Chapter 237: Bloodline Ancestral River Painting
The cave was tense, and no one spoke, there was only the sound of the moving tide.
Everyone looked at Cang Xu and Qing Xin.
Ku Feng crossed his arms, his face wooden.
Qi Ling gripped her magic staff, her gaze indistinct.
Xiao Wang Zi tilted his big skull, sizing up and examining them.
The undead magic beast, the three headed sea serpent on the reef also focused its three heads on Cang Xu and Qing Xin.
The heaviest pressure came from Jian Gui, the gold level necromancer.
Qing Xin tightened her lips and Cang Xu had a heavy complexion.
Trouble and interrogation was inevitable.
Before coming here, Cang Xu and Qing Xin had been psychologically prepared for this.
After a moment of silence, Cang Xu spoke, a trace of anger in his tone, “I and my companion came here to participate in this gathering and to exchange for cultivation resources we need. But after waiting here for a long time, what we waited for was an interrogation.”
“If you want me to prove myself, truth be told, I don’t have powerful evidence that can convince everyone here.”
“Because everyone has their own secrets.”
“Furthermore, without sufficient benefits, I am not in the habit of compromising myself.”
“In that case everyone…please forgive me for asking to leave.”
Cang Xu’s words couldn’t help but astonish everyone.
Qing Xin’s expression changed, she wanted to say something but hesitated.
But Cang Xu’s acted candidly, and he turned around to leave.
Qing Xin was forced to follow him out.
The two were very cautious.
Suddenly, Jian Gui burst into laughter, and urged them to stay, “Friends, please stay. I want to apologize to you and everyone else present for coming late to this gathering. As for the specific reason, I will explain it to everyone afterwards.”
After he looked around, he gazed back at Cang Xu, cordially saying, “I also ask you to understand our troubles friends.”
“Surviving as a necromancer is very difficult, even we have shameful turncoats among us who are willing to be imperial hounds.”
“We have no choice but to be somewhat vigilant.”
Cang Xu stopped walking and turned around, looking back at Jian Gui, “I understand that, but as a matter of fact, I also took risks in joining this gathering.”
“Who can guarantee that this gathering is safe? Will it put me in danger?”
Cang Xu wasn’t really thinking of leaving.
The strategy he chose was retreating in order to advance.
The reason he adopted this strategy was so he could present a meal tailored to the situation.
Cang Xu had been a noble steward for many years and had dealt with all kinds of people for a long time, he had deep insight into interpersonal relationships.
Although this was the first time he had met Jian Gui and the others, Cang Xu felt that Jain Gui was brimming with humanity, he didn’t resemble the rumors of cold and terrifying necromancers who loathed life and concealed the desire to murder.
So much so that Cang Xu was aware that suffering inspection and interrogation was actually a good thing.
This illustrated that the other party had normal interactions and thirsted for transactions, therefore they would be probing constantly.
Cang Xu was actually scared that he would meet necromancers who wouldn’t pry into him, that were uncommunicative and temperamental, that perhaps at any moment, they would suddenly attack and slaughter every living creature.
Seeing Cang Xu stop, Jian Gui laughed and politely asked Cang Xu how he started to walk t he road of necromancy cultivation.
Qing Xin also looked at Cang Xu; she was similarly curious.
Cang Xu knew this was another heavy probe, he couldn’t help but recall memories and mull for a bit before saying, “At the time, I was still attending college.”
“I was not w ell off, and to pay my tuition and maintain my academic life, I had to work part time while studying.”
“I frequently cleaned all sorts of places in the college as a janitor.”
“It was because of this job that I accidentally came across a painting.”
“I believe the painting is something everyone has seen.”
“It is the Bloodline Ancestral River Painting.”
“Of course it wasn’t the real one, it was merely a reproduction that was hung in a hallway at the college, serving as an adornment.”
“When I saw this painting, my spirit was stirred when it received enlightenment.”
“I didn’t follow the enlightenment, instead I restored the painting then investigated a lot of information. Only then did I have the courage to drop my blood onto the canvas.”
“The painting changed because of my blood, the bloodline river dried up, exposing the riverbed and the bones of the dead cast into the river bank, along with countless ghosts that looked like jellyfish wandering and hovering around the riverbed.”
“At the same time, I received another enlightenment, a necromancer’s inheritance poured into the depths of my thoughts.”
“Of course, I didn’t start cultivating immediately.”
“I felt terrified and restless, when I felt that the hidden treasure was actually a necromancer’s inheritance, I felt very remorseful and didn’t dare to bring this secret to light.”
“After many years, after suffering suppression and being pushed aside, I was unresigned and chose this path to become a necromancer.”
“That is how I became a necromancer.”
When Cang Xu finished, the cave went into a brief silence again.
Jian Gui said, “You aren’t lying.”
As it turned out, while Cang Xu was recounting his tale, he had bee surreptitiously using some method to test Cang Xu’s truthfulness.
Cang Xu didn’t look surprised.
He had the Deceptive Disguise and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spells on him; lie detection magic wouldn’t work on him.
If by any chance it failed, Cang Xu was also telling the truth.
It was just the language that was exaggerated.
Although what was said was true, it was not representative of the unvarnished truth, Cang Xu had been selectively in what he said and held back many secrets.
Jian Gui continued, “It seems the inheritance you came across came from the Soul Painter. Perhaps in the future, you can rely on this relationship to acquire more advance inheritances.”
Seeing Cang Xu was puzzled, Jian Gui explained, “The necromancy sect’s founder is Lord You Shen, this is widely known. He personally taught 12 disciples, who are saint level necromancers nowadays. Soul Painter is one of them.”
“Lord You Shen issued a long term mission that asked every disciple to disseminate their respective teachings as much as possible.”
“Soul Painter’s propagation method was to duplicate all kinds of famous paintings that hid necromancer inheritances in them.”
“These special paintings can detect part of the aptitudes of those that look at them and give them enlightenment.”
Cang Xu mused, “So that’s how it is.”
Then he probed in passing, “Lord Jian Gui, I saw that you are also a soul aspect necromancer, are you saying that you also came across such a painting that started your necromancy cultivation?”
Jian Gui was just about to speak when the skeleton magician Xiao Wang Zi spoke first, “Of course not, Lord Jian Gui’s teacher is Captain Gou Hun!”
Xiao Wang Zi spoke with pride.
As a result of seeing Cang Xu’s baffled expression, he couldn’t help but shout, “I understand that you don’t know who Captain Gou Hun is.”
“He is the same as Soul Painter, he is one of Founder You Shen’s direct disciple. Nowadays he is a saint level pirate!”
“Therefore, you now realize, newcomer, that our Lord Jian Gui is an orthodox necromancer!”
Cang Xu and Qing Xin immediately had a whole new level of respect for Jian Gui.
In light of this relationship, Jian Gui could be considered You Shen’s grand disciple.
Jian Gui waved his hand and bitterly laughed, “It is better to not bring up this relationship, child.”
“Perhaps one day, I’ll die as a consequence of it.”
Xiao Wang Zi instantly bowed his head deeply, “I’m sorry, Lord Jian Gui.”
Perhaps because he cranked his head down too vigorously, the skull smashed into the ground and rolled away to Cang Xu’s foot.
Cang Xu: …
Everyone: …
“Oh my!” Xiao Wang Zi’s chin opened up, producing an embarrassed cry of fear.
His body quickly waved and the big skull on the rock suddenly flew back and returned to his body’s slim backbone.
“Oh ho ho!” Jian Gui cheerfully cackled.
The cave’s ambience dramatically shifted due to this.
“Don’t laugh again, Lord Jian Gui, there is nothing to laugh at!” Xiao Wang Zi used a short and small palm to cover his face, shaking his head as he shouted.
Jian Gui stopped laughing, “Child, although you have become a silver level, you are still as adorable as ever.”
He then pointed to Ku Feng, introducing him to Cang Xu, “This ronin should be the most familiar person to you.”
“He died fighting on Weeping Pine Island; it was here where I found his unreconciled soul.”
“When I wanted to call back his soul, he refused me.”
“He didn’t want to turn into a ghost; he still thirsted for a physical body that was suitable for him to continue pursuing his blade skills.”
“He had pretty good luck, it just so happened that on that day, we came across Doctor Sui Shi. Oh, he was also saint level and one of You Shen’s twelve direct disciples.”
“After I requested it, Doctor Sui Shi personally acted to bring Ku Feng back to life and turned him into his current undead form.”
“Not only that, but thanks to the Lord Doctor’s unique magic, Ku Feng can also mask his undead nature and pretend to be a normal living person.
“As a result, this world now has the wandering ronin Ku Feng.”
Cang Xu looked at Ku Feng, the latter nodding back to him.
Jian Gui’s words had validated some of Cang Xu’s prior guesses.
Ku Feng had died on Weeping Pine Island and also had been revived on this island. He treats this place as his home, therefore that is why he said to Cang Xu and Qing Xin that they were the first visitors here.
It was understandable that Ku Feng and Weeping Pine Island had a connection with their names.
Cang Xu also thought about Ku Feng’s loner nature.
“Doctor Sui Shi disguise skill should be saint level; therefore, it wouldn’t be exposed in front of the gold level Hun Tong.”
“But there is surely a disparity between it and our Deceptive Disguise spell.”
“This disguise should have some kind of flaw, and in order to reduce the possibility of exposure, Ku Feng chose to be solitary and consequently had the title of being a wandering ronin.
“During the battle for Two Eyes Island, I was exposed, therefore I will likely provoke an imperial investigation.”
“Ku Feng returning to Weeping Pine Island was because he wanted to take part in this gathering, but it is also possible that he wants to evade the limelight by hiding here.”