Chapter 215: Anyone Can Be Sacrificed, Including Me!
“Stubborn warrior, ignorant of yin-yang transformations, unskilled in wondrous immortal arts, daring to offend the immortal? Truly outrageous!”
“Just a few more ordinary mortals dying… yet you insult me so!”
Tian Xuan Saint even felt somewhat aggrieved.
She was merely following her master’s orders to descend the mountain, promoting Hibiscus Paste Fire’s circulation among mortals, and conveniently sacrificial refining her own Treasure【Willow Treasure Ten Thousand Toad Tendons】.
Those ordinary mortals could serve as fertilizer, merging their bodies into【Willow Treasure Ten Thousand Toad Tendons】, glimpsing the mysteries of the immortal—that was fortune they couldn’t cultivate in ten lifetimes.
What had Tian Xuan Saint done wrong?!
Tian Xuan Saint’s face showed a hint of resentment. She formed hand seals and chanted incantations, following Chen Shun’an’s aura in the darkness, soon arriving outside Liangjiang Military Academy.
“Hiding in here?”
Tian Xuan Saint’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Wuqing County was large, but few places truly made her wary, places she was unwilling to intrude rashly.
Zhao Mansion, suppressed by Chengping Guan Well Sword, was one.
And the Liangjiang Military Academy before her was another.
It wasn’t that she feared the martial artists in the academy.
Rather, it enshrined a hall for Master Tie Yu, burying his ceremonial robes and personal weapon—a three-pronged, two-edged, four-orifice, eight-ring blade.
Having drunk flood dragon blood back then, infused with the grandmaster’s intent, it had faintly birthed intelligence, ranking as a divine weapon of the first-rate.
Especially since Tie Yu, on the surface, died from severe injuries after battling the flood dragon, but during those years in closed-door death seclusion, rumors had spread.
Master Tie Yu seemed at odds with the immortal, refusing the healing Precious Pill offered by the immortal. One midnight, they held a secret talk; candlelight flickered, voices clashed sharply, they parted on bad terms, the immortal departed on clouds, never appearing in Wuqing County again.
Thus, inexplicably, this three-pronged, two-edged, four-orifice, eight-ring blade harbored some hatred toward the immortal.
Any immortal sneaking into the academy discovered by it would face the blade rattling to life, stabbing holes in the immortal.
Tian Xuan Saint naturally wouldn’t fear a mere weapon.
She simply found it troublesome.
“Hmph, so you want to use Purple Iron Cattail Milk to slay Mind Thief? But Chen Shun’an, from his past record, is quite cunning… he’s probably already at True Intent Realm. Is it slaying two thieves, or slaying three thieves?”
With Tian Xuan Saint’s resources, plus the Four Great Pounding Houses as her informants, she naturally soon knew Chen Shun’an’s recent situation like the back of her hand.
She ascended a tall building alone, found a window seat in a tavern, overlooking the nearby Liangjiang Military Academy from above.
After all, Chen Shun’an’s rise was too short—from falling into water to now, barely three months.
Reaching strength around slaying two thieves, crossing two major realms, was already Tian Xuan Saint’s utmost speculation, combining past experience and worldview.
Even a young grandmaster was no more than that.
If even higher…
Did they really think it was a great cultivator reincarnated, possessing and reborn?!
“But don’t take it lightly. Want to breakthrough? Not that easy. Want to hole up in the academy? Even more impossible!”
“I don’t believe you won’t come out!”
……
Song He Xuan, Wuqing County’s top private agency.
Located in a bustling yet serene spot, just dozens of steps ahead was East City Gate, the throat of entry and exit to Wuqing, where dynasties had set up customs posts, post stations, and military offices.
Truly a place of three markets, nine avenues, crisscrossing streets, thriving trades—the best spot in Wuqing County.
Those entering Song He Xuan in the past were either rich or noble; without connections or introduction, one couldn’t even find the main gate.
Now, the entire Song He Xuan was booked by Xiao Lian Gong Jing Zhai, solely as lodging for Tongzhou Zhang Family’s young lady, Zhang Xiangling!
Xiao Lian Gong was the honorific for a juren scholar not yet in office.
This Xiao Lian Gong Jing Zhai was originally named Wang Zhicheng, styled Jing Zhai.
Of upright virtue and filial piety, in his early twenties he already held scholarly honors, permitted to enter office, even summoned by His Majesty the Emperor.
But in the first year of riding forth in official glory to take post, his mother died.
He had no choice but to observe mourning for three years, even forgoing his Hanlin Academy position.
After mourning ended, during his wait in the capital for assignment.
His father, unable to bear loneliness, took a new wife, adding a stepmother, who died just months after marriage.
Wang Zhicheng was helpless, temporarily abandoning his newly forged capital connections, rushing back home nonstop to mourn again.
Just over two years, as this mourning neared end, his father grew restless again, took another wife… a year later the stepmother died again, conveniently extending Wang Zhicheng’s mourning.
Three consecutive mournings; Wang Zhicheng, originally in his early twenties at prime age, was now in his thirties.
Prime youth spent beside several graves naturally bred spring sorrow and autumn grief, unfulfilled ambitions filling his heart with worries.
His father’s heart held even more worries.
So just over two years, as his third mourning neared completion, his father died of illness.
Helpless, he continued mourning.
His entire family, except him, had died off.
Coincidentally, his father had a cousin without sons, so he was adopted over, Wang Zhicheng inheriting incense for both families.
Then, as expected.
Shortly after adoption, his new father’s wife died too…
Wang Zhicheng realized he seemed plagued by yearly misfortune, ancestral grave buried wrong; he couldn’t sit idly, so he finally found a way.
Marry in as son-in-law!
Change household registration!
Ditch ancestral grave for new one!
Completely change fate!
Matching his status, one he fancied who fancied him.
Few powers and clans in Capital Region.
Tongzhou Zhang Family was one.
Perfectly, Zhang Family head had an unmarried young legitimate daughter, Zhang Xiangling.
Wang Zhicheng seized this end of mourning, no immediate parental death, rushed to capital, worked connections, curried favor with Zhang Family, catered to their tastes, vowing to pursue Zhang Xiangling.
At this time, in a spacious practice hall in Song He Xuan.
“I lost.”
Zhang Xiangling huffed, her foot sticking and sliding like a rootless mushroom cap, spiraling in the gale filling the practice hall, finally landing at the edge.
At the same time, the sharpness in her eyes, the gathered divine intent, quickly dissipated, leaving her somewhat dazed.
Red Fifth Master also slowly withdrew his hands, calming his qi and blood.
Even though Zhang Xiangling lost to him, Red Fifth Master’s gaze toward her was filled with astonishment, even shock.
Under twenty years old, slaying three thieves.
Moreover, persisting five exchanges without disadvantage against him, showing fatigue only after ten, fully thirteen rounds before Red Fifth Master kindled true fury, defeating her.
If only Red Fifth Master, dominating Shu Land martial world for years, unmatched with his eyes.
Only this capital trip saw countless experts; now, add one more teenage girl.
“Heroes of the world truly like carp crossing the river, I’m old…”
Red Fifth Master thought of something, suddenly listless.
“Fought well, rest a few hours, spar again afternoon!”
Zhang Xiangling took the handkerchief Xu Hong handed her, said.
She wiped sweat and grime from her body, casually swallowed a top Precious Pill, then sat cross-legged indifferently, cultivating.
After serving this little ancestor, under Xu Hong’s slightly warning gaze, Red Fifth Master silently refastened his shackles, left the practice hall.
But though shackled, Red Fifth Master showed no prisoner humiliation.
Instead, served fine wine and food; aged polygonatum, ginseng, lingzhi, all granted on demand.
Not only healed wounds from Tian Xuan Saint and Yu Xiaoquan’s siege, even his body, withered from months in Yanziwu, regained robustness.
Of course, all expenses footed by Xiao Lian Gong Wang young master.
Red Fifth Master hadn’t been back in his courtyard long when two sneaky figures flipped over the wall.
Bai Manlou wore a mask, disguised, even using some soft bone technique, aura utterly changed, creeping cautiously, extremely careful.
Beside him, Xiao Qingchou acted similarly, clearly wary of Xu Hong in Song He Xuan.
“No need for such pretense hiding your presence; leaving face for each other suffices—Xu Wuju noticed long ago.”
Red Fifth Master helplessly glanced at his two brothers.
Xu Hong, guarding outside the practice hall, seemed to sense something, silently opened his eyes.
Gaze like a torch, piercing layers of eaves and greenery.
Finally lingering slightly on Bai Manlou.
“Sword cultivator? Shu Mountain Sword Dao path? Rare indeed.”
Xu Hong’s eyes lit up, then withdrew gaze, sinking back into meditation.
“Should’ve said so.”
“Sigh, Song He Xuan lives up to being Wuqing private agency, heavily guarded—harder than sneaking into county yamen.”
Hearing Red Fifth Master, Bai Manlou and Xiao Qingchou both relaxed, stretched arms, walked before him.
Since Red Fifth Master got their Nail Board Message of ‘major matter to discuss, old friend visiting’, the three had sought a meetup chance.
“Red Fifth Master, we know…”
“Perfect timing, that day I was besieged by Tian Xuan Saint…”
All three spoke at once, then fell silent.
Red Fifth Master gave them a bland look.
They cupped hands, shut mouths.
You’re oldest, you first.
Red Fifth Master, ordered around as human sparring dummy for days, now found slight superiority, thus spoke steadily,
“Yue Shan Daoist Academy sent another disciple, strength unfathomable; I exhausted myself to escape their joint assault. From attire, like those storytellers under Sky Bridge, in teahouses—you go back, investigate, don’t be careless.”
“Moreover, Tian Xuan Saint has arrived in Wuqing County, seems suspecting that mysterious expert’s identity. Mo Long A Tai was first, but not last!”
“At all costs, intercept Tian Xuan Saint. In county I have old ties, even some faking death to hide—you go to them, invite out of retirement… Also, Water Station’s Zhao Guangxi wields a mysterious item Precious Sword, can burst with slaying five thieves power.”
“Water Station trade mixes all walks, broad friends—a force not to ignore. You two personally persuade Zhao Guangxi, borrow sword and men; his True Intent Masters, even second-rate martial artists, like Lin Shou Zhuo, Zhou Qing, Chen Shun’an…”
“Anyone can be sacrificed, including me!”
