Chapter 39: Volume One: Mountain Ghost Rumor - Chapter 39: Wangcai

Volume One: Mountain Ghost Rumor - Chapter 39: Wangcai

At dusk.

Zhou Wangcai picked up a stone that looked ordinary. Zhou Sheng saw it and asked, "My dear grandson, why did you pick up a stone to bring home?"

Zhou Wangcai, still a child, looked up and said earnestly, "Grandfather, this stone and I are fated."

"What fate could a stone have with you?" Zhou Sheng shook his head and chuckled.

Although this dear grandson was a person of great fortune—someone who didn't need to do anything, as countless blessings would come knocking on his door—this fist-sized, grayish-brown stone really didn't look like any kind of treasure.

"Grandfather doesn't believe me?"

Zhou Sheng shook his head. "I don't."

Zhou Wangcai handed the thoroughly cleaned stone to him. "Grandfather, squeeze it."

"Squeeze it to pieces?"

"No, just crack the outer layer."

Once it reached this point, Zhou Sheng understood what this unremarkable stone his grandson had picked up really was. However, he had seen plenty of jade, but never any as ugly as this.

Circulating his True Qi, he applied a little force, and the outer layer of the fist-sized stone instantly shattered, revealing the raw jade hidden beneath.

Its color was a deep, emerald green, like a lake lying in the depths of a great mountain.

Zhou Sheng held the raw jade up before his eyes, clicking his tongue in admiration. "This piece of jade actually contains spiritual energy. After careful polishing and engraving with an array, it would be at least a mid-grade Dharma Artifact for protection. My grandson's eye is truly unique; even I didn't notice the abnormality of this stone."

"Grandfather just couldn't be bothered to care about such small items," Zhou Wangcai said.

"My dear grandson is not only a person born with great fortune, but also a prodigy who knows things from birth." Zhou Sheng praised him repeatedly, "Right, what are your thoughts on becoming a disciple of the Xuanwei Sect?"

"If Grandfather wants me to apprentice at the Xuanwei Sect, I will. I have no other thoughts."

"No, no. This is a major step in your formal entry into the cultivation world; your own thoughts are very important."

Zhou Wangcai asked in confusion, "Grandfather, why not let me stay at the Silver Vase Temple to cultivate?"

"The Silver Vase Temple lacks an Immortal Method leading directly to the Golden Core Great Dao, while the Xuanwei Sect possesses one. That is the first reason.

Secondly, the Xuanwei Sect is currently on the decline and desperately needs a leader to restore its glory. With your natural talent, you will likely be able to halt their downward trend. At that time, you will be able to share in a portion of the Xuanwei Sect's destiny, which will be extremely beneficial to your cultivation.

Thirdly, the Xuanwei Sect and the Demon Slayer Division appear harmonious, but are actually full of contradictions. When you eventually possess power within the Xuanwei Sect, I hope you can lead the sect to turn completely to the Demon Slayer Division. With such a merit, they will surely give you a good position.

Fourthly, the loss of the Silver Vase Temple's Golden Core Immortal Method caused us to decline to our current miserable state. Grandfather thinks that Golden Core Immortal Method of the Xuanwei Sect is quite good, and it coincides with the cultivation path of the Silver Vase Temple."

Zhou Sheng laid out his plans without the slightest concealment.

Zhou Wangcai asked, "Grandfather, will the Xuanwei Sect let me cultivate the Golden Core Immortal Method?"

"Do you know why I have kept you pinned at the Body Refining Realm without letting you break through to the Qi Gathering Realm?" Zhou Sheng asked in return.

His dear grandson could have long since become a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator, but Zhou Sheng had been suppressing him, forcing him to remain in the Body Refining Realm.

"I know. Only with the cultivation of the Qi Gathering Realm can one practice the Golden Core Immortal Method."

"Exactly. The Xuanwei Sect values you highly, and with my maneuvering to win over a few people, your apprenticeship at the Xuanwei Sect will surely be smooth sailing. When the time is right, the Golden Core Immortal Method will be handed to you for cultivation," Zhou Sheng said quite proudly.

Three hundred years ago, the Silver Vase Temple was still a Mountain Sect possessing a Golden Core ancestor. But the ancestor unfortunately fell into an ambush by a rival sect, and the Golden Core Immortal Method in the ancestor's storage jade pendant was lost, causing the Silver Vase Temple to inevitably head toward decline.

Through three hundred years of wind and rain, if not for the Mountain Guardian Array laid down by past ancestors, the Silver Vase Temple would have already vanished into smoke.

According to the rules of Mountain Sects, only Golden Core Realm cultivators can call themselves Zhenren.

"Grandfather, if Brother Zhao were to apprentice at the Xuanwei Sect, the Golden Core Immortal Method would definitely belong to him."

"My dear grandson, you are overthinking it. Zhao Chan is already a Demon Slayer. Given the overbearing nature of the Demon Slayer Division, how could they let go of fat meat they've already swallowed? Especially the Xitang Kingdom Demon Slayer Division, which has always had a ruthless style..."

Zhou Wangcai leaned toward Zhou Sheng and whispered, "Brother Zhao is in big trouble. Can Grandfather save him?"

"So this is what you really wanted to say?"

"Nothing can escape Grandfather's eyes."

Zhou Sheng slowly shook his head. "Zhao Chan does not need me to rescue him. There are plenty of people who do not wish to see him die."

"Who? Could it be A Ping and Xie Wan?"

"Them?" Zhou Sheng looked at them with disdain. "Two arrogant and conceited people, possessing only empty names. Before seeing them, I heard that among the Xuanwei Sect's top disciples, A Ping was the most benevolent and Xie Wan the most upright. After seeing them, heh, they are all wolf-hearted, selfish people.

They cannot save Zhao Chan, and Zhao Chan does not want to be saved by them."

"Then who is it?"

"The Demon Slayer Division."

"Ah? Warrior Wang? Warrior Wang only has the cultivation of the Upper Grade Body Refining Realm..."

"Coincidentally, a pair of sisters has arrived in Youju Town, and one of them is from the Baize Hall of the Demon Slayer Division."

Zhou Wangcai said with relief, "The demon cultivators in the Baize Hall all have profound attainments. Brother Zhao has nothing to worry about."

Zhou Sheng thought for a moment and added, "I sense two more auras in Youju Town; they should both be Middle Five Realm cultivators.

Alright, my dear grandson, it is about time. We must leave."

"I won't! I want to stay in Youju Town!"

"Oh? Why?"

"I like it here."

"The Silver Vase Temple is much more fun than Youju Town. You will definitely like it when you return."

"I don't want to! I'm not leaving!"

"Are you forcing me to spank you again?"

Zhou Wangcai rolled his small eyes and asked with utter helplessness, "Grandfather has never told me why we came to settle in Youju Town all these years."

"It is indeed time to tell you."

Zhou Sheng returned to the room, packing his bags while asking, "My dear grandson, what do you think of this place, Youju Town?"

"Not much. Surrounded by mountains and water, it's like a dead end."

"You are a naturally blessed person. If you were in a place with a wide field of vision, the fortune on your body would inevitably leak away. But in this dead end of Youju Town, there are 'walls' on all sides, which just happen to block your fortune, keeping it within your body.

Now that you have reached the appropriate age and your physique has matured, you don't need to worry about your fortune slipping away anymore."

There wasn't much to carry. Zhou Sheng shouldered his bag and took Zhou Wangcai's small hand. "Let's say goodbye to A Ping and Xie Wan before we leave."

"Doesn't Grandfather look down on them?"

"Mountain cultivators are the same as the secular world; they value human relationships and worldly wisdom. Besides, A Ping is a candidate for Peak Master of the Xuanwei Sect's Shangzhu Peak, and Xie Wan was once a candidate for Peak Master of Zhiwei Peak. Greeting them well will be beneficial for your cultivation in the Xuanwei Sect."

"Yes."

Nightfall slowly descended.

Every household lit their candles.

The Xizhao Inn was the brightest.

Zhou Sheng led Zhou Wangcai inside.

Xie Wan saw them and hurried over, calling out affectionately, "Senior, please sit. I will serve you dishes immediately."

Zhou Sheng said with a smile, "No need. My grandson and I have come to say goodbye."

"Senior is leaving Youju Town?"

"Indeed. After roaming for several years, it is time to return to the Silver Vase Temple."

A Ping walked down from the second floor, his gaze lingering on Zhou Wangcai for a moment. "Junior arrived in Youju Town and hasn't yet invited Senior to a banquet. Could Senior grant Junior the honor of eating a meal before leaving?"

Zhou Sheng looked down and asked his grandson, "What do you think?"

"Grandfather, since Big Brother and Big Sister are so enthusiastic, let's have a meal before we go."

"Good, I'll listen to you."

Xie Wan beamed with joy. "Senior, please wait in the private room. The wine and meat will be served immediately."

A Ping led the grandfather and grandson into the private room and brewed tea for them. "The Xuanwei Sect and the Silver Vase Temple have always been on good terms. After returning to the Silver Vase Temple, Senior, please put in a good word for the Xuanwei Sect."

"A small matter. You are a candidate for Peak Master of Shangzhu Peak. I won't hide it from you: I am returning this time to succeed as the Master of the Silver Vase Temple."

"Oh my! A Ping, disciple of the Xuanwei Sect's Shangzhu Peak, pays respects to the Temple Master!" A Ping's heart was suddenly in turmoil, but he appeared very pleasantly surprised and hurriedly bowed.

"No need for formalities. The Silver Vase Temple is a small sect, and in the future, we will still need to rely on the Xuanwei Sect." Zhou Sheng didn't put on any airs of a senior and said kindly.

A Ping laughed, "Previously, I naively thought Senior was at the Destiny Knowing Realm. It turns out you are actually in the Middle Five Realms."

"Just the Lower-grade Opening Mansion Realm, not worth mentioning." Zhou Sheng waved his hand.

"Senior is too modest. Who doesn't know that breaking through from the Destiny Knowing Realm to the Opening Mansion Realm is extremely difficult, and only cultivators with stunning talent can succeed? Once the Opening Mansion Realm is achieved, one's lifespan increases greatly, and from then on, one has the qualification to challenge the Golden Core Great Dao!"

After the Lower Four Realms, the first realm of the Middle Five Realms is the Opening Mansion Realm.

"The Golden Core Great Dao... I dare not even think about it."

"Why doesn't Senior stay in Youju Town? The Hundred Treasure Zhen Pan Xi's Cave Abode is about to appear. You could take a few high-quality Dharma Treasures back to the Silver Vase Temple."

"The Silver Vase Temple does not lack Dharma Treasures. The treasures left behind after Hundred Treasure Zhen passed away will be left to you."

A Ping silently observed whether he truly believed Hundred Treasure Zhen had passed away. Seeing his expression as calm as stagnant water, he smiled and asked, "Has Senior ever met Hundred Treasure Zhen?"

"No. I only heard that this person was a wild cultivator who loved collecting Dharma Treasures most in his life."

"Who could have expected that after a lifetime of hard work collecting treasures, they would benefit others after his passing?" A Ping continued to probe.

"Sigh, such is fate. My dear grandson, when you cultivate at the Xuanwei Sect, you must be diligent and tireless. You must know that lifespan is determined by heaven. If you do not strive for progress and remain stagnant, unable to defy the heavens, you will sooner or later turn into a pile of white bones."

"That is true, Senior. What we cultivators pursue is longevity and freedom, especially in the Destiny Knowing Realm. Watching one's lifespan decrease day by day, that great terror between life and death is truly chilling."

Zhou Sheng looked at him and smiled, "You are an excellent disciple of the Xuanwei Sect; sooner or later, you will leap over the Dragon Gate."

Breaking through from the Lower Four Realms to the Middle Five Realms is called "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate" by mountain cultivators.

A Ping offered him a cup of tea. "Junior will take Senior's auspicious words."

Xie Wan sliced a plate of beef and brought the best wine from the Xizhao Inn. She puffed out her proud chest and personally poured for Zhou Sheng. "The hot dishes will be ready immediately. Senior and Brother A Ping, please eat first."

"Thank you, Landlady," Zhou Sheng thanked her.

Xie Wan said hurriedly, "I dare not accept, I truly dare not accept."

She had heard his conversation with A Ping just now.

She and A Ping had both thought Zhou Sheng was at the Destiny Knowing Realm; they hadn't expected him to be a Middle-grade Opening Mansion Realm cultivator. Because of this, some of their actions could not escape Zhou Sheng's eyes.

It was just that, as it seemed now, Zhou Sheng hadn't taken it to heart at all.

When Xie Wan served the hot dishes one by one, Zhou Wangcai looked at the stewed chicken, his saliva unable to stop flowing.

Xie Wan smiled and said, "Hungry, aren't you? Eat up."

Zhou Sheng nodded. "Eat."

With his grandfather's "golden words," Zhou Wangcai picked up his chopsticks and ate until his mouth was oily.

Zhou Sheng clinked glasses with Xie Wan and A Ping, drank it all in one gulp, and immediately asked, "A Ping, what is the origin of that Mountain Ghost?"

A Ping's heart skipped a beat, his thoughts racing. "Junior does not know."

"I thought you might know something," Zhou Sheng said with a smile, chewing a slice of beef that was half-fat and half-lean.

"If Junior knew the origin of the Mountain Ghost, I would certainly tell Senior first."

Xie Wan also felt a moment of panic. That Mountain Ghost was of great use to her. A Ping had arrived at the Xizhao Inn later and told her the entire conversation between him and the Mountain Ghost. Xie Wan immediately decided that even if the Mountain Ghost were Xiaoshui Zhenren, she would definitely bring it back to the Xuanwei Sect to spit out money.

As for the Old Flood Dragon that came chasing A Ping, they could play along with it. A Ping would first agree to the transaction with Xiaoshui Zhenren, kill Hundred Treasure Zhen who was hiding behind the scenes planning everything, and then work together to subdue Xiaoshui Zhenren.

Zhou Sheng laughed lightly and asked, "If Pan Xi is not dead, what will you do?"

"Senior is joking. How could Hundred Treasure Zhen not be dead?"

"His lifespan is indeed coming to an end, but he still has a year or so left."

A Ping and Xie Wan exchanged a quiet look.

"When my dear grandson goes to the Xuanwei Sect to cultivate, you must take care of him. This child is kind-hearted, and I am afraid he will suffer in your Xuanwei Sect."

A Ping immediately said, "Senior, rest assured. With us senior brother and sister here, your grandson will absolutely not suffer."

"With those words from you, I can rest easy."

Zhou Sheng continued, "Perhaps Pan Xi is deliberately creating confusion. What if he is not a Lower Four Realm cultivator?"

"..."

This sentence startled A Ping and Xie Wan so much they almost jumped up.

"It is possible he is in the Lower-grade Opening Mansion Realm... Do you know how long Pan Xi has lived?"

"We truly do not know."

"I don't know either. As a wild cultivator, if he didn't have some tricks, he would have been killed by the Mountain Sects long ago. How could he have lived until now?"

Xie Wan immediately bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Senior, for your guidance."

"It cannot be called guidance. It is all for my dear grandson."

"Even if we senior brother and sister suffer, we will not let your grandson suffer!"

"Good. Since you have put my mind at ease, I will say a few more words. Just listen."

"Senior, please speak."

"If Pan Xi is still alive, even if he is in the Lower-grade Opening Mansion Realm, given that his lifespan is near its end, his combat power might not even be as good as yours combined."

"Has he fallen in realm?"

"Who knows..."

After the meal, Zhou Sheng led Zhou Wangcai, who had eaten until his belly was round, and stepped on the starlight and moonlight covering the ground as they walked toward the great mountain.

Zhou Wangcai burped. "Grandfather, why did you say so much?"

Zhou Sheng looked at the moon, which was almost full, and answered irrelevantly, "Legend has it there is a toad on the moon."

"Are you talking about Brother Zhao?"

"On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, under the full moon, will this toad in Youju Town shine brilliantly?"

Zhou Wangcai said worriedly, "Brother Zhao has obtained too much fortune in a short time. I fear that things will reverse when they reach the extreme, and the moon will wane when it is full."

"My dear grandson, some people cannot be measured by common sense."

"Are you talking about Brother Zhao?"

"What do you think of Lao Liu?"

"Lao Liu? Isn't he just an old bachelor whom gods hate and ghosts loathe?"

Zhou Sheng said with lingering fear, "Once, I met Lao Liu in Xiliu Lane, and he said something to me that still makes my hair stand on end."

"What did he say?" Zhou Wangcai asked curiously.

Lao Liu, whom no one in Youju Town looked up to, actually had such ability?

"He said, 'To take all the benefits in everything is equivalent to offending everyone. Be careful of being settled accounts with in the future.'"

He stroked his dear grandson's small head.

"I originally wanted to use the mountain and water essence Qi here to cleanse your marrow and cut your bones, but it was precisely because of Lao Liu's words that I stopped."

If the mountain and water essence Qi of this place were gone, it would be like having one's flesh and blood drained, and it would inevitably lead to the suffering of all living things. ===== CHAPTER 40 =====