Chapter 066: Repaying a Debt of Gratitude
“Xiao Ci, you this…”
“Fellow Daoist Qin, what do you want to say?”
Qin Gou took a deep breath and said, “I was impulsive before and even called you a demon girl. I want to slap myself to death now.”
Ren Ci’s little face was incomprehensible, “I am the daughter of the demon race. Fellow Daoist Qin is absolutely right.”
But you don’t have any demonic traits at all!
Qin Gou carefully recalled his experiences since meeting Ren Ci, and couldn’t help but sigh. This girl, apart from being a bit difficult to approach at first, was truly kind and gentle at heart, always thinking of others.
“Thank you, Xiao Ci. You are right. I hesitated for a few days, but it was just my own self-torment,” Qin Gou said with sincere eyes.
“Why do you still say such self-blaming words, Fellow Daoist Qin?”
Ren Ci shook her head, a faint smile gradually appearing, “If you insist on being like this, then I’ll really have to let you atone for your sins properly, for example…”
As she spoke, Ren Ci took out a crescent-shaped communication token from her Nas void ring and handed it to Qin Gou.
“Let’s do it quickly. Re-establish the connection between our Spirit Power Transmission tokens from before?”
“Okay.”
Qin Gou immediately took it and, the moment he held it in his palm, he indeed sensed a mark that was undeniably his. Due to the long period of inability to communicate, the spiritual power he had left on it had completely dissipated.
Next, Qin Gou poured his spiritual power into it. The process was smooth and natural. If it were someone else’s communication token, it would be impossible to do this.
After Ren Ci happily took back the token, her smile became even brighter, “If it weren’t for the excessive spiritual power loss from you, Fellow Daoist Qin, I would have known the moment you stepped into the abyss. Also, the ‘Myriad Spirit Blood’ enhancement you mentioned before was too misleading. Otherwise, my Thousand Soul Blood Absorption Body, which was completely cleared of its drawbacks with your help back then, would have recognized you at a glance.”
“With my help?”
“Yes.”
Speaking of this, Ren Ci’s clear eyes were filled with reminiscence, and her voice was full of emotion, “I will never forget. At that time, the situation was urgent, and the hidden ailment of my declining realm could no longer be delayed. I tried many methods but couldn’t truly heal. I was almost ready to give up and enter the Nine Nether Uncrossable Ice myself, but suddenly Fellow Daoist Qin suggested trying one more time to help me, but he couldn’t guarantee it would work. And at that time, I could never have imagined…”
At this point, Ren Ci felt as if everything was still vivid in her memory. She couldn’t help but redden her eyes again. “The methods you inquired about, Fellow Daoist Qin, required a part of your own Dao Body to transform into a mysterious spirit plant I had never seen before for me to refine!”
“That should be one of the special abilities of my Natal Spirit Tool.”
‘Bud of Taihuang’ Effect Four, ‘Gou Mang’s Embrace’. With sufficient spiritual power, it can make the Bud of Taihuang cover the host, transforming the host perfectly into nine ‘Heaven Tier’ spirit plants and any ‘below Heaven Tier’ plants. Their forms, characteristics, and effects are exactly the same as the original. Limited to half an hour. (In this state, the host can actively separate a part of themselves, which will truly become a spirit plant and cannot be restored. When the host returns to their true body, they can choose which part of their flesh and blood to sacrifice as a price.)
Back then, when the system first explained this ability, it had very seriously reminded Qin Gou that the phenomenon of Heaven Tier spirit plants appearing during the spellcasting was extremely difficult to conceal, and he himself could be used as medicine. Therefore, he had to be very vigilant. Thus, unless necessary, Qin Gou rarely used this technique. Even when he did, he usually transformed into ‘Nine Nether Uncrossable’, which possessed powerful offensive and defensive means.
“Xiao Ci, did you happen to notice which part of my Dao Body transformed into the spirit plant back then?” While asking, Qin Gou already had a guess in his heart.
Ren Ci quickly nodded, without any hesitation, clearly having a very deep impression of it. “I saw with my own eyes that Fellow Daoist Qin cut out a bloody section of intestine from his own abdomen in an instant! It was about this long, and Fellow Daoist Qin didn’t even frown. To reassure me, he only used spiritual power to recover a bit and acted as if there was nothing wrong!” As she spoke, she gestured vividly with her small hands.
“As expected, it’s 99.9% likely to be the appendix…”
“Does the Human Race have a tail?” Ren Ci asked, looking confused.
“It’s not a tail, it’s just called that. By the way, Xiao Ci, do you remember what the spirit plant you refined back then looked like? Did it need any other pills to cooperate? And what special method was used to refine it?”
“I remember, but what do you mean, Fellow Daoist Qin?”
Qin Gou smiled calmly, “My ‘half-disciple’ Xiao Ci still has the same hidden ailment as you that hasn’t been completely eradicated. I really didn’t know before that a spirit plant that my Natal Spirit Tool could simulate, when combined with the right secret recipe, could have such a miraculous effect on your injuries. Although I have already pointed her to another path and asked a friend of mine for help, if it still can’t resolve perfectly like yours, then I’ll use this method on her once… Huh? Xiao Ci, why are you crying again?”
Momentarily, Qin Gou quickly explained, “Cough, Xiao Ci, don’t misunderstand. Even if the appendix is gone, it won’t have any effect on me. It’s better to turn waste into treasure.”
“But even if Fellow Daoist Qin doesn’t say it, I can guess that turning one’s own flesh and blood into such a precious spirit plant must have some cost. I’m afraid that even you, Fellow Daoist Qin, after using such a mystic art, would find it difficult to restore that intestine of yours… no, that organ called the ‘appendix’?”
Qin Gou nodded calmly, “That’s true. According to the laws of my Natal Spirit Tool, that thing will never be restored.”
“So, because of me, Fellow Daoist Qin will permanently lose his appendix! Such self-sacrifice, such great kindness… Ren Ci truly feels unworthy!” At this moment, Xiao Ci’s clear and moving eyes were filled with tears of emotion and shame. She suddenly gritted her teeth and said firmly:
“I must repay Fellow Daoist!”
“No, Xiao Ci, listen to me finish. This is actually a good thing for me too, because…”
“I want to repay you tenfold! I will repay your kindness with a gushing spring!”
“What?”
“Fellow Daoist Qin, I suddenly realized that the Dao Body structures of our Human and Demon races are somewhat similar. The organ called ‘appendix’, I should have it too!”
Ren Ci had a flash of inspiration, her good intentions absolute. “A deficiency in the physique might affect Fellow Daoist Qin’s cultivation. Can I transfer my appendix to Fellow Daoist Qin? You can’t regenerate it yourself due to the rules of your spirit tool, but I have no such restrictions. With my regenerative power, it would truly be just a minor injury, and it would surely recover in the blink of an eye! Even if I fail to recover myself, as the saying goes, ‘repay kindness with kindness.’ You have both wholeheartedly helped me twice, so Ren Ci is willing to suffer the pain of losing her appendix in your stead!”
“Moreover, I am quite confident. After all, my Thousand Soul Blood Absorption Body is very good at dividing its form. Even if I transfer a hundred or a thousand appendices to Fellow Daoist Qin at once, it would only cost some vital blood! As long as this method proves feasible, I will be your supply officer from now on, and I will willingly transfer them to you continuously. From now on, Fellow Daoist Qin, you can use as many appendices as you want, as they will never be used up!” After speaking, Ren Ci’s expression was one of pure devotion and sincerity, truly admirable.
“Ci’er…” Qin Gou’s old face turned ashen. “You’re killing people, and it’s like you’re repaying a debt of gratitude?”
