Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: With My Single Breath of True Qi
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Around her were teenage boys and girls afflicted with the same severe illness as hers, lying on straw mats left to fend for themselves, awaiting the arrival of death.
"Little Dingxiang, will Auntie Wei really get treatment for us?"
Beside the girl with braids, a boy of about ten coughed as he asked.
"She will, I suppose."
The girl's face was deathly pale, her body covered in whip marks, the wounds red and swollen, crisscrossing her skin. She said,
"Auntie Wei told us to rest here on the back mountain. She's gone to fetch a doctor to treat us."
They had entered the underworld too many times, their souls and bodies eroded by nether qi. With all their ailments and chronic hunger, even speaking a few extra words left them short of breath.
The little boy muttered softly,
"I overheard her say in private that the money spent treating us could buy several more kids.
I don't think she'll call a doctor."
Little Dingxiang patted his head.
The little boy grumbled,
"Will Auntie Wei even come? Yesterday I saw Little Dun'er die. She tossed Little Dun'er's body off the cliff.
I'll probably get tossed off the cliff too, won't I?"
Little Dingxiang said nothing. At that moment, she heard birdsong. By the moonlight, she saw a lark descend onto the straw mat, hopping about and tilting its head to appraise her, as if examining her condition.
"Little bird..."
She reached out her hand. The lark flapped its wings with a whoosh and flew off, vanishing into the moonlight.
Chen Shi controlled the lark in swift flight, soon arriving at the front mountain of Taiping Sect. It passed through a round portal into the underworld.
The dozen or so Taiping Sect cultivators who had just performed the ritual were startled at the sight, fearing the bird would disturb the ghosts and gods of the underworld. Yet they dared not make a sound, watching helplessly as the lark entered the underworld.
Chen Shi guided the lark silently over the swamp, dodging pale blue flames. It snatched a white lotus, soared into the air, flapped its wings, and passed back through the portal.
The dozen Taiping Sect cultivators still didn't dare utter a word. Immediately, two leaped from the Divine Shrine, jumped down from the altar, and unleashed their golden cores to pursue the lark.
"A bird that can pick Revival Lotuses—we must capture it!"
The two were elated.
The golden cores moved at extreme speed, but Chen Shi was faster, leaving them far behind. Soon, he returned to the straw mat.
Little Dingxiang saw the lark fly back, a white lotus in its beak, and she froze in slight surprise.
The lark hopped forward to her side and placed the white lotus in her hand.
Tears rolled down Little Dingxiang's cheeks. Choking with sobs, she said,
"Is that you? Are you that ghost boy from the underworld? I went looking for you but couldn't find you. I failed to save you. Did you turn into a bird and bring me this lotus as thanks?"
She had heard the elders at home say that after death, people became ghosts. Ghosts would reincarnate, either as humans or other creatures.
Perhaps that boy who had begged her for help hadn't waited for her and had turned into a lark, bringing a white lotus to repay her kindness.
The lark pecked at her palm, signaling her to eat the white lotus—it would cure her illness.
Little Dingxiang stared at the white lotus in her hand, somewhat stunned.
Could the white lotus treat her illness?
She had fallen ill precisely from picking these lotuses. Could eating one cure these strange afflictions?
But if eating the lotus could heal them, why hadn't Auntie Wei told them?
They had picked so many lotuses for Taiping Sect—surely they could spare even one?
The lark pecked her palm again. Little Dingxiang didn't eat the white lotus herself. Instead, she gave it to the little boy beside her.
"Little Tian, you eat this."
The little boy was dazed and muddled, but at her urging, he swallowed the Revival Lotus whole. After eating it, his condition improved dramatically.
"Little Dingxiang, my body hurts so much! And I'm so hungry!"
The Revival Lotus was indeed a spirit medicine for soul injuries. They had descended to the underworld too often, invaded by nether qi, damaging their souls and causing their myriad illnesses. But with the Revival Lotus stabilizing their souls, the symptoms naturally receded.
As for the nether qi in their bodies and other pains, the Revival Lotus was powerless against those.
The lark flew off again. Moments later, it returned with another Revival Lotus.
Little Dingxiang consumed this lotus, and her complexion improved greatly.
"Are you really that ghost boy?"
She said to the lark.
The lark nodded.
Little Dingxiang's eyes reddened.
"You really died and turned into a little bird?"
The lark hopped about.
Little Dingxiang regained some strength and helped shift the other children in the straw mat.
There were two more children in the shelter, both breathing faintly, gravely ill.
The lark flapped its wings and flew off. Soon after, clamor echoed from the mountains.
"That lotus-picking little bird is nearby!"
Many Taiping Sect cultivators searched everywhere. Even golden core and nascent soul experts were alerted, scouring the area, but they never found the lark.
The lark brought two more Revival Lotuses, which the children in the straw mat consumed.
"Little Dingxiang, ghosts again!"
Little Tian cried out in alarm.
Little Dingxiang trembled in fear. The few children in the straw mat huddled together, shivering.
Chen Shi controlled the lark to fly out and land on the straw mat. He saw clusters of ghostfire drifting about, vanishing in an instant only to reappear in the distance.
He saw them clearly: the ghostfires were children Little Dingxiang's age, each with a flame atop their heads. They ran through the woods, the flames following.
Some hid behind trees, others in the underbrush, as if fleeing something.
They were lotus pickers too—likely abandoned here after falling ill and dying.
Their nether qi was too heavy; they couldn't enter reincarnation.
On Mist Ridge, Chen Shi raised his hand. The lark flew back and landed in his palm, transforming into a small knife.
He glanced at Li Tianqing's untouched food, an idea stirring. He reheated the dishes, wrapped them in yellow paper, and summoned a paper crane.
The paper crane turned into an immortal crane, which snatched the food in its beak and flapped toward the back mountain of Phoenix Ridge where Taiping Sect lay.
Little Dingxiang was worrying about the lark's safety when she heard the sound of flapping wings. A crane far taller than her descended and strode into the straw mat.
The crane's beak held a paper package, which it placed before her.
Little Dingxiang opened it to find food—still hot!
Overjoyed and astonished, she quickly called Little Tian and the other two sickly children in the straw mat to eat together.
The four were famished, their stomachs empty. This was the best meal of their lives.
Little Dingxiang suddenly remembered to thank the crane, but it had already reached the edge of the straw mat and flapped away.
"First the lark, now the crane—are they both the ghost boy's way of repaying me?"
She wondered.
By dawn, the crane returned, bringing more food and placing it outside the straw mat.
By noon, when the crane delivered another meal, their complexions had improved greatly. Chen Shi was a walking medicine chest, his wooden cart laden with herbs. He had added some to their food—drugs to drain pus, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing.
By evening, the children in the straw mat could all stand and walk, though still unsteady.
Night deepened.
Then the lark's call sounded again. Little Dingxiang looked out to see the lark outside the straw mat, two Revival Lotuses in its beak. It dropped them and flew off.
Little Dingxiang picked up the Revival Lotuses. Moments later, the lark returned with more.
Taiping Sect cultivators combed the entire mountain for the lotus-picking lark, but it evaded them time and again, slipping into the underworld to steal white lotuses before fleeing. The sect members itched with frustration but couldn't catch the bird.
Chen Shi controlled the lark, picking over a dozen Revival Lotuses and delivering them to Little Dingxiang and the others.
The four children in the straw mat looked much healthier, their souls stabilized—no longer on the brink of death.
On the third day, the crane brought various foods again, leaving the four children thrilled and overwhelmed.
That third night, the lark came once more, still stealing white lotuses to feed them.
On Mist Ridge, the Hanqian Elders had spent these past days secluded in their Void Great Realm, instructing Yu Tiancheng in cultivation. They hadn't ventured out for three or four days, only occasionally meeting old friends.
For beings like them, attending or skipping the loose cultivators' gathering mattered little. They came only to meet newcomers, keep order, deter invaders, or handle troublemakers like Chen Yindu who casually slew loose cultivators.
Fortunately, this year's gathering had passed peacefully, with no incidents.
"After Five Lakes Loose Cultivator's death, the gatherings aren't as lively as before."
Cold Mountain Loose Cultivator sighed.
Bored, he thought,
"What has Chen Shi been up to these days? The kid's temperament isn't like his grandfather's. His grandfather stirred trouble everywhere, but this one's an honest child."
He quietly observed Chen Shi and saw him repeatedly cast spells, turning paper cranes into immortal cranes to deliver meals to a few gaunt children on Phoenix Ridge.
"What a good child."
Cold Mountain Loose Cultivator sighed deeply, stroking his beard as he said to Migrant Guest Loose Cultivator,
"Fellow Daoist Chen Shi truly is a good child. His talent is exceptional—just these few days, and he's mastered the spell I taught him, refining it to proficiency!"
Migrant Guest Loose Cultivator also observed Chen Shi and was moved by his actions.
"This child has a kind heart. He wasn't corrupted by Five Lakes Loose Cultivator—truly heaven's grace. Otherwise, if he turned wicked, in a few years he might become another Little Five of Creation."
Mentioning Little Five of Creation made Cold Mountain Loose Cultivator's expression shift slightly, recalling the massacre at the loose cultivators' gathering twenty years ago.
At that moment, he saw Chen Shi take his wooden cart and Blackie Pot down the mountain, urging the cart toward another place. Puzzled, he wondered,
"What is he doing?"
His divine sense followed Chen Shi.
Chen Shi traveled over a hundred li along mountain paths, crossing several peaks, finally arriving at Taiping Sect. He left Blackie Pot and the cart waiting outside, steadied his breath, then approached the sect gate.
The gate-guarding Taiping Sect disciple barked,
"Who goes there?"
Chen Shi smiled.
"I'm Chen Shi of the Quanzhou Li family. I accompanied Young Master Li Tianqing here.
Young Master Tianqing heard your sect has the wondrous treasure Revival Lotus, so he sent me to buy a few to present to the elders back home."
The Taiping Sect disciple laughed.
"The Quanzhou Li family knows of our Taiping Sect's treasure? Follow me."
He led Chen Shi into the mountain to meet the steward.
The steward was a shrewd middle-aged man who smiled.
"Honored guest, you may not know—this Revival Lotus is the private property of a certain young lord from the capital.
We do sell a few occasionally, but the price is steep."
Chen Shi smiled.
"May I ask the price?"
"Three hundred taels per lotus."
Chen Shi hesitated.
"The price is rather high.
I'm afraid my young master can't afford many.
I'll have to report back to Young Master Tianqing on this."
The steward knew that while scions of great clans had resounding reputations, clan finances were tightly controlled—monthly allowances fixed. Only those who had ventured out and amassed wealth could afford extravagance.
Even so, he wouldn't offend Chen Shi. Smiling, he said,
"In that case, wait until you've consulted Young Master Tianqing."
Chen Shi noted the sect had few adult disciples but many children. He smiled.
"Steward, do you sell page boys here? My young master is traveling and wishes to buy a few attendants."
The steward shook his head.
"Our boys and girls are purchased—we can't sell them off."
Chen Shi said,
"What about the sick ones you discard? Even if they're half-dead, my young master Tianqing truly needs some."
The steward laughed.
"You don't know, friend—our discarded boys and girls rarely last a few days.
Selling them to you would be cheating you. We do business on trust; we don't cheat people."
Seeing the steward unyielding, Chen Shi dropped the matter.
As he escorted him out, the steward said,
"On ordinary days, if we had extras, we'd sell some as page boys.
But we buy them from Tianlao Society too. Lately, for some reason, they haven't delivered any, and we're running low.
Forgive us, friend."
Tianlao Society?
Chen Shi's eye twitched, a fierce glint in his gaze.
At that moment, a plump auntie approached, calling loudly from afar,
"Old Xu, those brats and girls tossed on the back mountain—they're not dead! I just checked. They're lively as can be. I've brought them over. Tonight, we'll send them lotus-picking!"
Chen Shi turned toward the voice and saw the plump auntie followed by several emaciated teens, Little Dingxiang at the fore.
"Farewell."
Chen Shi bowed.
The steward, astonished that Little Dingxiang and the others had survived, hurried over to inspect, forgetting to see Chen Shi off.
Chen Shi walked down the mountain, his face growing increasingly grim.
"Tianlao Society, huh... Blackie Pot, let's go!"
He took Blackie Pot and the wooden cart to a nearby village town.
"What is this kid up to?"
Cold Mountain Loose Cultivator had kept watch and was surprised by the scene.
It was still over an hour from dusk.
Chen Shi arrived in town and found the blacksmith shop.
"Shopkeeper, do you have short knives, short swords, or iron spikes?
I'll take them all!"
He paid and bought every short knife, short sword, and sharp iron spike in the shop—a whole crate of dozens—and loaded them into the wooden cart.
Chen Shi took some of Blackie Pot's blood and buried himself in drawing talismans, producing over twenty as the sky turned red and the sun set.
Chen Shi ate dinner in town and bought Blackie Pot several catties of exotic beast meat before heading to Taiping Sect.
At the foot of Taiping Sect's mountain, still a li from the gate, Chen Shi stopped. He unloaded the crate of iron swords, knives, and spikes, and laid out the twenty-plus talismans in a row.
He took a deep breath and circulated his spell.
Cold Mountain Loose Cultivator's expression changed at the sight.
"This kid's using the spell I taught him to kill! But I didn't teach him the third form—where did he learn it?"
No sooner had he thought this than Chen Shi exhaled, a single breath of true qi bursting forth!
"With my single breath of true qi, I call for your entire sect's annihilation!——"
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