Chapter 8: Advancement in Cultivation

Yang Fan left Jiang City by train and got off at Yuan City. Emerging from the station, he held a box in his hand, his face alight with excitement.

“I never expected to find a spirit stone on the train. Such luck!” Yang Fan chuckled.

Inside the box was a spirit stone, brimming with potent spiritual energy. Compared to spiritual herbs, spirit stones were far superior. Once he absorbed the energy within this stone, his cultivation would advance significantly.

The truth was, Yang Fan had stolen this box from the backpack of a beautiful young woman. On the train, he had sensed the aura emanating from the spirit stone, followed it, and targeted the woman as its owner. He was certain the stone was in her backpack.

Yang Fan spent some money to switch seats with the woman’s companion. Naturally, the young woman assumed he was trying to flirt with her and immediately mocked him. She believed Yang Fan was a lecher and refused to sit near him, so she grabbed her backpack and left.

Yang Fan stuck out his foot to trip her and caught her as she fell. It was obvious to onlookers that he’d acted deliberately. The woman had nothing kind to say and slapped him across the face. Of course, with Yang Fan’s abilities, avoiding the blow would have been easy, but he chose not to. He took the slap.

Finally, the woman stormed off in anger. Yang Fan, having accomplished his goal, was pleased and paid her no mind. With the spirit stone in hand, he swiftly disembarked. The unfortunate woman was unaware her spirit stone had been stolen.

After leaving the station, Yang Fan found a place to absorb the energy of the stone.

Meanwhile, in a villa in Yuan City, Zhang Yuyan anxiously rummaged through her backpack. She was certain she’d put the spirit stone inside, so how could it be missing? This was the task her family had entrusted to her. The spirit stone was vital to the cultivation of a Zhang family retainer. If he could absorb its energy, his cultivation would rise, and the Zhangs could rely on him for many matters. But now the stone was gone, and Zhang Yuyan was frantic.

She emptied her backpack entirely, but the stone was nowhere to be found.

“It’s over,” Zhang Yuyan thought, despair settling in.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, imagining how the elders would scold her mercilessly. No matter what, the loss had to be reported to the family. At last, she picked up her phone and called home.

“Grandfather, I lost the spirit stone,” she said, dejected.

“Yuyan, this is no joking matter,” her grandfather’s stern voice came through the phone.

“I’m not joking, Grandfather. I truly lost it. I put it in my backpack, but now it’s gone,” Zhang Yuyan replied, aggrieved.

“What happened? Tell me everything. This is no trivial matter—it concerns the Zhang family’s future,” her grandfather’s voice was harsh.

She explained how she’d brought the spirit stone to Yuan City, seeing nothing amiss. She’d transported it secretly; only the upper echelons of the family knew.

“Wait, I remember now—it must have been stolen by that man!” Suddenly, Zhang Yuyan recalled the lecher she’d encountered on the train. He had deliberately approached her and tripped her.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that the lecher had stolen her spirit stone. She relayed the situation.

“Do you know what he looks like? Any photos?” her grandfather demanded.

“There are no photos, and there were no cameras on the train,” Zhang Yuyan answered helplessly.

“Hurry back to Jiang City. Describe him to someone who can sketch a portrait, then spread it around. You must find him.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Zhang Yuyan hung up and hurried back to Jiang City.

At the Yang family residence in Jiang City, the family’s leaders had gathered to discuss affairs.

Yang Zhenhong, the family patriarch, sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the elders. “According to reports, the spirit stone the Zhangs acquired has been stolen, and they’re sending people out to search.”

“Father, what are we waiting for? Let’s send our people out as well. If we find the spirit stone, High Retainer can break through, and then we’ll be able to suppress the Zhangs,” said Yang Tianrong, Zhenhong’s eldest son.

Zhenhong nodded and produced a sketch. “This is the person who stole the spirit stone. Make copies and send people to gather information and search.”

The family leaders took the portrait and examined it. It depicted a young man.

Yang Tianhong held the sketch and scrutinized it, a sense of familiarity dawning on him. “Why does this face seem so familiar?”

The others looked over.

“Do you know him, Tianhong?” Zhenhong asked.

If Tianhong knew the man, things would be much easier. Find him, and the spirit stone would be theirs.

Yang Tianhong studied the portrait, racking his memory. Suddenly, realization struck and he exclaimed, “It’s Yang Fan! Yes, he’s Yang Fan!”

Yang Fan?

Hearing this, the elders were surprised. They gathered around for a closer look. The more they compared, the more certain they became—the portrait was indeed Yang Fan.

“Third Brother, Yang Fan is your son. This should be easy,” Zhenhong said with a smile. “Who would have thought he’d do us such a favor this time? Find him quickly. If he hands over the spirit stone, our family can take care of him in the future.”

“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll retrieve the stone,” Tianhong replied.

He left the family house and rushed to Yang Fan’s home.

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“If I could get another spirit stone, I’d reach the middle stage of Qi Refining,” Yang Fan mused, opening his eyes and breathing deeply, feeling invigorated.

One spirit stone had greatly advanced his cultivation, bringing him closer to his goal.

Now in Yuan City, Yang Fan needed a place to stay. He had just over two thousand yuan, so he had to be careful with his spending. Of course, he could skip a hotel, meditate outdoors, and get by, but he needed to earn money—so he had to find a spot to set up a stall and sell medicines.

He wandered the city streets, searching for a suitable place.

“You’re bullying me too much—I won’t buy it!” a furious young voice called out nearby.

Yang Fan looked over and saw a pretty, vibrant girl arguing with a middle-aged man. The man was gripping her wrist, refusing to let her go and cursing viciously. The girl was frightened and began to cry.

Many people gathered to watch, but none dared intervene.