Chapter 67: Chapter 50: Magical Combat, Daoist Can

Jiang Yi was quite satisfied with winning the second-place prize.

He carefully put away the Yuan Containing Pill and casually departed with He the Venerable under the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd.

This Opportunity hadn’t been deduced using the Celestial Book. He had stumbled upon it through sheer luck, which made it an even more pleasant surprise.

’Could it be my luck is really on the rise?’

Jiang Yi wondered to himself.

If he brought this Yuan Containing Pill back to the Qianji Sect and resold it to the senior brothers and sisters of the Inner Peak, it would likely be worth several hundred thousand talisman coins.

After all, rarity creates value. Even items like the Nourishing Essence Pill were being resold among the Outer Sect Servants for a hefty profit, to say nothing of the Yuan Containing Pill, which the Gathering Herbs Peak could barely refine a few of each year.

After a quick calculation, he figured he could make at least four hundred thousand talisman coins just by flipping this second-place prize.

In the blink of an eye, he could cover most of the cost for Grandpa Yang Xun’s Pool and Fire Swamp Rituals, and maybe even have a little left over.

It was only then that Jiang Yi realized just how rare this stroke of luck truly was.

’This single Yuan Containing Pill has made the trip down the mountain worthwhile.’

Jiang Yi sighed to himself.

’I just wonder where the Opportunity to find a master, the one I’ve been dreaming of day and night, will ultimately appear.’

As his thoughts drifted, he couldn’t help but recall Yang Xun once saying that the top expert in Sanhe District with the highest Cultivation was supposedly at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.

’Perhaps, with the Taifu Sect having sealed off Beimang Ridge, some Upper Cultivators from other Dharma Lineages will flow into Sanhe District, and I can forge a master-disciple bond with one of them?’

’But if I spend fifteen days and risk another trip down the mountain just to find a patron at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, it doesn’t seem worth it at all.’

For a moment, Jiang Yi was torn. On one hand, he hoped to attach himself to a powerful backer, preferably one who could save him seventy or eighty years of struggle. On the other hand, he worried that if his patron was too powerful, it would be an opportunity he couldn’t handle, and he would end up crushed to pieces.

’There I go again, falling into my old habit of overthinking things.’

Jiang Yi shook his head and sighed. Zhizhen Garden was truly vast, filled with all sorts of attractions and a dazzling array of sights; it was impossible to explore it all in just a day or two.

He wandered for a good while. Seeing dark clouds gather on the horizon as the sky began to dim, he asked He the Venerable to return to Dai Pavilion first and tell Yang Xun to come pick him up.

“Brother He, just tell Marshal Yang that I won the second-place prize—a Yuan Containing Pill. Tell him to hurry.”

Jiang Yi wasn’t about to overestimate the integrity of Cultivators from a Demon Dao Dharma Lineage. Sanhe District was a sketchy place, full of all sorts of characters.

There was no guarantee that some powerful Tribulation Cultivator looking for a juicy target wouldn’t single him out.

A Yuan Containing Pill worth several hundred thousand talisman coins was enough to buy the lives of several Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer experts.

After He the Venerable departed, Jiang Yi continued his leisurely stroll through the garden. Suddenly, he spotted a towering, five-story pavilion that seemed to be cast entirely from refined iron, and it emanated an intensely grim and murderous aura.

’Doufa Pavilion?’

Jiang Yi stared at the plaque above the entrance, his curiosity piqued.

’Most of the visitors in the garden are around the Qi Cultivation Second or Third Layer. Can people at that Realm really engage in Magical Combat?’

His curiosity stoked, he mulled it over for a moment before stepping forward, intending to investigate.

However, he was stopped before he could even reach the door. A young attendant in a long gray robe hurried forward, bowed deeply, and said:

“Do you have an entry token, sir? The Doufa Pavilion isn’t open to the public. You must be introduced by a regular patron to enter.”

Jiang Yi shook his head and turned to leave.

He had always been one to follow the rules; since they didn’t accept walk-ins, he wouldn’t force the issue.

“I recognize this guest. He is an honored guest of Wudu Hall.”

An aged voice called out from behind, stopping Jiang Yi in his tracks. He turned to see it was the very same elderly Steward from Wudu Hall with whom he had finalized a deal earlier.

The old man smiled, offered a salute, and said to the attendant:

“This Daoist friend is staying at Dai Pavilion in Sanhe District and is a Magic Lineage Cultivator from the Qianji Sect’s Red Flame Peak. His background is clean. I will personally vouch for him!”

With that, he turned to Jiang Yi.

“Care to enter the Doufa Pavilion, my friend? As it happens, they’ve just acquired a few new ’Magic Slaves.’ The fights later should be quite lively and well worth watching.”

’Magic Slave?’

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

“I was supposed to come to Wudu Hall to pick up my goods and pay tomorrow. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

The elderly Steward chuckled.

“Perhaps this is fate. My surname is Gui, and my given name is Cong. Those around Sanhe District who show me some respect call me Gui the Fifth.”

Jiang Yi returned the courtesy.

“Ah, so you are Master Gui the Fifth.”

Gui Cong waved his hands dismissively.

“A humble Lower Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer like myself is unworthy of the title ’Master.’ If you’re interested, esteemed guest, why not come inside with me? We can keep each other company.”

Jiang Yi didn’t decline the offer and immediately stepped over the high threshold. The gray-robed attendant scrambled out of the way, bowing even lower and repeating:

“This lowly one was blind and failed to recognize an honored guest! Please forgive my offense!”

Jiang Yi paid him no mind and simply followed Gui Cong inside.

If he hadn’t been genuinely curious about what kind of “combat” actually took place in the Doufa Pavilion, he might not have accepted the invitation from Wudu Hall’s Gui Cong.

’But now that he was here…’

’He might as well see what the commotion was all about.’

Just as Gui Cong had said, the Doufa Pavilion was exceptionally lively today, buzzing with the roar of the crowd.

The entire five-story building was constructed in a hollow square, with a large, somber-looking arena at its center. It was surrounded by rows of private rooms, and attendants bustled about, endlessly serving tea.

“This way, please.”

Gui Cong led Jiang Yi to a private room on the third floor, which offered a clear, bird’s-eye view of the duels in the arena below.

“Since this is your first time, esteemed guest, you might not be familiar with this. The Doufa Pavilion periodically purchases ’Magic Slaves’ from the Yin Puppet Sect for performances.”

“Patrons can also place bets on which side they think will win.”

It sounded familiar to Jiang Yi. ’So, it’s basically an underground fighting ring for the Demon Dao Dharma Lineage?’

He feigned curiosity and asked:

“And what exactly is a ’Magic Slave’?”

As the Shopkeeper of Wudu Hall, Gui Cong was a man of the world. Seeing Jiang Yi’s query, he was more than happy to explain.

“Esteemed guest, have you ever heard of a certain rule within the Demon Dao Dharma Lineage?”

Jiang Yi smiled.

“Please, Master Gui the Fifth, enlighten me.”

Gui Cong didn’t bother correcting the address this time. Feeling a bit more comfortable, he explained in greater detail.

“It’s just like the Elixirs that Magic Lineage Cultivators consume. If the origin, name, and properties are unknown, very few would dare to take it.”

“The same applies to the ’Secrets of a Cultivation Method.’ This is the origin of the saying, ’One does not learn a technique lightly, nor does one teach it lightly.’”

Jiang Yi mulled it over. It made sense.

’The Demon Dao Dharma Lineage is hardly a place for kind-hearted people. Harming others for one’s own benefit by tampering with things must be a common occurrence.’

’That must be how this unwritten “rule” came to be, then.’

“There are many layers to this—some simple, some profound.”

“On a superficial level, it’s about being on your guard. The world is never short on black-hearted maggots who take pleasure in such evil deeds.”

“If you dig deeper, though, it’s not something that can be explained in a few words. In short, the higher-ups in the Daoist Lineages prefer to break down their Techniques and scatter the pieces.”

“As for their purpose… esteemed guest, have you ever eaten Ginseng? Mountain Travelers often cultivate it before harvesting.”

“It’s said the masters of the Daoist Lineages do the same. They view Dao Material as ’Ginseng,’ making them cultivate compatible techniques until they become a Great Medicine that benefits their own path to the Dao.”

Jiang Yi was stunned for a moment, then he burst out laughing. Now *that* made sense!

’I knew it! How could the Demon Dao Dharma Lineage possibly be one big, happy family!’

“You don’t seem surprised, esteemed guest. I’ve told this to many first-time visitors to the Doufa Pavilion, and they either gasp in horror or find it completely unbelievable.”

A hint of surprise flickered in Gui Cong’s eyes. ’Could it be just as I suspected? Is this young, honored guest from a major clan?’

’But if he has the backing of a Qi Cultivation Clan, why wouldn’t he know about these things?’

Jiang Yi said with a smile:

“I’m an avid reader of history. A teacher once enlightened me, and I came to a certain realization.”

“The Daoist Lineages rule from on high, the Dharma Lineages are as numerous as a forest, and through thousands of years of history, it all really comes down to two words: ’eat men’.”

Gui Cong sighed.

“’Eat men’… just two words… What a profound insight. It seems I’ve made a fool of myself.”

Jiang Yi changed the subject, asking:

“If I may ask, Master Gui the Fifth, what is the story behind the Yin Puppet Sect’s Magic Slaves?”

Gui Cong was still mulling over the “eat men” philosophy, and his voice was low as he replied.

“It’s merely a case of those below imitating their betters. The True Masters of the Daoist Lineages can manipulate Lower Cultivators, so it’s only natural that Lower Cultivators want to toy with Mortals.”

“Because of the nature of their Dharma Lineage, the Yin Puppet Sect loves to disseminate worthless Cultivation Techniques, tricking insignificant nobodies into practicing them so they can be used as ’Magic Slaves.’”

“In your sect, the Qianji Sect, I believe they are called ’Mortal Servants.’”

Jiang Yi’s eye twitched. ’So I’ve run into some “colleagues,” have I?’

Gui Cong pointed down below.

“Zhizhen Garden has dealings with the Yin Puppet Sect, so they also buy up the worthless, subpar Magic Slaves from their Outer Peak Servants.”

“Look, esteemed guest. The man in the red shirt practices the *One-Character Thunder-Slash Quick Sword*, and the woman in green practices the *Rainstorm Pear Blossom Spear Technique*. Both of them have barely reached the Qi Cultivation First Layer, and they’re about to fight to the death.”

Noticing that Jiang Yi didn’t seem very interested, Gui Cong added:

“The timing isn’t right today, but every six months, the Doufa Pavilion spends a fortune to acquire ’Magic Slaves’ at around the Qi Cultivation Third Layer.”

“Some practice Fire Cultivation Skills, others practice Water Cultivation Skills. Pitting their Daoist Skills against each other makes for a much better show… Huh? Esteemed guest, you’re not going to watch?”

Gui Cong was still speaking when he saw Jiang Yi rise gracefully and give him a formal Daoist salute.

“I’ve just remembered an urgent matter I must attend to. It seems I won’t have the fortune to enjoy this fine show. I hope you’ll forgive me, Master Gui the Fifth, but I must take my leave.”

Gui Cong didn’t seem to mind. As he watched Jiang Yi descend the stairs, the youth’s “eat men” philosophy suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

He glanced once more at the brutal slaughter in the arena, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’What an interesting young man.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep