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Chapter 29: Soul Support

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Back at the inn, the two saw Xiao Mei, sleeping with drool coming out of her mouth. They had such a night, yet this child was sleeping so peacefully, not a care… Oh well.

"Mu-er, call the others in,"

"Ancestor?"

"What, you don't know?"

Seeing a confused look on Mu-er, An Shan knew he had no idea. Well, those tailing them were his seniors after all. They had superior cultivation and more experience. In addition, they practiced similar method of pursuit and tracking, so they knew Mu-er's technique. And they were keeping distance, so it was understandable he could not detect them.

Pointing to outside, An Shan said;

"Xiao Xiu is there, a hundred zhang away. Call him in,"

"Ah… Yes!"

Finally comprehending what he meant, Mu-er moved. With his location revealed, the senior Blood Warrior called Xiao Xiu could not escape Mu-er's tracking. With a sigh, he followed his junior back to An Shan. Kneeling before him, he saluted with the utmost respect.

"Xiao Xiu, pays respect to Ancestor!"

"Em, you bring Xiao Yu and Xiao Feng with you?"

"Y-you're right, Ancestor. I beg your forgiveness!"

This Xiao Xiu was also known as Elder Xiu. Actually moving out without An Shan's order, he was worried this ancestor would not be so amused. However, it seemed he anticipated this, and was aware of them tailing him all along. Thankfully, he was not mad at all.

With Ancestor detecting him so easily, Elder Xiu wondered whether his own skill was enough. As the vice-leader of Blood Warriors, his skill was just second to the leader. In term of battle worth, he was stronger than most Grand Elders in the sect. Moreover, his cultivation was already at Peak Heavenly Stars Stage. Given the strict training he received from other Ancestors of the sect, and his identity as the sect's former West General, his ability was nothing to scoff at. As a senior person in Absolute Aegis, he thought he had seen and experienced much.

Yet at the moment, he was humbled.

In tailing An Shan, he was sure he made it quite natural. In addition, the two he brought with him was stronger and more skillful than both Mu-er and Ru-er. Originally, he was not so surprised An Shan could tell they were tailing him. He was afterall, their ancestor. He should be able to do at least this much. But to be able to tell even their identity…

Did he use spirit search on them? They did not feel anyone sensing them, so how could it be…?

While An Shan noticed his confusion, he ignored it. He would understand later. Pointing to the two spheres by Mu-er's side, he said;

"Have Xiao Feng take the captives back and interrogate them. Get the names of their clients. Inform me back when you're sure they're not tricks,"

"Yes!"

Seeing An Shan did not mention about a particular matter, Elder Xiu had to ask;

"Ancestor, about Ru-er?"

"Her body's a mess. She'll have to stay inside the turtle shell. I shouldn't part away with it, so she'll stay with me,"

"T-turtle shell? Speaking of her, where is she… Forgive me Ancestor, I couldn't tell,"

"Where, oh…"

Looking at the room, he urged them to make space. As they did, he took out the large turtle shell out of his spatial ring. With this act, the two Blood Warriors had a dumb look…

Turning to them, he noticed their confusion.

"She's in here,"

"Here?"

"S-she's in the turtle shell… Does that mean, y-you keep her in, inside… the ring?"

Seeing their face losing colors, he wondered the reason.

"Why are you two making such a face?"

"Aa, ancestor… Ru-er, did she… fell?"

"Fell? Of course she fell… It's a full-blown attack from a Titan-Star,"

"Ahh…"

"F-for her to… like this…"

With them making such a surprise look, An Shan pondered the reason.

Hey, she was attacked by such a force. How could she still stand… Oh… You mean that fell? He finally realized there might be a misunderstanding. However, just the fact that he put Ru-er into his spatial ring, made them assumed the worst. Why? What the heck… Just because I put her inside the ring, doesn't mean she's dead!

"She's alive, so stop making such a face!"

"W-what?"

"R-really…?"

"You think I'll joke about her life and death? Who do you think I am!"

"F-forgiveness, Ancestor!"

With him raising his voice, the two kneeled, saluting to appease him. Seeing him waving his hand in response, Elder Xiu asked;

"Ancestor, h-how… Em, please forgive your servant, Ancestor... But putting someone alive inside a spatial ring… T-that's,"

"What nonsense. Don't tell me you never hear, spatial ring with soul support?"

"Err… Soul support…"

Hearing Xiao Xiu making such a fumbling and anxious reply, An Shan confirmed what was wrong with them. Hey, you guys are Blood Warriors, direct subordinates to Ancestors! It made sense for disciples not knowing about its existence, but for you as well? Xiao Xiu, you're the former West General, a senior in the sect. For you not to know…

…

The heck!

Where were you living before, a rock? No, under a rock?

Don't tell me you don't know!

Don't lie!

…

Seeing An Shan made a doubtful look at them, the duo peeked at each other. Spatial ring with soul support? Was there such a wonderful thing in this world? Everyone knew spatial ring could not accommodate a soul, and that was precisely why living things could not get into the ring. It was common sense.

The duo found it hard to believe. They never heard of a spatial ring with soul support, but they believed their Ancestor. Since even they were not aware of it, the duo figured it must have been such a great, awesome secret they had to keep quiet about. Their mind wondered how much horror and fear their enemies might feel, should those scums know Absolute Aegis Sect had such a ring… Such a ring could be utilized in a lot of ways, so fearing it would be normal. And such fear, could bring forth tragedy. It could incite conflict!

Realizing how important this was, the two nodded to each other.

"Don't worry, Ancestor. Our lips are sealed," The elder said so, while suspiciously beaming ear to ear.

"Right, Ancestor…" Mu-er supported, also as excited, "I saw and hear nothing today, you should not worry,"

"The heck you two talking about… Oh well,"

Feeling sleepy, he had no desire to play around with them. His hand on his spatial ring, he took the twenty-four children out, all unconscious. Seeing the evidence in front of them, the two gulped. Not just Ru-er, but their Ancestor also kept these many children alive in his spatial ring.

An Shan knelt, rubbing the head of one of the children; the girl from before. Still looking at them, his eyes turned gentle… Soon, he closed his eyes, before opening them again.

"Xiao Xiu,"

"At your service, Ancestor!"

"Contact our agents, prepare a safe house for these children. Get information from them, but treat them well,"

"It will be done," Elder Xiu bowed.

"Have Xiao Yu observes and investigates the warehouse. Use locals… Who was behind it, and everything related… And tell him not to make a mess like Ru-er!"

"As you command!"

"As for you, Xiao Xiu… Cover Mu-er's back. Since Ru-er is injured, he will have to substitute."

"I understand. I shall do your will, Ancestor."

"…And Mu-er,"

He turned to the young man, poising himself straight to give a formal order. As Mu-er saw him doing so, he kneeled, giving him a formal salute.

"Your servant, at your service!"

"…From now on till we return to the sect, address me as father, understand?"

"Your servant— Err, son, understands!"

"Em!"

The day had been stressful for him. Before going to sleep, he decided to check on Ru-er first. Putting his all left arm inside the shell, he tried reaching for her shoulder. His hand, however, landed on something.

Something soft, squishy.

Quite a good vibration was coming from his hand, he wondered why…

Ho ho ho, he could play with this all day… This tenderness, this exquisite bounciness….

What is it, this wonderful thing?

"Weird, what's this squishy, so good thing… so nice... Oh,"

Then a thought dawn on him, he quickly took his hand out! His hand trembling, he had a pale face. Seeing him acting strange, it piqued the duo's interest. With a hesitant face, Elder Xiu asked;

"Ancestor, what's up? Is she alright?"

"…I forgot. Maybe cause it's been 2000 years? Or is it cause I'm too old… Oh well, at least she won't remember, she won't remember,"

"R-remember? Remember what, Ancestor? Did the attack damage her brain or something? D-did she turn dumb?"

"Don't ask things you shouldn't!"

"Y-yes!"

Checking on Ru-er again, he made sure his hand did not go in too deep. Hand on her shoulder, he pulled her just enough for her head and neck to be out. Seeing her face, Elder Xiu and Mu-er heaved a sigh of relief. While there were still burn and bruises, her overall complexion suggested her condition was stable. Her bloody eyes seemed to be recovering, and her nose and ears partly recovered.

"Em, no problem. I just have to find time,"

An Shan nodded. Her bones were a mess, but she was in no danger. Back then, he already took out the bones piercing her organs and restored some of her bones for her blood supply. However, the rest of the bones would take time. He had to find some time to fix them, but not now. The turtle shell was nourishing, strengthening her organs. In time, she should be strong enough for him to be a little rough. Hm, no need to worry, and he was sleepy…

Actually thinking about it, he lost a lot of sleep because of this Ru-er. This girl was too rash! In his mind, he was thinking of some sort of punishment for this disobedient little…

‘Well, later. Better sleep now,'

Waving his hand, he dismissed Xiao Xiu. With his eyes on the bed, he fell asleep… Directly fell asleep.

...

Hm, so good… Heavens, able to sleep is bliss…

Wish this lasts forever… Eh, wait, why am I having a bad feel—

"—Dadd, wake up!!!"

"My ears!"

Abruptly waking up, An Shan's blurry vision scanned the surroundings. Soon becoming sharper, he saw the culprit. With a big smile on her face, it was Xiao Mei. Her face was filled with pride, as if she had achieved something of incredible feat.

‘She called me dad? Oh right, she's Xiao Mi right now… But then, is that the way a daughter woke his father up? I don't know, never had a daughter before. I've heard they could become either angels or devils, but I never take such a saying seriously.'

"Mi-er, wake me up properly, will you! You want to be spanked so much? You're an M?"

"Eh, eh… No, ac-actually…"

She clearly did not expect him to be angry. Turning to Uncle Mu— Err, elder brother Mu beside her, her eyes was asking him for help. Hands saluting his father with respect, Mu-er explained;

"Esteemed father, I've tried many ways to wake you up, only to fail. Please do not blame Xiao Mi, I asked her for help,"

"Help? Is shouting full volume into my ears your idea of waking me up?"

"N-no, I didn't expect her to… Please, your forgiveness!"

"Forget it, I'm not so... Wait, did you say you fail to wake me up?"

"Yes! I've tried for almost an hour. If not for the coming auction, I wouldn't dare ask for Xiao Mi's help,"

"…What did you do, exactly?"

"This…"

Listening to Mu-er's explanation about him trying to wake him up, An Shan felt a bit worry. It seemed he tried many ways to wake him up, within the limit of what he thought was appropriate. Shaking him up, calling him over and over, tickling his feet… Uh, still appropriate, maybe. He even thought of using killing intent to shake him up, but decided not to since it was rude. When they did not have much time to spare, he saw Xiao Mei sleeping with drool coming out from her mouth. He recalled it was her who successfully woke Ancestor up from his Soul Severing, a feat that was legendary among Blood Warriors.

With acquiring her help in mind, he tried to wake her up too, to no avail. Remembering the earring An Shan put on her, he took it off before pouring water to wake her up. And it works!

...

With her up, he asked her for help.

Having the esteemed uncle Mu… eh, elder brother Mu depending on her, Xiao Mei was ecstatic, with 'he he' sound coming from her mouth. She felt like finally, someone could see her true value! With her fist bumping her flat chest, whole body still dripping wet, she proudly exclaimed;

"Leave it to me!"

…But similar to him, whatever things she did had no effect. With her eyeing the pail of water brother Mu used to wake her up, Mu-er stopped her with fright. With such great equipment denied, she felt cheated. You asked for my help, yet you hinder me from doing my job? Hmph, next time, don't bother asking this expert for help!

Yet as fate dictated, Mu-er asked her how she woke Ancestor up the last time. An idea sparked in her mind, she turned to the Ancestor's right ear, and—

The rest was history.

It was super effective.

"…Not good,"

Hearing what Mu-er had said, An Shan felt uneasy. He had never been such a heavy sleeper. Since he was twenty, he could feel someone approaching him even in his sleep. That had been true until the very last moment he fought in the war. No matter how tired he was, he could sense someone very well.

He knew the soul injury was the cause. Yesterday when he treated Ru-er, he never thought it would affect him, since he was just using the little soul connection he left. Or was it because he sealed most of his soul? In a way, he could be said as someone in partial Soul Sealing.

What was partial Soul Sealing? Hm, imagine someone walking around while being tied all over… For his case, it was worse. This was something the public never heard of, since even for Soul-Titan, it was no easy feat. An unnecessary one anyway.

To An Shan, it was necessary. It was similar to rationing, or limiting food during time of disaster. Authorities had to exercise strict control over food distribution to avoid waste or starvation later.

"…I only use a little to fix Ru-er, it already shows?"

Realizing how dire his circumstance was, he redefined his limitation. Thinking back, to fix Ling Shuren back then, he did exercise a lot of his Soul Control. Perhaps after that, the burden was too much to bear. Then again, he would not blame the young girl, it was his own decision to help. Perhaps it was a mistake… But even if he was aware of the effect beforehand, he still would make the same decision.

‘The herbs, I have to get them,'

The herbs he needed were rare. This time, the auction held in Wang Nan city was fortunate enough to have them. There were three herbs, each could be said to be a treasure which price could bankrupted a medium-sized sect, and put a strain on the budgets of even large sects. This time however, all three were auctioned in the same place at the same time. With this, he knew getting them all would not be so easy.

‘There ought to be some special demand,'

These herbs were rare, and it also came with time-limit on its full effectiveness. Yet the fact that they appeared in the same place at the same time, there must be certain demand for them. What triggered these demands, actually? Thinking of their function, An Shan had some ideas.

The Six-Petals Phoenix Lily was as the name implied. It could be used to rejuvenate a Phoenix back from near death. In other words, it was extremely useful to cultivators who use the Fiery Phoenix Imperial Clan's cultivation method or to a lesser degree, any fire-based cultivation. In this herb's case, the effect doubled for female cultivator, making it most desirable by members of Fiery Phoenix Imperial Clan.

‘So there's high possibility that third sister's clan members attending the auction,'

Given its value, it most likely only interest the high-ups in the clan. An Shan had a tender feeling towards the Fiery Phoenix. Their current Chief Ancestor Feng Huang Zhi sacrificed much to respect the relationship between his sect and her clan.

For a short while, he felt conflicted.

"…Whatever, I'll deal with it as it comes,"

Not knowing whether the clan really needed it or not, he ought to prioritize his own condition. As for the second herb, Millennium Armadillo Roots was precious. It was crucial for Heavenly Stars Stage expert to finally take the last step into Titan-Star Stage. It strengthened the soul to keep oneself strong to merge his stars into a massive Titan Star. In other words, it was a treasure which could increase the possibility for a Grand Elder to take that final short step. A step which hindered many, the final step to finally become a true Ancestor in cultivation.

A Titan-Star Stage Ancestor!

Of course, the increased chance was not high. But if successful, that person's rank and prestige would soar. There were so many Grand Elders in large sects, but Ancestors? There were only handfuls. Take Absolute Aegis sect for example. With as many as six hundred or so Grand Elders, there were only eight Ancestors in the sect. Of course, the numbers were reduced greatly due to the war before, but even counting it, the value was still colossal.

With this in mind, he knew this auction would attract the attention of many Grand Elders of large sects. It was possible that even Grand Elders from Imperial Clans would attend as well. While Imperial Clans would prepare similar herbs for a Grand Elder who was deemed ready, it was never unnecessary to be extra prepared. Even if these people failed to acquire it due to its high price, it was still good entertainment to see so many powers vying to get it.

"Father?"

Seeing An Shan in deep thought, Mu-er was hesitant to disturb. However, the time…

"Oh, I was just thinking, never mind me. When will the auction be?"

"In the afternoon… However, as you ordered, I had to wake you up earlier,"

"Right, there's some preparation… I also wish to see the city,"

"Father, we need to be there earlier to enter too. The entrance will be closed one hour before,"

"Fine, remind me again when it's time,"

He turned to his left. The morning sunlight lightened the room, and the window offered him the view of the city. A city filled with ancient houses and Pavillions here and there, with rivers running within. Over the horizon, the sea was busy with ships going in and out.

Waking up, he stretched his back. Going to the washroom, he thought of the final herb, the most prized one, the Ying-Yang Purple Moonlight Flowers. It had many usages, but one of the most prized one would be… to help a superior cultivator to bear a child.

Thinking about it, he acquired one for his late wife long ago. Back then, both of them were so busy cultivating, they managed to reach such great height earlier than others. However, that came with a price as well. With superior cultivation, his wife had difficulty conceiving a child. If that was left to chance, it was likely they would never have a successor in their life…

"…Not so easy, eh,"

With sleepy eyes, the Ancestor's hand took a dip into the cool water.

...

Chapter 29 End