Turtle Breath Art

After the options of trading with other half-demons for a Concealment Yao Technique or making an exchange at the Yao Market had both fallen through, Su Changsheng had only one path left: the Black Tiger Yao.

But he needed to find the right moment to minimize the Black Tiger Yao's suspicions and concerns. After all, this brute was ruthless enough to watch him for half a month straight over a single piece of snake saliva ice.

Su Changsheng had originally planned to let a wild yao attack him, but he had never found a suitable opportunity to get attacked while suffering only minor injuries. The plan had therefore remained on hold.

Now, however, the Third-Level Wild Yao could threaten the safety of the entire Half-Demon Grounds. Under such a threat, surely his desire to find a Concealment Yao Technique was not too much to ask.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Changsheng cautiously asked the Black Tiger Yao, "Tiger Lord, may this humble one ask you a favor?"

The Black Tiger Yao toyed with the snake saliva ice and said indifferently, "What is it?"

He did not mind hearing this Little Green Snake's request. After all, the piece of snake saliva ice in his hand was indeed of fine quality and could earn him plenty of blood food.

"This humble one wanted to ask where I might obtain a yao art that conceals my aura. Wild yao have been causing trouble in the Yao Stronghold lately. Whenever I think they might come looking for me at night, I grow so anxious I can neither eat nor sleep."

Su Changsheng's body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with terror.

The Black Tiger Yao scoffed. "Look at you, you spineless thing. With my black snow around, what blind bastard would dare attack you..."

Before he finished speaking, the Black Tiger Yao remembered the wild yao that he and Old Wolf had wounded yesterday. That thing would not care about his aura. It might even follow it to exact revenge.

If that thing killed the Little Green Snake before him, would he not suffer a tremendous loss?

The thought irritated the Black Tiger Yao. His enormous tail lashed back and forth, whipping the air with sharp cracks. Only after a long while did he continue, "Fine. You really should learn a Concealment Yao Technique. I do have a yao art, but it isn't suitable for half-demons. You lot with your trash bloodlines can't make use of such a noble art."

Su Changsheng: "..."

Fuck you! Fuck your whole damn family!

What, now you're discriminating against my race?

The Black Tiger Yao rejected several options in succession. He needed an art that was not very powerful and could only conceal an aura, or one that was easy to begin learning but difficult to cultivate further.

"Right, that old turtle has a Turtle Breath Art! Take the black snow to see him and tell him I asked for it!"

The Black Tiger Yao gave his instructions.

The Turtle Breath Art was easy to learn but difficult to master. With this Little Green Snake's pitiful aptitude, he could learn it but would never attain mastery. There would be no possibility of him escaping the Black Tiger Yao's control. It was the ideal choice.

"Thank you..."

"Don't thank me yet. This isn't free. I'll deduct it from your future blood food. This art may be ordinary, but it's still worth ten jin of fresh blood food. From now on, I'll deduct one jin each month."

Once again, the Black Tiger Yao's shameless, greedy face revealed itself without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Snaring a white wolf with empty hands!

Wild yao attacks, the monthly dues, the struggle against hunger.

Like three towering mountains, they pressed down relentlessly on every half-demon in the Half-Demon Grounds, leaving them unable even to straighten their backs.

Bloodthirsty, chaotic, cruel.

Yet all too real!

These were the colors that had defined the Wilds Yao Stronghold for countless centuries, and the shackles of despair that imprisoned every lowly yao.

As the saying went, a county magistrate could ruin a household, and a prefect could wipe out an entire family. On his way to the Turtle Yao's home, Su Changsheng saw many half-demon families crushed beneath those three mountains.

The luckier ones saw wives and children scattered.

The less fortunate fled into the wilderness.

Those worse off still perished in body and soul, their households shattered and their lives extinguished, without even a chance at reincarnation.

The Yao Stronghold's methods of dealing with yao who could not pay their dues were even crueler than wild yao attacks.

That was the fundamental reason some bottom-rung yao would rather rush into the wilderness and gamble with their lives than wait for the Yao Stronghold to deal with them.

The Wilds Yao Stronghold is even crueler than I imagined!

And the wilderness, which is crueler still than the Wilds Yao Stronghold... what must that be like?

Su Changsheng quietly drew a deep breath of cold air. The scenes before him shook him deeply.

His desire to grow stronger intensified.

The Turtle Yao Settlement lay at the edge of the territory controlled by the Black Tiger Yao. Right next door was the territory of Old Wolf, whom the Black Tiger Yao had mentioned.

His predecessor had few memories of this Turtle Yao. All he really knew was that the turtle had lived in the Half-Demon Grounds for more than ten years and was among its oldest half-demons.

The turtle's strength probably lay somewhere between a first-level and second-level half-demon. But the Turtle Yao usually kept a low profile and rarely quarreled with other yao, so no one knew how strong he truly was.

At that moment,

the Turtle Yao lay by his doorway, basking in the sun while tucked inside his shell. Even when he saw Su Changsheng arrive, he merely cast him a lazy glance and paid him no further attention.

"Turtle Lord, this humble one came at the Tiger Lord's direction to request the Turtle Breath Art. Please accept this small offering of blood food."

Su Changsheng handed the Turtle Yao the blood food he carried, a full jin and more.

The Black Tiger Yao had told him to demand the Turtle Breath Art directly from the Turtle Yao, but he could not do that.

This Turtle Yao had survived peacefully in the chaotic Yao Stronghold for decades. Even thinking with his heels, Su Changsheng could tell the turtle was no simple character.

If he could avoid giving offense, he absolutely would.

"The Turtle Breath Art... well, fine. It isn't anything precious, anyway. But there's actually blood food this time. I thought Black Tiger was still trying to snare a white wolf with empty hands."

The Turtle Yao emerged from his enormous shell. Of his entire body, only his face had taken on a half-demon's humanlike appearance; everything else remained wholly yao.

From that alone, his strength, bloodline, and other qualities had to be formidable, enough to rival a lesser yao of pure blood.

"This humble one knows this bit of blood food isn't enough to exchange for your art, Turtle Lord. But it's all I have. When the Tiger Lord grants me my reward next month, I will certainly bring you another portion of blood food to thank you for your help."

Su Changsheng was sincere and thoroughly respectful, giving the Turtle Yao all the deference he was due.

At those words, the Turtle Yao's mung-bean eyes slowly narrowed, and his grizzled beard quivered slightly. He stared at Su Changsheng for a long while before finally saying, "You're an interesting little snake. Here's the Turtle Breath Art. Take it. As for next month's blood food, forget it. If you're willing, come find me once you've made progress with the Turtle Breath Art."

The Turtle Yao tossed him a piece of beast hide. The Turtle Breath Art Diagram was inscribed on the front, while the back recorded the key points of cultivation and other details in Demon Script.

The practiced ease of it made the corners of Su Changsheng's mouth twitch. How many times had the Black Tiger Yao squeezed this turtle dry for him to become so adept at this?

Fellow yao fallen on hard times at the ends of the earth!

"Thank you, Turtle Lord!"

Putting away the beast hide, Su Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. After offering another round of thanks, he turned and left under the gaze of the Turtle Yao's mung-bean eyes.

"A half-snake yao cultivating the Turtle Breath Art!"

"A donkey's lips don't fit a horse's mouth!"

"Looks like that tiger yao really was badly injured this time. Is he trying to probe me again..."