Chapter 79: Closing the Case

"Sure enough, the Peiyuan Dharma Incantation does not have high requirements for the quality of flesh and blood; as long as it is fresh and in sufficient quantity, it will suffice. I was led astray by the Essence Refining before and overlooked this."

Chen Ci caught his breath. He had just tested it with a freshly slaughtered old hen, and the Peiyuan Dharma Incantation was indeed effective. In this way, the variety and sources of flesh and blood had increased significantly.

Although quantity remained a problem, there was at least a choice.

But to be honest, among the three big consumers of flesh and blood in his household, aside from the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag which preferred the likes of fierce beasts, the best choice for both Essence Refining and the Peiyuan Dharma Incantation was 'two-legged sheep' 【humans】.

Especially as stated in the Peiyuan Body-Nourishing Pill recipe, one hundred catties of flesh and blood is actually the weight of one person, and the fresh internal organs can yield another pill.

One person can refine two Peiyuan Body-Nourishing Pills; this utilization rate is simply top-notch.

"Actually, this is a shortcut of the heterodox paths."

Chen Ci shook his head: "However, since I am a human cultivator, some shortcuts are not actually that easy to walk. It is safer to walk on the path of proper cultivation."

"It's a pity that Changping County was not built along the river and is too far from the Liuyun River. Otherwise, wouldn't a large amount of fresh catch be obtainable just by spending some silver? Why must I, Master Chen, go into the mountains myself? Sigh."

Chen Ci sighed while throwing a large ball of wheat cakes into the river. With the amount of poison he was using, if this were his past life, it would probably be a three-year prison sentence, tsk.

Changping County is surrounded by mountains; although there are wetlands, they are not close. Fresh fish cannot live long out of water, and besides, with a massive daily catch of a thousand catties, what angler could have such skill?

So, he still had to use poison.

Chen Ci had heard of the name 'fish-poisoning vine', but he had only heard of it and never seen it. After inquiring for a while and gaining nothing, he finally had to focus his methods on the mountain walnut trees.

He took the roots and leaves of the mountain walnut tree, ground them into juice, and then used the 'Drug-Absorbing Dharma Incantation' to extract the essence. After several attempts and ruining dozens of old trees, he finally obtained a basin of strange-smelling, viscous substance. After dripping a few drops into the pond, it only took a quarter of an hour for the fish inside to learn how to backstroke.

'Skunked'? I will never be 'skunked' in this life.

He went to a section of the river where the current was gentle, where he had previously set up nets. Layer after layer of backstroking fish were washed onto them, and Chen Ci pulled them up.

"Let's get to work!"

Chen Ci refined them as he caught them. Refining the Body-Nourishing Dharma Incantation with this free, fresh flesh and blood was truly refreshing. However, a single stretch of river yielded several hundred catties of fish. He changed locations a few times, and once he had refined two portions of 'Blood-Ying Red', he decisively stopped.

If he kept refining, out here in the wilderness, running out of True Qi would not be a good choice.

"I'll come into the mountains to catch fish every few days. Although it's a bit tiring and requires running around, it's much more cost-effective than waiting for livestock flesh and blood back at the temple."

"Once the Peiyuan Dharma Incantation, this big consumer of blood and meat, is settled, the flesh and blood requirements for the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag and Essence Refining can also be sustained."

"Eh, what is that?"

Chen Ci's mind stirred. The Five Ghosts flew out from the lamp and drifted toward a reef in the turbulent river. Before long, they returned holding dozens of fine grains of sand; it was actually the Qingling Sand from the Five Elements Divine Sand.

However, the quantity was not much; he estimated it was still a bit short of one tael.

Chen Ci looked at the divine sand in his hand, feeling a bit curious. This was the first time he had picked up wild Five Elements Divine Sand.

In the cultivation world, the agitation of clear and turbid spiritual energy is not rare, and the production of Five Elements Divine Sand in wild mountains and great marshes is quite abundant. It is just that these spiritual objects do not form in clusters; it all depends on luck.

It is possible for ten-plus catties of divine sand to be buried at the bottom of a great marsh lake, and it is also possible for half a tael or eight qian to be hidden in the crevices of a small stream's rocks. Therefore, if a cultivator is determined and searches bitterly in the deep mountains and old forests for a month or two, picking up two or three catties of divine sand is not too difficult.

One tael of divine sand is also money. Chen Ci put away this bit of Qingling Sand, and suddenly his heart stirred. He took his Five Ghosts and wandered along the river a few more times. With the assistance of these Five Ghosts, he really did find some more Five Elements Divine Sand, adding up to over two taels, though not quite three.

"Good, Master did not raise you for nothing, though this feeling is quite strange."

Chen Ci touched his chin. It took him the better part of a day to pick up this bit of money, and he felt like something was not quite right.

Five Ghosts: Master, we are picking up trash to raise you~

Forget it, I won't think about it.

Chen Ci shook his head, looked at the sky, retracted the Five Ghosts into the lamp, and strode toward Changping County.

"The County Magistrate's invitation, did it say what it was about?"

Chen Ci looked at the crimson gold invitation presented by his Apprentice and asked casually.

"Reporting to Master, it did not. However, the person who came is a confidant of the County Venerable, and he only said that it must be opened by Master personally."

Niu Ji replied respectfully.

Hearing this, Chen Ci became a bit more serious. He waved his hand to dismiss him, and only then did he open the invitation to take a look.

His expression became slightly more solemn.

People from Xishan Prefecture had arrived, and they were two parties: the Prefecture Yamen and the Wang Family of Xishan Prefecture, to make a final settlement on the Qingquan Village matter.

The Wang Family of Xishan Prefecture had even sent a 'Master' this time, who was said to be a representative of Longhu Shan Jiuzhuan Guan.

But the Changping County Magistrate also stated clearly in the invitation that the Prefecture Yamen had already hinted that this trip was just a formality and there would be no complications.

However, the Wang Family of Xishan Prefecture hadted forced their way in, and what exactly they wanted to do was unknown. He also invited Chen Ci to attend a banquet at the County Yamen tomorrow.

Chen Ci put down the invitation and tapped the table lightly, though he was not overly worried.

Since his cheap Senior Brother Hutou Daoren said there was nothing to worry about, then there was truly nothing to worry about. If the Fuhu Altar could not even settle this small matter of a promise, then they would have been driven out long ago; how could they still be steadily charging toward the Dao Foundation?

However, he was not quite sure what the Wang Family of Xishan Prefecture intended.

Was it because their young master died here?

Or did they want to vent some anger for Ge Laodao?

Or were they still aiming for the medicinal herb business in Changping County?

"I'll see tomorrow. Overall, it shouldn't have much to do with me. I just hope the Wang Family of Xishan Prefecture doesn't fail to appreciate what's good for them."

Chen Ci sighed; it was truly troublesome.

That night, Chen Ci was meditating in his room when he suddenly opened his eyes, frowned slightly, and asked sharply: "Is that Brother Lin?"

After a few seconds, there was no movement outside. Chen Ci touched the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag slightly and remained silent.

"Brother Chen, it is I. This time, it was indeed presumptuous of me."

The door was pushed open slightly. A figure stood outside the door; it was Lin Banshan of the Wenxiang Sect. However, this time his face also carried a hint of surprise, as if he had not expected that his concealment would actually be detected by Chen Ci.

"Hoo, Brother Lin, don't play such tricks next time."

Chen Ci's expression eased slightly. If the Five Ghosts hiding in the surroundings hadn't sensed the change in shadows outside the house, he still wouldn't have discovered Lin Banshan's arrival.

Although Chen Ci has always been kind to others, if he is approached like this too many times, he cannot be blamed if he reacts defensively and strikes out one day.

"Brother Chen's cultivation has advanced so valiantly and diligently; I am truly far inferior and genuinely admire you."

Lin Banshan praised him sincerely.

Although his True Qi cultivation was still a few notches ahead of Chen Ci's, in the less than one year since he had known Chen Ci, Chen Ci's progress in cultivation had far surpassed his own.

It was reasonable that his concealment secret technique had been broken.

Although Lin Banshan's attitude seemed the same as before, Chen Ci was not quite sure whether the matter of Qingquan Village was directed and acted out by the Wenxiang Sect itself, or if there was someone else behind Huang Defa.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Ci poured a cup of tea and pushed it over, but he did not speak first.

Lin Banshan was also slightly stunned, then gave a bitter smile: "I have indeed disturbed Brother Chen too many times, but this time, I still have a matter to discuss with Brother Chen."

After a long pause, Lin Banshan said in a deep voice: "I may be engaged in a magical duel with someone recently, and I would like to ask Brother Chen to hold the line for me; would that be possible?"

(End of this chapter)