Chapter 16

Inside the county government office, it was a scene of broken walls and ruins.

Houses had collapsed, a pillar as thick as a man was snapped in two, and the broken branches and leaves of the old locust tree were flying everywhere, leaving only half a bare trunk. Everything was covered in marks from sharp cuts.

There were no lamps lit in the courtyard; it seemed to be completely empty.

Shen Yanping's corpse had suffered unimaginable cuts and was leaning against the corner of the wall in a mangled state.

Pei Ye moved Cheng Feng's corpse down and placed it alongside Shen Yanping.

In the courtyard lay more than a dozen corpses of white-robed men and bailiffs, and even two martial arts masters who must have come to reinforce them after seeing the water dragon.

Judging by the intensity of the scene, perhaps there had indeed been a chance for victory, but in the end, misfortune had gained the upper hand.

Pei Ye walked quickly through the courtyard to the room he had stayed in before. This place had also been eroded by the water, but since it was in the backyard, the damage was not severe.

Pei Ye found the wine and medicine he had brought from under the overturned chairs and tables, took out a dark brown pill from the cloth bag, and swallowed it with the wine.

Soon, it felt like a ball of fire ignited in his abdomen, melting the hundred cold iron needles. A burning pain gradually rose, replacing the twisting pain that was eager to erupt in a second wave.

Pei Ye leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. The flush returned to his face, and then he propped himself up and walked back to the main hall.

Because one pillar had snapped, the roof had collapsed diagonally, but the other three still supported a space.

Pei Ye searched through the ruins but didn't find Chang Zhiyuan's corpse. Perhaps before the more intense battle broke out, Inspector Shen had asked him to leave.

The soul bird was nowhere to be found, but the jade box had fallen under the table. Pei Ye picked it up; inside were two letters.

By the lamplight, Pei Ye took one out and placed it before his eyes.

"To Inspector Shen:

We are already aware of the danger in Fenghuai. However, a letter arrived from the Divine Capital recently stating that a team of special envoys on an important mission has reached our province and must be fully cooperated with. Commandant Jing left for Zheng Shou County this morning to welcome them. Upon receiving your letter, we immediately sent a soul bird to him and first asked Inspector Zhang Xiu and Inspector Zhao Yizhang to go to your location to assist, but I fear they will not arrive in time. Therefore, we have entrusted the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' to the soul bird, hoping it will temporarily resolve the danger.

Reading your letter, my heart is burning like fire. Inspector Shen, Inspector Feng, my friend Zhiyuan, please take care!"

Pei Ye put down this letter and picked up the other one; the handwriting had changed.

"'Little Flood Dragon Heart'..." Pei Ye muttered, reading the second letter carefully again.

The very first sentence was: "Shen Yanping, the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' has finished soaking and wrapping; it can be used directly."

Further down, after a large blank space, was another paragraph.

"If Inspector Shen has met with misfortune, please have the person who opens this letter use the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' as written below.

The 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' is refined by the sorcerers of the Nourishing Intent Tower. It is usually stored in a dehydrated state; it must be soaked in water before use to make it 'come alive.' The soaking time is affected by the concentration of spiritual Qi in the water.

When using it, it must be wrapped in a specific talisman and swallowed into the abdomen. Its miraculous aspects are two: first, 'Flood Dragon Skin,' which can strengthen the body, making it impervious to blades and able to carry the strength of five oxen; second, 'Water Spirit,' which allows one to avoid water like a fish and control two specific water techniques.

The two techniques are: first, 'Crocodile Bind,' which can trap with water; second, 'Turtle Break,' which can turn water into blades. If one has no spiritual power, both must be used in a place with abundant water Qi; the effect varies from person to person.

Note 1: If you have no experience in controlling spiritual power, do not attempt to use the two water techniques!

Note 2: The 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' must be used by a martial artist at the Fourth Life Realm of the Meridian Tree or above. Without true Qi to protect the body, even if wrapped in a talisman, the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' will erode the five internal organs. If the user wishes to survive, they must be at least at the Second Life Realm.

Note 3: Even if qualified to use it, it must be drawn out with another talisman within two hours of entering the abdomen. This talisman is attached to the bottom of the box; it is activated with the blood of the person who swallowed it and can be used three times. Once it exceeds two hours, within ten days, one must either find a sorcerer from the Nourishing Intent Tower to perform the procedure or find a physician from the Mount Tai Medicine Hut to cut open the abdomen and remove the flesh. If this time limit is exceeded, the person and the pearl become one, and only an immortal can save them."

"A magical artifact..." Even though he already had his suspicions, Pei Ye was speechless for a moment.

This kind of thing, which he had only heard about in storybooks, actually existed so realistically in the world.

Flipping over the bottom of the box, there was indeed a talisman with a black background and gold ink lying flat.

Pei Ye took out this talisman, went to Shen Yanping's side, knelt on one knee, took one last look at the ferocious face covered in bloody wounds, drew his dagger, and stabbed it into his abdomen.

Cutting open the stomach, the sight inside was shocking.

Shen Yanping undoubtedly had the qualifications to control the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart,' but after a person dies, there is naturally no true Qi to protect the body. This walnut-sized magical artifact was like a seed taking root in soil, extending roots into the flesh.

And the yellow talisman that wrapped it had not been pierced; instead, it was like some kind of highly stretchable material, still clinging to those extended roots, preventing them from directly touching the flesh.

Pei Ye took out the black talisman and touched it with a bit of Shen Yanping's blood. Fortunately, it was still effective. Amidst the flowing golden light, the yellow-background, black-ink talisman wrapping the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' flew toward it like a swallow returning to its nest, dragging the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' away from the flesh.

Catching this magical artifact, the roots and buds on it were still wriggling and swaying.

Judging by the time, Inspector Shen had been dead for less than two quarters of an hour. During this time without true Qi, the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart' had almost parasitized the entire stomach. He had no true Qi himself, so he should be the same as Inspector Shen's corpse; by his calculations, he could support himself for at most half an hour under the 'Little Flood Dragon Heart.'

It was time to find that black-robed man.

As soon as Pei Ye stood up and took a step, his foot stepped on something. It was revealed from under Shen Yanping's robe. Pei Ye lifted the lamp and looked down to pick it up.

It was a thin booklet. The moment the oil lamp's light shone on that yellow cover, the sense of familiarity in Pei Ye's mind exploded, and he stood frozen in place.

"'Classic of Mountains and Seas Illustrated'..." Pei Ye muttered. The book he had searched the entire office for and couldn't find had actually been on Shen Yanping's person.

Flipping to the first page, the author's name was Du Wuzhen of the Jin Dynasty. He hadn't paid attention to it when he read it as a child, but this time, the name made Pei Ye's gaze narrow slightly.

——"I have dug out all of Du Wuzhen's books; the others are still being reviewed."

No wonder... Pei Ye's mind swayed. This was "fate"...

Flipping through page by page, this book was actually just a picture book depicting the appearances of various strange beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. There wasn't much text, which explained why he loved flipping through it when he was young.

Finally, Pei Ye pressed down on a page, and that blurry memory was found.

The content of this page was clear at a glance. It depicted a fire bird like a phoenix, and below it was a line of small text: "In the Kunlun Hills, there is a bird; its name is the Quail Bird, and it is in charge of the Emperor's hundred affairs."

The memory of "Quail" originated exactly from here.

At a glance, it was a simple painting with only a dozen characters; it didn't seem to have any information that could be linked to 【Quail Head】.

Pei Ye focused his gaze. Du Wuzhen's brushwork indeed had a lot of spirit; the Quail Bird's head was slightly lowered, appearing calm and elegant, but other than that, there was nothing unusual.

But when his gaze moved to the wings, Pei Ye's eyes jumped. A dangerous sense of familiarity flashed by, and his hair stood on end instantly.

This feeling was groundless. Pei Ye frowned and looked again, but felt that the Quail Bird in the painting suddenly had a human-like demeanor.

It lowered its head, folded its right wing, and spread its left wing in front of its chest, just like an old monk. Was it... worshiping something?

As if by divine intervention, Pei Ye felt that he suddenly recognized the movement of those wings. He slowly raised his left hand, his little finger curled, his thumb pinching the lower knuckle of his middle finger, and placed it under his chin.

This hand seal was so unfamiliar; why did he—

His thoughts suddenly stalled due to shock, and Pei Ye stood frozen in place.

Everything slowed down.

The flame of the oil lamp in his hand seemed to be dancing in slow motion, the raindrops beside him crawled down from the air like snails, and a bird's cry stretched out its voice...

His mind became incomparably clear, and every movement around him was visible in minute detail.

"The Quail Bird is in charge of the Emperor's hundred affairs." This ability to sort out the hundred affairs of the Heavenly Emperor in an orderly manner was now bestowed upon the youth, and the world was as clear as fire before his eyes.

Pei Ye dazedly made this hand seal again. This strange state immediately faded, and Pei Ye fell back into the real world.

The flame was still swaying and leaping in the wind, the raindrops were falling densely, and the birds were chirping urgently...

Pei Ye looked at his hand: "This is... 【Quail Head】?"

He clearly realized that it wasn't a dream; this god-like ability truly existed within him.

Just at this moment, a distant and lofty call suddenly arose from his heart. Pei Ye turned his head sharply toward the west of the city.

The ritual had begun.

The activated 【Quail Head】 had played its role.

This time, Pei Ye clearly felt that soul-stealing call, but he was not affected in the slightest. He felt that he could even cut off this connection at any time, just like last night, making that "deity" lose him as a target.

Survival was so within reach before his eyes.

The black-robed man had gone toward the west of the city, and the ritual was also being held in the west of the city. He could perceive the location that was calling him, just as they could perceive his location at this moment.

There were still horses in the backyard. As long as he cut off the connection and went far away from the west of the city, they would never be able to find him again.

Pei Ye was stunned for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.