276: Chapter 275: Return to Xionger 276: Chapter 275: Return to Xionger Ultimately, it was Li Chuping who came forward to find a family for the child.
It was a master of Inner Refining Alchemy from the Outer State, whose wife longed deeply for a child.
It was considered a decent place for the child to end up.
The choice of family was kept secret.
Even Hou Niao did not know the details, which avoided many subsequent troubles.
There was no place more suitable than the Capital Commandant’s office for such matters, given their thorough familiarity with the cultivators within the sect.
After the commotion, everyone dispersed.
After all, each had their own duties, and gathering in Jin City would have caused displeasure among some.
They also feared these people might provoke further incidents; especially Hou Niao, who was ordered by the Mu Shuai Office to return immediately without delay.
The brothers bid farewell outside the city.
Hou Niao casually mentioned, “What’s the situation in Yinling now?
Is it still peaceful?”
Dou Gong complained, “Peaceful my ass!
I’ve nearly worn out my rear sitting; I think Yinling no longer deserves to be called one of Da Feng Plain’s three dangerous places.
It’s as peaceful and merry as Miao Gao Town next door.”
Everyone felt the same and even considered transferring elsewhere.
Hou Niao noticed this and subtly hinted,
“You can visit West Mang Mountain if there’s nothing else to do.
Forget ordinary Soul Ghosts.
Those shadowy spirits are quite intriguing.”
Everyone’s eyes swiftly turned towards him.
What Hou Niao said contradicted the previously set rules.
What was hidden in his words?
Being astute thinkers, after their senior brother’s odd actions during his breakthrough, Hou Niao’s words inevitably made them ponder deeper.
Wang Mian ventured, “What about their Ghost King with the deceptive guise?”
Hou Niao waved his hand, “Gone.
Just don’t provoke a riot among the Soul Ghosts.”
Watching Hou Niao leave indifferently, the patrollers looked at each other, their eyes beginning to reveal unease.
They had realized something, and coupled with their senior brother’s inexplicable actions during his breakthrough, countless suspicions could no longer be contained.
Feng Yaochen, the oldest among them, said, “Let’s take turns, two or three in a group.
… Hou Niao left in a cloud of dust, not explaining thoroughly because he knew that Li Chuping must have had arrangements in place.
Among these patrollers, he wouldn’t be the only one clinging to the Capital Commandant’s office; implying enough was best.
After rounding two mountain bends, a figure stood silently on a small path.
Hou Niao approached him
Fang Yazi, expressionless, replied, “Here’s the list of people who entered and left the Capital Commandant’s office.
Of all of us, five entered.
Except for you, who entered through the main gate, the others took a roundabout way through the back door.”
Hou Niao instinctively asked, “What did they go in for?”
Fang Yazi answered straightforwardly, “Don’t know.
I can’t manage that sort of thing.
Drinking outside the Capital Commandant’s office all night had me on tenterhooks.
It’s all on this list, take a look for yourself.”
Hou Niao received the list with a smile, not because he wanted to keep watch over someone, but out of pure curiosity.
He wanted to gauge the control capabilities of the Capital Commandant’s office, to understand preliminarily how far they could stretch the truth in the future at the very least?
The two of them, one dared to issue commands, the other dared to execute them; one was audacious, the other boldly audacious…
“How are the preparations in the Upper Realm going?
Are you strapped for cash?”
Fang Yazi did not mince words before him, “I’m utterly confused, still need to settle in; of course, I’m strapped for cash.
The salary is barely enough, and now we’re missing three months’ worth.
Why, you got a plan for a big score?”
Hou Niao tossed a Treasure Gourd, “Two thousand Spirit Stones, that’s all there is; if it’s not enough, figure it out yourself.”
Fang Yazi tucked it into his chest, “This should be sufficient.
Hou Niao handed him a map, “The peak on West Mang Mountain should be the lair of the Skin-Changing Ghost King.
I don’t have time; you go dig it out yourself.
I’ve explained some of the major restrictions on the map, not necessarily comprehensive, as the Skin-Changer surely has more tricks up its sleeve.
Assess the risks on your own; whether to bring others or not…
don’t blame me if you die in there.”
Fang Yazi pocketed the map, “Am I supposed to blame the Ghost King instead of you?
Elder Brother, was Elder Brother Xiang’s death really related to the Skin-Changer?”
Hou Niao didn’t hide it from him, knowing this guy was never impulsive, “Directly related.”
Fang Yazi nodded, asking no further, “Then I’m leaving.”
Hou Niao looked at him, “See you in Tongxuan.”
Fang Yazi stiffened, a phrase popping through his teeth, “You can’t shake me off!”
This youth, still with the same temperament as when they first met in Poplar Forest, but they were cut from the same cloth, at least neither had much sense of belonging to the Quanzhen Sect; Hou Niao was laying low whereas Fang Yazi would follow wherever he went, both naturally rebellious.
The situation regarding the lair on West Mang Mountain was divulged by the Skin-Changing Ghost King itself, hoping to exchange its savings for its life, an option too compelling to ignore; however, it didn’t understand that once inside this place, there’s no leaving—at least not via Hou Niao.
He didn’t have the time, as Mu Shuai’s tolerance for him seemed to have reached a limit.
Li Chuping had even reminded him specifically, hoping he would understand that any future mistakes would meet with severe punishment, and it was wise not to expose any weaknesses at this time.
Unless he succeeded in advancing to Tongxuan, which would paint a whole different picture.
However, delving into the secrets of the Skin-Changing Ghost King after reaching Tongxuan would be meaningless.
Resources have their timeliness, and he hoped this resource could be invested in something crucial; he knew Fang Yazi was even poorer than him, lacked networking, didn’t have easy means to earn extra, and also didn’t have as many encounters as him.
Yet, he needed such a true brother.
It’s foolish to keep resources for oneself, not knowing when one might follow in Elder Brother Xiang’s steps.
Instead, it’s better to use them to strengthen oneself and help the brother who needs it most.
Back to a state of destitution, having been in debt for nearly fifteen years, somehow, he felt more relaxed in this condition—poverty breeds daring.
One must be poor to become bold.
For the foreseeable future, he would probably be stuck in Xionger Town until he could advance to the Upper Realm, a realization of his own inappropriateness.
Everyone’s freedom has limitations, and compared to his current realm, the trouble he stirred up had already reached its peak.
He couldn’t rely endlessly on others’ tolerance.
Two months later, he returned to his own den in Xionger Town.
As for his sudden disappearance, Tideng and Zhi Sun had no questions; their relationship was such that they were not subordinate to each other and came and went freely.
“I didn’t find any traces of the wild cultivators from Chicken Mountain.
I’ll check occasionally when I have time.
I suspect there indeed are cultivators there, but their realms should be above Tongxuan.”
Hou Niao felt he still had to report on his mission, which wasn’t exactly deceit.
He truly hadn’t found the blind old man, though he maintained his life through others’ benevolence.
Tideng remarked casually, “No clues on the ancient well’s corpses; I see no point in persisting, it’s too ancient, only a few bones remain.”
There are no unsolved mysteries in the cultivation world, but the prerequisites are timeliness and realm.
For those like them, who lack realm and deal with old cases, there is basically no follow-up.