Chapter 75: The Second Clone, Cheng Hong Ling (1)
“Nine Nether Demonic Cat? This is exactly what we need, we were just worrying about Cat’s Eye Tears!”
“Yes, we Honghua disciples are few, only a hundred or so. One Nine Nether Demonic Cat can solve our urgent need.”
“Now, Nine Nether Demonic Cats are almost extinct in the wild. If our Honghua Sect can obtain it, the prestige alone will be worth more than Cat’s Eye Tears.”
“It’s a pity it’s only an ordinary Nine Nether Demonic Cat. If it were a Cat Demon, just having it at Honghua Sect would keep evil spirits away within a radius of dozens of kilometers. Then, our Honghua Sect could expand its scale, and the current housing shortage would be greatly relieved.”
“Are you daydreaming? Even that ordinary Nine Nether Demonic Cat is currently just a mirage, and you’re already fantasizing about a Cat Demon.”
…
The high-level figures were excited, expressing their opinions. The so-called Nine Nether Cat Demon is actually the name for a Nine Nether Demonic Cat that has undergone transformation.
‘If I can catch that Nine Nether Demonic Cat, won’t these nine bottles of Cat’s Eye Tears be able to be sold without any worries?’
Qi Huang, hearing the discussions, immediately felt excited. She was worried about not having enough money to buy houses for her fellow villagers, and now it seemed like a pillow was being delivered just as she was falling asleep.
‘A small bottle of Cat’s Eye Tears now sells for a thousand taels of silver on the market, and it’s only available in name, not in reality. Nine bottles of Cat’s Eye Tears are enough to buy dozens of quadrangle courtyards in a large town.’
Qi Huang calculated and became even more excited.
“Yes, the value of a Nine Nether Demonic Cat is immeasurable. However, we know that people from other sects also know about it, so there will certainly be no shortage of people coveting it, and obtaining it will not be easy.”
Qin Quan pointed out the difficulties.
“Sect Leader Qin, don’t we have Hong Ling? She is a master of the Huashen Realm. I think we can give it a try.”
Elder Ruan looked at Cheng Hong Ling, his eyes filled with trust.
All the high-level figures also looked at Cheng Hong Ling with admiration and respect, as the cultivation world has always valued strength over seniority.
“Hong Ling, it’s likely that not only the local immortal sects from our Yongning Prefecture will be heading to Yuxiao Sect, but many other sects will send out their elites. If Honghua Sect wants to capture this Nine Nether Demonic Cat, it’s probably only you who can succeed. However, since it’s ownerless, there will inevitably be competition, so we cannot rule out danger. Whether you go or not is entirely up to you.”
Qin Quan asked for her opinion in a gentle tone, knowing that he no longer had the right to order this disciple around.
“I’ll go!”
Cheng Hong Ling said expressionlessly.
“Good! Very good! If that’s the case, then I entrust this matter to you. Ask for as many helpers as you need.”
Qin Quan’s face lit up with excitement. With this disciple of Huashen Realm’s strength, wouldn’t the Nine Nether Demonic Cat be easily captured?
“No need!”
Cheng Hong Ling refused concisely again. Who in the Honghua Sect now was worthy of being her helper? Bringing them would only be a burden.
Qin Quan and a few other high-level figures discussed it but didn’t force the issue, as they understood the reasoning.
“When do I depart?”
Cheng Hong Ling asked again.
“Depart as soon as possible! This matter is best done sooner rather than later.”
Qin Quan instructed.
The matter was thus decided, and everyone returned to their respective places. Cheng Hong Ling prepared to set off the next day.
“I’ll go with you!”
Qi Huang eagerly suggested.
“No, I don’t know how long I’ll be delayed at Yuxiao Sect this time. You must stay to impersonate me and hold the fort.”
Cheng Hong Ling refused without thinking. It was only when facing her clone that she would speak a few more words.
“What if you can’t catch that Nine Nether Demonic Cat? Don’t forget, this isn’t the Evergreen Convention. There are no age restrictions or regional limits for the participants. What if you encounter old monsters in the Shentong Realm? Can you handle them?”
Qi Huang raised her doubts.
“What are you saying? If I can’t handle them, do you think you can?”
Cheng Hong Ling almost burst out laughing.
“Of course. Don’t forget my usual forte.”
Qi Huang said with confidence.
“What do you mean? Are you going to act again?”
Cheng Hong Ling’s reaction was immediate. “Your Spiritual Sense is only at the Huashen Realm, that’s not a stage for your acting.”
Qi Huang wanted to clarify that she wasn’t “merely” at the Huashen Realm, but her main body spoke again.
“To be honest, even if your Spiritual Sense reached the Shentong Realm, I wouldn’t let you go. As I said before, Honghua Sect is far more important than that Nine Nether Demonic Cat. If we can catch the Nine Nether Demonic Cat, that’s great; if not, then so be it. But nothing must go wrong here.”
Cheng Hong Ling reiterated.
Qi Huang wanted to speak but couldn’t find a reason to refute. She was so anxious that she scratched her ears and cheeks. For her, the Nine Nether Demonic Cat was a must-obtain prize, but Honghua Sect was also very important. She couldn’t prioritize one over the other.
‘It seems I have to find another way.’
Qi Huang could only give up for now.
That evening, Cheng Hong Ling was packing her luggage when she surprisingly learned of her clone’s intention to play matchmaker. Of course, she was so angry that she almost self-destructed.
“I don’t have time to deal with you now. Wait until I get back, and I’ll make you pay.”
Cheng Hong Ling left a stern warning.
The next day, Cheng Hong Ling set off. Naturally, the sect’s high-level figures kept this matter a secret, as Qi Huang, being a clone, was “too weak.” If her identity were exposed, she wouldn’t even be able to hold the fort.
Qi Huang, unaware of everyone’s thoughts, was summoned by her master for a talk.
“Qi Huang! The Sect Leader asked me to remind you not to act rashly when your main body is away, otherwise, you will be recognized.”
Xu Mei earnestly advised.
“What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?”
Qi Huang immediately became angry.
“No, Master knows you’ve done your best. You’ve reached the sixth layer of the Juling Realm after only half a year of cultivation. Your main body didn’t have such speed back then.”
Xu Mei flattered her “sincerely.”
Qi Huang was speechless, but she had no interest in explaining further. If she didn’t act, she wouldn’t act. She wasn’t a violent person anyway.
Returning home, Qi Huang felt a headache seeing Yuan Jie again. She had promised to find a husband for her but had no leads at all.
“Sister Yuan! May I be so bold as to ask, what are your requirements for your future husband?”
Qi Huang tentatively asked. If this sister’s requirements were not too high, she might be able to arrange something for her two good brothers.
“About that!”
Yuan Jie touched her smooth chin, a hint of longing in her eyes. She pondered for a long time without speaking.
“Sister Yuan is truly playing hard to get! You just said in front of everyone that you didn’t care about men, and now you’re seriously thinking about this question.”
Qi Huang, feeling uneasy, complained resentfully.
“Oh! What do you know, you little girl? Men and women are attracted to each other. There’s no man who dislikes women, and no woman who dislikes men. I just said that to vent my anger.”
Yuan Jie didn’t hide anything and admitted it generously.
Qi Huang shook her head helplessly, thinking, “I understand the logic, but do you really need to think for so long? It’s making me so unsettled.”
“My requirements for my future husband are, first of all…”
Yuan Jie finally spoke, her tone filled with expectation. But she stopped short after a few words, smiling self-deprecatingly, “Forget it, at my age, what else can I hope for? I only have two basic requirements: First, the right to reside in an immortal sect; Second, just be a man.”
‘Sigh! I knew it would be like this.’
Qi Huang sighed helplessly. These two requirements were indeed not excessive, but the problem was that 90% of men in this world couldn’t meet them.
Qi Huang wanted to persuade her further, but Yuan Jie already had the right to reside in an immortal sect, so finding such a man was within reason. If she, as the matchmaker, couldn’t even fulfill this small request, wouldn’t she shame her main body and be beaten to death?
Qi Huang was in a lot of pain. At this moment, Huang Tian from Huatian Village transmitted a message again, saying that the Wang family members were about to be buried, and everyone was asking if she would go.
“If I go, what about Honghua Sect? If I don’t go, what about my reputation?”
Qi Huang was in a dilemma. She never imagined that the matter of the Nine Nether Demonic Cat would coincide with the matter in Huatian Village, leaving her unable to be in two places at once.
‘If only there was another person exactly like the main body.’
Qi Huang fantasized. Indeed, if there were another “Cheng Hong Ling,” she could shove the mess onto that person and become a hands-off manager. Anyway, Honghua Sect only needed Cheng Hong Ling’s face.
After much thought, Qi Huang suddenly slapped her head. “Why am I so stupid? Don’t I have six ‘Cheng Hong Lings’ in my mind? Can’t I just cultivate a clone?”
