Chapter 113: Heart-Gu Voice Transmission, Five Ghosts Reach Great Completion

"Has everything inside and outside the temple been cleaned up?"

In the front hall, Chen Ci held a cup of health tea, feeling a bit wistful; after finishing this cup, there were three more to go.

That middle-aged Daoist whose name he didn't know hadn't come alone; his attendants, servants, cook, and coachman—more than ten people in total—though somewhat innocent, had also been cleaned out completely.

In this world, even Chen Ci had no choice, let alone them.

"Reporting to Master, all bloodstains, traces, horses, and miscellaneous items have been disposed of cleanly; I am certain nothing was left behind."

The three Apprentices of Sanyin Temple all knelt on the ground, but from Chen Ci's position, the expressions on their faces were varied, their eyes flickering slightly, though their lips remained pressed shut, and they did not speak.

The three of them were not fools; it was only after following Chen Ci to Changping County that they had washed away some of their bandit-like air. Although the middle-aged Daoist who came today had no official decree or documents, judging by his attitude and conduct, it likely wasn't fake.

In other words, their own Master had indeed killed the master who came from He Mountain, and the implications of this were self-evident.

"Do you have something to say?"

Chen Ci set down his teacup and asked indifferently.

"Master, this humble one dares to speak a word."

Niu Ji gritted his teeth and bowed his head, saying: "If Master feels that staying in this Changping County is not very pleasant, why not just take us to flee the Liang Kingdom and become kings of the mountains? Find a hilltop, build a camp, erect a fortress, and if we manage it well, it won't be much worse than being in the county."

"Heh, everyone get up."

Chen Ci waved his hand to let them rise and said indifferently: "You have also seen it; I have brought disaster upon myself. Whether this Sanyin Temple can still stand is questionable. You have been with me for some years, but this matter is too big; I cannot take you with me. Today, I will arrange a way out for you."

Seeing the three of them change color, Chen Ci pressed his palm down slightly and continued: "Each of you go to the accounting room and draw one thousand taels of silver; consider it the An money I am giving you. However, I still need one person to do something for me. Is there anyone willing?"

The three knelt again and shouted in unison: "How could we not be willing to die for Master!"

"No need to think of it so seriously. Find a box and deliver this fellow's head to the Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture for me. But be quick; one person, three horses, deliver it within two days."

Chen Ci scanned the three of them slowly and finally said: "Xian Zhi, can you do it?"

Long Xianzhi gritted his teeth and accepted: "Yes, Master, I will certainly not fail the mission!"

Chen Ci paused; he had been using his three cheap Apprentices quite satisfactorily, and it could be considered a stroke of fate. He reached into his robes, took out three Soul Fixing Talismans, and tossed them to the three.

"The outcome of this matter is hard to say, and whether I will return to Changping County is also uncertain. If you or your descendants encounter Sanyin Temple in the future, this talisman can serve as a token."

Chen Ci stood up, scanned the foundation he had built, and waved his hand: "Pack up, lock the doors and windows, go."

He vaguely felt that Hutou Daoren still had a backup plan; it was also because, when facing the struggle for the Altar Master position in Xishan Prefecture, this cheap Senior Brother had truly not used a single countermeasure, which was too bizarre.

To be able to win thirty-seven consecutive sword duels at Xishan Market and to be able to challenge for an Upper Grade Dao Foundation as a He Mountain Outer Transmission Apprentice, such a strong person was too calm in the face of such schemes.

So calm that Chen Ci was even willing to go all-in. If this plan failed, he would truly have to become a rogue cultivator and wander the ends of the earth.

Chen Ci killed all the livestock in the temple, and together with the ten-plus people who had delivered themselves to his door, he refined over a hundred drops of Essence Refining, which he carried with him. After the three Apprentices had all left the temple, Chen Ci waited until dark, and after confirming no one was around, he found a direction and headed into the mountains.

How long he could hide the fact that he had killed people depended on when the Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture truly changed hands—ten days, half a month, a month; Chen Ci couldn't be sure. He simply fled into the mountains to find a corner to hide in. With Bigu Pills in hand, although life would be hard, it was not a major issue.

"Half a month; I will wait for that Hutou Daoren for half a month."

Chen Ci looked at the cave he had found, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and then clicked on his interface.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Proficient/93/100

"I shall take advantage of these days to first practice the Five Ghosts Transportation Method to Great Completion. If it can become a help, whether advancing or retreating, I will have a bit more confidence."

Placing the Ancient Bronze Lamp on the ground, Chen Ci flicked five drops of Essence Refining from the Spirit Nourishing Bottle into it and began to practice the Five-Ghost Wonderful Technique.

In the dim cave, one could only hear a series of low incantations, and faintly, one could see five ghost shadows appearing and disappearing around Chen Ci, as if they were there and yet not.

Five days later, an unnamed cave.

Amidst a gray mist, Chen Ci practiced the Five Ghosts Transportation Method with increasing vigor, vaguely feeling that he was only one step away from a breakthrough.

But suddenly, a low buzzing sound came from the cave, as if some object were vibrating.

Chen Ci slowly ended his cultivation, a strange look flashing in his eyes. He reached into his robes and pulled out a semi-transparent small bottle. The black cicada the size of a fingernail inside, which had been lying at the bottom of the bottle without moving, was now acting as if it were alive, its abdomen emitting a low vibration, striking the bottom of the jade bottle with a rhythm.

Heart-Linked Gu.

Chen Ci narrowed his eyes, extracted this Gu insect from the bottle, hesitated slightly, and pressed it under the root of his tongue. As he stimulated it with his own True Qi, the low vibration on its body, which sounded like a cicada's chirp, gradually transformed into a human voice—it was none other than his cheap Senior Brother, Hutou Daoren.

"September 5th, outside Xishan Prefecture, eight hundred miles against the river, Lin Immortal Ferry."

In the Heart-Linked Gu, Hutou Daoren's tone was very flat, revealing not a hint of joy or anger.

Chen Ci did not make a sound. Once the Heart-Linked Gu finished its message, it quickly went silent. A bitter taste spread under the root of his tongue. Chen Ci spat it out and saw that the abdominal cavity of the Heart-Linked Gu had already ruptured; it was clearly not going to live.

September 5th?

Chen Ci calculated with his fingers; there were still eight days left.

He glanced at his interface again.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Proficient/98/100

"Sure enough, how could this Hutou Daoren be the type to accept his fate? Having entrenched himself in Xishan Prefecture for many years, seeing the opportunity for Golden Core right before his eyes, only to have his peaches plucked by someone else—no one could endure that."

Chen Ci stood up and crushed the Heart-Linked Gu on the ground into powder with his foot.

"Lin Immortal Ferry, could it be that he intends to carry out an ambush? But since there is a decree from the Red Dragon Temple, even if he kills the person who comes, can this Lin Shixiong really return to the Fuhu Altar? How could the people of the Copper Tuo Yao Clan just let it go?"

"Is it a desperate gamble, or is he confident, or does he have other plans?"

Chen Ci frowned, staring at the insect remains on the ground. He couldn't quite guess the intention behind this move, but since the "letter of intent" had already been delivered, he could not retreat even half a step.

"The Five Ghosts Transportation Method will need one or two more days to reach Great Completion; I will set out after the breakthrough!"

Whether the future holds the He Mountain Sect Inner Sect True Transmission Master Chen, or the rogue cultivator A-Ci, or just unnamed bones in the mountains, it all depends on this battle.

Chen Ci suppressed the thoughts in his mind, adjusted his state, and continued to practice the Five Ghosts Transportation Method. A series of strange syllables and low incantations continued to echo in the cave.

Two days later.

As the incantations from Chen Ci's mouth suddenly stopped, the five little ones jumped down from the Ancient Bronze Lamp and disappeared silently, only to reappear silently. If not for his mental connection with the five ghosts, it would have been very difficult to detect their traces.

"A breakthrough, indeed..."

With a thought from Chen Ci, the five ghosts giggled and jumped out from the void, forming a pale gray mist about one meter in diameter. It rolled and appeared, surrounding Chen Ci's body—cold, slippery, and soft against his skin.

Chen Ci: "..." At this moment, one should not have any bold ideas.

"Five Ghosts Transportation, rise!"

Chen Ci pointed a finger, a sense of expectation inexplicably rising in his heart.

This pale gray mist formed by the five ghosts wrapped around Chen Ci, as if to lift him up.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Chen Ci blinked, looking at his feet which had yet to leave the ground, and subconsciously opened his Gold Finger panel.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Great Success/1/100

So the breakthrough was for nothing; his own five ghosts are still bottom-tier trash?

(End of this chapter)