Chapter 93: Ma Family Dao Soldiers

Chen Ci shook the bag containing the Heiyu over the small tripod, then shook it again, and ultimately sighed.

After finishing this meal, his own Spirit Rice would be completely bottomed out.

Ninety jin of Spirit Rice is nine jin of Five Elements Divine Sand; if converted into silver, that is a massive fortune of nearly ten thousand taels.

Yet even this is just a month's food money for some cultivators.

It's difficult.

Fortunately, relying on the Abyssal Sinking Sand and the Heiyu, Chen Ci's True Qi cultivation still managed to advance a difficult step further.

Sanyin Qi-Eating Method: 38/100

It's too painful to look at.

Chen Ci exhaled, then scanned the interface a few times.

Five Yin Evil Qi Bag/Stomach Earth Nourishing Gold Method: Eight-fold Prohibition/4/100 (Seven strands of Five Yin Black Evil, one strand of Five Yin Gold Evil)

Stomach Earth Nourishing Gold Method: Five Yin Gold Evil/1/100

With the White Bone Heart-Lock Hammer not out, Adai has actually become the most capable fighter in his hands; it really has managed to make a name for itself.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Minor Accomplishment/3/100 (Refining Essence three drops daily, can advance one of them; subdue the heart-ghost, and the spirit-ghost will naturally be born)

The five little ones have also made quite a bit of progress; if they previously couldn't even move a teacup, at least now they can use their yin-soul forms to move a wine jar through the air.

The ten-jin kind.

If they have black-patterned talisman paper on them, oh boy, the five little ones can chase and beat the hens raised by Sanyin Temple; this combat power, tsk, has already far exceeded the strength of one kun.

"Keep practicing; a wine jar is less than two hundred jin, and this master here is also less than two hundred jin."

Chen Ci's mood was somewhat rippling; this wasn't far from being able to fly. Compared to spells that favor bravery and fighting, he actually preferred flying through the air.

It's just this daily Refining Essence of three drops...

Chen Ci inexplicably recalled the day he met Hutou Daoren at the Fuhu Altar, and the five yin-souls on him that were like tigers and ghosts, wanting to choose people to devour. Looking back at his own five ghosts currently beating a chicken, he couldn't help but cover his eyes.

Sigh, I really have it too hard.

It was the end of autumn, and the weather was still quite hot, but as the mountain wind blew, there was still some chill.

Yet in a mountain temple that had already fallen into ruin, the atmosphere inside was quite lively. In the center of the main hall, a roaring bonfire was burning, with many meat dishes set upon it, slowly sizzling and roasting. Eight or nine cultivators sat around it, drinking and eating meat, laughing and joking with each other, or fondling the maidservants beside them. Sweat was even breaking out on their foreheads; it was quite lively.

Chen Ci was somewhat speechless, glancing at Lin Banshan beside him, his gaze self-evident: You want to drag me over for these kinds of people?

Most of these cultivators had cultivation at only a few apertures; not only was their True Qi cultivation shallow, but it was also messy. Clearly, they had not obtained a proper Qi Refining technique and had likely pieced together some Qi Refining methods. The one with the highest cultivation had just over ten apertures; he was a bare-chested man who raised a giant black-ringed snake. Although his cultivation wasn't high, there was a faint single horn protruding from the top of his giant snake's head, and black mist escaped as the snake flicked its tongue; it was clearly a variant species.

Among these cultivators, there was actually an acquaintance of Chen Ci, which was Shi Sanniang from Yunshi Shan. She was the only female cultivator in the entire hall, naturally attracting many gazes.

"I and the people of Ma Family Village have sent invitations to all the mountain-dwelling cultivators within a two-hundred-li radius who have any reputation, inviting them to come and act as witnesses."

Lin Banshan smiled softly: "It can also be considered a greeting to them; they must know who will be covering Qingquan Village from now on."

"Have the people from Ma Family Village arrived?"

"Not yet. Since Ma Family Village has arranged a fight with me, they will surely have prepared their methods; otherwise, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?"

Lin Banshan sneered: "I originally discussed it with them in good faith, and I could have even sent the Huang Family to purchase the medicinal herbs they needed to sell to them, but I was refused. In that case, I want to see what kind of successor that Ma Family Ancestor can train."

However, despite saying this, there was still some solemnity in Lin Banshan's eyes. A person's name is like a tree's shadow; he couldn't be certain what methods an old monster who had existed for two hundred years might have.

After speaking, Lin Banshan raised his cup to drink with the cultivators on the scene. He did not put on airs because their cultivation was unbearable to look at; such cultivators who had lost their path did not have much use, but if they were to secretly cause trouble, it would be quite troublesome.

"The Ma Family has arrived!"

Suddenly, the servant waiting outside the mountain temple shouted. After a moment, the door, which only had half a leaf left, was pushed open with a boom. A dozen people walked in, actually carrying four bamboo sedan chairs, instantly filling the mountain temple to the brim.

Leading them was an old man with a tall stature and a golden complexion. He was nine feet tall, wearing a five-colored hemp robe with the characteristics of a mountain dweller, and the expression on his face was quite arrogant.

"Master Ma!"

"Brother Ma Five!"

At once, those mountain-dwelling cultivators who were still eating and drinking stood up and bowed respectfully. Even the silent, bare-chested snake-raising man stood up and nodded.

"Good, good."

This old man was called Ma Jinshun, and he could be considered the leader of this generation of Ma Family Village; he was quite a figure in the surrounding mountains.

Chen Ci glanced at him; his True Qi cultivation should be around forty apertures, just so-so.

However, his aura was very pure and sharp; clearly, there was still some proper heritage within Ma Family Village. It was just unclear what was being carried in those four bamboo sedan chairs; judging by the situation, the weight was not light.

Chen Ci naturally did not stand up, and Lin Banshan only raised his cup to signal. The Ma Family old man laughed darkly and didn't say much else, instead waving his hand at Shi Sanniang to the side: "Sanniang, it has been a long time since I last saw you. Come here and get reacquainted with me, and see if there have been any changes in your body."

Shi Sanniang covered her mouth and smiled, looking quite charming. Although Ma Jinshun was old, his physical condition was not bad. If it were in the past, she would have been happy to have some fun, but today, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do it; she was inexplicably reserved, not as open as before.

Inexplicably glancing at Chen Ci, who was sitting in the seat of honor, Shi Sanniang smiled lightly: "Master Ma, everyone came here today after receiving your invitation to support you. Why don't you handle the main business first? It's not like there's a rush."

"Haha, that makes sense."

Ma Jinshun withdrew his gaze, chuckled, and said to Lin Banshan: "Lin, I'm not afraid to tell you, this Qingquan Village is a Medicine Field personally designated by my Ancestor, and it is of great use to him. You, an outsider, had better not interfere. If we really fight and it costs you your life, that would be unfortunate."

"Ma Daoyou is joking. I was invited by the Huang Family of Changping County as a Spirit Planter; how can I be considered an outsider?"

Lin Banshan laughed, stood up, scanned the people in the temple, and said loudly: "Today, all fellow Daoists are here, and everyone should know that Daoist Miao Lu of Qingquan Village has met with misfortune, and the village has been seven or eight parts destroyed. Now, the Huang Family of Changping County and Ma Daoyou want to re-establish Qingquan Village. Is there any Daoist who feels this is inappropriate? You can bring it up today."

It was strange; although these mountain-dwelling cultivators were more familiar with the Ma Family, they just kept eating and drinking, and no one really stood on the Ma Family's side to say a word.

"We have no objections; let the two families decide for themselves."

The snake-raising man likely had some reputation among the mountain dwellers; he scanned the crowd and spoke for everyone.

"Good."

Ma Jinshun also smiled and looked at Lin Banshan: "Lin, although your cultivation is a few notches higher than mine, my Ma Family has its own wonderful methods, and we won't be afraid of you. Today, I have brought the Ma Family Copper Corpse to fight you; do you dare to accept?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

Lin Banshan also smiled and agreed directly.

When cultivators fight, if it is a scheduled duel, it is not a matter of rushing forward to kill; there are some rules involved.

Just like the sword duels in Xishan Market, where one points to the ground to form a prison, the two cultivators can only carry one Dharma Artifact, and what Dharma Artifact it is and the level of cultivation must be clearly stated so that others can place their bets with peace of mind.

If things are hidden or concealed, wouldn't it become a dark operation? Who would dare to come and gamble then?

Today, Lin Banshan and Ma Family Village are having a duel, intending to force a submission; both sides must draw up their formations and set their postures, otherwise, if the loser is not convinced, even a victory would be useless.

If it were a direct duel to the death, there would be no such formalities; they would just start fighting the moment they met.

Lin Banshan gave a dark chuckle; he naturally knew of the Ma Family's Corpse Dao heritage.

Corpse Refining is but a minor path; those who do not understand it well might suffer a great loss, but he had long since prepared methods to deal with Corpse Refining, so how could he fear a few Copper Corpses?

"I have been waiting for you."

As soon as the words fell, Ma Jinshun tore off his colorful hemp robe, revealing inner armor underneath and exuding an air of fierce courage.

From the four bamboo sedan chairs behind him, four burly men stepped out; their faces were stiff, their skin glowed with a greenish-gray luster as if cast from copper and iron, and they were clad in iron armor and wielding weapons—calling them Copper Corpses, they looked more like fierce generals of the mortal world.

Chen Ci rubbed his chin, a look of doubt appearing on his face.

Copper Corpse, Copper Corpse; yet to his eyes, these four were clearly all living people, and rather than Copper Corpses, they looked more like cultivators who practiced the methods of the Military School.

Lin Banshan was also slightly stunned, then his expression turned somewhat ugly as he spat out two words in a low voice: "Dao soldiers?"

"This is the secret method of my Ma Family Village, refining Copper Corpses using living people; I wonder if you, surnamed Lin, have prepared your methods?"

Ma Jinshun held an octagonal copper rod in his hand and grinned, his teeth looking grim: "I will ask you one last time, do you still wish to fight? If you retreat, this matter will be dropped, how about that?"

(End of this chapter)