Chapter 107: This Old Fellow Has Great Talent

Deep in the night, all was silent. Su Ji'an inspected Yu Ming's storage ring. Yu Ming's wealth was significantly less than Shen Qing'er's, yet it still contained over a thousand spirit stones and cultivation resources valued at more than twenty thousand spiritual power points.

The courtyard remained quiet as Su Ji'an silently observed the movements of the Saint.

[After lying in wait for a day and a night, the Saint discovered that the Jiaofang Division was not as simple as it appeared. What seemed to be a place of entertainment was, in reality, a den of demons, where over half of the women were transformed fox demons.]

[The small cat that the Saint had transformed into was kept by one of these fox demons. Only then did the Saint have the opportunity to learn that Xi Wang was the master of this group of fox demons, and that they had occupied the Jiaofang Division several years ago.]

[The Saint discovered that whenever Xi Wang visited the Jiaofang Division, it was precisely when the defenses were at their weakest.]

[Furthermore, the Saint noted that many high-ranking officials of the Great Jin Dynasty frequented the Jiaofang Division, including several cultivators. Due to the crowds and the complex environment, the Saint had not yet found a suitable opportunity to strike.]

Seeing this, Su Ji'an could not help but frown. These fox demons were entrenched right under the nose of the Evil Suppression Division. That they had remained undisturbed for so many years was certainly no oversight; rather, it meant the Jiaofang Division had a powerful protector. Su Ji'an could no longer fathom Xi Wang's motives; the man's actions seemed to go far beyond mere pursuit of evil arts. He sensed a deeper conspiracy. It appeared that the true origin of Xi Wang's position as the Lord of Yingdu City lay here.

For now, he would observe the Saint’s methods. If the situation proved impossible, he would have to find another way. However, even borrowing the hand of the Evil Suppression Division might not be effective; they might have already been infiltrated as well.

[Hiding in the arms of a fox demon, the Saint witnessed that the Jiaofang Division held a hidden world. A hundred feet beneath the ground lay a magnificent palace filled with pools of wine and forests of meat, a place of extreme decadence.]

[The high-ranking officials who were so arrogant moments ago were now groveling on the ground, appearing utterly servile, as several of them were trampled upon by the fox demons.]

Su Ji'an’s expression grew unnatural. What kind of strange situation was this? Some sort of depraved ecstasy? Things were becoming more interesting. These officials were clearly under some form of control. The origin of Xi Wang’s position as City Lord was now becoming evident.

[The Saint discovered that the means by which the fox demons controlled the officials was a wine called "Xiangye." Those who drank it immediately displayed an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, appearing utterly intoxicated and transcendent.]

[Xi Wang sat in a high seat, looking at the scene before him with a cold sneer. The Saint did not yet have a chance to approach Xi Wang, but had made initial contact with the underground palace.]

[The Saint decided to lie in wait a little longer to find the perfect moment to strike.]

[After the banquet ended and the officials departed in satisfaction, Xi Wang listened to reports from his subordinate fox demons about which key government officials had consumed the Xiangye wine that day.]

[Seeing that the time had come, the Saint quietly moved to a corner, transformed into a small insect, and began to slowly approach Xi Wang.]

[In an instant, the Saint reached Xi Wang’s side. A glimmer of the Immobilization Talisman flashed, landing precisely on Xi Wang.]

[The many fox demons below bristled with alarm, but their cultivation was insufficient to threaten the Saint, and for a moment, no one dared to step forward.]

[Without hesitation, the Saint immediately used the Dragon Talisman on Xi Wang. At the same time, however, Xi Wang shifted his thoughts, and the entire underground palace glowed with red light as several mysterious, spectral figures appeared.]

[The Saint was momentarily stunned. Ignoring the ghosts attacking him, he reached into his own body, pulled out the Tiger Talisman, and in a fleeting moment, jammed it into Xi Wang’s hand. He then seized the man’s hand and split the Tiger Talisman in two. Though the Saint retrieved the talisman back into his own body, it remained in a severed state.]

Su Ji'an couldn't help but marvel; that old scoundrel, the Saint, truly had great talent. He had never imagined the Tiger Talisman could be used in such a clever way. While this might not kill Xi Wang, it would certainly cause him great distress.

Moreover, this was the first time the Immobilization Talisman had failed since its debut. Even while bound by the talisman, Xi Wang was still able to summon ghosts with a mere thought. It appeared to be a secret technique that did not require the use of the soul. This was the limitation of the Immobilization Talisman; it could not control the target's thoughts.

[Seeing Xi Wang split into two halves—good and evil—the Saint, feeling unwilling to give up, struck him several times with the Dragon Talisman. By then, the mysterious entities had already reached him.]

[Faced with so many threats, the Saint abandoned the idea of using the Soul-Snatching Chain and immediately used the power of his talismans to escape.]

Su Ji'an sighed, "Xi Wang didn't die this time. He has great luck; he's like a cockroach that refuses to die."

Xi Wang’s underground palace beneath the Jiaofang Division was now completely exposed. This was likely his true lair. It was a pity that he had alerted the enemy. If nothing else changed, Xi Wang would likely move his base or shift from the open to the shadows.

With matters having reached this point, it was inconvenient for him to intervene personally. Xi Wang’s methods were too unpredictable, and a single mistake could be counterproductive. Then again, the previous failure was due to the lack of an Immobilization Talisman, and this one was due to insufficient Soul-Snatching Chains. If the Saint were to deal with Xi Wang again, having enough chains was essential. But as things stood, that alone was not enough; he needed to provide the Saint with additional means.

[The mission to infiltrate and lie in wait at the Qingyun Sect is temporarily shelved. Your top priority remains finding a way to eliminate Xi Wang. The following items are critical for this mission.]

[Mission Reward: Fifty Soul-Snatching Chains, two sets of Spiritual Energy Armor.]

[Mission Penalty: Loss of the Immortal Body.]

Having finished this, Su Ji'an went to the next room. He observed Shen Qing'er's current state and saw that she had mostly mastered the effects of the Human Puppet Pill. He then removed the Immobilization Talisman.

Shen Qing'er's eyes slowly opened, her expression slightly dull. "Master..."

Su Ji'an asked with curiosity, "Do you still remember your origins?"

Shen Qing'er frowned, appearing to ponder for a moment before saying with a blank face, "I remember nothing."

Su Ji'an nodded slightly. He was not surprised by this result; he had only been testing the possibilities.

"Contact this Young Master Hua..."

Su Ji'an then spent time explaining all the relevant details to her. The intricacies of the matter were quite complex, and it took significant effort to explain them clearly. Fortunately, Shen Qing'er's capacity for understanding was quite good. Although her soul had been replaced, her mind remained functional.