I picked up skill fragments in the demon world

#377 - On the Road

Chapter 374: On the Road

Inside the dilapidated temple

Ever since seeing Zhang Chen receive large sums of money from an unknown source, Xu Erniu had begun to indulge herself. Every day, she would go to the city with Zhang Chen to buy meat, and her face gradually gained a healthy glow.

One day, after the two of them bought a large package of meat, they passed by a tailor shop. Xu Erniu stopped, her eyes fixed on the clothes inside, and she found it hard to move on.

"It's not the right time to buy clothes yet. We'll wait a while," Zhang Chen said, patting Xu Erniu's head. He still needed to wear these tattered clothes to spend money lavishly, creating a contrast to lure the city's riff-raff. Why would he change clothes?

Although Xu Erniu's eyes were full of longing, she obediently nodded.

Time passed bit by bit, and another month went by in the blink of an eye. By this time, Zhang Chen had more than ten thousand taels of silver in his hands.

Although he had money, Zhang Chen still lived in the dilapidated temple. However, he was generous with his spending every day, leading Xu Erniu into the city to spend money, buying and buying extravagantly. The city's idlers had long noticed these two children. One by one, they harbored ulterior motives, following behind Zhang Chen and Xu Erniu. However, after those people left the city, they disappeared without a trace.

After hundreds of people in the city had disappeared one after another, the city's riff-raff realized how strange Zhang Chen was. The major forces all went into hiding. Facing Zhang Chen, they were like seeing a living阎王, and they all avoided him.

Seeing that no one was taking the bait, Zhang Chen stopped fishing for law enforcement. Instead, he chose a house in the village. The family of three in that house had all been abducted and sold by Xiu Liu. Zhang Chen settled in with peace of mind and began to recuperate.

Recently, Zhang Chen and Xu Erniu's life had been very good. They had plenty of beef and mutton. However, to prevent the attention of the yamen runners, Zhang Chen still didn't dare to take Xu Erniu to restaurants for extravagant spending.

The two of them could be considered locals who knew each other well. It was fine to secretly eat some meat to replenish their bodies, but if they really spent lavishly in restaurants, indulging in extravagance every day, the yamen runners in Yangzhou City wouldn't be idle. They would definitely be noticed by the city's yamen runners.

One day, Xiu Liu came to deliver silver to Zhang Chen again. This time, Xiu Liu possessed a farmer, looking like a simple and honest man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, completely inconspicuous.

Xu Erniu sat under the eaves, licking malt candy, glanced at Xiu Liu, and then squinted her eyes, basking in the sun happily. Recently, strangers had often come to find Zhang Chen, and she was used to the current situation.

"How much money have you saved?" Zhang Chen asked.

Xiu Liu said in a low voice, "Thirty thousand taels!"

As he spoke, he took out the silver notes from his sleeve and respectfully handed them to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen gasped when he heard this. He never expected Xiu Liu to be so generous.

"That's enough money. Stop. Buy a carriage. I'm going to Mount Qingcheng in a month. You can come with me then," Zhang Chen instructed after a moment of thought.

The journey to Mount Qingcheng was thousands of miles away, and there were countless thieves and bandits on the road. If it was just himself and Xu Erniu on the road, two children wandering around, who knew how much trouble they would cause. If Xiu Liu was there to take care of them, it would save him a lot of trouble.

Xiu Liu pondered for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Zhang Chen cautiously, tentatively saying, "Can this lowly one leave behind a blood puppet?"

Zhang Chen didn't comment when he heard this: "As you wish."

Xiu Liu was overjoyed when he heard this. He had finally developed a foundation in Yangzhou City, and he couldn't bear to give it up so easily. The so-called blood puppet was actually infecting a subordinate with a drop of Xiu Liu's blood, giving the subordinate a portion of the Blood God Child's abilities, making them a puppet clone controlled by Xiu Liu.

Xiu Liu went to make arrangements, while Zhang Chen turned and walked into the courtyard, saying to Xu Erniu, "We'll be on the road next month."

"We're leaving next month?" Xu Erniu's face lit up when she heard this: "We can finally leave! My dream of becoming an immortal is about to come true."

Zhang Chen smiled when he heard this and returned to the house, thinking about how to fuse his Yin-Yang energy and Five-Colored Divine Light. Only by integrating the Yin-Yang energy into the Five-Colored Divine Light could he truly embark on the path of cultivation again.

Time passed quickly. A month passed, and Zhang Chen didn't come up with a way to fuse the Yin-Yang energy and the innate Five Elements energy. On the day of departure, Xiu Liu was driving the carriage, waiting outside Zhang Chen's door.

Zhang Chen and Xu Erniu changed into clean clothes. After these few months of recuperation, the two of them had become radiant and plump, their bodies full of flesh, looking more like 'people'. They were finally no longer skeletons.

"Little Ancestor, this lowly one has prepared all kinds of candied fruits, jerky, melon seeds, and snacks, all placed in the carriage. I don't know if Little Ancestor has any other instructions?" Xiu Liu stood respectfully in front of Zhang Chen, saying respectfully.

"There are many people on the road, so don't call me Little Ancestor anymore. Call me Young Master," Zhang Chen instructed.

Xiu Liu lowered his head and replied 'Yes', then lifted the curtain of the carriage. Zhang Chen looked at the entire half-carriage of snacks and nodded in satisfaction: "You've put your heart into it."

Then, Zhang Chen beckoned to Xu Erniu, who was full of joy. The two of them got into the carriage, and Xiu Liu waved his whip, and the carriage slowly drove through the village.

Zhang Chen lifted the curtain and looked at the village. Compared to the liveliness of the past, the entire village was desolate and seemed to lack vitality.

Xu Erniu also lifted the curtain, looking at the receding village, a hint of emotion in her eyes: "Now that we're leaving, I don't know when we'll be back. I'll be an immortal from now on. I, Xu Erniu, will turn over a new leaf and never be a beggar again."

Speaking of this, Xu Erniu suddenly paused and turned to look at Zhang Chen: "I say, Zhang Chen, do you think my name should be changed?"

"Why?" Zhang Chen asked, puzzled.

"Think about it, if I become an immortal in the future, after my name spreads, people will say: 'Immortal Xu Erniu'. How rustic is that? It doesn't match my identity as an immortal!" Xu Erniu said very seriously.

Zhang Chen pondered when he heard this: "What you said makes some sense. This name is really too rustic. What name do you think would be good?"

"I can't think of one. You're a talented writer. Think of one for me," Xu Erniu blinked her eyes.

"How about Xu Yan?" Zhang Chen asked.

Xu Erniu pondered slightly upon hearing this, then shook her head: "No, no, this name isn't earthy, but it's too ordinary, like a common girl. It doesn't convey the domineering aura of a female immortal."

Zhang Chen looked at Xu Erniu, at her dark little face, tanned by the sun, making her look like a little black girl.

"Then… I don't know what name would be worthy of your title as a female immortal," Zhang Chen said.

"People often say 'May your happiness be as immense as the Eastern Sea, and your life as long as the Southern Mountain.' How about I call myself Xu Fu?" Xu Erniu suggested.

Zhang Chen was stunned upon hearing this, staring blankly at Xu Erniu, thinking to himself, "What a grand name!"

"Why are you spacing out?" Xu Erniu, noticing Zhang Chen's lack of reaction, tugged at his sleeve.

Zhang Chen snapped back to reality and said, "It's a good name!"

"So, from now on, I'll be called Xu Fu?" Xu Erniu asked.

Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing this: "This name is indeed excellent. I think you are a lucky person; otherwise, how would you have met me?"

Xu Erniu's face lit up with joy. At this moment, the carriage slowly arrived at the village entrance, where ten strong men were waiting with their horses. Xiu Liu, the coachman, said to Zhang Chen: "I was thinking that the journey ahead is long and arduous, and there might be times when I cannot provide adequate care. Therefore, I have specially dispatched ten of my men to assist and serve you on your journey."

Zhang Chen's eyes swept over the ten men, all of whom were Xiu Liu's blood puppets, trustworthy individuals. He nodded in agreement, tacitly approving Xiu Liu's arrangement.

Xiu Liu waved his hand, and the ten men mounted their horses and rode ahead to scout the way, arranging Zhang Chen's food, lodging, and transportation.

The carriage rumbled along, and as dusk approached, a rider ahead had already prepared the camp, even the wine and dishes were ready.

"Master, we will camp here tonight. If we continue, it will get dark, and setting up camp later might delay your rest," Xiu Liu said respectfully to Zhang Chen, reining in the horse.

Zhang Chen smiled upon hearing this: "You make the arrangements."

He indeed hadn't misjudged him; this Xiu Liu was truly capable.

The three of them ate in the camp, and then Xu Erniu, holding her wooden sword, sat in front of the fire, full of longing, staring blankly, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Chen walked over and sat beside Xu Fu, asking.

"I'm wondering what kind of person my father is. He must be a peerless hero, among the top immortals," Xu Erniu said, her eyes full of hope.

Zhang Chen glanced at Xu Erniu and touched her head: "That's for sure!"

"When we get to Mount Qingcheng, I will definitely ask my father to repay you, to take you as his personal disciple, and personally teach you the art of turning stone into gold and the technique of immortality," Xu Erniu said.

Zhang Chen smiled upon hearing this: "Then I'll have to rely on you."

Xu Erniu chattered on beside him, talking about her visions of the future, and then fell into a drowsy sleep in Zhang Chen's arms, while Zhang Chen sat by the campfire, pondering the transformation between innate Yin-Yang and the five elements.

The next day, they continued on their way.

The third day, they continued as before.

On the fifth day, a rider returned from ahead, stopping in front of the carriage and whispering in Xiu Liu's ear. Xiu Liu turned his head and said to the carriage: "Master, we seem to be in trouble. Two groups of bandits are fighting ahead, and one of them is forcibly recruiting people. If we want to pass safely, we need to detour for three days to bypass the mountains ahead."

"Take an invisibility talisman and go take a look. If you can defeat them, show no mercy. If you can't defeat them, let's detour," Zhang Chen pondered briefly and ordered.

He didn't want to cause trouble. For him, reaching Mount Qingcheng safely was the most important thing.

Xiu Liu spurred his horse away, and the puppet took over driving the carriage.

Half a day later, Xiu Liu returned, emanating a surging killing intent, his aura skyrocketing, somewhat uncontrollable. Zhang Chen observed his aura and realized that he had actually stepped into the fourth rank.

"How many people did you kill?" Zhang Chen clicked his tongue inwardly.

Although the blood path only requires continuous absorption of blood to become stronger, jumping from the first rank to the fourth rank is not such a simple matter.

"Sixteen thousand!" Xiu Liu dismounted and stood in front of the carriage, smiling innocently, showing no sign of ferocity, and a flattering smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Chen gave Xiu Liu a deep look upon hearing this: "Be careful, don't cultivate too quickly, or there will definitely be problems."

"Your servant obeys," Xiu Liu said respectfully.

Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing this. He wasn't afraid of Xiu Liu turning against him. Even if Xiu Liu reached the twelfth rank, he couldn't possibly turn against him.

Zhang Chen's mind flickered, and all the Yin-Yang energy in his body was absorbed by the Golden Dragon Scissors. Then, Zhang Chen took the opportunity to activate the Blood Control Technique, and saw a ninth-grade lotus flower flying out from the blood-red crystal core within the vast sea of blood, which Zhang Chen held in his hand, suppressing its aura with a talisman.

As soon as the ninth-grade lotus flower appeared, Xiu Liu felt the blood in his body boiling, and an indescribable desire surged into his heart, making him wish he could directly snatch the blood-red lotus flower, but Xiu Liu didn't dare, and could only watch Zhang Chen's blood-red lotus flower eagerly.

Zhang Chen handed the blood-red lotus flower to Xiu Liu: "Refine this lotus flower into your Blood God Seed. Before the ninth grade, this blood-red lotus flower can suppress your destiny, refine your Blood God, and help you wash away the impurities in your Blood God."

Hearing Zhang Chen's words, Xiu Liu tremblingly took the blood-red lotus flower, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Chen: "Thank you, Master."

Then, Xiu Liu circulated his blood energy, and the blood-red lotus flower flew into his body. Immediately, Xiu Liu's aura flowed, and the originally disordered aura was actually suppressed, no longer showing the slightest bit.

"Let's go!" Zhang Chen said.

Xiu Liu jumped onto the carriage, refining the blood-red lotus flower while driving the carriage.

When they passed the place where the bandits were fighting, the blood puppets had already looted the money from the mountain, amounting to two large boxes of silver. Xiu Liu had no choice but to find another carriage to drive that carriage specifically.

With money, Zhang Chen naturally lived as luxuriously as possible. He refused to mistreat himself on this journey. In the cities they passed, he slept in the best inns, ate the best food, and enjoyed the best treatment.

However, Zhang Chen's actions also attracted the attention of many people, including Jianghu greenwoodsmen and insignificant bandits.

But no matter who they were, they were all mortals, and they were all dealt with by Xiu Liu, becoming Xiu Liu's nourishment.