The pain coursed through his veins like molten fire, burning every nerve until his vision blurred. His breath hitched, as though the icy hands of death were clutching his lungs.
Slowly, his body lost its strength; his sight dimmed. Just as his consciousness began to sink into darkness, the pain suddenly vanished—dissolving like mist beneath the morning sun.
Lin Chen lay helpless on the ground, his skin pale and his breathing barely perceptible. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, anyone would have thought he was dead.
Brother Hu, who saw the scene, appeared utterly unconcerned. He casually ordered his men to leave.
The man's fierce expression shifted when his gaze landed on the five spirit chickens shimmering with iridescent feathers.
As if recalling something, Brother Hu tore his eyes away from the birds and looked down at Lin Chen with a crooked smile.
"Heh, Lin Chen, if you ever need money again, come find me. I won't demand spirit stones—just pay me with a few of these fine-looking birds."
He burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the alley like metal scraping against stone. "Aren't I generous?"
Lin Chen could only grit his teeth in silence. If that's generosity, what does cruelty look like in this world?
Still, despite the fury burning in his chest, he kept his expression calm. He couldn't afford to provoke the man further.
Only when Brother Hu and his men completely disappeared from sight did Lin Chen dare to move.
As their footsteps faded, he finally realized just how close he had come to death.
"Phew… that was terrifying," he muttered, still trembling at the memory.
"If this hadn't been inside the city market, I'd probably already be…" His thought trailed off into silence.
His heart continued to pound, his limbs shaking from lingering fear.
But beneath that fear, a different emotion began to stir—a small spark of newfound determination.
"Hmph… just you wait, Brother Hu. I'll return every bit of this humiliation."
...
The Next Morning
Lin Chen walked down a shabby, narrow alley he knew all too well. From afar, he could faintly hear the chirping of sparrows.
Before long, he arrived at a modest house.
Knock!
knock!
He tapped on the wooden door and waited. His eyes drifted to the side, where several sparrows were trapped inside bamboo cages.
Seeing them, Lin Chen's eyes lit up—as if he were gazing at precious treasures.
Moments later, Xing Que appeared, greeting him enthusiastically.
"Heheh, fellow Daoist! I knew you'd be back! Here for more sparrows, aren't you? Well, what do you think—aren't my birds the best around?"
"Yes, they are," Lin Chen replied. "I'm truly impressed by your skill, fellow Daoist."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but recall the first time he'd visited this place—how he'd sworn never to return. Yet here he was again.
Man proposes, but Heaven disposes, he thought to himself.
While Lin Chen was lost in thought, Xing Que glanced at him from the corner of his eye, a sly smile curling on his lips.
"Alright, fellow Daoist. Come in—I'll fetch the goods for you."
"Sure, take your time," Lin Chen replied, completely unsuspecting.
Xing Que stepped inside, gathering several sparrows along with their cages. While doing so, he secretly injected something into one of the birds, its feathers faintly turning green.
Once finished, he nodded in satisfaction. "Now then… let's see what happens next."
A short while later, he emerged and handed the cages to Lin Chen.
After a brief inspection and finding nothing wrong, Lin Chen smiled in relief and left.
Xing Que's grin deepened as he called out, "Take care, fellow Daoist! Come by again anytime!"
Lin Chen nodded politely and continued on his way.
...
Before long, he reached a store selling farming and livestock supplies. The place buzzed with noise—chirping chicks, bleating goats, squealing piglets.
But rather than feeling irritated, Lin Chen was fascinated.
"Welcome, sir. How can I help you?" asked a female shopkeeper.
"Oh, right—how much for a Rank 1 spirit chicken chick?"
"One spirit stone per chick, sir. How many would you like?"
Lin Chen nearly choked. One spirit stone for a single chick? No wonder so few dared to raise them.
Then it struck him—the most expensive part of raising spirit chickens wasn't the feed, but the chicks themselves.
Male spirit chickens were notoriously aggressive, making breeding difficult and dangerous. Worse yet, the survival rate of their eggs was abysmal.
Most breeders waited until the chicks were half-grown before selling them, which naturally drove up the cost.
So it wasn't surprising that spirit chicken chicks were so expensive.
Still, with proper care, profits could reach twenty percent of one's initial investment—and if one had special feed, like his late father once did, the gains could be several times higher.
After a moment's thought, Lin Chen said, "Alright, I'll take fifteen chicks."
He didn't bother to haggle; the price was fair.
The shopkeeper nodded and began preparing his order.
While waiting, Lin Chen wandered around the shop. His gaze soon fell on a stack of eggs displayed near the counter.
He approached, sensing faint traces of life force within them.
"Are these fertilized eggs? Why would they leave them out here like this? Don't they know they'll fail to hatch if kept in such a place?" he muttered under his breath, frowning.
He began to doubt the shop's competence.
Moments later, the shopkeeper returned with his purchase.
Lin Chen couldn't resist asking, "Madam, what's with those eggs?"
"Oh, those?" she replied quickly. "They're fertilized eggs, but their vitality and qi are below standard, so they can't be used for breeding. We sell them cheap—some people buy them to eat since they're said to be more nutritious."
"Ten eggs for one spirit stone." she added with a polite smile.
Lin Chen's curiosity was piqued—not because he wanted to eat them, but because he wondered if his Turtle Breathtechnique could save them.
"Alright, I'll take ten. May I pick them myself?"
"Of course," the woman said, stepping aside.
Lin Chen began to inspect the eggs carefully. The first one he touched felt strange—its life force was unusually weak, unlike the rest.
He set it aside and continued, choosing nine better ones.
But somehow, his gaze kept drifting back to that first egg. Without understanding why, he finally picked it up and added it to the basket.
The shopkeeper, watching from the side, silently shook her head. She knew that egg had been sitting there for ages—its vitality nearly gone.
But Lin Chen didn't care. His attention was fixed on the glowing text that appeared before his eyes:
[Item: Pheasant Egg]
Description: A Rank 1 pheasant egg. Can hatch into a spirit pheasant.
The short line of text was proof enough—this egg was unlike the rest.
After packing up his purchases, Lin Chen headed home.
On the way, he stumbled upon a large crowd gathered around a luxurious carriage.
Behind a curtain of silk, a pair of cold, serene eyes gazed outward. Just one glance was enough to make Lin Chen's heart skip a beat.
The woman's aura was gentle, yet beneath it lurked a silent, deadly power.
Stunned by her beauty, Lin Chen froze. When her eyes suddenly shifted toward him, a chill raced down his spine, drenching him in cold sweat.
"That woman… she's dangerous," he whispered, horrified.
Later, he overheard someone mention her name—the Moon Lotus Fairy.
Just hearing it sent shivers down his back.
Something's wrong… why would someone like her be in a brothel? There must be something strange going on.
He wanted to warn Sister Liu Ruyan, but reason held him back. Matters involving someone like the Moon Lotus Fairy were far beyond his reach.
That night, Lin Chen tossed and turned, haunted by the memory of her piercing gaze until well past midnight.
...
Three days passed.
Since that encounter, Lin Chen had rarely left home. Now he sat cross-legged, the Jade Turtle Pendant on his chest pulsing faintly as he practiced Turtle Breath to calm his spirit.
Once his qi and mind were steady again, he finally stepped outside. The sparrows he'd bought earlier had already advanced to Rank 1—ready to sell.
He set up a small stall in the market, paying a modest fee to avoid trouble from the guards.
But something felt off that day. The birds overhead fluttered restlessly, and the air shimmered with unstable qi.
Still, Lin Chen decided to proceed.
He arranged six Rank 1 sparrows in front of him. The sight quickly drew a crowd—live Rank 1 sparrows were rare, as they were usually hunted and sold dead.
Who would keep such creatures alive, after all?
A few wealthy buyers eagerly purchased them, while others lingered nearby, gossiping.
"Hey, did you hear? Someone discovered an alchemist's cave!"
"Really? Must be full of treasures!"
"Of course! Why else would so many rush to find it?"
"Hah, but they say the alchemist had a formation expert friend—his cave is hidden and deadly."
"Oh, that explains it…"
Lin Chen listened with mild interest but had no intention of risking his life for such things.
Why bother? Selling sparrows is safer—and profitable.
Meanwhile, in a quiet alley not far away, Xing Que stood waiting for someone.
"So? Is it done?" he asked.
"Yes, fellow Daoist. Here's the item."
Xing Que inspected it briefly, nodded, paid the man, and left without another word.
Moments after he disappeared—
Boom!
An explosion shook the marketplace.
Screams erupted all around.
"Demon cultivator!"
"Help! A demon cultivator!"
"Catch him—don't let him escape!"