Chapter 0095

Chapter 95: On the Risk of Tang Qi’s Master Becoming a Dog

Qian Miao Yu jolted awake, her whole body soaked with sweat. “Guest minister…” she breathed, then pressed both hands to the left side of her ribs.

Lifting her dragon robe, she saw a flying Dragon tattoo on her white skin. It was both a shield and a curse. In the past, whenever the Dragon Vein acted up, she felt a burning pain there. But this time, that spot was cool and soft. She had not felt this comfortable in years.

“Only you can calm my heart,” she murmured. “No matter what, I must have you by my side.”

She reached out her slender hand and slowly clenched it, like she had seized something precious. “Do you really think this empress is someone who does not fight for what she wants?” she said, then called out, “Attend me.”

Her personal bodyguards filed in. They asked, “Your Majesty, what are your orders?”

“Bring me the Mountains and Rivers Stabilizing Seal.”

Everyone around her shivered. What was Her Majesty planning? That great seal was no common item. It was said that ten thousand years ago, when the Empire was first founded, the seal became the Empire’s treasure. It held the blood and merit of all the sovereigns through the ages. It stood for orthodoxy and authority. Whoever held the seal held half of the Ling Xiao Empire.

A moment later, they presented the seal. The empress cradled the brocade box and started toward the door, but she saw a bright moon hanging high, scattered stars, and thick haze. It was not a good time for a visit.

“It is late,” she decided softly. “The guest minister is probably sleeping. I can see him tomorrow.” With that in mind, she lay down again. This time she slept soundly, and the nightmare did not return.

As it turned out, nightmares are conserved. They do not vanish for no reason or appear out of thin air. They only move from one person to another.

At the Phoenix Soar Inn, in a shabby room, Tang Qi let out a horrified shout. He woke from his faint and, eyes bloodshot, the first thing he did was grab between his legs. “Still here… good,” he gasped.

As relief washed over him, hatred burned in his eyes. He remembered Zhang Chu Qiao’s slim figure. He had almost been turned into a eunuch by her.

“Old man, I want to slice that vile woman into a thousand pieces so there is no grave for her,” Tang Qi snarled. Rage choked his chest. He swore not to be human if he did not take revenge.

“The man you want to kill is very dangerous. His hidden strength is unfathomable,” the soul in his body said in a heavy tone.

“I know. But I want him dead anyway. You must have a way,” Tang Qi said. His voice was sure, full of expectation, with a faint hint of threat. This old ghost had an unusual origin. He must still be hiding a trump card.

The old ghost sighed deeply. “I planned to wait until you reached the Life and Death Realm and had gathered enough vitality before teaching you. I did not expect you to be so impatient. I do not know if this is good or bad.”

At those words, Tang Qi’s eyes lit up. [So the old geezer did have a private stash.] “Stop wasting time and hand it all over. I can control it perfectly.”

“So be it. Perhaps this is fate,” the old man said. As his voice fell, a supreme art appeared in Tang Qi’s mind.

“Ten Thousand Transformations Grand Art, Heavenly Devil Devouring Art!”

Just seeing the name made him suck in a sharp breath. It was absolutely domineering and fit his taste. He studied the contents carefully, and sure enough, if he ran this art, he could seize the spiritual energy of all things by force and even take another person’s cultivation for himself.

This was truly against the heavens.

He already had a plan. For those who had offended him, he would no longer kill them outright. Instead, he would drain their cultivation and let them live lowly lives, suffering the insults of ordinary people forever. Those people included Zhou Tong, Zhang Chu Qiao, and… that guest minister.

When he thought of that person, Tang Qi could not stay calm. The guest minister had the face Tang Qi hated most. He had even dared to slap Tang Qi in public. Every debt was written clearly in his heart.

To take revenge, he needed absolute strength. Conveniently, the final section of the Heavenly Devil Devouring Art fit his wish exactly. The art could also devour himself. If he swallowed twenty years of his own lifespan in one go, his cultivation would skyrocket and last for one shichen, about two hours. If he used it while in the Ten Thousand Transformations state, and with the old man’s help, he was confident he could leap two major realms and even face Mo Liu Su.

At last, he had the courage to stand against a top expert.

“It’s a pity the Ten Thousand Transformations state cannot be used back-to-back. Otherwise, who would dare raise their voice in front of me?” Tang Qi said with regret.

“Nonsense,” the old man scolded. “That is only a last-resort life-saving move. Do not use it unless you must. Your own steady cultivation is the true path.”

“Alright, alright, I know,” Tang Qi replied in a perfunctory tone. He did not take the old man’s words to heart. [He is just an old ghost. Does he really think he is something special?] Once, Tang Qi respected the soul. But after getting beaten again and again, he blamed the old man for his losses. [It is his fault for not being strong enough, which made me lose my dignity.] In the end, this old fellow was only a wandering soul who could live only by relying on Tang Qi. As long as Tang Qi refused to rebuild him a body, he would forever be a dog at Tang Qi’s side.

As for the art’s side effects, Tang Qi found them laughable. [Is twenty years of lifespan so much? For a cultivator, it is a drop in the bucket. With the Heavenly Devil Devouring Art helping me, I can make up the missing vitality in a matter of minutes.]

Knock, knock.

The sudden knocking pulled him out of his violent thoughts. “Junior brother, are you there?” came Xia Hong Xiu’s voice.

“Senior Sister, do you need something?” Tang Qi poked his head out of the storeroom, greed flashing in his eyes. He wished he could test the Heavenly Devil Devouring Art on her right away.

“Then Senior Sister will be blunt,” Xia Hong Xiu said, her expression cold: “Don’t you think Zhou Tong and Chen Ling’er are too much of an eyesore?”

Even Tang Qi was stunned. She went on without hiding her contempt: “One is trash and one is a bootlicker. I hate both kinds. They do not deserve to stay in the Jade Purity Sect.” She kept her true aim hidden. She only wanted to break up Mo Liu Su and Zhou Tong. Everything else was just a bonus.

“What do you want me to do?” Tang Qi asked.

“It is simple,” Xia Hong Xiu said. “I have calculated that on the day of the auction, the whole Imperial Capital will fall into chaos. When that happens, the two of us together can clear away every obstacle.”

“What makes you dare talk like that?” Tang Qi felt tempted, but he looked down on Xia Hong Xiu’s cultivation and saw her as dead weight.

“As long as you listen to me, I can help you kill that guest minister. How about it?” she said.

At those words, Tang Qi grew excited at once.