Dragon Tamer

Pu Shiming stood by the water with some soil on his fingers, as if discerning the spiritual properties of the mud.

Zhu Xuehen approached, her expression no different from before, except for the unusual luster swirling in her eyes, not as focused as usual.

It was him again.

Pu Shiming turned his head and looked towards the camphor trees near the inn.

Pu Shiming had worked with Zhu Xuehen for some time now, and he remembered that the last time her emotions fluctuated was also because she saw Zhu Minglang.

Pu Shiming had done some investigation and found out that Zhu Xuehen was Zhu Minglang’s master, and that they had lived together in the Abandoned Sword Forest of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect for ten years.

Was it merely because they were relatives?

He had seen Zhu Xuehen faced with other relatives from Zhu Gate and those in the Imperial City, and her emotions had never fluctuated like this.

“That Zhu Minglang is very special to you, isn’t he?” Pu Shiming asked with a gentle smile as if inquiring between friends.

“What about the clues?” Zhu Xuehen didn’t even bother to engage with the topic Pu Shiming brought up, asking coldly.

“It went towards the forest to the west. But it should be just a River Immortal Ghost or a Forest Immortal Ghost,” Pu Shiming said.

“Then I’ll leave that to you,” Zhu Xuehen said.

If it were only a River Immortal Ghost or a Forest Immortal Ghost, there was no need for Zhu Xuehen to take action.

She was looking for Ground Immortal Ghosts and Mountain Immortal Ghosts.

Especially the Mountain Immortal Ghost, a being capable of annihilating the Guangshan Zizong Forest must be extraordinary, and such beings far beyond the human realm were the only ones worth honing swords against.

Zhu Xuehen left, her destination unknown.

Pu Shiming, however, furrowed his brows.

He walked towards the inn, where he saw two swordswomen from the Miao Mountain Sword Sect being escorted away by people from Sect Forest, and Zhu Minglang was standing at the entrance of the inn, watching them leave.

“Zhu Minglang,” called out Pu Shiming, stopping Zhu Minglang who intended to leave.

“Pu Shiming?” Zhu Minglang seemed puzzled.

“I just learned a few things. There’s a River Immortal Ghost that was killed by you. I didn’t expect your cultivation base to improve so quickly,” Pu Shiming said with a smile, his expression friendly for a conversation.

“I learn everything quickly,” Zhu Minglang replied.

Pu Shiming’s smile stiffened.

He had never seen someone so shameless.

“I discovered some strange impurities by the river, probably flakes of skin shed by an Immortal Ghost, estimated to be about twelve thousand or three thousand years old. However, I cannot determine if there are other Immortal Ghosts. If my judgment has some errors, losing my own life would be a minor issue, but allowing an Immortal Ghost to escape would have far-reaching consequences,” Pu Shiming said.

“Are you inviting me to accompany you?” Zhu Minglang asked bluntly.

“Exactly,” Pu Shiming nodded.

Zhu Minglang hesitated.

The thirteen-thousand-year-old Immortal Ghost was actually the one he was tracking.

Pu Shiming must have also discovered its trail.

But he couldn’t be sure where it would appear, so he could only wait, wait for the Immortal Ghost to show up and cause trouble again.

It was a passive situation; it might appear, and by the time one arrived, it could have already fled. With the stealth abilities of an Immortal Ghost, even those with a King Level cultivation base couldn’t completely track them down.

Pu Shiming seemed to have the ability to identify soil, and from just that bit of impurities, he analyzed that it was a ten-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Immortal Ghost…

Cooperation wasn’t out of the question.

To accurately locate the Immortal Ghost, feed the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon, and not find the Holy Spirit Blood soon, the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon really might rebel.

“I have some information here that I can share with you, but let’s get this straight from the start: the blood of this Immortal Ghost is mine; everything else we can split evenly,” Zhu Minglang said.

“Agreed,” Pu Shiming promptly replied.

Pu Shiming was still riding that Holy Lion Purple Dragon, which could stroll through the air.

Zhu Minglang didn’t have a Dragon Beast to ride at the moment, so it was a good opportunity to borrow Pu Shiming’s mount.

Heading towards the vast leafless forest to the west, the straight trunks shot into the sky, and the branches were nearly devoid of leaves, lending a desolate air.

“So it’s hiding in this forest,” Zhu Minglang silently noted.

At that time, Zhu Minglang had followed the trail to a small village outside the forest, but afterwards, not a single clue had emerged. He had no choice but to set traps with dust that could cling to demons, waiting for the appearance of the Immortal Ghost.

“What exactly did Zhu Xuehen talk to you about just now? I saw she was in a somber mood; has she encountered some difficult issue?” Pu Shiming’s thoughts didn’t seem focused on the Immortal Ghost but rather on asking about this.

“It was nothing, just her checking in on my recent condition, telling me to wear more clothes, eat less meat, more vegetables and such. Every sister is the same… Oh, although she is my aunt by seniority, to me, she often seems more like a stern sister who’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside,” Zhu Minglang casually said.

“Cold on the outside, but warm on the inside??” Pu Shiming felt that this description was extremely inappropriate for Zhu Xuehen.

She emanated a chill from skin to bone that made her unapproachable, coupled with an inherent pride, as if there was no one in the world worthy of her attention.

Could it be selective?

Zhu Xuehen was only like this with Zhu Minglang, towards others, she was…

Indeed, there was an issue; there was indeed something between them. His intuition couldn’t be wrong.

“Do you have a blood relationship with her?” Pu Shiming asked.

Zhu Minglang glanced sideways at Pu Shiming.

Realizing that his question might have been too intrusive, Pu Shiming awkwardly smiled and began to explain, “After all, we’re working together, and I’ve heard some rumors that Zhu Xuehen is the Emperor’s illegitimate daughter and is raised in your Zhu Gate…”

Zhu Minglang had heard this rumor as well.

There was even a time when he believed it.

After all, the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine did indeed show favoritism towards Zhu Gate, even when he had cut off the limbs of a Royal Family Princely Heir, the Emperor had still meted out a light punishment on him.

But recalling what Zhu Xuehen had just said to him,

Zhu Minglang now felt that this rumor might be false.

Could the special regard the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine had for Zhu Xuehen be related to that status??

“I’m not much of a family historian; I really don’t know our Family Door’s secret history. But why does Young Master Pu take such an interest in these matters?” Zhu Minglang asked in turn.

“Just curious, consider it idle chit-chat. Plus, Zhu Xuehen has always been the Imperial Dynasty’s treasured pearl, and as someone who works with her, how could I not be curious?” Pu Shiming said with a smile.

“Young Master Pu is being modest. You are the heir to the Pu family and the successor of the Purple Sect Clan, with an even more boundless future,” Zhu Minglang said.

“Not at all, not at all. All the titles I carry are nothing compared to you, who so carefreely casts aside fame and fortune to roam freely between heaven and earth,” Pu Shiming said.

Both men laughed modestly, exchanging pleasantries and compliments.