The Crimson Seal

Great Zhou, Dongyuan Prefecture.

Songshan County.

Early summer, the sky had already turned a crab-shell blue by the time of the Mao hour's third quarter. On the training grounds of the Qin Mansion, figures dressed like guards, bare-backed and drenched in sweat, were practicing martial arts, their heavy panting echoing through the courtyard.

On a raised platform in the yard, a reclining chair was set out.

A languid, gaunt figure in a cloud-blue straight robe leaned sideways in the chair. His face bore a sickly pallor, but his eyes were unusually clear, their gaze drifting over the crowd practicing below.

"Uncle Wang, how many of these people do you think can become martial artists?"

Qin Jiu suddenly spoke.

He asked an old man with a hunched back standing beside him.

The man looked to be over sixty.

Hearing this, he glanced at the dozen or so figures standing in horse stance ahead and shook his head. "Young Master, don't let their ox-like builds fool you. To become a martial artist, one must break through the Blood Barrier. How many of them can manage that—no one can say for sure."

"Weren't their bone talents already tested?"

"Bone talent is just a stepping stone..."

The old man shook his head as he spoke, but didn't continue.

Qin Jiu was silent for a moment.

Then, with a strange look in his eyes, he said, "Then, Uncle Wang, do you know what my bone talent is like?"

"Young Master, please don't put this old servant in a difficult position."

The old man surnamed Wang smiled bitterly. "You are as precious as gold and jade. These past few days, you've come every day to watch these mud-legged laborers practice martial arts. As foolish as I am, I can guess your intentions. But your body is unwell—practicing martial arts could put your life at risk."

"How could this old servant dare to act so recklessly?"

Hearing this, Qin Jiu instantly lost all interest in staying. He got up and left the training grounds.

"How utterly dull."

"Am I doomed to be nothing but a sickly weakling?"

Walking along the long, winding corridor, Qin Jiu's heart was a tangle of complexity.

This was a world where martial arts reigned supreme. He had been nothing more than a fresh graduate about to step onto the path of a wage slave, but who would have thought that with a blink of his eyes, he would become the eldest young master of the Qin Mansion?

Though the start wasn't bad, it wasn't good either.

Because his predecessor, and even his father, had both died a few months ago in a demon attack. Now, of the vast Qin Mansion's direct line, only Qin Jiu remained. The lingering demonic aura from that attack had left this body with a chronic illness, making it impossible for him to practice martial arts now.

"The Qin Mansion's assets—many claws have already reached out for them these past few days. If there's no way to turn things around, those restless eyes will likely devour the Qin family until not even a scrap is left."

Qin Jiu sighed inwardly.

The laws of Great Zhou, in the eyes of martial artists who could shatter walls with their fists, were more fragile than paper.

But with his current body, a common cold could probably kill him, let alone practicing martial arts.

Fortunately, the Qin family was considered a major clan in the county town. They had previously recruited many guest retainers and offerings, and with the martial artists trained by the branch families, they could still barely intimidate some petty troublemakers for now.

But if too much time dragged on, these martial artists, used to deter outsiders, would inevitably develop other intentions.

This was a world where man ate man...

Lost in thought, he unknowingly arrived at a large gate.

A foul smell mixed with the stench of earth wafted out from within. Qin Jiu snapped back to reality and looked up. The plaque above the gate came into view.

"Hundred Beasts Garden..."

Qin Jiu paused, then walked straight toward the gate.

This was the Qin Mansion's core asset.

Inside, they raised some spiritually endowed beasts, exclusively for martial artists to consume. Whether used for bloodletting to make pills or cooked into medicinal meals, they were a great tonic for those training in martial arts, boosting blood and qi, and even improving bones and tendons.

"Roar!"

"Hold it down! Hold it down, now!!!"

The noise inside was chaotic.

As soon as Qin Jiu stepped in, he saw a group of bloodstained men dragging a black cat the size of a calf toward a stone trough.

This great cat had three tails, and a large gash had been cut into its neck.

Blood, dark red to the point of black, was gushing from its neck.

But it seemed completely unfazed, ferocious beyond measure. Five strong men, each holding one of its limbs and pressing down on its back, were still being dragged backward by it.

"Young master?!" Someone caught sight of Qin Jiu at the doorway, their face instantly turning pale. "Everyone, attack together—don't let this beast charge at the young master..."

And as that person spoke, they hurried over to stand before Qin Jiu.

"Young master, it's dangerous here..."

"Where's Uncle Xiong?"

Qin Jiu didn't respond to the man's words. Instead, he frowned and asked a question.

The Uncle Xiong he referred to was named Qin Xiong.

He was one of the few experts of the Qin Mansion. His daily duty was to guard the Hundred Beasts Garden and assist the workers in slaughtering spirit beasts. Otherwise, relying solely on a few laborers who had barely tempered their blood and qi, they simply couldn't handle it.

After all, spirit beasts were nothing like ordinary wild animals.

If an ordinary person was rammed by a spirit beast, at best their bones would shatter; at worst, they'd die on the spot.

Without a martial artist stationed there, it was far too dangerous.

"Steward Xiong..."

The man's eyes flickered as he stammered, "He... he went to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"What's he doing there?"

"This humble one doesn't know. Steward Xiong started frequenting the Drunken Immortal Pavilion about two months ago..."

Qin Jiu's frown deepened.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was a restaurant the Qin family had opened in the inner city. Aside from the spirit beast blood purchased by the Four Seasons Pharmacy, all the spirit beasts from the Hundred Beasts Garden were sent there to be made into medicinal meals sold to martial artists. But the daily transport was handled by the guard squad.

Qin Xiong's only task was to guard the Qin Mansion's vital grounds.

He wasn't allowed to leave under normal circumstances.

"So undisciplined..."

Qin Jiu's gaze turned deep.

But his expression quickly calmed.

"That Green Pupil Demon has tenacious vitality. Bleeding it like that won't work. All of you, hold it down. I'll teach you how to quickly deal with this kind of spirit beast."

As he spoke, Qin Jiu walked over to the stone trough.

His gaze fell on a sharpened butcher knife resting on top.

Then he reached out and grasped the handle.

"Young master, you mustn't!"

The man was instantly alarmed.

Not just him—everyone present was stunned by Qin Jiu's action.

They all began to dissuade him.

Their voices carried a note of panic.

"Mustn't?"

"At the rate you're going, even if this Green Pupil Demon bleeds dry, it might not die."

Qin Jiu snorted coldly.

The essence of this kind of spirit beast was all in its blood.

If he let these people keep messing around like this, he'd lose at least five hundred taels of silver. This was all his money—how could he just watch the silver fly away?

"You, come over and hold its tail."

Qin Jiu gestured for the man who had spoken earlier to approach.

Once the man had wrapped his arms around the black cat's three tails, Qin Jiu walked over. With a swift motion of the knife, he sliced through the connection between the cat's hindquarters and its tails. The three whip-like tails fell off simultaneously.

"Yowl!"

A sharp cry rang out.

The calf-sized black cat immediately went limp.

"The Green Pupil Demon's tails are the root of its strength and even its life force. As long as you cut along their weak point, you can do it with no effort at all..."

Qin Jiu was in the middle of explaining.

His body suddenly stiffened slightly.

Deep within his mind, a seal like a piece of red jade slowly emerged, accompanied by a rumbling, resonant sound.

code
[Green Pupil Demon (Tier 1)]
[Talent: Withered Wood Meets Spring (Purple)]
[Description: In the mountains there is a beast, named Green Pupil. Its spirit is like a pine, its tail governs withering and flourishing.]
[Talent Status: Engravable]
[Engraving Condition: One tael of fine gold]