AST 946 – Sky City's Vice Castellan Qin Zongheng, Sworn Sister
Her Cloud Crane sped towards Sky City and due to its extreme speed, reached the huge city in two hours. This gave Qing Shui the impression that Sky City was indeed a powerful and influential place. A two hours ride on the Cloud Crane was quite some distance. The Heavenly Cloud Pavilion was still powerful despite its distance from Sky City. From this, Qing Shui could tell that Sky City had a firm control over the area, to the extent that even the Marionette Sect didn't dare provoke them.
Sky City was too enigmatic. Qing Shui did not know if there were any experts like those elders in the Sky Prison Sect. However, from inferring the relative strength of the Marionette Sect with Sky City, he guessed that there were definitely some Beginner Grade Martial Emperors.
This was probably the reason why Weng Xue had been shocked when he had mentioned to her that he could defend himself against the people from Marionette Sect. He had meant that he could defend against members of the Marionette Sect by himself at his age. She was not sure if her husband could even do that and her husband was of an older generation than Qing Shui.
Yu He had become the mistress of the Hundred Flowers Valley with her Hundred Flowers constitution. It was an innate gift that others couldn't get, no matter how jealous they were. Otherwise, the title would never have landed into Yu He's hands. It is precisely because of Yu He that Weng Xue first had the impression that Qing Shui was no ordinary man. After observing him for just a short time, she could tell that he was special. He had an extraordinary presence and aura.
His aura was similar to that of some of the old Elders in Sky City, which made her feel that he was probably a top-tier cultivator. With that in mind, Weng Xue couldn't help looking at Qing Shui every now and then because she felt that Yu He and Qing Shui were very compatible. She even looked forward to them confirming their relationship.
She suddenly laughed, amused by her own thoughts. When had she become like this? She shook her head and stared off into the distance as Sky City became clearer and clearer before them. Just as its name implied, the famous Sky City was situated high above sea level.
Her Cloud Crane gradually flew upwards and Qing Shui estimated that Sky City was at least 10,000 meters above ground level. Weng Xue spoke to Qing Shui about some random matters but oddly, they did not even mention Sky City in their conversation.
"Qing Shui, you have to be careful around the Marionette Sect. Those people are very vengeful and ruthless. If you need help, you must tell me. I will help in any way I can." Weng Xue repeated once again when they were close to Sky City.
This time, Qing Shui nodded his head earnestly. He understood Weng Xue's sincerity. The way she acted clearly showed how close she was to Yu He. As a result, he replied with a smile, "Okay. If I find myself in a bad spot, don't act like you don't know me, Elder Sis!" Qing Shui joked. He readily changed what he called her.
Weng Xue was delighted when she heard Qing Shui's words. She was a very sharp woman and understood his witty remark. She suddenly felt a sense of kinship with Qing Shui, as if there was some fate bringing them together. Perhaps because she had been an orphan, she liked having him as her younger brother.
"Alright, I will treat you as my relative in the future. You'll be my younger brother." Weng Xue declared happily with a serious expression.
"Elder Sis!" Qing Shui called her again, happily.
"Alright, I'll hold a welcome banquet for you."
Weng Xue's Cloud Crane flew directly into Sky City as Weng Xue finished her sentence. Qing Shui had a clear view of the entire city now. To be precise, it was on a mountaintop but the structures made it look like a castle town.
Sky City was a moderately sized town about 100 li wide. There were many courtyards and pavilions, even a natural lake and a river. Both were formed from the melting glaciers of the mountain range. Looking at the size of the place, Qing Shui guessed that there were no outsiders in Sky City. The term 'City' was probably only used to represent the power and influence of this place, just like with the Poison Mountain Stockade and the Sky Prison Sect. It was actually far smaller than a true city like Hundred Miles City, which covered over 1000 li.
Her Cloud Crane dove down towards an area with a few magnificent-looking manors and landed. Each of the manors was very large and Qing Shui could feel the presence of numerous powerful auras beyond his perceptive abilities.
Weng Xue kept her Cloud Crane and walked towards the entrance of a manor. The guards who saw her quickly bowed and greeted her, "Madam!"
Weng Xue acknowledged them with a nod and walked into the manor with Qing Shui. They walked through an independent courtyard, surrounded by various pavilions. Qing Shui immediately sensed that there were not many people in the manor. There were only a few guards and servants.
Qing Shui knew that Weng Xue's husband was the Vice Castellan of the city, but it seemed to him that the man kept a low profile.
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
Two four to five year old children ran towards them. The boy looked slightly older and was followed by a middle-aged woman. Weng Xue cheerfully carried one of her children.
"Auntie Feng, you should rest for a while. I will take care of the two kids. " Weng Xue said warmly to the middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded her head before she bowed and excused herself.
"Hu'er, Bing'er. This is your uncle. Quickly greet your uncle." Weng Xue said as she carried both her children and looked at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui was a little caught off guard. He did not expect that she would have children and hadn't thought about it at all. But even he himself had a few children, so this was not really all that surprising.
The two children were very cute. They both had long hair and their exquisite faces were just like fine porcelain. Their black eyes were like black jewels sitting atop their sharp little noses. They both slightly resembled Weng Xue.
"Mother, what is an Uncle?" The young boy asked Weng Xue an odd question.
"Well, are you close to Bing'er?" Weng Xue asked gently.
"Yes, she is my little sister. If anyone bullies her, I will beat them back ten times as hard." Hu'er replied, raising his fists.
"He calls me Elder Sis. We are siblings, just like you and Bing'er." Weng Xue told the little child patiently, taking this opportunity to teach her children.
"Mother, are you closer to him or us?" The young child asked in alarm, as he stared at Qing Shui.
"Little brat, you two are my most precious!" Weng Xue was tickled by his reaction.
Qing Shui was quite entertained by the child's logic. He took out two Wondrous Fruits and handed one to the boy. "Call me 'Uncle' and I will give this to you. It's very delicious."
Even without Qing Shui description, the boy already knew that it must taste good. When Qing Shui just started opening the sealed box containing the fruits, the boy had already started salivating because of its smell. At the same time, Weng Xue was startled when she saw the fruits in Qing Shui's hand.
"Uncle!"
The two children quickly took the fruits from him and started nibbling…
"Wondrous Fruit!" Weng Xue exclaimed.
"Elder Sis, you know what this is." Qing Shui chuckled. Since Yiye Jiange could also recognize the fruit, it did not surprise him that Weng Xue could recognize it too.
"The Wondrous Fruit is one of the most amazing fruits in the World of the Nine Continents. It is extremely precious! It is usually best consumed by children under 13 and can raise their potential by 10% and their natural aptitudes by even more. This is quite valuable!" Weng Xue was quite shocked, as she said this.
In actuality, adults could also consume the fruits, but they were most effective for children. No one would waste any on adults.
"Xue'er, you have a guest." Just then, they heard a clear bright voice.
Qing Shui could feel the person's aura. He looked behind him and saw a man who could still be considered young. The man had a calm mannerism. He was very handsome and the corner of his eyes curved upwards almost like a smile, but his other facial features were sharp and firm. The man walked towards them with a smile, but he still had an intense oppressive air about him.
"Daddy!"
"Daddy!"
The two children ran towards their father with their half-eaten fruits. The man carried both of them, on in each arm. His expression quickly mellowed and was filled with his love for his two children. Then, he noticed what they were eating and exclaimed, "Wondrous Fruit!"
"Zongheng, you're back. Let me introduce this young man that I just acknowledged as my younger brother. He's Qing Shui." Weng Xue said, smiling.
"Hi, I am Qin Zongheng. You look familiar." the man smiled, he placed his children down and lifted his hand for a handshake.
"Hi, I am Qing Shui. I am the person that the Marionette Sect is looking for." Qing Shui gave a faint smile.
Even if the man was slightly wary, Qing Shui was not really that concerned. The fact that the man still treated him in a good-natured manner meant the Weng Xue really held a place in that man's heart. Qing Shui gladly shook Zongheng's hand.
"Since you are Weng Xue's brother, we are all one family. You don't have to be too formal with us. Come inside. Let's have a good drinking session tonight." Qin Zongheng said invitingly.
He trusted Weng Xue and could also tell that Qing Shui was no common person. He did not think too much about it. Anyways, the Marionette Sect could not compare to Sky City, as they were on two entirely different levels.
During that time, Weng Xue eyed him and further suggested, "Zongheng, I treat him as my real younger brother. You should bring out your best wine."
"Xue'er brother is also my brother. Thank you for your Wondrous Fruits." The man thanked Qing Shui sincerely, as he watched his children happily nibble on their fruit.
"It's nothing. I have children too. I like your children and these fruits are the perfect thing for them." Qing Shui beamed.
Weng Xue was quite stunned when she heard that Qing Shui already had children. However, she still followed them to the main hall. The dining table was already filled with plates of hot dishes. Weng Xue had previously already ordered her servants to make preparations for a small banquet.
"Brother Qing Shui, I am a little curious. How did you get to know Xue'er?" Qin Zongheng smiled as he asked Qing Shui.
"Brother Qin, I first met Sister Xue only two hours before. Sister Xue's younger sister is my very good friend." Qing Shui replied lightheartedly. He did not wish for the man to misunderstand their relationship. He only knew now that the man had actually been concerned about the subject and it seemed he had already endured asking that question for some time.
Qing Shui did not expect that a powerful, firm man like Qin Zongheng would actually act like this. Perhaps, people would lose their confidence when it came to things that they truly cared about.
Qin Zongheng only felt insecure because he could tell that Qing Shui was quite a talented young man. A powerful young man with good looks was very attractive to women. No matter how much Qin Zongheng trusted Weng Xue, he was still worried. After all, men could be very selfish. The stronger their love, the more selfish and worried they could become.
"Brother Qin, in my heart, Sister Xue is just like my real sister." Qing Shui actually admired Qin Zongheng's character. For a man of his stature to only have one woman, it really showed his dedication.
"He'er and Qing Shui are very good friends!" Weng Xue laughed heartily. After he heard what Weng Xue said, Qin Zongheng's eyes also lit up. He took a closer look at Qing Shui.
"Elder Sis, I feel that we really have quite the affinity. I am happy to have another sister. I would like to raise a toast to you." Qing Shui lifted his cup of wine and finished it in one gulp.
Weng Xue did the same and said, "From today, we are siblings. I'm truly happy."
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AST 947 – Form, The path to Demon Gate, Consternation
There were only five of them at the dinner table, including the two children. Weng Xue was quite powerful. She was a Peak Martial Saint with the strength of about 50 stars. Qin Zongheng was an Early Martial Emperor and Qing Shui felt that he must be very powerful.
“We are family now. Qing Shui, don’t stand on ceremony. Have more wine!”
Qin Zongheng drank enthusiastically with Qing Shui. One of the reasons he could hold the title as the Vice Castellan of Sky City was because of his exceptional ability. At least, in terms of reading people, he was definitely better than others. His wife, Weng Xue, also helped in his career over the years. Her influential position in Hundred Flowers Valley meant that she was well known in the group of upper-tier cultivators. She had also helped solve many of Qin Zongheng problems.
His title meant that he was the successor of the current Castellan. However, although a Vice Castellan was chosen from each generation, the position of Castellan was not passed down, but was instead based on a person’s strength, not his age nor generation.
For someone to become the Castellan, they not only had to be capable but also had to have a network of powerful connections. After all, a person who wants to achieve great things will need loyal supporters. Even though aristocratic clans disallowed internal conflicts within their clans on the surface, the fact was that members in a clan definitely had their own choice of successor. The Elders would never really clamp down on it, as it was an important requirement for a successor. It was important that the future successor was able to gather supporters so that future internal power struggles could be avoided. Only one with absolute talent and strength could bend things in their own favor.
“Qing Shui, why are you on Marionette Sect’s wanted list? Could you tell me?” Qin Zongheng smiled amiably at Qing Shui. Now that he considered Qing Shui his family, he believed that it was necessary to resolve the issue with the wanted posters with Qing Shui’s portrait.
“I was eating in Octagon Inn when the people from Marionette Sect commented that I was suitable to be their marionette. I had no choice but to stomp and destroy their restaurant to escape.” Qing Shui explained nonchalantly.
“That’s preposterous! Those people are getting too arrogant in Sky City. I will ask my grandfather to help you resolve this matter.” Qin Zongheng replied furiously.
“Elder Brother Qin, please let me resolve this myself. It’s alright, I will make them pay.” Qing Shui said, as he did not want to owe others any favors. Even though he treated Weng Xue as his sister, he did not want to owe them any debts. Besides, he felt that Marionette Sect could be easily destroyed.
Qin Zongheng’s brow furrowed slightly. He thought for few minutes before saying, “Marionette Sect might not be that intimidating, but in name they are still a branch of Demon Gate.”
When Qing Shui heard what Qin Zongheng said, he was surprised. He did not expect that the issue would actually involve Demon Gate. He did not know the exact strength and influence of Demon Gate and only knew that they were formidable. Now that he saw how serious Qin Zongheng became when he mentioned them, he could further confirm that.
Qing Shui fell silent, as he considered his options going forward. Although the Marionette Sect did plan to turn him into their marionette, he was basically unharmed and caused significant losses to Marionette Sect.
Also, he had every intention to deal with Demon Gate. However, this was not the right time. Currently, Qing Shui was hesitant to take action to eliminate Marionette Sect. He thought that perhaps it might be better for him to attack them at a later time.
“Younger Brother, no one in Sky City will dare to harm you. Furthermore, if Marionette Sect really takes action and you retaliate by destroying them, Demon Gate will not be able to say anything.” Weng Xue said quietly.
Qing Shui smiled when he saw Weng Xue’s sincere gaze, “Thank you Elder Sis, but I am not in a hurry to resolve this issue. I have already dragged this for a year. Anyway, I wasn’t hurt. I will just leave this for later, besides it wouldn’t just disappear.”
“Qing Shui, large clans and sects are all very concerned with their reputation. If we help you get rid of Marionette Sect, Demon Gate will definitely not try to seek any compensation from Sky City. However, I’m worried for you. They may not travel such a long distance to look for trouble with us, but they can definitely find you.” Qin Zongheng replied when he saw Qing Shui still deep in thought.
“I understand. Brother Qin, why don’t you tell me more about Demon Gate. I’m quite curious about that sect.” Qing Shui said casually while smiling. Qing Shui found it rather dampening that he could not get rid of Marionette Sect due to the complications. Who would have known that Marionette Sect had a connection with Demon Gate?
More importantly, he definitely needed to pay a visit to Demon Gate, since Huoyun Liu-Li’s background was linked to Demon Gate. If he knew how powerful Demon Gate was, he would be able to gauge when he had enough strength to pay them a visit. Them as well as Lion King’s Ridge. Once he resolved both matters, he would be unburdened.
Qing Shui remembered Lin Zhanhan’s enmity with Lion King’s Ridge. The Lin Clan was once a large clan in Northern Sacred Lu Continent, a branch of Talisman Gate but was annihilated by Lion King’s Ridge.
“The main concept of Demon Gate is stealth. Even their name gives them a veil of anonymity. But it is undeniable that they are very powerful. They take on a very different approach to cultivation compared to the usual practices. They focus on speed and lethality in their martial arts. Their moves are even more effective than poison. They usually aim to kill with one attack. If they fail to kill with their one-shot attack, they will retreat. After that, they will seek another opportunity. They are good with disguise and trickery. They will use any method to kill their target and rarely fail.” Qin Zongheng replied patiently.
“Path of the Assassin!” Qing Shui suddenly exclaimed when he heard Qin Zongheng’s description, since that was exactly how assassins act. “Demon” seemed an apt term to use in their name. Other people might think that assassins were like demons, but to Qing Shui, they were nothing to be afraid about.
If they practiced Path of the Assassin, they may be fast but that would also mean that their strength would be considerably weaker. Their unconventional techniques, poison, hidden weapons and even simple Unison assaults might cause problems for others but to Qing Shui, those were nothing more than unorthodox little tactics. Those tactics might scare others, and give Demon Gate a great advantage in battle, perhaps even tenfolds their true ability. But those were just child’s play to Qing Shui. Their tendency to act secretively could also provide an additional chance for Qing Shui to kill them even more easily.
Qing Shui had originally decided not to touch Marionette Sect first, but now his will was wavering. He just needed to confirm Demon Gate’s ability to see if he could also take down Demon Gate at the same time.
“Would they send their most powerful people if they found out Marionette Sect was destroyed? Do you know how powerful the strongest person in Marionette Sect is?” Qing Shui wanted to have some preparation, as it could become difficult if the gap in strength between him and his enemies was too wide.
“I am not very clear about that, but I know that their top cultivators are only at Grade Five Martial Emperor. From what I know, no one in the Five Continents has broke through to the realm of Grade Five Martial Emperor.” Qin Zongheng answered thoughtfully.
This information was rather startling. Every grade before Grade Five Martial Emperor was measured by 1000 stars. The max base strength of a Grade Five Martial Emperor cultivator was 5000 stars, while one could enter Martial Emperor realm at just 1000 stars. However, he did not know if they were at that level of strength with or without their weapons.
“Elder brother Qin, do they need the additional boost from their equipments and weapons to reach Grade Five Martial Emperor or is that their base strength?”
“Yes. It is with their weapons and all sort of equipments and items they can use. Once a person reaches the realm of Martial Emperor, their weapons will almost take on a spiritual nature. A cultivator’s weapon can bring them to a new height of strength. As long as the cultivator can fully harness the power of their weapon, it will be taken into consideration. But once a person reaches an undefeatable level, normal weapons and armors are usually not that effective.” Qin Zongheng replied with a smile.
“That would also mean that Demon Gate doesn’t have any cultivators stronger than Grade Five Martial Emperor. Regardless, their equipments…”Qing Shui grinned.
“With that said, if a person’s base strength was at Grade Five Martial Emperor, they could easily defeat the entire Five Continents.” Qin Zongheng chuckled.
When Qing Shui heard this, he was relieved. Right now, he had his Violet Star Thunder God. One Raging Blow could reach the level of 2600 stars, that was half that of the top cultivators’…
His Emperor’s Qi could reduce his opponent’s strength to 4000 stars. He did not know if his Vajra Subdues Demons and Fiery Golden Eyes would work and he doubted their effectiveness in this case.
With his Nine Palace Steps and formations, he should be able to protect himself.
“In the World of the Nine Continents, for people in the Five continents to exceed the realm of a Grade Five Martial Emperor, it is said that they must venture to the remaining four continents or otherwise obtain some legendary item.” Qin Zongheng said to Qing Shui.
When Qing Shui heard about the other four continents, he was no longer that shocked. He once thought that the World of the Nine Continents was on a singular piece of land.
This secret about the World of the Nine Continent was already discovered over 10,000 years ago.
In actuality, very few people in the World of the Nine Continents traveled extensively. People usually didn’t even travel more than half of their own continent. Perhaps, they might not even go out of their own cities. There were actually very few people who traveled out of their countries, as the land was really too large. Even those with flying demonic beasts could not leave as they pleased. There were many powerful people outside the circles they know and with so many demonic beasts roaming around, the skies were actually more dangerous than being on land.
“It is rumored that the four other continents are above our lands. I am not sure if that is true.” Qin Zongheng chuckled, as if he did not believe those rumors himself.
“Legend has it that the sky is made of nine divisions and we’re standing on the lowest division. What is your view on that, Brother Qin?” Qing Shui asked lightheartedly.
“True or false, I only know that we are in our Five Continents, so I don’t want to think about anything else. When one reaches that level, one would naturally figure it out. Come, Brother Qing Shui, drink.”
“Big Brother, I heard we have a guest.” they heard a bright voice and footsteps outside.
The people were already at the entrance of the manor, but did not enter. Qin Zongheng looked at Qing Shui and said, “They are my brothers. You can just sit here, I’ll go look.”
“Let’s go together!” Qing Shui stood up and they went to the entrance. “Uncle! Uncle!”
The two young children quickly ran forward. Qing Shui laughed when he saw that. He could see that the relationship between the brothers was quite good since children were usually most sensitive to such relationships.
“Tianzong, you sure got the news fast.” Qin Zongheng patted the handsome beside him and laughed.
“Big Brother, shouldn’t you introduce him to us?”
“This is my wife’s brother, Qing Shui.” Qin Zongheng introduced Qing Shui, as he invited the others in.
“Qing Shui, they are my brothers, Tianzong, Qizong, Yunheng…”
There were eight of them, with the inclusion of Qin Zongheng, their family had nine sons. Qin Zongheng was the eldest. His father had five wives and not a single daughter.
“Since he is your wife’s brother, we’ll count him as our brother.” the group of people stared at Qing Shui, as if trying to read him.
“Uh, he looks really familiar. I am sure I’ve seen you before.” a young man behind him said suspiciously.
“Brother Tianheng, I’m the person wanted by Marionette Sect.’ Qing Shui said calmly and friendly to the man who was slightly older than him.
As the brothers have different mothers, their age gap was not large. At max, the difference was about 3 to 5 years.
AST 948 – Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm, Cure
“Oh, no wonder you look so familiar. The Marionette Sect is just asking to be destroyed. Qing Shui, if you plan on attacking them, let us know. We’ll help,” the man said earnestly.
“Brother Tianheng, thank you. I can deal with them myself, they aren’t a threat.” Qing Shui chuckled.
When Tianheng heard Qing Shui say that, he was quite shocked. There were not many people who would blatantly disregard the Marionette Sect’s power. Even their eldest brother, Zongheng, might not have full confidence to do so. Assuming that Qing Shui was just being polite, he did not say much after being a little taken back.
Everyone sat down and continued eating and drinking. Even though they were all young people, the atmosphere was still a little tense. Thankfully, Qin Zongheng and Qin Tianzong knew how to handle such situations.
As the atmosphere got friendlier, Qing Shui spoke more. Afterall, it would be impolite of him to stay silent when the others were asking him questions. Luckily, they didn’t ask him anything sensitive. They also talked about some of the aristocratic clans in the Central Continent and Qing Shui listened with interest.
“Do you know that there is a new expert in the Central Continent’s Buddha Sect?” Qin Tianzong laughed as he looked at the others.
“Second brother, don’t joke around. The Buddha Sect has the title of the strongest sect. It is rumored that the experts there are all very powerful. So how powerful can this new expert from the young generation be?” one of them immediately asked, it was a man who had a rather anxious appearance.
“Seventh brother, don’t get too excited. Listen to me. The expert doesn’t have a name. He is tall and fat, so everyone calls him Master Fattie. His master is Buddha Sect’s Diamond Reverend,” Qin Tianzong guffawed.
Everyone laughed and some of them even sighed in awe. After all, it did not impact them much, as those people were so far away. However, Qing Shui was astounded when he heard this because he thought of one person.
Fattie!
Fattie was brought away by a fat monk. Later on, he heard that he went with the monk and learned some fantastic abilities. Now that Qin Tianzong mentioned this Master Fattie, his intuition strongly suggested that it was the Fattie that he knew.
Qing Shui wanted to find out more about ‘Fattie’ but decided against it after a few moments of thought. If they were fated to meet again, they will. All that was important was that the other party was well.
Most of the people left after an hour or so. There were only three people remaining at the dining table. The two children had run away much earlier.
“Elder Sis, I’m leaving now.” Qing Shui stood up.
“No, you just came. How could you leave so early?” Weng Xue tried to persuade him, standing up quickly when she saw that Qing Shui was about to leave.
Qin Zongheng also stood up hurriedly but then he suddenly sat down again. His face turned a ghastly white as he tried his best to stand up again. He was expressionless but a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Qing Shui and Weng Xue both heard his soft groan. When she saw her husband’s condition, Weng Xue anxiously went over to support him. She asked worried, “Did it flare up again?”
Qing Shui looked at Qin Zongheng, puzzled. He saw that Qin Zongheng’s body was now slightly bent and that the area about his chest dented inward slightly. Qing Shui couldn’t resist using his Heavenly Vision Technique. He was surprised to discover that there was a golden worm in the man’s body.
Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm!
Qing Shui looked at Qin Zongheng, flabbergasted. He wondered who did this to Qin Zongheng. When he looked again, he noticed that the worm was only ten centimeters away from Qin Zongheng’s heart. The vessels within the vicinity of his heart and the path to his brain were sealed with silver needles. The Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm wasn’t large and Qing Shui could tell that it had stopped after it nibbled slightly at Qin Zongheng’s organs.
Qin Zongheng gritted his teeth and his body grew limp. The color drained from his face as blood streamed down the side of his mouth. They could even hear his teeth clattering because he had grit them so tightly.
Qing Shui was impressed that he did not make a sound after that groan. Qing Shui could understand that pain and he immediately understood why Qin Zongheng could take the title of Vice Castellan.
Weng Xue gave Qing Shui an apologetic look and quickly took out a white jade bottle. She poured out two white medicinal pills the size of soybeans and fed them to her husband.
“After some time, that Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm will grow larger and those silver needles will be unable to block it,” Qing Shui suddenly said.
Weng Xue looked at Qing Shui, stunned. Qin Zongheng reacted in the same way. No one else but the pair knew about the situation.
“Snow-hearted Echeveria Pill is a good medicine.” Qing Shui walked over to them slowly.
He went over and quickly hit a few pressure points on Qin Zongheng’s body. Hitting a few pressure point to relieve the man’s pain was nothing to Qing Shui. He couldn’t believe that a person could actually survive with such a poisonous worm inside them. However, it seemed that if nothing else was done, Qin Zongheng would definitely die.
No matter what, Qing Shui was really impressed by both of their ability to converse, appearance and mood. They seemed to have decided that it should not affect their daily lives. Qing Shui was sure he could not be as unaffected as them if the same thing were to happen to him.
“What can I do? I will leave my life to fate. I am happy just to live a few more months.” Qin Zongheng sighed and smiled.
“Oh, younger brother, how did you come to know about this poisonous creature? How did you know my husband’s condition?” Weng Xue was still stunned.
“That’s because someone planted the same type of worm inside me in the past.”
Qin Zongheng and Weng Xue were astonished by Qing Shui. Weng Xue looked to Qing Shui and asked, “You were cured?”
“Yes, I am fine now!” Qing Shui replied happily.
“Young brother, can you let us know how you did it. I will definitely reward you.” Weng Xue urged Qing Shui.
“Do you treat me as your brother?”
“I may be a woman and I don’t play politics. But I definitely take you as my true brother.” Weng Xue replied with full honesty.
“Elder Sis, are you saying that I am a person that plays politics?” Qing Shui laughed out.
“No, no. I was just too eager to know.” Weng Xue explained.
“It’s alright. It’s alright. Just remember that you’re my sister.” Qing Shui took out a large case.
“Qing Shui, what is that?” Qin Zongheng asked.
“I consider myself a physician. Afterall, I got rid of the worm myself. Brother Qin, will you let me help you get rid of that poisonous worm?” Qing Shui smiled to Qin Zongheng.
“I still have three months to live. I have already survived for two months. I have nothing to lose. Just do what you have to do to take it out.” Qin Zongheng chuckled ecstatically.
Qing Shui knew that the worm was life-threatening, so he could empathize with Qin Zongheng. Qing Shui calmed him down and made him relax, while he thought about how he would cure the man.
He could not use the previous method he used on himself. The main problem was that this worm could move very fast and through its victims’ meridian. In the World of the Nine Continent, once an ailment involved a person’s dantian and meridians, it would basically be very difficult for any physician.
Another factor was that medicines had no effect on the worm. It could not be damaged by an external force either. Even people highly proficient in acupuncture would be unable to do anything. The worm exists in its host like fish in water. Another method was to obtain the unique ‘antidote’ from the poisoner, which acts as a bait to attract and extract the poison silkworm. But even in a powerful place like Sky City, no one could use that method. Either the poisoner did not have the antidote or did not plan to reveal it.
When Qin Zongheng saw Qing Shui taking out his gold needles, he was a little disappointed. They had already sought the help from some of the experienced physicians in Weng Xue’s clan, but they had no success using gold needles. It was impossible to kill that parasite with gold needles. Even Physician Yong in Sky City could only use silver needles to seal up Qin Zongheng’s heart and important organs and help preserve his life for another six months, unable to extract it.
But that disappointment only flashed over his face for a second. He really did not know what to expect from Qing Shui who was so much younger than those old physicians who had spent over 100 to 300 years researching but were still unable to deal with his condition.
Although one’s skills were not determined by their age, medical skills and knowledge definitely correlated to a person’s age. One had to accumulate experience, especially when using acupuncture. Cultivators in this world would all find it mysterious that needles as thin as a bull’s hair could actually pierce through meridians without any issue.
“Did you try acupuncture and failed? Don’t worry, just trust me.” Qing Shui assured Qin Zongheng without even lifting his head. Weng Xue and Qin Zongheng instantly felt a sense of awkwardness.
Qing Shui got Qin Zongheng to lie down. Qing Shui’s hands suddenly gained a translucent glow. Now that he was more powerful, his hands glowed like clear, high-class jade.
Saintly Hands!
Qing Shui clenched his fists and hammered down on Qin Zongheng’s chest rapidly.
Bang!
Qin Zongheng did not even blink when he saw the flurry of punches raining down on his chest, it was so fast they could not really hear the distinction between the sound of each hit.
After he had almost hammered Qin Zongheng entire chest, he stopped abruptly. Now Qin Zongheng understood how incredible Qing Shui was because he could feel a comfortable warmth flowing through his body.
Qing Shui gestured and a hundred shining gold needles floated above Qin Zongheng’s body.
Spirit energy!
There are some cultivators who could manipulate matter telepathically in mid-air. This required a very large amount of spirit energy and was also a secret skill.
“Elder Sis, don’t let anyone bother us right now!” Qing Shui said to Weng Xue who was standing beside him.
“Don’t worry, no one will disturb us.” Weng Xue walked over to the entrance and commanded the guards not to let anyone in.
Chi!
Qing Shui slowly inserted a gold needle into Qin Zongheng’s chest. A hissing sound suddenly sounded, as almost half of that nine inch gold needle disappeared beneath his skin.
After that, Qing Shui did not hurry. After a few seconds, he inserted another three needles simultaneously. After he had inserted a total of nine needles, he flicked the gold needles and they started spinning with a buzzing sound.
As the number of gold needles in his hand gradually reduced, the number on Qin Zongheng’s chest increased, until it was almost completely covered.
Qing Shui slowly reduced the area the gold needles covered. He reduced the numbers till the needles showed a circular Yin Yang Image in the middle of Qin Zongheng’s chest. An image which resembled a Big Dipper Sword could also be seen.
A thin layer of sweat had already started appearing on Qing Shui’s face. Weng Xue looked beside him with a nervous face but she did not dare to move or even make a sound. Meanwhile, Qin Zongheng had already lost consciousness.
Needle Removal!
Qing Shui continuously removed the other surrounding needles and aimed them towards the center. If Mu Qing was around, she would be able to see that Qing Shui had created a formation with his gold needles, it was part of a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation…
Trap!
Qing Shui had managed to trap the poisonous worm!
AST 946 – Sky City's Vice Castellan Qin Zongheng, Sworn Sister
Her Cloud Crane sped towards Sky City and due to its extreme speed, reached the huge city in two hours. This gave Qing Shui the impression that Sky City was indeed a powerful and influential place. A two hours ride on the Cloud Crane was quite some distance. The Heavenly Cloud Pavilion was still powerful despite its distance from Sky City. From this, Qing Shui could tell that Sky City had a firm control over the area, to the extent that even the Marionette Sect didn't dare provoke them.
Sky City was too enigmatic. Qing Shui did not know if there were any experts like those elders in the Sky Prison Sect. However, from inferring the relative strength of the Marionette Sect with Sky City, he guessed that there were definitely some Beginner Grade Martial Emperors.
This was probably the reason why Weng Xue had been shocked when he had mentioned to her that he could defend himself against the people from Marionette Sect. He had meant that he could defend against members of the Marionette Sect by himself at his age. She was not sure if her husband could even do that and her husband was of an older generation than Qing Shui.
Yu He had become the mistress of the Hundred Flowers Valley with her Hundred Flowers constitution. It was an innate gift that others couldn't get, no matter how jealous they were. Otherwise, the title would never have landed into Yu He's hands. It is precisely because of Yu He that Weng Xue first had the impression that Qing Shui was no ordinary man. After observing him for just a short time, she could tell that he was special. He had an extraordinary presence and aura.
His aura was similar to that of some of the old Elders in Sky City, which made her feel that he was probably a top-tier cultivator. With that in mind, Weng Xue couldn't help looking at Qing Shui every now and then because she felt that Yu He and Qing Shui were very compatible. She even looked forward to them confirming their relationship.
She suddenly laughed, amused by her own thoughts. When had she become like this? She shook her head and stared off into the distance as Sky City became clearer and clearer before them. Just as its name implied, the famous Sky City was situated high above sea level.
Her Cloud Crane gradually flew upwards and Qing Shui estimated that Sky City was at least 10,000 meters above ground level. Weng Xue spoke to Qing Shui about some random matters but oddly, they did not even mention Sky City in their conversation.
"Qing Shui, you have to be careful around the Marionette Sect. Those people are very vengeful and ruthless. If you need help, you must tell me. I will help in any way I can." Weng Xue repeated once again when they were close to Sky City.
This time, Qing Shui nodded his head earnestly. He understood Weng Xue's sincerity. The way she acted clearly showed how close she was to Yu He. As a result, he replied with a smile, "Okay. If I find myself in a bad spot, don't act like you don't know me, Elder Sis!" Qing Shui joked. He readily changed what he called her.
Weng Xue was delighted when she heard Qing Shui's words. She was a very sharp woman and understood his witty remark. She suddenly felt a sense of kinship with Qing Shui, as if there was some fate bringing them together. Perhaps because she had been an orphan, she liked having him as her younger brother.
"Alright, I will treat you as my relative in the future. You'll be my younger brother." Weng Xue declared happily with a serious expression.
"Elder Sis!" Qing Shui called her again, happily.
"Alright, I'll hold a welcome banquet for you."
Weng Xue's Cloud Crane flew directly into Sky City as Weng Xue finished her sentence. Qing Shui had a clear view of the entire city now. To be precise, it was on a mountaintop but the structures made it look like a castle town.
Sky City was a moderately sized town about 100 li wide. There were many courtyards and pavilions, even a natural lake and a river. Both were formed from the melting glaciers of the mountain range. Looking at the size of the place, Qing Shui guessed that there were no outsiders in Sky City. The term 'City' was probably only used to represent the power and influence of this place, just like with the Poison Mountain Stockade and the Sky Prison Sect. It was actually far smaller than a true city like Hundred Miles City, which covered over 1000 li.
Her Cloud Crane dove down towards an area with a few magnificent-looking manors and landed. Each of the manors was very large and Qing Shui could feel the presence of numerous powerful auras beyond his perceptive abilities.
Weng Xue kept her Cloud Crane and walked towards the entrance of a manor. The guards who saw her quickly bowed and greeted her, "Madam!"
Weng Xue acknowledged them with a nod and walked into the manor with Qing Shui. They walked through an independent courtyard, surrounded by various pavilions. Qing Shui immediately sensed that there were not many people in the manor. There were only a few guards and servants.
Qing Shui knew that Weng Xue's husband was the Vice Castellan of the city, but it seemed to him that the man kept a low profile.
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
Two four to five year old children ran towards them. The boy looked slightly older and was followed by a middle-aged woman. Weng Xue cheerfully carried one of her children.
"Auntie Feng, you should rest for a while. I will take care of the two kids. " Weng Xue said warmly to the middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded her head before she bowed and excused herself.
"Hu'er, Bing'er. This is your uncle. Quickly greet your uncle." Weng Xue said as she carried both her children and looked at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui was a little caught off guard. He did not expect that she would have children and hadn't thought about it at all. But even he himself had a few children, so this was not really all that surprising.
The two children were very cute. They both had long hair and their exquisite faces were just like fine porcelain. Their black eyes were like black jewels sitting atop their sharp little noses. They both slightly resembled Weng Xue.
"Mother, what is an Uncle?" The young boy asked Weng Xue an odd question.
"Well, are you close to Bing'er?" Weng Xue asked gently.
"Yes, she is my little sister. If anyone bullies her, I will beat them back ten times as hard." Hu'er replied, raising his fists.
"He calls me Elder Sis. We are siblings, just like you and Bing'er." Weng Xue told the little child patiently, taking this opportunity to teach her children.
"Mother, are you closer to him or us?" The young child asked in alarm, as he stared at Qing Shui.
"Little brat, you two are my most precious!" Weng Xue was tickled by his reaction.
Qing Shui was quite entertained by the child's logic. He took out two Wondrous Fruits and handed one to the boy. "Call me 'Uncle' and I will give this to you. It's very delicious."
Even without Qing Shui description, the boy already knew that it must taste good. When Qing Shui just started opening the sealed box containing the fruits, the boy had already started salivating because of its smell. At the same time, Weng Xue was startled when she saw the fruits in Qing Shui's hand.
"Uncle!"
The two children quickly took the fruits from him and started nibbling…
"Wondrous Fruit!" Weng Xue exclaimed.
"Elder Sis, you know what this is." Qing Shui chuckled. Since Yiye Jiange could also recognize the fruit, it did not surprise him that Weng Xue could recognize it too.
"The Wondrous Fruit is one of the most amazing fruits in the World of the Nine Continents. It is extremely precious! It is usually best consumed by children under 13 and can raise their potential by 10% and their natural aptitudes by even more. This is quite valuable!" Weng Xue was quite shocked, as she said this.
In actuality, adults could also consume the fruits, but they were most effective for children. No one would waste any on adults.
"Xue'er, you have a guest." Just then, they heard a clear bright voice.
Qing Shui could feel the person's aura. He looked behind him and saw a man who could still be considered young. The man had a calm mannerism. He was very handsome and the corner of his eyes curved upwards almost like a smile, but his other facial features were sharp and firm. The man walked towards them with a smile, but he still had an intense oppressive air about him.
"Daddy!"
"Daddy!"
The two children ran towards their father with their half-eaten fruits. The man carried both of them, on in each arm. His expression quickly mellowed and was filled with his love for his two children. Then, he noticed what they were eating and exclaimed, "Wondrous Fruit!"
"Zongheng, you're back. Let me introduce this young man that I just acknowledged as my younger brother. He's Qing Shui." Weng Xue said, smiling.
"Hi, I am Qin Zongheng. You look familiar." the man smiled, he placed his children down and lifted his hand for a handshake.
"Hi, I am Qing Shui. I am the person that the Marionette Sect is looking for." Qing Shui gave a faint smile.
Even if the man was slightly wary, Qing Shui was not really that concerned. The fact that the man still treated him in a good-natured manner meant the Weng Xue really held a place in that man's heart. Qing Shui gladly shook Zongheng's hand.
"Since you are Weng Xue's brother, we are all one family. You don't have to be too formal with us. Come inside. Let's have a good drinking session tonight." Qin Zongheng said invitingly.
He trusted Weng Xue and could also tell that Qing Shui was no common person. He did not think too much about it. Anyways, the Marionette Sect could not compare to Sky City, as they were on two entirely different levels.
During that time, Weng Xue eyed him and further suggested, "Zongheng, I treat him as my real younger brother. You should bring out your best wine."
"Xue'er brother is also my brother. Thank you for your Wondrous Fruits." The man thanked Qing Shui sincerely, as he watched his children happily nibble on their fruit.
"It's nothing. I have children too. I like your children and these fruits are the perfect thing for them." Qing Shui beamed.
Weng Xue was quite stunned when she heard that Qing Shui already had children. However, she still followed them to the main hall. The dining table was already filled with plates of hot dishes. Weng Xue had previously already ordered her servants to make preparations for a small banquet.
"Brother Qing Shui, I am a little curious. How did you get to know Xue'er?" Qin Zongheng smiled as he asked Qing Shui.
"Brother Qin, I first met Sister Xue only two hours before. Sister Xue's younger sister is my very good friend." Qing Shui replied lightheartedly. He did not wish for the man to misunderstand their relationship. He only knew now that the man had actually been concerned about the subject and it seemed he had already endured asking that question for some time.
Qing Shui did not expect that a powerful, firm man like Qin Zongheng would actually act like this. Perhaps, people would lose their confidence when it came to things that they truly cared about.
Qin Zongheng only felt insecure because he could tell that Qing Shui was quite a talented young man. A powerful young man with good looks was very attractive to women. No matter how much Qin Zongheng trusted Weng Xue, he was still worried. After all, men could be very selfish. The stronger their love, the more selfish and worried they could become.
"Brother Qin, in my heart, Sister Xue is just like my real sister." Qing Shui actually admired Qin Zongheng's character. For a man of his stature to only have one woman, it really showed his dedication.
"He'er and Qing Shui are very good friends!" Weng Xue laughed heartily. After he heard what Weng Xue said, Qin Zongheng's eyes also lit up. He took a closer look at Qing Shui.
"Elder Sis, I feel that we really have quite the affinity. I am happy to have another sister. I would like to raise a toast to you." Qing Shui lifted his cup of wine and finished it in one gulp.
Weng Xue did the same and said, "From today, we are siblings. I'm truly happy."
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AST 947 – Form, The path to Demon Gate, Consternation
There were only five of them at the dinner table, including the two children. Weng Xue was quite powerful. She was a Peak Martial Saint with the strength of about 50 stars. Qin Zongheng was an Early Martial Emperor and Qing Shui felt that he must be very powerful.
“We are family now. Qing Shui, don’t stand on ceremony. Have more wine!”
Qin Zongheng drank enthusiastically with Qing Shui. One of the reasons he could hold the title as the Vice Castellan of Sky City was because of his exceptional ability. At least, in terms of reading people, he was definitely better than others. His wife, Weng Xue, also helped in his career over the years. Her influential position in Hundred Flowers Valley meant that she was well known in the group of upper-tier cultivators. She had also helped solve many of Qin Zongheng problems.
His title meant that he was the successor of the current Castellan. However, although a Vice Castellan was chosen from each generation, the position of Castellan was not passed down, but was instead based on a person’s strength, not his age nor generation.
For someone to become the Castellan, they not only had to be capable but also had to have a network of powerful connections. After all, a person who wants to achieve great things will need loyal supporters. Even though aristocratic clans disallowed internal conflicts within their clans on the surface, the fact was that members in a clan definitely had their own choice of successor. The Elders would never really clamp down on it, as it was an important requirement for a successor. It was important that the future successor was able to gather supporters so that future internal power struggles could be avoided. Only one with absolute talent and strength could bend things in their own favor.
“Qing Shui, why are you on Marionette Sect’s wanted list? Could you tell me?” Qin Zongheng smiled amiably at Qing Shui. Now that he considered Qing Shui his family, he believed that it was necessary to resolve the issue with the wanted posters with Qing Shui’s portrait.
“I was eating in Octagon Inn when the people from Marionette Sect commented that I was suitable to be their marionette. I had no choice but to stomp and destroy their restaurant to escape.” Qing Shui explained nonchalantly.
“That’s preposterous! Those people are getting too arrogant in Sky City. I will ask my grandfather to help you resolve this matter.” Qin Zongheng replied furiously.
“Elder Brother Qin, please let me resolve this myself. It’s alright, I will make them pay.” Qing Shui said, as he did not want to owe others any favors. Even though he treated Weng Xue as his sister, he did not want to owe them any debts. Besides, he felt that Marionette Sect could be easily destroyed.
Qin Zongheng’s brow furrowed slightly. He thought for few minutes before saying, “Marionette Sect might not be that intimidating, but in name they are still a branch of Demon Gate.”
When Qing Shui heard what Qin Zongheng said, he was surprised. He did not expect that the issue would actually involve Demon Gate. He did not know the exact strength and influence of Demon Gate and only knew that they were formidable. Now that he saw how serious Qin Zongheng became when he mentioned them, he could further confirm that.
Qing Shui fell silent, as he considered his options going forward. Although the Marionette Sect did plan to turn him into their marionette, he was basically unharmed and caused significant losses to Marionette Sect.
Also, he had every intention to deal with Demon Gate. However, this was not the right time. Currently, Qing Shui was hesitant to take action to eliminate Marionette Sect. He thought that perhaps it might be better for him to attack them at a later time.
“Younger Brother, no one in Sky City will dare to harm you. Furthermore, if Marionette Sect really takes action and you retaliate by destroying them, Demon Gate will not be able to say anything.” Weng Xue said quietly.
Qing Shui smiled when he saw Weng Xue’s sincere gaze, “Thank you Elder Sis, but I am not in a hurry to resolve this issue. I have already dragged this for a year. Anyway, I wasn’t hurt. I will just leave this for later, besides it wouldn’t just disappear.”
“Qing Shui, large clans and sects are all very concerned with their reputation. If we help you get rid of Marionette Sect, Demon Gate will definitely not try to seek any compensation from Sky City. However, I’m worried for you. They may not travel such a long distance to look for trouble with us, but they can definitely find you.” Qin Zongheng replied when he saw Qing Shui still deep in thought.
“I understand. Brother Qin, why don’t you tell me more about Demon Gate. I’m quite curious about that sect.” Qing Shui said casually while smiling. Qing Shui found it rather dampening that he could not get rid of Marionette Sect due to the complications. Who would have known that Marionette Sect had a connection with Demon Gate?
More importantly, he definitely needed to pay a visit to Demon Gate, since Huoyun Liu-Li’s background was linked to Demon Gate. If he knew how powerful Demon Gate was, he would be able to gauge when he had enough strength to pay them a visit. Them as well as Lion King’s Ridge. Once he resolved both matters, he would be unburdened.
Qing Shui remembered Lin Zhanhan’s enmity with Lion King’s Ridge. The Lin Clan was once a large clan in Northern Sacred Lu Continent, a branch of Talisman Gate but was annihilated by Lion King’s Ridge.
“The main concept of Demon Gate is stealth. Even their name gives them a veil of anonymity. But it is undeniable that they are very powerful. They take on a very different approach to cultivation compared to the usual practices. They focus on speed and lethality in their martial arts. Their moves are even more effective than poison. They usually aim to kill with one attack. If they fail to kill with their one-shot attack, they will retreat. After that, they will seek another opportunity. They are good with disguise and trickery. They will use any method to kill their target and rarely fail.” Qin Zongheng replied patiently.
“Path of the Assassin!” Qing Shui suddenly exclaimed when he heard Qin Zongheng’s description, since that was exactly how assassins act. “Demon” seemed an apt term to use in their name. Other people might think that assassins were like demons, but to Qing Shui, they were nothing to be afraid about.
If they practiced Path of the Assassin, they may be fast but that would also mean that their strength would be considerably weaker. Their unconventional techniques, poison, hidden weapons and even simple Unison assaults might cause problems for others but to Qing Shui, those were nothing more than unorthodox little tactics. Those tactics might scare others, and give Demon Gate a great advantage in battle, perhaps even tenfolds their true ability. But those were just child’s play to Qing Shui. Their tendency to act secretively could also provide an additional chance for Qing Shui to kill them even more easily.
Qing Shui had originally decided not to touch Marionette Sect first, but now his will was wavering. He just needed to confirm Demon Gate’s ability to see if he could also take down Demon Gate at the same time.
“Would they send their most powerful people if they found out Marionette Sect was destroyed? Do you know how powerful the strongest person in Marionette Sect is?” Qing Shui wanted to have some preparation, as it could become difficult if the gap in strength between him and his enemies was too wide.
“I am not very clear about that, but I know that their top cultivators are only at Grade Five Martial Emperor. From what I know, no one in the Five Continents has broke through to the realm of Grade Five Martial Emperor.” Qin Zongheng answered thoughtfully.
This information was rather startling. Every grade before Grade Five Martial Emperor was measured by 1000 stars. The max base strength of a Grade Five Martial Emperor cultivator was 5000 stars, while one could enter Martial Emperor realm at just 1000 stars. However, he did not know if they were at that level of strength with or without their weapons.
“Elder brother Qin, do they need the additional boost from their equipments and weapons to reach Grade Five Martial Emperor or is that their base strength?”
“Yes. It is with their weapons and all sort of equipments and items they can use. Once a person reaches the realm of Martial Emperor, their weapons will almost take on a spiritual nature. A cultivator’s weapon can bring them to a new height of strength. As long as the cultivator can fully harness the power of their weapon, it will be taken into consideration. But once a person reaches an undefeatable level, normal weapons and armors are usually not that effective.” Qin Zongheng replied with a smile.
“That would also mean that Demon Gate doesn’t have any cultivators stronger than Grade Five Martial Emperor. Regardless, their equipments…”Qing Shui grinned.
“With that said, if a person’s base strength was at Grade Five Martial Emperor, they could easily defeat the entire Five Continents.” Qin Zongheng chuckled.
When Qing Shui heard this, he was relieved. Right now, he had his Violet Star Thunder God. One Raging Blow could reach the level of 2600 stars, that was half that of the top cultivators’…
His Emperor’s Qi could reduce his opponent’s strength to 4000 stars. He did not know if his Vajra Subdues Demons and Fiery Golden Eyes would work and he doubted their effectiveness in this case.
With his Nine Palace Steps and formations, he should be able to protect himself.
“In the World of the Nine Continents, for people in the Five continents to exceed the realm of a Grade Five Martial Emperor, it is said that they must venture to the remaining four continents or otherwise obtain some legendary item.” Qin Zongheng said to Qing Shui.
When Qing Shui heard about the other four continents, he was no longer that shocked. He once thought that the World of the Nine Continents was on a singular piece of land.
This secret about the World of the Nine Continent was already discovered over 10,000 years ago.
In actuality, very few people in the World of the Nine Continents traveled extensively. People usually didn’t even travel more than half of their own continent. Perhaps, they might not even go out of their own cities. There were actually very few people who traveled out of their countries, as the land was really too large. Even those with flying demonic beasts could not leave as they pleased. There were many powerful people outside the circles they know and with so many demonic beasts roaming around, the skies were actually more dangerous than being on land.
“It is rumored that the four other continents are above our lands. I am not sure if that is true.” Qin Zongheng chuckled, as if he did not believe those rumors himself.
“Legend has it that the sky is made of nine divisions and we’re standing on the lowest division. What is your view on that, Brother Qin?” Qing Shui asked lightheartedly.
“True or false, I only know that we are in our Five Continents, so I don’t want to think about anything else. When one reaches that level, one would naturally figure it out. Come, Brother Qing Shui, drink.”
“Big Brother, I heard we have a guest.” they heard a bright voice and footsteps outside.
The people were already at the entrance of the manor, but did not enter. Qin Zongheng looked at Qing Shui and said, “They are my brothers. You can just sit here, I’ll go look.”
“Let’s go together!” Qing Shui stood up and they went to the entrance. “Uncle! Uncle!”
The two young children quickly ran forward. Qing Shui laughed when he saw that. He could see that the relationship between the brothers was quite good since children were usually most sensitive to such relationships.
“Tianzong, you sure got the news fast.” Qin Zongheng patted the handsome beside him and laughed.
“Big Brother, shouldn’t you introduce him to us?”
“This is my wife’s brother, Qing Shui.” Qin Zongheng introduced Qing Shui, as he invited the others in.
“Qing Shui, they are my brothers, Tianzong, Qizong, Yunheng…”
There were eight of them, with the inclusion of Qin Zongheng, their family had nine sons. Qin Zongheng was the eldest. His father had five wives and not a single daughter.
“Since he is your wife’s brother, we’ll count him as our brother.” the group of people stared at Qing Shui, as if trying to read him.
“Uh, he looks really familiar. I am sure I’ve seen you before.” a young man behind him said suspiciously.
“Brother Tianheng, I’m the person wanted by Marionette Sect.’ Qing Shui said calmly and friendly to the man who was slightly older than him.
As the brothers have different mothers, their age gap was not large. At max, the difference was about 3 to 5 years.
AST 948 – Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm, Cure
“Oh, no wonder you look so familiar. The Marionette Sect is just asking to be destroyed. Qing Shui, if you plan on attacking them, let us know. We’ll help,” the man said earnestly.
“Brother Tianheng, thank you. I can deal with them myself, they aren’t a threat.” Qing Shui chuckled.
When Tianheng heard Qing Shui say that, he was quite shocked. There were not many people who would blatantly disregard the Marionette Sect’s power. Even their eldest brother, Zongheng, might not have full confidence to do so. Assuming that Qing Shui was just being polite, he did not say much after being a little taken back.
Everyone sat down and continued eating and drinking. Even though they were all young people, the atmosphere was still a little tense. Thankfully, Qin Zongheng and Qin Tianzong knew how to handle such situations.
As the atmosphere got friendlier, Qing Shui spoke more. Afterall, it would be impolite of him to stay silent when the others were asking him questions. Luckily, they didn’t ask him anything sensitive. They also talked about some of the aristocratic clans in the Central Continent and Qing Shui listened with interest.
“Do you know that there is a new expert in the Central Continent’s Buddha Sect?” Qin Tianzong laughed as he looked at the others.
“Second brother, don’t joke around. The Buddha Sect has the title of the strongest sect. It is rumored that the experts there are all very powerful. So how powerful can this new expert from the young generation be?” one of them immediately asked, it was a man who had a rather anxious appearance.
“Seventh brother, don’t get too excited. Listen to me. The expert doesn’t have a name. He is tall and fat, so everyone calls him Master Fattie. His master is Buddha Sect’s Diamond Reverend,” Qin Tianzong guffawed.
Everyone laughed and some of them even sighed in awe. After all, it did not impact them much, as those people were so far away. However, Qing Shui was astounded when he heard this because he thought of one person.
Fattie!
Fattie was brought away by a fat monk. Later on, he heard that he went with the monk and learned some fantastic abilities. Now that Qin Tianzong mentioned this Master Fattie, his intuition strongly suggested that it was the Fattie that he knew.
Qing Shui wanted to find out more about ‘Fattie’ but decided against it after a few moments of thought. If they were fated to meet again, they will. All that was important was that the other party was well.
Most of the people left after an hour or so. There were only three people remaining at the dining table. The two children had run away much earlier.
“Elder Sis, I’m leaving now.” Qing Shui stood up.
“No, you just came. How could you leave so early?” Weng Xue tried to persuade him, standing up quickly when she saw that Qing Shui was about to leave.
Qin Zongheng also stood up hurriedly but then he suddenly sat down again. His face turned a ghastly white as he tried his best to stand up again. He was expressionless but a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Qing Shui and Weng Xue both heard his soft groan. When she saw her husband’s condition, Weng Xue anxiously went over to support him. She asked worried, “Did it flare up again?”
Qing Shui looked at Qin Zongheng, puzzled. He saw that Qin Zongheng’s body was now slightly bent and that the area about his chest dented inward slightly. Qing Shui couldn’t resist using his Heavenly Vision Technique. He was surprised to discover that there was a golden worm in the man’s body.
Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm!
Qing Shui looked at Qin Zongheng, flabbergasted. He wondered who did this to Qin Zongheng. When he looked again, he noticed that the worm was only ten centimeters away from Qin Zongheng’s heart. The vessels within the vicinity of his heart and the path to his brain were sealed with silver needles. The Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm wasn’t large and Qing Shui could tell that it had stopped after it nibbled slightly at Qin Zongheng’s organs.
Qin Zongheng gritted his teeth and his body grew limp. The color drained from his face as blood streamed down the side of his mouth. They could even hear his teeth clattering because he had grit them so tightly.
Qing Shui was impressed that he did not make a sound after that groan. Qing Shui could understand that pain and he immediately understood why Qin Zongheng could take the title of Vice Castellan.
Weng Xue gave Qing Shui an apologetic look and quickly took out a white jade bottle. She poured out two white medicinal pills the size of soybeans and fed them to her husband.
“After some time, that Marrow Nibbling Golden Silkworm will grow larger and those silver needles will be unable to block it,” Qing Shui suddenly said.
Weng Xue looked at Qing Shui, stunned. Qin Zongheng reacted in the same way. No one else but the pair knew about the situation.
“Snow-hearted Echeveria Pill is a good medicine.” Qing Shui walked over to them slowly.
He went over and quickly hit a few pressure points on Qin Zongheng’s body. Hitting a few pressure point to relieve the man’s pain was nothing to Qing Shui. He couldn’t believe that a person could actually survive with such a poisonous worm inside them. However, it seemed that if nothing else was done, Qin Zongheng would definitely die.
No matter what, Qing Shui was really impressed by both of their ability to converse, appearance and mood. They seemed to have decided that it should not affect their daily lives. Qing Shui was sure he could not be as unaffected as them if the same thing were to happen to him.
“What can I do? I will leave my life to fate. I am happy just to live a few more months.” Qin Zongheng sighed and smiled.
“Oh, younger brother, how did you come to know about this poisonous creature? How did you know my husband’s condition?” Weng Xue was still stunned.
“That’s because someone planted the same type of worm inside me in the past.”
Qin Zongheng and Weng Xue were astonished by Qing Shui. Weng Xue looked to Qing Shui and asked, “You were cured?”
“Yes, I am fine now!” Qing Shui replied happily.
“Young brother, can you let us know how you did it. I will definitely reward you.” Weng Xue urged Qing Shui.
“Do you treat me as your brother?”
“I may be a woman and I don’t play politics. But I definitely take you as my true brother.” Weng Xue replied with full honesty.
“Elder Sis, are you saying that I am a person that plays politics?” Qing Shui laughed out.
“No, no. I was just too eager to know.” Weng Xue explained.
“It’s alright. It’s alright. Just remember that you’re my sister.” Qing Shui took out a large case.
“Qing Shui, what is that?” Qin Zongheng asked.
“I consider myself a physician. Afterall, I got rid of the worm myself. Brother Qin, will you let me help you get rid of that poisonous worm?” Qing Shui smiled to Qin Zongheng.
“I still have three months to live. I have already survived for two months. I have nothing to lose. Just do what you have to do to take it out.” Qin Zongheng chuckled ecstatically.
Qing Shui knew that the worm was life-threatening, so he could empathize with Qin Zongheng. Qing Shui calmed him down and made him relax, while he thought about how he would cure the man.
He could not use the previous method he used on himself. The main problem was that this worm could move very fast and through its victims’ meridian. In the World of the Nine Continent, once an ailment involved a person’s dantian and meridians, it would basically be very difficult for any physician.
Another factor was that medicines had no effect on the worm. It could not be damaged by an external force either. Even people highly proficient in acupuncture would be unable to do anything. The worm exists in its host like fish in water. Another method was to obtain the unique ‘antidote’ from the poisoner, which acts as a bait to attract and extract the poison silkworm. But even in a powerful place like Sky City, no one could use that method. Either the poisoner did not have the antidote or did not plan to reveal it.
When Qin Zongheng saw Qing Shui taking out his gold needles, he was a little disappointed. They had already sought the help from some of the experienced physicians in Weng Xue’s clan, but they had no success using gold needles. It was impossible to kill that parasite with gold needles. Even Physician Yong in Sky City could only use silver needles to seal up Qin Zongheng’s heart and important organs and help preserve his life for another six months, unable to extract it.
But that disappointment only flashed over his face for a second. He really did not know what to expect from Qing Shui who was so much younger than those old physicians who had spent over 100 to 300 years researching but were still unable to deal with his condition.
Although one’s skills were not determined by their age, medical skills and knowledge definitely correlated to a person’s age. One had to accumulate experience, especially when using acupuncture. Cultivators in this world would all find it mysterious that needles as thin as a bull’s hair could actually pierce through meridians without any issue.
“Did you try acupuncture and failed? Don’t worry, just trust me.” Qing Shui assured Qin Zongheng without even lifting his head. Weng Xue and Qin Zongheng instantly felt a sense of awkwardness.
Qing Shui got Qin Zongheng to lie down. Qing Shui’s hands suddenly gained a translucent glow. Now that he was more powerful, his hands glowed like clear, high-class jade.
Saintly Hands!
Qing Shui clenched his fists and hammered down on Qin Zongheng’s chest rapidly.
Bang!
Qin Zongheng did not even blink when he saw the flurry of punches raining down on his chest, it was so fast they could not really hear the distinction between the sound of each hit.
After he had almost hammered Qin Zongheng entire chest, he stopped abruptly. Now Qin Zongheng understood how incredible Qing Shui was because he could feel a comfortable warmth flowing through his body.
Qing Shui gestured and a hundred shining gold needles floated above Qin Zongheng’s body.
Spirit energy!
There are some cultivators who could manipulate matter telepathically in mid-air. This required a very large amount of spirit energy and was also a secret skill.
“Elder Sis, don’t let anyone bother us right now!” Qing Shui said to Weng Xue who was standing beside him.
“Don’t worry, no one will disturb us.” Weng Xue walked over to the entrance and commanded the guards not to let anyone in.
Chi!
Qing Shui slowly inserted a gold needle into Qin Zongheng’s chest. A hissing sound suddenly sounded, as almost half of that nine inch gold needle disappeared beneath his skin.
After that, Qing Shui did not hurry. After a few seconds, he inserted another three needles simultaneously. After he had inserted a total of nine needles, he flicked the gold needles and they started spinning with a buzzing sound.
As the number of gold needles in his hand gradually reduced, the number on Qin Zongheng’s chest increased, until it was almost completely covered.
Qing Shui slowly reduced the area the gold needles covered. He reduced the numbers till the needles showed a circular Yin Yang Image in the middle of Qin Zongheng’s chest. An image which resembled a Big Dipper Sword could also be seen.
A thin layer of sweat had already started appearing on Qing Shui’s face. Weng Xue looked beside him with a nervous face but she did not dare to move or even make a sound. Meanwhile, Qin Zongheng had already lost consciousness.
Needle Removal!
Qing Shui continuously removed the other surrounding needles and aimed them towards the center. If Mu Qing was around, she would be able to see that Qing Shui had created a formation with his gold needles, it was part of a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation…
Trap!
Qing Shui had managed to trap the poisonous worm!
