Chapter 26 Fatty Wang

Afternoon.

In a narrow alley behind Yellow Dragon Square,

Ning Daoran activated the Body Tempering Technique, subtly altering his body shape to grow twenty centimeters taller, transforming into a young man with prominent cheekbones, completely unrecognizable as Ning Daoran.

After disguising himself, he wore a blue robe, stood in front of a small house, and cast two spells in succession to unlock the secretive prohibition before the door.

"Is Young Master Wang back?"

A familiar voice came from inside the hut.

Li Sandao!

Ning Daoran frowned—it was indeed him.

Given Ning Daoran's caution, he was very low-profile when he went to the Contribution Hall to accept tasks; he left as soon as he received his assignments without lingering, so not many knew about Ning Daoran's departure from the mountain.

Yet the Wang Family of Stone Valley had somehow received the news overnight and rushed to ambush in the vicinity of White Leaf Town, which was already quite suspicious.

Thus, according to Ning Daoran's conjecture, there must be a mole within the sect.

Soul Searching Wan Xuantong and others had indeed confirmed this. Li Sandao, who worked at the Contribution Hall, could see the task dispatch first-hand and knew the exact location and time.

According to the plan, after Wan Xuantong had succeeded, he was to meet up with Li Sandao at this secret hideout for a reward.

The reward was in Wan Xuantong's storage bag, a first-tier mid-grade magical artifact.

Ning Daoran chuckled—so in this Senior Brother Li's eyes, his life was only worth a mid-grade magical artifact?

…

Ning Daoran pushed open the door: "How are you, Senior Brother Li?"

"Ning Dao…you…Junior Brother Ning, you…"

Li Sandao looked at the stranger before him, but instantly recognized him by the voice.

"Pfft!"

Ning Daoran raised his hand to cover Li Sandao's mouth, the blade of the Qiushui Sword already piercing into his senior brother's abdomen.

"Senior Brother Li, sorry about this."

"Mmm~~~"

Li Sandao's eyes widened, struggling fiercely, but unable to break free under Ning Daoran's ironclad control.

"Pfft!"

Another sword thrust into his chest, splattering scarlet blood on the floor, adding a certain brilliance to the dim room.

"Senior Brother Li, just quietly wait here for your reward, and don't ever go anywhere else."

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Sword after sword fell, turning Li Sandao's chest into a mush.

Then, a Fireball Technique was cast, turning him to ashes.

Departing the house in a blue robe, he soon turned into another inconspicuous alley and reemerged looking like Ning Daoran.

After a trip to Qingfu Square to create evidence of his presence in Yellow Dragon Square, Ning Daoran returned to the sect with Big Stupid Deer.

…

No. 77 Spiritual Field Courtyard.

Big Stupid Deer was clattering around cooking in the kitchen, while Ning Daoran sat in the living room on the first floor, reviewing the entire incident.

From the Soul Search of Wang Family's four and Li Sandao, the conclusion was that the residual risk from this operation was very low, almost leaving no loopholes.

Firstly, the Wang family kept a low profile about their actions, considering it nothing to brag about and also fearing discovery and accountability from the Chaotic Sect.

So only the Wang Family's patriarch and three Late-stage Qi Refining knew about this and only these four had launched the ambush.

Unfortunately, what they thought was a sure thing had backfired.

Li Sandao's end was also safe. He knew very well the nature of his actions would disgrace the sect, and the Chaotic Sect's rules were strict, strictly forbidding disciples from killing each other.

Such fratricidal acts, once discovered, would undoubtedly lead to Li Sandao's death, and even his family could have been implicated.

Therefore, Li Sandao kept it a confidential matter.

Moreover, Ning Daoran hid himself quite well, armed with a Perfect Level Concealing Breath Technique; it was impossible for anyone to suspect a mid-stage Qi Refining Disciple had any involvement.

More importantly, the battle scene featured the wondrous appearance of a Silver Dragon, so no one would connect this incident with a mere mid-stage Qi Refining disciple.

Consider the strength of those four high-level members of the Wang family—wouldn't each of them easily overpower him, a tiny Spirit Farmer on Qiongbi Peak?

The whole matter was resolved once and for all, and the days of growing Green Bamboo Spirit Rice on Qiongbi Peak once again returned to tranquility.

However, to be safe, he decided not to travel far for a year or even longer!

…

Days later.

News of the Foundation Establishment demise of the Wang family finally spread throughout Yellow Dragon Square.

People talked about the celestial phenomenon that occurred above the site on the day of the incident, but many considered this fanciful, and the discussion eventually came to nothing.

However, the aftermath of the Foundation Establishment fall of the Wang family continued to ferment.

Firstly, the battle for the first-tier top-grade spiritual vein owned by the Wang Family of Stone Valley started, with another Foundation Establishment Family, the Huang Family, having long coveted that vein, having had several disputes with the Wang family.

On the same night it was confirmed that the Wang family's Foundation Establishment members had fallen, the Huang Family's Foundation Establishment Ancestor personally led his family members to take the spirit vein and the spiritual medicine garden!

The Wang family members who dared to resist were all killed, leaving those who pledged allegiance and those who chose to leave.

A once prominent Foundation Establishment family in Shanyang County, the Wang family, thus completely dissipated.

Moreover, the fall of the Wang family's Foundation Establishment also caused some impact on Yellow Dragon Square.

Originally, the Wang family operated a Golden Jade Pavilion which, although not as successful as Qingfu Square, still brought in thousands of spirit stones in profit each year. However, with the death of the family's Foundation Establishment member, they could no longer support the Golden Jade Pavilion.

Ultimately, an Outer Elder from Chaotic Sect took the opportunity to abolish the previous contract and resold the shop.

It was bought by the Huang Family at about seventy percent of the cost, making them the real winners, having previously been suppressed by the Wang family.

These matters were naturally of no concern to Ning Daoran, who was cultivating in the spiritual fields of Qiongbi Peak.

In the courtyard.

Big Stupid Deer began practicing the Strengthening Technique.

Ning Daoran had never seen a spiritual beast train and was quite curious, sitting aside to watch.

Big Stupid Deer trained with precision, its professionalism comparable to that of Ning Daoran when practicing the Body Tempering Technique, with strands of spiritual power circulating around its body. In just under ten days, Big Stupid Deer had reached entry-level.

From the mana intensity, Early Stage of Qi Refining!

In the cultivation world's assessment of demon beasts, at this time Big Stupid Deer was rated as a First-tier Lower Grade in combat power, still utterly weak.

However, after learning the Strengthening Technique, Big Stupid Deer trained diligently, practicing into the late night every day. After training, it showed signs of "depletion of both qi and blood."

The Strengthening Technique was a dual cultivation technique that not only strengthened qi and blood but also improved mana, thus it particularly drained qi and blood.

Ning Daoran had to fish a spirit fish weighing at least three pounds from the backyard pond every midnight, plus a pot of Green Bamboo Spirit Rice, to replenish Big Stupid Deer's blood qi and spiritual qi, but it was still not enough; the beast trained too diligently!

He had planned on secluding himself in the mountains for several months before descending again, but he had no choice but to go to the market to buy some demon meat specifically for replenishing blood qi for Big Stupid Deer.

The next day, in the back streets of Yellow Dragon Square, the black market.

Ning Daoran, dressed as an Outer Disciple and feigning a Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivation, meandered through the black market honestly with Big Stupid Deer.

Eventually, he stopped in front of a butcher's shop.

There were many types of blood food hanging in the shop, mostly First-tier Lower Grade demon beast meat, along with some indistinguishable meat, unknown what kind of creatures they were from.

The butcher, a fat man surnamed Wang, known as Fatty Wang.

His body was like a mountain of flesh, easily weighing over six hundred pounds.

"Do you need demon meat?"

"Indeed."

Ning Daoran patted Big Stupid Deer's head and smiled, "My spiritual beast is practicing a spiritual beast secret, hence it needs some blood food."

"Oh?"

Fatty Wang squinted, smiling, "The spiritual beast secret is powerful, consuming a lot of blood qi during practice.

Ordinary spirit fish, spiritual sheep, or First-tier Lower Grade demon beast meat might not be enough to replenish such blood qi. I'd recommend you buy some Tai Sui meat, fellow daoist."

"Tai Sui meat?"

Ning Daoran was surprised, "I've heard that martial artists in the Jianghu consume Tai Sui meat during their training, do you also have it?"

"Just a little bit."

Fatty Wang grinned, "You might be underestimating the connections of my shop. Yellow Dragon Square's scale is top in Shanyang County, getting some Tai Sui meat is not too difficult."

He reached under the counter and pulled out a chunk of meat weighing dozens of pounds, pale and white yet rich in both blood qi and spiritual qi, the lowest grade of white Tai Sui meat.

It is said that, to advance in their practice, martial artists most commonly consume this type of White Tai Sui meat.

"Boss."

Ning Daoran squinted, smiling, "I have a long-term need. Give me a regular customer price, and if it's right, I'll continue to patronize your business."

"Sure thing!"

Fatty Wang said, "One spirit stone for two pounds of white meat. Considering that you are from Chaotic Sect, others can't get such a price here."

"Deal."

Ning Daoran immediately took out twenty spirit stones and bought forty pounds of white meat from the butcher shop before returning to the sect.

Big Stupid Deer's replenishment of blood qi was finally assured. Every day, Ning Daoran would cut a pound of White Tai Sui meat for it, finally not looking depleted of qi and blood every night.

About once every half month, Ning Daoran would need to descend the mountain to purchase blood food for Big Stupid Deer.

As for the four items from the Wang family.

The Wang family's Foundation Establishment Spiritual Artifact grade Golden Blade, along with several magical artifacts, needed to find a suitable opportunity for disposal.

To be on the safe side, Ning Daoran did not plan to sell these items in Yellow Dragon Square, where the chance of recognition was far too high. Given his currently weak strength, it was best not to touch such risky matters.

Thus, he would wait a bit more and perhaps need to venture far from home later.

On this night, under a bright moon and faint starlight.

Ning Daoran inspected the fishpond, his Divine Sense unrestrainedly investigating, but suddenly noticed something was amiss; the total number of spirit fish in the pond was significantly reduced, yet he and Big Stupid Deer hadn't eaten that many!

Even including Chen Weimo, that little girl could only consume a few. His Divine Sense quickly located the culprit.

It was a big black snake lurking deep in the mud, nearly one meter long, and it even possessed First-tier Lower Grade Evil Qi!

"Good heavens, daring to steal from me?!" Ning Daoran was furious.