Anti-fraud manual for the cultivation world

In the following days, the three of them kept a low profile and tried to stay inside the government office as much as possible.

Zheng Xiaodong was alright; his job was simply to stand in the lobby holding a stern-looking stick and stand guard.

Li Gu and Zhang Yi then had Prefect Hong speak to Cai Xinzi, arranging for the two of them to stay at the yamen, drinking tea and reading the official gazette every day, instead of going out on fieldwork.

Every night, Li Gu would frantically take drugs and practice his kung fu.

Zheng Xiaodong was completely bewildered. Why would someone in such a life-threatening situation take so many Liuwei Dihuang pills? Is this really the right thing to do?

A few days later, in the evening.

As soon as it got dark, Li Gu arrived at the courtyard where Hong Lin lived and gently knocked on the door!

The door opened, and Honglin walked out with her hair down.

I usually see her wearing the official robes and hat of a prefect, but today is the first time I've seen her in casual clothes with her hair down. She looks quite beautiful.

Li Gu was slightly taken aback.

Honglin noticed his odd behavior and said calmly, "With an innocent and adorable junior sister by your side, would you still be interested in the appearance of an old woman like me? Tsk tsk! So you prefer women older than you."

Li Gu was both amused and exasperated: This Prefect Hong is good in every other way, except he loves to joke about these kinds of things. Oh, and it seems Senior Sister Bai Yan also likes to joke about these things. Are all disciples who have entered the mortal world like this?

"Lord Hong, I've come to ask you for a favor."

Honglin: "Oh? Tell me about it. I won't help with anything too difficult, too troublesome, or too expensive. But if you ask me to help you pursue Junior Sister Baiyan, I will." At the end, her eyes lit up with anticipation. "Or if you and Junior Sister Baiyan have some kind of love-hate relationship and need my help, I'll help no matter how troublesome it is."

Li Gu covered his face: "I just want you to provide me with a room where I won't be disturbed, and also to protect me while I break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Honglin: "Huh?"

She knew perfectly well that Li Gu had only reached the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining when he first arrived. Although she couldn't scan him with her divine sense, she could tell from his actions several times.

I never thought I'd be at the Foundation Establishment stage so soon?

"The [Common Path Demonic Scripture] is this fast?" Hong Lin was also surprised, thinking: There's no reason for this. Although the [Common Path Demonic Scripture] is a top-level technique of the Demonic Sect, and is known as one of the "Two Wonders of the World" along with our [Love in the Mortal World Technique] for entering the mortal world, it can't be this fast, right?

Li Gu didn't want to expose the "fake medicine" incident, so he had to cover it up from another angle, lowering his voice and saying, "When I was strolling around the city, I encountered low-level disciples of the Demonic Sect. I absorbed the cultivation of three low-level disciples of the Demonic Sect and reached the edge of Foundation Establishment."

"I see!" Honglin's expression returned to normal, and she said irritably, "This is murder without trial, a vigilante crime. Is this what constables should do? You shouldn't have told me! If I hadn't heard it, I would have let it go, but since I did, I could only punish you according to the law."

Li Gu said, "They attacked me first! I am a government official, and these villains ambushed and killed me. I killed them on the spot. Isn't that self-defense?"

Honglin glanced sideways: "Did they really strike first?"

Li Gu spread his hands and said, "Lord Hong, instead of doubting this kind of thing, you might as well believe it directly. This will help weaken the gang forces in Jiangzhou City, reduce the crime rate, and also help your performance evaluation."

Honglin sighed, "Turning a blind eye to this kind of thing might be effective in the short term, but it will bring even greater consequences in the long run. The corruption of law enforcement officers is far more terrifying than the corruption of criminals. I think you should understand this principle."

Li Gu, being from the modern era, naturally understood this principle and nodded: "Lord Hong, please rest assured, it was definitely them who attacked first and tried to kill me. You know what kind of person I am. When I encounter people from the Demonic Sect, I will only stay far away and would never attack first."

Honglin accepted this explanation: "Alright! Since you're about to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, you do need a quiet room and someone to protect you. Come in... My room can be considered a quiet room. You can break through here without anyone disturbing you."

Li Gu said "excuse me" and slowly walked into Hong Lin's room.

She was usually aloof and rarely smiled, only occasionally joking about matters of the heart. Li Gu thought her room would be as cold and quiet as her personality, but to his surprise, Hong Lin's room was decorated in a very feminine way.

A bed with embroidered bedspreads covered in red quilts.

On the bedside table was a bronze mirror, cosmetics, a round fan, embroidery, and all the things a woman's room should have.

The only difference between her room and that of an ordinary woman was that she had a large bookcase filled with a dazzling array of books.

Li Gu's gaze couldn't help but sweep across the spines of the books: "Le Xiaoshe's Desperate Search for a Partner," "The Oil Vendor Wins Over the Courtesan," "Jiang Xingge Reunites with the Pearl-Embroidered Shirt," "The Story of Jiao Hong," "The Mirror of Beauty," "The Tale of a Good Match," "Jade Pear," "Wang Jiaoluan's Hundred-Year Regret"...

Wait, something's not right?

Isn't this all romance novels?

Why isn't there a single proper book?

Li Gu couldn't help but say sarcastically, "The books that Lord Hong likes to read are truly diverse."

Honglin, seemingly oblivious to his complaints, said calmly, "Of course, the variety is amazing: true love among ordinary people, separation and reunion of spouses, starting a relationship only to abandon it, cheating on someone, eloping, dying for love, lust... I have it all. Whatever type of love story you want to read, I can provide you with the book."

Li Gu covered his face: "I want to see the manuals for external martial arts, including swords, spears, halberds, and all eighteen kinds of weapons."

Honglin's face darkened: "Those are all minor paths, not worth mentioning. I don't have a book on the eighteen weapons, but I do have a book on the eighteen forms. Haven't you been taking a lot of Liuwei Dihuang Pills lately? You'll definitely need the book on the eighteen forms. I can lend it to you, but you must return it in perfect condition."

Li Gu felt a bit of a stomachache...

Forget about her, my focus should be on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He walked to a secluded corner of the room, took out the Foundation Building Pill, swallowed it, sat cross-legged, and faced the sky with his palms facing upwards.

Honglin sat down on the edge of the bed not far away.

Foundation Establishment is the most important threshold to enter the world of cultivation. Out of a thousand Qi Refining cultivators, only one can successfully establish the Foundation.

For ordinary cultivators, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage usually requires a secluded place with abundant spiritual energy, where they must sever worldly distractions and stabilize their soul.

However, both the "Love in the Mortal World Technique" and the "Shared Path Demonic Scripture" of the Demonic Sect belong to the "worldly" cultivation methods and do not require retreating to deep mountains and forests.

In the mundane world, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the sounds of laughter and shouting on the streets, the cries of a baby not far away, the sounds of drinking games in taverns, and the singing coming from brothels… these vibrant sounds, when combined, create “white noise,” which is the “spiritual energy” needed for these two cultivation methods, aiding in cultivation and breakthroughs.

However, a undisturbed room is still needed, as well as a dedicated person to protect the Dharma.

To prevent unforeseen circumstances, such as monsters or enemies breaking in and interrupting the breakthrough, which could lead to demonic possession.