Ghost Immortal

Hei Sandao surprisingly admitted it without hesitation.

"Master Four Eyebrows, you're right. I, Black Three Knives, did try to take advantage of the chaos. It wasn't a fair thing to do, but my brothers need to eat too. We've been keeping an eye on the tiger demon for half a month; we can't go back empty-handed."

"Here's what we'll do. The tiger demon's core and soul will belong to your Maoshan Sect, but I'll keep the tiger demon's pelt and bones. The tiger pelt can fetch a good price, and the tiger bones are top-grade medicine. That should be enough for the brothers to have a few good meals."

Master Si Mei and Lei Jian exchanged a glance.

Lei Jian nodded slightly.

Although the tiger demon's fur and bones are worth some silver, they are far less valuable than its demon core and soul.

Black Three Knives' decision to settle for second best was already a huge concession.

Besides, the most important thing right now is to save Li Feng and Qiu Sheng; there's no time to get entangled with the Black Wind Bandits here.

Master Si Mei readily agreed.

"Sure, the tiger skin and tiger bones are yours, but you have to clean the tiger bones of any remaining demonic energy. You can't use them to make evil artifacts to harm people. If I find out that you've used the tiger bones to do anything immoral, I'll personally go to Black Wind Ridge to settle accounts with you."

Hei Sandao grinned and turned to wave at his subordinates.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and dismantle the demon-trapping formation, come and skin the tiger!"

The bandits breathed a sigh of relief, put away their shields, and surrounded the tiger demon lying on the ground.

They were also apprehensive about fighting so many Qi Refining Realm Taoists.

The tiger demon wasn't completely dead yet. Its amber vertical pupils were half-open and half-closed as it looked at the bandits surrounding it, and a low growling sound came from its throat.

Hei Sandao walked up to the tiger demon and looked down at it.

He had already sheathed his ghost-headed sword and walked up to the tiger demon with his hands empty.

The tiger demon and he had been locked in a standoff for so many years, both wary of each other, and neither had ever truly gained the upper hand.

But today, the tiger demon is finished first.

"You beast, you stole seven of my brothers." Hei Sandao squatted down, looking directly into the tiger demon's eyes.

"I'll skin you alive today to avenge my brothers. Don't worry, even though I, Black Three Knives, am a bandit, I mean skin you and won't desecrate your corpse."

The tiger demon slowly closed its eyes.

Hei Sandao stood up and made a gesture to his subordinates.

Two bandits approached with sharp knives and began skinning the tiger.

Hei Sandao then turned and walked towards Li Feng.

Qiu Lan immediately stepped in front of Li Feng in a panic, reaching for her waist, only to find that the Soul-Soothing Bell had rolled into the bushes.

She bit her lip, spread her arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and stood in front of Li Feng.

"Don't be nervous, little girl."

Hei Sandao stopped three zhang away and raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

"I just want to say something to this Taoist priest, Master Li."

Li Feng patted Qiu Lan on the shoulder, signaling her to move aside.

Qiulan hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside half a body length, but still maintained a posture that allowed her to rush forward and block the knife at any time.

"What do you want to say?" Li Feng's voice was weak, and he remained vigilant.

Hei Sandao sized him up and down: "You, a mere early-stage Qi Refining Taoist, actually managed to shatter the demon core of a tiger demon with three hundred years of cultivation. You're quite skilled."

"I saw everything from where I was hiding in the woods. To be honest, when you used your flaming shield to block the dragon phantom, I was sweating bullets for you."

Li Feng didn't speak, but waited quietly for him to continue.

"I, Hei Sandao, have been in the underworld for over a decade and have seen many cultivators, but I've never seen anyone as desperate as you."

Hei Sandao took a leather pouch from his waist and threw it to Li Feng.

"This contains bear bile powder, which is used to treat internal injuries. You might find it useful."

Li Feng caught the leather bag; it felt heavy in his hand, containing at least three ounces of high-quality bear bile powder.

This stuff is indeed very valuable; one ounce can sell for five ounces of silver in a pharmacy, and it's always in short supply.

The fact that Hei Sandao could produce this shows that he was genuinely giving it away, and wasn't just putting on an act.

"Thank you." Li Feng nodded slightly.

"No need to thank me." Hei Sandao waved his hand, appearing quite righteous.

"In my life, I, Black Three Knife, respect two kinds of people the most: those who are loyal and those who are fearless. You have both qualities. It's more worthwhile to be friends with you than enemies."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left without looking back, saying, "Master Li, you risked your spiritual root to kill the tiger demon today. I, Hei Sandao, acknowledge your courage. If you ever pass through Black Wind Ridge and encounter any trouble, just mention my name, Hei Sandao, and no one on this mountain will dare to touch you."

Before he finished speaking, he strode toward the tiger demon's corpse and ordered his men to speed up the skinning process.

The Taoist priest with four eyebrows walked to Li Feng's side, placed his hand on Li Feng's wrist, and a gentle spiritual energy probed into his meridians.

A moment later, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Three cracks have appeared in your spiritual root. Fortunately, the cracks are not deep. After you go back, you need to soak your spiritual root in a medicinal bath. It will take at least three months to recover. During this time, you cannot use your spiritual power or use the Netherworld Ghost Fire. Otherwise, if the cracks in your spiritual root expand, it will affect your foundation."

"Disciple understands." Li Feng did not argue; he knew his master was telling the truth.

He really fought too hard in that battle.

But if he doesn't fight, Qiu Sheng and Qiu Lan will both die, and he himself won't survive either.

Trading three months of recuperation for three lives is a worthwhile deal.

"Sigh, it's all Qiu Sheng's fault."

Master Si Mei sighed, turned to look at Qiu Sheng, who was being helped over by a junior brother, and glared at him fiercely.

Qiu Sheng broke two ribs, but fortunately, his golden armor blocked most of the force of the tiger demon's palm strike, so his injuries were not as serious as they appeared.

He clutched his chest, wincing in pain, but at least he could walk on his own.

"Master, I'm injured too, why don't you take a look at me?" Qiu Sheng limped over, looking pitifully at the Four-Eyebrowed Taoist.

"You deserve it." The four-browed Taoist priest glared at him irritably, but his movements were gentle.

He took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out a vermilion pill, and stuffed it into Qiu Sheng's mouth.

"This is a heart-protecting pill. Chew it up and swallow it, don't swallow it directly. Your throat is as wide as a chimney, so swallowing it directly won't allow the medicine to work properly."

Qiu Sheng obediently chewed the pill and swallowed it. It was so bitter that he stuck out his tongue, but his complexion quickly became rosier.

The Maoshan School's Heart-Protecting Pill is a miraculous medicine for treating internal injuries. It is made primarily with century-old ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum, supplemented with Panax notoginseng, dragon's blood, and other medicinal herbs. Only three pills are produced per batch, making them quite valuable.

Master Si Mei actually carried one with him this time, clearly bringing it on purpose.

"Master, is Black Three Blades really just going to let it go like this?" Qiu Sheng swallowed the pill, glanced at the bandits who were skinning tigers, and asked indignantly.

"He's the leader of the Black Wind Bandits, robbing passing caravans for years. He keeps saying he won't take lives, but who knows if he's telling the truth?"

The Four-Eyebrowed Taoist said calmly, "We'll talk about Black Three Knives later. Today, let's treat your and Li Feng's injuries first. As for the Black Wind Bandits, they've been entrenched in Black Wind Ridge for so many years. It won't be easy to wipe them out overnight. Senior Brother Lei Jian has already recorded Black Three Knives' aura with the Bagua Mirror. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

By this time, the bandits had already completely peeled off the tiger skin.

A tiger demon with three hundred years of cultivation naturally possesses exceptionally high-quality fur.

The tiger skin, when fully unfolded, was over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) long.

Even if the demonic energy dissipates, the quality of this tiger skin alone is enough to fetch an astronomical price.

The tiger bones were also disassembled, each bone was carefully cleaned and bundled together with hemp rope.

Tiger bone is a precious medicinal material, and tiger bone with a 300-year history is an even rarer and more sought-after treasure.

It can be used in medicine to strengthen muscles and bones, and has a remarkable effect in treating rheumatic pain. It is also of great use to cultivators.

Hei Sandao's men carefully packed up the tiger skin and bones, wrapped them in burlap, and carried them on their shoulders.

Hei Sandao walked up to the Four-Eyebrowed Taoist and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect typical of martial arts practitioners.

"Master Si Mei, Master Lei, let's leave it at that. The tiger demon has been eliminated, and Black Wind Ridge will be one less menace. Passing merchants will also be less in danger. As for the grudges between me, Black Three Knives, and the Maoshan Sect, we'll settle that another day."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and waved his hand without waiting for Master Si Mei's reply.

"Brothers, let's retreat!"

More than thirty bandits, carrying tiger skins and bones, followed behind Hei Sandao, retreating along the mountain path towards the western hilltop.

Their footsteps faded into the distance and soon disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

Lei Jian walked to the tiger demon's corpse and looked down at the huge body that had lost its fur.

After losing its tiger skin, the tiger demon's body appeared exceptionally ugly, with its dark red muscle fibers exposed to the air.

Even so, a fierce aura still lingered on the corpse.

Though the tiger is dead, its might remains.