"Is there no hope?" Lu Sheng's expression darkened.
"Hope?" The old Sect Master smiled. "We've been looking for it, but …" He picked up the powder and inhaled deeply.
"Right, Yang inner Qi is useful to them. Who knows, maybe they can cultivate their inner Qi to an unprecedented level?" he said half-jokingly.
"…" Lu Sheng did not reply, but his expression was still grim.
"Alright, you've asked everything you wanted to know. If there's nothing else, rest well. You've been injured in the line of duty this time. You can get some healing powder from the pharmacy. Your contribution will also be recorded. You'll be considered A-class, third-class," the old Sect Master said casually. "That's enough for you to exchange for whatever martial arts, pills, and weapons you want. But I suggest you exchange for a weapon you like."
"We'll see." Lu Sheng was not thinking about that, but the old Sect Master's last words.
Yang inner Qi is effective to them.
"Is it effective …"
Leaving the pill pharmacy, he went straight to the greenhouse. Ning San and Duan Meng 'an were already waiting there.
"Big Brother, there's news!" Ning San hurried forward. "Young Master Lu Chenxin's corpse … was found in the stone forest beside the village …"
"How?" Lu Sheng asked in a low voice after a pause. Actually, from the moment Lu Chenxin went missing, he knew the odds were against him. But because he had no feelings for him, he felt a little pity at most, not much sadness.
"Two sect members went to the stone forest to relieve themselves. They saw a hand sticking out of the ground, so they ordered people to dig it. Four corpses were found …"
Duan Meng 'an added, "Two city guards, Young Master Lu Chenxin, and a farmer I don't know."
Lu Sheng fell silent.
"Where's the corpse now?"
"Still in the same place," Ning San answered quickly.
"Don't inform my family for now," Lu Sheng said lightly.
"Yes!"
Lu Sheng planned to find another time to tell his family. He knew that his father, Lu Quanan, was mentally prepared for Lu Chenxin's death. The one who was truly heartbroken was Third Mother Wang Yanyu. Lu Chenxin was her only son.
It wouldn't be too late to wait until the lockdown period was over.
Lu Sheng summoned Jade Lotus and inquired about the future arrangements. After ascertaining that everything was fine, he returned to his room to take his medicine and rest.
In the afternoon, the Sect's Crimson Whale sent someone with news that the Dong Family Village near Mountain-Edge City had been hit by a landslide. Quite a number of people had been buried alive, and they were requested to head over to help with the aftermath.
Lu Sheng instructed Jade Lotus to send an expert from Soaring Eagle Squad over. He brought along more than thirty men and various tools. He was still recuperating in his room.
In the evening, the expert who led the team returned with an ugly expression. It wasn't just him. Jade Lotus, who had gone with him, also looked grim.
"What? Did something happen? "
Outside the greenhouse, Lu Sheng was slowly practicing the basic moves of the Heart-Shattering Palm, warming up his body's Qi and blood. He asked Jade Lotus, who had returned.
"No." Jade Lotus shook his head. "There's no accident. It's just that the corpses that need to be dealt with weren't killed by the landslide. Instead, the corpses were all torn to shreds. Even the government officials vomited."
"Torn to shreds?" Lu Sheng paused. He knew that it had to be the work of ghosts and Anomalies.
"Judging from the traces, it seems like two parties were fighting. The scene was brutal and bloody. Broken limbs were everywhere, and even internal organs and spines were common …" Jade Lotus said in a low voice.
Lu Sheng closed his eyes and muttered to himself.
"Just treat this as a landslide. Don't worry about anything else. Tell the brothers who were there to keep their mouths shut. Each of them is to collect a tael of silver from the accountant."
"Yes," Jade Lotus nodded.
"Also, it might be chaotic outside these few days. Tell everyone not to travel too far," Lu Sheng instructed.
"Yes."
"Alright, go on," Lu Sheng patted Jade Lotus on the shoulder, reassuring him.
Lu Sheng guessed that the recent battle between Zhen Family and the ghosts was the aftermath of the fight for the treasure.
That lantern girl obviously belonged to some organization, just like the Red Decks pleasure boat from before. For all he knew, the one who had come looking for trouble this time might be the same organization that was fighting with Zhen Family.
Jade Lotus turned and left.
Lu Sheng stared at his back, deep in thought.
'Come to think of it, I'm just a leader in Crimson Whale Sect. That's equivalent to cleaning up Zhen Family's logistics. No one has come looking for trouble with me yet, so no one should know that I killed the lantern girl. As long as I don't expose myself, I'm safe for now. A battle of that level isn't something I can participate in for now. What I need to do is to improve my strength as much as possible. At the very least, I need to be able to ensure my own safety amidst such chaos. As for the way to improve … '
…
Several days passed.
News of people disappearing continued to spread around Mountain-Edge City. The government posted notices saying that a gang of bandits called the Stone Peak Bandits had been robbing passers-by in the vicinity of Mountain-Edge City. Their methods were extremely cruel and merciless. Everyone was advised to go out less and not to take the roads other than the main roads.
Instantly, everyone in Mountain-Edge City felt insecure. Everyone went out less. Even the number of caravans, ox-carts carrying vegetables, fruits, and the like dwindled considerably.
Crimson Whale Sect and the other sects cooperated fully with the government to stabilize the situation. At the first sign of trouble, they sealed their mouths and distributed money to deal with the aftermath.
Although Lu Sheng had been recuperating in the greenhouse all this while, there were already three cases of aftermath that had reached him. He had also taken the time to look at them. All of them were bloody and cruel, with broken limbs and severed limbs. One look and he could tell that it wasn't the work of a human.
Even with his current cultivation, he could vaguely sense a trace of cold Yin Qi. Clearly, it had something to do with ghosts and Anomalies.
After a few days, the Zhen Family finally responded.
Soon, two people — a man and a woman — arrived. Both young, they requested two healthy horses from the Crimson Whale. Before Lu Sheng could even see their faces, he heard that the two had gone straight to the Wenglin Plains in the south.
The next day, he received news that a fire had broken out on the plains and that everyone in a nomadic village near Mountain-Edge City had gone missing.
On Cypress Pine Lake, two large pleasure boats were also set ablaze. None of the ladies and guests aboard managed to escape.
He knew in his heart that this was Zhen Family's retaliation. Mountain-Edge City and the surrounding areas were under Zhen Family's sphere of influence. Since that ghostly organization dared to provoke them, a fight would naturally ensue.
While the battle raged on outside, Lu Sheng used the excuse of recuperating to leave everything to Jade Lotus and entered Mountain-Edge City to carry out his own plan.
…
"Apricot blossom wine! A top-notch apricot blossom wine! It's free if you don't like it! "
"Deer antler wine! Three copper coins per catty! Five copper coins per catty! "
"Three-year bear fruit wine! Ten copper coins per jug! I'm selling it cheap!"
On one of Mountain-Edge City's fine wine streets, Lu Sheng strolled out of a wine shop with a white square box in his hand.
He wore a light green robe and a scholar's hat, completely covering his bald head.
He walked to the roadside. Weighing the box in his hand, he slowly hailed a horse carriage.
"Young Master, where are you going?" The coachman asked with a smile.
"Fine Treasures Hall," Lu Sheng said softly.
"Alright, sit tight." The coachman raised his horsewhip and cracked it in mid-air. Instantly, the old horse began to move. Although it felt strenuous, it was still able to move steadily along the street.
Lu Sheng sat in the carriage and let down the curtains to block the view outside. Then, he placed the white box on his knees and gently opened the lid.
Inside, there were ten tiny porcelain bottles, all of them white and slim-necked. Every single one of them was stoppered with a fine white cloth.
The white porcelain bottles were set in the middle of the black silk cloth, a striking contrast.
Lu Sheng took out one of the bottles and gently removed the stopper, peering inside.
The porcelain bottle was filled with an incomparably black liquid that resembled water. As soon as the stopper was removed, a thick aroma of wine wafted out.
'The world is vast and full of wonders. To think that Senior Apprentice Brother would have developed such a method to store the power of Bind and infuse it into wine.' Lu Sheng sighed in his heart. 'If I were to try it myself, I don't know how long I'd have to wait before I could test out such a method.'
After lamenting, he focused his mind and tilted the porcelain bottle lightly. He poured out a drop of black liquid the size of a sesame seed onto his palm.
"Szzz …"
In an instant, Lu Sheng's palm glowed red. Ultimate Crimson Qi surged into his palm in a frenzy, reacting violently against the black liquid.
The skin on his palm turned black, then white. It was a constant tug of war. A putrid smell emanated from his hand. It was like meat that had been left for a long time, rotting away.
This was a method he had developed himself. Bind could be stored in wine for a long period of time. He could use it to test out his own capabilities, to see how far he had progressed, and whether he could stand up to monsters of the Bind realm.
Soon, in less than ten breaths' time, the water droplet on Lu Sheng's palm gradually evaporated. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his face was somewhat pale.
Lifting his hand to take a look, Lu Sheng smiled bitterly.
'According to Senior Apprentice Brother's research, there are at least ten porcelain bottles in the weakest form that Bind can take. If I really want to defeat Anomalies and Noblemen, the most basic requirement is to be able to resist Bind. If I can't even resist the poison of Bind, that means I'll die even if I touch them, not to mention breaking through the barrier of Bind. '
He recalled the dejected and defeated look on the old Sect Master's face when he asked for these porcelain bottles from Senior Apprentice Brother Hong Mingzi. Clearly, he had tried to resist the poison and power of Bind before. Unfortunately, he had failed as expected.
'I'm currently at Level Six of Ultimate Crimson Mantra, about the same level as Senior Apprentice Brother. But in reality, I'm slightly stronger. Senior Apprentice Brother is old and frail after all, and needs to expend a lot of energy to maintain his health. But I'm different. '
Lu Sheng shook the porcelain bottle in his hand. It was empty. Each bottle contained only a sesame-sized drop of Bind wine.
This kind of miraculous power could be stored in highly concentrated wine for more than ten years, with only a slight decrease in power.
'But with my cultivation, I can barely resist a tenth of the poison. The difference is too great … 'Lu Sheng lamented.
'Let's hope Fine Treasures Hall has a good haul this time.'
Part of the reason why he came out this time was to personally buy some wine and move around to relax. The other part was that Fine Treasures Hall, the largest antique shop in Mountain-Edge City, had informed him that a batch of grey goods had just arrived, and invited him over to take a look.
Fine Treasures Hall was the property of She Lin Society, one of the Three Clans and Three Clans in Mountain-Edge City.
She Lin Society and Crimson Whale Sect were on good terms. Previously, Lu Sheng had informed them that he wanted some objects excavated from the tombs. Hence, they took note of his request.
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