Isn't it better to spend this time on cultivation?

After coming here, he spent a year confirming that the geography of Great Chu was similar to that of the Jin Kingdom. It was as if it were an isolated pit buried in the soil by the Mountain and Sea Demon Country, unable to escape from here. Moreover, after seeing the "Qi Observation Pearl" and understanding the existence of Sea Demons and the like, he temporarily restrained the urge to run around. During this year, he also established the Changchun Hall.

At this moment, he felt a sense of indescribable drama in his heart, a feeling of turning from a "mouse" into a "cat". As for the rest, he could only hold on to the mindset of "better his friend than him dying".

He gave himself a year and a half to get from here to the Soul Threshold of the Wandering King, meaning he would continue to stay in the Great Chu Imperial Capital for another year and a half.

If, after a year, he still had no news about Tang Fan, he would start killing the Crimson Palace cultivators of the Great Chu sects.

Once he had killed them all, the one remaining red cloud would be Tang Fan.

At that time, he would reveal himself slightly to demonstrate the power of the Purple Mansion Realm.

Tang Fan would certainly take the opportunity to flee.

Upon his escape, he would be able to catch him.

Song Yan was quite confident about "escaping".

If he were in the same situation, unaware of the existence of the "Qi Observation Pearl", and saw that a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator was in the city where he was hiding, he would definitely seize the chance to flee.

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard a "meow meow" sound coming from not far away.

Song Yan looked down and saw a pitiful-looking calico cat shaking its tail and huddling in a corner of the wall, seemingly expectantly looking at him.

When he moved, the calico cat shrunk back.

But when it realized he wasn't approaching, the calico cat ran back, looking at him expectantly.

At that moment, a faint scent came wafting from behind him.

The fragrance was not delicate but rather garish, obviously not a rarity in Chu Imperial City.

He turned his head slightly and saw a young girl running over while covering her face with her sleeve, then squatting beside the calico cat and taking out a small bag with food from her sleeve, opening it.

As soon as she opened it, it was like a cat nest exploded.

A bunch of cats, including those only three or four months old, came running out from behind the calico cat with "meow meow meow" sounds.

The cats gathered around the small bag and began to eat.

Only then did Song Yan realize that the calico cat wasn't expecting him but this kind person.

Only then did the young girl notice someone nearby. Looking up and seeing the young man's face, she exclaimed, "Doctor Li!"

Song Yan awkwardly scratched his head.

He recognized this young girl.

This young girl's name was Shuang Yun, and she was a courtesan from the Red Fragrance Tower, known for being quite cheap. Ten taels of silver would get a table of dishes and drinks, and she would keep you company overnight. If only keeping you company without the drinks, it would be three taels of silver, which was really cheap for having a companion in Celestial Fragrance Tower of Chu Imperial City.

He... had slept with her.

"It's Shuang Yun..."

"Doctor Li..."

The two of them remained silent and speechless.

Song Yan broke the awkward silence with a smile, "Feeding the cats?"

Shuang Yun replied with a bitter face, "Don't let madam know."

The madam she referred to was the procuress of the Celestial Fragrance Tower.

After speaking, her eyes brightened and she said, "Next time, Doctor Li, when you come, I'll be attentive and not just lie there, making sure you're quite comfortable."

Song Yan asked, "Why feed the cats?"

Shuang Yun said, "They're pitiful. In this cold winter, those kittens who were just born and raised, without being fed, they'd die. But even if they're fed, they might still freeze to death."

Saying so, her expression turned somewhat gloomy, then she added, "All this food was left by the guests. Even if I don't give it to the cats, it'd just be thrown away."

Song Yan nodded lightly, then squatted down, attempting to pet the cat's head, but the calico cat gave him a fierce look, so he withdrew his hand.

Shuang Yun was startled for a moment, then squatted down as well.

When she raised her hand to touch, whether it was the calico or the other kittens, they all obediently let her touch their heads.

Song Yan took a deep breath, revealing a genuine smile he hadn't shown in a long time.

The market was filthy, yet there were clean places.

Suddenly, he ran off to Changchun Hall, grabbed some of the midday food, and quickly returned, piling it up beside the cats as Shuang Yun looked on in surprise.

Shuang Yun exclaimed in astonishment, "You... you..."

Song Yan said, "I'm feeding the cats too."

Shuang Yun was dazed for a while, then laughed, "Doctor Li, you're truly kind-hearted."

Song Yan sighed, "Just a damn quack."

Shuang Yun, hearing his self-mockery, giggled and said, "Quack or not, you're still a doctor, much better than us."

The two of them chatted intermittently while watching the cats eat.

Time flew by, and seeing the Red Fragrance Tower getting busy, Shuang Yun hurriedly grabbed her skirt and ran back.

As Song Yan stood up, the calico cat, who had looked down on him earlier, came over, tail raised, meowing while gently rubbing against his leg.

He stretched his arms comfortably, then ran off into the distance, eventually arriving in front of the "Wang's Butcher Shop."

When the butcher in the shop saw him, he said, "Hey, Doctor Li is here."

Song Yan smiled, "Did you save some pig skin for me today?"

The butcher smiled, "Knowing you love jellied skin, of course I saved it for you."

The two exchanged money for goods, and since Song Yan was generous with his payment, the butcher would always save the pig skin for him.

Song Yan took the pig skin, returned to Changchun Hall, closed the door, and began the process of making the pig skin, then proceeded to make jellied pig skin. Pairing it with a pot of white liquor from Celestial Fragrance Tower, along with the new snow of this deep winter, he drank by himself, savoring it.

While he was drinking, there was a sudden urgent "knock knock knock" on the front door.

"Open the door quickly!"

"Open the door!"

Song Yan hurried over, opened the door, and saw several guests in raincoats and hats standing outside.

The guests had knives at their waists but carried no Profound Qi, clearly Jianghu people.

Behind them, there was a pungent smell of blood mixed with a strange decaying odor.

A patient was quickly brought before Song Yan.

He saw a middle-aged man with a body covered in claw marks, the wounds beginning to corrupt.

Those wounds were clearly the result of a Demon Beast's claw, and a Demon Beast of Intermediate level at that.

For someone who wasn't a cultivator to have survived a claw attack from an Intermediate Demon Beast was indeed not easy.

He asked, "What happened?"

The guest with the hat said fiercely, "Can you treat it?"

Song Yan, startled, immediately began treating him with the techniques of an ordinary doctor.

But how could such a wound be treated by an ordinary doctor?

After some busy effort, the patient had already taken his last breath.

The guest with the hat angrily drew his knife, roaring "quack," and was about to tear apart the roof of Changchun Hall when he was fortunately held back, then left without paying, running to the door, leaping high with their skills, and slashing down the plaque of "Changchun Hall" with a single stroke.

...

Meanwhile.

In the sect of Chu Kingdom — the Thousand Crane Sect, an elderly ancestor was lying down.

Even with the use of many medicines, it was still of no use.

"That was a Crimson Palace Demon Beast, extremely skilled in stealth attacks..." The old man coughed as he spoke, "Luckily, luckily he was also slain by this old man... cough cough cough..."

This old man was none other than the Supreme Elder of the Thousand Crane Sect, "Crane Ancestor," at the Middle Stage of the Crimson Palace, and had lived for a long time.

Even though many medicines had been used, it was still useless.

He caught hold of the arm of a middle-aged man beside him tightly and said, "Take me to the forbidden closing ground. From today onwards, I will enter a death closing. To the outside... cough cough... say the same. We absolutely cannot let the Fox and Wolf Races know that this old man... this old man is dead!"

"""

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