Chronicles of Daoist Fan - Chapter 110

Just another hour later, I had become a silver fighter. Holding the silver token in my hand, I exited the arena. It was enough for today. I would come here again tomorrow. Hopefully, I could fight against seasoned veterans that time.

When I got out, I heard lots of people cheering for me. I didn’t wave at them and only smiled. Outside the entrance of the stupa, I waited for Bina. However, she didn’t come even after fifteen minutes passed.

The agreed hour had already passed. I was wondering if I should go inside to search for her when she finally came out of the entrance.

”Let’s go,” she said.

”What took you so long?” I came beside her and asked.

As we started walking, she told me that things weren’t looking so good. Qin Mao had increased his search activity for us, even going as far as contacting other gangs.

He had placed a bounty on our heads in the underground world. Any criminal who identified us could go to Qin Mao and tell him of our location for a sum of 8,000 gold kins. Of course, if he/she managed to kill us then that person would get invited to join the Wang clan.

Such an offer was too tempting for the criminals living in Xuahour. If they could join the Wang clan, they would have their criminal status lifted and wouldn’t have to live in hiding.

”So he was faster…” I had expected a bounty but not this. Still, I was improving at a breakneck speed. I could personally raid his den once I got strong enough.

”Change the plan. Tell your sister to not bother with filling the scroll. If everyone is our enemy, then we will just crush them.”

Bina looked at me incredulously. How would I do that when I was just a Viscera Purifying practitioner? Plus, making too many enemies was not wise. I knew she was thinking rationally.

”Tell me, Bina, what type of body technique do you practice?” She hadn’t told me about that earlier but now that we knew each other, she wasn’t so secretive.

”Shadow Body Technique.”

I was shocked. Did she actually say that? Maybe this Shadow Body technique was different than what I had in my memories…

Still, I told her to demonstrate.

Bina looked around. We were in the street. ”Here?”

”Follow me if you don’t want to.” I led her to a scheduled alleyway.

The ground was somewhat littered with vegetable waste and washed water thrown from above but it was okay since it didn’t smell. There was no one here, silent.

”It should be fine here, right?”

Bina nodded and suddenly her body turned into a dark shadow. She disappeared into the right wall. My eyes flashed and I looked behind me only to see her standing there with a mute face.

No signs of exhaustion, nor any misstep – she had come behind me with such subtle motions that if I didn’t have my spirit sense, I wouldn’t have known she was there.

”It really is shadow body technique…” I muttered. That explained how she could remain unseen in the True Phoenix Mansion. Meridian Opening practitioners didn’t even have a broken spirit sense, how would they even sense her presence?

I glanced at this woman and saw her move her legs back a little. Her cheongsam’s hems had unfolded, showing her thighs.

”Ahem.” I coughed to break her awkwardness. ”That was a really impressive move. Where did you learn this technique? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Bina was first unwilling to tell me of its origins but when I told her that I also knew a certain type of Shadow Body technique that was similar to hers, she opened up.

”I found its manual, a book at the orphanage we stayed in. It was with Lina actually and we both tried practicing it. She couldn’t do it while it was perfect me.”

‘A fortunate encounter…? That is rare.’ I stroked my chin. Not that I didn’t believe in fortune but randomly finding such a superior technique was no different than a fairytale.

Shadow Body technique, as the name implied made a practitioner’s body seem like a shadow. It was the best technique I knew for stealth and speed. If a practitioner could practice it to its full potential, he or she would acquire dark meridians.

It was an extremely rare type of attribute. Becoming a shadow lord was possible for Bina if she could also cultivate in the Dark Qi Refinement manual. Maybe I was thinking too far ahead. Becoming a true cultivator wasn’t easy even if one had an extremely high-tier technique.

…

The fourth day of Chunu’s treatment. Her condition had somewhat stabilized. The blue lines weren’t strikingly visible and her body had gained more heat. Her cultivation settled at rank seven of Viscera Purifying.

After all the trouble, such an improvement was the least reward she could get for her recklessness, other than my daily fucks.

I was also improving so quickly that Lingling was more than a little suspicious. She had been acting strange since the day we came to Immortal Wine Hotel.

She would usually ignore me and focus on her practice or converse with young miss Fu Qiai, who was, in my opinion, a charming creature to look at. However, Lingling started to spend more time with me and frequently asked things about the Jade Body technique.

At first, I had thought that she was getting anxious since Chunu and I, even Feng Yi were improving rapidly while she was still stuck at the second rank of Viscera Purifying. But the questions became more technical. She began asking me where I got it, what other forms are there, and if anyone else could practice it as well.

”Lingling, what I have given you is enough to reach the peak of Meridian Opening.” I firmly told her one evening. We were sitting on a wooden bench on the balcony of a simple two-story dining house.

We could see the Profound Ray Library from here, brilliantly bathed in the sunlight. Various pedestrians circled that place and most of them raised their heads to see this nine-story tall building.

It was the landmark of the southern district, just like what Azure Wind Stupa was in the northern district.

”But I want to become a cultivator, so I need to fully know what I am practicing. Just where did you get a technique such as this?” Again, the same question. I had become suspicious of her. There was something more behind her worry.

”I gave you Jade Sword Body because you are likable. If you don’t want to practice it, you are free to drop.” I stood up from the bench and turned around. It was time to go back to the hotel. Feng Yi must have prepared the medicinal bath by now.

Ling’er stood up with me. She seemed to be wanting to say something. Her face showed hesitation, however. Then her gaze turned firm. She took a deep breath as I faced her, only to back away in surprise because our lips nearly touched.

I had felt her breath, something familiar from that booth of the auction house. Smiling, I waited for her to open up.

”Young miss Fu Qiai wants this technique.”

”I see.” I nodded as if I had expected something like this from the start. Internally though, I was rather surprised.

”I promised her that I would provide her the full manual.”

”…I see.”

Ling’er couldn’t keep looking at me now. Guilt covered her face. That was my technique. How could she just give it to others without my permission?

Usually, she would have a sharp gaze and alert attitude against anybody. But today’s Shu Lingling was different. She was nervous and meek. Her eyes were focused on the floor and her crossed fingers moved around.

”How much does Fu Qiai mean to you? What is she willing to give in return?” I sighed and started walking.

Ling’er followed and told me that she could be accepted into the Fu clan with the help of Fu Qiai. This young miss had followed the sword path since her birth and was willing to give anything to practice Jade Sword Body.

”Then she could have asked me directly instead of going through you,” I said to Ling’er as we exited the dining house without having dinner.

Ling’er herself had brought me here, but we had forgotten about that by now, engrossed in our conversation. Ling’er replied, ”Qiai thinks… that you have stolen it and thus wants to know the true source. She even went as far as saying that this technique had come from a sword sect.”

Lingling looked at me, searching for my affirmation. Considering my past actions, it was more believable for her if I said that I had stolen this technique from a sect member. However, Jade Sword Body was something that came from my memories.

”It is my late mother’s technique. She gave it to me in hopes that I would one day become a sword cultivator. You remind me of my mother, Lingling…” I suddenly stroked her long black hair and took some strands on my palms, gazing at her fondly.

Pure bullshit, of course. So pure that it worked like a charm, effective immediately.

Lingling felt greater guilt this time. I seemed to have so many emotions attached to this technique. I gave it to her out of goodwill as well as some… fondness that made her blush in shame. And she thought that I had stolen it?

”I-I’m so sorry.” She stammered for the first time since I had met her.

”It is ok. I can forgive if it’s you.” I smiled a forced smile and looked up, faking a perfect melancholy, as if I had been reminded of that time when my supposed mother was still alive.

Strong, sharp, hardworking, and cautious. Lingling had been a loner and still thought that way. Thus, making friends with Fu Qiai was new and exciting for her. Getting the attention of a ‘young’ man was also new and… exciting for her.

‘Yet another beauty falls into my web.’ What could I do now? What indeed…