A Strange Sensation

Jiang Feng’s heart thudded heavily as he abruptly withdrew his hand.

Wen Liangji frowned slightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. If, in the treasury among the Hundred Treasures, he had felt delighted by his earlier sense of resonance, now there was only shock without joy.

To this moment, he still did not know what that thread of golden bloodline within him was—only that it was incomparably powerful. Even a single strand granted him remarkable healing abilities and had helped him fuse with the Celestial Heart Seed.

The golden blood energy it produced could not only instantly heal grievous injuries but also drive out the ailments within his body, restoring him completely.

All bloodlines stem from ancient ancestors. Jiang Feng was deeply curious as to what formidable race his own bloodline originated from.

But now, the golden bloodline had resonated intensely with the demon race.

What did that mean? Could it be that his “ancestor” was related to the demon race? Perhaps even a demon?

After all, self-healing was indeed a major trait of the demons…

As soon as his palm left the demon’s skin, the golden blood energy returned to its previously languid state, sinking once again into the depths of his blood. Yet Jiang Feng’s heart pounded in his chest—could he be a descendant of the demons?

If it was true, would he someday undergo some kind of mutation? Would he develop a bloodthirsty craving for human flesh?

Jiang Feng had always been calm and collected, but the thought struck such fear in his heart that he could not suppress it.

He had always been human; he had no wish to become a demon in the future.

The shock was too much for him to maintain his expression.

Wen Liangji, observing him from the side, suddenly extended his hand and pressed it to Jiang Feng’s wrist. “Are you feeling unwell?”

A vibrant, warm energy flowed from Wen Liangji’s hand, swiftly spreading through Jiang Feng’s body. Wen Liangji’s movement was so quick and precise it was clear he was long practiced—Jiang Feng, even prepared, had no way to avoid it. His heart sank, but he relaxed and let Wen Liangji examine him.

Wen Liangji was not suspicious; his energy probed Jiang Feng’s body and he remarked in surprise, “Your energy’s strength and density are both excellent—your foundation is solid!”

Other than that, he found nothing amiss within Jiang Feng—no sudden illnesses or symptoms.

His gaze returned to the demon boar’s head. “First time encountering a demon? A bit frightened?”

His demeanor was as normal as always—gentle and kind. Jiang Feng was relieved, shaking his head. “No, it’s just… it’s a bit different from what I imagined.”

He placed his hand back on the demon boar’s skin. The golden blood energy stirred, but Jiang Feng sent a mental command, suppressing it into stillness.

He relaxed a little; as long as the golden blood still obeyed him, there would be no great problem.

Suppressing the golden energy, he examined the demon boar as he would any ordinary beast, using a fine thread of energy to probe it.

As soon as his energy touched, an overwhelming sense of discomfort surged over him like a tidal wave.

He frowned. Wen Liangji said, “Do you sense the demonic energy?”

“Demonic energy?”

“Yes—the aura unique to demons. This is a low-grade demon boar; its energy isn’t especially thick, but it doesn’t know how to hide it, so it’s easy to sense. Remove your hand and step back a bit.”

Jiang Feng took a step back. Wen Liangji said, “Now try sensing with your energy.”

At Jiang Feng’s current level, an ordinary person’s sensing range would be at most a foot or so, but Wen Liangji’s instructions were so matter-of-fact it seemed nothing was amiss.

Jiang Feng did as told.

He blinked. His energy extended out from his body, spreading wider.

His vision transformed. Every object was overlaid with varying intensities of light—a duller glow for inanimate things, brighter for living beings, with the strongest shining brightest.

He looked toward the table and was immediately startled.

Wen Liangji stood beside the table, perfectly clear to his ordinary sight—but in his energy vision, there was not the slightest glow around him. If he relied only on this sense, he would not have noticed Wen Liangji’s presence at all.

What shocked him more was the demon boar’s head on the table. It radiated a dense black mist, through which only the vaguest outline of the boar’s face could be seen.

He blinked again, and his vision returned to normal.

He asked, “That black mist… is that the demonic energy?”

Wen Liangji was a bit surprised. “Black mist… you can see it?”

Jiang Feng had spoken hastily, but after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “Yes. If I focus, I can see the distribution of energy. Most creatures emit light, but the boar’s head gives off black mist.”

Wen Liangji was astonished. “How far can you sense?”

Jiang Feng replied, “As far as I can see.”

Wen Liangji asked, “How about with your eyes closed?”

Jiang Feng had tried before. He paused, then answered honestly, “About ten zhang. But beyond three zhang it gets blurry—sometimes flickering in and out.”

Wen Liangji regarded him with a new appreciation. “This kind of sensitivity—you’re an excellent candidate for an artifact master!”

Jiang Feng smiled modestly. “In fact, I’ve already apprenticed myself to Master Fang and begun learning artifact crafting.”

Wen Liangji considered a moment. “Master Fang… Fang Liuxian? I recall he’s a second-tier artifact master—not high-ranking, but well regarded. He’s a good choice for laying a foundation; in the future, you can consider others.”

Coming from a prominent family, Wen Liangji’s perspective was different, and he spoke lightly of such things.

Jiang Feng smiled and shook his head. “A master for a day, a master for life. Master Fang is my personal teacher.”

Wen Liangji studied him for a moment, then suddenly laughed. The slight reserve in his eyes vanished, replaced by the gaze of a true elder.

He patted Jiang Feng’s shoulder, then turned to a cabinet, retrieving a letter and handing it over.

“This is an invitation from the Artifact Masters’ Association,” Wen Liangji said. “They’re holding a conference in three days, with a third-tier master attending. Artifact masters thrive on broad knowledge—you should go and observe.”

Jiang Feng quickly agreed. Wen Liangji patted his shoulder again, then pointed to the demon boar’s head on the table. “You judged correctly. The black mist you saw is what we call demonic energy. It’s an energy unique to demons, akin to our own, which we refer to as dark energy.”

Unlike humans, spirit beasts, and spirit plants, who can use standard energy, only demons can wield dark energy. Therefore, if you detect dark energy, there must be a demon nearby.

Demons are generally stronger than humans. An ordinary “soldier” class demon matches a human warrior of the Dawn Upper Realm—meaning someone with at least five apertures in a single chain. A “knight” class demon equals a human of the Celestial Upper Realm, roughly with two chains and five apertures.

With his current strength, Jiang Feng could try fighting a soldier-class demon; if he encountered a knight-class, he should flee as far as possible.

Of course, just as powerful humans can hide their energy, so can strong demons conceal their demonic aura.

Should he ever meet such a demon, Jiang Feng could only consider himself unlucky. Still, due to certain unknown factors, the demon rifts appearing now are not sufficient to allow high-level demons through, so there is some reassurance.

Wen Liangji explained all this in detail, and Jiang Feng quickly realized something was amiss. “Are demons so easily encountered?”

Wen Liangji did not hide the truth. “In the past, not often. But in recent years, rifts have appeared more frequently across the Nine Heavens Continent. They used to be seen only in remote villages, but now there are reports even from towns and counties.”

Wen Liangji’s expression was grave. “In the past decade, the number of bounties received and casualties recorded by Mustard Seed Pavilion equals the total from the previous hundred years. Demons are ravaging the land—humans must be especially vigilant!”

Hearing this, Jiang Feng suddenly had a flash of insight, but before he could grasp it, the thought vanished.

He nodded solemnly. “I will be careful!”

Wen Liangji reminded him that his sensitivity was a rare talent and must be diligently cultivated. After all, with each extra foot his sensing range grew, he could detect a demon that much earlier, giving him a greater chance of survival.

Jiang Feng thanked him sincerely. Just then, the pot of tea Wen Liangji had brewed was finished, and Jiang Feng took his leave.

As Jiang Feng exited Wen Liangji’s study, a figure darted in. She was as petite as a child, yet her features and figure were fully mature.

With casual disregard, she shoved the demon boar’s head aside and hopped onto the table. The adorable girl contrasted sharply and bizarrely with the boar’s grotesque head.

Chin in her hands, the girl asked, “Why do you treat that boy as if he were your own son, telling him everything? Oh, no, I bet even if you had a son, you wouldn’t be like this!”

Wen Liangji fished out a letter from the table and handed it to her calmly. “Because after that, I discovered something interesting.”

What he produced was the notification sent by Qiu Jueye, with a portrait of Jiang Feng attached. Though drawn in just a few strokes, it captured his likeness perfectly.

The childlike woman turned the letter over and over, puzzled. “What’s the matter? Isn’t this just a VIP notice from Steward Qiu? We’ve had those before.”

Wen Liangji pointed to the portrait. “The key is here.”

She still saw nothing unusual and whined, “You know I’m not that bright, don’t tease me!”

She slapped her hand down, landing squarely on the demon boar’s head. Its hard skull cracked with a snap. Wen Liangji exclaimed, “That’s a research specimen, be careful!”

The “girl” snorted. “Then hurry up and tell me!”

Wen Liangji shook his head helplessly, indicating the small seal by the portrait. “Do you see this?”

The “girl” scrutinized it. It seemed vaguely familiar, but mostly strange. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her. “It’s the young master’s private seal!”

Wen Liangji nodded. “Exactly. And this portrait was drawn by the young master himself.”

The “girl” understood. “So, this notice was personally issued by the young master? No wonder you’re so open with him.”

Wen Liangji said, “Not only that—look closely at the brushwork…”

Though she was formidable, the “girl” was used to being careless. At Wen Liangji’s prompt, she noticed at once. “There’s an energy fluctuation! Has the young master…”

Wen Liangji replied joyfully, “Yes—it seems he has already fused with the Heart Seed, and his body is well again!”

Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Thank you for all the rice dumplings—eat, eat, eat! Sending hugs to you all!