An object left behind by the Zhu family's ancestors?!
Qin Xuan drew in a quiet breath. Tempted though he was, he spoke frankly, "Brother Zhu, to be honest with you, even if we informed Senior Mao of this, finding the cat would probably still fall to me. How could I covet your family's ancestral relic?"
"You have it wrong," Zhu Jinting said, puffing out his cheeks. "My intention is to find the cat first and make amends before offering my apologies to Mister Mao."
"If Brother Qin is willing to step in, you will have preserved my family's chance to journey to Chongjin Pass. Loss versus gain—I can weigh the difference."
Qin Xuan pondered for a moment, then asked practical questions:
"Brother Zhu, might I ask what this ancestral relic is?"
Zhu Jinting turned solemn. "I trust Brother Qin's character, but please keep this in absolute confidence. You must not tell a soul—this concerns my very life and fortune."
"Understood," Qin Xuan nodded solemnly.
Zhu Jinting surveyed his surroundings, leading Qin Xuan deeper into the rear courtyard before speaking with great care:
"According to the records left by my ancestors, before Chaotic Antiquity, there was once a Demon Court ruled by the golden crow clan. Later, when a great war broke out between the Demon Court and the Daoist court, a golden crow plummeted into ancient Youzhou and perished upon a Nether Root Tree."
"Its blood was absorbed by the Nether Root Tree, transforming it into a divine tree. Most of this divine wood was taken by the phoenix and dragon clans, but my ancestors were fortunate enough to obtain a section of its branch."
"And by coincidence, that very branch was stained with the golden crow's heart's blood, thus carrying the power of the Great Sun Golden Flame. If a Qi Refining cultivator can absorb the blood and qi within it, then upon attaining a Golden Core and igniting true fire in the future, they can imbue it with a trace of the True Fire of the Sun. Whether for refining elixirs and treasures or contending in magic arts, the benefits will be boundless."
Hearing this, Qin Xuan was astonished, yet his mind kept turning.
He raised a question:
"Since this dates back to before Chaotic Antiquity, across untold ages, even if blood and qi remained in the divine wood, would it not have dissipated by now?"
Zhu Jinting replied, "Brother Qin's words make sense. My ancestor also marveled at this very thing. You see, the Nether Root Tree is also known as the Ghost Mother Tree, a thing of profound yin. When merged with supreme yang power, yin and yang engender each other in balance. Thus, the dissipation was exceedingly slow, and even through the boundless passage of time, residual blood and qi remain."
Seeing Qin Xuan in deep thought, he continued:
"Brother Qin, do you feel I am exaggerating?"
Qin Xuan shook his head. "No. I merely feel this item is too precious. If I recall correctly, your esteemed son cultivates fire arts."
Having his secret thoughts laid bare, Zhu Jinting smiled and offered no reply.
Qin Xuan understood at once—there was likely more than one section of that divine wood.
If not for the connection of Madam Wei between them, Zhu Jinting would never have dared disclose such a secret.
"Since it is so precious, why did your forebears never use it, leaving it until today?"
Zhu Jinting gave a bitter smile.
"Our ancestral home was originally in Youzhou. Years ago, when the nether calamity struck and yin specters wreaked havoc upon the mortal realm, our family crossed the North Sea to take refuge here in the Eastern Ascendant Continent. Our ancestor left behind a jade pendant, saying that only someone who resonated with it could unlock the ancestral relic. And so, it was handed down all the way to my hands."
Qin Xuan praised, "I had no idea Brother Zhu was a child of fortune."
Old Zhu shook his head. "It is rather that I, an unworthy descendant, defied the ancestral teachings and paid no heed to the pendant's resonance."
Qin Xuan was somewhat surprised, not expecting Old Zhu to possess such resolve. Changing the subject, he asked, "The cat may be lost, but the Talisman of Conferment is still with you, yes?"
"It is." Zhu Jinting reached out, handed over the talisman, and asked, "Brother Qin, do we have an agreement?"
Qin Xuan spoke plainly, "Had I not known, it would be one thing. But now that I know of such a divine treasure, not securing it would truly leave me tossing and turning at night."
Old Zhu seemed startled, then quickly added, "Even a modest gentleman like Brother Qin is tempted, let alone others. You must keep this secret."
"Rest assured." Taking the talisman, Qin Xuan remarked in an exaggerated tone, "A single trip to Yunxiu Cold Pool already drew unwanted attention. If the whole world learned of this, I'd have no choice but to hole up in the temple and never descend the mountain again."
Hearing that, Zhu Jinting relaxed.
Gripping the talisman, Qin Xuan felt an intermittent resonance, though he could confirm it lay in the direction of Hawk's Beak Mountain. He said, "Old Brother Zhu, I can only do my best."
Zhu Jinting nodded. "That is only natural. Above all, prioritize your own safety."
With that, he described what had happened when he entered the mountains. The cat had already been lost for three days, and once near Hawk's Beak Mountain, even the talisman could not produce a clear reading.
Qin Xuan thought of the Pingyuan King's tomb.
Could that mischievous cat have slipped into the tomb?
With that, he bade Zhu Jinting farewell and turned to find the white crane and Zhao Huaimin. What he had promised Old Zhu could not be disclosed. As for searching for the cat, if it had truly entered the tomb, Qin Xuan had no intention of going inside in person; even calling upon the two of them carried far too much risk.
When he saw the Xieling Sect disciple again, the man had already breathed his last.
The white crane stood beside the corpse.
Nearby, Zhao Huaimin sat cross-legged, a mass of bright yellow magic power swirling over his body, flickering erratically and visibly unstable.
Qin Xuan frowned slightly. Huaimin hailed from Bihai Immortal City and was a peerless talent contending for the position of heir within the Zhao clan. His cultivation was on par with or even superior to that of the Xieling elder, to say nothing of his deep foundations and secret arts.
For an immortal Dao Qi Refining cultivator, Qi Refining and Foundation Building were stages meant for accumulating foundation.
Clashes at this stage depended heavily on how one party's arts countered the other's.
In sects with formidable orthodox lineages, disciples could execute powerful foes with secret arts even if their raw magic power was slightly weaker.
For instance, when Qin Xuan commanded his sword talisman, even a Foundation Building cultivator with greater magic power had to steer clear of its edge.
The Xieling elder had attacked with the flying corpse technique, an undeniably potent method.
Yet when casting it, one's divine soul traveled outward, making it most vulnerable to demonic thoughts. Qin Xuan had read Xieling Sect texts, knowing that fiends were the perfect counter; they could arouse intense inner demons, triggering resonance between demonic thoughts and heaven and earth, which dissolved the practitioner in an instant.
Once a cultivator reached Core Formation and evil qi refinement, however, things became entirely different.
The foundations built up during Qi Refining and Foundation Building would manifest at that stage, allowing one to cultivate evil qi, ride the clouds, and forge spiritual treasures—a true divide between immortal and mortal.
At that thought, Qin Xuan glanced at Huaimin again, feeling a pang of concern.
By all logic, Huaimin's ambush tonight had not involved great exertion, certainly not enough to destabilize his cultivation. Could something have gone wrong in his practice?
Noticing Qin Xuan, the white crane pointed a wing at Zhao Huaimin. "Don't worry, he's fine."
"Mount Bailu's heritage is no simple matter. It possesses secret methods for consolidating foundation, which will yield unimaginable benefits down the road."
As the white crane spoke, Zhao Huaimin pacified his magic power and offered Qin Xuan a smile.
"Zihou, there will be plenty of time to learn about my secret method once you reach Foundation Building."
"Brother Crane had better take human form before talking."
He Wushuang scoffed. "This crane intends to use its beast body to trace back to ancestral blood. I have no use for your mortal tricks."
Then, pointing at the Xieling disciple's corpse, it began to complain:
"Those demon sect types really are a pack of lunatics. Even after being subdued, this fellow tried to secretly release corpse poison to finish the two of us off."
Qin Xuan took no surprise in it and asked, "Did you get anything out of him?"
Zhao Huaimin stroked his chin.
"Two pieces of bad news. The Xieling Sect had indeed laid their plans in advance—someone knew you would come here. In addition, their vice sect master, Feng Wen, is currently rushing toward Pingyuan Commandery. We won't be able to handle that fellow."
"His cultivation is at Core Formation or above, and he has almost certainly refined evil qi into his body."
Once evil qi was involved, even against an opponent of equal standing in sword arts, a cultivator could ward off attacks with evil qi. Certain foul evil arts could even corrupt flying swords, making them exceedingly difficult to defend against.
That was completely incomparable to ordinary guardian elders.
The white crane said, "That fellow Feng is a murderous monster back at Mount Tong. Let's spread word of his arrival in Pingyuan Commandery first. The surrounding factions will take heed, and it will give those Yingyang Prefecture folk something to worry about."
It then offered Qin Xuan some comfort: "No need to worry. No matter how vicious this fiend is, he'll still have to run if he runs into Old Daoist Wu."
Qin Xuan was not particularly frightened.
Mount Tong monster or not, let him come to Jinghu Manor if he dared.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Do we know roughly when he will arrive?"
"Hmm..." Zhao Huaimin calculated briefly. "Judging from this Xieling disciple's tone, maybe about ten days, or even sooner. I've heard this man likes grand spectacles; if he comes to Pingyuan Commandery, he will almost certainly make a scene."
He Wushuang said, "With demonic forces running so rampant, once I return, I'll have the ascetic elders in the Scripture Hall mobilize early. If this fellow dares act wild here, we'll make sure he never leaves."
As it spoke, it tossed over several hundred-treasure pouches.
"Just some jars of yin spirits. Nothing useful."
Qin Xuan caught them with a smile. "Aren't there still magical implements and spiritual materials? They can all be exchanged for temple contributions."
Zhao Huaimin was equally generous: "I'm not short on those. Just give me some more of that spirit dew next time you brew it."
The white crane nodded in agreement from the side.
"Done!"
Qin Xuan agreed readily, then looked toward the white crane. "By the way, did you deduce the origins of that spider demon?"
"Either sent by the Lan River Water Mansion, or tied to the Western Religion. Otherwise, why would it strike at you two?"
Recalling that Buddhist light, the white crane could not help speculating, "Could it be a trick played by the bald donkeys themselves? Sending demons from the small demon courts under their control to kill you on one hand, while showing goodwill and saving you on the other, so they can use that favor to convert you into the Western Religion?"
"Quite possible. This matter is far from simple."
Qin Xuan looked in the direction of the Geng residence. "Demons acted on that night at the Geng residence, and there were later reports of demon movements within the city. They lie in wait and strike with precise targets; there must be a faction pulling the strings behind them."
With that, the two men and the crane analyzed the situation in the city once more.
Captain Lu of Yingyang Prefecture, the Hawk's Beak Mountain temple, the Yishui River God's Mansion, and the Lan River Water Mansion seemed to have banded together.
Their goal was likely different from that of the Xieling Sect.
Qin Xuan shared an irreconcilable enmity with the black catfish great demon of the Lan River Water Mansion, yet these factions were leaning toward that very same water mansion.
"Zihou, in any case, stay cautious. I must return to the temple to cultivate in seclusion; seek me out if anything major happens."
Qin Xuan nodded in agreement and watched him depart.
The white crane asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"A cat went missing here. I need to try to find it before that Xieling vice sect master arrives."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Where are you looking? I'll give you a lift."
Qin Xuan considered it. "How about this—let's head toward Huashi Street in the western part of the city."
Upon hearing this, the white crane took off directly with Qin Xuan. After arriving, they circled in the air for nearly an hour, confirming it was safe and seeing no unusual activity before Qin Xuan slipped into an alleyway.
By then, he had changed into black robes, disguising his appearance.
Unless one knew him well, he would not be easily recognized.
The cat might be near the king's tomb. Qin Xuan had never visited that area, but the little fox should be fairly familiar with it...
……
Chapter 42