Six Ding Divine Fire

"Target No. 1 went to Bar No. 19."

"There were two of them. The companion's identification results are in: Zhang Fusheng, prospective freshman at Jiang University. His father, Zhang Wentao, is an underground doctor in the Seventh District. His mother, Zhou Guifang, is an ordinary elementary school teacher. He himself is a student at Hong Ji Martial Arts Hall."

"His last contact with Chen Nuanyu should have been on the night of June 28, when Target No. 1 received emergency treatment at Zhang Wentao's clinic."

"Should we list him as a new surveillance target?"

Listening to the report, the rugged, bearded man flicked ash from his cigarette.

"Hong Ji? Just a student?"

"Hard to say. The Deputy Director of Jiangzhou Headquarters submitted a report yesterday—Hong Tianbao stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Mm, there's also surveillance footage from outside Hong Ji Martial Arts Hall last night. It shows the two talking on the long street for quite a while."

The rugged man fell into thought.

"Then don't monitor him for now. We don't want to offend Hong Tianbao. That old fellow isn't simple."

The inspector nodded crisply, but then voiced another question.

"But what if this Zhang Fusheng is a Daoist cultist?"

"Almost impossible." The rugged man shook his head. "The records show that Hong Tianbao and the Western Sect share a blood feud as deep as the sea."

He stubbed out his cigarette.

"Keep following up. As for Zhang Fusheng, leave him alone for now. Don't actively surveil him, but investigate his past and his connections."

"Yes, boss."

It was not out of lust, pity, or the thrill of desecrating someone who had once stood high above all others.

It was simply because of—

Curiosity.

Curiosity over whether this face, delicate as satin, could be pinched swollen.

People always had an uncontrollable urge to destroy perfect things. In psychology, it could roughly be called "cute aggression" or "cute destruction syndrome."

Like seeing a child as porcelain-doll-like as that and feeling uncomfortable all over unless one rubbed them until they cried; or like seeing a beautiful kitten and having to give it a couple of fierce squeezes.

Zhang Fusheng continued kneading the red-haired girl's cheeks.

They really were nice to pinch—smooth and tender, with an astonishingly good feel.

He visualized himself, transforming into white bones. The sharp aura around him slowly withdrew. This was another marvelous use of White Bone Meditation.

When he regarded himself as white bones, as a dead thing, his qi and blood, mental strength, and aura truly subsided and fell silent. He looked like an ordinary person, impossible for outsiders to see through.

At the same time, it could quell the ripples in his heart. By contemplating white bones, one attained true serenity.

"Why did you force yourself to take a shortcut?"

He asked again.

Yet Chen Nuanyu remained silent.

"What? You can't even say that?" Zhang Fusheng reached out, hooked a finger beneath the girl's chin, and tilted her head up slightly, carefully examining the bewilderment in her eyes.

"To seek medicine," she said softly.

"Seek medicine?"

Zhang Fusheng did not understand.

"You injected Mental Potion and used a shortcut to make your Visualization Method 'pseudo-Great Accomplishment' for the sake of... seeking medicine?"

"Mm."

She spoke in a low voice.

"Once the Visualization Method reaches Great Accomplishment, I can completely awaken my heart—the Unquenchable Heart. Those people said that if I did it, they would give me a Golden Elixir. A One-Turn Golden Elixir that can save my mother."

Hm?

He sensed the key elements.

One-Turn Golden Elixir. Was this right?

Could there also be a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir that turned someone immortal with a single pill, or even Taishang Laojun and the like?

Zhang Fusheng pursed his lips.

"Who are those people?"

"..."

After another stretch of silence, Chen Nuanyu took a deep breath.

"Cultists, from a mysterious sect called Daoism."

Zhang Fusheng's gaze abruptly sharpened.

Daoism again.

As he stroked the girl's cheek, he sank into thought. The owner of Snake Fist Gym, Huang Qiuxian, had been a Daoist believer.

He had even planted something inside Zhang Fusheng's body, calling it the Five Thunders Art, and told him to pass it on to his master.

His dad had also said a few days ago that Daoist cultists gathered in the Lower-Level District.

And Zhong Shan had once said that Daoism was divided into east and west, one apparently righteous and the other evil.

"The East Cult or the Western Sect?" he asked.

Chen Nuanyu looked lost and shook her head.

"I don't know."

"I actually only joined recently." Zhang Fusheng smiled. "I still don't know why you're so afraid of being 'overdue.' Can you tell me?"

Chen Nuanyu clenched her fists and pressed her lips together.

She trembled.

"Those who break their agreement will have their souls extracted and cast into an endless purgatory, where they endure torment absolutely impossible to bear. In exchange, they can receive a three-month extension. If they break the agreement again, they will remain in purgatory forever, until... they too become those monsters."

Zhang Fusheng's heart stirred. He thought of his master's Mental Spiritual Realm, and of those skeletal monsters.

The monsters' bites had been painful, but not unbearable. It absolutely should not have frightened the girl to this extent. Well... that made sense.

At the time, he had been undergoing trials and cultivating his Visualization Method, not truly being tortured.

But if the purgatory she spoke of was his master's Mental Spiritual Realm...

Zhang Fusheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Could those skeletal monsters in the realm have once been real living people?

A chill ran through him.

Chen Nuanyu took a deep breath at that moment.

"I've already been overdue once. I've already endured that kind of ordeal..."

Remembering her past experience, her body shook even more violently.

"When I first borrowed the money, I didn't know that there really were people in this world who could take away souls. Nor did I know that she was Chen Yuque."

Zhang Fusheng raised his brows. This time, he used both hands to pull at the girl's cheeks.

"Second Senior Sister? She's your...?"

"Cousin."

Chen Nuanyu's speech was unclear.

"But our two families share a blood feud."

"Tell me about it."

"In short, my father killed her father, and her mother killed my father."

"...Is that right?" Zhang Fusheng released her, still somewhat reluctant to stop, and examined the girl carefully.

"The forty jin of goods from Chaimen—did you fence them?"

"Mm, I gave them to Mr. Hei."

"How much are you still short of paying it back?"

"Twenty-four million."

Zhang Fusheng stroked his chin. This was a little troublesome.

He really wanted the Unquenchable Heart, but how could he make her willing to trade it?

Save her mother's life?

"First, tell me about the Unquenchable Heart."

At that,

Chen Nuanyu touched her chest, raised her head, and looked at this delicate-featured youth whose half face was concealed in shadow.

She said,

"It will never stop beating, and my qi and blood will remain abundant forever. I will never be exhausted."

"It improves my aptitude and nourishes my body every moment of every day. Though the degree is slight, with every second that passes, I become stronger."

"And as its name suggests, it contains a wisp of flame—a flame that will never be extinguished. The cultists said it is called the Six Ding Divine Fire. It seems to be a key that unlocks something. Only after my Visualization Method reaches Great Accomplishment will I be able to sense that wisp of fire."

Zhang Fusheng's eyes went round.

Six Ding Divine Fire.

In the mythological tales of his previous life, it was the fire that burned in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. It had forged the Golden-Hooped Staff and the Nine-Toothed Rake, scorched Guanyin's willow branch, and burned Fiery Golden Eyes into Monkey Brother.

Zhang Fusheng was somewhat lost.

Were there really gods and immortals? Was there really Taishang Laojun?

No, that was not right.

If gods and immortals truly reclined high above upon the nine layers of cloud, then a rolling heavenly thunderbolt should long ago have split the Federation into four pieces and five fragments.

After all, the Federation had branded Daoism a cult.

He steadied his breathing.

"Since those cultists want to use you, why didn't they help you reach Great Accomplishment in your Visualization Method? Why didn't they help you repay your debt?"

"They said it was a test. A test required to join them."

Zhang Fusheng pressed on.

"What illness does your mother have?"

Chen Nuanyu answered in a low voice.

"I don't know. Every moment, she is rotting away beyond all restraint. At this rate, in another half year, she will truly die."

"No wonder you were so eager to bring your Visualization Method to Great Accomplishment."

Zhang Fusheng understood. His thoughts began turning rapidly. Could he buy a portion of health and then sell it to Chen Nuanyu's mother?

That would be a bit troublesome. It would take several trades to finally obtain the Unquenchable Heart. More importantly, the effects of Star Beast Meat were still weakening.

No.

An idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

Why do I need to buy another portion of health?

I can just buy her mother's strange illness directly, can't I?

When that thought surfaced,

Zhang Fusheng felt as though he had pushed open a brand-new door.

In the silence,

The red-haired girl suddenly took the initiative to place her chin in his palm, like a docile little kitten.

She asked softly,

"Can you give me an extension? Please."

The girl trembled faintly, uncontrollable fear visible in her eyes. Clearly, she had suffered unimaginable agony in purgatory before.

After hesitating for a moment,

Chen Nuanyu even clumsily stuck out her tongue and gently licked Zhang Fusheng's palm.

Zhang Fusheng came back to himself and stared at that enchantingly beautiful face. The dim light fell across her features, hazy and indistinct, yet adding several degrees more of soul-stirring beauty.

He smiled.

"Do I look that much like a charity worker? You can't expect me to be generous with my master's things, can you?"

"So, no."

The light in her eyes collapsed at once.