For the next three months, the "Sanctuary" operated with the precision of a clock. Han Zhao's life was a masterpiece of monotony. He woke up, practiced his 'Breath-Holding Art' until his pulse was a mere suggestion, ate a bowl of unrefined rice, and spent his afternoons "fixing" things that didn't want to be fixed.
He had discovered that the "Cursed Tomb" the noble mentioned was actually a massive, ancient graveyard for a forgotten sect. To the world, it was a death trap. To Han Zhao, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet of stagnant energy. He would occasionally "buy" cursed items from terrified merchants for pennies, drain the essence for longevity, and then sell the cleaned artifacts back as "lucky charms."
[Current Life Expectancy: 94 Years, 12 Days.]
The peace was broken on a Tuesday by a sound Han Zhao hated more than Qi deviation: the sound of a heavy, heroic sword hilt banging against his door.
The man who entered was a walking cliché. He wore gleaming white robes, had a jawline sharp enough to cut jade, and carried a sword wrapped in dragon-leather. He was followed by a small group of wide-eyed disciples.
[System Scan Initiated...]
[Target: Lin Chen. Status: 'The Chosen One' Archetype.]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment - Level 5 (Rapid Growth).]
[Danger Level: Extreme (Collateral Damage Magnet).]
"Shopkeeper!" Lin Chen shouted, his voice echoing in the small shop. "I am told this is the place where the 'Invisible Sage' dwells!"
Han Zhao didn't even look up from the scroll he was "repairing" (he was actually just drawing small cats in the margins with invisible ink).
"Sage? No sages here, Young Master. Just dust and overdue taxes. If you want a sage, try the mountain peaks. They like the view."
Lin Chen frowned, stepping closer. "Do not play games. I am the scion of the Lin Family. I have traveled three thousand miles following the trail of the 'Shadow-Eater'. A noble in the capital said a man in this alley took his curse away with a single touch."
Su Lian, who was in the back room grinding ink, froze. Her hand went to the hilt of her dagger.
Han Zhao sighed. I should have charged that noble eleven gold bars. Ten wasn't enough to buy silence.
"Ah, you mean the Magistrate's son?" Han Zhao looked up, squinting through a pair of thick, unnecessary spectacles he'd made to look more pathetic. "He had a nasty case of shadow-lice. Common problem in this damp weather. I just used some strong vinegar and a prayer. Would you like to buy some vinegar? Two copper coins."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed. He didn't believe a word of it. He reached out, his hand glowing with a righteous, golden Qi, and grabbed Han Zhao's wrist. "Let me see your cultivation base!"
This was the moment. In a standard novel, Han Zhao would reveal his power, slap the arrogant hero, and trigger a ten-volume rivalry.
Instead, Han Zhao triggered the 'Void of Identity'.
When Lin Chen's spiritual sense entered Han Zhao's body, it didn't find a sea of Qi or a hidden dragon. It found... nothing. It was like reaching into a bag of flour and finding only air. Han Zhao's meridians appeared to be clogged, his Dantian looked like a withered grape, and his physical strength was that of a man who skipped lunch too often.
Lin Chen pulled his hand back, looking genuinely confused. "Mortal? Truly? But the traces of energy in that noble..."
"I have a very good prayer, Young Master," Han Zhao repeated, his voice quivering slightly. "The gods like me because I don't bother them for much."
"Brother Lin," one of the female disciples whispered, pulling on his sleeve. "He's clearly just a servant. The 'Sage' probably used him as a medium and moved on. We're wasting time. The Cursed Tomb opens at the full moon!"
Lin Chen looked around the shop one last time. His gaze lingered on the "Tax Records" box—which still held the Azure Dragon Core—but because of the 'Social Invisibility', the box looked so boring that his brain literally refused to process its importance.
"Forgive the intrusion," Lin Chen said, though his voice held more frustration than apology. "If the Sage returns, tell him Lin Chen seeks his guidance."
They marched out, the hero's cape fluttering dramatically.
As soon as the door closed, Su Lian stepped out from the back. "That was close. He's the 'Protagonist' of the Southern Provinces. Trouble follows him like a dog."
"He's headed for the Cursed Tomb," Han Zhao said, his glasses disappearing into his sleeve. "Which means the Tomb is about to explode, the ghosts are going to be agitated, and the local economy is going to collapse."
"What are we going to do?"
Han Zhao walked to the door and flipped the sign from Open to Closed.
"We're going to pack," Han Zhao said. "If a hero is going to a tomb, that tomb is going to be 'cleansed' with a lot of loud explosions. I'm not staying in a city that's about to be at the center of a 'Major Plot Point'."
"But the shop—"
"The shop is wood and stone. Life is longevity." Han Zhao grabbed the Azure Dragon Core box. "System, map a route to the Western Deserts. Find me a place so miserable and dry that no hero would ever think of looking for a destiny there."
[Calculating Route...]
[Destination: The Ghost-Sands. Population: Zero.]
[Estimated Longevity Gain from Solitude: +15 Years.]
"Perfect," Han Zhao said. "I've always wanted to see the desert. I hear the lack of humidity is great for preserving scrolls."
He didn't leave a note. He didn't say goodbye. By the time Lin Chen reached the Cursed Tomb and triggered the ancient traps, the little bookstore in Peaceful Willow was empty.
Han Zhao was already ten miles away, walking at a pace that looked like a stroll but covered ground like a ghost. He wasn't running from the hero; he was just making sure the hero didn't accidentally include him in the "Founding Legend."
[Current Life Expectancy: 94 Years, 14 Days.]
"Ninety-four years," Han Zhao hummed to the rhythm of his footsteps. "If I keep this up, I might actually live long enough to see what a 'Peaceful Ending' looks like."