Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Blue Entry
Spiritual Qi surged from all directions, becoming pure and crisp as it passed through an invisible barrier. Driven by an accelerated circulation, it flowed rapidly through his meridians.
One cycle ended, immediately followed by the next, repeating endlessly without interruption.
It was fast, but the results were minimal.
The Spiritual Power in his Dantian was nearing saturation. With each completed cycle, the increase in Spiritual Power was minuscule. Most of the effort went into refinement: repeatedly tempering his existing Spiritual Power to purge the last traces of impurities deep within, making it purer and more condensed.
This was the bottleneck: his Spiritual Power was abundant but had nowhere to go.
It was like trying to pour more water into a full pond—whatever went in simply overflowed. The body’s previous owner had been stuck at this stage for nearly two years. He had ultimately tried to force his way through with a Realm-Breaking Pill, only to suffer qi deviation—a clear cautionary tale.
But this refinement wasn’t meaningless.
The purer the Spiritual Power, the less strain it would put on his meridians and organs during a breakthrough, and the higher the chance of success.
The impurity-removing effect of the "Spiritual Qi Filtration" entry was a huge help in this regard. Every wisp of Spiritual Qi entering his body was pristine, saving him the immense time it would have taken to purify it.
Outside the window, the sky shifted from pitch black to deep blue, then lightened to a pale, grayish-white.
Li Yuan opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath. With a thought, a panel materialized before him.
[Spiritual Qi Filtration (White)]
[Permanence Progress: 65/100]
’Thirteen cycles overnight. The efficiency of having two entries active simultaneously is truly impressive. At this rate, it will take about three more days to make it permanent.’
Dismissing the panel, Li Yuan rose from the bed. His muscles were slightly sore, but he felt mentally sharp. His clothes were immaculate, not a speck of dust on them. The ’Clean Physique’ effect was as reliable as ever.
The morning air was crisp and cool. Li Yuan straightened his clothes, fastened the token to his waist, and pushed open the door.
Today, it was his turn to patrol North Alley and East Street.
He heard the noisy chatter of a crowd from a distance before he even reached the marketplace.
Turning onto East Street, he saw a scene far livelier than it had been in recent days.
The empty spaces on both sides of the main street were nearly full. Many new faces were squatting by the road, a piece of cloth spread out before them serving as a makeshift stall.
The wares were a motley assortment: ore fragments, dried herb roots, animal hides and bones, and crudely made Talismans. Someone was even selling half a broken sword, speckled with rust, looking like it had been dug out of some forgotten corner.
Most of these new vendors were dressed simply and looked travel-worn—clearly Loose Cultivators who spent most of their time on the road.
’The Yuanheng Mountain Range must still be in turmoil,’ he thought. ’Another wave of Loose Cultivators has flooded in.’
This was good for the Wang family’s coffers; stall rents and shop revenues would rise. For an Inspector General, however, it just meant more work. When crowds gather, friction is inevitable.
Li Yuan walked the length of East Street. So far, there were no major disturbances.
A few vendors had set up too far out, blocking half the walkway. Li Yuan went over to say a word, and they all complied, shifting their stalls back.
As he reached the middle of North Alley, the sound of an argument reached him from up ahead.
Two men who looked like Loose Cultivators stood face to face in the middle of the alley. They weren’t shouting, but their voices were sharp and angry as they pointed at each other’s stalls.
"I was here yesterday! I claimed this spot first."
"You claimed it? With what, that ragged strip of cloth you threw on the ground? There was nothing here when I arrived this morning."
Li Yuan moved a few steps closer to get a better look.
The cause of the dispute was simple: their stalls were crammed together with almost no space between them.
The man on the left was selling cheap ore fragments, a small pile of dusty gray rocks. The man on the right had several crookedly tied bundles of dried herbs.
In their shoving, the pile of ore had toppled into the bundles of herbs. Dried stems scattered across the ground, and several chunks of ore rolled away.
"Look what you did! My things are scattered everywhere!"
"Whose fault is it that you set up so close?"
It looked like the argument would continue, but thankfully, their conflict was limited to words. They made no move to fight, nor were there any signs of them channeling Spiritual Power. At the end of the day, it was just a squabble over a crowded stall space—not worth a real fight.
Li Yuan stepped forward, flashing the ’Wang’ character embroidered on his chest.
"Alright, that’s enough out of both of you."
Upon seeing the Inspector General, the two men immediately quieted down.
The herb seller spoke first. He was a man in his thirties with a swarthy complexion, dressed in a patched, gray-hemp tunic. He cupped his hands in a brief salute. "Inspector, you be the judge. I set up my stall here before dawn, and then he comes along and insists on squeezing in right next to me—"
"I was here yesterday," the ore seller interjected. He was a wiry man of about forty, clad in a faded blue robe, with a sparse goatee. Though he lowered his voice, his tone was still defiant.
Li Yuan glanced at the space between the two men, then at the scattered items on the ground.
Ore fragments and dried herbs were jumbled together. A few herb stems were snapped, but the ore was unharmed, just lying covered in dust on the ground.
"Stalls in North Alley aren’t assigned by first-come, first-served. They’re based on rent paid. Since you’re both in this alley, each of you move back half a step and clear a walkway."
Li Yuan’s tone was even, favoring neither man and leaving no room for negotiation.
The word of an Inspector General still carried some weight with these Loose Cultivators.
The two men exchanged a look. Though still resentful, they knew better than to argue further. Muttering under their breaths, they began to tidy up.
The herb seller bent down to gather his scattered herbs, while the ore seller squatted to retrieve his rocks one by one.
Li Yuan didn’t just stand by. He bent down to help as well.
A few ore fragments were returned to the stall and the two loose bundles of herbs were re-tied, but a few small items still lay scattered on the ground.
As Li Yuan bent to pick up the remaining fragments, his fingers brushed against something cool, much lighter than the ore.
It was a Jade Pendant, about half the size of his palm. Its design was plain and the surface was worn and grimy, making it utterly inconspicuous among the debris.
The instant his fingers touched it, a familiar line of translucent text appeared before his eyes.
[Equippable Item Detected: Jade Pendant (Complete)]
[Item Entry Level: Blue]
[Note: Item does not belong to you. Cannot be equipped. Detailed information unavailable.]
Blue.
Li Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly, and his heart hammered a little faster.
But his expression remained unchanged. He placed the Jade Pendant back on the stall along with a few other fragments. The motion was fluid and natural, indistinguishable from when he had been picking up the ore.
"Everything’s picked up. Do a quick count and see if anything’s missing," Li Yuan said, straightening up and dusting off his hands.
The herb-selling Loose Cultivator checked his wares and shook his head, indicating everything was fine.
Zhao Wu, the ore seller, also squatted down to scan his stall—then he suddenly froze.
His gaze locked onto the pile of fragments Li Yuan had just put back—more precisely, onto the grimy Jade Pendant.
An instant later, Zhao Wu snatched up the Jade Pendant and discreetly tucked it into his sleeve.
Li Yuan, of course, noticed.
Only after stowing the Jade Pendant did Zhao Wu look up, feigning nonchalance. He cupped his hands toward Li Yuan. "Nothing’s missing. My thanks, Inspector."
His tone was as casual as ever, but Li Yuan noticed the knuckles of the hand hidden in his sleeve had clenched slightly.
"Then give each other half a step’s space and don’t start another argument. You should both be clear on the Wang family’s rules regarding fighting in the marketplace."
The two men nodded in quick succession.
Li Yuan didn’t linger. He gave a nod and turned to leave.
