A Certain Smell

Under the bright moonlight, a goat carried the expressionless Daozi on its back, while a beautiful young girl sat sideways behind, strolling leisurely on the lake.

Objectively speaking, the scene was quite beautiful, but Yuzan covered her face the whole time, looking like a wronged young wife.

Zheng Zetian rubbed his nose.

"Aren't you going to lend me a hand and hold my shoulder? You look quite thin. We can barely squeeze in and sit down. Don't slip off like this. You're wearing so little; you'll catch a cold if you fall into the lake."

Yuzan gritted her teeth and said angrily in a muffled voice.

"Don't talk to me! I'll lose all face if people I know see this!"

Zheng Zetian shrugged, ignoring her, but after walking for a while, he couldn't help but rub his nose.

"You smell terrible, how long has it been since you showered?"

"You! Eek! Eek! Eek!!"

The jade Yuzan was so hard it almost broke from her teeth.

"I wash every day! It's a natural body scent!"

"Oh, so I call you Yuzan, right?"

Zheng Zetian nodded to indicate that he understood.

"Then I'll prescribe a formula for you to clear heat and promote diuresis. Two qian of dried plum, two qian of schisandra fruit, and half a qian of licorice root. Decocted in water, one dose per day, taken twice a day, morning and evening."

Yuzan frowned, turned her head to look at the boy, and blew on his hair, "What are you muttering about?"

Zheng Zetian sniffed.

"Hmm, your condition is a bit serious. Then use 2 qian each of gentian root, cornus officinalis, and peony bark; 3 qian each of rehmannia root, imperata root, honeysuckle, and plantain; and 6 qian each of raw stone powder and Liu Yi powder. Decocted in water and taken twice a day for six days as one course of treatment. Let's see if there is any improvement after three courses of treatment."

What, you can't even remember these few sentences? Do you want me to write them down for you?

Yuzan realized what was happening and almost burst into tears.

"W-what! You! You're the one who's sick! Ugh, you're making me so angry! You're really making me so angry!"

Zheng Zetian covered his nose.

"Fellow Daoist, if you don't get rid of this smell on you, you'll attract demons. When you go to the battlefield, you won't be able to hide even if you lie down and pretend to be dead. Besides, the fact that you're exhaling so much air suggests that your Inner Landscape are not in harmony, and you might even have cracks in your energy channels. It would be best to take care of it as soon as possible."

Yuzan was so angry with this fool, she was furious.

"Who, who wants to go to the battlefield! I cultivate only to maintain my youthful appearance! What battlefield?! Besides, it smells so good! I like it! It even saves me money on cosmetics! It's none of your business! You're just jealous of me!"

Zheng Zetian was speechless. He didn't want to get involved, but the smell was just too strong; he really had to get it off his chest. So he tore off a piece of his shirt to cover his mouth and nose and said...

"Your internal energy is imbalanced, which could seriously lead to internal injuries. The reason you smell fragrance now is because you're only at the Foundation Establishment stage, your internal energy is thin, and the scent isn't strong enough yet. But once your physique is finalized, your cultivation level increases, or your condition worsens, it will smell bad. Doesn't your master, a member of the Xuanmen sect, understand this principle? Or did he not remind you?"

"It will... it will smell bad!"

Yuzan immediately became alert.

"Will it really smell bad? Don't lie to me! How old are you? Do you even know anything about medicine?"

Zheng Zetian covered his mouth and nose with his hemp clothing and said in a muffled voice,

"Long-term illness has made me a doctor. My knowledge is quite diverse, and while I cannot claim to be an expert, it is still effective. If you don't believe me, just go and ask the master of Ink Bamboo Mountain yourself."

Yuzan squinted at him for a while, probably still being bothered by the 'stink'. She nudged Daozi beside her and whispered,

"Recite the recipe again, I didn't remember it..."

So Zheng Zetian explained it twice more, and Yuzan quietly memorized it.

You have to listen to just a few words three times? How stupid!

Zheng Zetian understood that such talent was only good enough for a hoodlum in the Black Lotus Sect, not qualified to join the Xuanmen (Daoist sect).

It seems that Yuzan's master treated her like a precious sachet, always keeping her close at hand. If he treated his own disciple this way, how much more so would he treat others?

This 'master' is probably cold-hearted and ruthless. He might not even give the Grandmaster any face. If a fight breaks out, his leg injury hasn't healed yet, and he can't use the Flesh Scorpion to speed up his escape. One must be careful when meeting him.

So he tentatively asked again,

"I wonder which lineage of the Mysterious Profound Maiden your esteemed master belongs to? Why did you choose to meet me outside the mountain at midnight? Are you perhaps Moon Worship?"

Yuzan snorted.

"Didn't you just say that it didn't matter whether you knew sooner or later, but you still couldn't help asking? Humph, so you'll know that my master is a direct descendant of the Xuan Yue Yu Xu Palace of Xie Luo Mountain, a Daoist master who entered the Dao at the highest level!"

"Xieluo Mountain?" Zheng Zetian thought for a moment, "Oh, isn't it the Xuan Yue Yu Xu Palace, the one where your sect had a traitor who ran off to become the Sect Leader of the Divine Sect, and later even attacked the mountain gate, almost wiping out the sect, and finally the successor sect leader admitted defeat and begged for mercy, promising to seal the Xuanyue Yuxu Palace and not come out, thus escaping a calamity?"

Yuzan was shocked. "Tch! This is such an ancient secret! How did you know that?! How annoying!"

Of course I know. At least from my past life's memories, Xieluo Mountain was a giant in the Daoist sect, ranking quite high among the Nine Great Xuan Sects. But because of this incident, the Inner Sect fought amongst themselves, he lost face, and his strength was greatly diminished. He closed his mountain for hundreds of years. Fortunately, at that time, the other sects were busy besieging the Luo Sect and didn't have time to take advantage of Xieluo Mountain. This allowed them to recover and prevented the sect from being wiped out like a certain sword sect.

Zheng Zetian asked suspiciously, "Your master, a dignified direct descendant of the True Lord, instead of staying in the sect to guard the mountain and protect the Dao, has come to Ink Bamboo Mountain to seek refuge?"

Yuzan said angrily,

"Hey! I've put up with you for so long! I don't care if you keep trying to provoke me and get my attention, after all, you're a boy of this age too, but you're not allowed to say bad things about my master!"

She went to Ganzhou to assist in the battle, but was injured by the Demonic Sect in a sword fight. The evil energy penetrated deep into her lungs, and she was just sent to Ink Bamboo Mountain to treat her injuries and recuperate. I came here specifically to take care of her."

So, the reason this Yuzan is so badly trained is because its master was seriously injured and thus neglected its instruction? Well, perhaps the girl herself is indeed a bit lacking in aptitude and couldn't be taught.

However, Zheng Zetian also found it strange. Could it really be that they came to Ink Bamboo Mountain for treatment? Or was it just bait from the company?

"Then what does she want from me?"

Yuzan couldn't believe her eyes anymore and pinched him. "How should I know! I already told you it was a telegram telling me to lead the way. I'll drag you there tonight, no matter what! Tell your sheep to hurry up! Look, it's still grazing on that grass!"

Zheng Zetian sighed, "That's why I told you to hold on tight and not fall while running."

You're so annoying!

Despite saying that, Yuzan still took out a veiled hat covered with a scarf and put it on, then bent down and placed her hands on Zheng Zetian's shoulders to support him.

"Is this alright? If I get too close, you'll complain that I smell bad, it's so annoying! I'm leaving!"

With Yuzan pointing and leading the way, Zheng Zetian rode his Tu Lou at a brisk pace, crossing rivers and lakes, traversing forests, leaving the barrier of Tianyu Mountain, and arriving outside the mountain.

The moonlight was bright outside the mountain, casting a purple curtain over the world. If one were to stretch out one's bare hand into the moonlight, those with lower cultivation levels would even feel their hands hissing and smoking, as if their skin were being scorched by the moonlight and their spiritual energy and blood were being evaporated.

Fortunately, the bamboo talismans of the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain and the waist tags of the international students all have Fa Yin that can block the moonlight for a short time. Moreover, the transformation of the Tai Su Realm has not yet reached its peak. As long as you don't look up at the moon yourself, you should be fine if you escape to the shade of the trees or the eaves.

The place of the invitation was indeed not far from Tianyu Mountain, and soon Tu Lou landed outside the Revered Heavenly Demon Altar on a mountain peak.

Yuzan pulled her veil up tightly, and as soon as she landed, she jumped into the shade of a tree to hide, waving to Zheng Zetian.

"You go by yourself. Master practices his skills here every night. I haven't received the true teachings yet, so I can't go in."

Zheng Zetian nodded. "Watch my sheep, don't lose them."

"Hmph, who cares about your sheep... Hey! Stop eating my skirt! This isn't grass!"

It doesn't want to nibble on the grass, it's just that your body odor is so strong...

So Zheng Zetian stepped into the magic array. If the False Moon outside was like a bright lantern hanging high, then the Moon inside the array, separated by a thin line, was like a bonfire right next to him. Thick smoke and murderous aura rushed towards him, and his Daoist robes billowed like a whirlwind.

In the distance, two points of green light, flickering on and off, shone from the magic array, piercing through the malevolent aura and miasma, seemingly guiding him.

So Zheng Zetian followed the guidance and stepped into the formation, where he soon saw the Non-Thing on the shrine.

From a distance, it looked like a woman, her Daoist robe draped open over her shoulders, kneeling on the shrine, her hair disheveled and her long, flowing black hair cascading down to cover her face and naked torso.

The two green lights that guided the way shone from the eye sockets behind her hair. Her exposed hands and feet were deathly pale, almost devoid of any blood, like a female corpse that had been dead for a long time and was being offered up on an altar.

Zheng Zetian bowed and said, "Zheng Zetian, a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, may I ask what instructions the True Lord has for me?"

Then the moonlight dimmed.

It was as if someone had turned off the lights; dark clouds obscured the night sky, and the light dissipated rapidly. Only the pale woman on the altar of the Revered Heavenly Demon, her color growing even paler, an aged and deathly pallor, almost burning against one's retina.

Then a hand slowly emerged from the woman's groin, parting the long hair that concealed her body. Vaguely visible on the other side of the cascading hair, one could see a gaping wound on her body, revealing a mixture of colors: pale skin, dark red internal organs, and pale yellow fat.

That hand, wet and translucent like jade-colored glass or fine white porcelain, slowly emerged from between the internal organs, flesh, and skin, and began to crawl towards Daozi.

The last 'perfect woman', carved from a single piece of mutton-fat jade, crawled out of the woman's body intact. Then, in a flash, as if in a still frame, she moved in front of the Daoist in the blink of an eye. She was completely naked, her entire body as if carved from jade, as exquisite and translucent as a jade statue of the Profound Maiden that had been washed. Upon closer inspection, one could even see the meridians and flowing elixir within her body.

Zheng Zetian watched her performance with a blank expression.

After all, the words "Company Temporary Worker" were clearly marked in large red letters on the top of this jade humanoid's head, making it hard to ignore. This even affected the atmosphere of a Non-Thing ghost's debut.

"Fellow Daoist, do not be afraid. I am Yin Qinglan, a Qi cultivator from Xuan Yue Yu Xu Palace on Xie Luo Mountain. I am currently the acting master of Yu Xu Palace. My father is Yuan Zhen Divine Lord."

Twenty years ago, I went with my fellow Daoists from the Xuanmen sect to Taiyi Mountain to assist in the battle. I was struck by a palm strike from a protector of the Blood Record Devil Sect. The malevolent energy damaged my lungs and internal organs and seeped into my bone marrow, so I had to be reincarnated.

However, preparations for the physical disintegration were not yet complete, so it was delayed. Every night, I had to use the Jade Purity and Jade Void True Marrow Technique to leave my body and cleanse my muscles, bones, skin, and fat in order to barely suppress the process of demonic transformation."

Zheng Zetian glanced at the skin that had been discarded behind him like a piece of clothing, and then thought about the girl outside. He roughly understood what was going on.

"Oh, that Yuzan, is it the vessel you prepared for reincarnation?"

The beautiful woman nodded, then shook her head.

"Top-grade Dao Embryo are hard to come by. Her aptitude was ultimately lacking, making her not the best choice. That's why, even after raising her for so many years, I still hesitated and wanted to find a better one. Today, I finally found one."

Fellow Daoist, your talent is extraordinary, your comprehension is unparalleled, your innate qualities are astonishing, and you are even protected by destiny. You are truly a first-class furnace for cultivating the Dao of Primordial Essence, a Dao Child rarely seen in the world. I humbly request that you part with this Dao Body and let me use it. I, Yin Qinglan, am willing to do three things for you to settle the karmic debts. What do you say?"

Zheng Zetian narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and asked the question knowingly.

"I've only been a disciple for a few days, how do you know I have exceptional talent?"

That beautiful woman was also honest.

"Although these Southern Barbarians from Ink Bamboo Mountain are greedy for money, they do get things done once they've been paid. I offered a reward of 100,000 taels of silver at the auction house for a piece of information—just the whereabouts of a First-Rank Daoist. Tonight, I finally got what I was looking for."

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, you're the haul of my 100,000 taels. The intelligence report says you've also received the true teachings of Thunder Technique? How wonderful! Such a Dao Body is a rare sight even in the Xuanmen (mystical sects), I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity."

Oh, it seems they didn't tell you that I also have a secret book.

Zheng Zetian remained calm and asked the question he already knew the answer to.

"As a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, how dare you seize my body? Aren't you afraid of the Grand Master's wrath?"

The beautiful couple from Xieluo Mountain laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, the Grandmaster? Your backer behind the scenes is the Grandmaster? No wonder, how could that mere Golden Core cultivator from Qingting Peak be your master? It must be that treacherous Grandmaster plotting behind the scenes."

But you don't know yet, do you? Your Grand Master is no longer among us! He hasn't revealed his true form for a year because he's ascended to heaven! Don't believe me? Then call the Grand Master to come out of seclusion and save you, hahaha!"

Are you really that confident that the Grandmaster won't descend to the mortal realm and slap you in the face...?

Ah, could it be that the last train, which ultimately went to Li Family Village, was actually there to probe the whereabouts of the patriarch?

Zheng Zetian frowned. Although he had stopped the other party's actions from the start this time, Lu Qi was the Railway Warden and would have plenty of opportunities.

Moreover, half a month has passed, and those who have been secretly infiltrating Ink Bamboo Mountain probably already know that the Grand Master is not in the mountain and has ascended to another world.

Although the other side probably doesn't know about the existence of the Giant Blood God Child's clone, that clone is likely not something that can be openly used for strategic deterrence. Considering all this, it's quite remarkable that they were able to keep their ascension a secret for a year, surrounded by so many spies and agents both inside and outside the mountains.

The beautiful woman stopped laughing. "Of course, our Xuanmen is fair and believes in cause and effect. This time, I stole your Dao body and took away your Dao opportunity, so I naturally have to compensate you. In addition to the three promises, I will also help you find your reincarnation."

How about that Yuzan outside? How about you use it? It's not bad looking, is it? It wouldn't be a bad deal for you.

I think the techniques taught by the Yu Ling Sect are quite powerful. I tried one out, and the results were pretty good. If you agree, we can become a couple and cultivate together, becoming a pair of immortal lovers, supporting each other.

I can swear to Heaven that I will help you achieve the position of God-King, and I will never betray you. What do you say?

Zheng Zetian remained expressionless.

"The Xuanmen sect truly lives up to its reputation as a model of righteousness. They've already resorted to the ritual of 'courtesy before force' after the body has been disintegrated. But never mind, I also find her aptitude too poor, and she has a peculiar odor."

The beautiful woman shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Why refuse, fellow Daoist? You cannot escape this calamity today. I don't want to risk offending Ink Bamboo Mountain to kill you, but once you embark on the path of cultivation, there is no turning back. I can only risk my life to fight for this opportunity."

Zheng Zetian shook his head and said,

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to say more. I understand. This body possesses extraordinary talent, which will surely incur the jealousy of the heavens. How could they possibly let me possess it all so easily?"

"Fellow Daoist, you're not the first to try and steal it, and you certainly won't be the last. Use whatever methods you have."

"Hehe, good, it's good that you're aware of this. But don't rush, the method of dissolving one's body is inevitably dangerous. The night is still long, so to be on the safe side, let me prepare a magic array..."

"Sigh, I don't have time to waste on a temporary worker like you. Hurry up and come on over."

The beautiful woman laughed, thinking that this kid was just putting on a brave face and talking tough when he was about to die. She didn't waste any more words, raised her hand to grab him, but missed!

"Temporary? What...?"

Then a bolt of lightning flashed past her side, hurtling straight towards the cultivator's true form on the altar!

Naturally, Zheng Zetian activated his system! Thunder Overload! He leaped on one leg! Accelerated at full speed! He raised thirty-six thunder pearls towards the True Person's body on the altar, lightning crackling and flashing, gathering power to strike!

"You brat! Ah--!!!"

In an instant, the beautiful woman transformed into a demon! Her fairy-like appearance vanished without a trace, revealing fangs and claws, like an enraged demon! She roared and charged after him! She flashed in front of Zheng Zetian and swept her arm, sending him flying!

"Ha! You dared to attack me first! Killing you like this won't be considered my karma! Hahaha!"

The Jade Ghost burst into loud, broken laughter.

Zheng Zetian was knocked over several times, but he wasn't seriously injured. After all, his opponent was trying to seize his body; if he were to smash him to pieces, it would be a waste of effort.

Of course, Zheng Zetian didn't expect this surprise attack to succeed. After all, he had just used overload acceleration to escape from the flying sword during the day, and his body was covered in hidden injuries. Although he had managed to dodge a move with a sudden burst of speed and startled his opponent, he still couldn't struggle against Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. However...

"You Xuanmen sects are still the same, too calculating, and you never stop rambling on and on."

"What!"

Bi Gui suddenly realized what was happening, but it was too late. In the instant he was knocked away, the thirty-six lightning beads that were flashing with brilliant light had already been flung out by Zheng Zetian. They flew out of the sky with a whoosh and just happened to shatter the corner of the Revered Heavenly Demon's sealing array. As soon as the array broke, moonlight poured down from the sky and showered Bi Gui with light.

"Awooooo--!"

The blue-faced, fanged demon screamed, its crystal-clear jade body turning black as if it had contracted some kind of plague when exposed to the moonlight!

"Aaaaaah--!"

The skin on the altar screamed, the discarded skin violently jerked its head, almost breaking half of its spine, turning completely upside down. From the wounds of its internal organs, hundreds of demonic arms Demon Claw emerged! It was as if countless demons and evil spirits were about to rush out and descend from the gaps in the shell!

"Aaaaah--! You brat! You think you're so smart for courting death! I don't care about that body anyway! Since you're in such a hurry to be reborn, I'll grant your wish!!"

The Jade Demon roared, shattering half of its body, corrupted by moonlight, with a single punch, and charged forward with a piercing scream.

"The Great Technique of Soul Seizure and Disintegration--!"

In that instant, the Jade Body transformed into a blue-green flame, howling like a ghost as it charged straight toward Zheng Zetian!

So Zheng Zetian opened his mouth, and the dense golden talismans and blood-red runes on his tongue, oral cavity, and esophagus began to flash. He swallowed the ghost that Xieluo Mountain had come to steal his soul into his stomach in one gulp.