Chapter 524: Chapter 58: Storage Bag
“Aaaargh!”
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the pitch-black mine.
A yellowish mist filled the air, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. Everyone had to rely on their senses.
“What’s happening?”
“Be careful!”
Nursing Director Zhang tensed up, drawing his saber to protect Yangg Yi and Qian Hu as they slowly retreated.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
“But…” Qian Hu looked stunned. “The Young Master is still…”
“Don’t worry about the Young Master.” Nursing Director Zhang shook his head.
“Just worry about yourselves for now. He’ll be fine.”
“Aaargh!”
Another scream pierced the air.
This time, the group heard it clearly. The cry didn’t belong to Zhu Ju, but to Earth Rat Xu Qing.
‘How is that possible?’
Yangg Yi’s face was etched with confusion.
Xu Qing was a notorious brigand who had roamed the Territory of Three Mansions for years, possessing a Seventh-Grade Martial Arts Cultivation.
And their Young Master was just a Noble Young Master below the Eighth Grade.
Setting aside the gap in strength, the difference in their combat experience alone was like heaven and earth.
WHOOSH…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a fierce wind suddenly kicked up in the mine.
A figure holding a large Medicine Shovel could be faintly seen, moving like a blur of afterimages as it launched a ferocious assault on someone deeper inside.
BOOM!
The ground trembled.
The figure in the center stomped his foot, his body swelling slightly as a torrent of scorching Qi burst forth.
Yangg Yi felt a terrifying, scorching power wash over him, as if he were facing not a man, but a volcano.
A living volcano!
This scorching power was no illusion. The cave walls cracked under its impact.
The cracks resembled those left by searing flames.
And that wasn’t all.
Yangg Yi felt the Qi Blood in his body begin to stir restlessly, as if it were about to catch fire.
‘This is…’
‘Martial Arts Will!’
His eyes widened in horror.
His father had once told him explicitly that only a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist could even begin to grasp Martial Arts Will.
‘But now…’
‘What is going on?’
Even from several dozen feet away, he felt immense discomfort. One could only imagine the pressure Xu Qing was under, being so close.
As the almost tangible Martial Arts Will bore down on him, Xu Qing’s Divine Soul wavered and his Qi Blood burned. He could only rely on a desperate unwillingness to lose, channeling his Seventh-Grade power to madly swing the Medicine Shovel in his hands.
‘Crush him!’
‘Only by crushing him can I survive!’
Fortunately, although his opponent had grasped Martial Arts Divine Intent, his own Cultivation was not high, and his Qi Blood was comparatively weak.
PENG!
In a blur, Zhu Ju’s fists, employing a Fist Technique that seemed simple yet was profound, blasted the Medicine Shovel aside.
His Eighteen Earth-Drilling Forms, which he had bitterly cultivated for years, were broken in just two breaths.
The next instant,
Xu Qing couldn’t even see Zhu Ju’s movements. All he saw was a massive fist wreathed in Fierce Flame hurtling toward his face.
The ferocious power tore through the air like rolling thunder, grazing past his blocking arm and striking him square in the chest.
PENG!
It was as if a mountain had crashed into his chest. An utterly masculine and unyielding power howled as it pierced through his body.
Xu Qing coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward. His eyes were vacant and lifeless, and by the time he landed, he was on the verge of death.
“All flash and no substance.”
Zhu Ju retracted his fist, tapped his foot on the ground, and a long saber dropped by who-knows-who flew into his hand.
Saber in hand, he charged into the crowd. Flashes of steel and sprays of blood filled the air as the bandits fell one after another, like stalks of garlic chives being reaped.
…
PSST!
The long saber pierced through his chest, pinning Earth Rat Xu Qing to the wall.
Zhu Ju dusted off his hands and gestured to the three behind him.
“Clean this up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nursing Director Zhang bowed in acknowledgment, put away his saber, and bent down to search the bodies.
“…” Qian Hu looked bewildered.
“The Young Master is so amazing!”
“Shut up,” Yangg Yi chided in a low voice.
“And get to work.”
‘Zhu Ju’s strength isn’t actually that overwhelming. After all, Taiyuan Prefecture has no shortage of Seventh-Grade Experts. The reason Earth Rat Xu Qing was so hard to catch wasn’t his strength, but his cunning.’
‘There are plenty of people stronger than him.’
‘But,’
‘Zhu Ju’s Cultivation is clearly below the Eighth Grade!’
‘That’s what’s so terrifying.’
‘To so ‘easily’ kill a mid-Seventh-Grade Martial Artist while being below the Eighth Grade himself… that’s something only a disciple from a top-tier Sect could do, and Zhu Ju obviously isn’t one of them.’
Yangg Yi was sensible. He knew what to ask and what not to ask, what to say and what to keep to himself.
“Oh!”
Qian Hu might be slow on the uptake, but he was obedient. He immediately started searching the bodies for valuables.
“Young Master.”
Yangg Yi’s eyes flickered as he asked,
“You said just now that Earth Rat Xu Qing was a Half-Demon?”
Qian Hu, who had been busy with his head down, froze for a moment. His ears perked up, and his hands slowed by half a beat.
“Mhm.”
Zhu Ju nodded.
“He had the bloodline of some kind of Rat Demon and had mastered a Divine Technique that released a Yellowish Qi. It wasn’t very powerful, but it was useful for concealing his escape or ambushing opponents.”
“But…” Yangg Yi looked surprised. “I’ve heard that all Half-Demons have crippled meridians and can’t practice Cultivation. How was Xu Qing able to?”
“Not all Half-Demons are the same.” Zhu Ju explained patiently,
“Most Half-Demons do have crippled meridians. They possess the Physical Body of a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist without even needing to practice Cultivation, but they can never advance unless they consume some rare Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.”
“But there are always exceptions.”
“Some Demon Races have powerful bloodlines. When such a Demon procreates with a member of the Human Race, their offspring not only avoid having crippled meridians but often possess excellent Talent for Cultivation. Some can even inherit their demon bloodline’s Innate Divine Techniques. However…”
Zhu Ju smiled and said,
“Most of these Half-Demons are quite ugly. Take Earth Rat Xu Qing, for example. With his rat-like face, you could tell at a glance he wasn’t fully human.”
“It’s exceedingly rare to find one that looks normal.”
As he spoke,
he seemed to glance nonchalantly at Qian Hu.
The Demon Race bloodline within Qian Hu was extraordinary; even he would have had a hard time discovering it if not for a chance encounter.
“Oh!”
Yangg Yi fell into a thoughtful silence.
“Young Master.”
Nursing Director Zhang walked over, holding a dusty, palm-sized cloth pouch. He frowned and said,
“Besides the Medicine Shovel, this was the only other thing on Xu Qing.”
“Oh?” Zhu Ju’s eyebrow twitched as he reached out to take it.
“A storage pouch!”
“Now this is a real treasure!”
“A storage pouch?” Qian Hu’s eyes lit up. “Is that the legendary Divine Artifact that can hold lots of things without changing its appearance on the outside?”
“It’s the Qiankun Containing Technique,” Yangg Yi said, equally curious. “I’ve heard they can only be crafted from the hide of certain Demons, and only a Mage can use them.”
“Oh!”
“Xu Qing cultivated both Magic and Martial Arts.”
He shook his head with a look of regret. As good as such an item was, they couldn’t use it.
SHHHF!
Zhu Ju gave the storage pouch a light shake, and a ten-tael silver ingot appeared in his palm.
With a flip of his hand,
the silver ingot vanished.
“Luckily, I also dabble in Magic and have a bit of Magical Power. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t be able to use this.”
With a casual smile, he opened the storage pouch, collected everything of value in the area, and then waved his hand.
“Let’s go!”
“Young Master,” Nursing Director Zhang spoke up. “Where are we headed next?”
“To the Earth Rat’s lair, of course.” Zhu Ju clasped his hands behind his back and started walking down the mine tunnel. “He’s been causing trouble in the Territory of Three Mansions for decades, robbing and pillaging. His lair is bound to be full of good stuff.”
“Now that the bandit chief is dead, it’s time to plunder his hoard. The three of you will get a share of the spoils.”
The three men’s eyes lit up, and they hurried to follow.