The summit of Chongmei Mountain was broad and flat, filled with various tall and lush trees. Here and there, gray-tiled eaves peeked out among the trees, hiding courtyards and pavilions within the forest.
To the west was a three-part courtyard, which was precisely the Yun Chong Lower Courtyard’s Hundred Refinement Hall residence.
Chen Mu, bearing the face and figure of Li Moliang, walked into an eastern side room with composed confidence, where a plump figure sat behind a desk.
Chen Mu placed a wooden box the size of a palm on the desk with both hands and then respectfully bowed with fists clasped, “Manager Huang, here are this month’s Water-Repelling Pearls for your inspection.”
“Brother Li, it’s been several days since I’ve seen you, and your complexion seems much improved. If we hadn’t known each other for so long, I might suspect you were an impostor,” Huang Jian said, smiling warmly as he pressed the box.
This plump Huang was sharp!
Chen Mu’s heart grew cautious.
Although he had used the Shapeshifting Technique to mimic Li Moliang’s skinny frame, his own Divine Orifice was at Perfection, full of vital energy, unlike Li Moliang’s depleted vitality. A person familiar with Li Moliang might still notice something odd upon a sudden glance.
“Pure luck, pure luck. Recently, the technique I use for Artifact Refining has improved a bit, reducing the loss of vital energy and spirit,” Chen Mu shrugged nonchalantly, feigning pride.
“Well, isn’t that coincidental!” Huang Jian’s smile grew even brighter upon hearing this.
“The Upper Court has been in urgent need of a batch of Water-Repelling Pearls. I was just worrying about this shipment of Magic Artifacts.”
“Now that your refining technique has improved, I assume you can produce more. You’re really a great help.”
In need of Water-Repelling Pearls?
Is it for building ferries to cross the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains?
Chen Mu’s thoughts raced, but he maintained a calm façade, even pretending to be expectantly surprised as he probed, “Then, what about the price?”
“Don’t worry, I assure you that you’ll be satisfied,” the plump Huang chuckled and waved his hand, “For one Water-Repelling Pearl, I can offer you forty-five Daoist Cultivation points and eighty White Jade Coins.”
Chen Mu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
According to Li Moliang, in the past for handing over a reduced version of a Lower Grade Water-Repelling Pearl, the Hundred Refinement Hall gave a maximum of thirty Daoist Cultivation points and sixty-five White Jade Coins. He hadn’t expected such a significant increase of more than twenty percent!
“Look how far we’ve come. Brother Li, if you can refine a High Grade Water-Repelling Pearl, I’ll directly give you three hundred Daoist Cultivation points and three hundred White Jade Coins!” the plump Huang extended three fingers, gesticulating in front of Chen Mu.
Are High Grade Water-Repelling Pearls priced so high?
Due to the precious raw materials, the Yun Chong Lower Courtyard usually used reduced versions of Water-Repelling Pearls. Although their effects were similar, they could only be used for one year.
The original High Grade Water-Repelling Pearls, however, could be used for five years.
Even so, the price was usually no more than a little over two hundred White Jade Coins. Three hundred White Jade Coins plus three hundred Daoist Cultivation points were unexpectedly high.
“If Brother Li is interested, why not give it a try?” Huang Jian encouraged with a laugh, “If you miss this opportunity, who knows when the next will be.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Manager Huang,” Chen Mu immediately pretended to be delightfully grateful with a bow.
After some more pleasantries, Chen Mu left the courtyard of the Hundred Refinement Hall with a pouch containing eighty White Jade Coins.
He nodded and smiled in passing at a burly fellow he was merely acquainted with, then stood at the doorway. He turned to look back at the bustling figures inside the Hundred Refinement Hall, and a relaxed smile spread across his face.
“If even Huang Jian, who I have the most contact with, couldn’t see through my disguise, then Li Moliang’s false identity must be successfully replaced.”
…
On the eastern side of Chongmei Mountain, before the enormous jade windows of Chen Mu’s Cave Mansion.
“I’ve only heard that the Goose Sheep Path Upper Court needs Thunder Gathering Charms. I’ve never heard about them continuing with Water-Repelling Pearls,” Li Moliang said, perplexed. “Could the Upper Court be planning to open a new Lower Court to cultivate Golden Pearl Clams?”
“Perhaps,” Chen Mu glanced at Li Moliang, offering no further explanation.
It seemed Li Moliang was unaware of the Goose Sheep Path’s plans to traverse the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Yuan Xian was in the Goose Sheep Path Upper Court, among other secret spies.
“As for the plans of the Strange Demons to disrupt the ley lines, you must know quite a bit,” Chen Mu shifted the topic to something else.
“I do know a little,” Li Moliang hesitated briefly before nodding in acknowledgement.
“I joined the Yun Chong Lower Courtyard five years ago. Aside from my assignment to infiltrate the Hundred Refinement Hall, my primary mission was to bury a Dragon Nailing Stake in Chongmei Mountain.”
A Dragon Nailing Stake? What’s that?
Chen Mu was intrigued.
“A special Ghost Artifact, it looks like an ice-blue orb the size of a fist,” Li Moliang described, gesturing with his hands.
“All it needs is to be placed at a specific location and then a Qi Cultivator who has developed mana is used as a sacrifice to activate it.”
“It will envelop that Qi Cultivator and automatically sink into the depths of the earth.”
This was the Linglong Divine Orifice of the City God Dojo!
A chill passed through Chen Mu’s heart.
“There must be more than one of these Dragon Nailing Stakes, right?” he squinted his eyes in suspicion.
“Indeed, there are several,” Li Moliang nodded.
“Along with me, several Armored Warriors who joined the Yun Chong Lower Courtyard were carrying multiple Underworld God Transformation Warriors.”
“Their purpose is likely related to the burial of Dragon Nailing Stakes around the outskirts of Chongmei Mountain.”
“Before the stake within the mountain melded with the ley lines, I could sense the aftershocks of other stakes being planted through it.”
“At that time, I counted them, and there should be thirty-six.”
Thirty-six Dragon Nailing Stakes, that’s thirty-six Qi Cultivators!
Chen Mu felt weighed down with gloom.
They were meant to cultivate immortality, transcend the mundane world, yet now they were buried beneath the ground, their consciousness mired in oblivion, living a forsaken existence.
If one day I were to be caught and buried underground…
“Yuan Xian and his people… deserve to die.”
Chen Mu’s expression was icy cold.
Li Moliang noted Chen Mu’s chilling gaze and shivered, bowing his head in nervous silence.
Moments later, Chen Mu’s stern face gradually softened, shaking his head with a faint sigh.
This was a struggle between the Underworld God Transformation Warriors and the Qi Cultivators. Whether it was Li Moliang or himself, they were just specks of dust in this turmoil.
Even if he killed Li Moliang and Yuan Xian, it wouldn’t cause a ripple in this chaos.
Moreover, this situation was ostensibly about Da Qian’s commoners against Qi Cultivators, but in reality, it was orchestrated by the Netherworld from behind the scenes.
Being a mere Qi Cultivator with Perfection in his Divine Orifice, he had no way to interfere in such great chaos.
To be able to protect himself was already extremely difficult.
“The world is fraught with dangers…” Chen Mu couldn’t help but lament.
Li Moliang carefully glanced at Chen Mu, hesitantly speaking, “It’s been a year since the Dragon Nailing Stake sank into the earth’s veins, and now it has fully integrated into the Mountain Protection Magical Barrier of the Lower Courtyard.”
“Unless something unexpected happens, the Lock Dragon Courtyard will soon be sending Strange Demons to Yun Chong Lower Courtyard.”
“Chongmei Mountain, as the core, is exactly where the Strange Demon wreaks havoc.”
“That thing is very bizarre, you see, should we hide for a bit?”
Hide?
Chen Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He thought of the thirty-six Qi Cultivators who were buried underground.
Though they were strangers to one another, they were all Qi Cultivators after all.
He might not be able to avenge them with his life, but he could still disrupt the Lock Dragon Courtyard’s plans.
“As long as the Lock Dragon Courtyard sends the Strange Demon here, I’ll immediately capture it in the Five Ghosts Bag, that could be considered as collecting some interest for you.”
The corners of Chen Mu’s mouth lifted slightly, and through the protection of a large piece of jade, he smiled wryly at the horizon.
The Strange Demon vanishing into thin air, Yuan Xian’s face would surely be a sight to behold.
Ha!
…
Eight hundred li north of Yunze Lake.
In a valley, dead silence reigned, as thick fog appeared out of nowhere.
On the northern peak, five or six men in black robes watched the valley intently.
The next moment, over a dozen fierce heads suddenly flew out, charging toward the black-robed men. One at the edge was caught off guard and quickly surrounded by a swarm of heads.
The necks of the heads trailed white smoke like snake bodies, entwining tightly around a black-robed man and before the others could intervene, he was dragged into the fog and vanished from sight.
A brief scream accompanied by the faint sound of bones breaking echoed, and the valley returned to silence.
“Another… another one dead? That’s the fifth one devoured by this beast, isn’t it?!” one of the black-robed men said, trembling uncontrollably.
The rest of the men were stiff, afraid to stir the monster in the valley, they didn’t even dare to breathe heavily.
After a long while, the leader of the black-robed men took a deep breath, his voice dry as he tried to motivate his team, “We’re already at the edge of Yunze Lake. As long as we lure the Strange Demon there, our mission will be considered complete.”
“A distance of just over a hundred li, it should only take us a day if we’re careful.”
“By tomorrow, at the latest, we’ll soon be able to return to Da Qian!”
Hearing this, the men’s faces brightened, but before they could rejoice for a few breaths, a calm voice suddenly appeared behind them, “You won’t be able to return to Da Qian tomorrow.”
The men whipped around to see a sullen-looking elder who had appeared behind them at some point. It was Yuan Xian, the Institute Head of the Twenty-Ninth Courtyard of the Lock Dragon Institute.
“Institute Head!” Their hearts jolted, and they quickly bowed with their fists in respect.
“The situation has changed, this Strange Demon needs to be led past Yunze Lake, to the Dian River Canyon,” said Yuan Xian indifferently.
The black-robed man’s face turned pale.
Dian River Canyon was eight hundred li south of Yunze Lake, and with the detour, they would need to travel over two thousand li with the Strange Demon in the valley. By then, who knew how many of them would survive!
“Institute Head! Our original mission was at Yunze Lake, not Dian River Canyon,” the leading black-robed man said through gritted teeth, barely containing his anger.
Yuan Xian’s expression remained detached, calmly glancing at the man.
The leading man tightened all over, feeling as if he were facing the Strange Demon in the valley itself!
“We will follow the Institute Head’s orders!” he exclaimed quickly, bowing with his fists, with cold sweat forming on his forehead instantly.
Yuan Xian’s gaze shifted, withdrawing his look.
He didn’t want to cause trouble. But with a Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed within, the mere thought of the Strange Demon possibly harming Chen Mu spurred the idea to keep the Strange Demon away from Yun Chong Lower Courtyard lingering in his mind.
Yun Chong Lower Courtyard was vital to the Goose Sheep Path, and the Lock Dragon Institute had been scheming for nearly a decade to sabotage its earth veins.
But now…
“We’ll have to bypass Yun Chong Lower Courtyard first,” Yuan Xian frowned and sighed softly.
“The loss is huge, and there might be big trouble. I wonder if Mr. Gongsun would compensate me with some Heavenly Demon Secret Teachings.”
“I’m doing all this to ensure his safety!”
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