Free Web NovelChapter 340: Chapter 69: Hu Qianqian’s Advancement
Zi Luan and Wang Ping exchanged a glance, and Zi Luan asked, "What is it you want?"
Wu Fu replied, "Security!"
"If you want security, staying out of Zhongzhou’s affairs would be the safest course of action."
"I can’t go into seclusion. The solitude would drive me mad."
"..."
"What makes you think we’re safe here?" Wang Ping asked curiously. He didn’t even think he’d be able to stay out of trouble in the future.
"If I can’t stay in the south, I can always flee to Hu Mountain Country or the Southeast Islands."
Wu Fu’s answer was surprising, yet logical.
Zi Luan let out a hearty laugh upon hearing this, but Wang Ping remained silent. He thought about the Daoist Scripture Hall’s records on Wu Fu. ’This man has killed countless people, yet he’s never committed any truly great evil. Nearly all his victims were heinous villains, and there are only two recorded instances of him killing the wrong person.’
"You might be a better fit for the Northwest," Wang Ping suggested.
"No. I only kill villains, not soldiers. Besides, the slaughter on a battlefield would make me unable to stop. I’d eventually go mad. Then, you’d all carve up my body as a war trophy, and my memories would become fodder for your tea-time chatter."
As Wu Fu spoke, a sinister smile played on his lips. He then added, "I don’t need a Dao Field or any titles. All I need is a place to meditate—be it in a field, on a street corner, in a forest, or in the mountains. I’ll report my own actions, and if Nanlin Road runs into a crisis I can handle, I’ll step in to help."
He was making his position clear. As a Star God equivalent to the Third Realm, there were many things to consider if he were to join Nanlin Road. The first was the matter of a Dao Field. The stakes involved were enormous. At the very least, it was a piece of territory; at most, it was someone’s legacy.
Now, Wu Fu had laid his cards on the table, telling Wang Ping and Zi Luan plainly that he needed nothing and that he came alone.
This made things much simpler.
Wang Ping and Zi Luan glanced at each other again, and both could see that the other was tempted. Finally, Wang Ping spoke. "In that case, Fellow Daoist, please come up for a cup of tea."
As he spoke, he began to work with the tea set Yu Lian had left half-prepared. A moment later, a steaming cup of tea was ready. Wang Ping picked up the cup, rose, and offered it to Wu Fu.
Wu Fu stepped forward, accepted the cup, and said politely, "Many thanks."
After drinking the tea in one go, Wu Fu politely set the cup down, took a step back, and bowed to Wang Ping and Zi Luan once more. "I will not disturb you two Fellow Daoists any longer."
He tactfully took his leave; perhaps he simply wasn’t one for small talk.
In truth, according to the conventions of the Daoist Scripture Hall, as long as Wu Fu didn’t establish a Dao Field in Nanlin Road, he could stay for as long as he liked. The fact that he went out of his way to inform Wang Ping and Zi Luan showed them great respect.
After writing to Wu Quan and Ganxing about the matter, Wang Ping discussed the unfinished official business in Mozhou Road with Zi Luan. Ultimately, the affair was not turned into a formal case file. Instead, it was handed over to the investigation team led by Wenhai Daoist for a covert inquiry, with Zi Luan personally heading to Mozhou Road to supervise.
His main purpose in going was to deal with White Crane Mountain. Once Wenhai finished investigating the leads there, Zi Luan was to raze the mountain to the ground. This was the Lord’s will.
Wang Ping went to check on Yunshan. After confirming he was alright, Wang Ping transformed into a streak of light and sped toward Baisui Lake.
...
「Baisui Lake.」
Hu Qianqian’s Dao Field, nestled beneath a cliff, was as vibrant and colorful as ever. At its entrance, Wang Ben and Niu Qi sat cross-legged, one on each side.
On a nearby plaza, the Little Demons of the Water Race had gathered in a circle, performing some kind of cultural dance.
On the steps of the entrance, a fox with lustrous fur hopped back and forth, appearing both excited and anxious.
A thick demonic aura billowed from the main hall within, resonating with the Demon Race Array surrounding the Dao Field. This caused the entire compound to flicker with a blood-red light, making it look like a giant, beating heart from afar.
A moment later, a colossal shadow dove down from the clouds, terrifying the demons below. When they saw the shadow’s true form, most of the Little Demons were so frightened they leaped into the water. The fox on the steps transformed into a young woman—Hu Xin—and shouted joyfully, "Grand Martial Uncle!"
But the one who had arrived was Yu Lian. As she landed, she shrank to about ten feet in size and hovered before the Dao Field’s entrance. Simultaneously, a figure landed on a distant mountain peak—a Cultivator from the Daoist Scripture Hall, sent to act as a Guardian.
"How is your master?"
"I don’t know." Hu Xin shook her head. She hadn’t even formed a Fake Pill yet; how could she possibly sense Hu Qianqian’s condition?
"Fellow Daoist Hu’s bloodline is very stable..."
Wang Ben licked his whiskers and cupped his fist. "This kind of bloodline evolution before Core Formation isn’t dangerous. In fact, the Demon Race doesn’t really have a ’Pill Nurturing’ stage. Fellow Daoist Hu’s current state is... it’s like..."
He stuck out his long tongue to lick his jet-black nose, unable to find the right words. Finally, he said with some uncertainty, "It’s like a child growing into an adult. It’s a natural process. The bloodline advancement consumes some of the body’s spiritual essence, but it recovers quickly."
Yu Lian only half-understood, and could do nothing but stare intently at the Dao Field’s gate.
「Inside the Dao Field.」
In a dark hall, Array Runes glowing with a faint, cyan light connected the walls and floor. They were drawing upon the residual energy of the ancient behemoth at the lake’s bottom, gathering it at the Array’s center where Hu Qianqian lay. She had reverted to her true form, deep in a profound slumber.
In her sleep, her paws twitched, intermittently scratching at her ears. The Fake Pill within her drove her demonic blood-qi, forging the innate spiritual soul of the Fox Race as it greedily absorbed the energy gathered by the Array.
Having absorbed the energy, the Fake Pill was gradually solidifying.
Night fell without notice. Bright moonlight cascaded down, shining upon the Array around the Dao Field, which then channeled the light inside.
When the moonlight touched Hu Qianqian’s body, a faint, illusory pillar of light erupted from her, stretching into the sky to draw down even more of the moon’s radiance.
However, in the process, her flesh, blood, and the essence of her spiritual soul were slowly draining away.
’She must be awakening some kind of Bloodline Magic!’
This state continued through the night, returning to normal by day. The Fake Pill would then spin rapidly, drawing energy from the bottom of Baisui Lake to replenish the spiritual essence she had lost and to nourish her spiritual soul.
This continued for half a month. Then, late one night, Hu Qianqian’s body suddenly merged with the illusory pillar of light, seeming to vanish from the world.
This made Wang Ping, who was fishing on a pier, narrow his eyes. He turned his head toward the Dao Field. ’Hu Qianqian’s aura is still there, but her consciousness is gone. In its place is a burst of Star Power, tearing through the void.’
