Free Web NovelChapter 45: Chapter 30: Blood Contract Golden Lock, Seeing One’s True Nature
On the morning two days later, Xuzhuang flicked open the window and sensed the purple qi emanating from the east, feeling his spirits instantly lift.
After the collapse of the Jade Immortal Pavilion, Xuzhuang had meditated quietly for a day and two nights. The slight weariness from his long journey had vanished, and his Magical Power was finally restored to its peak. Now, sensing the rising sun and the surging purple qi, he even felt a sensation of golden splendor bursting forth and the qi of his Core erupting, as if his cultivation were on the verge of a major breakthrough.
But Xuzhuang wasn’t overly joyful. It hadn’t been long since he had formed his Golden Core, and while he hadn’t neglected his cultivation, he was still far from mastering the stage. Besides, since leaving the Beiji Pavilion, the constant trouble from demonic forces had prevented him from any formal cultivation. The sensation was fleeting. ’Is this because my essence, qi, and spirit are at their peak, or is it some demonic trick to confuse me?’ He couldn’t be sure.
Xuzhuang turned and stepped back into his room. There, he saw the foot-long Lieyun sprawled limply on a low table, its eyelids drooping, whiskers hanging low, and claws slack. It looked utterly listless.
The flood dragon showed none of its former arrogance. ’But how much of this lethargy is real, and how much is just an act?’ It was hard to say.
’It’s about time I dealt with this nuisance.’
Xuzhuang said coolly, "Lieyun, you’re coming with me."
Lieyun listlessly lifted its head from the table and said weakly, "Master, this lowly beast..."
"Hmm?"
Lieyun shuddered and cried out, "This lowly beast is coming right now!" It deftly leaped up from the table, wriggled through the air to Xuzhuang’s hand, and crawled into his sleeve to hide.
"..."
’Who would have thought that this great demon, which had disrespected the Dragon Palace and defied Marquis Hai, would now be so lazy and slick?’
Xuzhuang shook his head and strode down the stairs. He left the Jade Immortal Pavilion, retracing his steps.
But he wasn’t heading toward Qinfang Pavilion. Instead, he retraced his steps from memory. He descended the mountain path, passed the waterfall corridor, and came to a fork in the road. Xuzhuang took the path he hadn’t traveled before. After a few hundred yards, a pavilion and courtyard came into view, just as he’d expected. He walked up to the main gate and looked up. The plaque above bore the three words: Spirit Beast Pavilion.
’This is the place.’ Xuzhuang stepped inside. The pavilion was vast; the front hall alone was several hundred yards across. It was filled with all sorts of cages and shelves, housing a number of small, well-behaved Spiritual Birds and Beasts and displaying various beast-related goods. Many attendants bustled about, while a few customers were either being assisted or browsing on their own. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
The moment Xuzhuang stepped inside, an attendant approached to greet him, asking his purpose and if he required a guide.
Before Xuzhuang could exchange more than a few words with the attendant, a man hurried out from the inner hall. He scanned the room, spotted Xuzhuang, and studied his face for a moment before breaking into a broad smile and striding forward. "Mr. Xu! A grand welcome to the Spirit Beast Pavilion! Please forgive me for not greeting you at the door!"
Reaching Xuzhuang, he leaned forward slightly and said, "Mr. Xu, I wonder what brings you to the Spirit Beast Pavilion? I would be honored to personally show you around."
Seeing this man approach, the attendants near Xuzhuang hastily bowed their heads and said in unison, "Steward Du!"
It turned out that when Xuzhuang entered, a sharp-eyed attendant had recognized him as the esteemed guest of the Pavilion Master, whose description had been circulated just the day before, and had promptly reported it to the pavilion’s Chief Steward.
Seeing this, Xuzhuang could guess what had happened. He gave a slight cupped-fist salute and said, "Then I’ll have to trouble you."
"Not at all! Mr. Xu, this way, please." Steward Du smiled and led Xuzhuang inside. As they walked, he asked humbly, "Might I ask if you’re interested in our Spiritual Birds and Beasts, or perhaps items for taming and raising spirit beasts..."
Xuzhuang smiled and said, "The other day, I happened to capture a spirit beast, but I’m not familiar with any beast-taming methods and I’m having trouble subduing it. Do you have any suggestions, Steward Du?"
"I see," Steward Du said cheerfully. "That’s a simple matter! You don’t need any special methods; you just need a suitable beast-taming artifact. We have them for sale right here. I’ll have someone bring a few for you to inspect." He then called over a nearby attendant, whispered a few instructions for them to hurry, and then, with another broad smile, led Xuzhuang further inside to a private room.
The man had no airs about him whatsoever. His posture was deferential, and his service was impeccable. Once in the private room, he personally steeped and poured tea for Xuzhuang. His hospitality was so fervent it was hard to refuse, so Xuzhuang had no choice but to take a couple of sips. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the attendant knocked on the door and brought in the requested items.
Steward Du stood, took the tray from the attendant, and promptly dismissed him. He then placed the tray on the table and began his personal introduction. "Mr. Xu, please take a look. These are some of the most common beast-taming Magical Artifacts, along with a few secret treasures from the pavilion’s collection. Allow me to introduce them. This is a Spirit Heart Token, which is excellent for communicating with treasured beasts. This is a Tightening Spell, most effective on stubborn and fierce beasts. And this..."
Xuzhuang frowned slightly and interrupted him. "My apologies, Steward Du. Perhaps I wasn’t clear. I need to know if any of these can restrain a Golden Core Stage demon beast."
"A Golden Core Stage demon beast?" Steward Du’s smile froze on his face.
Xuzhuang said, "That’s right."
"Well..." Steward Du gave a wry smile. "A demon beast that has formed a Golden Core is incredibly powerful. Forcibly subjugating such a creature is easier said than done."
After a moment’s hesitation, Steward Du spoke again, "It’s not that I don’t have a solution, but..."
He picked up a thin golden thread from the tray, from which dangled a small golden lock. He said, "This item is called the Blood Contract Golden Lock. It can forcibly control a Golden Core Stage demon beast, but actually achieving that is extremely difficult."
"To control a demon beast with this, you paradoxically need the beast’s willing cooperation. It must use its own essence blood to temper the artifact, then give it to its master to be refined. Finally, the beast must spit out its Demon Pill so the master can wrap this artifact around it. Only then is the contract formed. The master gains control over the Demon Pill—a control that even supersedes the beast’s own—yet it doesn’t affect the beast’s ability to use its Demon Pill at all..."
