by A P Gore
Wei searched a large area behind the Du and Tian clans’ party, but he didn’t see any trace of a Bone Baptization Realm cultivator anywhere. If he had found one, Wei had planned to take the Li clan’s juniors with him and run away.
That was the only option to save the Li clan’s heritage.
In his previous life, he didn’t even look at Bone Baptization Trash’s, but right now fighting a Bone Baptization realm cultivator with his current cultivation would be suicide.
It seemed that the Bone Baptization Realm cultivator wasn’t here yet, so this party must have been just a vanguard sent to test the Li clan’s strength.
Then what did the Du and Tian clans have with them to rely on?
Wei narrowed his eyes when he spotted a lustrous white pill appear in Du Lufang’s and Tian Wu’s palms.
Essence Burning Pills.
This was indeed a perilous situation for the Li clan. But it also meant he still had a chance to act.
***
Li Shua’s face darkened when he spotted the lustrous white pill exuding a medicinal fragrance on Du Lufang’s palm. It was an Essence Burning Pill. How could he not know what that pill could do?
“Senior Tim. Do you recognize this pill?” Du Lufang asked arrogantly.
“Junior. It is an Essence Burning Pill.” Ancestor Tim took a long breath before continuing. “You’re a Foundation Realm cultivator. You should know the aftereffects of this pill. You will be bedridden for three months. Do you want to take that risk?” he said, tapping the ground with his leather shoes. It was a signal for Li Shua to prepare for battle. “Shua’er,” Ancestor Tim whispered in a low voice that only Li Shua could hear. “If this junior eats this pill, we will take charge and let your sons run away and survive. An injured dog is better than a dead tiger.”
Li Shua’s heart became heavy. The message was clear; the ancestor wanted to sacrifice their lives to let their descendants survive. If he put himself in the ancestor’s shoes, this was the best option available for them. Essence Burning Pills were expensive medicinal pills that allowed a cultivator in Foundation Realm to burn essence stored in their dantian’s walls and increase their cultivation exponentially. If Du Lufang and Tian Wu both ate that pill, they would have prowess equal to layer nine of Refinement Realm, and that would put the Li clan in danger of extermination. Foundation Realm was easy to reach, but harder to master. When one reached the peak of layer nine, they would be invincible in Foundation Realm. With those pills, Du Lufang and Tian Wu could easily obliterate the Li clan. Only he and his ancestor uncle could hold them for a few breath’s time.
But the situation need not be so grim. If it came to it, he could expose his own trump cards.
“Du Lufang. Don’t go overboard. Do you think the Li clan doesn’t have those pills?” Li Shua pulled out a small pouch. It also contained two Essence Burning Pills. A few days back, Divine Fragrance Palace had given these pills to him in exchange for securing the deal with the Earthly Fruit Tree. He had kept these pills with him in case of calamity, but he didn’t expect that calamity would come so soon.
Ancestor Tim’s gaze shifted to the pills in his hand, and a grin turned up the corners of his lips.
Du Lufang chuckled loudly. “Li Shua, you don’t seem to understand the situation yet. We won’t be eating these pills, but other elders will consume them and destroy your whole clan. Then, when the time comes, Tian Wu and I are enough to deal with you two.” He pulled a bottle of Essence Burning Pills out and shook it in front of them. “If you show me this many pills, then I’ll leave and won’t return again.”
Li Shua’s heart stuttered. His face turned deathly pale. This was inconceivable. How could Du Lufang produce eight to ten Essence Burning Pills? The Li clan would have to give up a month’s income to buy one, and this bastard had produced a bottle like it was a dirt-cheap thing. It was like slapping the Li clan with money.
The situation that had seemed balanced instantly turned into a one-sided massacre.
“As expected, brother Lufang.” Tian Wu laughed. “You are hitting the dog with money. I bet even if they sold the entirety of the Li clan’s properties, they couldn’t buy this many pills in one go.”
Li Shua squinted. “Tian Wu, how ruthless. Why are you siding with this bastard?” He couldn’t contain his anger anymore. He wanted to tear these two bastards apart right now.
Tian Wu chuckled and stood next to Du Lufang, stroking his small mustache. “It’s the rule of the world, Li Shua. The strong always bully the weak. Who told you to obtain wealth when you can’t protect it?”
Li Shua suddenly understood what this was about. It was the Earthly Fruit Tree that had brought calamity upon him. As soon as Li Ti had told him about the tree appearing in their forest, a sense of looming danger had emerged in his mind. That’s why he had contacted Divine Fragrance Palace to make a deal. The tree was something he could never protect with his own prowess.
And now this calamity befell his clan.
Could they survive?
At least that brat Li Wei had agreed to walk away. When the brat said he would walk away, Li Shua felt disappointment in his heart, but now he knew that the brat had made the perfect decision. If Wei was killed here, what would he say to Min’er when he met her in the afterlife?
Although he hadn’t been able to give her safe refuge, he could at least save her son.
“What if I help the Li clan?” A deep voice echoed in the surroundings, followed by the appearance of a tall man with an unending aura and a black head cover walking out of the trees. “If I eat one of those pills, can you bunch of idiots survive this battle?” The strong aura of a peak Foundation Realm expert descended upon them like a hundred-ton boulder falling from the sky. Although it was just a single layer, the difference between layer eight and the peak of layer nine was as vast as heaven and earth.
Chapter 55 Li Wei's master
Du Lufang knitted his brows when an aura stronger than anything he had felt before crashed into him, sending quivers across his body. With the pressure he felt, he instantly recognized the cultivation the hooded man possessed.
The stranger was at the peak of Foundation Realm, or a half step into Blood Baptization Realm.
When did the Li clan hire an expert like this? His lungs constricted as he observed the mysterious gray-hooded man. From just a glance, he could tell the mystery man was an unfathomable existence, and even his big brother, the clan’s second elder, Du Kun, might not be able to take on this person.
His big brother was at the peak of Foundation Realm, but even he had never shown Du Lufang the kind of pressure this mystery man gave off.
A bone-breaking chill ran through his heart when two dark eyes stared into his soul.
“Brother Lufang.” Tian Wu clenched his fist. “If he helps the Li clan, we might be in trouble.”
“Shut up.” Du Lufang grunted. Of course, he knew that. If a peak Foundation Realm expert ate an Essence Burning Pill, he could rival even a Bone Baptization Realm expert. With that person holding down the fort for the Li clan, they had no chance to eliminate the Li clan today. “Senior, you don’t seem to be from the Li clan.” His voice quivered under the uncertain pressure the mystery man exuded.
The mystery man neither denied or confirmed.
Du Lufang suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. “Senior. It must be taxing to come here to help the Li clan like this. How about you help us, and I’ll offer you twice the benefit the Li clan is offering? This way, your trip won’t be wasted.”
The mystery man didn’t reply. He just stared back at him, his aura diminishing a little.
Du Lufang felt a cold breeze rushing through his mind. The mystery man was retracting his aura, so he was interested in Du Lufang’s proposal.
“Senior. If you’re not happy with twice the compensation, how about thrice? You can judge my riches by checking this pill bottle.” He flaunted the pill bottle in his hand. He’d been buttering up his wife for years so she would get some good quality pills
from her maternal clan, and she had bought this pill bottle for him. This was all he had when it came to his own money, but he didn’t believe the Li clan had promised this senior a hefty price like Essence Burning Pills. If needed, he could sell a couple of these pills and pay triple the amount the Li clan promised to this senior. With the senior expert on his side, he might even have a chance to get a greater share of the wealth from the main branch.
Yes, that should be easy. Li Shua and Li Tim had bewildered expressions on their faces, and that meant their relationship with this senior hadn’t stabilized yet.
The black hooded senior laughed. “You can’t offer me what the Li clan has offered me.”
Du Lufang frowned but changed his expression instantly and put a benevolent smile on his face. “Senior, what can the mere Li clan offer? An artifact? Gold? Qi Stone? I can offer thrice the amount they offered. You must be aware that the Du clan has always surpassed the Li clan financially.” Even if he had to sell four of these Essence Burning Pills, he would buy enough treasure to pull this senior to his side.
“They offered me a life. Can you do that?”
A life. Was he asking for his life?
No, the Li clan must have offered someone else’s life.
Aha! Like a flickering light, an idea formed in his mind. This senior hid his face, and he had this deathly aura around him. The senior must be a demonic cultivator. That had to be it. Only demonic cultivators used others’ lives to cultivate. “Senior, I can also offer you ten lives.” He shook his head. “No. I can offer you all of the Li clan’s lives. You can cultivate as much as you like.”
The gray-hooded senior paused and looked at the Li clan members who had wary expressions on their suddenly pale faces.
“Li Shua opened his mouth but no words came out.
“Senior, see? The Li clan is not capable of the things I can offer. If you want, I can offer you a hundred more slaves on top of the Li clan’s lives.” He had many useless slaves in his manor, and he would happily give them to this senior.
“Du Lufang, you’re overestimating yourself,” the senior said in a chilly voice. “Who said I want the lives of others?”
Du Lufang felt sudden death coming at him, like he’d missed something in their conversation. Then it hit him. This senior was a demonic cultivator, but he didn’t want to expose his true path of cultivation. Of course. There were so many people present here, and if anyone exposed this, the senior might be in trouble.”
Du Lufang suddenly felt how brilliant he was. “Senior. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding I caused. I didn’t mean you need others’ lives. I know you are a righteous person and look down on others who take lives. I’ll just use my slaves to please you. You can use them as your servants.” He was even ready to offer virgin boys. Once, his clan elder had told him about a demonic clan that stole pure yang from virgin boys to cultivate.
***
Li Wei wanted to smack Du Lufang’s face. What the heck was going on? Why was he suddenly pushing slaves at him? Did Du Lufang think he could sway Wei’s thought by offering a few dozen slaves?
Was something wrong with that blockhead? First Du Lufang offered riches, and then he suddenly started offering slaves. All he wanted was to scare these bastards away. The Persona Amplification Array he had crafted on his robe was slowly vanishing. The ink he had used seemed to have some other blood mixed into it. So, the array was fluctuating, and he had to maintain it by imbuing more qi into it through the low-quality Qi Stone he had.
It was such a waste.
Damn that Wu Xiodia. He called himself an Array Master, yet he sold mixed blood in his shop. This was a big taboo among array carvers, and if it was exposed, his shop wouldn’t sell a single thing afterward.
“Du Lufang, shut up. If you dare say one more word, I’ll kill you,” Wei shouted, using his divine sense to pressure Du Lufang more. If Du Lufang lingered for ten more minutes, Wei might lose his facade of an expert.
“Senior, why don’t we step away and discuss our terms? I’m sure I can satisfy them.”
Had Du Lufang gone mad? Didn’t he hear his big fat no?
“Du Lufang, get the fuck out of here, else I’ll eat an Essence Burning Pill.” He reached for the pills in his grandfather’s hand.
“Senior . . .” Du Lufang stepped back. “Please think about this. I will come back tomorrow. If you want, I can offer you virgin boys as well.”
A thin layer of perspiration formed on Wei’s forehead. Was this guy a sicko? First money, then slaves, and now virgin boys. What was wrong with him?
“Li Shua, give me that pill. If I don’t kill this brat today, then I won’t show my face in the outside world.” He blurted nonsense as the array slowly disintegrated from his robe.
“Senior, what about virgin girls?”
“Fuck off!” He stomped, raising a cloud of dust in the air.
Du Lufang sighed visibly but retreated. “Senior. I’ll come back again. Please let us talk privately. I believe we can come to an agreement.”
Wei’s blood boiled. What more could he do? If he had the strength, he would have smacked this bastard rather than trying to scare him off. This was utter humiliation.
Thanks to the heavens, Du Lufang walked away with his underlings and Tian Wu.
“Senior . . .” Stepping forward, his grandfather bowed, almost touching the ground with his head.
Wei felt a speck of guilt enter his mind and take root. He’d wanted to help his grandfather, not make him bow down before him.
“Patriarch Li Shua, you don’t need to show any courtesy. I did it for my disciple.”
“Disciple?” Li Shua’s head shot up, his eyes spanning wide.
“Yes, your grandson,” Wei replied, maintaining his fake hoarse voice.
Ancestor Li Tim cupped his hands. “Senior. Thanks for your help. If it wasn’t for you, my Li clan would have suffered a great calamity.” His gaze jumped to the houses in the Li clan compound. “Li Guan, Li Pi, you bastards! Why did you hide something like this from your ancestor? Are you trying to embarrass me to death?” His voice echoed through the whole compound. Although he showed anger, Wei knew that the old ancestor’s mind was full of joy.
“It’s Li Wei.” Wei answered hoarsely.
Ancestor Li Tim couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he rubbed his ears harshly. Every other Li clan member present had a dizzy look in their eyes.
Only grandfather Li Shua had a calm expression. “So that’s how that brat fixed his dantian. Senior, I guess it must be you who helped him. The brat had this fortuitous encounter and didn’t even tell his grandfather.”
The Persona Amplification Array pulsed, its energy down to half. Wei had to leave, else he would give the game away.
“Patriarch Li Shua, trust Li Wei with your whole heart—“ “Wei cut his sentence in half as an ominous feeling gripped his heart. Something was wrong.
Looking in the direction Du Lufang and Tian Wu had gone, he spread his divine sense forward.
A bunch of figures flashed through the forest and entered his divine sense’s radius.
Fuck! A Bone Baptization Realm expert led that group, and that meant the Du clan elder had made his way to Old Martial City.
Something he feared for had already knocked on his door.
Chapter 56 Du Su
Li Wei gritted his teeth and looked around helplessly. Calamity was already here, and he had no option but to give in to the situation.
The Bone Baptization Cultivator’s strong aura rushed toward them, and his heart palpitated. He wasn’t afraid but knew he was helpless. His fingers clenched in a tight grip, and he only noticed it when blood leaked from his palm.
Hopelessly, he looked around.
There were five Foundation Realm experts around him, and only two had reached level eight. The rest were layer one to layer four. Although there were two layer-eight qi Foundation Realm cultivators, they didn’t add up to one layer two Bone Baptization Realm cultivator. They could hold up fo
r some time, but that was it. They would die in the end.
How was he supposed to face a Bone Baptization Realm expert with his insignificant cultivation?
A man appeared atop a long Rua tree. His golden robe fluttered with the north wind, and he jumped down like an emperor. “Li Shua, we meet again.” His white beard reached his waist, and he looked to be in his late forties. But that couldn’t be his real age. He must be at least fifty years plus, but his cultivation had reached Bone Baptization Realm, giving him a youthful look. A long black sword hung on his back, and his pea-shaped eyes scanned everyone in the vicinity, malice leaking through them.
“Du Su,” Grandfather Shua replied, but his voice lacked confidence. “How could it be?” He must have recognized the opponent’s cultivation level.
“I know what you’re thinking. You must be wondering how I reached Bone Baptization Realm, while you—a talent of our generation—remain stuck in Foundation Realm.” He laughed, stroking his beard with his left hand.
“It . . .” Grandfather Shua had an unsightly expression on his face, like he regretted being powerless.
“You were a prodigy, and you ended up being trash. What an irony. Now, look here, Li Shua.” A red glow appeared behind Du Su’s head like a crown.
After stepping into Bone Baptization Realm, cultivators could form a phenomenon behind their bodies, and the red aura was a common phenomenon many Bone Baptization Realm cultivators formed.
“Du Su, when did you break through?” Ancestor Tim said. He seemed to age suddenly by a decade. “I can’t believe you used to play with Li Shua once.” He sighed, helplessly.
“Li Tim. Shouldn’t you call me senior, as I’ve already surpassed your cultivation?”
Ancestor Tim had an awful look plastered on his face for a moment, but it turned into a self-mocking smile. “You’re right, senior Du. You’re indeed a senior I should look up to.”
“Ha ha. It’s good that you didn’t forget your humble nature, Li Tim.” Du Su smirked.
