The Ink Cicada was a famous hidden weapon among Qi Condensation cultivators. Once infused with sufficient spiritual power, it could erupt with terrifying speed, piercing an enemy's body before detonating.
Generally, the death rate for a mid-level Qi Condensation cultivator hit by an Ink Cicada was as high as seventy percent. Even a late-stage cultivator could be heavily injured if they were careless. However, its origin was mysterious, and its numbers were few; it was often impossible to find even with money.
The price typically ranged from five hundred to seven hundred spirit stones, sometimes even exceeding a thousand. Its high price was due to the fact that it was a life-saving tool with low requirements for the user—even someone at the second level of Qi Condensation could trigger its power.
By killing the marauders, Qi Ping and his partner had already made a massive profit from this item alone. It would have taken both of them years of saving to accumulate hundreds of stones! And their haul didn't stop there.
They set the cicada aside for later.
The second prize: Two black, Low-Grade defensive robes. Aside from a slight difference in size, they were identical. Though the stingers of the Golden Marrow Bees had pierced them, their fundamental toughness and defense remained. They just had a few small holes.
They would still provide significant protection against blades or spells. The reason they had been pierced so easily wasn't because they were weak, but because the stingers' attack power was simply too high—far beyond what a Low-Grade spirit tool could resist. A Mid-Grade robe might have fared better.
Qi Ping and Sister Nan each took one. Qi Ping immediately used his spiritual power to wash away the blood and grime before donning the robe under his clothes. It was hidden, yet it bolstered his defense. Between the robe and his Wood Shield Art, he felt much more secure. Sister Nan likewise turned away to change into her robe.
The third prize: Four storage bags. Two had large spaces, and two were small. Two of them were likely taken by the marauders from previous victims. They took two each, which would fetch a decent price in spirit stones.
The fourth prize: One Mid-Grade saber and one Mid-Grade sword. Qi Ping used a saber, and Sister Nan used a sword, making for an easy split.
The fifth prize: 372 low-grade spirit stones. While not a small amount, it was less than one might expect from successful marauders. Qi Ping guessed they had spent most of their funds on the robes and the Ink Cicada. They split them, receiving 186 each.
The sixth prize: Two Qi Condensation manuals—Evergreen Art and Vast Ocean Secret. These didn't offer any significant advantages over their current techniques, so they simply made copies of both.
The seventh prize: Various sundries of low value. Qi Ping assumed the marauders had sold their better loot to afford the cicada.
With that, everything except the Ink Cicada had been divided. Just as Qi Ping was about to discuss the cicada's fate, Sister Nan spoke first.
"Little Qi, you keep the Ink Cicada. Your contribution today was greater."
"More importantly, your own strength is low, and you lack combat experience. Even with the bees, you are in extreme danger if someone ambushes you. Its value is higher in your hands. Besides, I am about to reach the fifth level."
Qi Ping was stunned. "Sister Nan, but..."
She anticipated his protest and cut him off. "I'm not finished! I am letting you use it for now, but once you grow stronger, if you haven't used it yet, it returns to me. Agreed?"
"And don't you dare secretly sell it and tell me you used it!" She gave him a mock-serious look.
Qi Ping knew she was simply looking out for him. With his current cultivation, it would be a long time before he reached a level where the cicada was no longer a vital trump card—after all, she didn't know about his Plant Growth skill. Furthermore, even if he did sell it later, she would have no way to verify it. But he knew he would never do such a thing.
With the loot divided, they resumed their journey with newfound confidence. With the robes and the cicada, their strength had improved, settling their anxiety.
Qi Ping made a silent vow to help Sister Nan reach the fifth level—and even the late stages—as soon as possible. The Demon Insect Chapter showed him a future of immense potential, and the Ink Cicada could save his life. The resources needed to reach the late stages were far less valuable than those two things.
They encountered no further danger and soon reached the borders of the Cloud-Mist Mountains.
"Finally back!" Qi Ping exhaled deeply at the sight of the familiar peaks.
The journey had been perilous. Though they had won, if the enemies had used the Ink Cicada earlier or more decisively, one of them would have surely died. Not even the bees could have saved them. Thank goodness they were the ones standing.
"Yes, finally..." Sister Nan's expression was one of immense relief. This wasn't her first brush with death, but it was the first time she had felt so utterly powerless. All her poison tricks were useless before that Ink Cicada. If Qi Ping hadn't hidden such a powerful trump card like those bees, they would have been finished.
Both were eager to get home; the world outside was far too dangerous. However, before they had gone far, they saw a portly figure waiting at a crossroads.
"Isn't that Fatty Zhou? Is he waiting for us?" Sister Nan asked.
Fatty Zhou was also a member of the Fusheng Society. He rented a valley with a stream on the mountain where he raised a flock of First-Order Low-Grade Black Spirit Ducks. However, since he had married a pair of mortal twin sisters and fathered two sets of fraternal twins, he rarely participated in society activities. He usually stayed home unless it was the annual gathering or an emergency.
"Sister Nan, Little Qi! You're finally back!" The portly figure rushed toward them with a speed that defied his weight.
"Brother Shan said you went to the market. I figured you'd head straight home, so I came here to wait..." His face was a mixture of anxiety and distress.
"Brother Fatty, has something happened?" Qi Ping asked.
The man sighed. "My Black Spirit Ducks seem to have caught a disease. They haven't eaten or drunk anything for days! I've checked them a dozen times and asked many friends, but no one can find the problem."
"Sister Nan, you are well-traveled..."
"Little Qi, you've studied so many books on farming and raising animals..."
"Can you help me take a look? If you can solve it, I'll do whatever you ask!"
Qi Ping was intrigued. Another case where the cause was unknown—it sounded similar to the trouble with the bees. 'Is this a coincidence, or is there a deeper reason?'