Chapter Four: The Thief Shi Qian (Part One)

"Has it been so long?" Li Fei patted his body, seemingly without any issues, but his spiritual channels felt empty, almost devoid of spiritual energy. Looking up, he noticed that there were very few people in the temple and hurriedly asked, "Is everyone else alright?"

I am fine now; it was just excessive fatigue. After sleeping for such a long time, I have recovered.

Li Fei walked over to the two severely injured individuals, and Fang Zhi Mai hurriedly came forward to greet him: "So it turns out that Young Hero Li has awakened. Your body is still weak; you must not move about carelessly"

They all call me Anu. The young girl blushed and lowered her head as she asked, "What spell did the young hero use yesterday?"

The young girl noticed Li Fei staring at her and couldn't help but blush, lowering her head. Li Fei secretly scolded himself for being suspicious; her flushed face indicated that she had not applied any makeup, and her hands were equally dark, suggesting that it was natural.

Li Fei said little and quietly went to the corner to practice his skills. He must quickly master the divine art in order to have a chance to heal the seriously injured and the sick, helping these individuals escape from their predicaments

After being excited for a while, Li Fei finally calmed his heart. The awakening of Shi Qian was purely a coincidence, and others might not be able to use this method. Now, he did not have much time to study these matters; instead, he needed to focus on creating a top-notch Shi Qian to steal money and badges. Once he overcame the current difficulties, he would then study the others.

He attempted to rise, but the young girl blocked him and said in a commanding tone: "Do not get up; you need to rest well"

Upon closer inspection, her eyebrows, nose, lips, face shape, and chin are all quite well-defined. When she speaks, her teeth are white and even; however, her skin is dark and coarse, and the presence of several scars makes one reluctant to look a second time

How long can they hold on at most

Fang Zhi shook his head: "Such wounds must be treated with properly formulated wound medicine, or with effective healing medicines like Sanqi or bear bile; otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve results. These medicines are only available in large pharmacies in the city, but we cannot enter, nor can we afford them"

Li Fei's heart raced for a moment. If Shi Qian could be summoned, then others should be able to be summoned as well. With over one hundred invisible heroes traversing the rivers and lakes, who would dare to touch a single hair on his body? What else would be impossible?

Anu was momentarily taken aback before realizing that when he mentioned "donkey," he was deliberately merging the characters for horse and household. He couldn't help but smile and replied, "Of course not, they were frightened out of their wits by your heroic presence and should not dare to come back."

What medicine do they need for treatment, and is it available for purchase nearby

The girl lowered her head, her voice somewhat sorrowful: "One person has died, and there are two lying over there, uncertain if they can hold on. The others are not too severely injured; their clothing is thick, and they only have some abrasions."

Tonight, the sky is cloudless, and a crescent moon hangs like a hook. Countless cold stars twinkle, making it an excellent time for practice. Li Fei quickly enters a state of visualization, his consciousness penetrating through the roof, floating high in the air like a giant, ready to begin absorbing the spiritual energy of the "Earth Thief Star"

One had a deep cut on the chest, a blow from an axe on the waist, and a head injury from a club. The bleeding has stopped now, but the wounds are too deep; unless there is a good remedy for healing, it is feared that the wounds will worsen.

As the young girl brought a bowl of soup closer, she did not expect him to suddenly wake up, which startled her so much that she almost spilled the soup on him. Immediately, her face lit up with joy: "You’re awake! How do you feel? You’ve been unconscious for almost two days and one night."

A vast amount of spiritual energy poured in, akin to a tangible stream of water flowing into a pond. Although there were wisps of energy escaping from the 'cracks', they were far outnumbered by the energy being infused. As more and more energy gathered, the pond began to churn and surge, reminiscent of the rolling mists over Tianchi Lake, akin to the surging tides of the Qiantang River.

It seems that even the starlight in the sky is accelerating its descent under the influence of the vortex's power, with energy continuously increasing. The vortex continues to spin, waves upon waves pushing against each other, resembling a thousand troops and horses galloping forward

Has the stinky donkey not come back? Li Fei quickly helped her up and asked with a smile

Li Fei forced a smile at her: "What is your name?"

Shi Qian disappeared in a very short time, yet his energy and physical strength were significantly depleted. This indicates that the summoned Shi Qian is related to his cultivation level and requires energy to be drawn from him. It is possible that the higher his cultivation level, the more formidable Shi Qian becomes, and the longer he remains present.

When others cannot see Shi Qian, it is very likely that Shi Qian is a type of spirit, having already opened his spiritual aperture, which allows him to see this fellow

Li Fei's gaze fell upon the face of the woman holding the bowl; she was not the renowned courtesan Li Shishi, but merely a filthy female refugee.

In the Heavenly Dream Divine Art, there are no methods for repairing spiritual orifices; in fact, it is not a tangible entity, and Li Fei has no idea how to begin. However, if it is not patched up, wouldn't the absorbed spiritual energy leak out completely?

As soon as he felt a stir in his heart, the energy clusters that were colliding with each other suddenly began to swirl, forming a large vortex centered around the "pond," stirring the entire space. Under the influence of this vortex, energy no longer surged out from the cracks; even the energy that had previously dissipated was drawn back, and the strands of spiritual energy that had been scattered throughout the meridians and acupoints of his injured body were also retrieved.

Li Fei felt troubled as he stepped out of the temple. After several days of heavy snowfall, the sun unexpectedly shone today. The setting sun cast a slanting light, with red clouds reflecting on the snow, creating a truly enchanting scene of red and white.

Anu looked on with a gaze filled with both surprise and admiration, almost ready to kneel and bow her head.

The two casually exchanged a few words, and at that moment, the people who had gone out began to return one after another. The refugees greeted Li Fei one by one, showing great enthusiasm and joy, but there was also a clear expression of reverence and fear in their smiles, with some elderly individuals even wanting to kneel in worship. When Jin Lao, Zhao Da, Qian, and others returned, they too exhibited a predominant sense of respect, clearly maintaining a distance from themselves.

What method should be used to repair it

The leaders then discussed how to purchase medicine for treating injuries, how to comfort the families of the deceased, and how to prevent the scar-faced man from seeking revenge. What is most urgently needed now is money and a pass to enter the city, especially money. With money, all situations will improve; otherwise, it won't be long before most people starve to death

After finishing her words, she nervously rubbed the corner of her clothes and stole a glance at Li Fei, fearing that he might be displeased

Li Fei felt a mix of amusement and bewilderment: "I have never seen a monk from the Hami Kingdom. This is neither sorcery nor magic; it is a divine art that summons celestial soldiers and generals. It was taught to me by a deity in a dream."

The young girl tilted her head, gazing at him with suspicion, trying to discern whether what he said was true or false. At that moment, Li Fei noticed that the girl's eyes were very round and large, with a clear distinction between black and white, exceptionally clear, and her pupils resembled two shiny grapes, making one almost want to take a lick. These should be the eyes of a beauty; could it be that this person was deliberately pretending to be an ugly woman?

Suddenly, there was a weight on his shoulders; it turned out that the young girl, concerned for him, had brought out an old cotton coat for him to wear

Having arrived in this world for only a few days, he has changed significantly, becoming more silent and reserved. At this moment, he thinks most about survival, responsibility, and morality—along with the meaning of life and the impermanence of worldly affairs. Previously, he feared chaos in the world, and what he disliked most were his parents' nagging and the endless homework. Now, he longs to have those things back, to return to the life he once considered monotonous and tedious

The original sensation at the spiritual center was that of a complete space, akin to a hollow sphere. However, after the injury, the feeling became quite vague, and it was almost impossible to sense its existence. When entering a meditative state, it began to clarify again, but it was no longer as complete, resembling an egg that had been cracked, with a noticeable fissure appearing, allowing much energy to dissipate from there, its whereabouts unknown. No wonder his strength had diminished. When entering a meditative state, it began to clarify again, but it was no longer as complete, resembling an egg that had been cracked, with a noticeable fissure appearing, allowing much energy to dissipate from there, its whereabouts unknown. No wonder his strength had diminished.

Li Fei felt a heavy heart; if it were not for his inadequate performance as a bodyguard, they would not be lying on the ground. Having received kindness, yet unable to fulfill a duty, filled him with immense guilt. Although he was somewhat domineering and occasionally enjoyed playing clever tricks, he was a person of true spirit, clear about grievances and kindness, and unwilling to owe anyone anything.

Li Fei shook his head. He had originally intended to thoroughly torment Ma Hu to vent his frustrations for his refugee friends, which is why he did not kill him outright. However, he did not expect Shi Qian to give in so quickly, which was indeed a miscalculation. Ma Hu recognized him, and in order to seek revenge, he would most likely report to the authorities, so it was imperative to eliminate him swiftly.

I have nothing going on, how are they doing

This young girl is very youthful, appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Her hair is somewhat disheveled, casually tied at the back. Her features are relatively delicate, but her skin is coarse and dark, with several scars on her face that resemble those left by sores. She is wearing a tattered cotton jacket, her waist is bulky like a barrel, and to say she is unattractive would already be a compliment.

This is somewhat difficult to articulate. Fang Zhi furrowed his brow, twirling his fine mustache, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "The weather is cold now, so it may not worsen temporarily. If we can hold on for five or six days, and if luck is on our side, it might be fine. If not..."

Anu's phoenix eyes turned, revealing a hint of wisdom: "You say you are from the south and have been a monk, so you must have learned your spells from the country of Hami. It is said that the foreign monks from Hami are skilled in sorcery... Ah, you, you are certainly not practicing sorcery."

After pondering for a while without grasping the essence, he decided to absorb some starlight to give it a try. He followed the usual method of practice and began to absorb the spiritual energy of the starlight

Li Fei felt somewhat despondent as he looked in the direction pointed out by the young girl. Two severely injured individuals lay on the left side of the main hall, while Tang the blacksmith, Tian Yimu, Fang Zhimai, and several women were tending to them. A few others sat beside a corpse, wiping their tears, while nearly all the able-bodied individuals had gone out to search for food.

If Shi Qian could stay by my side for an extended period, I would not fear encountering ordinary figures from the martial world. Unfortunately, Shi Qian is not skilled in fighting; among the one hundred and eight heroes, he is one of the least capable in combat. If only I could summon the likes of Wu Song, Guan Sheng, Lin Chong, and others

This is a magical book, and there may be even more wondrous things to uncover, along with more incredible secrets to explore

Yet this is too difficult for them; they have overcome one hardship, but the future remains bleak. The families of the deceased are weeping, the sick are coughing incessantly, and the atmosphere in the temple has grown heavy once more

"Magic?" Li Fei said with a look of astonishment, "How could you think that I am using magic?"

After thinking for a while, it seems that the only way to enter the city to buy medicine is to rely on the token and money that Shiqian stole when he was summoned. However, he only has a few minutes left to summon Shiqian, which is not enough time for theft. Moreover, he was severely weakened yesterday and can hardly feel any spiritual energy now; it may take five or six days to recover.

Li Fei recognized her as one of the refugees, but he had never spoken to her. He did not expect her to come and take care of him, so he hurriedly sat up and said, "You don't need to feed me; I can do it myself. Thank you."

Do not let that energy escape, bring it back!

He is now certain that the Heavenly Dream Divine Skill is a remarkable and rapidly cultivated technique; otherwise, it would not have been possible for his lightness skill to improve significantly in just a few days, and he truly managed to summon Shi Qian. If he can continue practicing in the correct manner, flying through the sky and burrowing into the ground is not impossible. However, it is regrettable that Shi Qian only knows a portion of the technique, and it is at an introductory level.