Chapter 120: Little Red is a Wealthy Woman; Young Man, Are You Wed? It’s a Match!

Within a certain range, both sides can sense each other's presence. He knew exactly where the other party was located, and likewise, Xiaohong could perceive Chen Yushu’s position.

"Done. From now on, Xiaohong, you are my messenger ghost." A faint smile appeared on Chen Yushu's face as he spoke. It is worth noting that since refining the messenger ghost, the two no longer needed to perform the 'dark walk' or establish a spiritual connection to converse; they could hear each other clearly just by speaking normally. Although Chen Yushu had long been capable of hearing 'ghost talk' without the need for the dark walk, and could communicate with them, the state of constant tranquility was far too rare and unique; he naturally did not want to reveal it if he didn't have to. Having a messenger ghost with whom he could converse normally was, indeed, a matter for celebration.

"Thank you, Brother Yushu, for taking me in." Xiaohong bowed obediently. She could feel the link between them and felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.

"No need for such formalities here," Chen Yushu said, waving his hand. He went into the room, took two large incense sticks, and lit them. Seeing this, Xiaoyin trotted over excitedly, tugged on Chen Yushu’s hand, and asked, "Brother Yushu, why are you lighting incense again? I’m already full."

Chen Yushu smiled, "You might be full, but Xiaohong hasn't eaten yet."

"Oh, right! Then Xiaohong, I won't eat them; you can have them all," Xiaoyin said, looking generous as she turned to face Xiaohong.

"Thank you, Xiaoyin." Xiaohong thanked her, then cautiously approached the two incense sticks, looking as if she didn't know how to begin.

"Just inhale it," Xiaoyin said, watching impatiently. "Haven't you ever eaten incense before?"

"No, I haven't," Xiaohong shook her head.

"Ah? That’s so pitiful! What do you eat then?" Xiaoyin looked at her with instant pity, even stepping forward to hug her. "Don't worry, from now on, follow me. There’s plenty of incense; I definitely won't let you go hungry."

"I’m not hungry. Grandfather wouldn't let me go hungry. He used to feed me beads. Oh, right, just before I left, Grandfather gave me two more jars. He said it would be enough to feed me for two years. Actually, I don't need to eat incense," Xiaohong explained, waving her hands frantically.

"Eating beads? What kind of beads?" Xiaoyin tilted her head in confusion.

"These ones, little black beads. They’re delicious. One lasts me half a month," Xiaohong explained. She pulled a small jar from her red garment, pried it open, and took out a small bead.

Chen Yushu, who had been listening to their conversation without much interest, felt his expression change the moment the bead was revealed. Soul beads! What Xiaohong had taken out were clearly soul beads. And judging by that jar, there were clearly more than just one—at least twenty or thirty of them. If there were twenty in each jar, and she had two jars, that made fifty or sixty? Was Xiaohong actually a wealthy heiress? Soul beads were things only produced by fierce ghosts, and usually, it took two or three ghosts to spawn just one. Did this mean Xiaohong’s grandfather had killed at least a hundred fierce ghosts just to prepare her food?

"This... it looks delicious," Xiaoyin remarked with envy. She glanced at it, then again, and finally widened her eyes, staring at it until she was almost drooling. She could smell it, and suddenly, the incense nearby didn't seem so appealing anymore.

"Of course it's delicious. We’re good friends, I’ll give you one," Xiaohong nodded vigorously and handed a soul bead to Xiaoyin.

Xiaoyin was slightly embarrassed but quickly moved closer, took the bead, and smiled, "Xiaohong, you’re so kind. I like having you as my best friend the most."

Chen Yushu stood to the side, rubbed his nose, and tactfully stepped away. What kind of experience was it to have a messenger ghost wealthier than oneself? He knew that soul beads were something even he needed, as they could tangibly improve his incense-based cultivation. However, he was too embarrassed to ask Xiaohong for any, so he silently retreated to the bedroom and began to practice.

He did not immediately start the White Tiger Visualization. Instead, he took out a Spirit Invocation Talisman and activated it. *Hum!* The various elemental particles in the surrounding world seemed to be drawn to him. He then quickly ran through the cultivation path of the Longevity Art in his mind. He wasn't sure if this technique could even be practiced; ever since the great upheaval, spiritual energy in this world had leaked away, with less than one percent remaining. Hundreds of years ago, some could forcibly cultivate using the spiritual energy stored in spirit stones. But as those were consumed and the ambient energy grew thinner, almost no one practiced those immortal cultivation techniques anymore. Many profound techniques, divine abilities, and classics—once the envy of ancient cultivators—had long since become waste paper, and no one spent time practicing them. Therefore, Chen Yushu didn't hold high hopes; he was merely curious and wanted to test his hypothesis.

He focused his mind and, using his spiritual power as a medium, naturally followed the requirements of the Longevity Art to simulate the cultivation. Bit by bit, he expanded the meridians in his body, guiding the energy into his dantian until it formed a special suction, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy toward him.

"Hm? It works? There really is a glimmer of spiritual light being drawn toward me." After running through a single cycle, Chen Yushu noticed that a faint trace of spiritual light was indeed being pulled toward him. However, it was far too thin—even thinner than the stray spiritual particles floating in the world. Even with his perception pushed to the maximum, he could barely feel the changes occurring after the light was absorbed into his body.

"Still... on the attribute panel, it says Longevity Art: Beginner. So, this technique can indeed be practiced. It’s just that the efficiency is incredibly, incredibly low." Chen Yushu looked at his status panel and confirmed the 'Beginner' status for the Longevity Art. Yet, he knew that this level of mastery would bring no change to his actual strength. Even if he spent a massive amount of time successfully mastering it and reaching the legendary 'Qi Refining' stage, it would be meaningless.

"Unless I'm willing to use spirit stones to cultivate." Chen Yushu shook his head. Spirit stones were incredibly precious and rarely traded. Even if he had them, he wouldn't be willing to waste them like that, let alone the fact that he didn't have any. He stopped practicing the Longevity Art and shifted his focus to the White Tiger Visualization. Having reached the 'Great Accomplishment' level, not only was his cultivation speed much faster, but he could also absorb and convert more spiritual particles at once.

...

The next morning, Chen Yushu rose. Although he had agreed to depart with Zhao Yufeng and the others early, he still cooked rice, boiled medicine, and performed his daily morning martial arts routine. The Medicine King Pillar Technique, the Medicine King Force-Locking Technique, the Medicine King Thunder-Swallowing Sound, the Tiger Roar Dragon Chant... he practiced them one after another until the medicinal energy was exhausted.

Only then did Chen Yushu wash up and gather his belongings. He packed his talismans, the magical artifacts he had received yesterday, and various other sundries into a black cloth bag. He had to admit, the bag was incredibly useful—it was flexible, seemed to have an expansion function, and could hold far more than its size suggested.

He beckoned to Xiaoyin and Xiaohong. The two little ghosts turned into streams of light and shot into the jade pendant at his waist. He opened the back door and saw that Zhao Yufeng had also opened his back door. Qi Jichuan stepped out, followed by a figure wrapped entirely in black cloth—Zhao Yufeng’s corpse puppet, 'Little Black.'

Chen Yushu walked over. "Perfect timing. Let's go; we'll jump over the wall here."

Zhao Yufeng nodded, signaling them to follow. Qi Jichuan added, "Since we're taking 'Little Black,' we can't pass through the city gates. After jumping the wall, it's just a short walk to a small ferry on the Long River. We've arranged for a boatman there; we can travel by water to be faster."

"I defer to your arrangements, seniors," Chen Yushu said submissively.

They walked along a small path behind his room for dozens of meters until a city wall, three people tall and over a *zhang* high, appeared before them.

"Any problems jumping over this?" Qi Jichuan asked with a faint smile.

Chen Yushu looked at the wall—about four and a half meters high, straight and smooth, with only a few gaps between bricks to provide leverage. Confident in his strength, he nodded. "No problem."

"Good, you go first."

Chen Yushu didn't hesitate. He took a few steps back, braced himself, and pushed off. *Boom!* He soared upward, instantly clearing eight feet, even with his pack. He stepped against the wall, grabbed a brick protrusion with his fingertips, kicked off again, and vaulted over the top.

"Hahaha, not bad at all!" Qi Jichuan laughed, lifted his energy, and moved across the wall like a dragon, leaping up swiftly. He was much faster than Chen Yushu. "How was that?"

"Very impressive. Senior Qi, that must be a light-foot skill, right?" Chen Yushu recognized it as a high-level martial art. His own 'Eight-Step Cicada-Chase' was more of a footwork technique for flat ground, relying on blood energy and strength, whereas this was a true 'light-foot skill' that utilized internal energy, something only internal-energy-stage martial artists could master.

"That's right, it's the Gecko Wall-Climbing Technique. Perfect for scaling heights," Qi Jichuan smiled. "Once your martial arts reach the internal energy stage, I’ll teach you."

"Not very sincere of you," Chen Yushu shook his head. He knew that while his cultivation speed was fast, reaching the internal energy stage would not be easy, and it was unlikely Qi Jichuan would still be in Jianghuan Town by then.

"You two are so idle," Zhao Yufeng sighed from below. He walked along the wall until they reached a section that had half-collapsed. Because it was close to the river and remote, it hadn't been repaired. He simply walked right out.

"So, we didn't even need to climb the wall?" Chen Yushu looked at Qi Jichuan.

"I just wanted to test your martial arts. You’re quite good. No wonder you dare to cultivate both the Dao and martial arts." Qi Jichuan laughed and jumped down. Chen Yushu followed, though his landing was less graceful. The gap between them was significant—one was at the peak of external forging, just beginning internal refinement, while the other was already well-versed in internal energy.

After reuniting, they followed Qi Jichuan to the pre-arranged ferry. A small boat was waiting at the dock.

"Boatman, we're here," Qi Jichuan called out. A man in his fifties or sixties stepped out from the boat. He looked sturdy, with strong muscles and vigorous blood energy, clearly a practitioner of some martial arts.

"Let's go," Qi Jichuan signaled. Chen Yushu stepped onto the boat; it dipped slightly, but he stood perfectly steady. Zhao Yufeng followed, also standing firmly due to his own body-tempering training. Then came the corpse puppet. It leaped onto the boat with a heavy *thud!* The boat sank significantly into the water.

"Master, your friend is quite strong. My boat can't handle such rough treatment," the boatman said with a wry smile, using his bamboo pole to steady the craft.

"Apologies. If there's any damage, I'll pay for it," Zhao Yufeng said apologetically.

"It's fine," the boatman checked the deck, saw it was only slightly dented, and untied the rope. He pushed off, and the boat headed into the river. "Your friend is certainly tall. And his complexion is quite strange. To tell you the truth, I’ve never seen such a sturdy giant." The boatman chatted as he rowed, even patting the corpse puppet’s shoulder. "Solid as a rock!"

Chen Yushu felt a strange sensation. Of course it was solid—it was nourished by *yin* energy, reinforced with various materials, and was basically a dead object. It was as hard as raw iron. It was a giant, over two meters tall. He wondered where Zhao Yufeng had found it or if it could grow taller through refinement. Its presence was intimidating; the first time Chen Yushu saw it, he had treated it as a major threat he needed to avoid.

"Is this young man married? I have a daughter at home—not exactly a beauty, but she’s sturdy and a hard worker. If he’s interested, I’d be glad to take him as a son-in-law," the boatman continued, seemingly serious.

Chen Yushu, Qi Jichuan, and Zhao Yufeng all wore incredibly strange expressions. A son-in-law? For a corpse puppet? What was wrong with this old man's eyes?

"My friend is already married," Zhao Yufeng finally said to end the conversation.

"Ah, that’s a pity," the boatman sighed and went back to rowing.

Sitting on the boat, watching the rippling water, Chen Yushu’s mood calmed. The river was beautiful—the rising sun, the morning chill, and the rising mist made it feel like a fairyland. With his keen eyesight, he could even see over ten meters beneath the surface, where schools of fish swam. He spotted a few rare fish, one of which leaped three *zhang* out of the water.

"That's a Moon-Chasing Fish. Fast and loves to leap. A real treasure—worth thirty-five taels of silver. A shame it's too far away, or I'd wait here for a while," the boatman remarked.

Chen Yushu nodded, but then his eyes narrowed. Sometimes, he found his own keen eyesight to be a burden. He looked toward the water and locked eyes with something. He immediately looked away, disgusted by the creature's visage, but it seemed to take that as a signal and rushed toward them.

*Thud!* The boat shook violently.

"What's going on?" Qi Jichuan opened his eyes.

"Maybe we hit a reef? But that's impossible, the water here is deep," the boatman said, looking nervous. Then, the boat was struck again.

"It's a corpse stench. It's a 'dead-drown'," Zhao Yufeng said, sniffing the air as he stood up.

"A water-monkey?" The boatman, experienced with such things, shouted, "Don't be afraid, I have an offering ready!" He ducked into his cabin, lit an incense stick, and began shaking a bowl of rice into the river.

The river grew quiet, and the creature seemed to accept the offering and stopped attacking. The boatman smiled, but before he could speak, *thud!* The boat shook again, even harder.

"How can this be? Does it want a triple-offering?" the boatman panicked.

"It's useless. I locked eyes with it," Chen Yushu said, waving his hand.

Locking eyes with a 'dead-drown' meant it had marked him. Just like the ghost in the coffin he had encountered when leaving the village—he had looked, the ghost had sat up, and they had locked eyes. There was no talking it out; the ghost was simply lonely and desperate for company.

"A mere dead-drown dares to act up?" Zhao Yufeng’s brow twitched. He pulled a small bell from his robe and gave it a light shake. *Jingle!*

Following the sound, 'Little Black' leaped off the boat and into the water, vanishing instantly.

*A corpse puppet fighting a dead-drown?*