Ge Xian had seen and heard of plenty of scum and vile beasts in both his past and present lives. Even those who had lost every shred of humanity could no longer surprise him.
But this "Old Widower" before him, half-centipede and half-man, was so obsessively deranged, so thoroughly transformed that his soul itself seemed twisted beyond recognition. The sight still left Ge Xian shaken.
Of course, it only made his killing intent burn hotter.
The human remains filling the cave were an eyesore. Especially the bones scattered around the Old Widower's bed—tiny infant bones, clearly much smaller than an adult's and covered in bite marks. Ge Xian didn't want to let the old man live even one breath longer than necessary.
Seeing him desperately kowtow and beg for the art,
Ge Xian lunged forward, grinning viciously as he struck at the man's heart with his words:
"You, Old Widower, were sitting on a mountain of treasure without knowing it. If you'd been willing to take your Dear Child and offer him to the River God of the Qiantang River, you'd have truly entered the Dao by now and extended your life by hundreds of years."
"But now you're too old. Your body and soul are both rotten through. Long life? If you survive more than three breaths, then I went too easy on you."
As soon as those last words reached his ears,
the Old Widower was jolted. He threw open his toothless, reeking mouth and let out a hoarse cry, trying to summon Dear Child to protect him.
Unfortunately, he had been so addled earlier that he'd thought some senior was passing on an art to him, and had held Dear Child down with all his might.
Now, though panic and urgency had seized him, he couldn't make a sound in an instant.
That single breath was more than enough for Ge Xian to finish him off.
First, he channeled the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and swept a palm toward the Old Widower's face.
At the same time, a dragon foot bursting with tremendous force came stomping down on the Centipede Dragon, pinned beneath its father.
Even now, the Exotic Dragon Beast's eyes held the innocent look of a child. That only made Ge Xian stomp harder. Not long ago, this beast had carried an infant in its jaws, intending to offer the baby to the father it adored as food.
If they had fought face-to-face, Ge Xian would still have won, but it wouldn't have been easy. The Centipede Dragon was, after all, an Exotic Dragon Beast of the Dragon-kin. It could have struggled for a while, kept him tangled up for a dozen exchanges, and even managed to prick him with a few venomous spines.
The trouble was, Ge Huolang excelled at ambushes—and was clearly turning it into a habit.
Thud!
Thud!
The two muffled impacts came almost at the same time.
Two ugly heads burst apart together. It was a bloody sight, but the resentment in Ge Xian's heart eased a little.
Just then, he sensed something else.
He lowered his head to look and, sure enough, saw another strange change.
After Ge Xian smashed the Old Widower's head, the old man's body turned to ash. From within rolled a pitch-black pill, accompanied by a dense plume of demonic qi. It was clearly drawn to the [Centipede Dragon's] corpse, and shot toward it, as if trying to return to its rightful owner.
From the looks of it, if the Centipede Pearl returned to its body, the Centipede Dragon might come back to life.
And judging by the hatred and killing intent toward Ge Xian surging through that demonic qi, if the Centipede Dragon did revive, it would surely be much stronger—and would hunt down Ge Xian, its "father's murderer," in a frenzy.
Seeing this, Ge Huolang laughed again.
"You beast, the Old Widower certainly raised you well."
"Too bad the only difference in the end is that one beast has become two. I wonder which of you corrupted the other."
"No matter. I'll send you both to the Western Paradise."
Before the words had even left his mouth, he snatched the Centipede Pearl out of the air.
It kept struggling in his palm, thrashing wildly against his grip.
Ge Xian thought for only a moment before decisively using his charm and Cai Bu, completing the whole process.
He had come here in the first place to seize Dragon Transformation demonic qi, and to test his Vicious Habit theory while he was at it.
The Centipede Pearl clearly contained the Centipede Dragon's will, but it was no match for Ge Xian's innate talent.
In a flash, it clung to him of its own accord, only to be plundered and devoured.
To avoid wasting anything, Ge Xian even extended his other dragon claw and swallowed the Centipede Dragon's corpse off the ground as well. The Dao Qi within it was far inferior to that of the [Centipede Pearl], but even a mosquito was meat.
Cai Bu complete!
A particularly potent, eerie green "Demon Dao Qi" entered Ge Xian's body. The Dragon Transformation Chapter, already stirring within him, immediately began refining it, leaving nothing to waste.
Before long, Ge Xian's half-human, half-dragon Demonic Body changed again. It grew even tougher, and his Dragon Scales sharpened like blades. A ghostly gleam shimmered over them, while a strange, misty aura rose and drifted from his body, as if it carried a deadly poison.
A realization arose in his mind:
"My strength has increased by another tenth!"
"My Dragon Body has transformed, and I've gained another strange demonic art: [Centipede Venom]. I can turn it into poisonous liquid and spit it out, or release poisonous fumes through the pores all over my body."
"Anyone below the Foundation Establishment Realm who's struck by this poison will surely die."
"And as my cultivation advances and I devour more and more Dao Qi, the art's power will grow stronger."
When the demonic art appeared, Ge Xian couldn't help feeling relieved.
Fortunately, the beast had been ruined by the Old Widower's care, and Ge Xian had struck from ambush. That was why everything had gone so smoothly.
If the Centipede Dragon had spat a mouthful of poison at him in a face-to-face fight, he might have survived, but he would have been injured and unable to hunt any more Dragon-kin Demonic Creatures.
Having understood all this, Ge Xian did nothing else. He simply stood in the cave, silently sensing something.
Only after a long while did he open his eyes, his face alight with joy.
"My earlier guess was completely right."
"That Vicious Habit of collecting only grew by a sliver, almost too small to notice. No second Vicious Habit appeared. This shortcut hasn't been blocked..."
"Waaah!"
Ge Xian had barely had time to feel pleased before an infant's wail rang out. The child the Centipede Dragon had carried in to offer to its father had woken up, and the foul stench in the cave had made him cry.
Ge Huolang quickly picked him up. First, he fumbled to soothe the child; then he simply released his innate talent.
Sure enough!
His charm worked on everything.
Even a human infant couldn't resist it. Before long, the baby was giggling.
Ge Xian didn't waste time. Carrying the infant, he left the cave and descended Phoenix Mountain. Sure enough, at the foot of the mountain he found a small village with its lamps lit in the middle of the night. When he drew closer and listened, he learned they were searching for a stolen baby.
He was in the middle of a hunt and short on time, so he had no chance to arrange a cover story. He simply left the baby in the village's Ancestral Hall, then carved the whole story onto a wooden pillar inside, letting the villagers know that the Old Widower and Centipede Dragon who had been wreaking havoc in the mountains were both dead.
As soon as Ge Xian left, the baby began to wail. The villagers came running at the sound and saw the writing on the pillar—letters clearly beyond the skill of any human. They marveled at it.
At noon the next day, when the Sun Star burned hottest,
a dozen or so miles outside Qiantang County, in Dragon Blood Valley on Tianzhu Mountain.
A vast, flat, fertile valley lay beneath the mountains. Every other plant had been cleared away, leaving only an enormous Melon Field. Its flowers and leaves were scarlet, and blood qi billowed from it. The sight was more dazzling than the blazing sun, while its smell was more nauseating than excrement.
A Thatched Hut stood beside the Melon Field. Inside, an ugly man in rough clothes lounged half-reclined. He had a large face and a red nose, with tousled hair and his chest bared. As he fanned himself, he gazed with satisfaction at the tempting Black-skinned Watermelons in his field.
The ugly man seemed something of a Connoisseur. As he watched the melons, he recited a poem.
When Ge Xian entered the valley with his Peddler's Pole, he happened to hear the fellow reciting, "Of all life's joys, none surpass the delight of the village fields; even a marquis's title cannot outshine growing melons."
Though Ge Huolang knew the man's true nature, he still didn't want to fight him head-on.
So, after casually calling out, "I treat oxen and horses," he swallowed the words "and children," then smoothly continued with praise: "What a fine poem!"
The ugly man in the hut was startled awake. He abruptly dropped his fan, grabbed a thick, pointed Iron Fork beside him, and charged out with a murderous look.
In an instant, the already tall man abruptly swelled even larger, becoming a creature rather like a Yaksha Mountain Imp.
With that murderous look, he must have mistaken Ge Xian for some sort of spirit, a "Chana Demon" that had strayed into his Melon Field. He couldn't wait to stick him with his fork.
Seeing this, Ge Xian pretended to be startled and frightened, hurriedly explaining:
"Big brother, why are you so fierce? I'm just a peddler from Qiantang County, passing through this place. I heard there was a Connoisseur here who was skilled at growing melons. I happen to be thirsty, so I thought I'd trade you some bowls, plates, snacks, or other little things for a melon."
"Even if we can't make a deal, there's no need to take my life, is there?"
The Young Peddler spoke in a frightened voice as he pushed his dazzling array of wares toward the man. His act was flawless.
Even the County Magistrate's Wife and the Eldest Young Lady of the Yelü Family had praised Ge Xian's acting.
It was naturally easy for him to fool this Wildling, the ugly man called Yu Li.
Instead, the fellow set his sights on Ge Xian.
Seeing his smooth, tender skin and realizing he was indeed human,
the man had found a foolhardy, ignorant bumpkin in the middle of nowhere. A mischievous urge immediately took hold of him.
After hearing him out, he planted the Iron Fork in the Melon Field and burst out laughing.
"So that's what it is!"
"Don't be nervous, little brother. I only mistook you for a Demonic Creature who'd come to steal my melons."
"It was just a misunderstanding. Don't worry about buying anything. I'll give you a melon."
"You're in for a treat. These melons are no ordinary fruit. I'm the only one who grows them for hundreds of miles around. Those wealthy gentry and big households buy them from me whenever they entertain guests. I've customers in Qiantang County and Renhe County alike..."
As the ugly man boasted, he really did bend down and pluck a large watermelon from among the Scarlet Vines.
It looked ripe and sweet, utterly tempting.
The ugly man struck it just once, splitting it in two. Inside was sweet flesh that looked like frozen blood.
A mouthwatering fragrance filled Ge Xian's nose, setting his stomach growling and his mouth watering.
"Go on, eat! Eat!"
"If you leave it too long, it won't smell nearly as good."
One look at Yu Li's expression told Ge Xian that the man was up to no good.
He accepted the melon, but before taking a bite, a rough sense of its nature arose in his mind: this melon was inedible. It had been grown with human blood mixed with Dragon Qi. Though nourishing, it would poison and transform an ordinary human who ate it.
Knowing this, he pretended to be unaware and took the Dragon Blood Melon.
Then he began wandering all around the Melon Field, showering it with praise as if his words cost nothing.
At first, Yu Li was quite pleased with himself. But soon, he realized something was wrong. The Young Peddler before him wore an eager expression, cradling half a Dragon Blood Melon and deliberately swallowing his saliva over and over—yet he still hadn't taken a single bite.
Yu Li was about to fly into a rage and berate him!
Suddenly, his knees went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
The immense strength he'd accumulated from eating so many "Dragon Blood Melons" had vanished from his body. His massive frame had also turned a ghastly green. He had clearly been poisoned.
His scattered attention returned. He opened his eyes and looked closely, only to see a sight that made him stare in shock, nearly maddened with fury:
At some point, wisps of ghastly green mist had spread through the valley, almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
The moment the poison in his body took effect, the concentration of toxic fumes had surged tenfold.
In an instant, the enormous Melon Field that had consumed a lifetime of his efforts began to wither. One after another, the Black-skinned Watermelons seemed to have been doused with poisonous water. Rotten blotches and holes appeared across them, and bloody pulp poured out in torrents. The fruit no longer smelled sweet—only rank and foul.
"No!"
A heart-wrenching cry burst from Yu Li's mouth.
But that wasn't enough. What came next was even more horrifying. He began begging for mercy, forgetting everything else.
The Young Peddler who had been showering him with praise revealed his true face. With a disgusted look, he tossed away the half-melon in his hand, then walked toward the Thatched Hut—or, more precisely, toward the enormous water vat beside it, three times the size of an ordinary vat.
As Ge Xian walked over, he spoke:
"Yu Li the Wildling came across a copy of the Melon Cultivation Art and became skilled at growing Dragon Blood Melons."
"These melons seem to have been grown with human blood as the main ingredient, mixed with the blood of birds and beasts."
"But since they're called Dragon Blood Melons, I'd guess the other main ingredient is 'dragon.'"
"I wonder what sort of dragon it is—or what part of a Dragon-kin Demonic Creature?"
"No matter. Whether it's the art or the dragon treasure, it'll all be mine, without me lifting a finger."
Every word from the Young Peddler was like a steel needle stabbing into Yu Li's heart and soul.
He finally realized he'd been tricked.
What frail peddler?
The fellow was clearly a terrifying Demonic Creature wearing human skin.
He had come here to scheme for Yu Li's Melon Cultivation Art and his dragon-blood treasure.
Thinking back to how, only a short while ago, he'd planned to toy with the man, skin him, and bleed him to water his watermelons, Yu Li wanted to slap himself hundreds of times.
But it was too late for anything.
He had already been poisoned by the Centipede Dragon and was sprawled on the ground. Now, the shock was tearing his heart and soul apart.
The next moment, he heard another bang.
The vat exploded, and fragrant, bloody liquid poured out like a waterfall. As the Young Peddler dodged to the side, he reached out and effortlessly caught a strange piece of flesh.
The chunk of meat was dark red, speckled all over with tiny golden spots. Though it had been soaking for who knew how long, it remained tender and fresh. Its fragrance stirred a fierce hunger in almost every living creature, regardless of kind.
For Ge Xian, the temptation was even greater.
"So it's a dragon liver. The Dragon Qi contained in it is astonishingly potent. It must have come from a Dragon-kin Demonic Creature in the [Mortal Transformation Realm]."
"You fool. You had a treasure like this and didn't swallow it to refine and cultivate. You used it to grow melons instead?"
"Still, that worked out well for me. I get to take it all."
"It was worth taking the trouble to poison you. Otherwise, with your connections to the nearby Demonic Creatures and Evil Cultivator sects, you could have called for help. I might really have failed. I wouldn't have gotten a dragon liver and a copy of the Demonic Art Manual this easily..."
Ge Xian was still holding the dragon liver and speaking when he sensed something. He turned to look, and sure enough, Yu Li had died at some point. He must have suffered some grievance before his death, for he had vomited up a pool of pus blood. His face was filled with resentment, and even in death his eyes remained open, glaring at the Young Peddler from across the distance.
He had every right to hate him. Yu Li had at least made a name for himself among the Evil Cultivators around Qiantang County. Thanks to his skill at growing melons, he had traded them for plenty of resources. Though he was still some way from the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was no weakling among cultivators at the Dao Entry Realm.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had the brains to match.
Ge Xian had fooled him with ease, poisoned him without a sound, and finally angered him to death. It was a truly wretched end.
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