Vampire Cultivation Notes

Turning around, Old Liu was taken aback to find Li Jieqing passing by. He looked up at the sky.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Zhao, that's quite a surprise... Why are you out at this hour?"

"What's wrong with me going out at this time?"

Li Jieqing spread out one hand, a half-smile on his face.

His hood was down, and his appearance was fully exposed to the sunlight.

So what if the White Heaven appears in public?

Anyway, Jiang Wei and his wife are dead, and there aren't many people in Taipingfang who remember Uncle Li from Danfang back then.

Besides, it's just that they look similar to Li Jieqing when he was young.

Just then, when they were fighting over the alchemy business, other alchemists in the neighborhood used various means to spread rumors that Li Jieqing, under the alias Zhao Danshi, lived in the blue stone alley of South Street, hiding by day and going out at night. He was said to be an ominous figure, like a walking corpse or a ghost, and a member of the evil sects.

The Taipingfang Market patrol team arrived after hearing the news. Li Jieqing managed to get away with it by taking out the jade slip containing the cultivation technique "Blood Heart Freedom Secret Record".

Now that he has benefited from taking the lotus seeds and his yin energy has dissipated, he can finally see the sunlight. So he made a public appearance on North Street at noon, which dispelled the rumors and eliminated any remaining hidden dangers.

"There's nothing wrong with it. I just misspoke without realizing it. Please don't take it to heart, fellow Daoist."

Old Liu looked at Li Jieqing's unusually expressiony face, and without remembering anything, he laughed loudly and said, "Fellow Daoist, you don't know, ahead there was a surging tide of beasts, and monsters would often break in through the gaps in the magic array. My skills are low, so how could I dare to show myself for those few months? I just hid in my dwelling and dug several caves down to cover myself. Fortunately, I was safe and sound."

"Fellow Daoist Liu has some ideas on digging tunnels to avoid monsters," Li Jieqing thought to himself, having learned something new.

"It was only done out of necessity in an emergency, and afterwards the manager of the neighborhood charged me spirit stones for digging the hole."

"It's in accordance with the laws and regulations of the ancestral temple, so it's normal."

"Who says it isn't?"

After chatting for a while, Old Liu seemed to remember something and asked again, "Fellow Daoist, you've personally come here today. Is it because you lack some alchemy supplies and wish to come and see me again?"

In an effort to revive business channels following the beast tide, Old Liu's tone was somewhat ingratiating.

He had heard about it.

During the beast tide, markets closed, trade with the outside world ceased, and local fishing grounds and sacred sites were destroyed by the monsters, causing prices in the market to skyrocket.

Other alchemists had no materials to start their furnaces, but Master Zhao from the alleys of South Street kept releasing Fengxin Pills and other elixirs. No one knew where he got them from, but he was making a fortune.

Just by looking at the robe he's wearing, you can tell how many people have reached the pinnacle of their cultivation yet still can't afford a proper robe for protection.

Unfortunately, this person never leaves the market, leaving many envious fellow traders with no way to make a move.

Old Liu and a few acquaintances who were setting up stalls nearby exchanged glances and secretly shook their heads and sighed.

"It's not that I'm missing anything... I'll give you a few talismans if you want."

Li Jieqing did not come here to buy anything.

After accepting several fire talismans from Old Liu, Li Jieqing reached into his sleeve and, instead of taking out spirit stones, pulled out a fine jade bottle.

"Is this the usual practice of using pills as payment?" Old Liu asked tentatively, observing Li Jieqing's expression.

Li Jieqing shook his head.

The next moment, he raised his voice a little, so that everyone around him could hear him.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Liu, you have more experience. I would like to ask you to identify the source of a spiritual energy."

"Oh, I'll give it a try—"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Jieqing had already broken the seal.

A wisp of pure, ethereal energy wafted out and drifted in front of Old Liu, who was speaking, so that he could smell it.

"—My precious baby!!!"

"Where did such a wonderful treasure come from?!"

Only a wisp of the medicine seeped out, and Li Jieqing had already resealed the bottle. This was the remaining medicinal power in the quiet room after consuming the green lotus seeds, and there wasn't much left.

"Let me smell it again!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhao! Alchemist Zhao!"

Old Liu rushed out from behind the stall and, seeing Li Jieqing raise the jade bottle, begged with tears streaming down his face.

"What a wonderful baby!"

"Just one whiff of it can truly prolong life."

"Where did you get this thing from, sir...?"

For a moment, Old Liu, a self-taught cultivator who had been away from home for many years, burst into tears.

This was a scene that even Li Jieqing hadn't expected. This old Liu was already quite old, yet his spiritual love was still so intense. It was hard to tell whether to say that his Dao heart was steadfast or not.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, show some restraint. It's just a wisp of spiritual energy after all!"

The stall owner next door, a renowned Taoist priest with a unicorn horn who controlled a late-stage first-tier demon snake, came forward and impatiently lifted Old Liu up by the head.

"Good day, Fellow Daoist Unicorn."

Seeing this, Li Jieqing opened the seal again, and another wisp of pure spiritual energy passed over, which was smelled by the pensive old Taoist.

"Oh my gosh, this is amazing!!"

"—Such a wonderful treasure!!"

The old Taoist priest with the unicorn horn immediately lost his composure and screamed wildly.

Seeing this, two more people stepped forward. They were the Yu brothers, both at the late stage of Qi Refining, and asked in unison, "What exactly is that?"

Li Jieqing remained silent, and two more streams of energy passed over.

"Hiss~~"

"Oh my gosh!!" The two Yu brothers lost their composure.

"You're so ignorant, call me over!"

Rising to prominence amidst the beast tides in recent years, the Scorpion Lady, already renowned in North Street, stepped forward, her slender waist swaying like a water snake, her magical power sweeping away the Yu brothers.

Her smooth, oval face, exuding a delicate fragrance, stretched out in front of Li Jieqing with a smile, staring intently at him.

Before she could say anything more, Li Jieqing took a half step back, remained silent, and continued to guide a wisp of pure spiritual energy over.

"—My precious baby!!"

A blush instantly rose to her cheeks, causing even the Scorpion Lady, known for her "beauty like a fairy and a heart like a venomous snake," to cry out involuntarily, her delicate body swaying slightly.

"..."

Li Jieqing took another half step back to demonstrate his innocence.

"Let me take a look!"

Several more people stepped forward, looking quite eager.

The jade bottle was opened.

"It's really a great treasure!!"

Those who stepped forward were instantly mesmerized and captivated by the aroma.

Those who couldn't get a spot nearby were extremely anxious seeing this scene, craning their necks and sniffing around in the air.

Before long, the ethereal energy in the jade bottle finally dissipated.

Old Liu, who had finally managed to snag a spot and was eager to savor the experience, suddenly looked down at his companions with a face full of resentment.

"You are all enlightened cultivators, please don't lose your composure like this."

Li Jieqing turned the jade bottle upside down to show it to prove that there was nothing inside before turning back.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, have you identified the origin of this fragrant spiritual energy?"

"Maybe I can recognize it if I smell it again," Old Liu said with a sigh, composing himself.

"Nonsense! What does he know?!"

The old Taoist priest with the single horn pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, carefully choosing his words as he asked, "I don't know... I don't know where Master Zhao obtained this spiritual energy. Could you perhaps share it with your fellow practitioners?"

Li Jieqing put away the jade bottle and said with a smile, "No problem, it's in Wangyue Valley."