29. The “Suffering” That Shifts

Xiao Qingpei, of course, was unaware that the esteemed Lord Dong was currently vexed by his inability to get a handle on him. At this moment, under the guidance of Pei Yuan, a centurion, Xiao Qingpei had already located the general direction of the Yunxiao Palace, as well as several “antiquities” that fit his requirements.

“Centurion Pei, thank you for your help. Please accept these five Taiyi Jade Hooks!”

Before his words had even faded, Xiao Qingpei had already mounted the clouds and departed.

Pei Yuan, the centurion, was beside himself with excitement, expressing his gratitude repeatedly. His enthusiasm toward Xiao Qingpei was not without motive. Initially, he had only hoped for a single Taiyi Jade Hook, and now Xiao Qingpei had given him five—small wonder he was overjoyed.

“Our little one can be saved! Let’s go and petition Lord Dong!” Pei Yuan immediately turned to his wife.

“Thank you, my love!” his wife replied, tears streaming down her face, for the “little one” Pei Yuan referred to was in fact their youngest daughter.

Her husband had always been upright and unyielding, never currying favor even with Lord Dong himself. But now, for the sake of their daughter, he was prepared to set aside his principles, if only for a while.

The sight of Xiao Qingpei flying away on the clouds brought a palpable sense of relief to several officials within the county, Lord Dong included.

Whenever Dong Jumo faced Xiao Qingpei, he was seized by an inexplicable sense that here was a man inherently wild and lawless!

Such a feeling was strange, without rhyme or reason.

Yet Dong Jumo chose not to ignore it.

After all, everything he possessed today was owed to similar, sudden intuitions in the past—sometimes about people, sometimes about events.

Though Xiao Qingpei had departed, in truth, he had not gone far. He merely concealed himself nearby.

He was preparing to use his second gift.

Better me than my fellow practitioner.

At present, Xiao Qingpei held three ancient objects in his hand: one dating back ninety years, another a hundred and twenty, and the last a relic from the previous dynasty.

Such a span between them was unavoidable; many things simply could not be preserved for long, and in many places, the conditions for preservation were lacking.

Xiao Qingpei’s gaze flickered in hesitation.

In the end, he chose the artifact with over a century of history.

After passing the Celestial Examination and stabilizing his own initial Foundation Establishment cultivation, Xiao Qingpei had not dared use artifacts of too great an age—the transformation of the “old crone” Xiaoqian still haunted him.

But now, thanks to that unreliable system, Xiao Qingpei, armed with a succession of “eccentric” magical treasures, had achieved considerable fighting power.

Even if his Sword Marbles and Lunar Sword Qi were outmatched, Xiao Qingpei could transform himself into the “Three Great Mountains” and weather any storm.

Moreover, this ancient artifact of a hundred and twenty years was a remarkably well-preserved inkstone.

Xiao Qingpei wished to try conjuring once more the “Suffering Scholar Spirit” he had summoned before.

That was the only spirit he had created using this gift, which, after roaming free for seven days, had returned and departed of its own accord.

As Xiao Qingpei repeated the process, picturing the “Suffering Scholar Spirit” in his mind, a sudden cold wind swept across his face.

Looking over, he saw a gaunt, disheveled scholar in a grey robe.

“Such suffering! Such suffering!”

“Busy and aimless, aimless and busy, yet unaware of one’s own life.”

“Lost and muddled, muddled and lost, yet ignorant of one’s own death.”

The scholar’s face was sallow; though his lips did not move, his voice could be heard—chilling, mournful, and somehow deeply unsettling.

Yet, just like last time, the “Suffering Scholar Spirit” glanced at Xiao Qingpei only once before drifting away.

Nonetheless, Xiao Qingpei did not lower his guard.

He took out three “Honest Golden Pills” and began his cultivation.

Although spiritual energy existed within a ten-mile radius of this county in the Great Zhou dynasty, it was far from any sort of cultivation paradise—barely enough to meet a practitioner’s needs.

Yet, under such circumstances, Xiao Qingpei’s cultivation progressed as though aided by celestial forces.

With his current Foundation Establishment, second layer, and the aid of the century-old artifact, the spirit he summoned could now grant him boosts on par with those from the terrifying “old crone” Xiaoqian.

Clearly, the “Suffering Scholar Spirit” he conjured this time had attained great strength—at least the third level of upper Foundation Establishment!

Perhaps even the very peak—the sixth level of upper Foundation Establishment!

Thus, seven days passed swiftly.

In contrast, within those seven days, the county under Lord Dong’s jurisdiction had descended into chaos.

Though the “Suffering Scholar Spirit” was completely harmless to anyone but Xiao Qingpei, its antics were simply too disruptive: performing “severed head tricks” at bustling intersections, or, in the dead of night, appearing out of nowhere to drag drunken men into debates about poetry, history, and current affairs…

In just a few days, word of a “destitute scholar spirit plotting rebellion” in the county reached the current emperor of the Great Zhou.

And so, with urgent haste, an imperial edict landed squarely on Dong Jumo’s head.

He was ordered to uncover the truth within three days!

“Such suffering…”

This time, it was not the spirit reciting its lament, but Lord Dong himself, who prided himself on being the consummate official.

Investigate a ghost?

Fortunately, just then, his trusted subordinate arrived with news: a master cultivator from the Immortal Distant Palace had arrived.

Dong Jumo hurried out to greet him.

“You must be the young scion of the Dong family? No need for formalities. Tell me everything you know about this suspected spirit—I have come by order of Ancestor Baili,” the Golden Core master said, all in haste.

“The spirit has alarmed Ancestor Baili himself?” Dong Jumo was stunned. Ancestor Baili was none other than the Nascent Soul patriarch of the Immortal Distant Palace!

One who, not long ago, had miraculously achieved a second life.

“That spirit once appeared in a small county of the Dayao Dynasty. At the time, a Foundation Establishment disciple of our sect happened to pass by and encountered it. When Ancestor Baili heard of the matter, he personally went to investigate, but found nothing,” the Golden Core master explained.

“I see! Please, Master, wait a moment. I shall have all clues regarding the spirit collated and presented to you,” Dong Jumo replied at once. “The spirit is elusive, so all information about it is fragmented—some have only glimpsed it from afar, others have had close encounters.”

The Golden Core master nodded. “Then prepare a quiet room for me.”

“Please, Master. Upon hearing of your arrival, I made arrangements in advance, and have also prepared the finest fruit tea brewed with Spiritual Resonance Dates,” Dong Jumo said hurriedly.

At the mention of those dates, the Golden Core master showed a look of surprise, then smiled. “You have put thought into this.”

Spiritual Resonance Dates were not exceedingly rare, but their preparation was painstakingly complex, requiring a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s continuous nurturing for half a year to mature a single fruit.

Nevertheless, tea brewed from them was truly delicious—a delicacy fit for honored guests.