Chapter 28

In the bustling black market of the ancient city of Wanggu, a place where all sorts of people mingled, it was common to see shady deals. The stall owners and shopkeepers were all shrewd, and those who came to sell stolen goods were also no ordinary characters.

"Those with a broad forehead and a hanging belly are sure to have a way to make money."

"Truly, a full forehead and a square jawline, a sign of good fortune."

"Raised eyebrows, a sign of overcoming one's father?"

Zhao Yun, draped in a black robe, looked around and muttered to himself as he walked.

After reading the mysterious Heavenly Book, he had picked up some superficial knowledge of physiognomy.

Now, it was time to put it into practice. The black market was bustling with people, and every time he encountered someone, he would mumble to himself.

Looking at passersby, he then lowered his gaze to his hands.

The Heavenly Book said that the hand has the Eight Trigrams and Twelve Palaces; men should look at the Eight Trigrams, and women at the Nine Palaces, a field of study with much depth.

However, he had yet to fully understand it.

Indeed, reading faces and hands, and predicting the eight characters of one's birth, was a mysterious and complex art, with only a third of it being true and the rest being false, a profound principle.

After a moment, he looked around at the passersby again, still muttering to himself.

The Moon Goddess glanced at him, "Are you here to look for elixirs or to read people's fortunes?"

"Both," Zhao Yun chuckled dryly.

Despite his words, he continued to secretly observe. The Heavenly Book was vast and profound, and he needed to apply what he had learned!

At some point, he stopped at a stall.

The items on display seemed unrelated to martial cultivation, mostly ceramics and paintings.

"Sir, your forehead is dark!"

Zhao Yun's opening line was simple and straightforward, whether intentional or unintentional.

His words immediately darkened the stall owner's face.

Early in the morning, to encounter a fortune-teller cursing him, his mood couldn't be worse.

A slip of the tongue, definitely a slip of the tongue.

Under the black robe, Zhao Yun could only chuckle dryly. He had originally intended to ask, "Do you have any elixirs?"

But when he opened his mouth, he inadvertently slipped.

"Brother, do you have any elixirs?" Zhao Yun quickly corrected himself.

"Get lost."

The stall owner had a short temper, cursing without hesitation. Even if he didn't have any, he wouldn't sell to Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun smiled awkwardly and turned away.

On his way, he was particularly diligent, following a set route, and asking each stall and shop.

Unfortunately, he found no elixirs.

By noon, after visiting nearly a hundred shops, he had nothing to show for it.

Helplessly, he glanced at the Moon Goddess.

She was truly relaxed, lying on the moon with her eyes closed, pretending to sleep.

Zhao Yun didn't ask and continued to wander.

He didn't find any elixirs, but he did find many pills and spirit liquids, which he hoarded.

"Stop."

As night fell, the Moon Goddess spoke softly, pointing in a direction.

Zhao Yun followed her gaze.

What he saw was the Caiman Building, the shop where he had previously sold stolen goods.

"He has elixirs," the Moon Goddess said.

Zhao Yun didn't respond, walking straight in, knowing that the "he" the Moon Goddess referred to was the shopkeeper of the Caiman Building.

It was the same old man in a hemp robe, flipping through an ancient book.

When a customer arrived, he didn't even look up, saying indifferently, "Selling treasures?"

"Do you have any elixirs?"

Zhao Yun didn't waste words, his voice sounding old, having used a voice-changing pill to disguise himself.

"No."

The old man in the hemp robe replied bluntly, his tone still indifferent.

"Little one, your heart meridian is in pain, it must be unbearable."

Zhao Yun said calmly, calling the old man "little one," a term that added a sense of authority, fitting well with his old voice, making people think he was a hidden senior.

In short, it was a bluff.

But it wasn't entirely a bluff, as what he said was true.

At his current level, he lacked the insight to see this.

But don't forget, he had the Moon Goddess in his mind, a genuine deity.

The previous words were taught to him by the Moon Goddess.

Despite the old man's seemingly healthy appearance, he had hidden injuries, which the Moon Goddess could see at a glance.

If he had elixirs but wouldn't sell them, then he would be tricked into selling them.

Indeed, Zhao Yun's words about the heart meridian pain made the old man raise his eyebrows, his expression changing.

Indeed, he had hidden injuries.

Few knew about his injuries, and now someone had seen through them, even calling him "little one."

"Three o'clock, cold in the limbs; five o'clock, burning pain in the bones."

"On the first day of the month, the dantian is dry; on the fifteenth, the true essence fails."

"Is what I say correct?"

Zhao Yun continued, his voice deep and solemn, acting the part convincingly.

These words were taught to him by the Moon Goddess.

The two worked well together, one providing the words and the other acting them out.

Zhao Yun's acting skills were quite good.

The old man in the hemp robe had subconsciously stood up, his gaze on Zhao Yun changing.

Yes, everything Zhao Yun said was correct.

Despite his outward appearance of ease, he was actually suffering greatly, enduring pain for over fifty years.

"Please enlighten me, senior."

The old man's demeanor had changed, bowing deeply, a gesture befitting his status as a Dizang Realm cultivator.

This bow made Zhao Yun feel a sudden urge to urinate.

According to the Heavenly Book, accepting a bow from a senior would shorten one's lifespan.

"Do you have any elixirs?"

Zhao Yun forced himself to calm down and asked again.

"Yes, I do."

The old man in the hemp robe smiled, elixirs were not for sale, but it depended on the situation.

At this moment, with a senior present who might cure his injuries, there was no reason not to sell.

If he could be cured, he would even give them away for free!

"Practicing the cultivation method in reverse, you are truly unique."

Zhao Yun said, walking away with his hands behind his back, browsing the shop to hide his nervousness, after all, he was facing a Dizang Realm cultivator.

"Practicing in reverse?"

The old man in the hemp robe's brows furrowed, his gaze deep, unsure if he was pondering or recalling.

One thing was certain: he believed Zhao Yun's words.

As a hidden senior, there was no reason to come and trick him, and he didn't have that kind of influence.

"Indeed, the cultivation method is the problem."

After a long pause, the old man in the hemp robe murmured. The cultivation method he practiced was obtained from an ancient tomb, indeed powerful, which was why his cultivation had advanced so quickly, but it also harbored hidden dangers.

"Even to the detriment of future generations."

The old man's face darkened, cursing the person buried in the tomb.

But then he thought, it was his own fault.

Why did he choose to rob graves instead of doing something else? Being tricked was his own doing.

"Senior, can practicing the method correctly cure me?"

The old man in the hemp robe quickly followed Zhao Yun, his mind focused.

"Correct and reverse are two sides of the same coin."

"The main issue is that your cultivation method is incomplete and flawed."

"Years of damage make it difficult to cure."

Zhao Yun continued to walk and bluff, or rather, the Moon Goddess was bluffing.

"I beg for your help, senior."

The old man in the hemp robe bowed again, his gaze sincere, truly seeing Zhao Yun as his savior.

He also cursed the tomb owner again.

What a person, not only altering the cultivation method but also setting so many traps.

Seeing Zhao Yun just browsing without speaking, the old man in the hemp robe slapped his forehead and quickly took out an elixir.

To get someone to cure him, he needed to offer something in return!

The elixir he took out was snow-white, with a bright color and a strong medicinal aroma.

"Jingyuan Pill."

Zhao Yun's eyes lit up. Although it was the first time he saw a real elixir, he recognized it as a pill to enhance mental energy.

"Stay calm," the Moon Goddess reminded him.

Remember, you are playing the role of a senior, and staring at a pill with bright eyes makes you look like a country bumpkin, not a senior.

Zhao Yun coughed dryly, subtly lowering his gaze.

"Senior?" The old man in the hemp robe was still waiting, calling out tentatively.

"Bring me paper and a pen."

Zhao Yun spoke calmly, truly getting into the role, with the Moon Goddess giving him confidence.

The old man moved quickly, providing everything needed.

Zhao Yun picked up the pen and, following the Moon Goddess's instructions, wrote in a flowing script.

The old man read it and frowned.

Zhao Yun's words were logical, but the method was hard to accept.

In short, it required a significant sacrifice: lowering his cultivation level.

It made sense, as he had brought this upon himself. The stronger his cultivation, the more powerful the method, and the more severe the injuries.

Thus, lowering his level and re-cultivating was the right path.

As he spoke, Zhao Yun wrote another passage, about the cultivation method, but not completely.

Business is business, and a steady stream is better.

The old man in the hemp robe accepted it, grateful, and understood Zhao Yun's meaning.

"Do you have more of these pills?"

Zhao Yun casually asked, holding a white pill, seemingly indifferent but actually very interested.

"Right now... no."

The old man in the hemp robe chuckled dryly, the only one he had was already given to you.

"In that case, I will come back in three days."

Zhao Yun said, sweeping his sleeve and leaving. If there were none now, there would definitely be some when he came back. To cure his long-standing injuries, the old man in the hemp robe would surely try to find more elixirs to exchange for the rest of the cultivation method.

This was a steady stream.

"Senior, where can I find you?"

The old man in the hemp robe quickly asked.

"I will appear when it is time."

Zhao Yun stepped out, not needing to be found, as he would often visit.

The old man didn't ask further, watching Zhao Yun leave.

Then, he closed the shop, prioritizing healing over making money.

Indeed, after enduring for half a lifetime, he would finally meet a benefactor.

On this side, Zhao Yun had already merged into the crowd, occasionally checking the Jingyuan Pill in his pocket.

Looking more closely, he saw a pattern on the pill.

It was a pill pattern, which he had seen in ancient texts. Martial cultivators had different strengths, and elixirs also had different levels: one-pattern white pills, two-pattern purple pills, three-pattern silver pills, four-pattern gold pills, and five-pattern spirit pills.

Five-pattern pills were the highest level he knew.

As for those higher than five patterns, they must exist, but were not recorded in ancient texts.

"Good pill."

Zhao Yun chuckled, real elixirs were not comparable to ordinary pills.

Thinking of this, he glanced at the Moon Goddess.

Without her guidance today, he