Chapter 49: Bronze Bone, Iron Skin, Eighth-Rank Martial Artist

Midnight.

A restaurant.

"Han Peng is dead?"

Li Rui frowned slightly.

Wu Tu had suddenly sought him out just now, looking utterly depressed and wanting to drink with him. After a long rant of grievances, Li Rui hadn't expected to hear this news.

Wu Tu tilted his head back and downed a cup of wine, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Li Lao, it really is a run of bad luck. That god-damned Ghost Gui Ming Jiao—I've actually stumbled twice at their hands."

"By the way, it seems one of the dead was named Han Peng. Didn't he spend some time at the Hun Tian Yi Hall before?"

After Li Rui pressed him for details, he finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.

It was just as he had expected.

Those three from the Huaqing Sect had come to Qinghe precisely to deal with the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao.

The last time he ran into Jiang Yan must have been the day they came to the Heaven and Earth Alliance to persuade the helmsman, Dao Xiong, to help.

"Dog-shit Ghost Gui Ming Jiao, they're actually raising monsters—utterly devoid of conscience. If I hadn't been ambushed by a demonic beast, I would never have been injured."

The more Wu Tu thought about it, the more depressed he became.

His previous injuries hadn't fully healed, and now he had added new ones.

To entice the Heaven and Earth Alliance to act, the Huaqing Sect had promised many rare spirit elixirs refined by their own alchemists.

Taking this job was originally meant to trade for elixirs to heal his injuries so he could recover to his peak for the grand examination. Now, it was just injury upon injury. There was no need to think about entering the branch helm; he might even lose his casino and be transferred to a place with even less profit.

Raising monsters.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

A fleeting glimpse from that night surfaced in his mind.

That ghost monster was the result of monster-raising.

"Monster-raising originates from the ancient Wu tribe. Using the power of medicinal stones combined with taming methods, they make demonic beasts serve them."

He recalled a book he had read before, which contained an explanation of monster-raising methods.

This method had long been classified as an evil art by the Yu Kingdom's imperial court.

This was only because the process of raising monsters was fraught with danger; if one wasn't careful, the beast would turn on its master. Moreover, because of the hatred for humans ingrained during this experience, they would often project that hatred onto ordinary commoners, frequently leading to tragedies where entire villages were wiped out.

That was why the court listed it as an evil art.

The Ghost Gui Ming Jiao practices evil arts.

This seemed very logical.

Wu Tu continued: "Luckily, I only ran into a Silver-Tailed Flying Snake. If I had bumped into a ghost monster, I wouldn't be seeing you, old brother, today."

He felt a lingering fear.

Not all monsters raised by the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao end up becoming ghost monsters.

Ghost monsters are only a very small fraction; most demonic beasts are merely obedient after being raised. Ghost monsters are essentially a mutated variety.

Wu Tu sighed dejectedly:

"It seems it will be difficult to keep this '18' brand this time."

Li Rui naturally understood Wu Tu's state of mind.

Both of them came from humble beginnings and couldn't compare to those born into wealth; they had to fight for everything. If Wu Tu couldn't advance this time, he would inevitably be alienated by Zhang Yang, and the difficulty of regaining trust would increase many times over.

He pondered for a moment.

Then, he took an exquisite small box from his bosom, placed it on the table, and slowly pushed it toward Wu Tu.

Wu Tu was somewhat stunned.

"Old brother, what is this?"

"Take this Bone-Nurturing Pill first; just pay me back later."

This pill wasn't the one Ying Liu had given him, but one he had bought at the medicine hall using the five hundred taels of silver he'd obtained from looting corpses that night.

He had originally intended to take it himself.

Now, he would let Wu Tu have it first.

Wu Tu blinked, unable to believe it. He took a long time to compose himself before drawing a deep breath: "Many thanks, Li Laoge Li. I will definitely repay this kindness."

Few people remember those who add flowers to a brocade, but one can remember a gift of charcoal in snowy weather for a lifetime.

A single Bone-Nurturing Pill cost a full five hundred taels of silver.

Even if he scraped for profit everywhere, it would take at least a year to save that much. This favor was not ordinary in its weight.

Li Rui waved his hand: "We are our own people, why say such things? If you really want to thank me, just shed a few tears. I've lived this long, and I've truly never seen the leader of the Dark Eight Sects cry."

Wu Tu grinned and laughed loudly.

"I won't cry; if I cry, it'll be to make others cry!"

He gripped the Bone-Nurturing Pill, feeling high-spirited.

With this pill, not only could he heal all his injuries, but he might even be able to advance further.

Li Rui: "Brother Wu, this old brother wishes you a good ranking in the examination in advance."

Wu Tu's mouth curled upward: "It's just the right time to show them who the true leader of the Dark Eight Sects is."

An abandoned temple outside Qinghe City.

Han Qin, Zhu Yue, and Jiang Yan frowned as they looked at the corpse of the demonic beast lying on the ground.

"This Silver-Tailed Flying Snake is truly ferocious."

Zhu Yue felt a lingering fear.

Among the three, he was the only one who hadn't stepped into the Eighth Rank yet, so naturally, it was strenuous for him to face an Eighth-Rank demonic beast.

Han Qin glanced at Jiang Yan.

During the fight just now, the strength Jiang Yan displayed had shocked even him. To be this formidable just after breaking through—her future achievements were unimaginable.

Moreover, Jiang Yan was simply too young.

Han Qin gave a bitter smile.

"People really cannot be compared to one another."

He tidied up his chaotic thoughts: "The Ghost Gui Ming Jiao is raising monsters, and the scale seems quite large. This matter has already exceeded the scope of what we can handle."

Zhu Yue nodded and looked toward Jiang Yan:

"Junior Sister Jiang, let's return to the sect and find help."

Jiang Yan, however, shook her head: "The Ghost Gui Ming Jiao is hidden too deeply; more people will only startle the snake. We don't need to deal with the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao ourselves; as long as we find their gathering point, my father will naturally act."

"Alright."

Hearing the name Jiang Linxian, Zhu Yue felt a bit calmer.

Otherwise, he would never have been willing to face the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao's monsters alone.

Han Qin had a headache: "This time, both the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the Blood Tiger Gang have suffered losses, with several people dead. I'm afraid their enthusiasm for searching won't be high."

Jiang Yan also frowned slightly.

This time, they had gone to great lengths to get the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the Blood Tiger Gang to act.

They hadn't expected to stumble so quickly.

The progress of the subsequent search would definitely be affected.

Zhu Yue pondered: "As far as I know, the Heaven and Earth Alliance's examination day is in half a month. Why don't we go to watch the battle then and determine on the spot two spots for those who can participate in the sect entry trial? This move should serve to boost morale."

Han Qin's eyes lit up.

"Junior Brother Zhu, that's a good method."

With almost no cost, they could recruit two high-level Heaven and Earth Alliance experts to work for them wholeheartedly. Besides that, it could also boost the confidence of those ordinary disciples.

That was a method that killed two birds with one stone.

Jiang Yan also felt it was good and nodded.

"Then let's do it that way."

"Choose a place that is extremely high and clean, take the most pure and harmonious Qi; that which enters through the nose, rushes to the dantian; that which enters through the mouth, rushes to the intestines and abdomen. Three, five, or seven times are all acceptable."

In the room.

Li Rui sat cross-legged, practicing his cultivation according to the improved breathing method.

"Exhale~"

"Inhale~"

The breath was long and steady; a single exhale and inhale took a full half-stick of incense time, and his chest could barely be seen rising or falling.

Li Rui closed his eyes and focused his mind.

Just as the breath alternated and the turbid Qi in his chest was expelled, his heart stirred; he seemed to feel something.

He opened his eyes abruptly.

"It's done!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 50 =====