“Elder Xi has gone missing? Along with more than a dozen men who followed him deep into the mountains to conduct the search?” Lu Sheng murmured. He rolled the paper lightly between his fingers. With a soft swish, it crumbled into black ash and scattered through the gaps of his hand.
With Scarlet District collapsed and Ashoka Manor withdrawn, the remaining wandering ghosts had long been swept clean by his experts. Stronger Anomalies would not appear in the short term.
As for intelligent supernatural beings, they now recognized the name of the Crimson Whale Sect, having lost Scarlet District’s protection. All it took was for a Crimson Whale Sect expert to identify themselves, and those beings would retreat on their own.
Weaker entities were even less of a concern. Inner force experts could deal with them effortlessly.
Zhao Jiaojiao and Xu Chui, for instance, had been busy exterminating ghosts of that level.
The Northern Lands had entered an unprecedented era of peace and stability. Lu Sheng’s reputation rose with each passing day, shining as brightly as the midday sun.
And yet, an Elder had vanished in such a time.
This was no ordinary incident. It was a direct provocation against the Crimson Whale Sect.
Lu Sheng briefly pointed out the flaws in Lin Honglian and Yuan Zhong’s techniques, then instructed them to continue training on their own. Without delay, he turned and headed for the Sect Master’s study.
Seated at his desk, he carefully reviewed the stack of documents before him. Since receiving Zhao Jiaojiao’s last reply, more than ten days had passed without any further news.
Knowing Zhao Jiaojiao’s temperament, the silence could mean only two things. Either she had encountered serious trouble, or she had become so engrossed in killing that she had completely neglected official matters.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Sheng spoke calmly.
“Get Ning San here to see me.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard quickly relayed the order.
Not long after, Ning San strode into the study, his clothes damp with sweat from rushing over.
“Ning San greets the Sect Master!” He dropped to one knee, saluting with utmost respect.
“Already at Intent Proficiency?” Lu Sheng’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Ning San was among those who had received the Yin Crane Web inner force impartation. That art accelerated an inner force expert’s cultivation by leaps and bounds. Even so, Ning San’s leap from Strength Proficiency to Intent Proficiency was far faster than expected. Under normal circumstances, such a breakthrough would have required several years.
“Er… I grasped the true meaning of my martial art by chance one day,” Ning San replied modestly. “I believe I’ve comprehended the intent of the Mountain Penetrating Fist.”
Rather than breaking through by accumulating vast amounts of inner Qi, he had entered the realm through insight and enlightenment.
Experts who advanced this way generally possessed less inner Qi than those who forced their way through with sheer accumulation. However, their foundations were far more stable. With the same amount of inner force, they could unleash greater power. The drawback was obvious. Although he had reached Intent Proficiency, his overall inner force cultivation remained shallow.
This was precisely how Lu Sheng himself had first stepped into Intent Proficiency, by grasping the true intent of the Black Tiger Saber Technique.
By contrast, Xu Chui, in whom Lu Sheng had placed great expectations, had failed to comprehend the essence of his martial arts. In the end, Lu Sheng had forcibly injected inner force into him to push him past the threshold.
“Since you attained Intent Proficiency through enlightenment, you’ll come with me,” Lu Sheng decided.
Ning San was cautious and perceptive, the sort of man well-suited to dealing with unforeseen complications.
“Er… this subordinate has only just achieved this breakthrough. Isn’t it a bit early…?” Ning San hesitated.
“It doesn’t matter.” Lu Sheng smiled faintly. “I’ll lend you a strand of inner force. Use it only as a last resort.”
He raised his right palm and stepped in front of Ning San.
“Bam!”
In that instant, his palm struck Ning San squarely on the forehead, swift as lightning.
“Szzzzz…”
Vast streams of Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi surged violently into Ning San’s body.
After his battle with the Scarlet District Mistress, Lu Sheng had absorbed another century’s worth of inner force from the Divine Prime experts of the Martial League. Now, he poured it all into Ning San without restraint.
Ning San’s body convulsed violently. The surging inner Qi expanded and twisted his muscles, while his bones began to creak and mutate under the pressure.
Like Xu Chui before him, Ning San’s body started to undergo mutation as the overwhelming Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi flooded in.
When only eighty out of the hundred years of inner Qi had entered him, Ning San suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His aura collapsed sharply, clear signs that he had reached his limit.
Only then did Lu Sheng swiftly withdraw his hand.
Eighty years of inner Qi, combined with Ning San’s own cultivated foundation, had already pushed his body to its absolute maximum.
The violent influx of energy caused Ning San’s left forearm to swell grotesquely. The skin darkened to a blackish red, and fine black hairs burst out from the surface like sharp bristles.
“BOOM!”
The power gathering within his left arm intensified rapidly until it began to tremble uncontrollably. Ning San had no choice but to slam it against the floor, struggling to suppress the violent shaking.
“Relax. Just relax.” Lu Sheng smiled calmly. “This is simply your latent potential being awakened. I was merely the catalyst.”
Guided by the Yin Crane Web, Ning San soon felt the resistance in his left arm recede. Control returned swiftly, and the newly formed limb responded obediently to his will.
The black hair withdrew, and the blackish-red skin faded back to normal.
Ning San had long heard from Xu Chui that the Sect Master possessed the ability to awaken the hidden potential within the human body. Thus, though shocked by the mutation, he did not fall into panic.
“Thank you for your grace, Sect Master!” he exclaimed excitedly, dropping to his knees.
In just those few seconds, he could clearly sense that his strength had increased dramatically.
Lu Sheng nodded.
“Alright. Go make the necessary preparations, then come with me to Tea Town.”
The disappearance of an expert implanted with the Yin Crane Web meant one less source of inner Qi for him to harvest. Whether for the Crimson Whale Sect, the stability of the Northern Lands, or the refinement of his own cultivation, Lu Sheng had no choice but to investigate personally.
And perhaps, along the way, there might even be Yin Qi worth absorbing.
“Yes, sir!” Ning San replied reverently.
Once Ning San departed, the study sank back into silence. A petite figure slowly emerged from behind a bookshelf.
“As expected, another one of those twisted, wicked methods,” the little umbrella girl said grimly. “Not only can it manipulate others, it can even turn them into demi-demons…”
Lu Sheng smiled faintly. “Demi-demon? You’re mistaken. They’re still human.”
“A human like a demon?” she snorted. “You think I’d fall for that? Call a spade a spade. They’re demi-demons. Plenty of experts are experimenting with this sort of thing anyway.” She folded her arms, then added sharply, “And the mantra I cultivate requires me to consume bitterness. You promised to help me regain my power!”
“Of course,” Lu Sheng replied calmly. “So, do you want to come with me? This case seems full of bitterness.”
The little umbrella girl’s eyes turned cold. “Would you even feel at ease letting me out of your sight?”
“Glad you understand.” Lu Sheng reached out and pinched her chubby cheeks.
Under the control of the Yin Crane Web, her attempts to dodge were completely futile. Her body froze against her will, allowing Lu Sheng to pinch and knead her cheeks freely, even pressing her head lightly into his palm in a humiliatingly cute manner.
Squeeze.
Her smooth cheeks were compressed into a round lump before being released.
“Pop.”
Unable to close her mouth in time, a puff of air escaped, producing an awkward sound.
“YOU!!!” Her face instantly flushed red and purple. “I’LL KILL YOU! AHHHHHHH!!” She flailed wildly, clawing straight for Lu Sheng’s eyes.
Lu Sheng ignored her furious outburst and effortlessly sidestepped her attacks. Rising to his feet, he turned calmly to the shelves and began browsing through the books, as though nothing at all had happened.
The little umbrella girl could only stand there and shout in frustration. No matter how she twisted, struggled, clawed, or scratched with her upper body, her lower half was firmly pinned in place by the Yin Crane Web, unable to move even an inch.
“As far as I know, Anomalies are extremely difficult to track,” Lu Sheng asked casually. “From the perspective of demons and ghosts, what exactly are Anomalies?”
Exhausted from her futile struggle, the little umbrella girl glared at him and spoke coldly. “Promise you’ll never humiliate me again, and I’ll tell you.”
“Okay.”
His answer came far too quickly.
The little umbrella girl froze, her mouth hanging open. A whole list of arguments she had prepared died in her throat, crushed by his immediate agreement.
After a brief pause, Lu Sheng succinctly explained the incident in Tea Town.
“What do you think are the possible explanations for this case?”
Hongfang Bai calmed herself and replied in an even, detached tone. “A clear-cut Anomaly. Most Anomalies possess an extremely powerful and persistent will. Unless that will is satisfied, the Anomaly will neither perish nor rest. What you humans call ‘controlling’ Anomalies is nothing more than using special methods to trick them into believing that someone has intruded upon their territory. It’s not true control.”
“Then do you know how Anomalies are formed?” Lu Sheng pressed.
“You’ll have to ask Yingying about that. I’m not an Anomaly, so how would I know?” Hongfang Bai shrugged. “From what I’ve learned over the years, isolated Anomalies are easy to guide or redirect. But if you encounter a particularly troublesome type…”
Despite her lingering resentment, she continued to cooperate.
“Now that I think about it… compared to that class of Anomalies, I’d say you are the real Number One Anomaly,” she sneered, laughter dripping with malice. “I’m quite curious which of you would be stronger.”
Her smile widened. “I’m really looking forward to the moment you meet them. The look on your face—”
“Slap!”
Lu Sheng struck her, sending her tumbling to the ground.
“Children shouldn’t act like adults,” he said lightly. “And what is this class of Anomalies you mentioned?”
“HOW DARE YOU!!”
“Slap!”
Another sharp blow landed.
After a brief bout of furious struggling, the little umbrella girl slumped onto the ground, her cheeks swollen and burning. She glared up at Lu Sheng, eyes blazing with unrestrained hatred.
“Those vile Anomalies are nothing like Yingying,” Hongfang Bai snorted coldly. “They’re more like withered black flowers, like filthy water festering beneath a bridge. Their presence is nauseating, impure.”
She paused, her expression darkening. “I once crossed paths with them. They tried to capture Yingying, but I intercepted them. Even so, I couldn’t catch up.”
“Oh?” Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “If they target Anomalies, is there any way to recognize them?”
Hongfang Bai nodded.
“There is. Wherever they pass, the people around them are naturally drained of life force,” she explained. “They can’t sleep. Their spirits are crushed, like people who haven’t rested for days on end.”
“Oh?” Lu Sheng fell silent, his gaze unfocused, as though a memory had surfaced.
Tea Sect.
That mirror.
“Have you ever heard of a mirror with its back carved with a phoenix, a fox, and a cat?” Lu Sheng asked quietly.
“Phoenix, fox, and cat?” Hongfang Bai’s eyes flew wide open. “Don’t tell me… you mean a stained-glass mirror?”
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