Chapter 161 - 144: Miasma

Chapter 161: Chapter 144: Miasma

A mist quickly welled up in Li Pan’Er’s eyes, but she fought to keep from crying out loud. "Mother coughed up a lot of blood at Noon," she whispered. "She only just fell asleep."

He knew all too well what that meant.

Li Cheng’an felt a lump form in his throat. He rubbed his stiff face and said hoarsely, "Your mother will be fine..."

But Li Pan’Er was no three-year-old, and not so easily fooled.

Tears streamed silently down her cheeks. She wiped at them furiously, but they wouldn’t stop.

Just then, a voice, so faint it was nearly inaudible, came from the bed.

Li Pan’Er quickly wiped her face and leaned in, putting her ear to the woman’s lips. "Mother," she whispered, "what did you say?"

The woman on the bed’s eyelids fluttered, but they didn’t open.

A few moments passed.

A faint, hoarse voice sounded by the young girl’s ear.

"Changsheng..."

After saying his name, her lips trembled, and she fell unconscious once more.

Li Cheng’an’s eyes were red-rimmed. He stepped forward and asked, "What did your mother say?"

"Mother said... she misses Brother..."

With a sob, Li Pan’Er covered her face and ran out the door.

Li Cheng’an sat on the bed and took his wife’s hand. "Changsheng went to become a Cultivator," he said softly. "Rest easy..."

While this family was steeped in sorrow, a different scene was unfolding.

「Ten li from Chi City.」

A horse-drawn carriage sped toward the city, kicking up a trail of dust.

Inside the carriage sat an old man, a young man, and a lovely girl of about sixteen.

The girl occasionally lifted the carriage curtain to peek outside.

Strangely, though dust billowed outside, it was as if an invisible barrier were blocking it, preventing even a single speck from entering the carriage.

The girl blinked, hesitated, and then reached her hand outside.

But as soon as her hand was halfway out, she felt a sharp pain in her fingers and quickly pulled it back.

’So this is what it means to be a Cultivator...’

The girl stared at the dust staining her fingertips, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Seeing her reaction, the young man chuckled. "It’s just an unranked Dust-Avoidance Talisman. Once you begin your cultivation, Junior Sister, you won’t find it strange at all."

Lou Anjin scooted closer to the young man and said with a grin, "Senior Brother Ma, can you tell me about the Sect? And about my uncle?"

Ma An, of course, did not refuse and began to explain in a soft voice.

The girl was a mortal relative of a good friend of his. This time, his uncle had asked him to accompany him to the home of a Qi Cultivator, and on the way, he had visited his friend’s home to test his clansmen for a Spirit Vein.

Lou Anjin was the only one he had detected with a Spirit Vein. Her aptitude was third-grade, which was quite good, and this was the reason for his pleasant demeanor.

The old man in the seat of honor kept his eyes closed, remaining silent.

Only when a voice reached the carriage did he slowly open his eyes.

"Master, we’ve arrived in Chi City."

As the carriage entered Chi City.

The old man’s expression suddenly changed. He reached out, pushed aside the curtain, and looked outside.

"The audacity!"

A look of shock and fury appeared on the old man’s face. Then, as if remembering something, he gave a sharp order, "Ma San, bring someone to me."

Ma An asked, "Uncle, what happened?"

Lou Anjin also looked on with curiosity.

The old man’s face was grim. "Some arrogant fool is refining a blood artifact in this city..."

Ma An exclaimed in shock, "How dare he?"

Within the Cyan Yang Sect’s territory, any Cultivator who dared use mortals for their cultivation or to refine an artifact without the sect’s permission would have their soul extracted and forged into the Ten Thousand Souls Ladder, where they would suffer a hundred years of torment.

Lou Anjin’s face grew pale. She had read many storybooks, and refining artifacts with human lives... wasn’t that what the demonic cultivators in the stories did?

’There’s a demonic cultivator in Chi City!’

At the thought, her heart began to pound. THUMP. THUMP.

Just then, a terrified scream came from outside.

"Sir, spare me!"

The curtain was thrown open, and a man with a terrified expression was tossed inside.

The old man looked at him, his eyes glazing over with a gray light. "Do you know where Li’s Tavern is?" he asked. "And where does the Li Family live?"

The man’s eyes went vacant. He mumbled, "Li’s Tavern is in the center of the city. The Li Family lives at..."

Having gotten the information he wanted, the old man waved a hand, tossing the man out of the carriage. "To the west side of the city!" he commanded.

The carriage turned and sped off toward the west of the city.

The man left lying on the road shivered. A moment later, his eyes regained their clarity. He glanced around, let out a sudden yell, and scrambled away.

Inside the carriage.

Ma An frowned as he looked at his uncle’s barely concealed anxiety. "Uncle," he asked, confused, "they are merely the family of a Qi Cultivator..."

He still didn’t understand why his uncle had insisted he accompany him into the mortal world just to visit the family of some Qi Cultivator.

’It felt strange, no matter how he thought about it...’

The old man turned and glared at him. "What do you know!" he snapped. Then, his expression grew complicated. "I originally brought you here to forge a good bond with his family. Now, I don’t know if I’ve helped you or harmed you by bringing you along."

"Huh?"

Ma An asked, startled and confused, "Uncle, what do you mean by that?"

The old man shook his head. "This Qi Cultivator is no ordinary person..." He paused, then sighed. "Sigh. I just hope his parents and family are unharmed."

"Otherwise..."

The old man gave a wry smile. "You and I will be in serious trouble." His voice turned venomous. "This damn Cultivator dared to refine a blood artifact in the mortal world. Once I’ve checked on the Li Family, I swear I will hunt him down and flay his very soul!"

’Not ordinary?’

Ma An’s expression flickered with shock and uncertainty.

Soon.

The carriage stopped before the gates of a large, three-courtyard residence.

The three of them disembarked.

The old man walked briskly to the main gate, straightened his robes, and knocked.

A few moments later.

CREAK...

The gate slowly swung open. A servant looked at the four people before him and asked uncertainly, "And you are...?"

The old man clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. "I have come at the request of another. Might I ask if this is the residence of Li Cheng’an?"

"It is." The servant nodded. "Please wait a moment, guests. I will go inform the master."