Foxes and Dogs

The Yellow Gourd was only the size of a palm, its surface smooth, lustrous, and crystalline. Its mouth was sealed with a wooden stopper, and when held in the hand, it felt fine and jade-smooth.

"The wooden stopper is a piece of Soul-Suppressing Wood. From the looks of it, Wu Ruoqiu was using this thing as a Soul-Nourishing Gourd."

At this thought, a strange gleam rose in Su Yi's eyes.

With a flick of his fingertip, the wooden stopper sealing the gourd's mouth came loose, and immediately after, a surge of blood-red ghostly mist gushed out.

Wuwuwu~~

The ghostly mist was dark and eerie, giving off a wicked aura that weighed down the mind.

An infant appeared within the ghostly mist. It looked only three or four years old, with ghastly pale skin and scarlet pupils. Its originally innocent and adorable little face seemed to have been smeared with a layer of blood-red rouge, strange and hair-raising.

The moment the child appeared, a terrifying, vicious aura spread like a tide, and the plants and trees in the courtyard withered and decayed in an instant.

Not far away, from atop the Old Locust Tree, the female ghost in red let out a terrified scream. "Ghost Infant! This is the Ghost Infant Daoist Wu has been raising for six years!"

Almost at the same time, a shriek like a wailing cry came from the Ghost Infant's lips, and its mouth actually split open all at once, revealing two rows of long, narrow fangs as sharp as saw blades.

It bit fiercely toward Su Yi, who was right within reach!

But faster than that was the sword thrust from Su Yi's right hand.

Pff!

The Peach Wood Sword stabbed savagely into the Ghost Infant's open mouth, piercing all the way through its body and skewering it on the blade.

Peach Wood innately countered Ghosts.

The length of Green Peach Wood Huang Qianjun had chosen for Su Yi had a full twenty years of maturity, with pure yang-astral qi contained within.

Hiss, hiss!

Black smoke billowed from the Ghost Infant's body. Pain twisted its cheeks, and it let out hideous shrieks, struggling madly as it tried to pounce on Su Yi and kill him.

But it was futile.

In just the blink of an eye, the Ghost Infant's soul body was burned away completely, vanishing like smoke and scattering like clouds.

Looking again at the Peach Wood Sword, its color had dulled, and fine threads of corrosion had appeared. It clearly could no longer be used.

Su Yi flicked his hand and tossed the sword away, then looked back at the Yellow Gourd. "Not bad. This object was clearly born in a spiritual land and already carries a trace of spirituality. In this mundane world, it's already extremely rare."

He had already seen that this Yellow Gourd was Wu Ruoqiu's Trump Card.

If, when they fought earlier, the other party had used this item right from the start, it really might have caused him some trouble.

"You can come out."

Su Yi sat back down in the bamboo chair and casually toyed with the crystalline, smooth Yellow Gourd.

The red-clad female ghost Qing Wan drifted over from the Old Locust Tree, trembling as she floated in midair. She lowered her delicate head and said in a weak little voice, "Immortal Master, please don't kill me. I... I can serve you."

"What can you do?"

Su Yi was rather interested.

Qing Wan thought for a long while, then said timidly, "Singing and dancing, playing the zither and the flute, playing chess and painting... I know a little of all of them."

Su Yi was startled. What was this supposed to be, a multi-talented female ghost?

Qing Wan wore a blood-red dress, her figure petite, her skin snow-white almost to the point of transparency. Her delicate, pretty features carried a little baby fat, adding a touch of charming cuteness.

She looked only fifteen or sixteen, just in the bloom of youth.

Unfortunately, in the end, she was only a Yin Soul, not a living person.

Seeing that Su Yi remained silent for a long time, Qing Wan grew increasingly uneasy and said anxiously, "Immortal Master, as long as you don't kill me, I can do anything. I can even help you scare people."

Her soft, sweet, tender voice already held a faint trace of sobs, making her look pitiful and helpless.

Su Yi sighed softly and said, "If I had cultivation at the Origin Dao level, I could help deliver you, letting you be freed from this world. But right now, I'm afraid I can't help you."

Qing Wan froze, then said in delight, "Immortal Master, so you weren't planning to kill me? That's wonderful!"

She revealed a smile, her big eyes narrowing, and in that unguarded moment, she actually showed an astonishing allure. Yet her looks were pure and pretty, her temperament innocent and naive, forming an extremely unique charm.

Su Yi raised his brows slightly. If this little girl learned the methods of Ghost soul cultivation, in the future she would inevitably cultivate into a calamity capable of ruining a nation and bringing disaster to its people...

"You really don't remember anything from when you were alive?" Su Yi asked.

Qing Wan's eyes went blank, and sorrow rose on her little face as she said aggrievedly, "I won't hide it from you, Immortal Master. Even now, I don't know how I became like this..."

Su Yi stared at Qing Wan for a long while, then said, "I can now confirm one thing. Either you're lying, or there's a problem with your Yin Soul."

Qing Wan's figure trembled, and she said urgently, "Immortal Master, I would never dare deceive you in the slightest. I can swear to the heavens."

Su Yi said calmly, "Whichever case it is, it doesn't have much to do with me. However, although I won't kill you, I also won't let you leave just like this."

Qing Wan let out a breath of relief and said, "As long as Immortal Master doesn't kill me, I'm already very grateful."

Su Yi raised the Yellow Gourd in his hand and said, "This is a Soul-Nourishing Gourd. If you hide inside it, you won't need to fear the daylight. Go in on your own."

Qing Wan hesitated. "Immortal Master, then... will you still let me out?"

Su Yi laughed disdainfully. "You really look down on me, Su, too much. I won't seal this object. On the contrary, when the time is right in the future, I may even teach you a secret Ghost cultivation art."

Qing Wan was pleasantly surprised and nodded again and again. "I'm willing!"

As she spoke, her figure turned into a streak of red light and swept into the Yellow Gourd.

"A Yin Soul, yet she possesses such a pure and rare soul body, and just so happens to have forgotten the memories of her life. That in itself is a problem..."

"However, with my methods, I'll naturally have a chance to find the answer in the future."

As Su Yi pondered, he had already risen and busied himself.

Before long, the corpses and blood in the courtyard had all been swept clean.

Only then did Su Yi return to his room.

After casually hanging the Yellow Gourd at one side of the desk, he lay comfortably on the bed and fell fast asleep.

The next morning.

Su Yi got up before the sky had even brightened.

He glanced at the Yellow Gourd beside the bookshelf, paid it no mind, and walked straight out of the room.

The Soul-Nourishing Gourd had not been sealed. As long as she wished, Qing Wan, who was hidden inside, could leave at any time.

But that pretty, simple-minded female ghost had remained very quiet and well-behaved all through last night, without the slightest stir.

After washing up, Su Yi chewed a slice of Nine Leaves King Ginseng raw, then stood beneath the locust tree in the courtyard and began practicing the Pine Crane Body Forging Art.

By the time he practiced it for the third round, Su Yi felt the tendons and membranes throughout his body stretch out, and his body seemed to have grown somewhat lighter, with a strong, floating sensation.

This was the sign of Entering the Door in "Flesh Tendons"!

When one's cultivation reached this stage, qi and blood converged, inner breath surged, strength was as great as that of tigers and leopards, and one's movements were as nimble and agile as a civet cat.

"Young Lord, this is a medicinal meal personally prepared by Elder Wu, especially for you."

Before long, Hu Quan, the steward of Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, arrived, carrying a food box, and presented it with a smile.

Su Yi nodded and said, "Thank Elder Wu for me."

He looked over the medicinal meal in the food box. It used quite a few precious medicinal herbs, and the pairings were abundant, very suitable for a martial artist to replenish what his body needed.

"Young Lord, then please enjoy your meal. I'll head to the medical hall and get busy."

Hu Quan left with a smile.

"Living here is indeed much better than living with the Wen Family."

Su Yi thought to himself.

He had just finished eating when Huang Qianjun's voice rang out outside the courtyard:

"Brother Su, I've already sent someone to inform Old Master Wang Tianyang. We can go over now."

He strode in excitedly, his gaze fervent.

Immediately, his nose twitched, and he said in puzzlement, "Why is there the faint smell of blood in this courtyard?"

This kid's nose was quite sharp.

Su Yi glanced at the profligate youth and said casually, "This place was haunted last night."

"Haunted?"

Huang Qianjun was startled. Thinking of the rooster blood, willow branches, and peach wood he had helped Su Yi prepare yesterday, scene after eerie and terrifying scene of haunting immediately surfaced in his mind, and his whole body shuddered.

"Let's go."

Su Yi raised his foot and headed out of the courtyard.

Huang Qianjun immediately had no time to let his imagination run wild and hurriedly followed.

On a lane in the east of Guangling City stood a Sword Casting Workshop belonging to the Huang Family.

When Su Yi and Huang Qianjun arrived together, the people waiting outside the Sword Casting Workshop had already formed a long line, all of them young men and women queuing up.

"Business is this good?" Su Yi was surprised.

Huang Qianjun quickly explained, "Business was decent in the past too, but it was never as booming as it has been these past few days. The reason is that, in half a month, a 'Dragon Gate Banquet' will be held on the Great Cang River."

"At that time, the outstanding members of the younger generation from Guangling City and Fallen Cloud City on the opposite bank of the Great Cang River will all take part, discussing the sword, competing in martial arts, and deciding who is superior."

"If a martial artist from Guangling City ranks first, they'll receive one thousand taels of gold, three spirit medicines, ten hu of pearls, and a top-grade Yellow Rank secret technique from the City Lord's Mansion of Fallen Cloud City!"

"Conversely, if a martial artist from Fallen Cloud City ranks first, the City Lord's Mansion of Guangling City will also need to put up the same reward."

After listening, Su Yi said, "Those rewards are quite generous."

A look of longing appeared in Huang Qianjun's eyes. "Aside from the rewards, what's even more important is reputation! At every year's Dragon Gate Banquet, as long as you take first place, not only will your name spread through the two great cities, you'll also be able to enter the Inner Sect of Green River Sword Mansion for cultivation with ease!"

Su Yi nodded.

He had cultivated at Green River Sword Mansion for three years, so he naturally understood that for all the young people of Cloud River County's nineteen cities, being able to enter Green River Sword Mansion to cultivate was already an extremely rare opportunity.

If one could become an Inner Sect Disciple, it was simply a case of a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate.

Back then, Su Yi had cultivated bitterly for three years before becoming the Outer Disciple Sword Leader of Green River Sword Mansion. He had already possessed the qualifications to enter the Inner Sect, but because of that accident, he had become an abandoned disciple of Green River Sword Mansion...

Of course, fortune and disaster depended on each other; because of this, he had also awakened the memories of his previous life.

Su Yi said, "In that case, these people lining up want to buy a weapon that suits their hand so they can attend the Dragon Gate Banquet?"

"Exactly."

At this point, Huang Qianjun thought of something and said in a low voice, "Brother Su, Old Wang—Wang Tianyang—has a terrible temper and a very eccentric nature. Even my father shows him a degree of courtesy. When we meet him later, if he says anything unpleasant, you mustn't take it to heart."

"Lead the way," Su Yi said.

Huang Qianjun hurried forward. As Huang Yunchong's legitimate son, he naturally had no need to line up.

Only, just as they were about to enter the Sword Casting Workshop, they saw a group of people happen to walk out from within.

At their head was none other than Wen Jueyuan, the leading figure among the Wen Family's younger generation. Behind him were the other young members of the Wen Family.

Wen Shaobei was among them as well.

When Wen Jueyuan saw Su Yi and Huang Qianjun, he couldn't help but pause. Immediately afterward, a look of disgust appeared on his face, and he shook his head.

"One Son-in-law, one silkpants, a pair of Foxes and Dogs!"

PS: It's over, my monthly tickets have fallen out of the top 20. Begging for monthly tickets aaaaaah~~~~~