Ji Feng activated Spatial Perception and caught the distinctive reek of monkey blood on that person.
This was one of the Monkey-Blood People, and the residence was surrounded by them. Xiang Li had sent them out first to trip the mines, then let his own men advance once he confirmed there was no danger.
If Ning Yu had stayed, no matter how many traps she had prepared, they would only have killed these Monkey-Blood People, wasting her efforts on them.
Those meticulously laid traps would not have harmed a single hair on Xiang Li's head.
Once the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect exhausted its tricks, Xiang Li would order the surrounding Xiang Family disciples to charge straight in and sweep up all the sect's disciples, who would have already depleted most of their soul power.
Not a single person on Ning Yu's side could hope to escape Xiang Li's grasp.
Xiang Li intended to wipe them out to the last. He would never spare Ning Yu, nor would he spare Ji Feng.
Ning Yu had been right. This man would show no mercy.
Ji Feng would not let someone constantly plot to kill him. That was why he had stayed.
Once Xiang Li killed Ning Yu, Ji Feng could only be next.
What should Ji Feng do? The logic was simple: fight if he could win, run if he could not.
Could Ji Feng beat Xiang Li? In theory, yes.
Xiang Li was only a Soul King, while Ji Feng had twin martial souls and had recently acquired a Class 5 soul tool, the Bone Spirit Scimitar.
He had intended to flee earlier because he could not be certain what methods Xiang Li had purchased from that Body Sect disciple, and he wanted to avoid a disastrous upset.
After that Old Woman had caught him with an underhanded trick in the Star Dou Great Forest, Ji Feng had carved caution deep into his soul.
Now that Ji Feng had seen where the Monkey-Blood People came from, he knew this method's weakness.
Know yourself and your enemy, and a hundred battles would never put you in peril.
He already had a chance of winning. The key was how to fight without getting hurt or exposing himself, while maximizing his gains.
Could he drink monkey-blood black tea every day, then wait at ease for Xiang Li to come knocking? No. There were three reasons:
First, Ji Feng could not get his hands on monkey-blood black tea.
Second, that would hand the initiative to Xiang Li, letting him decide when to strike. Ji Feng could not keep drinking black tea every moment to guard against him. That was unrealistic.
Third, Xiang Li knew that Body Sect disciple. If he switched to tiger-blood people, deer-blood people, or whale-blood people the next day, what could Ji Feng use to protect himself?
So waiting at ease for an exhausted enemy could not solve the problem at its root.
Then should he fight Xiang Li right here?
That would be far too stupid.
The Art of War said: engage with the orthodox, win with the unorthodox.
Xiang Li had already arrayed his pieces and prepared thoroughly. Although Ji Feng held the advantage of surprise, even if he won a fight, it would be a narrow victory, contrary to the principle of minimizing losses and maximizing gains.
Give and take-that was the rule of the Jianghu.
He came to visit my home first, so I'll visit his next.
My home is a wonderful place. My little sister will certainly entertain him properly.
The Monkey-Blood Person who entered the kitchen saw Ji Feng, activated Martial Soul Possession, and charged straight at him.
His martial soul was a wild dog. He opened his mouth, baring canine teeth that gleamed with a chilling light, and lunged straight for the artery in Ji Feng's neck.
Ji Feng activated Martial Soul Possession, and a fierce dragon aura abruptly spread outward.
The Monkey-Blood Person seemed utterly fearless and continued charging straight ahead.
The dragon aura didn't work?
Ji Feng suddenly realized that his dragon aura could only intimidate conscious beings. It had no effect on puppet creations like the Monkey-Blood People.
He raised his right dragon claw. The Demon Dragon Right Arm Bone released a blood-dark glow, his strength surged, and his claw pierced the Monkey-Blood Person's body like a knife slicing tofu.
His dragon claw scooped a lump of flesh and blood out of the Monkey-Blood Person's body.
Unlike ordinary human flesh and blood mixed with organs, it seemed to be a pure crystallization of blood, like a lump of jelly.
Yes, jelly-translucent, springy, and bouncy.
Ji Feng smeared the jelly over his face and body, giving off the distinctive reek of monkey blood.
The Monkey-Blood Person ignored the smell and kept swinging his dog claws, attacking Ji Feng relentlessly.
His fourth soul ring lit up. His fur suddenly bristled, his eyes reddened, his muscles bulged, and the veins across his body stood out. The speed of his swinging dog claws doubled.
It didn't work. This bloody smell wasn't enough.
During the day, Ning Yu and all the people she had brought had fought the Monkey-Blood People, getting plenty of monkey blood on themselves.
The Monkey-Blood People had not held back against them.
Smearing it on his body would not work. He had to drink the monkey blood like Xiang Li and his men, letting its reek radiate from within.
Fortunately, this Monkey-Blood Person's dog hide offered decent defense and could take quite a beating. Ji Feng's claw had not killed him, so there was still a chance to draw blood.
Ji Feng kept opening wounds on his body. As blood flowed steadily out, he caught a handful and poured it down his throat.
The bloody taste erupted in his throat. Its sweet, metallic tang swept through like a line of fire plunging into his stomach.
The Monkey-Blood Person was still swinging his dog claws. Ji Feng raised his eyebrows. Haven't I already drunk the monkey blood? Why is he still slashing at me? Did I not drink enough?
Dragon scales formed over Ji Feng's arms as he weathered the Monkey-Blood Person's flurry of dog claws. He caught another handful of fresh blood from a wound and poured it into his mouth.
This tasted awful. Why did it taste so awful?
No wonder they had to mix it into tea to swallow it.
The Monkey-Blood Person's nose twitched slightly. He seemed to have caught the reek of monkey blood on Ji Feng, a smell radiating from the inside out.
His dog claws stopped in midair, and he made no further move.
Monkey-Blood People did not harm Monkey-Blood People.
Ji Feng opened the Blood Gate, then turned back and smeared his own blood into the Monkey-Blood Person's unhealed wounds. He did not miss a single wound, guarding against any mishap.
Ji Feng entered the Undead Demiplane and vanished from the spot. The Monkey-Blood Person withdrew his martial soul and silently left the kitchen.
Everyone from the Xiang Family Pill Shop searched for a long while without finding anyone, and the Monkey-Blood People returned to gather around Xiang Li.
One Monkey-Blood Person's wounds were slowly healing. Xiang Li hurriedly ordered his men to give him an injection.
Xiang Keshu said from beside him, "Brother Li, you're being far too cautious. Doesn't this thing heal on its own? It's just a little slower."
Xiang Li glanced at him.
"Do you know how much it costs to buy one Monkey-Blood Person? If it weren't for you, would I have spent so much money? Wouldn't I have been better off using it to find myself a new concubine?"
"You're right, you're right." Xiang Keshu's face was plastered with smiles. "It was all for me. You went to all this trouble for me, Brother Li. All for me."
Although he said that aloud, Xiang Keshu thought otherwise.
He made it sound as though he'd lost out. Xiang Li had taken all of Tang Ya's powerful hidden weapons, along with the medicinal pills passed down by the Tang Sect.
Ning Yu's soul tool shop would ultimately belong to the Xiang Family as well.
What had Xiang Keshu gotten?
At the end of the day, Xiang Li had only lost one Ma Chuwen and spent money on a little over thirty Monkey-Blood People.
Xiang Keshu had met that member of the Body Sect. One Monkey-Blood Person sold for only thirty-odd thousand Gold Soul Coins. Two were worth just half a jin of rare metal.
With these Monkey-Blood People, Xiang Li had gained a soul tool shop and brought down the long-established Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. He had made money and raked in a fortune in Jianghu prestige.
Besides, these Monkey-Blood People could be used for a year. If they got hurt, all it took was catching a few monkeys, drawing some blood, and injecting it into them, and they would heal on their own.
Buying something so useful at such a cheap price-how had Xiang Li lost out?
Of course, these were all private thoughts. Xiang Keshu did not voice them.
"Bring the torches! Someone must be hiding in here. Let's see whether these rats can withstand being burned!" Xiang Li broke into a vicious grin.
Before you continue