133 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 133: Incident "I heard that a replenishment pill was auctioned at the black market yesterday. I wanted to purchase it for Yu Ming, to help repair her meridians, but unexpectedly, it was snatched away by those from the Celestial Mechanism Sect." Li Huai took a sip of tea, still visibly displeased, "Tsk, they're truly wealthy. I can't compare." Xiang Shi Yan already knew that her senior brother wasn't at the residence yesterday, as he must have been out wandering. She wasn't too concerned about the pills and responded casually, "Even if it was just a Xuan grade pill, its rarity doesn't warrant such a high price." "Just Xuan grade? How many alchemists still make them nowadays? Its rarity adds value," Li Huai lamented, still regretting missing out on the auction from last night. "Yu Ming's injury isn't too severe, but it almost blocks her path to advancement. If we had one more cultivator at the Great Perfection Stage—" He paused, noticing his junior sister observing with a calm demeanor: "Wasn't last night's auction for Lan grade?" "..." Xiang Shi Yan realized she had misspoken and put down her cup. "With three layers of alchemical patterns overlapping and the elixir qi concealed, it should be Lan grade. The process for making replenishment pills isn't complicated, and the needed spiritual plants aren't rare. The final layer of patterns wasn't clear, probably overlooked by the seller." Li Huai smacked her shoulder hard, gritting his teeth as he suppressed his voice, "Oh, so you took this pill to auction and enjoyed watching me and the Celestial Mechanism Sect outbid each other, didn't you?" Xiang Shi Yan almost dropped her teacup from the force of his slap. She glanced at her senior brother, who was puffing in anger, and said, "It was someone else's item for me to auction. How could I have secretly sold it to you?" "Come on, I've offered a friend's price. The Celestial Mechanism Sect took it for a hundred thousand spirit stones, I'd give you ninety thousand and wouldn't lose out. Where did you meet such a master? Introduce them to me, I won’t hesitate to pay 10% above market for any kind of pill." A mere hundred thousand spirit stones was nothing for Li Huai, but he had thought it was a Lan grade replenishment pill, which isn't highly valued in itself. It was merely rare because few could make it now. Seeing how determined the Celestial Mechanism Sect was, he willingly withdrew to avoid conflict. However, if what Xiang Shi Yan said was true, then the real price should have been half again as much, a rare item with no price in the market. Not only did the Celestial Mechanism Sect not overpay, but they also made a profit of fifty thousand spirit stones. Alchemical pills, artifacts, and talismans are never too much. While there was no shortage of talismans thanks to Yu Ming's reputation as a renowned talisman master, training an alchemist is much more challenging. It wasn't just about finding a promising candidate but investing countless spirit stones in training them to the Gold Core stage, with no certainty of return. Li Huai could not let go of the opportunity upon hearing Xiang Shi Yan's connection with such an alchemist. Unexpectedly, Xiang Shi Yan frowned, "We're not close." Li Huai boasted, "Even if you're not friends, you can become close. I know you don't like socializing, but leave it to your senior brother. Within a year, you'll be inseparable!" Xiang Shi Yan looked at him as though he were a fool and couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Alchemists admire beauty; senior brother, you're not qualified." It was the truth, as said by Xuanjiu herself. "You—!" Li Huai clenched his fists. Their master selected disciples based on looks, and he was the only one thrust upon the sect as an orphan of a former disciple, often teased by his three beautiful junior sisters for his appearance. Although he wasn't as handsome as his junior sisters, he considered himself presentable in the vast cultivation world. When he helped take care of... mainly Gu Ning took care of the stuttering child, and now that she talked back, it made her senior brother quite heartbroken. If Xiang Shi Yan could hear Li Huai's thoughts, she'd undoubtedly say it served him right for teasing her in her speech as a child. Before they could continue their silent argument, their senses detected Mu Hua ascending the stairs. Li Huai quickly cleared his throat and sat up straight, focusing on his teacup. Yu Ming had declared herself unfit to attend, and the Elder of Martial Affairs was too lazy to check on this preliminary match. Thus, in the upper tier of the pavilion, only Xiang Shi Yan and Li Huai from Jade Mountain watched Mu Hua ascend the steps. They focused intently on the ring below, where Huai Ye was competing. The woman approached and greeted them both with a bow, "Good day, seniors." "What brings you here unexpectedly, little friend? Does the Celestial Mechanism Sect have any important matters to notify the sects about?" "Not exactly, it's a personal matter." Mu Hua bowed her head. "Last night, we caused offense to Master Li at the underground auction. I hope the senior can forgive us. The Celestial Mechanism Sect disciples acted improperly in the black market, especially by conflicting with distinguished guests. Today, I’m here specifically to apologize on behalf of my junior sisters." "Haha, I wondered what this was about. There's gain and loss in auction bidding, and I didn't bear it in mind," Li Huai tugged at his short beard and smiled in a friendly manner. On the other side, Xiang Shi Yan set down her cup, "There is one thing I don't understand, and I hope little friend can enlighten me." "I dare not." "Why did the Celestial Mechanism Sect buy all the pills at the black market yesterday in one go? The cost must have been substantial." "It was under the Celestial Mechanism Master's orders; we don't know the reason and dare not speculate," A hint of confusion also passed through Mu Hua's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. "However, the Celestial Mechanism Master ordered me to come here and apologize to Master Li and offer this item as recompense." She produced a familiar jade box, and Xiang Shi Yan immediately recognized it as the replenishment pill given to her by Xuanjiu, which she had delivered for auction. When the jade box came into her possession, Xiang Shi Yan realized it was identical to the one given by Celestial Mechanism to Huai Ye. Xuanjiu had mentioned visiting an old friend, and now it seemed that friend was the Celestial Mechanism Master. The box could very well have been taken from the Celestial Mechanism Sect. But since they knew each other and Xuanjiu had already visited them, why go through such elaborate trouble... Could it be that, more than her current appearance, it was the pills she produced that affirmed her identity? However, pondering these questions was of no use. Xiang Shi Yan turned to signal Li Huai to accept it. Mu Hua didn't linger long and soon excused herself. While descending, she accidentally bumped into a Jade Mountain disciple standing before the stairs. The girl appeared young, likely one of the Elder's disciples brought along to observe. She was taller than her peers, with her baby fat not entirely vanished. However, when Mu Hua steadied her by the shoulder, she distinctly felt the weight of the girl's bones, indicating that her quick growth had consumed much of her original physique. The girl met her gaze suddenly, a fleeting panic flashing through her lively and unfamiliar eyes. Even with a different body and an unrelated identity, the fear upon seeing her remained. Mu Hua didn't know why, but to her, it didn't seem a bad thing. Had the anomaly spread from the main body to the puppet body? It seemed the plan needed acceleration... The Swapping Pool inherently posed risks, and there weren't many in the Celestial Mechanism Sect capable of maintaining its proper functioning. That Fu Zhi managed this far, surpassing Mu Hua's expectations. Elder Fu was indeed more resilient than she had imagined. The Swapping Pool and the Child of Destiny matters were left in the hands of the Second Elder's lineage by Celestial Mechanism, and Fu Xiao was tight-lipped. Yet, Mu Hua had her means to gather information. She intended to say something but turned to see another child sitting at the bottom of the stairs. This seemed to be Moonlight Lord's disciple, one with prosthetic eyes and an illusionary disguise that blended seamlessly, turning with the child's curious expression. If Mu Hua hadn't been informed beforehand, she might not have discerned the authenticity. But a fake was a fake; upon closer inspection, there was an unmistakable sense of discord. "What are you feeding?" Mu Hua noticed the child was placing a pink, dough-like substance into a small brocade pouch bit by bit. He He replied, "Crushed grains, small insects, and a bit of brain matter mixed with flour." It must be from livestock brains. Mu Hua pursed her lips, "No, I was asking what kind of beast this is." He He's eyes lit up, seemingly finding another chance to showcase her adorable new pet. She happily allowed Mu Hua to see the pouch, where a fluffy hatchling had opened its eyes. The young bird eyed the stranger with its black, beady eyes; its tiny beak almost buried beneath orange-red down feathers. Mu Hua couldn't resist stroking the fluff on its neck and smiled, "It's a Fire Gel Bird. My spiritual pet was also raised from an egg, and it's been a long time since I saw this kind of feed." Seeing the two instantly bond over their shared interest in bird-keeping, Fu Zhi silently frowned beside them. Truly, similar people are drawn to similar beasts... Before she could harbor more grievances, she spotted Fu Xiao approaching quickly through the crowd. The girl hurried to her senior sister’s side, "Senior sister, there's an urgent matter in the north that requires your attention." Fu Xiao rarely showed such urgency, alerting Mu Hua to potential trouble. She intended to bid farewell to He He and the others but turned upon hearing Xiang Shi Yan's voice, "Little friend, might I accompany you?" During the Dragon List ranking period, each sect stayed at different residences across Qingyuan City. Given their complex backgrounds, the Taixu Sect and the renowned Jade Mountain were both assigned to the northern part of the city, nearest to the Celestial Mechanism Sect’s in-city office, allowing them to reach any incident swiftly. Although the northern part of the city still housed some residents, anything urgent enough to make Fu Xiao rush over couldn't be trivial. If the matter involved only one sect, it might be manageable, but should a conflict arise between the Taixu and Jade Mountain sects, this gathering could turn tumultuous. Xiang Shi Yan, undoubtedly overhearing their conversation from the pavilion, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, had the ability to discreetly listen to conversations at a distance, which was typical. Yet, for some reason, Mu Hua had a foreboding feeling that she was stepping into a trap. Mu Hua inquired through a glance whether this concerned Jade Mountain. However, Fu Xiao's hesitant demeanor, as if uncertain, made Mu Hua's heart sink, and she had no choice but to agree to Xiang Shi Yan's request to accompany her. Earlier this morning, a resident in the northern part of the city discovered something unusual when passing by the riverbank. What he pulled from the river was a fingernail, drawing his attention with the lingering spiritual energy of its owner. Additionally, there was a peculiar aura detected. This area was under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Mechanism Sect's Qingyuan City, not some remote wilderness or a treasure-seizing secret realm. If a cultivator were murdered within the city, it would be a huge scandal, especially since the fingernail's owner belonged to the demon clan. The thirteen Immortal Sects don't take responsibility for the lives of demons within human territories; in fact, demons are generally exterminated when encountered in the cities, as they're usually seen as spies. Thus, encountering a demon isn't unprecedented, but the Celestial Mechanism Sect hadn't reported any such matters recently. Why would a demon leave a fingernail in Qingyuan City's river under such mysterious circumstances? Where was this individual now, and were they dead or alive? Even without more solid evidence, the rumor of demons being in the city was a confirmed matter—a demon, not hidden in the black market but out in the open in Qingyuan City. This could lead to significant trouble for the Celestial Mechanism Sect. As Mu Hua rushed along, listening to her junior sister recount the events, the person who found the nail consulted all his family and friends about the peculiar aura. Finally, they agreed it was demonic energy and reported it to the Celestial Mechanism Sect's disciples. Thus, the rumor spread before it could be contained by the sect. Even Xiang Shi Yan let out a laugh upon hearing of the incident. Whether she was mocking the lack of perception of the discoverer or the Celestial Mechanism Sect's inability to control rumors was unclear, but it didn't affect her distaste. Upon reaching the location, they found the Celestial Mechanism Sect already organizing teams to dive into the river and search along its banks. The river, influenced by underground mineral veins, was infused with an undeniable amount of spiritual energy, much like an underground stream. Xiang Shi Yan had spent time in the river yesterday, and some spiritual water remained on her, ultimately causing her meridians to ache intermittently, despite her efforts to purify it. Therefore, Celestial Mechanism Sect disciples wore specially made spiritual garments for their dive. That the Celestial Mechanism Sect would go to such lengths over a demon was odd, and Fu Xiao quietly informed Mu Hua that this was on Celestial Mechanism's orders, hinting there might be more to uncover and instructed a thorough investigation. In truth, the puzzling part wasn't that a demon was dead but rather "who killed him." If a human cultivator had done it, why wasn't it reported to the Celestial Mechanism Sect? If a demon killed him, does it suggest there are more demons in the city? The Celestial Mechanism Sect assumed the worst: the nail's owner was dead, killed by a human cultivator who had hidden it for some reason. Perhaps someone colluded with the demon clan and killed to cover their tracks. Celestial Mechanism's insistence on investigating made some sense. If the demon was dead, the body must still be somewhere in the city. Demon bodies inherently have a unique aura not found in humans, demon energy. Carelessly dealing with the body, especially through burning or disintegration using spiritual energy, would leave traces tough to erase. The best way to discreetly dispose of a demon body would be in an area with dense spiritual energy to mask the escaping demonic power. By the afternoon, the Celestial Mechanism Sect disciples uncovered fourteen different body parts in the spiritual river, and some inscrutable disciples assembled the pale flesh and limbs into a disjointed corpse, only to find they belonged to two different victims. Soaked in water for so long, it was hard to determine the exact time of death, and fatal wounds couldn't be identified. Apart from confirming the two deceased belonged to the demon clan and driving rumors to a fever pitch, this discovery held little utility. Mu Hua immediately ordered her disciples to investigate where the body parts were found, to see if any suspicious individuals had been seen or if anyone witnessed the disposal. Facing the dismembered bodies, Mu Hua felt a headache coming on. Before the conference started, her directive was to minimize any incidents, and while this could have been discreetly managed, Celestial Mechanism's thorough investigation was only escalating the matter. Although the heads and some isolated parts were still missing, it was apparent that the victims were Featherwing Demons, renowned spies among the demon clans. Mu Hua glanced at the calm Xiang Shi Yan beside her, hoping nothing major would unfold. Xuanjiu indeed fulfilled her promise by getting rid of the bodies, and as mentioned, only the bodies without heads were left. Xiang Shi Yan reckoned that even if the Celestial Mechanism Sect overturned all of Qingyuan City, they wouldn't find those two heads. Xiang Shi Yan had merely asked to have them delivered to Jade Mountain's residence, but the other party had gone to such lengths, leaving her dumbfounded by the unexpected thoroughness. Fortunately, she had already informed Long Ruiqing in advance, and now it depended on his ability to adapt. The Author's Note: Day six of daily updates! Tomorrow I might spend quite a long time on the road, and I'm unsure if I'll be able to update... Boohoo, at least let me reach ten days. Thanks to the little angels who voted or watered me with nutrition liquid between 2022-07-17 35:59:48 and 2022-07-85 22:35:12~ Thanks to the angels who threw landmines: RY, 49351910, and Learning Makes Me Happy 1 time each; I’m very grateful for everyone's support, and I will continue to work hard! This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain name (xbanxia.com)