Chapter 354: Chapter 353: Being a Tiger’s Accomplice Has Also Manifested
In the days that followed, things were quiet in both Blue Star and the Otherworld.
On Blue Star, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi happily performed in their traditional Chinese orchestra. They even had Erin Lawrence, a girl who could be considered nobility from across the ocean, acting as their adoring fan. Life couldn’t have been more comfortable.
Online, questions about the passenger jet malfunction and the northern sandstorm incidents continued to circulate. Speculation and conspiracy theories about aliens, advanced technology, and Extraordinary Beings ran rampant.
In the Otherworld, news of Thousand Peaks Mountain’s destruction had finally spread. It was no secret that the Daluo Palace Master was responsible, but aside from causing some nervousness among the Demons and Ghosts of Celestial Spring Prefecture and Qinglan Prefecture, it didn’t create a major stir.
The many Daoists of Daluo Palace, both old and young, continued to travel far and wide, Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits. The scope of their travels grew ever wider, their Cultivation grew ever stronger, and the amount of Evil Qi they contributed also grew.
Only Gu Zhao was idle all day.
On Blue Star, his parents were enjoying their life as a couple, and Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi had their work.
In the Otherworld, Zhuo Qingyan and Bi Yingying discussed painting, while Ye Ruyan and Miaoyun Princess sipped tea and studied the Dao. Everyone had their own pastimes.
Gu Zhao would join in the fun here and there, make an appearance from time to time, and spend the rest of his days in secluded Cultivation.
...
「Celestial Spring Prefecture, the countryside.」
Taoist Qingwei had long since recovered from his minor injuries. With just his sword and a gourd, he walked through the desolate wilds outside a county town.
Beside him, a young boy led the way, stumbling as he walked. "My home is just ahead," the boy said. "Daddy hunted a wild deer this morning, so we’ll have meat to eat tonight!"
Dusk was falling, and the sun was setting. Only a few wisps of afterglow remained in the sky, but the light filtering through the dense trees had all but vanished, casting the entire forest in a sinister gloom.
To Taoist Qingwei’s eyes, the child before him seemed to have fallen into shadow. His entire body looked illusory, as if on the verge of melting into the darkness.
He had encountered the child near the main road just as night was falling. The boy had been standing at the edge of the woods, saying that the roads were dangerous after dark. He invited the Taoist to stay at his home for the night in exchange for a bit of spare change.
There had been a few peddlers and even a merchant caravan on the main road at the time, but no one paid the boy any mind. They all hurried past, continuing on their journey.
Only Taoist Qingwei had approached the child and asked him to lead the way. "I’m getting old and can’t walk much further," he had said. "I’ll rest early tonight and set off again in the morning."
One of the nearby peddlers seemed to want to say something, but his companion quickly pulled him away. The man shot Taoist Qingwei a final, pitying glance before they both hurried off.
Now, in the dark forest, the child trod along an overgrown path. "Mother isn’t well, and Daddy only knows how to hunt. The medicine in the city is too expensive, so I come out to find travelers to stay with us. It helps make ends meet."
"But we’re just Hunters living in the woods, so some merchants don’t trust us. There’s nothing we can do about that. I see you’re carrying a sword, sir. Are you a Martial Arts Expert?"
Taoist Qingwei patted the longsword at his waist. "I used to be quite formidable. I traveled far and wide studying the martial arts, dabbling in everything from unarmed combat and weaponry to Lightweight Skill and Hidden Weapons. Later, I went to Zhenwu Mountain and even fought in the tournaments there."
The child clapped his hands in admiration. "Wow! You’re amazing!"
Taoist Qingwei said, quite pleased with himself, "Years ago, a challenger came to the mountain. He was incredibly arrogant and nearly defeated our steward at the time. In the end, I went up and sent him flying with a single punch."
"Don’t let the sword fool you; my greatest skill is actually my Fist Technique," Taoist Qingwei said with a smile. "True Martial Pure Yang Fist, Taiyi Five Elements Fist, Sanfeng Taihe Fist, and even True Martial Tai Chi Fist—I’m an expert in all of them."
"Wow!" The child turned back, his eyes full of admiration. "You’re incredible, sir! No wonder you dare to wander the lands all by yourself!"
Taoist Qingwei looked at the child’s pitch-black eyes, then at the equally pitch-black forest behind him. He smiled and asked, "Are we home yet?"
"Almost there, almost there! Just a little further!" the child said, continuing to walk forward.
The forest grew darker and darker, until only the faintest trace of afterglow remained in the sky.
Then, two figures suddenly appeared in the darkness at the end of the path. They stood silently on either side, almost invisible if one didn’t look closely, as if they had merged with the shadows.
"Dad! Mom!" the child cried out happily, skipping over to the two figures.
Taoist Qingwei looked up. On the left stood a burly Hunter with a bow on his back and a spear in his hand. On the right stood a plump woman, her hands empty.
As Taoist Qingwei looked at them, they looked back at him.
While the child still looked somewhat human, these two were clearly not. Their eyes were pure black, and wisps of black vapor emanated from their bodies.
"Don’t blame us, traveler!" the Hunter snarled.
The woman added, "We have no other choice."
The child turned back, his face now completely devoid of expression. "If you don’t die, my parents will suffer."
The next moment, the three ghosts transformed into blurry afterimages and lunged at Taoist Qingwei.
Taoist Qingwei’s gaze flickered. Without even drawing his sword, he simply flicked his hand. A force as gentle as silken water yet as unyielding as iron mountains swept all three of them up.
True Qi entered their bodies, shattering their Ghost Qi.
"BOOM!"
The Hunter, the woman, and the child froze for an instant before being flung backward like cannonballs. With a series of CRACKS, they smashed through several trees, then skidded across the grass, carving three distinct trails in the earth.
The child struggled to lift his head and rasped, "Didn’t you say you were a Martial Arts Expert?"
Taoist Qingwei nodded. "I am indeed a Martial Arts Expert. But I never said I didn’t know Magic, did I?"
"Husband, what do we do?" the woman asked, looking at the Hunter. "If we don’t bring him blood food, the Great King will punish us."
"We’ve run into a tough one. What choice do we have?"
The next moment, the three ghosts got to their feet. But instead of charging Taoist Qingwei, they turned and fled into the depths of the forest.
A smile played on Taoist Qingwei’s lips. His upper body remained almost perfectly still as his feet flew like the wind, following the three dark figures deep into the forest.
"WHOOSH—"
Three figures led, one followed. They swept across a forest and over two hilltops before the three ghostly figures vanished into a cave on a cliffside.
The next moment, a low roar echoed from within. Then, a massive, white-browed tiger with slanted eyes—several times larger than a Siberian tiger—appeared before Taoist Qingwei.
A foul, bloody stench billowed out, accompanied by surging waves of Evil Qi.
"ROAR!" Its bloodthirsty eyes locked onto Taoist Qingwei.
But Taoist Qingwei just smiled brightly. "It seems my chance for a breakthrough lies with you."
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