Chapter 268: Enemies Arrive: Taijiang Garrison Surrounds the Town

The Dragon Pendant and the Phoenix Pendant are definitely on Sun Dashou’s person.

It wasn’t Guo Ming and Yang Qianyuan who deduced this—it was Li Wanwu who questioned every staff member at the inn one by one.

Sun Dashou was naturally among them.

When Li Wanwu asked him, he admitted it outright.

He answered without the slightest hesitation.

This made Li Wanwu hesitate over how to ask for them.

Guo Ming could not possibly just seize them by force; though he was certain of Sun Dashou’s identity, the man had shown no signs of tyranny or folly during his stay at the inn.

At most, he was an ordinary ruler.

So Li Wanwu had to handle the persuasion—while Guo Ming, meanwhile, took the opportunity to open Fang Yiliu’s Excellent-tier chest and the Blackened Old Monster’s Fine-tier chest.

——

【You opened: Chest (Excellent-tier), obtained: Demon Blood Tattoo, Paradise Points ×500】

【You opened: Chest (Fine-tier), obtained: Soldier’s Wraith-Cured Jade Steel, Qi Wraith Battle Gang , Paradise Points ×2500】

——

【Demon Blood Tattoo】

【Type: Consumable】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Effect: When used by a summoned entity, forms a Demon Blood Tattoo on its skin, dealing an additional 10 damage to targets in a bleeding state】

(Note: The tattoo gradually fades with use and time; it becomes inactive once gone)

(Note: Only usable by summoned entities possessing a bleeding skill/talent; users not meeting conditions bear all consequences)——

【Soldier’s Wraith-Cured Jade Steel】

【Type: Material】

【Quality: Fine-tier】

【Effect: Forges and tempering for permanent summoned entities of the armor-type spirit beast class; upon success, grants the entity a 5% life-drain effect】

——

【Qi Wraith Battle Gang 】

【Type: Material】

【Quality: Fine-tier】

【Effect: Forges and tempering for permanent summoned entities of the armor-type spirit beast class; upon success, grants the entity a +5% bonus to weapon-qi skills/talents】

(Note: Weapon-qi refers to external abilities such as sword qi, blade qi, etc.)——

Guo Ming glanced at it and immediately used the Demon Blood Tattoo on Da Bao.

As for the two materials from the Fine-tier chest, Guo Ming simply stored them away.

If he could obtain another Talent Book (Purple Mansion), he would acquire a halberd-type spirit beast and bring it back.

Then, with the Purple Mansion as the core, combine it with the halberd-type spirit beast, the Spirit Beast Codex: Azure Heaven Overlord Halberd, and these two materials into a bundle to sell to Yan Qi.

They would certainly pay a high price for it.

Of course, even if he didn’t sell it, such bundled products were expensive—but their demand was even higher.

Even if close-combat users didn’t want it, there were still eccentric summoning specialists.

The Purple Mansion could feedback the summoned entity’s attributes, while armor-type spirit beasts could enhance their master.

Combined, they were extremely attractive to summoning specialists who relied on their summoned entities to fight while they stood back and rallied them.

If he could also add Close Combat Proficiency and Halberd Proficiency, paired with Summoning Studies and Summoning Arts, and if his own combat skills and experience were solid, first place in the Arena would be guaranteed.

【Collect a bit more, then sell it to a major faction later to get Qianyuan a basic skill.】 Guo Ming thought.

As for what kind of basic skill Yang Qianyuan wanted—that was up to him.

It couldn’t be decided now; they’d have to discuss it once back in the Paradise.

Because he was in Yang Qianyuan’s native world, the Paradise hadn’t altered his cognition—mentioning it outright would leak the secret.

Guo Ming would be forcibly returned immediately.

Basic skills were Paradise strategic resources; even Guo Ming had been forbidden from taking them out, let alone secretly revealing them to natives.

“Big Brother Guo, it’s been a whole day and Sun Dashou hasn’t moved. Why don’t we just take them by force?” Yang Qianyuan approached, his tone edged with hostility.

Only the two of them knew Sun Dashou’s true identity: the Southern Inspection Emperor.

Heaven knew, earth knew, you knew, I knew—just act.

Guo Ming looked at Yang Qianyuan strangely: “Do you think he’s a bad man?”

“Not really—he seems like a steady, honest man. Why?” Yang Qianyuan asked.

“Exactly. So what reason do we have to bully an honest man just because I need it?” Guo Ming countered.

Time was still ample; Guo Ming’s days were full, and Li Wanwu’s progress was actually quite good.

As for rumors that Emperor Anyong was a debauched, incompetent ruler? Guo Ming had never seen that—he’d only seen this steady, honest man before him.

Hearing is deceptive, seeing is believing may not always be accurate—but Guo Ming had seen the man’s steadiness and not his absurdity.

That didn’t fit his principles.

“Still, it’s been dragging on too long. I’ll go speak with Sun Dashou again.” Guo Ming knew that since the man was an emperor, the original purchase plan wouldn’t work.

But there was another solution: heal his injury.

“You stay quiet. I’ll speak.”

“We all know the truth, but we haven’t broken the surface yet—you’re not the one to bring it up.”

Guo Ming warned Yang Qianyuan, who naturally agreed.

Soon after, the two found Sun Dashou, who was sweeping the back courtyard with a broom.

“Mind if we talk?” Guo Ming spoke up.

Sun Dashou knew why Guo Ming had come—Li Wanwu had been pressuring him for two days, but he hadn’t yielded.

“Alright, wait a moment.” Sun Dashou replied, dumped the trash, put the broom back in the corner, then said: “You want the Dragon and Phoenix Pendants, right?”

“Correct. But I won’t take them for free—I’ll heal your injury, and then you give me the two pendants.” Guo Ming didn’t hesitate—he laid out the terms immediately.

“I know my condition better than anyone. I don’t know what gives you the confidence to make such a claim,” Sun Dashou said calmly. “I don’t believe you can heal me.”

“Try it. If you’re not healed, you lose nothing,” Guo Ming replied—he wasn’t unreasonable; if it failed, he wouldn’t force the issue.

Sun Dashou lowered his eyes, thought briefly, then said: “Fine. If you heal me, I give them to you now.”

“If you can’t, take them after I die.”

Sun Dashou knew Guo Ming was a good man—he’d once offered to heal him even before knowing the pendants were on him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said “take them after I die.”

He refused to give them now because he didn’t yet understand Guo Ming’s true situation.

His identity and origins were deeply mysterious; if Sun Dashou fell into his hands while still alive, things could turn unpredictable.

The two pendants weren’t especially valuable—just personal belongings.

But precisely because they were personal, they could be used for many purposes.

“Agreed,” Guo Ming said, then ordered Da Bai to cast Spirit Healing.

With dual heads and multiple casting, six Spirit Healing spells entered Sun Dashou’s body.

Sun Dashou immediately closed his eyes, his whole body appearing deeply relaxed.

Yang Qianyuan sensed Sun Dashou’s injuries rapidly improving.

But the improvement halted halfway through.

Da Bai sensed this too, and immediately cast another six Spirit Healing spells.

His condition improved further, but the effect was less than a tenth of what it had been before.

Seeing this, Da Bai kept casting Spirit Healing as if it cost nothing.

Until, no matter how much healing was applied, there was no further improvement.

“Enough,” Sun Dashou said. “It can be treated—but only superficially, not fundamentally.”

Guo Ming’s eyebrow twitched—he was in trouble.

“Though you didn’t fully heal me, you did heal half,” Sun Dashou said, pulling out a jade pendant carved with dragon patterns and handing it to Guo Ming: “Here, take half.”

“The other half… when I die.”

【Disciple has acquired a quest item. Choose to continue or settle.】

【Depending on choice, subsequent quests will differ.】

Guo Ming immediately chose to continue.

Before he could ask how to obtain the other half, Li Wanwu rushed in.

“Bad news! The rebels have arrived!” Li Wanwu blurted out, delivering a grim message to everyone present.

“So soon? Who are they targeting?” Guo Ming asked.

Li Wanwu didn’t know—but someone answered for her.

The rebels had entered the town and headed straight for the Dragon Phoenix Inn.

“Li Wanwu, Prince Ning wishes to see you. I trust you don’t want the people of Mei Long Town slaughtered,” said a armored officer, sword at his side, flanked by a Golden-Winged Demon King.

The accompanying generals were each followed by various Demon Generals.

Simultaneously, waves of soldiers and Demon Troops flooded in, immediately sealing off the entire Dragon Phoenix Inn—completely surrounded, no escape.

With clear intent and supernatural backing, their speed was swift.

But soon, the general’s gaze fell upon Sun Dashou, his expression changing slightly.

The man recognized Sun Dashou’s identity—he must be a trusted confidant of Prince Ning, and thus knew Emperor Anyong.

“Hah, it’s truly like searching high and low for years, only to find it effortlessly.” The general sneered and immediately gave the order: “Form the array!”

“Prince Ning is surnamed Yang too—this empire belongs to his Yang family. Why does he treat the common people as grass?” Chu Danqing said coldly.

Yet the general paid no heed to Chu Danqing’s words; as the Demon Array took shape, the side quest of Paradise appeared simultaneously.

【Side Quest: Crush the Taijiang Garrison within 1 hour】

【Trial Difficulty: A-rank (Hero）】

【Trial Reward: Paradise Points ×10000, Attribute Points +4】

【Trial Failure: Paradise Points -20000, Random Attribute -1】

“Have you decided?” The general’s gaze swept over Li Fengjie and Sun Dashou: “You two come with me, and I’ll withdraw my troops from Meilong Town immediately, leaving the civilians unharmed.”

“With your strength, if you resist, not only will you suffer—but the people will suffer with you.”

Li Fengjie stared at the endless horde of Yecha soldiers, trembling with fear.

Sun Dashou stepped forward, grasped her hand, and whispered reassurance: “Don’t be afraid—I’m here.”

Chu Danqing felt a twinge of embarrassment at being ignored, but it didn’t matter—Pure Yang Celestial General and Yin Dark Goddess would restore his dignity.

(End of Chapter)