Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 22 - 21 Reaping the Rewards

Seeking Immortal County, in a dark alley beside the grand courtyard of the Zhou Family, a distinguished and affluent household in their own right.

A somewhat bizarre scene was unfolding.

On the ground lay a pile of clothes and the bodies of a man and a woman, one dead and the other alive.

And a lean, handsome scholar, with a brilliant smile, was counting the spoils of battle in his hand.

As the leader of the gang, Zhang Xian indeed seemed wealthier than that old man.

Tao Qian had a total of five items in his hands.

A thin manual, a crude iron plate, a piece of skin resembling human skin from an unknown creature, a pill as large as a red date, and a purse.

What excited Tao Qian was that among these, the manual, the skin, and the pill all gave him a thrilling sensation.

With a heart full of anticipation, Tao Qian touched them.

In an instant, three streams of information, triggered by Extraordinary Perception, were sorted in Tao Qian's mind into that strange format.

The first to catch Tao Qian's attention was naturally the manual that resembled a Cultivation Secret Manual.

"Record Name: Meat Demon Possession Technique."

"Record Type: Alien."

"Description: Two hundred years ago, there was a Heterodox Practitioner named 'Wu Wuji.' As his lifespan neared its end, and he was soon to die, he sought Life Extension by any means possible. Rejected by the Daoist and Buddhist communities, and humiliated by the great families, in his grief and anger, he made a grand vow to create his own method for Longevity. If he could extend his life and pass through tribulations without death, he would certainly avenge the humiliations the Daoist, Buddhist, and the great families inflicted upon him that day... Years later, this person vanished without a trace, only to reappear one day in the Imperial City, scattering a hundred copies of the 'Meat Demon Possession Technique' before dying violently in the marketplace."

"Note 1: This technique is extremely complex, requiring one to first collect the eggs of a water insect known as the 'Meat Demon Eel,' found only in battlefield corpse pits and wasteland devil lands. This creature is rumored to live up to three hundred years and is skilled in the art of change. It can exhale hypnotic gases. Once the eggs are collected, one must use meditation to concentrate day and night until incorporating one or two parts of one's own Essence Qi into the eggs."

"Note 2: Once the injection is complete, swallow the eggs into the stomach, drink fresh human blood to stimulate it. Within several days, the egg will hatch, and within a few breaths, it will devour the host's body, reaching a state of Spirit and Body Unity. The cultivator can then fully control the Demon insect's Divine Skills. If the body ages, they can transfer and reincarnate once more, not confined to any species, or bound by age or gender."

"Note 3: If one practices this technique, every morning and noon, they will suffer the torment of the Demon Eel gnawing at their heart. Moreover, they cannot live without human blood. If they do not consume it for one day, the next day they will go mad and lose themselves."

"Note 4: Exemption Cost can be waived!"

...

"Sss"

Having observed peculiar Cultivation Techniques like the Bai Qin Play, Immortal Fish Technique, and Earth Element Manual, Tao Qian thought he had seen it all and wouldn't be amazed by any other Magic Skills.

But now, Tao Qian realized he was wrong.

This technique called the "Meat Demon Possession Technique" had once again broadened his horizons.

His palms trembled slightly as he held the manual, as if holding a hot potato, and a surge of impulse arose from within to destroy the book.

"Heresy and heterodoxy, true to its name."

Tao Qian uttered an eight-character judgment and then shoved the manual into his bosom.

Whether to destroy it was not something to ponder at this moment; he decided to postpone it.

Blinking his eyes, the other two streams of information emerged in his mind.

"Record Name: Mountain Ghost Skin."

"Record Type: Alien."

"Description: There is a rumor in the Miao Region of a mysterious barren mountain with a black ghostly cave on its waist. Travelers once spent the night in the cave, comforting themselves in their loneliness, and the relics they left behind caused the ghost cave to become pregnant. The next day, a stone membrane swelled up, and upon opening it, they found a Mountain Ghost Baby. This infant grows a year with every breath, and within a short time, becomes indistinguishable from an adult, intelligent and kind, knowledgeable about mountain paths and discerning of danger, swiftly leading its father out of the barren mountains, leaving behind a little bit of gold and silver, and medicinal materials, then vanishing without a trace."

"Note 1: Hearing this legend, a Heterodox Mage went to great lengths to find the ghost cave and cause it to become pregnant, similarly giving birth to a Mountain Ghost Baby. In a moment, the baby grew up, leading the mage out of the mountains. The mage took the opportunity to bind the Mountain Ghost, intending to force out its secrets. Suddenly, its body split apart, a stubborn stone fell, leaving only a skin sack with no hair, no color, but containing some Special Ability."

"Note 2: This skin has its own Special Ability. With a thought, it can cover the whole body, defend against sharp blades, resist water and fire, and even make it so that poisonous insects and snakes cannot approach."

"Note 3: While wearing this skin, one will be unable to conceive offspring."

"Note 4: Many unscrupulous people have copied the mage's actions, each obtaining a Mountain Ghost Skin, and thus this item is not rare in the world."

"Note 5: Exemption Cost can be waived!"

...

"Record Name: Corpse Blood Elixir."

"Record Type: Alien."

"Description: In the land of Xiangxi, zombies often roam. If one encounters a Black Zombie or a Fur Zombie, they must be careful to avoid them. However, if one encounters an intelligent 'Floating Corpse,' it can be considered a stroke of luck. Floating Corpses like to acquire residences, go out at night to play, and return before dawn. If someone hides beside its zombie house and blocks its doorway when the Floating Corpse returns home, then with polite pleading, they might have a chance to receive this Blood Elixir from the zombie."

"Note 1: This elixir cannot be consumed. Whoever takes it will immediately be corrupted by the Corpse Qi within the elixir, dying on the spot."

"Note 2: If worn on the body, this elixir can resist the aura of Corpse Poison and defend against attacks on the Divine Soul, but one must chant the spell 'Floating Corpse aid me' for it to be effective."

"Note 3: For those who practice Exotic Skills related to zombies, this elixir can eliminate some of the costs."

"Note 4: If one possesses the elixir for too long, the body's joints will become increasingly rigid, a fear of the bright sun will develop, and a preference for darkness will arise. Upon seeing human blood, they will go mad, no different from a Floating Corpse."

"Note 5: Exemption Cost can be waived!"

...

In the blink of an eye, some complex information was fully assimilated by Tao Qian.

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Because he had first seen the "Meat Demon Possession Technique," even though the Mountain Ghost Skin and Corpse Blood Elixir were also very bizarre, he had grown accustomed to it.

Under the premise of exemption from cost, these two items were actually pretty good treasures.

Tao Qian stuffed them into his bosom in one go, then casually opened the money bag.

To his surprise, the real treat suddenly came.

In the money bag, there weren't many silver coins, silver dimes, or copper coins.

But there was a thick stack of banknotes, with patterns and designs that, to Tao Qian, were simply too beautiful for words.

Indeed, banknotes existed in this world at this time, just rarely seen by the average civilian.

You should know, one silver coin weighed seven mace and three fen.

If there was a transaction involving "over one hundred silver coins," the weight would quickly exceed over 70 taels; even a large household with servants couldn't possibly carry that much silver around at all times.

Therefore, in the market, if there was any major transaction, they usually used the banknotes of banks or bank drafts from money houses, both of which coexisted at present.

The stack of banknotes in Tao Qian's hands had two denominations: fifty yuan and one hundred yuan.

A quick count totaled a value of over one thousand yuan.

Holding the banknotes, Tao Qian's mood instantly brightened, his smile grew more radiant, and in the dark night, he flashed a set of large white teeth.

"The Zhou Family is one of the richest in Seeking Immortal County, with three generations dealing in silk, and they have opened quite a few silk stores even in the province capital. It's perfectly reasonable for them to use banknotes to pay back such a large sum to their own daughter."

"This scoundrel really doesn't act like a son, sneaking into someone's mansion in the middle of the night to steal their daughter and their money; utterly despicable and rotten to the core; he deserves more than death."

"Speaking of which, this sum of money is just enough to match the bounty of the Four Beasts of She County."

Muttering the last sentence, a light flashed in Tao Qian's eyes.

Then, quite naturally, he stuffed the stack of banknotes into his bosom as well.

Standing there, his gaze swept back and forth several times between Zhang Xian's body and Miss Zhou, who was still in a state of confusion.

Tao Qian remembered something and went straight over, extending a finger to touch the Zhou Family's daughter.

Indeed, she also gave Tao Qian a tremor of excitement.

Very weak, but that indeed indicated she was no longer a mortal and belonged to the realm of the transcendent.

The feedback came very quickly.

Unlike other items with detailed information, the Extraordinary Perception triggered by Miss Zhou consisted of only a few sentences.

However, among them was the information that Tao Qian wanted to know.

[Name: Zhou Yan.]

[Record Type: Abnormality.]

[Record: This girl is awakening a blood-related Abnormal Trait. She has been noticed by the Major Sect "the Xiu Family." A branch of the Xiu Family in Southern Yue Province is dispatching a clan elder to receive her.]

As the key information surfaced, Tao Qian immediately made his decision.

His previous concerns stemmed from the crude iron token.

The inscriptions carved on it revealed the Four Beasts' identity within the Devil God Army, known as "Abnormal Catcher," whose duty was presumably to capture such Abnormalities for the Devil God Army.

With this token, it indicated that the Four Beasts indeed had the protection of the Devil God Army.

He was uncertain whether the Devil God Army would seek revenge after receiving the news of the Four Beasts' execution.

But it was always good to be cautious, and Tao Qian didn't want his attack to lead to the annihilation of another family.

But now, having sensed the change in Miss Zhou, he could put his mind at ease.

"According to the Nameless Secret Manual, those Major Sects have the power comparable to Daoist and Buddhist; they are the Huge Monsters that truly blend with and stand above the secular world."

"Though the power of the Devil God Army is not bad, they probably wouldn't have any advantage against those Major Sects that have been passed down for a thousand years."

"Moreover, even if the Devil God Army were foolish, they wouldn't possibly become enemies with the Xiu Family, which has been in existence for eight hundred years, over a mere four dead beasts."

"The Zhou Mansion was originally just a large family in Seeking Immortal County, but if they could connect with the Xiu Family, they would probably become a powerful family in Southern Yue Province in the future."

"Well, that's good. Trading money for the daughter's safety and also getting the credit for the subduing of the Four Beasts, the Zhou Family really made a great fortune."

"As for those transcendent items, such as secret books and treasures, they naturally all belong to this benevolent person who does good deeds without seeking recognition and leaves once complete."

"Hehe!"

Several thoughts flashed through his mind, and Tao Qian quickly decided on his plan.

He still didn't wake Miss Zhou, but he adjusted her sleeping position with care, so she wouldn't drool on her clothes.

If it were any other girl in the middle of the night, half asleep in a dark alley, she would certainly freeze half to death.

But Miss Zhou, a heavyweight and still awakening some kind of blood-related "Abnormal Trait," didn't have to worry about that; she was sleeping blissfully sweet.

Once everything was settled, Tao Qian turned and swept toward the other two Beasts not far away.

Before attacking Yang Ding and Zhang Xian, Tao Qian was somewhat worried about his combat abilities as a newcomer.

But after slaying two Beasts in a row, Tao Qian fully understood what kind of ecological niche this fish was in among those low-level Heterodox Demon Magick practitioners who hadn't even entered the Energy-Introducing Realm.

Without being modest, to them, Tao Qian was no different from a man-eating giant shark.