Chapter 190: Initial Test of the Spirit Ghost's Fierce Might

"The Qingmu Ridge that Daoist Chen speaks of was founded by a Dao Foundation High Cultivator surnamed Gu. He only passed away a little over a hundred years ago. It has some reputation within the borders of Shang Prefecture in the Tang Kingdom; after all, among the small miscellaneous sects, few possess a cauldron-alchemy heritage. However, although this sect also accepts outer disciples, the path of cauldron-alchemy is only passed down within the Gu family, so it cannot be considered prosperous."

Du De chuckled: "Moreover, Qingmu Ridge moved here with their whole household in tow. Although that Sect Master Gu has high cultivation, he would never dare to provoke a disciple of a great sect like you, Daoist. Instead, it is a Loose Practitioner called Huolingzi who needs some attention. He has mastered the Three Yang Talisman Sword, has a fiery temper, and his abilities are not low at all."

"Then there is Daoist Qin of Nongyu Nunnery. It is said she was a concubine of a big shot from a side-door sect, but that big shot seems to have been blasted to death by a bolt of Thunder Technique from a True Person of Longhu Mountain. Daoist Qin obtained some of the legacy, simply gathered a few maidservants, left the Tang Kingdom, and established her own dojo."

"But rest assured, Daoist Chen, I, Du, still have a bit of face. If there are any misunderstandings or conflicts with these few Daoists in the future, just come and find me."

Du De suddenly smiled, glanced at Chen Ci with a somewhat peculiar meaning, and raised his teacup to signal.

Chen Ci: "."

He had yet to see how much "face" this Brother Du actually had, but, Sanniang, stop hiding and stealing glances at me, and there are outsiders... no, wait, your man is still sitting right next to you.

Master Chen is truly not that kind of person!

But thinking about it, it is actually quite exciting.

No, cough, it really isn't.

Sigh, it's probably just the result of being single for too long.

Especially that Huolingzi; he seems to have obtained the fire-path heritage of a Dao Foundation High Cultivator, and being a lone individual with no ties, he is vicious and ruthless once his temper flares. In contrast, most others will leave some room for maneuver and will not completely tear their faces off unless absolutely necessary.

After speaking, Chen Ci rose to take his leave. He inadvertently glanced at the top of Du De's head; if one wants to live a peaceful life, this Brother Du really needs to be more open-minded.

"No, no."

Master Chen clenched his thumb, subconsciously responding. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Under the cover of the cup, he secretly used his peripheral vision to glance at Shi Sanniang. It must be said, once this woman put away the amorous expression usually in her eyes, her face became serene. Paired with her slender frame and ample assets, there was an inexplicable contrast that made Chen Mengde's heart race like a deer.

Chen Ci felt a bit emotional. Although this man surnamed Du looked a bit old, his cultivation was quite high, and his appearance and speech were only slightly inferior to his own. Among the miscellaneous loose practitioners, he could be considered a successful middle-aged man. Since Sanniang had found a good man, she should live her life well and stop thinking about those other things, craving other people's bodies. Only Master Chen, as the He Mountain Light, could hold onto his bottom line; otherwise... hmph hmph.

That would be the three families: Qingmu Ridge, Nongyu Nunnery, and Huolingzi.

"Is Daoist Chen hungry?"

And this "cuckold" Du De.

Master Chen stared at his teacup and sighed.

"Although the great sects of the Profound Gate act tyrannically and have many rules, they also represent safety and prosperity. Therefore, after the turmoil in the Tang Kingdom, these miscellaneous loose practitioners only move to the secular kingdoms under the jurisdiction of other great sects. Cultivators also don't like to stay in places where True Persons rarely visit."

Du De looked puzzled, wondering if there was some deep meaning in these words, and said politely: "Why not stay for a simple meal? Let's have a couple of drinks."

Except for the old-established force, Ma Family Village.

After chatting for a long while, although Chen Ci was somewhat distracted, he had understood the general situation of the cultivators who had moved around Changping County. Master Chen's title as the number one expert of Changping County seemed to have encountered a serious challenge.

Chen Ci's footsteps were light, though his pace was slightly faster.

Chen Ci smacked his lips. Looking back, he saw Du and Shi standing side by side, shook his head, and left gracefully.

Chen Ci hurriedly waved his hand. "A couple of drinks"? Master Chen would end up becoming "Master Wang" (a cuckold): "After hearing Daoist Du's words, I have a general idea, so I won't stay any longer. If there are no other matters in seven days, I will definitely come to have a cup of your wedding wine. I won't disturb you any further today."

"It's a pity that there is no longer a Stone Bodhisattva here."

"Farewell."

But what was with the feeling of being stared at that made his heart flutter? What "pre-marital play," Master Chen really didn't understand that at all.

"I suppose I am hungry."

"It seems this Daoist Chen is quite a smart man."

Du De glanced at Shi Sanniang beside him and smiled leisurely: "Sanniang, let's go back. Your body is weak; it's not good to stand for too long."

Qingyun Village, back hall.

The sky was growing dark.

Du De examined the Cloud-Stepping Talisman in his hand for a few moments, then poured out a Health-Preserving Pill into his palm to inspect it. Half-admiring, half-sneering, he said: "I didn't expect this man surnamed Chen to have such poor cultivation, yet he has some attainments in talisman techniques and alchemy. Although they are miscellaneous talismans and miscellaneous pills, these Spirit-Travel Cloud Talismans and health-preserving pills are considered decent items in the hands of small families like ours."

But immediately, Du De's expression became slightly mocking: "It's just that I don't know if that man surnamed Chen didn't see your eyes, Sanniang, or if he pretended not to understand. He left quite hurriedly. I told you long ago that pretty boys can't be relied upon; only an old man like me knows how to cherish a woman."

"Heh, if it were Daoist Chen, I would be happy even to be a concubine at Sanyin Temple."

Shi Sanniang gave a cold laugh: "If it were someone else, I wouldn't even be willing to give up the foundation of Yunshi Shan. Moreover, Daoist Chen has his sights set on the Great Dao; how could a petty person like you understand that?"

"Haha, just this little cultivator from the He Mountain Sect. He doesn't practice the Dharma Artifacts of his own great method, but instead divides his attention to learn talisman and alchemy paths, tsk."

Du De was not too annoyed upon hearing this and chuckled: "I have heard of the reputation of this sect in the Tang Kingdom. They call it a great side-door sect, but in reality, it's just a small sect. Although their fierce reputation is great, they haven't produced any strong figures, so they aren't worth a mention. I don't know how they managed to establish some foundation under the nose of Longhu Mountain in the Liang Kingdom. However, I thought you would hint at something, Sanniang, but apart from casting a few glances, you made no other moves. Without any conflict, it doesn't show my methods."

Shi Sanniang's breath hitched. After a long while, she slowly exhaled a turbid breath and gave a self-deprecating smile: "We aren't that familiar, so what is the use of saying more?"

She had indeed thought about using Chen Ci's hand to escape. She didn't ask to protect the foundation of Yunshi Shan; as long as she could undo the evil means on her body and leave the mountain safely, that would be enough.

But she also knew that Chen Ci's cultivation was far inferior to this man surnamed Du. The identity of an Outer Transmission disciple of a great side-door sect was very impressive to mountain-dwelling cultivators, but it didn't seem very effective against these foreign cultivators. Since it was useless, Shi Sanniang didn't know why she suddenly wanted to maintain a bit of dignity in front of Chen Ci.

"Indeed, even if you had spoken clearly, even if this man surnamed Chen had the guts to intervene, he wouldn't be able to undo my methods."

Du De stroked his long beard with a hint of disdain: "If he dared to defy me, in these hundreds of miles of mountains, if a cultivator or two went missing, would the He Mountain Sect really make a big fuss over an Outer Transmission disciple? Killing him is like killing a chicken. We moved to the Liang Kingdom, and although we dare not provoke the cultivators of Longhu Mountain, and dare not even go deep into the Quanling Mountains, a side-door Outer Transmission disciple is nothing."

They had also inquired that in the entire Xishan Prefecture, there were actually not many He Mountain Sect cultivators. A few years ago, there wasn't even a Dao Foundation cultivator stationed there. It was said that a Dao Foundation High Cultivator with not much lifespan left had only arrived in the last two years, and the local power was not very strong.

But suddenly, Shi Sanniang's body trembled slightly, as if frightened by these words. Her eyes drooped, and she dared not look at this man surnamed Du again.

"Although my family's Qi-refining method is shallow, my True Qi flows through my whole body, and there is nothing abnormal. I haven't had much contact with you on a daily basis."

Shi Sanniang suddenly asked: "I am actually a bit curious, how did I fall for your evil method?"

"This..."

Du De pondered for a moment, looked at Shi Sanniang, and then asked leisurely: "Sanniang, you don't think I would tell you about my own methods, do you?"

"Don't dare?"

Shi Sanniang sneered, her face full of disdain.

"Since it is a method, naturally the fewer people who know, the better. If the Dao method is not kept secret, there will be a day when I fail."

Du De's expression was calm and unhurried: "Your cultivation is too poor. It is not a top-grade True Art, so you cannot detect the abnormality. After today, Sanniang, you should give up."

Shi Sanniang sighed inwardly, saying nothing.

"So..."

Du De had just wanted to say something when he suddenly heard the sound of wind attacking from behind. He felt his hair stand on end. His body exerted force almost instinctively, moving three feet to the side in an instant, while his arm swung backward, and a small net shimmering with blue luster flew toward the rear.

Who?!

Du De was furious; within a radius of several hundred miles, apart from that Huolingzi and the unfathomable Ma Family Ancestor, even Qingmu Ridge dared not confront him head-on; once he recovered, he had plenty of methods to deal with them.

Why does my backside hurt a little?

"I"

A flash of fear crossed Du De's mind, but then his vision went black, and his entire body was torn asunder, scattered in pieces here and there.

Chen Ci retracted his White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer, feeling indignant; he had originally thought this man surnamed Du was an honest person, and that returning to Qingyun Village was just to... persuade Shi Sanniang to live a good life, really, there was absolutely no thought or intention of leaving Shi Sanniang covered in black and blue bruises.

You all must believe in the He Mountain Light!

But who would have thought, who would have thought, this fellow actually dared to set his sights on Master Chen; it was truly unbearable.

"My Spirit Ghost Nether Escape Method, at the very least, a Qi Refining cultivator with seventy apertures would not notice it if caught off guard, though there would still be some disturbance at the moment of striking; if one encounters an expert fighting for their life, there is still a bit of risk."

Chen Ci glanced at the small net Dharma Artifact to the side; it had come just a tiny bit away from injuring him.

"Don't move, and don't use True Qi to resist."

Chen Ci said in a low voice; Shi Sanniang looked at the gruesome scene on the ground, somewhat dazed, as if she hadn't reacted yet; her body stiffened, allowing him to check her up and down; Chen Ci pressed two fingers together against Sanniang's heart meridian, his Nether Yin True Qi wandering through her meridians to investigate any issues.

"It's here, come, open your mouth."

Chen Ci gave the order, and Shi Sanniang obediently opened her mouth; she only felt a stiffness in her brain, as if black ice had entered her head, followed by a muffled groan as a black thread, as thin as an ox hair and barely a finger long, was spat out from her mouth, dissolving along with the cold air.

Chen Ci took out a Soul Fixing Talisman and stuck it onto Shi Sanniang; after confirming she was fine, he waved his hand to pick up the Six Yang Skull on the ground, then patted the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag at his waist to dispose of the remains, only then exhaling a breath of turbid air.

Come to think of it, when did he become so familiar with this process?

"I have not been here tonight, Sanniang, you must remember that well."

Master Chen thought for a moment, dropped this sentence that sounded exactly like a scumbag, took a deep look at Shi Sanniang, and then quietly turned and left.

Leaving only Shi Sanniang staring at Chen Ci's back, wanting to speak but stopping, but in the end, she only watched him disappear into the night, sighed faintly, and closed her eyes to regulate her own energy.

(End of chapter)