Chapter 112: The Situation Changes, Xishan Shifts

A cultivator from Bai Man Shan?

Thoughts flashed through Chen Ci's mind, but he didn't stop speaking, instead cupping his hands and greeting politely: "So it is Shizi in person; a misunderstanding, it is all a misunderstanding."

The He Mountain Sect occupies the hundred-thousand-mile territory of He Mountain exclusively, but within the Million Great Mountains, the He Mountain Sect is not the only dominant power.

Throughout the entire Miaojiang territory, there are three side-door sects that manage to reign supreme.

The He Mountain Sect, the Ten Immortals Sect, and Bai Man Shan.

If one were to break it down, the He Mountain Sect follows the Evil Method of flesh and living souls, the Ten Immortals Sect follows the Evil Method of raising ghost children and wild gods, and Bai Man Shan follows the Evil Method of gu-insects and poisonous creatures; although they are not one family, the three paths are not far apart, and they share a friendship of mutual exchange.

Chen Ci did not expect that the person who arrived was not his cheap fellow disciple from the He Mountain Sect, but a side-door Daoist from Bai Man Shan.

"Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding? You killed my spirit insect; if there is no explanation, I will certainly not let you off today!"

This disciple of Bai Man Shan surnamed Zheng had some leopard-skin pouches hanging on his body, inside which one could not tell what gu-insects or poisonous creatures were slowly wriggling; his tone was stiff.

The gu-insect that Chen Ci had slashed was actually not of a high level; although it was an exotic insect, it certainly wasn't precious enough to be worth much.

However, Bai Man Shan cultivators have always valued their own gu-insects, and Chen Ci still had questions to ask, so he did not want to turn hostile immediately; after a moment of contemplation, he took out a bottle of Health-Nurturing Pills and tossed them over, saying: "Daoist Zheng, this is the farmland of my temple. You are casting spells here, and that exotic insect even ruined several of my Spirit Materials; do you also owe me an explanation?"

"Pills?"

Zheng Ding took the Health-Nurturing Pills and sniffed them, then pulled out a small red ant from somewhere and picked a bit of powder for it to taste; only then did his expression soften: "I was invited by your He Mountain Sect's Daoist Yao to do some work; I only destroy farmland, and I know nothing of other matters. If you want an explanation, go find him."

Chen Ci's expression remained unchanged, revealing some confusion: "But that is not what Senior Brother Liu instructed?"

"Liu Ge, right? Heh, he was scolded severely and is likely to be driven back to He Mountain."

This yellow-robed man surnamed Zheng gave a cold laugh: "Daoist Yao only wants to be the Altar Master of this Xishan Prefecture; he doesn't actually want to kill the county residents. If the residents are killed, they have to be replaced later, which is truly troublesome. That fellow surnamed Liu took his way of doing things in Miaojiang and applied it outside, thinking he would be appreciated—he has truly become a joke."

Chen Ci: "..." So the backstabbing hadn't even started, and it was already over?

And he had thought he had set up an ambush.

Cultivators say that great power is gathered in oneself, but in terms of conduct and handling affairs, they are not necessarily more clever than mortals. Some servants and maids serve high-level cultivators in their mortal bodies; if the opportunity arises, even if there is no hope for the Dao path, at least a share of mortal wealth can be obtained.

It seems his cheap senior brother has tried to curry favor only to end up kicking the horse's leg.

A pity.

And he left him a mess to clean up.

"Daoist Zheng, Senior Brother Liu promised me a reward to work with him on a great cause. Now that you have come instead, whose credit will it be when the matter is done? This won't do, this won't do."

Chen Ci thought for a moment and shook his head repeatedly: "Daoist, you had better not cast spells in Changping County anymore. Let me ask Senior Brother Liu before deciding on the next step."

After a pause, Chen Ci took out another bottle of Health-Nurturing Pills and handed it over: "Daoist Zheng, please forgive me."

Tonight the moon is dark and the wind is high; it is the perfect time for his A Chui to start its killing spree. If this fellow dared to utter even half a 'no', hmph hmph.

"Truly troublesome. But this is your He Mountain Sect's family business, so I, an outsider, will not interfere. I will just change to another county."

Zheng Ding was not polite, taking the pills and stuffing them into his bosom. He sized Chen Ci up a few times and snorted: "I don't know what you He Mountain Sect people are fighting over in Xishan Prefecture. Dignified cultivators are actually being held back by these mundane mortal affairs. Daoist Yao not only invited us to help, but I heard he also intends to ask his family elders to come out of the mountains; truly strange."

Chen Ci's hand was about to touch the White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer, but upon hearing this, his hand stopped, and he asked subconsciously: "Daoist Zheng, you said Senior Brother Yao also invited the Yao Clan Ancestor to come out of the mountains?"

"Whether it is the Yao Clan Ancestor, I don't know. Daoist Yao only said to let us destroy the farmland of a dozen counties; if Xishan Prefecture cannot clean up this mess, then this Altar Master position should rightfully be his."

Zheng Ding did not say more, cupped his hands casually, and turned to leave. It seemed two bottles of Health-Nurturing Pills were more than enough to compensate for that gu-insect.

Chen Ci frowned, staring at the departing figure of the burly man from Bai Man Shan. This fellow seemed crude but was actually perceptive; just as he said, what did the internal affairs of the He Mountain Sect have to do with a disciple of Bai Man Shan?

"This Altar Master position of Xishan Prefecture should rightfully be held by the Yao Clan?"

Chen Ci pondered this sentence, thought about it for a moment, and then made a few leaps, disappearing into the night.

Late night, Sanyin Temple.

Chen Ci was in the quiet room, sorting through the situation he currently knew.

"Holding the position of Altar Master of the He Mountain Sect in Xishan Prefecture gives one the opportunity to obtain the Golden Core opportunity on Quanshan."

Chen Ci thought for a while and picked up a brush to write a sentence on paper; although this matter was far off, he might not be unable to replace him in the future.

"And this Altar Master position seems related to the household population of Xishan Prefecture. If it drops too sharply, one cannot hold the position firmly. No wonder that Hutou Daoren wanted Essence Refining but still wanted to maintain a facade; it turns out that besides Longhu Mountain, there were such concerns involved."

He dropped another line, and Chen Ci's brush did not stop: "The current predicament of Xishan Prefecture lies in the lack of grain. If the food problem cannot be solved, the population will inevitably plummet."

Chen Ci wrote the four characters 'Waterway Superintendent' on the paper, stopped his brush, and let out a turbid breath. In fact, the crux of the matter was right here; once the waterway was opened, the grain predicament would naturally be resolved.

"So that is the idea the one surnamed Yao has: let the exotic insects destroy the grain fields of Xishan Prefecture, then invite his family elders to suppress the Waterway Superintendent. Once the waterway is opened, his seat as Altar Master will be secure. It is indeed much smarter than just fighting and killing."

Where was Hutou Daoren's method to break the situation?

Chen Ci pondered for a long time and couldn't help but complain sourly: "Break what? Hutou Daoren clearly cannot beat that Waterway Superintendent, otherwise he would have jumped out and killed that guy long ago. Having a noble family supporting you from behind is just different, unlike Senior Brother Hutou, who, although he has a True Person behind him, is not his own flesh and blood after all, so he probably cannot borrow much help."

Damn, is his own boat really going to capsize?

That cheap senior brother even asked him if he dared to kill the intruders, but the problem is that they don't even come.

Chen Ci's heart skipped a beat; would his own immortal path end halfway?

The future is worrying.

Chen Ci reached into his bosom and pulled out a pale jade pendant, a look of struggle appearing on his face. He had drifted for half a lifetime; if he changed tracks to get ahead, would there still be a chance?

"Let's wait and see, sigh..."

Two months later, the autumn harvest.

Xishan Prefecture suffered a great famine, and Changping County also had a quarter less harvest than in previous years. Large numbers of refugees had already starved to death. This time, even Chen Ci could not conjure food out of thin air. For more than a year, the counties of Xishan Prefecture had been living on stored grain; how much the population had actually dropped, even he did not know.

However, looking at his White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer, which he had refined with extra smoothness, Chen Ci did not know what kind of feeling was in his heart.

What is meant by 'life is like grass'?

This is it. Mortal people have become bargaining chips for cultivators, and as for whether they live or die, no one cares.

Chen Ci inexplicably felt a bit fortunate; fortunately, he was a cultivator and in a great sect. Although he belonged to the Outer Transmission of a side-door sect, he would not be too miserable.

On this day, Chen Ci did not wait for news from the Fuhu Altar, but instead waited for the examination masters from the Chi Long Main Altar.

"Chen Ci, Outer Transmission of Sanyin Temple in Changping County, examination grade: lower-middle, under observation."

Three Chi Long Temple cultivators wearing crimson Daoist robes looked indifferent and gave Chen Ci a rather low evaluation.

"Three senior brothers, please stay."

Chen Ci greeted him politely: "Would you like to stay for a simple meal?"

Chen Ci slipped a one-thousand-tael silver note and two five-hundred-tael silver notes from his sleeve without a trace of hesitation: "You don't have to eat the coarse tea and rice, but you must take some local specialties."

"No need, hey... hey... hey! Junior Brother, you are too kind!"

The leading Daoist was not young, with graying hair and beard, and a neat appearance. His demeanor was originally neither cold nor warm, but after accepting the local specialties from the county, his expression softened quite a bit. After sizing up Chen Ci for a moment, he spoke: "Junior Brother Chen, you don't need to say much; whether this evaluation is a bit higher or lower doesn't really have any meaning."

"Oh, could Senior Brother speak clearly and give this younger brother some guidance?"

Chen Ci bowed, and a bottle of Health-Nurturing Pills slid out along his sleeve.

Although the old Daoist did not know what kind of pills were in the bottle, he figured they were worth presenting. He stroked his long beard, pondered for a moment, and then said: "Xishan Prefecture has thirty-seven counties under our sect's Outer Transmission. This time, eleven are 'Lower-Lower, Dismissed/Clumsy,' and even Fuhu Altar received a 'Lower-Lower.' The other counties are all 'Middle-Lower, Retain for Observation.' If you have connections, pull some strings, and you should be fine."

The leading old Daoist from Red Dragon Temple nodded slightly at Chen Ci and prepared to leave, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.

"Senior Brother, this younger brother is dull-witted. Where should I go to pull strings? Could you give me a hint?"

"Once Xishan Prefecture has a new Altar Master, you will know."

Soon, the few of them left.

Chen Ci kept a "damn it" in his heart, not knowing whether he should say it or not.

Damn it, he hadn't even boarded the ship yet, and the ship had already sunk?

What about Hutou Daoren's skills? His methods? His backing?

Are you kidding me!

Chen Ci subconsciously gripped the jade pendant that kept oscillating between being a token and a relic, wondering if his Senior Brother Liu's face would be of any use.

It felt like it might not be enough.

"I wonder if the name 'Copper Tuo Frost Sugar' sounds good. *Cough*, this three-year term is almost up; if I can exert some residual heat, that would be excellent."

"Senior Brother Yao, this younger brother has drifted for half a lifetime, and I am so eager to get ahead!"

Sanyin Qi-Consuming Method: 43/100

Chen Ci sighed and casually closed his Gold Finger panel. Even though his cultivation had improved, he couldn't feel happy.

His own cheap fellow disciple, Senior Brother Liu, who had a cultivation of eighty or ninety apertures, had groveled at the feet of Yao Daosheng, willing to be driven like a servant. His own cultivation was still worth a look in Xishan Prefecture, but in front of a thousand-year-old aristocratic clan, it really wasn't enough.

It won't fetch a good price.

Chen Ci felt quite resentful; he still couldn't figure out how Hutou Daoren had fallen without doing anything.

Could there be some hidden reason?

Or was Jiao Zhenren behind him actually incompetent, lacking the strength to even arm-wrestle with the Copper Tuo Yao Clan?

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Suddenly, a burst of urgent knocking interrupted Chen Ci's thoughts.

Chen Ci came back to his senses and asked subconsciously: "What is it?"

"Master, a group of people has come to the temple, and it seems a bit improper..."

Chen Ci frowned. At this time, who would come to his Sanyin Temple?

"Is this Sanyin Temple?"

In the front hall, a middle-aged, plump Daoist in blue robes was looking around at the decorations in the temple, pointing here and there from time to time, his face showing great dissatisfaction: "This is too shabby. Change it, change everything! Write it down. Later, have the wealthy families in the county send fifty thousand taels of silver as incense money, and bring twenty virgins of sixteen to serve me. If there is anything that makes me even half-dissatisfied, let them weigh the consequences!"

"Yes, Master."

Several servants and attendants waited on the side. One of the more prudent ones whispered: "Master, you haven't received the General Altar's decree yet, and your arrival is a bit hasty. Why not wait until the General Altar has handled all matters before coming to Changping County, so as to avoid offending the fellow disciples here?"

"Foolish!"

The middle-aged Daoist frowned and scolded: "My eldest brother wants to reorganize the household registration of Xishan Prefecture. If I don't come here early to take stock for him and mess up the big task, who will take the blame? This Sanyin Temple is so poor; if it weren't for the fact that I drew a lower lot and have grand ambitions, I wouldn't even want to come here."

"As for offending the fellow disciples here, heh, it's just a mere Outer Sect Outer Transmission. The logic of my Copper Tuo Yao Clan is the logic. If he is sensible, I will give him some face today and allow him to pack his luggage and work by my side in the future. If he is unappreciative, I will make him leave empty-handed. These are all sect properties..."

"Oh, sect property? Who are you, and why are you shouting in my Sanyin Temple?"

Chen Ci was just coming out from the backyard. Hearing this, he raised his eyebrows and let out a cold laugh.

"Are you the External Deacon here?"

The middle-aged Daoist turned around, looked at Chen Ci, bowed perfunctorily, and said with a faint smile on his lips, very naturally: "I am an in-law of the Copper Tuo Yao Clan. Senior Brother Yao Daosheng is my eldest brother. Now that Senior Brother Yao is the Altar Master of Xishan Prefecture, this Sanyin Temple in Changping County has been assigned to my name. You should pack up and clean it up quickly; don't disturb my quiet cultivation."

He looked as if it were a matter of course, feeling that since he had stated his name, Chen Ci would not dare not to comply.

Heh.

Chen Ci shook his head slightly. He had thought too much, hoping to get ahead by joining the Copper Tuo Yao Clan. These aristocratic families had vast estates and many idle people; where would they have extra resources to share with outsiders? If one didn't have talent, one probably wouldn't even catch their eye.

"Hurry up, don't just stand there."

Chen Ci ignored him, but today, he finally had some faint understanding of the intention behind the message Hutou Daoren had sent that day.

Dare to kill?

It might not just be asking if he dared to do it; it was also a "letter of intent." After all, he was just a cheap junior brother, and whether Hutou Daoren trusted him or not was still up in the air.

If he saw Fuhu Altar changing hands and just gave up Sanyin Temple, he probably wasn't loyal and couldn't be entrusted with important tasks. Let alone his Daoist path, perhaps one day even his White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer would be taken back.

But could Hutou Daoren really have a way to turn the tables?

In an instant, Chen Ci's thoughts raced.

If he guessed wrong, he would truly be cutting himself off from the He Mountain Sect. Not to mention the crime of killing a fellow disciple, the Copper Tuo Yao Clan could just blow a breath, and he would be wiped out, not even leaving a bit of bone dust.

"The Great Dao is hard to seek, the Great Dao must be fought for. Without an opportunity, one is truly just a pile of dry bones, and a hundred years of time makes no difference."

Chen Ci suddenly whispered, which made the plump Daoist somewhat dissatisfied, and he scolded: "What are you muttering about? Hurry up, don't tell me you still want to..."

"Noisy!"

Chen Ci asked indifferently: "Do you have the General Altar's decree, the official seal, or any sect documents or tokens?"

"Are you deaf? I am an in-law of the Copper Tuo Yao Clan. My words are the decree. Do you understand?"

The middle-aged Daoist was quite dissatisfied: "Forget it. You, you, you, first throw out this rotten wood, and then get me some high-quality sandalwood tables and chairs."

Chen Ci's expression did not change, and he grinned: "In other words, you don't even have an object to prove your identity, yet you dare to barge into a He Mountain Sect deacon's branch altar and spout nonsense, right?"

"Master."

Behind the middle-aged Daoist, a servant seemed to sense that the atmosphere was not quite right; he tugged lightly on his master's sleeve and forced a smile: "There is, naturally there is a decree from the main altar, but my master left in a hurry today and left it in the carriage, we will go get it right now."

"What are you tugging for? Does he know who I am?"

The middle-aged Daoist flew into a rage: "To provoke me is to provoke Elder Brother Yao, and to provoke Elder Brother Yao is to provoke the Copper Tuo Yao Clan, to provoke..."

But abruptly, he felt an inexplicable chill in his chest; just as his True Qi was triggered, a White Bone Magic Tool pierced him through, and as he instinctively looked up, he only saw Chen Ci's indifferent expression, which held a hint of regret.

To think that his own White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer was consecrated by such trash; it truly buried this precious sword.

"Does he know who I am?"

Chen Ci employed the 'shake' technique of the sword moves, and the middle-aged Daoist was instantly torn to pieces, yet not a drop of blood stained the White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer; the five hammer heads looked eerily as if they had come to life, turning to look at the trembling servant boy to the side, and Chen Ci sighed, asking curiously: "Is he usually this brave?"

This is called:

Gentlemen, do not move about, I shall go borrow a poem from Zhang Daye; as for the writer's affairs, it is a borrowing~

(End of this chapter)