Chapter 229: Blood Pact, Demon Union, Follow the Vine to the Gourd (Combined)

"Ten fifth-grade elixirs, enough for compensation?"

Li Rui sneezed, pondering.

"Not enough, definitely not enough."

The Soul-Nourishing Elixir is nearly the finest elixir in the world.

He realized.

Xia Xiaotang's favor was one he could never repay—more accurately, one he could not afford to repay.

Li Rui disliked owing favors.

Especially when an old man had tricked a naive sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl like Xia Xiaotang.

But.

His face flushed red.

"Consider it a lesson learned—about the treachery of human nature."

This favor would be recorded for now; he would repay it once he grew stronger.

In the blink of an eye.

Ten days passed.

The Weiheshimao Office gradually settled into routine; every day, merchant caravans from Wu Country arrived from outside the city, and the people of Qinghe no longer reacted to these Wu merchants riding demonic beasts.

Of course.

Caravans equipped with demonic beasts were rare even in Wu Country.

If every Wu citizen could command demonic beasts, Yu Country would have vanished long ago, swept away by Wu's demonic beast armies.

In truth, most were no different from ordinary Yu merchant caravans, and many didn't even wear beast-hide robes—the differences were vast.

"Wu Country is divided into Southern Wu and Northern Wu."

"Northern Wu, influenced by the Southern Flight of the Xuan Dynasty, resembles the Yu people more closely; Southern Wu has preserved the traditions left by the Beast God."

Dao Meng and Li Rui sat in a large house facing the market, speaking at length.

The Weiheshimao Office building was complete; this was the residence assigned to the Wu diplomatic mission.

Not only the Wu mission—Li Rui also had a large residence.

But most days, Tan Hu and Tang Hai led the Benhu Cavalry soldiers handling daily affairs; he himself was almost always out wandering.

As the chief official, confining oneself to petty tasks was undoubtedly unwise—it not only hindered effective governance but left one helpless when real problems arose.

Li Rui was the Weiheshimao Captain; within the Weiheshimao's domain, apart from its own officials, the most important were the Wu diplomatic mission.

'Southern Wu, Northern Wu…'

Li Rui listened.

He had heard of the Qí clan's Southern Flight; at the time, the founding Emperor of Yu had ridden across the land, and after Xuan's Divine General—the first Marquis of Wei—surrendered, Xuan's backbone was broken, and most of the Qí imperial family fled to Wu Country.

Why Wu Country had allied with Yu yet accepted Xuan's remnants remained unknown.

Clearly, the Southern Flight of the Xuan Dynasty had greatly influenced Wu Country.

At the mention of the Xuan Dynasty, Dao Meng growled:

"The Qís are no good. The late Emperor was surely murdered by that Qí woman."

"Oh?"

Li Rui raised an eyebrow slightly.

He knew nothing of such matters concerning Wu's imperial court.

Because of their shared trials and bonds of life and death, Dao Meng spoke bluntly: "That Qí concubine didn't just kill His Majesty—she tried to seize control of the court. Fortunately, the Great Witch of the South saw through her schemes and restored order."

Li Rui finally understood.

In short, the late Wu Emperor had married a Qí woman as Imperial Consort.

Later, that Qí consort attempted to use her son to seize the Wu throne—thus, the Qí clan would have indirectly achieved their dream of restoration.

"A clever indirect path to revival!"

Who says women are useless?

One such woman could rival ten thousand armies.

According to Dao Meng, if not for the Great Witch of the Southern Frontier, she might have succeeded; most of Wu's civil strife stemmed from this woman—or the Qí clan.

Dao Meng slapped his forehead.

Then he remembered: "Captain Li, Brother Mo sent word—he's confirmed that the attackers that day were Qí clan agents, and they colluded with the Ghost Ming Cult."

Li Rui nodded:

"Of course."

This wasn't hard to guess—in fact, the answer was right in the question.

The key wasn't investigation, but capture—with solid evidence and the culprit in hand.

That's why Cao Wei wasn't concerned about it.

Plainly put, that ambush was Wu Country's internal affair; the Anning Guard was merely caught in the crossfire—no need to stick their necks out.

Qinghe City, a new family moved into Liutiao Alley.

The man was talented, the woman beautiful.

The household had over a dozen servants; rumors said they had moved from another province to do business in the Southern Frontier.

In the main hall,

a man with sword-like brows and starlit eyes spoke with a gentle, captivating woman.

"Yan Zhongxing is an old fox—too slippery."

Qi Yu's eyes were dark.

After the operation failed, he and Liu Jiaoniang disguised themselves as Yu merchants, becoming undercover agents in Qinghe.

Originally, they planned to bribe the Weiheshimao's chief official with gold and silver—but Yan Zhongxing took the money and did nothing. Qi Yu nearly spat blood from rage.

Liu Jiaoniang looked at Qi Yu and sneered inwardly.

A fool who walked in openly with gifts—Yan Zhongxing letting him stay was already generous.

Qi Yu was used to wielding power thanks to his powerful cousin.

She had been assigned by her master, the Blood Shadow Ancestor, to pose as Qi Yu's wife—her only duty was gathering intelligence in the city.

Now that Qinghe had become a port, its status was extraordinary.

In some ways, it was even more important than Anning Prefecture; the Ghost Ming Cult's Gaoceng had to take notice.

She excelled at disguise.

Naturally, she was the perfect choice.

Qi Yu's curses drifted past her like wind.

She'd seen too many useless men.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

The one person in Qinghe who truly interested her was the official named Li Rui.

"Li Rui."

"He Shan?"

Sitting in the Weiheshimao Office, Li Rui stared at the bearded man before him, surprised.

Though his face had changed drastically, Li Rui recognized him at once.

It was He Shan.

Li Rui asked, startled: "Brother He, how did you come back?"

He remembered that after He Shan's demon slave wife died, he left the Anning Guard, saying he'd become a hired blade to hunt down her killer.

A row of white teeth gleamed through his black beard.

"Old Brother Li."

He Shan looked better than Li Rui expected—full of vigor and spirit.

Li Rui invited He Shan inside.

He brewed a pot of tea.

Then he asked about He Shan's recent life.

He Shan's eyes shone brightly: "Old Brother Li, heaven rewards the persistent—I've finally found the killer of Xiao Lan!"

"?!"

Li Rui was stunned: "Who?"

He Shan licked his lips: "The Thousand-Faced Rakshasa, Liu Jiaoniang—one of the Twelve Blood Disciples of the Ghost Ming Cult!"

Li Rui was even more shocked.

He knew perfectly well that Liu Jiaoniang had killed He Lan—but he never expected He Shan could uncover it.

He Shan: "I heard Liu Jiaoniang has come to Qinghe—she's probably here in the city now."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly.

Liu Jiaoniang was in Qinghe?

Recalling Dao Meng's words today—that the Southern Frontier Qí clan had allied with the Ghost Ming Cult—the attackers on the road that day must have included Liu Jiaoniang.

Otherwise, a single Blood Disciple had no reason to frequent Qinghe so often.

His mind stirred.

Then He Shan spoke with unwavering resolve: "I will kill her."

Li Rui stared at He Shan, his brow slightly furrowed.

Suddenly.

His right hand clamped down on He Shan's wrist like an iron vice.

He Shan instinctively struggled, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free; finally, he sighed and gave up.

Li Rui carefully sensed his condition, fixed his gaze on He Shan, and spoke slowly: "You used Blood-Breaking Art?"

He Shan nodded calmly: "Liu Jiaoniang was a sixth-rank expert. Without Blood-Breaking Art, I could never have killed her."

Li Rui released He Shan's wrist and let out a soft sigh.

Blood-Breaking Art was a secret technique widely known among swordsmen.

It was not a sophisticated technique.

In plain terms, it meant consuming one's vital blood to gain strength far beyond one's natural limit.

"Consuming vital blood" was a euphemism—it was actually burning one's lifespan.

No wonder he had felt He Shan's spirit seemed off.

This condition had another name: the fleeting glow before death.

"He Brother, why go to such lengths?"

He Shan shrugged it off: "It's just a rotten life. If I can kill my enemy, I die without regret."

=9+ Shu _ Ba

"Enough."

Li Rui sighed.

The deed was done; Blood-Breaking Art was irreversible, and there was nothing he could do.

He Shan said: "Brother Li, don't worry about it. I came just to see you. I don't have many acquaintances left in Qinghe. If you ever need something done that you can't handle yourself, just call on me—it'll make this trip worth it."

He wore an air of utter resignation.

As if he had no awareness that his lifespan was nearly spent.

Li Rui estimated He Shan had at most three years left to live.

"You."

He shook his head: "If you have nowhere to stay, I still have a house in the Heaven and Earth Alliance. Go live there—just say I told you to."

He Shan fell silent for a moment.

When he left Qinghe, he never intended to return.

Better to stay in Li Rui's house than in some noisy inn in town.

Since using Blood-Breaking Art, he felt strangely clearer, more at peace.

"Then I won't be polite."

"We're brothers. No need for formalities."

Li Rui gave him a solemn warning: "He Brother, if you find the Thousand-Faced Rakshasa, you must tell me first—don't act alone. I can send troops to assist."

"Thank you, Brother Li."

But from He Shan's expression, it was clear he wouldn't tell him.

Li Rui had little hope He Shan could succeed in his revenge.

He Shan himself was only seventh-rank. Even with Blood-Breaking Art granting him temporary sixth-rank combat power, killing Liu Jiaoniang was still nearly impossible.

He had placed He Shan in the Heaven and Earth Alliance precisely to keep an eye on him.

A brief interlude passed.

Li Rui's days returned to normal.

Though occasional hiccups occurred in the cross-border trade, overall it remained stable.

Matters requiring Li Rui's personal attention were rare; most were handled easily by Tan Hu and a few members of the Running Tiger Cavalry.

Before long.

Three months passed.

"Nourish the demon with blood; demon and man merge; blood pact binds; art reaches perfection."

Li Rui laid open a yellowed ancient scroll.

It was a miscellaneous record he borrowed from Dao Meng, detailing the witch tribe's cultivation methods. Techniques were the foundation of a martial artist's path; even though he was familiar with Dao Meng, the man would never give him a true technique—but miscellaneous notes were acceptable.

Through these notes, Li Rui gained some understanding of the witch kingdom's methods.

Broadly speaking,

the witch kingdom and Yu kingdom martial artists followed the same path: strengthening vital blood and nurturing true qi.

But the witch kingdom added demon-nourishing—linking with demonic beast blood to accelerate growth, and once tamed, these beasts could become formidable combat assets.

Yet warriors who possessed a bonded demon beast were rare even in the witch kingdom.

The demonic mounts in witch kingdom caravans were mostly like trained horses—capable only of simple commands, fundamentally different from true bonded beasts.

"Legend says, those who perfect demon-nourishing merge with demons and become demon immortals."

Li Rui murmured to himself.

He recalled the Xieshenfa of the Ghost Ming Sect—wasn't that exactly like the demon immortals in the scroll, becoming evil immortals?

"According to records, though no demon immortals have appeared, some have fused with demonic beasts and extended their lives to a terrifying thousand years."

"No wonder the Xuan Dynasty's imperial family has turned themselves into something neither human nor ghost."

Even a stable boy like him wanted to live longer.

How much more so the Xuan Dynasty's imperial family, who had enjoyed all the world's splendor?

The temptation to live hundreds of years more was irresistible to them.

It was merely a change in form.

Once they became demon immortals, they could simply rewrite the world's standards of beauty.

A single emperor could do such a thing—how much more so a true immortal?

"Who in this world doesn't wish to live as long as heaven?"

Even emperors were not exempt.

Li Rui sighed as he flipped through the scroll.

Though this notebook was not a true technique and could not teach him witch kingdom methods, with his insight, it might offer inspiration to improve the Changchun Art.

Just as he was engrossed in reading,

someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Master Li, my lord requests your presence at the Trade Office."

Li Rui looked at the young servant before him.

He was a household servant purchased by the witch kingdom's envoy delegation—a native of Qinghe.

Otherwise, a witch kingdom citizen frequently entering Anning Guard would draw suspicion.

"Alright."

He nodded.

Following the young servant, he arrived at the witch kingdom envoy's residence within the Trade Office.

As he stepped through the gate,

he heard a familiar voice: "Brother Li, long time no see."

Dao Mo stepped out from the house.

Li Rui stared at Dao Mo in surprise: "Master Dao?"

Dao Mo laughed heartily: "Brother Li, did you miss me?"

He then explained: "I finished the matter over there, so I came to Qinghe to visit. I'll be staying here longer this time."

Li Rui glanced inside the house.

He saw no sign of Xia Xiaotang.

Dao Mo caught his meaning: "Xiaotang has business elsewhere—she'll return in a few days. She's the envoy; she can't just vanish."

He teased.

Few in Qinghe knew Xia Xiaotang's true identity.

Or rather,

only Li Rui, the Yu kingdom man.

She had told him herself; once he knew, he had no reason to keep hiding it—it would only invite ridicule.

Li Rui smiled: "I see."

He asked further,

and learned that Dao Mo had returned with a mission.

"Intelligence indicates that the rebel Xia Zhou's faction has moved north—they've likely arrived in Qinghe, and probably intend sabotage to ruin the two nations' trade."

Xia Zhou was the ninth prince of the witch kingdom.

More accurately, he was the former prince.

Ever since his elder brother ascended the throne, he became a rebel.

His mother was Imperial Consort Qi.

In short, this ninth prince was the one the Qis of the Southern Frontier sought to install as emperor.

Li Rui's expression grew grave: "What will you do, Master Dao?"

Dao Mo's lips curled into a cruel smile:

"Of course we find them and kill them all!"

If not for Li Rui, he would have suffered a great defeat at those people's hands—he had been holding that rage inside ever since.

"Brother Li, you're all-powerful—if you hear anything about those bastards, tell me first. You don't even need to lift a finger; just give me their location."

Li Rui pondered:

"Alright."

(End of Chapter)