“I want to know where there is alchemical fire.”
Li Feng slowly stated his question. He had many questions he wanted to ask, including the secrets of Tianhai City’s four great families, the origins of the Emperor’s Pavilion, the purpose of the Fist King Championship, and so on. However, the value of those questions was probably beyond what he could afford, and he felt that knowing them would not be of much use to him. It was better to find out where alchemical fire could be found.
The so-called alchemical fire referred to anomalous flames from heaven and earth. They might be the spark carried in the centre of a meteor fallen from the sky, or perhaps the lava earth fire deep in a volcano, forged and burned for thousands of years. These anomalous flames were far more powerful than flames catalysed by fire-type true qi. When refining pills, they could also enhance the medicinal power.
Ever since successfully refining medicine according to a pill formula, Li Feng had constantly yearned to obtain alchemical fire. With it, he could learn pill refining techniques and refine pills. As long as he could refine pills, the strength of himself and his subordinates could rapidly increase.
Thus, many questions flashed through his mind, but in the end, he asked about alchemical fire.
After a moment of silence, the hollow voice rang out again. “The question is worth two hundred and fifty million.”
Soon, the sound of card swiping came from the slot.
Three minutes later, the slot for delivering information appeared once more. Li Feng reached out and took the paper from it.
However, unlike the previous paper on Blood Shadow, which was densely covered in writing, this one had only a dozen or so characters.
Li Feng glanced at it. It was merely four or five place names.
“This transaction is concluded.” The hollow voice sounded, and immediately after, the door to the small building opened automatically.
“Let us go.” Li Feng put away the paper on alchemical fire, said to Zhong Shuhui, and stood up to leave the room. He truly did not wish to stay in this place a minute longer. The overwhelming death qi made him extremely uncomfortable.
Zhong Shuhui nodded and followed Li Feng out of the small building.
Soon, the two left the funeral parlour and returned to the car.
“Phew.”
Li Feng let out a breath of relief. Only after leaving the funeral parlour did he feel a sense of safety. Earlier inside, especially in that small building, he had felt no security at all.
He felt that what he had transacted with was not just death qi. The people of the Shadow Studio were also connected to this death qi. What did they need death qi for? The only explanation was that they used it for cultivation, or perhaps they had other intentions with it. Regardless of the reason, Li Feng felt he should not have further contact with the Shadow Studio.
“Zhong Shuhui, from now on, we must not conduct any more transactions with the Shadow Studio.” Li Feng said gravely.
“Young Master, although the Shadow Studio’s intelligence is expensive, it is worth the price. Why not transact?” Zhong Shuhui looked at Li Feng in confusion.
“This Shadow Studio is too mysterious, too dangerous.” Li Feng explained his guesses, then said gravely, “Earlier in the small building, I felt like a turtle in a jar. It seemed as if the people from the Shadow Studio could kill me effortlessly.”
“Young Master, could your guesses be true?” Horror flashed in Zhong Shuhui’s eyes. Li Feng’s speculations were too terrifying.
“Nothing is impossible. Even if my guesses are wrong, the fact that the Shadow Studio branch is built in this funeral parlour remains. Unless they have unspeakable purposes, how else can this be explained?” Li Feng said gravely.
Zhong Shuhui fell silent. Previously, knowing the branch was in a funeral parlour, she had only thought the Shadow Studio chose unusual locations and had not pondered it deeply. But now that Li Feng mentioned it, she realised: what was the Shadow Studio branch doing in a funeral parlour?
A city was so large. Was there truly no secluded place available?
That was clearly impossible.
Thus, as Li Feng said, was the purpose of building the branch here really for the death qi?
Taking Tianhai City as an example, at least several hundred people died each day. The death qi produced by those hundreds was immensely vast. Accumulated over time, it became a tremendous energy. Even ordinary people living under this death qi would be affected, let alone ancient martial artists, for whom death qi was a nemesis.
Zhong Shuhui certainly did not think the people of the Shadow Studio were ordinary. Even if ordinary members were, there must be ancient martial artists within the organisation. Were those ancient martial artists not afraid of death qi?
That was clearly impossible.
Therefore, Li Feng’s speculations were not out of the question.
“Without intelligence, we can find other ways. But too much contact with the Shadow Studio could bring great trouble.” Li Feng said gravely.
“Young Master, rest assured. I will not transact with the Shadow Studio again.” Zhong Shuhui nodded. She could not change Li Feng’s decisions, and moreover, his concerns were not without reason.
“Let us return to Tianya Pavilion first.” Li Feng said.
However, Li Feng did not know that some things could not be achieved simply because he wished them. He did not want any further association with the Shadow Studio, but events often unfolded unexpectedly.
Back at Tianya Pavilion, Li Feng and Zhong Shuhui went to her office and only then took out the intelligence on Blood Shadow to read.
“Half-step Innate?”
Seeing the description of Blood Shadow’s strength, Li Feng’s pupils contracted.
Half-step Innate and peak ninth-level Acquired were two different concepts. Half-step Innate meant one had already touched the threshold of the Innate Realm and was on the verge of breaking through. It only required an opportunity.
Peak ninth-level Acquired was different. Though it seemed close to the Innate Realm, one at that level had not yet touched the threshold. Breaking through would still take a long time.
Li Feng had long estimated Blood Shadow’s strength. He had thought it was around ninth-level Acquired, but he had not expected it to be half-step Innate.
Though this half-step Innate had not reached the Innate Realm, it was even harder to deal with than peak ninth-level Acquired.
“No wonder Chen Junyi values me so highly.” A glint flashed in Li Feng’s eyes. When Chen Junyi dispatched Blood Shadow, he did not know Li Feng’s strength, yet he still sent a half-step Innate. This showed how much importance Chen Junyi placed on him.
“But so what if it is half-step Innate? Am I, Li Feng, the type to fear anyone?” Fighting spirit flashed sharply in Li Feng’s eyes. Now, killing a peak ninth-level Acquired was not difficult for him. He wondered how he would fare against a half-step Innate.
Li Feng’s strength was eighth-level Qi Refining. In terms of comparison, when he was at seventh-level Qi Refining, it corresponded to ninth-level Acquired. He wondered if his eighth-level Qi Refining corresponded to the Innate Realm. But now, seeing the half-step Innate realm, Li Feng wondered if his eighth-level Qi Refining combat power corresponded to half-step Innate.
However, without testing it, he did not know if that was the case. Li Feng felt he should try. And Blood Shadow was his target.
“Blood Shadow, I truly want to test just how strong your half-step Innate power is.” Astonishing battle intent flashed in Li Feng’s eyes.
“Zhong Shuhui, take a look.” Li Feng finished reading the intelligence on Blood Shadow and handed it to Zhong Shuhui.
Zhong Shuhui read it carefully and said, “Young Master, this Blood Shadow will not be easy to deal with.”
“Indeed, this Blood Shadow is very difficult. His personality has few weaknesses to exploit, but no one is perfect. Sometimes what is not a weakness becomes one.” Li Feng said gravely.
“What is not a weakness becomes one?” Zhong Shuhui was first stunned, then understood.
“However, we cannot fully trust the Shadow Studio’s intelligence. It is best to have someone verify it. Does it not mention Blood Shadow’s living habits here? These habits are not those of an ordinary person. We can start with the people from Yuxing Lake. I believe we can find some clues.” Li Feng said gravely.
Zhong Shuhui’s eyes lit up. “Young Master is right. Even if the people from Yuxing Lake do not know of Blood Shadow’s existence, they know the daily situation there. Blood Shadow’s distinctive habits should leave some traces.”
“Exactly. This will depend on your skills. Truth be told, we should thank that Tiger. If not for his lust, we would not have captured someone from Yuxing Lake now.” Li Feng smiled, looking at Zhong Shuhui. “Though I usually do not notice, Zhong Shuhui, you truly have such feminine charm.”
Li Feng could not help recalling that time he entered Zhong Shuhui’s office and saw her changing clothes.
“Young Master, what are you saying?” Zhong Shuhui’s face flushed slightly. She had not expected Li Feng to joke with her.
“I am speaking the truth.” Li Feng smiled. Only now did he suddenly realise that beauties surrounded him. Hu Yuanyuan and Xu Qing managing Fengyuan Group, Zhong Shuhui and Mu Jiajia managing Eagle Eye, Xu Jie managing the inner guards. Each one was a stunning beauty.
For ordinary people, obtaining even one would be unlikely, yet so many were by his side. Though among them, apart from Hu Yuanyuan and Xu Qing, most were his subordinates, beauties were pleasing to the eye. If he wanted something, it would be like the moon coming to him first from the near tower.
“Young Master, stop joking. If the Young Madam found out, I would not know how to explain.” Zhong Shuhui quickly said.
“Explain what? Explain your relationship with me? It seems we do not have any special relationship, do we?” Li Feng looked at Zhong Shuhui with a half-smile. “Or do you want something to happen between us?”
“Young Master…” Zhong Shuhui experienced Li Feng’s roguish side for the first time and did not know what to say.
“Alright, I will stop teasing you.” Li Feng smiled. It was the first time he had seen Zhong Shuhui flustered and shocked. He found her reaction quite amusing.
Only then did Zhong Shuhui breathe a sigh of relief.
After chatting with Zhong Shuhui a while longer, Li Feng left. Now that he had obtained intelligence on Blood Shadow from the Shadow Studio, it was time to prepare to close the net. However, before that, he had one more thing to do. But as Li Feng left Tianya Pavilion, he received a call from Song Zhiyuan.
“Why is Song Zhiyuan calling me at this time?” A trace of doubt flashed in Li Feng’s eyes.
