Immortality by Merit and Sin Coins

Lin Shu closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

When he lowered his hand, a few Sin Coins had already appeared in his palm.

He had originally planned to wait a bit longer.

But things were different now.

The information Blackhead had gathered was incomplete.

He only thought that the young widow’s child was gravely ill and she had no money for treatment.

So she had targeted the old woman, intending to take everything she had.

But Lin Shu knew that this Old Woodshed still hid a great deal of Immortal Aura.

If Chang Yi’s guess was right, and Mrs. Chen had already been picked clean, the young widow would have no reason to stay.

She couldn’t possibly earn enough money for her child’s medicine by washing clothes for the neighbors.

Besides... Lin Shu had never smelled any medicinal herbs in the courtyard.

Tsk, tsk.

’Perhaps I’m not the only one enjoying this Immortal Aura.’

"You really got a raw deal spending that Sin Coin."

Lin Shu complained silently in his heart.

The old woman had once used a Sin Coin to save the lives of that widow and her child.

Logically, the debt should have been settled.

But if this mother and child were part of the reason the old woman died, then that was another story entirely.

’But you’ll have to wait a little longer.’

Lin Shu’s gaze turned cold. He wasn’t in the habit of welshing on his debts, but he wasn’t a brainless brute either.

He had acted ruthlessly back in Cyan Willow Lane, seemingly without regard for the consequences, but that was because the White Wolf Fog was rapidly dissipating over time.

When his life was on the line, how could he have the mind to consider anything else?

Besides, that group’s identities were all out in the open.

Not to mention others, even Old Yang knew that Zhang Zhongping was a Grand Martial Artist.

To them, Lin Shu was the one hiding in the shadows.

Unfortunately, the tables had now turned.

If the young widow really was enjoying the Immortal Aura in the Old Woodshed...

...Lin Shu couldn’t sense any trace of Cultivation on her at all.

’No trace doesn’t mean she’s safe. The unknown is the most dangerous thing of all.’

’She’s in the shadows, and I’m in the light!’

HUFF.

At this thought, Lin Shu made a decision.

He would hurry up and collect a few more wisps of Cyan Qi to avoid the awkward situation of having nowhere to spend his Merit Coins if he didn’t encounter other Immortal Relics later.

Then he would leave the Old Woodshed and return to Cyan Willow Lane first.

The courtyard wasn’t going anywhere, after all.

Whether it was to fight for these Immortal Relics or to settle the old woman’s score, he had to use his status in the Black Water Gang to investigate things clearly first.

As for the remaining seven Sin Coins...

Lin Shu gritted his teeth, a savage look appearing on his face. He once again pulled open his lapels and pressed them to his heart.

Only by increasing his strength could he suppress the unease brought on by that feeling of losing control.

Just to break through from the Sixth-Grade to the Fifth Grade, the Gloomy Moon Bone Splitting Hand had cost thirteen Sin Coins.

It was already at the Perfection Realm; to raise it any further, this small amount of Sin Coins definitely wouldn’t be enough.

So the black light from the Sin Coins surged rapidly into the Wolf Fang that represented the Moonlight Pupil Technique.

[Seven Sin Coins consumed. Evil Immortal unformed. Magic Technique has changed.]

Before the Sin Coins, this Immortal Technique of the Lower Three Grades had no power to resist and was torn apart and reassembled by the black light.

The Lone Wolf Howling at the Moon Painting appeared in Lin Shu’s mind once again.

Only this time, what rose rumbling from below the cliff was a piercing, scarlet blood moon!

"Hah!"

Lin Shu held his breath, quickly circulating the Cyan Bird Qi-Introducing Formulas to steady his mind.

A glow gradually rippled through his clear, dark pupils, like a clear spring reflecting the moonlight.

In an instant, it was as if a drop of ink had fallen into the clear pool, transforming into a billowing red fog.

The glowing pupils were swiftly engulfed by the red fog!

[Qi Cultivation Sixth Grade. Red Moon Dharma Eye: Minor Success]

This non-lethal method of Qi Observation and Insight had quietly gained a baleful aura.

Although the Cyan Bird Qi-Introducing Formulas had a suppressive effect on the agitation, its grade was too low. Moreover, this had happened twice in a short period.

Lin Shu’s breathing became hot and heavy.

But he did not rest as he usually would.

Even though it was corroded by the Sin Coins, this Pupil Technique still had the function of observing qi.

Now, the stray wisps of Cyan Qi throughout the Woodshed became much clearer. They were like a blurry net blanketing the Woodshed.

Unfortunately, they were still like rootless duckweed; he could not find their specific source.

Driven by the agitation, Lin Shu began to capture this Immortal Aura using even cruder methods.

He didn’t want to stay in this damned place a moment longer.

...

Night gradually fell.

In a room on the other side of the Woodshed.

Miss Yun sat on the edge of the bed, her unfocused gaze fixed on the candle flame on the table.

She clutched a packed bundle in her hands.

She had only survived this long in a place like Black Water City by relying on her innate vigilance.

Just like that time Liu the Third came to her door, Miss Yun had prepared to escape in advance.

She had only hesitated for a moment, feeling that she owed this family, which was why she ended up cornered in the courtyard.

After her benefactor returned, even though he showed no outward change, the mere glance he gave her made that same panic rise up in her again.

It was a reaction that came only when she sensed danger.

Miss Yun knew it was probably time for her to leave.

The reason she hadn’t acted yet...

She pursed her lips, her fair face flickering in the candlelight.

The words Lord Lin had casually spoken when he drove away those two foxes echoed in her mind.

Miss Yun experienced the rare feeling of being protected.

’I thought... my luck was finally starting to turn around.’

SIGH.

Miss Yun rubbed her slightly chubby cheeks, trying to make herself smile.

The only thing she was struggling with now was whether she should warn her benefactor before leaving that the old woman’s granddaughter was a little... abnormal.

As she thought this, Miss Yun glanced sideways at the bed.

Tucked into the thick bedding was a small, delicate face. Her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes trembled faintly with each breath.

She looked to be about three or four years old.

When Miss Yun first saw her, she had felt a strong urge to protect the child.

Until... for two whole years, the child had never opened her eyes, nor had she eaten or drunk anything.

The medicinal soups the old woman brought back were never truly fed to the child, yet she was still alive, sleeping sweetly.

And so, Miss Yun’s protective urge became mixed with a measure of fear.

"Wait..."

Just then, she suddenly sensed something was wrong. She quickly grabbed her bundle and went to the door to look.

In the sky above the Old Woodshed, there was clearly nothing there, yet it gave off a strange, fractured, shimmering sensation.

At the same time, a faint whimpering sound reached her ears.

It was like a child’s cry, but laced with a hint of anger.

HISS!

Miss Yun whipped her head around, her eyes widening as if she were seeing something utterly unbelievable.

A small, pale hand gently lifted the quilt.

Her eyes were still tightly shut, as if she were deep in slumber, but her body slowly got out of bed.

Her toes lightly touched the ground, and one by one, emerald green feathers sprouted from her ankles, weaving themselves into boots.

By the time she stood still, her body had grown into that of a young maiden, and she was now wearing a short, emerald green feathered tunic.

Miss Yun watched with her own eyes as the feathers pushed out from the girl’s skin, even from her temples and cheeks.

The Cyan Feather girl walked past her with closed eyes, stepped out the door, and headed for the side room opposite them.

"Ben—"

Miss Yun snapped out of her shock and instinctively cried out, trying to warn the young man in the room across the way.

But before the sound could leave her throat, the inexplicable protective urge she once felt for the child surged back into her heart, dozens of times stronger than before!

Her eyes glazed over, and her expression went slack.

Meanwhile, the girl had already walked silently to the door of the side room.

She raised her head, eyes still closed.

A deathly silence fell over the Old Woodshed, but a murderous intent gradually began to spread.

The wooden door swung open without a gust of wind.

Inside, the long-robed young man stood with his hands at his sides.

He quietly retracted the few wisps of Cyan Qi in his palm, his expression complicated as he looked outside.

The next moment, the girl’s shoulders trembled slightly.

A shriek that was clearly as infantile as a baby’s, yet sharp, piercing, and filled with violent rage, echoed throughout the courtyard.

"AHHHHH!!!!"