Yu Lie was surrounded by the Poison-Mouth Dao Children, and he felt a slight sense of joy in his heart.
However, he did not indulge in their flattery.
Instead, he briefly mentioned that he had important matters to attend to and declined to continue leading them.
At this point, Yu Lie had gathered enough resources to break through to the rank of Upper Dao Child.
Moreover, he had a clear goal: to capture the Fish King in the Black River.
Hunting the Fish King did not require the assistance of others.
In fact, having the Poison-Mouth Dao Children follow him would only be a burden and could even lead to leaks of information, attracting unwanted attention.
Therefore, Yu Lie only used his position as the leader of the Poison-Mouth Dao Children to vouch for a few small leaders like Radish Head, providing them with a foundation to unite and work together.
Privately, he also gave Radish Head and Fatty Gao a few fireball bombs each.
This way, the Poison-Mouth Dao Children would not be easily bullied or ambushed in the early days outside the town.
As for what would happen later, it was beyond Yu Lie's control.
It would depend on the fate of these individuals.
In a large abandoned house within the village, the Poison-Mouth Dao Children looked at Yu Lie with disappointment, their words stuck in their throats.
However, Radish Head spoke up in a calm voice, "Leader Yu, we wish you success in your Dao cultivation!"
One after another, voices echoed, "Leader, you will surely succeed in your Dao cultivation!"
Yu Lie stepped out of the abandoned house, looked around at the crowd, and clasped his hands in a gesture of farewell, "Fellow Daoists, see you in town!"
With that, he lowered the bamboo hat on his head and disappeared into the darkness.
After some twists and turns, ensuring that no one was paying attention to him, Yu Lie changed his attire in a hidden spot.
He waited for a moment before boldly making his way to where She Shuangbai was located.
Although She Shuangbai held the prestigious position of Hall Master, with the entire Processing Hall under his command, he lived alone in a bamboo tower.
Apart from the earlier lecture, he rarely interacted with the Dao Children and did not require anyone to serve him.
Thus, the area within ten steps of the bamboo tower was like a forbidden zone, and no one dared to approach it casually.
Although Yu Lie had come here stealthily, he did not act too furtively.
Instead, he knocked on the window frame to signal his presence to the person inside, "Hall Master She, I have important matters to discuss!"
Yu Lie did not want to be mistaken for an enemy and killed upon entering.
The bamboo tower had three or four floors and was built against a cliff.
After Yu Lie's call, there was a moment of silence before a calm voice responded, "Come up."
Upon hearing this, Yu Lie immediately leaped up and made his way to the upper floors of the damaged bamboo tower.
When he reached the third floor, before he could see She Shuangbai, he heard the sound of water.
Following the sound, Yu Lie raised an eyebrow as he saw a black-robed Daoist with disheveled hair standing with his back to him.
A bucket of steaming hot water suggested that the man had just finished bathing.
The Daoist's voice came through, "Second Head, come here."
In a flash, a shadow passed before Yu Lie's eyes—it was none other than the two-headed snake She Shuangbai kept.
The creature had somehow slithered to Yu Lie's side without him noticing, and it now brushed its tail against his neck in a threatening manner before moving to the opposite side.
Before Yu Lie could speak, a cold laugh rang out, "So it was you, kid, who shot me with those fire arrows?"
A hiss from the snake accompanied the words.
The Daoist in front suddenly turned around, revealing a pale, featureless face—he was wearing a white mask.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Yu Lie simply clasped his hands and said, "Greetings, Hall Master!"
The masked Daoist coldly scrutinized Yu Lie, "Speak, what is it?"
With a thud, Yu Lie decisively pulled out the corpse of Ku Mu and said, "I have fulfilled my mission. I have slain Ku Mu, the Upper Dao Child of Green Wood Town!"
The corpse of Ku Mu caught the masked Daoist's attention.
He slowly walked over to Yu Lie, glanced at the body, and said, "Not bad. Although you took advantage of my oversight, being able to kill an Upper Dao Child shows that your methods and intelligence are quite remarkable. You have not disappointed me."
Yu Lie slightly lowered his head, quietly listening to the man's words.
As She Shuangbai spoke, Yu Lie's eyes flickered, noticing that She Shuangbai was barefoot, his feet pale and crystalline, like jade cups.
Another voice came through, "Speak, what reward do you want? This person was an Upper Dao Child, and his head is useful to me. I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Yu Lie quickly averted his gaze and, after a moment of thought, took out Ku Mu's cultivation diary, "Hall Master, this is something I found on the enemy's body. It records over ten years of his cultivation experience. The contents might help the town understand the enemy's situation..."
The masked Daoist glanced at the book and impatiently said, "Get to the point. If you keep rambling, I'll take your things and not do anything for you."
Seeing the man's directness, Yu Lie quickly flipped to the pages in Ku Mu's diary that recorded the "Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique" and gestured for the man to take it, "This book contains a secret technique. According to the text, it can enhance the quality of blood, promote the cleansing of marrow, and aid digestion. However, my knowledge is limited, and I cannot verify its authenticity. I can only ask Hall Master to take a look or contact the town's Dao Disciples to provide some insights."
Hearing this, the masked Daoist became interested.
Instead of reaching out, the two-headed snake on his shoulder extended its heads, holding the diary and bringing it to the masked Daoist.
The masked Daoist looked down at the diary and muttered, "The Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique? I do have some recollection of this technique..."
The bamboo tower fell silent.
Yu Lie patiently waited as the masked Daoist flipped through the diary, occasionally pausing to read more carefully.
Finally, the man looked up at Yu Lie and chuckled, "Kid, you're quite lucky. Killing an Upper Dao Child and getting such a benefit. It's rare for someone like Ku Mu to possess this technique. He was unfortunate, but you're fortunate."
Hearing this, Yu Lie's face showed a hint of excitement, "Hall Master, are you saying this secret technique is genuine?"
The masked Daoist nodded but added, "I've heard of this technique before. It does, as the book says, have the effect of enhancing one's foundation. It's a secret technique worthy of being passed down through generations. However, I don't have the specific contents, nor can I verify if the steps in this book are complete."
The man paced around the bamboo tower, "If we were still in town, I could help you consult the town's Dao Disciples. Presenting this technique could also earn you more benefits from the town. Unfortunately, we're outside the town now, and the Dao Disciples are probably busy with other matters. They won't have time to deal with such trivial things."
This dampened Yu Lie's spirits.
He needed to use the "Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique" now, as the grand military assembly could end at any time.
Recalling the regret written in Ku Mu's diary, Yu Lie thought to himself, "Do I really have to endure and wait until the grand military assembly is over before I can cleanse my marrow in town?"
But then, a pleasant surprise came!
A booklet suddenly appeared in the masked Daoist's hand.
He weighed it and said, "Fine, I'll do you another favor."
The booklet, along with Ku Mu's diary, was tossed back into Yu Lie's arms.
The man continued, "The Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique has some value to me as well. The contents aren't entirely false, but I can't guarantee that the key parts haven't been altered. You were right to be cautious."
"Since that's the case, I'll give you another secret technique. You can combine the two, using the key parts from the one I gave you and the less important parts from the Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique. That should suffice. When you have time later, you can decide if it's worth spending your merits to have the Dao Disciples take a look."
The masked Daoist spoke calmly.
Yu Lie, however, was stunned.
He looked at the two booklets in his arms, momentarily at a loss.
But Yu Lie's actions were still swift.
He immediately opened the booklet the masked Daoist had thrown to him.
The words "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound Formation" appeared before his eyes, shining brightly!
Roar!
As he flipped through the pages, Yu Lie felt a slight sting in his fingers, and his ears rang with the roars of tigers and leopards, leaving him momentarily dazed.
After handing over the items, the masked Daoist stretched elegantly in front of Yu Lie, his bones crackling like those of a tiger or leopard, his tendons resonating.
"This formation diagram, I've only used it once. There are two more uses left, which should be enough for you. If you can't make it work in two tries, then you can only blame yourself for being unworthy."
The masked Daoist instructed, "Find a thunderstorm, place it on a mountaintop, bury it in the soil, and use metal tools to guide it. After the thunderstorm, retrieve it, and it will be ready to use. It's not complicated. As for the materials involved, if you don't have them, wait for the old Dao Children from the town to arrive and then buy or have them purchase the items for you."
With that, the masked Daoist lazily waved his hand at Yu Lie and turned to head upstairs, "I'm tired. You may leave."
Yu Lie, holding the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound Formation" given to him, stood on the third floor, his heart filled with joy.
When he came back to his senses, both the masked Daoist and Ku Mu's corpse had disappeared.
Yu Lie quickly called out, "Thank you, Hall Master! I will never forget your great kindness!"
His gratitude elicited a light laugh from upstairs, "Enough with the flattery. Just remember, if there's another enemy attack, don't shoot me first."
Hearing the man's teasing, Yu Lie felt a bit embarrassed and repeatedly said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
But if another enemy attack did occur and there was no other way, Yu Lie would still choose to shoot She Shuangbai first as a warning.
Yu Lie stood in the bamboo tower, saying a few more words of praise, much like the Poison-Mouth Dao Children who flattered him.
He even thumped his chest, almost swearing an oath.
However, She Shuangbai did not respond further, so Yu Lie had no choice but to pack up his things and slowly exit the bamboo tower.
After leaving the tower, Yu Lie's steps were light as he found a quiet spot in the dilapidated village to examine his newly acquired treasure.
As he opened the booklet again, the same stinging sensation returned to his hand, and the roars of tigers and leopards echoed in his ears.
Filled with anticipation, Yu Lie quickly lowered his head and began reading word by word.
After reading a few lines, Yu Lie looked up again.
He suddenly remembered that Ku Mu's diary was still in his hands, and She Shuangbai had not torn out the pages related to the "Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique" when he returned it.
This made Yu Lie ponder, and a look of envy appeared in his eyes, "Does this man have a photographic memory?"
He once again realized that She Shuangbai was indeed a genius!
Although they were all cultivators and not ordinary people, the ability of photographic memory only became common after one advanced to the rank of Dao Official and developed their soul and spiritual sense.
Those who possessed photographic memory before reaching the rank of Dao Official were either born with powerful souls or had exceptionally pure spirits—they were all exceptionally talented individuals!
Not only were they highly likely to become Dao Officials, but once they did, their spiritual senses would also be extraordinary.
Yu Lie sighed in his heart, "Such geniuses are truly enviable."
Fortunately, he had the bronze wine cup, which gave him a small advantage, so he didn't need to be too jealous.
Yu Lie lowered his head and continued to examine the booklet She Shuangbai had given him.
The booklet had a label from the Black Water Town's library, and its contents were layered.
When fully unfolded, it became a formation diagram the size of a mat, too large for Yu Lie to hold with both hands.
Every inch of the diagram seemed to carry a faint electric current, making one's hands tingle upon touch.
At the center were a tiger and a leopard, two black and white beasts, locked in a Tai Chi-like stance.
After reading the contents of the booklet, Yu Lie unfolded the formation diagram and laid it on the ground, sitting cross-legged on it.
Just by sitting there, he felt a sense of shock and trembling throughout his body, as if something from the diagram was trying to seep into his bones.
This phenomenon, along with the library label on the booklet, confirmed that the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound Formation" was indeed genuine, even if it was second-hand!
Moreover, after much thought, Yu Lie couldn't find any reason for She Shuangbai to go out of his way to harm him.
After inspecting the formation diagram, Yu Lie let out a sigh of relief.
He quickly jumped off the diagram, rolled it up, and stored it in his Blood Toad Belly.
Such formation diagrams were similar to talismans—they couldn't be left unfolded for too long, or their spiritual energy would dissipate, reducing their effectiveness.
After packing up, Yu Lie tidied himself and left the quiet spot, heading towards the bustling area of the village.
As She Shuangbai had mentioned, both the "Bell and Cauldron Consumption Technique" and the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound Formation" required certain tools and materials to set up and use.
Some of these items were rare, while others were not.
Yu Lie already had some, but he needed to trade for more.
Fortunately, there were still over a hundred Dao Children alive in the village, and more than two hundred had died.
Now, everyone had an abundance of supplies, even to the point of finding them cumbersome.
Yu Lie didn't need to wait for the town's people to arrive; he could trade with others first.
After some wandering, Yu Lie contentedly patted his sleeve, once again thanking Ku Mu.
If it weren't for the man's "gift," giving him an extra storage blood vessel, he wouldn't have been able to carry so many materials.
Finally, as dawn approached, Yu Lie adjusted his bamboo hat and, alone, disappeared into the forest...
(End of Chapter)