Chen Luo said nothing, simply watching the beautiful woman.
The beautiful woman wore a smile at the corner of her lips as she explained with effortless ease, "The Earl hasn't been Soul Merged with our young master for long. There's still time to perform Soul Splitting, so it won't endanger the Earl's life."
Chen Luo snorted softly. "Although I don't understand cultivation, I know how important the soul is. It won't endanger my life? Will I still be able to live normally as I do now? Don't tell me I won't die. Being an idiot or a cripple is still being alive."
The beautiful woman immediately said, "I will naturally do my utmost to protect the Earl's soul. If anything truly goes wrong, I, as a servant of the Money Falling Pavilion, will serve the Earl for the rest of my life. You certainly won't lack wealth or glory!"
Chen Luo rolled his eyes and looked toward Granny Jin, who had remained silent all this time. "Granny Jin, I'm not an ungrateful man. But if you want me to agree to these conditions, you might as well kill me outright. That would be cleaner."
Granny Jin sighed softly. "Ning Bing misspoke. This old woman apologizes on her behalf."
The beautiful woman called Ning Bing was about to speak again, but Granny Jin shot her a glare. Only then did she shut her mouth and return to Granny Jin's side, though the murderous glint in her eyes had grown even stronger.
Chen Luo didn't want to waste any more time arguing. "Granny Jin, what is this Soul Merging technique? What effect will it have on Frog Brother? Besides Soul Splitting, is there really no other way?"
Granny Jin explained, "Soul Merging is a secret technique of the Demon Race. It is a method of fusing the souls of a demon and a human. Once the souls merge, the human race's qi and the Demon Race's power combine, forming an even stronger new force for the human race to use. As for the Demon Race, the qi of the Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist schools can refine their bloodlines. This was originally a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"However..." Granny Jin hesitated before continuing. "When souls merge, if one side dies, the other will inevitably suffer severe injury. Secondly, if one side has inferior talent, it will also affect the other side's potential development..."
The middle-aged beauty chimed in, "Our young master possesses the bloodline of the Star Devouring Toad, which appears only once in a thousand years. He was born pure-blooded, on par with an ancient demon. If Your Excellency were a Great Scholar seed, a Daoist successor, or a Bodhisattva reincarnated from the Buddhist school, you might barely be worthy of our young master. But..."
The middle-aged beauty did not continue, but Chen Luo understood perfectly. Put simply, he was a failing student who had been assigned to sit beside an honor student. The honor student's parents were unhappy, believing he would drag their child down.
But how could he explain it? Tell them that the Red Dust Qi within him had limitless prospects, then release some Seven-Colored Red Dust Qi for them to see?
After all, this was their first meeting, and Chen Luo didn't know whether Granny Jin was good or evil.
If they didn't believe him, that would be fine. But if they did believe him, they might dissect him on the spot for research, then report to the imperial court that he had escaped again...
Where could he go to seek justice then?
Still, it really was infuriating...
The side room fell silent. After a long while, Granny Jin coughed twice and slowly rose to her feet. "Earl, don't worry. This old woman will write to the Daoist school and ask whether there are any other methods. Rest well, Earl, and wait for the people from the Town Profound Division to arrive..."
Chen Luo nodded. Granny Jin had called him "Earl" again, which meant that their earlier conversation had practically gone nowhere. But Chen Luo understood. After all, in her eyes, he might destroy her grandson's future.
To forge iron, one needed a hard hammer. Thinking about it would not help. The fundamental thing was for him to hurry up and cultivate.
Speaking of which, he still had six regular meridians and six extraordinary vessels left to unblock...
"Granny, should I take care of him personally tonight? I guarantee I won't leave a single trace." After leaving the small path where Chen Luo lived, the beautiful woman called Ning Bing spoke in a low voice.
Granny Jin looked back at the small building. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head.
"Forget it. That little fellow was able to make the old scholar of Wenchang Pavilion personally deduce his fate. He isn't as simple as he appears. Don't cause trouble for the Daoist school..."
Ning Bing looked anxious. "But our young master..."
Granny Jin cut her off. "You know that little beast's nature. Although he acts recklessly, he isn't unreasonable. He knows the advantages and disadvantages of Soul Merging, yet still used it on the Earl of Wan'an. Perhaps there are other circumstances..."
"I think the young master simply got carried away! He is still young, after all."
Granny Jin fell silent, but a figure flashed through her mind.
That was Little Frog's mother—the rarest Destiny Toad in the history of the Toad Frog Clan. It fed on Heavenly Dao Destiny and possessed the innate Divine Ability Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster. If she hadn't given birth to that little beast, she might have lived for more than ten thousand years.
"Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster?" A thought suddenly flashed through Granny Jin's mind, but she quickly shook her head.
Chen Luo hadn't even awakened the Omniscient Reading Talent. How could he become the destined good fortune of a Star Devouring Toad?
"In any case, don't act rashly. Write to the Daoist school first and see whether there is any way to remedy this!" Granny Jin left those words behind and departed from the small courtyard.
Daoist blessed land, Shouyang Mountain.
Shouyang Mountain rose high into the heavens, its clouds thick and its Great Trend magnificent. Exotic flowers and rare herbs covered the ground, while Spiritual Birds and Exotic Beasts filled the mountain. The sun shone upon the clear forest, where layer upon layer of red mist wound through a thousand branches. The wind moaned through the shadowed ravines, and ten thousand streams of multicolored clouds drifted through the sky. At the summit, eighty-one peaks hung suspended in the air, clustering around a white jade palace at the center. Anyone who came here would have to exclaim: What a true land of immortals and gods!
At that moment, seven figures sat gathered in the white jade palace, each holding an information-transmitting jade slip and reading the messages within. After a moment, the old man seated at the head spoke first. "So this is the origin of Great Xuan's method for suppressing ghosts. Does anyone have anything to say?"
An old Daoist with a red face on the elder's left spoke. "If Great Xuan can deal with the ghosts itself, our Daoist school can enjoy some peace and quiet. I think it's a good thing."
Across from him, an elegant female Daoist shook her head. "Senior Brother Qingyang, that's mistaken. Suppressing ghosts has always been the foremost duty of our Daoist school. Whether we are willing to do it is one matter; whether only we can do it is another!"
Another old Daoist, short and slovenly, took a gulp of wine and laughed. "Two hundred years have passed, yet Junior Sister Qingxuan is still as overbearing as ever. This old Daoist likes it."
Beside the slovenly Daoist, a dignified-looking middle-aged Daoist kicked him. "You're a Celestial Master now, yet you still spout such nonsense. Be careful Junior Sister Qingxuan smashes your cave abode later! And don't come asking to live with me again when she does."
"In the past hundred years, Senior Sister Qingxuan has smashed six of Senior Brother Qingfeng's cave abodes. I think they're enjoying themselves. Junior Brother Qingyuan, you don't need to concern yourself with them." Another slightly plump Daoist seated lower down chuckled softly and pulled the middle-aged Daoist back.
"Oh? Good for you, Qingfeng! Last time I asked you to lend one of your cave abodes to my disciple for a trial, you even cried poverty to me. Were five hundred years of seniority between us all for nothing?" another Daoist, who looked like an old farmer, demanded with bulging eyes.
"Junior Brother, don't misunderstand. I truly had no cave abode in hand at the time. Your Senior Sister Qingxuan smashed one and snatched another for her disciple!"
"Qingfeng! Explain yourself! You offered that one to me as an apology! Qingyuan, you were there at the time. Tell me, isn't that right?"
Grand Celestial Master Qingwei, seated at the head, watched helplessly as his junior brothers and sisters, who totaled several thousand years of age, bickered and scuffled. He rubbed his brow. If outsiders learned that the seven Celestial Masters of the Daoist school's Dragon-Tiger branch behaved like this at every gathering, the Daoist school's dignity would plummet.
Forget it. Before his senior sister Transcended, she had specifically instructed him to take good care of these junior brothers and sisters. He had to control himself and not lose his temper.
"Silence!" Qingwei shouted, but no one answered.
"Quiet!" the Grand Celestial Master raised his voice, but his junior brothers and sisters continued chatting animatedly.
"Quiet!" Grand Celestial Master Qingwei gathered a Palm Thunder beneath his foot and stamped hard on the ground. The entire white jade palace trembled, and everyone finally fell silent.
Qingwei drew a deep breath and restrained his emotions. "Regarding this matter..."
Everyone spoke in unison. "Then let's do as First Senior Brother says!"
I can't take this anymore!
Qingwei slammed the Zhou Tian Whisk in his hand onto the ground. "I **haven't said a damn thing! Could you **actually hold a meeting for once... My thousands of years of lifespan are going to be shortened by you bunch of ** idiots... You..."
The six junior brothers and sisters watched their thunderously furious First Senior Brother, obediently sat down, and said nothing. Each of them took an Imprint Talisman from their sleeve...
Qingwei: (-_-;)
I **really want to resign!
As water flows on and flowers fade, neither feels affection; yet for monthly votes and recommendations, I have a heart!
Let me clarify: the ** in the text isn't system censorship. I put it there deliberately.
Can you just casually read a Celestial Master's profanity?
You'll have to pay extra.
Before you continue