Chapter 239: Someone Comes from the Grue Hunters
When the shadow saw how terrifying Xu Qing was, it trembled. Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior in the skewer was trembling even more.
“Incredible,” the patriarch said to the shadow. “If you live long enough, you’ll see everything! The Fiendish Xu is definitely the real deal. This is how novels are supposed to be written. With exceptional talent like this, he’s got to be the true main character. As for that Master Shengyun... he might also be. But probably from another novel. Of the two novels, which MC will be stronger?”
“... scared, scared, scared...” the shadow replied frantically.
In rare form, the patriarch didn’t respond sarcastically. In his opinion, the Fiendish Xu had only been making consistent progress and becoming more terrifying since taking the patriarch in. Hunh. Does that mean that I have the ability to propel people to greatness? I mean, it was after he became my lord and master that he really started his rise to prominence.
As the shadow and patriarch were marveling, they heard Xu Qing pondering his situation.
“I’m still too weak.” His eyes narrowed to slits, cutting off the violet glow within them. “I’m not at the same level as Master Shengyun, who crushed the First Peak....” He shook his head at the realization of how much he still needed to improve. “I have to take advantage of the time I have to ignite my fourth life flame. Then maybe I can see what’s beyond the level of 120 dharma apertures.”
Xu Qing found it odd that the chosen from the Seven Sect Coalition didn’t just advance to Gold Core after reaching 120 dharma apertures. In the jade slips he had read, there wasn’t much information about 120 dharma apertures. But now he realized that on the Revered Ancient mainland, it wasn’t that rare for people to reach that level. Although they were all chosen from top sects, the entire thing still seemed strange to him.
Furthermore, I still need my poison to be stronger. I need more poisonous plants to feed to my beetles. I need them stronger, and I need them to be able to survive long-term in the poison pill. And then there’s my Supreme Vastness Solitary Saber... I can’t let that destined opportunity slip through my fingers. I need to find another Supreme Vastness daoist temple to seek enlightenment in.
“Given all that, I really am just too weak,” he murmured. Sighing, he crushed any sense of pride at having reached the level of five-flame battle prowess.
Off to the side, Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior was gaping. After analyzing Xu Qing’s words, he came to the conclusion that Xu Qing wasn’t being sarcastic. He was absolutely serious. The patriarch felt dumbfounded.
This is too weak? This is freaking weak?? Then what’s strong? Could it be that the Fiendish Xu doesn’t exactly understand the meaning of the word weak?
The shadow was equally stupefied.
Xu Qing took a deep breath, and his eyes shone with determination.
Since I’m not strong enough, I can’t put myself too much out in the open.
After mulling the matter over some more, he looked over at the stunned shadow and patriarch
“Shadow, cover my life lamp. Add another layer this time. After that, cover up ten of my dharma apertures.” Looking around, he waved his hand, causing the surrounding fire to whip toward him, where it gathered into his palm.
There, it became a black fireball, emanating a terrifying level of power.
Xu Qing closed his hand into a fist, and the fire entered him. The surrounding cell block was no longer burning. There was nothing left behind but ash.
Next, Xu Qing took out a number of spell formations from his bag of holding, which he used to fortify the place again.
Given how many spirit stones he now had, he hadn’t been stingy in purchasing supplies. Next, he issued another command.
“Keep bringing me Night Dove prisoners!”
Soon enough, the constables were yet again bringing prisoners to him. When they saw the wreckage of the cell block, they were shocked, but none of them dared to ask any questions.
Time passed. Three days went by.
The Seven Sect Coalition was still excitedly issuing challenges to Seven Blood Eyes. But the chosen from the seven sects were starting to get suspicious about something.
Huang Yikun was missing.
Before vanishing, he had told them two things. He’d said he was going to handle Xu Qing, and had specifically told them to wait and see how it played out. He’d said the same thing about going to challenge the Seventh Peak. Now, days later, nothing had happened on the Seventh Peak, and now Huang Yikun was nowhere to be found.
It was a very unusual situation. And what was even more unusual was that the Dark Serenity Sect didn’t seem to care about the matter....
Now, the Seven Sect Coalition chosen kept glancing in the direction of the Seventh Peak and Harbor 176, their eyes full of misgivings. Oftentimes, when you don’t have enough information, you can’t reach any conclusion at all. These chosen weren’t stupid, and they realized that. They felt that what happened on the Seventh Peak wasn’t their business. And Xu Qing wasn’t their concern. None of them wanted to get dragged into whatever was going on.
However, the dragon had nine sons and each was different from the others. There were some people who, seeing what was happening, simply couldn’t let the matter drop. It went against their interests. After all, Xu Qing’s actions against Night Dove were irritating to other chosen from the Seven Sect Coalition.
As it turned out, Sima Ling wasn’t the only person from the Seven Sect Coalition who was involved in the trafficking of living treasures.
Though those people weren’t happy that their interests were being harmed, they also needed to wait to see what the House of Grue Hunters planned to do. The House of Grue Hunters wasn’t the most powerful sect in the coalition, but they were far more feared than the Soaring Cloud Sword Sect. The House of Grue Hunters was famous for two things: watching out for their own, and making deals with grues. Because of that, few people would take the risk of offending them. Besides, considering they were always working with grues, most people thought of them as being lunatics.
The members of the Church of Departure were different types of lunatics. The Church of Departure had idealistic reasons for being so insane. But the House of Grue Hunters often behaved in a way that other members of the Seven Sect Coalition didn’t understand. And disciples from there often thought in strange ways.
Therefore, there was no way the House of Grue Hunters would just let Sima Ling get crushed, and not do anything about it.
That was exactly how things played out. Five days later, a lone ship appeared on the Forbidden Sea beyond the Seven Blood Eyes port.
It was a bone ship, not very big, only about thirty meters long. It was long and slender, and almost looked like the entire thing was crafted from the arm bone of a gigantic beast. Despite it being the middle of the day, it was possible to see numerous semitransparent ghost arms sticking out of each side of the ship and paddling the water like oars. There had to be thousands of them, and they were in constant motion, sending the bone boat drifting closer and closer to Seven Blood Eyes.
Unlike the other ships that had come from the Seven Sect Coalition, the person piloting this boat was very polite, and stopped outside of the port. Then she stepped out into the open. She was a young woman in a long white gown. She looked young, and was very beautiful. However, her face was unusually pale, making a stark contrast with her black hair. It almost seemed like she hadn’t been out in the sun in years.
She held an umbrella, and if one looked closely, they would see that the umbrella had countless grue faces on it. Some cried, some laughed, some bared their teeth. It was incomparably vicious looking.
Anyone who looked at it would feel flustered. As the young woman in white gently spun the umbrella, the faces on its surfaces trembled in fear.
“I’m Sima Ru from the House of Grue Hunters,” she announced softly, “here to visit Seven Blood Eyes.” Her voice was clear, like a frigid winter wind. [1]
Almost instantly, the spell formation opened, and the bone boat floated directly in and toward Harbor 176.
When it reached the shore, the young woman stepped lightly off the boat and then strolled... directly toward the Violent Crimes Division. Her hair was so long it brushed the ground behind her. And it writhed as if it were alive. Wherever it passed, tiny black balls with ghost faces on them would pop out. Bouncing along as if they were dancing, they followed her and sang a bizarre nursery rhyme.
“One, one, break your thumb and two, two, blind you with a screw.
“Three, three, crack your skull with glee and four, four, pour your blood on the floor.
“Five, five, keep you alive to six, six, trample you with kicks.”
It sounded like a bunch of kids singing, but the words were sinister to the extreme. As a result, as the young woman walked along, everyone backed away from her.
And thus, she got closer and closer to the Violent Crimes Division.
As soon as she arrived, the chosen from the Seven Sect Coalition were notified, and all of them exhaled sharply. Immediately, the chosen started exchanging shocked voice messages.
“Sima Ru from the House of Grue Hunters is here! She’s Sima Ling’s blood sister. And she was the chosen dao child from the previous generation. I heard that after she reached Gold Core, she went into seclusion to try to break through to her second heavenly palace!”
“I can’t believe she’s here!”
“No, that’s not actually her. It’s her grue clone!”
“Oh, I heard about this clone. Back when Sima Ru was in Foundation Establishment, she used one of her own bones to fuse with a grue. Though it doesn’t have Gold Core battle prowess, it’s supposedly capable of crushing four-flame power.”
“I doubt it’s at the five-flame level, though. It’s more like battle prowess of four-and-a-half flames. But that extra half-flame of power is enough to crush four-flames.”
None of them dared to get close to Sima Ru. They all thought of the House of Grue Hunters as being full of lunatics. For all they knew, she might crush Xu Qing and then go on to crush them.
Meanwhile, back on the street in Harbor 176, Sima Ru walked along with the ghost face balls dancing behind her, singing their sinister nursery rhyme. Eventually, she reached the entrance of the Violent Crimes Division. Above her was a dark mist that took the shape of a vicious ghost face that glared at the entrance.
No one was standing guard at the door. The door was open, revealing the reception hall. Seated in the position of honor was a good-looking young man who stared at her expressionlessly.
Looking back at him, she smiled faintly. She carried herself very properly, making her seem like a girl from a wealthy, noble family.
“I’m here to take my brother home.”
1. Sima Ru. I already explained this surname. The Ru character means “roots, vegetables.” Madam Deathblade says the name 'sounds nice'. Like I mentioned before, the Sima surname imparts a sense of ancient royalty. ☜