Chapter 62: The Beautiful Figure Under the Umbrella

After checking the area, Xu Qing lowered his head to pick up the middle-aged cultivator's blood-stained pouch, then sprinkled Corpse-Destroying Powder on the corpse. Amidst the washing of the rain, the remains of the flesh and blood collapsed, turning into bloody water that merged with the accumulated rain on the ground.

After doing all this, Xu Qing returned to the magic boat and sat cross-legged in the cabin. He opened the opponent's pouch, and after a glance, his brows furrowed. Besides some miscellaneous items, there were no spirit stones or cultivation resources in this pouch.

There was no magic boat either, only a blood-colored jade slip and an identity token. However, with the person's death, the identity token lost its luster, and Xu Qing could not see the specific amount of contribution points within it, nor could he transfer them.

This item required the owner's own initiative to be used.

"His items must have been placed elsewhere..." Xu Qing sighed inwardly. When he struck earlier, he had habitually prioritized the slaughter, making it difficult to get the opponent to transfer the contribution points over.

"Next time, if there is an opportunity, should I severely injure them first?" Xu Qing thought about it, but still felt that was not reliable, so he picked up the blood-colored jade slip. After checking it, his eyes suddenly revealed a sharp glint.

"Wanted?" This was not a standard wanted jade slip, but rather seemed to be for private use. Inside was a series of character information, all of whom were disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes, with prices marked behind them.

Among them was one entry that clearly marked Xu Qing's name, even pointing out his nickname from the scavenger camp, and the price given behind it was fifty spirit stones.

"Jin Gang Sect Ancestor!" A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. The only one who could know his information and offer a fifty-spirit-stone bounty was the Jin Gang Sect Ancestor.

Clearly, the other party had already tracked his trail and discovered his information within the Seven Blood Eyes.

After all, although Lujiao City was a branch city of the Seven Blood Eyes, the Diamond Sect also had connections in that region, so it was not too difficult to find out.

"The Jin Gang Sect Ancestor being able to know this information so quickly shows that he also has certain connections within the Seven Blood Eyes."

"But hindered by the rules of the Seven Blood Eyes, he doesn't dare to take action himself, so he issued a bounty!"

Xu Qing pondered, looked at the blood-colored jade slip, and after some operations, simply accepted the task of killing himself.

"I need to hurry up and cultivate, then finish off the Jin Gang Sect Ancestor as soon as possible!"

Time flew by, and several days passed.

This rain fell for a full four days.

On the third day, it turned into a great storm, whipping up giant waves that seemed as if they wanted to sweep through the entire harbor.

But under the suppression of the main city's formation, no matter how astonishing the storm was, the harbor remained as steady as a rock, not moving in the slightest. It wasn't until the morning of the fifth day that the storm, unable to continue its rampage, chose to retreat unwillingly, and the wind and rain gradually lessened significantly.

Xu Qing looked up at the sky outside. Although it was early morning, the firmament was gray and filled with oppression.

He organized his elixirs and walked out of the magic boat. Just as he stepped onto the shore, the fishy smell of the sea permeated the wind and rain outside, mixed with a faint, lingering scent of blood.

Although the storm had been raging for these four days, for the Murder Investigation Department, duty continued regardless of wind or rain. It was just that every day, besides searching for clues about the Night Dove, there was one more task.

That was hunting down criminals.

In the Seven Blood Eyes, whenever a storm arrives, due to the harsh weather and the suspension of various departments, plus the fact that most cultivators do not go out, the... mutual secret plundering and slaughter will suddenly skyrocket.

In just four days, according to the statistics obtained by the Murder Investigation Department of the Seventh Peak, more than eighty disciples in the harbor area had lost their lives, among whom seven were disciples of the Murder Investigation Department.

As for the death toll in the other six areas, outsiders did not know, but clearly, it could not be much less.

In a storm, it was difficult to find any clues, and such matters were nothing in the Seven Blood Eyes, unable to attract much attention. The Murder Investigation Department was accustomed to it, only conducting superficial investigations.

Even though a veteran team member had died in Team 6, no one asked about it.

During these few days, Xu Qing had also found an opportunity to ask the captain about the old man at the Banquan Road inn, and was told that the other party was not human and had walked the path of the First Peak to obtain the right to reside in the main city.

On normal days, they lived in peace. As for the filth hidden within the inn, out of respect for the First Peak, as long as they didn't cross the line, the Murder Investigation Department didn't pay much attention.

Because of this, Xu Qing learned that in this world, the human race was not the only ethnic group; there were many non-human races.

But he had only seen the old man at the inn, so he kept this matter in his heart.

At this moment, after checking in at the Murder Investigation Department, Xu Qing walked down the street, holding an umbrella.

He prepared to go to the apothecary to sell the White Pills he had refined over these days in exchange for more herbs. Also, because he was carrying a large quantity of White Pills, Xu Qing's vigilance was even more intense.

Perhaps because the rain had lessened, there were more people in the city today than in the previous few days. Under Xu Qing's alertness, it wasn't long before he arrived at the apothecary he frequented.

There were not many people in the shop, but Xu Qing saw a familiar figure—Zhou Qingpeng, who had entered the sect in the same batch as him.

Zhou Qingpeng also saw Xu Qing and hesitated, not recognizing him at first, only feeling that the person before him looked somewhat familiar. After all, during the test that day, Xu Qing had been dressed as a scavenger, covered in dirt.

Xu Qing did not speak. The old shopkeeper at the side smiled after seeing him enter. He had a deep impression of Xu Qing; after all, it was rare for a non-Second Peak disciple to be so knowledgeable about herbs.

"You've come at just the right time. I have good things here today." The shopkeeper smiled and took out a specially made leather pouch from behind him. After opening it, he revealed five dried blue insect corpses inside.

These insects looked ferocious, with long mouthparts and four pairs of legs. Their backs even possessed natural patterns like ghost faces, and each ghost face was different—some looked like they were crying, some like they were laughing, some like they were angry.

Although they were only the size of a palm in total, they were covered in sharp thorns, and especially the tail—it actually had a mouth.

One could see the tiny teeth were incomparably sharp.

At this moment, although they were dead and dried in the sun, and their bodies were shriveled, a glance would still cause one's mind to be shaken by their ferocious appearance.

"Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab!" Xu Qing's expression shifted slightly. He walked forward a few steps to observe carefully. He had heard Master Bai talk about this Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab before; it only lived in the deep sea and was very rare on the market, belonging to a very niche type of poisonous insect.

Its blood was blue and highly toxic, but when combined with some special preparations, it could be made into a holy medicine for healing wounds.

Zhou Qingpeng, who was checking elixirs in the shop, also glanced over upon hearing this.

"You really do recognize it." The shopkeeper smiled, and at the same time, he held Xu Qing in even higher regard. He knew very well that even among Second Peak disciples, not many recognized such niche poisonous insects.

Thus, he was even more curious in his heart: where exactly did this handsome young man learn such extraordinary knowledge of the way of medicine?

"How much?" Xu Qing was tempted and asked the shopkeeper.

"I dare not sell it." The shopkeeper coughed and put the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab away. Seeing Xu Qing's gaze lingering on the leather pouch containing the poisonous insects, seemingly very reluctant, he smiled and explained.

"This was obtained by my proprietor at great cost and was only delivered today. The proprietor will be here to pick it up in a while, so how could I dare to sell it... I just took it out for you to appreciate. After all, this thing is a rare item."

Xu Qing felt some regret and withdrew his gaze. He did not immediately take out the White Pills but waited for a while. It wasn't until Zhou Qingpeng had settled his bill and left that Xu Qing took out the leather pouch containing his White Pills and placed it on the counter.

"Not buying herbs today, selling elixirs."

"Hmm?" The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed. He immediately opened the pouch and took a glance, instantly moved.

"So many White Pills?" He did not check them immediately but earnestly washed his hands at the side, then put on a pair of gloves. After signaling to Xu Qing that the gloves were dust-free, he opened the pouch and took out the White Pills inside.

Placing them on the counter, his eyes revealed astonishment. There were simply too many White Pills—about five hundred or so—and each one was incomparably round, with the fragrance of medicine wafting out and permeating the apothecary.

This caused many customers here to smell the scent and look over. Xu Qing's brows furrowed slightly, and his right hand landed naturally on the leather pouch containing the black iron skewer.

At this moment, the shopkeeper checked the elixirs carefully and was very surprised in his heart. He looked up and took a deep look at the young man before him. He had originally thought the other party's knowledge of vegetation was already very excellent, but now he knew the other party's elixir-refining technique was even more outstanding.

These elixirs were naturally formed, and one could tell at a glance that they were successful in one go, without any secondary refining due to errors. Moreover, each one was white and translucent, containing some natural medicinal oil, looking like mutton-fat jade.

This kind of technique was not possessed by everyone even among Second Peak disciples. Thus, after counting them, the shopkeeper pondered and gave a price.

"How about ten spirit stones?"

Xu Qing knew the prices in the main city. White Pills generally sold for about thirty spirit coins, while the value of one spirit stone was about one thousand spirit coins.

So, after thinking about it, he nodded in agreement.

The shopkeeper hurriedly took out the spirit stones and handed them to Xu Qing, then organized the elixirs on the counter. Xu Qing swept his gaze over the people around, his eyes narrowing, and turned to leave.

When he walked to the door, a young girl walked in from outside. Before she was even close, the fragrance of medicine assailed him.

This girl looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, holding a white umbrella and wearing a light orange Daoist robe!

One had to know that in the entire Seven Blood Eyes, every disciple below the peaks wore gray Daoist robes; only core disciples could wear solid colors.

Like the light purple of the Seventh Peak—it was just like this.

This Daoist robe represented her noble status!

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. He stepped aside to avoid her and swept his gaze over.

Under the white paper umbrella, the girl had medium-length, jet-black hair draped casually over her shoulders, and a slanted fringe that just happened to brush across her eyelids.

Under long eyelashes were eyes brimming with water, and the light orange Daoist robe on her body seemed to have become a long dress.

Her waist was slender enough to be held in one hand, and she was flawlessly beautiful, as if she did not eat the food of the mortal world.

Especially at this moment, as the wind and rain blew, two strands of hair by her cheeks brushed gently against her face, revealing skin as fine and moist as warm jade, with a soft, greasy luster.

She also saw Xu Qing. After sweeping a glance over his face, she did not have the arrogance of a core disciple but smiled elegantly, letting him pass first.

Xu Qing nodded, withdrew his gaze, and left from the side. After he left, the girl who had walked into the apothecary brought a fresh fragrance that quietly dispersed throughout the entire shop, slowly spreading into the hearts of everyone inside.

"Proprietor, you've come. Actually, there was no need for you to come personally; I could have just sent them to you." The shopkeeper ran over hurriedly, his expression very respectful.

"Uncle Peng, you don't need to be so polite. I was tired of refining elixirs in the mountains, so I came out to relax." The girl smiled and walked to the counter with the shopkeeper.

"It's only right, it's only right." The shopkeeper remained respectful, following quickly, and took out the leather pouch containing the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab from the counter, handing it to the girl.

Seeing the shopkeeper still being so polite, the girl shook her head helplessly. After taking it, she was just about to leave when her beautiful eyes suddenly swept over and landed on the White Pills that had not been completely put away on the counter.

She suddenly gave a light exclamation.

She lifted her white, onion-like right hand, gently pinched one pill, placed it before her pure and flawless face, and stared at it carefully. A trace of surprise clearly emerged in her eyes.

"Proprietor, what's wrong with this elixir? Is there a problem?" Seeing this scene, the shopkeeper hurriedly asked carefully.

"No problem." The girl smelled it before her nose.

"This elixir is very good, the purity is extremely high. Such elixirs are rare."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper was even more surprised.

"Proprietor, you are a core disciple of the Second Peak, a prodigy of the way of elixirs. Even you feel the purity of this elixir is rare? But no matter how high the purity of a Bai Dan is, it's still just a Bai Dan."

The girl smiled upon hearing this.

"Uncle Peng, you are right. White Pills are just basic elixirs. Although it's said that the higher the purity, the better, in reality, in terms of efficacy, eating a few more pills will have the same effect."

"But purity represents the refining technique. This point is what interests me." The girl examined the elixir in her hand again, and there was some spirit in her eyes.

Thus, she had the shopkeeper take out all the White Pills from this batch. After checking them one by one, the surprise in her eyes grew increasingly intense.

"Actually, every single one is like this. With such a large quantity, looking at the medicinal warmth on them, they were refined in batches, and the earliest ones should have been yesterday."

"This shows that at the medicinal liquid stage, the other party has already achieved perfection; every batch is exactly the same." The girl muttered, having the shopkeeper pack up all the White Pills from this batch, as she prepared to take them back for careful study.

Before leaving, she remembered something and asked a question.

"Uncle Peng, where were these White Pills collected from?"

"A disciple who doesn't know which peak he's from. He just left; you should have seen him when you came in, Proprietor." After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he looked outside the apothecary, where Xu Qing's figure was long gone.

The girl recalled for a moment, and the figure of the very handsome young man from just now appeared in her mind, so she nodded.

"Uncle Peng, if that person comes to sell elixirs again, please don't sell any of the elixirs; save them for me."

Hearing the proprietor's instructions, the shopkeeper was also surprised in his heart and hurriedly agreed. At the same time, his curiosity about Xu Qing grew even more.

This chapter is 4,000 words!

This little newbie really gave his all for this book. These past few days, I've been conceiving the outline for the subsequent plot, and every day I have to work until three or four in the morning.

My longboard has gathered dust.

My frisbee has gone missing.

My fitness coach hasn't been seen for a long time.

Friends call to drink, I don't go.

Authors call to play cards, I ignore them.

Girls call for dates, I refuse.

Everything that affects my sword-drawing... has been thrown to the back of my mind by this little newbie.

I am fully immersed in writing the book and conceiving the outline. It needs to be logical, consistent with character personalities, shape popular supporting characters, construct bigger climaxes, and also write out a certain warmth... So far, the outline is almost 60,000 words.

All you handsome guys and fairy ladies, seeing how hard I'm working, do you have the heart not to encourage me~ ===== CHAPTER 63 =====