Chapter Thirty-One: Changlin Town
Tearing open the beehive before them, Ji Xun and the black bear spirit divided its contents equally. Most of the cells inside were empty, but the royal jelly in the queen’s chamber brought a pleasant surprise to Ji Xun.
[Golden Armored Bee Royal Jelly: High-grade Profound level. Can strengthen the physical body, nourish the soul, and be used to cultivate a Golden Armored Bee Queen.]
Though the portion was only half the size of his palm, Ji Xun was quite satisfied. After all, he had already scoured nearly all the rare treasures from the outskirts of the forest, and as for the deeper woods, even the black bear spirit dared not venture within.
So, he had to leave it at that.
The next day, Ji Xun brought Da Huang and found another Golden Armored Bee hive. This one was small, housing only a few dozen bees, all of which Ji Xun collected into the Demon Refining Gourd.
By now, Ji Xun had placed some soil inside the gourd, planting a few stalks of Hundred Beast Grass, two of which had already blossomed. He fixed this patch of earth in a corner of the gourd and shrouded it in dense mist. Likewise, the small beehive was set near the mound, unable to move beyond the fog.
Soon, one after another, the golden-armored bees crawled out of their hive, gathering pollen from the Hundred Beast flowers. The remains of the previous, larger hive were also thrown in, half of it reserved for the golden bees.
However, the Grade Seven Golden Armored Bee Queen seemed near the end of her lifespan. Without the aid of rare treasures, she likely wouldn’t live much longer. Even the royal jelly could only barely sustain her.
The lifespan of every demon beast varies, some long, some short, and the Golden Armored Bee’s is comparatively brief.
Ji Xun’s consciousness lingered on another part of the Demon Refining Gourd, where a pair of mantis forelimbs were being refined.
[Jade Mantis Forelimbs: Mid-grade Profound level. Exceptionally hard and sharp, a vessel for the Jade Mantis’s spirit. Through them, some of the Jade Mantis’s experiences can be recalled.]
...
“Old Master Lin, there’s no need to see me off. My mind is made up.”
“Ah, Dali, you’re doing so well here. Why go traveling so far? The roads are filled with demons—it’s not safe. Besides, things are just fine with Old Master Mo, aren’t they...”
No matter how much the old man pleaded, Ji Xun remained determined to leave.
“Please don’t worry. Remember to steep the honey I gave you in water regularly, and smoke less of that dry tobacco. If I get the chance, I’ll come back to visit everyone.”
Lin Changshan sighed on the side, clearly worried for Ji Xun.
Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes were red from crying. She rushed over to hand Ji Xun a roughly made purse, then ran home in tears.
“Uncle Changshan, I’ll leave Da Huang in your care. Don’t worry about its meals; it hunts in the mountains.”
Lin Changshan nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after him. You take care of yourself too.”
Ji Xun left Da Huang to protect the villagers. If any danger befell the village, Da Huang would immediately seek out the black bear spirit to help resolve the issue. Usually, only the fierce beasts from the forest’s edge troubled the village, and the black bear spirit was more than capable of handling them.
...
“Take care, everyone.”
“Take care.”
After Ji Xun’s departure, Lin Changshan suddenly asked, “Father, why do I have the feeling that the disappearance of the Qu family father and son might be related to Dali?”
The old man pulled out his pipe and knocked his son on the head with it.
“Nonsense. Say that again and I’ll break your legs.”
“Father, I only say this to you. I wouldn’t dare mention it to anyone else.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
...
“Old Black, you don’t need to see me off. Go back now.”
The black bear spirit shook his head, then used a stick to write two characters on the ground: Fang Zai.
He pointed at himself with his claw.
“So, the characters I taught you—are you saying you want me to call you Fang Zai from now on?”
The black bear spirit, Fang Zai, nodded.
“Very well, Fang Zai. The green hills remain, the waters flow on. We shall meet again.”
The bear roared softly in reply.
...
Changlin Town sat at the crossroads of several counties, and many travelers passed through, making the town as prosperous as half a county. There were once three great clans in the town, owning vast lands and businesses. Even the town elders were selected from among the three houses.
It wasn’t until Magistrate Mo, a seventh-rank official, retired and returned home in glory that the three clans finally relinquished some of their holdings.
Today was the day Magistrate Mo was recruiting tenant farmers.
“Name?”
“Liu Zheng.”
“Where are you from?”
“From Changyu Village.”
“Any demon blood or cultivation?”
“No...”
“Go plant wheat, then.”
Thus, the steward screened one applicant after another. The last was a tall, well-proportioned young man. Though his clothes were worn, his features were upright and his eyes clear.
...
A small green insect perched on his shoulder. The steward’s interest was immediately piqued.
“What’s your name?”
“Ji Xun.”
“Where are you from?”
“Near Xiaolin Village.”
“Do you have any cultivation? Any demon blood?”
“Ninth-grade Profound Realm. Serpent demon bloodline.”
“Very good. One tael of demon silver a month. High yield from demon plants, you can also...”
Ji Xun agreed to everything.
Now, with his robust vitality, he looked quite different from before—even Lin Xiaoyun would likely not recognize him. His mastery of blood refinement had changed his appearance, and with some disguise methods from the Crane Style, ordinary people could never see through him.
Ji Xun had already spent three days in town, gaining new insights into the power structure of the Serpent Kingdom.
He was in Silver Prefecture, which contained nine counties. Three belonged to the Duke of Blackwater, and the remaining six were controlled by six different powers. Though each power appeared independent, they were deeply entwined with the upper echelons of the Serpent Kingdom, balancing the local governors and expected to support the counties at crucial times—a complicated web indeed.
After the incident with Gu Yueqing, Ji Xun knew he needed backing. Under the shade of a great tree, one finds shelter. Otherwise, if he encountered a powerful enemy, not even the Demon Refining Gourd could come to his aid.
The nearest faction was the Spiritwood Sect in Pingling County. However, they wouldn’t recruit disciples for another year, and Ji Xun had no other way in. So, for now, he planned to settle here. His current identity had been obtained on the black market, costing a full fifty demon coins.
As for why he hadn’t told the Lin family, it was because the forces of the Sanyang Sect had already brainwashed many villagers. If word leaked out, Gu Yueqing might return early and take him away.
...
Ji Xun was very pleased with the house assigned to him. Since arriving, it was the first time he had a proper place of his own. The bed was clean, a table stood to the left, and in the center was a brazier to keep warm in winter.
An ordinary ninth-grade cultivator might need it during the coldest days, but Ji Xun, having mastered blood refinement, had no such worries.