Pursuit of the Truth

”Patriarch, this is…” The man hesitated for a while, then cast a glance at Madam Ji. The woman might not have revealed her face and had not even said a word, but when she stood there, there was a chilling presence spreading from within her, causing all the people around to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Most of the leaders and powerful Shamans in the tribe standing nearby had heard of Madam Ji and the rumors surrounding that name. Now, when they saw her, all of them were filled with respect towards her.

”It’s fine. You can just speak.” A cold and dark look appeared in the eyes of the Patriarch of Black Crane Tribe.

The tribe leader of Black Crane struggled up his feet. Enduring the intense pain, he spoke of everything that had happened from start to finish, but he did not mention the change in the sky a few days prior.

”I’m not his opponent. Madam Ji, please help us.” Once the man finished speaking, he struggled to move and bow to that woman.

A barely noticeable glint appeared in the eyes of the old man dressed in the robe made of black feathers. He was, after all, familiar with the man and could see that something was off, but he did not expose him.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes. He knew that the man could be considered quite careful and would not speak without thinking. If he was almost pleading Madam Ji to act right before his face, then it was clear that the tribe leader believed that even if the old man went himself, he was not the outsider’s opponent.

”Madam Ji, about this… could you please attack him?” The old man gritted his teeth. If it had been any other of his tribesmen saying this, he might not have believed them, but this man was Black Crane Tribe’s current tribe leader. It was impossible for the old man to not believe him.

”Is that person a Latter Shaman?” Madam Ji suddenly asked.

”He’s not a Latter Shaman. Of this, I am certain!” The man quickly asserted.

”If you’re wrong, then I will make the entire Black Crane Tribe die with you! A person’s life is two thousand Shaman Crystals. If it’s two people, four thousand! There’s also what we promised before. All White Bull Tribe’s Shaman Crystals and their sacred items will belong to me once you break the seals on those items!” The woman in the bamboo hat spoke with a shrill voice, and when she spoke, all those who heard her words felt their hearts and minds tremble.

The Patriarch of Black Crane Tribe felt his heart ache tremendously at the thought. He hesitated for a moment, but when he saw the man’s firm gaze, he knew that there was definitely something off in this matter, which was why he gritted his teeth and nodded.

”Thank you, Madam Ji, once this is finished, I will give you the remaining 2,000 Shaman Crystals.”

”I don’t mind if you don’t give it to me.” Madam Ji chuckled, and her chuckles were equally sharp and piercing to the ears.

”I wouldn’t dare to.” The old man quickly wrapped his fist in his palm to her.

”I’ll heal your leg. It’s free.”

Madam Ji lifted her right hand and pointed it at the man’s right leg. Immediately, the whiskers of one of the multicolored scorpions on her robe moved and started swimming about before crawling up her arm to charge straight towards the man’s right leg. The man shuddered, and the multicolored scorpion bit through his flesh and crawled into his body.

This pain made the man tremble from head to toe. He wanted to endure through it, but in the end, he could not; he let out a shrill scream of pain before falling to his side. Right when the faces of all the Black Crane tribe members drastically changed, rumbling sounds came from the tribe leader’s right leg, and his torn flesh started healing rapidly. After some time, his entire right leg was healed, and not a single wound could be seen.

However, there was a picture of a scorpion shining on his right leg.

With a pale face, the man stood up, and his gaze when he looked at Madam Ji was filled with terror as he wrapped his fist in his palm to bow towards her.

”Thank… Thank you, Madam Ji.”

”You don’t have to thank me. Your flesh and blood can provide my baby seven days of food. If you can’t bring out the Shaman Crystals after seven days…” Madam Ji started laughing shrilly.

The entire area was silent, only her laughter could be heard echoing in the air.

”Your leg has healed now, please lead the way.” Once Madam Ji finished speaking, she demanded with that sharp voice of hers.

”Madam Ji, do you want to rest for a while? We can still go tomorrow morning…” The Patriarch of Black Crane Tribe quickly spoke. He still had some things he wanted to talk about in detail with the tribe leader.

”I don’t need to rest. I’ll just be killing two people. It’s not too late if I rest after I come back.”

Madam Ji waved her arm and instantly flew up. She pointed at the tribe leader of Black Crane with her right hand, and without his control, the man’s right leg leapt into the air, bringing along his entire body. He only managed to turn his head back and cast a deep look at the Patriarch before he turned into a long arc and followed behind Madam Ji. In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared into the horizon.

Only when Madam Ji left did the Patriarch of Black Crane Tribe’s face turn completely dark. He turned around and swept his gaze past his tribesmen gathered around him.

”Tell me what happened over the past month!”

As his tribesmen spoke to him in low murmurs and their words fell into the Patriarch’s ears, the old man’s expression gradually started changing, and when he heard of the strange sight that appeared in the sky many days prior, along with the nine-headed beast, he sucked in a sharp breath.

”This… This is…” He took a step forward, wanting to chase after the tribe leader, but subsequently froze in his footsteps and fell silent where he stood on the mountain.

In his head, the memory of the tribe leader of Black Crane casting him that deep look appeared in his head.

Madam Ji traveled quickly in the sky. As she moved, a five colored layer of fog appeared under her feet, and it stood out like a sore thumb in the sky. The five colored fog let out a dim fragrance, causing the man from Black Crane Tribe to fall into a slight daze when he sniffed it. He bit his tongue, and only by doing so did his mind remain somewhat clear. In his head, he recalled all the rumors circulating about this Madam Ji and could not help but grow even more respectful towards her.

”We might be in the sky and the wind is blowing harshly against us, which is why the aura from my Five Colored Fog isn’t that strong, but to be able to regain your consciousness so soon after taking a breath of it means that your willpower is actually pretty strong.”

Madam Ji’s sharp voice came through the Five Colored Fog. Her voice might be sharp, but there was a power in it that would make people’s minds drift. When it fell into the man’s ears, the dazed look appeared in his eyes again.

Almost the moment the dazed look in his eyes appeared, the man was swept up by a huge power and brought into the Five Colored Fog.

”Madam Ji… Please… Please spare me…” The man trembled and gritted his teeth as he forced out those words. Everything within sight was the Five Colored Fog, nothing else, but he could clearly feel a gentle hand touching his back, as if that hand was using its fingers to draw circle. A numbness immediately surged through his entire body, causing the man’s face to turn red in an instant and his breathing to quicken.

”Your willpower is very strong. I like your type, so I’ll give you a treat…”

The man shuddered. He could feel a puff of hot air in his right ear, and then a soft tongue licked the contour of his ear gently.

A bang went off in the man’s head, and he looked as if he had forgotten everything. There was only a primal urge left in his body. His eyes were bloodshot and his breathing grew heavy. A large amount of Five Colored Fog entered his body as he breathed.

Cackling sounds echoed in the fog. That Five Colored Fog charged through the sky and tumbled like waves inside. As wind blew through, a large amount of dim fragrance spread out, and wherever the wind brought that fragrance to, some of the birds and beasts in the area would immediately become so agitated they looked as if they had gone mad.

”Ma… Madam… We’re… We’re here!” The man trembled. The instant almost all of his will scattered away, he bit his tongue, and the pain of almost biting through his tongue finally allowed him to regain a hint of consciousness. With unparalleled terror, he said these words with great difficulty.

”How disappointing. Oh well, once I finish taking care of the outsider, I’ll give you that treat.” Madam Ji’s voice was no longer sharp but lackadaisical. As her words traveled through the fog, she walked out from within.

She still wore that long red robe covered by multicolored snakes and insects and still wore that bamboo hat. Her face was hidden underneath, causing others to be unable to see her clearly. Once she walked out, Madam Ji lifted her right hand and waved it at the Five Colored Fog behind her.

Immediately, the man within flew out. His entire body was flushed red and his eyes looked as if they were about ready to spit fire. He had already lost his senses and was growling in a low voice.

Once Madam Ji tapped at the center of the man’s brows, the tribe leader of Black Crane Tribe immediately shuddered and fell unconscious. His body pummeled to the ground. However, as he plunged down, a wisp of Five Colored Fog surrounded him and his speed as he fell slowed down.

Once it surrounded the man, that wisp of fog turned into the illusionary figure of woman and crawled into the man’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The unconscious man immediately shut his eyes and started growling like a wild animal.

Madam Ji’s breathing also quickened slightly in the sky. It was as if she was reacting to the growls coming from the man from Black Crane Tribe. With her face still hidden under the bamboo hat, she licked her lips as she panted, then with a leap, she charged towards the mountain range in the distance.

That mountain range was where Su Ming’s cave abode was.

As Madam Ji charged forward, the Five Colored Fog appeared once again under her feet and tumbled about in the area, covering half the sky.

The Fire Ape lay on a big rock at the top of the mountain range with its eyes closed for a nap. Sometimes, it would lift its claws to scratch itself. Suddenly, it opened its eyes and looked at the incoming Five Colored Fog. It twitched its nose slightly, as if it smelled something, then immediately bared its teeth.

In the cave abode, the rod snake, which Su Ming had never called back once he let it out, was lying in one of the many holes on the cave abode’s ceiling. At that moment, it immediately shot up and a freezing glint appeared in its eyes.

Right underneath the rod snake was Su Ming, sitting cross-legged in the big hall in that gigantic cave abode of his. He held the Wind Crystal of Inheritance in his right hand, and he pressed his palm against the air above it. With a frown, he lifted his head.

He had discovered the incoming Five Colored Fog in the sky before the Fire Ape and rod snake did.

Almost the moment he lifted his head and spread his divine sense, the instant that chilling glint appeared in the strange rod snake’s eyes, and the second the Fire Ape bared its teeth and snarled, suddenly, from within the Five Colored Fog approaching from the sky, Madam Ji let out… a moan, one that would cause minds to drift.

That voice came too suddenly, and sounded as if it was trying to capture souls. It also spread around incredibly clearly and entered the mountain range, charging right into the cave abode where Su Ming was.