Chapter 18: Sealing the Three Gates

Old Qiao glared at Xu Yuan with eyes even more venomous than the old locust's.

The old locust released its forelegs, which had been clasped behind its back, pointed at Xu Yuan, and said to Old Qiao, "I've found the person for you. I told you long ago that in these mountains, when it comes to finding things, no one can compare to our family."

Then it let out a chilling laugh: "However, the previous price is no longer acceptable. You saw it yourself; this boy killed such a huge swarm of my fine descendants. Three heads of blood food is simply not enough."

Xu Yuan gritted his teeth and accused Old Qiao, "You conspired with the eerie!"

In the first few days after arriving at Qihoutai Town, a question had arisen in Xu Yuan's mind: On what basis could Old Qiao protect the town?

Ultimately, Old Qiao was merely a Ninth-Rank Literary Cultivator, even if he was a strong one among the Ninth Ranks.

Any eerie creature in Ghost Wushan with even a modicum of power could surpass Old Qiao.

Yet over these years, although incidents of eerie creatures harming people occurred occasionally in the town, overall it remained peaceful.

Qihoutai Town occupied a critical position on the official road; Old Qiao controlled the town and earned tens of thousands in money every year!

Old Qiao gritted his teeth and asked the old locust, "How much do you want?"

"Three hundred heads."

"Impossible!" Old Qiao refused bluntly, "Where am I supposed to find three hundred living people for you? If so many people go missing inexplicably, the government authorities will investigate to the very end."

The antennae on the old locust's head swayed, "This isn't a demand I made myself; that Yu creature that just descended also made its move—summoning it is not cheap! Of these three hundred heads, two hundred are for it."

Old Qiao's hatred for Xu Yuan stemmed precisely from this.

The cost of capturing Xu Yuan was too great; he could not afford it. But if he didn't pay, the old locust certainly wouldn't let him leave, and he would become blood food.

The old locust chuckled strangely, "Why don't you go negotiate with that Yu creature yourself?"

Old Qiao's momentum collapsed instantly.

That thing was sinister, vicious, and mad; it was impossible to communicate with. If he went to talk to it himself, there was a good chance that thing would lose its temper and eat him first.

Ghost Wushan contained many similar eerie creatures; Old Qiao always negotiated through "intermediaries" like the old locust.

"Summoning it to act was to save your descendants; this cost should not be borne by me."

The moment Old Qiao spoke these words, the old locust's expression immediately darkened, "You old thing want to renege on your debt?"

All the locusts around turned their gaze toward Old Qiao with ill intent.

Cold sweat broke out on Old Qiao's forehead, "One hundred and fifty is my absolute limit. Any more, and even if you don't kill me, the government authorities will!"

The old locust drew circles in the air with its two antennae, "Three hundred heads of blood food, and I will also help you introduce those few in Guanghuo Street!"

A flash of sharp light passed through Old Qiao's eyes, yet he still said helplessly, "I really cannot get that many..."

"I can allow you to pay in two installments: one hundred and fifty heads first, and another one hundred and fifty heads one month later," the old locust said, "This is my final bottom line!"

Old Qiao showed signs of being swayed and asked tentatively, "Then regarding the matter of Guanghuo Street..."

"I always keep my word!"

"Very well!" Old Qiao gritted his teeth and agreed.

The old locust laughed happily, pointed its foreleg at Xu Yuan, and said, "Take the person away."

Old Qiao reached Xu Yuan, sneered, and took three sheets of paper from his sleeve. On each sheet, written in a different calligraphic style, was the character "Seal."

Old Qiao waved his hand; the three sheets rose without wind and burned without fire, and the three "Seal" characters stamped themselves onto Xu Yuan in mid-air.

Xu Yuan immediately felt unable to move, and even the Fu Zhong Huo in his abdomen was sealed.

Old Qiao grabbed Xu Yuan by the scruff, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and walked away swiftly, his feet generating wind.

Once they left the old locust's territory, Old Qiao roughly threw Xu Yuan to the ground and said with hatred, "Half a month ago, when Xu Linshi brought you before me, I actually believed she wanted to drive her unwanted stepson out of the family!"

"Hmph, how ridiculous that I, at that time, actually thought you were blood food delivered to my doorstep, planning to send you into the mountains in a few months!"

Over these years, young men and women working in Qihoutai Town often died inexplicably in Ghost Wushan.

Everyone in the town thought it was the work of eerie creatures; no one knew that Old Qiao had arranged it, sending them into the mountains to be eaten by the eerie.

His methods could deceive the ignorant townsfolk, but they could not deceive the Holy Maiden.

That is why the Holy Maiden said his desire to become a "Village Head" was the dream of a fool.

Xu Yuan fell to the ground; his forehead struck a stone, causing blood to flow immediately, and his cheek was scraped raw by the mud and sand.

Yet Xu Yuan showed not a shred of despair; his eyes rolled, and he glanced indifferently at Old Qiao.

Old Qiao keenly caught that look, snorted, and said, "Unconvinced? Every ability in your body has been sealed by me."

Remembering the account clerk Liu's tragic death, Old Qiao ground his teeth, "This time, under no circumstances will I let you escape!"

"Up to now, two types of power have appeared on your body: Rank Dan Xiu and Law Cultivator." Old Qiao had connections reaching the sky in Qihoutai Town; whatever techniques Xu Yuan had displayed in public, Old Qiao could learn about later.

"This master anticipates the enemy generously, so I will add the so-called Fate Cultivator to that. The abilities of the Three Great Gates are enough, right? Just now, those three sheets of paper corresponded exactly to one Gate each!"

Old Qiao sat on a stone opposite Xu Yuan, tapped Xu Yuan's face with his toe, and left a clear footprint of his mud-caked shoe sole on Xu Yuan's face.

Xu Yuan shifted from a side-lying position to lying on his back, making it convenient for Old Qiao to interrogate him.

"Obey and tell this master the truth about how you encountered the June Bug; if this master shows great benevolence, I might even spare your little life."

Xu Yuan's eyes moved slightly, signaling to Old Qiao that he could not speak.

Old Qiao snorted coldly, "If you try any tricks, this master will have no choice but to break both your arms and legs. You are a clever one; why suffer such flesh-and-blood pain?"

Xu Yuan's eyes showed submission; Old Qiao raised his hand, and one "Seal" character loosened slightly from Xu Yuan's body.

Xu Yuan could move again.

"Speak."

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, as if accepting his fate, "When I came, my stepmother gave me a small bamboo cage and some old rice; these things were used to catch the June Bug."

Old Qiao frowned deeply, "A bamboo cage? Rice? Did you catch it?"

"I caught it; I ate it."

Old Qiao asked, "Where is the bamboo cage?"

"It is in my chest." As Xu Yuan spoke, he took the small bamboo cage from his tattered clothes, held it in his palm, and presented it before Old Qiao, saying, "Look, it is this one."

Old Qiao reached out to take it; the moment his finger was about to touch the bamboo cage, suddenly the cage opened, swiftly slid along his finger, and swallowed his entire hand.

The bamboo slivers looked like rows of fangs, the bamboo cage like a greedy, gaping maw.

After swallowing Old Qiao's entire palm, it swiftly devoured his whole arm.

Old Qiao was greatly startled: "Artisan Cultivator!"

How does this little rascal have so many kinds of power within him?!

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(End of this chapter)