CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 24: SIDE QUEST

As soon as Old Kulu left, Yue Jinghua immediately turned over and sat up on the bed.

In the darkness, her eyes harbored not only shock but also brimming joy.

Unable to contain the thrill in her heart, she got off the bed and paced continuously within the room.

Truly inconspicuous, truly inconspicuous.

Yue Jinghua believed that the strike by Old Kulu just now, at most, exhibited less than fifty percent of his strength.

His breath as clouds, his energy as water, Old Kulu’s skills could already compare to the mightiest Dark Heavenly Master Yue Jinghua had ever seen.

Compared to Qin Gang before, he was hardly worth mentioning; perhaps only Ni Huo from the Rebellion Mercenary Group was qualified to compete with Old Kulu.

Seeing Old Kulu’s maneuvers, Yue Jinghua had every reason to believe that the old man had long known about the Centipede Worm on the mountain top.

The Worm’s midnight attack, in his eyes, was merely like a dog barking in the middle of the night; a slap was all it took to dismiss the Peak of Eighth Rank Centipede Worm without even leaving meat and bones.

Dark Heavenly, definitely a Dark Heavenly Master.

Only a Dark Heavenly Master, or even a master at the Dark Heavenly Peak, could possess such a divine skill.

What startled Yue Jinghua profoundly was not just Old Kulu’s cultivation, but also the way he manipulated Dark Energy earlier.

Before encountering Old Kulu, Yue Jinghua had always thought that one could only confront enemies by holding a Spiritual Artifact.

But now it seems that it is not the case; recalling that both Ni Huo and Old Kulu use no weapons.

Their weapon is the Dark Power within their bodies.

In that instant earlier, Old Kulu’s coordination of hands and feet, the immense Dark Power bursting within, was like invisible blades, slicing through the thick skin of the Centipede Worm, disregarding its imperviousness to blades and guns or its tough flesh, sending it flying directly.

This skill of Transforming Qi into Weapon, much like hitting a cow beyond a mountain, no matter how strong the opponent’s defense, as long as one can adeptly utilize Dark Power, it can pierce through the opponent’s Protective Armor and directly injure their internal organs.

The observation tonight, as Yue Jinghua covertly spied in the state of her Second Primordial Spirit, went unnoticed by Old Kulu, who hence used his utmost skills without reservation to deal with the Centipede Worm.

Yet, it was this very man versus Centipede fight tonight that benefited Yue Jinghua immensely.

The way Old Kulu used Dark Energy gave Yue Jinghua a whole new understanding of the Dark Practitioners’ Dark Skill.

Tossing and turning all night, only at dawn did Yue Jinghua finally close her eyes for a quick rest.

Since that night, another two days had passed. Heeding the lesson from that evening, Yue Jinghua did not rashly venture to the mountain peak again but contentedly accompanied the cows in "exercising" at the farm.

Old Kulu never mentioned that night’s events in front of Yue Jinghua; however, once while helping Granny Madan milk the cows, Yue Jinghua seemed inadvertently to ask, "Granny Madan, the other night, I thought I heard some noises outside the farm. What was that about?"

"Hehe, it must have been the wind blowing down the trees outside the farm. I heard from your Grandpa Kulu that the wind was very strong on the mountain that night, even blowing down some rocks and crushing some pine trees and fences," Granny Madan replied with a smile, evidently oblivious to the Centipede Worm incident.

"What about the mountain top? Granny, you’ve lived around here for so long, have you ever been to the top?" Yue Jinghua asked again.

"I’ve been there a few times. During the summer when the grass is lush, Old Kulu takes Ah Zad up the mountain to graze the cattle. The water and grass there are good, but that’s only in the summer," Granny Madan replied, completely unaware that Yue Jinghua was probing her.

After several inquiries, Yue Jinghua was certain that Granny Madan knew neither about Old Kulu’s skills nor about the mineral veins on the mountain peak.

What other secrets is Old Kulu hiding, even from his own wife?

That same evening, at the dinner table, Old Kulu read a letter. It was from Ah Zad, the farm’s usual cattle herder, stating that his mother was seriously ill and he needed to stay in his hometown for another half month.

"Half a month? What are we to do?" Though Granny Madan was quite fond of Yue Jinghua, thinking of how the child had been tormented daily by the herd of Monster Snowflake Bulls made her feel sorry.

"What do you mean, what to do? Let him stay another half month, isn’t it? After eating so much of my beef every day, shouldn’t there be some compensation?" Old Kulu blustered, watching as Yue Jinghua slurped down another large bowl of beef soup.

"Alright, but I want some extra points," said Yue Jinghua, eager to stay longer on Mazaro Mountain now more than ever, knowing the secret of the summit. However, Old Kuru kept tight-lipped, revealing nothing despite her indirect proddings.

Since that night, Yue Jinghua had not seen him use that unique method of employing Dark Energy again.

Yue Jinghua readily agreed to the elderly couple’s request, causing Granny Madan’s old face to bloom with joy. She had no children of her own, and though Ah Zad was also young, he and her husband were alike in their reserved temperaments.

Yue Jinghua was different; since arriving, she had affectionately addressed her as "Granny" and frequently helped with chores. Granny Madan was exceedingly fond of her, almost considering her a real grandchild.

Seeing his spouse so delighted, Old Kuru grunted displeasure, but the warmth in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

A few days later, at dusk, Old Kuru called Yue Jinghua over: "The herd of Snowflake Bulls here has grown robust. Early tomorrow morning, I will take about a dozen cattle down the mountain to deliver them to a slaughterhouse in the neighboring Saimier Duchy. The round trip will take about four or five days. In my absence, I’m entrusting you with the tasks at the farm."

In recent days, Yue Jinghua had worked diligently and became well-acquainted with the temperaments of the dozens of Monster Snowflake Bulls, maintaining a peaceful coexistence with the herd.

Moreover, after racing with the cattle for several days and consuming plenty of nutritious Snowflake beef, her physique had grown significantly more robust compared to when she first arrived.

These subtle changes had not escaped Old Kuru’s notice. Even though he still glared at Yue Jinghua daily, entrusting her with managing the farm in his absence showed his acceptance of her as, in some ways, one of his own.

After repeatedly giving instructions, and still not fully at ease, Old Kuru set up several Dark Arrays around the perimeter of the farm before heading down the mountain the following day with a herd of hearty Snowflake Bulls.