Chapter 407: Compensation

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When they first met, Lord Wang was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Their connection began through conflict, which could be seen as a peculiar twist of fate.

At that time, Jin Miaoshan had already reached Core Formation.

Now, she was still in Core Formation, yet Wang Yu had already formed his Nascent Soul. His astonishing cultivation speed was something even she, a dignified candidate to inherit the Golden Pagoda, could not match.

The shock this brought her was no less than the profound social embarrassment she had experienced in the Mind Lake space half a month prior.

“Long time no see.”

Wang Yu, revealing his true appearance, was incomparably handsome. Especially after undergoing profound transformations from multiple major realm breakthroughs, his already excellent looks had ascended to another level.

In fact, unless their cultivation technique was special, high-level cultivators were rarely ugly. Were it not for his overly pale skin, which made him appear somewhat cold and lifeless.

With his looks, he could establish another lineage within the Joyous Harmony Sect.

After exchanging greetings, Jin Miaoshan’s small mouth slowly closed. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. A century was quite a long time, considering her age.

Had it not been for that incident in the Mind Lake space, they would inevitably have become estranged.

Even so, she remained silent.

The grand cultivator who accompanied Jin Miaoshan was a beautiful female Daoist nun. She had an oval face, eyes like shimmering autumn water, and a delicate nose.

Her small mouth was crimson, and a vermillion mark adorned her brow.

A lotus crown held her white hair tightly, giving her an air of meticulous solemnity. Her graceful figure was hidden by loose Daoist robes, but even so, one could discern the generous curves beneath.

Hidden depths indeed…

Noticing his gaze, Jin Miaoshan quickly made an introduction.

“This is True Monarch Jin Xi,” she said. “She once cultivated at the Golden Light Temple in Taihu and has been with the Golden Pagoda for six hundred years. She can be trusted.”

Golden Light Temple?

The Seven Orthodox Sects did not include such a sect. It must be a minor force; otherwise, there would be no need for her to join the Golden Pagoda to gain cultivation resources.

Swiftly making his assessment, Wang Yu bowed.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jin Xi.”

“Fellow Daoist Wang, your talent is peerless; there’s no need for such formality,” Jin Xi replied. “First, tell us what you intend to do.”

“No hurry,” Wang Yu said. “Just lend me your presence for now.”

With that, Wang Yu glanced at the council hall.

The auras of Shadow Cat and Peng Qing were quite noticeable within: one at the Mid Nascent Soul stage, the other at Early Nascent Soul. True Monarch Jin Xi understood the implication and silently nodded.

She respectfully stood behind Wang Yu. Seeing this, Jin Miaoshan walked up to him and, with familiar ease, nudged him with her shoulder. The three of them walked inside, conversing quietly.

“Hey,” Jin Miaoshan whispered, “How did you cultivate so fast? What shortcut did you take?”

Wang Yu grinned.

“The Human Pill Great Dao.”

Hearing this, Jin Miaoshan’s delicate brows furrowed. She had thought he was joking, but then she suddenly remembered the Ice Devil Child who had risen to fame in Fengzhou decades ago.

She then exclaimed in surprise.

“So it was you!” she exclaimed. “Were you already forming your Nascent Soul back then?”

“No,” Wang Yu replied. “I went to the Endless Ice Plains afterward.”

Jin Miaoshan was naturally aware of the secrets concerning Demonic Nascent Souls. She immediately understood his movements during this period. As they walked up the steps, she suddenly spoke again.

“If that’s the case,” she continued, “how did you get involved with the Northern Demon Race and cause trouble?”

“No,” Wang Yu corrected. “It’s their trouble.”

As they entered the council hall, Peng Qing suddenly rose. He had initially been gleefully approaching, believing that the spiritual pills assigned by the Five-Colored Holy Lord had been successfully refined.

However, he then noticed a formidable figure standing behind Wang Yu.

True Monarch Jin Xi expressionlessly swept her gaze across the room. The aura she revealed instantly pressed Peng Qing back into his seat. A sense of unease enveloped his heart, and he gave an awkward smile.

“Alchemist Wang… what is the meaning of this?” he stammered.

He instantly determined that True Monarch Jin Xi was a Grand Cultivator at the Late Nascent Soul stage. He couldn’t tell her exact level, but her power was enough to rival the Nine Great Demon Kings.

How could he not panic?

“You’ll have to ask Brother Hei,” Wang Yu replied, “about what his dear daughter did.”

In fact, from the moment Jin Miaoshan entered the council hall,

Shadow Cat had already become somewhat flustered. The aggrieved party, whom he had betrayed, had come knocking. He hadn’t expected Wang Yu and Jin Miaoshan to be old acquaintances. Perhaps he had been so consumed by worry for Hei Liu’s safety that he hadn’t thought deeply about it.

With the Vermillion Kite Continent currently in chaos and fighting everywhere,

the scouts he had dispatched had not had enough time—a mere half-month—to thoroughly investigate Wang Yu’s past. Now, upon seeing Jin Miaoshan, his first thought was that she had come to settle accounts.

This matter could neither be escaped nor avoided.

So, he grimaced and recounted the entire incident. Peng Qing’s expression changed dramatically, and Jin Miaoshan was also burning with rage.

She slammed her hand on the table.

“It’s Jin Lin again!” she fumed. “This little beast insists on a fight to the death with me! No… I must retaliate!”

“Miaoshan, calm down,” Wang Yu said, trying to soothe her. The four heirs of the Golden Pagoda were, theoretically, all rivals, and only one could ultimately emerge victorious.

Yet Jin Lin was clearly deranged, only causing trouble for Jin Miaoshan. The other two heirs were naturally delighted, content to watch the tigers fight from the mountain, seeing no need to interfere in the feud between the two.

“I don’t think you’ll hand over Hei Liu,” Wang Yu continued. “Let’s discuss compensation. Brother Peng Qing, please bear witness and inform the Sky Roc King about this matter, so they don’t accuse us of bullying the Demon Race.”

At this point, Wang Yu implicitly linked himself with Jin Miaoshan, which was equivalent to linking himself with the Golden Pagoda. Peng Qing naturally had nothing to say.

He glared fiercely at Shadow Cat and, lamenting his failure, said, “It’s just offspring. Given your Cat Race’s reproductive capability, it’s not impossible to have another one in the future. Clan Leader Hei, you are cutting off your own retreat.”

Offending Wang Yu was one thing;

but offending the Golden Pagoda was absolutely unacceptable!

Regardless of whether they were Southern or Northern Demons, ever since they were forced deep into the mountains by human venerables, fifty percent of their resources were obtained through trade with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and the Golden Pagoda.

The lack of top-tier combat power meant that trade was entirely a seller’s market. They were merely raw material providers. Even without completely severing trade, merely raising prices would be enough to cause severe hardship for the Demon Race.

There was no way around it; the Demon Race simply lacked masters in alchemy, artifact refining, talismans, and formations!

“Let’s discuss compensation,” Wang Yu said.

Seeing the two of them start a dispute, Wang Yu didn’t want to watch further. He directly presented his conditions. Besides the materials for refining the Grand Yin Demonic Origin Pill, the most important thing was…

“I want demon corpses,” he declared.

Peng Qing and Clan Leader Hei were stunned and asked, bewildered.

“Alchemist Wang, what do you need these for?”

“They are useful,” Wang Yu replied simply.

He casually brushed them off. Both the Blood Pill Art and the Demon Refining Art: Artifact Chapter involved desecrating demon corpses. The grade he required was not low; Tier 4 was the minimum.

The value of demon corpses varied depending on their race.

But the corpses of high-level cultivators had always been hot commodities among Vermillion Kite cultivators. Not to mention the materials that could be extracted from them, just the essence of their flesh and blood was a supreme ingredient for refining blood pills.

Their value was extraordinary.

Peng Qing thought for a moment and said, “The wrongdoings committed by Clan Leader Hei should be compensated with the corpses of your Demon Cat ancestors. I will take Alchemist Wang to dig up the graves.”

“—Absolutely not!”

Clan Leader Hei’s face was grim, and anger flickered in his brows.

“Why must it be like this?” he demanded. “It’s no problem if you want Tier 4 spiritual materials, but why do you insist on corpses? Are you perhaps trying to refine a corpse puppet?”

He had seen Wang Yu’s Thunder Corpse, so it was natural for him to have this thought.

Wang Yu, meanwhile, stroked his chin.

“Although it’s not refining corpse puppets,” Wang Yu said, “it’s not far off. Otherwise, what would I want demon corpses for?”

“That’s true,” Peng Qing agreed.

Peng Qing decisively declared, “It’s decided then. The Holy Lord is still waiting for Alchemist Wang’s spiritual pills. What do you say, Clan Leader Hei?”

This was the advantage of having a judge present. Peng Qing could righteously pressure him; since he had gained benefits by allying with the Sky Roc Clan, he also had to bear the disadvantages.

Clan Leader Hei resisted in silence until True Monarch Jin Xi’s aura spread once more. Only then did he suddenly jolt, realizing that these were not just Wang Yu’s conditions, but also Jin Miaoshan’s.

“I understand,” he conceded.

The corner of Wang Yu’s mouth lifted slightly, and he held out his palm.

“Five corpses,” he stated.

“What! That’s impossible!”

“Ten corpses,” Wang Yu calmly countered.

“Fellow Daoist Wang…” Clan Leader Hei pleaded, “why go to such lengths?”

“Twenty…” Wang Yu began.

“—Stop!”

Clan Leader Hei had a crestfallen expression as he explained.

“There aren’t that many,” he said. “The Demon Cat clan doesn’t have that many deceased ancestors.”

“Simple,” Wang Yu replied. “Use resources to acquire them.”

When Wang Yu got angry, he never showed mercy. He wasn’t going to take everything and leave nothing behind; did they truly think he was made of clay?

“But… how can we exchange ancestral corpses?” Clan Leader Hei asked, bewildered, but then he heard Wang Yu outline a detailed exchange plan, as if he had already prepared it thoroughly.

“Use threats and inducements,” Wang Yu began. “Don’t even think about the higher-ranked ones. Instead, focus on those clans with only one transformed great demon. They have single lineages, so exchanging some with rare resources shouldn’t be a big problem.

“I’ve refined so many spiritual pills for the Demon Cat clan,” Wang Yu continued. “If the Clan Leader doesn’t bring them out for exchange now, what are you waiting for?”

Looking at Wang Yu’s half-smile and Peng Qing’s thoughtful expression, Clan Leader Hei realized that the losses caused by his rebellious daughter might very well be unbearable.

But if they truly turned hostile… they couldn’t afford to turn hostile!

Quickly making a decision, Clan Leader Hei stood up and walked out. Peng Qing promptly followed, turning back with a hearty smile.

“Alchemist Wang,” he said, “I’ll go supervise. I’ll return with a report in half a day at most.”

This was a lie.

Supervision was a pretense; communication was the true purpose.

If not for the presence of Jin Miaoshan and True Monarch Jin Xi, Peng Qing would likely have leaned more towards the Demon Cat clan. After all, both were Northern Demons and vassals of the Sky Roc Clan, so their bias was obvious.

Wang Yu nodded indifferently. While they went to communicate, he also needed to have a thorough and frank discussion with Jin Miaoshan.

Once the two had left, Jin Miaoshan was the first to speak.

There was still some curiosity in her eyes. “You have a really big appetite,” she remarked. “What do you need so many Tier 4 demon corpses for? Are you really raising corpse puppets?”

Wang Yu gave her a sideways glance. *Whether my appetite is big or not, shouldn’t you know best?* he thought, given that half of his Core Formation resources had come from Jin Miaoshan.

“These are all minor details,” Wang Yu said aloud. “Let’s talk about Jin Lin. How do you plan to retaliate against him?”

Jin Miaoshan thought for a moment and said,

“Every time he harmed me, I made him lose his dignity in Jinchan City. The time before last, I used a love-gu to trick his Dao companion and sold her to a brothel.

“Last time, I threw his younger sister to the Joyous Harmony Saint Son for a marriage alliance. This time… I want to kill him.”

Although the process wasn’t explained in detail, Wang Yu already wanted to laugh just from hearing it. No wonder Jin Lin relentlessly wanted to kill Jin Miaoshan; he had suffered such extreme humiliation for a man multiple times.

Who could endure this, let alone someone who considered himself a favored son of heaven?

The Nirvana of the Mind was crucial.

If not for Wang Yu’s formidable means, if her mind was truly destroyed, she would be utterly finished. The best outcome would be being controlled by homicidal intent; the worst… would be the extinction of the mind.

The so-called extinction of the mind meant that while the body was alive and the soul intact, there was no thought or will. One would become a living idiot, doing whatever they were told, like a puppet—a fate worse than a vegetative state.

“When you make a move against Jin Lin, notify me,” Wang Yu said.

Jin Miaoshan nodded in realization, then started calculating again.

“That time in the Mind Lake cancels out with me helping you today,” she said. “You specifically asked me to bring True Monarch Jin Xi, so it’s not just about this one matter, is it? If we’re to make a move, regarding compensation…”

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. *A merchant’s nature never changes, huh.*

“Aren’t I also helping you vent your anger?” Wang Yu said. “Was that Hei Liu your spirit pet? Otherwise, how about I split half the demon corpses with you and you save the favor from the Mind Lake for helping me later?”

“What would I want demon corpses for?” she retorted. After saying that, she changed the subject.

Regarding Hei Liu, Jin Miaoshan was greatly agitated.

“I treated her like a sister,” she fumed. “Yet merely because she didn’t want to break the master-servant contract, she defected to Jin Lin. Ungrateful beast!”

The root was the contract? Wang Yu pondered. No normal person would possibly dissolve such a contract. Hei Liu dared to make a move, so Jin Lin must have helped her remove this restriction. Wang Yu offered no further opinion on this.

“By the way,” Wang Yu asked, “how did the Golden Pagoda’s intelligence find me? Through what channel?”

“The Demon King Feast,” Jin Miaoshan replied. “Did you see Di Mingzi?”

Di Mingzi.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu remembered that Grand Cultivator from the Yellow Springs Temple who had fought on behalf of the Evil Dragon Spider. That person indeed had the ability to see through the Earth Net Ghost Mask.

At that time, his body had developed to a teenage state, which wasn’t much different from his adult appearance. He hadn’t made a move then because the timing wasn’t right.

He had been careless.

Rubbing his temples, a headache forming, Wang Yu painfully reflected and resolved to curb his recent arrogant attitude. As long as he wasn’t invincible, he had to remain cautious.

Di Mingzi had taught him a lesson.

Inferring from the current situation, it was possible that the Nine Evil Sword Lord might also have grasped his whereabouts. If he suddenly appeared and struck Wang Yu with a sword, he would be severely wounded, even if he didn't die.

Speaking of which, he should thank Hei Liu. Without her commotion, he wouldn’t have been able to contact Jin Miaoshan at all. Now, with True Monarch Jin Xi as his backing, his confidence in convincing the Demon Race to help was much greater.

The two continued to chat for a while, and Wang Yu revealed a little about his experiences during this period, making Jin Miaoshan look envious.

“It’s a pity,” Jin Miaoshan sighed. “I have to manage my business in Yunling State. Now that war has broken out again, there are many opportunities to earn money, so I can’t travel around freely.

“Jin Lin should be in Youzhou, that’s his territory. He’s probably mixed up with people from the Yellow Springs Temple. Do you dare to go?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Wang Yu replied. “You’ll soon know why I asked for your help. Just wait a bit longer.”

After some idle chatter, Wang Yu and Jin Miaoshan began cracking melon seeds.

These were obtained from Sunflower Demons, rich in spiritual energy, exquisitely flavored, and capable of nourishing qi and blood. He unceremoniously grabbed a large handful.

This instantly drew a glare from Jin Miaoshan.

Unbeknownst to them, at some point, the two had developed an understanding akin to confidants. Perhaps it was a side effect of the Mind Lake connection.

Half a day later.

Peng Qing and the Demon Cat Clan Leader returned. The latter silently handed over a storage bag containing fifteen Tier 4 demon corpses, half of which were from Demon Cats.

Thirteen of them were Early Tier 4, and two were Mid Tier 4. All the corpses were incomplete, missing parts like eyes, tails, scales, or horns.

This condition did not affect artifact refining. The artifact refining chapter of the Demon Refining Art was essentially a method of refining artifacts using demon flesh and blood, which was extremely sinister.

The main material was the corpse's flesh and blood, not just one or two specific parts.

The Demon Cat Clan Leader said,

“I did my best,” he stated. “I used all my family’s wealth and only managed to acquire these.”

Peng Qing nodded in affirmation.

“What he says is true,” he added.

End of Chapter.