Chapter 134: Many Friends, Many Connections

Staring at the densely packed ice needles inside the glass pitcher, Ding Feng puzzled for a moment, then asked, "What is this thing?"

Li Lin shook his head: "I'm not sure either. I only know this thing carries an extremely heavy yin qi; even a great apparition couldn't bear it."

Ding Feng glanced at Sister Yan Jing, who stood beside Li Lin like a little maid, and said, "You've already tried it?"

Li Lin nodded.

"Could you spare me a few so I can try as well? Don't worry, afterwards I will certainly offer you a generous reward."

"Right now?"

Ding Feng nodded lightly.

Li Lin tilted the glass pitcher, and Sister Yan Jing held out a wine cup, waiting.

Soon, four ice needles dropped into the wine cup.

Sister Yan Jing carried the wine cup over and set it before Ding Feng.

Ding Feng's body was a little stiff; he kept looking at Sister Yan Jing, and one could tell he was somewhat wary of her.

Only when Sister Yan Jing returned to Li Lin's side did he relax.

Li Lin noticed this phenomenon and found it strange—this person seemed, if anything, even more afraid of himself.

And clearly, he was inside their main camp.

Could it be… that to these people, Sister Yan Jing was very formidable?

Ding Feng gazed at the four ice needles in the cup, reached out a finger wanting to touch them, then thought of something and gave up.

He said to the servant beside him, "Go fetch Old Eight."

Before long, a young man came up. He first looked at Li Lin and Sister Yan Jing, and especially upon seeing Sister Yan Jing, a clear emotion of envy flashed in his eyes.

A beautiful female apparition was something every spirit hunter desired.

And this was a female apparition who could appear in broad daylight—the significance was all the more different.

"Clan chief, what are your orders for summoning me?"

Ding Feng pointed at the ice needles in the cup: "Try eating this thing."

The ice needles were very fine, only a little thicker than a hair.

Without a word of protest, the young man immediately swallowed the ice needles into his stomach.

At first there was no reaction, but after a while, the young man felt cold all over.

His lips began to turn white, his whole body started to shiver, and then signs of frost appeared on the surface of his skin.

"Clan chief… it's very cold."

Without a word, Ding Feng pressed his right hand to the young man's back, transferring his own blood qi into the young man's body.

But the domineering degree of these ice needles seemed to exceed Ding Feng's expectations.

Frost began to form on both his palms.

"Do you need my help?" Li Lin asked.

Ding Feng shook his head: "Don't worry, it's within my estimate."

Having said that, Ding Feng closed his eyes and poured out his full strength to transmit blood qi.

Sister Yan Jing leaned close to Li Lin, her lips almost brushing his ear, and whispered, "The quality of his blood qi is far worse than yours."

Li Lin didn't even want to bother with her.

Wasn't this perfectly normal? He was middle-aged; of course his blood qi couldn't compare with a young man's.

After about two incense sticks' time, the frost on the young man's body gradually faded.

Ding Feng let out a breath, lifted both palms from the young man's back, and asked, "How do you feel now?"

"Thank you, clan chief, I feel much better. And my yin qi has increased somewhat."

Ding Feng nodded: "How does it compare with yin qi stones?"

"If they're about the same size, naturally this ice needle has more yin qi, but… absorbing yin qi stones isn't this miserable."

Ding Feng nodded: "Alright, you may go."

The young man cupped his fist, then left.

Only then did Ding Feng return to his seat. He looked at Li Lin and said, "Li County Captain, could you spare me a few more ice needles?"

Li Lin fell into thought.

Ding Feng cupped his fist and said, "In addition, I will give you a immortal artifact."

Li Lin nodded.

Sister Yan Jing once more handed over a wine cup with ten more ice needles, and Ding Feng cupped his fist and said, "Please wait a moment."

He rose and left.

After the person had walked far away, Sister Yan Jing said, "It seems these people are quite wary of you, my lord County Captain."

Li Lin shook his head: "He's afraid of you."

Sister Yan Jing smiled coquettishly: "So you see, this concubine is still of some use. Why not keep me around from now on, my lord County Captain?"

"Can't afford to keep you."

Sister Yan Jing gazed at him with soulful eyes.

Before long, Ding Feng came back, holding something that looked like a jade pendant.

"Please accept this, Li County Captain."

Li Lin took it and looked, discovering that this thing was not a jade pendant but a round, jade-like crystal.

Beneath the translucent jade slice, a sphere was encased.

Black and white, slowly rotating.

Li Lin took it and examined it for a while, discovering that from within this thing, a peculiar 'qi' seemed to emanate.

It felt rather pleasant.

"This thing must be very precious."

Ding Feng waved his hand: "It's been passed down in the clan for over a hundred years, and none of us have discovered any use for it. Besides, its 'spirituality' has been growing weaker and weaker. I remember when I was little and saw this immortal artifact, it spun much faster."

Li Lin tucked the item into his bundle, cupped his fists, and said: "Many thanks."

"County Lieutenant Li, you're too kind. You also gave us over a dozen immortal ice needles — by all rights, we're the ones getting the better deal."

Li Lin rose: "I should be going now. If Clan Leader Ding has the time, do come visit us in Yulin County."

"Of course, of course."

Li Lin smiled, took out the talisman paper, drew Sister Yan Jing into it, and then left the Ding household.

After Clan Leader Ding saw Li Lin out, he returned to the mountain-top pavilion. He looked at the ice needles in his wine cup, smiled, then without a word of hesitation, sent all those dozen-plus ice needles into his mouth and swallowed them.

Soon, Ding Feng's entire body was frozen into frost, yet not a trace of pain showed on his face — instead, he looked quite delighted.

The frost spread; before long the pavilion's floor, tabletop, and even the ceiling all began to frost over, and this continued until dusk.

Only then did the frost gradually fade, leaving the entire pavilion drenched, as though a heavy rain had just passed.

A wave of heat rose from Ding Feng's body, steaming the moisture off him.

At that moment a middle-aged man walked over and said: "Congratulations, big brother — your strength has greatly increased."

Ding Feng turned his head and said with a smile: "I've finally broken through."

The middle-aged man said: "Still, giving that immortal artifact to that lad — wasn't that too much of a loss?"

"Not a loss." Ding Feng said: "That immortal artifact has been in our household for over a hundred years, and we never figured out anything about it. And the Taixu Cave Mansion — how many times have we searched it? No gains at all. County Lieutenant Li arrives and immediately gains something — that shows he has some immortal affinity."

"Exactly so — all the more reason not to give him the immortal artifact."

Ding Feng laughed: "As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven! Since we can't walk this path ourselves, why not let the fated person walk ahead while we follow behind and pick up the bargains?"

"I'm just afraid that lad figures out the immortal artifact's use and doesn't tell us…"

"No matter." Ding Feng waved his hand: "Our Ding clan has plenty of good things — we can trade with him later. Second brother, remember this… anyone who only ever thinks of seizing will never come to a good end. If we can trade, why seize?"

"And if the other party isn't willing to trade?"

"Then it means our Ding clan has nothing worth coveting, and we must spend more thought and time building ourselves up — until we have something the other party can respect and is willing to trade with us for."

The middle-aged man nodded, half-understanding.

Ding Feng went on smiling: "Of course, when cooperating with people you must also look at their character. Those who go back on their word — naturally we can't deal with them. County Lieutenant Li is excellent. According to Qiu'er's investigation, he's a young man of quite outstanding character. It's a pity the Huang family got there first — otherwise I would have had Qing'er go make contact with him."

Li Lin had no idea of Ding Feng's assessment of him.

By now he was already mounted on a fine horse, heading home.

All along the way, whether riding the horse or resting at night, he kept studying this immortal artifact.

But to no avail.

Blood-oath recognition didn't work; burning and soaking didn't work either.

Pouring in yin energy also had no effect.

"If it were really that easy to uncover this thing's secret, the Ding family wouldn't have been so generous as to give it to us." Sister Yan Jing said helplessly.

Li Lin agreed, but he felt that the very pleasant aura this thing gave off — he seemed to have sensed it somewhere before.

But it was too faint; he had only a hazy impression.

Time flew by in travel and studying the immortal artifact.

Four days later, Li Lin arrived back at his home in Yulin County.

Huang Qi and Hongluan were naturally overjoyed.

After the three of them cuddled for a while, Li Lin took out the talisman paper.

Soon, Sister Yan Jing manifested from the talisman paper.

At the sight of the eerily sinister Sister Yan Jing, Hongluan was so frightened her whole body trembled.

Though Huang Qi also turned pale, she still bowed gracefully and said: "This elder sister — is she the Taowu Zhenjun our master keeps?"

As a member of the Huang family, she knew well that many noble houses had the ability to keep apparitions.

The Simiao Zhenjun was the great apparition kept by the Huang family.

Sister Yan Jing took Huang Qi's hand and said plaintively: "County Lieutenant Li used me up and now wants to toss me aside — how heartless."

Huang Qi and Hongluan glanced at Li Lin.

Huang Qi then said: "I trust our master is not the sort of heartless, ungrateful man."

Hongluan nodded rapidly.

Sister Yan Jing laughed: "This younger sister, I was only teasing — please don't take it to heart."

Huang Qi breathed a quiet sigh of relief; she felt Sister Yan Jing's hands were somewhat icy, yet she didn't quite dare shake her off.

Li Lin said: "Hongluan, go inside and bring two yin-energy stones."

"Two?" Sister Yan Jing was a little surprised.

Li Lin smiled: "You protected me all along the way, which is why I didn't run into any trouble. One yin-energy stone would make me look too stingy — I'll give you two."

Sister Yan Jing's eyes showed a touch of emotion, then she looked at Huang Qi and said: "This younger sister, I don't want yin-energy stones — I want to meet your Li family's apparition. Won't you put in a good word for me with the county lieutenant?"

Huang Qi was stunned.

Li Lin said helplessly: "I really can't afford to keep you. The Tree Immortal Lady's side already takes so much of my qi and blood that I can barely keep up."

Li Lin was no longer the novice he once was; he could tell that when the Tree Immortal Lady drew on his blood energy, she was holding back considerably.

This was clearly… the sign of not having eaten her fill.

He already felt guilty letting the Tree Immortal Lady go hungry; if he took on another Sister Yan Jing, wouldn't that mean splitting off part of his qi and blood — wouldn't the Tree Immortal Lady be even hungrier?

He didn't want that to happen.

And at this moment, Huang Qi suddenly said: "Master, keeping this elder sister doesn't necessarily require your qi and blood — incense offerings can be used."

Sister Yan Jing wasn't particularly keen on consuming incense; she preferred to devour Li Lin's blood qi.

But then she suddenly thought that as long as she "settled" in this house, she would eventually have the chance to taste a few mouthfuls of the blood qi from Li Lin.

Yes, she immediately took Huang Qi's hand and said, "Thank you, little sister. From now on, you are my mistress."

Li Lin sighed, "I don't have an altar..."

"Find the Huang family... ask Father for one!" Huang Qi laughed. "Actually, Father already has two small altars in his possession. Our Huang family made its start with this very skill."

(End of this chapter)