Chapter 112

Indeed, something this important—Xiaoyue that old beast wouldn't possibly leave it unattended.

Qin Shuo searched the human flesh of the Xiaoyue Yaowang and finally found a piece of black jade pendant.

The jade pendant felt warm and smooth in his hand, like the black yin fish in the Taiji diagram, ancient and natural, with no trace of human carving, as if it had been born that way.

【Ingredient Discovered: Spirit Jade】

【Refining Conditions:?】

【Refining Effect:?】

"Huh... what the hell are these two question marks?"

Seeing the prompt text surfacing below, Qin Shuo was momentarily stunned.

What nonsense is this Taotie Cauldron pulling?

You can't refine it and say you can't, but you can refine it, yet both refining conditions and effects are question marks—what does that mean?

Qin Shuo was a bit dazed.

This was the first time he'd encountered a situation where even the refining effect was a question mark.

Based on prior refining experience, the Taotie Cauldron can refine residual spiritual imprints in items.

But for non-spiritual-imprint items, such as pills and exotic beast meat, Qin Shuo needs to refine them through tempering his own body.

This yin fish jade pendant before him clearly belongs to the non-spiritual-imprint category, yet it's not a pill or exotic beast meat—something his flesh can digest—so logically it shouldn't be classified as an ingredient.

Yet the Taotie Cauldron clearly indicated it is an ingredient, which left Qin Shuo puzzled.

"Could it be because my flesh or spirit hasn't yet reached the condition to refine this?" Qin Shuo thought.

After all, along this journey, he has refined quite a few things.

Whether it was the Iron-Fetal Bow, or the White Jade Ginseng King, or even the White Ape Stake...

These things were either absorbable by his spirit or by his flesh.

There had never been a case where the Taotie Cauldron could refine something, yet neither his flesh nor spirit could absorb it.

Thus he speculated that this yin fish jade pendant should require his spirit or flesh to reach a certain level before the refining conditions could be unlocked.

After all, this thing shares the same origin as the World-Suppressing Divine Weapon, so having stricter refining conditions is only normal.

"Forget it, there will be a day when it can be refined—no need to rush."

Qin Shuo never dwells on things he can't figure out; if he can't understand it, he just doesn't think about it, anyway he's not in urgent need of it.

Storing the Spirit Jade into the Taotie Cauldron, he couldn't help but recall the Iron-Fetal Bow used by Xue Chengkong during their earlier battle.

"That's a fine bow, paired with specially made Mysterious Iron Heavy Arrows, its power not inferior to the Divine Arm Crossbow—absolutely not to be missed." Qin Shuo muttered to himself.

Now that the battle is over, that old codger Xue Chengkong, for his own selfish desires, laid down such a heaven-shaking killing scheme; I struck him down and saved the city's populace—I ought to gain something from this.

Thinking this, Qin Shuo's heart stirred, and the surrounding moonlight, as if pulled, attached itself to him.

In an instant, Qin Shuo felt his body lighten considerably; a light tap of his toes, and he instantly turned into a silver streak shooting toward the City Lord's Mansion.

"The sensation of flying through the air—truly not bad!"

Feeling the gales constantly howling past on both sides, Qin Shuo felt a surge of refreshment in his heart.

With the ability to control moonlight and fly through the void, his strength will rise another level; no longer need worry about being someone's kite, passively taking blows.

"Sir He, this is the City Lord's Mansion, not your playground for flying kites—please leave at once!"

Inside the City Lord's Mansion.

Countless armored spearmen encircled a separate courtyard.

The leader, a middle-aged man dressed as a tutor, had his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at He Mingjing and Jueming standing on the roof, his face grim, issuing the order to expel.

"Tutor Du, you need not use the name of Wind Thunder Valley to pressure me."

He Mingjing looked down from above, coldly smiling at the middle-aged man in scholar's attire:

"I am the Greedy Wolf Captain of the Demon Suppression Division, ordered to investigate the Xiaoyue Yaowang affair!"

"Upon investigation, Xue Chengkong of Wind Thunder Valley, in order to continue the Heavenly Meridian, spared no effort colluding with the Xiaoyue Yaowang, using the hundred thousand citizens of Heishui City as materials to refine the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill."

"Such demonic conduct has already violated the laws of our Great Li; by guilt, he deserves the execution of nine clans!"

"If you are sensible, you should bind your hands and feet and follow me back to the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Division to report, clearing your suspicion of colluding with demons."

"Otherwise, Xue Chengkong will be your fate."

"Preposterous!"

The middle-aged scholar called Tutor Du coldly laughed:

"The City Lord secludes himself, paying no heed to worldly affairs—how could there be any talk of colluding with the Demon King?"

"On the contrary, Sir He, having been in Heishui City for months, not only failed to detect the Demon King hiding in the city and report it promptly to the Demon Suppression Division, but instead stood by while the Demon King slaughtered the city."

"In my view, the one colluding with the Demon King is you."

"Or perhaps, you fear being blamed by the Demon Suppression Division for inefficiency, hence you slander the City Lord, trying to push all blame onto him."

"But don't forget, the City Lord is a disciple of Wind Thunder Valley—not someone you, Sir He, can casually slander."

"You're full of shit!"

He Mingjing flared up, glaring and saying: "Xue Chengkong's scheme to refine the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill—he admitted it himself before this official and Jueming Master; how could it be false?"

"Hah! Everyone in Heishui City can attest—the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill was refined by the Xiaoyue Yaowang, what's it got to do with our City Lord?"

"Sir He, you must not spout blood!"

The middle-aged scholar coldly laughed repeatedly, utterly unafraid of He Mingjing's threats, and refused to accept his accusations.

"Tutor Du, don't think that because you're a Wind Thunder Valley disciple, I dare not move against you!"

"According to Great Li law, anyone colluding with demons shall be executed by law; if suspected and refusing to cooperate with investigation, they may be beheaded first and reported later, no need to seek permission!"

"Tutor Du, are you trying to test my knife skills—see if they're sharp?"

He Mingjing narrowed his eyes, his right hand silently pressing against the hilt of his sword, as if ready to strike at any moment.

"You don't need to scare me with the Great Li laws, Lord He—whether Lord Xue of the City has colluded with demons, what you say doesn't count."

"If you, Lord He, think that as a Greedy Wolf Captain of the Demon Suppression Division you can do as you please, then go ahead—try killing me, Du Wenzhong, and see if you can walk out of Songyang Prefecture alive."

Du Wenzhong met him head-on, showing not the slightest fear of He Mingjing's threats.

Although he is merely a martial artist who has attained Inner Strength Great Perfection, behind him stands the Wind Thunder Valley of Yunzhou's First Alchemy Sect.

The Great Li Dynasty established the state through martial prowess and governs the world through sects.

The entire Songyang Prefecture is under the jurisdiction of their Wind Thunder Valley.

If he and Lord Xue of the City were to die mysteriously for no clear reason, setting aside other matters, the Prefecture Master of Songyang would certainly not stand by and do nothing.

Therefore, he is betting that, in the absence of solid evidence, He Mingjing would not dare to lay a hand on himself.

As for Xue Chengkong's design involving the Xiaoyue Yaowang and the refinement of the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill, with Xue Chengkong having been beaten to death by Qin Shuo, there is now no living witness to contradict it.

As for the others involved in this matter, he has already made arrangements and will absolutely not allow anyone surnamed He to catch hold of any leverage.

Thus, he dares to act with impunity, unafraid of He Mingjing's questioning.

Although the Demon Suppression Division wields tremendous power and influence, in the absence of sufficient evidence, it also dares not rashly declare war on Yunzhou's First Alchemy Sect.

After all, too much is at stake—one misstep could easily trigger turmoil.

Even the Dalong Temple, the dominant force in Yunzhou, could not possibly stand by and watch the Demon Suppression Division act against Wind Thunder Valley.

When facing the imperial court on this matter, nearly all sects under heaven are essentially in the same boat.

The principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold' is understood better than anyone by the leaders of those great sects.

Both sides are drawn swords and bent bows, neither yielding an inch.

Master Jueming knows this is a contest between Wind Thunder Valley and the Demon Suppression Division, so he has remained silent from beginning to end, unwilling to wade into this muddy water.

Theoretically, the Mingwang Temple belongs to the Dalong Temple as a branch, and is part of the Dalong Temple faction.

Although what He Mingjing said is not false, Xue Chengkong did indeed state in front of several people that he had refined the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill.

But now the chief culprit has already been executed, the Xiaoyue Yaowang has also been slain, so whether Xue Chengkong colluded with demons is no longer that important.

If he were to speak up in support of He Mingjing, word would spread later, and it would become that the Dalong Temple had joined forces with the court to suppress Wind Thunder Valley, thereby creating a rift between the Dalong Temple and other sects.

Toward the court, all the great sects maintain vigilance and mutual restraint.

They dare not offend too much, nor dare they grow too close.

If they offend too much, with the court's power, what difficulty would there be in destroying a prefecture's sects?

If they grow too close, they would invite isolation from other sects, be seen as the court's hounds and lackeys, and would no longer be trusted.

Therefore, as the Demon Suppression Division and Wind Thunder Valley come into conflict, Master Jueming can only watch the scene, nose observing the heart, remaining a detached observer, offending no one.

"Yo~ quite lively, huh!"

Suddenly, a voice full of teasing came from midair.

Before the crowd could react, a silver light had already landed beside He Mingjing.

He looked down upon the armored soldiers wielding spears in the courtyard and said coldly:

"How so? So many people gathered here, wanting to avenge your city lord?"