Chapter 482: The Walking Jiangshi

It was rather quiet at the Imperial Supervisory Bureau today.

Whenever a major event took place, a group of experts would be called upon to oversee every detail. The guards of the capital of Yu maintained order on the surface, while the Imperial Supervisory Bureau operated in the shadows, ensuring stability behind the scenes.

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner had already entered the palace, making preparations for the grand court assembly following the presentation of the captives.

Conquering the Roupu Kingdom was merely a tactic to restore public morale. The officials in the court chamber, however, would not view this as a significant victory. Their thoughts had already turned to the next challenge—dealing with the Fuyao Kingdom. On its own, the Fuyao Kingdom posed little threat to the Yu Dynasty. But with Penglai supporting it, the situation became far more complicated.

Penglai had always maintained a highly ambiguous stance. While it sided with the Yu Dynasty on matters concerning the interests of the human race, it also seemed to wish for the Fuyao Kingdom to grow as powerful as possible.

After all, if the Yu Dynasty grew too powerful, its imperial authority could eventually overshadow the influence of the immortal sects. On the other hand, no matter how strong the Fuyao Kingdom became, it would always remain loyal to Penglai.

At the break of dawn, commotion stirred outside. Along both sides of the main street stretching from the eastern gate to the imperial city, vendors scrambled for the best spots while city patrol guards worked to maintain order. Before long, curious citizens would line the street, eager to witness the day’s events.

Rumor had it that this time, the presentation of captives would be unlike any before.

As the Heavenly Dynasty ruling over the nine provinces, the Yu Dynasty had not encountered an foreign enemy in decades. The last presentation of captives after a war dated back nearly a hundred years, marked by grand sacrifices at the Grand Ancestral Temple and a parade of prisoners in wooden carts.

However, this time, the people of the Roupu Kingdom were rather submissive. As a result, His Majesty allowed the East Sea General to forgo harsh treatment and transport nearly a hundred members of the Roupu royal family to the imperial city in carriages. A few hostages would be held, while the rest would likely be returned in due course.

Of course, for the royal family of the Roupu Kingdom, the chance to stay in the capital of Yu as hostages was quite precious, so there would probably be some competition for it.

"Brother Chu, this is the Fiery Celestial Grass you requested."

An official from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau handed Chu Liang a spirit plant sealed inside an ice box. Through the semi-transparent lid, he glimpsed what appeared to be a half-burned blade of grass—nothing about it seemed particularly remarkable.

However, Chu Liang accepted it with repeated thanks, "Thank you, Brother Chen."

He accepted the treasure of nature with one hand and handed over a jade talisman with the other.

Seal-Holding Official Chen received the talisman, scanned it with his divine sense, and started laughing. He then said, "Didn't I say yesterday, it’s just nine thousand Vermillion-Bird coins, Brother Chu, you..."

"Of course, I can't let you run this errand for nothing," Chu Liang replied with a smile.

The jade talisman contained ten thousand Vermillion-Bird coins, with the extra amount serving as payment for the errand.

"Brother Chu, you..." The official's smile immediately turned warm and sincere. His gaze toward Chu Liang shifted from that of a friend to a true brother. After a long pause, he could only say, "Very generous of you."

In fact, the cost of acquiring this spirit plant was eight thousand and eight hundred, and he had rounded up the price when reporting to Chu Liang. He hadn’t expected that Chu Liang would be even more generous than he thought.

A few days earlier, Chu Liang had noticed that the Colorful Doll had fully absorbed the water-attribute treasure of nature, which meant that he would be able to unlock the fourth level of the Secret Reservoir of the Five Elements. However, as he was now a prisoner in the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, it was rather inconvenient to obtain treasures of nature.

Once he became familiar with the officials in the residence, he inquired and found that the capital of Yu indeed had large shops and markets for the cultivation world. He then asked someone to purchase this spirit plant for him.

In Yu's capital, everything cost a fortune. Nine thousand Vermillion-Bird coins for a single spirit plant? It was steep, a bit more than the usual price. But if it made him stronger, it was worth every coin. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to part with nine thousand. Besides, paying a little extra for the errand wasn't just about kindness—it was an investment in favors, a promise that someone would lend a hand when he needed it again.

Last time, he had bought a spirit plant at Flying-Dragon Fortress using Lin Bei's name. Even after returning to Mount Shu, he wasted no time and settled the remaining payment right away.

There was no point in skimping on these small sums.

The initial construction of Red Cotton Peak had been funded by an investment from Taotie City. Now, it was thriving, and all the income flowed straight into Chu Liang's pocket. Although he had to share a portion of the profits, the costs were minimal, and he was still raking in a fortune.

He now held a large stash of spirit-stone coins that couldn’t be eaten or earn interest. The smartest move was to trade them for natural treasures to boost his strength.

...

Once things quieted down, he sank his divine sense into the White Pagoda.

Tuntun was curled up, wrapped in her wings, sound asleep. Nearby, several Large-Headed Dolls worked frantically, their overlapping phenomena making the inside of the White Pagoda appear ethereal.

Chu Liang opened the ice box and took out the half-charred blade of grass.

Whoosh—

The moment the leaf left the ice box, a bluish-golden flame erupted! Light flowed within the flame, radiating spiritual energy, and in an instant, the missing part of the leaf was restored.

So this was the marvelous nature of the Fiery Celestial Grass.

The surge of spiritual qi was intense. Tuntun, off to the side, caught a whiff of it. Jolted awake, she sprang up, muttering, "Ah ba... Ah ba..." She flapped her large wings and wobbled over, mumbling incoherently, "Hungry..."

It seemed that objects filled with spiritual energy still held the greatest appeal for her.

"This isn't for you," Chu Liang said with a smile, pressing down on her small head. Then, he pulled out a bag of steaming barbecue and fried skewers from his chest, each piece coated in sauce and wafting a delicious aroma. "This is for you."

Tuntun's nose twitched, instantly lured by the scent.

"This isn’t for little ones," Chu Liang teased. "Be good, and we’ll have a small barbecue every day to keep you full."

After pacifying Tuntun, Chu Liang approached the Colorful Doll in the White Pagoda with the Fiery Celestial Grass in hand and embedded the spirit plant into it.

Boom—

In an instant, the tri-colored doll shimmered and gained a new hue. Once the Reservoir of the Five Elements was unlocked, the fourth level—the Bing Fire Foundational Qi—would be activated.

The Bing Fire Foundational Qi was fierce and explosive. Infusing it into divine abilities or sword qi would amplify their destructive power tremendously, significantly enhancing one’s combat strength.

Initially, Chu Liang had been concerned that Tuntun might gnaw on other items in the White Pagoda. If she ended up devouring the Large-Headed Dolls, it would be a devastating loss. However, over the past few days, he noticed that Tuntun showed little interest in the objects within the pagoda, even those brimming with spiritual energy.

This allowed him to relax, at least a little.

Still, he kept a close eye on the little one, ready to intervene should she make any irreparable mistakes.

As he came out from the White Pagoda, preparing to begin his work, he suddenly felt a faint warmth spread across his chest.

At the moment, he was carrying several objects that could trigger motion or sensation, so he couldn't immediately tell which one it was. Without hesitation, he reached into his robes and pulled out a jade ornament. Just as he had guessed, the warmth was coming from the United Hearts Jade he shared with Senior Sister Jiang.

As his divine sense entered the United Hearts Jade, the green waves within the jade stirred. A moment later, Senior Sister Jiang's message surfaced, appearing amidst the swirling jade light.

[Jiang Yuebai]: "I found something."

[Chu Liang]: "Hmm?"

Soon, Jiang Yuebai informed Chu Liang of the situation she had uncovered last night.

After capturing the Potion Jar Boy, she had followed him to Master Song's hidden underground chamber, where she caught a familiar scent in the air.

She then questioned the boy, asking if he knew anything about the Red River Sect. As it turned out, he did know a bit.

He revealed that he had once overheard someone seeking Master Song’s help to concoct a certain poison. Master Song had agreed, but on one condition—they had to kill members of the Red River Sect.

When Jiang Yuebai pressed him further about the visitors, he could only provide a single detail—they seemed to be a married couple.

After that, the effect of the poison on the boy suddenly triggered, pushing him to the brink of madness. Left with no other choice, Jiang Yuebai took him deep into the mountains in search of a rare herb known as the Asura Leaf. Only after finding it did the boy finally calm down, though just barely. However, if they couldn't find Master Song and obtain the antidote, he would be forced to endure this agony for the rest of his life.

Watching his skin turn a sickly dark green and his features contort into something beast-like, Jiang Yuebai suddenly remembered what that familiar scent was.

It was the same scent she had detected on the city patrol guard at the Imperial Supervisory Bureau. He had been bitten by a strange person during his patrol and was poisoned shortly after. It was only thanks to Chu Liang and his Poison-Expulsion Whip that the poison had been cleansed from his body.

As the toxic mist dispersed into the air, it carried that same eerie, pungent odor.

Jiang Yuebai immediately questioned the boy again. He revealed that this strange poison was one of Master Song's secret techniques, known as the Walking Jiangshi[1].

Once a person was afflicted with this poison, they would gain immense strength. However, if the antidote was not taken for even a single day, the person would instantly go berserk, descending into madness. Eventually, they would die a violent death and transform into a full-fledged Jiangshi. The longer the poison lingered, the stronger their body would become, but the harder it would be to cure. Most terrifying of all, anyone bitten or scratched by the berserk would also fall victim to the poison.

It was extremely bizarre and sinister.

The Potion Jar Kids had been consuming this Walking Jiangshi Poison since a young age. It was the reason they possessed such formidable physiques despite never undergoing proper cultivation. However, the poison had already taken deep root within their bodies, its onset as fierce as a mountain torrent. So far, the boy had only discovered that the Asura Leaf could temporarily alleviate its effects.

Jiang Yuebai immediately shared all her discoveries with Chu Liang. As he read through it, a wave of turmoil surged in his heart.

The East Sea, the Red River Sect, Black Pine Ridge... countless pieces of information began to connect in his mind, but there was no time to ponder it further.

It would have been fine if the poison had stayed within the mountains and territories of Black Pine Ridge. But now, it had reached the capital of Yu—a major city with millions of citizens!

1. Something like zombies. ☜