Chapter 91: Secrets

After all that had transpired, Ning Xiu did not choose to return to Shouchun. With the protection of the authorities, the Ning household nestled within the county city was, at least for the present, safe. Naturally, he did not go to the Bamboo Grove Society either; once the Jia family fell, the Bamboo Grove Society would likely be the first to bear the wrath of the Nether Alliance. Ning Xiu knew well that with his current strength, he could not hope to pit himself head-on against such a colossal power.

He had not only slain many of their lesser ghosts, but had also dispatched two of their monstrous entities. A blood feud had surely been forged—should his identity come to light, he would face the Nether Alliance’s relentless pursuit.

A cold smile flickered across his lips. They treated him as a mortal enemy, as livestock to be devoured. Yet did he not also view them as foes, as vessels for replenishing his treasures?

Why did he “bitterly train” in his divine arts? Was it not for the day when he could annihilate all who deserved death, turn the Nether Alliance upside down, and bathe the land in their blood? Only then would his heart find true satisfaction.

But before that, careful preparations were required.

Within a modest inn, Ning Xiu summoned the “Martial God” system.

He opened the system interface with practiced ease, gazing at the string of digits behind his treasure count, an odd sense of emotion welling within him.

One thousand five hundred and eighty.

Indeed, high risk yielded high reward. Unnoticed, he had nearly amassed enough for another tenfold draw.

But now, what he needed most was immediate combat strength—he could not afford to wait. Moreover, without the protections of the first tenfold draw, who knew what the system would grant him? Rather than rely on the whims of luck, Ning Xiu preferred to trust in himself.

“System, upgrade the Golden Bell Shield.”

“Host, advancing the Golden Bell Shield from the seventh to the eighth level will cost 600 treasures. Do you wish to proceed?”

It had only cost 200 to reach the seventh level; now the price had jumped straight to 600. Ning Xiu’s eyelid twitched, yet he chose to proceed without hesitation.

“Confirm.”

As soon as the words left his lips, a series of cracks echoed through the room, sharp and relentless as beans frying in a pan.

A dusky golden light enveloped Ning Xiu’s entire body, and an intangible bell-shaped aura shimmered faintly around him, almost corporeal in its presence.

According to the manual, upon reaching this stage, the practitioner’s inner power rendered the entire body impervious to blades and weapons—only the three-inch vital point remained vulnerable. Regardless of an opponent’s strength, any blow would be met with a tremendous counterforce, often resulting in death or serious injury.

At this point, the Golden Bell Shield was no longer merely a defensive technique; it now possessed a formidable offensive capability as well.

Yet Ning Xiu wondered just how powerful this counterforce could be, beyond what the manual described.

During these days, Ning Xiu had also been diligently cultivating the ancestral aperture between his brows, though lacking a point of comparison, he could not gauge his progress.

Having successfully advanced to the eighth level, Ning Xiu instinctively checked the cost for the ninth.

One thousand two hundred treasures.

This wretched system was daylight robbery! The cost for just the eighth and ninth levels now surpassed a full tenfold draw.

The reality was clear: obtaining advanced techniques was difficult enough; nurturing them was even harder.

With 980 treasures remaining, Ning Xiu decided not to spend them. The Golden Bell Shield was now his core technique; investing in it brought the greatest returns and best bolstered his combat strength.

He also noticed a new icon had appeared behind the Holy Spirit Swordsmanship on his technique interface.

He tapped it.

“Host possesses fragments of this technique. Would you like to attempt star advancement?”

Ning Xiu confirmed without hesitation.

“Advancing Holy Spirit Swordsmanship (Sword of Sentiment) to Holy Spirit Swordsmanship (Sword of Detachment) requires 30 fragments. Current count insufficient. Advancement unavailable.”

Though he could not yet upgrade the technique, it was still good news. He remembered having several three-star universal fragments in his inventory. With the presence of a black market, gathering the rest was not impossible.

He closed the system, left his room, and went down to the main hall, where he ordered a hearty meal.

The table was laden with fish and meat, delicacies from mountain and stream. He also ordered a pot of wine.

The scourge of ghosts and monsters had already plagued Lingnan for some time, and its effects were finally becoming apparent.

Villagers, belatedly realizing the danger, had begun to stream into the surrounding county cities.

This was only the beginning. As the population of the county city swelled, tensions would rise, and more trouble would inevitably break out. Though the city’s atmosphere was not overtly chaotic yet, an undercurrent of anxiety had begun to stir.

The more perceptive citizens sensed impending crisis, quietly stockpiling supplies.

On the inn’s second floor, Ning Xiu sat by a window, gazing out.

City soldiers maintained order in the streets, checking the household registrations of every villager seeking refuge.

Watching the endless flow of refugees, the young soldiers felt their scalps prickle with dread.

“Captain, this won’t do,” one of them said. “Just today alone, we’ve had more people enter the city than in half a month before.”

The middle-aged man leading the squad frowned. “Send word to the city gates—close them at once. From this day forward, unless one holds an official pass, no one enters, only exits.”

“But… what about the people outside?” a young, innocent-faced soldier asked.

The captain looked back at him but said nothing, turning away without a word.

What could be done?

In popular tales and novels, officials devoted to the people were not unheard of. Yet even the most compassionate among them had their limits and had to follow some measure of order.

By the time one reached the captain’s position, he had seen much and understood more. If he had not, he wouldn’t be where he was.

“Sir, your food is ready. If there’s anything else you need, just say the word.” The innkeeper’s assistant rubbed his hands together, smiling obsequiously.

Ning Xiu had stayed here for two days. He was not extravagant, but always paid promptly.

In all his years at the inn, the assistant had learned little else but had become adept at reading people. Anyone so unconcerned about money could not be an ordinary man.

“Has another village nearby been slaughtered?” Ning Xiu asked, gesturing out the window.

The assistant glanced about, then lowered his voice. “Niu Family Village. I hear all thirty households were wiped out—not a soul survived, not even the old yellow dog at the village entrance. Not even a chicken or dog left alive.”

“My, the bandits have grown brazen indeed,” Ning Xiu remarked, sipping his wine with a smile.

“Let me tell you a secret,” the assistant whispered, sidling up to him.

But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped.

Ning Xiu glanced up at him and produced a small piece of silver, placing it on the table.

The assistant swallowed hard, reaching for the silver—only to have his hand abruptly seized by another, unexpected grip.