Old Ghost Feng

After inscribing the formations onto the Dharma Robe, Song Qingming did not rush to deliver it to Shi Mofeng. He deliberately waited several days before bringing the robe to the outside of his tent. After sending out a voice transmission, Shi Mofeng soon emerged from within.

Seeing Song Qingming arrive, Shi Mofeng smiled and said, "Young Friend Song, have you finished inscribing the formations?"

"This junior did not fail Senior Shi's trust. I successfully inscribed both formations. Please inspect them, Senior." After speaking, Song Qingming placed the golden-glowing Dharma Robe in his hands.

Seeing the two additional talismanic seals on the Dharma Robe he had refined, Shi Mofeng was extremely satisfied with the two exquisite formations Song Qingming had inscribed. He happily put the robe away.

After finishing this matter, Song Qingming went to Old Ghost Feng's tent. Seeing what seemed to be a figure moving inside, Song Qingming was delighted. This old ghost had finally finished his secluded cultivation.

A few days earlier, after learning news of the White Dragon Mountain Black Market from Shi Mofeng, Song Qingming had gone looking for Old Ghost Feng after completing his daily duties the next day. Unfortunately, Old Ghost Feng had been in secluded cultivation.

Cultivators dreaded being disturbed during secluded cultivation most of all. Since Song Qingming needed a favor from him, he naturally did not dare send a voice transmission directly to invite him out. For several days in a row, Song Qingming had come to visit, only to see the tightly shut tent and return empty-handed. Fortunately, his luck had finally changed today.

After Song Qingming sent out a voice transmission, there was soon a rustle from within the tent. An ugly, burly man with a scar across his face walked out. It was Old Ghost Feng.

Old Ghost Feng was ugly and fond of haggling over every last detail, so he had never been particularly well liked in the camp. Apart from going out to carry out missions, he spent his days cultivating in the camp and rarely mingled with the other cultivators.

Seeing the joy on his face and sensing that his Mana seemed much stronger than the last time they had met, Song Qingming guessed that Old Ghost Feng's cultivation technique had improved again during these past days of secluded cultivation. That was why he was so happy.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Feng. It has only been a little over half a month, yet your cultivation technique has advanced considerably again." Song Qingming cupped his hands toward Old Ghost Feng in congratulations.

"Not at all, not at all. Fellow Daoist Song, you are too kind."

Old Ghost Feng smiled at Song Qingming, returned the salute, and invited him into the tent.

Old Ghost Feng's tent was quite clean. Other than several meditation cushions and a few tables and chairs, there was nothing else inside.

After sitting down, Song Qingming got straight to the point and explained why he had come. When Old Ghost Feng heard that he wanted to go to White Dragon Mountain, his expression changed slightly as he said,

"I fear I must disappoint Fellow Daoist Song. White Dragon Mountain is not an easy place to enter, and things have not been peaceful there lately. I have not gone there myself for several years. I do not know which loose-lipped fellow has been telling everyone that I have been to White Dragon Mountain. Is that really a place ordinary people can go?"

Song Qingming immediately caught the greed in his words. This Old Ghost Feng truly never acted without profit. If one dealt with him without paying some price, it would certainly be difficult to gain anything.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Feng, I will not let you make the trip for nothing. As long as you agree to take me there once, these Spirit Talismans will serve as compensation for your trouble." As Song Qingming spoke, he took out several Spirit Talismans and placed them before Old Ghost Feng.

These were all Mid-grade Talismans. Together, they would cost more than a dozen Spirit Stones on the market. In the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, for Flying Cloud Guards like them who lacked supplies, these Mid-grade Talismans were even more valuable than they would be in a Marketplace.

To be honest, even Song Qingming, who was not short on Spirit Talismans, felt a pang of pain at taking out so many Mid-grade Talismans. If not for inquiring about the Foundation Establishment Pill, he would never have been so generous.

"Fellow Daoist Song, what is this? You are being far too polite. We are already such close acquaintances. If you truly wish to go, this old brother will naturally be willing to make the trip with you. However, we still have duties to carry out here. Once we return to Guiyun Marketplace a month from now, come to my Cave Abode on Guiyun Mountain."

Looking at the several golden-glowing Spirit Talismans before him, Old Ghost Feng grinned, and his attitude immediately took a sharp turn. He reached out to take the Spirit Talismans from Song Qingming's hand.

But Song Qingming's hand flashed with green light, and he put most of the Spirit Talismans into his Storage Bag, leaving only one behind to hand to Old Ghost Feng.

"This Spirit Talisman will serve as a deposit. Please accept it first, Fellow Daoist Feng. Rest assured, once we reach White Dragon Mountain, I will naturally present the remaining Spirit Talismans with both hands. I hope you will not take offense."

Old Ghost Feng accepted the Spirit Talisman, shook his head, and said, "Fellow Daoist Song, I happen to have something I would like to ask your help with. If you are willing to lend a hand, you need not give me the remaining Spirit Talismans. What do you say?"

"Please speak plainly, Fellow Daoist. I do not know whether I have the ability to help you." Song Qingming was immediately interested, but before learning what Old Ghost Feng wanted his help with, he still did not dare agree outright.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Song. Though this matter carries some danger, it is not especially difficult. I had originally planned to go with one other fellow Daoist, but if Fellow Daoist Song is willing to help, the chances of success will certainly increase greatly."

The moment Song Qingming heard there was some danger, he immediately felt like backing out. He was just considering how to refuse.

Seeing that Song Qingming seemed somewhat hesitant, Old Ghost Feng's eyes shifted as he continued,

"I will not hide it from Fellow Daoist Song. A month ago, this old brother saw a High-grade White Jade Flower in the mountains. But there was also a high-level Flame Rat there. I tried several times to secretly pick it, but that demon rat discovered me each time and chased me off in quite a sorry state. This time, I plan to gather some helpers, kill that demon beast first, and then harvest the spirit herb. Would Fellow Daoist Song be interested in lending a hand? Rest assured, after we kill the demon beast, the materials from its body will be split evenly between the two of you. I only want that spirit herb."

Hearing about the White Jade Flower, Song Qingming's heart stirred as well. Old Ghost Feng's luck truly was not bad. High-grade White Jade Flowers were rarely seen in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. This type of spirit herb was difficult to cultivate, and even those with a Medicinal Age of more than a hundred years were hard to buy in Guiyun Marketplace. A single plant would cost at least seventy or eighty Spirit Stones.

Song Qingming asked, "May I ask who the other fellow Daoist is, and what his cultivation is?"

"Fellow Daoist Jia. You should have heard of him. His cultivation is the same as mine, the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, and his abilities are no weaker than mine. On top of that, I have a mid-grade puppet. With the four of us at the Mid Qi Refining Stage joining forces, I estimate we have a seventy or eighty percent chance of success." Old Ghost Feng hurriedly explained.

"Brother Feng, why not ask one of the several experts at the Late Qi Refining Stage in the camp to help? Would that not make this matter much more certain?"

"Heh heh. First, asking those fellow Daoists at the Late Qi Refining Stage to act would likely require paying far more Spirit Stones. Why would such a small matter be worth that? Second, I am not all that familiar with them. If Captain Lu were to find out about this matter, it would be difficult for me to clean up the mess." Old Ghost Feng gave a somewhat evasive, bitter smile.

Just as Song Qingming had expected, the other person's cultivation was indeed about the same as theirs. There were quite a few Late Qi Refining Stage experts in the camp, but Old Ghost Feng did not dare ask them for help because he feared that, after killing the demon beast, they might turn hostile and seize the spirit item. He would have no ability to stop them.

In the end, the gap in strength between Late Qi Refining Stage experts and Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators like themselves was simply too great. Without equal strength to keep one another in check, acting together left them with no sense of security in terms of cultivation.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining could defeat at least three or four cultivators at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining. Though the difference in cultivation was only one layer, after breaking through to the Late Qi Refining Stage, cultivators could project their divine sense. Their perception became noticeably stronger than that of Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators, allowing them to sense danger in advance during battle. Their combat ability would increase enormously compared to the Mid Qi Refining Stage.