CHAPTER 44: 44. THE RETURN DATE HAS ARRIVED

A few days later...

Snake Corpse Market.

On one side, there is gloom and desolation; on the other, there is joyous laughter, various chuckles mixed with cries. Glancing around, one moment it’s weeping with bowed heads, the next it’s hearty laughter.

Song Yan, familiar with the place, arrived at Dan Lazi’s stall.

Dan Lazi, the same loose cultivator who sold him the "Refining Organ Pill".

These visits, he intentionally sought out the same person, partly because he felt Dan Lazi had considerable power, and also because Dan Lazi brought his daughter to the market, suggesting he was in business for the long haul. He wanted to establish a connection.

Today, with a glance, he noticed that there were many more items on the stall: elixirs, profound artifacts, and even jade scrolls. Beside the jade scrolls were inscriptions with "Spell Name", along with the price required for inheritance.

He looked up at the little girl watching the stall.

This little girl was called "Little Red Chili", and she seemed to have a profound root as well.

At this moment, Little Red Chili was pouting.

Song Yan originally wanted to congratulate "such a rich harvest", but when Little Red Chili glanced at him, she didn’t say anything, turned away, and called out, "Dad, Dad, Tai Yi is here."

Tai Yi...was the Taoist name Song Yan gave himself under this identity as a loose cultivator. It was analogous to "Hua Rong".

Soon, the door opened, and Dan Lazi walked out.

Song Yan was startled, the sharp-eyed middle-aged loose cultivator had actually lost his left arm, and his face was deathly pale, looking very weak.

"Fellow Daoist Tai Yi, I have to thank you," Dan Lazi approached, speaking with deep emotion.

Song Yan expressed concern, "Brother Dan, what happened to you?"

Dan Lazi sighed, "Let’s talk inside."

Song Yan nodded.

Seeing he did not hesitate, Dan Lazi nodded secretly in his heart, his expression became increasingly friendly.

Moments later, the two reached inside the house.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary house, but inside it was extremely luxurious. A beautiful woman poured them spirit tea.

Dan Lazi introduced directly, "Fellow Daoist Tai Yi, this is my Dao partner, Chun Yun. Chun Yun, this is the Fellow Daoist Tai Yi I mentioned earlier."

The beautiful woman bowed slightly and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Tai Yi, my husband has been thinking about you, suggesting that you might be a capable Skin Master.

We’re thinking of becoming neighbors with you.

Now you’re at the Sixth Layer of Refining Profound. My husband is slightly better, having already reached the Seventh Layer.

If we become neighbors, we can still help you a bit."

Dan Lazi said, "Yes, Fellow Daoist Tai Yi, this time at Snake Corpse Market we suffered heavy losses, many experts are gone.

Even I, even though I lost an arm, am now amongst the top three in the market.

If you were to join, you could become top five in the market, which holds some significant influence. Furthermore..."

He lowered his voice, "We have a beautiful female cultivator here, whose realm is at the Fifth Layer of Refining Profound. Her Dao partner just died in the Demon Swamp... If Fellow Daoist Tai Yi were to stay, my wife could act as a matchmaker."

He chuckled, saying, "Dao partners in dual cultivation, cultivation progresses quickly."

Song Yan was momentarily stunned and asked, "Brother, is the Demon Swamp really that perilous? How did we incur such losses?"

Dan Lazi replied with a bitter smile, "This time, a group of us who are quite advanced in the Refining Profound realm teamed up to delve into the Demon Swamp, trying to reclaim and explore some new areas.

As a result...all those companions of mine died. I only managed to escape thanks to your bodiless phantom crow."

Then, he explained everything in detail.

The two sat together.

Song Yan listened to him while sipping spirit tea.

This interaction made even Chun Yun look at him much more kindly.

Entering the house and drinking tea without hesitation or vigilance indicates the relationship between the parties might be rather closely-knit.

Dan Lazi concluded, saying, "The giant crocodile demon was terrifying; it was only at the critical moment that I used the bodiless phantom crow to block one attack, allowing me to escape in a sorry state. However, the gains were quite substantial."

Song Yan said, "I see from the market that the stalls have not decreased but increased, what’s the reason?"

Dan Lazi replied, "Isn’t it because of the rich resources in the Demon Swamp? Several people have found opportunities and even managed to grow a ’Miscellaneous Profound Root’ from ’No Profound Root’. The rewards for those little cultivators with low realms were even richer.

This Demon Swamp is indeed good, but delving deep... would spell trouble."

It was the first time Song Yan heard that a "profound root" could grow from external sources...

Though it was just the lowest of profound roots, the "Miscellaneous Profound Root", it was still incredible.

It took him forty years of torment by ghosts just to grow the Ghost Profound Root...

This clearly demonstrates the numerous treasures hidden within the "Demon Swamp", and it’s no wonder these high-realm Refining Profound cultivators dare to venture deep within.

With such heavy losses now, Snake Corpse Market is eager to replenish its high-combat loose cultivators.

Therefore, Dan Lazi and Chun Yun were so enthusiastic in trying to win over Song Yan, even contemplating matchmaking him with a Dao partner.

Truth be told, Song Yan was indeed slightly tempted.

After all, although the Snake Corpse Market seemed strange, not venturing into the Demon Swamp might afford some relative stability, at least... a bit better than the ghostly aura of the Puppet Sect.

However, upon asking for the price of "Demon Beast Fur", his face turned green.

First of all, there was very little demon beast fur at Snake Corpse Market, and one piece of fur comparable to that of a low-level beast like the two-headed wolf was priced at 10 Profound Jade Beans.

These Profound Jade Beans were the size of soybeans and if larger, could be measured by weight.

Profound Jade Beans were roughly equivalent to 1 tael in size.

Twenty Profound Jade Beans can similarly buy a copy of "Entry-Level Magic of the First Layer of Refining Profound" at the Snake Corpse Market.

This expensive price directly crushed his hopes.

He suddenly felt that the Puppet Sect had its advantages.

In the Puppet Sect, he never had to worry about the matter of "Demon Beast Fur"; he only needed to continuously make Skin, make Skin, make Skin, and that was enough.

He loved Skin Making.

He regarded it as the career of his life.

But outside, it was too difficult...

But whether he returns to the Puppet Sect does not depend on him, but rather on whether that Sect Leader is still there in five years.

...

...

Song Yan did not agree to "stay" nor reject it, merely saying there were unresolved matters.

Dan La Zi and his wife did not insist, only saying he was welcome at any time.

Afterward, Song Yan wandered in the Snake Corpse Market for a while longer, only to find that high-level Breath Concealment Techniques were not for sale at all.

He thought carefully and realized why.

With Profound Qi flowing throughout your body, how can you conceal it?

But the problem was, Song Yan had to prepare for "hiding," otherwise... he would never return to the Puppet Sect.

Soon, Song Yan considered the problem from another angle: instead of concealing it, can it be temporarily sealed?

This change in thinking led him to a good item — Sealing Talisman.

The Sealing Talisman is considered a low-level common talisman with only one purpose: after subduing a ghost, this talisman is attached to the ghost to bind it. The principle is that the Sealing Talisman can absorb the Evil Qi of the ghost, imprisoning it at the point where the talisman meat conjoins. If some mischievous child were to tear the talisman, the Evil Qi instantly returns, and the ghost revives.

Due to its limited effect, not many draw it, and it can be traded for gold and silver.

Song Yan spent a silver note of 100 taels to get one Sealing Talisman and then left.

...

...

Back in Celestial Cloud City, he found a quiet place and attached the Sealing Talisman below his navel. Instantly, he felt the Evil Qi around him being drawn towards his navel by a small force, then residing at the place conjoined with the talisman meat.

Even if someone uses Qi to probe, they cannot detect this part of the Evil Qi concealed by the Sealing Talisman.

Though the Sealing Talisman cannot conceal all his Evil Qi, coupled with the Condensing Evil and Controlling Profound Technique, it can.

’It works!’

Song Yan’s eyes brightened.

Days later...

He withdrew a large sum of silver notes from Celestial Cloud City and went to the Snake Corpse Market to buy all 50 Sealing Talismans.

However, the entry-level methods of a Talisman Master are like the Skin Master, belonging to a kind of inheritance. He could not find it at the marketplace and had to give up.

...

...

Several days later, the outside news began to trickle into Celestial Cloud City.

Pieces of intelligence were brought to Song Yan.

Great Jin relocated their capital, the Second Prince of Wei Kingdom along with the Grand General, former Crown Prince of the South Town King, struck a surprise from Shu Kingdom, taking the opportunity to attack the Imperial Capital.

...

Wei Kingdom was restored, the Second Prince showed traits of a wise ruler, and the Grand General managed the army well.

...

The Wei King actually returned, and the Second Prince returned the throne to his father.

...

The Imperial Capital of Wei Kingdom seemed to be in a state of demonic disaster, with the citizens fleeing in panic.

...

The Imperial Capital closed its gates.

...

More refugees appeared, fleeing south in panic.

People fleeing from Northern Land Jianghu said demons now rampaged in the north.

Those demons either took human form and forcibly mocked young men and women or directly snatched children and strong men to feast on in the streets, the scenes tragic and indescribable, truly a human purgatory.

The Great Wei army initially intervened and captured, but soon for unknown reasons, they retreated one by one.

...

...

Song Yan stood detached, watching the messages from a safe position.

And as time moved forward, three months remained from five years.

No earth-shattering news came from the Puppet Sect; evidently, the Sect Leader was still alive.

He... had to leave.