Recently, Nongli seemed very busy, but Qingmu had no idea what exactly she was occupied with.
According to the giraffe demon, Nongli had found a new cultivation method, and when Qingmu asked Nongli herself, that was the answer she gave as well.
But both of them were demons—could they be trusted?
Even if he asked Benji or some other demon clans, the answers would probably be the same.
In cahoots, perhaps?
Though Qingmu felt he shouldn’t think that way about Nongli, he was still somewhat puzzled.
Today, Qingmu went to Nongli’s room again, but she was still not there. Only a note with crooked handwriting was left on the table.
“Master, don’t worry, don’t worry, Nongli will be right back, awooo~”
At the end was a thoughtfully drawn fox head. Qingmu had also written similar notes to Nongli before, so she had learned from him.
“The drawings look better than the writing,” Qingmu muttered, placing the note back on the table before heading to the special training room that Benji had prepared for him.
At first, Qingmu was afraid Benji might have some ill intentions toward him or Nongli, so he was extremely cautious about everything.
But over time, he gradually got used to the benefits Benji provided them. If Benji really wanted to do something against them, he probably wouldn’t have let them stay until now.
Regarding the exchange of qi techniques, Benji hadn’t deceived Qingmu. The soul qi technique given was genuine. Qingmu could clearly feel it was completely different from the ordinary qi technique he had been practicing, though they shared the same origin.
It was a kind of enhancement to his “qi,” but using only this one body, the effect wasn’t very direct. So, he collapsed onto Nongli’s bed and closed his eyes.
His consciousness shifted, and when he opened them again, he was in the Wood Elf Sanctuary.
He sat up on the jade bed and glanced at the statue of the Elf Goddess before getting off.
Closing his eyes, he felt the qi inside him surging, the mysteries of body and soul stirring. He sensed not only his body was strengthening, but his mental power as well.
Even his speed and stability during consciousness transfer had improved somewhat.
“Buzz—”
Forming a hand seal, Qingmu used the fake spiritual vein given during the first simulation to cast a minor spell.
A small wind ball flickered at his fingertips, and his heart leapt with joy.
Yes, the fake spiritual vein could indeed be used to cast spells, but there were significant limitations.
Before, although he had the fake spiritual vein, he hadn’t tried casting spells many times. He didn’t know the exact reason and was too preoccupied to care much.
Now, he understood the problem.
The reason he couldn’t use spells before was exactly as the system described—he could only use minor spells because in the first simulation world, he was a peerless genius whose spells were no amateur tricks.
The fake spiritual vein naturally couldn’t cast those, and his body’s qi wasn’t enough to sustain the power required.
Now, this small wind ball was a minor spell he got from Benji’s hidden library. In the first simulation world, he had looked down on this kind of spell, so there was no need to learn it.
Understanding this alone wasn’t enough, though. Qingmu had already made some progress in the Soul Qi Technique. As long as he continued to learn all the secrets of the soul qi technique from Benji, he could strengthen the qi technique state. In that state, even the fake spiritual vein could cast powerful spells.
Just imagine—if the “Heavenly Instinct” from the cultivation world existed in this fantasy world, any demon lord would be nothing to him.
And crushing Yuelan would be a mere trifle.
After testing the qi technique, Qingmu didn’t return directly to the simulation world but waited for Cuihua to come.
“The busybody’s back?”
Cuihua saw Qingmu watching her with open eyes and smiled slightly.
“I want to see Maxie.”
“Just right, I have something to tell you on the way.”
Cuihua nodded.
When the time was right, Cuihua took Qingmu out of the sanctuary.
Actually, Qingmu always wanted to complain—these Wood Elves were far too lax. A half-paralyzed person was pushed and pulled into the sanctuary by a ‘big man’ and the guards never noticed.
Cuihua said either they were out drinking or sneaking naps.
But what’s wrong with that?
If not for this, it probably wouldn’t have been so easy.
On the way, Cuihua told Qingmu some news—there might be something big happening in the Rose Kingdom soon.
Namely, the hero selection process had completely stopped, and the church was experiencing a major internal crisis.
But this was just a rumor, a secret one at that.
Qingmu asked Cuihua, “How do you know this news?”
Cuihua rolled her eyes and asked back, “Why do you think I can disguise myself as a man to take care of you? Didn’t Maxie tell you why?”
Qingmu suddenly recalled—Cuihua was the daughter of an official.
Not long after, Qingmu and Cuihua arrived at Maxie’s clinic just as he was finishing work.
The dog nurse, Bruce, was still barking wildly. Cuihua said, “Why so energetic all of a sudden today?”
At this time, Qingmu was chatting with Maxie, the topic still about herbal medicine knowledge.
After a short while, there was a knock on the clinic door. Qingmu and Cuihua exchanged a glance and slightly hid.
Maxie went to the hallway and opened the door. Qingmu and Cuihua both heard:
“A letter from the church, Doctor Maxie.”
“The church?”
Cuihua was stunned, and Qingmu frowned.
How could Maxie have any connection with the church?
Then Qingmu looked at Bruce. The dog nurse was very lively, its black fur shining.
It wasn’t that the pill could have done something to Bruce, but he shouldn’t be this energetic, right?
Qingmu quietly grabbed the loose skin on the back of Bruce’s neck and covered its muzzle. Upon closer inspection, he was suddenly shocked.
“What’s wrong?”
Cuihua asked.
“The medicine in Bruce’s body has been neutralized!”
Qingmu was astonished. He had clearly given a relieving pill, so it shouldn’t have completely nullified the medicine’s effect.
Could it be…
Just then, Maxie returned, hearing Bruce’s whimper.
Seeing the surprised expressions on Qingmu and Cuihua, he shrugged and said, “Wow, you’ve already figured it out, huh?”
“You’re the one who made the antidote?”
Qingmu frowned.
“That’s right. I made the antidote for the poison you gave Bruce. Though, it’s not really poison, is it?”
Maxie pouted and said, “Don’t be so nervous. I just didn’t tell you before. And I’ve decided to continue helping you.”
“What?”
Cuihua was surprised.
“See, it’s just an ordinary letter. No spying or anything.”
Maxie handed the letter to Qingmu openly. After reading it, Qingmu relaxed and asked why he wanted to continue helping them.
“After all this time talking, I don’t think you’re a bad person. And I’m willing to trust Cuihua, even if she did trick me once.”
Cuihua heard this and sheepishly ducked her head.
“Also, your pill wasn’t really a true poison. I knew that.”
“So how did you make the antidote?”
Qingmu asked curiously.
“Well, I’m a genius, right?”
Maxie joked, but before the topic could develop, Cuihua interrupted.
Not long after, Qingmu and Cuihua left. Maxie picked up a book—it was still about the fox girl, and one chapter explicitly described the properties of the soul-draining collapsing pill.
“The author of this book also took this kind of pill?”
Maxie muttered.