Chapter 66: Five Ghosts

Profiteer, what a damn profiteer.

Chen Ci grumbled, carrying a bronze lamp engraved with exquisite yin-beast patterns, and sheepishly left Xishan Prefecture.

A full eight Spirit Pearls.

Although this Ancient Bronze Lamp had an elegant design, a strong sense of history, and was brimming with yin energy—making it an excellent vessel for yin energy—it was still too expensive.

You have to know, back then, that guy only bought back a Dharma Artifact with ten layers of Prohibition for three Spirit Pearls!

The difference between the two transactions was just too vast.

"It really is faster to make money with a trade; once my pill arts are successful, I will definitely let these profiteers know how tough I can be."

Three days later, Changping County.

Chen Ci returned to Sanyin Temple, travel-worn and weary, his expression finally relaxing significantly; the anxiety he felt when he left was like heaven and earth compared to now.

For the sake of the three Tiger Sha Breaking Aperture Pills, Daoist Ge, I truly forgive you now.

"In the few days I was away, did any major events happen in the county?"

Chen Ci sipped his health-preserving tea, a long-lost luxury, and asked nonchalantly.

"Reporting to Master, a few days ago the County Lieutenant's Wang Family sent a deed for a thousand acres of land to the temple, saying it was an offering of incense money. I only accepted it temporarily and haven't dared to transfer the deed yet, waiting for Master to return and make the decision."

Niu Ji replied respectfully: "Additionally, the Head of the Family of the Huang Family seems to have suffered a stroke and wind-illness, and is unconscious. The county doctors have seen him and said that medicine and stones are of no use. The Huang Family submitted an invitation, saying they hope you can visit the Huang Mansion once you return."

"I understand. Go ahead and accept the land deed; it's fine."

Chen Ci sighed with emotion: "I didn't expect Daoist Huang to fall ill with such a severe sickness. However, I am weary from my journey... What? A thousand taels for a consultation fee? I will rest for a moment, then go to visit Daoist Huang."

He hadn't expected the Wang Family to send a deed for a thousand acres of land, but since the Wang Family had suddenly lost four able-bodied men, this move was partly to thank him for returning their weapons and relics, and partly, he estimated, to put on a show for the other great clans in the county.

Although the military lineage was not top-tier, it had one advantage: as long as they had Sha soldiers in hand, the lineage could be passed down in an orderly fashion. It wouldn't be long before a Wang Family descendant who had guided Sha into their body could inherit the position of County Lieutenant.

After resting briefly in the temple, Chen Ci went to the Huang Mansion. He took one look at Huang Defa lying on the bed and couldn't help but sigh: "On the day I departed, Daoist Huang was still fine; how did he end up like this upon my return? The brain is where the Spirit Platform resides; I dare not use True Qi to investigate, so I am unable to help."

After a pause, Chen Ci asked curiously: "Are you the one in charge of the Huang Family now?"

"Yes, I am Huang Yongxing. Greetings, True Person Chen."

Huang Yongxing's expression was somewhat sorrowful: "I am already very grateful that the True Person could come; I dare not ask for anything more."

"I had a friendship with your father, and we also had some business dealings."

Chen Ci patted his shoulder and said earnestly: "As long as you handle things well, I guarantee your position as Head of the Family of the Huang Family will be secure."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your great kindness, True Person!"

Huang Yongxing was secretly overjoyed. Huang Qingyuan's illness had been sudden; although he had some prestige in the family, there were not a few brothers with their own ambitions. Being able to obtain the support of True Person Chen meant he was truly secure.

Looking at the thousand-tael silver note now in his hand, Chen Ci was also very satisfied.

He hadn't even done anything since returning, yet he had gained two thousand taels of silver for nothing, and even the heartache of being heavily fleeced by Baibao Pavilion had faded quite a bit.

"Daoist Huang, you are also a good person."

Putting the silver note into his sleeve, Chen Ci sighed: "If this continues, I might even forgive you too, sigh."

Sanyin Temple, backyard.

Chen Ci placed the three Spirit Pearls, their spiritual energy exhausted, to the side. His True Qi was light and surging, clearly showing his cultivation had progressed significantly.

Sanyin Qi-Eating Method: 33/100

"It's not easy. Another step forward. It hasn't even been a year since I came to this world, and I have already opened four apertures; the progress is acceptable."

"There are still twelve Spirit Pearls remaining, plus three Tiger Sha Breaking Aperture Pills. I expect to be able to cultivate to thirty-six apertures very soon, reaching the count of one Foundation."

Chen Ci felt a sudden sense of ambition.

There were pills to improve his cultivation.

Although there were only three.

The courtyard was filled with spirit rice.

Although it was only two-tenths of a mu.

There was also a glimmer of hope for a top-grade technique.

Although it was still a bit far off, at least he wasn't without a path forward.

Chen Ci wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Cultivating immortality had to be like this to have a goal; if he had just attained a top-grade Golden Core upon arrival, he... he... he wouldn't even have wanted it!

However, this Tiger Sha Breaking Aperture Pill required the heart blood of a fierce tiger as a medicinal primer to be taken, so that the medicinal power could be thoroughly stimulated. Currently, he couldn't take it; he would have to see if there were any fierce tigers among the wild game Shi Sanniang would send at the beginning of next month, or go into the mountains and forests to catch one.

Setting the pills aside for now.

Chen Ci placed two items in front of him, pondering something.

The Ancient Bronze Lamp.

The Five Fierce God Statue.

The Five Ghosts Transportation Method and the Five Chang Spirit-Communication Method were both based on yin ghosts, but they were slightly different.

The Five Chang Spirit-Communication Method required refining yin ghosts into fierce ghosts—the fiercer, the better—focusing on killing and aggression.

But the Five Ghosts Transportation Method required refining yin ghosts until they were nimble; they didn't have to be able to fight, but they must be as obedient as one's own arms. If they were disobedient, major problems would easily arise when the yin souls entered the body during the practice of the Five Ghosts Possession Great Method.

"I wonder if the ferocity of these five Chang spirits can be scrubbed away; if not, it will be a bit troublesome."

Chen Ci sighed. High-quality yin souls were not easy to obtain. Although he could refine them himself, the methods were truly somewhat anti-human, pushing his bottom line quite a bit, and the success rate was not very high.

All in all, Chen Ci's bottom line currently remained at the level of "killing someone is just a matter of a nod," and there probably wasn't much room left for it to slide further.

He picked up the Five Fierce God Statue in one hand and a stack of Soul Fixing Talismans in the other.

Scrub!

With one Soul Fixing Talisman, the five blood shadows inside the Five Fierce God Statue were like mice in a frying pan, rolling and tumbling, screaming miserably; it was truly quite pathetic.

Chen Ci felt a moment of reluctance, but then he thought, what kind of human rights are there to talk about with ghosts?

He was saving them from a sea of bitterness, so he immediately scrubbed even more vigorously.

Seven or eight Soul Fixing Talismans were used up in no time at all.

It was unexpectedly somewhat stress-relieving.

"Damn it, having stayed in the He Mountain Sect for so long, I'm almost becoming a pervert; this won't do!"

However, after the baptism of these Soul Fixing Talismans, the blood-red color on the five blood shadows within the idol had faded quite a bit, but their forms had also become much thinner, lying listlessly in the corner and only twitching once after a long while.

It was hard to tell whether the ferocity was being washed away first, or if their ghostly lives were being washed away.

Chen Ci injected five strands of True Qi to keep them alive and shook his head.

Continue tomorrow.

Hopefully they can hold on until the day they are delivered from this sea of suffering.

"The Soul Fixing Talismans I draw every day recently will be used to cleanse the Five Rampant Gods."

"I also need to refine Bigu Pills."

"The Peiyuan Method must also be practiced; I always feel this thing has great potential, I hope it's not just an illusion."

"I won't increase the Prohibition level of the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag for now; let's see if the improvement of the Five Yin Black Sha smelting Five Metal Qi can succeed. As for capturing spells, they seem to have some logic too, but the problem is I don't know any. I'll write it down in my little notebook and discuss it later."

Chen Ci pinched his fingers to calculate; with the day arranged like this, good heavens, he was truly a cultivator of destiny.

No wonder so many people love the feeling of getting rich overnight.

I'm tired, let's just destroy everything~

(End of this chapter)