Chapter 21: Vengeance and Everyday Life

Second Day.

Shen Chang’an’s return was rather coincidental, arriving precisely three days after the events. He simply joined the others in escorting Old Li to his final resting place.

The funerals here remained traditional, with burials in the earth. After consulting a geomancer, they chose a spot on the mountain, and men carried stones up for the grave.

The weather that day was bleak; clouds gathered overhead, threatening rain at any moment. Shen Chang’an borrowed an old coat from his youngest uncle and helped carry the stones up the mountain.

The day before, Shen Chang’an had deliberately drunk a couple of sips before returning, pretending to be tipsy as he made his way to the Li household. This drew little attention; people simply assumed he was concerned for the elderly man and had come back.

“Bang!”

The final stone was laid down by Shen Chang’an, and his uncles glanced over in surprise.

“Chang’an, it’s been years since we last saw you, and your strength has grown!” the eldest uncle remarked.

Shen Chang’an scratched his head and replied with a smile, “Ah, I’ve been working out lately.”

Though curious about Shen Chang’an’s newfound strength, it wasn’t particularly unusual. The others asked a few questions, then thought little more of it.

Once the grave was built, people came forward to burn offerings and incense, bowing respectfully before making their departure.

Shen Chang’an waited until everyone had left, then returned to the gravesite under the pretense of having forgotten something.

He looked around to make sure he was alone, took out the ancient book bound in beast skin, and pulled out a lighter, intending to burn it as an offering for his grandfather.

Yet as soon as the flame approached, it seemed impossible to touch the beast skin; the fire shifted away or extinguished itself, unable to catch the book at all.

“Knew it wouldn’t burn,” Shen Chang’an muttered, shaking his head. Abandoning the idea of destroying the ancient tome, he found a large tree beside Old Li’s grave, made a mark, and dug a hole to bury the book.

Afterward, Shen Chang’an knelt and bowed three times to the grave, speaking softly, “Grandfather, I’ve read this book. Its dazzling colors are truly astonishing. But I still prefer a steady life—I won’t risk myself with these things.”

To claim Shen Chang’an felt no urge for adventure would be a lie. That bizarre, ethereal yet real world, each thrilling victory and every narrow escape, all stirred something deep within him.

He even felt as if he belonged to that world. There, he was free—a wandering swordsman. Here, in reality, he was just an ordinary man.

But that emotion was quickly suppressed. Though a stable life lacked the excitement of the other world, this very stability was what countless souls in that world longed for.

Shen Chang’an was not someone oblivious to his blessings; living in peace was happiness enough.

Just then, a few raindrops fell, tapping against his face, and suddenly a torrential downpour erupted. Fierce wind and rain swept over, thunder boomed, as if the storm sought to cleanse the world.

A smile appeared on Shen Chang’an’s lips. He drew a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly for nine counts. Instantly, a surge of primordial energy rushed into his body, swiftly gathering in his dantian and transforming into pure spiritual power.

The Thirty-Six Heavenly Techniques! Nine-Breath Nourishment!

This seemed to be the reward for completing the task of vanquishing Lady Li.

The beast skin tome had granted Shen Chang’an another magical skill. Similar to fasting, it was a method related to breathing and energy.

If fasting was living by absorbing energy, this Nine-Breath Nourishment was true cultivation, with efficiency and speed ten times greater than fasting. However, this technique required conscious practice, while fasting operated passively; over time, fasting could accumulate more innate energy.

Moreover, a new page had appeared in the ancient book, depicting an adorable little fox. It was none other than the fox spirit who had saved Shen Chang’an, with her name, Yi Yi, written beside.

When Shen Chang’an touched this page, he could faintly sense a connection to the little fox, likely due to the spirit core she had given him, forging a bond between them.

Yet, separated by worlds, even with a connection, it was like moonlight in water or flowers in a mirror—visible but unreachable.

Shen Chang’an paid these matters no mind. He had already discarded the beast skin tome; cultivation was no longer his concern. Nine-Breath Nourishment and fasting suited him well enough. As the saying goes, those who live off energy are blessed and long-lived. With these two skills, living another century or two would be more than satisfactory.

For now, however, what mattered most was finding a job.

Originally, Shen Chang’an had only taken a single day off to return home, but his absence stretched to three days, meaning he had missed two days of work.

While inside the ancient book’s world, his phone had no signal, and by the time he returned, it was damaged by all the commotion. Fortunately, the SIM card was intact.

He borrowed an old phone from his uncle, inserted the card, and instantly received a flood of messages. Upon logging into WeChat and QQ, the notifications doubled.

Only then did Shen Chang’an realize he had been fired for missing two days of work. The new manager, who disliked him due to internal politics, seized the opportunity to let him go.

Nothing could be done; the company followed proper procedure. Though dissatisfied, Shen Chang’an had no choice but to accept.

At least the severance was settled, so he wasn’t in a hurry.

Taking advantage of this free time, Shen Chang’an decided to relax. In that chaotic world of demons, he’d strained his mind just to survive, and exhaustion weighed heavily upon him. Without a break, he feared he might lose his sanity.

First, he needed to cancel the lease on his apartment. Since he no longer worked there, keeping the place made no sense. Luckily, the lease was almost up, so moving out early wouldn’t be a breach of contract, and the landlord would likely welcome his departure.

Thoughts swirled in his mind, and Shen Chang’an sighed deeply. All his spiritual power, and in the end, he still had to bow to the demands of daily life.

The thrill of vengeance and heroism in that other world clashed sharply with the mundane necessities of this one.

He felt he ought to be a wandering knight, sword in hand, slaying monsters and living freely. Yet reason reminded him: such carefree days were nothing more than playing with his own life, risking death at every turn. True living meant quiet, steady days.

These conflicting thoughts spun in Shen Chang’an’s mind, unresolved. At last, after a busy day, he stopped pondering, leaned back on the train seat heading home, and slowly drifted into sleep.