Fleecing His Father-in-Law

Over the past few days, the atmosphere across the entire Meng clan domain had grown exceedingly somber. Whenever Meng Jiangchu was seen, his brows were knit tight in a heavy frown. Yet Meng Wanshu's mother, Li Guilan, came by every single day without fail. Every time she saw the wretched state Li Guanqi was in, the woman could not help wiping away tears of heartache at his side. With reddened eyes, she dabbed away her tears, retrieved a prepared medicinal liquid from her storage ring, and poured it into the pool. The thought that her own daughter had been in secluded cultivation for so long with her fate uncertain left her heart aching with constant worry. Now, seeing her son-in-law reduced to such a state made her feel as though both of her children were suffering. "Useless old Meng! He couldn't protect either of the two kids! Heaven curse him!" Grumbling as she stowed the medicinal vial, she turned and flew angrily through the air toward Meng Jiangchu's study. Hiding at the bottom of the pool, Pengluo stared in utter shock at the departing woman. Glancing at Li Guanqi's face, Pengluo's gaze gradually turned solemn as well. It could clearly sense how grievously injured Li Guanqi was this time—so much so that even its own powers could not accomplish much. Pengluo swam behind Li Guanqi. By now, the surface injuries on his body had mostly healed. However, every inch of flesh and essence-blood within Li Guanqi had been tainted by demonic energy. The demonic energy that erupted from the blade the last Mei plunged into Li Guanqi's abdomen had nearly claimed his life. Now, Li Guanqi's complexion looked considerably darker than before. Pengluo could feel the deficiency of essence-blood in Li Guanqi's body; plainly put, he was running low on blood. At that thought, Pengluo rubbed its chin and pondered. "This place doesn't seem far from the Luoxia Domain. My 'son' has been breaking through realms consecutively lately. Should I go check on him? "He happens to be of the ginseng genus, so making him contribute a little to nourish Master's blood would work nicely." No sooner said than done. Pengluo stood up, tore through the void, and shuttled away. Far away in the Luoxia Domain, burrowed inside a patch of spirit soil, the Purple Profound Ginseng suddenly shivered, yet an inexplicable sense of yearning rose in its heart. It had no idea where this feeling even came from. Pengluo's feelings were even more complicated; after all, it had baffledly become a father, and it couldn't blame Li Guanqi for that. After all... only Pengluo itself knew about it. Yet not long after Pengluo departed, ripples suddenly spread across the previously tranquil surface of the medicinal pool. Concentric ripples expanded outward until the water began slowly swirling. With Li Guanqi at its center, as the pool water gently rotated, spiritual mist billowed upward, and dense, gentle medicinal potency seeped into his body. Li Guanqi's brow furrowed slightly and his eyelids trembled as consciousness slowly returned to him. Awakening, Li Guanqi felt as though every bone in his body had been snapped. Excruciating agony flared from every part of his body, and it felt as though countless giant hands were coiling around his intestines inside him and yanking violently... His flesh ached all over, his head was like a lump of paste, and he was completely muddled. Stimulated by the medicinal potency, his cultivation method circulated sluggishly, taking a full incense stick's time just to complete one grand circulation with great difficulty. The moment the circulation completed, his parched origin spirit finally received a trickle of replenishment. Like sweet rain after a prolonged drought, the cultivation technique began circulating on its own, though it dared not be too reckless. Right now, his meridians felt as though they were choked with black tumors; circulating through them brought agonizing pain. Before long, cold sweat beaded upon Li Guanqi's forehead. Suddenly, a man's concerned voice reached his ears: "Take it slow. Don't rush. "Injuries like yours... require gradual recuperation." Meng Jiangchu stood by the pool with his back turned to Li Guanqi, his eye slightly bruised. He muttered under his breath, "That tigress struck so hard..." Had he not withdrawn his protective primal energy, Li Guilan would surely have been hurt. With a sigh, Meng Jiangchu sensed that the circulation of Li Guanqi's technique had slowed and that nothing was amiss, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. Regarding what Li Guanqi had gone through this time, he too felt lingering dread. Who would have thought Sha had infiltrated so deeply through Tu Yongsi! Moreover... Sha's ambush had struck out of nowhere, without the slightest warning. Yet after thinking it through carefully, confusion lingered in his mind. If the three half-step Body Integration realm cultivators had gone all out from the start, even Li Guanqi would likely have found it impossible to parry. Yet because of their carelessness, Li Guanqi, fighting with everything he had, had found an opening. *Could it be... they wanted to capture Li Guanqi alive?* *Hiss! Does that mean they already know about Guanqi's connection to that person?* Meng Jiangchu narrowed his eyes; the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed! "Their schemes run deep indeed." Glancing at Li Guanqi, Meng Jiangchu vanished in a flash from the spot. *Buzz!* The dark green pool water began clearing up at a rate visible to the naked eye. Another day and night passed, and just as the dark green pool water had turned clear as a pristine spring and Li Guilan came over to add more medicinal broth, a wisp of lightning energy suddenly surged across Li Guanqi's body in the water, conjuring a silk-like robe of purple primal energy. Still pale, Li Guanqi slowly opened his eyes and looked sheepishly at the woman by the pool. "Auntie, there's no need to add more." Seeing this, Li Guilan's eyes lit up, and her uncooperative eyes turned moist once more. Looking at Li Guanqi's pale lips, she said with heartache, "It's good that you're awake, good that you're all right. "Just you wait. Auntie's going to stew chicken soup for you. I'll be right back!" Without giving him a chance to refuse, Li Guilan took to the air and flew off. Her voice transmission rang out: "Old Li, go into that mountain and catch two Ancient Phoenix Chickens for me. I want to make soup for my son-in-law." The old man busy handling various matters twitched his lips upon hearing this. The entire Meng clan had only six Ancient Phoenix Chickens; they were rare fifth-rank demon beasts! Still, he dared not disobey and hurriedly went off to catch the chickens... Meng Jiangchu flashed into appearance by the pool, resting a hand on Li Guanqi's wrist, and asked with concern, "How do you feel?" Li Guanqi was now a powerhouse of the late Void Refining Realm; he understood his own injuries better than anyone else. Feeling his steps were unsteady, Li Guanqi smiled bitterly. "A close brush with death. "The meridians and flesh inside me are an absolute mess. If Pengluo hadn't stepped in at the end to replenish most of my primal energy, and if Father-in-Law hadn't gifted me that sword, I'm afraid I..." Meng Jiangchu released his wrist, cuffed him across the back of the head, and said in annoyance, "Cut the nonsense. "Come on. Let's talk in the study." Once in the study, the two conversed at length, exchanging their respective theories and thoughts. Li Guanqi smiled wryly. "Why did that fellow run off to the Luoxia Domain again? Well, leave it be. "Father-in-Law, there's something I need your help with..." Meng Jiangchu gave him a deep look, suddenly sensing something amiss. "What is it?" Li Guanqi rubbed his hands together and said, "Could you help me set up a teleportation array between the Great Xia Sword Sect and the Six Ancient Sacred Sect?"