"It's nothing. There's no need for money," Xiao Ran said.
Nonetheless, he adroitly slipped the silver into his pocket.
The dungeon guard's lips twitched and his smile widened. "Brother Xiao, that's for you to buy a drink."
"Where is that demon?"
"Still in the antechamber on the first floor."
"Let's go," Xiao Ran called out.
They reached the antechamber on the first floor.
It was a wolf demon that was dozens of feet tall. It was matte black, blacker than the soot at the bottom of a pot. A sinister evil aura emanated from him. His eyes were blood-red, sinister and cruel. There was a three-foot-long silver nail on each of his limbs and above his head.
Heavy metal chains bound his front limbs behind his back.
"That's him?" Xiao Ran pointed at him.
"Yep, I'll have to trouble you, Brother Xiao."
"It's just a small matter." Xiao Ran smiled reassuringly.
He grabbed the chain around his neck and dragged him to the ninth floor.
Upon reaching the ninth floor, the wolf demon said, "I want to ask you about someone."
Xiao Ran glanced at him and then smacked his head. "Do you think this is a missing person department?"
"How dare you hit me?" The wolf demon widened his eyes.
Pow!
Xiao Ran smacked him again and kicked him twice. "Look at how disgusting you are now. Why wouldn't I hit you?"
The wolf demon kept quiet.
After a while, he added, "Where is Luo Xuan imprisoned?"
Xiao Ran opened the cell door and kicked him in. He stood at the door and asked, "You want to visit your friends even when you are in jail?"
"Tell me where he is and I'll give you a fortune. You and your descendants will be able to live comfortably for three generations."
"Just say it if you want to, otherwise the deal is off."
"You better not lie to me!" The wolf demon gave him a piercing glare.
"30 miles east of the capital city, there's a small hill. There are three trees lined up in a row there. I have buried 200,000 taels of silver below them."
"And?" Xiao Ran asked.
"No more! Tell me where Luo Xuan is being held."
"I don't know." Xiao Ran shrugged.
"Are you f*cking with me?"
"I'm not lying to you. I really don't know. But thank you for the silver."
"You are courting death!" The wolf demon raged.
Demonic aura surged and converged behind him into the illusion of a huge green wolf. In a flash, it appeared in front of him and swung down his paws like a cleaver, breaking the chains.
In one gigantic breath, it inhaled and sucked all the five silver nails out of his body.
"Arooo!" The wolf demon let out a long howl in celebration of his freedom.
Without these five Numinous Treasure silver nails confining him, his sealed shoulder bones were instantly released. His demonic powers swirled out freely, and all his powers recovered in a flash.
He licked his lips and walked towards Xiao Ran with a sinister smile. "It's not that easy to get my money."
"This ability looks interesting." Xiao Ran was interested.
"This is my Lunar Howling Varg Tribe's supreme ability—Celestial Varg Manifestation." The wolf demon explained smugly.
"Can you tell me where Luo Xuan is now?"
"Who's Luo Xuan?"
"You don't know?" The wolf demon was taken aback.
"Do I have to know?"
"I don't believe it!" The wolf demon lashed out instantly.
The wolf claws shot out like a gust of demonic wind. Viridian light swirled chaotically, as the claws aimed for Xiao Ran's neck.
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. It's the truth," Xiao Ran said.
A golden light shot out from his arm as he unleashed a punch outwards.
Crack!
The wolf demon's entire arm was crushed and became crippled.
"Ah…" The wolf demon was sent flying in the same instant and smashed into the wall.
"After destroying your soul, can the Celestial Varg Manifestation still be used?" Xiao Ran asked.
When he reached the fallen creature, he stomped on his neck.
The wolf demon struggled vigorously but was unable to move at all.
It was as if it was not just one foot that stomped on him, but a terrifying mountain range that supported the sky weighing down on him.
"Go!" Xiao Ran manipulated his spiritual soul energy and violently forced it into his mind.
This act destroyed the demon's soul completely.
Under the excruciating pain, the wolf demon foamed at the mouth and fainted.
"Now you will behave yourself. An idiot without a soul. I'm afraid this special ability will be wasted." Xiao Ran smiled and removed his foot.
He reinstated the five silver nails on his body and secured him with the chains.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared. It opened to a page and revealed the wolf demon's individual information and the crimes he had committed. He had descended from the Great Viridian Mountain lineage.
No wonder he was as black as the soot at the bottom of a pot. He actually used human blood to refine his skills, evolving his physical body. His death wasn't something to be regretted.
Golden light swirled, showing two items: 100,000 Mastery Points and 10 years of spiritual soul energy.
After adding this 100,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique, the attributes did not change. It was still at Beginner's Level.
His Sword Intent had already reached the Perfection Level. If he were to raise the level of this sword technique and combine the two together, its power would increase exponentially.
After raising his spiritual soul energy by ten years, he was still a hundred and fifty years away from reaching Earth Realm.
The Earth Realm was comparable to the Profound Realm.
He left the cell and locked the door.
"Who is Luo Xuan?" Xiao Ran pondered in puzzlement.
At this moment, Little Zhou returned with the criminal.
"Brother Xiao, why are you here?" Little Zhou asked curiously.
"Helping someone else lock a wolf demon in a cell," Xiao Ran said.
"You're on duty on the ninth floor. Do you know where Luo Xuan is imprisoned?"
Little Zhou's expression turned odd. Even the criminal who was being escorted looked up at him curiously.
"Brother Xiao, you really don't know?"
"All right," Xiao Ran nodded.
Little Zhou pointed at the criminal by his side. "He's Luo Xuan."
"Isn't he the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect?"
"Yeah! His name is Luo Xuan."
"Oh…" Xiao Ran answered as the realization hit him.
"Brother Xiao, why are you asking about him?" Little Zhou asked.
"It's nothing! It's almost time to knock off. Go lock him up first and wait for me at Chunfang Court later."
Little Zhou nodded and left.
"Why are the demons of the Great Viridian Mountain fraternizing with the Sky Devil Sect? What is this wolf demon's motive for infiltrating the Celestial Dungeon?"
If he couldn't figure it out, he might as well not think about it.
They completed the shift handover.
After exiting the prison, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and walked towards the street.
Meanwhile, at the Qingyuan Bookstore,
Xiao Ran stopped at the door. This bookstore looked bigger and more luxurious. He decided to go for this bookstore.
He sauntered into the bookstore.
"Sir, are you here to buy or sell paintings?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Sell paintings." Xiao Ran took out the three paintings.
A young monk, a huge sword, and a sun.
"Just this?" The shopkeeper was stupefied.
Seeing Xiao Ran nod seriously, he took another look. Although the painting was ordinary and the paper used was very amateurish, the pictures and characters in the painting seemed to come alive.
The more he looked at it, the more attractive it became. The more he looked at it, the more artistic it became.
The artist's painting skills must have reached a very advanced level.
Seeing that he did not react except to stroke the paintings lovingly, Xiao Ran asked, "Do you want it?"
"Sir, did you draw this?"
Xiao Ran glared at him fiercely. The shopkeeper knew that he had offended the customer and quickly smiled apologetically. "I was too rude! One thousand taels for one painting, so the total is three thousand taels."
"Sure." Xiao Ran did not expect the paintings to be so valuable.
"Sir, may I offer a suggestion? Next time, when that master is painting again, can you let him use professional art paper? This paper's quality is too inferior. It will lower the painting's value," said the shopkeeper.
"He's poor."
The shopkeeper took out three banknotes worth a thousand taels of silver each and handed them over. He also handed over ten rolls of professional art paper. "If it's not enough, we can always discuss again."
"All right," Xiao Ran agreed and left.