Chapter 70 Golden Eyes 1: The Mixed-Race Boy
When she realized that an unknown living being might be lurking nearby, Xu Xing remained calm. She continued to sleep, refine pills, and watch her senior brother practice swordsmanship as usual, without showing any abnormality. Even Chen Du did not notice anything amiss.
The only difference was that Xu Xing refused the fresh spiritual fruits that the disciples of Lanze Island would send her every day, and she didn't leave any food around. To confirm her suspicions, she used the excuse of not having time to refine pills and forced herself to eat fasting pills for several days.
During this period, Xu Xing continued to go to Dan Island in Qingyazi every day to refine pills as usual.
In the first few days, the disciples of Shuiyun Immortal Capital lined up in waves to watch Xu Xing refine pills, carefully observing her every move, afraid of missing anything.
In the end, everyone, with dark circles under their eyes, concluded that Xu Xing's alchemy lacked any skill or unique method; it was entirely based on intuition! On a talent that had no rhyme or reason whatsoever!
Several days have passed, and while the alchemists still get excited when they see Xu Xing, few dare to come closer to watch her refine pills anymore.
In Qingya Zi's words, "What's the point of her refining pills? She learns nothing but frustration! Talent is innate, don't you understand? She'd be better off using that time to gather herbs and familiarize herself with their properties!"
Xu Xing was curious about the medicinal fields of Shuiyun Immortal Capital, but after going there once, he was "kicked out." The alchemists all looked miserable. How could someone not only be good at alchemy, but also better at gathering herbs than them! They hadn't even seen her being careful, yet the herbs she gathered had the best preservation of medicinal properties! Almost none were lost!
Is this even human?
Even Qingya Zi started to dislike Xu Xing. When he saw her coming over that day, he pointed disdainfully at a pill furnace in the corner and said, "Go away, go over there and refine pills! I've lived for hundreds of years and I've never seen anyone like you. If I had met you when I was young, I'm afraid I would have been haunted by inner demons and would never dare to refine pills again."
There's no way around it, Xu Xing's alchemy skills are just too fast! It's as if she was born to refine pills. No matter how incompatible the medicinal properties of the herbs are, they can only obediently turn into pills in her hands. Ordinary alchemists could never achieve this even if they devoted their entire lives to it.
In the cultivation world, it might be impossible to produce another alchemist like Xu Xing in a thousand years, no, perhaps ten thousand years!
Realizing this, even without Qingya Zi's special instructions, the alchemists of Shuiyun Immortal City dared not watch Xu Xing refine pills for too long. They were afraid that if they watched too much, they would be consumed by jealousy and their minds would become unstable. The alchemy room, which was usually packed with people, finally became much quieter.
Facing Qingya Zi's utterly disgusted face, Xu Xing didn't care at all. He could tell whether she really disliked him or not. Besides, the quality of the alchemy furnace in the corner was one of the best in this alchemy room!
She approached him with a grin, "Master Qing, I heard you keep a Red Spider. Could you give me some spider silk? I'll trade you some pills for it!"
The silk of the Red Brocade Spider is a rare material. Xu Xing is currently working on repairing the Xuan Yue Sword. If she could add the spider silk, it would greatly increase its toughness. She had this idea after seeing Qing Ya Zi feeding the Red Brocade Spider.
Qingya Zi stroked his beard and glanced at her sideways. "What kind of pills? Do you have any other pills besides the Detoxifying Pill?"
Xu Xing thought for a moment, "How about the Everlasting Regret Pill? It can attract the attention of demonic beasts. If someone in a group of cultivators takes this pill, then the demonic beasts will only pay attention to that person."
In the game, this would be considered a potion to attract hatred; Xu Xing made some just for fun.
Seeing Qingya Zi staring at him with a strange expression, Xu Xing assumed that the Longevity Pill was not good enough, so he said, "Or the Forgetfulness Pill? This has the opposite effect of the Longevity Pill. After taking it, it can reduce the presence of monsters during battle, making it difficult for them to notice you."
Qingya Zi took a deep breath, but still didn't say anything.
"Still not working?" Xu Xing was a little troubled. She really wanted the spider silk, so she flipped through the recipes in the [Medical Skills] again. "Intercepting Yang Pill? Dissolving Power Powder? Or what kind of pill do you want? I can refine it for you right now."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Seeing Xu Xing start reciting the names of pills like he was listing dishes again, Qing Ya Zi finally couldn't help but say, "I'm really curious who your master is, that he taught you so many strange and unusual pills! I've never even heard of them before!"
Could it be that ninth-level alchemist who has long since disappeared?
Qingya Zi had some guesses in his heart, but he didn't show anything on his face. He only said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to give it to you, it's just that my spider is very proud and doesn't spin silk easily. I have to coax it to be happy in order to get a little bit of spider silk."
Making a monster happy? Xu Xing, who possessed the [Beast Taming] skill, rubbed his hands together and grinned. "That's no problem. Master, why don't you let me try? Maybe it will like me?"
Qingya Zi shook his head. Although he felt that Xu Xing would not be able to make the violent red spider obediently spin its silk, he still took it out and warned, "Be careful, its silk is extremely poisonous."
The red spider, nearly half a person's height and possessing ferocious mandibles, immediately waved its two hairy front legs at Qingyazi upon emerging, saying, "You old geezer! Can't you see I'm sleeping? Why did you call me out?!"
Xu Xing, who could understand what the demon beast was saying, chuckled. She quickly covered her mouth and saw Qing Ya Zi lovingly feeding the Red Brocade Spider with a beast spirit pill he had refined. "Good spider, have some~"
In this world of cultivation, although the relationship between cultivators and their contracted beasts is close, they cannot understand what the contracted beasts are saying. They only have a vague spiritual connection and can understand most of the key information, but they cannot understand all of their thoughts like Xu Xing does.
The red spider slowly crawled over and swallowed the Beast Spirit Pill bit by bit. Although it seemed quite satisfied, Xu Xing could hear its inner voice saying, "So many years have passed, and this old man's pill-refining skills haven't improved at all! Bitter and astringent, ptooey!"
So she's a proud and aloof person after all. Xu Xing couldn't help but chuckle, and took out the Beast Spirit Pill he had refined and handed it over, "Want to try some of mine?"
Qingya Zi hurriedly said, "Quickly put it on the ground! Don't feed it with your hands, you'll suffer if you touch its venom!"
"Where did this little brat come from?"
The Crimson Spider's dark eyes stared at Xu Xing, making Qing Ya Zi a little nervous. He was on guard against his contracted beast harming Xu Xing. But after pausing for a moment, the Crimson Spider slowly crawled up to Xu Xing. It not only ate the Beast Spirit Pill in Xu Xing's hand, but also carefully controlled itself to avoid letting its venom hurt her!
"Delicious! So fragrant!"
The red spider's eight hairy legs moved merrily, and with a shudder of its abdomen, crimson spider silk shot out, quickly forming a large clump.
The red spider used its forelegs to pick up a piece of silk, and demurely waved it in front of Xu Xing, as if to say, "Hey! Be my little master! I'll spin some silk for you!"
Unaware that his contracted beast was about to "betray" him because of a single Beast Spirit Pill, Qingya Zi's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The Red Brocade Spider had spun more silk for him in the past year than it had spun today!
"What kind of pill is this? You didn't put any sleeping potion in it, did you?" Qing Ya Zi's gaze towards Xu Xing instantly changed from the loving look he had for a talented junior to the wary look he had for someone trying to abduct his child: "My little spider is inexperienced in the ways of the world, don't even think about trying to trick it!"
Xu Xing was both amused and exasperated. He handed over the Beast Spirit Pill, saying, "It's the Beast Spirit Pill, please take a look?"
Qingya Zi not only examined it closely, but even licked it, prompting the Red Brocade Spider to hurriedly shoot out a silken thread to snatch the Beast Spirit Pill and quickly swallow it. "You old geezer! Trying to steal my food!"
Sensing the immense joy of his beloved beast, Qingya Zi sighed and slapped his forehead. "You've even refined the Beast Spirit Pill to such a high level of purity, you little rascal..."
Qingya Zi paused, still unwilling to give up, and earnestly said, "Aren't you really going to consider taking another master? I'm not bad either! If you take me as your master, I'll give you the medicine storehouse!"
He looked pained, but steeled his heart and said, "I can give you Spider too!"
If he were to truly become Qing Ya Zi's disciple, he might be forced to stay and refine pills every day. Xu Xing, who often wanted to slack off, immediately put away the spider silk, leaving behind ten bottles of Beast Spirit Pills, two bottles of Longevity Pills, and Forget-Worry Powder before running away. "Thank you for the spider silk, Master Qing!"
Qingya Zi sighed with regret, patted his rather aggrieved red spider, and said, "Stop looking, just stay with me obediently!"
But the Red Brocade Spider was still staring at the door, refusing to return to the spirit beast space. Qing Ya Zi looked up and sure enough, the next moment, Xu Xing poked his little head out of the alchemy room again. "Um, Master Qing, where is the weapon-refining room? Can I borrow it for a few days?"
"The west side of Dan Island!" Qing Ya Zi said irritably, "You are already a guest elder of Shuiyun Immortal Capital, you can use whatever you want, no need to ask me."
Xu Xing smiled and thanked him, then slipped away quickly.
At least she had a conscience. Qingya Zi put away the pills Xu Xing had left behind, wondering how many spider silks she could coax out of the Red Brocade Spider if she fed them sparingly...
Wait a minute! He suddenly looked up at the doorway. The weapon-refining room? Don't tell him that Xu Xing, that girl, can refine weapons?!
Xu Xing stood on the dock of Dan Island, feeling troubled. There were quite a few islands to the west. Just as she was about to grab a disciple of Shuiyun Immortal Capital to ask for directions, she suddenly heard someone call her from behind, "Master Xu?"
Turning around, the aloof and ethereal woman was none other than Fang Yi, who had won third place in the alchemy competition that day. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she said in a calm voice, "What is Master Xu doing here?"
Seeing her cold face, Xu Xing felt a little embarrassed. "I wanted to borrow the weapon-refining room, but I couldn't find it."
Fang Yi nodded, walked to the side, and released a small boat. "Come with me."
Fang Yi escorted Xu Xing to the Weapon Island and carefully gave her directions, "Go straight ahead, turn right, there's a row of houses there that are all weapon-refining rooms."
"Thanks!"
Xu Xing thanked him politely and was about to leave when Fang Yi called out to her again, "Master Xu..."
Xu Xing said embarrassedly, "Just call me by my name. I'm only at the third level, not a master."
Fang Yi shook her head. She frowned slightly, her expression hesitant. After a moment, seeing Xu Xing's questioning look, she finally spoke, whispering, "Could you... sign your name for me?"
What? A signature? Xu Xing was stunned.
A faint blush rose on Fang Yi's fair face. Her expression remained blank, and her tone was indifferent. However, the words she spoke did not match her frosty demeanor: "Is it alright? You are the most skilled and talented young alchemist I have ever met."
That day on Shuiyun Terrace, Fang Yi had been wanting to get close to Xu Xing, but there were too many people surrounding her. Fang Yi, who never liked getting too close to people, ultimately didn't squeeze through. Now that the two of them were alone, although she was a little nervous and at a loss, she didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.
Xu Xing paused for a moment, then, seeing the look of disappointment on Fang Yi's face, she quickly said, "Sure, sure!"
The next moment, the alchemy furnace that Fang Yi had prepared in advance appeared in front of Xu Xing.
"May I sign it on the alchemy furnace?"
"..."
Xu Xing was startled by the sudden appearance of the alchemy furnace. Although she was surprised, she obediently did as she was told, carving her name on the furnace with her spiritual power and also adding a small "x" symbol.
Fang Yi stroked the simple words on the alchemy furnace and said softly, "Thank you. Your alchemy skills are very strong, but I am not bad either. I will work hard to become an alchemy master. I believe we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future."
Watching Fang Yi's departing figure, Xu Xing stood there, somewhat bewildered, thinking to himself, "The disciples of Shuiyun Immortal Capital are truly interesting..."
She likes it here.
Although Xu Xing's visit to the weapon-refining room attracted the attention of some weapon-refining disciples, each weapon-refining room was independent, and they did not know that she was going to refine weapons herself, so they did not disturb her. In one afternoon, Xu Xing successfully made two magical artifacts.
A spirit-locking net and a spirit-tracking dagger.
Back on Lanze Island, Xu Xing first went to talk to Xun Chendu. Sure enough, his senior brother was practicing his sword again. After watching silently for a while, Xu Xing smiled and said, "Senior brother, will you have dinner with me?"
“Okay.” Shen Du had no doubts.
Xu Xing personally cooked the meal, preparing several delicious dishes and bringing out a variety of fresh and sweet spiritual fruits. The table was full of delicious food, but after taking a couple of bites, she put down her chopsticks, frowned, and said, "I don't have much of an appetite."
Shen Du paused in his chopsticks and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
"Today on Dan Island, I saw Master Qing raising a Azure Flame Beast," Xu Xing said, holding his face in his hands and sighing. "It suddenly reminded me of the time when my senior brother saved me from the Azure Flame Beast. Now that I think about it, that Azure Flame Beast was truly despicable. Not only did it steal my pills, but it also tried to escape. If my senior brother hadn't arrived in time, it would have definitely gotten away. I really don't know why Master Qing would raise such a gluttonous and lazy beast."
Qing, under the suspicious gazes of Tuanzi and Yinxue in the spirit beast space: ...
When did it steal the elixir? When did it become lazy and gluttonous?! What nonsense is the master spouting? He's unjustly smearing the beast's innocence!
"That time, it was only through our combined efforts that we managed to capture it."
Chen Du's eyes flickered slightly, and he tapped the table twice with his slender fingers. "Since you have no appetite, I will go and ask Fellow Daoist Mei for some refreshing spiritual fruits."
As he spoke, he stood up to leave, and Xu Xing also got up and saw him to the door.
The moment the door closed, their eyes met. Xu Xing turned around quickly and threw the Spirit-Locking Net behind him, covering the table with food. The next moment, the Spirit-Chasing Dagger shot out! Almost simultaneously, golden sword light emerged from Shen Du's body, forming a net that instantly covered the entire room.
"roar--"
With an angry roar, the table was overturned, and spiritual fruits and food were scattered all over the ground, but the spirit-locking net firmly held onto something transparent, which was frantically trying to break through the barrier! Even with the cultivator's excellent vision, he could not see its appearance at all!
Xu Xing's expression hardened, but fortunately, the Spirit-Chasing Dagger had already locked onto the creature's aura in that instant, and with his senior brother there, it couldn't escape!
With a cold face, Shen Du manipulated his sword energy to relentlessly pursue the direction of the Spirit Chasing Dagger. Before long, a thing covered in blood fell from the sky to the ground. The strange creature, which gradually took shape, let out a painful whimper.
Shen Du stopped Xu Xing from approaching and unleashed several sword energies, pinning the object and the already damaged spirit-locking net to the ground before he stepped forward to investigate.
"This is... a demonic beast?"
The creature resembled a tiger, with four sharp claws, but it also had two horns on its head and three thick tails that resembled fox tails. It did not conform to any recorded form of monster; it was a complete oddity.
Chen Du frowned. "When did you realize it was following you?"
Xu Xing recalled, "On the day we first arrived at Lanze Island, I noticed that the fish basket was inexplicably missing fish. I didn't pay attention to it at the time, but later, when spiritual fruits and even edible spiritual medicines mysteriously disappeared, I began to suspect that there was something around me."
Chen Du looked at her. "So you didn't tell anyone and let it lurk around you for so long?"
Xu Xing rubbed his suddenly dry eyes, his gaze darting around, and whispered, "I was worried that it would discover we were trying to catch it, and that we might alert it, so I..."
This thing was completely silent, showing how cautious it was. If it sensed something was wrong, it probably wouldn't reveal any weakness. To be absolutely certain, Xu Xing hadn't eaten for several days, hoping to catch it when it was starving.
Shen Du closed his eyes. He knew Xu Xing was right. Not only did he use his magic weapon to capture the invisible demon beast in time, but he also hinted that he had built a second line of defense. He was really smart.
But he couldn't help but wonder, what if this demonic beast wanted more than just food, but also to harm Xu Xing? With this stealth technique that even high-level cultivators hadn't detected, could he successfully protect Xu Xing?
A sudden, indescribable sense of powerlessness welled up inside him. Chen Du lowered his eyes; he was still not strong enough…
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Just as the atmosphere between the two was becoming somewhat awkward, the "monster" in the Soul-Locking Net suddenly spoke in human language! Although its voice was hoarse and its pronunciation was awkward, it did speak.
"Not a demonic beast?" Xu Xing asked in surprise, "Could it be a demon race?"
Under the gaze of two pairs of eyes, the horns on the head of the unknown "monster" suddenly flashed with spiritual light, and its body slowly shrank, turning into a skinny boy in tattered clothes. His somewhat dirty face looked to be only about ten years old, with a touch of wild and untamed handsomeness.
Shen Du raised his hand and placed it on the hilt of his sword, saying in a deep voice, "What are you? A demon? A monster?"
"Demon, demon race... tiger..."
The boy's tongue was tied, and he couldn't speak clearly. He even broke out in a sweat trying to get those few words out.
"Tiger Clan?" Xu Xing recalled that he did indeed resemble a tiger, and a bad feeling crept in. She frowned and asked, "When did you come to be with me? Where were you hiding? Why couldn't anyone detect your presence?"
The boy struggled to organize his thoughts, and from his fragmented words, Xu Xing pieced together the sequence of events.
It turned out that on that day in Luocang City, she was riding in a sedan chair from Xianyi Tower back to the restaurant. When she encountered the Tiger Clan making a fuss on the way, she stopped for a moment. The Tiger Clan boy took the opportunity to sneak into her sedan chair and attach himself to the hem of her clothes.
This young man probably possesses some kind of innate talent or supernatural ability. Although his cultivation level is only at the Qi Refining stage, he can conceal his figure very well and even transform into a wisp of white mist to attach himself to others, making him difficult to detect.
But he was so hungry that, taking advantage of the fact that no one could see him, he dared to steal food several times, which made Xu Xing realize that something was wrong.
Although the boy was acting suspiciously, he hadn't actually harmed him, so he couldn't very well kill him. Xu Xing was unsure what to do, so he looked at Chen Du, "Senior brother, why don't we ask those two snake clan members to come and take a look?"
As she spoke, she raised her hand and rubbed her eyes again, wondering why her eyes suddenly felt so uncomfortable.
"You go, I'll stay here and guard this place." The boy's original identity was too strange, and Shen Du was worried about leaving her here alone.
Xu Xing nodded, but after taking only a couple of steps, he suddenly looked down and covered his eyes. "Senior brother, my eyes..."
Shen Du rushed forward, "What's wrong?"
He gently pulled Xu Xing's hand away, lifted her head with his chin in his hand, looked down to examine her, and saw a pair of bright, golden eyes.
Shen Du raised his hand and lightly covered her eyes, transferring a wisp of spiritual energy to them, and asked in a low voice, "Did the Illusion Pill fail?"
"That shouldn't be the case; I just ate one the day before yesterday," Xu Xing said, puzzled. "Could this thing have some kind of resistance?"
Having grown accustomed to the strange and unusual words that Xu Xing often used, Shen Du quickly understood what she meant by "resistance." He pondered for a moment, "Do you think Yunxi and the others are trustworthy?"
"Although I don't know their true purpose, I can feel their protection of me. If I am really a snake, I would be very happy to have such a kin."
Shen Du understood her unspoken meaning: "You doubt that you are not a member of the snake clan?"
Xu Xing hesitated and said, "I...can't transform, I can't become a snake like Yunlan, and I can't sense the demon core. I don't know what I am."
"Then let's ask them. We've been following them for so long, it's time to make things clear." Chen Du patted Xu Xing's head with his other hand. "Are you scared?"
Xu Xing thought for a moment. No matter what, her senior brother would never abandon her, so she shook her head and said, "With my senior brother by my side, I'm not afraid."
Shen Du's gaze softened considerably, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Yes, I'll stay with you."
Soothingly from the cool spiritual energy, Xu Xing's eye pain quickly subsided. She blinked, her thick eyelashes gently brushing against Chen Du's palm. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I feel much better."
Chen Du lowered his hand, his palms sweating, the itch he felt just moments before lingering.
"I... I won't... let go! I!"
The boy trapped in the Soul Locking Network was hungry and anxious. Seeing that they didn't say what to do with him, he twisted his body uneasily, his expression showing anxiety and fear.
"..."
Almost forgot about this guy. After taking a Disguise Pill and confirming that her eyes had turned black again, Xu Xing ran out to find Yunxi and Yunlan.
Yunxi, who arrived quickly, looked the boy up and down for a long time, her brows furrowing more and more tightly. "He is a member of the Tiger Clan, but he is not a member of the Tiger Clan."
"Oh dear!" Yunlan was also very curious and urged impatiently, "Boss, explain it clearly, stop keeping me in suspense!"
Yunxi glared at him, then softened her voice when she looked at Xu Xing, "I guess he might be a hybrid of a tiger and a demon beast."
"What?! A demon and a beast have actually fused together?!" Yunlan exclaimed in surprise.
This is a bit disgusting. It is common for cultivators of different races to combine with humans, demons, and monsters, but it is really inconceivable for them to combine with beastmen. After all, beastmen do not understand human speech, have low intelligence, and cannot transform into human form. As a demon, Yunlan really can't imagine what kind of tiger demon would combine with a beast.
Just as he had guessed, the boy was indeed of mixed race. Xu Xing felt a pang of pity when he looked at the boy again. "What should we do? Send him back to the demon race?"
The boy had been listening intently to their conversation, and upon hearing this, he strongly resisted, shouting, "No! No!"
Yunxi shook her head and sighed, "No one, whether it's the demon race or the beast race, would accept someone like him. The tiger clan, which is related to him by blood, would only want to kill him to cover up this shameful affair."
Upon hearing the word "kill," the boy struggled even more violently, his arrogant face revealing deep fear, his eyes filled with the desire to survive. However, he had little cultivation to begin with and only knew how to hide. Now, injured by the sword energy, he had no way to escape the Spirit-Locking Net.
Xu Xing remained silent.
Yunxi sighed inwardly. Their prince was somewhat kind-hearted; she really didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
“There is another way…” she smiled and said, “Form a beast pact with him, and from then on he will be your servant, unable to harm you and able to be used by you.”
Shen Du frowned slightly, but seeing Xu Xing's expression, he took back what he was about to say.
Xu Xing knelt down in front of the boy. "And you? What do you think?"
This time, she wouldn't use the same beast contract as Tuanzi and Qing. Once formed, the boy would be absolutely unable to resist her will, and if she were injured, he would only feel more pain.
The boy saw Xu Xing's dark eyes and inexplicably flinched. He clenched his teeth and nodded after a long while, "I'm willing!"
"……alright!"
After completing the beast contract, Xu Xing breathed a sigh of relief and put the boy named Nan Ye into her spirit beast space. She turned to look at Yun Xi and Yun Lan and said seriously, "Now, it's time to talk about our business."
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Author's Note: The very conscientious author is updating extra chapters again, but this seems to make it harder to get everyone's nutrient solution (nutrient solution) [pity].
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Thank you to (●—●), Sleep a Little Longer, Silver Lord, Stars Adorn Dreams, Light Smoke, Snow Bamboo, Little Round oo, Rabbit, Yan Family Little Seven, Xi Liang Qian, Bai Zhi Warm Wine, Anonymous, and the other lovely ladies for the nutrient solution! [Heart]
Thank you to Xiaoyuanoo, Niangchun, Yiyou=Tunjinshou, and SaiwenxiangdangFarmer for donating Moonstones! (Because Moonstones can only be viewed in the phone's backend, the author only checks them occasionally. Thank you all!)
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