Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Returning to Daily Life, Preparing for Initiation Stage

It was a new day, the sky green as jade, under the canopy near the sea in

Jinzhou City, Fuyu Mountain’s hazy green shadows reached into the clouds.

“Ha-I’

Zhao Huai yawned, glanced out the window, and stretched lazily.

Last night, he had killed the fox demon, putting his mind at ease.

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If the fox demon had not been eliminated, Jinzhou might not be as peaceful as it is now.

Thinking about it carefully, since the fox demon is dead, Li Yanqing’s body should have recovered by now. With Yan Jing guarding him, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Thud thud.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door of the pawnshop.

Who would knock on the door early in the morning?

Zhao Huai lazily walked over and opened the door.

Upon opening the door, he saw Lu Wanqiu standing elegantly at the entrance. Clothed in a blue long skirt with a white gauze draped over her shoulders, she exuded an elegant aura when the breeze blew past her.

Her eyes bright like autumn water, she stared at Zhao Huai, her lips parting slightly to ask:

“I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead, I’m sorry to trouble Miss to come here.”

znao Hual, dressed In a wmte smrt, rubbed nis eyes and spoke.

Lu Wanqiu furrowed her eyebrows: “I searched all night, and I didn’t see any trace of the fox demon, nor the mysterious expert you mentioned. But when I went to the governor’s mansion, I found that the demonic qi on the governor’s son had disappeared, indicating that the fox demon was dead. But from beginning to end, I never saw the fox demon.”

“So, I want to ask you, what did the mysterious person look like last night? Do you have any impression?”

Zhao Huai’s expression didn’t change, as he shook his head honestly: “It was too dark, so I couldn’t see their face.”

Lu Wanqiu’s face flashed with regret. Clearly, she was still bothered by the incident last night.

Zhao Huai consoled her with a smile: “Since the fox demon is dead, everything is fine. Why does Miss Lu need to worry so much?”

“You’re right, shopkeeper.”

Lu Wanqiu nodded gently, then sighed: “I’ve been searching for Blackwind Granny for a long time, but I still can’t find any trace. I really didn’t accomplish any of my tasks for this trip down the mountain.”

“Blackwind Granny…”

Zhao Huai contemplated, recalling the dark fog that swept across the sky.

Lu Wanqiu explained: “Its true form is a green-eyed human-faced spider, a notorious powerful demon within a hundred miles radius. If it doesn’t die, Blackwind Cave cannot be considered thoroughly eradicated, so it must be found.”

“Miss, you’ve gone through a lot of trouble.”

Zhao Huai sincerely lamented.

People say that sect disciples live leisurely lives, but that’s not entirely true.

Descending the mountain to practice, eliminating demons and monsters, all these are part of being a sect disciple.

The position of the sect in the mortal world is undoubtedly high.

However, correspondingly, they bear many responsibilities.

For example, the enforcement of cultivator discipline is fraught with countless troubles.

Apart from sect forces led by the five ancient immortal sects, there are also devil cultivators hiding in the shadows.

They are often cruel, ruthless, practicing deviant techniques, and particularly like to disrupt human affairs through force.

To deal with them, sects often have to step in.

If there is a balance to be maintained in the world, then the ones maintaining balance in the Mortal World are undoubtedly human dynasties.

And the key to maintaining balance in the Immortal Cultivation World are the sects.

However, Zhao Huai’s thoughts are simple — he just wants to survive in the delicate balance, following the path of Immortal Cultivation with a determined heart. He doesn’t need to bother with the rest.

“Husband, who is this?”

Behind him came a voice: Yu Qinghan, wearing a light blue cape, approached.

Zhao Huai introduced her with a smile: “Madam, this is the sect disciple I mentioned to you.”

Yu Qinghan nodded at Lu Wanqiu, whispering: “Thank you for saving my husband’s life.”

“You’re welcome. Exterminating demons and defending the Dao is what we are supposed to do.”

Lu Wanqiu smiled faintly, wondering in her heart: wasn’t it your husband who saved my life? I should be thanking him instead.

But after thinking for a while, she didn’t delve further into it. Perhaps he was referring to the help from Drunken Flower Tavern.

At the same time, Lu Wanaiu looked at Yu Qinzhan’s appearance with surprise.

This shopkeeper was truly fortunate. At such a young age, he had married such a beautiful wife. The couple indeed had matching looks.

“I won’t overstay my welcome, then. Farewell, shopkeeper.”

Lu Wanqiu felt like she was a little superfluous, seeing the sweet couple before her, and said her goodbye.

“Alright, I won’t see you out then.”

Zhao Huai waved his hand as a gesture and watched her departing figure, reflecting to himself.

Life has returned to its normal course once again.

Yu Qinghan turned her head and asked: “That fox demon was killed by her in the end, right?”

Zhao Huai laughed and said: “Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. I originally wanted to find Madam, but I didn’t expect that Madam was also looking for me.

What a coincidence.”

Yu Qinghan nodded and pointed to the stove in the kitchen.

“Husband, these are the herbs I’ve prepared for you. I’ve been making them for a few days, and it should be about done now. You can try it today and see how it works.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try soon.”

Zhao Huai entered the house and quickly caught a whiff of the herbal scent.

He realized that improving his strength had become necessary, as his cultivation had reached the peak of refining qi.

He must break through to the Initiation Stage as soon as possible so that he can practice more magic and become stronger, which is a prerequisite for maintaining a peaceful life.

However, choosing the location for breaking through to the Initiation Stage is also essential. A quiet and safe place is the most basic requirement. Otherwise, if someone interrupts the process or intrudes, it will be ruined halfway.

He also needs to prepare other herbs and pills to aid in his efforts.

Initiation is a major event in the cultivation journey, and he cannot be careless, especially with his mediocre aptitude.

If it weren’t for the Initiation Pill, he wouldn’t know when he would break through.

That’s why he needed to seize this opportunity.

After considering, he decided to break through in the basement, where no one would disturb him.

Zhao Huai gave some instructions and then went to the basement of the pawnshop.

This place used to be an ice cellar for storing food during summer. It’s perfect as a closed-door cultivation site now. It’s safe enough here.

First, he poured the herbs prepared by his wife into a large vat.

He lit the wood fire, took off his clothes, and stood in the vat, feeling like soaking in a hot spring.

Zhao Huai, in the medicinal bath, took out a porcelain bottle from the black ring.

Then he took out the one-of-a-kind Initiation Pill.

He observed it for a while, his eyes firm, and his determination set. He swallowed it in one go.

Afterward, he began circulating the True Qi throughout his body to dissolve the medicinal power.

The medicinal power of the Initiation Pill spread quickly, and within a quarter of an hour, Zhao Huai felt a fierce fire burning in his pubic region.

His hands and feet were extremely cold, and his whole body began to ache — as if he was sick.

This feeling soon subsided, replaced by an intense, unbearable pain.

Headache!

Handache!

Pain in his meridians!

His whole body was in pain!

It seemed as though thousands of knives were scraping his bones and meridians, causing Zhao Huai’s face to turn pale, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. His whole body twisted into a mess inside the vat.

He even cursed out loud, but fortunately, he was underground, and no one could hear him.

Gradually, the sweat beads on his forehead turned black.

Although Zhao Huai felt dizzy, he was very clear-headed – this was the first step of entering the Initiation Stage.

Marrow cleansing and tendon transformation.

The medicinal power of the Initiation Pill would penetrate his meridians and bones, helping him eliminate impurities throughout his body, making his flesh further purified.

However, this process was incredibly painful!