Chapter 8 Taichu

Chen Qing was not intimidated; he knew that there were plenty of people who knew he was here. If anything happened today, even Xiao Zhong wouldn't be able to clear his name.

Entering the room, Xiao Zhong poured a cup of tea for Chen Qing and gestured for him to sit opposite him.

"Chen, I kept you behind to tell you some secrets."

Chen Qing grew serious, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Xiao Zhong thought for a moment and said, "I've reviewed your records of taking care of the sect's Spiritual Fields with your Bug, and your Grass Spirit Bug manages about eight acres a day, right?"

Chen Qing nodded.

Xiao Zhong continued, "That's about right. My Grass Spirit Bug was also handling around eight acres when it was ready to advance."

"Your Bug is very likely on the verge of advancement."

"This is your fortune but also your constraint."

Chen Qing asked, "What do you mean?"

Xiao Zhong said, "You've been preparing for advancement from the start, but the materials needed for advancement are not like those needed for increasing quality; they aren't something a few thousand Spirit Stones can handle."

"I have made a list of materials my Grass Spirit Bug consumed during its advancement; commit it to memory."

Xiao Zhong took a piece of paper from his sleeve and slid it to Chen Qing.

Chen Qing picked it up and carefully examined it, reckoning that the total cost of the materials listed would be around fifty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!

At this point, Xiao Zhong seemed to take pride in himself, "It's also because I have good fortune that generally, the lower-grade Spirit Stones needed for a Grass Spirit Bug's advancement might be around a hundred thousand."

Chen Qing was inwardly shocked; even if he saved up two thousand Spirit Stones a year, without access to that information, it would take him fifty years to raise a Grass Spirit Butterfly.

That's considering he was fortunate and was based on the fact that right from the start, his Grass Spirit Bug was ready for advancement.

Unlike him, other people would have to slowly nurture their Grass Spirit Bugs step by step, which also requires a large amount of Spirit Stones.

Moreover, before they could cultivate them to a high quality, they wouldn't be able to earn as many Spirit Stones per day as he could.

Not to mention, cultivation itself needs Spirit Stones.

That is to say, a normal person couldn't raise a Grass Spirit Butterfly in their lifetime.

And that's just for cultivating a single Grass Spirit Bug.

Xiao Zhong was explaining, "Those that I've circled are the materials I speculate have a greater possibility; make note of them, Chen."

After a quarter of an hour, Xiao Zhong asked, "Have you memorized it all, Chen?"

Chen Qing nodded.

Xiao Zhong took the paper, put it into the red clay brazier used for boiling tea water nearby, and burned it to ashes.

Although uncertain about the authenticity of the information, Chen Qing was still grateful and gave a cupped fist salute, "Thank you for your generous gift, Senior Brother; I shall never forget it!"

Xiao Zhong smiled, "Then you should go back, Chen. I wish for your Grass Spirit Bug to transform into a butterfly soon."

Chen Qing nodded earnestly and replied, "Understood, Senior Brother."

Returning to his own cave dwelling, Chen Qing lay in bed, recalling the amount of Spirit Stones he had left, suppressing the urge to count them again.

"It seems that normal means are simply impossible for achieving Butterfly Transformation."

"And yet I have heard of many cultivators who possess Butterfly Bugs."

"Xiao Zhong is one, the Mountain Master certainly is, and several elders within the sect as well."

"Normal accumulation can't achieve Butterfly Transformation; it relies either on ancestors' savings, or there's only one other path."

"Killing people sets wealth ablaze, one cannot be wealthy without windfalls, nor can a horse get fat without grazing at night."

"This cultivation world is even crueler than I imagined."

Half a month leisurely passed, and one day after finishing his work, Chen Qing strolled around the market at the foot of the mountain, bought some rice and meat, and was ready to head home.

Walking down a dark alley, suddenly a shadow flew over his head from the rooftops. Noticing Chen Qing, the shadow suddenly threw a black cloth bag into his arms.

Before Chen Qing could make out what he had inexplicably received, he saw three Wuyou Mountain disciples chasing from behind.

"Are you also a disciple of Wuyou Mountain?"

Chen Qing gave a salute with his hands, "I am indeed a disciple of Wuyou Mountain!"

The leading Wuyou Mountain disciple asked, "A shadow just ran past; did you see it?"

Chen Qing quickly pointed out the direction the shadow had fled, "What happened, Senior Brother, was it an Evil Cultivator?"

The leading disciple said seriously, "Not just an Evil Cultivator, but a major one. It seems that the person is from the Jiguang Sect!"

"You better hurry back, we still need to go after and kill him!"

Chen Qing nodded, praying as he walked that these three senior brothers could slay that mysterious shadow.

The man in black, clutching his chest, leaped over the wall and stepped on the eaves, moving swiftly.

Having just killed the Wild Dog Daoist and seized the Ghost Mask, he was spotted by the disciples of Wuyou Mountain, quite the misfortune.

But it doesn't matter, there's only him at the third level of Qi Refinement in today's market. Once he's healed, it won't be too late to come back for the Ghost Mask.

Even Chen Qing himself didn't expect that his meager third-level Qi Refinement cultivation would actually become a distinguishing feature.

...

Back in his own cave, Chen Qing opened that black wrap.

He had thought it to be some sort of treasure, or at the very least Spirit Stones.

Instead, all there was inside was a bronze ghost mask, which looked rather bizarre.

"Is this a token of the Jiguang Sect?"

Having been in this world for almost a year, Chen Qing still remembered the Jiguang Sect, a sect notorious for its bad reputation.

It is said that thousands of years ago the Jiguang Sect was already quite active, only declining due to the fall of its Sect Hierarch.

The Jiguang Sect is an extremely mysterious organization, communicating with each other only through these Ghost Masks.

Another unique feature of the Jiguang Sect is that its members do not recognize each other.

Once the Ghost Mask is worn, one's consciousness will enter a special place where the mask veils all information.

And this bronze ghost mask Chen Qing had only heard of is the token of the smallest branch of the Jiguang Sect.

As for the heretical Sect Hierarch who created the bronze ghost mask and was the only one able to control it, he has long since passed away.

It's said that nowadays there are many branches of the Jiguang Sect, and even prominent orthodox sects have quite a few. (1. It is common knowledge that the ultimate controller of the Jiguang Sect's Ghost Masks is dead. 2. Even the ultimate controller couldn't know the identity and information exchange of everyone, because the Sect Hierarch of the Jiguang Sect never set up such a function. Don't ask why it's so absurd, because even the people of the Jiguang Sect themselves find it ridiculous. Walking on my path, doing my deeds, raising my light, wearing my Ghost Mask, how is it different from Jiguang?)

"I have no idea what's really going on with this heretical sect."

Wearing the bizarre bronze ghost mask, Chen Qing's consciousness arrived in a wondrous space.

It seemed to be a Cloud Platform established amongst the clouds, and at the very center was a long table with twelve seats.

Five on each side, one at each end.

When Chen Qing's consciousness appeared, he was sitting in the second seat on the right-hand side.

Here, apart from him, there were two others: a red-dressed woman wearing a bronze ghost mask.

The woman in red had an excellent figure, with a single ponytail, and as for the face, it was completely obscured.

The red-dressed woman sat across from him, eyeing him with interest.

On Chen Qing's left sat a muscular male cultivator.

Upon arriving here, Chen Qing had thought Evil Cultivators would be discussing how to ruin this world, brewing some earth-shattering conspiracy, but instead, these two were enthusiastically discussing the cultivation of Bugs.

Seeing Chen Qing joining them, they were merely surprised for a moment before calming down again.

It seemed different from the evil sect Chen Qing had imagined.

The male cultivator, with a flick of his folding fan, politely asked, "The Wild Dog Daoist must be dead. May I know how to address our Fellow Daoist who now possesses the Ghost Mask?"

Although the Ghost Mask blocked probing, Chen Qing could still feel both their gazes focused on him.

At this moment, Chen Qing had a bold idea.

He remembered a book he had read before.

Online social platforms, they're all the same.

Even though he's not the host of the meeting, it doesn't matter, it doesn't affect his ability to play the mystic.

After all, he's just here for a visit and had no plans to join the Jiguang Sect.

How could I, Chen Qing, a member of the upright Wuyou Mountain sect, condescend to associate with an evil sect?

Thus, he extended his right hand, resting it on the table, and tapped the surface with his index finger.

"It has been too long, and I've nearly forgotten my own name."

"If you must address me with a title."

"Then, you may call me."

"Taichu."