I've Got My Eye on You

The ancestral hall gradually fell silent.

The villagers who had hidden themselves emerged, timidly approaching the ancestral hall.

The ghost general's enormous body lay motionless on the ground. At first, the villagers dared not approach, afraid it would rise again.

But after a long while, seeing that the ghost general truly showed no further signs of movement, someone threw back their head and let out a howl:

"It's really gone! It's really gone!"

At that shout, several strong men dragged and tugged the ghost general's remains out. The villagers instantly swarmed over them, raising rakes, wooden clubs, shovels, kitchen knives, even benches-all manner of things-and battered the ghost general's corpse like people possessed. As they punched and kicked, they let out inarticulate cries.

Before long, the ghost general on the ground had been dismembered until nothing remained in sight, save a few broken armor plates.

The statue in the ancestral hall shattered as well.

Chen Yi leaned quietly against a pillar, wiping the grime from his blade with a rag he had picked up at random.

The Daoists of the Shangqing Dao were cautiously sizing up this ordinary mortal who had slain a ghost.

As the saying went, even a foot could fall short, and even an inch could have its strengths. By rights, Daoists like them excelled at slaying demons, praying for blessings, and delivering the dead, while martial artists excelled at fighting one another amid flashing blades. A martial artist doing a Daoist's work was undoubtedly a dog catching mice.

Yet the man before them had actually caught the "mouse," and what he had caught... was a "mouse" that Daoists like them could not catch.

The Daoists recalled the sight of him slaying the ghost in a daze, unable to believe their own eyes.

Yin Weiying's face was as still as water. Beyond the shock in her eyes lay a deep, lingering fear.

Even with an object of suppression, even with his formidable martial prowess, even if that had only been an incarnation of a ghost lord, he had slain Ghost General Deng Ai with scarcely an effort. No one here could possibly have accomplished that, herself included.

Was this... the fiendish terror Father wanted to kill?

Other than "fiendish terror," Yin Weiying could find no words to describe him.

Remembering her earlier thoughts of killing him with praise and provoking him, Yin Weiying felt waves of dread.

Just then, Chen Yi turned his head toward Yin Weiying and the other Daoists.

"I saved your lives today. Might the Shangqing Dao help me with two small favors?"

Chen Yi spoke slowly.

Daoist Xuan Zhen, who lay on the ground, had recovered a little and was in no immediate danger of dying. He asked hoarsely:

"Of course. We shall remember the debt of our lives until our teeth are gone. I failed to recognize Mount Tai when it stood before me, ahem, ahem. It truly is like Sage Confucius's remarks on birds and beasts upon meeting Lord Lao... I had thought... birds, I know they can fly; beasts, I know they can run. All living creatures have their strengths. I never imagined, never imagined..."

At that point, Daoist Xuan Zhen coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Several Shangqing Dao Daoists hastily cast concerned looks at him, patting his back gently and chanting scriptures for him.

"No need for such courtesy, Daoist."

Chen Yi bore Daoist Xuan Zhen no ill will. His telling Chen Yi to leave had merely been out of kindness.

"I have only two requests. First, help me summon a soul. Second... I would like to borrow your sect's Shangqing Heart Method for a look."

At his words, all the Shangqing Dao Daoists froze.

Though the former went against human ethics, it was certainly a small favor. The latter, however, concerned the very foundation on which a sect stood!

The Shangqing Heart Method had been passed down for over a thousand years. Not only was it renowned among the immortal mountain sects, it was also one of the foremost internal cultivation methods in the martial world. After all, Celestial Person Wu, Wu Buyu, known as "A Thought, Fine Dust," who had topped the Martial Ranking two hundred years ago, had been a Shangqing Dao disciple who suffered cultivation deviation and broke away from the sect.

"Isn't that a little... inappropriate?"

The young female Daoist acquainted with Yin Weiying spoke instinctively.

Several Shangqing Dao Daoists exchanged glances and were about to nod when Daoist Xuan Zhen suddenly spoke:

"A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Never mind a single cultivation method-even if Thousand Household Chen wished to visit the Shangqing Dao's scripture repository, that would be no difficulty."

At these words, everyone from the Shangqing Dao stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.

The young female Daoist hurriedly turned her head and said urgently:

"Senior Brother, this is far too rash... We must at least ask Master's opinion!"

Daoist Xuan Zhen sighed and raised his voice a little:

"Cultivation methods are dead things, but people are alive. Never mind that he saved your senior brother-even if he had saved a single villager, we should give him a cultivation method if he asked for one. Is the Shangqing Dao some martial arts sect? Junior brothers and sisters, remember: you cultivate the Dao, not martial arts! You cultivate a clear heart and few desires, not fame and fortune!"

After this rebuke, he coughed twice. The Shangqing Dao Daoists all looked ashamed and said no more.

Chen Yi cupped his fist toward Daoist Xuan Zhen.

Then Daoist Xuan Zhen summoned a junior brother and had him explain the Shangqing Heart Method to Chen Yi.

Before long, Chen Yi saw another cultivation method appear on his panel.

[Shangqing Heart Method (Transcendent Grade) (Not Yet Learned)]

Having finally obtained the Shangqing Heart Method, Chen Yi felt joy rise within him.

With this, including the Fragment of the Star-Absorbing Great Method, he now had seven cultivation methods.

The only pity was that, like the Grudge Yin-Yang Art, the Shangqing Heart Method was a transcendent-grade cultivation method. Both required an infusion of True Essence to practice, so it seemed it would be of no use for now...

Or... should I postpone advancing the Grudge Yin-Yang Art?

Thinking this, Chen Yi turned his face and casually swept his gaze around. Then he caught a detail.

After listening to the Shangqing Heart Method, Min Ning, standing nearby, seemed to be unconsciously circulating his qi.

This utterly unremarkable sight gave Chen Yi an idea.

Why must I infuse True Essence to practice it?

Couldn't I just cultivate the Shangqing Heart Method directly?!

His thinking had been constrained in the past. He had always thought about infusing True Qi or True Essence, but all these cultivation methods could actually be practiced directly. It would merely take a great deal of time.

Whether he infused True Qi or True Essence, it was really only a shortcut!

Once his thinking broadened, he was no longer in a bind, nor did he need to postpone advancing the Grudge Yin-Yang Art. Besides, he really wanted to give that little Holy Maiden... a ringing blow to the head.

After leaving five or six Daoists behind, the rest of the Shangqing Dao party departed with the severely injured Daoist Xuan Zhen. As they left, the villagers, unaware of the truth, knelt on the ground and kowtowed incessantly. Some even chased after them to offer cured meat.

To Chen Yi's surprise, Yin Weiying, the Goddess of Mount Taihua, had not left with them.

"You're not leaving?"

Chen Yi approached her and said with a smile,

"Could it be that you really want to become my dao companion?"

Hearing this, Yin Weiying felt somewhat aggrieved and turned her face away.

"Mount Taihua has always excelled at soul-summoning arts, far surpassing the Shangqing Dao. If I stay, I can lead the formation, while they guard me and support it."

Sensing something amiss, Chen Yi asked:

"That's all? I doubt it. Why are you taking the initiative to help me?"

With her thoughts laid bare, Yin Weiying drew a deep breath and said softly:

"Those who have left the secular world do not lie. I am indeed taking the initiative to help you. Since that is the case, I will speak my mind plainly."

"Oh?"

"My father wants to kill you, and I am powerless to stop him. I am helping you today to leave a small debt of kindness with you. If, one day, you and my father face each other with blades drawn, and victory is firmly in your grasp, I hope you will do your best to leave my father and mother a path to survival. Though I cultivate supreme oblivion of emotion, I still cannot avoid attachments in the mortal world."

"Looks like you aren't quite so heartless after all."

"Then... can you agree?"

Yin Weiying asked tentatively.

Yet just then, Chen Yi smiled and asked an unrelated question.

"Immortal Maiden Yin, you're twenty, aren't you? What is your courtesy name?"

Yin Weiying froze for a moment. Apart from her parents and brothers, usually only a woman's husband knew her courtesy name.

"...Luanhuang."

After hesitating, Yin Weiying still said it. There was no blush of a woman being teased on her face; her expression remained unchanged.

"...The luan birds and phoenixes grow more distant by the day."

Chen Yi searched his memory and recalled that this was from "Crossing the River" in the Nine Chapters.

Then he turned his face toward her and said with a smile,

"Yin Luanhuang,

"I've got my eye on you."

The Goddess of Mount Taihua felt her hair stand on end.