After leaving White Jade Manor, Fan Wubing asked,

"Manman, what do you think?"

Fu Manman thought for a moment and replied,

"Yesterday's strange event of the red and white matter doesn't seem like the resentment of an ordinary person's death. Also, dying from such a disease usually doesn't breed any malevolence towards others. That kind of setup is more likely someone deliberately orchestrated it. Perhaps the strange happenings the old gentleman mentioned were being manipulated by someone behind the scenes."

Fan Wubing nodded,

"I think so too. Most people in Nanlai City are ordinary and haven't encountered various cultivators. Ghost and spirit explanations are the best rationale for supernatural events."

"Then, should we take another look?"

Fan Wubing shook his head,

"We must first find a way to avoid being affected by the Evil Qi. Yesterday, the paper doll brought us through the heavy rain and resolved one danger. If it had been a different method, we might not have been so lucky. We are here seeking fortune, not to take unnecessary risks."

"Avoid the effects of the Evil Qi, you mean dispel it?" Fu Manman said, "Orthodox Daoist methods, especially the Thunder Techniques cultivated through Visualizing Celestial Dao Thunder Tribulation, are the best to dispel evil. However, I haven't practiced such divine techniques. On the contrary, we ordinary cultivators have spiritual energy that's somewhat suppressed by Evil Qi."

Fan Wubing: "We don't need to eradicate the evil, just ensure it doesn't affect us."

"How can we remain unaffected?"

Fan Wubing recalled the knowledge about "Evil Qi" found in miscellaneous books left by his senior sister Fu Ming. He remembered asking her why cultivators feared "Evil Qi", and Fu Ming provided her unique insight.

He recounted eloquently:

"Evil Qi is the turbid energy of the world, fundamentally opposed to spiritual energy, like how a clean room becomes unclean with a stain. Cultivators have always pursued pure spiritual energy and a clear foundation, hence the saying that Evil Qi suppresses spiritual energy. Therefore, cultivators are reluctant to fight ghost cultivators, as any misstep might taint their foundations. When Evil Qi attaches to them, rendering spiritual energy unworkable, it's essentially that cultivators fear Evil Qi, not that spiritual energy fears it."

"That's an interesting perspective."

Fan Wubing: "But what if one isn't afraid of Evil Qi entering their body?"

Fu Manman pondered,

"If a cultivator doesn't fear Evil Qi, either they have a countermeasure or they don't care about damaging their foundation. Countermeasures, except for orthodox Daoist skills, include purification techniques for meridians. Such techniques generally require meditative tranquility. Purifying meridians in front of a ghost cultivator might be…"

"What about using external tools?"

Fu Manman thought about it,

"External tools that can directly purify meridians are extremely rare and valuable. The lowest-level 'Purifying Water Pill' is of Profound Level Middle Quality, and its effects are mediocre against yesterday's ghost cultivator. The effective 'Pure Water Pill' is Profound Level High Quality, requiring a Fourth-Grade Alchemist to refine, but abilities above Golden Core are restricted in Peach Blossom Spring, so it cannot be used."

Fan Wubing furrowed his brows slightly.

He didn't know much about elixirs, not expecting external tools for purifying meridians to be so precious.

The effect of a Profound Level Middle Quality Purifying Water Pill is insufficient, and the effective Pure Water Pill is restricted by Peach Blossom Spring.

What other methods are there?

He recalled the situation of the red and white evil encounter last night.

He saw Fu Manman unable to wield her internal spiritual energy against the Evil Qi, attempting divine techniques, taking it as harmful and instinctively rejecting it. This prevented the use of cultivation converted by the Blood Burning Skill.

But after understanding the mechanism of Evil Qi, he realized there was nothing to fear. Because he had no foundation, only blood energy within him, and no spiritual energy, he did not need to fear Evil Qi entering his body, polluting the dantian or breaking the foundation.

On the contrary, Tongue Desire and the Swallowing Star, Chewing Moon hoped Evil Qi would enter his body. Because when outside, it's controlled by its ghost cultivator master, making it difficult to forcibly absorb.

Ordinary cultivators have psychological barriers, making them inept at handling Evil Qi.

Fan Wubing looked at Fu Manman, thinking, knowing the principle, I have no problem. But she's different, being a traditional cultivator, deeply affected by Evil Qi… Perhaps I should act alone? Yet, my combat ability is limited by the Blood Burning Skill's duration, making solo combat risky, requiring teamwork.

In that case, I need to find a way for her.

"Evil Qi, Evil Qi, what to do about this Evil Qi..."

Fan Wubing pondered aloud repeatedly.

Seeing Fan Wubing's difficulty, Fu Manman suggested,

"Why not give up on that shantytown area? Peach Blossom Spring is vast, we don't lack that place. City North Gardens, City East Artificial Lake, City South Market, there are many places."

"Alright, let's go with that for now."

Although Fan Wubing was unwilling, taking excessive risks was not ideal.

Until a method against Evil Qi is found, avoiding the shantytown area is wise.

...

The following days, Fan Wubing and Fu Manman wandered like other fortune seekers, visiting gardens, markets, and other locales.

As Jiang Maodian mentioned, other fortune seekers seemed to group together, intentionally isolating Eternal Immortal Sect disciples. Understandable, in a competitive place like Peach Blossom Spring, the weaker individuals banding together against the stronger is typical.

Of course, it's also possible they were directed to do so intentionally.

Fan Wubing adhered to the belief in individual opportunities, not to disturb others and expect the same in return, beginning a seven-day quest with Fu Manman.

During this time, Luo Qingyao always acted on her own, leaving early and returning late, sometimes unseen for a whole day, keeping her "mission" a mystery. When asked for help, she simply smiled and said, "I can easily handle this alone!"

Yet her gaze subtly showed discontent towards her senior brother being with Fu Manman alone.

She never completed her mission.

Fan Wubing and Fu Manman didn't encounter a second fortune either. They found only scattered blessings.

Anything directly absorbable through Tongue Desire and transformable into blood, Fan Wubing kept, while anything not directly absorbable was given to Fu Manman.

After seven days, his blood supply increased by over 1500 points, raising his life cap to 8129 points, with blood energy strength nearing the Second-Layer Golden Core, quite satisfactory.

But where is this? Peach Blossom Spring!

For Peach Blossom Spring, scattered blessings were too mundane.

The past few days' harvest didn't compare to a single Seven Luminaries Rain Control Skill.

Very strange.

Not just them, among the fifty fortune seekers, within the first ten days, no one discovered a true fortune.

Seeing a third of the thirty-day limit passing with no gains, everyone became anxious, unable to grasp the situation.

Is it that we're not destined for fortune, or is it that Peach Blossom Spring has no fortunes at all!

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