Chapter 145: White Clouds Rise, A Chance Encounter at the Eatery

Walking on the streets of the Liangjiang Sea Market, buffeted by the cold wind, it took a long while for the anger in Chen Ci's heart to slowly subside.

Even if he carried the Five Ghosts and had the prospect of Longevity, so what? He still couldn't even get back the deposit on his rented room. There was no need for any grand narrative; a low-level minor cultivator simply had no human rights, forced to drift with the tide, unable to control his own fate.

"However, since when did I become so brave?"

Chen Ci reflected deeply. Thinking back to when he first arrived, he would have been scared half to death just hearing the name of a Daoist from Longhu Mountain. Now, he dared to harbor murderous intent on someone else's turf—he had been too impulsive.

In reality, it was only two Spirit Pearls, two hundred taels of gold, and two thousand taels of silver.

Damn, why am I even angrier now?

"In the end, I was still influenced by the style of the He Mountain Sect. Master Chen has always been a kind and good person. But to be honest, I can't be blamed for this; it's mainly because the gap in status and position is too great, making it hard to adapt."

Chen Ci shook his head and said no more.

The status of an Apprentice of the He Mountain Sect, or his own cultivation, would make him a top-tier hero in a place like Xishan Prefecture. Not to mention the riff-raff of loose cultivators, even if a true Outer Transmission from the Longhu Shan Jiuzhuan Guan came, their statuses would be considered equal; he, Chen, would also be a high-and-mighty cultivator master.

But once he stepped out of his own small patch of land, in front of disciples from true major sects, he was no better than an ox or a horse.

Jiamashinxing Talisman: Entry/32/100 (Talisman paper and cinnabar ink, three out of ten parts, ten talismans per part, one can be advanced)

"Force Path Facie, sigh, I'm poor. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. If I can't become the He Mountain Light in the future, these two Spirit Pearls will be the final straw that breaks my kindness. I've made a note of it."

Cloud Stepping Talisman: Not yet entered

However, after a busy day, it wasn't a total loss.

Then, his thoughts drifted to the overseas regions of the Liang Kingdom, to this world and the various sects of the Profound Gate.

Longhu Mountain.

For a house that hadn't been lived in for over a month, even with the doors and windows closed, a thin layer of dust had settled in every corner. As soon as this thought crossed Chen Ci's mind, the five little ones jumped down from behind him and began to clean up with a *whoosh-whoosh* sound, giving him a sense of relief, as if his rebellious children had finally become sensible.

Jiao Zhenren.

To put it bluntly, in the past, Chen Ci would have had to have the thought "go clean up" for the five little ones to start working.

Chen Ci looked at the ruined Jiamashinxing Talisman in his hand and curled his lip. Besides, what was inside the five ghosts wasn't True Qi or Dharma Power, but ghost power. Using this stuff to draw talismans was no different from using oil to put out a fire; it was truly a bit of clear-headed stupidity born from a wild imagination.

However, with the progress of the Five Ghosts Transportation and Five Ghosts Possession methods, these five little ones had gained a bit more liveliness, aside from just being agile.

"Sigh, although the Five Ghosts Method is profound and can make the five of them, including Hong Zhong, exceptionally agile, as if they were living things, they are ultimately not very smart. They can handle rough work like serving tea and pouring water, but anything else is out of the question."

Try it?

This wasn't just a simple issue of cultivation level. If a Golden Core True Person of the He Mountain Sect met a Golden Core True Person of a major Profound Gate sect, wouldn't they still have to lower themselves by half a notch?

Chen Ci walked toward the Qingyun Workshop while countless thoughts surged in his mind.

But now, just as Chen Ci had the thought "there is dust in the room," the five little ones could understand his intent. They didn't even need their master to say another word before they consciously got to work. Following this trend, it wouldn't be a dream for the five ghosts to work and earn money to support the family in the future.

Tianhe Daoist Temple.

Chen Ci rubbed his chin and took out the *Tianhe Miscellaneous Collection Wonderful Transformation Talisman Scripture* to look at it for a few moments.

When he reached the door of his residence, Chen Ci suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart and gave a wry smile. It was just a bit of deposit money he'd been cheated out of; he was thinking too far ahead. Even if the tides turned in thirty years, that would be sixty years from now. He should think about how to deal with the drawbacks of the Five Ghosts Possession method; that was the fundamental matter concerning his cultivation.

He Mountain Sect.

It is said that if you master one method, you master all. Although Chen Ci hadn't reached that realm, he had worked hard on the Soul Fixing Talisman. Learning a minor wandering martial arts skill like the Jiamashinxing Talisman, he wouldn't dare say he was proficient immediately, but he didn't just enter the basics in a day; he started with a progress of "Entry/30/100," which was about the level of expertise a wandering sorcerer would spend years refining.

"Another craft to make money."

Chen Ci felt a bit smug. As for the problem that a single Jiamashinxing Talisman might not even sell for one tael of gold, he threw it to the back of his mind.

Besides, he wasn't here for this minor skill.

The Cloud Stepping Talisman, also known as the Riding Cloud Talisman, requires two Jiamashinxing Talismans. One must use high-quality cinnabar ink to write the four cloud-seal characters "White Cloud Rising" on them, while simultaneously chanting the *Crane Feather Riding Cloud Incantation* seven times. If successful, one obtains two flying talismans. At this point, tie the two Jiamashinxing Talismans to both feet, form the seal, and cast the spell; the white cloud will rise, and when the incantation is released, the Jiamashinxing will slowly land.

Cloud Riding and Mist Driving—that is a true Immortal!

It's just that practicing this talisman method is quite difficult. Not to mention that the cloud-seal patterns for "White Cloud Rising" are very complex, the *Crane Feather Riding Cloud Incantation* is long and awkward. You have to chant it seven times for every one you draw, leaving your mouth dry and tongue parched. This talisman is also a "stacked talisman" method—one talisman holding two techniques.

This Cloud Stepping Talisman is refined from the Jiamashinxing Talisman; not only is it doubly difficult, but the practice is also more complex. Chen Ci spent a whole day drawing Jiamashinxing Talismans and got over twenty finished ones, but he ended up exhausted before he even touched the threshold of the Riding Cloud Talisman.

"Although this Jiamashinxing Talisman is a minor jianghu skill, the Cloud Stepping method has some profundity; it has the power to turn decay into magic."

Chen Ci rubbed his temples to relieve the fatigue from studying the talisman method. The difficulty of this method was even above that of the Soul Fixing Talisman; I'm afraid it's not much different from the He Mountain Sect's premier talisman method, the Profound Yin Ghost Slashing Talisman.

"I just don't know how high or fast this talisman can fly."

Chen Ci's spirit lifted, and he was quite expectant. But subconsciously looking at the sky, seeing it was pitch black outside the window, he realized he had been studying for a whole day and night.

"Damn, I forgot the main task. The current primary mission is the practice of the Five Ghosts Possession method, and I still need to go learn about Force Path techniques."

Chen Ci knocked on his head. He was too undisciplined. As soon as he left the cultivation chamber, he forgot to grind the Five Ghosts Possession method and forgot the principle of perseverance.

Cloud Riding and Mist Driving is wonderful, but it is only a minor skill, not the Great Dao. It's fine to study it for relaxation in one's spare time, but it won't do to spend the whole day on it now.

"And I was also foolish. On the market, one Spirit Pearl can buy more than 120 Jiamashinxing Talismans. Why am I here producing and selling it myself, wasting time and energy?"

He hit his head again and Chen Ci reflected: "Buying ten or twenty a day, and then drawing a few to warm up my hands is enough. Focus on the Possession method, then practice the Cloud Stepping method—combining work and rest is not bad."

Seeing it was late at night, Chen Ci simply sat cross-legged to consume Qi and practice, spending an hour on the Five Aggregates Yin Demon Method to hone his Dao Heart. Then he directed the five ghosts to boil hot water and had a lovely hot bath. Once his whole body felt clear and comfortable, he took a three-hour nap. Only then was the fatigue from a month of closed-door cultivation truly swept away, leaving his whole body feeling clear and spiritual.

"Comfortable!"

Chen Ci exhaled a long breath of turbid air and reached out to take the Bigu Pill handed over by Hong Zhong. He gave it a look of approval, but just as he was about to stuff it into his mouth, he held back.

Although the Bigu Pill he made himself tasted decent, anyone would get tired of eating these medicine balls day in and day out.

"Fine, today Master Chen will go out for a meal, then buy some ready-made Jiamashinxing Talismans. By the way, I also need to replenish some Essence Refining."

"I might as well go spend some money at the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, and I can ask about Force Path techniques on the way. Two birds with one stone, beautiful."

Saying so, he left. Chen Ci called Hong Zhong back to his back and left the residence. After taking two steps out the door, he turned back, brought out a few jars of Peiyuan Yangshen Wine, gave a sly smile, and walked toward Old Man Zhuang's eatery.

It was said that he, Chen, had always been kind. Since he was going out to eat, he naturally had to take care of an acquaintance's business. He could also see if the eatery was short on wine, and let his former boss, his old employer, take advantage of him one more time.

It would be best if he could take advantage of him to the point where he could buy Jiamashinxing Talismans and Essence Refining as well; that would be perfect.

"Master Chen is truly kind-hearted."

Chen Ci reached out to pull aside the curtain in front of the eatery's main hall. There weren't many guests in the eatery today; there were only two figures sitting at one table, seemingly arguing about something.

Chen Ci glanced over curiously. Just as he was about to greet Old Man Zhuang, he raised his hand, but suddenly his tiger-like body shook. He immediately lowered his head and eyes, silently turned around, and wanted to leave as quietly as he had entered.

"It's a coincidence today to run into someone familiar. That He Mountain thief, what was his name again? Bring all those jars of horse piss over here, boy."

Inside the eatery, a white-robed cultivator with an impatient look on his face hooked a finger toward the doorway and barked, "If you dare to turn around, I guarantee you won't have the chance to use your legs to run for the rest of your life."

Chen Ci: "."

What rotten luck; he, Chen, has done good deeds his whole life, so is it just that he is fundamentally at odds with Longhu Mountain?

(End of this chapter)