Last night, on a sudden whim, I decided to add an extra chapter. Readers who enjoy punctuality in their reading, please take note:
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At this moment, Cheng Rong was explaining the reason for their visit: "A few days ago, Miss Shi happened upon this 'Hidden Skin' snake. She wanted to present its shed skin as a birthday gift to our Clan Leader, so under my guidance, she hastily learned the Soul Pulling Curse to use on the snake. Today, she felt the snake slithering up the valley and dragged me along to observe, only to unexpectedly encounter a Daoist friend."
After a brief pause, he gently patted the young girl's head, a bitter smile appearing on his face, contrasting with his usual demeanor: "In fact, the snake itself is not that important, she understands the principle of 'first come, first served'. However, she is young and has suffered quite a bit learning the Soul Pulling Curse, which has made her even more determined. I ask for your understanding, Daoist friend Yu."
Naturally, Yu Ci would not argue with a child. Since their meeting was merely a coincidence, he preferred not to linger. After all, with the matter of Elder Xu looming, there was no possibility of deepening ties with the Thousands Spirits Sect. As he was about to bid farewell, he noticed the young girl, standing silently behind Cheng Rong, glaring at him, clearly still indignant.
Her expression brought a smile to Yu Ci's face. His gaze swept over Cheng Rong's face, then suddenly shifted.
Some things were not his fault for overthinking. These days, the Thousands Spirits Sect had shown a clear interest in him. Even if Cheng Rong's visit was a coincidence, his friendly and cordial demeanor might not be so simple.
As thoughts swirled in his mind, he suddenly smiled at the young girl: "Is the Soul Pulling Curse hard to practice? How does it work?"
The young girl rolled her eyes at him, ignoring his question.
Yu Ci then turned to the adult beside her. Cheng Rong was momentarily taken aback, then responded with a grin: "Indeed, it's not easy. This spell allows the spellcaster to know the general activities of the target. Despite being hundreds of miles away, there is a faint sense... Of course, it doesn't have any other uses."
"That's all there is to it."
Yu Ci, with a beaming smile, said to Shi Xin: "You are merely monitoring it with the spell, you haven't caught it or tied it up. If you only know its location and claim the snake is yours, that would be quite absurd... Why don't you ask the elder beside you? Over the past few days, he must have a clear idea of where I've been, given the eagles and hawks that have been released. Does this mean that I am a member of your Thousands Spirits Sect?"
The sharpness of his words was evident. Not just Cheng Rong, even the young girl could feel it. She turned around in surprise, but Cheng Rong was too preoccupied to pay her any mind, hurriedly shaking his head and saying:
"Daoist friend, you jest. Recently, the situation here has been tense. The release of the hawks and eagles for reconnaissance is routine and in no way intended to disrespect or harm you. Since you've brought it up, our sect will certainly restrain our actions to avoid disturbing your peace. On the other hand, if a person of your caliber were willing to join our Thousands Spirits Sect, we would be overjoyed. Even Sect Leader Shi would personally welcome you."
His words were pleasing to the ears, but perhaps a bit over the top. Especially the part about knowing what kind of talent I am?
Yu Ci felt increasingly suspicious, responding lightly: "As a free-spirited individual, I can only engage in tasks such as stone mining and herb gathering..."
At this point, a divine light flashed in his mind, and he suddenly asked, "Has the White Sun Mansion already issued a warrant for someone's arrest?"
This leap in thought was abrupt but hit right at the crux of the matter, leaving Cheng Rong taken aback. After a moment of silence, he managed a bitter smile and said, "I was just about to tell you, but it seems you've already guessed. The White Sun Mansion announced five days ago that they want you, dead or alive. Your reputation has spread across the entire Cliff City. You must be careful."
Indeed, the pursuit by the Thousands Spirits Sect over the past few days had been effective. His identity had likely been exposed. Of course, what was more infuriating was the actions of the White Sun Mansion. Did they consider him a fugitive?
Yu Ci felt displeased, but simply responded with a curt thank you.
Cheng Rong quickly dismissed it, "There's no need for thanks. Our sect has a long-standing feud with the White Sun Mansion. We're used to this kind of thing. But my earlier words were not mere pleasantries. A man of your talents stands out in Cliff City. The White Sun Mansion is blind to your worth, but the Thousands Spirits Sect is always eager for talent. I hope you will consider this."
His words were frank and sincere. Yet, the more he spoke, the more Yu Ci was convinced of his suspicions: perhaps their meeting today was an accident, but the Thousands Spirits Sect had likely been waiting for such an opportunity to connect with him, not to recruit him, but to truly "connect"!
Yu Ci was certain that news of his actions at the Still Heart Temple had spread.
His actions at the Still Heart Temple had been rather high-profile. In such a critical place as the Still Heart Temple, with dozens of diverse freelance Daoists, how could there not be informants? Sooner or later, the flurry of rumors would reach those with ulterior motives. Whether the Thousands Spirits Sect knew about his conflict with the White Sun Mansion sooner or later, as a major power that had been suppressed by the White Sun Mansion for decades and yet was ambitious, it would be truly strange if they didn't try to capitalize on this.
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Yu Ci didn't bother with these scheming minds, but that didn't mean he didn't understand.
Yu Ci didn't consider himself adept at political maneuvering. If asked to lay traps and manipulate others, he wouldn't be able to do it. But he had two strengths: one was his ability to read people and guess their intentions; the second was his skill in creating illusions and leading others into his trap. Both were honed during his time at the Twin Immortal Sect and perfected over twelve years of wandering. These strengths often gave him the upper hand in face-to-face confrontations. This was the case now.
Once he understood what Cheng Rong was thinking, he had the upper hand. Now, all he had to do was set the stage, place his bets, hold his cards close, and force his opponent to reveal their hand. Of course, before that, he had to create an illusion.
"I am humbled by your sect's kindness. Unfortunately, I have already found a place to settle down and will be busy gathering herbs and searching for items in the future. I'm afraid I won't be able to reciprocate your good intentions."
With that, he made a gesture of farewell, indicating his intention to leave. Cheng Rong, unaware that his thoughts had been seen through, quickly called out to him and naturally followed the lead left by Yu Ci's words. He asked with genuine concern,
"Distinguished Daoist, feel free to express your needs. Perhaps we could benefit from each other's resources, and who knows, our sect might have some remnants that could be of use."
"What I need are mostly medicinal herbs and ores."
Yu Ci spoke nonchalantly at first, but then he let out a bitter smile. "Some of them are for my personal use, which are relatively easy to find. However, there are a few specific herbs assigned by an elder, which are known to be rare and elusive. They can only be found in the remote areas of Sky Rift Valley, not in Cliff City."
His tone was confident, his words bold. Yet Cheng Rong was not surprised, as long as Yu Ci spoke up.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Ci mentioned a medicine name from a Jade Slip given to him by Yu Zhou. Cheng Rong felt a bit awkward as he knew the Thousands Spirits Sect could not provide it. But he was in a difficult position and had to let Yu Ci continue. Yu Ci, amused by Cheng Rong's predicament, listed the names of the medicines one by one. They were all common until he mentioned the last one, "Ghost-Face Flower." Cheng Rong suddenly rejoiced, clapping his hands:
"We have it!"
"Oh?"
Yu Ci was surprised, while Cheng Rong felt as if a huge burden was lifted. He didn't mind losing face, but if the Thousands Spirits Sect was looked down upon, it would be his fault.
After hearing these obscure and peculiar medicine names, Cheng Rong was even more certain of the accuracy of his information source. He knew he couldn't miss this opportunity and his face was filled with joy:
"What a coincidence! Not long ago, our sect obtained a prescription which listed the Ghost-Face Flower as the main ingredient. We made great efforts to collect it, and to my knowledge, our sect has at least three plants. We could offer one to you, Daoist friend, I believe our Clan Leader would be pleased as well."
This was an unexpected situation for Yu Ci. However, obtaining information about the Ghost-Face Flower here was also a pleasant surprise. But he still maintained some restraint, shaking his head, "That's for your sect's use in compound medicine, it should not be taken lightly. And though I am not perfect, I still have some self-respect, knowing the principle of 'no reward without merit'."
Cheng Rong tried to persuade him repeatedly, but Yu Ci refused to agree, repeatedly declining the offer. This left Miss Shi swaying her little head back and forth, utterly puzzled.
In the end, Cheng Rong, left with no choice, said, "Daoist friend, you only mention the lack of merit, but for the Thousands Spirits Sect, being able to put the White Sun Mansion in such a predicament is the greatest merit! The various sects in Cliff City have long been troubled by White Sun Mansion. But they have monopolized the 'exclusive' rights with the Lichen Sect, leaving us helpless, and we could only feign compliance. Now, with your Fish-Dragon, you've embarrassed Jin Huan to the point of hiding his face in shame. If this is not a merit, then what is?"
Ah, there it is!
That was exactly what Yu Ci was waiting for. A curious look flashed across his face, "So, your sect is aware of this matter?"
Cheng Rong's face showed an awkward expression, but from this moment on, their conversation became much more straightforward.
Yu Ci had once pondered deeply on why his transaction with Old Daoist Yu Zhou elicited such a strong reaction from Jin Huan. It eventually dawned on him that it was all about the "exclusive rights".
Of course, "exclusive rights" came with benefits, but the direct benefit was merely the most insignificant aspect. The real value was in establishing a link between White Sun Mansion and Lichen Sect, including the subsequent push to have the young men Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi undertake short-term cultivation in the Lichen Sect. The aim was to solidify this link, to make it visible to all, and ideally to make it seem as if White Sun Mansion and Lichen Sect had become one entity.
Once this was achieved, the status of White Sun Mansion would be unshakeable.
If Cliff City was a treasure, White Sun Mansion was the heavy door sealing that treasure, and the "exclusive rights" it operated in the Lichen Sect were the large lock on that door. With this in place, even a force as powerful as the Thousands Spirits Sect, regardless of their intense ambition for the treasure, would have to tread carefully to avoid provoking the colossal Lichen Sect.
This "lock" was initially hard to break. However, Yu Ci appeared out of nowhere as a Fish-Dragon, directly connecting with the Lichen Sect, and even aiming to ascend to the heavens in one step. In the face of a heavenly treasure like the Fish-Dragon, the so-called "exclusive rights" seemed more like a joke.
Breaking the "exclusive rights" lock brought Yu Ci nothing but an enemy in the form of White Sun Mansion. However, for an ambitious sect like Thousands Spirits Sect, as long as they could ally with Yu Ci, once he became a disciple of the Lichen Sect, wouldn't it be like the Thousands Spirits Sect had secured a direct link to the Lichen Sect?
This was akin to bypassing the main gate and creating a hole in the surrounding wall. If taken to the extreme, it could even replace the original main gate, monopolizing the vast treasure of Cliff City!
To achieve all this, the first step was for Yu Ci to enter the Lichen Sect, and the second was for Yu Ci to be willing to stand up for the Thousands Spirits Sect. The former was uncontrollable, but the latter, through effort, was not impossible. At least, that's what the higher-ups in the Thousands Spirits Sect believed.
In plain terms, all the recruitment and gratitude were just a facade, the real goal was to build relationships and establish connections. The Thousands Spirits Sect simply wanted to make a "friend" in Yu Ci, not requiring deep trust, but expecting mutual benefits. The underlying motivation was nothing more than ambition for the great treasure of Cliff City.
Yu Ci believed that even if he admitted to killing Elder Xu, the Thousands Spirits Sect would turn a blind eye – as long as there were enough benefits in front of them.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e