Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After that was said, everyone was in awe, and anxious looks came to their faces. A city attack by deviant ghosts was not a frequent occurrence, and moreover, the city in question was Moonfall City besides. That was the city with most Mystic cultivators besides Longxing City. Its towns houses the most Mystic cultivators- it had at least several dozens of them, if not more than a hundred. If such a number were unable to stop the ghosts, they couldn’t imagine how many deviant ghosts there were.
“Sect master Ying, now that the deviant ghosts have attacked, how should we deal with it? Please tell us.” Somebody spoke in response, and others expressed similar thoughts.
“Yes! Longxing City is the last defense. After here, deviant ghosts would go right into the capital. There will be a greater massacre of the living then!”
“That’s right. We can absolutely not let them pass through. Let’s chase away deviant ghosts and protect the realm!”
“We dare to come here because we have prepared to sacrifice. Please command us, Sect Master.”
“For the orthodox of the world, even death would be honorable!”
Everybody wore very serious looks. They seemed to be not merely shouting slogans, but really ready to die.
Even Yi Qing was somewhat shocked. Such an action that feared not death in protection of the orthodox of the world was probably hard even for immortal sects. It was indeed admirable.
“Thank you so much, Fellow Daoists.” Sect master Ying glanced at the crowd with a touched expression. “Yesterday, the disciples of Mystic Daoists have already headed to Moonfall to stop the deviant ghosts, but the situation of war is not known yet. Mystic cultivators of the third level and above have already headed there to help as well. Right now, fighting forces are few inside the city, and Moonfall City is lost. I hope Fellow Daoists would help me guard the city first for now.”
Everyone nodded. The sect master whose surname was Ying gave a few commands and made some arrangements, before letting everyone go forward to register for the convenience of command.
“Master…” Yi Qing looked at Shen Ying beside him subconsciously. With the matter of deviant ghosts’ attack, they were not likely to be interested in taking any in any new people, and they probably wouldn’t be able to get information regarding Qinghe County soon. But somehow he felt a bit curious about the so-called deviant ghosts. “Are we going to register?”
“Sure.” Shen Ying nodded, not objecting.
Only then did Yi Qing follow the crowd forward and register the name of the three, getting a wooden card with the word “Mystic”. Sect master Ying arranged the defense positions and discussed how to confront the enemy from the stage, before the people on the square slowly left.
As deviant ghosts would only arrive after three days, Shen Ying’s group had to live in the city for the time being. Besides, seeing that the time was nearing noon, it was time for lunch. Yi Qing thought about what to cook for lunch, while walking into an inn. But then he realized an important problem.
“What… what is this?” The innkeeper took the spirit stones that Yi Qing handed over with a face full of confusion. He smiled politely as he reminded him, “Sir, our inn does not accept barter. Have you brought silver with you?”
Shen Ying, “…”
Yi Qing: “…”
Song Ren, “…”
Only then did they remember that this was a mortal city which still used silver and gold. The currency of cultivators was not circulated here at all.
After leaving Father Niu, the master and disciple felt once again the crisis of not having money.
“Master, rest assured, there are lots of open spaces outside the city. Setting up a living space is only a small spell. I’ll be able to cook soon.” Yi Qing who got asked out by the inn said, looking serious.
“But… to keep out the deviant ghosts, the city gates have already been closed just now.” Song Ren at the side reminded him weakly.
“…”
“Then we’ll find a residential house. The folk customs here are simple. Just borrowing the kitchen, we shouldn’t be refused.
“Mystic Daoists are already evacuating the civilians in the city. Everyone is busy moving, who has the mood to lend you the kitchen?”
“…”
“I still have pastries in my storage bag. Maybe I’ll give them to the innkeeper in exchange for usage of the kitchen.”
“The innkeeper already said just now that they don’t accept barter.”
Yi Qing: “…”
Shen Ying, “…”
Instantly turning to stare towards a certain coward, his look was ice cold. Did you come all the way to create trouble for us?
Song Ren trembled, as he moved immediately towards the space behind Song Ren. So you’re not allowing a ghost to speak the truth?
“You have a way?” Shen Ying suddenly looked back at him.
“Uh…” Song Ren stiffened for a moment, and his look fluttered. Just as he was about to shake his head, he met Yi Qing’s look that seemed like he was gonna murder him should he say no. Immediately he shrunk and said, “Yes… yes?”
The two were stunned, and they looked at him together.
“How about, we try to dig under that tree?” He suddenly pointed towards a remote street corner, in which thick leaves and twigs could be vaguely seen. “I feel that… there may be the things we’re looking for there.”
What do you mean?
Yi Qing and Shen Ying exchanged a look, and they turned to walk towards the direction in which he pointed. Indeed, they saw a large tree at the street corner.
“It should be around three inches from the right side of the tree.” He spoke again.
Yi Qing frowned and squatted down at the place Song Ren mentioned. He glanced with his Divine Perception and indeed found something underneath. He directly used a spell of element earth. In a moment, the soil under his ground turned outside and a brown porcelain pot suddenly emerged from the soil.
Opening the pot up, it was actually filled with silver spindles. Upon the silver there were some black spots. It seemed to have been placed there for years.
“How do you know that there’s something under the tree?” Yi Qing turned and looked at Song Ren in confusion.
He was stunned, as if this problem had just occurred to him. A blankness flashed in his eyes, and after a long while he shook his head and said, “I… I also don’t know. I just suddenly had a feeling that there’d be silver under this tree.
Could his memory be returning?
“Do you remember anything else?”
He thought about it and shook his head. “… No.”
Yi Qing’s face darkened. Song Ren also didn’t look like his memory had returned. Could it be because his projection was the dandelion from Radish? Radish had the vegetation spirit and could communicate with plants. It would be normal that he’d know there was silver under the tree.
“Great Immortal, is this enough?” Song Ren asked earnestly. “If not, there’s more under that tree in front. Oh yeah, there are some in a dried well in east city, in an ancient temple in west city, and in a shop’s backyard in north city.”
Yi Qing: “…”
Shen Ying, “…”
They felt that this coward seemed to develop some amazing skill since he had the projection. He was like turning into a treasure hunter ghost any moment.
“That’s not necessary!” Yi Qing took out a piece of silver from the pot and buried the pot back into the ground. Subconsciously he refined the silver in his hand and removed the black dots upon it, before standing up and glancing at him with unknown meaning in his eyes. After a long while he patted his shoulder. “If Father Niu is here, he’d probably want to take you as a disciple.
“Huh?” Song Ren was stunned. Who was Father Niu? An Immortal too?
He meant… that he had the quality to become immortal too? An excitement came to his heart, and he was just about to ask about it…
When Yi Qing added, “A pity that he’s not here, and you probably won’t see him in the future as well.”
“…”
Then why the f*ck did you talk about it?
You did this on purpose right, absolutely?!
