Frog and Fish on the Regional Examination List

The family of three busied themselves in the courtyard, each occupied with their own tasks and not disturbing the others, forming a strange sort of tacit understanding.

Yun Niang caught sight of the old clothes piled in the side room. Noticing that they had grown moldy after days of endless rain, she silently moved over a stool and sat at the doorway to scrub them clean.

One garment after another was hung on the clothesline, droplets rolling along the weave and spreading into small patches of dampness.

Ren Shanshi still stood in his stance with his head lowered, the wind from his fists fiercer than usual.

He had vaguely sensed that the dangers in this world came not only from the Immortal Ascension Sect, but also from demons and monsters that ate people. Thus, he tirelessly tempered his muscles and bones again and again.

Ren Qing remained by the well, continuing to refine talisman treasures. Before long, thirty Yellow Mud Eyes had appeared in his palm, along with more than a hundred crimson pills.

He called the pills "Blood Sword Qi." As talisman treasures, every one of them was of superior quality.

But as a result, the remains of the immortal statue had been entirely used up, and the Bear Man's corpse had likewise been put to full use—not a single drop of blood had gone to waste.

Ren Qing turned to look at the medicinal field, satisfaction flickering through his eyes.

Though that Bear Man had not yet become a demon, after its powdered bones were used as fertilizer, the leaves of the four ginseng plants had grown increasingly lush, while their roots had become as thick as calves.

There were twelve stalks of green bamboo in total. Their bodies had grown ever straighter, the patterns on their surfaces sharp and distinct as if carved by a blade.

"Those evil demons and Outer Dao creatures are treasures from head to toe. Pity there was only one demon corpse."

"But why has there still been no news from that tiger demon prefect?"

Ren Qing was already considering whether to immediately undergo Mortal Shedding through Staff Dissolution. After all, the Regional Examination was presided over by the prefect, and it had already been delayed for nearly half a month. Something had surely changed.

"There is a way, though. Staff Dissolution should not be a problem."

While pondering, Ren Qing pulled out a stalk of green bamboo and tossed it to the Black Rat Dao Child to handle.

While the Black Rat Dao Child was busy, a thought stirred in his mind, and he summoned the Fish Immortal.

Ever since the green fish had begun transforming into a dragon, its body had shrunk instead of grown, so holding it in his arms no longer seemed out of place.

Ren Qing fed the Blood Sword Qi into the Fish Immortal's mouth one pill at a time, then attempted the Sword-Nourishing Method once more. A faint glow flowed about, and the talisman treasures transformed into circulating streaks of blood-red light.

"Not bad. Though the Sword-Nourishing Method cannot nurture Sword Qi, it can still nourish it."

Nourished by the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art, the Blood Sword Qi would gradually gain power over time.

"This poor Daoist truly has extraordinary comprehension."

Ren Qing grabbed the fish's tail, pretending that he was cultivating with a sword in hand. "It's just a pity that refining talisman treasures requires yellow mud. Sigh, I should have spared Song Baizhou's life. Fellow Daoist, that was too hasty of you."

Croak.

A muffled sound came from the well, interrupting Ren Qing's thoughts.

The Frog Immortal Lord statue had been there for some time. Its body had simply grown so massive that it could only be hidden deep within the cave abode.

Croak.

The black rat crawled out of the well's mouth, holding a palm-sized lump of black soil and respectfully presenting it to Ren Qing.

Ren Qing accepted it for inspection, a gleam flashing through his eyes. The black soil faintly contained vitality and could barely replace yellow mud for refining talisman treasures.

He closed his eyes and communicated with the Frog Immortal Lord, then realized that the black soil had been bred after the latter devoured vast quantities of rock and earth.

"Excellent."

Ren Qing nodded slightly. "Mm, let us call it Resting Soil. Mouse Divine General, send twenty people to help the Frog Immortal Lord transport rock and earth. Be sure not to collapse the cave abode."

He suddenly recalled that demons were essentially beasts that had cultivated. He wondered whether they could be enlightened.

If only there were a cleverer rat demon to serve as a foreman, then he would not need to divide his attention over every little matter.

Ren Qing sat cross-legged beside the well again, closing his eyes to cultivate through vapor-feeding.

Ren Shanshi had already raised his stone hammer and begun striking his limbs and bones in rapid succession. Whenever his strength ran dry, he took out medicinal herbs that benefited flesh and bone, chewing and swallowing them.

The herbs carried intense poison. An ordinary martial artist who consumed them this way would be walking straight into a dead end.

Yun Niang sat beneath the eaves weaving a cape, her silver needle darting through the cloth as she occasionally glanced at the father and son.

She did not understand martial arts, so naturally she could not comprehend that Ren Shanshi's training intensity was unprecedented since antiquity, nor did she find anything strange about Ren Qing holding a green fish in his arms.

She merely relied on her memory to add some Daoist patterns she had seen at Wish-Fulfillment Abbey to the cape.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds and scattered everywhere, bringing with it an unusual peace.

The coffin shop had shut its doors and turned a deaf ear to all that lay beyond its windows, but Water Mouth City was becoming increasingly lively.

On the river running through the town, a painted pleasure boat lay quietly docked by the shore. Its vermilion hull reflected the rippling light, drawing crowds from both banks to stop and watch.

Quite a few scholars gathered on the deck. Each wore brocade robes and possessed handsome features, their words and bearing refined.

Yet whenever they looked toward the mortals watching from the shore, faint contempt would inadvertently show in their eyes, as though they were looking at a group of insignificant ants.

Dou Sangu hunched his neck as he passed along a narrow path by the riverbank, his bamboo hat pulled low.

The instant he saw the pleasure boat, his heart lurched, and he turned away without hesitation.

But after only a few steps, a figure blocked Dou Sangu's path.

"Brother Dou, please wait. I am Yan Jing of Fenghua Academy."

The scholar wore a mild smile, but his hand gripped Dou Sangu's shoulder, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Young Master Ling invites you aboard for a gathering."

Dou Sangu slowly raised his eyes and saw clearly that the other party was a goose demon in human form.

At the same time, every demon on the pleasure boat proved to be a bird or fowl. Especially the noble young master surrounded by the crowd—his neck was exceptionally long, his skin so pale it was nearly transparent, a vivid red mark sat between his brows, and his bearing was regal and elegant. His true form was actually a red-crowned white crane.

Dou Sangu recognized his background. He was the child of an official family from the capital.

Though he could not be said to have the top three places on the golden list securely in hand, placing among the best was absolutely no issue.

What were the top three? They referred to the first three places: Chief Examinee, Second Examinee, and Scripture Champion.

"Fine..."

Dou Sangu agreed on the surface, but inwardly he had already sensed intense danger.

"Come. Young Master Ling does not mind granting you some resources for Transformation in the Regional Examination."

"Then many thanks to Young Master Ling."

Dou Sangu quietly shifted backward. The instant Yan Jing relaxed his guard, he spun around and plunged headfirst into the crowd of onlookers.

Using the bustling stream of carriages and people as cover, he darted through them at high speed and vanished around a street corner in the blink of an eye.

On the pleasure boat, Ling Jian watched the direction in which Dou Sangu had fled. A cold smile curled across his lips, and the red mark between his brows became increasingly vivid. "A vigilant little rat, at least."

"Find him. Even if you cannot earn a place on the golden list, I will guarantee your qualifications to enter the army."

More than a dozen demons rushed off the boat, competing to be first as they disappeared into the streets and alleys.

Ling Jian tilted his head, his brows filled with eagerness.

He wanted to determine exactly who had killed Black Lady. He had thought that at this Immortal Ascension Assembly, it would be impossible for an Immortal Ascension Sect cultivator capable of threatening the Regional Examination to emerge.

The key to the Regional Examination was refining Immortal Ascension Sect cultivators into Transformation Pills. The raw materials would naturally affect the pills' quality. The finest Transformation Pills could even generate a spiritual root within the body.

"If I can catch that cultivator, I will certainly be able to compete for Chief Examinee."

Thinking of this, Ling Jian could not help growing impatient. It was likely not only him—even ordinary Demon Cultivators would surely do everything possible to seek out that person's trail.

Coo.

Ling Jian took out a bloody human eye and swallowed it. The vivid red mark between his brows opened into a third eye.

His innate divine ability could faintly sense Dou Sangu's location. There was nowhere in Water Mouth City for him to escape.

Ling Jian then suddenly recalled something and turned to ask, "Will the Regional Examination roster at the yamen record all the demons in the city? Who is participating?"

The crow demon beside him eagerly replied, "Young Master, the youngest son of Salt Capital's garrison commander, the daughter of North Mountain Prefecture's battalion commander, the second son of Three Rivers Prefecture's River Earl, and the prefect's nephews and nieces will all come... The rest are descendants of minor officials and clerks."

"Oh, right, Young Master."

After hesitating for a few breaths, the crow demon continued, "The two wild demons participating in the Regional Examination... are somewhat strange."

"They are called... Frog Immortal Lord and Fish Immortal."

Ling Jian said coldly, "Wild demons choose names with a stupidity beyond saving. No need to care. Heh, do you think they are disciples under some Immortal Venerable?"

"You are right, Young Master."