145 I'm afraid I might scare the ghosts.

Wanting to look at oneself is naturally not something that can be achieved simply by lowering one's head, so Du Ruo closed his eyes and began to concentrate his spirit, allowing it to transcend his physical body and observe himself from an alternate perspective.

Usually, when Du Ruo closed his eyes, he could vaguely perceive the surrounding environment and outline it in his mind. However, this was his first time attempting to project his "spirit" outside of his body.

Once Du Ruo laboriously guided his "spirit" out through the Baihui acupoint and swept it outward, his closed eyes did not perceive concrete physical sights. Instead, what emerged was the red mist he had just witnessed. Judging by its density and distance, it was precisely what he had seen upon opening his eyes earlier. Slightly further away, inside the kitchen, an identical cluster of mist manifested. Du Ruo knew that belonged to Yang Chenguang's mother.

Aside from that, nothing else could be seen, nor could his perception reach any further distances. Even so, this was already astonishing, especially considering that Yang Chenguang's mother was in the kitchen, separated from the outdoors by several thick walls.

Du Ruo could only feel that once his "spirit" left the body, it began to drift upward uncontrollably, as if eager to float out entirely and merge with nature.

Not daring to let his "spirit" linger outside for too long, Du Ruo swept his perspective downward to glance at himself, and then rapidly pulled his "spirit" back into his body.

In that fleeting glimpse, Du Ruo beheld a wondrous sight.

If the vital energy (jing) of the people around him resembled ordinary red mist, the vital energy surrounding his own body was a tangible, raging flame. Not only was it burning intensely, but its vigor was such that it seemed capable of illuminating the surroundings, casting a glow and enveloping everything nearby.

That was not all. Perhaps because he was observing himself, Du Ruo found that his inner body resembled a miniature universe.

The locations of the five viscera seemed to be occupied by five celestial bodies of differing colors, while the surrounding meridians resembled rivers of stars, within which pinpricks of starlight moved in regular, rhythmic orbits. Directly above Du Ruo's head, in the region enveloped by the vital fire, the hazy shadows of three ethereal flowers flickered indistinctly—one shimmering with a leaden hue, one radiating a silver light, and one draped in a golden aura.

Du Ruo understood that what he had just witnessed were the "three flowers" and "five energies" within his body.

Once the "three flowers" condensed into physical entities and the "five energies" returned to their respective viscera and limbs, that moment would likely mark the completion of the system's progress bar reaching one hundred percent.

Du Ruo kept his eyes closed as his mind continued to review the shocking scene he had just witnessed. How should he describe that sensation? It was indescribable, akin to catching a momentary glimpse of the "Dao" itself, and the magnitude of that shock was likewise beyond words.

"I cannot look anymore. I cannot look anymore. My spirit is still unstable, and just now, I was unconsciously drawn toward nature and the greater macrocosm. If this continues for too long, I might lose myself."

Suppressing the urge to continue gazing at his inner universe, Du Ruo chanted those words repeatedly in his mind. The brief moment his "spirit" had spent outside the body had already drenched his back in sweat, revealing the profound perils involved.

"Du Ruo, what kind of look is that?"

Having finished burning paper money, Yang Chenguang was just about to invite everyone to start eating when he caught Du Ruo looking at him with a gaze mingled with three parts of pity. After casting that look, Du Ruo had even closed his eyes with an expression as if he could not bear to watch any longer, which made Yang Chenguang feel deeply offended.

For a man, the things he cared about most were his wife telling him he was inadequate, followed closely by the pitying gaze of a brother.

"Ahem, well... you really should moderate yourself."

Du Ruo opened his eyes, temporarily suppressing the imagery in his mind, and joked with Yang Chenguang as a way to divert his attention.

"What nonsense are you spouting? What moderation? My vitality is robust as ever... Tell you what, tomorrow I'll go get another bullwhip, and we'll both have a proper tonic."

Yang Chenguang patted Du Ruo on the shoulder, initially intending to argue his case, but the more he spoke, the less confident he sounded.

"Hehe, how about this? Last time I went to Yuanyuan's place, I tasted a jar of her family's treasured tiger penis wine. I'll talk to Yuanyuan tomorrow; there might still be some left from last time, and I'll ask for a bit so you can nourish yourself."

After pondering for a moment, Du Ruo patted Yang Chenguang's shoulder and lowered his voice to whisper in his ear.

During the time he had been back, Yang Chenguang had treated him with absolute sincerity, truly regarding him as a brother, which was why Du Ruo had decided to lend a helping hand.

"There's good stuff like that? Brother Du, don't you forget now! Once you procure that fine wine, just tell me whatever you want to eat—bullwhip and bull testicles will be in endless supply."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chenguang's eyes instantly lit up. What did people believe in? Naturally, that like cures like, let alone tiger penis wine! Moreover, since Du Ruo himself called it a treasured reserve, it definitely had to be top-tier stuff. Coupled with the fact that Du Ruo had seemed somewhat unfathomable lately, Yang Chenguang believed his words all the more.

"Eh? Wait a minute! You went to the boss lady's house? When did things develop so fast between you two? Have you already met the parents?"

Suddenly, however, Yang Chenguang seemed to have caught onto an extraordinary detail. He draped an arm over Du Ruo's shoulder and began to gossip eagerly.

"No, I went there on official business for a formal visit."

Du Ruo was left somewhat speechless; this guy's focus was forever different from everyone else's. Could not even tiger penis wine hold his complete attention?

"Alright, stop talking. Let's eat, let's eat. Once we're done, I need to head back quickly."

Unwilling to entertain Yang Chenguang any further on the subject, Du Ruo raised his voice.

"Hehe, fine, let's eat. Just don't forget, alright?"

Yang Chenguang shot Du Ruo a grinning look, though he pressed no further, and began calling everyone over to dinner.

Dinner was lavish, consisting entirely of local specialties accompanied by dishes unique to the Ghost Festival. Du Ruo thoroughly enjoyed the meal; as they ate, drank, and chatted, the atmosphere was remarkably harmonious.

Only Maomao lay in a corner looking utterly devoid of hope, paying no mind to the two little ones who had finished eating and were now milling around it, occasionally giving it a playful pawing.

"Uncle Yang, Auntie, Shasha, Yuanyuan and I will head back first."

Having finished his meal, Du Ruo did not linger and prepared to return with Xiang Yuanyuan.

"Alright, come over for dinner again another day. Just treat this place like your own home."

Yang Chenguang's mother did not urge them to stay. After all, it was the Ghost Festival, and heading home a bit earlier was for the best.

"Right, Uncle, Auntie, Sister-in-law, we're off."

Xiang Yuanyuan also waved goodbye to the Yang family, then followed Du Ruo and Maomao as they walked outside.

"How is it? You didn't get to drink your fill today, did you? Care to sit at the tavern for a bit and have some more medicinal wine?"

Walking down the somewhat dim path, the air was heavy with the scent of burning paper money everywhere, yet Xiang Yuanyuan felt not a shred of fear. It seemed that wherever Du Ruo was, a special sense of peace followed.

"No need. Today is the Ghost Festival, so we should rest early. You should too—get to bed early."

Du Ruo glanced around and shook his head, rejecting Xiang Yuanyuan's suggestion.

"It's only past eight o'clock. Sleep this early?"

Xiang Yuanyuan checked the time, finding it somewhat unbelievable, but seeing how serious Du Ruo looked, it was clearly no joke.

"Mn. It's the Ghost Festival, and I think it's better for me to go to bed early. It's not that I'm afraid of others, you see... I'm mostly afraid of others being afraid of me."

Pondering for a moment, Du Ruo delivered that line with a profound undertone, intentionally emphasizing the word "others."

Du Ruo figured that regardless of whether souls or other realms truly existed in this world, judging by the overwhelming vigor of the vital fire he had seen within himself while observing his "spirit" earlier, even if real souls existed, they would likely not dare to return and take a look.

That was why Du Ruo had decided to spend the entire night meditating, practicing the Hunyuan One-Qi Skill, and drawing all his vital energy, essence, and spirit completely inward.

After all, those wandering spirits might be terrifying entities in the eyes of others, but to the villagers, they could very well be long-awaited, beloved family members.

Therefore, regardless of whether they were real or not, Du Ruo had no wish to disrupt anyone because of his own presence.

"Oh, well then, good night."

Xiang Yuanyuan nodded, seeming to understand yet not quite grasping the meaning, and then turned to walk toward the second floor of the tavern.

Watching her go upstairs and seeing the lights of the second floor flicker on, Du Ruo turned and walked back into his courtyard.

That night, Du Ruo truly engaged in no extraneous activities. After returning home and washing up, he skipped his usual routine of shadow boxing, went straight to his bedroom, and began practicing the Hunyuan One-Qi Skill.

His sole purpose was to gather and bind his essence, energy, and spirit, preventing any outward leakage so that they circulated exclusively within his body.

Maomao was also exceptionally well-behaved that night, curling up in the dog bed Du Ruo had prepared for it and drifting off to sleep early as well.

At seven years old, Maomao had essentially entered its senior years. Having grown up alongside Yaya, it was exceedingly clever and obedient.

Early the next morning, perhaps due to the arrival of autumn, the weather had lost its oppressive heat; the morning air was even crisp and refreshingly cool, accompanied by a pleasant breeze.

Du Ruo was practicing his boxing in the courtyard. Having spent the entire night in meditation without sleep, he remained full of vigor, his eyes bright and clear, bearing not a single trace of fatigue from staying up all night.

"Uncle, these are yesterday's ancestral offerings. Grandma asked me to bring them over for Maomao to eat."

While Du Ruo was still boxing, Yang Chenguang's eldest son trotted over carrying a plastic bag.

"Good. Have you had breakfast yet? Would you like to go get some with Uncle?"

Du Ruo took the bag and ruffled the boy's hair. *Hmm, his hair is a bit too short; doesn't feel as nice as Maomao or the clouded leopard.*

"I'll eat at home. Bye, Uncle!"

Tanned dark by the sun, the little rascal blurted out the words and scampered off in a flash.

"Heh, having a kid of one's own doesn't seem like a bad idea after all."

Watching the little boy run off, Du Ruo found himself entertaining that thought out of nowhere. Then, looking up, he spotted a figure appearing on the second-floor balcony of the opposite tavern.

"Morning! Care to grab breakfast together?"

"Sure, wait a moment. Let me wash up and I'll come right down."

Faced with Du Ruo's invitation, Xiang Yuanyuan agreed without much hesitation. In the past, she actually didn't eat breakfast, but lately her diet had become more regular—and naturally, her figure had also grown somewhat fuller. Recently, she was even planning to make hiking a daily routine again, lest she find herself unable to fit into any of her old clothes.

Du Ruo poured the ancestral offerings brought by the little boy into Maomao's dog bowl. Ancestral offerings were generally not wasted; one could either eat them oneself or feed them to the dogs.

Only then did he head out to join Xiang Yuanyuan for breakfast.

"Boss Du, Sister Yuanyuan, morning! Coming to have breakfast together?"

Just as the two of them arrived at the breakfast shop, Long Zhirou's cheerful voice rang out.