0079 The Boar Demon’s Head

Wenliangji knew little about Jiang Feng’s affairs; in fact, his worries were still fixed upon Chongfan’s health.

Jiang Feng had never discussed this matter with Chongfan, but he understood exactly what had transpired. The root of Chongfan’s illness had been eradicated—his vitality and spirit were altogether transformed. With proper exercise and care, he could become as healthy as any ordinary person… no, healthier than most.

Yet for reasons unknown, Chongfan had kept this a secret, divulging nothing even to high-ranking figures like Wenliangji. Since Chongfan had chosen silence, Jiang Feng naturally didn’t breathe a word, and fortunately Wenliangji simply followed protocol, asking no questions.

Knowing Jiang Feng had come to the Mustard Seed Pavilion to retrieve a particular item from the Hundred Treasures Hall, Wenliangji led him straight there.

The Hundred Treasures Hall stood on the right side of the Mustard Seed Pavilion, sprawling vast and strictly managed. Entry required rigorous identity checks, leaving no room for accidental trespass. Even with Wenliangji’s personal escort, Jiang Feng still underwent a series of procedures before being allowed in.

The treasury’s steel doors opened silently. Wenliangji remained outside, smiling: “Only the recipient may enter the Hundred Treasures Hall. Please, make yourself at home—I’ll await you here.”

Jiang Feng, impressed by the stringent management of the Mustard Seed Pavilion, nodded and strode inside.

The warehouse was divided into numerous small chambers. Jiang Feng entered one, and several doors closed in succession, sealing him alone within walls of copper and iron.

He could sense the pervasive fluctuations of Ming Force throughout the room, faintly perceiving intricate structures woven from it. Clearly, this place was either composed of numerous treasure artifacts, or was itself a colossal artifact!

The chamber was about six meters square, empty and bare. As Jiang Feng reached the center, the floor suddenly parted, and a transparent panel rose from beneath, standing upright before him.

Golden lines flickered horizontally across the panel. Jiang Feng pressed his palm vertically against the smooth surface.

A warmth surged from his palm, coursing up his arm and into his mind. He felt a force pass through, exchanging with something within.

The golden light on the panel began to shift rapidly, like countless numbers and characters flowing past. After a few breaths, the light vanished, and the panel turned blank, slowly revealing a line:

“Storage time: Sacred Ming Calendar, Year 1542, Fourth day of the third month. Storage location: Thousand Dreams City, Ancient Azure Dragon Kingdom, Xuanji Continent. Depositor: Anonymous.”

Jiang Feng examined the information carefully.

Year 1542—that was three years ago. The location was the Ancient Azure Dragon Kingdom on Xuanji Continent… Was Ye Xiao from Xuanji Continent?

The line stayed for a moment before disappearing, replaced by another:

“Withdrawal application confirmed. Withdrawal location (optionally hidden), withdrawal time (optionally hidden). Withdrawer: Celestial-level VIP. Expected arrival in five days.”

Without hesitation, Jiang Feng chose to hide both time and location.

Thousand Dreams City lay on another continent, yet the information promised arrival in five days. Clearly, the Mustard Seed Pavilion employed some secret method of transport.

He was about to leave when something stirred within him—a structure of Ming Force caught his attention.

He had only recently begun learning to craft treasure artifacts, and his curiosity was at its height. Every novel structure of Ming Force fascinated him like a new toy, irresistibly drawing him in.

He walked to the wall and placed his hand upon it.

The fluctuations of Ming Force grew more pronounced beneath his palm; the structure he sensed earlier became clearer. Jiang Feng studied it intently, half-understanding, feeling as if another moment’s thought would unravel its mysteries.

This feeling drew him in, and he lost track of his surroundings, immersing himself in the study of Ming Force structures within the Mustard Seed Pavilion’s treasury.

As Jiang Feng slipped into this trance, the Celestial Cube began to operate in response. Data streamed in one after another; the Cube spun faster and faster. Jiang Feng’s Ming Force poured out like a river, quickly depleted.

The Hundred Treasures Hall was indeed a massive, integrated treasure artifact, crafted by a fourth-line master—a mansion-grade artifact.

It was formed by the interlocking of hundreds of thousands of structures, exceedingly complex. What Jiang Feng perceived was merely a basic structure among them.

He was only a beginner, his abilities limited to this level. But the Celestial Cube was different.

Like a shark drawn to the scent of blood, it lunged at the complex, novel data, devouring them voraciously. If Jiang Feng’s Ming Force were sufficient and time allowed, the Cube could potentially decrypt the entirety of this mansion-grade artifact!

Of course, there was another possibility: it would drain all his Ming Force, leaving him unconscious in this tightly guarded treasury.

Before entering, Wenliangji had explained that, once the procedures were completed, Jiang Feng could stay as long as he wished; no one would enter unless he exited.

Thus, if he passed out inside, no one would find him.

Fortunately, Jiang Feng’s self-control was strong. He soon sensed something amiss and halted the Cube’s operation in time.

Reluctantly, the Cube stopped, a flood of numbers flashing across its surface before fading away.

Jiang Feng dared not linger. After a brief recovery, he left the treasury.

Wenliangji waited quietly outside, never questioning what Jiang Feng had done within, only smiling and saying, “I have some rare, fine tea. Would you care to enjoy a cup in the back garden?”

Jiang Feng pondered a moment, then shook his head: “I’ll pass on the tea. I know nothing about it. But that demon’s head… may I take a look?”

His words surprised Wenliangji again; he paused, then laughed warmly: “Of course!”

…

The southern part of Taicang City was worth its weight in gold, yet besides its massive main building, the Mustard Seed Pavilion boasted a spacious garden behind. Pavilions and terraces dotted the grounds, with small bridges and flowing streams. Though not as lavish as the Zhou Garden, it was exquisitely refined.

Wenliangji led Jiang Feng through a long corridor, where they encountered a middle-aged man.

The man frowned at Jiang Feng: “Wenliangji, you actually brought an outsider here!”

Wenliangji bowed, saying, “Second Master Chong, this is a junior of mine, merely visiting my residence. I will not take him elsewhere.”

His words were neither soft nor harsh; polite, yet distinctly distant—quite different from the genuine concern he showed when speaking of Chongfan earlier.

Moreover, he made no mention of Jiang Feng’s Celestial-level VIP status, describing him only as a junior.

Jiang Feng, keenly perceptive, immediately grasped the multiple layers of meaning in Wenliangji’s words.

Second Master Chong scrutinized Jiang Feng for several moments, his gaze lingering on Wenliangji’s face. After a brief pause, he licked his lips and smiled slyly, repeating, “Junior, visiting, hehe, hehehehe!”

He strode away. Wenliangji’s expression remained unchanged as he turned and continued onward, speaking gently, “Lady Chong is wise and astute, yet she is only a woman. The young master possesses talents of a celestial, but unfortunately, he suffers from a rare ailment. He will soon turn sixteen, and some people are beginning to grow restless…”

Jiang Feng immediately understood why Chongfan hadn’t revealed his recovery.

Legend held he would not survive beyond sixteen, so the Chong family had grown unsettled. By concealing his recovery, Chongfan could lure out the restless elements and deal with them in one decisive blow.

Jiang Feng pictured Chongfan’s face again—a youth on the cusp of adulthood, yet still appearing no older than eleven or twelve.

Such a fragile boy, bearing the weight of an entire clan…

It was not an easy path.

No further incidents occurred. Wenliangji brought Jiang Feng to his small courtyard. Upon entering the room, Jiang Feng was greeted by a strong, foul stench.

Wenliangji flicked his finger, sending a gust of wind that lifted the curtains and swept the stale air away.

He said, “This is the head of a soldier-class pig demon. Their kind exudes a powerful odor, especially after death.”

On the table lay an exceedingly ugly head, gray-black tinged with green, as if moldy. Its nose was long and its chin very short, resembling a pig. Yet menace radiated from it; two protruding tusks were dark red, almost black—the color of blood soaked through countless times.

Jiang Feng examined it closely and asked, “Are demons like this generally emerging from demon holes?”

Wenliangji nodded, “We still don’t know the cause of demon holes, so we can only offer rewards for their extermination. Even so, casualties occur—among civilians and low-level martial artists alike.”

He pointed to the pig demon’s head, saying, “One of the primary duties of our Thousandfold Army’s outer division is to hunt these scattered demons. Lately, we’ve been trying to study them. If we can find a way to predict demon hole occurrences, it would be a profound service.”

For reasons unknown, though Jiang Feng was only a newly initiated youth with no prior contact with demons, and unlikely to help, Wenliangji explained everything earnestly, holding nothing back.

Jiang Feng murmured an assent and reached out to touch the pig demon’s head.

Wenliangji cautioned, “Careful, demon blood is often corrosive.”

Jiang Feng shook his head, “It’s fine.”

As his hand touched the pig demon’s skin, his heart gave a sudden jolt.

Within him, the strand of golden blood energy that lazily flowed with his blood was suddenly awakened, accelerating to charge into his right hand, pulsing in his palm as if it might leap out and touch the demon directly.

Startled, Jiang Feng quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back two paces.

Wenliangji asked, puzzled, “What happened?”

Jiang Feng gripped his right hand with his left, his heart racing for a while before he shook his head: “No… it’s nothing.”