Chapter 102: The Envoy Assembly

The night was cold and bleak, filled with gusts of chilling wind.

Outside the cave dwelling, a giant standing ten feet tall—adorned with black bull horns, a bovine nose, and a vertical beast-eye in the center of his forehead—stood in wait. Behind him, amidst a thick, swirling mist of water vapor, a group of guards with shrimp-like heads stood in the shadows. Though they appeared lax, they were strategically positioned to seal off every exit of the cavern.

"Hidden Dragon Cave... a fine name. It seems this fellow has grand ambitions," the giant remarked.

The name was written in vermilion on a plaque, the characters dancing with a life of their own, flickering with a dazzling red glow in the dark. Vermilion-painted plaques were a common method used to suppress evil spirits with righteous energy, ensuring that a practitioner would remain undisturbed by external demons during meditation.

After a long while, the heavy door creaked open. A pale-faced Taoist dressed in black emerged to greet them.

"Deacon Liu, please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you sooner," Lu Qian said with a polite bow. "I was in the middle of refining pills and was slightly delayed."

"Oh? Is that so?" Deacon Liu’s expression was inscrutable, his black bull-eye rolling restlessly in its socket. "Very well, let’s skip the pleasantries. You must have heard about Niu Xing’s murder, haven't you?" Liu Ding asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Of course. It was the talk of the building the very next day. However, I have been focused on my alchemy progress these past few days, so I heard about it rather late." Lu Qian’s expression remained natural, without any hint of artifice.

"I heard that before the incident, there was some friction between you two—you took the position that Niu Xing had already promised to someone else."

"I was truly unaware of that. No wonder Manager Niu didn't treat me with much kindness, though I wouldn't call it a conflict."

Liu Ding didn't respond; instead, he walked directly into the cave dwelling. The eye on his forehead glowed faintly as he scanned the room, finding nothing amiss. Still unsatisfied, he asked, "You’ve been refining pills all these days? Show them to me."

Lu Qian turned and walked into the alchemy chamber, returning with five white jade vials. Each contained a single red pill. As the medicinal fragrance wafted out, a look of intoxication washed over Liu Ding’s face.

"It was a misunderstanding. My apologies for the offense today," Liu Ding said, cupping his hands. Refining five Blood Essence Demon Pills in a few days was a task that left no time for wandering.

"I won't see you out," Lu Qian said with a smile.

He hadn't personally refined pills in a long time, usually leaving the task to his paper effigies. Watching his alchemy skill levels rise steadily without having to lift a finger brought him genuine satisfaction. In a few more days, once his Lead-Mercury Alchemy technique reached mastery, he would be able to refine the Human-Grade Two-Orifice Golden Pill. At that point, his progress in body refinement would accelerate even further.

***

Lingbo Pavilion.

In a dark, blood-stained chamber, gore pooled on the floor, and a chaotic assortment of remains lay scattered across a table—some human, others belonging to rare and strange beasts. Only one creature sat at the massive desk: a monster with fish scales covering his face. Fubo was tearing into a human leg with methodical composure.

Once the path of body refinement reaches the stage of True Form Manifestation, the practitioner takes on the appearance of their bloodline’s demonic beast, and their temperament is altered accordingly.

Liu Ding walked in and said, "Pavilion Master, Yu Long is not a suspect. It was likely Lu Qian. Niu Xing did indeed have treasures on him, and that fellow is flashy—he might have let his wealth slip."

"Hmph, trash. I should have eaten him sooner." Fubo opened a mouth full of jagged fangs, the stench of blood filling the air. "By the way, is Yu Long of any value? If not, send him over tomorrow... Heh, do they really think my Lingbo Pavilion is a charity?"

"He is. His alchemy skills are proficient; he is a rare talent," Liu Ding replied with a grin. While Yu Long was not the only alchemist in Lingbo Pavilion, the quality of his pills was more consistent than the others.

"Very good. Bring him to the River Lord’s Envoy Assembly next month to test his worth. We can plant a Blood Curse and have him join the pavilion properly. By the way, have you found Lu Qian yet?"

"Not yet. He vanished the moment Niu Xing was killed. Even soul-tracking methods have failed to locate him," Liu Ding said, looking ashamed.

"Useless fool! Find him at all costs. The Underworld Secret Map is of vital importance."

With a sudden inhalation, Fubo’s whale-like mouth sucked all the human remains from the table into his maw.

***

Inside the cave, Mochou shed her clothes and sat cross-legged. Lu Qian stood before her, his fingernails tracing her cool, smooth skin, leaving trails of pink on her alabaster flesh. His fingers slid from three inches below her navel, circling her body in a complete cycle. Mochou’s long eyelashes trembled gently.

"Remember the flow of energy. We are about to perform the Yin-Yang Union of Qi. Keep your gates locked tight; do not let a single drop leak out."

"Yes!"

*Bang!*

A breeze swept through, and the window clicked shut.

In his sea of consciousness, the dragon leaped joyfully through the waters of the Yellow Springs, its golden pupils brimming with exhilaration. The dragon’s nature was one of absolute plunder and possession. Once it entered this mode, the dragon, usually listless, became incredibly vibrant.

During the process, Lu Qian realized that the dragon’s nature did not just affect him—it influenced his partner from the inside out as well.

After two days and nights of cultivation, having consumed several pills, a sudden ripple of energy spread throughout the cave. Mochou had successfully advanced to the Qi Refining stage.

Inside the tent, looking at the radiant woman after their session, Lu Qian smiled. "Congratulations on your advancement. If you wish to visit your family, you may go and see them for a while."

Mochou, her hair disheveled, suddenly knelt. "This servant belongs to the Master now; I have no ties to my family anymore."

This was another effect of the dragon’s nature—more effective even than a vermilion curse seal. Perhaps it was the so-called "aura of kingship." However, Lu Qian knew this aura likely had no effect on men. He felt no base desires; once one’s state of mind reaches a certain level, worldly matters seem trivial.

The ideal state of the Yin-Yang path is to have desire in the flesh but none in the heart. To him, this was merely cultivation, as natural and plain as eating or drinking. He was not like others, who either hungered for it obsessively or avoided it with fear.

"Reaching Qi Refining in three or four months is... passable. Get up."

After all, she had been cultivating the Yin-Yang arts with him daily, absorbing countless amounts of the dragon’s essence. Now that she had succeeded, her pace should be able to keep up with his own in the future.

Under Mochou’s service, he dressed himself. Having grown accustomed to being served, Lu Qian felt himself becoming lazier, unwilling even to put on his own clothes.

For the next half-month, he returned to his rhythm of cultivation: consuming pills, refining his body, and practicing the arts. In total, he consumed five Blood Essence Demon Pills.

A day later, after finishing his session, Lu Qian stood before a mirror. The Taiyin Golden Pupils in his reflection glowed faintly, the black crescent moon within his iris now much clearer. His Blood Refining technique had improved, and most importantly, both the Taiyin Golden Pupils and the Lesser Wood Essence Thunder techniques had reached the stage of minor completion.

The Taiyin Golden Pupils allowed him to see in all directions and peer through the flow of earth energy. Now, his vision was even sharper; he could spot the weaknesses in the cave’s formations at a single glance. The Lesser Wood Essence Thunder allowed him to unleash two strikes of lightning. It was a significant improvement. Before long, he should be able to refine his entire body with blood.

The next day, Lu Qian mounted his Stepping-Wave Beast and traveled along the waterways toward Lingbo Pavilion. He was there to deliver his goods; since Niu Xing was dead, he had to hand them over to someone else.

"Fellow Daoist Yu Long! I smelled the scent of alchemy from a mile away. I guessed it was you."

Cui Shan, who had been throwing a tantrum at a young attendant just a second ago, instantly broke into a warm, friendly smile upon seeing Lu Qian.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Cui."

Lu Qian had long since figured out this man’s temperament. Cui Shan looked down on everyone else, but the moment someone proved their value, he became amiable and kind. One couldn't call him hypocritical; it was simply that, before, one hadn't been qualified to enter his social circle.

Cui Shan took the pills and laughed. "Fellow Daoist Yu Long, you are on the list for next month’s Envoy Assembly. You are held in high regard, my friend."

"Envoy Assembly?" Lu Qian asked, puzzled.

Cui Shan explained, "The Envoy Assembly is a gathering called by the River Lord’s Envoy, the White-Clothed Deity. If one captures a Golden Decree of Water, they gain the opportunity to enter the Water Eye."

"Could you explain further, Deacon? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand."

"To put it simply, a group of people will compete for a set of Golden Decrees. Those who obtain them can enter the Water Eye to explore the Secret Mansion of the Underworld."