Chapter 14 The Thief
"Sssss!"
That Fire Pearl, what kind of strange treasure was it refined from! Its momentum was fierce! It even spun rapidly! It sparked dazzling gold flowers from the air, like a fire dragon spewing smoke pillars! The smoke and flames filled the sky, heading straight for the back of Tie Dan's head!
This strike was enormously powerful, the firepower unmatched! From afar, Tie Dan's back already felt scorched, the heatwave overwhelming. It wasn't something he could take head-on!
He had long been through battles and remained calm in dangerous situations, timing it right! Suddenly, he slid to his knees, braking sharply, spun forcefully while flinging a handful of coins to block! Deflecting the Fire Pearl slightly!
"Squeak----!"
So the Fire Pearl screeched past, grazing Tie Dan's ear! Striking the pillar of the pavilion with a boom!
"Boom!"
The Nanmu pillar as thick as an adult's embrace shattered! The shockwave directly blew Tie Dan away! Most of the pavilion was destroyed by the explosion! In the rising cloud of fire, the entire tower collapsed with a crash!
Tie Dan tumbled holding his head, just as the Fire Pearl grazed him, the scattering sparks had scorched a large area of his back and shoulder, and now with the hot wind blowing and rolling on the ground full of rubble, the pain was bone-piercing and excruciating, bleeding through his gums!
But at least he wasn't dead! There's fortune in danger! Not dead, keep running!
Taking advantage of the dim night with no stars, chaotic firelight, and mingling shadows, Tie Dan crouched down and weaved through the crowd.
He intended to retrace his steps, but when he dashed to the wall, he heard the clattering and bustling outside. Being in the borderlands for long, he knew it was the sound of armored soldiers, running around, shoulder to shoulder, with the sounds of Bright Armor and long weapons clashing!
Tie Dan realized things were bad; the Shi family must have reacted and assembled a lot of house servants and private soldiers to guard the outer courtyard. Going back the same way would be courting death, so he gritted his teeth, turned, and darted into the Shi family's inner courtyard, sneaked into an empty room, and hid under the bed.
Whether due to exhaustion of sword energy or internal injuries from being blasted by the Fire Pearl, once he calmed down, Tie Dan was utterly exhausted, his eyes heavy, and he unknowingly fell asleep.
Yet, his sleep was troubled, with the pain and heat from the burns on his back and shoulders, accompanied by a buzzing in his ears, like mosquito noises or perhaps people talking, as he hovered between sleep and wakefulness, shadows and apparitions swirling before him.
When he finally woke up, Tie Dan felt stiff all over, his head throbbing like a hangover.
Fortunately, his luck wasn't too bad; the Shi family's estate was vast, with interconnected houses and courtyards. Last night, everyone was busy with firefighting and searching for thieves, and this was the women's quarters, so no one had discovered him yet.
But Tie Dan didn't dare to venture out yet. Judging by the daylight outside, it was already bright, and severely injured as he was, he couldn't hide his presence; going out recklessly would likely lead to death, being caught and hacked to pieces without questions, tossed into a cesspit as fertilizer.
So Tie Dan had to stay hidden in the room for now. Meanwhile, he took out the treasure he had snatched to take a look.
Luckily, the golden wine jug was still in his pocket, so at least this endeavor wasn't fruitless.
In the bright light, this wine jug was exquisitely crafted, engraved with images of a chubby bird akin to a quail playing in the water, each feather meticulously detailed, clearly a masterpiece by a skilled artisan. Opening the lid to peek inside, indeed the inner walls were inscribed with numerous Scripture Charm Runes, housing a realm within, with Qi Breath perpetually cycling inside.
This jug was at least a Magic Artifact, capable of releasing Divine Gang Qi to resist heat waves and evil fire, surely a treasure refined with gold essence.
Although Tie Dan didn't know the mantra or spell for this item and couldn't harness its power, he thought of trading it or remelting it, which would surely suffice to gather Daoist materials needed for Foundation Establishment.
And shaking it slightly, it seemed there was still some wine left in the jug, exuding a strange fragrance, though he didn't know what fine brew it was.
Gulp...
Tie Dan was hungry, so much so that his stomach clung to his back; after all, while growing, Qi Refining also consumed Essence Blood. But due to habits developed from childhood, he could endure it, never putting unknown things into his mouth.
Besides, he had never been full since coming to Guangxia Mountain.
It's not that his sect bullied him by not giving food. Chen Huzi also knew the sect was tight on resources, and they hadn't reached the True Man realm where one could survive on air like an Immortal in the Fasting realm, so he occasionally hunted spiritual beasts for them to feast on.
The senior brothers at Guangxia Mountain took turns cooking, buying grains from villages and towns, mixing them with spirit fruits and vegetables grown on the mountain, watering them with Spiritual Spring from Yanzi Cave, steaming them with the Sword Furnace's fire, making a filling yet cultivating meal.
However, Tie Dan had a problem; it seemed there was something filthy in Yanzi Cave that only stole his food...
It wasn't an illusion! Ever since that pot of mutton, Tie Dan found his food frequently missing!
Since the brothers were too lazy to cook three meals daily, they'd make a big batch every two to three days, forming food cakes for everyone to share, and Tie Dan had a habit of privately storing dry rations for emergencies, but any grain he managed to stockpile would often vanish the next day!
At first, Tie Dan thought it was the Mad Woman messing with him, but on further thought, it didn't add up.
If she wanted him dead, she'd poison his stash without bothering to steal it, for what purpose?
Could it be other sect members?
He couldn't take it anymore, as hunger and thirst gnawed at him unbearably. Should he take a sip? But what if the wine was poisoned...
Tie Dan hadn't figured it out when suddenly he felt a heaviness in his hand.
Looking down, he saw a fat catfish had appeared from nowhere, clamped onto the wine jug, guzzling down the little bit of wine left.
Tie Dan was stunned.
This thing... it was real! It wasn't an illusion!
The truth was revealed! So, it was you, catfish thief!
Tie Dan grabbed for it!
But that slippery catfish easily slipped from his grasp with a flick!
"Pah!"
The catfish executed its old trick, spitting right into Tie Dan's mouth!
"Cough, cough, ugh!"
Swallowed again! Damn, what on earth is this!
Before Tie Dan could react, a rush of fishy Qi surged from his nose, mouth, and stomach, flooding his meridians and inner scene!
Tie Dan was shocked! This catfish was poisoning him!
He hurriedly shut his eyes, controlling his breathing and refining Qi, converting the Fish Qi inundating his body into sword energy to neutralize the poison!
...
...
...
Seems alright...
This Fish Qi was unexpectedly rich and genuine, balanced and harmonious, even more concentrated than the Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi he absorbed daily at Guangxia Mountain. Aside from the fishy taste, there wasn't anything wrong.
Though having a stomach full of catfish saliva was somewhat disgusting, it wasn't a hallucination. No, it wasn't...
Tie Dan touched the wound on his shoulder, feeling the pain lingering, yet the large burn had instantly healed, fresh pink skin standing in stark contrast, clearly not a dream.
But upon glancing back, that fat catfish was nowhere to be seen...
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What's going on? Where did this spiritual beast come from?
And could a catfish be considered a spiritual beast...
Before Tie Dan could figure it out, hurried footsteps sounded outside!
Tie Dan quickly crawled under the bed, holding his breath and gathering sword energy at his fingertips for defense.
No matter what, thanks to the catfish thief, he had escaped the brink of death and gained another breath to fight.
Then came the creak of the door opening. From under the bed, he saw a woman enter the room, rummaging through cabinets, seemingly searching for something.
Tie Dan did not act, for he clearly saw another person following the woman, apparently skilled in Qinggong, moving silently, like a cat, without a sound.
"Xiao He, what are you looking for?"
"Ah!"
'Xiao He' was obviously startled, knocking over a box of jewelry, spilling gold coins and jade bracelets onto the floor.
"Sister Xiangzhu! You scared me..."
The follower in the shadows must be 'Sister Xiangzhu.' She was in no rush, gently closing the door.
"The library just caught fire, the Young Master is unconscious, and as a close maid, instead of helping with the firefight, you're here gathering your things, planning to go somewhere..."
'Sister Xiangzhu' spoke leisurely, unhurriedly, her voice soft and gentle, yet her words were as sharp as needles in one's ear, cold as frost, chilling as snow, sending shivers to anyone who heard them.
Sonic wave technique? This woman's inner strength was profound, possessing top-notch martial arts...
Tie Dan felt uncomfortable even listening; naturally, 'Xiao He,' who sounded younger, was more terrified, trembling all over and collapsing to her knees, wailing in fright,
"Sister Xiangzhu! Please spare me! It's not my fault! It's really not my fault!"
"If it's not your fault, why are you running? Do you have a sweetheart outside?"
'Sister Xiangzhu' chuckled softly, stepping forward to caress 'Xiao He's' face,
"What a pity, such a pretty face, such a delicate body, both the master and young master favored you so dearly, and yet you commit such deeds, what a shame..."
'Xiao He' cried out with a "wah!" sobbing and tearing up,
"Sister Xiangzhu! Believe me, it's not my fault! Really, it's not! The Young Master removed the charm! He instructed me to take out the ice crystal shell and Clearing Lamp from the library!"
"What did you say!"
'Sister Xiangzhu's' voice trembled in surprise.
'Xiao He' quickly said,
"It's true! The Young Master said the lamp's light was too dim, and the icy wind was too cold for the study. He instructed me to take it out, who knew..."
Then, with a sharp crack, 'Xiao He's' voice abruptly stopped.
Following a dull thud, Tie Dan turned his head, only to see the maiden fall to the ground, her brain spilling from her nose and ears, her skull shattered with a single blow, instantly dying.
Then 'Sister Xiangzhu' retrieved something from 'Xiao He's' trunk and left silently.
Only a bloody-headed maiden remained, her crystal-clear eyes still, staring across at the boy hidden under the bed, her pupils dilating, losing all signs of life.