Chapter 149: Difficult to Seek the True Dharma, Recruited Once More

"Strange. Huangzhen, when did you get drunk? How could you ask such a strange question?"

Yang Hu'er gave a scoffing laugh, lying in the bamboo pavilion with one leg propped up: "What is my status, what is my standing? I have more beauties and fine wine than I can enjoy; when would I have time to wait for some minor cultivator from He Mountain? Is he even worthy? I just happened to run into him and teased him a bit, that's all."

"That statement is half-true and half-false; you still have an ulterior motive, Uncle."

The female cultivator stood upon the clouds, looking down at the Sea Market and then seemingly toward the distant ocean waves. Given her Foundation Establishment cultivation, she should not have been able to perform Cloud Riding and Mist Driving, yet the dharma robe and dharma boots she wore shimmered with Spirit Light, clearly no ordinary items; standing in mid-air, she looked like a celestial being.

After waiting for a long while, Yang Hu'er's expression remained unchanged, his eyes squinted in self-satisfaction, before the female cultivator turned her head to look at him and said indifferently: "Uncle, even Mother thinks you target Lin Shixiong everywhere because your names clash, and she once warned you not to bully the small with your size. In truth, you only act this way because you have grievances against Father, don't you?"

"Huangzhen!"

Yang Hu'er sat up abruptly, his expression somewhat unnatural, and he complained repeatedly: "I am your own uncle! What do you mean by saying this? Don't try to sow discord between me and your father."

"The awkward situation in the clan, as well as your intended marriage to the Zhang Family woman, actually has its roots in Father. Mother originally had a chance to contend for the head of the Ten Great True Inheritor Disciples, but later she simply gave up the position of True Inheritor and stopped concerning herself with the affairs of the sect or the clan, only teaching a few Apprentices. There is a reason for that."

The female cultivator's eyes were clear and spirited; her expression did not change as she continued: "Although Father has the heart to change this situation, he is powerless to do so. After all, he has no sect backing him, and as for his cultivation, it is still lacking."

"Nothing is wrong with it."

"You—"

The female cultivator also dropped her demeanor and said earnestly: "I don't want to care about the clan's intentions either; after all, my surname is not Yang. You should still make up your mind soon, Uncle."

The female cultivator glanced toward the direction of Longhu Mountain and said softly: "Father did not agree to Grandfather's request; perhaps he still feels that Longhu Mountain is too small."

The female cultivator covered her mouth and laughed, sincerely advising: "If you have grievances, then have them. Isn't it bad to bottle them up? Actually, Uncle, I think you should marry the Zhang Family woman. With the Golden Core secret arts ahead and the Sect Leader backing you, once you verify a superior-grade Golden Core, you can challenge Father to a sword duel and beat him to a pulp in front of Mother, leaving him black and blue—wouldn't that be satisfying?"

Yang Hu'er coughed lightly, his expression becoming a bit more serious: "But if you put it that way, I do have two things to say. Back then, your grandfather wanted your father to break away from He Mountain and enter the True Inheritor lineage of Longhu Mountain directly. Even the Sect Leader tacitly agreed and privately passed down an oral decree that, aside from not being able to contend for the position of Sect Leader, he could even serve as one of the three Hall Masters. But your father, he..."

Yang Hu'er's eyes lit up upon hearing this, though his expression was slightly conflicted, and he gave a sheepish laugh: "Huangzhen, that wouldn't be very good..."

Yang Hu'er did not continue, lying back in the bamboo pavilion, wondering what he was thinking.

"Uncle, you really do have grievances, don't you?"

Yang Hu'er wore a bitter face, looking aggrieved.

"Huangzhen, let me state beforehand: I don't have grievances against your father."

The female cultivator comforted him: "Uncle, look at the bright side. What if you win?"

"Mother's brother is the greatest; naturally, I stand on your side, Uncle. You are my own uncle, after all."

I knew it, not a single person with the surname Jiao is a good person, not one!

"Wine, bring wine! I'll drink myself to death, that's fine. What Golden Core, what Primordial Spirit—bah!"

"Uncle, self-defilement is not a long-term strategy. No matter how bad your reputation is, the Zhang Family has flourishing branches; if you can't marry a good daughter, can't you find some base, lowly creature? In the end, you'll be the one who suffers."

Yang Hu'er gave a scoffing laugh: "Could it be smaller than that so-called He Mountain?"

"Ha, what a joke!"

The female cultivator gave a silent laugh and shook her head slightly.

"And I can actually guess some of Father's thoughts."

Yang Hu'er: "..."

Yang Hu'er curled his lips, feeling somewhat helpless toward his niece: "You're so grown up now, what grievances could I still have? Sigh... which side are you on, girl?"

"Who knows."

The female cultivator said indifferently: "He Mountain might be of great use to Father. Grandfather is in seclusion and not coming out, the Sect Leader's lineage is fighting fiercely in the Tang Kingdom, and there is turmoil across the four seas and eight continents. This is a time of many troubles; if you have any plans, Uncle, it would be better to delay them for a while. After all, you are my only uncle."

"Hmph, you're really filial then."

Yang Hu'er said with a sour tone: "Then why did you give the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Jade Coin to that fellow?"

The female cultivator spread her hands slightly: "After all, you are my only uncle. If I don't help you, who else will?"

Yang Hu'er: "..." People with the surname Jiao are truly annoying.

And that brat from just now, and that fellow surnamed Lin, they are all annoying!

Yongxing Chamber of Commerce.

Chen Ci followed the female Daoist in front up to the floor, passed through several corridors in succession, and upon reaching the higher level, found that this building actually contained a lotus pond more than ten zhang in circumference. Floating in the pond was a verdant lotus leaf, and upon it sat a large-headed golden toad carrying a Crane Beak Incense Burner on its back. Seeing someone arrive, it even gave a light 'croak'—it was actually a living creature.

The smoke drifting from the incense burner shrouded the pond, warm and fragrant, yet extremely comfortable.

And on the opposite side of the lotus pond, a slender figure seemed to be reclining, though it was not clearly visible. Two maids sat to one side, pounding the legs and kneading the feet to alleviate fatigue.

"Hall Master, this is the Daoist."

The female Daoist bowed toward the mist and retreated to the side.

After a long silence, a soft, graceful female voice came over: "Where did the Jade Coin in your hand come from?"

Chen Ci also raised his hand in a bow: "It was left behind as wine money by a True Person Yang from Longhu Mountain. I do not know much about the specifics."

"You are not a disciple of Longhu Mountain?"

Chen Ci thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth: "I am an Apprentice of the He Mountain Sect."

"Oh?"

The female voice seemed to show a bit of interest. Through the mist, a gaze faintly swept over Chen Ci a few times, and she asked with interest: "Are you a disciple of Lin Qinhu? Did he not tell you that the Five Ghosts Possession Method is acceptable for combat, but almost no one can succeed in using it for cultivation? Have you already mastered the Wugui Fushen Fa?"

That's quite a few questions.

Chen Ci answered carefully: "I have been managing secular affairs in Xishan Prefecture, Quanzhou, with Lin Shixiong. Because I am an Outer Sect Disciple with no path for advancement, I requested this method from Lin Shixiong. Currently, I have only barely entered the door of the Wugui Fushen Fa."

"Who is your teacher, what method did you practice before, how many years have you been cultivating the Dao, and when did you start following Lin Qinhu? Tell me about it."

A laughing sound came from behind the mist, and the follow-up questions were even more detailed.

This female cultivator opposite... could she be from the He Mountain Sect?

Such a strange thought flashed through Chen Ci's mind; it was mainly because the questions were too detailed.

By the way, what was this body's teacher's name again?

Not familiar, not familiar at all.

Chen Ci paused for a while before digging a name from the depths of his memory: "My teacher is Master Guo Ding. I cultivated at Dulong Mountain and previously practiced the Three Yin Qi-Eating Method for twenty-one years. As for Lin Shixiong, I started working for him two years ago."

"Guo Ding? Never heard of him. But since you are an Outer Sect Disciple, I suppose no one cares. Back then, everyone in He Mountain thought coming to the Liang Kingdom was a death sentence; it only got slightly better later, but not by much."

The female voice's tone was slightly indifferent: "Your aptitude is rather poor; it is no wonder you are an Outer Sect Disciple."

After she finished speaking, the scene fell silent for another long moment.

Chen Ci: "."

"What is it you seek?"

Hearing the female voice inquire, Chen Ci suddenly felt there was a chance, and hurriedly replied: "This one wishes to seek a Force Path technique to assist in the cultivation of the Five Ghosts Possession Method, I wonder if that is possible."

"Leave the Jade Coin, and give him a copy of the Heavenly Snake Swallows the Moon True Technique remnant manual."

The female voice instructed indifferently: "Although this remnant manual only contains the method for changing blood through forty-six apertures, it is enough for you to keep your essence and Qi from being lost, and to cultivate the Five Ghosts Possession Method to a small success."

Small success?

That was not enough. Chen Ci hurriedly performed a salute and asked with a thick-skinned expression: "This one does not dare to covet the complete profound technique, but I wonder if the Pavilion Master could bestow a portion of the complete Force Path manual, so that this one may retain some hope of progress."

"It seems you still wish to put in hard work on the Five Ghosts Possession Method?"

The female voice chuckled: "You are not planning to walk the Force Path, so what benefit is there in this? Furthermore, a He Mountain Sect Apprentice who can persist for ten breaths while performing the Five Ghosts Possession Method is already considered to have practiced it well; those who can reach thirty breaths are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and those who have not gone mad after sixty breaths are nearly non-existent. If one only looks at blood, Qi, and essence, this true technique is already enough for you to cultivate to twenty or thirty breaths."

Pausing for a moment, the female voice said with a hint of a smile, teasing: "Besides, it was someone else who drank your wine, yet you want this Palace Mistress to settle the human favor; that logic does not hold up either."

Chen Ci: "."

No, whose business is this place anyway? He was truly a bit confused.

"However, since you were able to enter the door of the Five Ghosts Possession Method in such a short time, perhaps you really could have some achievements on the Force Path. This Palace Mistress does indeed have two Force Path techniques that are quite decent: one is called the Black Water Life Fruit True Technique, and the other is called the Supreme True Loach Seven Turns Secret Manual. If one truly practices them to a profound level, they would not lose out to the divine abilities of a Primordial Spirit expert by much."

The female voice sounded slightly curious: "But why should this Palace Mistress give them to you? Even for the shallow incantations at the beginning, there must be a reason, right?"

What a bold tone!

Chen Ci's eyelids jumped violently. Divine abilities and profound techniques that did not lose out to a Primordial Spirit expert—this was no longer something the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art could compare to. It might even be a complete inheritance of Force Path cultivation, similar to a full set of fundamental Great Laws for Qi Refining, Dao Foundation, and Golden Core.

And such techniques, in this woman's mouth, there were actually two of them!

It was simply absurd.

The content contained in these few sentences was likely not inferior to the He Mountain Sect's fundamental Great Law, the He Mountain Scripture. However, it was true that he, Chen, found it hard to distinguish the real from the fake.

But most importantly, he had originally only wanted to seek a low-grade Force Path manual, even a remnant one would do. But suddenly, these two big pies were thrown out, and he, Chen, was truly afraid.

Afraid of being crushed to death.

He vaguely felt that something was not right.

Whether it was that True Person surnamed Yang, the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Jade Tablet that the female cultivator gave him, or the big pie this woman drew directly after he arrived at this Yongxing Firm, none of it seemed like something a small character like him could get involved in.

Was it intentional, or unintentional?

Or was it something else?

Moreover, listening to this tone, Chen Ci could not tell if there was anything to be discussed or not.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Ci subconsciously used honorifics. The background of this Yongxing Firm seemed even more formidable than he had understood, causing a slight sense of fear to rise in his heart.

"Do not follow Lin Qinhu anymore; he is a man with too many schemes, not a wise master."

The female voice in the smoke was very pleasant: "The reason he was able to cultivate the Five Ghosts Possession Method is because his five ghosts were his own beast brothers; when they died of old age, he refined them into Five Ghosts Yin Spirits. With their hearts and minds connected, he was able to keep his sanity. As for others... heh, he was willing to pass this method to you, likely because he was certain you could not cultivate it."

Chen Ci was stunned for a moment, then fell into silence.

"If you cannot cultivate it, then so be it; if you luckily succeed... that is what is truly troublesome. Do you understand?"

There was a hint of a smile in the woman's voice: "A large part of what he does relies on his cultivation of the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art, having a chance to help He Mountain complete a portion of the fundamental Great Law. If there were someone who could take his place, he would no longer be the only one."

Chen Ci: "."

"That... this one estimates that I also..."

Chen Ci carefully weighed his words, just about to explain something, but was gently interrupted by the smoke.

"Being able to maintain clarity after the Five Ghosts Entering Body, without going mad or becoming bloodthirsty, is already a very good start. Besides..."

Speaking to this point, she paused, and said in a gentle and indifferent tone: "This Palace Mistress also wants to make two attempts, nothing more."

(End of chapter)