45: Chapter 45 Eight Eight Eight?!

The commotion from Su Mo's battle with the State Preceptor alarmed many people. Through the large hole in the wall, he could see the downstairs area surrounded by a long line of torchlight.

"Y-Young Master... thank you for saving us..."

The only girl among the group who wasn't afraid of Su Mo, and the first one who dared to beg the State Preceptor for mercy, gathered her courage to speak. Although her voice was still trembling, her eyes were exceptionally firm.

"It was just something I did along the way."

Su Mo waved his hand, responded indifferently, and prepared to turn and leave.

Seeing Su Mo about to depart, the girl quickly asked.

"May I ask for Young Master's esteemed name? This humble girl will surely repay this life-saving kindness in the future!"

Su Mo stopped, pausing his steps, and glanced at her sideways.

This girl looked only about ten-something years old, yet possessed such spirit. If she didn't die prematurely, she was bound to achieve greatness!

Su Mo's lips curved slightly. Suddenly intrigued, he asked:

"What is your name?"

The girl took a deep breath, straightened her back, and her voice was clear and pleasant:

"Replying to Young Master, my name is Ye Qingshuang."

"Ye Qingshuang, this Young Master saves people not for repayment, but merely out of interest."

"Just call me Baba."

"Pfft!"

Su Mo gently flapped his four large black wings, his body shot out rapidly, and soon disappeared into the night, leaving the girl standing stunned and muttering to herself.

"Ba Ba Ba?! What a strange name."

Ye Qingshuang looked up. The night was deep, and Su Mo's shadow was nowhere to be seen.

"I've remembered it..."

...Su Mo's massive black figure flew out of the Taixu Pavilion, causing many people downstairs to exclaim in surprise.

"What is going on?"

The Emperor, Luo Mingchen, arrived late, followed by a host of Imperial Guards. He stared gloomily at the hole on the third floor of the Taixu Pavilion.

"Where is the State Preceptor?!"

He demanded sharply.

A Guard knelt down nervously and reported:

"Replying to Your Majesty, a... villain broke into the Taixu Pavilion... Since the State Preceptor has not given the word, we dare not enter."

Luo Mingchen strode into the Taixu Pavilion and went straight to the third floor.

As soon as he entered the third floor, a strong smell of blood assailed him.

When he saw the State Preceptor's corpse on the ground, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Who did this?!"

The Guards were silent, trembling like cicadas in the cold, and no one dared to answer.

Just then, a cold, clear voice came from the corner—

"It was... a Young Master with four wings on his back."

Luo Mingchen suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing like a knife toward the source of the voice.

Ye Qingshuang slowly stood up, leaning on the wall. Although the lingering shock was still visible on her Face, her eyes did not flinch.

"He saved our lives."

Luo Mingchen narrowed his eyes and walked slowly toward her, his voice low:

"Do you know what you are saying?"

Ye Qingshuang clenched her fists, her nails digging deeply into her palms:

"This Common Girl only knows that if it weren't for that Young Master, we innocent women would already be ghosts under the State Preceptor's hand."

The air instantly solidified.

The Guards remained silent, exchanging glances. The admiration and shock in their eyes were hard to conceal.

They had never seen anyone dare to speak so frankly in front of a furious Emperor, nor had they expected this seemingly frail girl to possess such courage.

Luo Mingchen stared at Ye Qingshuang, and after a long while, suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"Good. Very good."

He slowly raised his hand, and the surrounding Imperial Guards instantly tensed up, waiting only for a command.

However—

"Let them go."

The Emperor's voice was low and suppressed, as if he were forcibly restraining something.

The Guards were stunned, and even Ye Qingshuang widened her eyes.

Luo Mingchen turned around, his back to the crowd, and sighed deeply.

"It is I who have wronged you..."

These girls were all bought from farmers across various regions, originally told they would enter the palace as Palace Maids, but instead they were... Ye Qingshuang looked at The Emperor's retreating figure, suddenly feeling that this man, standing at the Peak of power, was nothing more than an ordinary person.

A white-haired Old Official behind Luo Mingchen tremblingly kowtowed:

"Your Majesty, this matter is suspicious. If we let these women go, how are we supposed to explain it to the Taixu Sect's Immortal Masters!"

"Enough."

Luo Mingchen raised his hand, and the sleeves embroidered with Dragon patterns fluttered up and down.

"Pass on my Oral Decree: immediately seal off the news. Use all military force to search for the assassin's tracks."

"I hope tomorrow, that Qilin Child of the Wang family will give me some Face, for the sake of Imperial Consort Wang..."

...As soon as Su Mo returned home, he couldn't wait to examine the State Preceptor's Storage Pouch.

The palm-sized Storage Pouch could barely fit one hand inside. Since Su Mo had no Spiritual Power, he could only fumble clumsily inside it, like reaching into a pocket.

After fumbling for a long time, Su Mo finally emptied the contents of the Storage Pouch, which were scattered on the ground.

There were two bottles of Medicinal Pills, three Talismans, a piece of paper that felt like animal hide, a small booklet that had been almost worn out from turning pages, and two translucent green pebbles.

Only these few items looked useful; the rest were some indecent small pieces of clothing, causing Su Mo to shake his head repeatedly upon seeing them.

"This old man had some really kinky hobbies."

Su Mo disdainfully threw the clothes into the stove and burned them all completely with a single fire.

Illuminated by the firelight, he finally examined the remaining items closely.

The two bottles of Medicinal Pills had no labels. Pulling off the stopper, a Medicinal Fragrance immediately wafted out, smelling refreshing and invigorating.

Unsure of the Medicinal Effect, Su Mo dared not consume them rashly and planned to buy two chickens tomorrow to test their properties.

There was no need to mention the three Talismans; they were useful, but he didn't recognize them.

The hide paper was covered with many characters. Su Mo squinted, using the firelight to carefully distinguish the writing.

These twisted characters looked as if they were written in blood, radiating a strange, dark red luster.

"Yin and Yang Heaven-Seizing Pill?!"

"Using the heart blood of 490 virgins, refine the Yin Pill during the full moon and utmost Yin time."

"Using the vital essence blood of 490 men, refine the Yang Pill during the midday and utmost Yang time."

"The combination of the two forms the Yin and Yang Heaven-Mending Pill, which can defy Heaven and change fate, Breaking through the Foundation Establishment shackles..."

Su Mo suddenly remembered what the State Preceptor said before he died: "Only 129 virgin heart bloods are missing."

"That old man must have been refining the Yin Pill..."

"The Taixu Sect couldn't be a Demonic Sect, could it?!"

Only an Evil Cultivator could refine such an Evil Pill, which made him wonder if the Taixu Sect was also a Demonic Sect.

However, the next Cultivation Technique gave him the answer.

"Tai Xu Qi Guiding Art."

Turning the flyleaf, a pattern of a crescent moon surrounding mountains caught his eye. It was clearly the Sect Mark of the Taixu Sect.

The Cultivation Technique was very thin, and Su Mo finished reading it without much effort.

Su Mo felt somewhat unsatisfied; this copy of the Tai Xu Qi Guiding Art was incomplete, only covering the Qi Refinement Stage up to the Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, with no Cultivation Technique for Foundation Establishment onward.

The Cultivation Technique itself was completely fine, orthodox and peaceful. It even had many insights written down by others, and anyone with a Spiritual Root could Cultivate it.

As for that wicked Pill Formula, the State Preceptor probably acquired it from some unknown source.

Time waited for no one. Su Mo immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and tried to Guide Qi into the Body according to the method described in the Tai Xu Qi Guiding Art.

"Inhale—Exhale—"

As his breathing gradually stabilized, Su Mo vaguely perceived free-floating specks of light in the air.

These specks of light were multicolored, drifting everywhere like smoke.

"This must be Spiritual Qi."

Su Mo attempted to run the Breathing Technique for absorbing Spiritual Qi described in the Tai Xu Qi Guiding Art, trying to capture the specks of light in the air.