“Here,” Wen Li said. “I have some of that Demon King’s heart blood. I’ve refined it into a pendant. If you wear it while retrieving the Dragon-Slaying Halberd, you won’t be harmed.”
As the light faded, a teardrop-shaped crimson pendant lay quietly in the box.
Xie Tinglan’s brow twitched as a realization struck him.
“Master, you have the Demon King’s heart blood and you searched her memories… Did you kill her?”
The room fell into a sudden silence.
Wen Li let out a small ‘tsk.’ “Why are you asking so many questions? Here, take it and put it on.”
Xie Tinglan took the pendant. Just holding it in his hand, he could feel a ferociously intense baleful aura surge from his fingertips toward his chest.
Boom!
His palm trembled. Using the pressure of his own Soaring Serpent bloodline, he channeled spiritual energy into his right hand to counteract the force, forcibly repelling the pendant's intimidation. Rays of crimson light flickered before eventually receding back into the blood droplet.
In the end, Xie Tinglan’s breath turned heavy, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was injured.
As expected of the heart blood of a cultivator at or above Soul Formation Great Perfection. Had he not possessed the Soaring Serpent bloodline, he might have been shaken to death by the baleful aura right then and there.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Why was he coughing up blood? It seemed she hadn’t completely drained the baleful aura yet.
Wen Li quickly fished out a pill for him to eat and then glanced at the others. “See? Only Xie Tinglan’s bloodline can suppress this. If this thing were in your hands, you’d be dead in a second.”
Hua Cishu and the others watched in silence. None of them felt slighted; after all, Xie Tinglan’s cultivation was obvious to all. If even he ended up like that, they certainly weren’t going to overreach and touch it.
Wen Li continued with the business at hand.
“Alright, as I said earlier, we have two major tasks in the Qisu Kingdom. Now, we have a third: investigating the past of a member of the Fox clan named Xiao Du. First, let’s brainstorm how to handle the Dragon-Slaying Halberd. Come on, speak up! This is the first collective mission for the six of you, so we must complete it perfectly.”
Zongzheng Huangyue asked, “The Dragon-Slaying Halberd is with the Dragon clan, but they don’t know it. Does that mean we just need to avoid the surface and dig from underground?”
Wen Li nodded. “That’s one way to put it, but I’ve never been to the Qisu Kingdom. From the Demon King’s memories, I only know it’s buried beneath the Dragon clan’s sacred grounds. I’m not sure of the exact location. However, this heart blood pendant might be able to sense it when it gets close. For now, we still need to infiltrate the Dragon clan.”
Everyone understood. Their Master was bold enough to go treasure hunting based solely on a Demon King’s memories.
No, she was sending them to their deaths.
“Ma—Master, wh—what if we are discovered by the Dragon clan?” even Gu Linshu couldn’t help but ask.
“Good question!” Wen Li snapped her fingers.
Under the expectant gazes of the six disciples, Wen Li said, “Then run. Run as fast as you can. I’ll be outside the Qisu Kingdom’s border as your backup. When the time comes, dig a hole and escape.”
She got to stay in the safety of the border while they were hunted like rats inside, was that it?
“…”
The six of them stared at her, caught between shock and the speechless urge to laugh in frustration.
Even Hua Cishu stared at Wen Li, his expression a mix of helplessness and amusement. Digging a hole… It wasn't hard to guess who among the six of them was best at that. Master really was using him like a mole.
“Oh, well, how about this? You go scout for information first and see if you can find the location of the Dragon-Slaying Halberd. If it doesn’t work out, then forget it. You can come back and get it once you’ve reached the Soul Formation realm.” Wen Li also realized it was a bit far-fetched, so she took a step back.
Xie Tinglan let out a sigh of relief. “That works.”
Wen Li began assigning tasks. “Alright then, we’ll split into two teams. Old One, Old Two, and Old Six will go to the Dragon clan to scout and gather information. Old Three, Old Four, and Old Five will come with me to the Phoenix clan to handle the matter with the Moon Soul Arrow.”
Zongzheng Huangyue recalled something. “Master, doesn't Old Five know how to dig holes? Since he also needs to investigate Xiao Du, let him lie in wait with the Nine-Tailed Fox clan first. If anything happens later, he can keep the other clans in check.”
Hua Cishu did not refuse.
“That works too. Pack up. We’re heading to the Teleportation Pavilion now to teleport to the heart of the Qisu Kingdom, the territory of the three great demon clans,” Wen Li agreed.
Since it was their Master’s arrangement, naturally no one had any objections. They immediately stood up.
The group went downstairs with Xie Tinglan leading the way. Dressed in his sharp black robes, he walked down from the inn's attic when suddenly, his footing went soft.
“Hiss!”
A rat snake sleeping on the stairs curled its body and hissed a warning. Its tail shook rapidly as if trying to shake off the pain, and a faint footprint was visible on its scales.
Xie Tinglan remembered the snake demon landlady mentioning her rat snake son. It was the snake’s own fault for sleeping on the stairs and courting death. He frowned slightly, ignoring it as he continued down.
Who would have thought that upon seeing him ignore the injury and offer no apology, the rat snake would open its mouth and begin to wail and hiss?
Others couldn't understand, but as a fellow serpent, Xie Tinglan knew exactly what it was saying. It said, “You big bully! You stepped on me and didn't even apologize! Argh! Father! Mother! Your son is being bullied again! Come quickly! Waaaah! Waaaah! I’m so miserable!!!”
This wasn't good.
Xie Tinglan’s expression tightened. He immediately grabbed the rat snake with his right hand, pinching it by its seven-inch mark, while his left hand clamped its mouth shut to stop the ghostly wailing.
“Who is it! Who’s touching my son again! It’s one thing to be bullied at the front door, but this is inside my own home! Are you looking down on my Snake clan?!”
As it turned out, it was too late. An angry roar echoed throughout the entire tavern.
In the next instant, a tall and burly figure flashed into view.
The tall, handsome man in front of them stared at the rat snake in Xie Tinglan’s hand. His gaze shifted to Xie Tinglan, his eyes turning cold and dark.
“Let go of my son,” Hei Yun said in a low voice.
Xie Tinglan could feel the Nascent Soul fluctuations emanating from the man. The rat snake in his hand continued to squirm, its eyes pleading with its father for help.
“Wait, it’s a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding.”
Wen Li, who had been standing behind on the stairs, stepped forward. She immediately took the little rat snake from Xie Tinglan’s hand with a smile. “My disciple just saw a bit of dust on the young master and wanted to brush it off. He just didn't have much experience with the force required, so the young master mistook it for an attack.”
She held the rat snake out to Hei Yun with a flattering look. “Little fellow, here you go. Your daddy’s here.”
Pretty boy. Acting all high and mighty just because you have a dad? It’s only because Gu Linshu’s dad isn't here.
However, the moment Hei Yun took the little snake, it immediately coiled around his wrist, looking utterly aggrieved. Seeing the clear black footprint on his son’s body, his expression darkened as he looked at Wen Li.
“Is this a misunderstanding too?”
“My, who did this? Who was so heartless that they would step on a child? They must be out of their mind!” Wen Li cried out in surprise the moment she looked. She turned to gaze at her six disciples, who were standing there in tense silence.
“Did any of you see who stepped on him? This kind of person must be caught and beaten to death! They’re simply a scoundrel disrupting public order and harming a minor! Too much! This is simply too much!”
The six of them, including Xie Tinglan, shook their heads in perfect unison.
“We didn't see anyone.”
Rate on N.U.
