Chaotic World Book
Chapter 412 - 401: Blue Blood Lingering Spirit

Chapter 412: Chapter 401: Blue Blood Lingering Spirit

Doctor Lu stammered, "What I, I know might not be accurate..."

Zhao Changhe said with a smile, "It doesn’t matter. Just tell us what you know, take your time."

The mystery of the Sea Race from the Wang Family was only ambiguously hinted at by one line of riddle from the Heavenly Book, with no further details, leaving one to guess blindly—sheer curiosity could suffocate a person. Had it not been for the lack of time, Zhao Changhe might well have gone out of his way to look into this case to find out what it was all about.

Now that the solution was delivered to his doorstep and the murderous pursuer, Wang Daozhong, was sent to prison, it felt as satisfying as finally relieving constipation.

Right, there was also an assassin from Tingxue Tower—where had he gone?

Doctor Lu was in the midst of explaining, "There are two types of unique Sea Mud from the Wang Family, one type is solely for improving the physique. Perhaps because of its thin energy, its effects can only be considered average... Uh, it seems Young Master Zhao has used it."

"Yes, I’ve used it." Of course, the effects were average. It was Sea Mud formed from the energy released by small fragments that had chipped off the True Martial Sword Stone and settled in the sea. The original fragments were tiny, and after dilution in the sea, how potent could it be?

The body of the Sword Stone was in the Xuanwu Secret Realm, and the energy it emitted wasn’t like the thin ice cream but solidified into substantial jelly, filling the entire mountain belly. That was the real precious material for improving the physique and forging a Supreme Sword Body.

The issue of Zhao Changhe’s poorly performing meridians had improved a lot thanks to this. Yue Hongling and San Niang each gained benefits.

If one thought about it carefully, collecting those fragments as well, could it improve the effect of the Sword Stone a bit more? That was something to ask San Niang later if she was interested...

Doctor Lu continued, "Although the effects are only average, the claim by the Wang Family that they don’t value it much is simply self-deception. Almost every member of their clan has grown up soaking in this Sea Mud from childhood."

Cui Yuanyang couldn’t help but ask curiously, "With divine items assisting their training from childhood, how come the Wang Family’s cultivation isn’t better than ours?"

Yang Jingxiu shook his head, "Actually, the medicine baths that our families concoct aren’t necessarily worse than this stuff... Such things are merely aids, it’s the individual’s diligence that matters most. If they rely on such things to establish their entire cultivation foundation, it might backfire, making the clan members dependent and lacking personal refinement."

Cui Yuanyang felt like he’d been shot in the knee and pouted without speaking.

What’s wrong with medicine baths since childhood? I’ve soaked myself so fair and smooth, and Brother Zhao likes touching me so much.

Doctor Lu apologized with a smile, "The Grand Commandant is right... The successive generations of the Wang Family have been dependent on it, not only becoming reliant themselves but also fostering a stronger expectation and pursuit, like an addiction that intensifies over time. In fact, the Wang Family had long realized that there was a special qi within it, subtly transforming everyone’s cultivation foundation, their Cultivation Technique became increasingly cold yet at the same time tumultuous like the raging sea, so they didn’t pay too much attention."

Yang Jingxiu nodded, "Ultimately, they couldn’t bear to give it up, so they clung to hope."

"Right... In fact, when Young Master Zhao went to Langya, they pretended to be generous by giving him the Sea Mud. They thought that since Young Master Zhao had problems with his meridians, being in a long drought craving for sweet dew, he might become addicted and dependent once he encountered this stuff, allowing them to control him." Doctor Lu said this with a touch of admiration on his face, it was unclear if it was feigned or sincere, "But who knew Young Master Zhao would eat the candy coating and be utterly unaffected by the temptation inside, which was totally beyond the Wang Family’s expectations."

Zhao Changhe chuckled, "Enough flattery, I understand this Sea Mud very well and always said it was uninteresting. Tell me about the Mystic Light Mysterious Soil."

"Mystic Light Mysterious Soil is actually a substance the Wang Family deliberately searched for at sea, due to their dependence on the Sea Mud and hoping for an even more potent result. At that time, Wang Daoning had not broken through the Third Layer Secret Treasure, and for some unknown reason, he was blessed by a stroke of divine fortune and actually found such a divine substance. After obtaining it, he then made a breakthrough."

Everyone looked at each other, aware that there were many issues here.

Doctor Lu said, "Actually, even within the Wang Family, some insightful people questioned whether this substance for the soul might pose even more problems than the Sea Mud that only transformed the body. However, the temptation of Wang Daoning’s breakthrough in the Third Layer Secret Treasure silenced all objections."

Continuing, Doctor Lu spoke with an apologetic smile, "It’s because Wang Daoning invited me to check his health to ensure there were no problems that I roughly know about this. As for the deeper issues, I don’t know... Anyway, according to my examination, Wang Daoning has no problems..."

Yang Jingxiu said indifferently, "You lack cultivation, so you couldn’t find the problem. Wang Daoning had you check purely for psychological comfort... From the yin qi invading the Sword Spirit, Wang Daoning must know there’s definitely a problem."

"Uh, I really wouldn’t know about that," said Doctor Lu, now aware of the Sword Spirit’s troubles only after this incident, though the Wang Family outwardly seemed untroubled.

Tang Wanzhuang pondered, "Based on these behaviors, it doesn’t seem like control. Wang Daoning hasn’t suffered direct manipulation, otherwise there wouldn’t have been any need to find you for reassurance... Analyzing it this way, a parasitic dependence seems more likely. Knowing there’s a problem, yet with the Divine Soul enhanced and not feeling any adverse effects, they continue to drink poison to quench thirst in hopes of good luck."

Huangfu Qing looked towards the corpse of Cai Wenque on the ground, "At least one thing can be confirmed..."

Tang Wanzhuang continued, "The Chaotic World Book didn’t blink."

Huangfu Qing said, "This man is not dead."

"A portion of his Residual Soul, combined with the yin qi of the Mysterious Soil, is still alive. Once we bury him, he will resurrect."

The two women practically spoke in unison, and the forces of fire and water descended upon Cai Wenque’s corpse at the same time.

A shrill scream erupted as a wisp of yin qi drilled out of Cai Wenque’s Spirit Platform, dodging the women’s attack.

Yet here, everyone was a fierce contender from the Earth List, and how could they possibly escape the bitter vengeance of Yang Jingxiu, filled with fiery rage?

The fierce and unmatched palm wind waited above, and with one strike, the gloomy energy was dispersed like chaotic water ripples. The ripples revealed Cai Wenque’s distorted face, which looked extremely abstract and terrifying. Cui Yuanyang jumped into Zhao Changhe’s arms in fright, his heart pounding with fear.

In a fury, Yang Jingxiu struck again, completely shattering the gloomy energy. Wisps of white vapor dissipated into the void, never to be seen again.

Before, Cai Wenque had been pierced through the throat by Wang Daozhong, his blood flowing red on the ground. But at this moment, as Tang Wanju and Huangfu Qing struck, the blood flowing from the new wounds was no longer red but a haunting blue, like the sea itself.

Yang Jingxiu’s enraged voice reached outside, "Bugui, take men and have Ding Ting hacked to pieces by random swords, and bring his body to me to see!"

Not much later, a flash of golden light crossed the sky.

It meant that Ding Ting’s soul had not been tainted; he was truly dead.

"In the early days of March, at the Yang family birthday feast, Thunder Sword Ding Ting challenged Blood Shura Zhao Changhe, had his tendons severed with a single slash, and later was killed by Yang Bugui. Number Forty-Five on the Human List falls, and the ranking is adjusted accordingly. Zhao Changhe’s position remains unchanged."

The public: "..."

Enough with the unchanged ranking—just where does Zhao Changhe belong on the list? Two slashes to take down Number Forty-Four, one slash for Forty-Eight, one slash for Forty-Five... Could you please move him up a bit? Who exactly are you trying to trap by leaving him at this rank?

"Tang Wanju, Yang Jingxiu, and Zhao Changhe joined forces to battle against Wang Daozhong and Cai Wenque. The latter were defeated, with Wang Daozhong turning traitor mid-fight, stabbing Cai Wenque. Though initially surviving the wound, he later died at the hands of Tang Wanju and Yang Jingxiu. Number Twenty-Three on the Earth List falls, and the ranking is adjusted accordingly."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

What about Huangfu Qing?

Even more baffled were the commoners viewing the rankings.

The language used this time in the Chaotic World Book was plain and simple, without the stirring narratives that usually accompanied descriptions of Zhao Changhe’s exploits. It was merely a brief overview of battle outcomes, who killed whom.

Understandable, as such battles were chaotic melees, and the outcomes hardly had any stirring points to speak of. It sufficed to clarify the events.

But this wasn’t clear at all—everyone was confounded. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t figure out what had actually happened. Why had these people started fighting, and why had Wang Daozhong betrayed his ally? It was all too bizarre.

And this "died from certain causes," could you be more explicit about why he didn’t die? Was it because Cai Wenque was a skilled doctor who could hang onto life?

The announcement of the battle outcomes was well done; please don’t make any more announcements next time.

Upon seeing the rapid changes in the rankings, Yang Jingxiu’s expression suddenly grew strange.

When Xia Chichi and Zhao Changhe entered the Human List, the top three on the Hidden Dragon List became Wang Zhaoqing, Han Wubing, and Yang Bugui.

Now, with one from the Human List and one from the Earth List killed, and with no main character like Xue Canghai outside of the Hidden Dragon List squeezing onto the Human List beforehand, it was expected that Wang Zhaoqing and Han Wubing would fill the vacancies.

And so the current top ranker on the Hidden Dragon List became Yang Bugui.

In the past year, there had been three consecutively ranked at the top of the Hidden Dragon List—Cui Yuanyong, Wang Zhaoqing, and Yang Bugui—precisely the sons of the three most powerful aristocratic families in Great Xia, each with its turn, fair and square without favoritism.

With such a coincidence, one could not help but feel that the Chaotic World Book had a sense of humor...

However, with an even stranger expression was Tang Wanju, who glanced sideways at Huangfu Qing, who seemed completely nonchalant, and hesitated to speak.

She executed her act quite well.

Just now, on the surface, it seemed that she and Huangfu Qing had simultaneously struck Cai Wenque’s body. But in reality, Huangfu Qing had deliberately slowed her strike down by a beat to appear "weaker than Tang Wanju," and "one beat behind was quite normal." In truth, it was to allow Tang Wanju a "legitimate kill," and when she struck, the victim was already thoroughly dead. This was a deception for Zhao Changhe’s eyes and also meant to avoid ascending the ranks in the Chaotic World Book.

If not counting the extinguishing of the Sea Mud’s gloomy energy, Huangfu Qing had not engaged in combat with anyone from beginning to end... The ranking book flashed for a long time without her name appearing.

This was the caution befitting the leader of the rebels, the Vermilion Bird. Yet what flashed through Tang Wanju’s mind at the moment was—You’ve worked hard to make it convenient for my man to feast to his heart’s content.

————

PS: It’s the end of the month, begging for monthly tickets, ying ying ying~