Chapter 161: Chapter 50: Behind the Mountain Search

At these words, Wang Ping carefully examined the head held by the Golden Armored Soldier. The severed neck had a texture like Spirit Wood, but the spiritual fluctuations it gave off were far stronger. Visible veins pulsed within its blood-red eyes. Its clean-shaven face was handsome, and its skin was so fine that it looked no different from a living person’s.

"I shouldn’t have left you alive!"

Wang Ping said this after several moments of silence.

The reason he had kept the head was simple. He wanted to find a chance to read its memories, steal any useful magic, and learn the secrets of the Taiyin Evil Cultivators.

Just as Young Master Ming was about to say something more, Wang Ping formed a spell with his hands. A stream of Wood Spirit Qi flowed out, and the resulting vines completely engulfed Young Master Ming’s head, cutting off his connection to the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

On the other side of the battlefield, with the help of Wang Ping’s Golden Armored Soldiers, both the Lizard Demon and the strange creature were successfully killed. The Lizard Demon had tried to self-destruct, but two Golden Armored Soldiers preemptively pierced its Qi Sea and destroyed its Fake Pill. However, the poisonous gas it released upon death infected one of the Golden Armored Soldiers.

Wang Ping chose not to treat the Golden Armored Soldier. Instead, he sealed it with Wood Spirit Qi, intending to study the poison when he had time.

The strange creature, however, was extremely difficult to kill. Its slender body didn’t seem to be made of solid matter. It had a peculiar attack method, using a type of sonic wave that could briefly distort space and even its own form, allowing its body to twist and contort like a black rag.

Physical attacks were completely ineffective against it. Its offensive strategy was rather simple, though: it would use its unique properties to entangle a person and then start gnawing on them with its large mouth.

"It’s the product of a Cultivator fused with a Demon Soldier! Drain its energy, and it will revert to an ordinary Demon Soldier!" Hu Qianqian shouted the reminder while forming a spell with her right hand. The white curtain of light she cast remained fixed on the strange creature’s entire body.

Zuo Xuan immediately stopped her attack; she lacked this kind of ability. Hu Qianqian also retracted her magic, took a black glove from her storage pouch, and put it on her right hand. Then, with a flash, she appeared phantom-like behind the strange creature. Just as it twisted around to face her, Hu Qianqian placed her black-gloved right hand on its waist.

SCREECH!

The strange cry turned piercing. At the same time, the creature began to tremble uncontrollably, as if it were being electrocuted.

Hu Qianqian’s right-hand glove was draining the energy from the creature’s body. The siphoned energy was gathering behind her, coalescing into a distorted black substance that gave the visual impression of a living shadow.

’What an incredible ability.’

Yu Lian slithered out of Wang Ping’s sleeve, coiled up his arm, and rested on his shoulder, her eyes fixed curiously on the black shadow behind Hu Qianqian.

After a dozen or so seconds, the strange creature’s body twisted and deformed, finally turning into a gray, oil-paper umbrella. Hu Qianqian snatched the umbrella. Then, her furry, fox-like snout peeled back to reveal vicious fangs. She let out a beastly roar and, as if absorbing demonic qi, inhaled the entire black shadow behind her in a single gulp.

The whole process was both bizarre and terrifying!

Although Hu Qianqian usually looked fluffy, a little cute, and was prone to daydreaming, she was, at her core, a Fox Demon who had formed a Fake Pill. She was by no means lacking in either strength or cunning.

Wang Ping was about to check on Hu Qianqian’s condition when he felt a gaze upon him. He immediately looked toward the distant horizon. It was the great demon who had been standing guard. Seeing that the situation on Wang Ping’s side was fully resolved, she gave a casual cupped-fist salute before turning to leave without hesitation.

Wang Ping immediately returned the salute, respectfully seeing the powerful figure off.

When he looked over at Hu Qianqian, she had already put away the black glove, and her condition had stabilized. However, she pointed to her own mouth, signaling that she couldn’t speak for a short while.

"Clean up the battlefield as quickly as possible!"

Wang Ping commanded the two of them, then immediately directed the Golden Armored Soldiers to pick up the six large bells that had fallen to the ground and return them to his storage pouch. Meanwhile, Zuo Xuan ran over to retrieve the Lizard Demon’s corpse.

...

「In the camp by the shallows.」

Wang Ping listened to the reports from the five Mountain Monarchs while diligently writing a case file. By the time the Mountain Monarchs had nearly finished their reports, he had also completed the file. He then put it away, took out the Puppet Bird he had used before, and sent a brief report back to Jinhuai Prefecture.

"You are dismissed for now. Go and wait," Wang Ping instructed the five Mountain Monarchs. "Soothe the emotions of the various tribes. The future of this region rests on the five of you."

"Yes!"

The five Mountain Monarchs were all overjoyed and respectfully withdrew from the tent.

Just then, Yue Zong strode to the entrance of the tent and saluted. "Daoist, this humble general has something to report."

"Come in!"

Yue Zong walked into the tent and stood in the center. He first looked at Wang Ping, who was seated before the Commander’s Desk, then glanced at Hu Qianqian and Zuo Xuan beside him, as well as Zuo Liang in a subordinate position. He cupped his fist and said:

"An official dispatch from the Inspectorate."

After speaking, he took a document wrapped in special oil paper from his robes and presented it. The nearby Zuo Liang stepped forward to receive the document, handing it over to Wang Ping only after confirming there were no issues with it.

Wang Ping unwrapped the oil paper right in front of Yue Zong and took out the formal document inside. After opening it, he first checked the signature and seal. The seal was the official stamp of the Inspectorate; there was no personal signature.

The contents of the dispatch were quite interesting. The Inspectorate wanted to build a County Magistrate’s Office at the fortress Wang Ping had established, intending for it to serve as a waystation for the river trade route. They asked for Wang Ping’s cooperation and promised him twenty percent of the waystation’s future profits.

"This is a good plan. I agree," Wang Ping said, looking at Yue Zong. "Bring me a formal contract as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!" Yue Zong cupped his fist and departed.

After Yue Zong had gone, Zuo Xuan took out Zhong Tong’s storage pouch and said, "It seems we’ve been caught up in the internal strife of the Six Heart Sect."

"Explain," Wang Ping asked calmly. He had tasked Zuo Xuan with reading Zhong Tong’s memories precisely because he felt something was wrong with this mission.

"Ningzhou Prefecture has always been the sphere of influence of Daoist Xiu Yu, Lord Xiao Shan’s third disciple. This Fellow Daoist Zhong Tong was a disciple from the lineage of Lord Xiao Shan’s eldest disciple, and he served Daoist Xiu Yu. He was very resistant to our arrival because, in his eyes, we were sent by Daoist Zi Luan to seize his territory."

Wang Ping remained calm after hearing this. He knew that once he entered Lord Xiao Shan’s circle, it was inevitable that he would become entangled with some of its members.

He just hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly, nor that he would be used as someone else’s pawn.

Zi Luan and Xiu Yu were the two most capable disciples under Lord Xiao Shan, and both had already reached the Third Realm. The Six Heart Sect had split into two factions because of them, both vying for resources. This was no secret in the Southern Zhongzhou Cultivation Realm, and Lord Xiao Shan had always turned a blind eye to his two disciples’ rivalry.

Or perhaps, Lord Xiao Shan was happy to see them compete!

When Wang Ping saw the dispatch from the Inspectorate earlier, he had already suspected as much. The twenty percent share of the profits must be his payment.

"What’s worse," she continued, "is that according to Zhong Tong’s memories, Young Master Ming is a puppet of Lord Xiao Shan. And he’s a puppet made from the consciousness of the Lord’s most beloved youngest disciple!"