"Actually, the cause has already been resolved. It's that demon mirror." Lu Sheng said mildly, "Tea Sect has suffered heavy losses. It's best for you to rest and recuperate. But I have some doubts. Since you're backed by the Winged Honor Guard, why didn't you seek help from them from the start?"
Hearing that, Dong Qi heaved a long sigh.
"Esteemed Ambassador, you may not know this, but although the Winged Honor Guard is stationed in the vicinity, we can't borrow their power. At most, we can bribe them with some silver when they're patrolling and get them to allow us to follow them as merchants. That's all. If we really wanted to ask for their help, the military rules forbid it."
Lu Sheng nodded. "I see."
"Esteemed Ambassador lives in a big city and doesn't understand our difficulties." Dong Qi sighed again. "Although our Tea Sect is a sect, it's only because we're powerless against the ways of the world and have no choice but to band together. Otherwise, we won't be able to go far on our own. We don't need any guides. Just the bandits and all sorts of strange dangers on the road are enough to make it hard for us to move forward. "
"The ways of the world are tough. Apart from banding together, what other choice do we have?" Dong Qi continued with a bitter smile. "Those from better families train in martial arts to protect themselves. Those who are worse off run for others, hunt and do manual labor, all so that they can learn some skills to protect themselves. Youngsters these days either live in a drunken stupor and give up completely, or they all want to find a way out and live a stable life. Just living a stable life is already their biggest wish. "
Lu Sheng did not expect this Dong Qi to be so insightful. He looked at her in a new light.
"You're quite insightful."
"Esteemed Ambassador, you flatter me. It's a pity that I didn't put in the effort to learn martial arts when I was young. Otherwise, I could at least live a safer life now. If I could be like Esteemed Ambassador, fearless of ghosts and brave heroes, perhaps … perhaps my father wouldn't have died … "Dong Qi's eyes reddened at the thought.
She was indeed a woman of her own mind and ability. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made the decision to ask for help from Crimson Whale Sect. Although he was timid and scared half to death, he was still able to recover quickly and pull himself together, tidying up Tea Gang in an orderly manner.
"He's a talent," Lu Sheng concluded.
He chatted with Dong Qi for a while longer, and only when the well-maintained carriage arrived did he climb onto it.
The wheels of the carriage were slightly heavy. Inside the carriage were the mirror base and fragments that Xu Chui had collected, as well as two delicate-looking dark yellow books.
Lu Sheng sat down on the seat, and the carriage began to move slowly.
He reached out to take out the little doll and the piece of blue cloth. He bit down hard on his index finger. A small wound appeared on his index finger, and blood seeped out. Lu Sheng swiped at the doll and the piece of cloth.
* Hiss … *
Wisps of black smoke suddenly rose up and disappeared into the air in the blink of an eye.
Lu Sheng immediately felt an ice-cold aura flow along his fingers, quickly flowing into his forearm, arm, chest, and then just as it was about to enter his heart, it quickly disappeared.
The aura flowed in for a few breaths of time before fading away.
"Deep Blue," he called out to the Modifier.
The light blue frame appeared and floated in front of him.
Behind most of the martial arts on the Modifier, there was a 'Modify' button. Only Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill did not have a 'Modify' button.
'After reaching Level Eight, the amount of Yin Qi required for Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill to evolve has increased. This is going to be troublesome. ' Lu Sheng shook his head slightly. He retracted his gaze from the Modifier and looked at the mirror base and glass fragments on the ground.
He stood up slightly and dragged the mirror base over. There was still a bit of blood on the wound on his index finger, which had yet to close completely. He smeared the blood on the mirror base.
"Szzz …"
Wisps of black smoke visible to the naked eye instantly appeared. Huge gusts of Yin Qi surged into his palm, causing Lu Sheng to shiver from the cold. The sudden surge of Qi was so strong that he didn't even have time to react.
The amount of Yin Qi in this mirror base was much greater than that of the cloth and doll.
According to Lu Sheng's own estimation, the amount of Yin Qi required to advance a Strength Proficiency martial art by one level was one unit. Thus, the cloth doll and the cloth piece added up to two units of Yin Qi.
Large amounts of Yin Qi continuously flowed into the mirror base. It only stopped after ten breaths' time. He estimated that there were at least six or seven units of Yin Qi!
When the Yin Qi completely stopped, Lu Sheng looked at the mirror base in astonishment.
The mirror base, which was originally made of copper, was now mottled with green rust. It looked completely different from its previous glossy appearance. It looked a lot older than before.
'Is this how Yin Qi looks after it's been sucked away? In that case, what exactly was Yin Qi? What's its essence? ' This question flashed across Lu Sheng's mind, but he quickly tossed it to the back of his mind. He had neither the means nor the time to study the essence of Yin Qi. It was better for him to improve himself and solve the problem first. He would come back when he had more free time.
After absorbing all the Yin Qi from the three items, Lu Sheng turned his gaze to Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill on the Modifier. As expected, a 'Modify' button appeared behind Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill.
Lu Sheng hesitated. In the end, he did not press it. Instead, he looked at the various martial arts frames below.
Dusk Dantian Inflating Skill, Golden Veil Skill, Nine Lakes Steel Chains Skill, Bear Wrestling Hand – these four hard body skills combined formed the strong foundation of his Yang Extreme Mode.
It was an all-around, near-perfect hard body skill forging.
'I'd better balance Yin and Yang first, then solve the problem of inner Qi liquefying.' Lu Sheng placed the mirror base some distance away and tied it securely with a rope. Then, he sat down and closed his eyes to cultivate Aquarius Qi.
…
Mountain-Edge City.
Xiao Hongye slowly alighted from the horse carriage. He looked at the tall walls and gates before him. In front of the gates, there were two stone Pixiu sculptures. They looked savage and mighty.
This mansion was close to the river bank. The surroundings were cold and deserted. There were not many residents in the mansion. Not far away, there was a medical hall. Old patients coughing incessantly entered and left, adding a sense of lethargy to the surroundings.
With a solemn expression, Xiao Hongye walked to the gates and knocked lightly.
"Thump thump."
Not long after, the sound of slow footsteps could be heard from inside.
"Creak …"
The red lacquer gates opened slightly, revealing a hunchbacked, one-eyed, grey-robed old man. The old man glanced at Xiao Hongye.
"Master is just getting up. Envoy Xiao always comes at the right time."
Xiao Hongye squeezed out a smile.
"Elder Black, you're too kind. I happened to have a five-hundred-year-old Wild Red Fungus at home. Thinking that Lord Officiator might be lacking something to brew tea since it's your first time here, I hurried to deliver it, "he held up a small pouch in his hand.
The hunchbacked, one-eyed Elder Black looked at the pouch in his hand. His expression softened slightly.
"Come in," he opened the door.
Xiao Hongye smiled at him and carefully slipped through the gap in the door.
The courtyard behind the gates was no different from an ordinary one. There were fake mountains, flowing water, and a small bridge. However, Xiao Hongye's sharp eyes caught sight of a servant digging a hole in the corner. He seemed to be burying something.
"Follow me. Master's in a good mood," Elder Black led Xiao Hongye across the small bridge and into the main hall.
In the main hall, a tall, white-haired old man, missing his left ear, was holding a thigh bone in one hand and munching on it in front of him. Large chunks of meat were torn from the thigh bone and swallowed in two bites.
The old man looked fierce and his face glowed red. He only wore a simple white robe, but the bulging outline of his muscles could still be seen.
"Xiao Hongye greets Lord Officiator," Xiao Hongye hurriedly cupped his fists as he entered the main hall. The old man in front of him had been a Six-Vein Level expert many years ago. Although Xiao Hongye wasn't his subordinate, it was not inappropriate for him to be so respectful.
"This Northern Lands doesn't look too bad. Envoy Xiao seems to be doing quite well here," the old man chuckled as he chewed on the meat.
"Lord Officiator, you jest. This Ritual Offering is all up to you. I'm just your assistant," Xiao Hongye said respectfully.
"You're all talk. How's the coordination between Shangyang Family and the officials?" the old Officiator asked with a smile.
"Shangyang Family has taken in a mortal sect called Crimson Whale Sect. They have some influence in the Northern Lands, so they can help us gather the offerings. They've already agreed. There's no problem with the officials either. Taoist Bai Feng has always worked well with them, "Xiao Hongye gave a brief introduction.
"Crimson Whale Sect …? Does that mean it's a force formed by martial arts practitioners? "the old man asked again.
"Yes, this sect is the largest mortal martial organization in the Northern Lands. It's a decent size. You can get any information you want from them, "Xiao Hongye gave a brief introduction.
"The local tyrant? The wild dog the Manor sent to track down Li Shunxi seemed to have gone missing in Mountain-Edge City. Go find them and see if they can find anything, "the old Officiator said mildly.
"Yes," Xiao Hongye nodded respectfully.
"Also, your efficiency is too low. Get Bai Feng and that whatever sect to contact me directly. This period of time is crucial. I'll take full responsibility," the Officiator continued.
Xiao Hongye's expression did not change, as if he did not feel the slightest bit dissatisfied at having his authority seized.
"Yes, Lord Officiator."
"Emissary Xiao is not bad. You know the big picture and look after the big picture." From the side of the main hall, a beautiful girl with a charming appearance slowly walked out. She wore a white tube top on her chest and a tight short skirt on her legs. The skirt was so short that one could see her seductive side without lifting it up.
The most eye-catching thing about the girl was not her sexy attire, but the blackish-purple centipede crawling around her waist.
"Oh, it's Emissary Bai Jing," Xiao Hongye smiled and bowed.
"We've sent four emissaries for this Ritual Offering. They're all in charge of the surrounding garrisons, "Bai Jing smiled. Bai Jing said with a smile, "With the Officiator presiding over the overall situation, and with so many envoys present, there will definitely be no accidents during this ritual offering."
"Of course," Xiao Hongye echoed.
"Alright, Emissary Xiao, you may leave. Leave the things here. I understand what you mean," the Officiator said mildly.
"Many thanks, Officiator." Xiao Hongye hurriedly lowered his head and bowed, then handed the items to Elder Hei before slowly leaving.
Not long after he left the hall, he left through the main door.
Only then did Bai Jing turn to look at the Officiator.
"My Lord, this Xiao Hongye is quite sensible. He handed over his authority the moment we arrived."
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