Vampire Cultivation Notes

In the wilderness, the thunder and fire gradually died down.

There was still no sound from all around.

Seeing this, Li Jieqing, who was on guard, frowned and simply turned to packing up Yu Mingli's estate.

At this moment, the other person who had been hiding in the shadows finally appeared and reached out a hand to say something.

"Master Zhao, please wait!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jieqing ignored it, first raising his hand to put Yu Mingli's corpse into his storage bag before turning away leisurely.

Opposite them, the person who appeared was none other than Chengming Daoist, the chief manager of Taiping Market, the first disciple of Master Baozhou, and a dignified cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, with the potential to establish his foundation.

He was the one who broke the mid-grade Vajra Talisman with a single flying shuttle and then knocked down Li Jieqing's high-grade Soaring Talisman. He was worlds apart from Yu Mingli and other rogue cultivators from families who had just reached the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Fortunately, it seems that Master Chengming has no intention of making another move.

"...So it was the head steward in person."

Li Jieqing hadn't expected that this fellow would be the one lying in wait for him. After assessing the situation, he cupped his hands, sword in hand, and said, "May I ask what brings you to invite me so eagerly?"

I'm afraid we can't beat them.

Many talismans were lost, and the magic power was almost depleted due to the sword fight. In comparison, losing a little bit of essence blood to use the Blood Heart Freedom Technique was nothing.

The spiritual light on the Azure Water Sword flickered, as if it still carried a large amount of magical power.

Behind the scenes, Li Jieqing clenched several thunderbolts in his palm, a high-grade Vajra Talisman ready to be unleashed.

Cheng Ming Daoist didn't pay attention to these little actions. He only saw that Li Jieqing calmly greeted him instead of recklessly slashing at him with his sword. He stroked his beard and smiled, "Alchemist Zhao is quite sensible. Well then, it's been hard on that fellow Daoist from the Yu family who waited for a year. I'll take care of the funeral arrangements for him. No wonder, Alchemist."

"...Then I'll have to trouble you, Head Steward."

"I am skilled in performing rituals, so why should I complain about the hardship?"

Chengming Daoist reached out and summoned the flying shuttle that was hiding in the sky back. As he carefully put it away, he said with a smile, "Master Dan, you don't know, but last year, Fellow Daoist Yu came to me to report that you had incited cultivators in the city to go to Wangyue Valley to search for treasure, resulting in heavy casualties and malicious intentions. After hearing this, I persuaded him to return home and not let this matter reach the ears of my master, Master Baozhou. I was just waiting for an opportunity to come and talk to you, Master Dan."

It's really the work of petty people.

Li Jieqing cursed inwardly, but on the surface he hurriedly said, "Thank you for your righteous rescue, Steward. May I ask what you wish to say to me that you have been waiting for me tonight?"

Chengming Daoist said, "I was just about to mention this to the alchemist."

"Firstly, my master, Venerable Baozhou, entered Wangyue Valley last year, intending to find the demon tiger that was the talk of the town. Who knew that the beast was quite powerful and escaped wounded, leaving my master nowhere to go and forcing him to return empty-handed."

Therefore, Master Chengming spoke in a solemn tone:

"My master, Venerable Baozhou, felt this matter was shameful and has ordered that it not be mentioned again. Alchemist, upon hearing this, be sure not to spread it outside."

"..."

After all that talk, this statement is truly from the heart.

Li Jieqing thought to himself that this Chengming Daoist was truly filial and moved Heaven, telling the embarrassing story of Baozhou Shangren as a joke in order to help his master get out of the shadow.

As for the white tiger still being alive, Li Jieqing wasn't too surprised.

He had personally seen the white tiger and knew the benefits of the green lotus seeds.

If a vampire can be immune to the sun after consuming it, it's not surprising that the demon tiger's ability to disappear would become even stronger after digesting it.

Even those at the Foundation Establishment stage were defeated and forced to retreat, unable to defeat the demon tiger. It seems that the plan to explore the Moon Gazing Valley will truly take forever.

"Since Master Baozhou said it should not be spread outside... why did the head steward mention it to me?" Li Jieqing noticed this and immediately asked.

Master Chengming's expression darkened.

After a long pause, he sighed and continued, "That is the second reason. The first reason is that I wanted to gain the trust of the alchemist first."

"Oh?"

Chengming Daoist said, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, you may not know, but I am already fifty-one years old this year. I am about to reach the end of my life and my blood and energy will decline. However, I am stuck in the Qi Refining Realm and cannot make any progress. I have no way to find a solution."

Li Jieqing asked in surprise, "You are Master Baozhou's eldest disciple, how did you break through?"

"What senior disciple? That old codger just needed a few capable servants to attend to him, and a few estate managers to oversee the markets. So, forty-five years ago, not long after he took office in this area, he came to me to take me as a disciple and work for him. I was only registered under his name, not counted as joining the main sect!"

Chengming Daoren lost his composure for a moment and shouted curses, which shows that the resentment had been brewing for a long time.

They didn't even care that Li Jieqing was present.

Or perhaps it was because Li Jieqing was present that she deliberately said it to him.

As mentioned earlier, this was done in order to deliberately leave a handle in order to gain Li Jieqing's trust.

"Fellow Daoist, do you truly not know how to break through?!"

Li Jieqing, however, was not particularly concerned about the past of the master and disciple, and it was not the right time to report them. He simply asked this question again.

Chengming Daoist, who was filled with resentment, was speechless for a moment, then laughed and said, "Your Daoist heart is indeed firm."

"Indeed, I know how to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage... If even I don't know, then I'm afraid there are only two Foundation Establishment masters in this area who know, and all fellow Daoists in the area will have their paths cut off."

"However, I am suffering from a lack of resources and treasures, which makes it impossible for me to cultivate. If I were to force my way through to the Foundation Establishment stage, I would surely die."

At this point, Daoist Chengming changed the subject, saying, "This is the reason I came to find you, fellow Daoist."

To avoid being discovered by his master, Master Baozhou, Daoist Chengming waited a whole year before Li Jieqing had the opportunity to leave the market.

Several times during this period, Li Jieqing was seen standing under the archway but not coming out, which made him secretly furious and greatly diminished his composure.

Li Jieqing said, "What treasure do I possess that would make the head steward covet it?"

Chengming Daoist said, "Even if you have no treasure, you should know the connection, because Jiang Ping's parents, who have joined the upper sect, have close ties with you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jieqing breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as the fact that he didn't resurrect himself is exposed, that's fine.

As for Jiang Wei and his wife, it's normal for some people to suspect them after they've been missing for so long.

"Back then, a person named Jiang Ping'er suddenly joined the sect, which I found strange. Later, I heard that you encountered a treasure in Wangyue Valley. After inquiring a little, I learned that you had been in frequent contact with Jiang Ping'er's parents a few years ago."

After saying this, Chengming Daoist smiled meaningfully and said, "I don't care where Jiang Ping's parents are now. I just think that they are a couple with shallow blessings. However, I am nearing sixty years old, and I hope you will have pity on me and share some of the benefits with me, and tell me what is hidden in Wangyue Valley. If I succeed in the Foundation Establishment stage in the future, I will surely promote you."

They want treasure.

This is why Chengming Daoist has been meticulously waiting for Li Jieqing for the past year.

Simple yet correct.

Tonight, Chengming Daoist kept observing from the shadows, and he didn't really doubt that the treasure had already been obtained by Li Jieqing.

As Yu Mingli had just tested, he was only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. According to Cheng Ming Daoren's empathetic thinking, even if he had taken some treasure, he wouldn't have come this way. He should have followed Jiang Ping's example and gone to sea to join the Ruyi Sect.

It could be said that Li Jieqing's level of understanding was too low, and he inadvertently made an excuse for himself.

Therefore, Chengming Daoren chose to communicate peacefully rather than directly kill and plunder the treasure.