At this moment, Cheng Rong began to explain the reason for his visit: “Some time ago, Miss Shi accidentally discovered this ‘Hidden-molt Snake’ and mentioned wanting to use its shed skin as a gift to the Sect Master for his birthday. So, I guided her to temporarily learn the Spirit Binding Technique to use on this snake. Today, she sensed that the snake was climbing towards the valley, so she pulled me along to check it out. We didn’t expect to meet you here, Fellow Daoist.”
After a brief pause, he gently patted the little girl’s head, showing a bitter smile that didn’t quite match his usual demeanor: “Actually, the snake itself isn’t much of an issue. She understands the principle of first come, first served. But she’s still young and went through a lot of hardship learning the Spirit Binding Technique, so she became particularly invested. Daoist Yu, I hope you can be understanding.”
Yu Ci naturally wouldn’t hold a grudge against a child. Since this encounter was purely coincidental, he had no intention of lingering further. After all, with the situation concerning Old Xu, it was impossible for him to form any deep connections with the Thousand Spirit Gate. Just as he was about to take his leave, he noticed the little girl, though silent, glaring at him from behind Cheng Rong, clearly still upset.
That expression made Yu Ci chuckle again. His gaze swept across Cheng Rong’s face, and suddenly, something clicked.
Certain things made him think a bit deeper. Recently, the Thousand Spirit Gate had shown a particular interest in him. Even if Cheng Rong’s visit was purely coincidental, his friendly demeanor might not be as simple as it seemed.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Yu Ci suddenly smiled at the little girl and asked, “Is the Spirit Binding Technique really that difficult to master? How does it work?”
The little girl rolled her eyes at him, refusing to respond.
Yu Ci then turned to the adult beside her. Cheng Rong was momentarily stunned but then grinned in response: “Indeed, it’s not easy. This technique allows the practitioner to sense the general activities of the target, even from hundreds of miles away… However, it doesn’t have much other use.”
“That explains it.”
Yu Ci smiled, squinting as he continued, “You’re only using the technique to monitor the snake, not capturing it or binding it. If you’re merely aware of its location and claim the snake as yours, isn’t that rather absurd? Why don’t you ask the elder beside you? Over the past few days, you’ve been releasing eagles and sending scouts, clearly aware of my whereabouts. Does that mean I’m a member of the Thousand Spirit Gate?”
His words were sharp, and both Cheng Rong and the little girl felt it.
The girl looked back at him in surprise, but Cheng Rong didn’t have time to pay attention to her. He quickly shook his head and said, “Daoist, you’re joking. Recently, tensions have been high in this area. Releasing eagles and scouts to gather information is just routine. We had no intention of being disrespectful or causing trouble for you. Now that you’ve brought it up, we’ll certainly rein in our people and ensure they don’t disturb your peace! That being said, if someone of your talents were willing to join our Thousand Spirit Gate, even our Sect Master Shi would warmly welcome you.”
These words were pleasant to hear, but the sentiment seemed a bit excessive. Especially since, how could you know what kind of talent I am?
The more Yu Ci thought about it, the more suspicious he became. He responded lightly, “I’m just a wanderer, only capable of gathering herbs and stones…”
At this point, a thought suddenly struck him, and he blurted out, “Has the Sun Light Sect already issued a bounty?”
This leap in logic was quite abrupt, catching Cheng Rong off guard. He was stunned for a moment before forcing a bitter smile: “I was just about to mention it, but it seems you’ve already guessed. Five days ago, the Sun Light Sect spread the word that they want you alive or dead. Your name has spread across the land within a thousand miles of Cliff City. You should be careful.”
As expected, the recent tracking by the Thousand Spirit Gate had been fruitful, and his identity had likely been fully exposed. What was even more infuriating was the Sun Light Sect’s actions—did they think he was a fugitive?
Yu Ci was displeased but only responded with a cold thanks.
Cheng Rong hurriedly waved it off, “No need to thank me. Our sect has long had conflicts with the Sun Light Sect. We’re used to dealing with such matters. However, I wasn’t just being polite earlier. Someone of your talents is outstanding within a thousand miles of Cliff City. The Sun Light Sect may be blind, but our Thousand Spirit Gate is always eager to recruit capable people. You should consider it carefully.”
His words were quite frank and sincere, but Yu Ci became even more certain of his suspicions: perhaps today’s meeting was indeed accidental, but the Thousand Spirit Gate had likely been waiting for such an accident to happen to establish contact with him.
This wasn’t just recruitment; it was truly an attempt to “connect”!
Yu Ci was certain that the events at Heart Prohibition Temple had already spread.
His actions there were quite conspicuous, and in a key location like Heart Prohibition Temple, with dozens of resident Daoists of varying backgrounds, it was impossible for there not to be spies or informants. The bustling rumors within the temple would inevitably reach the ears of those who were interested.
Whether the Thousand Spirit Gate learned sooner or later about his conflict with the Sun Light Sect and the reasons behind it didn’t matter much. Given that the Thousand Spirit Gate had been suppressed by the Sun Light Sect for decades yet harbored ambitious goals, it would be truly surprising if they didn’t try to exploit this situation.
Yu Ci didn’t care to delve into the scheming minds of others, but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand it.
He didn’t consider himself adept at intricate schemes or leading people by the nose step by step, but he had two strengths: he was good at reading people and understanding their intentions, and he was skilled at creating false impressions, luring his opponents into traps. These abilities were honed during his time with the Twin Immortal Sect and further refined during his twelve years of wandering. These two strengths often gave him an edge in face-to-face confrontations, just as they did now.
Once he understood what was on Cheng Rong’s mind, he held the upper hand. Now, he only needed to set up the situation, lay out the stakes, and keep his trump card hidden while forcing his opponent to reveal theirs first. But before that, he needed to create a few illusions:
“Your sect’s intentions are overwhelming for me. Unfortunately, I’ve already settled on a place to stay for the coming days and will be busy searching for materials and gathering herbs. I’m afraid I can’t accept your kind offer.”
With that, he cupped his hands as if to take his leave. Cheng Rong, unaware that his thoughts had already been seen through, hurriedly called for him to stay, naturally picking up on the hint Yu Ci had left in his words. With concern, he asked:
“Daoist, what materials do you need? Perhaps you could tell me, and maybe our sect can assist. We might have what you need.”
“Mostly just herbs and minerals,” Yu Ci replied casually, but then he added with a bitter smile, “Some of it is for my personal use and can be easily found, but a few rare herbs are for a senior of mine. He mentioned they are extremely rare and can only be found in remote areas of Sky Rift Valley—none of it can be found in Cliff City.”
His tone was certain, and his words bold, but Cheng Rong was not surprised. He had already made up his mind, as long as Yu Ci spoke up.
Seeing Cheng Rong was taking the bait, Yu Ci casually mentioned one of the herbs listed on the jade slip given to him by Yu Zhou.
Cheng Rong looked a bit embarrassed, as it was clear that the Thousand Spirit Gate didn’t have such an herb. However, he was now in a position where he couldn’t back down, so he asked Yu Ci to continue. Yu Ci, enjoying the situation, listed off the herbs one by one. The first few were ordinary, but when he mentioned the last one, “Ghostly Image Flower,” Cheng Rong suddenly brightened up and clapped his hands in delight:
“We have it!”
“Oh?” Yu Ci was genuinely surprised, while Cheng Rong looked relieved. It didn’t matter if he made a fool of himself, but if the Thousand Spirit Gate were to be underestimated, that would be his failure.
Upon hearing these rare and unusual herb names, Cheng Rong became even more convinced of the accuracy of his information source. He knew that under no circumstances could he miss this opportunity, and his face lit up with joy:
“What a coincidence! A while back, our sect obtained a prescription that listed Ghostly Image Flower as the main ingredient. We went to great lengths to collect it, and as far as I know, we have at least three in stock. I’m sure our Sect Master would be happy to offer you one as a gift.”
This was something Yu Ci hadn’t anticipated, but learning about the Ghostly Image Flower here was a pleasant surprise. However, he maintained a certain level of restraint, shaking his head and saying, “That herb is for your sect’s medicinal purposes; it shouldn’t be used lightly. Besides, though I’m not a perfect man, I still have some sense of propriety and understand the principle of ‘no merit, no reward.'”
Cheng Rong tried to persuade him repeatedly, but Yu Ci stubbornly refused, politely declining again and again. Watching this, the young girl from the Shi family, her head swiveling back and forth, looked utterly perplexed.
Finally, with no other options, Cheng Rong exclaimed, “You say you have no merit, but to the Thousand Spirit Gate, forcing the Sun Light Sect into such a humiliating retreat is the greatest merit of all! The various sects in Cliff City have long suffered under the Sun Light Sect, but because they hold the ‘exclusive negotiation rights’ with the Rifting Earth Sect, we’ve had no choice but to play along. Now, with one stroke, you’ve made Jin Huan cover his face in shame—such a feat, if not merit, then what is?”
Ah, there it is!
Yu Ci had been waiting for this very line. A peculiar expression appeared on his face as he responded, “Oh, so your sect knew about this too?”
Cheng Rong looked quite embarrassed, but from that moment on, their conversation became much more transparent.
Yu Ci had seriously pondered why his transaction with the old Daoist Yu Zhou had elicited such a strong reaction from Jin Huan. Later, he figured it out:
It was all about the “exclusive negotiation rights.”
While these rights certainly had direct benefits, those were merely the most trivial aspect. The true value lay in the connection it established between the Sun Light Sect and the Rifting Earth Sect. Even the later plan to send Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, two young talents, to the Rifting Earth Sect for short-term training was part of this strategy. Once this connection became solidified and visible to all, it would be best for everyone to believe that the Sun Light Sect and the Rifting Earth Sect had become a single entity.
With that, the Sun Light Sect’s position would become unshakable.
If Cliff City was a treasure trove, then the Sun Light Sect was the heavy door sealing it, and the “exclusive negotiation rights” with the Rifting Earth Sect were the massive lock on that door. With this lock in place, even a powerful force like the Thousand Spirit Gate, which could threaten the Sun Light Sect, would have to tread carefully, lest they anger the formidable Rifting Earth Sect.
Originally, this “lock” was almost impossible to break. But then Yu Ci had emerged like a bolt from the blue, connecting directly with the Rifting Earth Sect through a single Dragon Fish. In the face of such a rare and precious resource, the so-called “exclusive negotiation rights” seemed almost laughable.
Breaking the lock of these rights brought Yu Ci no personal benefit aside from making an enemy of the Sun Light Sect. But for an ambitious sect like the Thousand Spirit Gate, if they could just latch onto Yu Ci and wait for him to become a disciple of the Rifting Earth Sect, wouldn’t that mean they had established a direct connection to the Rifting Earth Sect?
This was akin to bypassing the main gate and opening a hole in the surrounding wall. In the extreme case, they might even replace the original main gate, monopolizing the treasure that was Cliff City!
To achieve all this, the first requirement was that Yu Ci could enter the Rifting Earth Sect, and the second was that Yu Ci would be willing to stand up for the Thousand Spirit Gate. The first was uncontrollable, but the second, with effort, was not impossible.
At least, that’s what the higher-ups of the Thousand Spirit Gate believed.
In essence, all the invitations and gratitude were just facades. Building a relationship and securing mutual benefits was the real aim. The Thousand Spirit Gate simply wanted to make Yu Ci a “friend,” not necessarily one of deep trust, but one with whom they could share interests. The root of it all was their ambition for the treasure trove that was Cliff City.
Yu Ci was convinced that even if he admitted to killing Old Xu, the Thousand Spirit Gate would pretend not to hear it—as long as the benefits were substantial enough.
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