Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Preparing to Unlock a New Map

Zhuo Qingyan had taken her own life by jumping into a well, transforming into a ghost. She was most adept at manipulating water vapor, and her talent for cultivation was quite good. Despite having only been dead for thirty years, her Dao Practice was already formidable, allowing her to trade blows evenly with Consort Yu of the Golden Wind Divine Sect.

While Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song would periodically disappear under the pretext of cultivation, Zhuo Qingyan grew ever closer to Silk Embroideress He. She also occasionally helped Elder He teach the local children.

The Silk Embroideress told Zhuo Qingyan about Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song, and Zhuo Qingyan, in turn, told the Silk Embroideress her own story.

"Young Master Gu told me their school of cultivation is very special," the Silk Embroideress explained, giving the reason for their trip to Xiuyue County. "Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating Virtue nurtures the heart, while Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit helps cultivate their techniques. Both aid their cultivation."

"So that’s how it is. What a unique cultivation method," Zhuo Qingyan mused. "And anyone who can practice such a Dharma Gate must be a kind-hearted person."

’That would explain how Gu Zhao could tell I’d never harmed anyone the moment he saw me. After all, to practice Righteousness and Heroism and act on heaven’s behalf, you’d naturally need a discerning eye for good and evil.’

"Yes, yes!" The Silk Embroideress nodded repeatedly. "Young Master Gu is wonderful! He saved our entire village, brought us food and drink, and he’s even buying lumber to build a manor, which has created jobs for so many people around here."

"You’re a good person too, Miss Zhuo. I wonder if you could cultivate Young Master Gu’s technique," the Silk Embroideress said hopefully.

Zhuo Qingyan teased, "Why don’t you cultivate it?"

"I’m in Harmony with Xiaobai, so the Magical Power I cultivate carries Demon Qi. It’s not suitable for Young Master Gu’s Cultivation Method," the Silk Embroideress explained earnestly.

Zhuo Qingyan smiled and asked, "What technique does Young Master Gu cultivate?"

"The Thunder Technique!" the Silk Embroideress said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And Elder Yan Song?" Zhuo Qingyan continued to ask.

"I heard it’s called the Taiyin Fire Mansion Secret Technique. He can breathe out Wind and Fire. It’s incredibly powerful!" the Silk Embroideress said with a look of pure admiration.

"Exactly!" Zhuo Qingyan pointed to herself. "I’m a ghost. How am I supposed to cultivate a Thunder Technique and a Fire Technique?"

The Silk Embroideress looked a little embarrassed. "I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that..."

"You are all good people." Zhuo Qingyan took the Silk Embroideress’s hand. "It’s a shame I didn’t meet you at the right time."

The Silk Embroideress blinked. "Back then... we hadn’t been born yet, had we?"

Zhuo Qingyan was speechless.

"PFFT!" Not far away, Bai Ke couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Seeing Zhuo Qingyan turn around, she quickly leaped off the low table. "I’ll go see if Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song are back yet."

But before she could even run out of the small courtyard, she saw Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song returning together, chatting as they walked.

"I was given the first draft of the design. It really does have a certain ethereal quality to it. I approved it and told them to refine the details and then create detailed construction blueprints. I also required them to use only pictures and numbers, with no simplified Chinese characters allowed."

"Excellent, excellent. That way, Elder He can supervise the construction, and this old Daoist won’t have to stay here."

"The necessary materials like bluestone bricks, glazed tiles, red lacquer, mortar, metal components, and stone carvings are also being prepared. I rented another warehouse next to the furniture factory, but as for manpower..."

"Don’t worry about manpower. Because the lumber mill is buying up Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood, Elder He has already gotten a clear picture of the situation in the surrounding villages and towns. He’s also spoken with the local artisans, and they’re ready to start work on the mountain at any time."

When the residents of the surrounding villages and towns learned that a Mage who could exorcise ghosts and subdue demons was going to establish a sect on Cuiluo Mountain, they were ecstatic. Forget getting paid; they would have been willing to work for free.

"It doesn’t have to be built all at once. We can take our time with the construction," Gu Zhao said.

"Of course not. Your temple complex will have over a hundred buildings. Besides the ones for worshiping Immortals, there are also your own living quarters. How could it possibly be built so easily?"

Taoist Yan Song counted on his fingers. "In the initial phase, it’ll be good enough just to get the mountain gate, the Spirit Official Hall, and a few of the side halls and residences built."

"There’s one more thing," Taoist Yan Song said, his tone shifting. "Don’t forget, even though the Court has no control over Changping Prefecture right now, the Golden Wind Sect is still there."

"No matter how little we Daoists compete for Incense, we still need halls for the God of Wealth, Wenchang, the Matchmaker God, and the Medicine King—the Immortals people pray to for wealth, official positions, marriage, and peace."

"The Golden Wind Divine King has several hundred years of Dao Practice, and more importantly, he can fly. The Talismans I’ve prepared might not be enough," Gu Zhao said, rubbing his chin. "Besides, the Evil Qi from Zhu Da and Consort Yu isn’t enough to form a new Thunder Seed yet."

The Thunder Seed was a treasure capable of activating one’s Innate Qi and helping them advance by leaps and bounds. If not for the Thunder Seed, even after crossing over to the Otherworld, Taoist Yan Song would have had to start his cultivation from scratch, and his progress would not have been very fast. How else could he have so easily suppressed Consort Yu with his Taiyi Wind and Fire?

"We still haven’t found a second person who can gain the recognition of the Five Thunders Order. Even if we did form a new Thunder Seed, it would be useless," Taoist Yan Song said, shaking his head.

"Let’s just make one first and worry about that later. I’m planning to head to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain after we’ve created a Thunder Seed," Gu Zhao said. Then he asked, "Should we make another trip to Xiuyue County?"

"Are you trying to shear the same sheep over and over?" Taoist Yan Song was exasperated. "Didn’t Elder He say that Wuhe County was nearly wiped out by Demons a few decades ago and still hasn’t recovered its Vitality?"

"Right! There are probably even more Demons and Ghosts in Wuhe County than in Xiuyue County!" Gu Zhao struck his fist into his palm. "I’ll go back and make some arrangements over the next few days, and then we’ll set out."

At this, Gu Zhao shook his head. "This is feeling more and more like a video game. We have to grind mobs before fighting the boss."

"And there’s more than one boss," Taoist Yan Song added. "There’s still Three Extremes Mountain and Bian Palace."

Gu Zhao slapped his forehead. "But we only have one life."

"Young Master!"

Seeing the Silk Embroideress and the others come to greet them, Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song stopped talking. They nodded at Zhuo Qingyan and, meeting Bai Ke’s expectant gaze, handed the bag in their hands to the Silk Embroideress. "Five-spice roasted chicken."

"YIP YIP YIP!"

...

「Back in his own world.」

Gu Zhao opened his phone and saw several unread messages.

Jiang Shishi: @Gu Zhao, Xiaoya and I passed our interviews!

Jiang Shishi: Come out and celebrate with us!

Xiao Ya: Are you free? Or are you cultivating? Can you come out?

’Besides his parents and Zhang Hang, girls were finally contacting him on their own initiative.’

Ever since the interview, Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya had been exploring the area around Yangcheng, inviting Gu Zhao along from time to time. If he happened to be free, he would naturally join them to enjoy the scenery.

’Even though he was Cultivating the Dao and Refining the Heart, Gu Zhao was still a normal guy. When two pretty girls showed interest in him, he obviously wasn’t stupid enough to turn them down.’

’He knew that part of the reason was that he had shown them some of his Extraordinary Power, but Jiang Shishi was lively and cheerful, while Xiao Ya was kind and gentle. Gu Zhao admitted to himself that, for the most part, he was also just into their looks.’

’What he couldn’t figure out, however, was that Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya were friends. Why would they both show a hint of ambiguous affection for him without making anything explicit, and not seem to mind it in the slightest?’

’If it weren’t for the fact that Jiang Shishi or Xiao Ya always insisted on paying whenever they went out, Gu Zhao would have thought they were just keeping him around as a shared backup boyfriend.’