The Journey of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 62 - 60 The Way Ahead

Chapter 62: Chapter 60 The Way Ahead

Deng Hao raised an eyebrow, but his heart relaxed. Ever since making a deal with this young lady a few days ago, he would occasionally think of her, always feeling that this girl in her twenty-eighth year harbored many secrets. Now that the merchant convoy was about to depart, what matter could she possibly have with him?

"Brother Deng, is the merchant team heading westward?" It’s always right to sweeten your words when you’re away from home.

"Indeed. It’s been a long time since we’ve taken the Westward Journey, this time a customer entrusted us to go west to collect some goods. Does Miss Ning have something on her mind?" His merchant team had over two hundred people, and the main group had already set off. As the leader, he needed to catch up with them at the front.

"I wonder if your esteemed merchant house is short on hands? My brothers and I would like to hitch a ride westward." She had discussed it with Changtian, that it was safest to follow a merchant convoy when traveling between states and counties before she was strong enough on her own.

He scrutinized Ning Xiaoxian from head to toe before shaking his head and saying, "Miss Ning, you might not know, but there’s a rule in our line of business—we do not employ women to work during a merchant journey."

The smile on Ning Xiaoxian’s lips slightly stiffened; she truly did not know of such rules in the merchant trade. Such naked discrimination against women! However, she heard Deng Hao continue, "Although the merchant team doesn’t hire female workers, we cannot refuse female customers. If you are willing to be ’goods’ for our merchant team, I’ll bring you all along, how does that sound?"

That works too? Ning Xiaoxian looked at him with surprise, realizing that Deng Hao was willing to help, and gratefully said, "Thank you. Since I am a guest who has come to trouble you on short notice, please use this little bit of silver to treat the brothers in the merchant team to tea." She took out 500 taels of silver and handed them to Deng Hao.

Alas, the money hadn’t even warmed her pockets before she had to give it away. But when you’re out and about, things are easier to handle with money spent.

Deng Hao did not refuse, taking the silver and asking, "What about the senior cultivator? Isn’t he coming with you?"

Ning Xiaoxian shook her head, "He left earlier due to other matters. He asked me to wait for him in Liuyun City ahead." Liuyun City was a large city located three thousand miles to the west from here.

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Passing through checkpoints, the merchant team got through without much trouble. Deng Hao’s merchant team consisted of twenty horse-drawn carriages and twenty mule-drawn carts; he specifically allocated one mule cart for Ning Xiaoxian and her two companions to rest.

Ironically, this cart originally belonged to a clerk who lost ten taels of silver to Ning Xiaoxian. His surname was Zheng, and he was one of the few in the team capable of keeping accounts, hence overseeing the team’s financial expenses and enjoying the privilege of having his own cart. However, she did not press him for the money in the end, so this guy had a rather good impression and attitude towards Ning Xiaoxian. When Deng Hao asked him to switch to another cart, he gave up his spot without a word.

Only after settling into the cart did she feel exhausted all over. Since arriving in Siping County, one thing after another had left her with hardly any chance to breathe. Especially after being seriously injured by Shi Jishan, she had expended a great deal of energy dealing with the Bai brothers, Bai Jing and Bai Hong, and also had to strategize to deal with the Bat King, Wo Tou; she was truly worn out, both physically and mentally.

Leaving the Demon Eye in the carriage, and instructing the twin brothers to keep watch, she flashed into the God Demon Prison.

The new prisoner had already been locked up in the cell. To prevent Wo Tou from committing suicide, the prison’s head jailer, Mr. Changtian, had already bound him with iron chains. These chains were imbued with Divine Skills, capable of locking down demonic power as well as Spiritual Power. A person bound by them could not move even a finger, aside from being able to think in their head and speak with their mouth.

An ugly blood hole had been opened in its abdomen, a masterpiece of Afu’s work, which sealed the bat demon’s ability to move completely.

After all, the two little bat demons were still youngsters, no match for Wo Tou. She had originally considered requesting Deng Hao’s merchant team to help her capture Wo Tou, but with many people and loose talk, any slip could alert the Chi Xiao Sect to come looking for trouble. After all, Demon Extermination and maintaining the Dao in the Nan Zhanbu Continent were strictly territorial tasks. Meddling too much in someone else’s territory always invites resentment.

She needed a piece that would change the tide of the battle, and both she and Changtian had thought of Afu. Although this bat demon only had the cultivation of the Early Stage of Transformation and had also been drained of some demonic power by the God Demon Prison, the soil that was used to grow the ginseng was extremely slow in cultivating and the quantity was limited, which only reduced it to the late Qi-gathering stage, still far surpassing the combat power of Bai Jing and Bai Hong.

But Wo Tou was different. It was seriously injured both internally and externally and was facing the situation of a lamp running out of oil. Even if Ning Xiaoxian did not go after its bad luck, it would need to hide its name and lay low for a year and a half just to recover. For its self-healing ability, the injury was too severe.

Under Changtian’s authority, Afu also made a Blood Oath to Ning Xiaoxian. With one side gaining strength while the other losing it, his involvement was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

The process of the battle was without suspense.

"Do you want it alive, or do you want it dead?" She once asked the twin bat demon brothers.

At that time, the two little bat demons had their eyes fixed unwaveringly on Wo Tou behind the bars. They answered succinctly, "We want it to live a life worse than death! Let it deplete its demonic power and die here; that would please us greatly." The process of drawing out demonic power in the God Demon Prison was extremely painful. The thought of letting Wo Tou thoroughly taste the dual flavors of despair and pain excited them so much they almost trembled with glee. The blood feud of their mother was finally avenged!

(End of Volume One of the Westward Journey. The first Chapter of the next volume, "Immortal in Tea", will be delivered in 10 minutes.)

(This book is first published on Qidian Chinese Network, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited!)