Blood of the Heavenly Peng

The harvest was nothing special.

Not everyone was as wealthy as Zhu Bo.

Although Snake Aunt was a rich woman, she was only modestly well-off, far from as generous as Zhu Bo's boss. Lu Bei swept up the Silver Notes and Demon Cultivator secret manuals, ignoring the various bolts of fabric and garments with unmistakably feminine designs, and cautiously began examining the heap of bottles and jars.

Zhu Bo had repeatedly mentioned that Snake Aunt excelled at using poison. As it happened, Lu Bei was quite curious about drugs such as knockout powders, so he opened them one by one—some powders, some liquids—and dripped each of them onto Snake Aunt.

The effects were mediocre. Snake Aunt's face shifted from green to purple. She tilted her head, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and then curled up motionless like a dead snake.

"Sure enough, pharmacological knowledge requires guidance from a professional. Self-study won't turn you into an expert."

Lu Bei abandoned the bottles and jars and went to inspect the altar. Before long, he found a keyhole and inserted the key he had obtained from killing monsters.

The altar blazed with light, evaporating the impure Snake Blood smeared across it and revealing three sealed white porcelain bottles.

Besides that, a letter was being held down by the three porcelain bottles.

Lu Bei vaguely saw the words "For My Disciple's Eyes Only." After a moment of silence, he opened the letter first.

Disciple, if you have reached this place, it means you have already found the secret letter your master left in the underground palace beneath the deep well. As expected of the disciple I chose from among countless candidates. Although I still don't know your name or family name, I firmly trust my own judgment. Your aptitude is extraordinary, and you will surely make the Feather Transformation Sect flourish...

Lu Bei: (;)

A long-standing complaint caught in his throat. Not knowing where to begin, he swallowed it back down and continued reading.

Now that the mystery has been revealed, the surprise your master left you isn't that Buddha-faced Golden Body Spider. With your Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment cultivation, I expect you to pass safely without any danger.

Lu Bei: ()

Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment? What Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment? Had he skipped a map?

That's right. He hadn't gone down that well at the Feather Transformation Sect yet.

These three bloodlines of the Demon Race were obtained by your master after traveling far and wide and enduring countless hardships: one snake, one dragon, and one Heavenly Peng. You and I are both members of the Feather Transformation Sect, so naturally you should choose the Blood of the Heavenly Peng. As for the dragon and snake blood, handle them as you see fit.

If you truly have nowhere to put them, don't throw them away. Leave them here instead. When the day comes that you can no longer break through your predicament and seek immortality, go to the extreme west, capture a ferocious beast, lock it here, and leave it for my disciple's grand-disciple to challenge. Wouldn't that be delightful?

Set your mind at ease. I have measured the place myself. Its waterways and roots are luxuriant, and the formation is naturally integrated. Without the calamity of the spiritual vein collapsing, no one will discover it within two hundred years. It is very safe.

Lu Bei: (;)

He silently put away the letter. His thoughts were complicated, and a thousand words condensed into one sentence: "I was actually worried about disgracing the sect. Turns out I was the naive one. I only loosened a little soil, while my Cheap Master was the real grand thief!"

Thinking it over carefully, Lu Bei realized that this was indeed the case. Excellent—the reason that broken mountain on Sanqing Peak had been so neglected had finally been found.

"But what use is the Blood of the Heavenly Peng to me? Could drinking it really let me change class into a Demon Cultivator?"

After confirming that his Cheap Master, Mo Buxiu, possessed astonishing cultivation, Lu Bei decided to trust him for once. He raised his hand and collected the dragon and Peng bloodlines. As for the remaining Snake Blood, he held it in his hand and crouched before Snake Aunt.

The seal opened, and wisps of bloody odor spread through the air. Snake Aunt, who had been curled up motionless, trembled awake. Her eyes shone as she stared at the porcelain bottle, and she raised a hand...

Smack!

Lu Bei slapped Snake Aunt away and smiled amiably. "Want it?"

Snake Aunt: "..."

"Swear an oath and acknowledge me as your master. I'll introduce you to a line of work. I guarantee you'll be Well-fed and Clothed for the rest of your life."

Lu Bei looked Snake Aunt up and down. He had to admit that although she was somewhat old, her figure was first-rate and her face was breathtaking. Add in the alluring aura Demon Cultivators naturally possessed and her identity as a Snake Spirit, and she still had plenty of market value.

He didn't know what the little foxes at home would look like in the future, but this ready-made one in front of him could certainly be put to use.

As he had said, she would be very useful to him.

"You can forget about it!"

Snake Aunt was both enraged and grief-stricken beneath Lu Bei's probing gaze. Clinging to her desire, she refused to submit. "If I acknowledge you as my master, I'll live a fate worse than death. I'd be better off having you kill me with one slash."

"That makes sense. It is a bit unreasonable to force you."

Lu Bei compromised. "How about this? Swear an oath to work for me for three years... five years—no, ten years. After ten years, the great road faces the heavens. I'll walk my sunlit path, and you can crawl through your sewer. We won't have the slightest connection anymore."

"..."

Snake Aunt closed her eyes and said nothing. Ten years as a slave and servant was no different from a lifetime. Besides, judging from the way Lu Bei tortured snakes with lethal force, whether she could live ten years was still a question.

"Snake Aunt, a snake shouldn't be too greedy. If you can survive, you've already gained another life."

Lu Bei drew his saber and ground it against the floor. "I can also stake my reputation on a promise. During these ten years, you and I will only have a superior-subordinate relationship. I won't take the initiative to harm you physically. Surely that will do?"

You? Your reputation?

Snake Aunt nearly laughed in fury. It wasn't that she looked down on him—it was that she truly looked down on him.

"Speak. If it's acceptable, hiss once. If not, I'll take a piece of snake hide."

"I alone have to swear an oath? And you only give a verbal promise?"

"Snake Aunt, don't take advantage and then keep asking for more. If you really break your oath, you'll only lose one life. What I lose is my reputation!"

"..."

His shameless words nearly angered Snake Aunt into dying on the spot. She gazed deeply at the Snake Blood containing the pure bloodline, then looked at Lu Bei's amiable smile. Her breathing quickened, and she shakily extended her hand.

Sometimes, selling one's soul and principles wasn't shameful. What was shameful was failing to sell them for a good price.

The price was suitable now, so she decided to work for ten years.

Cultivation was truly difficult. Refusing today meant certain death. Even if she survived, with her path of bloodline advancement severed, her future would be a road of thorns...

"Don't rush. Swear the oath first. You won't be missing out on the goods."

A moment before Snake Aunt touched the porcelain bottle, Lu Bei raised his hand slightly and lifted his chin, signaling that she should show her sincerity first.

"I'll... swear the oath now."

Snake Aunt stammered through it several times. Once she had completely let go, her entire body seemed to go limp. She recited the emotionless oath, and when the blood seal branded itself onto her, the pain nearly made her faint.

The good news was that she fulfilled her earlier promise and took only one item, eliminating one blood curse.

Then the pain returned, sending her through hell and back.

The methods of Demon Cultivators involved a special refining process. After obtaining the Bloodline Source, Snake Aunt clutched it tightly against her chest. The joys and sorrows of different people were never shared; Lu Bei couldn't understand her excitement, so he waved for her to leave first and arranged to meet her in Langyu County using a prearranged signal.

Snake Aunt felt as if she had received a royal pardon. Resisting the urge to improve her own bloodline, she swished her tail...

Smack!

She flopped onto the ground.

She had lost too much blood and been afflicted with all sorts of strange poisons. For the moment, she could barely move.

Lu Bei curled his lip, took out some healing medicine, and ordered her to recuperate where she was. He raised a hand, wiped some blood across himself, then turned and walked toward the Buddha-faced Golden Body Spider's lair.

"Brother Bo, Old Brother Luo, I'm back." Lu Bei clenched his fist, coughed twice, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and forced a wan smile.

"What happened? Why are you injured again, Little Brother?"

Zhu Bo hurriedly asked. They had only heard Lu Bei fighting Snake Aunt in the passage, the battle growing more distant, and then they had known nothing at all.

"Brother Bo guessed correctly. That demon snake hadn't left yet. I broke through her ambush at the entrance, but she used her familiarity with the underground palace to ambush me several times. I only have a smattering of knowledge about breaking formations. Although I was stronger than her, I still couldn't outmatch her many schemes. I had no choice but to come back and recuperate for a while."

Lu Bei's expression turned grim. "Brother Bo, there's something I have to say. Don't lose your temper when you hear it."

That sounds familiar. Where have I heard someone say that before?

"No need. I'm already furious."

"Then that's good. Since you're already furious, it has nothing to do with me."

Lu Bei gave an embarrassed smile. "When I was fighting that demoness, she knocked the compass down inside the formation. I have no idea where it is now."

I knew it!

The corner of Zhu Bo's mouth twitched. He held back, but ultimately failed. "Little Brother Lu, check your Qiankun Bag. Maybe it fell inside?"

"Absolutely not. I checked it earlier."

"..."

Zhu Bo rolled his eyes repeatedly. Beside him, Luo Ban couldn't hold back either, and his meditating body swayed twice.

"Don't leave, Brother Bo. It's only a compass; it's not worth it."

Lu Bei hurriedly said, "I have good news too. The Treasure Fan your honored father passed on to you is still here. I held on to it for dear life and spat out dozens of mouthfuls of blood to stop that demoness from snatching it away."

"I understand. When we go back, I'll get some money for medicinal tonics to help Little Brother replenish his health."

"How could I accept that? No, no, that's too much."

Lu Bei waved his hands repeatedly. When Zhu Bo offered nothing further, he pressed, "How much?"

"..."