Chapter 538: Chapter 348: Cannibalism
“Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, all gods heed the summons! ༈༉༆༇… Five Pass Ghost God, frog deity… come forth with haste!”
In the underground cavern of Zhao Mansion, Zhao Sheng stood behind the Array, his entire body pulsating with Spiritual Power, his expression solemn as he recited the Summoning God Spell, with a two-zhang-tall colossal frog gold statue before him.
Suddenly,
A mass of Divinity golden light descended from the void into the mortal realm, entering the body of the Divine Statue.
Already prepared, the Binding Array activated instantly. Zhao Sheng formed the spell with his hands, skillfully muttering incantations, pulling the Divine Light from the gold statue, and then throwing it into the tripod furnace.
He then opened up his Magic Robe, baring his chest and then, with a swift motion, sliced open his stomach. Blood splattered in all directions as his entire digestive system plopped onto the Jade Plate, filling it to the brim, fresh and full of the scent of blood.
Next came the processes of taking the “Bright Pearl,” Refining the Divine Shell, and creating the Flesh and Blood Fiend Spirit, among a series of other steps.
Having the experience of creating a god previously, Zhao Sheng’s Refining went exceptionally smooth this time.
In just over a month, the second Five Passes Chang God—Golden Toad—was successfully birthed.
…
On the seventh day of the eighth month, happiness filled Zhao Mansion from top to bottom as Mr. Hongyun’s eldest grandson was born smoothly today, weighing eight pounds and eight ounces.
Overjoyed, Mr. Hongyun rewarded all the servants handsomely.
In a study room in the left wing of the mansion, where all four walls were adorned with various weapons—treasures priceless beyond measure—
Zhao Hongyun sat behind a desk, attentively and delicately wiping a foot-long Jade Sword with a silken cloth.
Every time he faced major events, he would always choose to wipe his cherished weapons, using this action to calm his roiling emotions.
“Hehe!”
At that moment, a chuckle suddenly rang beside his ear, followed by a familiar voice he could never forget, coming from in front: “Hongyun, congratulations!”
Zhao Hongyun jerked his head up, eyes brimming with tears as he saw his old master standing not far away, smiling broadly.
“Master, you’ve finally returned!”
Ever since more than a decade ago, when the old master entrusted the entire Zhao Mansion’s properties to him, there had been no news of him.
Over the years, outsiders always thought he, Zhao Hongyun, was the true master of the grand Zhao Mansion, little did they know the real master was right in front of them.
Thump thump thump!
Zhao Hongyun got up and ran towards Zhao Sheng, about to kneel and pay his respects, but was stopped by an overwhelming force that held him up, preventing him from kneeling.
“Put aside these trivial formalities! I didn’t intend to disturb your life. Yet who could have predicted the whims of fate, that your grandson, just born, would have the rare Innate Spiritual Root? Although his talent is somewhat lacking, I cannot let this child’s potential be buried.”
Hearing the master say this, Zhao Hongyun was wildly overjoyed.
For one, smoke was rising from his family’s ancestral grave— they had produced a natural-born Cultivator.
Secondly, the master had finally acknowledged his real identity.
Over the years, Zhao Hongyun always felt the master was enigmatic and profoundly inscrutable, and he had often suspected whether the master was one of the legendary Cultivators. Now, he finally had confirmation.
“Master, did I hear correctly? Little Stone really… really can cultivate?” Zhao Hongyun’s voice trembled with confirmation.
Zhao Sheng nodded, his words crisp and clear, “Truly!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongyun, who was now an Innate Grandmaster, couldn’t contain his excitement. A surge of green energy flashed across him, and Innate True Qi burst forth from his body. The ground three feet below him abruptly caved in, leaving a half-foot-deep crater.
Zhao Sheng sighed upon seeing this, “Alas, your Qi Cultivation technique is still not perfected. It seems that reaching the realm of Divinity in this life is hopeless! Come, follow me to see your precious grandson.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Zhao Hongyun continuously agreed, hastily pulling himself out of the pit, and walked out with the master.
At this moment, his excitement overwhelmed all else, with no concern for whether he could achieve a breakthrough in Divinity.
…
In the evening, after a day’s work, Wei the Sixth walked out from the back gate of Zhao Mansion.
At this time, his face was alight with joy, holding a paper-wrapped parcel containing five large meat buns, three pounds of eggs, and half a pound of black sugar stone.
Additionally, tucked in his bosom were two pieces of silver coins rewarded to him by the household.
While these might be insignificant to the rich, for Wei the Sixth, who toiled from dawn to dusk, it was an ample reward to be jubilant about.
We the Sixth had not expected that he, just a helper who wasn’t born into Zhao Mansion’s family, would benefit from the birth of a Qilin’er, earning such a generous reward from the house simply by fortune.
Thinking that the servants of Zhao Mansion had each been rewarded ten silver pieces, Wei the Sixth pondered about asking Housekeeper Zhao the next day if they needed a cook. His wife possessed excellent culinary skills.
If she were taken in, well, their lives would be… tsk tsk!
With these thoughts, Wei the Sixth walked home with a cheerful heart.
It was getting dark now, and night had fallen.
With nightfall, the various street stalls and shops on the streets began to close one after another, and the streets quieted down, people growing scarce.
Yet, groups of destitute people continued to huddle in corners, never seeming to diminish.
After walking two or three li, Wei the Sixth turned into an alley, groping in the dark, staggering forward.
“I’m so hungry! So, so hungry!”
As he passed a turn in the alley, a particularly feeble voice entered his ears.
Wei the Sixth looked towards the source and saw a frail figure in ragged clothes, huddled in the shadows, shivering.
“Hungry… so hungry!”
Whoever it was moaned and with each whimper carried by the night breeze into Wei the Sixth’s ears, the huddled figure seemed all the more pitiful.