Chapter 114: I Want to Touch It

On the clean limestone streets of Woodmount City, Chen Luo sat within an opulent carriage, eyes closed in quiet cultivation. Across from him was the gray-robed figure who had tested his abilities moments ago.

After Chen Luo presented the Guest Official Decree and requested a meeting, the figure promptly agreed.

Using a spirit talisman to contact those behind him, a luxurious carriage, adorned with the official insignia of the Luxury Nation’s government, arrived shortly thereafter. This symbol represented the authority of the imperial court, signifying it as an official carriage.

Once aboard, the carriage proceeded straight towards the north district of Woodmount City.

This area housed the city’s elite and nobility, including the Hu Family, which Chen Luo had taken note of during his previous visit.

After approximately fifteen minutes, the carriage stopped in front of a grand residence.

Two black-robed individuals wearing white masks were already waiting at the entrance.

“Wendao Pavilion, quite an apt name. The person backing you is County Magistrate Zhou?”

As Chen Luo stepped down from the carriage, he glanced up at the inscription on the gate plaque. Privately, he had inquired about this place from Shixiong Hu Qiudao; it belonged to County Magistrate Zhou Tianyang.

The gray-robed figure trailed behind, his gaze somewhat vacant.

He had yet to fully recover from the Soul Technique’s attack; his ears were filled with incessant buzzing, and double vision occasionally blurred his sight. The damage inflicted by a Soul Technique targeted not the physical body but the divine soul itself. At the Qi Refinement stage, such harm could only be healed gradually through meditation and cultivation. Having endured a full-force Soul Technique, it would take him at least half a year to recuperate.

“Honored guest, please come inside,” said the two masked servants respectfully. Neither of them exhibited any fluctuations of spiritual energy, indicating they were merely mortal martial practitioners. In Woodmount City, cultivators were relatively scarce, and even the gray-robed figure who tested Chen Luo was considered one of the organization’s few top experts.

The masked figures parted to either side, opening the courtyard gate for Chen Luo.

“My apologies for not personally welcoming you earlier, esteemed guest. Please forgive me.” As soon as Chen Luo entered the main hall, he was greeted by County Magistrate Zhou, dressed in official robes, with a warm smile on his face.

Magistrate Zhou had already received word about Chen Luo possessing the Guest Official Decree.

Once assured that Chen Luo was not an enemy, Magistrate Zhou visibly relaxed. The presence of the Guest Official Decree indicated that Chen Luo had transacted with the Scattered Cultivators Union, marking him as recognized talent they sought to attract.

“Magistrate Zhou,” Chen Luo responded with a smile.

As soon as he entered, he sensed the other’s aura—eighth level of Qi Refinement! A Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator, no wonder he held the position of County Magistrate in Woodmount City. Apart from the Hu Family patriarch, Magistrate Zhou Tianyang was considered the strongest local cultivator.

“In private matters, formal titles create distance.” Magistrate Zhou wore a warm and welcoming smile as he guided Chen Luo towards the inner hall. “Twenty years ago, I too ventured to an immortal sect for training. I joined Xingdou Peak and studied formations for three years, but embarrassingly, by the time I left, I still hadn’t grasped how to set them up.”

“So you’re Zhou-shixiong,” Chen Luo promptly adjusted his address accordingly.

“Haha, being fellow disciples, it’s rare to meet like this today. Let me introduce you to some friends.” Zhou Tianyang, pleased with Chen Luo’s demeanor, spoke with increasing familiarity.

The two continued conversing amicably as they entered the inner hall.

By the time they entered the room, their titles had shifted to “brother” and “honored junior.”

This exchange left the gray-robed figure behind them utterly bewildered. Knowing that the two had just met, anyone else might have assumed they were long-lost brothers reunited.

As Chen Luo stepped inside, he realized there was already a group gathered within.

His arrival coincided with their exchange meeting, where participants traded resources among themselves. Outside of the major sects, solo cultivators and small cultivator clans relied on such gatherings for resource exchanges.

Chen Luo’s entrance alongside Zhou Tianyang immediately caught the attention of several individuals in the room, causing two of them to momentarily freeze in surprise.

“Junior Brother Chen?”

Recognizing them, Chen Luo couldn’t help but smile. It was none other than his elder brother, Hu Qiudao.

The Hu Family’s primary channel for resource exchange was indeed through Zhou Tianyang. However, based on this gathering, it seemed likely that these transactions went beyond simple resource trading. Probably after learning about the sect’s situation from Chen Luo, Old Master Hu decided to hedge his bets by also reaching out to forces aligned with the Scattered Cultivators Union.

“Elder Brother Hu,” Chen Luo greeted with a courteous bow, smiling warmly.

Hu Qiudao appeared slightly awkward; conspiring privately with enemies was already unbecoming, and now being caught by his junior brother added to his discomfort. However, Old Master Hu behind him responded with a smile.

In terms of thick skin, Hu Qiudao still had much to learn.

Apart from the Hu Family, there were three other factions present. Two of them were similar cultivator clans like the HUs, hailing from nearby small cities. The third group consisted of peculiar individuals clad in black robes. At their forefront sat an elderly man with a face as desiccated as a corpse, exuding a menacing aura. Behind him stood three ominous-looking corpse puppets, clearly indicating they were not aligned with righteous sects.

“Junior Brother is already acquainted with the Hu Family. As fellow members of our immortal sect, no further introduction is needed.” Zhou Tianyang guided everyone inside the hall and proceeded to introduce each person individually.

“This esteemed fairy maiden is Guan Lin, the matriarch of Xinhu City’s Guan family, and this venerable elder is Dongxuan Mingyue, the patriarch of Xiangrui City’s Mingyue family.” As Zhou Tianyang introduced them, each acknowledged with a courteous smile.

Chen Luo observed that those seated were all experts at Late Stage Qi Refinement, while the juniors in Early or Mid Stage Qi Refinement could only stand at the back.

As Zhou Tianyang reached the end, his pace quickened slightly.

He merely mentioned the Corpse-Raising Sect’s name without revealing specific identities.

“Heh heh.”

Daoist Dry Corpse grinned wickedly, his voice unmistakably demonic. He scrutinized Chen Luo from head to toe, seemingly quite intrigued.

“Indeed, not bad,” Daoist Dry Corpse remarked.

Chen Luo smiled as well, but his gaze was fixed on the three corpse puppets behind the dry mummy, particularly the one in the middle. Its malevolent aura could no longer be contained, hinting at its imminent ascension to iron corpse status.

“After passing by the members of the Corpse-Raising Sect, I think I’ll take this seat next to my fellow Daoist here. We clearly share a connection just by looking at each other,” Chen Luo suddenly stopped and pointed to the empty spot beside him.

Zhou Tianyang hesitated momentarily before understanding Chen Luo’s intent.

“Certainly, feel free. This gathering is informal; sit wherever you please,” Zhou Tianyang responded promptly before returning to his main seat.

“I’d like to introduce a fellow disciple from our immortal sect, Chen Luo Shidi, a formidable Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator. With Brother Chen joining us, our exchange meeting grows even more significant. At this rate, we can surely acquire more resources and attract additional allies in the future.”

The group warmly welcomed Chen Luo with various expressions of sincerity, known only to themselves.

“Most of us here are affiliated with the immortal sect, and our gathering isn’t intended to cause any harm,” added Zhou Tianyang.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou speaks wisely.” The elderly man from the Mingyue Family stroked his goatee beard, expressing deep sentiment. “With the decline of the immortal sect, we gather merely for self-protection. In these turbulent times, it’s truly challenging for solo cultivators like ourselves!”

“Exactly as Fellow Daoist Mingyue has stated,” replied Guan Zhongshan. “Over the past few years, our Guan family has decided to temporarily withhold the taxes due to the sect. We will safeguard them until the sect regains stability, at which point we’ll make the payments. This way, we can also prevent potential theft during transportation, avoiding unnecessary losses.”

His words instantly garnered widespread agreement, even from the Hu Family patriarch.

Seated quietly, Chen Luo listened to their mutual flattery. These were all shameless old men, using hollow praise to deceive naive youngsters like Hu Qiudao. He, however, didn’t believe a single word. Comparatively, he felt that this group fell short in audacity compared to his third uncle; when Third Uncle used to drink without paying in the alleys, his excuses sounded far more convincing than theirs.

“This fellow Daoist seems quite intrigued by my refined corpse?”

Suddenly, Daoist Dry Corpse on Chen Luo’s left spoke with an incredibly raspy voice, sounding extremely grating.

“I must admit, this is my first encounter with such a powerful refined corpse. Naturally, I am quite curious,” Chen Luo responded humbly and sincerely.

“Indeed, I unearthed this refined corpse from an ancient ruin. The effort to refine it was immense; I cannot even estimate the resources spent.” A hint of pride flashed across Daoist Dry Corpse’s face as he mentioned his creation.

This particular refined corpse was his greatest satisfaction, possessing enormous potential and a high likelihood of advancing to an iron corpse!

“Oh? Unearthed from an ancient ruin?” Chen Luo’s interest piqued further.

Considering the caliber of this corpse puppet, if he could access its memories, there might be valuable information to glean.

“Such a refined corpse truly is a priceless treasure. Might I respectfully request a closer examination, perhaps even a chance to touch it?” Chen Luo turned towards Daoist Dry Corpse, his expression earnest.

These words caught Daoist Dry Corpse completely off guard.

He stammered… “What did you say?”

The black-robed men standing behind him were equally dumbfounded.

Touch the corpse puppet?

They had never encountered such an unusual interest before.

“It’s not entirely out of the question.” Daoist Dry Corpse’s gaze towards Chen Luo shifted subtly.

This young man seemed even more deranged than himself.

“In that case, many thanks to my fellow Daoist,” Chen Luo promptly rose and reached out towards the refined corpse behind Daoist Dry Corpse.

“Wait.”

Daoist Dry Corpse blocked Chen Luo’s hand.

“I am also intrigued by the ancient methods of grave digging. Would my fellow Daoist be willing to share them with me?”

Grave digger? Ancient methods?

Chen Luo paused momentarily but quickly understood. Without hesitation, he confidently assured, “No problem.”

Indeed, Third Uncle’s craft deserved wider recognition. Encountering someone interested was rare, so naturally, exchanging knowledge was essential.

In front of Daoist Dry Corpse, Chen Luo produced a blank spiritual slip and meticulously wrote down the techniques of grave digging, including precautions and required tools.

“Remarkable!”

Upon receiving the spiritual slip, Daoist Dry Corpse glanced at it, instantly verifying its authenticity. With a wave of his hand, the refined corpse stepped forward, approaching Chen Luo closely.

The chilling malevolent aura nearby caused the surrounding temperature to noticeably drop.

Once the concealment faded, Chen Luo distinctly felt the icy chill emanating from the refined corpse. Beneath its black hair, its eyes gleamed like those of a bloodthirsty beast, exuding a bone-chilling aura that prickled his palms like steel needles.

Chen Luo channeled spiritual energy to his palm, shielding it from the malevolent qi, and then gently placed his hand on the refined corpse’s head.

‘Contacting deceased brainwave signals, Degradation Rate 99%. Read now?’

“Read!”

Recognizing the familiar prompt, Chen Luo promptly chose to read without hesitation.