Chapter 896: Extra Chapter 4: 133

Xiao Jiu said, then suddenly reached out and took that essence from Liu Junyan's hand, bringing it over and directly delivering it to Chishe's mouth.

"Here, swallow it. I see your Xiūwéi has recovered quite well lately; swallow it and you should be able to take shape soon."

Chishe looked at Xiao Jiu in disbelief.

He really hadn't expected Xiao Jiu Zhanggui to be so generous, and to pay such attention to his cultivation.

It seems… it seems ever since he was forcibly brought from Southern Min to Yin Dang Hang, good things have kept happening.

Chishe glanced at Liu Junyan again, testing the waters, then carefully swallowed that essence into his body.

The essence slid down his throat, instantly melted, and Chishe felt so comfortable that even the tip of his tail perked up.

At that moment, he heard Liu Junyan say: "Having eaten my thing, you owe me your service."

Liu Junyan's voice was not loud, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

Chishe immediately opened his mouth, his throat rolling several times, trying to spit that essence out again.

Unfortunately… the essence had already melted… he couldn't spit it out…

Xiao Jiu reached out and gave Liu Junyan a tap: "Can't you stop scaring him? Be a bit more serious."

Liu Junyan looked at Xiao Jiu resentfully and accused: "Xiao Jiu, you've changed; before, no matter when, you were always on my side."

Xiao Jiu glared at him, then changed the subject: "What's with that blood energy just now? It's far stronger than the temple guard."

The temple guard looked impressive, but was just an empty frame; before Liu Junyan, he was hardly worth mentioning.

But that blood energy just now was clearly different; at the moment it appeared, the magnetic field of the entire underground heavenly pit changed.

Could it be the secret the temple guard couldn't utter?

Chishe was still torn between heaven and man.

Liu Junyan patted his head and asked: "Do you want to eat something better?"

Chishe immediately shook his head warily and firmly said: "No!"

Just kidding.

Whoever eats another's food grows soft in the mouth; whoever takes another's gifts grows short in hands.

Even bargaining over a single essence, if he were to consume something better, Chishe feared Liu Junyan would make him risk his life.

"I don't want to……" Liu Junyan said regretfully, "I was just thinking that later I'll catch that thing that showed up earlier, skin it and take its inner elixir—far more nourishing than an essence—but since you don't want it, forget it."

Chishe rolled his eyes and resignedly said: "Seventh Lord, don't yin-yang me; I also don't like constantly owing others. Since I've swallowed your essence, I ought to do something for you—tell me what you need."

Liu Junyan said relieved: "Don't worry, it's not a big deal; you just need to help me with one thing… guard Baiqi Temple."

Chishe didn't quite understand Liu Junyan's words.

He asked: "Is it a temporary guard, or…"

"From now on, this section of the Dragon Vein will be under your charge." Liu Junyan said, "Of course, I'll first settle all the troubles, so I won't put you in danger."

Liu Junyan needs talent.

As the Earth Vein Spiritual Energy revives, all kinds of problems could arise at any time.

If there's no reliable person to help him guard each checkpoint, the problems will keep recurring; even if he's busy as a spinning top, he'll eventually exhaust himself to death.

The wood carving Chishe depends on is coiled around the main courtyard pillar of Yin Dang Hang; he can't escape Liu Junyan's palm.

Of course, Liu Junyan didn't intentionally want to imprison him; it was for future consideration.

Chishe is originally a descendant of the Chi Dragon; he does have some spiritual roots.

Liu Junyan wants to reuse him.

One is because of his spiritual roots, two is for Feng Ran.

For Chishe, this is an excellent assignment.

After all, Baiqi Temple receives incense offerings and is situated atop the Dragon Vein and Dragon Spine; if he guards this area, nourished doubly by incense and Dragon Qi, his cultivation will surely increase greatly.

Becoming a dragon and ascending is imminent.

However, Chishe also understands that the benefits don't come for free.

Once he nods and agrees, from then on Southern Min will likely be truly impossible to return to.

His body will be branded with the mark of the Earth Vein Dragon God…

Thinking of this, Chishe furtively sized up Liu Junyan again.

This Earth Vein Dragon God seems reliable enough; why not… give it a try?

Anyway, escape is impossible.

In the end, Chishe still agreed to Liu Junyan's request.

"Later I'll go meet the person behind that blood energy." Liu Junyan said, "Take this opportunity to go into Baiqi Temple and have a look."

Chishe nodded: "I will definitely complete the mission."

Having said that, Liu Junyan waved his hand, and instantly the underground heavenly pit filled with howling wind, dust flying everywhere—this underground heavenly pit was about to collapse!

Liu Junyan grabbed Xiao Jiu's waist in one swoop and directly pulled him out from the underground heavenly pit.

As their front feet landed on the outside ground, a booming thunder-like sound came from below, shaking the earth and mountains.

Liu Junyan immediately transformed into his dragon form and burrowed underground.

Chishe didn't understand, but Xiao Jiu immediately grasped Liu Junyan's intention.

He was going to purge the Dragon Vein line.

Xiao Jiu then said to Chishe: "Let's first head to Baiqi Temple; he'll be back to find us soon."

Chishe then slipped into Xiao Jiu's sleeve again.

Xiao Jiu brought him straight toward Baiqi Temple.

At that moment, the inside of Baiqi Temple was eerily quiet.

Upon stepping through the temple gate, Xiao Jiu was choked by the thick incense smell inside and sneezed.

Where does such strong incense aura come from in the temple?

Clearly, when I passed by here earlier, I didn't smell it.

Furthermore, the sky over this area is now covered with dark clouds, as if a mountain rain is about to come.

At a time like this, in this area, how could anyone come to burn so much incense in the temple?

Xiao Jiu immediately became alert.

She stepped over the temple gate and also went to offer a stick of incense to the Bai Qi statue enshrined in the temple.

I don't know if it was her imagination, but as she lit the incense, Xiao Jiu seemed to smell a faint hint of blood.

Xiao Jiu glanced around, then with a backhand she stuck the just‑lit incense stick upside down into the incense burner.

Unbelievably, even though that incense stick had been stuck upside down in the ash of the burner, thin blue smoke continued to seep out of the ash and slowly drift toward the Bai Qi statue.

Xiao Jiu didn't even think; in the blink of an eye a crimson fireball condensed in her palm, and she thrust it toward the Bai Qi statue.

Before that cluster of Nirvana fire even reached the Bai Qi statue, it first ignited the smoke rising from the upside‑down incense.

Chishe exclaimed in alarm: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, hurry and look—the Bai Qi statue… the statue is shedding blood and tears!"

Xiao Jiu also saw it.

Two streams of blood and tears trickled out from the eyes of the Bai Qi statue, drop by drop.

Only then did Xiao Jiu realize that the eyes of the Bai Qi statue were closed.

At this moment, blood and tears slowly flowed from his tightly shut eyes, and Xiao Jiu actually saw on his face an expression of compassion for heaven and pity for humanity.

Just as Xiao Jiu stared at the statue's tightly closed eyes, those eyes…… slowly opened……