Chapter 149: Spouting Brutal Truths

Inside the guest room.

Prohibitions and barriers enshrouded the space.

Yu Ye sat cross-legged on the couch, two storage rings placed before him.

Early in the morning, Dang Guiyi had come to summon him out, saying they had arranged with the Yu family siblings to visit fellow cultivators at another inn. Claiming he was feeling unwell, Yu Ye declined the offer. Unwilling to give up, Dang Guiyi then used socializing as an excuse to demand a few spirit stones for emergency expenses. Yu Ye simply ignored him, leaving Dang Guiyi with no choice but to depart in sullen disappointment.

Yet Yu Ye was not being petty or stingy.

He was truly mentally and physically exhausted.

When dealing with the elderly ghost cultivator the day before, it had seemed perilous yet ultimately safe, but in reality, he had poured out his every effort and was left shaken with lingering fear.

That old ghost cultivator possessed only Qi Refining cultivation, yet his mystical abilities were exceedingly bizarre. At the critical juncture, he had unleashed his only sword talisman, only for it to fail to take effect; if not for the assistance of the demonic salamander, the ultimate outcome would have been hard to predict.

One must know that relying on the Seven Kills Sword Qi, he feared no Qi Refining expert. Yet facing that old ghost cultivator, a sudden sense of powerlessness had washed over him, because the opponent's arts and magic were entirely different from those of any adversary he had previously encountered.

Therefore, he needed to thoroughly review the entire event. This was also the instruction given by the Flood Dragon Shadow: reflect three times daily and constantly examine oneself. Whether or not one could attain true profound knowledge, at least one would learn a lesson and avoid repeating past mistakes.

Now, without Dang Guiyi’s clamor, it was finally quiet.

Yu Ye looked at the rings in front of him, his expression somewhat peculiar.

Both the old ghost cultivator and his disciple had been swallowed alive by the demonic salamander. Their storage rings had been swallowed along with them and naturally refused to be spat out, yet were ultimately excreted.

Yu Ye channeled his spiritual sense, and with a "swish," a pile of items materialized. Concentrating his focus, he sorted through them, picking out a dozen spirit stones, eight or nine talismans, two jade slips, and five small flags.

Ghost Escaping Talisman?

Having studied the Supreme Spirit Talismans, it was not difficult to recognize the script on the talismans.

The talismans left behind by the old master and his disciple consisted of one Ghost Escaping Talisman, two Soul Summoning Talismans, five Nether Fire Talismans, and one Nether Soldier Talisman.

All nine of these talismans exuded an eerie, chilling aura.

Having experienced firsthand the formidable power of ghost cultivation arts, Yu Ye carefully set the talismans aside.

The two jade slips were somewhat damaged. One of them contained two manuals: the *Netherworld Precious Mirror*, which was already fragmented and incomplete, evidently a ghost cultivation technique; the other was the *Yin-Yang Art*, another cultivation method that happened to remain perfectly intact.

Yu Ye put down the two jade slips and picked up the five small flags. A moment later, he retrieved the other four small flags he had previously seized from his storage iron ring.

All nine small flags used white bones as shafts and triangular beast skin for the banners, covered in dense talismanic inscriptions and radiating a heavy, bone-chilling coldness. However, they were divided into two sets of formations: one was the *Yin-Yang Soul-Severing Formation*, and the other was the *Five Ghosts Qi-Gathering Formation*.

Ghost cultivation techniques were quite extraordinary, and the mystical abilities of ghost cultivators could not be underestimated either. Alas, he had no time to divide his focus and could only leave them for future leisurely study and reference.

Yu Ye stored the talismans, jade slips, and formation flags separately, returning the remaining items to their original rings. Just as he thought to continue practicing the Divine Dragon Escaping Technique, he could not help but frown.

Inside the beast-taming ring, the two demonic salamanders were growing restless once again. Clearly hungry, they were demanding food from him.

Hadn't they just swallowed two living humans? How could they be hungry again?

With no other choice, Yu Ye took out the ring used to store the corpses of snakes, insects, birds, and beasts, pulled out a few wild wolves, and tossed them into the beast-taming ring. Only after the two demonic salamanders quieted down did he collect his wandering thoughts, regulating his breath and meditating...

Unbeknownst to him, many days passed.

Ever since Yu Ye rejected Dang Guiyi, he feared being pestered further and simply chose to stay behind closed doors, hiding away to cultivate in peace. To his surprise, several days passed continuously without a single knock on his door.

What was Dang Guiyi busy with?

Yu Ye gradually grew restless, guessing that the day for the immortal sect to accept disciples was approaching. He ended his cultivation session, stood up, and withdrew the barriers.

He no longer used the Three Talents Formation Flags because he was unwilling to dwell on the past.

Moreover, after cultivating up to this point, the Divine Dragon Escaping Technique had made zero progress. Perhaps it was tied to his cultivation level, but there was no need to rush it.

Opening the door, the neighboring guest room was indeed completely empty.

And pasted upon the doorframe was a brand-new peachwood charm.

Peachwood charms signified bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. In other words, another year had passed. Counting it up, Yu Ye was now eighteen years old.

Yu Ye left the guest room and crossed the courtyard.

It was precisely noon, and the sunlight was bright and warm. In the flowerbeds among the courtyard trees, a few small blossoms were actually blooming, revealing a faint hint of spring amidst the cold wind and involuntarily refreshing the viewer's eyes.

As Yu Ye wandered through the courtyard, he calculated the dates on his fingers.

There were still a few days left before Mount Yunchuan opened its gates to accept disciples. Could it be that Dang Guiyi had left him behind and already headed for the Yunchuan Immortal Sect?

Yu Ye came to the inn's tavern—the main hall—and asked the proprietor, learning that Dang Guiyi had not checked out or departed. Shaking his head inwardly, he ordered a bowl of meat soup and began to eat and drink by himself.

Having cultivated in his guest room for so long on mereedia-cleansing pills, his mouth tasted exceedingly bland. With the bowl of meat soup down his stomach, his entire body instantly felt invigorated.

Still unsatisfied, Yu Ye ordered several large chunks of braised meat to take with him. Just as he produced a spirit stone to settle the bill, several people walked in through the entrance.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, hold on!"

One of them was none of other than Dang Guiyi, who enthusiastically instructed, "Proprietor Wu, charge all his food and drink for the past few days to his tab! Oh, and prepare another table of banquets; this fellow Daoist will settle it together!"

"Dang Guiyi..."

Yu Ye was filled with irritation.

Having hidden away for days, who would have thought he still couldn't escape Dang Guiyi's extortion.

The proprietor, surnamed Wu, possessed a benevolent appearance with a warm smile. Standing behind the counter, he held an account ledger in one hand while extending the other toward Yu Ye—

"Your fellow Daoist over there owed seven spirit stones. Combined with your food and drink just now, that comes to eight spirit stones in total."

Unable to avoid it, Yu Ye could only chalk it up to bad luck.

Proprietor Wu accepted the spirit stones, nodded, and said, "Many thanks for your patronage!"

Still feeling deeply depressed, Yu Ye couldn't help muttering, "Senior, you make earning spirit stones look so effortless!"

"Haha, this old man is merely a decrepit mortal, unworthy of the title of Senior!"

Proprietor Wu shook his head, smiling amiably. "The few spirit stones I earn are merely a meager comfort. If Fellow Daoist fancies this livelihood, why not trade it with me?"

"How would we trade?"

"Take your hundred years of mortal lifespan in exchange for this inn and an inexhaustible supply of spirit stones."

"You jest!"

"Haha!"

Proprietor Wu stroked his beard and chuckled, murmuring to himself, "A hurried life passing like a dream; looking back, a hundred years have already flown by, and youth is gone forever..."

Yu Ye cupped his fists to show his respect for the lesson.

From the old proprietor's words, he could guess a thing or two: the man’s lifespan was likely nearing its end with no hope left for breakthroughs in cultivation, so he opened an inn to plunge back into the mortal world and console his remaining twilight years.

"Fellow Daoist Yu—"

Dang Guiyi was already seated at a table, exchanging cups with three young people. Amidst his feasting, he did not forget to loudly summon him. However, the title "Junior Brother Yu" had reverted back to "Fellow Daoist Yu."

Yu Ye turned and walked over.

He recognized Yu Fei and Yu Xing, but the third person was entirely unfamiliar to him.

"This is Goumuzi, a fellow Daoist I recently made acquaintance with!"

The man addressed as Goumuzi appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Dressed in a Daoist robe, he had fair skin, cold and piercing eyes, and an extraordinary demeanor. He stood up, raised his hands in a salute, and said, "My surname is Gao. Having entered an immortal sect since childhood, I was bestowed a Daoist name—you may simply call me Goumuzi from now on!"

Yu Ye returned the salute, expressing deep respect.

Goumuzi's cultivation level should be no lower than the fifth layer of Qi Refining; no wonder he looked out of the ordinary—he was actually an immortal sect disciple. Furthermore, his bearing and speech were quite unrestrained as he smiled and said, "I heard that Fellow Daoist Yu hails from the State of Wei, boasting a profound family heritage. We must exchange pointers another day. Please, take a seat—"

"I wouldn't dare, please—" Yu Ye offered a modest courtesy.

However, the four of them each occupied a side of the table, leaving no space for him whatsoever. Using the excuse that he was already full, he dragged a stool over and sat beside them as a companion.

The table was laden with wine and dishes, quite a lavish spread.

Acting as the host, Dang Guiyi invited the three of them to drink and dine. He possessed a silver tongue and excelled at boasting, casually tossing out rumors from various nations and endless anecdotes about immortal sects, which earned repeated nods from Yu Fei and Goumuzi, and even brought a smile to the normally introverted Yu Xing's face.

Yu Ye sat quietly on the side, looking completely uninterested.

Especially given his attire as a farm boy and his dull expression, he contrasted sharply with the garments and bearing of the other four.

Dang Guiyi, on the other hand, was in high spirits, chatting animatedly with his three fellow Daoists—

"Three days from now, you and I will head to Mount Yunchuan together. Once we enter the immortal sect, Goumuzi will be the Senior Eldest Brother, Yu Fei the Second Senior Brother, and I can only settle for being the Junior Brother. As for Yu Xing, you've struck a bargain; with three senior brothers protecting you, if anyone dares bully you, Third Senior Brother will be the first to object!"

"Brother Dang, whether you and I can successfully enter the immortal sect remains uncertain!"

"Junior Sister Yu Xing, rest easy. Both of us have people vouching for us; entering the immortal sect will be no difficult task. It's just a pity that Fellow Daoist Yu lacks affinity with the immortal sects. I brought him all the way here with my own hands, and it truly breaks my heart to part ways. Fellow Daoist Yu..."

Yu Ye had been absent-minded and felt slightly confused.

Since Goumuzi was already an immortal sect disciple, why was he seeking entry into the Yunchuan Immortal Sect anew?

"What are Fellow Daoist Yu's plans? Will you return to the State of Wei, or wait here for a chance encounter?"

"He doesn't have anyone to vouch for him?"

"This Fellow Daoist Yu comes from the State of Wei. He is a stranger in a strange land, completely dependent on himself with no guarantor."

"The State of Wei is hardly lacking in renowned and powerful sects; why would he travel so far away?"

"Fellow Daoist Gao speaks truly. Fellow Daoist Yu—?"

Dang Guiyi, Goumuzi, Yu Fei, and Yu Xing all turned their gazes toward Yu Ye.

Yu Ye was slightly startled and said, "I was out traveling and originally intended to head to Qingcheng City, but I happened to run into Fellow Daoist Dang stirring up trouble, and he was the one who brought me here..."

"Fellow Daoist Yu, Fellow Daoist Yu, since you aren't feeling well, you needn't stay here to keep us company. Please feel free to do as you wish!"

With an awkward expression, Dang Guiyi hurriedly waved his hand, turning back to invite the others: "Everyone, let's drink—"

Yu Ye quietly stood up and departed.

Goumuzi and the Yu siblings were polite enough to raise their hands in farewell. Only Dang Guiyi feigned drinking while secretly transmitting his voice to warn him—

"Why on earth did you blurt out the raw truth like that? Do you want to enter the immortal sect next year or not?"

Yu Ye walked straight into the inn's courtyard. Basking in the warm sunlight, looking at the small flowers in the bushes, he paced leisurely with his arms crossed over his chest.

Three days from now would be the day Mount Yunchuan opened its gates to accept disciples.

Without a guarantor or a letter of recommendation, was it truly impossible to enter the Yunchuan Immortal Sect?

Yu Ye reached out to cup his chin, sinking into deep thought.

Just as he racked his brain with no solution in sight, sounds of tearing and biting drifted from within the beast-taming ring.

Perhaps driven to desperation by hunger, the two demonic salamanders had once again started a life-and-death brawl. Furthermore, the bird and beast carcasses he had previously collected had been completely consumed within a mere dozen days or so; right now, he couldn't produce a single snake or bird to feed the demonic beasts.

Those two fellows ate far too much. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to afford to keep them! Yet letting them out to harm people was out of the question, and killing them felt like too much of a waste. Alas...