Witch, please have some self-respect!

In Shen Yun's mind, he currently leans towards the Holy Sect, as cultivating to prolong life is the fundamental goal.

Purely minoring in a field is like being a fat sheep.

Moreover, joining the Holy Sect allows you to still learn auxiliary skills, although there aren't as many ways to improve your skills as the Heavenly Craftsmanship Palace.

With the ancient scroll in hand, Shen Yun has no worries about getting stuck in a bottleneck in his minor studies and being unable to make progress.

"Uncle Yun, when is Sister Wan'er... when is Auntie coming back?"

Tongtong's timid voice came from the next yard.

"What do you need Aunt Wan for? Uncle Yun can help you too."

Shen Yun didn't turn around, the image of Tongtong's timid appearance flashing through his mind.

I had sensed that Tongtong had been standing by the courtyard wall for quite a while, and after circling around several times, I finally mustered up the courage to call out.

It seems like her Uncle Yun isn't a good person.

This will help her toughen up; orphans and widows should be strong, she's too timid right now.

"Oh~"

Tongtong licked her dry lips, and after a long while, she whispered, "Uncle Shen's spirit furnace seems to be broken. Can you take a look at it for me?"

"Tongtong has money left by her mother."

"Is the spirit furnace broken?"

Shen Yun stood up and looked back, meeting a pair of large, watery phoenix eyes, dark and clear.

The little hands, covered in soot, clung to the low courtyard wall; the little face was still stained with coal dust; and the two little tufts on its head were crooked.

She seemed thirsty; her lips were dry and chapped.

"I deserve to die!"

Shen Yun immediately felt a pang of self-reproach.

He thought Xiaotongtong wanted to play with Wan'er, but he didn't expect that she had really encountered difficulties and was too embarrassed to ask.

He quickly pulled Tongtong into his house to wash her hands and face, and poured her a large cup of tea.

She was indeed thirsty, and after hesitating for a moment, she gulped it all down in both hands.

Shen Yun poured her another glass, which she drank more than half of.

"Let's go, let's take your uncle to see what's wrong with the spirit furnace."

Shen Yun gently rubbed Tongtong's head, thinking that they should wait for Wan'er to come and do her hair.

He's not very good at it.

Sensing Shen Yun's kindness, Xiao Tongtong lowered her guard, and her mother said that Uncle Shen was a good person.

"I don't know what's wrong. I've changed the coal many times, but it won't light, so I can't boil water to drink."

Following Xiao Tongtong to Qiao Niang's kitchen, Shen Yun understood what was going on.

He looked down at Tongtong and asked, "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"

"I've eaten! Sister Wan'er brought Tongtong dumplings this morning, they were delicious."

Xiao Tongtong quickly shook her head; the little bun on her head, which wasn't tied securely, came undone.

Her face immediately turned red.

Shen Yun turned around, pretending not to see.

Children this age already have a sense of shame, and are even more sensitive to it.

He lowered his head to study the spirit furnace. This was the craft of an apprentice in the art of artifact crafting from the lineage of talisman masters. Its internal structure was very mysterious, and it was engraved with runes. It could be lit at any time, just like a gas stove.

It consumes ordinary coal blocks.

Shen Yun's family also uses this kind of spirit furnace, which is very popular in the Holy City and is used by almost every household.

Click, click...

After trying to start the engine several times without success, Shen Yun noticed that there seemed to be no problem. He then used his Qi and blood to sense the engine as he tried to ignite it.

"Huh!"

Shen Yun quickly made a discovery: the internal patterns of the spirit furnace were damaged in several places.

In the later stages of general health cultivation, one might not be able to detect it, but with Shen Yun's mastery of the Qi and Blood Condensation Technique, his control over Qi and blood is very precise.

Moreover, he understands runes and can sense that this is not natural wear and tear.

A few days ago, when he wasn't taking the exam, he and Su Wan'er had a meal together with Tongtong. They cooked the dishes using the spirit furnace, and they didn't spoil.

Today, several hidden areas broke down, which shouldn't be the case.

Have you had any guests over these past few days?

In that short while, Xiao Tongtong finished styling her hair. She looked up in confusion, her jewel-like eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Besides Uncle Shen and Sister Wan'er, there aren't any."

Shen Yun wasn't home yesterday. Xiao Tongtong and Wan'er ate at his house and didn't turn on the spirit furnace here.

I'm not sure if it broke the day before yesterday or yesterday.

"Is there anything else wrong?" Shen Yun asked.

"No, I don't think so." Tongtong had no idea what had happened.

Shen Yun carefully examined the courtyard, his qi and blood condensing into threads that spread within a one-meter radius around him.

【Qi and Blood Condensation Technique (Mastery 3010/10000)】

The threads he condensed weren't quite as perfect as hair, but they were already about the size of a fan. I doubt there are many people in the entire Lingnongfang who have this ability.

A discovery was made near the courtyard wall close to the alley.

Under Shen Yun's control, the threads of qi and blood skillfully moved across a brushed patch of ground, gradually revealing a footprint as if peeling back layers of an onion.

It clearly belonged to a middle-aged man, and it seemed to have been left there last night.

"A test by a thief!"

Shen Yun felt a chill run down his spine, vaguely guessing what was going on.

Tongtong's family had no adults, only her, a little girl under fourteen years old, making her a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

More importantly, Qiaoniang left behind a formation for Tongtong's safety.

This is practically telling everyone that you have good stuff at home.

The thief used these small tricks to test the house's situation, to see if the child was alone and if anyone was taking care of him.

This will inform the decision on the next course of action.

This is their usual tactic, if there are no monks in the house.

They did more than just steal things.

Otherwise, why would every household have cultivators? Families without cultivators would have long been unable to survive in the Holy City.

Shen Yun subtly peered through the courtyard wall into the alley. During the Demon Slaughtering Ceremony, every household had hung white banners with blood-red characters.

Many families have gone to the wilderness to adventure in search of opportunities, leaving many courtyards empty. It is indeed a good time for thieves to make their move.

"Did anything happen last night?"

"Xiao Tongtong isn't a cultivator, so she can't observe the array's fluctuations," Shen Yun asked.

"The room suddenly lit up a few times last night."

Xiao Tongtong tried hard to recall, and combined with what Shen Yun had heard, fear gradually appeared in her clear eyes.

She was sleeping soundly at the time and thought it was her imagination.

Thinking about it now, it looks a lot like the way my mother described the formation being activated.

Shen Yun fell silent. It seemed that Tongtong's family had indeed been targeted by thieves.

There's a saying: "It's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you."

More pedestrians passed by outside, and Shen Yun glanced at them.

Their alley is right next to the street, and many people pass through it every day. Perhaps some of them are scouting the area for illegal repairs.

"Don't be afraid, Tongtong. The formation your mother left behind is very safe. Bad people can't hurt you."

Seeing Xiaotongtong's frightened look, Shen Yun gently comforted her.

Someone capable of breaking through formations silently wouldn't come here to steal a little girl.

If a thief were to break the formation using violent means, it would inevitably alarm many people, and then it would no longer be considered theft.

More likely, the thieves would use various means to keep the little girl living in constant fear.

This drove the little girl to a state of mental confusion, allowing her to exploit a loophole.

Just then, the door opened, and Shen Yun told her what had happened, asking her to comfort Tongtong.

"Wan'er, you're back..."

If you're scared, you can prepare a room here to rest.

Shen Yun pretended nothing had happened, and walked around the alley as usual, buying some vegetables.

Shen Yun noticed a few suspicious people, two of whom looked familiar to him.

Previously, after Wang Xuan took Illusion Breaking Powder, quite a few people came back with him.

Those two were among them.

Shen Yun is good at judging people and will not make a mistake.

I don't know if Tongtong's family situation has anything to do with them.