Chapter 61

Somewhere on the outskirts of Gourian City.

Deumu Wann sprinted forward as her figure rose and fell between the ground and midair, before finally coming to rest beside a lake.

The lake bore a mirror-like surface, absolutely still, with its periphery girded by snow.

Surrounding the lake was a vast expanse of trees, whose branches were weighted down by heavy powder of snow.

"How could the far-famed Princess Chilling Autumn, Deumu Wann, would look so meek, tender today? My trip here to meet you is really worth it!" A sinister, deep male voice resounded out from the depths of the forest.

Pulling her gauze coat tighter around her, Deumu Wann's face turned cold. "Cyam Siroun, have you taken such a long journey to Northern Realm to make fun of me? If so, would you mind if I help gouge out your eyes? I want to see if you can laugh at me by then."

"Hee hee, Princess, please don't be angry. Now the Zhyin family and Rollerson Prefecture are at war. And you are familiar with Yea Rinmor. I'm here to ask you to introduce me to Yea Rinmor." The voice went on, unperturbed. However, Deumu Wann appeared to be alone in the area, with no trace of anyone else. And there was no telling from which direction the male voice came from.

"Introduce? Have you brought your remuneration along with you?" Deumu's expression changed instantly, now more gentle and alluring.

"Of course I have. I understand your rule, Princess." The voice replied.

Deumu Wann let out a soft chuckle as her mesmerizing eyes rolled. "Would you consider keeping me company for tonight? If I am satisfied with your job, maybe I will help you out for free."

"Oh, no, no, I wouldn't dare. I have long known of Princess Chilling Autumn's fame. My body is not built for this kind of wear and tear." The voice's owner gave a hollow laugh and then went on, "If Princess can tell me who have gotten the treasure, I would like to double the remuneration!"

"Vermillion Dragon Apocalypse is still in the possession of Infatuation Heart Monk. Nobody gets it. A few days ago, While the Zhyin family and Rollerson Prefecture were engaging in a fierce battle, the sacrifice of Vermillion Dragon Apocalypse was triggered, leading to an explosion. All of the three parties suffered great losses. If you plan to intrude into the struggle, this is the best and last chance for you.

Because, with so many deaths, the sacrifice of Vermillion Dragon Apocalypse will be completed soon..."

"Is that so..." The voice sank into silence for a moment before saying, "Princess, thank you for your information. I will give the remuneration to your guard. So long." 

As the voice sad this, it was fading away and soon disappeared out of Deumu Wann's earshot.

Deumu Wann's smile froze and vanished as she gazed into the mirror-like surface of the lake, seemingly pondering over something.

..........

The recent events that had occurred around Le Xaan had deeply affected him.

After Deumu Wann left, Le Xaan had lunch before going to his bedroom, starting to practice the two Qi cultivation methods he had obtained. And he ordered the kitchen to brew a great amount of tonics for him and serve them directly to his bedroom so that he could have them at any time.

After these few days' recovery, his body was in a good shape now.

Through his experiences with Jade Crane Skill, Le Xaan was sure that the inner body Qi generated by a body-maintenance Qi cultivation method could be consumed as the replacement of his vital energy when he modified on any martial arts with the cheat tool.

This sort of Qi served as something like back-up batteries. As it amassed over time, it would be of great use when needed.

As Le Xaan sat cross-legged on the bed, he flipped open the manual of Evergreen Pine Chant. Its content was elegantly hand-written, hinting at a female writer.

The first paragraph on the first page read:"One should borrow lessons from an evergreen pine: despite weathering the wind and snow, it persists in standing perfectly straight and grows lush and green. "

Le Xaan flipped to the second page, on which a cracked-bark pine was depicted. This must be its Meditation Chart.

It's a dark green old pine that took root into the cliff and stretched out forward, its dense foliage sprawling across its numerous branches, telegraphing its bubbly vigor.

This body maintenance Qi cultivation method requested its practitioners to focus their mind on guiding the Qi in flowing through the meridians in the most natural way. During this process, a exceptionally pure current of inner body Qi would be generated.

With his experiences on Jade Crane Skill, Le Xaan soon got the hang of it and began to sit on the bed stock-still. Every so often, Le Xaan had to guide the Qi's flow at a particular time with a specific breathing rhythm and sitting posture.

After a long period of cultivation, Le Xaan got out of the bed and drank a bowl of tonic soup. Then, he was about to sat back down on the bed and modify Dark Shadow to the highest level with Deep Blue Cheat Tool.

"Knock Knock Knock."

Just at the moment, a knock at the door rang out.

"Young Master Xaan, Reverend Youny, Miss Dquan, and Miss Quane have come to our Mansion. " Qiki's voice sounded out from behind the door.

Le Xaan's eyes flew open. He quickly put on his shoes and got out of the bed.

"Okay. I will go soon. "

Then, once he was out of the door, he took grand strides and made his way to the drawing room, where he saw Youny Geey, Dquan Ronri, and Quane Feiy.

"Young Master Xaan, pleased to meet you. You looks well and healthy." Bowing to Le Xaan with clasped hands, Youny Geey greeted him in a casual manner.

"Please sit down, all three of you." Le Xaan said with a smile.

After a maidservant served the cups of tea on the table, Le Xaan ordered all of the attendants to close the window and door and to take their leave.

"Reverend Youny, what exactly happened last night?" Le Xaan asked seriously.

Youny Geey was in no mood to hold back from telling Le Xaan the truth. His story bore a semblance to Deumu Wann's, but in more details.

It took Youny Geey roughly an hour to come to the end of his narrative. Perhaps because he felt guilty of costing Le Xaan's three good horses, Youny Geey seemed happy to answer Le Xaan's questions during this process.

"So, the people who have come to Gourian City, including you three, are all here for the treasure?" Le Xaan grasped the gist of Youny Geey's tale.

"Yes, you're right." Youny Geey nodded with agreement and then added, "But we spirit exorcists are also here to maintain peace and order since demons, and spirits are rampaging here."

Le Xaan smiled without a word. He was not sure whether Youny Geey's words were credible or not.

He fumbled for the right words for a while before asking, "Has the entire event come to an end? Will Gourian City be free from troubles? And how about Ghost Spirits? Will there be no more weird occurrences and missing people? "

Youny Geey was not aware of the deep meaning behind Le Xaan's words. He thought for a while before responding severely, "Yes, I think so. The treasure has been taken far away from Gourian City. I will also go after the treasure and see if I can give a helping hand. As for missing people... I believe that normalcy will be restored in Gourian City without external forces' intrusion." 

At this moment, Dquan Ronri interjected, "The treasure is being taken to Central Land. Everyone will pursue it. Who would like to stay in such a small city? "

Youny Geey tugged on Dquan Ronri's sleeve, signaling for her to shut up. Then, he clasped his hands towards Le Xaan.

"Young Master Xaan, these past few days, we haven't been able to help you much. So I won't take the bounty. Now it is time for us to embark on our journey once more. So farewell."

"How can I allow this? It would undermine my credibility in keeping my promise." Le Xaan wore a serious look as he said this.

Le Xaan waved his hand while shouting, "Come and bring the silver certificates over!"

A maidservant, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately walked up while carrying an exquisite wooden box.

Le Xaan took the wooden box from her and opened it on a table to reveal the stacks of silver certificate within.

"These are the bounty for all three of you. In recovering the missing people, Reverend Youny and Miss Quane deserve all the credit. Your efforts make you eligible for the reward."Le Xaan said earnestly.

"Then we won't be polite!" Before Youny Geey could decline, Dquan Ronri reached into the box and scooped up the stacks of silver certificates, pocketing them.

"Elder Sister Quane, let's divide the money later on!"

Quane Feiy showed an expression of resignation on her face. Apparently, the three of them were good friends now.

Youny Geey looked at Dquan Ronri with a wry smile.

"Young Master Xaan, if you want some methods to counteract demons and spirits, Central Land is a must-visit destination for you."

He paused for a moment hesitantly before adding,

"By the way, Young Master Xaan, I have to remind you. You have killed a Ghost Spirit. This left you tainted with its air. If Rollerson Prefecture notice this, they might send Ghost Spirits to kill you. You can get some blood of a ram that has not yet mated and cover your body with it. By doing so, you will be assumed dead by Ghost Spirits, and they would not pester you. Of course, this method only works in the case of low-grade Ghost Spirits."

As he heard these words, Le Xaan felt more or less relieved and said, "Thank you for your instructions, Reverend Youny!"

"This is nothing. For now, we have to take leave." Youny Geey stood up and bowed to Le Xaan while clasping his hands as a sign of respect.

"You go ahead, take your time." Le Xaan bowed to Youny Geey with clasped hands as well.

Youny Geey led the way as Dquan Ronri and Quane Feiy fell in behind him. The group went out of the drawing room and strode toward the Le Mansion's gate.

Le Xaan gazed at the three people's figures from behind and felt inexplicably lost. He felt as though the world that he had been longing to reach out to was currently receding from him.

Le Xaan remained motionless in the drawing room for another hour after Youny Geey's group left.

"Young Master?" Qiki timidly walked up and called him. "It's already mealtime now."

"Well!" Le Xaan jolted back to his senses and looked up, reading the sky.

He stood up and adjusted his clothes before following Qiki to the dinning hall.

When he walked in, there were already many people there.

Le Finn was seated in the Seat of Honor, while Elder Zaner was next to him. As Le Xaan swept his eyes over, he spotted the few martial arts who had returned from the mission.

"Your Eldest Uncle has told me that the blockade on Gourian City has been lifted. The city gate is accessible now; people can enter and exit as they pleased. " Le Finn said in a low voice, but this piece of news didn't seem to cheer him up. Not far from him, Le Cinci was seated obediently and fed by Louir Cayv spoonful by spoonful. With saliva dripping from the corners of her lips, she seemed no longer the clever girl she used to be.

The rest were also in no mood to eat. They had all seen the massive explosion and the packs of martial arts experts swarm past the Le Mansion.

All of them were currently weighted down with concerns.

"The dishes are going to turn cold. Start to eat, everybody."