I Fabricated the Techniques, but my disciple really mastered them?
Chapter Summary
The craze of seeking great Masters swept through Qi Country, with countless heading to the endless mountains to do so, and not just the Minister of War's son and his group. Back in the Capital City, Xu Yan had just broken through the Qi-Blood Realm and gained insight into the Innate Realm cultivation technique, leaving him in high spirits. "Xu Yan left in high spirits, prepared to rush back to Donghe County to consult his master about the nature of the monster that drained people's blood, its st...
Hic!
From within Xue Wuxin's body came a sound, as if he had eaten his fill and belched.
A healthy color returned to his pale face.
Thread-like streaks of blood retracted from the corpses into his body, and a gloomy aura enveloped him, his face that had just regained color turning pale and lifeless once again.
"People from the Wasteland have such mixed vital essence, I need to refine and purify it.
Yet, having devoured so many people's essence, I should be able to recover fifty to sixty percent of my strength," Xue Wuxin muttered to himself.
He looked up towards the endless mountains beyond, his eyes shining with excitement.
The Wasteland shall be the very place of my rise.
"Find a place to refine the vital essence and recover from my injuries.
Only when I've regained my strength can I perform the Great Blood Sacrifice, purify the vital essence, and use it for cultivation.
"Haha, all of you just wait for Xue Wuxin's revenge!
"Xue Wuxin, in high spirits, soared into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Only on the slope, over a hundred withered corpses remained, each withered face vaguely retaining a look of terror.
The craze of seeking great Masters swept through Qi Country, with countless heading to the endless mountains to do so, and not just the Minister of War's son and his group.
The endless mountains were full of dangers, with seekers banding together, accompanied by guards, or recruiting experts to enter the mountains as one.
On this day, a group in search of a Master arrived at the foot of the slope.
"Let's rest up there, who knows where these Masters are hiding in seclusion.
""How come Xu Yan has such good luck in finding a Master?
""Don't be discouraged.
Is it easy to find a Master?
Xu Yan searched for many years and was even deceived.
"A bunch of dandies, protected by their guards, began to climb up the slope.
"Ah!
"Suddenly, a scream rang out.
"What the hell, you scared the hell out of me!
""What happened?
Aren't you a top-notch expert in the martial world, yet so easily frightened?
Ah...
"Screams echoed one after another.
Everyone looking at the scene on the slope felt chilled to the bone, their scalps tingling.
On the slope lay over a hundred corpses, exuding a faint, eerie aura, each body shriveled as if drained of all blood.
On their dried-out faces, the terror of their final moments lingered.
"This is...
this is...
"Someone recognized the identities of the corpses.
"The Minister of War's eldest son!
""The Minister of Rites' second son!
""And there's more...
"Fear welled up amongst the crowd as they instinctively looked around, as if malicious spirits were about to choose their next victim.
"How did they die?
"A more courageous expert stepped forward to examine the bodies, becoming more shocked and fearful with each one.
"The bodies are withered, they've become mummies...
"Too bizarre!
It wasn't long since the Minister of War's son and his group entered the endless mountains.
Even if they had died, they couldn't have turned into mummies so fast.
Moreover, each person's expression was one of extreme terror, as if they had seen something horrifying before death.
"This is the One-Slash King, a famous top-class expert of the Capital City, and he's dead too!
"People continued to identify the bodies, including many well-known top-class experts.
Over a hundred people, many of them experts, well-equipped with strong crossbows and other gears, had all mysteriously died on that slope.
There was no sign of struggle at the scene.
It was as if everyone had died simultaneously!
The bodies had turned into mummies!
Such a bizarre scene horrified everyone, and no one was in the mood to continue their search for Masters.
"Let's go, let's get out of here!
""The endless mountains are too dangerous!
"The group didn't dare to linger and quickly descended the mountain.
"Take the Minister of War's son's body, take these bodies, and bring them back to the Capital City.
""Right, bring their bodies back to the Capital City.
Their deaths are too strange; we must investigate.
Isn't Xu Yan a martial artist?
Maybe he can detect something off.
"Someone suggested this.
The others found it reasonable to take the bodies back; they might even get a reward for it.
As for the possibility of being suspected of foul play, that was implausible – the bizarre state of the corpses was evident, and besides, with their strength, they couldn't have possibly killed the Minister of War's son and his group....
Back in the Capital City, Xu Yan had just broken through the Qi-Blood Realm and gained insight into the Innate Realm cultivation technique, leaving him in high spirits.
Emperor Qi sent someone to congratulate him and intended to hold a banquet in honor of his martial arts progress, but Xu Yan declined.
After staying a few days in the Capital City, Xu Yan set off to return to the East River Prefecture.
Shortly after Xu Yan left the Capital City, the news of the Minister of War's son and his group meeting their mysterious deaths in the endless mountains spread among the officials.
The corpses were brought back.
Even Emperor Qi came personally to investigate.
The desiccated bodies, the lingering terror on their faces – it was all very strange.
"Lord Guo, you'd better call your grandson back to take a look.
""Yes, Lord Guo, this matter is too bizarre!
"The officials started to panic.
Their own sons were out searching for great Masters.
Moreover, most had gone to the endless mountains.
The Ministers of War and Rites were particularly devastated, struck by a tremendous blow.
Guo Rongshan realized that the situation was extremely strange – could there be some monster in the endless mountains?
He immediately sent a message to Xu Yan.
He immediately employed the falcon messaging system that had just been set up not long before.
Since his promotion to the Qi King, as the Great Elder and the Crown Prince's Teacher, he had reallocated a few trained falcons from Qi Country's Falcon Department, specifically for communication between Donghe County and the Capital City.
This ensured smooth and swift communication between Donghe County and the residence of the Qi King.
Xu Yan, weary from travel, hurried back to Donghe County.
He had just arrived home and had a meal with his parents, offering some advice on their cultivation, when he received a falcon message from his maternal grandfather.
Shriveled corpses?
Strange circumstances of death?
He was immediately curious.
"I once read in an ancient text a legend about a creature called 'corpse demon' that likes to devour human blood.
Could what they encountered be a corpse demon?
"The moment Xu Yan had this thought, his interest was piqued.
"It is said that corpse demons are ferocious, fond of human blood, and possess immense strength.
I am now fully accomplished in the Qi-Blood Realm, and my strength has long since surpassed my former self.
I was just looking for an opportunity to test my skills.
""If it really is a corpse demon, it might be worth a shot.
"Xu Yan's eyes lit up with excitement, and he immediately rushed to the Capital City.
He had only read about the corpse demon in an ancient book; the tale had not circulated among the people, and very few knew of such a legendary creature.
Capital City.
Xu Yan had returned after a short absence.
"Where is the body?
Where is it?
"He went straight to the site where the bodies were kept.
He saw those few shriveled corpses.
Emperor Qi and all the ministers were present.
After examining the bodies, Xu Yan frowned; it seemed as if the bodies had been drained of their blood and turned into mummies.
A faint gloom still lingered in the corpses.
However, the condition of these bodies was different from how the text described victims of the corpse demon; there were no bite marks to be seen.
According to the text, the bite would be at the neck.
Moreover, those killed by a corpse demon would not instantly turn into shriveled corpses but would become bluish-black, infused with the demon's poison.
Yet, these several bodies had neither the bluish-black color nor the demon's poison.
They had completely become mummies.
It was as if they had been desiccated into human jerky, and even after such a long period, they hadn't decayed.
"Well, can you see any problem?
"Emperor Qi inquired.
Xu Yan continued examining the bodies and shook his head, "I thought at first that it might be the work of the legendary corpse demon, but looking at the bodies, it doesn't seem so.
""What is a corpse demon?
"Emperor Qi and the ministers looked at one another in confusion; they had never heard of such a creature.
"A type of monster that brutally feeds on human blood," Xu Yan briefly explained.
Emperor Qi and his ministers felt a chill; could such a terrifying creature really exist in this world?
"Young Master Xu, how do you know about the corpse demon?
"A minister, unable to contain his curiosity, asked.
He prided himself on his profound knowledge, extensive reading, and understanding of everything from astronomy and geography to history and relics.
Yet he had never heard of the corpse demon.
He couldn't help but wonder if Xu Yan had made it up.
"I saw it in an ancient text, a very old one.
I heard it's a unique copy," Xu Yan replied.
Seen in an ancient text?
The minister was taken aback and subconsciously said, "Surely, the contents of texts...
"He abruptly stopped as the words caught in his throat.
He suddenly remembered that Xu Yan had believed in the legends found in ancient texts, seeking masters far and wide in pursuit of true martial arts, silently mocked by others for having a simple mind.
And yet, he had indeed mastered an incredibly powerful martial art!
From this perspective, the legends in texts might not be so unbelievable!
With this thought, he couldn't continue his previous line of questioning.
Xu Yan kept examining the bodies, stripping off their clothes, and turning them over and over.
The Minister of War had tears streaming down his face, his lips trembling as he prepared to speak.
But a stern look from Emperor Qi silenced him before he could utter a word.
He could only watch silently as Xu Yan manipulated the bodies.
"Strange, if it wasn't the work of a corpse demon, then what could it be?
"Xu Yan pondered in confusion, thinking back on the texts he'd read.
None mentioned anything like this.
Suddenly!
His gaze sharpened as he saw a small hole at the region of the heart on one of the shriveled bodies.
As if something had pierced the heart.
"This is...
"Xu Yan frowned, touching the wound.
It was very small, as if made by a tiny awl.
"A mosquito?
"The blood had been drained, turning them into mummies, and there was a small wound at the heart.
Instinctively, Xu Yan's mind conjured an image of a massive mosquito overpowering the son of the Minister of War, piercing his heart with its proboscis, and draining him of blood.
"Could it be some kind of blood-sucking monster, like a mosquito?
"Xu Yan couldn't help but think of the fire-maned wolf, which was not in the category of wild beasts.
What ordinary beast had such great strength?
And could the killer of the Minister of War and the others be a creature beyond the category of wild beasts, similar to the fire-maned wolf?
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I don't know what the killer is, possibly some kind of monster?
I will go back and ask my master, he might know.
"His master was a hermit, surely he would know what kind of creature this was.
Could the endless mountains be hiding such creatures?
Xu Yan suddenly became interested in the endless mountains and the unknown creatures within.
He decided to ask his master whether, with his current strength, he could hunt monsters in the endless mountains.
"I'll go back and ask my master.
"Xu Yan left in high spirits, prepared to rush back to Donghe County to consult his master about the nature of the monster that drained people's blood, its strength, and whether he could handle it!