Chapter 45: Aftermath
With the Mistfiend's demise at Su Heng's hands, the terrifying disaster finally ended. The clouds parted, and golden sunlight once again bathed the cold, ravaged city.
From the first wisps of fog swirling through Changqing County's streets and alleys to the clear skies after the rain, only about five days had passed. Yet, it felt like a lifetime.
Before the fog, Changqing County boasted a population of over one hundred thousand. After the fog lifted, nearly half the population was gone, leaving fewer than sixty thousand.
The city was filled with the weeping of the elderly and children, and the numb, despairing faces of men and women. White cloth hung everywhere; even poor families, unable to afford proper white mourning ribbons, used scraps of white fabric.
The massive loss of life, coupled with extreme fear, led to the collapse of order. Many engaged in rape and pillage, wildly venting their desires.
Fortunately, Su Heng had anticipated this and acted swiftly, suppressing the rioters by severing their limbs and displaying them as a warning in the city's central square. He then confiscated large quantities of grain from the Xue and He families' warehouses and distributed it to the surviving citizens.
Changqing County had barely regained a semblance of order.
However… even so, it was impossible for Changqing County to return to its former glory. A large portion of the population had fled, and the remaining citizens were filled with fear. The city's vitality would dwindle, possibly becoming a ghost town.
Creak! The carriage stopped at the Su family mansion's gate.
Su Heng, having circled the city, stepped down.
He walked directly through the gate, past the main hall, through corridors and archways, entering a fragrant study filled with ancient furniture and bright light.
In the center of the study, a valuable golden nanmu wood desk held a sheet of xuan paper. Xiao Qing was grinding ink.
The black ink stick, the fair fingers, the rhythmic sound of friction.
Beside Xiao Qing, Su Li, her hair loose, held a brush, writing on the paper. She paused, brow furrowed in thought. Su Heng watched silently, without interrupting.
Finally, after a while, Su Li placed the brush on a blue-and-white porcelain brush rest. She checked the letter, then handed it to Su Heng.
"The events in Changqing County are urgent, so I wrote a letter summarizing the situation. Do you think it's suitable?" Su Li explained softly.
Su Heng took the letter, his gaze sweeping over it. The letter clearly downplayed Su Heng's true strength. The reason for resolving the crisis was changed to a conflict between the Mistfiend and a demon-worshipping family, resulting in mutual destruction, with them merely cleaning up afterward.
Su Heng knew this was Su Li's way of protecting him. But…
"Is there anything that needs changing?" Su Li asked, noticing his slightly furrowed brow.
"What do you think of the Demon Suppression Agency's Grand Marshal, your master?" Su Heng didn't answer, instead bringing up an unrelated topic.
"He's a righteous and trustworthy man," Su Li replied, her expression serious upon hearing Su Heng mention her master. "My master, Li Daoxuan, known as the Golden-Eyed Ape King, is over a hundred years old. The Demon Suppression Agency's continued existence relies solely on his efforts."
"Efforts?" Su Heng was surprised.
"Ah…" Su Li gasped, realizing she'd slipped up, covering her mouth.
Su Heng pulled up a chair, sat with his legs crossed, "Tell me what's going on."
Su Li and Xiao Qing exchanged glances.
"Although you're not part of the Demon Suppression Agency, this isn't exactly top secret," Su Li coughed lightly. "I mentioned the Great Families before. The Great Families, demons, and the Demon Suppression Agency are the three major forces in Baihua Prefecture."
"Over a hundred years ago, when the Demon Suppression Agency's previous Grand Marshal was still alive, the Agency was at its strongest. They built the Demon Suppression Tower, suppressing the Great Families and demons. Demons became mere legends to ordinary people."
"But then, the previous Grand Marshal disappeared without a trace."
"He was replaced by the current Grand Marshal, my master, the Golden-Eyed Ape King Li Daoxuan. My master is incredibly strong, but the previous Grand Marshal was truly exceptional, surpassing him. Coupled with problems with the Demon Suppression Tower…"
"Ahem!" Xiao Qing coughed dryly, interrupting them. The matter of the Demon Suppression Tower was clearly classified.
Su Li spread her hands, a helpless expression on her face, falling silent.
"Simply put, the Demon Suppression Agency is weakened and no longer up to the task," Su Heng said.
"That's a harsh but accurate assessment," Su Li nodded. "The importance of demons to cultivators is self-evident. Demonic flesh enhances cultivation and aids breakthroughs. Demonic cores, if successfully integrated, can even defy fate. The Demon Suppression Tower holds countless demons, making it a tempting target."
"How does one defy fate?" Su Heng asked, curious.
"A cultivator's talent lies in two aspects: bone structure and insight," Su Li explained. "Integrating a demonic core directly enhances bone structure, dramatically increasing a cultivator's strength in a short time."
Besides enhancing bone structure, one gains some of the demon's innate abilities. Most importantly, integrating a demonic core extends lifespan. Aging cultivators can regain their peak strength overnight.
"The value of a demonic core is immense, beyond measure…" Su Heng exclaimed. "According to you, constantly hunting demons and integrating their cores could lead to immortality."
"That's the theory, but it's incredibly difficult," Su Li explained. "First, integrating a demonic core requires opening one's body and implanting it into specific organs, a highly risky process. Second, the core retains the demon's extreme desires, making the integration process akin to placing one's spirit in hell, easily leading to madness."
"Even if one perseveres and succeeds, it doesn't mean the end. The demonic core will continue to affect the mind and body, potentially leading to possession and transformation into a new demon."
Su Li gazed out the window, her eyes distant. "The Demon Suppression Tower in Baihua Prefecture holds not only demons, but also many cultivators who went mad after integrating demonic cores, including several elder-level figures from the Great Families."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 46: Sharp Edge
"The Demon Suppression Agency sure is heavy-handed. I like it," Su Heng said with a smile.
"That was before," Su Li shrugged. "The Agency no longer has the power to control the situation."
"You're asking so much, do you want to join the Agency?" Su Li winked.
"Mm." Su Heng nodded, gazing at the sky. "But I don't plan to follow your path. It's too slow. I can't wait that long."
"Then you plan to…"
"Aren't you going to write to your master?" Su Heng handed her the envelope. "Don't hold back. Tell him everything exactly as it happened."
Su Li was silent for a moment, then nodded. She burned the original letter and began to write again, the scratching of the pen against the paper filling the air.
Su Heng fell into thought.
Ordinary people needed to conceal their strength, revealing only a fraction of their true power to maintain an advantage in crises.
But Su Heng didn't need to do that.
His strength increased too rapidly. With a sufficient supply of demonic flesh, a day for him was equivalent to ten years of cultivation for others.
It was hard to believe that
a month and a half ago, Su Heng was just a slightly stronger ordinary person.
Now, he could tear demons apart, perform cranial surgery on a Demon Sealing Clan elder—with excellent results.
In this situation,
Su Heng intended to flaunt his strength, obtaining resources and status commensurate with his power, accelerating his growth. This was the royal road.
"It's done!" Su Li handed Su Heng the rewritten letter.
"In the Demon Suppression Agency, there are five ranks: Disciple, Attendant, Elder, Deputy Commander, and Commander,"
"Disciples and Attendants are at the Demon Form Realm, while Elders and above are at the Demon Fetus Realm," Su Li's clear voice explained. "Your current strength would place you somewhere between Elder and Deputy Commander."
Su Heng checked the letter, finding no issues, and handed it back to Su Li. He listened calmly as she analyzed, "That was three days ago."
"You…"
Su Li was speechless, her breathing heavy.
After a long silence, she punched Su Heng's arm. "It's infuriating! Why does your strength increase so fast!?"
"Xiao Qing, check it too. See if we missed anything," Su Li, after venting, passed the letter to Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing took it, examining it carefully, her delicate brows furrowing.
"What's wrong?" Su Li asked curiously.
Even Su Heng looked up at Xiao Qing.
"It's fine," Xiao Qing stuck out her tongue. "But if I were the Commander, I'd find it hard to believe this letter."
"It's too exaggerated."
"…" Su Li was speechless. "What do we do!?"
She scratched her head, feeling like she was losing hair.
"Forget it!" Su Li folded the letter, placing it in a tube and tying it to the leg of a black-feathered, red-eyed crow.
She went to the window and released the crow. It cawed twice, flapping its wings, and quickly disappeared into the clouds.
"When they see you, they won't be able to disbelieve it," Su Li chuckled, then hugged Su Heng's arm. "How lucky I am to have such an amazing brother!" Her face was filled with joy and pride.
"Don't smear your snot on me," Su Heng pushed her away with a look of disgust.
"Let's go outside," Su Heng said, hearing the sound of a suona (a Chinese wind instrument) outside.
"Mm."
Su Li nodded, her smile fading.
Su Li and Xiao Qing walked ahead, Su Heng following at a distance.
Brushing his clothes, smoothing out the wrinkles Su Li had made, Su Heng took out a white object.
About the size of a fist, it resembled a mushroom without a stem, with a cross-shaped cut on its surface.
Su Heng narrowed his eyes, his gray-white attribute panel appearing.
[Detecting demonic remains… Identifying… Identification successful]
[Demonic Remains: Sprout Mycelium]
[Current total fusion slots: 2, available fusion slots: 1. Do you wish to fuse?]
"Fuse!" The fusion slots seemed related to his realm; after his breakthrough, he'd gained an extra slot.
He loosened his clothes and pressed the cool Sprout Mycelium against his chest.
"Huu…"
With a long breath,
the Sprout Mycelium melted, transforming into countless white mycelia that penetrated his skin, merging with his body, finally taking root in his lungs. A CT scan would reveal his lungs as a hazy white, like severe pneumonia. But Su Heng felt no discomfort, no mental anguish.
Perhaps it was the attribute panel, or perhaps his physique was too strong, negating the negative effects of the fusion.
He walked, silently sensing the changes.
The Water Ghoul's venom sac had barely increased his physique, only granting him some of the ghoul's abilities.
This was different.
The Yin Body Sprout was a fierce-level demon, equivalent to, or even stronger than, a human Demon Fetus Realm cultivator. After fusing its remains, Su Heng felt a significant increase in strength.
He spread and clenched his fingers, his brows furrowing.
"About a thirty percent increase… half the boost from Demon Back," Su Heng smiled, satisfied.
Demon Back provided a greater, more comprehensive boost, but required "inflating" the blood sacs on his back, with a cooldown period. The Sprout Mycelium's boost was constant, without limitations. However, Su Heng's size and strength could increase indefinitely.
The Sprout Mycelium and Demon Back: the former directly increased his base stats, while the latter amplified them by fifty percent. In the long run, the former's boost would be diluted, while the latter's would be significantly greater.
Besides the stat boost,
the Sprout Mycelium granted the Yin Body Sprout's powerful abilities, which Su Heng valued most.
Unlike the Water Ghoul's venom sac with its multiple effects, the Sprout Mycelium had only one: spore creation.
Su Heng could now create three types of spores:
Mist spores for creating large-scale fog to obscure perception;
Parasitic spores to absorb nutrients from hosts;
Highly toxic spores that caused excruciating pain and rapid decay.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 47: Planning
Like the Water Ghoul's venom sac, the Taisei fungus didn't inherit the full demonic abilities. The fungus's ability to enhance, modify, and repair organisms wasn't reflected in Su Heng's attribute panel.
But it didn't matter. Su Heng was most interested in the parasitic fungus within the Taisei. This fungus could take root in flesh, absorbing nutrients to artificially create Taisei meat, helping Su Heng rapidly accumulate attribute points.
Following Su Li out of the study, past the corridor and through a courtyard, they arrived at the dimly lit morgue. A body covered in a white sheet lay within.
Swish! Su Heng lifted the sheet. A strong smell of blood filled the air. The corpse's upper body was bare, headless, one arm twisted – the Luo family elder. Three days had passed, and the corpse was now emitting a foul odor.
Su Li pinched her nose, stepping back to give Su Heng space.
Su Heng reached out, his palm gently pressing against the corpse's chest. Countless microscopic grey-white fungi flowed into his body. The once full, slightly swollen corpse rapidly shriveled. The nutrients from the flesh and organs were completely drained, the skin becoming dry and leathery, hanging loosely on the bones. The marrow was also absorbed, the once-hard bones of the Demon Fetus-level martial artist becoming porous like a sponge, crumbling with a light squeeze.
Plop! The lifeless skin split, a piece of white, slightly crimson gelatinous substance oozing out.
Su Heng weighed it in his hand, then tossed it into a corner. The Taisei meat merged with a gelatinous mound roughly the height of an adult – the Yin Body Taisei, formed from the nutrients of tens of thousands of Changqing County residents. It was intended for Su Heng to cultivate a new body after his breakthrough, but its demise had been swift.
Rip! Su Heng tore off a palm-sized piece and swallowed it. A warm current exploded in his abdomen, spreading to his limbs, as if he were immersed in a hot spring. His body flushed, feeling incredibly comfortable.
"Whew…" He took a deep breath, his eyes glowing faintly red.
He tore off another piece, but this time, he offered it to Su Li.
"Want to try?" Su Heng said. "It should be good for cultivation."
"Gulp!" Su Li swallowed. She was becoming numb to Su Heng's ability to absorb demonic fungi, feeling no surprise. But this Taisei meat… though fragrant, the thought of its origin made her pale. She shook her head, unable to accept it.
Su Heng didn't press. "You?" he asked Xiao Qing.
"I…" Xiao Qing hesitated, taking a small piece and politely thanking Su Heng. The previous encounter had clearly left a deep impression. She was still visibly afraid of him.
Su Heng swallowed the remaining Taisei meat. As it digested, he opened his attribute panel. With the Taisei meat and the Water Ghoul venom sac's assistance, he'd gained over fifty attribute points in just three days.
How to use these points? Su Heng pondered. Continue improving the Crimson Sun Black煞 Art? It was nearing perfection, focusing on meridian mutation, and further investment wouldn't yield significant gains. He didn't yet have access to bone-tempering techniques.
"Perhaps upgrade the demonic remains…" He clicked, noticing that both the Taisei fungus and the Water Ghoul venom sac were greyed out, meaning he lacked sufficient attribute points for upgrades.
"This is for you," Su Li said, handing him a small booklet.
"This is…" Su Heng took it, surprised. "The Evergreen Longevity Art?!"
"Isn't this a secret technique of the Demon Suppression Bureau?" Su Heng frowned. "Giving this to me… isn't that against the rules?" He intended to join the Bureau, but not yet. His future was uncertain. He needed a bone-tempering technique, but didn't want to cause Su Li trouble.
"Don't worry," Su Li smiled. "The core of the technique lies in the medicinal ingredients and visualization diagrams. Without those, it's just a body-strengthening internal energy technique. The Bureau isn't strict about those aspects."
"Really?" Su Heng looked at Xiao Qing, who, having swallowed her piece of Taisei meat, was flushed, with wisps of white smoke rising from her forehead, clearly benefiting greatly.
"Yes," Xiao Qing nodded, her voice slightly muffled.
"Good." Su Heng accepted the booklet.
"The Evergreen Longevity Art is one of the Eight Dragon Phase Secret Techniques. It's a gentle, balanced path, focusing on internal energy and organ regulation, making it difficult to master. Even a genius like me took three months to feel the Qi…" Su Li patted Su Heng's shoulder. "Young man, good luck."
She smiled, proud of her achievement.
Xiao Qing rolled her eyes. Su Li was right, but it required significant resources and expert guidance to achieve that in three months. Even so, it was remarkable. The last person to achieve this was the previous Grand Marshal of the Demon Suppression Bureau. This was why Su Li was valued within the Bureau.
Su Heng, unaware of these details, skimmed the technique, finding it far more refined than his previous techniques. He also realized that reaching the limit of this technique would require many more attribute points. But with the Taisei meat, he felt confident.
"Just a few more days," Su Heng estimated, aiming not for mastery, but for the technique's peak.
"How's Su Shang?" Su Heng asked.
"He's awake, but weak from the prolonged coma. He needs time to recover," Su Li said happily.
"Good." Su Heng breathed a sigh of relief. "Once we're done here, we'll head to Hundred Flowers County."
"Okay," Su Li nodded, eager to see her master's reaction to Su Heng.
Su Heng, looking at the Luo family elder's corpse, thought more deeply. The "Glutton" and "seal" mentioned before death… what did it mean? He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking. He'd investigate after reaching Hundred Flowers County and eliminating the Luo family.
(End of Chapter)