Ordinary Bone

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Xu Taiping didn’t say anything in response, just flashing a grin.

The tiger demon wasn’t prepared for this reaction, which confirmed the ghost’s words from earlier, putting it somewhat at ease.

"You little thing, three months from now, I will skin you, pull out your tendons, and turn your soul into a wick, burning in eternal torment day and night!"

The Tiger King had never been humiliated like this before, and its furious roar, even as just a soul projection, caused the buildings within Qingzhu Residence to shake violently.

Standing directly in front of it, Xu Taiping felt his blood surge with the force of the roar. If not for the protection of his Remnant Scar True Qi, he likely would have lost consciousness.

However, after that roar, the tiger demon's projection dissipated with a thunderous crash, as if it had exhausted the energy stored within the ghost’s body.

"Is this the strength of the Tiger King after being wounded? How powerful would it be if it wasn’t injured?"

Xu Taiping was deeply shocked. He had gained a completely new understanding of the Tiger King’s power from the words of Qingmei and the ghost.

Despite the fear, however, Xu Taiping didn’t feel intimidated. Instead, he was filled with a strong sense of determination. Perhaps this was due to his upbringing, having been forced to face challenges alone since childhood, with no parents to rely on, unlike other children who might choose to flee in the face of danger.

"Whoosh..."

As the flames died down, a sudden clinking sound of coins falling onto the ground came from within the pit.

Xu Taiping cautiously leaned over and looked inside. In the moonlight above, he could see a pile of merit coins and two items whose shapes were unclear, lying in the center of the ashes.

"Could these be things the ghost hid using some secret technique?"

Xu Taiping thought to himself.

Earlier, when reading a beginner’s guide, he had seen that ghosts and demons often had their own ways of hiding objects—like the Tiger Demon, who liked to hide things in its stomach, or the Elephant Demon, who hid items in its nose.

"Just to be safe, I’ll leave these for a few nights and check them again after I’ve repaired the formation in Qingzhu Residence."

Regardless of whether they were treasures or not, Xu Taiping decided not to enter the pit immediately.

At the Back of Qingzhu Residence, on the Sheep Deer Mountain.

"Brave and clever, I did not misjudge."

An elderly man with white hair, leaning against a large tree branch, smiled and nodded, clearly pleased with Xu Taiping's performance that night.

"However, the path of cultivation is long. Courage and wit are but minor paths, ultimately, it still depends on talent. If you can break through to the Opening Door stage in three years and show something in the Seven Peaks Sword Trials, I might consider accepting you as my disciple."

The elderly man stroked his beard and then tilted his head back to finish off the wine in his gourd.

"The West Wind Pavilion—those lazy and greedy fools—demand money and goods from outer disciples, and the water vein spring has been dug up, yet no one has come to check. Truly lawless!"

As he spoke, the old man’s expression turned cold, his small eyes flashing with sharpness.

"For such a small matter, it actually requires me, the Grandmaster, to intervene—laughable, laughable!"

After these words, the elderly man staggered to his feet. He tucked the wine gourd at his waist and stepped forward, sending a bronze sword soaring into the air with a swift motion, propelling him forward, breaking the air with a loud boom.

On Sheep Deer Mountain, Purple Bamboo Forest.

Xu Taiping spent four or five days and finally cleared the blocked spring, activating the mechanisms near the spring to hide it once again.

"Today’s luck is good. I fixed the spring and even hunted a yellow goat."

Glancing at the yellow goat, frozen solid by his Remnant Scar True Qi, Xu Taiping couldn’t help but smile slightly.

With the ghost problem solved and the Remnant Scar cultivation advancing to the Ice Stage, everything had gone smoothly.

"Taiping, you’ve finally returned."

"Uncle Bai?"

As Xu Taiping dragged the yellow goat back into Qingzhu Residence, the long-missing spiritual bird, the White-headed Eagle, suddenly appeared at the gate. Standing beside it was an elderly man with graying hair and a wine gourd hanging from his waist.

"When did you return, Uncle Bai?"

Xu Taiping put down the yellow goat.

Though he was asking Bai Hong, his gaze was on the elderly man.

"I just got back. This is a... friend I met on the road… everyone calls him Old Nine. We happened to pass by Qingzhu Residence and thought we’d come by for a meal."

Usually, Bai Hong spoke in a very authoritative tone, but today he stammered a bit, which surprised Xu Taiping.

"Young friend Taiping, I’ve traveled over a thousand miles with Bai Hong, and we are starving. Could you start a fire and cook us a meal?"

Old Nine rubbed his hands and smiled, addressing Xu Taiping.

"Uncle Bai is my friend. Don’t mention just one meal—if he wants to eat here every day, I’d welcome him," Xu Taiping replied with a smile, but then added, "However, as for you, old man, you’ll have to pay."

Xu Taiping was as generous to friends as he was stingy to strangers, just like his grandfather.

"Taiping, you..."

"Haha... Young friend Taiping is right. Eating a meal requires paying!" Old Nine interrupted, laughing heartily.

Bai Hong looked nervous upon hearing this, seemingly wanting to explain but was interrupted by Old Nine's laughter.

"Old man, don’t make the fire too big, keep it small, small."

"Uncle Bai, help me peel some garlic and chop some onions."

In the kitchen of Qingzhu Residence, Old Nine tended the fire, Bai Hong cut vegetables, and Xu Taiping cooked, all busy in their tasks.

"Younger brother Taiping, I’ve started the fire. Can the cost of the meal be reduced a bit?"

Old Nine flicked his hair back and grinned as he negotiated with Xu Taiping.

"You old man, still bargaining? If you didn’t help start the fire, this meal would cost eight merit coins!"

Xu Taiping wiped the sweat from his forehead and rolled his eyes at Old Nine.

"Fair, fair," Old Nine chuckled.

Bai Hong, who was cutting vegetables nearby, nearly cut his own claws when he heard this.