Nameless District: Chapter Thirty-Three — A Collusion of Rogues

Gu Zhen handed over a jade slip to Zhou Xuanhong, containing the method of raising the Azure-scaled Eagle. “The fiercer the Azure-scaled Eagle, the stronger its combat abilities. It’s best to feed it raw meat. If you have the means, let it hunt its own prey.”

While the three of them were discussing various matters concerning the Xingyan Sect, another commotion broke out at the gates of Freewind City.

Old Black Ghost, his brows furrowed, lifted his hand, and a massive black palm materialized above the residence, snatching up a troublesome second-generation cultivator.

This fellow belonged to a minor cultivation clan, not on par with the young sect master from Five Spirit Pill Valley. Now, terror-stricken, he collapsed onto the floor of the City Lord’s mansion, utterly at a loss.

“Heh heh heh, more and more reckless brats lately—just right for feeding the formation plate.”

Cackling, Old Black Ghost’s black palm slammed down, instantly eradicating the second-generation cultivator, body and soul alike. The fragments of his soul were drawn into the formation of the City Lord’s mansion, devoured without a trace.

This was Old Black Ghost’s true face: cruel, bloodthirsty, utterly indifferent to life—a true ghost cultivator.

Zhou Xuanhong, curious, asked, “I recall back in North Ridge City, those children were also taken by your people?”

Old Black Ghost replied offhandedly, “Of course. They were all used for blood sacrifices.” He glanced at Zhou Xuanhong to gauge his reaction.

Yet Zhou Xuanhong felt not a ripple at this merciless answer. Smiling faintly, he said, “Now I understand why your Ghost Sect was wiped out. With such actions, even the demonic sects would want to erase you for their own future, let alone the righteous path. Surely you must see that? I suppose those children were meant as fresh blood for the Ghost Sect’s future—unfit ones for sacrifices, the promising ones raised as new disciples.”

Old Black Ghost stroked his beard. “You’re clever, boy, but you guessed wrong on one point. My fourth-grade formation plate is damaged, so even the suitable children are devoured by the formation spirit. As for the future of the Ghost Sect—ha! Young man, do you think this old man feels any loyalty to it?”

Such is the ghost cultivator’s creed: self-interest above all. If not for his soul lamp being in the hands of his own sect’s supreme elder, Old Black Ghost would be the first to abandon the sect.

Gu Zhen, unable to match such callousness, showed a trace of pity in his eyes at Old Black Ghost’s remorseless words. He could not reach such numb indifference, nor share Zhou Xuanhong’s detachment.

“Friend Black Ghost, even as a ghost cultivator, one must mind cause and effect. The immortal road is long and fraught with peril—such entanglements only make your path harder. Be it beast or human, younglings should not be harmed. You go too far.”

Old Black Ghost, who had survived centuries in the cultivation world, brushed aside Gu Zhen’s remonstration with a casual excuse.

“By the way, young friend, Xuan Qizi’s state of mind is flawed now. He has no hope of reaching Nascent Soul, which has forced Liu Xiang into quietude for the time being. But with that, the Xingyan Sect won’t erupt into a major civil war—we’ll have no chance to fish in troubled waters.”

Zhou Xuanhong waved dismissively, a cold smile on his lips. “Of course, I won’t let him off so easily. If he were to lose his beloved disciple, his family annihilated, and his only heir gravely wounded, do you think he’d have the heart to cultivate and break through?”

Old Black Ghost and Gu Zhen, seeing the cold smile on Zhou Xuanhong’s lips, felt a chill. “What do you plan, young friend?”

Zhou Xuanhong replied, “I’ll handle his disciple. As for his bloodline, I’ll need your strength. With power like yours, slaughtering a clan should be no trouble. The last piece, Liu Xiang’s son, will require careful preparation.”

“Please, enlighten us.”

...

Leaving Freewind City, Zhou Xuanhong rode his sword back toward the Xingyan Sect. Many had seen him entering and leaving the City Lord’s mansion, so no one dared follow with ill intent.

Seated cross-legged atop his flying sword, Zhou Xuanhong closed his eyes, splitting his focus—returning to the sect while examining the faux Green Lotus Gu Zhen had lent him. Lively and radiant, the divine light flowed from it, exuding mysterious energy. Each tender leaf shone like a precious artifact, impossible to look away from.

But Zhou Xuanhong had no intention of admiring it. He probed every inch of the lotus with his spiritual sense, making sure nothing was amiss before beginning to refine it thoroughly.

He was cautious. He hadn’t yet figured out Gu Zhen’s true nature, and feared hidden tricks in the lotus to control him. But now, it seemed the other was merely a mysterious second-generation cultivator.

“No, he must be a second-generation demon!”

Zhou Xuanhong was certain Gu Zhen was not human. Reaching Golden Core in just over a hundred years was plausible, but there was still a youthful innocence in his eyes. The words of the fox he stroked confirmed it—Gu Zhen was almost certainly of the demon race, and a powerful one at that.

Whether Gu Zhen was human or demon didn’t matter to Zhou Xuanhong. Since his ideals were lofty, there was no need to cross him for now; Gu Zhen was not someone he could afford to provoke.

“And as for that old fox, Black Ghost, does he really think I can’t see his greed? He’s probably planning to betray me when the time comes—how typical of a ghost cultivator. He thinks we’re using each other, but with his strength and his fourth-grade formation plate, he believes he’s got nothing to fear. Once he’s rid of the Ghost Sect’s liabilities, he’ll want to kill me for treasure.”

“But betrayal is something I excel at as well.”

Just as countless wicked schemes blossomed in Zhou Xuanhong’s mind, a will sounded in his sea of consciousness—the voice of the mother Bloodthirsty Worm. She sent a message: place the Green Lotus in the worm nest, beneath the second earth-spirit foundation platform.

“Uh... Are you planning to eat it?”

The mother worm replied, “No. It will suppress the second foundation platform, block spiritual sense from prying, and help me grow faster. If I have nothing else to eat in the future, I’ll consider devouring it.”

Zhou Xuanhong nodded. “Fine.”

He guided the lotus beneath the second foundation platform, letting it support the structure. The divine light and rosy mist spread, enveloping both the lotus and the foundation platform. The sensation was soothing—his spiritual sense felt warm and comfortable.

He could clearly feel his own soul being slowly purified, his spiritual power steadily rising. Even the lingering unease left by Xu Yuqi’s unknown influence was eased significantly.

“A true treasure. All the more reason not to return it.”

Once the lotus was in place, the mother worm emerged from the platform, crawling into the heart of the lotus. She didn’t devour it, but followed its mystical breath, synchronizing her own, forming a harmonious resonance.

After leaving Freewind City, Zhou Xuanhong, to be safe, traveled through several large cities, changing his appearance multiple times with the Tenfold Transformation. Only then did he return to the sect at a leisurely pace. Along the way, he bought much spirit beast meat, costing a good number of spirit stones.

The Azure-scaled Eagle was also disguised with transformation talismans—sometimes as a caterpillar, sometimes an ant. It behaved itself, neither crying nor running, its vertical pupils full of curiosity for the world.

“What a well-behaved little one. Pity, though...”

Zhou Xuanhong had no intention of raising the Azure-scaled Eagle. He didn’t believe there were no hidden dangers with it—it was too much like a windfall, a pie falling from the sky. Better to stay wary.

Soon, Zhou Xuanhong arrived at the territory of the Xingyan Sect, regaining his original appearance. The eagle, puzzled by his changing faces, wondered why its master kept transforming.

Zhou Xuanhong had forged a beast-taming imprint with the little one—a master-servant contract. His bond with the mother worm, by contrast, was an equal partnership, so he could not command her as strictly.

But the master-servant contract was absolute: no matter Zhou Xuanhong’s appearance, be it old man or youth, his soul fluctuation remained unchanged, and the little one always regarded him as its closest kin.

Meanwhile, in the second floor of the beast pavilion in Freewind City’s spirit beast market, Gu Zhen stroked the white fox in his lap. The reflection in his eyes was not of the scene before him, but of what the eagle chick in Zhou Xuanhong’s arms was seeing.

“Cautious enough, but he still hasn’t noticed the peculiarity of this little one. Not that even Xuan Qizi could—let me see what you’re capable of. I’m truly curious.”

The white fox on his lap began to transform. Though still fluffy around the edges, it suddenly turned into a mesmerizing fox-maiden. The term was apt—she retained her fox ears and tail, combining an unusual beauty not inferior to Xiao Na.

“Young master, he’s just an insignificant human. Why are you so curious, even hastening the hatching of the eagle’s egg?”

Gu Zhen stroked the fox-maiden’s tail, laughing. “You’re still young. You know little of the human race’s strength—they rely not on innate gifts, but on their minds. If you compare ages, that boy is older than I am, but his cunning and depth far surpass mine. That’s why I intend to learn from him.”

The fox-maiden pouted. “What cunning? He’s just a human who coveted your pseudo-Green Lotus. That thing is priceless!”

Gu Zhen shook his head. “You only see the surface. Think: an insignificant human, yet able to maneuver among several Golden Core cultivators and manipulate the balance of major sects. Is that something an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator could do?

Just watch—as the Xingyan Sect’s spiritual herb micro-world opens, he’ll bring me a different kind of surprise.”

Back in the City Lord’s mansion, Old Black Ghost licked his lips, unable to hide his greed. “What a Zhou Xuanhong! A faux Green Lotus is a rare treasure indeed. This only makes me more determined to kill you. I dare not touch Gu Zhen, but you... heh heh.”

He suddenly recalled something, and groaned inwardly. “Pity about my spoils—those dozens of Xingyan Sect corpses, drained of their heart’s blood, are much less powerful as soul puppets. But if he really can break the control of my soul lamp, it’s a small price to pay.”

Corpses in Xingyan Sect attire were laid out on the floor—exactly as Zhou Xuanhong and Old Black Ghost had arranged. Zhou Xuanhong needed their heart’s blood to breed the bloodthirsty worms, and Old Black Ghost had stored the bodies for him.