Chu Shaoqiang brought five helpers. In the blink of an eye, both the Peeping Cultivator and the Mud Cultivator were defeated, and the Poison Cultivator’s whereabouts were unknown.
Chu Shaoqiang was still entangled in combat with He Jiaqing. Facing the Thief Cultivator, he had many concerns about using Magical Treasures, but Chu Shaoqiang wasn’t panicking.
The Greenwater Beggar found Chu Shaoqiang’s condition quite strange.
The Feng Cultivation Technique was hard to predict, and with the cover of the Fire Cultivator, it could deliver surprising attacks.
The Fire Cultivator could limit the Greenwater Beggar’s diseased areas. As long as the diseased areas were living, there was basically no chance of getting close.
But to assume the Greenwater Beggar only relied on his diseased areas to harm others would be to greatly underestimate this grandmaster of Disease Cultivation.
To have such a reputation in Puluo State and occupy its largest city, the Greenwater Beggar’s methods were far more than what met the eye.
Watching the blazing flames approach, the Greenwater Beggar sniffed and sneezed twice in succession.
After the sneezes, a sudden gust of wind arose, dispersing much of the fire created by the Fire Cultivator.
The Fire Cultivator wasn’t surprised by the Greenwater Beggar’s defensive strategy. He continued casting flames to create opportunities for the Feng Cultivator to launch a surprise attack.
Suddenly, smoke rose from the Greenwater Beggar’s body. His body temperature skyrocketed, evaporating all the pus, sweat, and tears on his body.
His skin turned red like a heated iron, and all his tattered clothes caught fire, turning to ashes in an instant.
The feverish Greenwater Beggar charged towards the Fire Cultivator.
The Fire Cultivator quickly used flames to defend against the Greenwater Beggar; he couldn’t understand his logic. If the Greenwater Beggar wanted to force his way through the flames to get close, he should have lowered his body temperature, preferably by freezing a layer of ice on himself.
Amidst the fierce flames, the Greenwater Beggar neither defended nor dodged, nor did his steps falter in the slightest.
By the time the Greenwater Beggar got close, the Fire Cultivator understood his intention.
Green Flower had changed his own bodily condition. He was damaging his body, using a high fever to adapt from the inside out, becoming resistant to the high temperature of the flames and allowing him to fight comfortably within them.
The Fire Cultivator concentrated his power to attack the Greenwater Beggar’s weak spots, first aiming for his eyes.
Under the scorching high temperature, the Greenwater Beggar’s pupils shone like porcelain, glowing brightly.
His vision wasn’t affected. Reaching out toward the Fire Cultivator’s throat, he yanked off a cluster of flames.
The Fire Cultivator’s face turned pale with shock, and he retreated repeatedly.
All of a Fire Cultivator’s techniques originated from the Fire Seeds within their body. With each increase in cultivation level, one Fire Seed was added. A Tenth Layer Fire Cultivator would have exactly ten Fire Seeds.
The Fire Seed is the lifeline of a Fire Cultivator. Once extinguished, it could take days or even months to relight.
Extinguishing a Fire Seed is the most effective method against a Fire Cultivator, but getting close to one is very difficult. The usual strategy is to engage from a distance and look for opportunities to attack the Fire Seeds.
The Fire Seed at the Fire Cultivator’s throat was now extinguished by the Greenwater Beggar. Before the Fire Cultivator could react, the Greenwater Beggar reached for his forehead and grabbed another cluster of flames.
The second Fire Seed was extinguished.
The Fire Cultivator panicked, unsure whether to attack or defend.
The Feng Cultivator grabbed a handful of sludge from the ground and hurled it at the Greenwater Beggar.
But the temperature of the flames was too high. The sludge turned to dry ash mid-flight and was dodged by the Greenwater Beggar.
The Feng Cultivator held a clump of sludge in his palm, preparing to rush forward and smear it on the Greenwater Beggar.
It was dangerous, but the Feng Cultivator decided to take the gamble.
This Feng Cultivator, lacking the Greenwater Beggar’s methods, suffered considerably as he forced his way through the flames, his body covered with burns from head to toe.
Just as he was about to smear the sludge, He Jiaqing suddenly appeared beside him, sprinkling water over the Feng Cultivator.
Chu Shaoqiang was rushing in this direction, but He Jiaqing had suddenly broken away from the fight. His speed was too great, and Chu Shaoqiang couldn’t keep up.
As a Thief Cultivator, knowing Water Cultivation Techniques wasn’t strange, but the Feng Cultivator didn’t understand why He Jiaqing was sprinkling water on him.
What happened next was beyond the Feng Cultivator’s wildest dreams.
He Jiaqing said, "You have received my water, so now you must follow my command. Stay put and don’t move."
The Feng Cultivator couldn’t move any longer.
Green Flower suddenly turned his head, grabbed the Feng Cultivator’s top of the skull, twisted his wrist, and wrenched off his head, tearing the headless corpse into several pieces.
The Fire Cultivator wanted to come and help, but He Jiaqing used a technique akin to dripping water wearing away stone, extinguishing six Fire Seeds on the Fire Cultivator.
The Fire Cultivator dared not move.
He had a total of ten Fire Seeds in his body. Two had been extinguished by the Greenwater Beggar and six by He Jiaqing, leaving only two. Most of his techniques had become unusable, and now he couldn’t even produce fire.
By the time Chu Shaoqiang arrived, Green Flower’s body temperature had returned to normal, and his diseased areas had begun to regenerate. He infected the Fire Cultivator with a body full of pus-filled sores.
The Fire Cultivator was beyond saving. In an instant, he decayed into a mass of mangled flesh on the ground.
All five helpers were annihilated.
Chu Shaoqiang was extremely calm, seemingly with no intention of fleeing.
The Greenwater Beggar looked at Chu Shaoqiang and said, "We’ve had dealings in the past. You can go. I’ll let you live."
Upon hearing this, Cui Tiq became anxious.
As his thoughts raced, Cui Tiq managed to clarify some matters.
The Grandmaster’s wisdom greatly impressed Cui Tiq.
The underlying reason was unfathomable, and Cui Tiq wasn’t too concerned with it. What he truly cared about was the current battle situation. If the two sides stopped fighting, it would be difficult for the Grandmaster to make his move, and it would be harder to fish in troubled waters.
Cui Tiq was feeling regretful, but Chu Shaoqiang had no intention of leaving.
He looked at He Jiaqing and smiled. "You have Water Cultivation Technique, as well as Feng Cultivation Technique. And just now, seeing you dare to approach the Fire Cultivator in close combat, I estimate you know some Fire Cultivation Technique as well."
He Jiaqing nodded. "Uncle Qiang has sharp insight. However, there’s no need to be so concerned about this. By tomorrow, which Taoist Sect techniques I know might be entirely different."
"We don’t need to wait until tomorrow," Chu Shaoqiang declared. "We settle this today."
As his voice fell, the character for ’Conceal’ emerged behind Chu Shaoqiang.
The ’Conceal’ character vanished, and a middle-aged man dressed in a deep blue robe, holding a Folding Fan, slowly materialized from the darkness of the night.
The Greenwater Beggar’s cheeks twitched for a moment. He recognized this person.
He Jiaqing recognized him even more clearly. The man was named He Caiyuan: He Haiqin’s father, He Jiaqing’s grandfather, and the founder of the He Family’s enterprises.
"Grandfather, what is this...?" He Jiaqing didn’t know what to say.
He Caiyuan smiled. "Jia Qing, good work. It puts my mind at ease to have such talented successors in the family."
"Thank you for the compliment," was all He Jiaqing could reply.
He Caiyuan waved his hand. "It’s not a compliment, just the truth. When I was your age, my cultivation level was far below yours.
"I’ve been watching from the sidelines, and I’ve taken note of many of your methods. Using such cunning against your own kin does seem a bit disgraceful,
"but as they say, the new generation often surpasses the old. Many old folks like me have been bested by their juniors, so one must always be on guard."
No wonder Chu Shaoqiang was so composed: he had a formidable figure backing him.
The five Tenth Layer Cultivators he brought were all sacrificial pawns. Their purpose was twofold: to weaken both the Greenwater Beggar and He Jiaqing, and to allow He Caiyuan to observe and devise his tactics.
The Greenwater Beggar gritted his teeth. "Old thing, your skin is still as thick as ever."
He Caiyuan’s brows furrowed slightly. "Green Flower, we’ll discuss our matters later. Allow me to finish settling our family affairs first. Jia Qing, it was you who sent Haiqin to the Sacred Land, wasn’t it?"
(The Sacred Land was what some people called the Inner State.)
He Jiaqing didn’t answer.
He Caiyuan laughed. "You don’t have to be afraid. You did nothing wrong in this matter. Once one’s cultivation level is sufficient, one should go to the Inner State to cultivate. That is the proper path.
"Haiqin has been tempered quite a bit, and his disposition has improved a lot. Calling in a few old favors, I’ve found him a decent position.
"Before long, Haiqin’s cultivation level will reach Above the Clouds. Whether he wishes to return and become a Local Deity or stay in the Inner State to continue his duties, that can be decided later."
It wasn’t hard to infer from these remarks that He Caiyuan held a certain standing in the Inner State, perhaps even higher than Chu Shaoqiang’s.
He Caiyuan opened his Folding Fan, waved it a few times, then his smile vanished. He said to He Jiaqing, "However, there are some things you did do wrong. Like wading into these muddy waters today; you shouldn’t have.
"You’re young and possess great cultivation; you should focus on family affairs. Yuxiu isn’t cut out to lead the family. Listen to your grandfather’s words and head back now."
He Jiaqing stood still, not moving. He Caiyuan closed his Folding Fan.
"You must listen when an elder advises you!"
The character for ’Listen’ appeared in the night sky and swiftly flew towards He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing tried desperately to dodge. The ’Listen’ character exploded beside him, triggering his Peeping Cultivation Technique. His remaining ear rang nonstop.
The Greenwater Beggar’s body swelled with sores as he readied himself for battle.
With a stern face, He Caiyuan looked at the Greenwater Beggar. "As for you, I’ll show you a path to survival. If you still want to live, crawl back to Greenwater City, hand over the Contract Book quickly, and go to the Inner State to atone for your sins."