Chapter 54 - 53: Fleeing

Sprinting wildly, Xu Guang’s mouth twitched when he heard Hu Bainiu’s words.

He cursed inwardly; this guy was another one of those Old Silver Coins.

If Qian Cheng hadn’t kept calling him Hu Bainiu, that shout of ’Liu Tiezhu’ really would have fooled him. However, the man probably still harbored some gratitude. Calling him ’old gentleman’ on purpose was a way of expressing goodwill.

Glancing back at the massive Jade Elephant in relentless pursuit, he felt a flash of resentment. During their brief exchange of blows just now, he had allowed Qian Cheng to issue a final command to the Jade Elephant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a wretched state.

The commotion in the forest quickly attracted the attention of Jade Elephant City.

Standing on high ground, people watched in terror as the Jade Elephant smashed through massive trees one after another.

"The Jade Elephant has gone mad! Run, everyone!"

"Where is the Canon Seat? Where is His Excellency the Canon Seat?"

"Look, it seems like the Jade Elephant is chasing someone!"

"Everyone, come with me! Let’s help Lord Jade Elephant catch them!"

Suddenly, torches dotted the night like countless fireflies dancing in the air.

Unfortunately for them, while these people recognized the Jade Elephant, it did not recognize them.

Seeing a crowd trying to block its path, the Jade Elephant flew into a rage. With a swing of its trunk, several figures were struck, erupting into a mist of blood in the air.

However, these people also bought Xu Guang precious time, allowing him to put more and more distance between himself and the Jade Elephant, until the beast was completely out of sight.

Leaning against the wall of a mountain ravine, lingering fear flickered in Xu Guang’s eyes.

The Jade Elephant was simply too strong.

No wonder Qian Cheng could become a Canon Seat of the Yellow Heaven Sect despite his pitifully weak strength. The Jade Elephant’s Combat Power had to be the main reason.

Seeing no one around, Xu Guang pulled away the black cloth draped over Qian Cheng, revealing his appearance.

His expression instantly shifted to one of astonishment.

Qian Cheng looked like a walking skeleton. He appeared far worse than a starved refugee, barely having a few ounces of flesh on his entire body. He was nothing but a bag of bones.

No wonder he was so weak and frail. Even if he had reached the Refining Viscera stage, how could he possibly have enough vitality and blood for Cultivation?

Xu Guang thrust his hand into Qian Cheng’s heart and began Blood Refining.

If the feeling of his previous Refinement of a Refining Viscera expert could be compared to a lavish feast, then Qian Cheng’s blood was like blank paper—completely tasteless and dull.

A moment later, Xu Guang shook his head, feeling utterly helpless as he sensed the meager twenty-something drops of Essence Blood generated within the mysterious space of the Blood Eye.

He thought the man was truly a piece of trash.

"ROAR!"

Xu Guang’s expression changed drastically. That damned beast was relentlessly haunting him, though its loyalty was undeniable.

With a single stroke of his blade, he chopped off the Jade Elephant Canon Seat’s head and continued sprinting forward.

The Wei River was only a few miles away. As long as he got into the water, the beast wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

Xu Guang couldn’t help but quicken his pace. The Jade Elephant’s rampage had startled countless creatures in the forest.

Not long after the Jade Elephant chased Xu Guang away, a bizarre-looking creature suddenly darted out of the dirt, glaring with eyes full of hatred in the direction the elephant had gone.

It lowered its head. Beneath its feet lay its ruined nest!

SPLASH!

A figure leaped into the water, kicking up a spray of white foam.

At the edge of the cliff, the Jade Elephant roared at the sky, its trunk raised high as it endlessly stomped its four massive feet on the ground, seemingly hesitating.

After a long time, the Jade Elephant slowly turned around. Its trunk hovered just above the ground as if sniffing out something. A moment later, it headed off into the distance in a specific direction.

Shortly after it left, Xu Guang’s head broke the surface of the water, and he let out a slow sigh of relief.

"The water is too dangerous. I need to leave as soon as possible," he thought.

On the way back, Xu Guang was in high spirits. Although he hadn’t had time to take all the Cheng Family’s goods, he had managed to select a few high-value items to carry on him. He had also taken Qian Cheng’s life, avenging his third younger sister. All in all, it had been a worthwhile trip.

The only pity was that Qian Cheng hadn’t brought any money with him when he went out. It was truly infuriating; aside from a black robe, the man had absolutely nothing on him.

The medicinal herbs stolen by the bandits had probably all been taken by Hu Bainiu as well.

He wondered if he would be able to acquire Qian Cheng’s Bloodline Power.

However, thinking of Qian Cheng’s skeleton-like, skin-and-bones appearance sent a chill down his spine.

If Qian Cheng’s Bloodline Power turned a person into something like that, then... he would rather pass.

At the Cheng Family residence.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Who is it?"

A boy of about ten years old opened the main gate. Seeing Xu Guang carrying a large bamboo basket and wearing a wide bamboo hat, he looked somewhat taken aback.

"Excuse me, is Miss Cheng Lian’Er here?" Xu Guang asked in a gentle and polite tone.

The boy shook his head. "Sister Lian’Er went to the Inner City to discuss some matters. She hasn’t returned yet."

Glancing through the crack in the door, Xu Guang suddenly noticed some red mandarin duck fabric laid out outside the Cheng Family’s hall, which made him realize something.

It seemed Miss Cheng’s happy day was approaching.

Without overthinking it, he retrieved a Wooden Box from his back, which contained Qian Cheng’s severed head. "Please pass this on to Miss Cheng for me, little brother."

Watching the boy accept the item, Xu Guang turned and walked away.

"Brother Guang, you’re back." Ji Xiaolu’s face lit up with joy when she saw Xu Guang push the door open. She stepped forward to help him with his outer coat.

Xu Guang complied, letting her help him take off his sweat-drenched clothes.

The weather was getting hotter. Xu Guang reached out and wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead from her recent chores.

"Why don’t we hire a few maidservants?" he asked, feeling a bit distressed for her.

A hint of nervousness immediately appeared in Ji Xiaolu’s eyes. "I will listen to you," she whispered uncertainly.

Xu Guang patted her head. "They’ll be maidservants for chores, not for warming the bed. We’ll go together when the time comes, and you can pick them out yourself, okay?"

Hearing this, a smile instantly bloomed on Ji Xiaolu’s face. They had been married for over half a year, yet her belly remained empty. Her greatest fear was that Xu Guang would take another wife.

"Brother Guang, please don’t go out recently. I heard from Eldest Sister that Brother-in-Law and the others found some corpses with their hearts dug out, yet the surfaces of their bodies were completely unharmed. It’s terrifying. Some people say they did wicked deeds and had their hearts eaten by ghosts."

Xu Guang’s heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. "Really? Could this just be a ghost story that you and Eldest Sister heard at the teahouse, Lu?"

Ji Xiaolu shook her head. "The Forensic Doctors have already examined the bodies. And Brother Guang, don’t dismiss the existence of ghosts and gods. In the Central Plains region, people often encounter ghosts, and there’s even a Government Office specifically dedicated to catching them."

Xu Guang looked up in astonishment. "There are really ghosts?"

"How could I have seen one? I only heard my eldest brother mention it when I was little. He said the Court has a dedicated Government Office called the Mysterious Strange Pavilion to deal with ghosts and gods, though I’ve never seen it myself." Ji Xiaolu looked a bit embarrassed, feeling it wasn’t proper to share such hearsay with her husband.

Xu Guang held Ji Xiaolu on the bed. A hint of contemplation flashed across his face. He didn’t fully believe Ji Xiaolu’s words. Who would truly believe in ghosts and gods without encountering them firsthand?

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He would prepare some black dog blood and black donkey hooves for the house another day...

Seeing what Xu Guang was thinking, Ji Xiaolu quickly changed the subject.

"I just wanted to persuade you to go out less, not intentionally scare you. Husband, I thought about it, and you’re right. We do need some maidservants. It’s just that I feel... outsiders are a bit untrustworthy. I heard that many of those registered as slaves in the city now are people from across the river. I know exactly what kind of people they are. If you ask me, we’d be better off inviting Miss Chun over. Miss Chun has a gentle temperament and is very handy. Having her help me would be perfect."

Xu Guang knew that Ji Xiaolu was different from him; she got along very well with the neighbors, especially with Miss Chun and Song Yue’s wife. Suggesting Miss Chun come work for them was mostly out of pity for the widow.

"Whatever you decide for the house is fine," he said.

Ji Xiaolu remembered something and asked, "Yesterday when you weren’t home, Senior Brother Xu came looking for you. He wants to open a tavern together. Are you planning to partner with him, Brother Guang?"

Before he could answer, she added with a hint of worry, "I think we should pass on it. Businesses like taverns don’t make any money at all."

This wasn’t an exaggeration. In this day and age, taverns didn’t make money because there were too many bad debts.

Today, the underworld thugs would come to eat; tomorrow, the official authorities would show up. You could only collect money if you had a powerful backing. Without one, you had no choice but to let people buy on credit. At most, you could collect money from commoners, but even if commoners came to drink, how many dishes could they afford to order?

Nowadays, anyone opening a tavern in the city had the backing of a major faction. For example, Cang Mang Tower, which Xu Guang had visited several times, was backed by the City Guard’s Mansion.

Xu Guang wasn’t very willing either. He knew exactly why Xu Sanduo had sought him out.

The Xu Family’s business had hit a bottleneck. They were likely planning to utilize their own butchery resources, integrating their processing capabilities to open a restaurant and turn a profit.

"I’ll go talk to Senior Brother tomorrow," Xu Guang said softly, hugging Ji Xiaolu tighter. "I went across the river today, and the situation there isn’t good. I feel like the peace in the city is only temporary."

Ji Xiaolu nodded. "The Qing State Country is governed jointly by the state and the National Sects. Since the Yellow Heaven Sect has established itself as a sect and possesses such immense strength, it ought to secure a status akin to the Cold Blade Sect and participate in the political affairs of a major city. Yet, they are currently quietly biding their time and even signed the Wei River Guardian Alliance. I also feel like something isn’t right."

Xu Guang smiled. "Don’t worry. No matter what happens, as long as I’m here, you will all be fine."

CRASH!

SMACK!

"You stinking bitch, what are you pretending for?! What are you acting so high and mighty for?!"

Suddenly, a furious roar came from outside, immediately followed by the sounds of smashing objects and a woman’s crying and screaming.

Xu Guang’s expression shifted, and he heard Ji Xiaolu speak.

"It’s the Song Family."

Thinking of Song Yue, who wasn’t particularly tall, Xu Guang felt a bit puzzled. "The Song Family? What happened?"

"It seems Brother Song’s brother committed a crime and deserted from the army," Ji Xiaolu sighed.

Xu Guang fell silent, reflecting on the grim reality of the times...

"I’ll go out and take a look."

Leaving those words behind, he got out of bed, casually threw on a coat, and walked outside.