Three Paid Pieces of Intelligence

The matter was quickly settled. Lu Yin was persuaded by Chu Danqing to have Xie Liyang guard the Lu residence.

After discussing the matter, Chu Danqing returned to his residence without lingering for even a moment.

The first thing he saw upon entering was the brocade box placed on the table.

He remembered that there had been no such thing on the table before he left.

He found a branch and used it to pry the box open from a distance.

There were no hidden weapons or traps. Instead, a medicinal fragrance rushed toward him.

"It was the heavenly treasure Lu Yin said he would send me later." Chu Danqing remembered now. Lu Yin had said last night that he would deliver it sometime today.

He had spent the entire day outside. If it had not been sent over, he might not have remembered this matter until tomorrow.

When he went over for a look, he found that it was actually a ginseng plant, already grown into human form, with all its leaves and rootlets intact.

Thousand-Year Ginseng

Type: Material

Quality: Excellent

Effect 1: Can be used in the crafting of potions, food, and related items

(Note: The medicinal potency is too strong. Reserve Apostles must not consume it directly.)

"No, it isn't one plant. There are three." Looking again, Chu Danqing saw that the brocade box had three layers, each containing a Thousand-Year Ginseng.

He decisively put away both the Thousand-Year Ginseng and the brocade box.

Though the brocade box had no attribute panel, it was far from ordinary.

Once closed, it could completely seal in the medicinal scent. It was clearly meant for storage.

"Good stuff. It's just right for you, Da Bao." Chu Danqing felt that Lu Yin truly knew how to win people over, and he was exceedingly generous as well.

If the timing and circumstances had been appropriate, he would have immediately gone to purchase other supplementary materials and used the Thousand-Year Ginseng as the main ingredient to create resources for nurturing Da Bao.

To fully draw out the effects of these three Thousand-Year Ginseng plants, he would have to return to Dimension Paradise.

If he could make Da Bao grow rapidly in a short time, wasting some medicinal potency would be acceptable. Unfortunately, he could not.

"The other supplementary materials don't need to be anything special. Ordinary medicinal herbs will do." Chu Danqing considered asking the Lu clan to purchase some for him.

He was not well versed in pharmacology. He only understood how to identify the medicinal properties of resources used to nurture Da Bao. Beyond that scope, everything went black before his eyes.

Seeing that it was already late, he set the matter aside for now. He could have someone deliver a note to Lu Yin later.

"Rest." Chu Danqing directly put out the lamp and went to sleep.

He had been terribly busy today, so he slept especially soundly.

Only when his set alarm rang did he break free from his dreams.

The night passed without incident. Even if something had happened, Da Bao was there.

The Summoning System sacrificed the Apostle's combat strength in exchange for strengthening summoned creatures. If one still demanded that a Summoning System Apostle be powerful personally, then why choose the Summoning System at all?

There had to be a way to have the best of both worlds, but it was not something Chu Danqing could obtain at his current stage.

After breakfast, Chu Danqing brought Da Bao toward South Mountain.

Just as the carriage was about to leave, it was stopped.

"Attendant Chu, I heard you were attacked again last night." Lu Qiaoyun came darting out from who knew where.

Chu Danqing lifted the carriage curtain. "Petty thieves, nothing worth mentioning."

"I have matters to attend to, so I won't keep chatting with Miss Lu."

"Don't go. I came looking for you because I have something to discuss." Seeing that Chu Danqing was about to leave, Lu Qiaoyun grabbed the coachman and yanked him down.

Helplessness appeared on Chu Danqing's face. "Then please be quick, Miss Lu. My matter is urgent."

The matter he meant was naturally not eliminating the Zhanji Tiger, but staying far away from Lu Qiaoyun.

Don't tell him she had fallen for him just because he saved her life. That would be repaying kindness with enmity.

"I want to go too, Attendant Chu, I—" The moment Lu Qiaoyun opened her mouth, Chu Danqing gave Da Bao a look.

Da Bao did not quite understand, but fortunately, he usually acted on instinct.

So, following his own thoughts, he grabbed Lu Qiaoyun, who was climbing into the carriage, and hung her from a tall tree beside the road.

Then he pressed the coachman back into the carriage and drove away.

"Nicely done, Da Bao." Chu Danqing praised him.

Da Bao did not understand why, but he revealed a ferocious grin nonetheless.

"Attendant Chu, forgive this lowly one for speaking out of turn, but the young miss..." the coachman could not help saying.

Chu Danqing cut him off directly. "Since you know it's speaking out of turn, then don't say it."

How could he not understand what was going on? He and Lu Qiaoyun had only met once. If they were talking about familiarity, he was not even as close to her as Lu Yin and Ji Yun were.

In Chu Danqing's view, Lu Qiaoyun had simply let her love-struck brain take over.

Once some time passed and he left this Trial World, she would come to her senses herself.

There was no need for further contact.

On the road to South Mountain, Chu Danqing encountered Fierce Fist, who was also leaving the city.

After thinking briefly, the other man had his soldiers stop and wait for Chu Danqing's carriage to pass.

When it arrived, the carriage stopped as well.

"Going to South Mountain?" Looking at Chu Danqing seated in the carriage, he asked three words.

Chu Danqing nodded. "You're going to West Jiu, and I'm going to South Mountain. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Nothing wrong."

"I'm only advising you not to get involved in this matter any further. Once South Mountain is settled, leave immediately. You may still keep your life." Fierce Fist glanced at Da Bao before speaking.

By leave, he naturally meant leaving this Trial World.

"You've uncovered quite a bit. You don't mind telling me some of it, do you?" As Chu Danqing spoke, he took out a Weak Healing Potion.

If he wanted intelligence from the other man, he had to show the appropriate sincerity.

Fierce Fist had not come over to say this out of the kindness of his heart. He was implying that if Chu Danqing wanted more information, he could pay for it.

"One more bottle, and I won't mind." Fierce Fist was quite satisfied with Chu Danqing's attitude, but it was not enough.

Chu Danqing did not continue haggling with him. He simply gave him another bottle.

That was equivalent to giving away all the Weak Healing Potions Tie Yan and Han Ying had compensated him with.

After accepting them, Fierce Fist said quietly, "The one who came is Master Ren Gongdao, the third disciple under the Way of Peace Master. He is here to protect his son while he enters the Dao through the Three Corpses Severing Method."

"Once the Unicorn Flood Dragon and the Zhanji Tiger die, two-thirds of his Dao Path will be severed. Even if he enters the Dao by some stroke of luck, his future achievements will be limited."

"You've offended Master Ren Gongdao to the death."

In just three short sentences, he made it clear how great the trouble ahead would be.

Fierce Fist held an official position, while Chu Danqing was merely an Attendant of the Lu clan. It went without saying who would be killed first to vent their anger.

After saying this, Fierce Fist left directly.

Yet Chu Danqing felt that something was not quite right.

It was not that Fierce Fist had lied, but that it felt like a puppet show.

This feeling did not come from him being controlled. Rather, the authorities, the Lu clan, the Way of Peace, and even the Ji Family and the other forces of Yangxian County all seemed to be manipulated by an invisible hand.

That included this so-called Master Ren Gongdao and the son who had come to sever the Three Corpses.

The Three Corpses Severing Method in the human volume of the Book of Great Peace was not some shameful technique that could not see the light of day. On the contrary, it was a grand and upright method of the Righteous Path. Why carry it out in secret?

"Let's go to South Mountain." Chu Danqing temporarily suppressed these doubts, intending to kill the Zhanji Tiger first before making further plans.