Chapter 114: Counting the Gains, Precious Elixirs, and the Combat Technique on Human Skin Paper

After settling Wei Fu Ren and her son, Lu Qing left Ma Gu’s residence.

There was nothing more he could do for them now.

As long as Wei Fu Ren remained hidden and avoided drawing attention, they should be safe.

Wei Fu Ren’s body would fully recover in time—she no longer needed his treatment after consuming the two drops of medicine.

So Lu Qing quietly withdrew, leaving without further delay.

As he walked home, his mood was light and relaxed.

This trip into the mountains had been fraught with unexpected dangers, but at least he’d managed to repay the debt he owed the Wei Family. That was no small victory.

“Xiao Li, this time I really owe you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stood a chance against that man back there,” Lu Qing said, scratching under Xiao Li’s chin as the little creature perched on his shoulder, purring contentedly.

Now fully visible, Xiao Li had dropped the invisibility spell.

“Ow~” The tiny beast purred proudly.

“Alright, alright. I promise—plenty of fish when we get home,” Lu Qing laughed.

Satisfied, Xiao Li curled up comfortably on his shoulder, belly full of contentment.

Watching the creature’s lazy demeanor, Lu Qing couldn’t help but smile.

Who would have thought such a tiny, adorable little thing was, in truth, a terrifying spirit beast capable of effortlessly slaughtering even Nei Fu Jing cultivators?

The memory of Wang Qing Shan’s final, desperate surge of power still sent a chill down Lu Qing’s spine.

Yet, even that formidable warrior had been utterly helpless before Xiao Li’s claws.

With its stealth ability, blinding speed, and razor-sharp talons—Xiao Li was a force of nature.

Even a Nei Fu Jing expert, whose body was tough as iron, couldn’t withstand a single strike.

After all, no matter how strong a cultivator’s flesh, it still couldn’t compare to true forged steel.

And Xiao Li’s claws could cut through steel with ease.

Still, Lu Qing wondered—could a Xian Tian cultivator withstand the same?

But then he shook his head.

Xian Tian-level abilities were leagues beyond Hou Tian.

Against such a being, Xiao Li’s invisibility might be useless.

So the thought was better left unexplored.

Back at home, Lu Qing first set a plate of fish for Xiao Li, then prepared his own meager meal.

His rations had all been given to Ma Gu and Wei Xiao Gongzi, so he hadn’t eaten anything all day.

He cooked something simple. By the time it was ready, Xiao Li had already devoured half of his fish.

Lu Qing chuckled at the sight.

Too bad he hadn’t caught another Strange Fish lately.

That particular fishing spot seemed to have lost its magic—no more Strange Fish appeared.

If only he could find a new, better spot.

Maybe he should go look for one soon.

While eating, he mused.

Once both he and Xiao Li were full, the little beast scampered off to its tiny nest to sleep.

It was deep in the night, and Xiao Yan was still at Half Mountain Small Courtyard.

Lu Qing wasn’t in a hurry to go pick her up yet.

He thought for a moment, then grabbed his bamboo basket and began sorting through its contents.

During the day, he had looted a few items from the corpses of Tong Cang Lang and Wang Qing Shan.

At the time, he hadn’t had the chance to examine them properly.

Now, with the coast clear, he could finally take a look.

After rummaging through the basket, he laid everything out on the table.

There wasn’t much—mostly silver vouchers and a small amount of gold and silver.

The rest included a piece of leather armor, several medicine bottles, and a strange piece of skin paper, its origin unknown.

After all, both men were on a mission, so it made sense they carried valuables.

But no Combat Technique scrolls or secret manuals.

Lu Qing wasn’t surprised.

Most cultivators—especially those with formal sect affiliations—would never carry such secrets on their person.

It was far too dangerous.

To carry a sect’s secrets outside the sect risked exposing their techniques, revealing weaknesses, and inviting disaster.

Ignoring the common currency and gold, Lu Qing focused on the more unusual items.

He picked up the leather armor first—the fragment torn from Tong Cang Lang’s armor.

He’d been curious about the material ever since the battle.

How could it have withstood the force of his War Blade?

He stared intently at the piece of leather.

Instantly, a faint white glow, tinged with red, rose from the armor.

【Rotten Leather Armor: A fragment of armor made from the hide of a White-Horned Savage Ox. Exceptional defense—resists blades and cuts.】

【The White-Horned Savage Ox is a rare beast native to the deep mountains of the Northern Frontier. Its hide is legendary for its strength and durability, making it a coveted prize among cultivators. Now nearly extinct, sightings are extremely rare.】

“White-Horned Savage Ox?”

Lu Qing’s eyes widened.

So that was the source of the armor’s incredible defense.

Too bad it was already damaged.

And at the time, he hadn’t dared strip the corpse—Ma Gu was watching.

He’d have taken the whole piece if he could.

He set the armor aside and turned his attention to the medicine bottles.

The bottles had come from both Wang Qing Shan and Tong Cang Lang.

Given that they were carried close to the body by disciples of Tian Cang Sect, these medicines had to be rare and valuable.

The bottles looked nearly identical—only minor differences in shape.

Likely mass-produced by the sect.

No labels.

Lu Qing couldn’t tell what was inside just by looking.

So he used his Abilities.

A soft white light flared.

【White-Ceramic Medicine Vial: A high-quality container designed to preserve the potency of medicinal pills.】

【Contains high-grade cultivation elixirs.】

Sure enough—pills.

Lu Qing picked up one from Tong Cang Lang’s stash and shook it gently.

A faint clinking sound echoed inside.

He fetched a bowl from the kitchen, placed it on the table, and carefully opened the vial, pouring the contents into it.

Seven or eight pills, each sealed in wax-like resin.

Lu Qing checked with his Abilities first—confirmed it was real wax.

Then he picked one up carefully.

He couldn’t be too cautious.

Tong Cang Lang wasn’t exactly a good man.

Who knew if he’d poisoned the pills to prevent theft?

Gently prying open the wax shell, he revealed a red pill.

A faint, red-tinged glow rose from it.

“Red light?”

Lu Qing’s eyes lit up.

Even if it wasn’t pure red, any red-tinged glow meant it was powerful—likely one of the best kinds.

【Bone-Strengthening and Tendon-Regenerating Pill: A rare and valuable elixir. Non-toxic, safe to consume.】

【Crafted from tiger bone, deer sinew, ginseng, and other rare herbs. Greatly enhances bone and tendon strength. An excellent aid for Jin Gu Jing cultivators.】

【Maximum one pill per day. Excess may cause medicinal toxicity and harm the body.】

“Bone-Strengthening and Tendon-Regenerating Pill… a Jin Gu Jing elixir?”

Lu Qing was ecstatic.

This was a real windfall.

This pill was far superior to the decoction his master had prepared from a recipe.

And he was currently at the Jin Gu Jing stage—perfect timing.

He counted: two bottles had come from Tong Cang Lang.

Opening the second, he confirmed—same pill.

And this one was nearly full—eighteen pills.

Combined, that made twenty-five total.

Enough for a full month of cultivation.

A month…

Considering how fast his progress had been lately, and now with these pills to support him, Lu Qing dared not imagine how far he might advance by the end of the month.

“Indeed, horses don’t fatten without night grass, and men don’t grow rich without windfall gains. Tong Cang Lang really gave me a gift,” he mused, grinning.

Then he turned to the other two bottles.

Tong Cang Lang’s pills had already been a surprise.

What about Wang Qing Shan—Nei Fu Jing cultivator, senior brother, stronger by far?

Lu Qing opened one of the remaining bottles.

Inside, the pills were sealed in wax—same as before.

He broke open a corner and examined it.

The pill inside was not red, but a pale, pearl-like white.

He activated his Abilities.

A soft red glow emerged from the pill.

【Qi-Nourishing Pill: A rare and valuable elixir. Non-toxic, safe to consume.】

【Crafted from Yunmeng Fruit, Heavenly Snow Lotus, and other rare herbs. Exceptionally effective at nurturing internal vitality and spiritual energy. An excellent aid for Nei Fu Jing cultivators.】

【Best consumed one pill per day. Excess leads to wasted potency.】

Red light again.

Lu Qing’s hand trembled.

After reading the description, his joy deepened.

Wang Qing Shan’s pills were even more precious—specifically designed for Nei Fu Jing cultivation.

Lu Qing checked the last two bottles—they were both Qi-Nourishing Pills.

Nearly full.

Thirty pills in total.

Enough for a full month of cultivation after he broke through to Nei Fu Jing.

Staring at the four bottles of medicine on the table, Lu Qing felt both elation—and unease.

Wang Qing Shan and Tong Cang Lang carried such rare elixirs, and the bottles were identical.

That strongly suggested these weren’t self-made.

They were likely given by their sect—or their master.

Either way, the fact that Tian Cang Sect provided such high-level cultivation resources to its disciples spoke volumes about their strength and depth.

And now, Lu Qing had killed two of them.

If word got out, it would be a massive disaster.

He might have to flee immediately.

He made up his mind:

From now on, stay put in the village.

No more trips into the mountains.

But then he smiled.

He’d already collected enough Bone-Strengthening Pills.

For the foreseeable future, he wouldn’t need to go back into the wilds for herbs.

With that settled, he turned his attention to the final item.

The piece of skin paper, taken from Wang Qing Shan’s body.

It had been hidden close to his chest, nearly indistinguishable from human skin in color.

Lu Qing had almost missed it.

That a man like Wang Qing Shan would guard such a thing so carefully…

It had to be something special.

He focused his gaze.

A thick, deep red glow erupted from the paper.

【Xian Tian Human Skin Paper: Made from the skin of a Xian Tian cultivator. Resistant to blades, fire, and water.】

【Legend says the bodies of Xian Tian cultivators are nurtured by Xian Tian Qi, granting them strange, unique properties. To those with ill intent, such bodies hold immense value.】

【Combat Technique detected. Download and simulate learning?】

Lu Qing froze.

He hadn’t expected this.

The paper was made from human skin—specifically, a Xian Tian-level cultivator.

Whoever had died, their skin had been stripped and turned into paper.

He stared at the screen in silence.

The idea of a Combat Technique written on human skin…

It was unsettling.

Was it legitimate? Or cursed?

It made him hesitate.

He turned the paper over and over.

No text.

No hidden layers.

Nothing.

He couldn’t even get a hint of what the technique was before downloading.

No wonder Wang Qing Shan had kept it close.

He must have sensed its uniqueness.

He’d carried it with the hope of uncovering its secrets.

But whether he’d succeeded…

Lu Qing didn’t know.

Without his Abilities, he’d see nothing.

This left him torn.

But after a long pause, he made his decision.

He’d download it first.

Whether to learn it…

That depended on what it actually was.

He selected “Download.”

Then he waited.

【Downloading… Progress: 1%, 2%, 3%…】

Even though nothing was visible, his Abilities confirmed the technique was real.

【…97%, 98%, 99%, 100%. Download complete. Simulate?】

Lu Qing pressed “Simulate.”

【Simulating… Progress: 1%, 2%, 3%… 99%, 100%.】

【Simulation complete. Learn?】

This time, he didn’t hesitate.

He selected “Learn.”

Instantly, a flood of familiar information surged into his mind.

Lu Qing closed his eyes, absorbing it all.

After a long moment, he opened his eyes—wide with shock.

“An unnaturally sinister technique… no wonder it’s written on human skin.”

“Still… even with its dark nature, this technique is truly powerful.”

“And most surprisingly—it perfectly complements my Four Directions Sword.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end