I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 69 - 68: The Moon Worship Sect is Narrowing Its Search Area

Chapter 69: Chapter 68: The Moon Worship Sect is Narrowing Its Search Area

It would be for the best if the "key" the Moon Worship Sect is looking for isn’t the Demon Suppression Stele.

Chu Fan knew his own limits. He would never covet such a great treasure.

But if the "key" the Moon Worship Sect was looking for just so happened to be the Demon Suppression Stele...

Then the murkier the waters, the better!

’It’d be best if all the factions in Cyan Yang Ancient City were dragged into this, fighting the Moon Worship Sect to the bitter end!’

What he lacked most right now was time.

About half a year...

The Refinement of the Demon Suppression Stele required fifteen hundred points of Spiritual Essence.

Currently, his main source of Spiritual Essence was his medicinal bath every three days, followed by Blood Refining Pills and the Blood-Nourishing Medicine Soup.

At this rate, it would take him at least half a year to gather the fifteen hundred points.

Therefore, muddying the waters and making the other factions deal with the Moon Worship Sect, leaving them no time to search for the "key"—

—that was Chu Fan’s ultimate goal!

Just then, Cao Feng spoke again. "Becoming a Seven Stars Gang disciple doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go to Seven Stars Castle."

"I’ll send someone to inform the Deacon Hall and have you and Tianxing stay at this Sub-Branch. It will also be more convenient for me to continue teaching you how to cultivate."

"Thank you, Master Cao!" Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing said in unison, cupping their fists.

...

The sky gradually darkened.

Chu Fan slung his Long Saber over his shoulder and walked home.

He hadn’t even left the Seven Stars Gang’s grounds when the handymen along the path began to make way for him, their eyes filled with awe.

Chu Fan paid them no mind and quickened his pace.

He had just reached an alley not far from his home when he heard the distant ringing of the Moon Worship Sect’s bells again.

Chu Fan looked up at the sky.

’The Moon Worship Sect seems to be getting more and more anxious. The sky isn’t even completely dark yet, and they’re already out.’

But what good would their anxiety do?

They had been searching for two years without success. To think they could find it in just a few days was nothing but a fool’s dream.

Chu Fan made a few turns in the snow-covered alley and arrived at his front gate.

"CREAK—"

He pushed open the gate and saw Zhao Hu and his wife bustling about in the courtyard, which was piled high with bamboo strips.

"Fan is back!"

Seeing Chu Fan return, Zhao Hu and his wife both stood up.

Chu Fan glanced at Zhao Hu’s face and asked with concern, "Mr. Zhao, did you use the silver I gave you to see a doctor?"

"I did, I did..." Zhao Hu said hurriedly. "The doctor prescribed some medicine. I’m feeling much better after taking it."

"Those people from the Blood Saber Sect, they haven’t been bothering you, have they?"

"Don’t worry," Chu Fan said. "No matter how arrogant the Blood Saber Sect is, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble at the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch."

"By the way, I ran into members of the Moon Worship Sect again on my way back..."

"Have their activities been much more frequent lately?"

"Now that you mention it..." Zhao Hu thought for a moment and said, "They have been much more frequent than before. You can even see them during broad daylight."

"But the Moon Worship Sect can only deceive those starving refugees..."

"Yesterday afternoon, they passed by here and even tried to recruit Zhang Laoliu into their sect. Zhang Laoliu was so scared he bolted his gate and didn’t dare come out all day."

’Passed by here?’ Chu Fan’s heart jolted.

Thinking back, over the past two years, although the Moon Worship Sect often appeared in North City, they had never come to this area.

But after Zhao Hu sold his house to Huang Yu, Chu Fan had encountered the Moon Worship Sect when he investigated Zhao Hu’s old residence that night. A servant from the Huang Family who had been tailing him was even killed by them.

And now, they had actually made their way to the gate of the Chu Family’s ancestral home?

’They’re narrowing their search area!’

A chill ran through Chu Fan’s heart.

After exchanging a few more words with Zhao Hu, Chu Fan went inside and stepped into the Array.

He walked step by step along the narrow passage, and before long, he saw the Demon Suppression Stele again.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual about the Demon Suppression Stele, Chu Fan breathed a sigh of relief.

The Moon Worship Sect had been searching for the "key" for over two years.

It was impossible for them to be so lucky as to find it in the next few days.

But they had found their way to this neighborhood, so he had to be on guard.

After circling the Demon Suppression Stele twice, Chu Fan stopped. He quickly wrapped his arms around the stele and roared in his mind, ’Rise!’

It didn’t budge an inch...

The countless images that had flashed through his mind the first time he touched it instantly reappeared the moment he made contact with the Demon Suppression Stele.

Terrified, Chu Fan immediately let go!

He caught his breath and returned to the house.

The fact that the Moon Worship Sect members had walked past his gate without noticing anything amiss in the house brought him some small comfort.

He took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, took a Blood Refining Pill from his robes, placed it in his mouth, and began his Blood Refining.

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment, Second Stage, Blood Refining 92%]

His Blood Refining progress these past few days had been advancing by leaps and bounds.

The speed was even faster than his previous Blood Nourishing!

The half a root of mountain ginseng from Zhao Tianxing and the medicinal baths every three days were major contributors to this.

The medicinal power of the half root of mountain ginseng he had consumed on the day he achieved Great Success with his Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber was immense, and he still hadn’t fully absorbed it.

This was an unexpected blessing.

That half root of mountain ginseng not only enhanced his Qi Blood, but also raised the resilience of his bones and tendons by a whole level!

Combined with the medicinal ingredients that cost fifteen taels of silver per dose, his cultivation over the past few days felt like he was advancing a thousand miles a day.

If all went well, he should be able to break through the Blood Refining Realm within three days.

He planned to register his Blood Nourishing Realm status at the Deacon Hall the day before he broke through to the Blood Refining Realm, officially becoming a disciple of the Seven Stars Gang.

WHOOSH!

Chu Fan slowly began to practice the Twelve Forms Fist in his room, guiding the medicinal power of the Blood Refining Pill to continuously temper his Qi Blood Power.

Time slowly passed...

In the dead of night, he finished his Twelve Forms Fist practice, took off his cotton-padded jacket, grabbed his Long Saber, and climbed out the window.

The wind on this cold night was harsh.

Chu Fan listened in all directions as he stealthily made his way toward Zhao Hu’s old residence.

Before he even reached the house, he could already see the faint glimmer of candlelight.

Chu Fan silently vaulted to a position beneath the house’s window.

There were two people inside.

Holding his breath, Chu Fan peeked through a crack in the window.

Inside were two burly men, one with sharp, monkey-like features and the other with a thick beard. Both had vicious expressions and were drinking from large bowls.

Two scimitars lay on the table.

From the looks of it, they were likely men sent by Tang Xiao, the Blood Saber Sect’s Incense Master.

Chu Fan narrowed his eyes.

Memories of being bullied by the Blood Saber Sect during his two years as a fisherman uncontrollably surfaced in his mind. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

That inexpressible indignation and humiliation made his fingers grip the handle of his saber tighter and tighter!

A cruel smile appeared on his lips.

In his eyes, the people of the Blood Saber Sect...

were nothing but silver!

Nothing but Spiritual Essence!

’Thinking they can just guard this house, drinking and eating meat in peace?’

’Dream on!’

Chu Fan picked up a small pebble and gently tossed it at the courtyard gate.

"THUD!"

The small stone hit the wooden gate with a dull thud.

"Which bastard is out there?!"

The man with the monkey-like features picked up his scimitar, walked out, opened the gate, and stepped outside.

At that exact moment, Chu Fan slipped into the house like a civet cat!

"WHOOSH!"

With a flick of his hand, a cloud of quicklime shot straight at the bearded man who was still drinking inside!

"Who’s there?!"

The bearded man roared, awkwardly grabbing the scimitar on the table and quickly retreating!

His movements weren’t slow.

But Chu Fan was faster!

"CLANG!"

The sound of his Long Saber being unsheathed had just rung out when a flash of blade light lit up the room.

The next instant—

"CLANG!"

Although the bearded man’s scimitar blocked Chu Fan’s lightning-fast strike, the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber’s stacked dual Force, combined with the "Sword Heavy as a Mountain" Trait, was like a landslide crashing down in a single blow!

A thin line of blood appeared on the bearded man’s forehead, running all the way down to his abdomen.

Even his scimitar had a notch cut into it!

By the time the monkey-faced man returned to the house, the candle was extinguished, and the bearded man collapsed with a "THUD"!

"Damn it!"

The monkey-faced man was extremely cunning. He completely ignored his dead companion and immediately retreated, backing out of the house!

The moment he was outside, he gripped his scimitar with both hands and plunged it into the ground!

In the darkness, a thick, bloody stench suddenly began to spread!

Hiding in a corner of the house, Chu Fan’s nose twitched, and his heart pounded. ’Blood Evil Qi!’