Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C31: Screw It Dead silence. Apart from Zhao Rui's barely suppressed sobbing, the entire forest was filled only with the mournful wail of wind through the treetops. The sound was like countless wronged souls whispering, worming into the ears and pouring bone-chilling cold directly into the marrow. Fear's invisible hand clenched Su Ming's heart tightly, each beat heavy and laborious. He stared fixedly at that dilapidated temple; that flickering orange-yellow firelight brought not a shred of warmth. Instead, it was like a hellish guiding lantern, emanating a fatal allure. We're done. This thought uncontrollably surfaced. Just as he was almost swallowed by despair, a voice sounded in his mind, calm as a stone dropped into an icy lake, instantly shattering the thin ice of panic. "Disciple, there's no time to hesitate." It was Master! Lin Yu's voice carried not a trace of panic, yet held an unprecedented seriousness. "This maze formation is draining your vital essence, energy, and spirit. Look at Zhao Rui, he's almost at his limit. If we delay any longer, even without any ghosts, you'll be exhausted to death right here." Su Ming whipped his head around to look at Zhao Rui, who was slumped on the ground, hugging his knees and trembling violently. His face was as pale as paper, his lips were blue, his eyes were unfocused—clearly, his mind was on the verge of collapse. "Master..." Su Ming's voice was hoarse and dry. "This master... has one method, perhaps worth a try." Lin Yu's voice paused, as if weighing his words. "But, it's extremely perilous!" Lin Yu's inner world was currently far from being as still as an ancient well; it was more like a pot of boiling lava, bubbling wildly with complaints. "Damn it, we're going for it! My five-hundred-year slacker life was peaceful and uneventful. How come I run into this kind of newbie village final boss scenario just after taking on a disciple? This isn't scientific! This goes against the Way of Survival spirit!" "But this feeling... this pure, sinister aura... For others, it's deadly poison, but for this wisp of a remnant soul like me, it's practically a perfect tonic! Even if it might be laced with arsenic, it smells so good!" "Gamble! Fortune lies within danger! Bah, survival lies within danger! If we keep passively draining like this, the bit of spiritual energy gathered by the spirit gathering array won't even be enough to fill the gaps of this ghost wall! My soul body will degrade from 'semi-transparent' back to 'almost invisible'! My pension fund can't have its payments cut off!" He quickly suppressed these chaotic thoughts, reassembling a profound and unfathomable tone. "Disciple, listen carefully." Lin Yu's voice was steady as a mountain. "This master is a remnant soul, formless and immaterial. I am most sensitive to the yin souls and ghostly entities of this world." This half-truth, half-falsehood immediately captured Su Ming's full attention. "That thing inside the temple, the aura it emits, is precisely the source of this maze formation. It laid down this formation to trap passing living beings, like penning livestock, waiting for the prey to become exhausted and mentally defenseless before emerging to slowly feast." Lin Yu's description made Su Ming envision a picture of a spider spinning a web, quietly waiting for moths. And they were the two moths that had already crashed into the web. "Then... Master, what do you mean?" Su Ming held his breath. "Take away the firewood from under the cauldron!" Lin Yu's voice was resolute. "Since there's no retreat, then we strike directly at the heart! This master will personally go and meet the source of this formation!" Su Ming's eyes instantly lit up, as if grasping the last lifeline. "Master, you can deal with it?" "Hmph." Lin Yu let out a meaningful snort, appearing full of confidence. Inner thoughts: "Deal with what? I don't even have a physical body, how am I supposed to deal with it? My plan is: you tank at the front, I'll follow behind and secretly siphon mana, take a sip and run! This is called 'strategic resource theft'!" "However," Lin Yu changed tack, "this master's soul body is currently weak, confined by this ring's seal, unable to stray too far from you. More importantly, if I approach such a place of evil alone, the clash of yin energy would likely scatter my soul to the winds on the spot." The hope that had just ignited in Su Ming was doused with another bucket of cold water. "Therefore, this method requires your cooperation." Lin Yu finally revealed the core. "Me?" Su Ming pointed at himself, his face full of astonishment. "Correct." Lin Yu's tone brooked no argument. "You are a living person, possessing yang energy. This yang energy is like scorching flames to that evil entity, but for me, it is the best protection. What you need to do is walk to the front of that temple's door, use your own yang energy to cover for me. This master has a secret method to infiltrate the temple and strike directly at its vital point!" Su Ming was completely dumbfounded. Go... go to the temple door? Wasn't that actively putting their heads under the executioner's blade? He instinctively retorted, "Master! Didn't you say safety first, think thrice when encountering matters, and that anything abnormal must involve demons? Us actively delivering ourselves... this..." This completely violated the "True Scripture of the Way of Survival" that Master had taught! "Foolish!" Lin Yu's low shout jolted Su Ming. "The core of the Way of Survival is seeking life, not waiting for death! When all escape routes are blocked, and the only path to survival lies within the tiger's mouth, we must learn to pull the tiger's teeth!" "Right now, we are trapped here—this is a 'desperate situation.' Waiting for death is a 'dead end.' This master's plan seems perilous, but it uses the smallest cost to seize that sliver of hope—this is 'breaking the deadlock'! This is the supreme realm of the Way of Survival—'seeking life through death'! Do you understand?" Lin Yu inwardly complained: "Damn, I'm a genius! I can spin such ridiculous nonsense into something so stirring and moving! What a waste of talent not becoming a pyramid scheme leader!" His words made Su Ming's blood surge with excitement, yet also filled him with fear and trepidation. He looked at the dilapidated temple crouching in the darkness like a giant beast, then at Zhao Rui beside him, who was already losing his mind. Master was right. Waiting meant death. Taking a gamble might offer a chance to live. Moreover, Master was a remnant soul whose life was connected to his own; he would never joke about his own survival. This risk had to be taken! "Master, I understand!" Su Ming gritted his teeth. The fear in his eyes faded, replaced by the determination of a youth. "What should this disciple do?" "Good! Worthy of being Mysterious Dust Master's disciple!" Lin Yu praised. "Your temperament is not bad. Listen, first find a way to calm Zhao Rui down. His crying and shouting will alert the thing in the temple. Then, adjust your breathing, eliminate distracting thoughts, and walk step by step, at a steady pace, towards the temple door." "Remember, your steps must be firm, your gaze must be steady, silently recite foolish things like 'Heaven and Earth possess righteous energy' in your heart... uh, envision the scorching sun at its zenith, imagine yourself as a walking flame. The stronger your yang energy, the stronger the protection for this master, and the greater our chances of success!" Inner thoughts: "Don't you dare chicken out, good disciple! Your yang energy is my bulletproof vest! If you chicken out, these old bones of mine will be directly exposed to enemy fire!" Su Ming took a deep breath and nodded. He turned around, walked up to Zhao Rui, crouched down, and shook his shoulders firmly. "Zhao Rui! Stop crying! If you want to live, listen to me!" Zhao Rui's crying abruptly stopped at his shout, only staring at him blankly. "Listen," Su Ming's tone was authoritative, carrying an unprecedented sense of command. "We must go to that temple now. You follow behind me. No matter what you see or hear, you are not to make a sound, not to run around! Grab my clothes tightly, you take one step for every step I take! Understood?" Perhaps infected by Su Ming's calm demeanor, or perhaps because the instinct for survival overpowered fear, Zhao Rui nodded as if bewitched. Su Ming pulled him up, positioning him half a step behind. He closed his eyes and, following Master's instructions, visualized in his mind the blazing sun of a summer afternoon in his own courtyard. The scorching sensation of sunlight on his skin, the sticky feeling of sweat trickling down his back, the steaming heat waves in the air... A warmth seemed to truly rise from his Dantian, flowing through his limbs and entire body. He opened his eyes and took the first step. "Thud." The sound of footsteps was terrifyingly clear in the dead silence of the forest. He no longer detoured, but walked straight towards the dilapidated temple emanating an ominous aura. The mist in the forest seemed to thin slightly, the path ahead becoming clearer. The dilapidated temple continuously enlarged in his vision. He could see the peeling wall plaster, the collapsed eaves, and the two stone lions at the entrance, eroded by wind and rain into blurred, unrecognizable forms. The closer they got, the more piercing the cold in the air became, mixed with a faint, cloyingly sweet and fishy stench, like old cosmetics blended with rotting flesh. Zhao Rui behind him trembled like a sieve in the wind, his teeth chattering, but he bit his lip hard, his fingers clutching Su Ming's clothes so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Ten zhang. Five zhang. Three zhang. Su Ming finally came to a stop, only a few steps away from the temple door. The old, dilapidated temple door, its red lacquer long since peeled away, was slightly ajar. The orange-yellow firelight seeped precisely through that crack, casting mottled light and shadow on a small patch of ground before the door. The wind stopped. The insect chirps also vanished. The entire world seemed to consist only of him and this eerie, broken temple. "Master?" Su Ming called out in his heart. "Very good, disciple, stand firm, don't move!" Lin Yu's voice held a trace of suppressed excitement. "Now! Watch your master!" Before the words fully faded, Su Ming felt a slight chill on the fingertip wearing the ring. A shadow he could not see, a wisp of nothingness, drifted silently out of the ring like a puff of blue smoke. Sheltered by the yang energy of Su Ming's body, it shot like lightning through the crack in the door and vanished into the deep darkness within the temple. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C32: A Cheat Skill? As he stepped inside—no, as his soul form drifted in—Lin Yu felt like he had fallen into a vat of stinky salted fish that had been left to ferment for three hundred years. That sickly sweet, fishy stench hit him head-on, so thick it almost made his wispy, insubstantial soul sneeze. Lin Yu grumbled inwardly, "Holy crap! This smell is way too overpowering! It's like a biochemical weapon!" The inside of the temple was even more dilapidated than it looked from outside. Cobwebs hung thick as quilts from the collapsed beams and corners, coated in dust and the corpses of unknown tiny insects. The statue in the center had collapsed on one side, its clay face so eroded it was unrecognizable, leaving only one hollow eye staring toward the doorway with a mixture of pity and eerie menace. That faint orange glow came from a broken lantern on the offering table before the statue. The lantern's paper shade was painted with a distorted image of a beautiful woman, whose smile seemed to shift between charming and sinister as the flame flickered. The lamp oil was clearly no ordinary substance—it burned without smoke, producing only that cloying, fishy-sweet scent strong enough to drive a soul right out of its body. And beside the lantern, something hovered. It was a mass of pure, twisted darkness, like a lump of ink carelessly kneaded, vaguely suggesting a humanoid shape yet constantly writhing and changing form. "Click... click-click..." A grinding, teeth-gnashing sound emanated from the black mass, brimming with greed and hunger for flesh and blood. Its "gaze" was fixed intently on the temple doorway, locked onto Su Ming's body, which radiated tempting, vibrant yang energy. Lin Yu thought, "Alright, case closed. Judging by the look, this is either a vengeful female ghost or some mountain spirit or wild monster. Taste is terrible, interior design gets a negative score, user experience zero! Let's wrap this up quick—my soul is about to get marinated in this stench!" Lin Yu silently hid in the shadow of a relatively intact pillar behind the door, disguising himself as an ordinary patch of darkness. His plan was simple. If the enemy doesn't move, I don't move. If the enemy moves... well, I'll see how my disciple reacts first! Just then, the black mass seemed to lose patience. It was no longer content with absorbing the stray wisps of life energy—it wanted a feast! The black shadow suddenly shuddered, transforming into a sharp, black wind that silently slipped through the door crack, shooting straight for Su Ming's face! Its speed was terrifyingly fast! Su Ming's pupils contracted sharply. All he saw was a black mass rushing toward him. Instinct made him want to retreat, but his feet felt as if they were filled with lead, unable to move! At this critical moment! Lin Yu had no time to think, and no room to worry about maintaining his lofty demeanor. If he didn't act now, his freshly acquired retirement plan would be scrapped on the spot! "Hum—!" The ring on Su Ming's finger suddenly erupted with a circle of deep, dark light! Another phantom shadow charged toward Su Ming! It was no longer the outline of an ethereal, immortal elder. Instead, it was a much more solid soul form! Across the surface of this soul form, countless intricate, ancient sealing patterns, like thorns, appeared. Between these patterns, six eerie crimson lines flowed slowly as if alive, emitting a heart-palpitating aura of fierce, baleful energy! At this moment, Lin Yu didn't resemble a celestial being at all—he looked more like an ultimate demonic fiend that had crawled out from the deepest depths of hell! "Master?!" Su Ming saw the suddenly appearing, oppressive, terrifying soul form and cried out in shock. The black shadow's "click-click" laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a piercing shriek! It felt a fear rooted in the very hierarchy of life! This thing that had suddenly appeared before it was a terrifying existence it could not comprehend at all! It wanted to retreat! But Lin Yu had already pounced! No flashy spells, no intricate techniques—only the most primitive, most savage tearing! Lin Yu's soul form collided with the black shadow in an instant! "Riiip—!" It sounded like two pieces of ragged cloth tearing at each other. The black shadow shrieked, countless streams of frigid energy transforming into sharp claws that raked viciously across Lin Yu's soul form. An excruciating, soul-rending pain instantly flooded Lin Yu's consciousness! Lin Yu thought inwardly, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Damn it! This hurts worse than having my soul scorched by the sun! This bastard has armor-piercing effects!" At the same time, Su Ming, who was already horrified to the extreme, shuddered violently. An equally soul-tearing pain exploded without warning from his chest. He let out a scream, his knees buckling, and he fell heavily to the ground. "Argh!" "Master..." Su Ming curled up on the ground, body convulsing. He felt as if his soul were being pulled apart by countless hands, about to be torn to shreds at any moment. He finally understood viscerally what his master meant by "extremely perilous"! Lin Yu's situation was even worse. After all, he was just a wisp of a remnant soul, while the other was an old ghost with deep cultivation and abundant yin energy. After a few exchanges, Lin Yu's soul form was torn so badly it flickered unsteadily, on the verge of dispersing. Seeing this, the black shadow let out a triumphant shriek, its attacks growing even more frenzied! Lin Yu grumbled inwardly, "No good! Can't hold on! Five hundred years of cultivation about to be destroyed! I can't die! My retirement life! My lazy, carefree existence! I haven't even seen my disciple provide for me in my old age yet!" At this life-or-death moment, an instinct from the deepest part of his soul was completely awakened by this agony and despair! It was a feeling... of hunger! A ravenous hunger for the frigid energy before him! This thing, though toxic, seemed... edible? And highly nourishing at that! Let's gamble! "Come to me, you bastard!" Lin Yu let out a beast-like roar in his heart. His soul form no longer maintained a human shape. It abruptly contracted, then erupted violently! A dark vortex appeared out of thin air! The vortex's center was an abyss-like darkness, while its edges swirled with those six ominous crimson lines. The sealing thorns flickered faintly, emitting a terrifying suction force that seemed capable of devouring everything! The black shadow, which had been swaggering triumphantly, suddenly froze. It felt that irresistible pulling force, as if its entire soul form were about to be dragged in and crushed! Fear drowned its greed. It let out an extremely shrill scream, turning to flee back into the depths of the temple. But it was too late! The vortex's suction force suddenly increased tenfold! "No—!" The black shadow only had time for one despairing howl before it was violently yanked back. Its massive soul form was stretched, twisted, and torn into the purest fragments of yin energy mid-air, then, like countless rivers flowing into the sea, completely devoured by the dark vortex! The entire process lasted no more than a snap of the fingers. "Burp..." Lin Yu's soul form regained its outline, only now it was several times more solid than before—even somewhat... bloated. He let out a belch. A stream of refined yin energy rampaged through his soul form, making him feel dizzy and stuffed. Lin Yu thought inwardly, "Oh boy... I overate... This feels like someone who's starved for three days suddenly downing ten bowls of braised pork belly—so greasy it's sickening... But damn, it feels good!" As the black shadow was devoured, the eerie lantern inside the temple went "puff," its flame extinguishing. The chilling cold and mist that had enveloped the entire forest rapidly dissolved. The wind began to blow again, and the chirping of insects in the woods resumed. Above the sky, a few sparse, bright stars became clearly visible. The dilapidated temple now looked like nothing more than an ordinary, run-down shrine, devoid of any eeriness. Su Ming gasped for breath, his entire body drenched in cold sweat, collapsed on the ground unable to move. Zhao Rui had even fainted. Still shaken, he looked at his finger. The archaic ring rested there quietly, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion. "Master..." He mustered all his strength to call out weakly in his heart, "Are... are you alright?" The ring's glow dimmed. Lin Yu's aura became extremely faint and chaotic. He only managed to transmit one last message: "Disciple... leave quickly... this place is not safe to linger... your master needs to enter deep sleep... to digest..." before falling completely silent. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C33: Awakening The excruciating pain of being torn apart deep within Su Ming's soul was slowly fading, transforming into a bone-deep ache and exhaustion. He lay sprawled on the ground like a fish thrown ashore, without even the strength to lift a finger. "Master..." He called out weakly in his heart, but the only response was the ring's icy coldness and dead silence. Master had fallen into a deep slumber. This thought instantly seized his heart with a wave of immense panic. He turned his head and saw Zhao Rui lying unconscious not far away, limp as a pile of mud. Can't stay here! This thought lashed at his weary nerves like a whip. "Zhao Rui! Wake up!" Su Ming crawled over using both hands and feet, pushing and shaking him with all his might. Zhao Rui's body was soft and limp, showing no reaction. "Wake up!" Su Ming grew anxious and, not caring about anything else, raised his hand and gave Zhao Rui a resounding slap. "Smack!" The crisp sound was particularly piercing in the silent woods. "Ugh..." Zhao Rui let out a pained groan, his eyelids fluttering a few times before he finally slowly regained consciousness. His gaze was dazed, staring blankly at the night sky for a long while before finally focusing on Su Ming's anxious face. "Su... Su Ming?" His voice was dry and hoarse, "I... what happened to me? My head hurts so much..." The tide of memories suddenly flooded in. The dilapidated temple, the twisted beauty lantern, and that indescribable, terrifying black shadow that came rushing at them! "Ghost! There's a ghost!" Zhao Rui abruptly sat up, letting out a shrill scream, scrambling backward on his hands and feet, all color draining from his face. "Shut up!" Su Ming roared in a low voice, carrying an authority he himself hadn't realized he possessed, "Do you want to attract something else? Get up, we need to leave here right now!" Zhao Rui was stunned by his shout. Seeing Su Ming's equally pale but exceptionally determined face, that hysterical fear was forcibly suppressed a bit, leaving only uncontrollable trembling. Su Ming struggled to stand up, his calves trembling. He grabbed the still-shaking Zhao Rui, dragged him, and stumbled desperately along the path they came from. He didn't dare look back, always feeling that in the darkness of that ruined temple, countless eyes were still watching their backs. The cloth bag on his back swung constantly as he ran, the contents inside colliding with each other. He heard something fall to the ground, but he couldn't care less. The two of them scrambled and stumbled, falling who knows how many times, until they completely ran out of the woods and saw the vague outline of the village in the distance. Only then did they both collapse from exhaustion, plopping down into the grass by the roadside, gasping for breath. The relief of surviving a disaster, mixed with boundless exhaustion, swept over their entire bodies. Early the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone on his face, Su Ming finally woke up. He and Zhao Rui, covered in mud and dew, looked like two little beggars. Supporting each other, they limped back to the village. "Isn't that the Su family's third boy and the Village Chief's kid?" Widow Li, washing clothes at the village entrance, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot them. Her voice immediately rose, "Oh my heavens, you two, did you fall into some ravine? How did you end up in such a state!" That shout was like lighting a fuse. Soon, Mrs. Chen rushed out from home, checking for any injuries. Su Shan followed closely behind, his face ashen, lips tightly pursed, still clutching the newly bought tobacco pipe in his hand, but the deep worry in his eyes couldn't be hidden. Eldest Brother Su Feng and his wife Wang Chuntao, Second Brother Su Yang, also gathered around. Zhao Rui was also taken away by his family who had heard the news. His father's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot when he saw his son in that state. Inside the Su family's main hall, the atmosphere was oppressive. Mrs. Chen was still wiping tears, while Su Shan sat silently in the main seat, smoking his pipe one puff after another. Smoke swirled, obscuring his expression. "Speak! What on earth happened!" Su Shan finally spoke, his voice seeming to rumble from his chest. Su Ming hung his head, not knowing how to explain. Say they encountered a ghost, and then an old grandpa residing in a ring saved them? If he said that, his parents would surely think he'd lost his mind. "We... we came back from town late, wanted to take a shortcut back, and got lost... in the woods." Su Ming spoke vaguely, "Then it got dark, it seemed like... we were chased by wild dogs, got scared and ran around, accidentally fell down a small slope..." This explanation was full of holes, but at the moment, it was the only excuse he could think of. At this point, Su Ming remembered something and hurriedly began carefully taking things out of that tattered cloth bag. He first took out the crushed and misshapen oil paper package and handed it to his mother and sister-in-law, his face somewhat embarrassed, "Mother, sister-in-law, these are... the date paste cakes I bought for you... wanted to give you something sweet, but now they're all... And here's the blue homespun cloth." Mrs. Chen took the misshapen pastries. Looking at her son's guilty expression, her eyes reddened again, but she forced a smile, "Silly child, why buy these... Mother knows you have a good heart. These cakes... still smell fragrant!" Next, Su Ming took out the small cloth bag containing the tobacco shreds and handed it to his father. The edges of the bag were also smudged with some mud. "Father, the tobacco shreds I bought for you... the stall owner said it was the best..." His voice grew smaller and smaller. Su Shan took the small cloth bag. His rough fingers rubbed the bag's fine texture and the mud stains, remaining silent for quite a while. He untied the string at the bag's opening, lowered his head, and took a deep sniff. The rich, mellow aroma of tobacco instantly dispelled the last trace of severity between his brows. He didn't speak, just knocked the tobacco pipe bowl against the sole of his shoe, then carefully pinched a bit of the golden tobacco shreds, filled the pipe, lit it, and took a deep drag. Amidst the swirling smoke, he vaguely grunted "Hmm," but the slight upward curve of his lips was seen by everyone. Finally, Su Ming solemnly picked up the heavy, thickly cloth-wrapped bluestone whetstone and handed it to Second Brother Su Yang. "Second Brother, this is for you. I saw your firewood knife is old. This... sharpens quickly." Su Yang took the heavy stone. It felt cool and solid in his hand. He lifted the thick cloth and saw the bluish-gray, fine-textured stone surface. His eyes immediately lit up. He was a practical person, not one for fancy words. He just kept rubbing the stone's surface, nodding heavily, "Good stone! Third Brother, good! This is good!" Joy overflowed from his expression. Su Ming's heart sank. That two jin of pork belly was probably lost during the escape. "Eldest Brother, the meat I bought for you is lost. I..." "It's fine!" Eldest Brother Su Feng interrupted him with a frown, "It's good that you're safe. If things are lost, they're lost." Mrs. Chen looked at the dirty cloth, complaining with her mouth about "wasting money," but her eyes reddened again. A storm finally slowly subsided amidst the family's complex emotions of heartache and relief. Life seemed to return to its original track. Su Ming continued reading, practicing calligraphy, meditating, and "body tempering" every day, occasionally helping with household chores. But only he himself knew that his world had already been turned upside down. Every day, he would call out dozens, even hundreds of times in his heart. "Master?" "Master, are you awake?" "Master, are you alright?" The ring showed no reaction. That ancient ring just sat quietly on his finger, cold to the touch, like an utterly ordinary, lifeless object. One day, two days... One week, two weeks... Time passed bit by bit. Panic and anxiety gradually gave way to an even more terrifying emotion—doubt. Could it be... that everything that night was just an illusion? Had he, in extreme fear and exhaustion, imagined an all-powerful master to save himself? That heart-wrenching pain might have just been from the impact of falling down the slope? Once this thought arose, it grew wildly in his heart like vines. He began to scrutinize everything he had experienced. "Reading isn't just for exams"—was that his own sudden realization? "Human relationships and worldly wisdom are the strongest armor"—was that also something he came up with? Going to buy those gifts, haggling with the shop owner woman—were they all just subconscious actions on his part? The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. The more he thought, the more panicked he felt. If Master was fake, then everything he had done during this time was nothing but a joke, right? A clown talking to himself? He stroked the ring, feeling not hope, but a heavy sense of mockery. A month passed. Su Ming was almost in despair. He no longer called out every day, only occasionally asking out of habit in the quiet of the night, then falling asleep with a heavy sense of loss. He poured more energy into studying, as if only this could fill the emptiness in his heart, keep him from thinking about that master who might not even exist. This night, a light drizzle fell outside the window. Su Ming, under the dim oil lamp, was troubled by the annotation of an obscure character. He had searched through all the books at hand but couldn't figure it out. A wave of irritation surged in him. He slammed the book shut with a "thump," rubbing his temples in frustration. His gaze involuntarily fell on the ring on his finger again. Suddenly, a wave of sudden dizziness hit him, making his vision go dark, almost causing him to collapse. Immediately after, a voice so faint it was almost inaudible, yet utterly familiar, sounded deep in his mind. "Burp..." A satisfied, drawn-out belch. Su Ming's entire body froze instantly. He even thought he was hallucinating. Lin Yu: "Holy crap... slept like the dead... This nap, feels like my soul body gained a whole layer of fat. No, image, gotta maintain the image of a lofty master... Where's my cheap disciple?" A slightly ethereal but still trying-to-sound-profound voice slowly rang out: "Disciple... your master... is fine now." Su Ming's body trembled violently. He abruptly extended his left hand, staring fixedly at the ring. The cold ring now emitted a faint, almost imperceptible warmth, like a heart that had been still for a long time, beginning a weak beat again. Not an illusion! It was real! Master was real! Over a month of fear, self-doubt, disappointment, and despair all transformed into a scalding torrent at this moment, washing away all his pretense. The young man's eyes immediately reddened. His voice trembling, choked with tears, he shouted ecstatically in his heart: "Master! You... you're finally awake!" Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C34: This Thing Has Side Effects Too Su Ming's voice trembled in the silent night, carrying a month's worth of pent-up grievance and wild joy. "Master! You... you're finally awake!" Bean-sized tears could no longer be held back, rolling down the youth's cheeks and falling onto the old book pages, smudging a small patch of ink. Lin Yu secretly complained, "Hey, hey, hey, don't cry! You crying like this makes me seem like a heartless scoundrel who abandoned the lonely and widowed... no, a heartless master! My image! My lofty demeanor is about to collapse!" Lin Yu's soul body frantically "steadied itself" inside the ring and cleared his (non-existent) throat. He tried his best to make his voice sound ancient and unrippled, carrying a trace of weariness and vicissitude from just waking from deep meditation. "Foolish child, with such an unstable state of mind, how can you seek the Great Dao?" The voice sounded directly in Su Ming's mind, gentle yet carrying a hint of reproach, yet it was like the warmest flame, instantly dispelling all the coldness and terror in Su Ming's heart. "Disciple... disciple just..." Su Ming was incoherent, crying and laughing like a fool. "Your master is unharmed," Lin Yu said lightly, while simultaneously beginning to rapidly inspect the changes in himself. This one "look" startled even himself. Lin Yu secretly exclaimed, "Holy crap! Is this me?" Originally, that ethereal, translucent soul body had now solidified several times over! Although it was still an illusory shadow, its outline was clear, no longer looking like it would scatter with a gust of wind. He could even faintly see a layer of faint, flowing ghostly light shimmering on the surface of the soul body. He felt like he had gone from a refugee starving for five hundred years to a three-hundred-pound strongman after one meal, his entire being brimming with a sense of power. With a slight stir of his thoughts. "Swish!" His perception abruptly extended outward, instantly breaking through the confines of the small room. He "saw" the rain-soaked bluestone slabs in the courtyard, the spider hiding from the rain under the eaves, and in his eldest brother Su Feng's room next door, the slight frown on his sister-in-law Wang Chuntao's brow as she slept. Further out, he could even "hear" the uneasy clucking of the old hen in Widow Li's house at the village entrance. The range had expanded at least tenfold! And... the perception had become much more refined. He could clearly "smell" the faint scent emanating from the pine-soot ink stick on Su Ming's desk. Though weak, it was real. He could also "feel" the vigorous, sun-like Yang energy radiating from Su Ming's body, continuously nourishing his own form and repairing the hidden injuries left from that night. Lin Yu secretly gloated, "Struck gold! A bloody windfall! Just devouring a little ghost, and the effect is comparable to a super invincible 'I Love One Stick' brand ten-complete great tonic pill! This deal... is worth it!" An unprecedented sense of satisfaction and power surged from the depths of his soul body. Right at that moment, a thought popped up without warning. That kid's Yang energy... smells so good... If I could get a little closer, take a whiff... the taste would surely be wonderful... Lin Yu's soul body shuddered violently! Lin Yu internally: "Wait! What was I just thinking?! Sucking from my disciple? Am I crazy?! That's my pension fund! My long-term meal ticket! How could I have such a beastly thought!" A wave of icy cold instantly extinguished that self-satisfaction. He was horrified to discover that his emotions seemed to have become somewhat... unstable. That pure Yin energy originating from the shadow, though greatly nourishing, was also like a sugar-coated cannonball. Beneath the sugar coating, it contained the most pure resentment, greed, and madness of that ghost creature before its death! He forced himself to shift his attention, focusing his mind on Su Ming. "Your mind has been in turmoil this past month," Lin Yu slowly spoke. Su Ming's body stiffened. He lowered his head, his face full of guilt. "Disciple... disciple thought Master you..." "Thought my soul had scattered to the winds?" Lin Yu's tone betrayed neither joy nor anger. "So you gave up on yourself, even neglecting the most basic meditation?" "Disciple wouldn't dare!" Su Ming thudded to his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold ground. "Disciple was just... just panicked and confused, unable to calm my mind..." Lin Yu muttered internally, "Alright, alright, I know you're loyal, get up already, the floor is cold. I'm not completely dead yet. But come to think of it, this kid is quite devoted. Good, didn't save him for nothing." Lin Yu grumbled in his heart, but his mouth continued to maintain the lofty master persona. "Panic and confusion are the greatest obstacles on the path of cultivation. Do you know why the ghost in the temple that day was defeated?" Su Ming was taken aback, raising his head. "Because it... was no match for Master's divine might?" "Wrong!" Lin Yu firmly denied. Internally: "Nonsense! Of course it's because I ate it! But can I say that? No! Must package it, turn it into a teaching case!" "It was defeated by greed, destroyed by loss of control," Lin Yu's voice was distant and profound, as if expounding some fundamental truth of heaven and earth. "It was devoured by its own desires, lost its original heart, thus appearing strong on the outside but hollow within, and utterly vulnerable." As he spoke, he tried to activate that newly acquired power. Threads of Yin-cold energy seeped out from the ring. In Su Ming's "vision," that blurry old man's illusory shadow seemed clearer than before, the contours of his facial features faintly visible. This was the ability stripped from that shadow—illusion! Lin Yu thought to himself, "Hey, not bad! The props for fooling my disciple have been upgraded, high-definition remastered version!" Su Ming looked at that master's illusory shadow, more solid than ever, his eyes filled with awe and worship. Master truly is an immortal among men! Just as Lin Yu was feeling satisfied with his new ability, a "boom" sounded in his mind as a fragment of memory not belonging to him exploded! It was a dark room. A woman with a pretty face was facing a mirror, using a sharp pair of scissors to, little by little... cut open her own throat! In the mirror, her face wore a bizarre, satisfied smile. Blood gushed out, staining her wedding dress crimson! A towering wave of resentment and violence, like a breached flood, instantly assaulted Lin Yu's soul body! Kill! Kill the living person before me! Devour his flesh and blood! Seize his Yang energy! "Urgh..." Lin Yu's soul body twisted violently. That "lofty master" illusion he had painstakingly maintained instantly disintegrated, reverting to a churning mass of black energy! A bone-chilling, piercing killing intent abruptly emanated from the ring! "Master?!" Su Ming was horrified, his face losing color! He felt an unprecedented malice, like countless icy needles, viciously stabbing into his soul! This malice was even more pure, even more terrifying, than the ghost creature in the broken temple that night! He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, the blood in his entire body seeming to freeze solid. "Get out!" Lin Yu let out a silent roar deep within his consciousness! Lin Yu: "Damn it! Get the hell out! This is my territory! The retirement home I worked so hard to find, how can I let you, a wandering ghost, run wild here!" He used all the willpower honed over five hundred years, desperately guarding his original heart. That instinct for survival, that obsession with a "slacker life," transformed into the sturdiest embankment at this moment, resisting the onslaught of that maddened will! On the ring, those six blood-red patterns suddenly brightened. An even more ferocious, more ancient aura erupted, as if a monarch had been provoked, forcibly suppressing that foreign violent will. The icy killing intent swirling around the ring receded like a tide. Everything returned to calm. Su Ming gasped for breath in large gulps, his whole body already soaked in cold sweat. He looked at the ring on his finger with shock and uncertainty. The terror of that moment just now made his heart still pound wildly. "Disciple..." Lin Yu's voice sounded again, only this time, it was filled with unconcealable weakness and exhaustion. "Your master... needs to rest quietly a while longer... You... remember what I just said... guard your original heart..." Lin Yu: "Damn... almost capsized... the side effects of this thing are too fierce! No, can't eat any more! At least until I find an 'antidote' or 'digest' it, absolutely must not touch this kind of thing again! The risk is too high, seriously affecting my retirement quality of life!" Lin Yu now had only one thought. This power was poison, a deadly toxin that could scatter his soul to the winds! He must find a way to expel the "toxins" within it, or completely digest and assimilate it. Otherwise, he would sooner or later become a monster that only knew how to devour and kill. That was not the transmigrated life he wanted! "Disciple... obeys!" Su Ming suppressed the shock and doubt in his heart, respectfully responding. Although he didn't know what had just happened, he could sense that Master had paid a great price to suppress something. "Go to sleep," Lin Yu's voice was almost inaudible. "Starting tomorrow, your cultivation will have an additional subject." After speaking, Lin Yu's aura completely sank into silence. No matter how Su Ming called out, there was no further response. Su Ming knelt in place for a long time before slowly rising. He blew out the oil lamp, lay down on the cold bed board, eyes wide open, without a trace of sleepiness. The terrifying aura Master had leaked in that instant, that insane killing intent that didn't belong to Master, and Master's last meaningful words kept echoing in his mind. He faintly sensed that the master he had apprenticed himself to harbored secrets deeper and more dangerous than the ghost in the mountains. And at this moment, deep within the ring. Lin Yu's soul body was curled into a ball, mobilizing all his mental energy to wage a difficult struggle against those violent memory fragments and greedy thoughts. Lin Yu: "Heart-cleansing mantra... Tao Te Ching... Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony... anything is fine, come and suppress it! I don't want to become a madman! My goal is the stars and the sea... no, it's a stable retirement!" Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C35: A New Required Course Su Ming stood bare-chested in the center of the courtyard, repeating that simple punching motion over and over again. Sweat trickled down his lean back, reflecting fragmented light under the moonlight. A week had passed. His master had fallen into a deep slumber, completely silent for an entire week. The shock and terror of that night had, after seven days of settling, transformed into another, deeper emotion—a reverence for the unknown and a bitter hatred for his own weakness. Every day, aside from reviewing his studies, he spent all his time on "body tempering" and "meditation." Each punch he threw was more powerful than the day before. Each session of meditation was more focused than the last. He was pushing himself, using physical exhaustion to suppress the anxiety in his heart. He dared not stop. He feared that if he paused, the terrifying killing intent that had leaked from his master that night would resurface in his mind, shattering his courage and resolve. Su Ming exhaled a turbid breath, retracted his fist, and prepared to return to his room. Right at that moment, a hoarse voice, tinged with extreme exhaustion, abruptly sounded in his mind. "Kid, not sleeping in the middle of the night, who are you putting on this monkey show for?" Su Ming's body jolted violently, ecstasy instantly washing away all his fatigue and anxiety. "Master! You're awake!" Lin Yu thought to himself: *Finally got that madwoman's resentment bound up tight... Damn it, building a prison in my own mind, I'm truly a genius. Just these side effects... feels like I've got a ticking time bomb in my soul, could blow up my retirement home at any moment.* Lin Yu's voice still sounded weak, but much more stable than before. "Mhm." He responded lightly, maintaining the most basic reserve of a lofty master. "Master, your condition..." Su Ming asked urgently, his voice full of concern. "It's nothing. Just a remnant of a heart demon, already refined and purified by your master." Lin Yu said dismissively. Lin Yu thought to himself: *Refined my foot! Just tied it up with sealing strips and stuffed it in a corner! This thing is now a high-purity source of mental pollution, can't even touch it!* Hearing this, the weight in Su Ming's heart finally eased considerably. But he hesitated for a moment, then asked the question that had troubled him all week: "Master, that night... was that also caused by that heart demon remnant?" He asked very carefully, afraid of touching upon his master's secrets. There was a moment of silence from the ring. Lin Yu complained internally: *Oh, the kid's gotten smarter, knows how to fish for information indirectly now. That's fine, it's time he learned some things, otherwise how's he going to be my golden bodyguard and mobile power bank later.* "Yes, and no." Lin Yu's voice became profound. "Disciple, do you know that what you and I encountered that night was no ordinary mountain ghost?" Su Ming's expression turned solemn, and he respectfully stood straight with his hands at his sides. "This disciple is dull, please enlighten me, Master." "That thing is called a 'Wailing Woman Lantern'." Lin Yu explained slowly. This information was pieced together bit by bit over seven whole days from those chaotic memory fragments. "It uses the soul of a wronged, pregnant woman who died as the main ingredient, supplemented by seven types of extreme yin objects, refined within a specially crafted lantern. It is fed daily with the vital essence of living people and takes a hundred years to fully form. Once formed, its malevolence is unmatched, capable of corrupting a person's soul and stealing their lifespan." Su Ming felt his scalp go numb and chills run down his back. He had never imagined there could be such a sinister and bizarre object in this world. "This lantern has an owner." Lin Yu dropped an even more shocking piece of news. "An owner?" "Correct. The person who refined this lantern has grand ambitions. Placing it in that dilapidated temple, using the mountain's earth vein's yin energy to nourish it, clearly indicates he was cultivating it as a future magical treasure. By destroying it, we have severed a hundred years of that person's effort." Lin Yu thought to himself: *More than just severing effort, it's like stealing the pig he'd been fattening up for the New Year's feast. This grudge is a big one.* Su Ming's heart sank. He thought of a terrifying possibility: "Then... will that lantern refiner..." "He will." Lin Yu confirmed his suspicion. "Such an evil object is connected to its owner's soul during the refining process. The lantern is extinguished; he already knows. What's more troublesome is..." Lin Yu's tone became unprecedentedly grave. "Although your master devoured the resentful spirit within the lantern, resolving the immediate crisis, I have also been tainted by its karma. A tracking mark has been placed... on us." "A tracking mark?!" Su Ming's face turned deathly pale, and he subconsciously touched the ring on his finger. "That mark is extremely subtle. If I hadn't nearly been counter-devoured this time, even I would have had difficulty detecting it. It's like a faint odor in the air, indistinguishable to ordinary people, but to its owner, it's as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the night." Lin Yu thought to himself: *We're screwed. Thought we just killed a wild monster and looted some gear, turns out we demolished someone's tower and got a permanent debuff slapped on us. Great. Retirement plan just switched from 'peaceful retirement' mode straight to 'life on the run' mode.* A massive sense of crisis, like a dark cloud, enveloped Su Ming's heart. He was no longer that ignorant mountain village youth. He clearly understood that a person capable of refining an evil object like the "Wailing Woman Lantern" was absolutely not someone a farm boy like him could contend with. Even his immensely capable master seemed deeply wary of this. "Master, then what should we do?" Su Ming's voice carried a slight tremble. "What should we do?" Lin Yu snorted coldly. "When soldiers arrive, we use generals to block them; when water comes, we use earth to contain it. If he comes, then let him come!" Lin Yu thought to himself: *Run! Of course run! Pack up the valuables and run! But can't say that to the disciple. Need to motivate him, make him stronger, so he can carry me when we run later!* "However," Lin Yu's tone shifted, "waiting idly for death is not our way. You must become stronger. Strong enough to protect yourself, strong enough to make that petty scoundrel dare not come knocking easily!" Fighting spirit reignited in Su Ming's eyes. He nodded heavily. "This disciple understands!" "You understand nothing!" Lin Yu mercilessly shot him down. "You can't even find the shadow of the enemy, wouldn't recognize him if he stood right in front of you. How can you talk about self-protection?" Su Ming's face instantly flushed red. "Therefore, starting today, a mandatory subject is being added to your cultivation." "Please instruct me, Master!" "Recognizing demons, discerning ghosts, knowing fiends, guarding against evil!" Lin Yu said, enunciating each word clearly. "I will teach you how to distinguish the types, habits, and weaknesses of these yin and evil beings. What you need to learn is not just how to fight them, but how to avoid them, how to hide yourself!" Lin Yu continued, "Within the memory fragments of that resentful spirit, there is an incomplete cultivation method called the 'Dark Spring Heart Sutra,' which is precisely a method for cultivating sinister soul power. This method is malicious, but its understanding of yin energy has some merits. I will extract the essence, discard the dross, and refine a method for concealing your aura to teach you." "Your yang energy is like honey to these things—extremely alluring. The first thing you must learn is to seal that honey jar tight!" Lin Yu thought to himself: *And also don't let other stray dogs catch the scent and come compete with me for resources.* Su Ming's heart burned with fervor. This was what he wanted! This was true cultivation! Not just studying to understand principles, but possessing the power to protect himself and his family! "Additionally," Lin Yu's voice took on a playful note, "there are some interesting things in that resentful spirit's memories. For example, why it was suppressed in that temple. That temple, a hundred years ago, seems to have been the site of a minor immortal sect. It seems there are still some things left unplundered within the mountain's belly." Su Ming's breath hitched. An immortal sect ruin? "However, that place is now a land of great misfortune. Occupied by the Wailing Woman Lantern for a century, its yin energy soars to the heavens, and who knows what other things have spawned there. With your current strength, going there is just delivering yourself as a meal." Lin Yu promptly poured cold water on his excitement. Lin Yu thought to himself: *First draw him a picture of the pie, keep him hooked. When he's strong enough, we'll go treasure hunting, and he can be my prospecting engineer. Perfect.* Su Ming clenched his fists tightly, engraving this information firmly in his mind. Become stronger! He had never craved strength as much as he did now! "Alright, enough idle talk." Lin Yu's voice returned to seriousness. "Now, sit cross-legged, calm your mind, and focus your spirit. I will impart to you the first layer of the 'Aura Concealment Art.' Remember, this method emphasizes 'concealment,' not 'combat.' The highest good is like water; great wisdom appears foolish. A true expert is one whose existence the enemy can never discover!" "Yes, Master!" Suppressing the turbulent thoughts in his heart, Su Ming obeyed and sat down properly in the courtyard, closing his eyes. The cool moonlight bathed him. On the young man's face, childishness was visibly fading, replaced by a resilience and solemnity beyond his years. Deep within the ring, Lin Yu watched this scene and nodded with satisfaction. Lin Yu thought to himself: *The boy is teachable, truly teachable... Now his motivation is sufficient. The efficiency difference between passive cultivation and active cultivation is like night and day. My golden bodyguard training plan is officially launched!* However, deep within his soul, in that corner sealed layer upon layer, a barely perceptible wisp of black energy trembled slightly in response to the fluctuations of Su Ming's yang energy. Like a starved beast imprisoned in a cage, catching the scent of food outside its bars. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C36: Breath Suppression Technique The night wind passed through the small courtyard, lifting a few withered leaves that spun in circles on the ground. Su Ming sat cross-legged on the smooth, worn bluestone in the yard, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, yet his mind was like a pot of boiling water, difficult to calm. His master was going to teach him real immortal techniques. "Disciple, concentrate your spirit, calm your energy." Lin Yu's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a hint of hoarseness from having just woken up, yet it rang like a massive bell, instantly suppressing Su Ming's chaotic thoughts. "Yes, Master." Su Ming took a deep breath, striving to sink his excitement and anticipation deep into his heart. "What I will teach you today is called the 'Aura Concealment Art'. This method is not for offense, not for slaughter, but solely for the concept of 'concealment'," Lin Yu's voice was matter-of-fact, devoid of any discernible emotion. "You must remember, when walking in the world, the enemies you can see are never as terrifying as the enemies you cannot see. Making yourself disappear among the masses, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, is the path to self-preservation and longevity." Lin Yu thought to himself: "Lesson one: On the Self-Cultivation of an Actor. How to disguise a dazzling protagonist as an utterly ordinary extra. Master this lesson, and living until the grand finale isn't just a dream!" Su Ming felt a chill in his heart, etching the principle of 'concealment' firmly into his mind. "The essence of the 'Aura Concealment Art' is not to have you cultivate some sinister, evil energy. That is not the righteous path and would also taint your foundation," Lin Yu continued to explain. "Its core is to have you learn to control yourself. Your yang energy, or rather, your 'vitality', is currently like an oil lamp without a lampshade, blazing fiercely in the dark night. To those hungry ghosts and evil spirits, you are more tempting than the sweetest flesh and blood." Lin Yu thought to himself: "It's like being the biggest, reddest cherry on a Black Forest cake, complete with a flashing neon sign that says 'Come eat me!' This master's heart is weary." "What you need to do is learn to put a lampshade on this lamp, or even learn to temporarily retract the flame back into the wick, making it look like an extinguished lamp." Su Ming nodded, somewhat understanding. The analogy was vivid, and he could grasp it. "Then, the first step: perception." Lin Yu's voice became ethereal. "Forget the spiritual energy you perceive during your usual meditation, and forget the flow of blood in your body. Go and feel something more fundamental... your 'warmth'." "Warmth?" Su Ming was taken aback. "Yes, warmth. You are alive, so your body is warm. This warmth is the most superficial manifestation of your yang energy. Now, close your eyes, sink your heart, and go feel it. It envelops your internal organs, flows through your limbs and bones, emanates from every pore of your body, forming an invisible halo. Go find it, feel it." Lin Yu thought to himself: "Quick, use your middle school biology knowledge! Feel what metabolism is! What heat dissipation is! Don't think of it as something so mystical; just think of yourself as a large hot water bottle!" Su Ming followed the instructions. He discarded all distracting thoughts, completely immersing his mind into his own body. At first, he could only feel the beating of his heart, the rush of his blood, and the coolness brought by the breeze on his skin. Where was the 'warmth'? He was confused. This thing was invisible, intangible, even more elusive than the spiritual energy in the air. Time passed bit by bit, and fine sweat beaded on Su Ming's forehead. The more he tried to find it, the more untraceable that 'warmth' became. "Master, I..." He felt somewhat discouraged. "You're impatient." Lin Yu interrupted him flatly. "Let me ask you, on a winter day when your hands and feet are icy cold, what do you crave the most?" Su Ming answered without hesitation: "A brazier of charcoal, or... a bowl of hot soup." "When you approach the charcoal brazier, do you see the firelight first, or feel the warmth first?" "It's... the warmth." Su Ming pondered thoughtfully. "Exactly." Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of guidance. "You don't need to 'see' it, because you are already within it. What you need to do is 'comprehend' it. Like a fish comprehends the existence of water. Relax, don't chase it, don't grab for it, just stay still quietly, and let that feeling of warmth... tell you of its existence on its own." Lin Yu thought to himself: "Finally getting it. This kid's comprehension is decent, just a bit stubborn. But that's normal; who doesn't have a newbie phase? Back when I first learned to use Office, it took me half a day just to figure out how to merge cells..." Hearing his master's pointer, Su Ming's mind suddenly cleared. He stopped deliberately searching, instead emptying his entire mind, as if waiting for dawn in the dark night. Gradually, he sensed a 'feeling' different from body temperature. It was a very subtle 'field', brimming with vitality, spreading from the deepest part of his body. It was like a thin gauze enveloping him, warm and comfortable. When the night wind blew, it was this layer of 'warm gauze' that was touched first, and only then did his skin feel the coolness. "I... I feel it..." Su Ming's voice trembled with delight. "Good." Lin Yu praised. "Now, the second step: control. Imagine a thin layer of white mist rising from the surface of a river at dawn. This layer of mist is the yang energy you emit. And what you need to do is use your will to condense this mist back into a dewdrop, hiding it back under a blade of grass." Su Ming immediately began to try. He transformed his mind into an invisible hand, wanting to gather that warm 'mist'. But the 'mist' was incredibly slippery, offering no purchase. As soon as his will moved, that warm field instead 'whooshed' outward in expansion, then abruptly contracted back. A sensation of alternating heat and cold instantly spread throughout his body. Su Ming shivered, nearly jolting out of his meditative state. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Whoa there! Steady! Steady! What are you trying to do? Play thermal expansion and contraction with your body? Don't short-circuit your own meridians! I said condense, not compress! This is delicate work!" "Master, it... it won't listen to me." Su Ming's face flushed red with effort. "You're using 'force', not 'intent'," Lin Yu's voice grew a bit sharper. "You're thinking of grabbing it, commanding it. But it is part of you; how can you wrestle with yourself? You need to guide, not force. Like a shepherd guiding sheep back to the pen, not a butcher brandishing a knife." Su Ming stopped, carefully pondering his master's words. Guide, not force... He suddenly thought of a question, one that had troubled him for several days. "Master," he cautiously began, "forgive my impertinence, but what kind of ghostly entity was that Wailing Woman Lantern from that night? How powerful must its master be? Can we... really avoid it?" This question weighed on his heart like a stone. The unknown was the most terrifying. There was a moment of silence within the ring. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Here it comes, finally asking the key question. Without analyzing the enemy situation clearly, even I, this gold-standard bodyguard, can't work with peace of mind. It's time to give him a crash course on the types of monsters in the newbie village, and by the way, outline the cultivation realms for him." "Since you've asked, I will explain a thing or two to you." Lin Yu's voice returned to calm. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Before speaking of ghostly entities, you must first understand the cultivation realms of us humans." "We cultivators absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, temper our bodies, and defy the heavens. The path is long and arduous, divided into five major realms. From low to high, they are Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation. Each realm is further divided into four stages: early, middle, late, and perfection. You have not even stepped onto the threshold yet; you are still in the preparatory stage of drawing in qi and tempering the body." (Secretly grumbling: "Although I didn't read many novels in my previous life, I do know there are realms like Tribulation Transcendence later on. Unfortunately, the previous owner of this ring was too low-level to inquire about more information.") Su Ming's mind shook, firmly memorizing these realm names. Lin Yu continued: "And the ghostly entities between heaven and earth also have distinctions of strength and weakness; their realms can often be analogized to those of our human cultivators. When an ordinary person dies with lingering obsession, they become a 'wandering soul'. They fear light and dread yang energy; a gust of wind can scatter them. They are not worth worrying about; the yang energy of an ordinary, robust man is enough to disperse them." "If a wandering soul encounters an opportunity, absorbs yin energy, or devours other lonely spirits, it can solidify its soul body and transform into a 'vengeful ghost'. Vengeful ghosts already have the ability to harm people, confuse minds, and absorb yang energy. The yang energy of ordinary people is a great tonic in their eyes. That mountain ruin temple, if not for the Wailing Woman Lantern, would likely be infested with such entities. Their strength is roughly equivalent to our human Qi Refining stage cultivators." "Above vengeful ghosts, if they can develop spiritual intelligence, understand cultivation methods, gather yin energy into a core, and condense a 'ghost core', they can be called 'ghost generals'. A ghost general is no longer afraid of ordinary scorching sun, can command hundreds of ghosts, and bring calamity to an entire region. Their strength is already comparable to the Golden Core or even Nascent Soul realm among human cultivators." Su Ming listened, his heart pounding with fear. Golden Core, Nascent Soul! To him, those were already legendary land immortals capable of moving mountains and overturning seas! Ghosts could actually become that powerful? "Then... then what about the Wailing Woman Lantern?" Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C37: Mastered "The Wailing Woman Lantern is an artificially refined evil object. It takes the soul of a pregnant woman who died with a grievance as its main component, its ferocity and venomous resentment far exceeding that of ordinary vengeful ghosts. After being nourished by a hundred years of earth vein yin energy, its power has already reached the peak of the 'vengeful ghost' level. It was just one step away from spontaneously condensing a core and transforming into a 'ghost general'," Lin Yu explained. "You could say it was a 'quasi-ghost general' that hadn't fully formed yet." Lin Yu thought to himself, "A premium, pay-to-win baby that was just about to achieve divine success, and I swallowed it in one gulp. That grudge is indeed not small." Su Ming drew in a sharp, cold breath. If a mere "quasi-ghost general" was so terrifying, what about its master? "As for its master..." Lin Yu's tone carried a trace of... disdain? "Judging from the residual memories of the vengeful soul, the person who refined this lantern probably isn't that high in cultivation himself. If he were truly a mighty figure in the ghost path, why would he need to place this lantern in this remote, impoverished countryside, relying on earth vein energy to nourish it for a hundred years? Clearly, he lacks resources and can only use this slow, grinding method to refine his treasure." "Your master infers that this person is at most someone about to enter the 'Golden Core' realm, or perhaps even has an unstable foundation. He regarded the Wailing Woman Lantern as the foundation of his future path. Now that it's destroyed, he will definitely fly into a rage, but it won't be easy for him to find us." Lin Yu mused internally, "Translation: The opponent is a broke entrepreneur. The only prototype of his potential hit product, which he painstakingly saved up for, got hacked by us. He's definitely so angry he's smashing pots and pans to raise funds right now, but it will still take some time for him to trace us across servers. So, we still have a chance... to run away! Ah, no, I mean to cultivate!" After hearing his master's analysis, the heavy stone in Su Ming's heart eased slightly. The enemy was powerful, but not unreachable or impossible to resist. His master was knowledgeable and his analysis was logical and thorough, calming Su Ming's originally panicked heart. "Thank you, Master, for clearing up my doubts. This disciple understands." "Good that you understand." Lin Yu's voice turned serious again. "Now, you know the enemy exists. Then you should understand even more that for every bit of slacking you do now, you'll face an extra bit of danger in the future. Continue!" "Yes!" Su Ming nodded heavily and once again settled his mind and spirit. This time, he didn't use force. Instead, he made his intention as gentle as water. He imagined he wasn't gathering mist, but was in the early morning, gently blowing a breath towards a blade of dew-covered grass. That breath wasn't meant to blow away the dew, but to make the surrounding moisture naturally gravitate towards it. His mind and spirit were that gentle breeze. Sure enough, the warm "Yang Energy Mist" no longer resisted. Like wanderers finding their home, they docilely, slowly converged towards the location of Su Ming's Dantian. There was no fierce collision, no violent compression. Everything happened naturally and smoothly. Su Ming "saw" the "warm mist" that had been diffused around his body grow fainter and fainter. Deep within his Dantian, a "point of light" smaller than a grain of rice, emitting a soft warmth, gradually took shape. As the last wisp of "warm mist" was gathered, the point of light brightened slightly, then concealed all its radiance, becoming simple and unadorned, as if it had always been there. In that instant, Su Ming felt his entire body turn "cool." Not a cold coolness, but a... refreshing, tranquil coolness. Like plunging headfirst into a clear, deep pool on a scorching summer day. That vibrant, feverish aura on his body had vanished. At this moment, if he didn't open his eyes or breathe, he was like a stone in the courtyard, a silent plant. "Flutter, flutter—" A moth that had been circling him for half the day seemed to suddenly lose its target. It hovered confusedly in the air for a couple of circles, then flew towards the lamplight of another household in the distance. Lin Yu was secretly delighted, "Success! Success! The Stealth Module V1.0 is officially online! The effect is good, it even fooled a small animal! The first solid step of my Gold Medal Bodyguard Training Plan! Congratulations, congratulations!" Lin Yu was overjoyed inside, but his voice remained as calm as an ancient well. "Not bad, you've finally found the way. This is the first layer of the Aura Concealment Art: Concealing Qi and Returning to the Origin." "From now on, you must practice day and night, making this technique your instinct. True concealment isn't a spell you deliberately cast, but a habit in your every move. You must achieve this state while eating, walking, and sleeping. Only then can you deceive true observers." "This disciple understands!" Su Ming suppressed his excitement and responded firmly. He could feel that this sense of control over his own power was far more satisfying than the satisfaction from throwing a hundred or a thousand punches. This was true cultivation! "However..." Lin Yu's tone shifted. "This technique can only conceal your vitality, fooling the instinctive perception of ghosts and evil spirits. If the lantern refiner has special tracking secret arts, he might still find clues. So, you must not be careless." "Yes, Master." Su Ming nodded and continued to stabilize the realm he had just grasped. He immersed himself in this wondrous state, feeling as if all his five senses had become sharper. After his own "warm light" was completely concealed, everything in the outside world seemed to become more "distinct." He could "hear" the sleep-talking from his neighbors farther away, could "smell" the earthy scent of earthworms turning over deep in the soil. And it was at this moment that he suddenly sensed something unusual. A cold, profound chill, as if from the deepest underworld, transmitted from the ring finger on his right hand. This chill wasn't unfamiliar to him, but it had never been this clear before. Previously, his master's ring had always felt warm and smooth, as if carrying the temperature of his master's soul. But now that he had completely concealed his own Yang energy, this ring seemed to have shed a layer of disguise, revealing its most primitive, most ancient visage. It was a pure "silence" that devoured all light and heat. A thought stirred in Su Ming's heart, and he curiously sent a wisp of his mind and spirit to probe it. "Don't move!" Lin Yu's reprimand was like a thunderclap, exploding in Su Ming's mind with unprecedented severity and a trace of... barely perceptible tension. Su Ming's mind and spirit jerked back abruptly, somewhat at a loss. "Master?" Within the ring, Lin Yu fell into a brief silence. Lin Yu thought frantically to himself, "Careless! Forgot about this! This kid's Yang energy is usually like a little sun, neutralizing the ring's own fierce, baleful aura and also suppressing that 'basement prisoner' of mine firmly. Now he turned off the sun, so my old, broken house is showing its true colors! If this kid senses that crazy woman's resentment, what will happen to my lofty master image?!" After a good while, Lin Yu finally spoke slowly, his voice sounding somewhat weary. "Disciple, that ring is an ancient, wondrous object. It is itself a... pocket dimension. Your master merely resides within it. When you conceal your Yang energy, it's like clearing away the clouds to see the sun, revealing a glimpse of its true nature." "This object has a spirit, and it also has its own ferocity. With your current mind and spirit, you absolutely must not recklessly probe it. Otherwise, if it counterattacks, at best your mind will be damaged, at worst your soul will be sucked into it, doomed for eternity." Lin Yu's words, half-truth and half-falsehood, successfully made Su Ming abandon the idea. He looked back with fear at the plain, unremarkable black iron ring on his finger. Under the moonlight, the six faint blood-colored patterns on it seemed to come alive, like six closed eyes. "This disciple... was wrong." "Good that you know you were wrong." Lin Yu's voice softened. "Focus on your practice. Remember, curiosity killed the cat, and it can also kill a cultivator who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Some doors, before you have the strength to kick them open, it's best not to even look at them too much." "Yes, this disciple respectfully follows Master's teachings." Su Ming replied respectfully, then gathered his mind and spirit, no longer dwelling on the ring's strangeness, and wholeheartedly contemplated the changes brought by the Aura Concealment Art. Moonlight like water filled the small courtyard. The youth sat cross-legged, his figure somewhat blurred under the moonlight, as if he might merge into the night at any moment. Deep within the ring, Lin Yu's soul quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Yu thought to himself, "That was close, close. Managed to bluff my way through. Looks like I need to speed up the plan. The stronger this kid gets, the more curious he becomes. He'll discover the problem sooner or later. Need to make him stronger quickly, and then... find a safer, bigger house, and move out of this haunted place ASAP!" However, in the deepest part of his soul, in that corner where he had exhausted his efforts to set up layer upon layer of seals. The clump of black energy representing the core resentment of the "Wailing Woman Lantern," tied up like a zongzi, trembled violently the moment Su Ming concealed his Yang energy. Like a starved beast imprisoned for countless years, it opened its hungry and mad eyes for the first time within its dark cage. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C38: A Real Pro in This Field Pubfuture Ads The night grew even deeper. Su Ming remained seated cross-legged on that bluestone slab, but he felt the entire world had become different. After he completely withdrew that warm "yang energy" within him back into the depths of his Dantian, he was like a person walking from a noisy marketplace into a silent mountain forest. In the past, his own life aura was the first filter through which he perceived the world, constantly radiating outward and constantly interfering with his reception of the external environment. Now, that filter had disappeared. He could "hear" a cricket in the corner of the courtyard wall tirelessly rubbing its wings, every beat of that sound distinctly discernible. He could "smell" the scent of moist water vapor from the distant mountain stream carried on the gentle breeze. He could even "feel" the coolness, accumulated over years, deep within the bluestone beneath his feet, slowly creeping up his body strand by strand. This sensation was too novel, too powerful. Was this the world of cultivators? He immersed himself in this entirely new experience for a long time, but then a thought uncontrollably surfaced. It was too fast. Everything happened too fast. From Master beginning to explain the Aura Concealment Art, to him mastering "Concealing Qi and Returning to Origin," it took barely an hour. This was completely different from the immortal techniques he imagined, which would require months or even years of arduous cultivation just to get started. This defied common sense. He was no heaven-defying prodigy; he had that much self-awareness. "Master," Su Ming called out softly in his heart. "Hmm?" Lin Yu's voice sounded somewhat lazy, carrying a trace of satisfaction. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Not bad, not bad, the boy is teachable. Picking it up this fast saved me so much breath. Next, I just need him to permanently weld this state onto himself, and I can sleep soundly. The first step for a gold-standard bodyguard, secured!" "Disciple has something he doesn't understand," Su Ming organized his words and cautiously asked, "I feel... I feel the process of learning this Aura Concealment Art was a bit strange. It didn't feel like I was struggling to learn it, more like... it drilled into my brain on its own. I was just following an already existing template and replicating it." Inside the ring, Lin Yu's voice abruptly stopped. (Inner thoughts: "Holy crap?!") Lin Yu's soul trembled violently, almost jumping out of his "meditation" state. This kid sensed it? Was his comprehension ability this ridiculously off the charts? Lin Yu quickly reviewed the teaching process just now. He truly had just been desperately thinking about every detail of the Aura Concealment Art in his mind, from how to perceive yang energy, to how to guide it, to how to condense it into that "point" in the Dantian. He repeatedly rehearsed the entire process in his own mind, terrified of saying one wrong word and causing his precious disciple to cultivate his energy incorrectly. His only thought at the time was: "Aiya, this thing can only be grasped intuitively, not explained. If only I could just stuff my thoughts directly into his brain..." Wait! Could it be... it really got stuffed in? Lin Yu's soul fell into a strange state of stunned stupor. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Damn, I have this function? Divine sense transmission? Isn't that the exclusive skill of big shots in novels? How would a corporate slave who died from overtime have this? Is it a buy-one-get-one-free perk from transmigrating? Or is it that this ring itself is a divine sense signal amplifier, and I accidentally turned on a personal hotspot and sent out the technique data packet?" He felt he had discovered an incredible ability. This was simply a teaching artifact! No longer needing to waste breath explaining what "energy sense" or "focusing intent on the Dantian" meant. Just package, send, and let the disciple download and experience it himself! Lin Yu thought to himself: "No, no, gotta stay calm. Can't let the disciple think it's too easy. Need to package it, need to reflect the master's painstaking effort and profound mystery. Otherwise, he'll be asking me for 'technique data packets' every day in the future. Where would I get them for him? My soul isn't exactly wealthy to begin with. What if this thing consumes mana?" In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Lin Yu's mind. "Ahem." A light cough sounded in Su Ming's mind, interrupting his train of thought. Lin Yu's voice regained its profound tone, carrying a touch of the vicissitudes of someone who had been through it all. "Disciple, do you know what 'divine sense transmission' is?" "Disciple does not know," Su Ming answered honestly. "Hmm. This is a method used by ancient cultivators. Using one's own soul as a medium, they directly imprint the essence of a technique and the insights of energy circulation into the consciousness sea of the recipient," Lin Yu said slowly, his tone flat, as if discussing a trivial matter. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Learning and selling on the spot, that's the term! Sounds high-end!" "This method may seem swift, but it is actually extremely perilous. First, it consumes a tremendous amount of the caster's soul power. Unless one's soul body is highly condensed, a single use is enough to severely damage their vitality." Lin Yu thought to himself: "First, slap a weakness debuff on myself, indicating I worked hard, so don't push your luck." "Second, the requirements for the recipient are also extremely stringent. If the recipient's will is not firm and their soul is weak, their consciousness sea will be instantly overwhelmed by the massive influx of information, leading to foolishness at best, or having their souls scattered to the winds at worst." Lin Yu thought to himself: "Then give you a high hat, explaining it's not that I'm awesome, but that you have exceptional talent, which is why it succeeded. This way, you feel good, and I stay safe." "Observing you these past days, meditating daily, honing your mind, your soul has already far surpassed your peers, exceptionally resilient. That is why I dared to take this risk, employ this dangerous method, to help you take the first step into the gate," Lin Yu's voice carried a perfectly measured touch of "satisfaction." "Fortunately, you did not disappoint me." Su Ming listened, his heart and mind profoundly stirred. So that was it! So Master, to help him enter the gate quickly, actually went so far as to expend his soul power to perform such a perilous ancient secret technique for him! And his ability to withstand it was also due to his unrelenting hard work these past days. For a moment, Su Ming's heart was filled with gratitude, lingering fear, and a spark of excitement from being recognized. "Master..." his voice was somewhat dry, "Disciple... has troubled you." "It's nothing," Lin Yu said lightly. "You and I, master and disciple, are essentially one. Your safety is my safety. Now that you have learned 'concealment,' I can also sleep a little more soundly." Lin Yu thought to himself: "Right, pension insurance, gotta be attentive! You're safe, then I can relax and lie flat... ahem, I mean, peacefully contemplate the great Dao of heaven and earth." "However," Lin Yu's tone shifted, becoming serious, "divine sense transmission is, after all, an external force. You have only received the method of 'how to do it,' but lack the comprehension of 'why it is so.' What you must do now is to completely internalize this method, making it your instinct." "Please instruct me, Master." "Stand up." Su Ming complied and stood up, his body still maintaining that "silent" state. "Walk around the courtyard." Su Ming took steps, slowly pacing in the small courtyard. He was amazed to discover that when he entered this state, his footsteps almost vanished. As his soles touched the ground, the force was dissipated in a marvelous way, not stirring a speck of dust. "Go, lift that water bucket over there," Lin Yu directed. Su Ming walked to the corner of the wall and bent down to lift the half-full bucket of water. Subconsciously, he was about to use the strength of his waist and abdomen, but at the very moment he exerted force, that dormant "point of light" in his Dantian stirred slightly. A more refined, more condensed power surged from there, following a path he had never experienced before, instantly spreading throughout his limbs and entire body. He felt he didn't use much strength, yet the heavy wooden bucket was lifted effortlessly, the entire process flowing with unbelievable smoothness. Lin Yu thought to himself: "Hey, not bad! Comes with an energy-saving mode? This Aura Concealment Art isn't just a stealth module, it also comes with ergonomic optimization? Buy one get one free, a bloody bargain!" "Did you feel it?" Lin Yu asked. "I felt it," Su Ming's eyes sparkled. "Strength... seems to have become more obedient." "This is the true wonder of 'Concealing Qi and Returning to Origin,'" Lin Yu explained. "Concealment is not dead silence, but gathering all scattered power back to one place. When you need it, this power can erupt instantly in the most efficient, most concealed manner. A true assassin does not hide themselves only at the moment they strike. With every breath, every heartbeat, they are preparing for that one strike." "Disciple understands!" Su Ming was sincerely convinced. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C39: Junk or Treasure Su Ming carried the water bucket, pacing back and forth in the courtyard, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes squatting, sometimes standing up. He gradually immersed himself in this feeling of extreme control over his body, never tiring of it. After playing around for a good while, he finally set the bucket down. The curiosity in his heart ultimately overpowered his fascination with his newfound strength. He rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit embarrassed as he asked in his mind, "Master, you old... you said earlier that this ring itself is a pocket dimension?" Lin Yu thought to himself, "Here it comes, here it comes, the regular program. I knew this kid couldn't hold back." Lin Yu sighed, adopting a tone of helplessness that seemed to say, "Why is this child so interested in these external material things?" "So what if it is?" "Then... then inside that pocket dimension... are there... lots of treasures?" Su Ming's voice was filled with a young person's yearning for treasure. Lin Yu thought to himself, "Treasures? The real treasures are all in my head! Apart from a pile of junk left behind who knows how many years ago, this ring contains nothing but a resentment bomb that could explode at any moment. Which one do you want?" "Hmph." Lin Yu snorted coldly. "Shortsighted! What constitutes a treasure? Divine weapons and sharp blades will eventually be damaged one day; miraculous elixirs and medicines also have their time of depletion. Only one's own personal strength is the true, eternal, indestructible treasure! You haven't even stepped through the gate of cultivation yet, and you're already thinking about these side paths and crooked ways. How will you ever ascend to the Great Dao in the future?" This scolding immediately made Su Ming's face flush red. "Disciple... disciple understands his mistake." "Forget it." Seeing that the reprimand had been sufficient, Lin Yu's tone softened again. "Your curiosity is a natural human tendency. This master will let you broaden your horizons, lest you become confused and led astray by the trivial tricks of the outside world in the future." As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ming's vision suddenly blurred. He seemed to "see" a gray, hazy space, not large, about the size of a few rooms. Within the space, a few items floated scattered about—exactly those things Lin Yu had inventoried earlier. "Look carefully." Lin Yu's voice seemed to become the narration for this space. One image was magnified. It showed several dull, almost spirit energy-depleted stones. "These are low-grade spirit stones, the common currency of the cultivation world. They can also be used directly for cultivation. They contain pure spirit energy, incomparable to the mixed, impure energy freely floating between heaven and earth." Lin Yu paused, his tone carrying obvious disdain. "However, these few... their spirit energy is almost completely exhausted, not even enough to stuff between your teeth. For you to use them, you probably wouldn't even hear a sound." Lin Yu thought to himself, "Poor! Really dirt poor! The previous owner was too stingy, leaving behind an inheritance not even worth looking at." The scene shifted, revealing a broken sword. Only half of the blade and an ancient, simple hilt remained, covered in rust and faintly exuding a heart-palpitating, baleful aura. "This sword carries an extremely heavy baleful aura. It is a great object of misfortune." Lin Yu's voice turned serious. "Never mind you, even a cultivator with some achievements might have their mind eroded by the baleful aura if they touch it carelessly. Pass! This thing is just for looking at, don't even think about touching it." Lin Yu thought to himself, "A murder weapon, absolutely a murder weapon! Su Ming's little body would fall seriously ill from just one touch. Must hide it well, in case he digs it out someday to use as a fire poker." Finally, the scene settled on the three quietly resting jade slips. "These are inheritance jade slips, recording techniques and knowledge." Lin Yu's voice held a trace of gravity. "Two of them are protected by powerful restrictions. Even this master currently lacks the power to open them. The remaining one records a cultivation method called the 'Greenwood Longevity Art'." Lin Yu thought to himself, "Encrypted files, can't open them! Infuriating! The only one that can be viewed is an advanced product that needs a beginner's tutorial, but the disciple is starting from an illiterate foundation. Don't dare teach it recklessly!" "This cultivation method is balanced and peaceful, originally an excellent foundational technique. But..." Lin Yu's tone shifted. "The very beginning requires drawing energy into the body, visualizing green wood, communicating with the Essence of Yi Wood... The crucial points within are such that a tiny deviation leads to a huge error. You currently can't even recognize all the characters yet, and your mind is not settled. If you attempt to cultivate it forcefully without a protector to guide you, the consequences would be unthinkable." The vision before his eyes vanished, and Su Ming's mind returned to his body. He no longer held the slightest bit of contempt in his heart. Instead, he was filled with awe. Spirit stones with depleted energy, a baleful broken sword, mysterious yet unreachable jade slips... These things that his master spoke of as if they were "junk" or "dangerous"—any single one contained worlds and power beyond his imagination. "Did you see?" Lin Yu's voice drifted over leisurely. "These things, for you right now, are either useless or harmful. Your only path is to be down-to-earth, first study books to understand principles, and lay a solid foundation. Wait until you later enter a sect, have a guide, have a solid foundation, and broadened horizons. Only then might these things become usable for you." "Disciple... has been taught!" Su Ming bowed deeply, a gesture from the heart. His master not only taught him techniques but was also teaching him the principles of cultivation, always putting his safety first. "Mmm, it's late at night. Go back and rest. Remember, starting today, whether walking, staying, sitting, or lying down, you must always maintain the 'Concealing Qi and Returning to Origin' state. When you can make it as natural as your breathing and heartbeat, only then will the 'Aura Concealment Art' be considered to have truly reached minor mastery." "Yes, Master." Su Ming respectfully acknowledged, then turned and walked toward his small hut. He deliberately slowed his pace, savoring the feeling of power being held within and his body being light. The moonlight stretched his shadow long, yet his footsteps falling on the ground truly only stirred a light breeze, with not the slightest sound audible. ... The next day, just as dawn was breaking. Su Ming awoke from his meditative state. He had not slept last night but had sat in meditation the entire night. Maintaining the 'Aura Concealment Art' all night had not tired him. Instead, he felt full of energy, refreshed and clear-headed. The small "point of light" in his Dantian also seemed to have solidified a little more. He pushed open the door. The cool morning air, carrying moisture, greeted him. In the courtyard, his second brother Su Yang, bare-chested, was swinging an axe, grunting and puffing as he chopped firewood. Beads of sweat covered his bronze skin, glistening in the morning light. His solid muscles rippled with each movement, full of a sense of power. Su Ming walked up behind him, watching quietly, his footsteps as light as a cat's. Su Yang finished splitting a log, straightened up, took a breath, wiped the sweat off with his arm, and turned to grab another one. As he turned, he saw Su Ming standing there silently. "Good heavens, mother!" Su Yang was so startled he jumped back violently, even swinging the axe in his hand up. Only after clearly seeing it was Su Ming did he let out a long sigh of relief. Laughing and crying at the same time, he scolded, "You brat! Are you a cat? Walking without a single sound! Want to scare your brother to death so you can get more of the inheritance, is that it?" Although he scolded with his mouth, there was not a trace of blame in his eyes, only affection for his younger brother and a hint of curiosity. Seeing his second brother's flustered yet deliberately fierce appearance, Su Ming couldn't help but curve the corners of his mouth into a smile. He knew his second brother was just playing around with him; it had always been like this between them. "Brother, let me help you." Su Ming walked forward and, without waiting for Su Yang's reply, easily picked up two large bundles of chopped firewood from the ground—a weight that would require Su Yang to use seventy or eighty percent of his strength to lift. "Hey!" Su Yang's attention was indeed immediately captured. He looked Su Ming up and down in surprise, forgetting all about being scared just now. "You kid, what have you been eating these past few days? Your strength has grown! These bundles of firewood aren't light!" He stretched out his big hand, habitually wanting to ruffle Su Ming's hair, just like when they were kids. Su Ming instinctively wanted to dodge, but seeing his second brother's hearty smile and the concern in his eyes, he stopped his movement, allowing that big hand covered in sweat and wood chips to messily ruffle his hair a couple of times. The sensation was a bit rough, yet exceptionally warm. "Studying is studying, but you also need to take care of your body. Don't learn from those frail, bookish Xiucai who can't even tie up a chicken." Su Yang withdrew his hand, placed it on his hip, and instructed with an air of mature authority. "If there's any heavy work, wait for your brother to come back and do it, you hear?" "I know, brother." Su Ming nodded, feeling warmth in his heart. He carried the firewood, turned, and walked toward the kitchen, his steps still light and quiet. Su Yang watched his younger brother's back, which seemed straighter than usual, smacked his lips, and felt that this kid was somehow a bit different, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Looks like studying more really is useful? Even his aura is different?" He scratched his head, gave a simple laugh, stopped overthinking it, and raised his axe again. The rhythmic sound of chopping firewood once again filled the courtyard, intertwining with Su Ming's light yet steady footsteps, merging into this tranquil, vibrant morning light. Contact - ToS Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life C40: First Step to Turning Bamboo into Gold In the kitchen, Mrs. Chen was adding water to the pot, preparing to cook a pot of thin porridge. Wang Chuntao was beside her, cutting the remaining half of the black wheat bun from last night into small cubes, planning to soak them in the porridge so the family's breakfast would be more filling. Su Ming neatly stacked two large bundles of firewood beside the stove. The entire process was silent, with only the dull thud of the firewood making contact with the ground. He straightened up, patted the wood chips from his hands, looked at the busy backs of his mother and sister-in-law, then glanced at his second brother who was still sweating profusely in the courtyard. An unprecedented sense of solidity rose within him. He was no longer that youth who could only hide behind his brothers, helplessly accepting the futures they bought with their blood and sweat. Now, he had his own strength, his own secret weapon that could hold up a piece of the sky for this family. "Disciple." Lin Yu's lazy voice sounded in his mind, carrying a hint of a nasal tone as if he'd just woken up. "Your master has calculated, and that trip to town, plus everything after returning, has already delayed our 'Family Poverty Alleviation and Prosperity Building' Phase One Plan for quite some time." Lin Yu thought to himself, "My heavens, he finally remembers the main task! If we don't start making money soon, when will my pension plan ever launch? Watching him perform these warm family dramas every day, when will we ever leave this village and embark on the path of cultivation!" The corner of Su Ming's mouth twitched slightly. His master's words made it sound like he himself knew how to make paper. He didn't argue, only respectfully responded in his mind, "This disciple is dull-witted. Please, Master, instruct me." "Hmm, a student worthy of teaching." Lin Yu cleared his throat, adopting the posture of a lofty expert. "Originally, your master intended to guide you in technical breakthroughs immediately upon your return from town. Although it's a bit late now, it's still not too late." "The matter of papermaking may seem simple, but in reality, it contains profound mysteries. Genuine ancient bamboo paper has a complex production process that takes an extremely long time." Lin Yu's voice became serious, like an experienced master craftsman imparting a secret art. "The first step is called 'cutting and retting bamboo.' You need to take tender bamboo from the current year's growth, chop it into sections several feet long, and throw them into a pond to soak. For a short period, it takes tens of days; for a long period, several months. Use the power of microorganisms in the water to make it initially rot and soften. This is 'retting.'" "The second step, 'pounding and washing.' Retrieve the retted bamboo, place it on a stone slab, and repeatedly pound it with a wooden mallet to disperse its fibers. Then rinse it with clean water to wash away the green outer skin and impurities." "The third step, 'steaming and boiling.' This is the key among keys. You need to place the pounded and washed bamboo material, along with sufficient amounts of plant ash water or lime water, into a large pot and steam-boil it over a gentle fire for several days and nights. The power of the alkaline water can completely break down the lignin and gum in the bamboo, leaving only the purest fibers." "Once the bamboo material is cooked into a pot of mushy paste, you can proceed to the final step, 'forming the sheet and drying.' Dilute the paper pulp with water, gently dip a specially made bamboo screen into the pulp vat, lift up a thin layer, filter out the water, then press and dry it before paper can be formed." Listening to this description in his mind, Su Ming was deeply shocked. He had never imagined that a thin sheet of paper required such a complex and lengthy process. Cutting bamboo, soaking, pounding, steaming and boiling... Just hearing it made it sound like a massive and arduous project. "Master, this... how much time would this take?" Su Ming couldn't help but ask. "By the time we make the paper, I'm afraid the opportunity will have long passed." Lin Yu thought to himself, "Good question! If we really followed that full process, by the time you pass the Xiucai exam, our first batch of paper would probably still be soaking in the pond! So, theory must be connected with practice. We need to create a 'streamlined version'!" "Heh, what your master described is the method for producing tribute-grade Xuan paper fit for imperial use." Lin Yu chuckled lightly, his tone carrying a hint of 'you're still too young.' "For our initial venture, we should naturally adapt to our limited conditions and forge a new path." "Right now, we're not trying to create some masterpiece paper to be passed down through generations. We need to produce a finished product as quickly as possible to verify the feasibility of this method, to let your stubborn old father see with his own eyes how the bamboo from the back mountain can turn into gleaming copper coins!" "Therefore, our method must be fast and direct!" "That 'retting bamboo' step is too slow. We'll skip it entirely! Go straight to 'pounding and washing'! Use brute force to pound the tender bamboo to a pulp!" "That 'steaming and boiling' step, boiling for several days and nights isn't realistic. We'll just increase the alkali content and boil it fiercely for a single day! The effect might be poorer, but as long as it breaks down the fibers, that's enough!" "As for 'forming the sheet,' without a fine bamboo screen, we'll try using your family's broken rice sieve! Without a dedicated drying room, we'll stick it to a wooden board and dry it in the sun!" "Disciple, you must remember." Lin Yu's tone became meaningful. "What we're making now isn't paper; it's 'confidence'! It's a 'sample' that can make your father, and the whole village, see hope! It might be as rough as tree bark, as yellow as mud, but as long as it can be called 'paper,' we will have succeeded in the first step!" Su Ming's heart was completely ignited by his master's words. Yes, a sample! He didn't need to achieve perfection in one step. He just needed evidence that could shatter his father's entrenched beliefs! He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. ... During breakfast, the family sat around the low dining table. The thin porridge in the pot was so clear you could see your reflection. A few pieces of chopped black wheat bun cubes floated and sank in the porridge. This was the most ordinary breakfast in the Su household. Su Yang held his bowl, slurping the porridge with gusto. He had worked all morning and was already starving. Su Shan silently smoked his pipe tobacco. The swirling smoke obscured his weathered face even more. At the dining table, he was always the one who spoke the least. Mrs. Chen and Wang Chuntao sipped their porridge in small mouthfuls, occasionally whispering a few words about daily life. The atmosphere was quiet and oppressive. Su Ming held his bowl but hadn't taken a bite for a long time. He mentally rehearsed the script his master had taught him over and over, his palms slightly sweaty. "Father." He finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a stone thrown into a calm pond. Everyone's movements stopped, and their gazes instantly focused on him. Su Shan lifted his eyelids and glanced at him through the smoke. He didn't speak, only using his eyes to signal him to continue. "Father, I want... I want to try making paper." Su Ming's voice was a bit dry, but he still mustered the courage to say it. "Pfft— Cough, cough, cough!" Su Yang, who was drinking his porridge, failed to swallow a mouthful and sprayed it out. He choked until his face turned red, pounding his chest while looking at his younger brother with disbelief. "Little Ming, you... what did you say? Making paper?" Mrs. Chen and Wang Chuntao also wore expressions of utter astonishment. Contact - ToS