After returning to San Yuanli, Yang Jing took out three packets of Spirit Stones and gave them to the three Law Enforcent Team cultivators who had escorted him back. The cultivators declined politely at first, but then cheerfully accepted the Spirit Stones.
Not long after he returned to his Cave Mansion, Wang Tong also slipped silently into the Grand Array.
The clouds swirled and shimred, and Wang Tong’s appearance changed, revealing his true form.
Yinjiao was perched on Iron Head’s shoulders, with a set of Wang Tong’s vestnt robes draped over the both of them.
The Inconstant Illusionary Form Technique couldn’t drastically alter one’s body shape, so Yinjiao had devised this thod to pose as Wang Tong. After all, Wang Tong had already taken three days of leave; asking for more ti off for the rit award ceremony would inevitably arouse suspicion.
"Did anyone see through the disguise?"
Yang Jing asked.
Yinjiao thought for a mont before shaking his head firmly.
"No. I don’t think even the Chief Shopkeeper of the Celestial Treasure Tower saw through the ruse."
Yang Jing nodded in satisfaction and handed the Storage Bag containing the Demon Fish to Iron Head.
"I expect I’ll have to entertain guests for the next few days, so you and Iron Head will continue to impersonate Wang Tong. We’ll leave the real Wang Tong for Chi Yu to watch over. Now that the autumn defense is over, business at the Celestial Treasure Tower will likely pick up. You’re not a real Shopkeeper, so you’ll inevitably run into matters you can’t handle. Let teach you three tricks so you don’t make any mistakes.
The first trick: never give a definitive answer. Always leave yourself so wiggle room. If soone confronts you, just deny everything outright. The second trick: take all the credit and shift all the bla. If you can’t easily push the bla onto the Second Shopkeeper of the sa rank, then push it onto the maids and clerks beneath you, especially the gossips. The third trick: pretend to be busy. You must create the illusion that you’re swamped with tasks. That way, the Chief Shopkeeper won’t assign you any urgent or important matters."
Iron Head and Yinjiao stared with wide, clear eyes, looking utterly flabbergasted.
Sure enough, over the next few days, many prominent figures ca to visit San Yuanli. It was only with the help of Li Jingjing and her household servants that Yang Jing managed to host them all.
Yang Jing, a smooth operator, beca acquainted with quite a few figures in the Huangyuan Marketplace. However, he never let his guard down. He politely refused any invitations that required him to leave San Yuanli, not even stepping outside his Five Elents Locking Spirit Array.
He also t the Scribe’s distant nephew and repaid the borrowed Battle rits with five hundred Spirit Stones.
After five days, the stream of visitors finally thinned. Seizing the opportunity, Yang Jing announced he would be entering seclusion for a ti, sealing the Five Elents Locking Spirit Array and turning away all guests.
Secretly riding his Cloud Escape to Wang Tong’s residence, Yang Jing saw his three disciples for the first ti in days.
"How have the past few days been?"
Yinjiao was sitting cross-legged and cultivating in the Quiet Chamber. He spoke with an odd expression,
"Nothing major has happened, but the Second Shopkeeper, Yuan Caiyi, seems to be quite unhappy with ."
"That’s a trivial matter. We don’t plan on maintaining this Wang Tong identity for long anyway. Once we’ve raked in enough Spirit Stones, we can discard it."
Yang Jing said nonchalantly.
He went into the cellar and was shocked by the sight of Wang Tong. The man’s once-obese fra had thinned drastically; he had lost weight so fast that his skin was hanging loosely.
Yang Jing’s expression imdiately grew stern. He demanded of Chi Yu,
"Chi Yu, have you been sucking his Essence Blood? I told you, you are forbidden from sucking human Essence Blood without a good reason!"
Yang Jing hadn’t seen her in days, and Chi Yu had grown larger—now half a foot long—and her bloody coloration had beco much deeper. She had been sprawled on a Demon Fish, feasting heartily. Hearing her master’s question, she imdiately projected a wave of absolute terror.
Iron Head, who was practicing his Tiger Roar Iron Cloth Shirt nearby, quickly stopped and explained to Yang Jing,
"Master, you’ve misunderstood her. This fellow Wang Tong is just a massive coward. He was so terrified by the sight of her eating that he wasted away."
Yang Jing inspected Wang Tong’s body and, after confirming that the drastic weight loss wasn’t due to having his Essence Blood drained, breathed a sigh of relief. He fed the man a Blood Circulation Pill and a Nourishing Essence Pill to replenish his Vitality and keep him from actually dying of shock.
"Honestly, Brother Wang. You’re so timid, you made misunderstand my disciple."
Wang Tong struggled to lift his head, two trails of tears trickling from the corners of his eyes.
Chi Yu, still sprawled on the Demon Fish, projected a wave of wronged feelings. Even the fish at by her mouth didn’t seem tasty anymore.
Yang Jing had no choice but to step forward and gently stroke Chi Yu’s now slightly chubby head, cooing softly to her for so ti before she was finally placated.
Chi Yu was at a stage where she needed to accumulate "blood food," so her attention quickly returned to the Demon Fish beneath her. She spat a ray of bloody light, and the tough flesh of the Demon Fish began to rapidly dissolve into a viscous, bloody ooze, which she slurped up with satisfaction.
She didn’t even spare the Demon Fish’s tough skeleton. Opening her mouth to its limit—as wide as a dinner plate—she revealed dense rows of sharp, backward-pointing teeth. She crushed the skeleton, swallowing the marrow along with the bone fragnts.
’Celestial Demon Blood Transformation!’
Yang Jing recognized the bloody light Chi Yu used to dissolve flesh. The Demon Sect’s True Inheritance Celestial Demon Blood Transformation Divine Saber Technique was said to have been created by a Celestial Demon, inspired by this very Celestial Demon Blood Transformation ability, and then passed down to the sect.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Chi Yu had completely devoured the Demon Fish—a creature more than ten thousand tis her own size—leaving behind only a floor littered with scales. After letting out a satisfied burp, she lazily crawled onto Yang Jing and settled on his shoulder.
Yang Jing could sense a faint trace of Black Death Seven Tribulations Scripture Magical Power emanating from her.
Suppressed by Iron Head’s Celestial True Yang, she had spent many days on it but had finally reached the introductory level.
[Consu Spirit Stones to have the Profound Yin Blood Mosquito (Chi Yu) learn the Cultivation Technique "Profound Whale Body"?]
Yang Jing had guessed correctly. Chi Yu had an extrely high talent for the Profound Whale Body, a Body Refining Technique. It only cost ten Spirit Stones to bring it to the Mastery Realm. He estimated this was comparable to a cultivator of ordinary aptitude achieving mastery in the Jade Water Skill.
The sudden infusion of knowledge made Chi Yu’s eyes glaze over. She subconsciously began to assail the Acupoints in her body according to the secrets of the Profound Whale Body.
For Body Refining Techniques, progress within the Qi Cultivation Stage was asured by the number of opened Acupoints. A cultivator refined specific nature’s spiritual energy into their qi and blood, then used it to assail their Acupoints. Opening twelve Acupoints ant advancing to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, while the Late Stage required twenty-four.
The most Acupoints one could open during the Qi Cultivation Stage was thirty-six. To complete a Dharma Body and generate True Gang was equivalent to succeeding at Foundation Establishnt.
In the span of a single breath, Chi Yu opened an Acupoint, and her aura swelled.
Yang Jing quickly stopped her from assailing the remaining Acupoints. Body Refining Cultivators placed the utmost importance on their foundation and strictly avoided opening Acupoints in quick succession. They had to polish their qi and blood until it could be refined no further before attempting to open the next one.
Anyone who greedily rushed their progress would sooner or later pay the price, finding themselves stuck before a certain Acupoint because their qi and blood were not substantial enough.
Yang Jing instructed her on the taboos of Body Refining Techniques, then left the cellar with his hands clasped behind his back. In two more days, it would be ti for the Profound Carp Association to settle its accounts and distribute the profits. He was rather looking forward to this month’s harvest.
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