Chapter 13: Bounty

Hunting down demons, with ironclad evidence.

Gu Jinlai let out a long sigh.

"How are your injuries?"

He looked towards Su Nanxing.

Su Nanxing probed for a moment before replying, "Half a month for recovery."

Hugging Pill Masters have their vital energy coagulated into pills, and their true bodies are flawless, significantly enhancing their recovery abilities.

Injuries that took half a month to heal were already quite severe.

"Next, focus on healing your wounds."

Gu Jinlai instructed.

"Yes."

Su Nanxing nodded, then turned to the side, "The devil also abducted someone."

At that moment, a worried and panicked shout came from not far away, "Young Master, Young Master..."

Accompanied by a burst of lamplight.

"I'll go inform the Refining Demon Hall."

"Concentrate on healing your wounds; leave the rest to me."

Gu Jinlai spoke.

"Yes, Master,"

Su Nanxing withdrew into the night.

"It's the Young Master."

"The Young Master is over there."

Soon, a group of more than a dozen people arrived in the area, quickly surrounding the abducted figure.

Among the dozen or so, the leader, a middle-aged man, had achieved Condensing Qi into Gang.

As someone of status in Changjun City, he naturally recognized Gu Jinlai.

His complexion changed slightly, and he approached with a brave face, "Thank you, Elder Gu, for saving our Young Master."

Gu Jinlai nodded, "Have someone inform the Refining Demon Hall."

"Yes."

The middle-aged man summoned a Qi Refining Realm disciple and gave an order, and the disciple quickly soared off towards the direction of the Refining Demon Hall.

After his departure, the man turned to Gu Jinlai, "Elder Gu, may we take the Young Master back first..."

Gu Jinlai waved his hand and, amid the middle-aged man's gratefully expressed thanks, quietly waited.

Before long, several shadows clad in the night approached with large strides, led by none other than Zhang Xiu, the Vice Hall Master of the Refining Demon Hall.

"Elder Gu."

Zhang Xiu, both surprised and delighted, said, "Elder Gu is truly my lucky star. This demon has been in Changjun City for several days, claiming the lives of dozens, and now Elder Gu has slain it—is a fortune for Changjun City."

"As soon as the sky darkened, I was searching for the whereabouts of this demon. Fortunately, I was able to track down the demon's trail and kill it here."

"Demons, being a fusion of Demon Spirits and Fierce Beasts, have keen senses, no less sharp than a Heavenly Master specializing in Refining God; plus, with their cautious nature, they would flee and hide at the first sign of danger, making them difficult to kill. Only a master like Elder Gu could hunt them down."

The Refining God Hall Master said enthusiastically, "This is a great merit. Does Elder Gu want Nourishing God Pills? We shall report it for you right away."

"I want a Refining God Skill,"

Gu Jinlai stated.

"Refining God Technique?"

Zhang Xiu was slightly surprised, "The Six Desires Demon Skill of the Purgatory Sect advances very quickly in the path of Refining God..."

"As I've said before, I feel the Six Desires Demon Skill is harmful to the heavenly order and morality, and I don't wish to continue practicing such an evil method. I hope to exchange it for an upright and bright Refining God Skill."

Gu Jinlai said earnestly.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiu's expression grew somewhat strange.

After a while, he finally said, "If Elder Gu insists, the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Map will certainly fulfill Elder Gu's wish."

"That's what I want,"

Gu Jinlai affirmed.

"When the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Map is opened next time, I will inform Elder Gu,"

Zhang Xiu answered.

Afterward, Gu Jinlai returned to his own courtyard.

Zhang Xiu, on the other hand, was busy front and back, not tiring of it.

Demons, due to their strong physique, were even more formidable than humans at the Hugging Pill stage.

To hunt down an Upper Demon, it usually required the effort of three to four Hugging Pill Masters, and they had to be those adept in combat.

The fact that this Upper Demon had just migrated to Changjun City from another place and was killed is a reflection of the exceptional capability of the Refining Demon Hall in Changjun City.

...

As the matter concerned an Upper Demon, Yun Guantian, the Hall Master of the Refining Demon Hall, had not yet rested.

As the Hall Master, he no longer needed to attend to everything personally like his subordinates. He only had to give orders and strategize, and naturally, there would be those who had achieved Gang Condensation, Hugging Pill, and even Refining God Immortals to carry out tasks for him.

At this moment, he was sitting still by the tea table, brewing tea, reading a book, waiting for Zhang Xiu's report.

"Good news, Hall Master, excellent news,"

Around the third watch of the night, Zhang Xiu's voice quickly came from outside, "The one Gu Jinlai killed is the 'Black Demon,' the demon that migrated to Changjun City a few days ago."

"Black Demon?"

Yun Guantian's hand holding the white jade teacup paused slightly, "Is it really that demon?"

"Absolutely certain."

"Killed by Gu Jinlai?"

"Yes."

Zhang Xiu said with a smile, "This devil entered Star State less than a year ago and has taken more than ten thousand lives. It caused even greater calamities in Lingxiao City and Sunset City and has been dubbed the 'Black Demon' by the State Palace. That's a title only great demons are entitled to. Lingxia City and Sunset City failed to capture him, but he fell into our hands."

Yun Guantian remained silent, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiu's smile also faded somewhat, "Hall Master, is there something amiss?"

"You haven't discussed the matter of this devil being the 'Black Demon' with Gu Jinlai in detail, have you?"

"I have not."

"Then it's settled."

Yun Guantian set down his teacup, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of tea for Zhang Xiu, who hastily received it with both hands.

"This devil has caused great disaster. On its way to Changjun City, it killed the legitimate son of the Xie Family, Xie An."

"The Xie Family?"

Zhang Xiu's brows raised.

The one Yun Guantian solemnly referred to as the Xie Family...

"The Xie Family of the capital?"

"Exactly."

Yun Guantian nodded, "Three days ago, after the Xie Family clarified the matter, they issued a bounty. Whoever slays this devil can go to the Xie Family for the reward... The Xie Family's Heavenly Master will personally forge a Spiritual Artifact for them."

"Spiritual Artifact!"

Zhang Xiu gasped in shock.

That was a supreme treasure not even a Divinity Transformation Immortal could obtain by spending all their wealth.

Although the Xie Family's Heavenly Master only offered to do the Artifact Refining, and the materials needed to be provided at the other party's expense, such an opportunity, if given as a gift, carried great weight even before Divinity Transformation Immortals.

"Zhang Xiu, we have known each other for sixteen years, and to be honest, I am not content with spending my life in the Refining Demon Hall of Changjun City. I want to take a step forward, go to the capital, and compete for the position of Vice Hall Master."

Yun Guantian looked at Zhang Xiu, "If I can leave, the activation right of the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Map in the Refining Demon Hall of Changjun City will be handed over to you, and you will become the new Hall Master."

Zhang Xiu was very tempted.

But he still maintained his composure, "What you mean, Hall Master, is..."

"The affair of the Xie Family's bounty has not yet spread widely, and only a few know about it. Moreover, since Gu Jinlai also doesn't know that the devil he killed is under this bounty, we will treat it as if it was just an ordinary devil."

"But if he probes with the Qiankun Talisman, he might find clues."

"What he seeks is nothing but a Nourishing God Pill, and I just happen to have one. We just clear his merits from the Qiankun Talisman, tell him we exchanged it for a Nourishing God Pill, and how would he know the details?"

"What he wants is not the Nourishing God Pill, it's a Refining God Technique."

Zhang Xiu said, "A grand and legitimate Refining God Skill."

"Refining God Technique?"

Yun Guantian looked surprised, "The Purgatory Sect's Six Desires Demon Skill may be malevolent... but its progress in Refining God is indeed extraordinary. Why would he think of changing Refining God Techniques?"

"He says he is concerned that the Six Desires Demon Skill is harmful and goes against the Tao, but clearly, this is just his excuse."

As Zhang Xiu spoke, an idea struck him, "He deviated while practicing before. Perhaps he cannot cultivate the Six Desires Demon Skill?"

"Cannot cultivate the Six Desires Demon Skill..."

Yun Guantian listened and smiled slightly, "That makes it even easier."

If he can't even practice the Six Desires Demon Skill, giving him a new Refining God Technique wouldn't necessarily mean he could return to Refining God.

If he couldn't return to Refining God...

Their schemes would be much easier.

"Refining God Technique..."

After pondering for a moment, Yun Guantian said, "Regarding a legitimate Refining God Technique, doesn't the Grand Sun Nine Refinements Visualization Method meet his requirements?"

"The Grand Sun Nine Refinements Method? Isn't that a Heavenly Master's Cultivation Technique? Normal cultivation emphasizes Hugging Pill Nourishing Mind, Hidden God, and nurturing the Divine Thought until it arises naturally. The Heavenly Master Lineage, however, uses essence as kindling and Qi as fuel, refining Qi into Divinity Transformation, allowing the Spirit to undergo Transformation and become Divine Thought."

Zhang Xiu frowned and said, "With both essence and Qi being refined and transformed into Divine Thought, the body will inevitably grow weaker. Although one can make rapid progress on the path of Refining God, advancing a thousand miles a day, it inevitably results in a frail body and a deficit of qi and blood, making it difficult to seek immortality."

In the past, demon spirits wandered without form or substance, and Heavenly Masters refined Qi into Divinity Transformation, rapidly strengthening their Divine Thought to eliminate demon spirits with Refining God Secret Techniques.

But now...

Demon spirits and Fierce Beasts merged to become devils, with qi and True Qi both having significant resistance to Refining God Secret Techniques.

Heavenly Masters can no longer subdue devils and have naturally fallen into a secondary role.

Were it not for the remaining Heavenly Masters turning to Artifact Refining and Beast Taming, they might have already vanished from the world.

"We follow his request, ask for a 'grand and legitimate Refining God Technique' to be reported to the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Map. When the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Map bestows the Grand Sun Nine Refinements, it is reasonable, as the process is beyond our control."

Yun Guantian leaned back slightly in his sandalwood chair, making himself more comfortable, "By then, with his merits cleared from the Qiankun Talisman, will he, a mere Hugging Pill Master, dare to make trouble in our Refining Demon Hall?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu also calmed down.

With Gu Jinlai unable to even cultivate the Six Desires Demon Skill, he probably had no hope of Refining God for the rest of his life.

The problem really wasn't big.

Even if he did succeed in Refining God, what they had done was flawless and reasonable; Gu Jinlai would have nothing to complain about.

Cause trouble?

The Purgatory Demon Sect didn't dare to bare its teeth in front of the Refining Demon Hall.

As for him?

"I understand."

Zhang Xiu nodded slightly, "I will fetch Gu Jinlai's Qiankun Talisman."

"In today's world, with the Heavenly Master Lineage so diminished, we, as high-level members of the Refining Demon Hall, standing on the forefront against demon spirits, naturally cannot allow such things to occur."

Yun Guantian said, speaking dispassionately, "Moreover, the Grand Sun Nine Refinements, a top-notch Heavenly Master inheritance, was something countless people sought after but could not attain a hundred years ago. Giving him this technique, he got an immense advantage and should be thanking us."

"What the Hall Master said is very true."

Zhang Xiu agreed.

The two looked at each other and smiled, with everything understood in silence.