Chapter 18

Leaving the Duobao Pavilion, Gu Changqing felt the emptiness in his storage pouch where resources had once been. He turned and headed to the Hundred Herb Pavilion to purchase medicinal ingredients for purifying demonic meat.

As for the gossip from the Linglong Pavilion, he let it go as quickly as he heard it. Such matters were far removed from his life. To put it simply—what did it have to do with him? A Golden Core master sleeping with a street beggar might sound sensational, but it was a matter of mutual consent. Regardless of the Linglong Pavilion’s true intentions, it did not affect a small fry like him.

Returning to the small courtyard, Ji Yan had not yet arrived. Gu Changqing, not bothering to wait, quickly shut the door, set up a defensive formation, and took out the eerie materials he had purchased today.

Seven sealed black boxes lay before him, covered in restrictive talismans to prevent the leakage of spectral energy. There was the skin of a Painted Skin Ghost, the scales of a pangolin, the eyeballs of a Hundred-Eyed Ghost, the physical vessel of a Pen Spirit, and the bone ash of a Succubus. Along with these were various necessary ores and herbs. Only through the evil and filth of these spectral entities—the kind of corruption that twists normal perception—could he craft an ancient book so flawless that none could tell it was a forgery.

He opened the sealed boxes. An invisible, malevolent energy began to spread, but it was immediately suppressed upon contact with the anti-evil talismans.

The methods cultivators used to deal with evil spirits were quite mature. Because of this, the Canglan Continent appeared peaceful on the surface; even though demons and ghosts emerged endlessly, they could not stir up significant trouble under the suppression of the major sects. The Nascent Soul stage was the ceiling of this world. However, Gu Changqing did not believe that. His Green Wood Longevity Manual could allow him to reach the level of a True Immortal, so to achieve immortality, he had to keep a low profile.

Calming his mind, Gu Changqing took out a large cauldron, lit a fire, and began to simmer the skin of the Painted Skin Ghost, carefully controlling the infusion of the other materials. The process was simple, but incorporating the twisted, evil nature of the spectral items into the ghost skin required great caution.

Time drifted by. After completing the initial preparation of the pages, he began to refine the Pen Spirit. This was a spectral artifact. As he handled it, he could faintly sense the Pen Spirit’s intense call, and suddenly, a vision appeared before his eyes. He saw a scholar holding the brush, writing as if guided by gods in the examination hall, achieving fame and promotion. He saw a down-and-out rogue cultivator using it to draw various rare treasures, never worrying about resources again, his cultivation path smooth and unobstructed. He saw that rogue cultivator laughing wildly upon advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage. He saw...

"Come, come, possess me. You can draw anything you wish—elixirs, rare treasures. Sign the contract. You will gain more resources. You will stand on high and see more of the world. You will be invincible. Own me."

A voice of extreme temptation echoed in Gu Changqing’s mind.

"Still not giving up." He sneered and waved his hand to suppress the Pen Spirit. The illusion vanished, and the Pen Spirit’s luster dimmed further.

Spectral artifacts were not living creatures; strictly speaking, they were equivalent to magical artifacts, but they were inherently wicked and could lure one into corruption. At the same time, sufficient blood and souls could help them grow. However, a spectral artifact was ultimately just an object; it required a user to function. Of course, using it came with a price—that was common knowledge. The amount of blood and souls one fed it determined the returns it offered. The resources conjured by the Pen Spirit were merely products of equivalent exchange. The rogue cultivator who once possessed it had long since fallen into demonic ways. Having exchanged so much and committed so many murders, Gu Changqing suspected the man had long since turned to dust, and the fact that the artifact was now in his hands was proof enough.

"Be suppressed!" Gu Changqing’s expression was cold and stern as he mercilessly ground away the spirit of the artifact.

As its luster faded, Gu Changqing sneered, knowing these were but illusions. Whether it was a spectral artifact or a ghost, unless their twisted nature was completely eradicated, they would always return like embers. This was why unprocessed spectral items were classified as forbidden goods. Yet, there were always those who would take the risk.

The refining of the Pen Spirit was complete. Gu Changqing tossed it into the cauldron; the essence of the Painted Skin and the Pen Spirit merged and influenced each other. The next step was simply waiting. Once they were thoroughly fused, he could begin to purify their spectral traits.

Nine days later.

"Hum!"

The cauldron let out a humming sound, suddenly vibrating. A burst of clear energy erupted, and the aura of the ghosts dissipated completely.

Gu Changqing’s face lit up with joy. "It’s done."

A book and a brush flew out. The book, crafted from spectral materials, was impervious to water and fire, and no ordinary ink could write upon it; only the brush that had merged with its essence could leave a mark. Furthermore, due to the inclusion of the Hundred-Eyed Ghost and the Succubus, the book would maintain its original state no matter how much information was added. Using it to deceive others would be foolproof—as long as no traces were left behind, no one could determine when the text was written, and some might even believe it was a relic from ancient times.

The only pity was that the level of the Painted Skin Ghost was too low; the book had only eighteen pages, which was its limit. Of course, that was also Gu Changqing’s limit. If the spectral level were too high, he would not dare to handle it.

*Rip.*

The book split into three parts. Since there was a first volume of the "Demon Consumption Guide," there naturally had to be a second and a third. Gu Changqing opened the first volume, picked up the brush, and began to record information on purifying demonic meat one by one.

*Fanged Green Ape: Use Clear Spirit Grass, Phoenix Tail Flower, Yellow Root...*
*Spirit-Devouring Rabbit: Use...*

So far, he had identified fifteen types of demons, which filled exactly one and a half pages. Each volume had six pages, with ten entries per page. In two months, sixty common demons would be enough to pique the interest of many.

After finishing his work, Gu Changqing smiled in satisfaction, put everything away, and cleaned the room until it was spotless. Only after confirming nothing was left behind did he deactivate the formation.

"Hmph!"

A soft snort came from outside.

Gu Changqing paused, suddenly remembering he had a spouse in the next room.

"Nine days, is it?"

He had truly forgotten her. This was normal. When cultivators went into seclusion to refine tools or pills, they often lost track of time. Moreover, dealing with spectral items was difficult; the slightest carelessness could lead to a leak of spectral energy, requiring someone to keep watch. Otherwise, if the energy leaked, he would be facing the Enforcement Hall. This was information Zhang Yuan had given him—to keep the demonic corpses well-stored and never let spectral energy show in the North City, or the Enforcement Hall would invite him for tea, and the prison of the Criminal Law Hall would be waiting. The head of the Criminal Law Hall practiced the path of ruthlessness and was strictly disciplined; there were no favors to be had, and anyone who fell into his hands was finished. Of course, it was precisely because of this that the North City was so prosperous.

Ruthlessness was not the same as forgetting emotion. The head of the Criminal Law Hall simply transformed his own ruthlessness into law; the law was his Dao. And so, for the sake of his Dao, the North City remained stable.

Gu Changqing opened the door. There was no sign of the sarcasm he had expected. In the opposite room, Ji Yan was buried in organizing something and didn't pay him any mind.

"Damn profiteer."
"Bastard."

Ji Yan gritted his teeth, glaring at a list in front of him. Gu Changqing found it secretly amusing. What could possibly make Ji Yan so angry? He walked over quietly and took a look, then laughed. It was a cost-calculation sheet. Next to it was a list of pre-sold goods, and it turned out he had lost twenty percent.

"What are you laughing at?" Ji Yan glared at him.

"Nothing." Gu Changqing shook his head. "Are you planning to open a shop?"

"Yes!" Ji Yan replied dejectedly. "The assets have been retrieved; I can't just sit around and eat through my savings."

Gu Changqing was surprised. "So fast?"

Ji Yan glanced at him. "Not really. The Enforcement Hall stepped in, and the assets were returned in three days. However..." He paused. "Except for your residence and shop, I have leased out all other assets to the Enforcement Hall for management."

Gu Changqing nodded, understanding his meaning. With the Ji family eyeing them covetously, it was better to hand these properties over to the Enforcement Hall. Even if the earnings were lower and only rent could be collected, it saved a lot of trouble.

So... it had been six days since the assets were reclaimed. Gu Changqing looked at the cost sheet and then at the furious Ji Yan. "You... you went to buy stock?"

"Yes!" Ji Yan nodded gloomily. He couldn't cultivate normally, and with nothing to do, why not try to earn some spirit stones? He never imagined that doing business would be so difficult—not only did he have to consider costs, but also loss and the safety of the transport. It was all Gu Changqing’s fault.

Ji Yan glared at him. "It’s all because you were in seclusion, leaving me with no one to consult."

Gu Changqing: "..."

He could even blame that on him. He asked curiously, "Why did you think of the spirit plant business?"

"You have a spirit vein, don't you? Of course, I had to make the most of it. I remember you're good at planting—the spirit tea and spirit fruits you grow are quite good. I intended to open the shop first and provide stock from the Xiwu Mountain once it was well-managed. Who knew..." Ji Yan gritted his teeth. "Damn profiteers."

"Damn bandits."

Of the three suppliers he found, one delivered normally with only a five percent loss. Another had losses exceeding thirty percent. The third was the unluckiest—their goods were robbed by rogue cultivators on the road. Although the goods were recovered, the spirit plants were damaged even more. He was so angry his chest hurt, and he felt as if his body was about to burst into flames.

Gu Changqing suppressed a laugh. So even a genius had areas where they were incompetent, such as business.

Ji Yan glared at him. "You're still laughing."

"No." Gu Changqing quickly shook his head, holding back his amusement, and comforted him. "It's fine. The first time is hard, the second is easier. You'll be fine after learning from this loss."

"Hmph!" Ji Yan snorted.

Gu Changqing smiled. "A little loss doesn't matter. Let me see the quality; maybe it can be salvaged." He was quite skilled at cultivating spirit plants.

"Can this even be salvaged?" Ji Yan asked gloomily, pulling out a rotten fruit.

Gu Changqing: "..."

Just destroy it. The skin of the spirit fruit was broken; if that could be salvaged, the Spirit Void Sect would be the first to come after him.

"What about the spirit plants?"

Ji Yan took out a storage pouch. "They're all here."

The spirit plant losses weren't high; only a few were wilted. The most significant losses were in spirit fruits and medicinal herbs. The herbs had lost their potency and couldn't be sold for a good price, and the broken spirit fruits were even less desirable. Gu Changqing felt weary. He could salvage spirit roots, but how was he supposed to fix a broken spirit fruit? He waved his hand. "Next time you buy stock, remember to sign a contract."

Ji Yan’s eyes drifted, and he quietly tucked away three thin papers on the table that looked very much like contracts.

Gu Changqing: "..."

Forget it. As long as Ji Yan was happy, the losses on low-tier spirit plants weren't that significant anyway.