Chapter 74: Respectable One?

Sensing the implied accusation, Sun Fuping quickly replied, "The sacrifices here escaped, so I had to use the backup formation outside to summon you, Venerable One. Did anything happen outside? Are you unwell?"

His initial choice for sacrifice had been He Lingchuan and Maotao, but those two had seized the opportunity to escape. He was forced to implement his backup plan: using He Chunhua and the others as sacrifices, and then employing a method to summon the deity he had invoked into this location.

The extra transfer was an unavoidable necessity.

Nian Songyu stated with a stern expression, "Something went awry outside, causing my power to wane. This black jiao repeatedly revives; it cannot be its true form. I need you to find its fundamental source of existence!" With that, he raised a hand and made two circling gestures over Sun Fuping's head, as if sprinkling something.

Tiny specks of light, like falling blossoms or shimmering snow, trickled from between his fingers, scattering delicately over Sun Fuping’s entire body.

To an observer, it would have seemed as if he were sprinkling sparkling powder on Sun Fuping. Only Sun Fuping knew that the sensation was like a spring breeze and nurturing rain, not only refreshing his mind and spirit but also healing most of his injuries.

He Lingchuan, having previously used siege weaponry to subject him to two rounds of intense bombardment, had inflicted damage no ordinary person could withstand. Sun Fuping had deployed all his life-saving techniques, and only with Nian Songyu’s desperate protection had he barely managed to endure. His injuries were severe, with internal damage far exceeding external wounds, making it a miracle that he was even able to stand.

However, with over a dozen petty thieves still standing upstairs, he had to force himself to maintain an air of authority.

Yet, the Venerable One had effortlessly healed his injuries, a feat beyond human capability. Naturally, Sun Fuping felt an even deeper sense of reverence.

"Please instruct me, Venerable One!"

He was unaware that the Venerable One before him was, in fact, quite displeased. A divine descent was an exceedingly perilous process, particularly before entering the host body, where the celestial will was susceptible to harm.

Sun Fuping's failure to offer protection during this process constituted a grave error.

However, successful divine descents were exceedingly rare, and this secret was not meant for outsiders. Even if Sun Fuping had meticulously studied every ancient text, he could not have known.

Fortunately, the Venerable One still required him to resolve the current difficulties, and thus expended a small amount of divine power to soothe his injuries.

"Since it is the black jiao's fundamental source of existence, it must be something that has remained constant from beginning to end, and something that this great fire cannot destroy. And no, it is not the Great Fang Hu. As you were able to find your way here, I presume you have some insights."

The Venerable One provided the clue, and it was now up to Sun Fuping to find a way to complete the task.

Sun Fuping nodded, then quickly asked, "Venerable One, what about my position as Imperial Advisor?"

Nian Songyu offered a grim smile. "If you can get out of here, you will have your wish granted."

The heavy burden on Sun Fuping's mind finally lifted, and he hurried into the ruins before the Great Wind Army could launch another assault.

The Venerable One had offered only a minimal clue, but after a moment of contemplation, Sun Fuping was deeply affected.

"Find the black jiao's fundamental source of existence" could be colloquially translated as finding the opponent's Achilles' heel. However, the crucial point of this statement extended beyond merely indicating that "the black jiao's true form is not on the battlefield."

With his keen perception and insight, Sun Fuping had long understood that the black jiao's immortality stemmed from its ability to conceal its vital points beforehand and subsequently use the power of the Great Fang Hu to repeatedly mend its injuries.

For a creature like that, how could it die if its vital points were never struck?

Yet, there was a deeper implication in the Venerable One's words, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became.

Sun Fuping had always believed the black jiao was an artifact spirit covertly born from the Great Fang Hu. If that were the case, why would the Venerable One instruct him to find its "fundamental source of existence"? Wouldn't the Great Fang Hu itself be that source?

However, the Venerable One had explicitly denied this.

So, what exactly was that black jiao?

Sun Fuping ran for a while, even pausing for a significant period within the ruins, before a flash of inspiration finally struck him.

Could it be...?

He changed direction, heading due north.

The city reduced to rubble before his eyes was the true state of Panlong Ancient City after the allied forces withdrew all those years ago.

The previous peace, prosperity, and tranquility had been nothing more than an illusion.

Yet, between these two periods, some things invariably remained constant.

Soon, Sun Fuping passed by the grand estate of the Zhong family. Zhong Shengguang had later purchased and renovated it from the Chen family, and the nameplate above the gate had also been replaced.

However, Sun Fuping did not linger; this was not the place he was searching for.

He went straight through the government office, then crossed a massive, dry gully, eventually discovering another section of ruins—

The official residences.

At least, they had served as the official residences of Panlong City before their destruction.

These official residences, too, had undergone significant changes compared to their appearance in peacetime. Nevertheless, Sun Fuping quickly located his target among them.

It was an unremarkable dwelling, consisting of just two rooms and a small courtyard.

In the courtyard, there was a burial mound.

Sun Fuping ignored the mound, turning instead to the two ruined rooms and beginning a frantic search.

A large bed, a dressing table, a small bed...

He even opened the dressing table's secret drawer, only to discover that its contents were long since charred black and fused into an unrecognizable lump.

None of these should be the black jiao's fundamental source of existence.

Yet the space was limited, and there were only so many items. Could his deduction be wrong?

Sweat dripped from Sun Fuping’s forehead.

Time was critical. The Venerable One was single-handedly battling the monster from the Great Fang Hu with all his might. If Sun Fuping could not quickly locate the pivotal item to turn the tide, then not only would his grand ambitions for the future be in jeopardy, but his very life might also be at stake.

Sun Fuping paced around the dwelling three times.

Perhaps his vision was clouded by anxiety, for only after completing his third circuit did he suddenly turn and rush back to the main room.

The bed positioned there had been burned down to a mere rotten frame, and only half a wall remained, thoroughly blackened by smoke.

However, on this half-wall, there was a grey imprint.

It was the wall's original color.

It appeared as though something had originally hung there, shielding a small section of the wall behind it from being blackened by smoke when the fire began.

This shape...

Sun Fuping murmured to himself, "A sword. I remember a sword used to hang here."

Yes, this was Zhong Shengguang's residence before he became commander. Sun Fuping had visited it previously and had even located the graves of the Baling expedition members there.

Furthermore, while awaiting Nian Songyu, Sun Fuping had thoroughly explored this dwelling and retained some impressions of its furnishings.

In fact, the furniture in this official residence was so sparse and simple that it would have been difficult not to remember it.

The wall remained, the bed remained, but the sword that had hung on the wall was gone.

The condition of the post-disaster wall indicated that this sword had been present throughout, aligning with the Venerable One's description of something "the great fire cannot destroy."

Therefore, his deduction wasn't flawed; rather, someone had taken the item.

Sun Fuping stood up and, through clenched teeth, uttered a name, as if wishing he could tear the words themselves apart: "He Lingchuan, you little scoundrel!"

Imperial Advisor Sun, usually so steady and composed, finally let out an expletive.

When the four of them first arrived here, they had a thorough discussion before splitting up. Prior to that, the only one who had taken the time to survey the entire residence, besides himself, was He Lingchuan.