The Lord of Void and Real

Chapter 251: Chapter 249: Yinling Pill

Shen Luo quickly left through the South City Gate and arrived at the area outside the city.

Outside the city gate, along the road, there were still many farmers and traveling merchants who were unsuccessful in entering the city. They carried their burdens and pushed their carts, setting up stalls on both sides of the road to sell various miscellaneous goods and vegetables.

Shen Luo looked around and quickly noticed a simple grass tent beside the road not far away. There was a white-faced scholar inside, holding a black pottery bowl with a broken corner, seemingly drinking tea.

He quickly walked over, sat down opposite the scholar. He got a tea bowl from a servant, he also poured himself a bowl of tea.

However, after he took a sip, he immediately grimaced and spat it out. He could taste a bitter and moldy aftertaste in his mouth, which was extremely uncomfortable.

“Elder, can you really drink this inferior tea?” Shen Luo asked Ma Mian, who looked content and happy, with a face full of surprise.

Ma Mian had a gleeful smile on his face, apparently already aware of the tea’s taste. He held the broken bowl in his hand and waved it in front of Shen Luo with an easy-going expression.

The scent of alcohol immediately entered Shen Luo’s nostrils, he hastily asked for a bowl and drank it to rinse away the taste from his mouth.

“Why did you arrange to meet me here this time? Is our mission outside?” Shen Luo asked after a pause.

“Hidden Wind Valley, do you know where it is?” Ma Mian glanced into the distance as he asked.

“Hidden Wind Valley? Is our mission there?” Shen Luo asked surprised, upon hearing this.

“Based on my investigation, there have been frequent occurrences of sinister ghosts in Jianye City recently, and the root cause may be there. So I plan to go and take a look in the valley. If there really are ghosts lurking, I’ll eradicate them in one fell swoop,” Ma Mian answered with a nod.

“That’s not a good place! If I remember correctly, the number one task on the government’s ghost-catching task list is to clear the yin sha and ghostly specters in Hidden Wind Valley. It’s been so long since anyone dared to take on this mission.” Sheng Luo frowned as he said this.

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“What are you worried about with me around? It’s very likely to be the last time I need your help.” Ma Mian gave him a glance and stated.

“Well, that’s true… So, how can I help?” Shen Luo chuckled and asked.

“Kid, do you know? The wind in the name Hidden Wind Valley doesn’t refer to the wind in Feng shui, but the sharpness of a blade.” Ma Mian didn’t directly answer Shen Luo, but instead took a detour in the conversation.

“You can’t stump me with that! I’ve noticed this task before and looked through some local chronicles. I discovered that it was named Hidden Sharp Valley because it was once a strategic point for holding Jianye. It was always a contested area for the military. Many violent battles have taken place there in history. Each time it resulted in mountains of corpses and rivers of blood,” Shen Luo indulgently replied upon hearing this.

“Correct. Such ancient battlefield sites often trap countless wandering souls in the Yang Realm, causing the place to be steeped in resentment and negativity. These places are usually regarded as extremely unlucky. If the clear winds of Heaven and Earth cannot dissipate the Yin Sha, fierce ghosts will gradually breed over time. Furthermore, everyone in Jianye City, from the government officials to the common people, habitually treat Hidden Wind Valley as a chaotic burial ground. A large number of corpses hastily buried here have greatly increased this risk,” said Ma Mian, nodding in agreement.

“So elder, are you suggesting that this ghost problem in Hidden Wind Valley originated from this?” Shen Luo enquired.

“From what I understand, about nine months ago, Hidden Wind Valley was suddenly covered in a gray mist. From within that mist, there were frequent weird noises. Then, people from a few nearby villages started disappearing frequently. The government had sent people to investigate several times, but no one ever came back,” Ma Mian continued after taking a sip of tea.

“No wonder the government is offering such a high reward for this task. It looks like they want to use the power of other cultivators in Jianye City to clean up Hidden Wind Valley,” Shen Luo said as he finally understood.

“Whatever the government officials are thinking does not matter. At present, even the Underworld believes that this place’s existence is contrary to Yin ethics and wants me to deal with it promptly. The situation there is somewhat complicated; I need your help. So, are you going to do me this favor or not?” Soul Hook Horse Face asked, putting down his black ceramic tea bowl.

“That place must be full of ghosts. Elder, do you want me to use the Thunder Talisman to help you clear up some small ghosts, so that you can focus on dealing with the big ones?” Shen Luo asked, with quick thinking.

“Correct. Even when dealing with high-ranking ghosts, your Thunderfall Talisman has a remarkable effect.” Soul Hook Horse Face gave Shen Luo an approving look and nodded.

“Of course I want to help, but my cultivation level is only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. My mana is really limited. I can use the Small Thunder Talisman freely, but I can only cast the more powerful Thunderfall Talisman once at most. I fear that if that time comes, I won’t be able to help much and might become a burden to you instead. Why don’t I draw some more Small Thunder Talismans for you?” Shen Luo sighed and replied.

“I have the body of a Yin God, naturally in conflict with this extremely Yang Thunder Technique. If you don’t go, even if you lend me the Thunder Talisman, I still cannot activate it.” Soul Hook Horse Face said somewhat helplessly.

“Then how about you wait for me for about ten to fifteen days? I’m currently stuck at the peak of the fifth layer. Once I break through to the sixth layer, without saying anything else, I should be able to activate the Thunderfall Talisman twice. Then I’ll have some confidence in joining you for the battle in the valley.” After a slight hesitation, Shen Luo proposed.

Upon hearing this, Soul Hook Horse Face didn’t immediately reply, but his brow furrowed, his hand gently rotating the tea bowl, as though he was wavering over something.

A moment later, his brows suddenly furrowed deep. It seemed he finally made up his mind and spoke:

“Fine! Without giving you some benefits, you won’t be obedient. I have a Yinling Pill here, refined from rare spiritual materials like the Yellow Spring Essence and Other Shore Flower pollen. It could boost a cultivator’s cultivation speed dramatically. With your current cultivation level, after taking it, it will take at most seven days to break through.”

“There’s such a miraculous elixir?” Upon hearing this, Shen Luo was overjoyed and said with some disbelief.

“Ignorant!” Soul Hook Horse Face replied unhappily.

“Hehe, although it sounds like it’s a bit extravagant to use it in this way, since it can help Elder complete his task, as a junior, I certainly won’t decline.” Shen Luo chuckled and quickly responded.

“Sigh, it’s not just extravagant, it’s simply wasting resources. But never mind, consider it a favor to you…” Soul Hook Horse Face sighed and said.

Having said that, he took out a white jade porcelain bottle from his sleeve and passed it to Shen Luo.

With a beaming smile on his face, Shen Luo eagerly stretched out both hands, carefully received the bottle, and then promptly removed the red cloth bottle stopper.

As soon as the bottle was opened, a sulfur-like smell emanated from it. Shen Luo took a sniff and somewhat struggling said, “This Yinling Pill doesn’t smell like any miraculous elixir. You’re not fooling me, are you?”

“If you don’t want it, give it back to me.” With a gloomy face, Soul Hook Horse Face feigned anger.

“I was just kidding, don’t take it seriously! Let’s find a place for me to isolate myself for a few days.” Shen Luo quickly put the stopper back, tucked the porcelain bottle into his sleeve, and replied with a sheepish smile.

“Follow me.” Ma Mian, having said that, left a few copper coins on the table and headed towards the official road.

Shen Luo quickly got up and followed him.