Chapter 187: Star Lord is Not True Monarch

Someone come here, feed Master Chen a pancake!

Chen Ci inexplicably thought of the many "pancakes" (empty promises) on his own path of cultivation, and could not help but feel grief and indignation in his heart.

It was one thing for those big shots to draw him a picture of a pancake, but now even this man surnamed Ma had started drawing them for him, claiming he might have a chance to ask the Duer Star Lord a question in the future; Chen Ci had to wonder if he was some kind of innate holy body for drawing pancakes.

Ah, here comes the pancake!

"Oh, in that case, Ma Daoyou, can you communicate with the Duer Star Lord?"

Chen Ci feigned a look of hope and asked: "Then why wait for the future? As it happens, I have a matter I would like to consult the Star Lord about."

"This old Daoist cannot."

There was a hint of regret in Ma Laodao's tone.

Cannot?

If you cannot, how dare you draw a pancake!

Chen Ci touched his own White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer; if he were to give him a hammer blow, the Star Lord surely wouldn't know, right?

"However, the person I saved by seeking the talisman can."

Ma Laodao's tone was somewhat certain: "I will not hide it from you, Temple Master Chen. To the Star Lord, this old Daoist is merely a servant, but that person is a dependent. It is just that she is too young and her soul is too weak, so she needs the Soul Fixing Talisman to soothe her daily. We only need to wait for her to grow up; with this favor, it will surely allow you, Temple Master, to get what you wish."

Chen Ci: "."

So you, this fellow, are drawing a pancake on behalf of someone else; aren't you afraid of choking your Master Chen?

"Ma Daoyou, I might as well speak plainly."

Chen Ci weighed his words. If it were the former Corpse Dao cultivator Ma the Lame, Master Chen would have dismissed him with a wave of his hand. But whether it was Temple Keeper Ma or that so-called dependent, out of respect for the Duer Star Lord—no, out of respect for the Primordial Spirit True Monarch of Longhu Mountain—he had to be at least seventy or eighty percent polite.

"I may not have told you before, but the Duer Star Lord is actually a Primordial Spirit True Monarch of Longhu Mountain. The statue was originally erected according to the True Monarch's dharma image, and this so-called Due Palace was also entrusted by Longhu Mountain cultivators. So, if you have any business, going to Longhu Mountain is definitely the right move."

Master Chen still remembered that this man surnamed Ma had once prepared to report him to the Nine Springs Temple. Places like the Yizhuang and mass graves were the easiest places for evil cultivators and evil spirits to breed. Therefore, although the corpse collectors in the various counties of the Liang Kingdom were considered a low-class trade, they were actually barely considered peripheral personnel of the government and Longhu Mountain, and naturally had channels of contact.

"Temple Master Chen, watch your words."

Ma Laodao's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said: "This old Daoist does not know if what you say is true or false, but the Duer Star Lord is the Duer Star Lord, and the Longhu Mountain True Monarch is the Longhu Mountain True Monarch. This old Daoist only respects the Star Lord; as for the rest, I am unclear and do not know."

Heh.

Chen Ci smiled, picked up his teacup and took a sip, noncommittal.

"Temple Master Chen, to worship the Star Lord, one must be 'faithful' and 'pure'. This old Daoist was only able to receive the Star Lord's blessing and overcome disasters because of this."

Ma Laodao looked at Chen Ci and advised him very earnestly: "It is fine if you, Temple Master Chen, do not believe in the Star Lord, but if you say such things that confuse the names too often, and happen to displease the Star Lord, it is always easy to invite trouble."

Chen Ci's hand holding the teacup paused, he was inexplicably stunned, then smiled gently: "Ma Daoyou makes a fair point. By the way, that so-called dependent—the Star Lord's decree was for them, right? I am actually quite curious about the situation. Why don't we chat about it?"

"Is there a possibility that this Duer Star Lord is using an alternate account?"

Chen Ci pondered for a long time in Sanyin Temple and couldn't help but sigh. What kind of situation was this?

In his previous life, there were many—ahem, peers—who, if they wanted to try something, liked to open an alternate account to start over. In any case, at such times, few people liked to take off their masks and let others know. Judging others by himself, Chen Ci had always linked the Duer Star Lord with the Primordial Spirit True Monarch of Longhu Mountain; in fact, this matter was already somewhat taboo.

"I must keep my mouth shut in the future; don't just blurt out everything I know."

The Star Lord is the Star Lord; the Duer Star Lord is not the Primordial Spirit True Monarch. He must firmly remember this in his heart from now on.

However, Chen Ci did learn some news about the Duer Star Lord, as well as what that so-called dependent meant.

According to Ma Laodao, he could not, and was not qualified to, hear the Star Lord's teachings. One day, he returned late and, after worshipping the Duer Star Lord Jade Statue, received a cultivation mantra from it. He was infused with star power, which cured his leg injury. From then on, he devoutly joined the Star Lord's seat, taking "overcoming disasters" as his duty. The Star Lord's decree was merely a mysterious and profound feeling he obtained during his cultivation, not explicit words.

Of course, this was just what Ma Laodao said. In Chen Ci's view, it probably had more to do with the residue filtered from incense and belief.

As for the "dependent," Ma Laodao actually didn't know much either. He only knew that the person had special aptitude, was an Innate Psychic, and would have the opportunity to have limited communication with the Star Lord in the future. But when too young, the soul was unstable, making it easy to perceive strange things between heaven and earth, leading to madness and delirious speech. If there were no means to stabilize the soul, the soul would either be damaged and lead to idiocy, or the person would die young; in any case, they wouldn't grow up.

As for the means to stabilize the soul, and to be able to continue it year after year, among all the Qi Refining cultivators in Quanzhou, perhaps only Chen Ci had such ability.

"Duer Star Lord, dependent..."

Chen Ci shook his head. Could it be that this Primordial Spirit True Monarch wanted to break away from Longhu Mountain to become an immortal and ancestor, which is why he put on a mask and tried his best not to have any connection with Longhu Mountain?

He couldn't understand it, but these things had nothing to do with him anyway.

Chen Ci very firmly demanded three Spirit Pearls from Ma Laodao. Taking money to do work—this was a principle, this was the bottom line. Even if Master Chen was kind-hearted and saved people, he couldn't work for free.

Then, he very "counsel-ly" took on the task. It was just a few Soul Fixing Talismans; he would treat it as buying peace. Even if A-Ci said something inappropriate in his childish innocence, surely, for the sake of the "dependent," the Duer Star Lord, being magnanimous, would not blame him.

Moreover, there was also a chance to ask a question to a Primordial Spirit True Monarch.

Although not certain, it was a chance after all. At the very least, for any bottleneck in cultivation below the Primordial Spirit realm, he could always ask once, provided that this so-called "dependent" could grow up safely and could truly communicate with the Duer Star Lord.

"I'll treat it as a long-term venture capital. Two talismans a week, eight a month... Sigh, putting it this way, this Star Lord's dependent can't do without me. It counts as a protective talisman of sorts, at least."

Chen Ci's heart suddenly stirred, and he slapped his palm. If he lost, he would only lose some talisman paper; if he earned, it would be a huge profit. This deal was truly worth doing. As long as the Duer Star Lord didn't infringe on the interests of Sanyin Temple, to be honest, A-Ci felt quite at ease having a great power stationed in Changping County.

Let the Star Lord's affairs belong to the Star Lord, and A-Ci's affairs belong to A-Ci. That's fine.

But having said that, he forgot to ask Ma Laodao about the pill materials from Ma Family Village. Mainly because Ma Laodao's current temperament really didn't match that of a minor Corpse Dao cultivator, and Chen Ci subconsciously ignored his connection to Ma Family Village.

After thinking about it, Chen Ci summoned his Registered Disciple Long Xianzhi and ordered: "Xian Zhi, take my post and go to Qingquan Village in the mountains to ask the people of the Ma Family whether they are going to do this pill exchange business or not. Give me a definite answer."

If they weren't going to do it, Master Chen would have to use other methods.

"Yes, Apprentice accepts the order."

Long Xianzhi didn't dawdle; he raised his hand in a respectful salute and turned to leave. For ordinary people, Qingquan Village was quite a distance away, and the mountain roads were difficult to travel, but for a cultivator, if they hurried, it was only a day and a night's journey.

The next day.

Long Xianzhi returned to Sanyin Temple, travel-worn. With a strange expression, he went to the backyard to pay his respects to Chen Ci and respectfully presented a cyan porcelain bottle.

"What is the meaning of this from the Ma Family?"

Chen Ci took the porcelain bottle, lifted the lid, and looked inside. A familiar fragrance of herbal essence wafted out, making one's mouth water.

Inside this porcelain bottle were actually six Premium Bigu Pills, which were ranked Spirit Pills made by extracting the essence of Spirit Rice.

Just this bottle of Bigu Pills had a market price of around one jin of Five Elements Divine Sand. If Chen Ci were to refine them, the cost would likely be higher, requiring four jin of Five Elements Divine Sand.

The main question was, what did the Ma Family mean by sending him such a bottle of Bigu Pills?

"Reporting to Teacher, it seems some changes have occurred in the mountains. Qingquan Village seems to have changed owners and is no longer headed by the Ma Family."

Long Xianzhi replied cautiously: "Apprentice encountered some complications on this trip to Qingquan Village, but it is fine. It is just that Qingquan Village has now been renamed Qingmu Ridge. Inside is a group of unfamiliar cultivators. After seeing Teacher's post, their attitude was acceptable, and they gave Apprentice this bottle of pills as a meeting gift. Their Sect Master said that since they have just arrived in the Liang Kingdom, there are many miscellaneous matters to attend to, and they will come to visit Teacher and the local fellow Daoists in a few days. They hope Teacher will forgive them."

(End of chapter)