Lin Ji sincerely expressed his heartfelt emotions, “This is life.”

After avenging himself in Yunzhou and returning to his hometown in Dongzhou to get some money, he set off westward, traveling without a fixed destination, simply going wherever his heart led him.

Before long, Lin Ji arrived at a bustling place known as Liuning City. This place was named for its warm and gentle climate throughout the four seasons, with willows blooming everywhere in spring.

Ultimately, the vast majority of the land in the Nine Provinces was still governed by the imperial court. The immortal sects were situated on the fringes, avoiding the world; they wouldn’t easily appear unless there was great chaos in the mortal realm and demons descended.

Having left the immortal sect, he was now in the mortal world. As long as he wasn’t in the thick of it, what did the people and events in that place have to do with him? In his previous life, he had indeed narrowed his path.

In his last life, Lin Ji was solely focused on cultivation, wanting to stand out. Even if he couldn’t ascend to immortality, he at least wanted to find a path that belonged solely to him and dedicate his life to it.

Since he had the aptitude to enter the immortal sect, who wouldn’t see themselves as the chosen one? Thus, he practiced day and night, seeking opportunities for advancement, never pausing for a moment, nearly exhausting himself.

Thanks to the fortune of being unable to do anything but read storybooks after his death in Guixu, Lin Ji found it wasn’t as difficult as he imagined to take it easy after his rebirth. Living without burdens, waking up only after getting enough sleep, was truly wonderful.

What Lin Ji wanted to learn most now was the saying that life is short, so one should enjoy it while they can.

In just a few days, he spent the money in his pocket tasting food from various restaurants, local specialty teas, and even went to listen to storytelling performances, enjoying leisurely boat rides on a lake adorned with rows of willows.

It was comfortable; he had never felt this relaxed in his previous life, except perhaps in his childhood.

Sitting on the boat, watching the lake water recede, he casually tossed a silver ingot towards another boat in the center of the lake where a woman was singing, prompting her to come out of the cabin to thank him.

When the woman asked to meet him, he turned his head and had the boatman row back to the shore.

The old boatman chuckled, expressing his confusion, “Young master, why are you being so unromantic at this time? If you meet the lady, who knows, it might lead to a good relationship!”

Lin Ji rested his chin on his hand, lazily scoffing, “Not interested.”

The woman was singing for tips; he found her performance pleasant to the ears, and it took years of practice to reach such a level, so he rewarded her. Engaging in anything else would fall into the realm of private dealings, and he didn’t want to add unnecessary trouble.

Suddenly, Lin Ji straightened up, thinking of some places of pleasure he had never ventured into.

Leaving aside the fact that he had automatically cut off ties with the mortal world after becoming an immortal, even when he was at home, his parents were strict with him and never allowed him to step into places of entertainment or gambling houses.

That night, guided by someone, Lin Ji went to a casino. He was simply curious about how it operated and what kind of people frequented it, and what mindset they had.

As for the allure of wealth and gentle company, he dismissed that; he never thought degrading women was any kind of enjoyment.

Lin Ji had no intention of participating, so he stood aside to watch the show. After observing for about half an hour, he could no longer bear it.

Lin Ji was astonished that those demonic seeds from his previous life didn’t target the people in the casino! Just pulling one out would be more obsessed and fall into madness faster than he ever did.

The casino was spacious, yet it felt crowded like a pot of porridge. There were those who were there to join the fun, and others who were at the gambling tables.

The first floor catered to ordinary guests, with gambling tables scattered around, each table having a dealer from the casino. The second floor was likely for wealthy patrons, but whether they left the casino still wealthy was another matter.

Such a chaotic scene made his eyes hurt, and Lin Ji noticed that everyone in the casino gave off a foul impression. Many men had unkempt beards and hadn’t changed their clothes in days, some looked so haggard from lack of food and sleep that they couldn’t bear to leave the gambling table.

He looked at the gambling table, where a man, red-eyed from losing, was raising his stakes: betting his entire fortune, mortgaging his house deeds, land deeds, and even his wife… Some even stripped off their clothes and barked like dogs just to gamble one more time, fantasizing about a comeback.

Lin Ji closed his eyes, suppressing the surging killing intent. He felt increasingly that his death in his previous life was unjust; perhaps it was because the cultivation world had filtered out those who were unworthy before they even entered. Although his peers schemed against each other behind the scenes, they still maintained a polite facade, and those with poor conduct were rare.

He had once been hot-tempered and out of place, which made him seem particularly detestable among them.

But even seeing this group of gamblers made him want to kill them quickly, to spare their families and friends from harm. Weren’t these people even more deserving of death?

Lin Ji opened his eyes, seemingly contemplating something, when he suddenly heard a strange and pleasant sound, looking up to see.

It was unknown when the wind outside had begun to rise, causing the beads and jade hanging from the curtains on the second floor to clink against each other.

Soon, the wind grew stronger, and the open windows on the first floor were slammed shut one by one, while the people engrossed in winning and losing still hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Ordinary mortals couldn’t see it, but a wave of demonic energy had quietly infiltrated.

Lin Ji suddenly curled his lips, thinking of a more interesting way to play.

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers with spiritual power, causing all the candlelight in the lanterns around him to extinguish at once.

The crowd fell silent in an instant, then began to complain loudly:

“What’s going on? Light the lamps!”

“Who’s cheating? Are they trying to renege on their debts?”

“Light the lamps quickly, I’m about to win! Hurry up!”

The casino was plunged into darkness, and Lin Ji’s actions inadvertently facilitated the demonic presence. Just as that wave of demonic energy was gleefully trying to invade the chosen host’s body, Lin Ji moved.

He easily leaped onto the gambling table, kicking the dealer down and simultaneously kicking the demonic energy out.

His actions left the demons dazed; after a moment of thought, the demonic energy shifted in another direction, trying to possess someone else.

As a result, every time it tried to possess someone, Lin Ji would kick it away, not only creating chaos at the gambling table but also kicking several people’s heads and stepping on several hands along the way, causing a chorus of pig-like screams to erupt in the casino.

The slow-witted demon finally realized that Lin Ji wasn’t favoring one side but was equally causing chaos! It finally stopped and let out a chilling, maniacal laugh, the demonic energy running rampant and scaring the casino-goers into trembling and wailing.

But Lin Ji wasn’t afraid of it; he calmly took out a fire stick from his robe and blew on it, igniting a flame.

He then wrapped the flame with spiritual power, watching as the fireball grew larger and larger, causing the demon’s laughter to abruptly cease.

Creatures that preferred lurking in the shadows feared bright flames the most, and Lin Ji successfully drove the not-so-smart demon into a panic, making it flee in all directions.

Suddenly, Lin Ji felt a bump on his shoulder, and a blurry figure stopped in front of him, seemingly trying to block the demonic energy.

Lin Ji was angered by someone ruining his fun and hurled the firelight at that person. The other party hurriedly dodged just in time to avoid it.

The firelight illuminated the person’s face; it wasn’t very clear, but those exceptionally bright and beautiful eyes made Lin Ji recognize them instantly for some reason.

Lin Ji was momentarily stunned, “Xiao Bai?”

Xiao Bai seemed to have recognized his voice as well, laughing ambiguously, “I didn’t expect you to have such a mischievous side.”

In the brief exchange, the demon found an opportunity to break through the window and escape.

Lin Ji immediately decided to chase after it; he never intended to meet someone he had only crossed paths with once again, but fate had other plans.

Before completely disappearing, Lin Ji glanced back, only to see the casino had brightened up again, but the gambling games were already in disarray, and it would take a while to sort it all out.

He chased the demon to a secluded area in the woods, which turned out to be the demon’s territory, revealing itself to be an old rat demon.

Lin Ji assessed that its power wasn’t bad, but it was a bit slow to react. The rat demon also realized that this mere Qi Refining cultivator had toyed with it for so long with just a ball of fire, and it became furious and embarrassed, lunging at him.

The rat demon wasn’t much of a threat, but he had to be cautious about whether it carried any diseases; it was best not to get bitten.

Perhaps seeing Lin Ji’s reaction was too indifferent, the rat demon, after missing its attack, lost confidence and actually called for help.

Suddenly, the woods were filled with squeaks from rats, as if all the rats within a ten-mile radius had been summoned.

Lin Ji thought this demon was indeed foolish; he wasn’t afraid to set another fire and burn all its descendants.

Suddenly, Lin Ji sensed spiritual energy gathering from all directions, getting closer. His expression changed, and he saw a group of cultivators flying over.

One of the female cultivators almost stepped on a rat when she landed, and upon realizing what was under her foot, she jumped up and screamed, “Ah! How can there be so many rats!”

Most of the newcomers were at the Qi Refining stage, with only three or four Foundation Establishment cultivators among them.

Suddenly, a spring breeze-like spiritual power swept through, blowing the summoned little rats back to their holes.

The rat demon was directly transformed back into its original form and lifted up, “It’s fine, no need to be afraid.”

The newcomers’ cultivation levels were beyond what the people present could perceive, showing a significant gap.

Lin Ji lowered his hands from his ears, not understanding how he had suddenly gotten involved with a small team of cultivators out for training.

Leading the group was a tall, kind-looking elder who appeared to be around thirty but was actually over two hundred years old.

Lin Ji stood there, feeling complex emotions as he watched the gentle immortal elder soothing his disciples.

The Ling Yun Zunzhe was named Meng Wanqiu, a living emblem of the Peifeng Sect and also the master of the protagonist.

He had met Meng Wanqiu several times before, and even after going astray, he had been protected by him.

If Meng Wanqiu was here, how far could Lu Xiaobai be?

Lin Ji pondered, suddenly recalling something, his pupils constricting sharply, and his mind became exceptionally clear at that moment.

Wasn’t it said that he had broken free from the control of the plot? Why was this damned fate toying with him once more?

Meng Wanqiu collected the troublesome rat demon into his sleeve, intending to take it back to the sect for custody. After dealing with the situation, he slowly walked towards Lin Ji and bowed, “I was leading my disciples down the mountain for training and chased the rat demon here. Thank you for your assistance, young friend.”

In his previous life, Lin Ji had harbored resentment towards many cultivators, but seeing the Ling Yun Zunzhe, he felt an indescribable sigh in his heart.

Others like Meng Wanqiu, who had reached the status of a Zunzhe, would never bother with low-level juniors, nor would they worry like a father following behind their disciples.

Lin Ji cupped his hands, “You flatter me, immortal elder. Until we meet again.”

He didn’t want to say much, but Meng Wanqiu called out for him to stop, stepping forward to size him up before suddenly saying, “Young friend, I see you have extraordinary talent and remarkable bones. Would you be interested in joining the Peifeng Sect for cultivation?”

Lin Ji: “??”

Was this said to him? Wasn’t this line exclusive to the Long Aotian protagonist?

Did Meng Wanqiu automatically trigger this line every time he encountered someone with good aptitude?

Lin Ji stepped back a few paces in surprise, raising his hand, “No need!”

You’ve already taken in the protagonist; how could he compare to that person, no matter how gifted he was?

Meng Wanqiu looked a bit confused, “But I see you possess spiritual power and have reached the mid-Qi Refining stage. Aren’t you a loose cultivator?”

Aren’t loose cultivators all looking to join an immortal sect for support?

After a pause, Meng Wanqiu suddenly seemed to remember something and sighed, kindly patting Lin Ji’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, our Peifeng Sect may not be as good as the neighboring Yunshang Immortal Sect, but as long as you join our sect, we will spare no resources to cultivate our disciples well.”

Lin Ji felt a bit strange, thought for a moment, and still declined, “It’s not that your sect is bad; it’s just that my aspirations lie elsewhere.”

Saying this, he performed a bow and turned to leave without hesitation.

The Peifeng disciples hurriedly gathered around, not expecting their Ling Jun Zunzhe to finally speak up, only to be rejected. Instantly, some disciples became indignant, “How infuriating! He’s so ungrateful!”

“Don’t say that; everyone has their own ambitions.” Meng Wanqiu sighed, looking around after regaining his composure, “Where did my useless disciple go?”

How infuriating! He just had poor eloquence; if his useless disciple were here, he could have listed all the benefits of the Peifeng Sect… and wouldn’t have let the person slip away!

After this little episode, Lin Ji stayed in Liuning City for a few more days, and the experiences he had made him feel somewhat dazed.

He felt as if he had entered a loop.

Who said immortal sects only opened their doors to recruit disciples and wouldn’t come down the mountain to seek out talent?

Ever since parting ways with the Ling Yun Zunzhe and his group, Lin Ji found himself encountering ethereal individuals popping up out of nowhere on the road, asking him if he wanted to cultivate.

After being disturbed multiple times and unable to endure it any longer, Lin Ji finally learned the truth—recently, the Peifeng Sect was recruiting.

In his previous life, the Peifeng Sect was a rival sect to the one he joined, so Lin Ji naturally had no interest in understanding their internal management. Coupled with his opposition to the protagonist, he had a pretty poor impression of them.

Unexpectedly, the Peifeng Sect was even more ostentatious than the Yunshang Immortal Sect, openly announcing their recruitment and setting up recruitment points at the foot of selected mountains in the suburbs, attracting people to sign up voluntarily.

Most people, like him, had never seen such a spectacle and thought it was a group of charlatans trying to swindle them, but the Peifeng Sect didn’t care and didn’t explain.

There were also those who were bored and went to join in the fun, only to find that the designated area was like a ghostly maze, making it impossible to enter, and they returned in a huff.

Lin Ji inquired in the market, and one person said, “I actually went into the mountain. Those charlatans said my aptitude was decent, probably something like… dual spiritual roots. They asked if I was willing to give up the mundane world and follow them to the immortal sect?”

“Who wants to go! I still have parents to support, and I want to become an official, get rich, marry, and have children!”

Most people regarded it as casual conversation over tea and meals, not taking it seriously, unaware of what they were missing.

Even if they did take it seriously, they might not be able to abandon their parents and loved ones, which was the dilemma that cultivators had to face.

Lin Ji wasn’t clear about what mindset he had when he entered the mountain gate that had been imposed with the immortal family’s restrictions, arriving at the recruitment site of the immortal sect.

There were pitifully few people present, and even fewer who could reach the testing of spiritual roots.

The disciples guarding the mountain gate were also quite bored; they didn’t even have the interest to lift their eyelids when they saw another person.

However, one person leaned against a giant rock, not needing to work, idly holding a spiritual sword and gazing at the clouds in the sky, appearing very relaxed.

Seeing him, Lin Ji’s previously restless heart suddenly calmed down.

He remembered why he had to come here; it was merely to confirm one thing.

Xiao Bai, tired from leaning for too long, changed his posture and then brightened up.

He quickly walked up to Lin Ji, exclaiming in surprise, “You really came!”

Lin Ji realized he had indeed been blinded by a leaf; in this life, he had met the protagonist twice and hadn’t recognized him as his lifelong enemy from his previous life.

Xiao Bai cultivating was, after all, quite literal.

Since they had such a connection, why should he avoid the protagonist?

Having finally escaped the plot, he shouldn’t be thinking about retreating from the world.

Instead, he should find ways to seize his fortune, extinguish his vitality, swap their circumstances, and ultimately step onto the path of a strong person while treading on the Long Aotian protagonist, experiencing the taste of seeking defeat in solitude.

That would be interesting.

Lin Ji nodded, his eyes shining with an ambiguous light, but he smiled and replied, “I really came.”