Concerning his own life, James Thompson hurriedly cast aside distracting thoughts and, following the breathing method described by Emily Thompson, focused all his attention on guiding that trace of airflow within his body, letting it circulate continuously inside him.

A quarter of an hour later, Emily Thompson, whose face was slightly pale, withdrew her finger from James Thompson's forehead and said, “I have left a trace of my spiritual power in your body. From now on, you must diligently guide it. You cannot slack off in your cultivation, not even a little. Only in this way will you have a sliver of hope…”

Looking at the weakened Emily Thompson, James Thompson pursed his lips and said, “Chief, I really don’t know how to thank you…”

Emily Thompson waved her hand and said, “I’m leaving. Focus on your cultivation. Although I’ve already taught you the method to refine the seven emotions, as for how to collect them, I can’t help you with that…”

Just as Emily Thompson was about to leave, James Thompson suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, “Chief, wait a moment…”

Emily Thompson turned her head and asked, “Is there something else?”

James Thompson got down from the bed and said a bit embarrassedly, “I forgot where I put my saved-up salary. Chief, do you have any way to help me remember things from before?”

Emily Thompson thought for a moment and asked, “Do you have yellow paper and cinnabar?”

……

Emily Thompson had already left. James Thompson held a yellow talisman in his hand, examining it closely.

Since there was no yellow paper or cinnabar at home, James Thompson had specially spent several dozen coins to buy some from outside.

When Emily Thompson mentioned these two items, James Thompson knew she was going to write a talisman.

The Daoist sect is a broad field with many different branches. Some sects are skilled at alchemy, some at talisman writing, and others at formations. Judging from previous experiences, Emily Thompson seemed to be very proficient in talismans.

James Thompson stuck the talisman to his forehead, and instantly felt a wave of coolness rush in, making his mind clearer than ever before.

With just a little recollection, countless fragments of memory flashed through his mind one by one.

He saw himself two days ago, sitting in the courtyard in a daze after getting up and washing.

He saw himself a month ago, wearing a blue constable uniform, patrolling the streets with Michael Bolton and David Thompson.

Going back further, he saw another version of himself hiding something wrapped in cloth under the rice jar.

……

In the kitchen, James Thompson struggled to move the rice jar, pried up a green brick, and took out a cloth bundle from underneath. Opening it, he saw a pile of loose silver, at least four or five taels.

These past few days, James Thompson had been curious. As a single constable with no girlfriend, apart from food, he really had no other expenses. How could he not have any savings? It turned out he had hidden his money here.

With this silver, he no longer had to eat plain porridge and pickles every day, and could also pay back the debts he owed to Michael Bolton and David Thompson.

Happily putting away the silver, James Thompson tried to recall the night he died, and gradually images began to surface in his mind.

It was a moonless night. As usual, after finishing his patrol, he was preparing to go home and sleep. When he walked into a certain alley, a sudden disturbance came from a pitch-black corner…

“Who’s in there!”

As a constable, driven by his sense of duty, he drew his saber and slowly approached the dark alley…

The memory ended there.

James Thompson rubbed his brow. It seemed that the death of constable James Thompson must have happened after he entered that dark alley.

Not only did he die, but his three souls left his body, and his seven spirits also dissipated abnormally. It was easy to suspect that he had encountered some kind of demon or evil spirit.

In this world, cultivators refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but there are also some evil demons and ghosts who specialize in seizing people’s souls. Here, it’s best not to be curious about things you shouldn’t be curious about, and not to get involved in things you shouldn’t.

The effect of this talisman could last a full twelve hours. Using it just to find silver was too much of a waste. James Thompson hurried into the study, took out paper and brush, searched through the memories of his other life, and began to write.

“Yu’s brother-in-law’s ancestor, Lord Song, named Tao. One day, bedridden with illness, he saw an official holding a document, leading a white horse, and said: ‘Please come to the examination…’”

Ever since he had the idea of copying books to make money, he had been thinking about this. Originally, he would have had to rewrite the content himself, but with this talisman, it became much easier.

As for novels about demons, ghosts, and immortals, James Thompson had read quite a few, and the most classic among them was “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.”

In this world, all kinds of supernatural novels were constantly emerging, and the competition was fierce. James Thompson didn’t intend to get rich by copying books, but as a low-level official, his salary was truly meager. As long as it was within the bounds of the law, earning a bit more was always good.

After writing for an hour, James Thompson rubbed his sore wrist and took the talisman off his forehead.

This kind of talisman was not single-use. As long as the spiritual energy on it wasn’t exhausted, it could be used a few more times.

James Thompson organized the manuscript and set it aside.

Compared to making money, cultivation was more important to him.

Emily Thompson said that the seven spirits are born from the seven emotions. To recondense the seven spirits, he must first refine the seven emotions. Not only that, but these seven emotions must also be related to himself…