Chapter 54 Entanglement It was a chilling feeling, like being coiled by a snake…
At this point, Li Chenjin suddenly stopped.
Something's not right, it's really not right. Nothing Shen Zhengyuan has done lately has been right.
If he truly wanted to trap her, he shouldn't have allowed her to roam freely within the tranquil territory, nor should he have let Wen Riwan visit her, and he certainly shouldn't have disappeared repeatedly. His actions were clearly giving her a chance to escape.
In addition, regarding the so-called dual cultivation, she initially thought it would last for ten consecutive days, but in the end it was only one day. Therefore, his purpose was not dual cultivation, nor the snow lotus later on, nor any artifact spirit. Otherwise, he would not have tacitly allowed her to leave.
So, were all those things he did just a cover-up to conceal his true purpose?
Is it so that she's blinded by her own involvement and can't figure out his true intentions?
So what exactly did he want to do, and did he actually accomplish it?
If he succeeded, she wouldn't notice anything strange at first; but if he failed, he wouldn't have let her leave; therefore, he must have already achieved his goal, or rather, he had already accomplished what he needed to do...
But what exactly is it?
Where is he now?
Is everything still under his control?
Did he truly leave before, or is he currently, or has he always been near her?
As these questions kept popping into her mind, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, and it felt as if a gaze was being cast upon her from somewhere she hadn't noticed.
It was a chilling feeling, like being coiled by a snake, that suddenly gave her the illusion that she was being haunted by a vengeful ghost.
"Hello? Hello!"
Han Shannan waved his hand in front of her and said, "What are you thinking about? I was talking to you just now, but you ignored me. Who are those two people over there? Are they friends you made in the cultivation world? You've been arrested, how can you still have the leisure to make friends?"
Li Chen finally came to his senses and sighed, "What are you talking about? These two are my benefactors. If it weren't for them, I would still be in the world of Dharma cultivators."
Wen Riwan also walked over at this moment, looked at Han Shannan strangely, and asked, "Who is he?"
Li Chen said, "Oh, this is my half-disciple. Cultivator Wen, I won't trouble you any further. I'm really worried about causing trouble for the alchemy world, so I'll take my leave now."
As she spoke, she tugged at Han Shannan's sleeve and said, "This cultivator Wen is my benefactor, so he's also half a benefactor to you. You take cultivator Wen to the Pill Cultivation Realm for me, and when you come back, I'll give you what you want."
Han Shannan asked in surprise, "Didn't you say that everything was in the Zen cultivation world? After the people in the Dharma cultivation world captured you, they still agreed to let you go back to 'visit relatives'?"
Li Chenjin: "..."
This guy doesn't seem very bright on a normal day, but when it comes to crucial questions, he always gets to the heart of the matter, making it really hard to answer. All she could say was, "You're talking so much, does that mean you don't want the things anymore? What did I tell you before? 'Too much talk leads to mistakes, silence is golden,' have you forgotten all that?"
Li Chen usually appears very approachable, but when he puts on a stern face, he can be quite intimidating, causing Han Shannan to instinctively cover his mouth, not daring to say anything more, and only asking, "Then what are you going to do?"
Li Chen reached out his hand to him and said, "I will naturally find a safe place to stay first, and wait for Cultivator Han to come back and retrieve his things."
As soon as Han Shannan saw her reach out her hand, he knew what she wanted.
He readily unloaded his bundle and stuffed it into Li Chenjin's hands, saying, "The silver and stuff are all in there, so keep an eye on it and don't let anyone steal it."
“After my parents found out about me, they absolutely forbade me from leaving the house, let alone coming to the cultivation world to find you. I ran away secretly, and only had time to bring some savings. If I lose all this money, I…”
Seeing that Han Shannan was about to ramble on for a while, Li Chenjin quickly nodded and said, "Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you for your help and generosity, Cultivator Han. I will definitely take good care of these things."
"You should also send the literary cultivator back to the artifact cultivation world as soon as possible. The sooner he goes and the sooner he returns, the better, so that I won't be caught again. If I manage to go in but don't come out alive, or if I accidentally say something, you won't be able to get those things."
Upon hearing Li Chen's words, Han Shannan's eyes widened in disbelief, as if she could hardly believe that she would say such a thing.
After Li Chen finished speaking, he turned to Wen Riwan and continued, "Cultivator Wen has a magic artifact that functions similarly to a teleportation array in the magic cultivation world. It requires a Nascent Soul cultivator to activate. However, after trying it just now, I discovered that a Golden Core cultivator can also activate it. They only need to pour all their spiritual power into it, and they will be exhausted afterward, but they will be fine after resting for a while. You can use that magic artifact to send Cultivator Wen and the others back to the artifact cultivation world."
As she spoke, she said to Wen Riwan, "Brother Wen, thank you for today. If we have the chance to meet again in the future, I will definitely thank you properly."
Wen Riwan asked, "Are you really not coming back to the Weapon Cultivation Realm with me?"
Li Chen smiled and shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Cultivator Wen, but I don't like to cause trouble for others. Cultivator Wen, you don't need to worry after you go back. Since I didn't go to the Weapon Cultivation Realm, that Sect Leader Shen will definitely not cause trouble for the Weapon Cultivation Realm."
"Moreover, the Dharma Cultivation Realm and the Weapon Cultivation Realm have always had a close relationship. He would never turn against the Weapon Cultivation Realm just because of me."
Seeing that they were having a pleasant conversation, Han Shannan said with great dissatisfaction, "Did you even think about me? I poured all my spiritual power into this magic artifact, and I'll need to recuperate for at least ten days to half a month afterward! During that time, I won't be able to move at all, so how can I come back to protect you?"
Li Chen said, "The cultivators of artifacts are wealthy and powerful, and they certainly don't lack any kinds of spiritual medicines. If you ask the cultivator for some spiritual medicines on credit, you can recover in four or five days at most. In addition, your physique is special and your body is much better than that of ordinary cultivators, so the recovery time will naturally be shorter. You may only need to lie down for a day or two to recover."
After saying that, she ignored Han Shannan's dissatisfaction, took out a piece of paper from the storage bag at her waist, and handed it to Wen Riwan. "Cultivator Wen, I will temporarily entrust my friend to you. This piece of paper contains a set of cultivation techniques that I have heard of before, which will help improve your cultivation."
"You were already close to the Golden Core realm, but you just couldn't find the right method. If you practice this mental cultivation method for a month, it will definitely help you break through the bottleneck. Consider this my gift to you. I also hope that you can take good care of my friend. After you arrive in the world of weapon cultivators, please have someone send him more spiritual medicines."
Wen Riwan looked at the mental cultivation manual presented to him and couldn't help but glance at the person in front of him.
When she saw the smile in Li Chen's eyes, she quickly lowered her head, took the paper, and said softly, "Don't worry, your friend is also my friend. I will take good care of him."
Li Chen smiled slightly, "Then I will thank Cultivator Wen on his behalf."
As she spoke, she cupped her hands in greeting to Wen Riwan and said, "Master Wen, Miss Xiaoqiu, until we meet again."
After saying that, she waved to the sweet fermented rice balls who were already squatting to the side waiting. After the sweet fermented rice balls ran over, she turned around and left with them, leaving the three of them looking at each other in bewilderment.
Wen Riwan looked at Han Shannan and asked, "Are you really her disciple? You don't look like someone from the Zen meditation world."
Han Shannan said, "Of course I'm not from the Zen meditation community. She's my master's closest friend, so she's practically my master too."
“I see…” Wen Riwan said slowly, “Um… what’s her name?”
Han Shannan said incredulously, "Aren't you friends? No, aren't you her benefactor? How come you don't even know her name? She didn't even tell you her name!"
Wen Riwan retorted, her neck stiff, "Mind your own business! If there hadn't been so many things going on before, I would have already asked you about it. Why would I need to ask you?!"
"Hey! You have quite the temper. Are you asking about someone's attitude?"
"Hey! Who are you calling short-tempered?!"
"You! Not only do you have a terrible temper, but you also have no manners!!"
"How dare you! How dare you speak to our young lady like that?!"
"Ha! You two, master and servant, have such terrible tempers, and you're both so rude!! I'm not telling you her name!!!"
"you!"
………………
Li Chen found a secluded place to settle down by herself. Although there were still many things she didn't understand about what had happened before, she was at least certain that Shen Zhengyuan didn't want to kill her. As for his specific purpose, she could investigate it slowly later.
As for that tranquil realm, although it was extremely beautiful and exquisite, every day when she woke up, she lived a life where everything was done for her, and the dishes on the table were all delicacies that she could not usually see. Even the vegetarian dishes were made with great care.
Unfortunately, such a luxurious lifestyle was not suitable for her, and there was really no freedom to speak of in that place. It would be better to stay here, walk the dog, and grow some vegetables.
It just so happens that when Li Chenjin was wandering around the Pure Realm, he happened to stumble upon the kitchen and asked the chef there for a recipe book.
She combined the recipes from that cookbook with everyday dishes, made some minor modifications, and created a new cookbook. The next morning, she took out her modified cookbook and went to the kitchen with great enthusiasm to make breakfast.
Shen Zhengyuan's methods weren't entirely useless; at least her sense of taste had recovered somewhat, and she could taste some flavors, so she had to add salt.
She hummed a tune as she served the portion of sweet fermented rice balls. Once they had cooled down enough, she took the bowl and fed them to the sweet fermented rice balls.
Meanwhile, the sweet fermented rice balls were squatting outside waiting for her. Li Chen squatted down, patted its head, and poured the food from the bowl into the dog bowl on the ground. Only after seeing the sweet fermented rice balls start eating did she slowly stand up.
She hadn't taken more than a few steps when she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, followed by a wave of dizziness. Her vision blurred, and she couldn't see anything clearly. The bowl in her hand fell to the ground, making a crisp sound of porcelain shattering.
She staggered a few steps, and before she could find a place to sit, her legs went weak, and she knelt down with a thud. She had to use her hands to support herself so that she wouldn't fall over in a sorry state.
Seeing this, the sweet fermented rice balls stopped eating and quickly ran to Li Chenjin's side.
But it was just a little dog. No matter how worried it was about its owner, it couldn't do anything for her. It could only watch as she broke out in a cold sweat and coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood.
She braced herself on the ground with her hands, her whole body trembling with each cough. After coughing up several more mouthfuls of blood, she gradually calmed down.
She slowly opened her eyes, looked at the large patch of blood on the ground, took a few breaths, and then slowly straightened up. She touched the head of the sweet fermented rice ball next to her, as if to comfort it and tell it not to worry about her.
She looked down at the sweet fermented rice balls and saw worry and sadness on its face. It wouldn't even eat the meat buns she took out of her storage bag to comfort it.
She smiled helplessly and said, "That Shen Zhengyuan guy... he's really ungrateful. Not only did he not host a banquet for me, but he also made me suffer terribly. If that thousand-year-old snow lotus had been useless, that would have been one thing, but not only was it useless, it worsened my injuries. Sigh..."
"After the injury worsened, I was able to taste it again... but this is really not a good sign..."
As she spoke, she sighed again, gazing at the sweet fermented rice balls in front of her, and said with great concern, "Sweet fermented rice balls, I thought I could at least stay with you for another year or two. Who would have thought that you would already be showing signs of a final burst of energy before death..."
She lowered her eyes, seemingly murmuring to herself, "Han Shannan is a good-hearted guy, but he lacks experience, which makes him seem a bit naive. But I believe he can definitely take good care of you..."
"Don't worry, I can hold out until he gets here. You're my savior, and I won't be able to die in peace if I don't take good care of you."
As if understanding her words, the sweet fermented rice balls sniffed her arm and let out a whimpering sound that sounded like sobbing.
Li Chen sighed and turned to look at the door.
It was early morning, and the sunlight, accompanied by a slight breeze, shone in from outside the door, bringing her a touch of warmth as she had felt chilly.
The weather looks nice today; it's a great day for walking the dog and experiencing life.
Li Chen gently rubbed the sweet rice ball's head and said, "Don't worry, I can hold on for a few more months. After I find you a good home, I still need to go back and settle accounts with that old monk, sigh..."
"This time, I was really tricked by that wicked old monk."
Author's Note: The next chapter is about to begin! Congratulations! [cat emoji]
I received a huge bombshell yesterday, so please don't throw money away on those, my darlings. Save your money to read other novels, or buy yourself something nice to eat, or even just save it. The economy isn't doing too well these days, so please take good care of yourselves.
………………
The "Respect Yourself" series on Douyin (TikTok) has been really popular lately, and I wanted to try it too. If this happens, I suggest you swipe away. I'm just too afraid to film myself for fear of being seen by people I know, so I'm just talking to myself here. Almost nobody around me knows I'm writing a novel, haha [doge emoji]
The first toast is to myself. Before, my family was doing well, until an elder insisted on lending all their savings to a relative. If that wasn't enough, they even helped borrow more, acting as guarantors and signing guarantees. Then the relative's business failed, and they couldn't get the money back. Our family was also broke. So, the hardship started with our relative and became difficult for both of us. Well done!
The second book is about respecting oneself. After the family ran out of money, the elders started getting sick one after another. My parents had to borrow money to pay for their medical treatment, and then they went from being broke to being in debt. Well done!
The third toast is to myself. Even in college, I had no money, and because of the long commute, I had to live on campus. I only had 200 yuan a month for living expenses, and more often than not, it was just 200 yuan every two or three months. I tried my best to survive in the wilderness, but I still couldn't avoid starvation and anemia. Well done!
The fourth toast is to myself. I wanted to go to a temple or Taoist monastery to get a free vegetarian meal, but when I got there I felt embarrassed. I wandered around for a bit, didn't get any free food, and even donated some money for incense. Well done!
The fifth toast is to myself. After class this morning, I rushed out to work. I didn't eat lunch, but I bought a sausage at a FamilyMart on the way. In the end, I didn't get to eat it; I gave it to a stray dog on the street. I was hungry until evening. Well done!
The sixth toast is to myself. Seeing someone begging on the street, a thought popped into my head: I wanted to work part-time as a beggar. But after wandering around for a bit, I couldn't bring myself to do it; in fact, I ended up spending some money. Well done!
The seventh toast is to myself. I used to be bullied at school (actually, it was just some harsh talk, nothing really, I guess I'm being dramatic). I went to the teachers, but they didn't care. I went to my parents, and they told me to ask the bullies why, apologize, and correct my mistakes. They thought I must have some issues myself to be bullied, and I thought they were right. So when I apologized and asked why, they said there was nothing else, they just didn't like me. They thought I didn't smile much, didn't talk much, was withdrawn, a bit pretentious, a bit arrogant—good job! It seems like it really was my fault.
The eighth toast is to myself. I'm afraid of being isolated, and I don't want to be isolated, so I imitated a TV drama and knelt down to apologize. But I still got isolated. Well done! I was watching TV like this.
The ninth toast is to myself. Once, I bought some shumai (steamed dumplings) from near my school for breakfast, but I dropped them. Following the three-second rule, I quickly picked them up, only to find that the rule didn't work; there was still sand and dust inside. Then, my left and right brains battled between "eating unclean food is bad" and "a little dirt won't hurt," and I finished them while still struggling with these conflicting thoughts. Well done!
The tenth toast is to myself. Once, on my way home, I saw a small, unopened bag of seaweed on the ground (the individually wrapped kind, two or three sheets in a small bag). I picked it up and ate it. It was raining at the time, and I mentally prepared myself for a while, but when I put it in my mouth, it was so soggy that I couldn't taste any seaweed at all. (It was perfectly dried.)
The eleventh toast is to myself. When I was little, an old man sexually assaulted me (although it was just a pinch below the neck and above the waist, it still counts as sexual assault). At the time, I was only focused on running away and didn't realize it was sexual assault; I just thought he seemed mentally unstable. Every time I think about it now, I regret it. I regret not slapping him while I was still a minor under the protection of the law. How hateful!
This twelfth toast is to myself. I thought graduation would be better than surviving in the wilderness of school, but in a short time, my first job went bankrupt and I quit. My second job was okay, but then I got harassed by my boss and quit too. Well done!
The thirteenth toast is to myself. I'm unemployed. Aside from the occasional get-together with classmates for a free meal, I do part-time fortune telling. And surprisingly, it's quite accurate. Then a customer asked if I'd ever had my fortune told. I said no, I was afraid of breaking my guard. She laughed, and I almost laughed too, but I'd already broken my guard. Well done!
The fourteenth toast is to myself. There were times when I couldn't think things through, but I didn't go through with the W cut; I went up to the D, but I let go halfway because it was so uncomfortable, so I didn't dare to do it a second time; I jumped to the L, but hey, I'm afraid of heights, so I didn't dare; I jumped to the H, but hey, I didn't dare either; then I admitted that I'm a coward who can still live, well done (don't follow my example, believe that life is beautiful).
This fifteenth toast is to everyone. I hope those who read this far can live a relaxed, happy, and blessed life. Don't worry about being tainted by my bad luck, because I feel my luck is pretty good. After all, I'm surprisingly in demand (though in an unusual way). If you encounter someone from Taoism, you're connected to Taoism; if you encounter someone from Buddhism, you're connected to Buddhism; if you encounter someone from Christianity, you're connected to Christ; if you encounter someone from a cult (I won't mention the name, but it starts with the heart radical), you're connected to cults. Of course, I didn't go to any of them in the end, but with so many connections, my luck can't be too bad... I guess.
In conclusion, before considering the worst-case scenario, try not to lend large sums of money or sign off on anything for others. [heart emoji]
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