Versatile Mage: I Awakened Nine Stars

Chapter 327: Cultivation will not make you immortal, but eating people will

"We've alerted the enemy. What should we do now?"

Lingling frowned and looked at Xu Shen.

"Now?" Xu Shen seemed very relaxed. He smiled and said, "Now of course we should just rush forward. The ideal result is to capture those two beasts alive. If it's worse, we can just kill them."

Lingling looked a little surprised: "This old man must be a forbidden spell mage to be able to beat this snake spirit to vomit blood with just one blow. Do you have any trump card to deal with forbidden spells?"

Xu Shen shook his head, stroking the mandarin duck ring on his finger, and said calmly: "I don't have it, but it's enough that someone has it. Just wait and see, there will be results soon."

"Looking?" Apas licked her lips. Suddenly, she felt that Xu Shen's facial features from this perspective were sharp and angular, making him particularly attractive. She subconsciously asked in a delicate voice, "What are you looking at?"

"You will know soon."

Before he finished speaking, a tiger roar resounded throughout the city.

The shadow of a huge white tiger was clearly reflected in the dark night sky.

Along with the roar of the white tiger, a cold wind blew through the whole city and the temperature in the hotel dropped several degrees. Lingling shivered with cold and quickly found a quilt to cover herself tightly.

"Where did the tiger demon come from!"

There was a rare look of fear in Apas's eyes. The connection between demons was particularly sharp, and the overwhelming pressure frightened her so much that she went straight into Xu Shen's arms.

Lingling was very smart. She immediately asked, "Are you the relative of the little white tiger that Sister Mu kidnapped from Mount Tianshan?"

"Almost," Xu Shen nodded vaguely.

When Apas heard that it was her, she carefully poked her head out, held onto the windowsill, and looked at the majestic white tiger in the night sky with some surprise, saying, "The aura of this white tiger is not inferior to that of my royal mother. Is it a sub-emperor?"

Xu Shen nodded slightly.

Lingling looked at Xu Shen and said, "A sub-emperor-level demon appeared in the An Realm. Have you ever thought about the consequences of such a thing?"

Xu Shen sighed.

He knew there had to be a safer solution.

However, this will also give Lin and his son plenty of time to clean up the mess.

Therefore, he didn't think about resolving the matter slowly from the beginning.

Sometimes, violence may not be the best way to solve a problem, but it is definitely the fastest way.

He had already discussed this with Mu Ningxue through the Mandarin Duck Ring.

As long as Apas can successfully find Lin Juncheng's location, Little White Tiger will be able to capture him with surgical precision, thereby minimizing the damage caused by the battle to Donghai City.

Things went smoothly, the only surprise was that imposing old man.

Even though Xu Shen had overestimated the strength of the boss behind the scenes, he could never have imagined that behind such a dirty thing there was actually a powerful forbidden spell master!
Fortunately, Mu Ningxue was very quiet and was thinking of taking action, otherwise he would have brought the totem black snake today.

Black Snake is not capable of handling this kind of situation.

fortunately! fortunately!
Xu Shen patted his chest with lingering fear.

After receiving the inheritance of the totem vessel white tiger pendant, the little white tiger with a further improved bloodline is definitely top-notch among the sub-emperors.

Even if the old man had the blessing of a formation that could unleash power beyond his own strength, his struggle was useless under the absolute suppression of the little white tiger.

The huge white tiger's sharp claws swept across the sky, and the ice crystals condensed by the cold in the night sky reflected colorful light in the neon lights.

The emperor struck a blow, and the sky collapsed and the earth split apart. The ancient Lin Garden was reduced to ruins in an instant.

The Lin family's resistance was as ridiculous as an ant trying to shake a tree, leaving only magic of different colors making the East China Sea City tonight look like a splendid and grand fireworks show.

The violent energy waves shook the entire city, and it was on the verge of collapse.

Finally, the powerful magical fluctuations that even super-class mages dared not approach disappeared.

"How's it going? Is it done?"

"Yes," Mu Ningxue said briefly.

"Good job!"

At this moment, the whole city is still confused and dare not act rashly.

This precious time is the best time for Mu Ningxue to leave the scene.

The forbidden spell-level energy wave subsided for several minutes before the entire city gradually began to boil.

Ambulances and police cars were speeding on the streets; the Inquisition, magic hunters, and even civilian monster hunting teams were constantly rushing to the Lin family's ancestral home.

Xu Shen mixed in and soon met Mu Ningxue, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

She, who always wore white clothes, rarely changed into pure black clothes. She wore a cotton hat, a mask and a scarf. Even though her whole face was covered tightly, her cold and clear eyes were still particularly attractive, so much so that Xu Shen could spot her at a glance in the chaotic crowd.

At the same time, Mu Ningxue also saw him. She took the initiative to come forward and hold his hand.

Xu Shen was slightly stunned.

"You've lost weight," Mu Ningxue stared at him intently.

"You too." Xu Shen clenched the soft hair in his hand with his backhand, with a smile in his eyes: "Long time no see, Xuexue."

……

The little white tiger is still very reliable at critical moments.

Lin Juncheng and his son did not die, but fell into a coma at the right time.

In the hotel, the little white tiger was twisting its butt happily and eating a bowl of braised beef.

Apas circled around this cute black and white striped creature again and again. It was hard to imagine that this glutton was the mighty and majestic imperial white tiger?

Xu Shen, Mu Ningxue and Lingling exchanged pleasantries for a while before turning the topic back to the father and son.

Xu Shen said with some worry, "Ning Xue can't keep it a secret that she brought Little White Tiger to Donghai City for too long. Maybe someone from the Forbidden Spell Society will come looking for her tomorrow morning. But the weakest of these two has a super-level cultivation base. Their physical strength alone is not inferior to that of a commander-level demon. It will be difficult for me to pry open their mouths in a short time."

After finally catching the mastermind, we discovered that the really tricky things were yet to come.

If a forbidden spell wizard was forcibly abducted without a legitimate reason, it would not take long for Xu Shen to become a villain.

It might even implicate Mu Ningxue.

As if she could see Xu Shen's worry, Mu Ningxue said calmly, "It's okay. At worst, I can take Xiaohu back to Tianshan. It's a restricted area for humans, so nothing will happen."

"The situation is not that bad," Lingling said, "I just watched the video recorded by that slutty snake spirit again. This father and son are quite interesting."

"interesting?"

"Didn't you notice? The relationship between this father and son looks more like superiors and subordinates. Especially Lin Juncheng, he seems to be very afraid of his father."

Xu Shen knew that Lingling had more to say, so he did not interrupt her, expecting her to continue.

"All of these students on the National Government Team have extraordinary backgrounds. Their movements have attracted more than just one or two people's attention. Do you think that even though their whereabouts are kept secret, can they be hidden from a magic family as deep-rooted as the Lin family?"

Xu Shen thought about it and gave a more pertinent reply: "Of course you can find it if you are willing to inquire about it, but if you don't pay attention to it, it's not surprising that you don't know it."

Lingling shook her head and said, "I have looked into Lin Juncheng's deeds. He is well-known for his meticulous thinking. Some people describe him as steady, quiet, calm and cautious. The Red Ling Monster kills infants and young children in the spring of every year. The government training also begins in the spring. Moreover, the first stop in Japan is bound to pass through the cities along the East China Sea. With Lin Juncheng's personality, there is no reason not to conduct an in-depth investigation into this sensitive matter with overlapping time and location to eliminate any possible minor hidden dangers."

Xu Shen nodded thoughtfully.

"There is one more thing," Lingling said, "A competent leader would never be unaware of the price of goods. In fact, their understanding of the concepts of economy and wealth should be more profound than that of ordinary people. But what Lin Juncheng said to his father was that he gave more money to the paparazzi because he didn't know the concept of money for ordinary people, which backfired. Logically speaking, such a ridiculous thing would never happen to Lin Juncheng, who is known for his prudence and stability."

Xu Shen rubbed his chin: "Are you saying that Lin Juncheng did it on purpose?"

Apas' eyes lit up: "Could it be that he and his father are just father and son in name only?"

Lingling glanced at Apas and said speechlessly: "It's hard not to see."

Apas thought of Lin Juncheng's trembling face towards his father and laughed awkwardly to cover up the embarrassment of having her IQ crushed.

"Sister Ning Xue, please get Lin Juncheng out. Maybe finding out the secret behind them is not as difficult as we thought." Lingling jumped off the sofa, speaking with confidence.

"Okay," Mu Ningxue nodded. The white tiger pendant on her wrist flickered with light, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Juncheng, covered in blood, appeared in the room.

This guy was seriously injured, so Xu Shen had to take out the Parthenon special medicine that Bai Tingting left for him.

After a while, Lin Juncheng finally woke up.

Lin Juncheng was stunned when he saw the four young, even immature faces surrounding him.

This man and three women should debut as idols instead of surrounding an old man like him.

Lin Juncheng, whose thoughts were wandering and who suddenly realized that the occasion was wrong, coughed twice and looked carefully at these overly good-looking young people. He suddenly felt that one of their faces looked familiar.

"Are you Xu Shen?" In Lin Juncheng's memory, this face coincided with the young man who had acted so arrogantly in the battle between the East China Sea families.

"Yes, it's me."

"To be honest, I've thought of countless possibilities, but I never thought I'd see you," Lin Juncheng forced a smile, "It's true that heroes emerge from youth. It's unbelievable. Tell me, what do you want to know? I'll tell you everything I know."

"So straightforward?" Xu Shen frowned: "Why?"

Lin Juncheng smiled bitterly: "Because my father is crazy."

"!!!"

"What did you say?"

"Forget it, you don't need to ask, I'll tell you." Lin Juncheng took a breath, thought for a while and said, "My father is 105 years old this year."

Apas said: "But he looks very energetic, no different from an ordinary man in his 70s."

"Because of a medicine called the Elixir of Longevity," Lin Juncheng said, "This medicine has the effect of prolonging life."

Lingling thought thoughtfully: "The raw materials of this medicine are those babies?"

Lin Juncheng was amazed at Lingling's sharpness. He nodded and said, "You are right. Although the elixir of immortality is extremely effective, the materials needed to refine it are fresh babies or young children. Moreover, it can only be refined in spring."

"Fresh young children?" Xu Shen suddenly realized, "The special physiological structure of the red ling monster can keep fresh, so the role they play is actually a 'refrigerator'?"

Lin Juncheng nodded, agreeing with Xu Shen's analogy.

"What about the person who made the elixir of immortality?"

"It's my father," Lin Juncheng said, "When Chi Lingyao has collected enough young children, I will go to Yandao to find them and bring them to him."

Xu Shen suddenly realized, "No wonder I didn't find any traces in the Red Lingyao's lair. This explains it."

"What about Li Jingming? What role did he play in this?"

A trace of pain flashed across Lin Juncheng's eyes: "I am sorry to Brother Jingming. Brother Jingming has lived an upright life, but I have put him in an unjust position..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point," Xu Shen knocked on the table in dissatisfaction.

Lin Juncheng paused and spoke faster, "My father is one of the few forbidden spell masters in Shenzhou, but he is too old and his time is coming. Shenzhou is constantly plagued by internal and external troubles. Since Chairman Shao Zheng proposed the 2-mile coastline strategy a few years ago, the tense situation of impending storms has gradually spread to cities along the East China Sea, and Feiniao City is no exception. I took this opportunity to convince Jingming to help me deceive the superiors and the subordinates and use the lives of hundreds of children to prolong my father's life in order to deal with the threat of sea monsters that may invade at any time."

Xu Shen sighed.

It is difficult to say whether Li Jingming's choice was to help the tyrant or to protect the country and the people. Things in the world are mostly like this. There is never a clear distinction between black and white. There is clarity in the turbid and turbidity in the clarity. The boundary between good and evil is hard to discern in the fog.

"That sounds like a high-sounding reason," Lingling laughed sarcastically, "What happened next? Why did you betray your father again?"

Lin Juncheng was shocked and asked, "How do you know that I was the one who betrayed my father?"

"You really don't know that the National Team went to Asuka City for training?"

"What a smart girl," Lin Juncheng praised, "Yes, I know. The members of the National Government are closely connected with the top forces in Shenzhou. Using these young people who still have justice in their hearts may be a good opportunity to get rid of my father, so I deliberately concealed this information."

Lingling sneered, "Then have you ever thought that the old men standing behind these government officials are not necessarily younger than your father, and their desire for the elixir of immortality is not necessarily less than your father's."

Lin Juncheng was silent for a moment and said, "I have thought about it, but I bet that human nature is good."

"These words don't seem to come from the mouth of a patricide."

"I said, my father has gone crazy," Lin Juncheng said with a wry smile, "Three years ago, I trusted my father just as Brother Jingming trusted me. I tried my best and finally succeeded in refining the first elixir of immortality. An elixir of immortality can at least increase his lifespan by several decades, which is enough for him to live until the sea monster invades Shenzhou. I thought my father would stop, but, as you can see, the number of missing babies increased in the second year. This year, my sister Lin Qi's child was also killed by the Red Ling Monster, but my father remained indifferent. He has become so cold that he doesn't seem like a human being. Just thinking about it makes me shudder."

"So, in the third year, you chose to backstab your father?"

Lin Juncheng nodded and said, "It's not that I want to stab my father in the back, but my father... now he only has immortality in his eyes. If God wants to destroy him, he must first make him crazy. If my father doesn't die, I have a feeling that the entire Lin family will be buried with him. So after Lin Qi's child died, I have been planning how to kill my father."

"You are sober."

Lin Juncheng sighed and said, "It's a pity for Brother Jingming. If I had known that you would come back to kill me, Brother Jingming wouldn't have to die."

"You mean, we are to blame for Li Jingming's death?"

Lin Juncheng shook his head and said, "In my plan, Brother Jingming's sacrifice is necessary. Only when he dies can the society see the infanticide case in Feiniao City. But I didn't expect that the first stop of the National Government's training would be chosen in Feiniao City. I saw hope in you, so I put the plan on hold. But just last night, I learned from Junxian that the National Government team was leaving Feiniao City and rushing to Japan. Although I was disappointed, I had to restart the plan. Things in the world are always fate. If I had known this earlier, I would have delayed it for another day, and Brother Jingming would not have to sacrifice himself."

"So, the plan you have been planning for a year is to let Li Jingming die, stir up public opinion, and let the investigators follow Li Jingming's clues to find your father?"

Lin Juncheng nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I can think of."

"It's a very stupid plan," Lingling did not hide her contempt.

"I have thought of other plans," Lin Juncheng said, "but this is the way I can think of that has the highest chance of my survival."

"You have helped the tyrant to commit such atrocities, and have killed hundreds of innocent people, and you still want to live?!"

Lin Juncheng raised his head with a calm and selfless expression: "I am the head of the Lin family first, and then Lin Juncheng. I must be responsible for the Lin family and the thousands of families that depend on the Lin family. I cannot die."

"Save these words for the Inquisition." Lingling sneered and said, "The last question is, where is the source of the elixir of immortality?"

This time, Lin Juncheng, who always spoke his mind, was unusually silent. After a while, he said, "I swore an oath under the oath tree that if I tell you about the elixir of immortality, I will die immediately. There is no turning back."

"why?"

Lin Juncheng laughed bitterly: "Do you know that my father was not like this before? Lin Aofeng used to uphold justice and was kind-hearted. He is my pride and my role model. He is definitely not the devil who only wants to prolong his life and eats people!"

"So, you actually gave your father the method of refining the elixir of immortality?"

Lin Juncheng's pupils shrank slightly, and he stared at Lingling: "Why do you ask that?"

"About thirty years ago, there were frequent cases of missing persons in Tiandu Country. Coincidentally, the place where people disappeared was also haunted by the Red Ling Monster. About ten years ago, a rumor suddenly appeared in Tiandu Country, saying that they had discovered the art of immortality. This rumor attracted the attention of many powerful people around the world, including the Shenzhou Tribunal. As far as I know, you seemed to have served in the Tribunal more than ten years ago and had also been to Tiandu Country."

"Who are you? Where did you get this information?!"

"You just have to answer me, yes or no."

Lin Juncheng nodded silently.

Lingling whispered thoughtfully: "It seems that there is some discrepancy between what I thought. I originally thought that the losers from Tiandu Country came to Shenzhou to open up pastures. However, it seems that the situation is not as serious as I imagined."

After a while, she asked again: "Did all the judges who participated in the investigation of the secret of immortality of the Tiandu Kingdom take a similar oath under the oath tree?"

"Yes," Lin Juncheng nodded and said, "Using children to prolong life is an evil and unacceptable practice that should not exist in the world. Although we investigated the truth, the conclusion written in the report was a rumor. In order to prevent it from being leaked, we supervised each other and swore an oath under the oath tree."

"Then here comes the question. Since you swore an oath under the oath tree, how did your father know the refining method?"

"I can answer this question," Xu Shen said, "If I'm not mistaken, it should be the forget-me-not."

"I didn't expect you guys knew this," Lin Juncheng said in surprise, "No one knows a son better than his father. Even though I swore an oath under the oath tree, I still couldn't fool my father. Although he didn't say it, he still knew what I gained in the Sky Poison Country. Ten years ago, I don't know where he found the forget bug to bypass the restrictions of the oath tree and figured out the method of refining the elixir of immortality. Maybe he also felt that this method of refining the elixir was too cruel and never put it into action. I thought this matter was over, but unexpectedly, three years ago..."

As he said this, he closed his eyes in pain.

Lingling said: "You know, the Forget Worm is something that only the Black Church has."

"!!!"

This time, Xu Shen was the one who was shocked: "How could it be?"

"My sister told me herself," Lingling said, "Except for the members of the Black Church, no one in the world knows how to use the Forget Bug."

"So, even if Lin Aofeng is not a member of the Black Church, he must have some connection with the Black Church?"

As Xu Shen spoke, his brows gradually furrowed.

Things are becoming more and more complicated.

Lin Juncheng's explanation was very thorough, and the few of them had basically reconstructed the entire process of the incident.

But the deaths of those babies are still heartbreaking.

Several people stood on the windowsill, letting the night breeze blow on them, with mixed feelings.

"You humans are so cruel. You use the lives of your own kind to make pills, just to live a dozen years longer."

Apas' tone was angry, and she obviously underestimated the viciousness of human beings.

Xu Shen was stunned and said nothing.

He inexplicably thought of the ancient king he saw in the Abyss.

This wise and capable emperor also found a way to achieve immortality.

However, he refused.

The road to immortality forged with the power of faith still consumes the soul power of all living beings. What is the essential difference between this and the method of killing infants to refine medicine?
In a trance, he seemed to see a sentence: You can't achieve immortality by practicing, but you can by eating people.

The image of the ancient king in the original novel is a bit chaotic and evil, which is in line with the image of the Qin Empire employing the "Book of Lord Shang" to exhaust the people. However, the prototype is the great emperor Ying Zheng, who is our ancestor after all, so it is better to give him a positive image in the novel.
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(End of this chapter)