[Detected host reading diligently. Obtained Noble Qi * 50.]
Qing Yan was hiding in the garden in embarrassed indignation, quietly admiring the flowers alone.
Knowing she was only pretending to be huffy, Chen Ning did not disturb her and began reading his books first.
[Noble Qi: 50]
[Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, Layer 2 (0/300)]
[Divine Phoenix Bloodline, Layer 5 (0/5000)]
[Red Lotus Divine Pupils, Drifting Sea of Illusions (Layer 2) (0/1000)]
[All Manifestations: Mountains and Rivers, Dragon-Slaying Golden-Armored Army (Layer 3) (0/1500)]
[Poem and Wine Sword Art, Sword Shakes the Nine Heavens (Layer 3) (0/2000)]
[Devouring Mountains and Rivers, Layer 2 (0/3000)]
[Spring of Undying, Layer 2 (0/2000)]
As their layers increased, the power of each Divine Ability grew exponentially.
However, the amount of Noble Qi required grew increasingly massive as well.
“I wonder if the academy has found any trace of the Demon Cultivators yet.”
Chen Ning pondered for a long while.
With barely over twenty days remaining before the Metropolitan Examination, the demon-inflicted chaos in the Imperial Capital and the treacherous undercurrents in the Imperial Palace remained unresolved.
If he wanted to avoid delays to the examination, his only option was to assist the academy as much as possible to uncover the root cause quickly.
Otherwise, even if he passed the Metropolitan Examination, the Palace Examination would likely be unable to proceed without His Majesty’s personal participation.
The power of Trace to the Roots was far stronger than Seeking a Steed by Its Picture.
Although that group of Demon Cultivators was exceedingly crafty, the Grand Confucians of the academy should still be able to discover a few clues.
However, until the Grand Confucians provided any news, he could only wait patiently for now.
“Since we just moved into our new home today, I’ll take Qing Yan out for a good meal at noon.”
With that thought, Chen Ning set down his book.
...
Meanwhile.
Qing Yan sat by the edge of the pond, her slender hand lightly playing in the crystal-clear water.
Rather than swimming away, the fish in the water affectionately gathered around her tender, jade-like fingers.
“Young Master is not gentlemanly at all, teasing even his own maid.”
Qing Yan’s cheeks puffed out slightly, flushed with a delicate faint red.
Yet very quickly, every bit of resentment on her lovely face dissolved completely.
“Young Master and I actually have such a cozy home in the Imperial Capital now...”
Looking at the quaint, antique scenery of the courtyard, the corners of Qing Yan’s lips curved into a crescent-like smile, quietly radiating a sense of bliss.
...
“Don’t run! Come back here!”
“If you dare keep running, I’ll chop you into pieces later!”
A little yellow fox was running for its life under the pursuit of a black-robed man.
However, the black-robed man was clearly a Martial Cultivator; even with the little fox running at full speed, it couldn't shake him off at all.
Seeing the distance between them gradually closing, the little fox knew all too well that it would be caught sooner or later if this continued.
Right at that moment, it suddenly caught an extraordinary scent.
Overjoyed, the little fox hurriedly rushed toward the distant courtyard.
“A beast is a beast after all. Running into a place like this is just walking straight into a trap!”
The man kicked the front gate open with a heavy thud.
Inside the garden sat an exquisitely captivating woman. Her skin was like cream, her aura like a delicate orchid, her graceful demeanor possessed of breathtaking allure.
For a moment, the black-robed man froze in stunned amazement, unable to fathom that such a stunning beauty could exist in a place like this.
Snapping back to his senses, he quickly noticed the little fox shivering in fear, nestling snugly in the woman’s arms.
A lewd smirk spread across the black-robed man’s face.
“Little beauty, that little fox belongs to our auction house.
I advise you to hand it over obediently, otherwise...”
“I won't.”
Not only did Qing Yan refuse without the slightest hesitation, but her eyes also glistened with a chilling coldness.
“What on earth did you do to it?”
Qing Yan could sense the little fox's deep terror toward this man.
Evidently, before escaping, the little fox had suffered no small amount of torment.
Stared down by those cold eyes,
for some unknown reason, a sharp shiver suddenly ran down the black-robed man's spine, forcing him two steps back despite himself.
‘Is it an illusion...?’
The black-robed man couldn't believe that as a Martial Cultivator, he had actually been frightened by the gaze of a delicate woman.
If word of this got out, he would lose all his face.
“It seems you don't realize what kind of situation you're in.
As it happens, this upcoming auction is missing some prime stock. Since that's the case, I'll just take you along too!”
Shame turning into rage, the man lunged forward, kicking off the ground at full strength straight toward Qing Yan.
“Who gave you permission to lay a finger on my maid?”
Chen Ning’s voice resonated from the distance.
Mid-air, the man felt as though thunder had erupted right beside his ears, making his entire body shudder violently.
How could a mere Confucian scholar frighten him as well? What was wrong with him today?
“If that's how it is, I'll start with you!”
Gritting his teeth in rage, the man drew the long saber from his waist and shifted his target toward Chen Ning.
Clang!
The moment the blade struck down, a crisp echo reverberated through the courtyard.
Chen Ning didn't dodge or avoid it. Relying solely on the golden merit light coating his body, he shattered the long saber completely.
“What kind of monster is this guy?!”
Only now did the man realize that the terror he had felt earlier had not come out of nowhere.
Which meant that not only was this scholar no ordinary man, but even that seemingly delicate beauty from before was far from ordinary!
The man’s pupils dilated in panic; his mind held only one thought: run!
“Spare me!”
“Do you think that's possible?”
Chen Ning had already blocked the man's escape route, throwing a punch straight into the black-robed man's chest.
Bang!
The man flew backward with a miserable crash.
That single strike was more than enough to shatter his sternum completely and destroy his entire martial cultivation foundation.
Yet soon after, several blood-red tentacles squirmed out from the wound on the man's chest, twisting and writhing in agony just like him.
“W-What are these tentacles?!”
The man stared in sheer terror with wide eyes.
Tentacles were the defining sign of demonization—clearly, even he hadn't known his own body was turning demonized.
“Qing Yan, can you get any information from that little fox?”
Chen Ning asked.
If he recalled correctly, Qing Yan could communicate seamlessly with many animals.
“Mm, leave it to me, Young Master.”
Before long, the little yellow fox leaned close to Qing Yan’s ear and whispered a few sounds.
“Those bastards...”
This time, even Qing Yan looked genuinely furious.
“The little fox said it was captured by this man and taken to an auction house where they specifically auction off demon flesh as food.
It's not just the fox—many harmless demons that have gained spiritual intelligence or even taken human form are imprisoned there as food.”
At this point, Qing Yan bit her soft lip, looking somewhat torn.
“In truth, many demons are as harmless as this little fox. The people running that auction house must be using them for some sinister scheme.
If possible... could I trouble Young Master to save them?”
This was the first time Chen Ning had ever heard of people using demons as food.
The black-robed man's demonized state clearly proved there was something deeply wrong behind all this.
Furthermore, this was a rare request from his own maid.
“Don't worry, leave it to me.”
Chen Ning smiled and gently patted Qing Yan's head.
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