Chapter 57: Silhouette Under the Umbrella

Xu Qing surveyed his surroundings, then bent down to pick up the middle-aged cultivator's blood-stained pouch. He sprinkled corpse-dissolving powder on the body. Under the washing of the rain, the collapsing flesh and bones of the remains dissolved into blood, merging with the accumulated rainwater on the ground.

After completing these tasks, Xu Qing returned to his magic boat. Sitting cross-legged in the cabin, he opened the man's pouch. His brow furrowed after a quick glance; apart from some miscellaneous items, there were no spirit stones or cultivation resources. There was no magic boat either. Only a blood-colored jade slip and an identity token remained. However, with the man's death, the identity token lost its luster, and Xu Qing couldn't see the exact amount of contribution points it held, nor could he transfer them. Such transfers required the owner's active participation.

“His belongings must be somewhere else…” Xu Qing sighed inwardly. His habit of prioritizing killing during attacks made it difficult to get opponents to transfer contribution points.

“Next time, if there’s an opportunity, should I just heavily wound them first?” Xu Qing pondered, but still found this approach unreliable. He then picked up the blood-colored jade slip. After examining it, his eyes suddenly gleamed.

“A bounty list?” This wasn’t a standard wanted list, but more like something privately issued. It contained a series of profiles of Seven Blood Eyes disciples, each with a price attached. One entry prominently featured Xu Qing’s name, even mentioning his nickname from the Scavenger’s Camp, with a price of fifty spirit stones.

“Patriarch of the Vajra Sect!” A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes. Only the Patriarch of the Vajra Sect could know his information and offer a fifty-spirit-stone bounty. Clearly, the other party had already tracked him down and uncovered his information within Seven Blood Eyes. After all, while Deerhorn City was a branch city of Seven Blood Eyes, the Vajra Sect also had connections in that region, making the search not too difficult.

“The Patriarch of the Vajra Sect getting this information so quickly means he also has some connections within Seven Blood Eyes.”

“But bound by the rules of Seven Blood Eyes, he dares not act personally, so he issued a bounty!”

Xu Qing pondered, then looked at the blood-colored jade slip. After some manipulation, he simply accepted the task to eliminate himself.

“I need to cultivate quickly and then get rid of the Patriarch of the Vajra Sect as soon as possible!”

Time flew by, and several days passed.

The rain lasted for four whole days. On the third day, it escalated into a massive storm, raising colossal waves that seemed to threaten to engulf the entire harbor. However, suppressed by the main city’s formations, no matter how astounding the storm, the harbor remained unmoving like bedrock. It wasn’t until the dawn of the fifth day that the rampant storm reluctantly retreated, and the wind and rain gradually subsided.

Xu Qing looked up at the sky outside. Though it was early morning, the heavens were gloomy and oppressive. He organized his pills and stepped out of his magic boat. As he set foot on the shore, the scent of the sea mingled with the wind and rain, along with a faint, elusive hint of blood.

Although the storm raged for these four days, the Demon Hunting Division’s duties continued unimpeded. Their daily work, besides searching for Night Raven clues, now included an additional task: apprehending criminals.

In Seven Blood Eyes, whenever a storm arrived, due to the severe weather, the shutdown of various departments, and cultivators generally not venturing out… clandestine plundering and killings would suddenly skyrocket. In just four days, according to statistics obtained by the Seventh Peak’s Demon Hunting Division, over eighty disciples died in the harbor district, seven of whom were from the Demon Hunting Division itself. As for the death toll in the other six districts, outsiders didn’t know, but it clearly couldn’t be significantly less.

It was difficult to find any clues in the storm, and such incidents were not considered significant in Seven Blood Eyes, attracting little attention. The Demon Hunting Division was accustomed to it, only conducting superficial investigations. Even in Sixth Squad, where an old member died, no one bothered to inquire further.

Xu Qing also found an opportunity to ask his captain about the old man from the Inn on Banquan Road. He was informed that the man was not human, had connections with the First Peak, and had obtained the right to reside in the main city. Ordinarily, there was peace. As for the inn harboring illicit activities, out of respect for the First Peak, as long as it didn’t cross the line, the Demon Hunting Division largely ignored it. Xu Qing thus learned that humans were not the only race in this world; there were many non-human races. However, he had only encountered the old man from the inn, so he filed this information away in his mind.

After clocking in at the Demon Hunting Division, Xu Qing walked down the street, holding an umbrella. He planned to visit a pharmacy to sell the white pills he had refined over the past few days, in exchange for more herbs. Carrying a large quantity of white pills made Xu Qing even more vigilant. Perhaps because the rain had lessened, there were more people in the city that day than in previous days. With Xu Qing’s heightened awareness, it wasn’t long before he arrived at the pharmacy he frequented.

There weren’t many people inside the shop, but Xu Qing spotted a familiar figure: Zhou Qingpeng, who had entered the sect in the same batch as him. Zhou Qingpeng also saw Xu Qing and hesitated, not recognizing him immediately, only finding the person somewhat familiar. After all, during the entrance test, Xu Qing had been in dirty scavenger’s attire.

Xu Qing said nothing. The old shopkeeper, upon seeing him enter, smiled. He had a deep impression of Xu Qing, as it was rare for someone not from the Second Peak to possess such extensive knowledge of herbs.

“You’ve come at the right time. I have something good today,” the shopkeeper said with a smile, pulling out a specially made leather pouch from behind him. He opened it, revealing five dried blue insect corpses inside. The insects had grotesque appearances, with long mouthparts and four pairs of legs. Their backs bore natural patterns resembling ghost faces, each distinct: some appeared to be crying, some smiling, some angry. Though only palm-sized, they were covered in sharp spines, and remarkably, their tails also had mouths. Tiny, incredibly sharp teeth were visible. Even though they were dead and dried, their grotesque appearance was still unsettling to behold.

“Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab!” Xu Qing’s expression shifted slightly. He quickly stepped forward for a closer look. He had heard Master Bai talk about these Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs before; they only lived in the deep sea and were rarely seen on the market, classified as very obscure venomous insects. Their blood was blue and highly poisonous, but with specific preparations, it could be made into a miraculous healing medicine. Zhou Qingpeng, who was examining pills elsewhere in the shop, also glanced over upon hearing this.

“You recognize them, as expected,” the shopkeeper chuckled, simultaneously developing a higher regard for Xu Qing. He knew well that even among Second Peak disciples, not many would recognize such obscure venomous insects. His curiosity grew about where this handsome young man had acquired such remarkable knowledge of medicinal arts.

“How much are they?” Xu Qing’s interest was piqued, and he asked the shopkeeper.

“I dare not sell them,” the shopkeeper coughed, putting the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs away. Seeing Xu Qing’s gaze linger on the leather pouch containing the insects, as if reluctant to part with them, he explained with a smile. “My employer expended great effort to acquire these; they just arrived today, and the employer will be here to pick them up shortly. How could I dare sell them? I just took them out for you to admire; after all, these are rare items.”

Xu Qing felt a pang of regret. He withdrew his gaze and didn’t immediately take out his white pills. Instead, he waited a while until Zhou Qingpeng had paid and left. Only then did Xu Qing retrieve his leather pouch containing the white pills and place it on the counter.

“Today, I’m not buying herbs; I’m selling pills.”

“Hmm?” The shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed. He immediately opened the pouch, took a quick look, and was visibly moved.

“So many white pills?” He didn’t immediately inspect them. Instead, he meticulously washed his hands nearby, then put on a pair of gloves. After showing Xu Qing that the gloves were dust-free, he opened the pouch and took out the white pills. As he laid them on the counter, surprise filled his eyes. There were simply too many white pills, over five hundred of them. Each one was perfectly round, and their medicinal fragrance wafted out, filling the pharmacy. Many customers inside caught the scent and looked over. Xu Qing’s brow furrowed slightly, and his right hand subtly rested near the leather pouch containing his black iron stick.

The shopkeeper now carefully inspected the pills, feeling quite astonished. He looked up and took a deep look at the young man before him. He had already thought the boy’s knowledge of herbs was excellent, but now he realized that his pill-refining technique was even more outstanding. These pills were flawlessly crafted, clearly a single successful refinement without any errors or re-refinement. Each one was pure white and translucent, containing natural medicinal oil, resembling mutton-fat jade. This level of skill was not something every Second Peak disciple possessed. After counting them, the shopkeeper deliberated and offered a price.

“How about ten spirit stones?”

Xu Qing knew the prices in the main city. White pills usually sold for around thirty spirit coins, and one spirit stone was worth about one thousand spirit coins. After a moment’s thought, he nodded in agreement. The shopkeeper quickly took out spirit stones and handed them to Xu Qing, then began organizing the pills on the counter. Xu Qing surveyed the people around him, narrowed his eyes, and turned to leave.

As he reached the doorway, a young woman approached from outside. Before she was even close, a scent of medicinal fragrance wafted over. The girl, seventeen or eighteen years old, held a white umbrella and was surprisingly wearing a light orange daoist robe! It was known that throughout Seven Blood Eyes, disciples below the mountain peaks wore gray daoist robes. Only core disciples were permitted to wear solid colors, like the Seventh Peak’s light purple, for example. This robe signified her noble status!

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. He stepped aside to avoid her and glanced over. Beneath the white paper umbrella, the young woman had long, dark hair casually draped over her shoulders, with slanted bangs that perfectly swept just above her eyelids. Beneath long lashes were watery eyes. The light orange daoist robe seemed to flow like a long dress on her. Her waist was slender enough to be encompassed by a hand, her beauty flawless, as if she were a celestial being untouched by the mortal world. Especially as the rain and wind blew, two wisps of hair near her cheeks gently brushed her face, revealing skin as smooth as warm jade, soft and lustrous.

She also saw Xu Qing. After a glance at his face, she showed no arrogance typical of a core disciple. Instead, she offered a gentle smile, gesturing for him to go first. Xu Qing nodded, withdrew his gaze, and departed. After he left, the young woman entered the pharmacy, a fresh fragrance subtly spreading throughout the shop, slowly seeping into everyone’s hearts.

“Employer, you’ve arrived. You really didn’t need to come personally; I could have delivered it,” the shopkeeper rushed over, his expression very respectful.

“Uncle Peng, you don’t have to be so formal. I was tired from refining pills on the mountain, so I came out for a change of scenery,” the young woman said with a smile, walking with the shopkeeper to the counter.

“It’s only proper, only proper,” the shopkeeper said, still respectful, quickly following her. At the counter, he took out the leather pouch containing the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crabs and handed it to the young woman. Seeing the shopkeeper remain so polite, the young woman shook her head helplessly. After taking the pouch, she was about to leave when her beautiful eyes swept across the counter, landing on the white pills that had not yet been fully put away.

She suddenly let out a soft “Oh?” Raising her fair, jade-like right hand, she delicately picked up a pill, held it before her pure and flawless face, and gazed at it closely. A clear hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.

“Employer, what’s wrong with these pills? Is there a problem?” the shopkeeper quickly and cautiously asked upon seeing this.

“No problem,” the young woman said, holding it to her nose and sniffing. “These pills are excellent. Their purity is exceptionally high; such pills are rare.”

The shopkeeper was even more surprised upon hearing this. “Employer, you are a core disciple of the Second Peak, a prodigy in alchemy. You find the purity of these pills rare? But even if white pills are highly pure, they’re still just white pills.”

The young woman chuckled at his words. “Uncle Peng, you’re right. White pills are just basic medicinal pills. While higher purity is always better, in terms of actual efficacy, taking a few more would achieve the same result.”

“However, purity represents the refining technique, and that is what interests me,” the young woman said, examining the pill in her hand again, her eyes gleaming with renewed interest. She then asked the shopkeeper to take out all the white pills from that batch. After inspecting them one by one, the surprise in her eyes grew even stronger.

“Every single one is like this. Such a large quantity, and judging by the medicinal warmth, they were refined in batches, with the earliest likely made yesterday.”

“This indicates that the refiner has achieved perfection at the liquid medicine stage; every batch is precise to the smallest detail,” the young woman murmured, instructing the shopkeeper to pack all the white pills from that batch. She intended to take them back for careful study.

Before leaving, she remembered something and asked a question. “Uncle Peng, where did you get this batch of white pills from?”

“A disciple from an unknown peak, he just left. You probably saw him when you came in, Employer,” the shopkeeper replied, looking outside the pharmacy where Xu Qing’s figure was no longer visible.

The young woman recalled, and the image of the handsome young man she had just seen appeared in her mind. She nodded. “Uncle Peng, if that person comes to sell pills again, please keep all the pills for me; don’t sell any of them.”

Hearing her employer’s instructions, the shopkeeper was inwardly surprised and quickly assented. At the same time, his curiosity about Xu Qing grew even stronger.