Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique

Although something major had happened yesterday, Xu Qing still taught Yu Hu for an hour as usual that evening. After seven o'clock, Yu Hu returned home.

Buzz! Buzz!

At this moment.

The figure of Qing Lian, the Blood Demon Desire Woman, appeared. Yet upon closer inspection, Qing Lian no longer had a physical body; she had turned translucent, like a drifting ghost.

It turned out.

Qing Lian had suffered grave injuries in yesterday's battle. Combined with the backlash from the Golden Armored Corpse King's self-destruction, she had reached the end of her rope and was on the verge of death.

One had to know.

While fleeing, Qing Lian had also used the Blood Demon Disintegration Great Law. Only then had she managed to escape the battlefield.

It could only be said.

Bu Wuyun and Wei Wohe were simply too powerful. Both of them were at the Innate Gang Qi level, only one step away from 'See God Not Bad.'

Furthermore.

The gates of Qingbei Town had been sealed, with constables and runners patrolling the streets. Qing Lian had no chance at all of escaping Qingbei Town, especially with her severe injuries.

In the end.

Qing Lian had no choice.

She could only use the Blood Demon Cult's secret technique, the 'Demonic Soul Secret Technique,' draining all the essence from her own flesh to nourish her soul and gestate a 'demonic soul' from within her shell.

The 'demonic soul' could then break free from the body.

At that time.

If she found a suitable body, she could perform Body Snatching. Or, if she found a place with sufficient yin energy, she could switch to cultivating as a 'ghost cultivator.'

It had to be said.

Qing Lian truly had a life as tough as weeds. She had successfully used the Demonic Soul Secret Technique, but because her body had already been at the end of its rope, the demonic soul she gestated was not strong enough.

Originally.

According to Qing Lian's calculations, after gestating the demonic soul, she would be like a ghost, invisible to ordinary human eyes, and could find a way to escape Qingbei Town.

Moreover.

Qing Lian knew that outside Qingbei Town was a place with rather heavy yin energy. Based on the strength her demonic soul was originally supposed to possess, she could have reached that place.

But the result fell far short of expectations.

The demonic soul she had gestated was too weak, leaving her without even a chance to escape Qingbei Town. If the sun had not already set, the sunlight might have scattered her soul to the four winds.

And now.

She could only cower in a corner.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly.

At that moment.

Qing Lian sensed an extremely pure fluctuation of yin energy. To her demonic soul in its current state, it was the most nourishing medicine in the world.

"That is..."

Qing Lian looked up and saw a sturdy, boyish young man walking this way. The wisps of extremely pure yin energy from before were emanating from the wooden plaque hanging around this sturdy young man's neck.

"Extreme Yin Wood."

Qing Lian was overjoyed. "It's Extreme Yin Wood."

Besides.

This sturdy young man was Yu Hu, who had just finished practicing martial arts with Xu Qing and was walking home. His steps were light, and from time to time, he struck poses from Eight Extremities Fist.

"Heaven will not destroy me, the Blood Demon Desire Woman! Heaven will not destroy me, the Blood Demon Desire Woman!!!"

Qing Lian could barely restrain her laughter.

Without hesitation.

With a thought from Qing Lian, her demonic soul body, which was on the verge of scattering, transformed into a streak of blood-colored light and slipped into the wooden plaque around Yu Chen's neck.

From beginning to end.

Yu Hu did not notice anything unusual.

"Eh?"

Yu Hu rubbed his neck, feeling as though a chilly gust had just brushed past him. "A little cold. I should hurry home. The pork trotters must already be stewing at home, waiting for me to eat them."

"Practicing martial arts is really great."

"All I need to do every day is practice martial arts, and then I get to eat so much delicious food. Dad and Mom don't scold or beat me anymore."

"Yu Hu will practice martial arts every day from now on."

As soon as he said this.

Yu Hu ran home.

At this time.

Xu Qing's residence.

Xu Qing knew nothing of what had happened to Yu Hu. Nor did he know that Qing Lian, the Blood Demon Cult's Blood Demon Desire Woman, had been severely injured and nearly died, forced to refine herself into a demonic soul that had attached itself to Yu Hu's Extreme Yin Wood plaque.

Now.

Xu Qing was taking stock of yesterday's gains.

First.

From Thousand Treasures Pavilion and elsewhere, Xu Qing had looted more than forty thousand taels in banknotes in total. Added to the banknotes he already possessed.

"Fifty thousand taels."

Xu Qing took a deep breath, delight appearing on his face. "I never thought that in just one night, I'd get my hands on so much silver."

"With this much silver, I won't need to worry about money for a while. And now that the matter has been resolved, I can cultivate in peace for some time."

"Looking at it this way, shouldn't I thank that mastermind behind the scenes? If that mastermind hadn't stirred up such a huge mess, where would I have gotten so much silver?"

After pondering for a moment.

Xu Qing felt it was time to change residences. It would be best to buy a fairly large courtyard. With enough space, even if he made too much noise, the neighbors would not notice.

"I really should change residences."

Xu Qing thought.

Having made his decision.

Since it was already too late, Xu Qing planned to act tomorrow.

Besides that.

Xu Qing took out the book from the top floor of Thousand Treasures Pavilion, the one that looked like a collection of random scribbles. Holding it in his hands, he flipped through several pages but truly could not make heads or tails of it.

"Could it really be a useless book?"

Xu Qing thought.

"Record."

After pondering for a moment.

With a thought, Xu Qing connected his consciousness to the Omni-Codex. A flash of fluorescence came from the Omni-Codex, and it successfully recorded the book in Xu Qing's hand.

Corresponding data appeared in his mind.

Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 1: 0/10 (A blood curse secret technique recorded within a book resembling random scribbles through a special arrangement and method of notation. After mastering this blood curse secret technique, one can condense a 'Beast Taming Blood Curse' and command different kinds of beasts.)

"So there really was something good hidden inside."

Xu Qing was overjoyed.

In truth.

The first reason Xu Qing had chosen this book was that the contents of the tattered book Grandpa Nine Fingers had left him were equally nonsensical. Yet after being recorded by the Omni-Codex, it had been analyzed into a Serpent Evasion Technique.

The second reason was that this book had, after all, been placed on the very top floor of Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Its origins had to be extraordinary, and it surely possessed considerable value.

Now it seemed.

Xu Qing had indeed made the right gamble.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The next moment.

Xu Qing saw the words in the book before him seem to come alive, transforming into one tiny figure after another. Like a great flood, they surged into Xu Qing's mind.

Boom!

At the same time.

Xu Qing's mind shook. His consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within that mysterious space, he continuously comprehended and practiced the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.

Gradually.

Xu Qing comprehended and learned the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.

Thus.

Xu Qing came back to himself and opened his eyes. It was as if enlightenment had been poured directly into his mind. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes, as though a blood-colored curse seal had flickered past.

"Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique."

Xu Qing murmured, "It requires one's own blood as a medium, fused with one's spiritual imprint and combined with special hand seals before it can be successfully performed."

"What a pity."

"This Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique only works on ordinary wild beasts and the like."

"Also..."

Xu Qing frowned. "Upgrading the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique seems somewhat troublesome. Each successful beast taming grants one point of experience."

"However."

"At present, the Level 1 Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique can only command one tamed beast."

"It's rather tasteless."

Xu Qing thought to himself.

Besides.

According to the information recorded in the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique, this beast taming technique was a prerequisite ability for a Rune Beast Master. Generally speaking, a Rune Beast Master had to learn this skill.

As for Rune Beast Masters.

They were an extraordinary method entirely different from martial arts.

One had to know.

In this world.

There was not only martial arts.

Martial arts was merely one path to the extraordinary.

And it was the path most accessible to ordinary people, as well as the easiest for ordinary people to achieve.

"I've got it."

Xu Qing's eyes lit up. He had thought of a good way to quickly raise the level of the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique. But it was too late now; he would have to wait until tomorrow to act and try it.

After that.

Xu Qing practiced several sets of Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking, gaining five experience points.

Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking LV2: 6/60.

Afterward.

Xu Qing put on the Ghost Mask and went to sleep.

Meanwhile.

Yu Chen's residence.

Late at night.

"Father of the child."

Yu Chen's wife, Wang Cuilan, spoke worriedly. "Hu'er runs back and forth every night. I'm worried it isn't safe on the road!"

"Something like that happened yesterday."

"Mm."

Yu Chen nodded. "Mother of the child, what you say makes sense. But I can't possibly have Xu Qing make a special trip to our house to teach Hu Zi. I don't have that kind of standing."

"So."

"I can only have Yu Hu run back and forth. I can't have Xu Qing running back and forth."

"What should we do, then?"

Wang Cuilan frowned. "If something really happens, it'll be over."

"How about this?"

Yu Chen pondered for a moment. "If it comes down to it, we can only move to another house, one closer to Xu Qing's place. That way, Yu Hu will be safer going back and forth."

"That works too."

Wang Cuilan nodded. "But father of the child, why must you insist on having Hu Zi take Xu Qing as his master? He's only a disciple at the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. Compared with the martial arts school instructors, he surely isn't as good, surely can't compare. If Yu Hu truly wants to practice martial arts, I think it would be better to go to a martial arts school."

"You don't understand."

Yu Chen shook his head.

"How don't I understand?"

Wang Cuilan retorted.

"What does a woman know?"

Yu Chen snapped, then stopped speaking.

"You..."

Wang Cuilan snorted and said nothing more.

The night passed without incident.

The next day.

Morning.

After eating a piece of Tai Sui Spirit Meat, Xu Qing left his residence and headed to the real estate agency in Qingbei Town's outer district. He intended to use the agency to find a house he liked, then buy it.

"Without realizing it, I can already afford to buy a house here."

Xu Qing could not help but laugh. Yet he recalled the sixteen years he had spent with Grandpa Nine Fingers, and sadness rose in his heart. The smile vanished from his face. "What a pity, Grandpa. You left too early. Your grandson can no longer let you enjoy a good life."