Recruitment

At this moment, Cheng Rong explained the reason for their visit again: "A few days ago, Shi Yatou stumbled upon this 'Hidden Skin' and wanted to use its shed skin to celebrate the sect leader's birthday. I guided her, and she temporarily learned the 'Soul Tethering Curse' to use on this snake. Today, she sensed the snake climbing up the valley, so she dragged me along to take a look, and unexpectedly met you, fellow Daoist."

After a slight pause, he gently stroked the young girl's head, a wry smile appearing on his face, uncharacteristic of his demeanor. "Actually, the snake itself isn't that important. She understands the principle of 'first come, first served.' It's just that she's young and suffered quite a bit to learn the 'Soul Tethering Curse,' which is why she's so invested. Fellow Daoist Yu, please be understanding."

Yu Ci naturally wouldn't argue with a child. Since this encounter was purely coincidental, he didn't wish to linger. After all, with the matter of Xu Lao Er, he and the Wanling Sect couldn't possibly have any deep connection. Just as he was about to cup his hands in farewell, he saw the young girl, though silent, glaring at him from behind Cheng Rong, clearly still displeased.

Her expression made Yu Ci smile again. His gaze flickered across Cheng Rong's face, and suddenly, something stirred within him.

There were reasons he couldn't help but overthink things. In recent days, the Wanling Sect had shown considerable interest in him. Even if Cheng Rong's presence here was a coincidence, his friendly and amicable attitude might not be as simple as it seemed.

With a thought circling in his mind, he suddenly smiled at the young girl and asked, "Is that 'Soul Tethering Curse' difficult to practice? How is it used?"

The young girl gave him a huge eye-roll and ignored him.

Yu Ci turned to the adult beside her. Cheng Rong was slightly taken aback, then grinned in response. "It's indeed not easy. This spell allows the caster to know the general state of activity of the target. Even if they are hundreds of miles apart, there's a slight sensation... Of course, it has no other uses."

"That settles it."

Yu Ci smiled and said to Shi Xin, "You were just monitoring it with the spell, not catching it or putting a leash on it. If you only know its location, claiming the snake is yours is quite absurd... Why don't you ask your elder beside you? These past few days, you've been sending out hawks and eagles, so you must know my whereabouts very clearly. Does that mean I'm one of your Wanling Sect members?"

His words were sharp and pointed. Not only Cheng Rong, but even the young girl felt it. She turned back in surprise. Cheng Rong, however, couldn't attend to her for the moment and quickly shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist, you jest. The situation here has been tense recently. Sending out hawks and eagles for reconnaissance is routine. There's absolutely no intention of disrespect or ill will towards you. Moreover, since you've brought it up in person, our sect will certainly restrain our subordinates and prevent them from disturbing your peace! To put it another way, if someone of your caliber were willing to join my Wanling Sect, our sect would welcome you with open arms, even Sect Leader Shi would go out of his way to greet you."

These words sounded pleasant, but the degree was somewhat excessive. Especially the part about "someone of your caliber."

Yu Ci felt increasingly suspicious. He responded calmly, "A free-spirited wanderer can only do things like digging for stones and collecting herbs..."

As he spoke, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly said, "Has Bai Ri Mansion posted the wanted notice already?"

This was a significant leap in his train of thought, a surprise attack hitting the most crucial point. Cheng Rong was caught off guard and, after a long pause, managed a wry smile. "I was just about to mention it, but I didn't expect you to have already guessed. Bai Ri Mansion released the news five days ago, demanding that you be brought in alive or your body be found. Your name has spread throughout the ten thousand miles around Juebi City. You must be careful."

As expected, the Wanling Sect's tracking efforts over the past few days had been effective. His identity had likely been thoroughly investigated. Of course, what was even more infuriating were the actions of Bai Ri Mansion. What did they take him for, a fugitive?

Yu Ci felt displeased and merely thanked him faintly.

Cheng Rong dared not accept the thanks. "Why thank me? Our sect has many disputes with Bai Ri Mansion, and we're used to dealing with such matters. However, my previous words weren't just polite talk. Someone of your caliber stands out amongst the crowd within a ten-thousand-mile radius of Juebi City. Bai Ri Mansion is blind, but my Wanling Sect has always been eager for talent. You might want to consider it carefully."

His words were quite frank and his tone sincere, but Yu Ci became even more certain of his guess. Perhaps today's meeting was just an accident, but the Wanling Sect had likely been waiting for such an accident to establish contact with him. It wasn't about recruitment, but about truly "establishing a connection"!

Yu Ci was certain that what happened at Zhixin Temple had already spread.

He had been quite high-profile at Zhixin Temple. Given its importance, with dozens of visiting Daoists of various backgrounds, it was inevitable that there would be informants. The rampant rumors and news within the temple would eventually reach the ears of those who were interested. Whether the Wanling Sect knew about his conflict with Bai Ri Mansion early or late, as a major power that had been suppressed by Bai Ri Mansion for decades and harbored ambitious plans, it would be strange if they didn't try to leverage this situation.

Yu Ci was too lazy to bother with these intricate schemes, but that didn't mean he didn't understand them.

Yu Ci considered himself not adept at scheming. He couldn't set traps step by step or lead people around by the nose. However, he had two strengths: first, he was good at observing expressions and guessing people's intentions; second, he was skilled at creating illusions to lure the enemy into a trap. Both of these were honed during his time in the Twin Immortals Sect and gradually perfected during his twelve years of wandering. These two strengths often gave him an advantage in face-to-face confrontations, and this was precisely the case now.

Once he understood what Cheng Rong was thinking, he firmly grasped the initiative. Now, all he had to do was set up the gambling table, lay out the chips, keep his own cards hidden, and force the opponent to reveal their hand first. Of course, before doing that, he had to create some illusions:

"Your sect's intentions make me apprehensive. Unfortunately, I've already settled on a place to stay a few days ago, and I'll be busy searching for items and collecting herbs for some time. I'm afraid I must decline your kind offer."

With that, he cupped his hands, revealing his intention to leave. Cheng Rong, unaware that his thoughts had been seen through, quickly called out for him to stop, naturally picking up on the opening Yu Ci had left. He asked with great concern, "What do you need, fellow Daoist? Perhaps you could tell me. We can exchange information, and maybe our sect has some in stock."

"Mostly herbs and ores."

Yu Ci had spoken casually at first, but then he let out a wry smile. "Some of them are for my personal use, which are easier to find. However, a few of the herbs were arranged by an elder, who explicitly stated they were rare and difficult to find, only obtainable in the remote areas of Sky Rift Valley, and not available in Juebi City."

His tone was confident, his words bold, but Cheng Rong, having already made up his mind, was not surprised, as long as Yu Ci stated them.

Yu Ci went along with it, mentioning a medicinal name from the jade slip given to him by Yu Zhou. Cheng Rong was a bit embarrassed, as the Wanling Sect definitely couldn't produce it. But now he was on the spot and had to let Yu Ci continue. Yu Ci was happy to watch him squirm and listed the medicinal names one by one. The earlier ones were all ordinary, but when he reached the last one, "Ghost Appearance Flower," Cheng Rong suddenly rejoiced and clapped his hands.

"I've got it!"

"Oh?"

Yu Ci was surprised, while Cheng Rong was relieved. His own embarrassment was secondary, but if the Wanling Sect was looked down upon, it would be his fault.

Hearing these obscure and strange medicinal names, Cheng Rong became even more certain of the accuracy of the information from the other side. He knew he couldn't miss this opportunity no matter what, and his face became as bright as a spring breeze. "What a coincidence! Some time ago, our sect obtained a prescription that included 'Ghost Appearance Flower' as the main ingredient. Therefore, we put great effort into collecting it. As far as I know, our sect has at least three plants. I believe the sect leader would be happy to give one to you."

This was not what Yu Ci had expected. However, getting news about the Ghost Appearance Flower here was also an unexpected joy. But he still maintained some reserve and shook his head. "That's for your sect's medicinal preparations and shouldn't be moved lightly. Moreover, although I'm not perfect, I still have some self-respect and understand the principle of 'receiving no reward without merit.'"

Cheng Rong repeatedly persuaded him, but Yu Ci refused no matter what. With a series of polite refusals, Shi Yatou's little head bobbed back and forth, looking extremely confused.

Finally, Cheng Rong was forced to say, "Fellow Daoist, you say you have no merit, but for the Wanling Sect, forcing Bai Ri Mansion into such a predicament is the greatest merit! The various sects in Juebi City have long suffered under Bai Ri Mansion, but they are powerless because it controls the 'Exclusive Handling Authority' with Li Chen Sect. They can only feign compliance. Now, you, with a single Fish Dragon, have shamed Jin Huan into fleeing. Such a feat, if it's not merit, what is?"

"Oh, you're saying it!"

Yu Ci, who had been waiting for this sentence, showed surprise on his face. "Does your sect know about this matter?"

Cheng Rong's expression was quite awkward, but from this moment on, their conversation became much more straightforward.

Yu Ci had seriously considered why his transaction with the old Daoist Yu Zhou had elicited such a strong reaction from Jin Huan. He later understood:

It was precisely because of the "Exclusive Handling Authority."

The "Exclusive Handling Authority" was certainly profitable, but the direct benefits were only the most trivial aspect. Its true value lay in establishing a link between Bai Ri Mansion and Li Chen Sect. This included later facilitating the entry of the two young men, Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, into Li Chen Sect for short-term cultivation, all with this idea in mind. Once the link was solidified, everyone would see it, and ideally, it would lead them to believe that Bai Ri Mansion and Li Chen Sect had become a single entity.

Then, Bai Ri Mansion's position would be unshakeable.

If Juebi City were a treasure trove, Bai Ri Mansion would be the heavy door sealing that treasure, and its "Exclusive Handling Authority" cultivated with Li Chen Sect would be the great lock on that door. With this link, even forces like the Wanling Sect, which could pose a threat to Bai Ri Mansion, regardless of how strong their ambition for the treasure was, would have to tread carefully to avoid angering the behemoth that was Li Chen Sect.

Originally, this "lock" was extremely difficult to break. However, Yu Ci, like a stone that had sprung forth, had directly connected with Li Chen Sect through a Fish Dragon, even aiming to ascend to the heavens in one step. In the face of a heavenly treasure like the Fish Dragon, the so-called "Exclusive Handling Authority" seemed more like a joke.

Breaking the great lock of the "Exclusive Handling Authority" brought no other benefit to Yu Ci personally, aside from making an enemy of Bai Ri Mansion. But for an ambitious sect like the Wanling Sect, by aligning with Yu Ci, and once he became a disciple of Li Chen Sect, wouldn't the Wanling Sect essentially have secured a direct connection to Li Chen Sect?

This was equivalent to not going through the main gate but opening a hole directly through the wall. If developed to its extreme, it could even replace the original main gate and monopolize the vast treasure of Juebi City!

To achieve all this, the first prerequisite was that Yu Ci could enter Li Chen Sect, and the second was that Yu Ci was willing to stand up for the Wanling Sect. The former was uncontrollable, while the latter, through effort, was not impossible. At least, that's what the high-ranking members of the Wanling Sect believed.

To put it bluntly, all the recruitment and gratitude were mere pretense. Establishing connections and building relationships were the real goals. The Wanling Sect simply wanted to make a "friend" of Yu Ci, not necessarily a bosom friend, but one with whom they could have mutually beneficial exchanges. The root of it all was their ambition for Juebi City, this great treasure trove.

Yu Ci believed that even if he revealed that Xu Lao Er had died at his hands, the Wanling Sect would pretend not to hear it, as long as there were sufficient benefits on the table.