Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 52 The Rogue Cultivator's Schemes

A screen wall stood between the caves. Ning Fusang went around it, and a stone pool about two zhang wide appeared before her eyes.

The hot spring in the stone pool gurgled and bubbled like boiling water, steaming and swirling with mist.

Ning Fusang was covered in blood and grime, so she took a bath. As soon as she entered the hot spring, it felt as if countless hands were massaging her muscles, gradually relaxing her.

Tick.

A drop of water fell from the stone cone hanging overhead and landed on the back of her hand. Ning Fusang wiped it with her thumb and confirmed that it was indeed ordinary spring water.

The hot spring she was soaking in had hot water and a refreshing medicinal fragrance, because it contained spiritual herbs and plants.

She guessed that the female demon wanted to possess her body and then come to this stone pool to temper her body.

Ning Fusang circulated her internal energy to absorb the medicinal effects of the hot spring. Her meridians were widened inch by inch, and she felt pain as fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

Before long, Ning Fusang absorbed all the medicinal power in the pool, and the pool water changed from milky white to crystal clear. Her cultivation level did not increase at all, but her skin became whiter and more delicate, like the finest flowing brocade.

The pool water was still bubbling. Ning Fusang drew her Fish-Hidden Sword and thrust it into the bottom of the stone pool. She suspected there might be spiritual fire beneath, which would allow the spiritual herbs to refine themselves autonomously.

click-

Cracks like a spider web covered the bottom of the stone pool, and a splash of fiery red caught Ning Fusang's eye. Her gaze flickered faintly, showing little disappointment.

“Spiritual fire is extremely rare in this world. It would be strange if I obtained it so easily.”

Ning Fusang pried open the fire jade, weighed it in her palm, and felt a surge of heat that spread from her skin to her internal organs, warm and comforting, as if she were being roasted by a furnace.

"The Crimson Sun Divine Jade?" Ning Fusang recognized the fire jade and tossed it into her storage bracelet.

She changed her clothes and searched the cave, finding only a two-hundred-year-old ginseng, a fifth-tier azure snow lotus, six lamp-shaped fruit cores, a box of cinnabar incense, two drops of ice phoenix blood essence, and a third-tier magic robe.

After taking inventory, Ning Fusang glanced back at the stone pool and thought to herself, "It seems that the demoness has poured all her wealth into the hot spring."

She climbed out of the cave and leaped up, riding her spirit to the top of the cliff. Her blue dress fluttered, and she was elegant, beautiful, and free.

But Ning Fusang knew that she had not gained true freedom.

Before she could reach the realm of the gods, there were still too many things in the world that bound her.

On the other side, Yang Ruo killed the demon and bound Luo Dujun with the Dragon Binding Rope. He then asked A Quan to take care of his injured and unconscious junior brothers and sisters before hurrying off to find Ning Fusang.

As Ah Quan watched the young man's retreating figure disappear into the wind, he clasped his hands together in prayer, hoping that Miss Ning would be safe and sound.

"Sister Zhubei, where are you going?" After praying, Aquan opened his eyes and saw Zhubei about to leave.

She turned around, her eyes cold and indifferent, and looked at A-Quan: "I'm not going back to Qingbo Cave Lake. If you still remember our kinship, then consider me dead at the hands of a demon today, with no trace of my remains."

A-Quan opened his mouth, wanting to call her, but Zhu Bei had already disappeared into the night before dawn without looking back.

At this moment, a member of the clan quickly apologized to everyone and went to chase after Zhu Bei's figure.

A-Quan suddenly became the oldest among the merfolk, and all the merfolk looked at her. One of the timid merfolk girls asked, "Sister A-Quan, Sister Zhu Bei and Brother Li Shuo just left like that. Aren't you afraid that the Southern Star Sword Sect will blame you?"

After a long while, A-Quan finally withdrew her gaze from the darkness. She lowered her head, stroked the little girl's head, and whispered, "They're just dead. What can the Southern Star Sword Sect blame?"

She knew that Yang Ruo was so focused on killing the demon and rescuing Miss Ning that he didn't pay any attention to how many mermaids were in their group, how many had died, or how many had survived.

Regardless, Yang Ruo saved everyone, and A Quan was very grateful to him.

The little girl nodded, seemingly understanding, and said, "I won't tell anyone about this."

A smile appeared on A-Quan's lips.

*
Outside Xiaofeng Town, five rogue cultivators gathered together, discussing something.

"The commotion over there seems to have stopped. Should we go take a look now? Maybe it's a lose-lose situation."

"Yes, brother. When the snipe and the clam fight, it's time for us fishermen to benefit."

"I don't think that's appropriate. You all saw the fighting; it was at least a battle between fourth-level cultivators. Fourth-level experts are no joke. I've never seen a fourth-level expert in my entire life!"

"Third brother is too afraid of death. He's so cowardly. Why does he still do robbery? He should just go back to selling his snow silkworms."

"What's wrong with me selling snow silkworms? Snow silkworms eat very little and spin a lot of silk. Anyone who doesn't like them is just blind!"

"Alright! Stop arguing!" The leading man, dressed in a black outfit, had a chiseled face and a thin build, yet exuded an air of authority that immediately silenced the two noisy men.

His eyes flickered twice before he made his decision: "Fortune favors the bold. Once I finish this job, I won't go back to Xiaofeng Town."

"There are more than just the five of us brothers watching the battlefield. At this critical moment, don't start fighting among yourselves and let others take advantage of the situation."

The second son looked like he had been taught a lesson and solemnly made a promise.

Although the third brother felt sorry for the plump white silkworms he raised in his yard, he always believed in his eldest brother's words. If his eldest brother said to do it, then he would do it!

The five of them had a long history of murder and arson, and were very experienced in robbery, never having failed before. Thinking this, their tension lessened considerably.

As they slowly approached the battlefield, the fourth brother took out a golden object resembling a bamboo tube from his storage bag. After twisting it a few times, the object became slender. He brought it close to his eyes, and the hazy scene in the distance instantly became clear.

This item is called the Spirit Mirror Piercing Tube. They obtained it from a weapon refiner they robbed. It may seem useless, but in reality, it has contributed significantly to their robbery business.

While observing the situation in the distance, the fourth brother relayed to the other four: "We haven't found any cultivators at the fourth level of the cultivation realm, only a group of merfolk."

"Mermaids?" The third brother narrowed his eyes. "The only place nearby where mermaids live is Qingbo Cave Lake of the Southern Star Sword Sect, right?"

"Brother, this matter involves the Southern Star Sword Sect. Should we still rob them?" He turned to look at Zhong Feiyan.

At this moment, the fourth brother turned the Spirit Mirror in his hand, and a new scene came into view. His pupils shrank and he said, "The battlefield is in ruins, with about eight corpses lying around. Their bodies are covered with a lot of fragmented flesh and blood, as if a blood rain had fallen. These are definitely traces of a fight caused by experts at the fourth level."

Listening to his description, Zhong Feiyan gestured for him to give him the Spirit Mirror.

(End of this chapter)