361: Goal achieved (Second update, please give me a monthly ticket)

"Your Excellency, please wait. Li Boya of the Li Family from the Central Plains greets you. My family's patriarch is Li Linkong, the Sima of the current dynasty!"

"Heh heh, that's more like it. And you?"

"Place of becoming a Saint, Ren Tianxing!"

"Oh?"

"..."

The sixth-floor room of Qingshan Inn, after the tense standoff, had inexplicably darkened. The conversation of three people could be heard within.

Not long after, the conversation abruptly ceased!

Soon, the darkness dissipated, and the room brightened.

Behind the screen, the figures of five people appeared.

The surprised Yan Land Three Heroes, the expressionless Fang Family Old Ancestor, and the sharp-eyed Chen Yuan!

Chen Yuan turned his head, his eyes showing a strange glint. Two feet in front of Fang Shiqing, the Fang Family Old Ancestor, a black flame flickered on a lampstand made of black ink jade in the Void Realm.

The dissipated darkness, like black mist, receded and merged into the black flame in the lamp. There were some distorted images and figures within, which quickly vanished, appearing very mysterious.

Just now, Fang Family Old Ancestor had recreated the scene of the human Devil breaking into the inn yesterday!

It was a Divine Ability similar to Void Realm Projection!

After Chen Yuan finished watching, he felt a slight suspicion in his heart, always feeling that Fang Family Old Ancestor hadn't shown the entire scene. However, he had now confirmed three things.

The first thing was that what he was looking for was the human Devil from the Place of becoming a Saint!

Second, Wuzang, who was imprisoned in Demon Subduing Pagoda, was from the Li Family of the Central Plains. This made him realize that these people from the Li Family were truly persistent. After the branch of this family was destroyed at Tianxiong Pass, troubles kept coming to his door. He remembered that during the time he was seriously injured and in seclusion on the Demon Battlefield, he had killed an Eldest Young Master and a Wuzang from the Li Family.

Third, it seemed that the Fang Family Old Ancestor was not allied with the human Devil.

"Perhaps this old man saw through their Devil Gu and ruined their plans, so this human Devil came looking for trouble. Does Zhonglang General still have anything to say?"

Fang Shiqing's voice rang out at this moment. He turned his head and looked at Chen Yuan with a profound gaze.

Chen Yuan originally wanted to ask why Fang Family Old Ancestor had concealed it just now, but then he thought, why bother? There's no need to completely ruin someone's Face; always leave a way out.

As long as his goal was achieved, that was enough!

"So that's how it is!"

"It seems Chen misunderstood!"

As he spoke, Chen Yuan's silver armor receded, and his green robes reappeared. His tone and choice of words also changed, and he gave a slight smile.

"Please, Old Fang, give me the human Devil's mark!"

"Capturing and killing this fellow would be a Karma for you, old man."

When Fang Shiqing heard this, his drooping eyelids couldn't help but twitch. With his many years of Qi cultivation, he couldn't help but want to curse out loud at this moment.

This fellow had a dog's Face, it changed in an instant. One second he was aggressive, shouting for a fight, and the next, he lightly said a few words, gave a slight smile, acting as if nothing had happened, and asked him for the human Devil's mark.

However, on second thought, the old monster's heart trembled slightly. This person's Heart-Nature was very difficult to deal with, no wonder he had made such a name for himself in Shu. Coupled with the Qi he sensed just now, he was now seventy to eighty percent sure that this Zhonglang General had indeed done something big at Tianxiong Pass.

If he didn't die, this person would definitely not stop at Wuzang in the future, achieving a great accomplishment.

Having thought this, Fang Shiqing suppressed the irritation in his heart. Having lived for over two hundred years, he was an old man and had experienced human affairs. He wouldn't become hysterical over the humiliation he had just suffered. He had his own plans.

As for how the other members of the Fang Family fared, they all had to step aside for his interests.

Thus, Fang Family Old Ancestor's Face merely twitched slightly. Then he raised a hand, forming a sword-finger, and plucked at the black flame flickering in the lamp in front of him. A bean-sized flame was pinched between his fingertips, then he flicked it towards Chen Yuan and said without much emotion:

"This fire was born from this old man's comprehension of creation, named Heart Fire. It can reflect projections and retain the Qi of others. However, to find this human Devil, Zhonglang General will need to find a way himself. This old man is powerless to help!"

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and a golden light shot out, fixing the Heart Fire flying towards him.

Under his Dharma Eye, within the bean-sized flame, there was indeed a distorted human figure wearing a lotus crown and a silver mask, floating within it—it was the projection of that human Devil.

Chen Yuan nodded, waved his sleeve, and put away the projection. Then he cupped his hands and smiled faintly, "Old man is truly kind. As for finding this beast, you don't need to worry."

Then, he cupped his hands again towards the Yan Land Three Heroes who had been acting as invisible men beside him, "Chen will be busy next, so I won't disturb you."

Saying that, Chen Yuan picked up the straw hat on the table, put it on his head, and then stood up to leave.

However, after taking two steps, he turned his head, as if remembering something. With a hint of deep meaning in his eyes, he looked at the few people,

"I know you all came for that night ferry. No matter how you board that ship, you must not harm the people of Qingshan County."

After speaking, Chen Yuan's figure flickered, and he strode away.

Only the Yan Land Three Heroes, with strange expressions, and the Fang Family Old Ancestor, with a gloomy Face, remained in the room.

"How did he know?" The bearded man looked at Jin Yu Mountain with some bewilderment.

They had come to find that ship because of Brother Jin's sudden idea.

Jin Yu Mountain shook his head and then looked at the Fang Family Old Ancestor.

The Fang Family Old Ancestor's Face was extremely poor at this moment. Although he knew that Chen Yuan likely already knew about his Fang Family's search for that ship, being pointed out by Chen Yuan was another matter entirely.

"Why are you looking at this old man? My three nephews, you should make a decision as soon as possible. Ninth Zhonglang's meaning just now clearly indicates he's eyeing that ship. You must act while he's distracted looking for that human Devil, otherwise, it will be hard to say later."

"This matter should be done sooner rather than later, preferably tonight!"

The Yan Land Three Heroes listened and felt it made sense. They discussed it telepathically for a while, and finally Jin Yu Mountain spoke: "Then we'll listen to Senior!"

At noon, the sky was gray, and sparse snowflakes drifted down.

Jiazi Alley, in a courtyard at the end of the alley, a cheerful shout came.

"Mom! I'm home!"

A child wearing a tiger-head hat, with a linen cloth bag slung over his shoulder, pushed open the distant gate and scampered home.

Soon, from the side kitchen, a woman wearing an apron and a blue-based floral cloth on her head walked out.

It was Sister Hua.

Sister Hua was holding a wooden basin filled with washed rice paste. Seeing her son return, she was startled,

"Why are you so early today..."

Then, Sister Hua thought of something, and her Face turned angry, "You little brat, did you skip school again?"

Saying that, she put down the wooden basin and reached for the corner of the wall.

Tiger Cub's skin tightened, his small Face flushed red. He sniffed and quickly called out, "Mom, the teacher didn't come today, and the school asked another teacher to teach us. Later, they let us go."

Sister Hua stopped her movements and looked at her usually mischievous son. Her eyebrows relaxed, "Really?"

"Mm-hmm, really, really." Tiger Cub quickly nodded.

"It's not that you're frozen from the cold, is it? Go inside and stay warm. Dinner isn't ready yet. After dinner, Mom will give you some dried fruit. Take it to the teacher's house to visit. You must show the etiquette of a student, understand?"

"Okay!"

Tiger Cub happily went inside, and Sister Hua wiped her apron and entered the kitchen.

Not long after, Tiger Cub came out of the house and ran into the courtyard to play in the snow. He rubbed snowballs with his small hands, and once they were formed, he threw them at the crystal-clear icicles hanging from the eaves. Even though his small hands were red from the cold, he was having a great time.

After a while, a sound came from nearby.

"Chirp, chirp."

Tiger Cub turned his head and saw his "good friend," Little Squirrel, greeting him from the wall of the neighboring courtyard.

However, Little Squirrel seemed to have something urgent, so it spat out a small snack for Tiger Cub and then jumped down into the neighboring small courtyard.

Tiger Cub was used to Little Squirrel's "loyalty." He happily tore half of the small snack and put it in his mouth, keeping the other half.

Just then, Sister Hua walked out of the kitchen.

"Tiger Cub, dinner's ready!"

"What are you eating, you little rascal?"

Tiger Cub pointed to the next door. (End of chapter)