inspire-indiana Chapter 85 Obsession Takes Shape, Called Strange Objects
Chapter 85 Obsession Takes Shape, Called Strange Objects
Zhang Xiao's changes didn't stop there. In addition to his cultivation, he also frequently visited Pei Guan's home, bringing money and tonics, and sponsoring Pei Guan's younger sister, Pei Nian, to study.
"Jun used to do these things all the time." One day, Zhang Xiao said calmly to Jiang Qi, "Jun is gone, but I'll take over."
Jiang Qi remained silent and patted him on the shoulder.
Most of the time, a person's transformation only requires one thing.
Six months have passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, in an abandoned old house in the west of the city.
Jiang Qi pulled the knife from the chest of a possessed being, and blood dripped down the blade, blooming into dark red flowers on the dusty ground.
[The Book of All Trades]:
【Occupation: Demon Slayer (Level 3, job advancement available)】
[Level: 1 (99/100)]
[Effect: Increases damage against evil spirits and demons; grants immunity to low-level mental manipulation; can absorb the remnants of evil spirits and convert them into class experience]
"It hasn't gone up at all." Jiang Qi frowned slightly.
This was the fifth evil creature he had killed after his experience level was stuck at '99'.
You can't unlock your profession skills until you reach level two.
"Could it be that ordinary evil spirits aren't enough for the Demon Slayer to level up?" he wondered. "Does he need to slay a powerful evil spirit?"
With his current strength, ten strands of Qi are close to the perfection of blood, and the bones in his arms have been tempered and refined. He has completed half of the early stage of the Strong Bone Realm.
However, the "Blood and Bone Forging" technique only covers the arms and hands; it does not include the subsequent tempering of the torso, head, and spine.
"We must obtain the complete Bone Strengthening Realm cultivation technique as soon as possible."
"Your Qi and blood are still lacking by a tiny bit."
"However, it should be completed in another three to five days."
Ten Qi and Blood are perfected, comparable to an ordinary martial artist; twenty Qi and Blood.
"I've got mine sorted out, how about yours?"
Zhang Xiao emerged from another room, sword in hand. His aura was deep and heavy, indicating that he had already achieved the ninth level of perfect Qi and Blood, just one step away from the tenth.
Jiang Qi nodded and sheathed his sword.
Zhang Xiao walked up to him and suddenly asked, "Brother Jiang, I've always been curious, how exactly did you cultivate so quickly?"
Jiang Qi replied casually, "On drugs."
Zhang Xiao smiled, his smile somewhat complicated: "The monthly salary for the Demon Suppression Guard is fifty taels, not five hundred taels."
The implication was that Jiang Qi had no way of getting so much money to buy medicine.
Jiang Qi glanced at him and asked in return, "Brother Zhang, what about you? Those two Blood-Refining Pills you took this morning must have been rare, costing a hundred taels each, right?"
Zhang Xiao's smile faltered. He touched the exorcism knife and changed the subject: "Um, I'm going to Pei Ge's house to see Xiao Nian later, are you coming?"
Pei Nian is Pei Guan's younger sister. She is currently studying at a private school. She is intelligent and quick-witted and is well-liked by her teacher.
Jiang Qi took out ten taels of silver and handed it over: "I have something to do tonight, you go ahead. Please give this silver to Xiao Nian and buy her some paper and pens."
He was going to visit Coach Zhou and his senior sister at the martial arts school that evening, and then he had to go to Xiao Qi's house to see his aunt.
Zhang Xiao nodded: "Okay."
......
In the evening, Jiang Qi returned from the Zhenyuan Martial Arts School. As soon as he entered the Shuifang courtyard, he saw a figure standing by the well.
Qin Hongyu wore a pale yellow dress, her hair was neatly combed, and her former arrogance had been replaced by a calm demeanor.
Upon seeing Jiang Qi return, she turned around and gave a graceful bow: "Lord Jiang."
Jiang Qi nodded slightly, showing no surprise at the woman's arrival.
Qin Hongyu took out a jade bottle from her sleeve and handed it over, her face slightly flushed: "My father asked me to deliver this."
Jiang Qi took it, opened it, and saw that it was a top-grade Blood-Refining Pill.
In the past six months, half of the Blood-Burning Pills he used were supplied by Qin Lie of the Fierce Wind Hall.
"Thank you," Jiang Qi replied, then took out the silver notes.
The silver notes in his hand were basically stained with blood. Rather than exchanging them at an outside bank, he would rather exchange them for tonics with Qin Lie.
Qin Lie, the hall master... no, now he should be called the deputy gang leader Qin, has never asked Jiang Qi where the silver notes came from.
That's how the current transaction came about.
Qin Hongyu took the silver note, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Qi's eyes, and her expression changed slightly.
so similar.
Those eyes... they look so much like the one that saved her in the Blood Blade Hall's secret chamber that night.
Profound, calm, and with a hint of indescribable coldness.
She was momentarily dazed.
"Miss Qin?" Jiang Qi asked.
Qin Hongyu snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing even redder, but she was secretly annoyed: Qin Hongyu, what are you thinking! He was just a demon-suppressing guard who cooperated with her father, not the savior of that night!
She bit her lip, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and cupped her hands in farewell, saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
"Wait a minute," Jiang Qi suddenly said.
Qin Hongyu paused in her steps.
"Could you send two more bottles of Blood-Boiling Pills tomorrow?" Jiang Qi asked.
Qin Lie usually delivers medicine every three or five days, but now that his tenth Qi and Blood are nearing completion, he needs to prepare more Blood-Boiling Pills.
Qin Hongyu shook her head, her expression somewhat grave: "I'm afraid that won't work. The Qingshui Gang has been very active lately. Yesterday, my father was ambushed by Dai Haishan, the deputy leader of the Qingshui Gang, while he was inspecting the docks. He was injured and needs to rest and recuperate for the next few days."
"Dai Haishan?" Jiang Qi's gaze narrowed slightly.
He remembered this person.
That night at Blood Blade Hall, the last expert to pursue them, a master of the Bone Strengthening Realm, was Dai Haishan.
The deputy leader of the Qingshui Gang, at the early stage of the Strong Bone Realm, skilled in using a knife, and ruthless in nature.
"How are your injuries?" Jiang Qi asked.
"It's not too serious, but the blood and qi are fluctuating, so it needs to be recuperated for several days," Qin Hongyu replied.
Jiang Qi nodded and said nothing more.
Qin Hongyu bowed respectfully, turned and left, her steps slightly hurried, as if she wanted to get out of this place that made her uneasy as soon as possible.
......
As night fell, Jiang Qi sat at the table in the water room, flipping through the booklet he had exchanged from the Demon Suppression Division that day by lamplight.
The booklet, copied in neat small regular script, records the strange and wicked characteristics, habits, and weaknesses that have appeared in various parts of Licheng over the past decade.
He flipped through the pages, and the contents were similar to what Lan Jing, Ji Yin, Meng Yan, and others had told him.
As he turned to the second half of the book, his gaze suddenly stopped.
"The Great Trickster is formed from accumulated resentment and obsession. If it is killed when it is extremely resentful and unwilling, its remains may be left behind, resembling charcoal and having the texture of metal or stone. This is called a 'Trickster'."
"The strange object is formed from the essence of Yin energy. It is cold and malevolent. Those with weak will will have their blood and energy stagnate and their soul invaded if they touch it. However, those who are literate can use their righteous energy to cleanse its malevolence and transform its Yin nature, and then they can use it."
Jiang Qi raised his head and looked at the pitch-black object on the table, which he had obtained from the Blood Blade Hall dungeon.
"So this is what they call a ghost." He muttered to himself.
The book records that it can be used for literary cultivation, but it does not describe in detail how to use it or what its purpose is.
As for literature and cultivation, he had always been very curious.
During his six months in the Demon Suppression Division, he met several civil officials from Licheng, mostly clerks or inspectors from the City Patrol Division and the Criminal Justice Division. They wore blue robes or black robes, were composed, and had a gentle demeanor, quite different from the fierce warriors.
Lan Jing once mentioned to him in a casual conversation that the first three stages of literary cultivation are "Qi Condensation", "Character Refinement", and "Ink Painting", which require reading the books of sages and virtuous men, comprehending the primordial Qi of heaven and earth, and cultivating one's character.
However, the entry barrier is extremely high; perhaps only one in a hundred people can get started.
"Ten years of hard study, if you achieve nothing and cannot comprehend the primordial energy of heaven and earth, you are nothing more than an ordinary scholar." Lan Jing shook his head at the time, "It's better to practice martial arts."