Chapter 138: Exotic Beast – Wind-Chirp Bird
Inside the cave abode.
“Quasi-third-rank Healing Pill, third-rank Spirit Liquid, truly, with a Golden Core Cultivator backing you, wealth really does come in abundance.”
Looking at the Healing Pill and High-grade Spirit Liquid Su Miaoyin had gifted him earlier, Lin Changan could not help but nod in praise.
This time, his report had earned merit, but to capture so many Robber Cultivators naturally required careful planning.
Of course, the most important thing was to first investigate the authenticity of the letter.
Only after everything settled would Tianxuan City give out the true reward.
“You all want Tianxuan City’s stability. I do as well, so we are on the same side.”
Since he had obtained such intelligence, naturally, he had to sell it at a good price.
Moreover, doing so brought two benefits.
First, Tianxuan City eliminating a large number of Robber Cultivators brought peace and stability, which was favorable for his usual cultivation.
Second, with Huang Shaohai’s incident, along with these Robber Cultivators, Su Miaoyin and Song Tingfeng would naturally attract attention.
The fame would go to the two of them.
He was merely a nameless, dependable Drifting Cultivator in Tianxuan City who had quietly done a good deed.
“For the stability of Tianxuan City, I’ve given all the credit to you.”
This time he had lost quite a bit, but the spoils of war were also abundant.
“Just this one Talisman Treasure alone has already repaid all the losses.”
Inside the cave abode, Lin Changan began carefully tallying up the other spoils.
Over three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, more than seven hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and the rest were Detoxification Pills, Healing Pills, poisons, and the like.
Seeing this, Lin Changan shook his head.
“As expected, once one becomes a Robber Cultivator, who among them would save up wealth? Naturally, everything is converted into strength.”
Cultivators rarely carried their entire wealth on them.
Even when he went out hunting, he would only go once most of his resources had been consumed.
“Alas, the previous magical artifacts were all destroyed under the Talisman Treasure. Unfortunately, to conceal the existence of the Talisman Treasure, I can only hold back for now.”
Lin Changan shook his head again.
The magical artifacts he had lost earlier were actually worth quite a lot.
But since they had all been destroyed by the Talisman Treasure, he naturally did not want anyone to know he had survived such a thing, especially when his trump card was still the Talisman Treasure.
Even the broken horn mark of the Green-Horned Ox had been carefully polished away with the Green Bamboo Sword until all traces left by the Talisman Treasure were erased.
Being able to come back alive, with decent strength, was already enough.
Lin Changan then took out a Beast-Taming Token and a Spirit Beast Pouch, at which the one-horned Green-Horned Ox inside the cave abode suddenly widened its eyes.
“Moo!”
The Green-Horned Ox cried anxiously, as if saying that it was this bird, the one that had pecked it mercilessly earlier.
“Exotic Beast, Wind-Chirp Bird!”
The bird of utmost yang, the essence of fire, fond of eating Poison Insects, a natural bane to yin ghosts and fierce spirits.
As Lin Changan looked at the Spirit Beast Pouch, the information about this exotic beast flashed through his mind.
“If it were someone else, perhaps they couldn’t dissolve this Spirit Contract. But unfortunately for you, I am more genuine than you are.”
Lin Changan smiled faintly.
With a wave of his hand, the Phantom Mask appeared, and wisps of black mana seeped into the Beast-Taming Token.
Next came a performance of transferring the contract from the original master to himself.
Once Lin Changan imprinted his own mana aura onto it, this Wind-Chirp Bird had already changed owners.
As the Spirit Beast Pouch opened, under the watchful eyes of the wary Green-Horned Ox, a streak of golden light suddenly burst forth inside the cave abode.
The next moment, crisp bird cries echoed again and again.
“Wind-Chirp Bird, a rare exotic beast, its bloodline quality unlike ordinary demon beasts. Such an exotic beast is extremely difficult to cultivate, yet its potential is immense…”
Lin Changan’s thoughts turned.
As the Wind-Chirp Bird flew out and realized it had a new master, it stared at Lin Changan in fear.
Or rather, at the Beast-Taming Token in his hand.
This human cultivator it recognized.
He had once been an enemy.
Though it was a demon beast, it understood that the human cultivator from before was likely already dead.
“Moo!”
The Green-Horned Ox glared, its eyes brimming with hostility.
Though its wounds had healed, it vividly remembered the bird’s pecks, each leaving a bloody hole.
“Chirp chirp!”
The Wind-Chirp Bird was highly intelligent.
In just a blink, it judged the situation, and at once it perched on Lin Changan’s shoulder, acting fawningly and rubbing against him from time to time.
“I recall you being quite fierce before.”
Lin Changan sneered.
Such intelligent exotic beasts, if not raised from a young age, must be tamed.
Otherwise, they would end up like this, currying favor with their new master.
Huang Shaohai had just died, and already this bird was changing sides.
Seeing the demeanor of its new master, the palm-sized Wind-Chirp Bird widened its eyes, chirping and chattering as if pledging loyalty, rubbing against him with its feathers from time to time.
The Green-Horned Ox at the side grew furious, mooing nonstop, as if saying, “You damn bird, too treacherous!”
Through the Beast-Taming Token, Lin Changan sensed the emotions of the Wind-Chirp Bird, which made him shake his head.
Naturally, he understood how important this exotic beast had been to Huang Shaohai, who had been raising it to one day absorb its blood essence to strengthen his cultivation.
“Too bad my Life-bound Spirit Plant isn’t the Bloodthirsty Poison Vine.”
Lin Changan sighed regretfully, making the Wind-Chirp Bird chirp endlessly.
The Bloodthirsty Poison Vine could grow by absorbing blood essence, sinister though it was.
It did have unique qualities, but equally, it had limits.
At most, it could only be cultivated up to the Golden Core Realm, where its potential would be exhausted.
“Alright, the two of you should get along.”
Looking at the one-horned Green-Horned Ox, Lin Changan generously tossed a Demon Core to it.
As the Demon Core entered its belly, the Green-Horned Ox mooed in triumph, a victorious expression on its face.
It glanced at the Wind-Chirp Bird, as if to say, “I was here first.”
The Wind-Chirp Bird looked around pitifully.
Seeing that its new master Lin Changan had no intention of giving it a Demon Core, it flew straight onto the horn of the Green-Horned Ox.
Then it chirped fawningly, flattering nonstop, which made Lin Changan laugh out loud.
This exotic beast was indeed clever.
Its ability to change its expression was almost on par with some cultivators.
“I reward and punish clearly. The Green-Horned Ox has gone through life and death with me, so it earned this. If you wish to obtain a Demon Core in the future, it will depend on your own effort.”
Through the Beast-Taming Token, Lin Changan conveyed his intention.
The golden Wind-Chirp Bird puffed its chest and flapped its wings, as if declaring that it would work hard.
“I truly wonder if this bird’s personality is innate.”
Lin Changan shook his head, then dismissed the ox and bird to rest outside.
The broken horn of the Green-Horned Ox still needed some time to regrow.
As for the Wind-Chirp Bird, worthy of being an exotic beast, even at early Second Rank, its beak was incomparably sharp.
Even the thick-skinned Green-Horned Ox could not withstand it, each peck leaving a bloody hole.
Moreover, its beak could even restrain protective spiritual light, easily piercing through mana shields.
This could serve as another trump card.
But ordinarily, it must be hidden.
Otherwise, if the Huang Clan of the Lihuo Palace learned of it, they would never spare him.
“For now, I should recover the vitality I lost earlier.”
He put away the pills.
His injuries appeared severe, but with his Regenerative Body, they were no hindrance.
It was only that the Blood Shadow Escape had burned some of his blood essence earlier.
He now needed this bottle of Spirit Liquid to recover.
One day later.
【Lifespan: 71/243】
With the powerful recovery of the Regenerative Body, and the nourishment of his Life-bound Spirit Plant, he recovered fully in just one day.
“The Regenerative Body truly is formidable. If it had been another cultivator, even with this Spirit Liquid, they would have needed months to recover.”
Once again, Lin Changan felt satisfied with the strength of the Regenerative Body.
The same Healing Pill that would take others a long time to slowly absorb, his physique could take in dozens of times faster.
“However, the greatest harvest is still the heritage and inheritances of the Lihuo Palace.”
Lin Changan sighed with emotion.
From Huang Shaohai’s memories, he had learned many advanced spells of the Lihuo Palace, and even some secret arts that were not passed on.
“This Giant Sword Technique of the Lihuo Palace is rather standard, though different from the divine abilities of the Killing Origin Sword Art.”
Lin Changan nodded slightly in secret.
This Giant Sword Technique was extremely powerful, but he could only use it once he reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
He had not used it in the previous battle, simply because there had been no time.
Just activating this divine ability alone required five breaths of preparation.
The charge-up time was far too long.
“Although as proficiency increases, the charge-up time will lessen, before that, this Giant Sword Technique of the Lihuo Palace can make up for that gap.”
The Giant Sword Technique of the Lihuo Palace only required three breaths to release.
Meanwhile, the Killing Origin Sword Art required five breaths, but as a demonic path technique, its charge-up was longer, with greater side effects, though its power was twice that of an ordinary Giant Sword Technique.
Just then, outside the cave abode came the voice of Song Tingfeng.
……
“Fellow Daoist Song.”
As he stepped out of the cave abode, Lin Changan put away the Wind-Chirp Bird, bringing out only the one-horned Green-Horned Ox.
Upon seeing the visitor, Lin Changan cupped his hands with a pale face, while Song Tingfeng’s face was full of smiles.
“Brother Lin, you have rendered great merit this time. Merely among the Robber Cultivators linked to the Lihuo Palace, there were seventeen Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a hundred Qi Refining cultivators…”
One had to admit the efficiency of cultivators.
In just a single day they had already confirmed the authenticity of the letter, and had begun making arrests.
Hearing this confirmation of the Robber Cultivators, Lin Changan let out a long sigh.
“The cause of yesterday is the effect of today. The cultivation world has always been thus.”
In truth, most of these Robber Cultivators were merely trying to grasp at this single thread of opportunity.
Were they wrong?
Unfortunately, in the cultivation world, only success and failure mattered, never right or wrong.
“By the way, Fellow Daoist Lin, those of the Chen Family who schemed against you before, and also that Alchemist Song, I’ve already confined them within their cave abode. What do you think?”
This time Lin Changan had rendered immense merit for Tianxuan City, so the benefits would surely not be lacking.
Even against his enemies, Song Tingfeng had come personally with a smile.
After all, thanks to Lin Changan this time, his own reputation had soared.
“The Chen Family! Alchemist Song!”
Hearing this, a cold glint flashed across Lin Changan’s face, but immediately after, he smiled and cupped his hands to Song Tingfeng.
“For this, I must thank Fellow Daoist Song.”
“Fellow Daoist Lin, no need to be so polite.”
With the broken Green Bamboo Sword appearing in his hand, Lin Changan patted the Green-Horned Ox lightly, then followed Song Tingfeng toward the Chen Family’s cave abode next door.
……
At this time, inside the Chen Family’s cave abode.
As Song Tingfeng, Lin Changan, and others appeared—
“Uncle Lin, I was wrong, I truly didn’t know that Spirit Fruit had a problem…”
“Uncle Lin, my grandfather was your closest friend, I beg you to show mercy. My Chen Family now relies entirely on me…”
“I truly didn’t know. I only wanted to keep the Spirit Grass to heal my grandfather. Those Spirit Fruits were all purchased from Alchemist Song…”
At this moment, how could Chen Wen still have the high-spirited arrogance from when he had just entered Foundation Establishment?
He knelt wretchedly on the ground, hair disheveled, wailing in misery, his heart full of regret.
He truly should never have gotten entangled with those Robber Cultivators.
“Unfilial beast!”
Upon learning the truth, Chen Qing spat blood in fury.
Now his face was ashen like gold paper, his body aged into that of an old man in a single night.
His eyes trembled, filled with endless regret.
The Chen Family had risen under his hands, and now it was collapsing in his hands as well.
If only he had chosen Feng’er back then.
“Grandfather!”
At the side, Chen Feng supported his grandfather in sorrow, while the other Chen Family clansmen shivered one by one, all kneeling on the ground in fear.
Some were wailing, some cursed Chen Wen, others cried and pushed away responsibility, saying Chen Wen’s deeds had nothing to do with them.
Some even declared they would sever ties with the Chen Family.
Just yesterday, the Chen Family had flourished with two Foundation Establishments.
Today, like a fallen tree scattering the monkeys, they had collapsed into ruin—truly lamentable.
“Uncle Lin, nephew was wrong, my grandfather and you were closest friends, I beg you, uncle, please…”
Chen Wen knelt on the ground, sobbing in disgrace.
But Lin Changan only squinted his eyes and said with a laugh, “Nephew? Today I came with Fellow Daoist Song to see Robber Cultivators, not nephews.”
Though Lin Changan smiled, the indifference in his eyes was chilling.
“Shut up! You beast!”
Chen Qing pushed aside Chen Feng’s support, and with a thud, fell to his knees.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, this beast deserves death a thousand times over. Kill him however you wish, but my Chen Family’s young and old are innocent.
I am willing to die with this little beast.
The Chen Family will offer up all our wealth, we only beg Fellow Daoist Lin to spare them a single path of life.”
As Chen Qing knelt to beg for mercy, the Chen clansmen all wept miserably, crying out “Ancestor.”
But who knew whether that cry was for the loss of their Foundation Establishment cultivator, or for the root of their foothold in Tianxuan City.
“Fellow Daoist Song, how should those who collude with Robber Cultivators be dealt with?”
Facing his neighbor Chen Qing, Lin Changan remained indifferent, instead turning to ask Song Tingfeng.
They had both survived long in the cultivation world.
There was no need to speak words of regret.
“According to Tianxuan City’s rules, those who collude with Robber Cultivators are to be executed without pardon, and their families expelled from the city to fend for themselves.”
Lin Changan nodded calmly.
Only Chen Wen had colluded with Robber Cultivators.
By the means of the cultivation world, the letter he had before could not be fabricated at will.
Otherwise, it would easily be exposed, which would only reveal flaws in the letter.
If he had to forge it, it would have to be real.
“In that case, let us follow Tianxuan City’s rules.
As for that Alchemist Song, I bear him no grudge.
I hope Fellow Daoist Song can hand him over to me after investigating.”
Hearing this, Song Tingfeng smiled and nodded.
“Brother Lin, rest assured. Once we soul-search him and find nothing of value, we’ll send him to you. Same with this waste.”
“Not only for you, Brother Lin—every cultivator who has suffered at the hands of Robber Cultivators, we will use their resources to provide compensation.”
These words were essentially declaring that this was compensation for the victims.
The matter of Lin Changan discovering the letter would never be leaked.
At the same time, it also revealed outwardly that Lin Changan had a close relationship with him.
Hearing this, Lin Changan smiled and nodded.
That Alchemist Song could not be wasted.
With the soul-searching methods of his Life-bound Spirit Plant, he could extract every detail of this man’s inheritance.
The inheritance of a second-rank alchemist was like a living compendium of alchemical knowledge.
“Uncle Lin, I am willing to be your servant, I beg you, spare my life…”
Hearing his impending execution, Chen Wen completely collapsed, crying wretchedly.
But from start to finish, Lin Changan remained indifferent, not sparing him a single glance.
In front of all the Chen Family, under the cold gazes of Tianxuan City’s cultivators, Chen Wen was soul-searched, his remaining value forcibly drained.
The Chen clansmen all turned ashen, not daring to utter a word.
Chen Qing spat another mouthful of blood, his eyes empty, like a walking corpse, watching as the Chen Family collapsed.
All cultivation resources stripped away, the Chen Family now faced expulsion from Tianxuan City.
Outside the city, countless vicious and vengeful cultivators waited eagerly for the families of these Robber Cultivators.