Chapter 196: Parted Ways… Poisonous Insects in South China
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
It was Junior Leopard’s first official practice after using the Golden Goose Cup. These days, although he regulated his breathing every day while he galloped in the mountains of Central Shu, the effect of the cup was not obvious. He just felt that the energy of his body was greatly enhanced and that the change of his Internal Qi was quite subtle simultaneously. The so-called subtle was that he could feel the change. But it was difficult and even impossible to clearly and completely specify the change, not to mention to catch the key to this change. While his Internal Qi was running through his body, he concentrated all the spirit to capture the intelligence that was flickering in his Internal Qi. After such a long period of fusion, this intelligence was now fully integrated with his Internal Qi. The one that had been most affected, of course, was the Mysterious Fire stored in his Dantian. The Mysterious Fire was a Mysterious Object full of intelligence which led to a ray of intelligence in his Internal Qi after their fusion. However, Junior Leopard did not know this. It was only when he used the Golden Goose Cup that he was aware that his own Internal Qi had already possessed intelligence. Additionally, the cup doubled the original intelligence in his Internal Qi. Even so, it took him a lot of effort to feel a strange intelligence. He felt it, yet the way to use it became a problem in his mind. In fact, for Junior Leopard, he preferred not to feel it, for he felt a pang of disappointment when he discovered that the so-called intelligence was the marvelous feeling that he felt from the Mysterious Fire. Who knew what this so-called intelligence could do! Anyway, he did not know. Whereas, the fact that the Golden Goose Cup transformed his body gave him some unexpected joy. It was not that his body was being reinforced, but it was the energy that made his body more developable. In other words, the Golden Goose Cup could not only prolong human life but also enhance the human body’s potential.
Since his body’s potential had been increased, then, in theory, his future achievements would be much higher than before using the Golden Goose Cup. However, whether he could get to this point, depended on his good fortune. After regulating his breathing for a while, he did not find a way to use the intelligence in his Internal Qi effectively. He had to bitterly withdraw his Internal Qi and he opened his eyes depressingly.
At this moment, a jumble of footsteps came from outside the door, Junior Leopard slightly frowned. He could hear that these were from Golden Rooster, Jin Yuquan. “It’s strange. Why are this guy’s footsteps so disordered? Was the Golden Goose Cup robbed? It’s not right. In such a small marketplace, will there be an expert whose cultivation is over Level Seven?” Junior Leopard pondered privately.
The door clanked open. Jin Yuquan entered the room with an angry look on his face. He was not wearing the mask.
“What’s wrong? Golden Rooster, you’re so angry. What happened?”
“Damn it, the news of the Golden Goose Cup has leaked out. King Yuanqing of Shu has begun to question all suspicious persons nearby!”
“King Yuanqing of Shu? He’s not easy to deal with!” Junior Leopard raised his eyebrows and there was a hint of worry on his face. “Where did you get the news?”
“As soon as I went out, I was targeted by two yamen runners. Then I guided them to a secret place and obtained the news!” Jin Yuquan replied with a hint of sulking in the tone. “If we had known this, we should have killed all those people!”
“It can’t be helped. You schemed against me first. You wanted to get rid of me and monopolize this stuff, so we didn’t have time to kill them. Now you can only blame yourself for this!” Junior Leopard had schadenfreude on his face.
“Oh, now it’s my fault?”
“Of course it’s your fault! Is it mine?” Junior Leopard asked coldly. “If I were you, I’d be wise to hand over the cup and get rid of it!”
“Boy, do you want to break the vow?”
“No, I’m just giving you the best advice. As to whether you accept it, it’s not my business. But from now on, I won’t go with you anymore!”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean since you’re getting into terrible, I’m not going to go along with you to bear it. I won’t tell anybody though. I’ll go to South Yuezhou State first, and we’ll meet in the prefecture,” said Junior Leopard. “I think with your cultivation, you should be able to escape unscathed without my drag!”
“Is that what you think?”
“I think that’s the best way!” Junior Leopard continued, “I’ll keep it a secret, but I won’t get myself into trouble!”
“Dressed like this?” Looking at Junior Leopard’s dress, Jin Yuquan said with a sneer, “You’re bound to be intercepted within less than 50 kilometers!”
Except for the absence of his mask, Junior Leopard was now dressed as he did when he was kidnapping the bride with Wang She. As soon as he was seen, he would be identified.
Now that the news of the Golden Goose Cup had leaked out, no matter whether the cup had been used or not, it would not take long before the people in the martial arts world came to Shuzhou to find the lucky chance. With Junior Leopard’s current clothes, he would definitely be targeted. What was more, he showed up in these clothes when Wang She kidnapped the bride. Therefore, as long as he appeared in this way, the Mingyi School and the Golden Lights Cave were sure to get the message. Then they would not let him off no matter whether the Golden Goose Cup was in his hands or not.
Junior Leopard smiled, “There should be a lot of people in the martial arts world who are going to Shuzhou now, including all sorts of bad characters!”
“So What?”
“Although I’m only a small commander of the Navy of Jiang City, it’s natural that I come here to get such a lucky chance. No one should doubt it!”
“You mean…”
“I will appear as my true identity in Shuzhou and stay here for 10 days! Afterwards, I’ll leave for South Yuezhou State!” Junior Leopard told him his plan. “I don’t think you will object, right?”
“Your plan is really wishful thinking!” Jin Yuquan sneered. “What if I object?”
“It’s none of my business!” Junior Leopard answered. “Your cultivation is higher than mine, but my Lightness Skill is no weaker than yours. You’re unable to stop me!”
“I can’t believe you are so young, but you’re so confident in yourself!”
“My confidence is based on my strength!” Junior Leopard laughed. “If you don’t believe me, you can try!”
“Well, just do what you said. That’s the best way!” Jin Yuquan helplessly sighed. “Then, we’ll meet in South Yuezhou State a month later. I haven’t been to Yuezhou, but I know there’s a Flyingcrane Restaurant in its regional city. We’ll meet there then!”
“Flyingcrane Restaurant, got it!” Junior Leopard nodded and then his expression suddenly changed. “Well, there seems to be some visitors. I’m leaving first to avoid getting into trouble!” He said with a smile. Then he picked up his parcel and jumped out of the window. With a couple of ups and downs, he went out of the town centralization and disappeared into the mountains.
“This damn slippery fellow!” Looking at the back of Junior Leopard’s hasty retreat, Jin Yuquan gave a reluctant sigh. Then he straightened his back and a breath of cold spirit emanated from him. Raising his hand to his face to wear the Bronze Mask, he went to the door of the inn. By the time he reached the door, a dozen armed yamen runners had entered the inn. Several of them went straight to the counter and asked the shopkeeper and waiters if there were any suspicious people living in the inn. Others started the first round of search with sabers in the backyard. For a moment, the entire inn was hopping and boisterous.
Junior Leopard was moving very fast as well. Plus he did not want to get into trouble, so after going out of the inn, he started the Yanfu Inner Strength and soon he was in the mountains of the Central Shu. Running for two days in the mountains, he came across and shunned several batches of masters of martial arts that were searching. He made his way around the mountain and came to a county town that he had been to before with Jin Yuquan. Then he changed his appearance and appeared in the county with the original face of Zhou Bao. Besides, he looked for a horse and pretended to be on the way to the depths of the Central Shu with fatigue.
In the meantime, Junior Leopard also encountered some masters of martial arts and even fought with them several times. He had neither benefited nor suffered much. Since his moving direction was the same as Shuzhou, there were not many people who suspected that the Golden Goose Cup was in his hands.
Junior Leopard walked smoothly all the way in the next few days. He was not reassured until once again he arrived at the town centralization where they had previously stayed.
It turned out that soon after he left, Golden Rooster caused a great sensation in the town centralization. Not only did he kill all the yamen runners who searched the inn, but he also killed several masters who were sent by King Yuanqing of Shu to search for the Golden Goose Cup. What was more, his dress was very flamboyant, so he became the target of the martial arts practitioners. Almost everyone believed that the Golden Goose Cup was in his hands. Therefore, they tracked and hunted him. For this, King Yuanqing of Shu even sent his most powerful man Sun Bufan, an expert of Level Seven, to participate in the pursuit. In such circumstances, naturally, no one suspected Junior Leopard.
As for his appearance in Shuzhou, he did not mind the news getting out. Because of the Golden Goose Cup, Shuzhou had become the focus of the whole of Jianghu. Jianghu was filled with enough dreamers. Even if their cultivation was not good, they dreamt of being the destiny man, not to mention the young Junior Leopard, a teen hero with good skills.
Yes, a teen hero!
After bombarding Dragon Granny of the Meng Family to death with 84 fists, Junior Leopard became one of the most famous teen heroes in Jianghu. Like the chivalrous heroes he saw in Martial arts hero novels before, he was a real teen hero.
Likewise, he enjoyed the treatment of the chivalrous heroes. After he showed up in Shuzhou with his original identity, a lot of people came to make friends with him and invited him to dinner. Somebody even wanted to marry their daughter to him.
Although their families were not the real well-known families in the martial arts world or powerful family, they were the wealthy families in a state or a prefecture. Therefore, Junior Leopard was quite surprised by the treatment.
Out of 10 days, he was at the feast for five days. As for Golden Rooster, he had already fought several times for the Golden Goose Cup and even killed Sun Bufan, the most powerful man under the King of Shu, which confirmed that the Golden Goose Cup was in his hands. For a while, Shu was shocked, and more experts converged here. Then a higher level of the contest began.
At the same time, Junior Leopard thought it was time to go, so even though the middle and lower classes in Jianghu in Shu tried to enthusiastically retain him, he left there. Since then, no one would link him to the Golden Goose Cup.
After pretending, Junior Leopard changed his costume again and went to South Yuezhou State overnight as Xiao.
“Now is the best time. Everyone in Jianghu is focusing on Shuzhou. Doing something in Yuezhou will never get too much attention. I might as well take a chance to get the Blue Moon Pearl. It should be hard for Golden Rooster to get away anyway.”
He considered it in this way. However, when he arrived in Yuezhou, he changed his mind.
It was because the situation in Yuezhou was more complicated than he thought.
The Governor Mansion of South Yuezhou State was in Goldenrim Commandery in Yuezhou. The regional city’s city wall of Goldenrim Commandery was much shorter than Qinlingjun City’s. Compared with tall mountain-like walls of Qinlingjun City’s, it was just like a fortified village. However, Junior Leopard felt a sense of extreme danger. Greenblack moss covered the city walls seemed like no big deal, but there was a faint fishy smell in the air, which made Junior Leopard uncomfortable.
No, it should be said that it made him extremely comfortable.
As a matter of fact, as soon as he approached the city walls, his Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique had a telepathic connection. It worked and vaporized the smell which he breathed in his belly.
At this point, Junior Leopard realized that the city walls had been emitting poison gas. Every man who entered Goldenrim Commandery would inhale a bellyful of poison gas.
“What the hell is this place? Why are such things on the city walls? Isn’t that deliberately killing people?” Junior Leopard queried in his heart.
Looking at the people around him, he was amazed. The people inside and outside the regional city looked rosy and refreshed without a hint of poisoning.
Not to mention the officers and soldiers who guarded the city gate. They were in high spirits.
“It’s weird. This is clearly poisonous. Why are these people so energetic?” Junior Leopard swaggered toward the gate of Yuezhou as he marveled privately.
His present attire was exactly what he was dressed up in for the day of bride kidnapping. But he didn’t wear the mask because he was afraid of getting into trouble. However, he had done a lot of work on his face to make himself look a decade older than he was. Hence no one could see his true identity.
Besides, he was obviously dressed up like a man in the martial arts world. The officers and soldiers at the city gate were all discerning. When he came with a cold air, leading a horse, they naturally dared not provoke him, but they secretly memorized his appearance. By the time he entered the city, they had reported to the Garrison Mansion, reminding the officers, soldiers, and guards of the regional city to pay more attention to him.
Actually, it was the most applicable method all over the world.
The gatekeepers of the city gate were mere finger men. For those who were dressed in strange attire and were hard to deal with, the official did not want to provoke them, let alone the gatekeepers. Every city had a tolerant attitude towards people in the martial arts world. You could come and live in the city, but you could not make trouble here.
As long as you didn’t make trouble here, the city would never mess with you. They would make you comfortable here until you went away.
Therefore, Junior Leopard did not have any trouble along the way.
In the city, he went around and soon easily found Flyingcrane Restaurant, because it was a very famous restaurant in Goldenrim Commandery City, which should be a five-star hotel in his previous life.
After ordering a room in Flyingcrane Restaurant, he settled down there and waited for Golden Rooster.
Although he just came to Goldenrim Commandery City, he could clearly tell its differences from Zhonghe City and Qinlingjun City.
There was a strange smell everywhere. It was extremely faint. If he did not have strong five senses beyond those of ordinary people, he would not have felt it. This strange smell came from tiny insects floating in the air.
After entering the city, an instinctive sense of danger had almost made his Fiery Eyes automatically open again. Forcing down the impulse, he opened his Fiery Eyes after settling down in Flyingcrane Restaurant.
As soon as he opened the Fiery Eyes, he was stunned by what he saw.
There were insects permeating the air everywhere. The insects were twice as small as the dust in the air and their bodies were grey. If you didn’t look carefully, you would not feel them and might even treat them as ordinary dust.
Junior Leopard didn’t know the origin of these insects, but he knew that the insects that filled the air were not good.
“It’s weird. How could this be? I have heard that South China was humid and sultry, full of poisonous insects and beasts, but not as exaggerated as this! The insects are small, but they can’t hide from martial artists. With a close look, they can discover them and soon the news will spread across the world. But why is there never such a rumor in Jianghu? Have these insects just come up recently?”
Junior Leopard was full of confusion, but he didn’t dare to neglect it. You knew, in the midst of these tiny insects, even if he was not hurt, he felt sick and numb on the scalp. Then, he poured out the Internal Qi of Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire in his body to remove all the insects in his room.
It was at this time that Junior Leopard discovered some characteristics of these insects. It seemed that they were afraid of fire. As long as the temperature exceeded 70 degrees centigrade, they would be steamed, and even if inhaled, they would die soon. It was just that they would leave a trail of faint odor. The odor was too weak, and they were too small, so the smell was weak even if thousands of them accumulated together. Moreover, the climate here was humid and sultry, and the air was very smelly. Thus it was hard to notice.
“Even if the smell is extremely weak, it can’t hide from masters’ and experts’ spiritual mind!” Wondering in his mind, Junior Leopard placed the Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique in his Dantian. After his cleaning, there were no tiny poisonous insects in the whole room. However, his doubts deepened.
At this moment, he felt a heat in his arms and something seemed to be reacting.
“This is…” Reaching into his arms, his expression suddenly became strange. It was the Emerald Pearl which he acquired from the Monster Toad in a deep pool in Misty Mountain.
Getting the bead and after a trial, Junior Leopard discovered its function, detoxification.
It was a Detoxicating Bead.
Although he did not know that how many kinds of poisons it could detoxicate, it detoxicated all poisons that Junior Leopard had experimented with.
That was in Junior Leopard’s expectation. The Monster Toad was a giant poisonous monster, so the bead it cultured was naturally linked to poison. It was either going to be toxic or detoxifying.
Junior Leopard had already heard that this place was full of miasma, poisonous insects, and beasts, so he stayed vigilant. He took the bead with him when he left in case of an accident.
Junior Leopard almost forgot about it because there were no poisonous insects or anything like that along the journey. Unexpectedly, it reacted at this time.
Taking the Detoxicating Bead in his hand, Junior Leopard felt a gust of heat emanating from it. The heat emanated regularly like the pulse of the human body. With the pulse, there was a very deep light from within the Emerald Pearl.
“It’s interesting. Is it not a Detoxicating Bead but an egg?” Junior Leopard thought to himself. The thought that if this was an egg, it would probably hatch a strange Monster Toad, made him involuntarily shiver and he dared not think of it anymore.
Before he could figure it out, something more bizarre happened. The frequency of the bead’s heat rose sharply to pulse several times every second from original to pulse once every three or four seconds as if it was summoning something. With the pulsation, the door and windows, which had been tightly closed began to rustle.
Junior Leopard’s expression made a sharp change. Through the cracks of the door and windows, a lot of gray fog darted to the Detoxicating Bead in his hand like a moth to the fire. Junior Leopard saw clearly that the fog was made up of the tiny poisonous insects that had just been all over the air. At first, the fog was wisps and rays, but soon it formed a huge pile and went straight to the Detoxicating Bead.
After these gathered poisonous insects rushed to the Detoxicating Bead, the Detoxicating Bead suddenly lit up as if something in it was aroused. It was emitting a kind of soft green light, and then naturally, the pulse disappeared.
As more and more poisonous insects rushed to the Detoxicating Bead, the radiance of the bead was growing. Gradually, Junior Leopard was wrapped in it. At his feet, the poisonous insect carcasses began to pile up.