Chapter 105: The Scholar (Part One)

The owners of the small tavern, Zhao Yudong and Liu Qin, were once fellow disciples of a minor Daoist temple. After their master, the temple’s head, passed away, the temple fell into decline. Cultivation requires wealth, companions, methods, and land—a vast array of resources and conditions. Without their master’s protection or the resources the temple once provided, the two junior disciples, both at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, found life increasingly difficult.

Fortunately, heaven never closes every door. Three months ago, through a stroke of luck, the two discovered some unorthodox, evil cultivation methods. One of these involved refining living humans into corpse monsters. The grievances of heaven and earth manifest as "ghosts," while the baleful energies of heaven and earth manifest as "monsters." Although the terms are often used interchangeably, a corpse monster is a fusion of both, embodying both "ghost" and "monster"—a true supernatural entity.

The best raw material for refining such a creature is naturally a martial artist. Their blood and vitality are abundant, carrying a baleful aura that converts easily into the necessary malevolence. The process of refining a living person is unimaginably agonizing, generating a towering, infinite resentment. The resulting corpse monster possesses immense strength, skin as hard as iron, and the ability to cultivate and evolve on its own—truly miraculous.

Of course, beyond the living martial artist, the process requires many precious materials. After months of accumulation, the pair had managed to refine only one, and it was still riddled with flaws. Even so, it was an impressive feat; such a flawed monster already possessed power equivalent to the peak of the Qi Condensation realm. In those same three months, relying on these evil arts, the two disciples had also surged from the mid-stage to the late stage of Qi Condensation.

The method for such rapid advancement was simple: using the blood and essence of living people mixed with medicinal herbs to refine "Ghost Blood Pills." Initially, the pair was timid, targeting only commoners. As their courage grew, they set their sights on low-level martial artists and cultivators. After all, pills refined from the blood of a cultivator were far superior to those made from ordinary people. The temptation was irresistible, especially after the corpse monster was completed, leaving them with little to fear. Unless they encountered a Xiantian martial artist or a Foundation Establishment cultivator—both of whom were rare and seldom seen in the entire prefecture—they no longer viewed other low-level practitioners as threats.

"Senior Brother, once we both break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, the world will be ours to roam. By then..."

"By then, I will marry you. I will host a grand, magnificent wedding for you, with ten miles of red silk and a hall full of guests, so that everyone who looked down on us will see."

The small tavern was empty. In such a remote location, there were never many customers. Sometimes, a whole day would pass without a single traveler crossing their path. The two sat together, exchanging sweet nothings. Liu Qin flushed, as if intoxicated, listening to Zhao Yudong’s promise. She leaned her head against his chest, her face filled with longing as she imagined the grand scene of their wedding.

Zhao Yudong felt a bit awkward, his body rigid, unsure of where to place his hands. Naturally, he should have embraced her, but Liu Qin practiced a poisonous art from their evil repertoire, and her body was perpetually laced with toxins. Prolonged contact often led to poisoning. As a cultivator, Zhao lacked the robust physical constitution of a martial artist to resist such toxins, making intimacy quite dangerous. He would likely need to reach the Foundation Establishment realm to withstand the poison. Of course, by then, Liu Qin would also be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and whether her toxins would strengthen along with her was anyone's guess. However, at that stage, one could generally control the toxins within their own body.

Liu Qin, who hadn't been intimate with her senior brother for months, found her longing difficult to suppress. Realizing the pressure her presence placed on him, she straightened up and looked outside. "We have more ingredients coming."

Moments later, the sound of hooves heralded the arrival of a scholar in a green robe, riding a gray horse from the direction of the Tianbao Prefecture border.

"Just a scholar," Zhao Yudong said, shaking his head with disdain. They had just used the blood of three martial artists a few days ago to refine a dozen Ghost Blood Pills, and they had yet to finish them. A common scholar could not pique his interest. It was like being forced to chew on a plain bun after a feast of delicacies. In Zhao’s view, a commoner wasn't worth the effort or time to capture.

Liu Qin, however, stared at the approaching scholar with eyes aglow. Zhao Yudong felt a pang of jealousy, especially seeing the scholar—dressed in green, with sharp, flowing temples and an elegant, extraordinary bearing on horseback.

"Junior Sister, do you have something else in mind?"

"Senior Brother, what nonsense are you spouting? This scholar is no simple man. To travel alone, he must have some skill. My intuition tells me he is prime ingredients for our pills."

As they spoke, the scholar reached the front of the tavern. He seemed not to notice the building at all, intending to ride slowly past. Liu Qin hurried out and blocked his path.

"Young Master, it's freezing out here. Why rush? Why not stop at our small shop for a cup of hot, spiced wine to warm yourself before continuing?"

The scholar, seemingly lost in thought, snapped back to reality upon hearing her voice. He pulled his horse to a stop, looked toward the roadside, and his eyes lit up upon seeing Liu Qin. He lingered a moment too long on the expanse of fair, delicate skin visible at her neckline before hurriedly and pretentiously averting his gaze.

"Wine? Where would one drink wine?" The scholar looked behind and then ahead. "In this desolate wilderness, where could there be wine?"

Liu Qin pointed helplessly at the small tavern. "I am the mistress of this tavern."

"Oh." The scholar finally noticed the shop. His eyes flickered back to Liu Qin’s neckline, and he looked somewhat tempted. However, seemingly remembering something, he shook his head vigorously. "No, no. Don't drink and ride, don't ride and drink. Can't drink, can't drink. Besides, for a woman to open a shop in such a remote place... it feels strange. Improper, truly improper. What if you are a man-eating demoness? Boundless Heavenly Venerable, Buddha protect me, the Master said not to speak of strange forces and chaotic spirits. This humble scholar must be on his way; I shall skip the wine. Please, miss, move aside."

The scholar scrambled to urge his horse forward. At such close range, Liu Qin could faintly sense his potent vitality.

*Hmph, trying to play the fool to deceive me?*

She had learned a technique specifically for sensing the vitality of martial artists. The scholar was hiding his cultivation, and an ordinary person wouldn't notice, but Liu Qin could feel the hidden strength, even if she couldn't pinpoint his exact realm. She knew he was a top-tier ingredient for her Ghost Blood Pills and wouldn't let him leave.

Liu Qin stepped forward and grabbed the horse's reins, leaning down slightly, intentionally exposing more of her fair skin to make it easier for him to look down from his perch. "My husband and I run this little tavern together; I am not alone."

"Oh," the scholar said again. He looked down from his horse, observing the persistent Liu Qin with a meaningful gaze. He glanced toward the tavern and asked, "Is that your husband inside?"

"Yes," Liu Qin replied.

The scholar’s face fell with disappointment. "If your husband is home, what would the likes of me be doing there?"