe Miao's figure completely transformed into a crackling current of electricity.

Like a drop of water merging into a river, it silently "drilled" into the inside of the nearby utility pole, becoming one with the surging current within!

Given the propagation efficiency of lightning, it only takes an instant to cross the distance between two villages.

Under another equally inconspicuous utility pole on the edge of the target village.

A barely perceptible, slight distortion appeared in the air, and tiny blue sparks of electricity flickered and converged like fireflies.

Qinghe Miao's figure solidified and landed steadily on the ground, his clothes not even slightly disheveled.

She tidied her hair, which was slightly frizzy from the electromagnetic field, and picked up the bags of food tied with thin hemp rope from the ground.

Following the familiar path, he soon arrived at the entrance of a farmhouse courtyard with a cement and stone wall.

He brought so many things not to find the master in the old auditorium who was now just a soul and taught him Henan opera.

Instead, they should visit his true mentor on the path of "Qi cultivation".

His mentor, who taught him the "Helping Soldiers Technique" and led him into the path of shamanism.

The gate to the courtyard was ajar, and the sound of sweeping could be heard coming from inside.

Qing Hemiao pushed open the door and entered. He saw an old woman with gray hair and a slightly hunched figure, but who was nimble in her movements. She was holding a large broom and carefully sweeping the dust in the yard.

It was indeed my teacher's wife.

The nun looked up at the sound, and upon seeing who it was, a warm smile immediately bloomed on her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out:

"Hey! It's Miaozi! Come in, come in! You silly child, why did you bring so many things with you!"

She complained, but her actions were full of joy.

"Master, are you sweeping the yard?"

Qinghe Miao greeted him with a smile, raising the object in his hand slightly as a gesture:

"Nothing much, just happened to be passing by the market today and stopped by to check on you, Master. Are you still in good health?"

"He's in great shape! It's just that he can't live without his pipe all day long, and he won't listen to anything I say!"

As she spoke, the nun quickly put down the large broom in her hand, wiped her hands on her coat, and strode over. Without saying a word, she helped carry most of the gifts, her warm enthusiasm for offering them was hard to refuse.

As she led Qing Hemiao into the inner room, she called out loudly into the room:

"Old man! Stop smoking! Look who's coming to see you!"

Qinghe Miao followed his master through the clean and tidy main room, turned the corner, and arrived at the bedroom on the east side.

As soon as you enter, a familiar smell, a mixture of the aroma of dry tobacco, heated brick bed, and old wooden furniture, hits you.

On the kang (a heated brick bed) by the window, an old man with gray hair and a thin, hunched figure was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket and carrying a long, thin copper pot and a pipe.

Smoke swirled around his wrinkled face, which resembled a dried walnut.

It was his master.

Hearing the noise, the chef raised his eyelids, his cloudy yet still sharp eyes looking towards the door. His face was expressionless, even showing his usual impatience, as he muttered:

"What are you yelling about? I heard you. Who is it? Come on over."

"Look at you, old man, why is your butt so heavy! Miaozi has come to see you with gifts."

The nun threw the melons and fruits she was holding onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"I heard you. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I have to go pick him up when he arrives. I'm his master!"

As the master said this, he still grinned and shuffled off the kang (a heated brick bed).

The nun glared at him, then turned to Qing Hemiao and smiled:

"Ignore him, that's just how he is. He nags everyone he meets before he arrives, but as soon as he comes, he starts acting all high and mighty. Miaozi, get on the kang (heated brick bed), you two can chat, I'll go get you some water."

"Master, there's no need for us to be so polite. Please continue to sit down."

Seeing that the craftsman was still looking for shoes, Qinghe Miao called out with a smile.

He walked to the old eight-immortal table in the house and put down the remaining wine and smoked meat in his hand.

On the table against the wall in this room, there is also a porcelain tablet with a kind-looking old lady, and the incense burner in front of it is filled with thick incense ash.

Qinghe Miao walked smoothly to the memorial tablet, took out three incense sticks from the incense holder next to him, lit them with the oil lamp on the table, respectfully raised them above his head, silently recited a few words, and then smoothly inserted the incense into the incense burner, performing three bows.

"Alright, alright, stop with the formalities. You truly are a born superhuman; I could never learn your attitude even if I studied for eight lifetimes."

"We've known each other for most of our lives, and recently Grandma Bai has started picking on me. Where am I supposed to put my face?"

The master tapped his pipe on the kang (heated brick bed), his tone somewhat wistful: