bookpub Chapter 101 Crisis
Chapter 101 Crisis
Chapter 101 Crisis
three days later.
It was dusk in a cave on Hundred Corpse Peak.
The heavy stone door slowly opened.
Zhang Duanyang, dressed in a black outfit and covered in sweat, walked out of the cave.
Outside the cave, the three stood respectfully.
These three were the three of the four evil spirits led by him.
One of them was small and thin, with a pointed snout, named Li Lie. He was the second oldest among the Four Fiends and was at the peak of the Blood Exchange Realm.
Zhou Ruomei of Black Phoenix Peak was brutally murdered by him in front of Luo Qingchen.
The other man was strong and had a dark complexion. His name was Guo Ding, and he was the third among the Four Fiends.
He appears honest, but he is actually the most treacherous and cunning of them all.
The remaining person was a burly man named Fang Zhengsong, who had just broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm six months prior.
After each murder, if the victim was male, he would cut off his genitals; if the victim was female, he would gouge out her eyes.
It is said that before he entered the sect, his wife disliked him for being too young, and he was then cuckolded.
In the end, he killed his wife's entire family, gouged out his wife's eyes, cut off his wife's lover's genitals, and fled for several years before finally joining the Demon Exorcism Sect.
At this moment, these three ruthless killers were unusually respectful and cautious towards Zhang Duanyang, who had just come out of his cave.
"That kid hasn't come back yet?"
Zhang Duanyang's chest heaved, and his aura was imposing, clearly indicating that he had just been cultivating in his cave.
Er Sha Li Lie said, "Brother, we asked the disciples of Black Phoenix Peak. They've been waiting for that kid at the stone steps leading up the mountain these past few days, and he hasn't returned yet. According to the sect rules, even in an emergency, our disciples can only stay in Medicine Man Town for a maximum of three days, and they need someone there to vouch for them."
Guo Ding, the third oldest among them, said in a sinister voice, "That kid comes from Medicine Man Town, so he probably knows a lot of people there. It's normal that someone would help him. However, if it exceeds three days, hehe, that's breaking the rules and violating the sect's regulations. We can report him to the Enforcement Hall."
Zhang Duanyang rubbed his thick, calloused hands, pondered for a moment, and said, "Tomorrow, go down and find out what's going on, then come back and tell me. If someone really disregards the sect rules and makes him stay, go to the Enforcement Hall and tell them, then go to the town guard post below and find Zhou Qingyang. I'm currently at a crucial stage of my cultivation, and as a core disciple of the outer sect, my master is currently teaching me techniques. It's not appropriate for me to intervene for a disciple at the Blood Exchange Realm. Besides—"
Two cold glints flashed in his eyes as he said, "If he dies, I'm afraid my senior brothers and sisters will make a fuss about it and say that I did it. I'm only at the Nourishing Spirit Realm, so naturally I can't kill him myself."
Li Lie quickly sneered, "Don't worry, brother, you don't need to get involved. The three of us will handle this for you."
Guo Ding sneered, "Even if the people in the Enforcement Hall don't arrest him, they will definitely force him to come up. Once he's up there, he won't be able to escape."
Zhang Duanyang dusted himself off and said calmly, "I don't have any deep-seated hatred for him, and I don't care about Zhang Jiu's death. It's just that, after all, he's my cousin. If he had been more polite when I went to see him, apologized, and given me some funeral expenses, I would have let it go. Who knew—humph, someone from Yaoren Town thinks he's the chosen one?"
"Pah! What utter bullshit about being the chosen one!"
Li Lie cursed sarcastically, "In front of us Four Fiends, he's not even a dog! The other day we skinned his senior sister in front of him, look at how cowardly he was, he didn't dare utter a sound, didn't dare look at us. Brother, don't worry, it'll be either five thousand taels of silver, or his life! And it won't just be his life, we'll make him wish he were dead!"
"Alright, I'm going in to cultivate now. Remember to go down and check on me tomorrow."
Zhang Duanyang waved his hand, not wanting to waste any more time, and turned back to his cave.
The three demons agreed and left together.
at the same time.
Black Phoenix Peak, a stone house on the cliff.
Qiu Ye was frowning as he spoke to two young men at the window, his expression somewhat gloomy.
"Haven't they come back yet?"
"The contract included his cave dwelling, but now that it's destroyed and he could be hunted down at any moment, doesn't that mean he'll never get back the money he owes me?"
"Hmph, I won't willingly suffer such a huge loss!"
"I have plans for when he returns!"
"When the time comes, no matter what, I will get back the money he owes me as soon as possible!"
Medicine Man Town had become unusually deserted by evening.
The biting wind chilled them to the bone, causing the street vendors who were packing up to shiver and cower.
After the last customer left, Ziwei Pharmacy closed its doors.
Inside the room, a dim, yellow light was lit.
In the kitchen, Ayao roasted sweet potatoes and corn, and cooked a pot of fragrant vegetable porridge.
Then I ladled out a bowl and brought it to the front desk.
Bai Tang was sitting quietly at the counter, carefully flipping through a book and taking notes.
Ayao did not disturb.
He then ladled out a bowl of porridge and took a sweet potato, delivering them to Chen Ya's room.
Chen Ya was cultivating in her room.
She was barefoot, wearing shorts and only a tube top covering her upper body, and was practicing boxing with a serious expression.
Large beads of sweat streamed down her forehead, face, and neck.
Her bare, slender waist and long, thin legs were also completely soaked with sweat.
When A-Yao knocked on the door and carefully pushed open the slightly ajar door, she saw her spin around and strike out with lightning speed with both fists.
She bent slightly backward at her slender waist, her long, black hair tied up and hanging down her back. Her fair skin was exposed on her lower abdomen, her breasts were full and already taking shape, and her long legs and snow-white feet were very beautiful.
There are no scars on his body.
Looking at her beautiful face and body, A Yao felt envious and lowered his head in self-consciousness. He placed his dinner on the table in the corner and prepared to leave.
"Ayao!"
Chen Ya withdrew her fist, straightened up, and called out to her.
Ayao raised her head and asked timidly, "Senior Sister, what is it?"
Chen Ya took a towel from the side, wiping the sweat from her cheeks as she looked at her and asked, "Hasn't your master come out of the woodshed yet? Has he gone to see him?"
Ayao shook her head and said, "Master said I shouldn't disturb him."
Chen Ya sneered, unbuttoning her bra. While wiping the sweat from his cleavage with a towel in front of her, she said, "He hasn't eaten or drunk anything, hasn't made a sound, and has stayed inside for three days and three nights. Aren't you worried? Aren't you afraid he'll have an attack while cultivating and suddenly die?"
Ah Yao stole a glance at her firm chest and said, "No, Master won't die."
Chen Ya seemed to catch the envious look in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. She said smugly, "Little girl, are you very envious of my body? Humph, you peek at it every day! Look at your own, dry and withered, there's nothing there. No wonder your master only comes once a month, and when he does, he gives you a cold face and doesn't even want to look at you."
Ayao immediately became a little angry: "No, Master—he wants to cultivate! I—I'm still young, when I grow up, my body will—"
"Ha ha ha ha--"
Chen Ya suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "When you grow up, your body will develop, and those scars on your body will develop too, making you even uglier and more unsightly, hahaha—"
Ayao bit her lip, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Chen Ya laughed a few more times, then walked naked to the table and sat down to eat.
After taking a spoonful of porridge, she suddenly turned her head and said smugly, "Little girl, let me tell you a secret, your master has taken a liking to my body. That day when he was taking a medicinal bath, I opened the door and went in, took off my clothes, and do you know the look in his eyes when he saw me? He looked like a wild beast, wanting to pounce on me and devour me. He's probably never looked at you like that before, has he?"
Ayao rubbed her red eyes and said, "Yes, that's why Master slapped you away instead of me."
Chen Ya's smile instantly froze, her eyes flashing with anger as she glared at her and said, "What did you say? Dare to say it again?"
Ayao immediately ran out of the room, stuck out her tongue at her at the door, and said, "Senior sister, don't flatter yourself. My master would never be interested in your body! Even if he were interested, it would be in Master. Master is prettier and better than you, and her breasts are much bigger than yours!"
Having said that, he immediately ran away.
"You ugly freak! You wait! I'm going to beat you to death tonight!"
Chen Ya was both ashamed and angry. She cursed a few times, but then felt extremely hungry and had to suppress her anger and start eating.
She certainly didn't dare to compare herself to her master.
Therefore, she didn't dare to refute what the other party said.
But she clearly remembered that night the greedy look in Senior Brother Luo's eyes as he stared at her body.
The other party is definitely keeping her on tenterhooks, trying to make her anxious.
Hmph, she's not in a hurry, he's the one who's in a hurry.
She just wanted to find someone to rely on, and she chose him because he was young, good-looking, and happened to be living there.
If she had other options, she would naturally choose someone more powerful, at least a master at the Spirit Nourishing Realm.
That way, she'd save face and no one would dare bully her.
Unfortunately, her master was also at the Blood Exchange Realm, and she was a woman. Every time she came to collect blood, she tried her best to please her, but the other party ignored her completely, even complaining that she talked too much, and slapped her to shut up.
She also heard that the female drug users living here might eventually be sold to brothels by their masters to earn money to buy blood.
She didn't want to be sold to a brothel.
She didn't want to end up like Little Fatty, dying from having too much blood drawn.
Therefore, she must work hard to cultivate herself.
Even if there's only the slightest chance, she'll try her best to climb up.
If she really couldn't climb up, she hoped to find someone to rely on up there, so that her life there wouldn't be so difficult and miserable in the future.
She had heard far too many tragic and horrific stories.
"That brat Ayao is covered in ugly scars, including on her face. Even if her master wanted to sell her to a brothel, I doubt they'd want her. I don't know what Senior Brother Luo was thinking, bringing such a useless piece of trash to Medicine Man Town."
"That girl will probably only be dismembered and sold for her skin, flesh, and all sorts of internal organs in the future."
She secretly gloated.
But her gaze suddenly fell on the bamboo skewer placed in the corner of the table.
Those are bamboo skewers for candied hawthorns.
This was the first time she had ever seen or heard of a person who owned medicine and bought candied hawthorns for the doctor.
Would a person specifically buy snacks for an animal?
Simply incredible.
"Just what kind of person is this Senior Brother Luo?"
She looked out the window, lost in thought.
Outside the window, night had completely fallen.
The cold wind howled, making the tattered paper on the window rustle.
In the kitchen.
After washing the dishes and cleaning the stove, Ayao was about to go to the front when she suddenly saw the wooden door of the woodshed not far away open with a "creak".
Her face lit up with surprise and delight, and she rushed over, exclaiming, "Brother!"
Luo Qingchen came out of the woodshed, glanced at her, and said coldly, "I need to start a fire to brew medicine. Also, prepare a bowl of fresh blood for a medicinal bath."
Ayao paused for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, Ayao will go start a fire and boil water right away!"
After saying that, he immediately ran to the kitchen.
Luo Qingchen stood at the door of the woodshed, suppressing her excitement. After thinking for a moment, she walked towards the front room.
After three days of cultivation, most of the medicinal energy in his body had been refined.
The cultivation process within the body is only a few steps away from completion.
Perhaps it was because his physique underwent a complete transformation when he upgraded his gilded blood, which is why this breakthrough was slower than the last one.
However, even without the medicinal bath now, he should be able to break through in at most two more days.
But after careful consideration, he decided to come out and take one last medicinal bath.
Moreover, for this medicinal bath, he must use a bowl of A Yao's fresh blood.
Otherwise, once a breakthrough is achieved, it will definitely arouse a lot of suspicion.
Of course, with this final medicinal bath, he was even more confident that he could break through within two days.
After all, the final sprint allows no room for error.
The more energy stored, the safer you are.
Now, he needs to go out for a walk and let others know that he is going to take a blood bath again.
Arrive at the front counter.
Senior Sister Bai was tidying up the medicinal herbs on the table by herself.
These medicinal herbs are all intact, as if they were just bought today. Some still need to be washed and chopped, while others need to be broken and ground.
Seeing that she was about to pick up a bundle of medicinal herbs in the corner, which looked freshly picked up with soil still clinging to their roots, and considering she was wearing a clean white dress, Luo Qingchen went over and picked it up, asking, "Where do you want to put it?"
Bai Tang looked up at him, paused for a moment, and said, "Spread it out in the backyard and expose it to the sun for two days."
Luo Qingchen immediately carried the herbs to the backyard, untied the ropes, and laid them out neatly on the ground.
When he returned to the front counter, Bai Tang was holding a pair of scissors, preparing to cut something. Upon seeing him, she casually handed him the scissors and said, "Help me cut these centipedes, cut them all to pieces."
Luo Qingchen took the scissors and looked at the large box of centipedes on the table.
Bai Tang went to tidy up the other medicinal herbs. After tidying up for a while, she turned her head and saw him standing there without moving. She asked, "What's wrong?"
Luo Qingchen looked slightly embarrassed and said, "It's okay, I'll go call A Yao to come and cut it."
Just as he was about to put down the scissors and leave, Bai Tang suddenly said, "I'll let you cut them."
Luo Qingchen paused for a moment, then said, "Senior Sister, I'm going to prepare a medicinal bath."
Bai Tang withdrew her gaze from him, and while packing things into the drawer, she said casually, "Go after you're done cutting."
His tone was cold, yet brooked no argument.
But then she suddenly looked up at him, then glanced at the centipede on the table, and said, "Are you afraid of centipedes?"
Luo Qingchen quickly denied it: "I am a disciple of the Demonic Sect, I don't even kill people—"
"Then you cut it."
Bai Tang stared at him and said.
Luo Qingchen's lips twitched slightly. Her gaze fell on the box on the table, which was filled with a dense array of feet. She slowly reached out her hand, preparing to take them.
"There are live ones inside, be careful they don't crawl on your hands."
Bai Tang suddenly said something.
Luo Qingchen abruptly withdrew her hand and looked at her.
Bai Tang remained expressionless, stared at him for a few more moments, walked up to him, took the scissors from his hand, then picked up a centipede from the box and, with a "snip," cut off its head.
"I was afraid of centipedes when I was a child."
She kept her head down and continued cutting up the centipede's corpse.
"Because I lived in the mountains at the time, I could see centipedes every night. They were everywhere, sometimes on my bed, sometimes on my head, sometimes in my clothes, sometimes in my shoes, and they always gave me a fright."
After saying that, she picked up another strip and started cutting it, but didn't say anything more.
Luo Qingchen was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I was bitten by them several times when I was little, and my younger sister was bitten too. It hurt a lot. Once, I woke up in the middle of the night and found it on my face, almost crawling into my ear—"
Where is your sister?
Bai Tang suddenly looked up and asked.
Luo Qingchen did not answer, but only admitted, "So, I've always been afraid of these things."
"You're not even afraid of killing people."
The woman in front of him looked at him expressionlessly and made a sarcastic remark.
Looking into her clear, cool eyes and smelling the faint medicinal scent on her, Luo Qingchen felt a little uncomfortable and said, "I'll go to the back to brew the medicine and have A-Yao help you."
Just then, A-Yao's crisp voice suddenly rang out behind them: "Master, I'll go brew your medicine! I remember all your ingredients. I'll call you when it's ready. You can stay here and help Master with his chores!"
As he spoke, he immediately ran to the kitchen.
Luo Qingchen glanced at the woman in front of her again, and had no choice but to help her pack the other medicinal herbs.
"Don't put the bellflower in; let it dry in the sun for a few days."
"Don't crush the five-flower fruit, it's poisonous inside."
"Put the blue frost in the drawer; it has a name labeled on it."
Bai Tang gave instructions while cutting the centipede.
Luo Qingchen did as instructed.
Half an hour later, everything was finished.
He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Senior Sister Bai, doesn't Chen Ya have any work to do?"
He found it strange that he hadn't seen the girl do anything, either day or night.
Bai Tang paused for a moment, then said, "Let her rest for the next few days. In a few days, one of her kidneys will be removed. If she's still alive, she might be sold to a brothel."
Luo Qingchen paused, and couldn't help but think of herself back then.
Suddenly, a soft footstep sound came from behind.
Wearing shorts and a tube top, Chen Ya emerged from the shadows, panting heavily and covered in sweat, her face deathly pale: "Master, is it—really?"
Bai Tang glanced at her, continued cutting the centipede in the box, and said calmly, "I overheard them talking."
Chen Ya's owner always came here with two men whenever she came to collect blood.
"Master—"
Tears immediately streamed down Chen Ya's face: "Tell me, this isn't true—"
Bai Tang didn't say anything more.
Luo Qingchen glanced at her and said, "I'll go brew the medicine."
After saying that, he went to the backyard.
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