Chapter 133: Cannibalism

Qinghe County was in a state of high tension. Nearly all disciples of the Taiping Sect were mobilized, conducting a meticulous search throughout the county. For a time, everyone fell silent, fearing they might invite disaster. Some, however, turned their gaze toward the County Magistrate’s Office, curious to see how the official representative of the dynasty would react.

After all, the Taiping Sect had consolidated the resources of Qinghe County and controlled almost every industry. While they had largely improved the livelihoods of the local people, they had also infringed upon the interests of many. Numerous individuals harbored a secret desire for the sect’s downfall, yet they dared not show it, lacking the power to resist.

This time, the Taiping Sect’s actions had truly crossed the line. If Liao Yonghuai had wished, he could have seized this opportunity to entrap the sect. To the disappointment of those watching, however, Liao, as the County Magistrate, remained completely silent from beginning to end, acting as if he were oblivious to the entire affair.

"This cannot go on. If Jiang Chen truly discovers my identity, all my efforts over these many years will have been in vain."

Inside a hidden chamber, his face as pale as parchment, Liao Yonghuai turned various schemes over in his mind.

He came from a humble background and had risen to become an official in the Nanjing Kingdom through the imperial examination system. As a kingdom governed jointly by the royal family and powerful clans, Nanjing was unique; in regions where the royal family held strong control or in key positions, officials were not only cultivators but also possessed relatively high levels of cultivation. Conversely, in remote areas or places with weak central control, officials were often weak or even mere mortals—a compromise born of necessity.

Liao’s own cultivation aptitude was mediocre, possessing only a single inch of spirit aperture. He was destined to spend his life hovering in the Spirit Perception stage. It was precisely for this reason that, after the Nanjing Kingdom imparted a basic Qi-guiding technique to him, they sent him to the remote Qinghe County to serve as magistrate.

The cultivation level he possessed today was entirely the result of a fortuitous encounter. He had practiced a miraculous technique called the "Gold and Silver Qi-Guiding Art," which allowed him to bypass his lack of aptitude and advance steadily. It required few spiritual resources, for this art essentially cultivated a reputation for greed. Gold and silver themselves held no special properties, but the fame—or rather, the collective will of the people—that followed such wealth served as the perfect fuel for his cultivation.

"I cannot let the Taiping Sect continue like this. Jiang Chen must die. That spell of his is a natural bane to my gold and silver puppets. Even though I prepared a Treasure-Dropping Art to counter his flying sword, I have absolutely no defense against his bizarre blood-fire spell."

"However, while I cannot deal with him, there are those in Qingyuan Prefecture who can. As for that peach wood spiritual item... I suppose I must let it go."

At the thought of the peach wood item, Liao Yonghuai felt a pang of agonizing regret. However, if forced to choose between the item and exposing himself, he would always choose to remain hidden.

For years, he had taken root in Qinghe County, meticulously managing his affairs and crafting a persona of greed to achieve his current status. Once his cover was blown, he would have to abandon the foundation he had labored so hard to build and flee to distant lands. If he did that, his cultivation would likely stagnate; he could not imagine how much effort it would take to gather enough resources again. Remaining in Qinghe County, however, meant that even if he didn't reach the Foundation Establishment stage, he could at least reach the perfection of Qi Refining, given enough time.

Most importantly, his situation was truly unique. If word leaked out, it would likely invite the covetous gaze of others. After all, a cultivator with only an inch of spirit aperture might not even achieve Qi Refining with vast resources, yet he had reached the Minor Success stage with almost nothing. He was, in truth, an anomaly. Should that day come, he would find no sanctuary anywhere in the Nanjing Kingdom, let alone in Qinghe County or Qingyuan Prefecture.

It was for this reason that he had been exceptionally cautious with every move, desperate to avoid exposure. Even in his actions against the Taiping Sect, he had made extensive preparations; it was only because Jiang Chen had hidden far more than he had anticipated that the situation had reached this impasse.

"It is time to pass the information to the Gao family. As long as they know the Corpse Daoist has ties to the Taiping Sect, they will surely not let the sect off. The only trouble is that I must distance myself from this; I cannot let the Gao family set their sights on me."

As these thoughts collided and he struggled with his decision, Liao Yonghuai finally steeled himself. At that very moment, the wounds to his soul began to flare up again.

"Jiang Chen... Jiang Chen... truly detestable..."

His head felt as if it were splitting open, and Liao Yonghuai writhed on the floor in agony.

While Liao Yonghuai pondered how to erase his future troubles, Jiang Chen had already begun attempting to help Mouse Tianjiao elevate its bloodline on Muyu Island.

Inside the mouse enclosure, watching the rodents trapped in cages, struggling and bordering on madness, Jiang Chen’s expression remained indifferent.

The sap of the Wolf-Poison Vine possessed the miraculous ability to stimulate the bloodlines of beasts and help them awaken. The Fierce-Horned Wolf tribe relied on this vine to ensure their lineage continued, though the mortality rate was quite high. Fortunately, rats were prolific breeders and could be found everywhere, so over the years, the Taiping Sect had cultivated quite a few mice with awakened bloodlines.

However, very few completed the transformation; most were merely failed experiments—awakened, yet driven to madness.

"The bloodline secret technique left behind by the White Crane Daoist involves cannibalism, elevating oneself by absorbing the bloodlines of one's own kind. It is an effective method, but it comes with significant limitations."

"First, it requires a sufficient supply of kin, which is not easily done in the current environment. Second, the more bloodline one absorbs, the more easily the user descends into madness. It is a bloodline curse, and overcoming it is no simple task."

"It is for this reason that, while this technique of cannibalism is considered relatively simple and effective among similar arts, its ceiling is not very high."

Recalling the taboos of the technique, various thoughts crossed Jiang Chen’s mind.

The next moment, confirming everything was in order, Jiang Chen flicked his sleeve, and the Blood-Evil True Flame erupted, enveloping the mice that had awakened their bloodlines.

*Whoosh.* The blood-colored fire flared. Under the scorching heat of the Blood-Evil True Flame, the mice had no power to resist; within moments, they were reduced to ash, leaving behind only the purest essence of their bloodlines.

Ordinarily, this step would not be so simple and would require the aid of a formation. But Jiang Chen’s soul was sufficiently powerful, and he had cultivated the Blood-Evil True Flame technique to the stage of Great Success, allowing him to strip the bloodline essence directly from the bodies of the mice. Even so, this required the consistent feeding of secret medicines beforehand to stimulate the bloodlines, preparing them for extraction—a process the Taiping Sect had begun long ago. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to refine the bloodline essence while it remained deeply hidden within the body.

A moment later, the flames died out. A blood-red bead the size of a goose egg appeared in Jiang Chen’s hand. It was a deep, dark red, with the faint image of a mouse visible within, and it emitted a subtle, delicate fragrance.