chsdbacks Chapter 54: The Severity of the Demonic Calamity
Chapter 54: The Severity of the Demonic Calamity
Back in the courtyard,
Zhang Ping devoted himself to cultivation every day, while focusing on improving his proficiency in beast patterns.
His current strength is entirely based on beast patterns, especially divine power, which plays a huge role!
If one can max out the proficiency of other beast patterns and obtain a powerful ability comparable to divine power, one's strength will surely increase dramatically.
He focused his attention on the power of the Water God and the Ghost Blade. Both of these beast markings were branded onto demons.
The water god's power comes from the mountains and marshes, while the demon blade comes from the mysterious sword spirit, possessing extraordinary potential.
Especially Ghost Blade, who not only possesses a superb swordsmanship technique but also elevates his swordsmanship talent, further aided by black blood energy. It can be considered the most powerful talent in terms of overall effectiveness.
Zhang Ping dared not waste any, so he had Fu Huiying gather all the sword techniques books in the martial arts school and select the appropriate ones to practice.
The Ghost Blade is powerful, but each swing consumes a tremendous amount of energy. You can't use your ultimate move every time you face an enemy, can you?
Regardless of whether his opponent can withstand it, he himself will have to exhaust his strength first.
His cultivation improved rapidly, but Zhang Ping was still not satisfied, so he retrieved the secret medicine from the Sitong Martial Arts School.
Unfortunately, there were only three doses of the secret medicine left; the rest were used up before the breakout.
With the help of the secret medicine, the cultivation speed will be even faster.
Having only entered the early stage of Body Refinement a few days ago, my Qi and Blood have already accumulated a lot. With the help of secret medicine, I will be able to break through to the middle stage of Body Refinement in another two months.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Ping left the courtyard, intending to go find Chu Hanwei first.
The streets were much less crowded than three days ago. He stopped a few people to ask, only to learn that two days ago, rumors were spreading like wildfire in the city that demons were about to attack Songping County again.
When the news spread, many people fled to the prefectural city in panic.
Those who remained, especially those with connections, were preparing for their escape routes.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping frowned. He deliberately paid attention to his surroundings and indeed saw many restaurants and inns displaying signs for resale, and his mood began to sink.
"Is someone spreading panic to profit from it?"
"Or are demons... really coming this way?"
If it's the second scenario, then we probably need to make plans soon.
Upon arriving at Chu Hanwei's residence, Xiao Ling'er was already waiting there.
The three of them went to the Xiao residence together.
The gate of the Xiao residence was not as magnificent as Zhang Ping had imagined; instead, it exuded a sense of solemnity and antiquity, with little or no ornate decoration, making it appear even more understated.
This made him even more curious about the legendary Magistrate Xiao.
When he first heard about the other person's deeds, he wondered if he had encountered a fellow traveler from the same hometown.
"Father, I'm back!"
After passing through several moon gates, a man dressed in a Confucian robe came into view in the courtyard.
The man had a refined appearance, fair skin, and no beard. He was holding a scroll of scriptures and reciting them with his head down.
Anyone seeing him for the first time would find it hard to believe that this was the same Bone Forging Martial Artist who commanded respect throughout Lanjiang Prefecture, and the county magistrate known for his bold reforms.
He was more like a thin, frail scholar.
"Ling'er is back?"
Xiao Lin stood up, gently stroked his daughter's head, and smiled.
"Father, Sister Wei is here too, and so is Zhang Ping, whom I mentioned yesterday."
"Oh? Is that the young man who wanted to buy the Dragon Blood Stone?" Xiao Lin looked at Zhang Ping, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Zhang Ping stepped forward.
"My name is Zhang Ping, and I greet Magistrate Xiao."
"I have long heard that Magistrate Xiao governed Songping and the people lived in peace and prosperity. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, it is even better than the rumors."
Xiao Lin waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be polite, but he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.
Xiao Ling'er secretly pursed her lips. Her father didn't like flattery, but he especially loved it when people praised Songping County under his jurisdiction.
The four people sat down. Xiao Lin got straight to the point:
"I admire young people with potential. Zhang Ping, it's quite remarkable that you've entered the meat-making industry at such a young age, even if you're not a top-tier talent."
"Of the four materials you requested, I can sell you the other three, except for the dragon blood stone. However, the price must be based on the market price."
This is an official matter. He is not only Xiao Ling'er's father, but also the Countess of Songping County. The materials sold came from the county treasury, not his private property. Allocating and selling them is already a favor; the price cannot be lowered further.
Zhang Ping stood up and bowed, saying gratefully, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness in providing these materials, and I would never dare to try to lower the price further."
"Hmm. The three items total 1.14 million taels. Do you have enough silver notes prepared?"
How many?!
Zhang Ping froze as he sat down, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.
"Lord Xiao...could...the city's assets be used to pay off the debt?" The martial arts school doesn't have that much cash on hand right now.
He had no idea that the three ingredients would be so expensive. Even though martial arts secret medicines were very expensive, the ones he had bought before were not this outrageous!
"Huh? Haha..." Xiao Lin was taken aback when Zhang Ping came to buy without even knowing the prices, and then burst out laughing.
"A mortgage is not out of the question, but the price needs to be discounted." He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.
Zhang Ping agreed without hesitation. The four materials required for the Black Dragon bloodline were already hard to find, and it was fortunate that he could gather three of them.
As for the Dragon Blood Stone… Zhang Ping sighed inwardly, wondering when he would finally get his hands on it.
The chaos caused by the demons is escalating, and who knows what will happen in the future? We must gather the materials as soon as possible to increase our strength.
Xiao Lin suddenly spoke up again: "Although I don't have any Dragon Blood Stone here, I do know who has it."
Zhang Ping looked up in astonishment: "Is what you say true, sir?"
"Of course it is." Xiao Lin didn't mind his eagerness.
"The head of the Nangong family in the prefectural city is my senior sister. Years ago, she obtained a piece of dragon blood stone, but I have never heard of her using it. If you take my letter there and succeed, that depends on your abilities."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Afterwards, it was decided which assets to mortgage, and the purchase of materials was settled.
It was a rare opportunity for Xiao Lin to meet two promising juniors, one of whom was an old friend of Chu Hanwei's father. The four chatted, mostly with him imparting his cultivation insights and key techniques for fighting demons.
Mentioning demons, Zhang Ping suddenly remembered that Xiao Lin had gone to Lingchuan to investigate this matter a few days ago, and couldn't help but ask, "Does Your Excellency know where the demons that slaughtered Lingchuan came from? How could they be so audacious?"
At this point, Xiao Lin's smile slowly faded, and his expression became uncertain. He said, "The origins of those demons are unknown, but their strength has been ascertained to be extraordinary. There must be an extremely powerful being behind them. This matter... is not yet time for you to know."
His gaze swept over the three people, including Chu Hanwei, who was in the late stage of the Refining Realm.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping's heart sank slightly.
The situation seems to be sliding into the worst possible scenario he anticipated.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Chu Hanwei spoke first: "A team will be heading to the prefectural city in a few days, and Ling'er will accompany me."
Zhang Ping remained silent.
Although Chu Hanwei spoke cryptically, she revealed a crucial piece of information.
Lord Xiao was uncertain about the future safety of Songping County, so he prepared to send Xiao Ling'er away ahead of schedule...