Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: Weakness is the Original Sin
In Wang Chen’s impression, or rather the memories left to him by the original owner,
the image of traveling merchants was one of friendliness and approachability.
When they appeared with boxes adorned with copper bells,
they always attracted a crowd of children,
bringing life to the rural areas.
Traveling merchants provided various daily necessities for the scattered low-level cultivators,
while also purchasing a wide range of materials.
They made life more convenient for the people.
They were always smiling, and their transactions were fair,
with very few instances of deliberate deceit.
The traveling merchant Wang Chen encountered a few days ago
perfectly matched the image from his memories.
Yet, it was this very person who attempted to take his life in the dead of night!
Why?
To rob and kill!
Wang Chen could think of no other reason.
Undoubtedly, he had earned quite a few spirit stones by clearing land rhinoceroses in recent days,
which had drawn the envy of others!
Wang Chen recalled that shortly after the traveling merchant left,
several farmers came to ask for his help.
It was likely this man who spread the word,
hoping to make Wang Chen earn even more spirit stones.
Fatten him up before the slaughter.
He probably even investigated Wang Chen.
The thought sent chills down his spine!
Wang Chen realized that he had been too high-profile recently.
When he first arrived in this world,
he had considered simply surviving after realizing its cruelty.
However, Wang Chen had lived in a stable and peaceful environment for two or three decades in his previous life.
Some habits had become second nature.
He had almost lost his life without even noticing.
To be honest, the spirit stones Wang Chen had earned so far only amounted to a little over a hundred.
That wouldn’t even be enough to buy a larger storage bag.
Yet, even this modest amount of spirit stones could provoke someone into taking drastic measures!
Now, Wang Chen was fully awake to the harsh reality.
His strength was too weak.
In the world of cultivation, weakness is the original sin!
Spirit stones must be earned.
But he needed to act with utmost discretion, avoiding any attention while quietly dealing with matters.
Looking at the body on the ground, Wang Chen’s gaze became resolute.
He could not afford to make the same mistake again; improving his strength was the most pressing task!
He meticulously searched the traveling merchant’s body once more.
Finally, he discovered a jade pendant.
This tortoise-shaped jade pendant hung around the corpse’s neck, concealed beneath the clothing.
When Wang Chen retrieved it, its surface was riddled with cracks.
It was clearly beyond repair.
Recalling the events of the previous night, Wang Chen surmised that this must have been a protective artifact.
If his Metal Finger Technique hadn’t advanced to the perfected realm,
he would likely be the one lying on the ground!
After stowing the pendant, Wang Chen retrieved the white jade bottle containing the peculiar-smelling powder.
He uncorked it and sprinkled some of the powder onto the wounds of the corpse.
Sizzle—
Even a small amount of powder, no larger than a fingernail, touched the flesh and immediately emitted wisps of white smoke.
The wound began to dissolve at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Indeed, it was corpse-dissolving powder!
Misty Immortal Pot, corpse-dissolving powder, Rebirth Talismans…
This individual was certainly not a novice in the art of burglary.
Wang Chen picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground and stabbed it into several different parts of the body, creating blood holes.
He poured the corpse-dissolving powder into each hole.
The rate at which the body corroded and dissolved suddenly accelerated.
In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the body, weighing over a hundred pounds, along with its clothing, had turned into a puddle of pus.
Wang Chen took out the only Rebirth Talisman from his storage bag.
He faced the front of the talisman outward, pressed the back against his palm, and lightly slapped it forward.
Simultaneously, he infused it with spiritual energy to activate it.
The Rebirth Talisman adhered to his palm immediately shone brightly, specks of spiritual light dancing like fireflies.
Many of them drifted down into the puddle of pus on the ground.
“Dust to dust, earth to earth, souls return to the thick soil…”
Wang Chen silently recited the Rebirth Incantation in his heart.
The identification and use of low-tier elixirs, talismans, magical artifacts, and even formations are fundamental knowledge in cultivation.
As an Outer Sect Disciple of the Yunyang Sect, Wang Chen was entitled to attend a free lecture at the Dharma Hall once every month.
Although the elder teaching was not a Purple Palace master, he was a highly skilled practitioner at the ninth level of Qi Training.
Wang Chen could learn a great deal of useful and practical cultivation knowledge from him.
The original owner had been a member of the outer sect of the Yunyang Sect for five years and had never missed a single lecture.
His dedication to learning was undeniable.
However, his progress was hindered by his limited talent.
The Rebirth Talisman, being a low-tier talisman, was one of the essential legal symbols that every cultivator must understand and master.
Cultivators who met untimely deaths often harbored resentment before their demise.
This resentment could easily transform them into vengeful spirits, which might further evolve into Evil Spirits!
Even those who died naturally had a certain chance of becoming Evil Spirits.
Thus, they required transcendence.
The Rebirth Talisman was designed precisely for this purpose!
Yet, to Wang Chen’s surprise, as soon as he finished reciting the Rebirth Incantation, a plume of black smoke suddenly erupted from the puddle of pus on the ground.
This black smoke coalesced in front of him, writhing and twisting violently.
To his shock, it took on the form of a human head.
It bore a striking resemblance to the traveling merchant Wang Chen had killed, sharing six or seven points of similarity!
It opened its mouth wide, emitting a silent scream, as if it intended to devour Wang Chen alive!
Wang Chen could distinctly sense the malevolence and venom emanating from this mass of black smoke.
It sent a shiver down his spine.
Involuntarily, he took a step back and reached into his storage bag to retrieve an Exorcism Talisman.
With a swift motion, he slapped it forward!
A burst of radiant light exploded, and a surge of pure yang energy instantly engulfed the human-head-shaped black smoke.
The smoke dissolved instantly, as if it had been exposed to the scorching sun!
As the black smoke vanished completely,
Wang Chen faintly heard a piercing, resentful wail.
He was suddenly drenched in cold sweat.
Had it not been for the recently acquired Rebirth Talisman and Exorcism Talisman, Wang Chen truly had no idea what might have transpired.
He glanced down and saw that the puddle of pus had disappeared.
Without leaving any traces,
Wang Chen finally felt at ease.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gathered all his spoils,
including the dagger.
With the new, larger storage bag, he had no need for the old, tattered one.
He transferred all its contents, including the spirit stones, to the new bag.
Wang Chen carefully inspected it to ensure there were no hidden marks,
and only then did he boldly hang it at his waist.
In fact, unless specially customized, the storage bags commonly used by cultivators are usually similar in style and size.
Just by looking at the exterior, one could not tell the size of its capacity.
“Cough, cough!”
Just as he finished organizing the storage bag, Wang Chen felt a heaviness in his chest and could not help but cough violently.
He coughed up blood!
At that moment, he realized he had sustained internal injuries.
Wang Chen’s cultivation level was too low, and his physical condition was not strong.
In last night’s life-and-death moment, he had forcefully unleashed the Metal Finger Technique, killing the enemy but also injuring his meridians.
Both his right index and middle fingers were now severely lacerated.
He had gotten so excited while handling the corpse that he overlooked his wounds.
Now, he finally felt the pain.
Wang Chen quickly took out a Healing Pill and swallowed it.
Speaking of which, the Rebirth Talismans, Exorcism Talismans, corpse-dissolving powder, and now the Healing Pill he used were all from the traveling merchant.
No wonder they would turn into vengeful spirits after death.
“Wang Chen! Wang Chen! Are you up?”
Just as Wang Chen swallowed the Healing Pill and hadn’t yet begun to feel its effects,
he heard a familiar voice calling from outside the courtyard.
Damn it!
