"So this girl is actually a... Dairy Cow Spirit Demon, a treasure trove of auspicious riches?"
Ge Xian didn't answer the round-faced girl's question right away. He didn't even pay any attention to her being the prime minister's adopted daughter.
His gaze fixed on her, sweeping over her from head to toe almost without thinking.
Though he'd only looked once, Ge Xian had already sensed how many strange treasures she had on her.
"Ninety-eight?"
"A rich lady!"
"She's the real deal—a bona fide rich lady in the Cultivation World."
Ge Xian cried out inwardly, and his peculiar habit stirred.
It wasn't his fault. The sheer number of treasures was downright unbelievable, and those were only the ones she wore. A Spirit Demon of her rank and status was bound to have a Storage Pouch. Who knew how many treasures it held?
Ge Xian couldn't help starting to scheme about how to trick the girl into handing over those strange treasures, one by one.
In fact, he unconsciously did something right then: he drugged her.
The two of them were already close, so he deliberately released a little Qi Fragrance from his body. He made it just a bit milder than when he'd charmed Fox Woman Qiu Niang earlier.
He was growing increasingly adept at this method.
Whenever he met a "new cultivator," if he could make use of them, his first thought was to drug them and raise their favorability.
His face showed no trace of anything amiss as he began answering the question from the girl named Bai Fugui.
Before speaking, he shook his head. The sight almost scared Fei Zhong, who was watching from nearby, to death. He thought the Young Peddler was trying to frame him.
Fortunately, Ge Xian soon spoke, laying out the secret intelligence in detail:
"Reporting to you, my lord!"
"The matter of Lu Hualong and his wife selling off [Qiantang County] has fallen through..."
At first, Fei Zhong was quite disappointed to hear this, while Bai Fugui looked relieved.
That was understandable. As a deputy commissioner of the Political Investigation Department, she was responsible for overseeing the local regions. If the whole of Qiantang County were sold off during her term, she would be in for a serious reprimand—even if she really was the adopted daughter of Tuotuo, the current prime minister.
But just as relief appeared on her face, Ge Xian cruelly crushed it the next instant.
"My humble self has uncovered a piece of intelligence: Qiantang County can no longer be sold because it has already been sold."
"In fact, the whole of Jiangzhe Province has already been sold by [Yelü Tianzheng] to the Evil God Dharma Lineage, the Eternal Life Cult. In return, after this matter is done, he'll advance to the Manifestation Realm and become another Spirit Desire Great Priest of the Eternal Life Cult."
"To swallow and refine the province's territory, Yelü Tianzheng has secretly helped the various branches of the Eternal Life Cult enter the province and establish one [Flesh Altar] after another."
"This Sunset Mountain is one of their strongholds."
"The Ancient Tomb Sect's leader, Li Wa, is an Eternal Life Cult member through and through."
"The ongoing Martial Arts Competition for Marriage, and the upcoming Guǐ Wǔ Tournament, are also part of her scheme to refine the [Red Pill Army]."
A rumble!
A thunderous roar, as if five bolts of lightning had struck at once!
When Ge Xian poured all this secret intelligence into their minds through a transmission, without pausing even once,
Fei Zhong and Bai Fugui both froze on the spot, their minds and souls tossed into a storm of shock.
The baby-faced girl was, after all, of distinguished background and profound cultivation.
She came to her senses in a blink. Not only did she refrain from pushing Ge Xian away and setting him down, she pulled him even closer. Their eyes met at such close range that they were almost nose to nose.
Ge Xian saw a pair of Spirit Demon eyes brimming with auspicious clouds and mist. He knew the girl was using some kind of divine ability or spell to verify what he'd said.
He wasn't worried in the slightest. This intelligence couldn't possibly be truer.
Sure enough, when the two pulled apart a little, Ge Xian clearly saw the intense fear and anger on the girl's face.
Her True Form was an Auspicious Beast, and she was usually gentle and extraordinarily kind. The fact that she was so enraged that even her delicate little cow horns had turned red showed just how utterly depraved this deed was.
The peddler Ge had known about the shady deal, but not its details. He knew nothing about the refining method, for instance.
But the next moment, he heard all about it.
"It's true. This is actually true."
"Yelü Tianzheng is terrifying. Even after mutating and degenerating, with his Vicious Habit Resurgence, he still managed to deceive Lord Bao, who refined the [Curved Straight Divine Eyes]."
"We're in trouble, we're in trouble. The Red Pill Army is one of the Eternal Life Cult's most vicious methods of training soldiers. They used it once back in the Western Zhou era. I can't believe that after being hunted by the Myriad Laws Sect for so many years, they've still managed to amass the resources and treasures needed to refine the Red Pill Army. Once they ignite all eighteen Flesh Altars, the Spirit Desire Blood Cloud will appear in an instant, joining together into an immense Sky Curtain that will cover the entire Jiangzhe Province."
"When the Blood Rain pours down, all mortals, along with birds, beasts, and other Mortal Objects, will be tainted and turned into Blood Slaves. They'll seem no different from usual, but the Eternal Life Cult will be able to control them all with a secret technique."
"Those with talent will awaken under the Blood Rain's stimulation, then transform into Red Pill Blood Soldiers and assemble into an army capable of fighting Immortal Gods."
"Cultivators like us can resist the Blood Rain's corruption, but we'll still suffer severe losses to our source qi and a decline in our cultivation..."
With every sentence Bai Fugui spoke, Ge Xian's expression darkened.
Only now did he realize the situation was many times more dire than he'd expected.
The Eternal Life Cult!
No wonder it was an Evil God Dharma Lineage that had tangled with the [Myriad Laws Sect] for so many years.
They all reaped their harvests, but the other lineages had to do it step by step. The Eternal Life Cult could get everything done in one fell swoop. It was truly vicious.
He was still a bottom-tier cultivator, after all, with nowhere near the knowledge of these well-connected "second-generation heirs."
Ge Huolang's earlier plan had been to take the spoils, grab the Factions Secret Manual and the provincial map, avoid every danger, and leave the province within two or three days.
If he stuck to that plan, he'd be doomed all the same.
Once the Blood Rain fell, where could he run?
The opposite was true: Sunset Mountain concealed a path to survival.
Ge Xian seemed to think of something. Casually, he glanced at the Qiantang River not far below Sunset Mountain.
Thoughts surged through his mind:
"If I have no other choice, I can dive into the Qiantang River and use the Dragon Transformation Technique to head straight into the East Sea."
"Before the Dragon Clan realizes what's happening, I'll immediately turn into a human and come ashore, then follow the coastline to the neighboring province."
"This route is countless times faster than traveling overland like I planned."
"That little bit of danger doesn't really amount to much. Even if I really run into the Dragon Clan of the East Sea Dragon Palace, I can pretend to be a Rogue Cultivator from the Dragon Clan and temporarily seek refuge with the Dragon Palace... Wait, aren't the Dragon Palace's treasures among the best in the world?"
While Ge Huolang considered his escape route,
the baby-faced girl suddenly pulled him toward her again. The Dairy Cow Spirit Demon, whose name was Fugui, seemed to have thought of a solution. She stared intently at Sunset Mountain, her face bright with delight.
"I've got it. There's still a chance."
"To refine the most perfect [Red Pill Army], the Eternal Life Cult has to ignite the Flesh Altars at the same time. They haven't acted yet, so if we destroy even one altar before then, we can prevent the Spirit Desire Sky Curtain from forming. By then, the Imperial Court will surely respond and send a royal cultivator who has worshipped the Myriad Laws Sect Master. They can cast the [Crimson Crow Dharma Aspect], which will be enough to burn away the remaining bloody clouds around the Flesh Altars."
"That's right. This is the crucial altar at the heart of the formation."
"That Eternal Life Cult priestess called Li Wa isn't just trying to ambush and kill the Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators to claim the credit. She also wants to use the flesh of all the Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators here to strengthen the altar at the heart of the formation."
"We just have to destroy the altar in the mountain. We need to hurry, we have to hurry."
"I'm no match for Li Wa, and Lord Bao must be tied up dealing with Yelü Tianzheng. But Lord Bao's son just returned from [Dadu]. He, too, has worshipped the Straight and Curved Spirit God, and he's been in the Mortal Transformation Realm for a long time. He possesses more than one Innate Divine Ability, so he's just the one to counter Li Wa and Lu Hualong."
"He's currently searching for a spiritual site in Renhe County, hoping to build a new temple to the Straight and Curved Spirit God. I'll send a message to Lord Bao first, then go fetch him..."
Listening to Bai Fugui think aloud and mutter rapidly,
Ge Xian couldn't help sighing inwardly: What an honest girl. What an honest Auspicious Beast.
At the same time, perhaps because he'd earned great merit by providing intelligence, or perhaps because the drug he'd slipped her had finally taken effect,
the girl suddenly fixed her bright, intent gaze on him again.
Her face and eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and regard.
Then she said something utterly unexpected. What Fei Zhong had begged for earlier but failed to obtain had somehow landed in Ge Xian's lap instead.
"You're an impressive spy. The secrets you uncovered on your own are more important than all the intelligence my entire [Political Investigation Department] has gathered."
"I ought to reward you handsomely, but I'm going to fetch Big Brother Bao now, so I don't have time to talk with you."
"For now, stay with Fei Zhong. Once this matter is settled, we'll discuss your reward."
"With your talent, both your cultivation path and your career will go smoothly. At the very least, I'll definitely bring you over to work with me. You can pick any treasures you like, and your official rank can jump up by leaps and bounds."
As she finished speaking, the girl even patted Ge Xian affectionately on the shoulder.
Then she stamped one fuzzy cow hoof. Auspicious mist and light rose around her, and in the blink of an eye, this auspicious girl, deputy commissioner of the Jiangnan Zhejiang West Dao Supervisory Censorate, was about to vanish.
But right then, Ge Xian shamelessly took action.
As if in a panic, he reached out and grabbed her, then put on a miserable face.
"My lord!"
"It's not that I don't trust Big Brother Fei Zhong. It's just that I'm far too weak. I haven't even entered the Dao and begun cultivating yet, and I've got nothing to protect me. One careless mistake, and I could die and lose my soul..."
Clearly, the fellow had stopped restraining his peculiar habit.
In the end, he couldn't help himself. He'd gone after the girl.
His method for tricking her out of a treasure was rather clumsy. Fei Zhong, watching from the side, looked at him with nothing but contempt.
But soon enough, that contempt turned to envy.
Bai Fugui didn't think twice or say a word. She simply pulled a square silk handkerchief from her robe and stuffed it into Ge Xian's hand.
Only after she'd vanished did a voice transmission reach him: "This is [Auspicious Cloud Brocade]. It can fly through the air and protect you."
Holding the handkerchief treasure, which was of no low rank, Ge Xian endured a hostile gaze and stuffed it into his robe.
In truth, while Bai Fugui was still there, chattering away, Ge Xian had already sensed trouble brewing.
Sure enough, as soon as he lowered his head after she'd left and the auspicious aura had faded, he saw a ridiculous-looking Pot Person. The ugly, greasy face was so fat that its narrow eyes were nearly submerged, but the venom in them was impossible to hide.
Without any effort, Ge Xian guessed the reason:
"Earlier, when I came over, this Fei Zhong fellow was using my intelligence to claim credit and curry favor with Bai Fugui. All he wanted was to join the new bureau that was about to be established, the [Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department]."
"Although I don't know what's so special about that bureau, an old hand like Fei Zhong was begging to get in, even saying he'd be willing to guard the storeroom."
"Without a doubt!"
"That bureau's going to be swimming in under-the-table profits."
"With Bai Fugui's status, her position in the new bureau probably won't be lower than deputy commissioner of the Political Investigation Department. And she's so honest, so simple, so easy to fool. Wouldn't it be wonderful to work under a superior like that?"
"That greedy, shameless fat monster probably thought the position was already his for the taking. Now I've appeared, earned Bai Fugui's trust, and brutally taken his place."
"He must hate me to the bone now. If he's ruthless enough, maybe he's already thinking about how to kill me?"
As those thoughts flashed through his mind, Ge Xian saw the previously meek Pot Person, Fei Zhong,
suddenly reveal his bloated, ugly, greasy Fat Monster Body with a "thump."
He didn't even bother to hide it properly. He strode toward Ge Xian, laughing ominously.
"Brother Ge, what a fine trick!"
"I underestimated you earlier, mistaking you for an ordinary spy who'd just happened to earn great merit. I never thought you'd uncover secrets of this caliber."
"If that's the case, your information must be pretty good too. You must know how much under-the-table profit there is in the [Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department]."
"To be honest, I admire your talent and methods too. I'd been planning to bring you along with me. But why did you... Why did you take my place? Why?"
By the end, he was already roaring.
In the next instant, Ge Xian saw a stinking mountain of flesh come hurtling toward him.
He'd expected something like this, but it still happened far too suddenly.
He hadn't expected Fei Zhong to be so unable to rein in his resentment. Bai Fugui had only just left, and he was already making his move.
There was no need to guess!
Among the many Vicious Habits this fellow was born with, besides greed and lust, he must have had jealousy and the like as well.
Ge Xian had taken his place, and envy surged through his heart. His Vicious Habit took control outright.
Fortunately, Ge Xian had been prepared. In this world, after his many previous hunts, the peddler Ge's combat skills were far from weak—they could even be called transcendent.
He released Qi Fragrance first to dispel the mountain of flesh's hatred, then shouted:
"Big Brother Fei Zhong, hold on!"
"To tell you the truth, I'm a spy for the Rebel Army too. I can't possibly enter the Imperial Court as an official."
"I'm about to flee. I hope you'll be magnanimous and let me go."
"If you kill me, you won't be able to hide it from Deputy Commissioner Bai's divine ability."
Those words were unexpected, and they delighted Fei Zhong.
As expected, he stopped at once, his vigilance dropping sharply.
The next moment, he heard three more lines: "Big Brother Fei, if you want to win Deputy Commissioner Bai's favor," "it's very simple—I have a way to satisfy you," and "just look into my eyes."
And then, there was no then.
As Ge Xian's spiritual power poured out in a torrent, Fei Zhong's mind and soul fell into an illusion, just like Fox Woman Qiu Niang when Ge Xian had bewitched and hypnotized her earlier.
That massive body swayed, then crouched down.
Like a lump of streaky pork, it sprawled out in front of Ge Xian.
Poor Fei Zhong. He was an old hand, a veteran clerk who'd been around for years.
Yet he'd never encountered someone like "Ge Xian," or a method of fighting like his.
One moment's carelessness had brought about his total defeat.
He hadn't even had time to unleash the disgusting demonic arts that came with his "Fat Monster Body," such as vomiting and greasy oil. After learning about them, Ge Xian was glad he'd acted in time. Otherwise, he really would have been disgusted to no end.
Before you continue