I Can Extract Divine Power

’The Spirit Casting Technique only needs 6,000 more points to reach Level 5, but the method for grinding this Divine Power is a bit complicated, so I’ll hold off on that for now.’

’My Void-breaking Cyan Eye only needs 5,000 points. I can probably grind that to Level 4 first. That Divine Power is much stronger than the Life and Death Storage Skill.’

’As for the Divination Skill, I originally wanted to grind it first, but I’ll have to put that off for a little while.’

After a moment of thought, Shen Bai made up his mind.

By now, thanks to Shen Bai’s delay, a faint light had begun to dawn, and people were already coming out to set up their stalls on the street.

Shen Bai patted his chest. "Let’s go. Come with me to get something to eat, and we’ll take care of things along the way."

A brilliant light emanated from his chest.

Amber emerged from Shen Bai’s body and affectionately wrapped her arms around his, looking quite clingy.

Red Makeup, meanwhile, stood to Shen Bai’s right. Dressed in red, she crossed her hands over her lower stomach, poised and reserved like a princess from the depths of the imperial palace.

One tall, one small; one lively, one demure; one mischievous, one gentle. The contrast was like a garden in full bloom—a truly beautiful sight to behold.

Shen Bai glanced from one to the other and suddenly thought, ’I’m starting to feel a bit like a feudal lord.’

"Master, let’s go get noodles," Amber said, licking her lips like a greedy little kitten.

Red Makeup’s eyes shone with anticipation, but her excellent upbringing kept her quiet. She simply pursed her rosy lips and stood silently behind Shen Bai.

She had been in the Mysterious City for far too long. She was eager to see what the world was like now, and her heart was filled with curiosity about everything.

Shen Bai smiled. "Let’s head out."

’The future can wait for the future.’

’This world is full of experts as numerous as the clouds and masters as vast as the sea. When the sky falls, there’ll always be someone taller to hold it up.’

’In short, food comes first.’

A short while later, Shen Bai led Red Makeup and Amber out of the Observatory.

...

The sun had risen. Winter had already set in.

The pedestrians on the street were already bundled up in thick winter clothes.

Shen Bai mused that being a Cultivator had some excellent benefits.

Even in the cold of winter, he could still wear a single thin layer of clothing, completely unbothered by the temperature.

"Lord Shen, it’s been a while!" the noodle shop owner said with a smile when he saw Shen Bai.

"The usual?"

Shen Bai nodded. "And an extra bowl of noodles—the beef and pork intestine mix. Regular spice is fine."

An adorable little girl came bouncing up to Shen Bai, tilted her head, and said, "Brother Shen, I got a spanking again yesterday."

This little girl was the owner’s daughter. Since Shen Bai and Amber were frequent customers, she knew him very well.

Shen Bai patted the little girl’s head and asked with a smile, "What for this time? Were you bullying the little boy next door again?"

The little girl might have looked adorable, but she loved to stir up trouble.

In particular, she liked to use her age to her advantage, often making the little boy next door cry.

She wasn’t malicious—it was just a child’s nature. Every time she made him cry, she would panic and then have to coax the boy next door until he was happy again.

And yet, the little boy was always happy to play with her again.

The little girl shook her head. "Nope. I even shared my favorite candied hawthorns with him yesterday."

"Then why’d you get a spanking?" Shen Bai asked, his voice muffled by a mouthful of noodles.

The little girl lifted her cherubic face, thought hard for a moment, and then sighed like a little adult. "Yesterday, my dad and mom were fighting in their room, so I went to go eavesdrop. I got caught, so they gave me a spanking."

The hand Shen Bai was holding his chopsticks with froze mid-air. He went as stiff as a board.

Hearing this, Red Makeup covered her mouth to hide a chuckle. She reached out a hand, its nails painted red, and gently pinched the girl’s cheek. "Little one, you must never eavesdrop in the future, especially not when your mom and dad are ’fighting.’"

Any adult knew what that kind of "fighting" meant.

For daring to eavesdrop on that, she was lucky to get away with just a spanking.

"Hmph, I don’t believe you."

The girl put on a precocious air, her two high pigtails swinging like pellet drums. "I’m still going to listen next time. It only hurts for a little bit, anyway. You guys eat, Brother. I’m going to go play with my friends."

With that, the little girl stopped chatting with them and went bouncing over to a nearby stall, where she found a little boy about her age and began to play.

Shen Bai watched her go, shaking his head. "Kids these days. So precocious. They really are something else."

Red Makeup took a bite of her noodles. "Master, the world today is so much better than it was during the Battle of Ten Thousand Cities."

The Great Zhou Country might be in turmoil now, but compared to that age of dark chaos, these times could be considered wonderful.

At least people can still make a living with their own hands.

"Yeah, these are good times," Shen Bai said, sipping his noodle broth. "But there are always those who don’t like it this way, who want to stir up some ridiculous trouble. A truly disgusting bunch."

"It’s as if they’re personally offended by the sight of common people living well."

The "bunch" he was referring to was, of course, the various Demonic Forces.

"Where there are people, there is the Jianghu. And where there is the Jianghu, there is inevitably conflict and chaos."

Red Makeup glanced around at the bustling street. "In truth, it would be a wonderful thing if the people of this world could simply live and work in peace. But that is far too difficult to achieve."

Shen Bai nodded. "I once heard a saying: ’As long as sages don’t die, great thieves will never cease.’ Perhaps the root of the problem lies within this chaotic Jianghu itself."

This was the first time Red Makeup had heard such a phrase. She mulled over Shen Bai’s words and found them to be quite profound.