Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 5 Everything Will Be Alright

Feng Xiaolu didn't pay much attention to Chen Anran's luggage, assuming the wooden sword was inside. So she dragged Chen Anran to the jewelry section next door and picked out an antique wooden hairpin.

"Here, tie your hair up. Hmm, it looks better! Wear this tomorrow, talk less, observe more, and keep a calm expression, like... a feeling of seeing through the world, of having everything under control, understand?"

Chen Anran couldn't help but laugh as she watched her comical attempt to imitate the "master's" expression: "Third Senior Sister, you're quite adept at this routine."

"That's right!" Feng Xiaolu proudly raised her chin. "When traveling the martial world, both equipment and acting skills are indispensable! Come on, your senior sister will take you to eat something delicious. There's a vegetarian restaurant in Lincheng that's particularly good, which is perfect for our cultivation... ah, I mean, Taoist identity!"

During dinner, Feng Xiaolu ate heartily, and finally calmed down a bit, telling Chen Anran some more specific details. That Mr. Wang seemed to be under a lot of pressure; every day the demolition project dragged on meant more money, so he was being quite generous. She had also inquired and learned that the building used to be the site of a small hospital, later converted into residential buildings; it was quite old, and there were many rumors surrounding it.

Chen Anran listened attentively while eating, and only asked after Feng Xiaolu stopped talking, "By the way, Senior Sister, did you bring all the glutinous rice and other things?"

Feng Xiaolu's eyes lit up, and she patted Chen Anran on the shoulder: "Not bad, junior brother! You've got potential! You know how to do your homework in advance? Don't worry, your senior sister has prepared everything!"

"Top-quality glutinous rice, rooster blood in a sealed bottle, black dog blood... and yellow talisman paper, cinnabar ink, ink line, compass, copper coin sword—although all bought from craft shops, you absolutely can't tell the problem!"

Chen Anran was both amused and exasperated; he truly lived up to his reputation as a professional "wandering Taoist priest."

"Senior sister, could you get me some glutinous rice when we get back?" Chen Anran recalled what her senior sister had said yesterday about the revival of spiritual energy. "Just in case it comes in handy."

Feng Xiaolu waved her hand dismissively: "Relax, relax, I already said it's just a hoax. Where are real zombies these days? And don't even mention the fierce ghosts, the spiritual energy is so depleted, it's practically impossible for a ghost to even take shape. As for that spirit rice that Senior Sister mentioned, it's probably just because the weather was good this year and the rice quality was particularly good. She just really wants us to go back, but she's worried that your cultivation isn't progressing, so she made up an excuse to comfort herself and you."

Chen Anran didn't argue, she just smiled.

He had a vague intuition that this matter might not be so simple. The resurgence of spiritual energy that his senior sister sensed, coupled with the Evolution Museum he had opened, suggested that the world was undergoing subtle changes.

In short, it's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.

After dinner, Feng Xiaolu dragged Chen Anran to a karaoke bar, claiming it was to "experience the mundane world and cultivate one's moral character."

Chen Anran couldn't dissuade her, so she had no choice but to go with her.

In the brightly lit KTV room, Feng Xiaolu seemed particularly excited. She grabbed the microphone, but instead of choosing any popular songs, she sang folk tunes like Taoist ballads and admonitory songs. She sang them quite well, with clear pronunciation and a unique charm. As she sang, she pulled Chen Anran aside to comment on the "philosophy of life" in the lyrics. When she got excited, she picked up a beer bottle from the table and chugged it down.

Chen Anran advised her to drink less, but Feng Xiaolu waved her hand, her eyes flickering slightly in the dim light: "Junior brother, you don't understand! I'm just... wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Dao Ancestor remains in the heart! To cultivate in this world, one must be able to let go!"

After a few bottles of beer, Feng Xiaolu became more talkative, no longer displaying the deliberately cheerful and lively demeanor she had before; her tone carried a hint of fatigue and complaint.

She talked about how nervous she was when she first started "scamming," how she forced herself to remain calm when questioned, and how she talked herself hoarse haggling to earn more money...

"Junior Brother... tell me, how did our Cloud Hidden Sect end up like this?" Feng Xiaolu leaned back on the sofa, her eyes somewhat unfocused as she stared at the flickering screen, her voice lowered, "When Master was here... it was so much better..."

Chen Anran looked at her silently, the faint heartache in his heart becoming clearer. He and his three senior sisters were all orphans who were taken back to the mountain by the sect leader, who was also the "master" in Feng Xiaolu's words.

The four of them grew up together and naturally had a very close relationship.

Chen Anran knew in his heart that although his third senior sister seemed carefree and optimistic, she had struggled alone in this seemingly bustling city. What supported her, besides her responsibility to the sect, was probably a stubbornness that she didn't want the people on the mountain to worry.

"Entering the world... is much harder than living in seclusion..." Feng Xiaolu murmured, her voice growing softer and softer until finally her head tilted to the side, leaning against Chen Anran's shoulder, and she passed out drunk.

Seeing her slightly furrowed brow even in her sleep, Chen Anran sighed softly. He carefully helped Feng Xiaolu up, paid the bill, and left. Amidst the curious gazes of passersby, he carried her on his back, step by step, back to the hotel.

Feng Xiaolu was very light; carrying her on his back was almost imperceptible. The evening breeze ruffled her loose hair, carrying a faint scent of alcohol. Chen Anran walked steadily, but his mind was in turmoil. He became even more determined to make good use of the museum and change the sect's current situation as soon as possible.

Back in the hotel room, Chen Anran gently placed Feng Xiaolu on the bed, took off her shoes, and covered her with the blanket. Feng Xiaolu murmured something, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep.

Chen Anran did not rest immediately. His gaze fell on the bulging cloth bag that Feng Xiaolu carried with her—it contained her "tools of the trade."

He walked over and opened the cloth bag. As Feng Xiaolu had said, it was filled with a dazzling array of items: bags of glutinous rice, several small porcelain bottles, a stack of yellow talisman paper, cinnabar ink blocks and inkwells, a compass that looked quite old, and a beautifully crafted copper coin sword.

Chen Anran's goal was clear—glutinous rice.

He carefully took out a small packet of glutinous rice wrapped in oil paper. The grains were plump and milky white, indicating good quality glutinous rice, but it was undoubtedly just ordinary stuff.

"I wonder what this glutinous rice will evolve into if it's put in a museum?" Chen Anran wondered, filled with anticipation. If spirit rice can nourish qi and blood, then will the evolved glutinous rice have a special restraining effect on so-called "yin and evil qi"?

Just in case there's something fishy going on in that old building tomorrow, it's always good to be prepared.

With a thought, he took the bag of glutinous rice and his consciousness once again sank into the Museum of Evolution.

Inside the spacious museum, three display cases remained lit. The first case was empty, the peach wood sword in the second case seemed to have gained a slightly warmer luster, and the pebbles in the third case showed no obvious changes.

Chen Anran "donated" the glutinous rice in her hand to the museum, and the first empty display case immediately absorbed it.

Information emerges:

Item: Regular glutinous rice (premium quality)

Status: Evolvable

"Evolution Path: Evil-Slaying Glutinous Rice (Estimated Time: 6 hours)"

"Note: Grains with abundant Yang energy can dispel dampness and foul air, and have a certain dispelling effect on low-level evils."

"Exorcising Glutinous Rice? Only six hours?" Chen Anran was overjoyed. This was much shorter than he had expected. He would be able to complete the evolution just in time before going to that old building tomorrow morning!

It seems that the evolution time of an item is not only related to its inherent potential, but may also be related to the "difficulty" or "level" of the evolution direction. It takes 12 hours to go from ordinary rice to low-grade spiritual rice, while it only takes 6 hours to go from ordinary glutinous rice to glutinous rice with the effect of warding off evil.

Leaving the museum, Chen Anran looked at Feng Xiaolu sleeping soundly on the bed, then at the dazzling night view of Lincheng outside the window, and his gaze gradually became firm.

"Don't worry, senior sister," he murmured to himself, "Things will definitely get better and better from now on."