Mouth-Sealing Qi-Solidifying Method

Chapter 47: Mouth-Sealing Qi-Solidifying Method

The evening wind slipped through the half-open window, blowing into the meditation room and stirring the thick scent of blood.

Jiang Yuechu slowly slid the Horizontal Blade at her waist back into its sheath.

Just then.

[Detected unrecorded demonic creature. Consume Dao Cultivation to record?]

Jiang Yuechu's brows lifted.

A new demonic creature to record?

Without a moment's hesitation, she moved her mind.

"Yes."

The next moment, on the panel, the Dao Cultivation she had just obtained began to drain at a rapid pace.

In the blink of an eye, two hundred years of Dao Cultivation vanished without a trace.

[Successfully Shadow Copied Black Mountain Bear Lord. Received demonic creature gift.]

[Mouth-Sealing Qi-Solidifying Method(Perfection).]

[Mouth-Sealing Qi-Solidifying Method: This is the Black Mountain Bear Lord's unique external cultivation technique. When practicing, one must take a deep breath, store it in the chest and abdomen, then exert force and power to break enemies and shatter strongholds.]

An external cultivation technique!

Jiang Yuechu's heart stirred.

Now, she was no longer the rookie who knew nothing of this world. She naturally understood the value of external cultivation techniques.

So-called external cultivation meant tempering the physical body, making it as hard as iron and stone, impervious to blades and spears.

Such techniques were immensely powerful. Once mastered, at the same realm, one was almost invincible.

But their difficulty of cultivation far surpassed ordinary martial arts.

Ordinary martial artists rarely chose to practice an external cultivation technique.

For no other reason—it was too painful and too slow.

Not only did one have to endure inhuman suffering, hammering the body day after day, but vast quantities of rare medicinal herbs were also needed as support; otherwise, hidden injuries were easily incurred.

"Gulp."

Chen Tong swallowed hard, breaking the deathly silence in the meditation room.

He looked at the bear corpse, dismembered beyond recognition, then at Jiang Yuechu standing calmly in the pool of blood.

He felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

He had seen plenty of ruthless people, but one like Jiang Yuechu—this was the first time.

Jiang Yuechu swept her gaze over the scene, but ultimately suppressed the urge to test the technique's effects on the spot.

"Clean this up."

The few men, as if granted amnesty, suppressed their nausea and gathered the bear demon's body parts together.

Jiang Yuechu stepped forward herself, lifting the massive Bear Head with its unclosed eyes; blood dripped from the severed neck, pattering onto the ground.

She thought for a moment, then turned and handed the Bear Head to the monk Bujie beside her.

"Take it. Bring it back for the report."

Bujie instantly understood Jiang Yuechu's meaning.

The Bear Head was proof of merit.

As for the rest—it naturally belonged to this newly appointed Team Leader.

He didn't ask further, reached out to take the heavy head, casually tore a piece of tattered kasaya from the pile of rotting flesh on the ground, wrapped it up in a few moves, and slung it over his shoulder.

"Team Leader, there's still this one..."

One of the men stepped forward, pointing at the woman on the bed, who had long since lost all sound.

Another man walked over, reached out to feel her nose, then shook his head in defeat.

"No breath."

Silence fell over the meditation room once more.

What use was it to kill the demon?

The Demon Suppression Bureau could slay demons and vanquish evil, but in the end, it couldn't save everyone.

Liu Ke stood in the corner, looking at the ravaged body, his heart a mix of emotions.

He suddenly understood a little why Jiang Yuechu had been so cold outside the county town, facing those kneeling, weeping commoners.

All the Demon Suppression Bureau could do was kill demons.

As for saving people...

Most of the time, they simply didn't have time, and couldn't save them.

That coldness—perhaps it was just to avoid giving people false hope.

Jiang Yuechu, however, was not one for sentimentality.

She glanced at the sky, frowned, and said, "It's getting late. You all head down the mountain first and wait at the county office."

Chen Tong was taken aback. "Team Leader, aren't you coming with us?"

"I still have some matters to handle."

Jiang Yuechu shook her head. "The demonic aura here hasn't fully dispersed. I'll investigate a bit more, just in case there are other monsters hiding."

The excuse was perfectly reasonable, and no one thought much of it.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Without daring to say more, the group filed out, carrying the woman's corpse and hoisting the bear head.

Soon, the bloodstained meditation room was left with only Jiang Yuechu.

She reached back and closed the door, sealing off the outside world.

Staring at the mountain of flesh piled on the floor, a flicker of heat flashed in her eyes.

Blood-Eating Technique, activate!

The next moment, countless bloody mists erupted from her pores, transforming into dozens of ferocious tentacles that instantly wrapped around the pile of flesh.

Stream after stream of pure, refined qi and blood flowed through the bloody tentacles, surging endlessly into her body.

The vast lake of qi and blood within her instantly stirred up towering waves!

In terms of effect, it was countless times stronger than the demon beast flesh Wei He had sent her before!

A long while later.

"Hoo..."

Jiang Yuechu let out a long breath of turbid qi, feeling an indescribable comfort throughout her entire body.

She opened her panel.

[Host: Jiang Yuechu]

[Realm: Bone-Resonating Middle Realm]

[Dao Cultivation: One hundred and eighty-five years]

[...]

Bone-Resonating Middle Realm!

Jiang Yuechu clenched her fist, feeling the power within her that was several notches stronger than before, and couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion.

That bear demon hadn't been boasting before it died.

A hundred years wasted in the String-Hearing Realm—its foundation had indeed been polished to perfection.

Not only did it give more Dao Cultivation than the Bone-Resonating Pig Demon she'd encountered before, but the quality of its flesh was absurdly high.

She could even sense that she was only one step away from the Bone-Resonating Late Realm.

"If all the demons in this world cultivated as well as it did, then my days would really be looking up."

Chen Tong and the others hadn't returned to the county office; instead, they waited at the entrance of the ruined temple.

Seeing her come back alone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly greeted her.

"Team Leader!"

"Let's go. Back."

Jiang Yuechu swung onto her horse, her tone flat.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The group led their horses and returned to Hechuan County's office.

Magistrate Qian had already prepared food and wine. The moment he saw them return, he bowed and scraped as he came forward.

But when his gaze landed on the still-dripping bear head on Monk Bujie's shoulder, his eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

My dear mother...

They really killed it.

Jiang Yuechu had no interest in dealing with him. She only told everyone to rest, found a clean guest room, shut the door, and didn't come out again.

The next day.

As soon as dawn broke, the group set out on the road back to Liangzhou Prefecture.

As for the other aftermath, the county office would handle it.

Compared to the lively clamor on the way here, the atmosphere in the team on the return trip was eerily quiet.

Ten Crimson-Eyed Stallions ambled unhurriedly along the official road. Aside from the sound of hooves, there was not a single other noise.

All eyes, intentionally or not, drifted toward the figure at the front of the column.

Killing the monks of Jeweled Temple, then torturing a great demon half a step into the Bone Resonance Realm—this newly appointed Team Leader's ruthlessness and brutality had long surpassed their imagination.

Jiang Yuechu rode silently on her horse, calculating in her mind.

Her current Dao Cultivation was one hundred and eighty-five years.

It looked like a lot, but in truth, it was far from enough.

She had the Tiger Roar Demon Suppression Blade technique that needed improvement.

And her collection of demon scrolls—besides the Tiger Mountain God, the Wolf Demon, Pig Demon, and Bear Demon were all waiting to be fed.

"Sigh, still too little Dao Cultivation..."

Just as she was lamenting, two fast riders caught up from the rear of the column and rode alongside her.

It was the two men who had handled the corpses of the Jeweled Temple monks.

They exchanged a glance, then one gritted his teeth, pulled a few crumpled banknotes from his bosom, and handed them over with both hands.

"Team... Team Leader, this is... this is what we found on those two bald donkeys."

Jiang Yuechu was a little surprised.

She had forgotten about that.

She reached out and took them; they felt quite thick in her hand.

Unfolding them, she saw several large-denomination banknotes, redeemable at any major Great Tang bank.

A quick count showed a full three thousand taels.

She swept her gaze over the men behind her—their expressions tired yet feigning calm.

Though they hadn't done much during the demon hunt, just watching from the sidelines the whole time.

Still, they deserved some credit for effort, if not merit.

Besides, they were her subordinates now, and she'd need them to handle things for her in the future—no need to be stingy.

So she picked out two five-hundred-tael notes and tossed them back casually.

"Take these. Split them among the brothers."

Everyone froze.

Especially the man who had handed over the money—he fumbled to catch the notes, his face full of disbelief.

By custom, when a team got a windfall, the leader took the lion's share and doled out scraps to the men, and that was already generous.

But who would... be so open-handed?

A thousand taels, just to reward the men?!

Even split nine ways, that was over a hundred taels each.

And they really hadn't helped much.

"Team Leader, this... this is too much..."

"Amitabha!"

Monk Bujie had somehow sidled up, snatched the notes, and stuffed them into his robe with a grin.

"The leader's giving, so take it! All this hemming and hawing—are you looking down on our Team Leader Jiang, or what?"

The men snapped out of it and thanked her profusely.

Their faces couldn't hide their delight, and their goodwill toward Jiang Yuechu rose considerably.

Bujie suggested, "It's awkward splitting this nine ways. How about this—a hundred taels each, and the rest, once we're back in Liangzhou Prefecture, we brothers head to the Drunken Flower Pavilion for some wine and fun. One girl each, and we'll all have a good time!"

Chen Tong's eyes lit up at the mention of the Drunken Flower Pavilion, and he chuckled lewdly.

"Damn, my mouth's been tasteless for days! Just heard the Drunken Flower Pavilion got some new Hu women—red hair, green eyes, tits bigger than their heads."

A knowing laugh rippled through the group.

Even the men who'd been stiff earlier now wore the lecherous grins that only men understood.

Only Liu Ke kept his cold face.

He just silently watched these roughnecks joking around, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

He shook his head and said quietly, "I'm not into that. I'll pass."

"No problem!"

Bujie threw an arm around his shoulder, winking. "Young Master Liu is a refined man, not into cheap fluff—I get it. I'll just use two shares for myself!"

"..."

Liu Ke's face darkened, but he couldn't do anything about this shameless monk, so he just turned his head away and ignored him.

Bujie didn't care. He turned back to Jiang Yuechu. "Team Leader Jiang, how about you join us? The Drunken Flower Pavilion's got more than just girls—the male companions are top-notch too. I hear they've all got red lips, white teeth, soft bodies—they'll serve you right and proper..."

"Scram."

"On it!"