Chapter 34: Lu Bu: This Is a Farewell Custom in My Hometown
The mist filled valley, inside the bamboo house.
Lu Bu floated slowly in midair, and within his dantian, the qi vortex began to spin rapidly. The purple flame being nurtured there was suddenly flung out.
The purple flame, seemingly stunned for a moment, instantly expanded wildly. Its scorching heat began burning Lu Bu's dantian and qi sea.
"Jie, still want to act up? Suppress it for me!"
Lu Bu let out a cold chuckle, and the Devouring Ancestral Talisman appeared above the purple flame, releasing devouring power. Instantly, the once raging purple flame turned as docile as a lamb.
With a thought, Lu Bu's mind enveloped the purple flame, guiding it through his meridians for refinement. Whenever it resisted, the Devouring Ancestral Talisman would glow with black light, scaring the flame into submission, leaving it no choice but to obediently be refined bit by bit.
Outside the bamboo house, Xiao Yi Xian occasionally glanced inside. She had already sensed the scorching heat emanating from within and was somewhat worried about Lu Bu, though she didn't understand what was happening.
"What's going on? He's usually fine, so why suddenly..." she muttered. Just then, she froze the heat waves had disappeared. It seemed the cultivation had ended.
Her thoughts had just surfaced when Lu Bu opened the door and stepped out. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing… I felt the flames vanish, so I came to check," Xiao Yi Xian replied and was about to leave, but Lu Bu grabbed her hand and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
"You… What are you doing?" Xiao Yi Xian retreated quickly, but Lu Bu sniffed the black powder on his fingertip and frowned.
"You've been taking poison again?"
Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment, then sighed. "Ever since my Woeful Poison Body awakened, these toxins have a peculiar allure to me. I can't control it…"
Lu Bu grabbed her wrist and briefly sensed her condition. He immediately felt a wave of helplessness. Xiao Yi Xian's current strength was already that of a six star Dou Practitioner, while he, who had been a four star Dou Practitioner a month ago, had only just reached five stars.
"As expected of the Woeful Poison Body…" Lu Bu muttered under his breath. He hadn't shared the method of creating Poison Pills with Xiao Yi Xian yet. The required ingredients were too shocking he worried she wouldn't be able to handle it and would lose hope. So, he had only told her he'd found a solution, but would explain the details when the time was right.
Xiao Yi Xian didn't quite believe him, treating his words as mere attempts to comfort her. Lu Bu had no choice but to let it go.
"Have you packed everything?" Xiao Yi Xian waved her jade like hand in front of Lu Bu, pulling his thoughts back.
They had been cultivating here for a month. It was time to leave and explore the outside world.
"Ahem… I'm ready," Lu Bu replied with a smile.
"Then let's go." She took out a bamboo whistle and summoned the blue eagle magical beast again.
"It's time to part…" Lu Bu sighed. If only Xiao Yi Xian could stay with him her proficiency with poisons would be a great help.
But she simply refused to stay. Sometimes, Lu Bu even had the urge to kidnap her.
"Yeah… it's time to part," Xiao Yi Xian murmured. She was also reluctant. Lu Bu was her only friend, but she couldn't drag him down with her.
"Come, give me a hug." Lu Bu spread his arms and smiled. "This is a farewell custom in my hometown."
"Pfft… Fine, but don't move around!" Xiao Yi Xian spat lightly, annoyed, but still stepped into his embrace.
"Jie…"
"Ugh, I told you not to move!" Xiao Yi Xian grumbled, holding his hands in place.
"There's another farewell custom in my hometown…" Lu Bu said, smirking.
"Pfft, as if that's real." Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks turned red.
"It is! It's a custom imported from elsewhere." Lu Bu grinned shamelessly.
Xiao Yi Xian rolled her eyes at him, then gently kissed him on the cheek before quickly retreating from his arms.
"Ah, this…" Lu Bu smacked his lips, unsatisfied.
"You lecher!" Xiao Yi Xian flicked his forehead with a finger, glaring at him.
"Caw !"
At that moment, the piercing cry of the eagle echoed through the valley, interrupting the atmosphere between them.
"I have to go…" Xiao Yi Xian said softly.
"Take care."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded, then leapt onto the eagle's back. She waved at Lu Bu as the eagle turned into a streak of blue, vanishing into the sky.
"I should get going too." With a step, Lu Bu summoned his Purple Cloud Wings and took to the sky.
…
In Black Rock City, a major city in the eastern part of the Jia Ma Empire, there was a prominent family, the He Clan.
Its patriarch was a four star Dou King who had some connections with Xiao Yan, the soon to be Dou Emperor.
But Lu Bu wasn't interested in them. His focus was on Gu He's younger brother, Gu Te or rather, the Ice Spirit Cold Spring that Gu Te possessed.
That item could certainly be used to barter with Xiao Yan for something valuable. When the time came, Lu Bu could raise the price. Xiao Yan and Yao Lao would have no choice but to comply.
Of course, Lu Bu also needed to pass the assessment to become an alchemist. After all, the status of an alchemist was highly respected and could save him from a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Several hundred meters outside Black Rock City, Lu Bu descended into the forest and walked into the city gates.
The Law Protector of the Hall of Souls was still in the Yun Lan Sect, and the sect itself was a power that could rival the royal family of the Jia Ma Empire. Lu Bu couldn't afford to be too conspicuous. If the Law Protector learned of his whereabouts, it would be troublesome.
Once inside the city, Lu Bu restocked his supplies water, food, clothes, and other essentials before heading straight for the Alchemist Guild.
At the guild, Lu Bu lied about his age, claiming to be in his twenties instead of seventeen or eighteen. During the assessment, he didn't show off like Xiao Yan, so he didn't attract much attention.
Besides, he only tested for the rank of a first tier alchemist.
Before leaving the guild, Lu Bu left a message saying he wanted to exchange Blood Lotus Essence for a fourth tier pill recipe. Then he vanished without a trace.
His goal was simple: lure the snake out of its hole.
…
An hour later, in the office of Otto, the vice president of the Alchemist Guild.
Bam!
The door was violently kicked open, and a disheveled old man burst in frantically.
"Otto, where's the person who wants to trade Blood Lotus Essence?" the old man, Gu Te, asked breathlessly, clutching Otto's desk.
"Gu Te, you bastard, you broke my door!" Otto roared, slamming his desk in anger. His Dou Qi flared up, enveloping him in flames.
"Forget that! Just tell me where the Blood Lotus Essence is! I've nearly bought up every Golden Thread Lotus in Black Rock City, but I still couldn't find one!" Gu Te urged impatiently.
"Haha!" Otto calmed down, retracting his Dou Qi. Folding his arms and leaning back, he smirked. "Gu Te, is this how you ask for a favor? What kind of attitude is that?"
Gu Te's face twitched. "Fine, I'll ask someone else!"
"Did you forget?" Otto said nonchalantly, cleaning his nails. "I'm the vice president in charge of transactions. I haven't even reported this to the president yet."
Gu Te cursed inwardly. Damn it, I forgot!
"Fine. What do you want?" Gu Te asked helplessly.
"Fix my door and come in properly," Otto said with a smile, pointing at the entrance. "And don't forget to be polite~"
Gu Te's face twitched again, veins bulging on his forehead. But he obediently fixed the door, knocked politely, and greeted Otto properly.
In the face of treasures, he behaved like an obedient child.
"Good. I'm quite pleased with your behavior," Otto said, stroking his beard and nodding approvingly, as if watching his own child grow. "Here's the location of the person you're looking for." He handed over a note with a smile.
Gu Te scowled at the petty old man but quickly snatched the note and rushed out.
Outside the Alchemist Guild, Lu Bu watched Gu Te sprint out and quietly followed him.
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