Chapter 54: Xuhuo Mukou
Ah Hua died.
A few days later, he died in the dungeon on the outskirts of Wuqing at the water station.
He confessed everything he had done, and after seeing his father’s corpse, he shattered his own heart meridians and died.
If a human life dies on the street or in the marketplace, it would naturally attract the attention of the three squads and six offices, even the Infantry Commander’s Office—a ‘major event’.
However, this was a gang dispute, and Ah Hua died in a damp and dark dungeon, so no one paid attention.
Ah Hua confessed everything.
After enduring hardship to no avail, he took a desperate risk for a promotion and a position.
He also bought poison from Yin Qian Cui at the ghost market and put it into deer antler.
Finally, using the excuse of visiting Chen Shun’an, he secretly swapped the deer antler with a gift from a water carrier named Xiao E.
He intended to poison Chen Shun’an on the bed!
However, Ah Hua did not expect Chen Shun’an to be so tough, hard to kill, and cautious!
The truth came to light.
Lin Shou Zhuo immediately took men to rush to the ghost market, but Yin Qian Cui had gotten wind of it early and slipped away, nowhere to be found.
Xiao E was summoned for interrogation overnight, and after questioning, he was filled with grievances and anger, cursing Ah Hua vehemently.
Upon investigation, Xiao E was completely unaware and had not participated in the matter, so he was not further troubled.
After Ah Hua’s death, Shopkeeper Li, out of kindness, buried Ah Hua and his father together in the City God Pit, building two proper-looking grave mounds…
Of course, the money naturally came from Ah Hua’s wages.
In the bedroom.
Chen Shun’an pushed the door open and propped the tiger head club he had temporarily lent to Ah Hua against the wall corner.
The tiger head club was maintained to a glossy shine, and Ah Hua had even wrapped fine vines around the grip.
Very attentive.
Chen Shun’an walked to the table, poured himself a cup of herbal tea, picked up the cup and took a sip, neither angry nor pleased.
“What a pity, now there’s one less hot-headed young fool who explodes at the slightest thing.”
……
The golden head overlord, temporarily kept by Chen Shun’an in a porcelain soup jar with small holes, was chirping noisily, somewhat disdainful of this shabby new home.
Raising grasshoppers is truly a meticulous affair, from feeding to utensils for raising grasshoppers and insect fighting—there’s great knowledge in all of it, and some people never figure it out in a lifetime.
Just from what Chen Shun’an knew, outside the Capital City’s Wu Zhi Gate, there was a man named Zhao Ziyu’s clarified pulp fine jars, the best ones, fine and smooth like Han tiles and Wei bricks, with subtle water marks.
Keeping lower-grade grasshoppers in them, over time, they would become fat-necked, long-legged, broad-backed, turning into top-grade grasshoppers.
And top-grade grasshoppers like the golden head overlord could even be nurtured to develop spirituality, with sharp biting mouths, becoming famous insects!
Of course, these clarified pulp fine jars were not cheap, comparable to a four-sided courtyard house in the outer city of the Capital City!
Insects more precious than people!
But Chen Shun’an had no mind to care about this golden head overlord or that improper diary anymore.
He quickly moved the bed frame, grabbed the rope end, and opened the hidden compartment.
He was basically certain that the strange matchbox was immortal fate.
It was just… a bit too foreign.
Foreigners’ immortal fate?
‘Buzz~’
As soon as the hidden compartment was opened, fiery light flowed.
It was clearly still that matchbox, but after Chen Shun’an firmly believed it was immortal fate, it was as if the dusty mysterious light gauze had been lifted, revealing its true form.
The crane and deer pattern on the surface of the matchbox was lifelike, with rising cloud vapors; above, an immortal crane spread its wings at the cloud top, below, colorful deer ate in the wild forest, the two looking back at each other across the space, emitting red glow outward.
Chen Shun’an reached out and grabbed it, and all the strange glows converged.
He gently pushed, opening the inner box.
Inside, there were no matchsticks, but densely packed… hibiscus paste fire?!
Chen Shun’an just had a thought, and his qi and blood suddenly decreased sharply, surging toward the matchbox.
Then,
A large huanghuali wood box appeared out of thin air in the room.
The box opened, revealing uniformly well-packaged tin boxes.
Stamped with—
Nanhai Twelve Guilds Paste Fire Temple Special Edition · Crane and Deer Treasure
Hibiscus paste fire again?
And treasures at that.
Chen Shun’an blinked.
This strange matchbox actually had such size-changing ability like universe in mustard seed…
Chen Shun’an roughly counted; inside the matchbox no bigger than a palm, there were actually no fewer than a hundred boxes of hibiscus paste fire!
Chen Shun’an was used to hearing storytelling and knew various strange tales.
He had also heard of immortals with universe in their sleeves, plucking stars for buttons to adorn clothes; one breath from embroidered mouth turns harsh winter to warm spring, warming the three winters of the world; mountain moving and ridge unloading, taking Changbai immortal mountain to fill the Eastern Sea.
This matchbox seemed to have similar universe mysteries—was it some immortal’s magic tool?
And just as Chen Shun’an sensed this ‘universe’ intent, a piece of information appeared in his mind.
【Obtained one of the three methods and two teachings, Azure Gang Sect’s new-style magic tool: Azure Gang Yang Huo. It can turn immortal into divine, extract a trace of divine path essence ‘Xuhuo Mukou’, to construct divine palace. Extract?】
Xuhuo Mukou?
Chen Shun’an was stunned, subconsciously choosing yes.
【Consuming incense（ quantity unknown）】
【Wish: 325】
What followed was the wishes Chen Shun’an had accumulated over many days, flowing away at a terrifying speed!
After exposing second-rate strength, Chen Shun’an was assigned more substantial and fortunate clients; without a word, he swapped with Sun Xiao, Scarred Liu, and others.
Although there were no more excellent benefactors like the Li Family, it was still quite fruitful.
Especially after the news spread that Chen Shun’an had survived a great disaster and broken through to second-rate, many marketplace folks somewhat believed he had long yin lifespan and enduring blessings.
For the blessed water he distributed, they weren’t flocking like ducks to water, but they certainly wouldn’t refuse, all eyeing it eagerly!
In this way, Chen Shun’an’s daily average wishes jumped to over 40 points!
Wishes decreased rapidly.
It was about to be exhausted, but no more information came from the 【Three Officials of Water True Treasure Edict】.
Just as Chen Shun’an grew anxious.
Murmurs like whispers sounded in his ears—
“I didn’t expect Master Chen to still remember me, Little Confucius. A grand second-rate expert tirelessly delivering blessed water to me… Sigh, Master Chen is righteous!”
【Wish +3】
“My silk dyeing cart needs a stove to boil dyes, adding turbid water at intervals. I was prepared to close shop and change trades, but unexpectedly Master Chen, such a lavish figure, sent charcoal in the snow… Liu feels ashamed.”
【Wish +2】
“Who exactly is that mysterious expert? Strange, I sent people all over the capital region, searching all odd folks, but none match. Could it be from out of town?”
【Wish +10】
…
【Wish: 50】
The last murmur was shockingly from the landlord, Zhao Guangxi!
Recently, Zhao Guangxi, Lin Shou Zhuo, and a few others kept muttering about that ‘mysterious expert’ every few days behind the scenes.
Not out of gratitude, but…
Curiosity.
Curiosity about ‘exploring unknown existences, trying to explain and find the truth’.
Just like ignorant ancients seeing thunder, rain, dew, gales, wildfires, guessing in their minds the sources of various natural powers, mistaking them for divine grace.
So Chen Shun’an’s current sources of faith were four kinds.
The most widespread and simple, gratitude from distributing water.
Awe and fear toward evildoers who bring death and pain to others.
Worship of life and fertility extended from birth and procreation.
And curiosity like Zhao Guangxi’s.
Moments later,
After consuming fully over forty more points of wishes, nearly draining Chen Shun’an dry,
The extraction of divine path essence 【Xuhuo Mukou】 finally stopped.
His mind buzzed and exploded, suddenly going white; all his thoughts and will plunged into the 【Three Officials of Water True Treasure Edict】.
Silence, decay, suffocation.
All around pitch black, a long night.
Still that pattering light rain, falling on Chen Shun’an’s face.
Chen Shun’an looked up in confusion, seeing himself back in the strange place within the precious proclamation.
Only this time, before his eyes floated a formless substance emitting an ancient and mysterious aura.
【Xuhuo Mukou】
