“Actually, the root of the problem has already been resolved—it was that demonic mirror,” Lu Sheng said, his tone calm and steady. “Tea Sect has suffered heavy losses this time. It’s best that you take time to recuperate. However, I do have a question—since you rely on the Winged Honor Guards, why didn’t you seek their help immediately?”
Dong Qi let out a heavy sigh.
“Esteemed representative, you may not know this. Although the Winged Honor Guards are stationed here permanently, we can’t borrow their strength. At most, we can bribe them with silver while they’re on patrol, and they’ll permit us to follow behind them to sell our goods. Beyond that, military rules forbid us from seeking help from them.”
Lu Sheng nodded slightly. “Is that so.”
“Esteemed representative lives in a large city and doesn’t understand how hard life is for people like us,” Dong Qi sighed again. “Tea Sect may be called a sect, but in truth, we’re just a group of people who couldn’t protect ourselves in these chaotic times and had no choice but to band together. Without someone to rely on, it’s impossible to survive for long. You don’t even need to stand out—mountain bandits, robbers, and all manner of otherworldly threats block our path at every turn.”
She gave a faint, bitter smile. “In times like these, what choice do we have except to cling to one another? Those born into better families can train in martial arts for protection; the rest of us must run errands for others—hunting, laboring, taking whatever dangerous tasks we can just to learn enough to defend ourselves. Young people nowadays… if they haven’t fallen into drunken despair, then they’re desperately searching for a sliver of peace. Even that alone has become the greatest hope for many.”
Lu Sheng hadn’t expected such clarity and depth from her. He found himself looking at Dong Qi with newfound regard.
“You’re quite perceptive.”
“Esteemed representative, you flatter me. It’s a pity I never put in the effort to learn martial arts when I was younger; perhaps then I could have lived a safer life today. If I were like you—unafraid of the supernatural, brave and resolute—maybe… maybe my father wouldn’t have died…” As she spoke, Dong Qi’s eyes reddened.
She truly was a woman of capability and resolve. Otherwise, she would never have mustered the courage to send someone to request aid from Crimson Whale Sect on her own initiative. Even though fear had nearly overwhelmed her, she had managed to steady herself, regain control, and run Tea Sect with practiced precision.
‘She’s a talent,’ Lu Sheng judged silently.
He continued conversing with Dong Qi for a while until the carriage was fully repaired. Only then did he climb aboard.
The wheels sank slightly under the carriage’s weight. Inside were the mirror stand, the shattered mirror fragments Xu Chui had packed, and two exquisitely bound dark yellow books.
Lu Sheng settled into his seat, and the carriage began its slow, steady roll forward.
He retrieved the small cloth puppet and the piece of blue fabric. Bringing his finger to his lips, he bit down hard. A sharp sting followed as a bead of blood welled from his forefinger. He pressed the fresh blood onto the puppet and the cloth.
A soft hiss sounded.
Szzzz…
Thin wisps of black smoke curled upward before vanishing into the air almost instantly.
At once, Lu Sheng felt a chilling wave of Qi spread from his fingertip, flowing swiftly up his forearm, then his arm, chest—only to dissipate just as it neared his heart.
Within a few breaths, the sensation faded completely.
“Deep Blue,” he commanded silently.
The pale-blue screen rose into view, hovering before his eyes.
The Modify button appeared beneath nearly all of the martial arts listed on the Modifier—save for the Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill. That one remained unchanged, still offering no option for extrapolation.
‘After reaching Level Eight, the Yin Qi required to upgrade or extrapolate Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies has skyrocketed. What a hassle,’ Lu Sheng thought, shaking his head lightly. He withdrew his gaze from the pale-blue screen and turned toward the mirror stand and scattered shards beside him.
He shifted forward and pulled the mirror stand closer. The wound on his forefinger had not fully closed; a faint smear of blood still lingered. He pressed it onto the surface of the stand.
Szzz…
Black smoke burst forth in an instant, and an immense surge of icy Yin Qi poured into his palm. The sheer force of it caught him off guard—the chilling flood made his entire body tremble.
The Yin Qi within the mirror stand far exceeded what he’d absorbed from the cloth puppet and the blue fabric.
If upgrading a Strength Proficiency martial arts skill by one level required one unit of Yin Qi, then the total within those previous two items had amounted to roughly two units combined.
But this mirror stand… Yin Qi gushed from it without pause for a full ten breaths before tapering off. By Lu Sheng’s estimation, it contained at least six or seven units.
When the final thread of Yin Qi vanished into him, he studied the mirror stand with mild astonishment.
The once-bright copper surface had turned mottled and oxidized, stained with patches of dull green. It now appeared older—far older—than before.
‘So this is what becomes of an object after its Yin Qi is fully drained. Then… what exactly is Yin Qi? What is its nature?’ The questions flickered through his mind but were quickly set aside. He lacked both the time and the means to investigate such matters now. That would have to wait until he strengthened himself and resolved the issues at hand.
Only after he had fully absorbed the Yin Qi from all three objects did Lu Sheng shift his focus back to the Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill displayed on the Modifier. This time, the Modify button finally appeared behind it.
He paused for a moment, considering it, but chose not to proceed. Instead, his gaze moved down to the other martial arts listed below.
Dusk Dantian Inflating Skill, Golden Veil Skill, Nine Lakes Steel Chains Skill, Bear-Wrestling Arm—these four formed the immovable foundation of his Yang Extreme Mode.
They represented the near-perfect, comprehensive tempering of his physical body through hard body cultivation.
‘I should achieve Yin–Yang harmony first before attempting to liquefy inner Qi,’ Lu Sheng thought. He set the mirror stand back into place, secured it with a length of string, then sat down, closing his eyes as he began cultivating Aquarius Qi.
…………
Mountain-Edge City.
Xiao Hongye stepped down from the carriage with deliberate slowness, his gaze lifting toward the great doors and towering perimeter wall. The two stone chimeras flanking the entrance loomed with a ferocious, almost sinister air.
The manor stood near the riverbank in a quiet, seldom-visited district. There were few residences nearby. Not far away, an old hospital housed coughing, feeble elders who shuffled in and out, casting a faintly morbid gloom over the surroundings.
His expression darkened as he approached the doors and tapped lightly.
Dong dong.
After a moment, slow, dragging footsteps sounded from within.
Creak…
The red doors eased open just enough to reveal a sliver of the interior—and an elderly, one-eyed, hunchbacked man in gray peering out.
“Master has just risen; Ambassador Xiao’s visits are always so well-timed.”
Xiao Hongye forced a cheerful smile across his plump face.
“Senior Black, you’re far too polite. My family recently acquired a five-hundred-year-old wild red fungus. I rushed over immediately to present it to Lord Officiator—he must be short on ingredients for tea since he’s only just arrived.” He lifted a small pouch in his hand.
Senior Black’s single eye flicked to the pouch, and his expression softened slightly.
“Come in.” He pushed the door wider.
Xiao Hongye beamed gratefully as he slipped through the narrow opening.
Inside, the courtyard appeared like any other: artificial mountains, a trickling stream, and a small arching bridge. Yet from the corner of his eye, Xiao Hongye noticed a servant in the far corner digging a deep pit, lowering something into it.
“Follow me. Master is in a rather good mood today,” Senior Black said as he led him across the tiny bridge toward the main hall.
In the hall sat a tall, broad-shouldered elder with stark white hair—and missing one ear. He hunched over a basin of condiments, gripping a massive thigh bone in one hand as he ripped off chunks of meat and devoured them with unrestrained hunger.
His face was ruddy, his presence fierce and daunting. The plain white shirt on his back did little to conceal the thick, corded muscles bulging beneath it.
“Xiao Hongye greets Lord Officiator,” he announced the moment he stepped into the hall, cupping his fists respectfully. Though he was not formally a subordinate, the elder before him had reached the Six-Vein Level many years ago—such a greeting was only appropriate.
“The Northern Lands don’t seem too bad. It looks like Ambassador Xiao has been living quite comfortably here,” the elder remarked with a smile, still tearing into the meat with casual ferocity.
“Lord Officiator jests. The success of the Ritual Offering belongs entirely to my Lord. I was merely assisting, nothing more,” Xiao Hongye replied earnestly.
“You certainly know how to talk. How goes the negotiations with the Shangyang Family and the court officials?” the Officiator asked, amusement lingering in his voice.
“The Shangyang Family has taken a mortal faction under their protection—a group known as Crimson Whale Sect. Their roots run deep in the Northern Lands. I’ve asked them to help gather the sacrifices, and they’ve already agreed. As for the officials, there are no issues. Taoist Bai Feng has always cooperated with us,” Xiao Hongye reported concisely.
“Crimson Whale Sect…? From the way you describe them, they sound like a martial practitioners’ faction,” the elder probed.
“Yes. They’re the largest armed mortal organization in the Northern Lands, and quite sizable. Any news one seeks can usually be obtained through them,” Xiao Hongye explained.
“So they’re the local turf leaders? I recall that the wild dogs sent to hunt Li Shunxi disappeared somewhere in this city. Have them investigate—see if they can uncover what happened to those men,” the Officiator ordered.
“Yes, Sir,” Xiao Hongye answered at once.
“And… you’re far too inefficient. Let Bai Feng and that sect—whatever they call themselves—contact me directly. This is a crucial period. I’ll be taking full control from here on,” the Officiator continued.
Xiao Hongye’s face remained unchanged, betraying no disappointment or resentment at having his authority stripped away. Bowing his head, he replied steadily, “Yes, you are correct, Lord Officiator.”
“Emissary Xiao certainly knows how to think ahead. He’s mindful of the bigger picture,” a lively, alluring young woman drawled as she sauntered out from the side of the hall. She wore nothing more than a strip of white cloth over her chest and a tight, extremely short skirt that barely clung to her hips—far too short to conceal anything of importance.
Yet her attire was not the most striking thing about her. Coiled around her waist was a massive centipede, its purplish-black body glistening as it crawled slowly across her skin.
“Ah, Ambassador Bai Jing,” Xiao Hongye said with a warm smile, bowing politely.
“This time, four emissaries have come for the sacrifice—our stationed overseers along the borders,” Bai Jing said with a bright, charming smile. “With Lord Officiator holding the fort, and so many emissaries gathered, this Ritual Offering is certain to proceed flawlessly.”
“Of course,” Xiao Hongye echoed.
“Alright. Emissary Xiao, you may leave. Leave the items here—I understand your intentions,” the Officiator said flatly.
“Many thanks, Lord Officiator,” Xiao Hongye replied at once, bowing low. He handed the items to Senior Black before taking his leave.
Only after he stepped out of the main hall and passed through the great doors did Bai Jing turn toward the Officiator.
“My Lord, that Xiao Hongye is quite perceptive. He willingly handed over his authority to us.”
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