Chapter 1055: Shadow Hound
Chapter 1055: Shadow Hound
Upon the bookshelf.
Various ancient tomes, tattered scrolls, and illustrated books were haphazardly piled together.
Beneath them, on the bottom shelf, lay another jumble of miscellaneous items.
These included a broken sword, a blood-stained wooden fish, several unidentified ores, and a scroll depicting a malevolent spirit, among other things. . .
All had been meticulously collected by his previous self, who had a fondness for tales of the supernatural, and each item came with a horrifying story – though most were fabricated.
Fang Xi paid them no mind, directly pulling out three books: theRecords of Strange Tales, Notes on the Desolate West, and theSui Garden Compendium.
Of these, theRecords of Strange TalesandNotes on the Desolate Westwere both thread-bound ancient editions, their pages faded yellow and bearing traces of water damage and insect gnawing.
The contents mostly described strange individuals and peculiar events passed down by word of mouth. Furthermore, the author seemed to have little talent for writing, as the records were highly fragmented and mixed with many meaningless phrases, making any reader drowsy at first glance.
TheSui Garden Compendium, on the other hand, looked even worse. It was just a few tattered pages, barely bound together into a small pamphlet.
Its paper was smooth, seemingly made of parchment.
Fang Xi touched it, and his expression subtly shifted.
The paper felt smooth and pliable in his hand, thick and firm. As his fingertips grazed it, an indescribable sensation of pleasure arose.
It was as if he were caressing the most delicate skin of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old maiden. . .
“Tanned human skin. . . ”
He muttered to himself, realizing the origin of the paper. It was, astonishingly, human skin paper!
Vaguely, as his fingertips rubbed against the texture of the parchment, Fang Xi seemed to hear a young girl's soft gasps in his ear, and his mind plunged into a rosy dream.
The scenery within was enchanting, truly not something for outsiders to speak of.
Fang Xi indulged for a moment, then sneered, “A mere illusion of beauty dares to disturb my Dao Heart? ”
His eyes were crystal clear. Looking at theSui Garden Compendiumagain, he saw that while the words remained the same, their meaning seemed to have subtly changed.
It was as if he had stared at them for so long that he had forgotten their original meaning and pronunciation. . .
He even began to imagine the origins of this tattered pamphlet.
It seemed that a long time ago, there was a cultivator named 'Suiyuan Master' who was originally the world's most renowned chef. Later, he achieved the Dao through eating and collected numerous recipes, compiling them into thisSui Garden Compendium. . . However, the Suiyuan Master later encountered a great calamity, and theSui Garden Compendiumwas scattered as a result.
Within these few remnants, only a handful of medicinal concoctions were recorded.
One of them was the secret medicinal formula of that Yin Mountain cultivator.
Of course, if he were to concoct it according to the previous interpretation, it would undoubtedly be a wasted effort.
“Take three drops of tears from a fifty-year-old white ox on the verge of death, mix with two willow leaves from a 'Ghost-Mask Willow', add sixqianof cinnabar and threeqianof pearl powder, blend with rootless water. . . After consumption, one can obtain 'Yin-Yang Eyes', capable of discerning Yin and Yang, and communicating with ghosts and gods. . . advancing to Ninth-Grade Geomancer. . . ”
“Ninth-Grade Geomancer? ”
Fang Xi's heart stirred. “Is this the transcendent system of this world? ”
He looked further and found another entry: a secret medicine that only a Ninth-Grade Geomancer could consume. After taking it, one could advance to Eighth-Grade Geomancy Master. . .
Beyond that, it was completely fragmented, with only the name of a Seventh-Grade rank: Yin-Yang Master!
“From the description, this Ninth-Grade Geomancer likely has mediocre strength, at most possessing a pair of spiritual eyes to observe geomancy. . . enough to make a living as a street performer without starving. ”
Fang Xi curled his lips.
It was a pity. Even for a Geomancer, advancement wasn't easy. An ox typically aged and died within twenty or thirty years; a white ox that could live for fifty years was quite rare.
Moreover, his previous self had never even heard of that 'Ghost-Mask Willow'.
He flipped through it and found several more secret medicines recorded. These weren't for advancement, but for healing, and even charms to stop infants from crying at night. Most of their ingredients were simple, but they all required the infusion of 'anomalous power' in the end.
Fang Xi surmised that this 'anomalous power' was the transcendent ability possessed by a Ninth-Grade Geomancer.
Without the involvement of this 'anomalous power', those other healing medicines and charms would be nothing but reflections in water and flowers in a mirror.
“Eh? ”
Fang Xi flipped to the end, and another secret advancement medicine appeared in his mind.
However, this time, the formula was only for the Ninth-Grade.
“Take twenty drops of water ghoul blood, one Solitary Tomb Flower, three strands of water grass, and fourliangof gypsum. . . blend with rootless water. . . After consumption, one can obtain the 'Power of Calamity' and advance to Ninth-Grade Water Controller. . . ”
“Water ghoul, Solitary Tomb Flower? ”
He murmured.
As for water ghoul. . . he wondered if the monster that had almost killed him counted?
The Solitary Tomb Flower, according to legend, was an inauspicious flower. He had indeed seen a few growing in mass graves.
This kind of flower was useless, and being associated with unclean things, no one bothered to pick it.
If he wanted it, as long as he carefully avoided that corpse-eating fox, it shouldn't be a problem.
Gypsum was available at the general store, and rootless water was even simpler: rainwater.
“This unique alchemical method from another world is truly interesting. Can it really be done with just a simple mixture? ”
Fang Xi chuckled.
At this moment, he seemed to have no better choice. . .
Becoming a Ninth-Grade Water Controller, wielding the 'Power of Calamity', he could instantly step into the transcendent realm, then gradually ascend until he could harness the power of laws!
“The gods of this world are not so simple. . . ”
“This cultivation path often requires worshipping deities in the end, and there might be pitfalls in the future. . . ”
“Although I am an External Avatar, I don't want to die so muddled. . . ”
Fang Xi complained inwardly, simply memorizing this information and gaining some understanding of this world's transcendent path. Then, he looked towards the pile of miscellaneous items.
That broken sword, the wooden fish. . . they were all mere mundane objects. His previous self had truly been swindled.
Even the scroll depicting a malevolent spirit was quite ordinary, and the artist's skill was rather clumsy. . .
He picked up a piece of ore.
This ore was pitch-black, flecked with hints of purple.
Because of its immense weight, it was also considered a supernatural oddity and had been collected by his previous self.
But when Fang Xi held it, he felt something distinctly different.
In a trance-like state, the ore in his hand seemed alive, still breathing continuously.
A hazy illusion enveloped him.
“Interesting. . . ”
Fang Xi's lips curved slightly.
The transcendent path of this world was not only perilous but also seemed fraught with various forms of madness, akin to inner demons.
An ordinary mortal would fall into madness with just a moment of carelessness.
Of course, such a minor emotional disturbance was simply a joke when it came to shaking the Dao Heart of a Dao Monarch.
‘However, if I don't let myself fall into the illusion, it seems difficult to discern this item's origin? ’
Thinking this, Fang Xi slightly relaxed a sliver of his mind.
Immediately, his consciousness seemed to merge with the ore, and in a profound spiritual connection, he seemed to see a hound that had escaped from the Underworld.
This black hound was almost a story high, its body like a small house, and its two eyes resembled water vats.
It devoured mortals in huge gulps, only to then be torn asunder by a certain beam of light.
A piece of its bone was buried in the earth, and after countless years of gestation, transformed into the strange ore in Fang Xi's hand.
Fang Xi gazed at its pitch-black fur, its ferocious fangs. . . and a piece of information inexplicably surfaced in his mind: “Originating from the Underworld, a 'Shadow Hound' possesses the ability to traverse the netherworld and particularly enjoys devouring humans. . . ”
“Shadow Hound Bone! ”
He looked at the ore in his hand and gave it an appropriate name.
Just as Fang Xi was about to delve further into the item's uses, a sudden clamor erupted outside.
His ears twitched, then he smiled faintly and stepped out of his room.
“Song San, who beat you into such a state? ”
A scholarly-looking man was leading someone from the broker's office into the courtyard. Seeing Song San lying on the ground, he couldn't help but gasp in alarm.
“That would be me, naturally! ”
Fang Xi pushed open the door and walked out. He recognized the scholar; it was Fang Cheng Dong, a distant relative of his previous self.
Seeing him, Fang Cheng Dong gasped in alarm once more. “Fang Xi? ! You. . . weren't you dead? ”
“You're the one who's dead! ”
Fang Xi sneered, “Yesterday, I merely suffered a momentary qi deviation, and you people immediately threw me into a mass grave. This debt hasn't been settled yet. How is it that today you've brought Old Woman Liu, preparing to sell my property? ”
Old Woman Liu was indeed from the broker's office, familiar with all the local figures from her dealings in the area.
Seeing Fang Xi perfectly fine, she immediately laughed, “Oh, no, no. . . I was just forcefully dragged here by Fang Cheng Dong. . . Seeing Young Master Fang unharmed today truly feels like a blessing from heaven; I'll treat you to drinks sometime. ”
Although she was greedy for a bargain, she knew that the house had an owner. If Fang Xi had died, everything would be simple, but if he hadn't, even with the deed, it wouldn't pass the official review!
As Old Woman Liu backed down, Fang Cheng Dong's face flushed green then pale, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a word.
“Fang Cheng Dong, I recall that you were able to study at Old Master Gu's study in the city thanks to my family's guarantee, weren't you? ”
Fang Xi sneered, “Later, for your living expenses, you borrowed silver from my family. I have every single transaction recorded. Shall we tally them up together? ”
“No, no. . . ”
Fang Cheng Dong waved his hands frantically. He hadn't expected his usually muddle-headed junior cousin to have changed so completely.
His forehead was slick with sweat; he didn't even spare a glance for Song San still lying on the ground, and bolted away like a wisp of smoke.
Song San saw this scene, and his face was instantly filled with despair. . .
Fang Xi, however, couldn't be bothered with him. He simply returned to his room and began to comprehend the 'Shadow Hound Bone'.
This world actually had an Underworld, which was quite compatible with his most proficient Law of Reincarnation.
If he could quickly comprehend it, perhaps by the Seventh, Eighth, or even Ninth Grade, he could tap into a trace of the Law's power.
By then, no matter how vast the world, he could go anywhere he pleased.
Song San wailed for a long time. Seeing that no one paid him any mind, he immediately cast a venomous glance at Fang Xi's room and crawled outside.
A figure cautiously peeked in from outside; it was Fang Cheng Dong!
Seeing that Fang Xi hadn't come out, he immediately bolted over, hoisted Song San up, and left. . .
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