noffsinger Chapter 272 Bargaining
Chapter 272 Bargaining
Ning Xiaoxi activated her long-dormant brain cells, thinking that the Great Xia Dynasty wanted to rise from the ashes in the final conflict and continue to hold power over the human race.
Unwilling to truly withdraw, the demons used various means to seize a portion of the dynasty's power.
The closure of the Celestial Master Pavilion's headquarters across the dynasty has made the Celestial Master Pavilion feel threatened. Now, the demons that have been openly exposed have been almost completely eradicated, and the royal family has begun spreading the idea that demons are merely legends or do not exist at all. Simultaneously, they are instructing the Celestial Master families in various regions to choose sides. If the Celestial Master Pavilion does not wish to be annihilated, it will undoubtedly seek protection from a powerful force, or perhaps even become an independent power.
But what does this change of power have to do with her? Her goal is simple: to eliminate demons and monsters while ensuring the safety of her family.
After carefully reviewing the instructions on the wooden slip again, I saw the following: "Hou Qing wants to find a way out for himself, so let's give him one—a way out from which he has nowhere to retreat."
Tuanzi's eyes lit up. [There's a chance to awaken some special skills during the physical body reconstruction.]
Ning Xiaoxi smiled kindly, "Oh dear, it's been so long since I've awakened a new skill, I'm actually quite looking forward to it!"
Lu Wu, who had been furiously inside the cave, finally quieted down. The swaying branches of the Three Mulberry Tree drooped down, and the ten little suns that had been dazed by the swaying finally stopped.
"Let me see, where's our next target?" Ning Xiaoxi looked at the red dots on the map, zooming in on the two red dots in the south. "Hmm, one is the Gu King of the Southern Li tribe, and the other is the spirit essence of a thousand-year-old lightning-struck tree." "Okay, then our next target is the spirit essence of that thousand-year-old lightning-struck tree."
After cheerfully setting her itinerary, Ning Xiaoxi stepped out of the forest area of Xuzhou and continued her journey south to Jingzhou.
[Wait a minute! A whole month? Are you kidding me?] Ning Xiaoxi suddenly stopped in her tracks. [This Hou Qing is trying to trick me! How could I possibly gather so many spiritual items, rebuild my physical body, and return to the royal city in just one month with my current strength?]
He released ten masks, and without hesitation, a powerful surge of spiritual energy rushed into them, forcibly establishing a connection between them. In a stream of light, a thick flow of spiritual energy connected the ten masks, and the facial features on the masks revealed expressions of enjoyment; it had been a long time since he had felt such abundant spiritual energy.
Amidst the ten masks, a vortex of spiritual energy slowly formed. Ning Xiaoxi increased the supply of spiritual energy, and the vortex spun rapidly. The dense spiritual energy stirred up the wind and clouds, directly forming a spiritual energy tornado that connected to the sky.
"What is it?" Hou Qing's voice came through the spiritual energy tornado.
"It can't be done in a month."
"How long will it take you?"
"How would I know? Don't you even look at what's required on your wooden slip? I could never get my hands on just one Li tribe Gu King. How about I just give you the mask and you send someone to find the materials to recast it yourself? That would be faster."
"The Imperial Guards are already on their way to the Li tribe. If you hurry, you can take advantage of the situation."
Ning Xiaoxi stiffened. "Are you kidding me? It's already impossible to take it from the Li Clan, and you want me to cause trouble right under the noses of the Imperial Guards? Are you sure you don't want me to be a sitting duck?"
"The Li people live by witchcraft, and they will not perish together as long as there is a glimmer of hope. The true Gu King is in the Holy Maiden of their tribe, not in the tribe leader. Therefore, you only need to focus on the Holy Maiden of the Li tribe. When the tribe leader is distracting the Spirit Guards, take advantage of the chaos to obtain it."
Ning Xiaoxi narrowed her eyes slightly, "You trust me that much?"
"Trust?" Hou Qing's voice was full of mockery. "First of all, do you remember how my three demon generals were killed?"
Ning Xiaoxi's expression turned solemn. Sure enough, it knew everything. "You want to avenge them?"
“If you’re not as skilled as others, you should admit it. You ruined my plan, but you also gave me another chance. So, we’re even in this matter.”
Ning Xiaoxi felt a bad premonition.
"Secondly, Youzhou is a place of exile, while Fufang is just a small county town. It is normal for it to lose a hundred or eighty people from time to time when it is attacked by bandits, even if he is a minor official in the county government or a Celestial Master from the Celestial Master Pavilion."
Ning Xiaoxi's face darkened, and she shouted sharply, "How dare you!"
"I am a demon!" Hou Qing's voice was soft, but it struck at the heart of the matter.
Ning Xiaoxi softened her tone, "You can continue."
"Cooperation, after all, needs a basis. I have your weaknesses, and you have my vulnerabilities. Only then can we cooperate happily, right?"
A fierce killing intent surged through the spiritual energy tornado, striking straight into the sky.
"Hiss!" Hou Qing cried out in pain before bursting into laughter. "Haha! This temper is just like my sister's! Don't worry, as long as you help me, they'll be fine."
Ning Xiaoxi exuded endless killing intent, a sincere smile on her lips. "Even if I can take the opportunity to seize the Gu King of the Li Clan, I still need to spend time searching for and seizing the Dragon's Birth Jade Marrow and Jade Sweet Spring Water in the South China Sea. I also need to rush back to the royal city from the South China Sea. Boss, do you think it's possible in a month?"
"Ah! This was my oversight," Hou Qing said insincerely. "I can slow down my return to the capital, and once we arrive, I can delay the journey as much as possible. I think three months would be an ideal timeframe. What do you think?"
"This isn't just a matter of what you or I think. Who knows what unexpected things might happen until the very last moment?" Ning Xiaoxi didn't want to limit herself. "It should be convenient for us to stay in touch while you're on the road. I'll let you know as soon as I have any progress. Let's keep in touch, so you can adjust our strategy promptly if anything changes. What do you think?"
Hou Qing paused for a moment, then said, "Indeed, neither your opinion nor mine seems very reliable. So let's just do as you say and keep in touch."
Ning Xiaoxi severed the spiritual energy tornado. "Pfft! Pfft!" Ten masks fell innocently onto the grass, their facial features facing Ning Xiaoxi with endless resentment.
"Your good brother is about to eat you up, and you're still pretending to be innocent?" Ning Xiaoxi pouted and raised her hand to put the ten masks back into her space.
The Imperial Guards have already taken action against the Li tribe.
Tuanzi's figure appeared, still perched on her shoulder. [Hou Qing didn't lie about one thing: the Li Clan's Gu King was never with the clan leader; that was just a smokescreen. The real Gu King is with the Holy Maiden.]
[A direct confrontation won't work, so let's raid their base. Now that we know who has the items, let's plan our raid!] Ning Xiaoxi felt a pang of unease thinking of the Spirit Clan's plight. The Li Clan was facing the same thing, but she was powerless to stop it. [I was originally planning to get the Spirit Wood Essence first, but now it seems I can only take the Gu King first.]