Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 301 [A Rough Guy?]

Chapter 295 [A Rough Guy?]

The next morning, as soon as Chen Yan stepped out of his room, his servant Niu Bufan was waiting outside and reported to him, "Master, Young Master Yun of the Black Feather Lark Tribe has sent someone to invite you to have morning tea."

Chen Yan was somewhat surprised, not expecting Yun Zhao to send someone to invite him so early.

After thinking about it, Chen Yan nodded in agreement.

As soon as he arrived at the main hall of Hejutang, he saw Lao Liang already standing there waiting—Manager Ma of Hejutang had also come out and was talking to Lao Liang.

Judging from Steward Ma's attitude, he seemed to be quite cautious.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, my young master requests your presence." Old Liang maintained his indifferent attitude towards Chen Yan. However, Chen Yan was already used to Old Liang's demeanor and didn't find it bothersome, so he smiled and said, "Thank you for coming so early, Senior. I..."

Manager Ma secretly gave Chen Yan a wink, which Chen Yan saw but didn't understand.

He had originally intended to say that he would go with Lao Liang, but he immediately changed his mind: "I still have some matters to discuss with Manager Ma at Hejutang. Please wait for me for a moment, Senior Liang."

After saying that, Chen Yan went to the back room with Steward Ma.

As soon as the two arrived at the back hall, Steward Ma immediately pressed a Bagua copper plate on the wall, activating a magic array to isolate sound.

"Junior Brother Shanhe, how did you get to know the Black Feather Lark Tribe?" Steward Ma asked.

Chen Yan didn't hide anything and told him about meeting Yun Zhao on his way to Beicheng and being invited to ride in the same car.

After listening, Steward Ma pinched his chin with his fingers, seemingly pondering for a moment, before slowly saying, "Junior Brother Shanhe, in principle, the Black Feathered Skylark Clan has always had some dealings with our sect, and they have nothing to do with the demon clans of the Southern Frontier, so it wouldn't hurt to befriend them. However..."

"But what?" Chen Yan asked.

"However, you should be careful when making friends with this young master Yun Zhao."

Chen Yan frowned: "What do you mean?"

"I had heard that within the Black Feather Lark tribe, this young master Yun Zhao held a transcendent position and was greatly favored by their clan's ancestor. So... this person does some absurd things, and his reputation isn't that good."

Manager Ma sighed: "If it were just this young master Yun Zhao, it wouldn't matter—young family scions can do a few outrageous things, so there's nothing to fear."

However, the old Liang you just met is the most troublesome person.”

Chen Yan's heart stirred: "I know, this person should be the protector sent by the Black Feather Sky Sparrow tribe to Yun Zhao's side, a master within his clan, right?"

"He's more than just a clan expert." Manager Ma's gaze was serious. "This guy's surname is Liang, which is an old surname in the Black Feather Lark tribe. His name is Liang Gui."

"Liang Gui? Which character?"

"Strange and eerie."

Chen Yan laughed and said, "Who would give themselves a name like that?"

"They are demons, not humans. Their culture and customs are very different from ours, and their naming customs are also different. Using such names is quite common among demons." Manager Ma's tone was deliberately relaxed, but after saying a few words, his tone became serious again: "This Liang Gui has an extraordinary identity. He was originally a fierce general in the Black Feather Skylark Clan. He was once conscripted to serve in the Three Platforms, Eight Passes, and Sixteen Towns. It is said that he had made great contributions. However, later he went mad and committed massacres. It is said that he accidentally killed several colleagues when he went mad, which led to his arrest."

At the time, the chieftain of the Black Feather Lark clan, carrying a letter from their clan's ancestor, pleaded with several generals of the Sendai War Department for leniency. They only sentenced him to a severe punishment of being struck by sword and axe, but protected his primordial spirit. He was saved only through a secret demonic technique.

After that incident, Liang Gui returned to the Black Feather Lark tribe and never went out again. It was said that he was imprisoned in the forbidden area to cultivate and atone for his sins.

Many years passed, and somehow, he was released this time and came to Southern Xinjiang with that young master Yun Zhao.

Old Liang has such a background.

Chen Yan nodded: "I've got it."

"This guy's a killer; it's best to avoid him," Manager Ma sighed.

After speaking, Chen Yan came out and left with Lao Liang to find Yun Zhao.

·
The place where Yun Zhao invited Chen Yan to have morning tea was also inside the Western Building.

The way people in southern Xinjiang eat morning tea is somewhat similar to the way people in Guangdong and Guangxi eat morning tea in Chen Yan's real world.

However, the people here don't have rice porridge for their morning tea; they actually have tea.

The tea used is a type of black leaf tea, a specialty of the mountains in southern Xinjiang. The brewed tea soup is black in color.

Sesame oil, minced meat, and honey were also added.

This way of eating is quite strange. One bite gives you a rich flavor, but the taste is really not very beginner-friendly.

Chen Yan had tried butter tea before and was fairly accepting of it, managing to drink a bowl.

The other snacks on the table, however, were quite delicious.

There was a bright green leaf cake that was fragrant, sticky, and delicious, and Chen Yan ate seven or eight pieces in one go.

While he was eating and drinking heartily, Yun Zhao, who was at the same table, looked worried and pale.

Chen Yan took a bite of leaf cake, then a sip of tea, and looked at Yun Zhao: "What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"Don't even mention it." Yun Zhao shook his head and sighed, "It was all because of that celestial hound that can gather fortune."

That dog is such a nuisance!

Then, Yun Zhao began to speak. After the Howling Celestial Dog was delivered yesterday, Yun Zhao's men took it back as a gift. He found the little white dog to be adorably silly, so he simply brought it back to his room.

As a result, the dog kept barking and howling all night. It was probably a young puppy, which was naturally timid, and being suddenly brought to an unfamiliar environment caused it to have some stress reactions.

This shouting lasted for half the night, disturbing the peace of the clouds.

Yun Zhao then meditated to calm his mind, and finally, after waiting until late at night, the dog stopped barking, and he went back to his bed to rest.

When he looked, he found the little white dog already asleep on his bed.

Most importantly... that bastard actually peed a huge puddle on his bed.

Yun Zhao was furious. Helpless, he could only call the servants to change the bedding on his bed and then give the dog a good scolding.

As a result, the frightened puppy kept whimpering until dawn.

Yun Zhao eventually had no choice but to harden his heart and have someone take the puppies out of his room.

The dog, however, refused to let go, clinging tightly to Yun Zhao's trouser leg.

Yun Zhao had a soft heart and had no choice but to keep the dog.

As a result, while he was meditating, doing his morning prayers, absorbing vital energy, and refining his demon core...

The white dog suddenly let out a howl!

This thing, after all, has the bloodline of Xiaotian and is also a strange beast.

Although it didn't possess any powerful magic or supernatural abilities, its sudden, unexpected roar stirred the power of its bloodline, giving the cry a captivating and alluring quality.

As a result, Young Master Yun Zhao, who was absorbing vital energy to refine his demon core, almost went into a state of demonic possession.

His energy immediately went astray, and he almost fainted from suffocation.

"What do you mean this thing can gather good fortune? I think it's a jinx!" Yun Zhao said angrily. "I've never suffered a qi deviation while practicing, but this morning, after it suddenly made a sound, it almost caused me to lose my power."

Chen Yan just smiled and didn't say anything.

Yun Zhao then took out a porcelain bottle and placed it on the table, saying weakly, "Take this."

Chen Yan's expression shifted, and he picked it up, unscrewed it, and glanced at it: "The Heaven-Mending Pill?"

“Yesterday at the auction, your eyes lit up when you saw this item being auctioned. You didn’t buy it then, so I found you a bottle when I got back.”

This stuff isn't valuable, but it has very little market. Most alchemy workshops are too lazy to refine pills for mortals, so I checked my family's shop's inventory in No Return City, and this is the only bottle I have. Since I can't sell it anyway, I'll give it to you.”

Chen Yan sighed.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, it was clear that this young master Yun Zhao genuinely wanted to befriend them.

"How can I take Brother Yunzhao's things for nothing?" Chen Yan thought for a moment and was about to take out his money—this thing only sold for a thousand coins at auction yesterday, which he could afford.

"No, if you pay me, you're insulting me, Yun Zhao." Yun Zhao immediately changed his expression and said, "Friends should share money, unless you don't consider me, Yun Zhao, a friend."

Before Chen Yan could say anything more, Yun Zhao smiled and said, "If you feel bad about it, I have something that Brother Shanhe can do to repay this favor."

"what?"

"The Ghost Clan's Heaven-Piercing Ceremony is next month," Yun Zhao said with a smile. "This is a grand event that the Ghost Clan holds only once every few years! Since we've come to the Southern Frontier and happened to be here, how can we not attend the ceremony?"

Moreover, at each grand ceremony, the sage ancestor of the Ghost Clan would descend to preside over the secret ritual!

"How could we possibly miss the chance to witness the Emperor's countenance?!"

As he spoke, he chuckled and said, "My Black Feather Lark tribe has business dealings with the Ghost Clan, so we have to invite them to attend the ceremony. Brother Shanhe, would you be willing to come with me to watch this spectacle?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan's expression became somewhat complicated, and he smiled, saying, "In that case, I'll accompany Brother Yun Zhao on this trip to see the spectacle. If we have the chance to meet the Sage, that would be a great stroke of luck."

When Chen Yan arrived in the City of No Return, his only thought was to have the chance to meet his grandmother—the ancestral saint of the Ghost Clan.

It is extremely difficult to meet a sage, but the Heaven-Striking Ceremony is the best opportunity to see one.

Even if Yun Zhao hadn't invited him, he would still have gone. The Hehuan Sect and the Ghost Clan had a good relationship, and he originally planned to start with the Hehuan Sect's Heju Hall in the Southern Frontier. That Steward Ma would definitely be able to get an invitation to the ceremony.

However, since Yun Zhao had invited him, Chen Yan naturally accepted.

"This year's Heaven-Piercing Ceremony was held at the Green Vine Tribe, one of the eighteen tribes of the Ghost Clan."

The Qing Teng tribe is located in the western part of southern Xinjiang. To get there from the City of No Return, one has to travel through the vast mountains, a journey that takes seven or eight days, but the people there are quite well-off.

However, I thought that the southern border region is full of wonders, so why don't we brothers set off sooner, travel around, enjoy the scenery, and visit other attractions along the way...

Chen Yan didn't want to spoil Yun Zhao's mood, and since he didn't have anything important to do in No Return City anyway, he simply agreed.

Yun Zhao's spirits immediately lifted after Chen Yan agreed to accompany him on the trip. The two ate and drank together, and Yun Zhao told Chen Yan many stories about the Ghost Clan's Heaven-Colliding Ceremony.

·
"Actually, the Ghost Clan's Heaven-Piercing Ceremony had been interrupted for several decades. No one knows why, but that sage ancestor went into seclusion and did not concern himself with worldly affairs for decades."

Neither issuing a decree nor manifesting divine intervention, they truly abandoned the Ghost Clan, ignoring them for decades. A significant reason why the Ghost Clan has been suppressed by the Demon Clan in the Southern Frontier for these decades is because they were unable to hold the Heaven-Piercing Ceremony.

The Heaven-Striking Ceremony is the only way for the Ghost Clan to cultivate. Only by holding the Heaven-Striking Ceremony and going through secret rituals can a member of the Ghost Clan formally begin their cultivation journey.

The fact that no grand ceremony has been held for decades means that the Ghost Clan has not had a single new cultivator in the past few decades!

For decades, the cultivators have been without fresh blood, relying solely on the older generation to keep going.

"Fighting and killing with the demon race will only dwindle the number of cultivators. Their numbers will be depleted, but they won't be replenished, which is why they grow weaker with each battle."

Yun Zhao slowed his speech at this point: "Before I came out, the tribal chiefs told me about the Southern Frontier. When they mentioned the Ghost Clan, they all shook their heads in regret."

If it were other sects or tribes, even if their sages or ancestors did not appear, it would not have a significant impact on those sects or tribes.

However, for the Ghost Clan, this Heaven-Piercing Ceremony is their only path to cultivation. The absence of a Sage for decades has had a profound impact on the Ghost Clan. Even though a Sage has now reappeared, the missed opportunity over the past decades has already weakened the Ghost Clan considerably.

Chen Yan nodded: "That's true."

The fact that the Heaven-Striking Ceremony has not been held for decades has prevented the new generation of the Ghost Clan from entering the path of cultivation for decades, and has resulted in the absence of new cultivators for decades.

This is just the inspection that's on the surface.

The real loss is that the Ghost Clan has wasted the talents of the past few decades and several generations!
Over the past few decades, many children and teenagers of the Ghost Clan, including some with talent for cultivation, or even geniuses, have had their potential wasted because they could not hold the Heaven-Striking Ceremony.

Countless young demons, who were exceptionally talented in their childhood, never got to witness the Heaven-Piercing Ceremony, even as they grew old and gray.

This situation, in a subtle way, could lead to a loss of public morale...

It is said that over the past few decades, many members of the Ghost Clan among the Eighteen Divisions have secretly left their territory to seek other paths of cultivation.

Because the patriarch was not involved in affairs, the younger generation of the ghost clan had no way out and could only flee to find their own way out.

Many members of the demon race have left their homes and ventured out to seek the path of cultivation.

Some sought refuge with other families or sects, while others became rogue cultivators, wandering the martial world.

If the Heaven-Striking Ceremony is not held for several years, then the 100 slots available for overseas assignments each time cannot be sold to outsiders.

As a result, the Ghost Clan lost a significant amount of revenue.

Furthermore, the decades-long cessation of trade caused the Ghost Clan and the various sects and families of the realms, with whom they had previously traded for a long time, to suddenly sever all ties. The various connections, alliances, contracts, and collaborations that had been maintained between them through the trading of quotas for the Heaven-Piercing Ceremony were now completely severed.

It was cut off immediately.

Not only did they fail to make money, but once the shared interests were gone, even the relationships faded away.

This is also why the Ghost Clan was bullied by the Demon Clan but couldn't find any outside help.

Without a shared interest, who will help you?
The brain drain, the loss of public support, the sharp decline in fiscal revenue, and the gradual fragility of external cooperative relationships...

This is the internal and external troubles that the Ghost Clan has faced over the past few decades.

"This Heaven-Piercing Ceremony is the first of its kind in decades, and many outstanding and talented young children from the Ghost Clan have gathered here. Therefore, it is said that this Heaven-Piercing Ceremony is the largest in terms of the number of participants ever recorded."

After all, it had been stagnant for decades, accumulating too many people who wanted to cultivate themselves but couldn't find the way in.

Even so, some members of the eighteen tribes of the Ghost Clan still sold off their own tribe's quota.

As we saw at yesterday's auction, the Kurokibe family sold three spots.

Actually, they don't care about that little bit of money, since there are only three spots available, and they can only sell them for a small amount of money.

Selling quotas is a pretense; the real purpose is to seek renewed cooperation, new transactions, and new contracts with powerful families and sects.

The real transaction involved those three spots that were sold yesterday; it wasn't the million or so dollars that were actually spent on selling the spots.

Instead, by using the three slots, they reopened the trading channels with the three aristocratic families. By continuing to trade the slots and establishing relationships, they could cooperate in the long term.

Medicine trading, mineral trading...

Therefore, small and medium-sized sects cannot get involved in this kind of business.

After listening to Yun Zhao's words, Chen Yan nodded and finally understood why the small and medium-sized families sitting at the front round table had only symbolically bid twice for the three spots in yesterday's final auction before withdrawing from the competition.

The real purpose of buying and selling quotas is to seek partners and allies.

Small and medium-sized families are not qualified to be partners or allies of the Ghost Clan.

`
After discussing and making a decision, Chen Yan and Yun Zhao decided to leave the City of No Return that afternoon and embark on their journey.

After Chen Yan returned and told Steward Ma, Steward Ma did not object.

Manager Ma meant that it was better to leave sooner rather than later!

The City of No Return is becoming increasingly chaotic, serving as the epicenter of the struggle between the Ghost Clan and the Demon Clan. Staying in the City of No Return is not entirely safe.

It's better to leave sooner rather than later.

The Heaven-Smashing Ceremony was held in the Green Vine Tribe of the Ghost Clan, in the western part of the Southern Frontier—a region deep within the Ghost Clan's territory, far from the border areas where they fought with the Demon Clan, making it safer.

Before leaving, Steward Ma also brought two family letters, asking Chen Yan to take them back with him when he returned to the sect.

In addition, several gifts were prepared as a token of goodwill to Chen Yan.

Chen Yan did not refuse and accepted it readily before leaving Sifang City to follow Yun Zhao on his journey.

We still rode in a horse-drawn carriage, pulled by dragons, traversing the mountain roads as if on flat ground.

The carriage was enhanced by a magic array, making the interior spacious and comfortable. Plus, there was a skilled guard like Lao Liang accompanying them.

Chen Yan and Yun Zhao rode together in a carriage and left the North City that afternoon. They headed south, circled around to the south of No Return City, and then chose a route to continue their journey.

After the carriage had been traveling for half a day, Chen Yan drew back the curtain and looked outside before asking curiously, "We've been traveling for so long, why are we still heading south and not west?"

Yun Zhao sat inside the carriage, laughing heartily. Holding a wine jug in his hand, he said, "If we were only heading west, we would arrive in seven or eight days. Why would we need to leave so early?"
Didn't I tell you we were going to travel through mountains and rivers? Since we're going to travel, we'll naturally have to take some detours.

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, swept away the food on the table, spread out a map of southern Xinjiang on the table, and slowly unfolded it before explaining to Chen Yan: "We will first head south, and after two days, we will cross the Tieliu River, and then cross the Liangjie Mountain, where we can see the Jade Hanging Waterfall!"

That's a spectacular sight in southern Xinjiang. Although it's the dry season and the Jade Hanging Waterfall can't compare to its peak in summer, it's still worth a visit.

After visiting Yugua Waterfall, we'll turn back north and travel upstream along the Tieliu River to the Hongyun River. From there, we can take a boat and head southwest along the river, enjoying the spectacular scenery of Hongyun Mountain and its waters along the way…

Yun Zhao spoke with great enthusiasm and excitement. After listening, Chen Yan only confirmed that there was enough time and that it wouldn't delay the day of the Heaven-Striking Ceremony, so he let it go.

Since they were traveling together, they would travel by carriage during the day and rest in the carriage at night.

The carriage was like a small room, spacious enough for two people.

As for Lao Liang, he never sets foot inside the carriage. Even when he's resting, he just finds a big tree, leans against the trunk, and falls asleep.

That evening, Chen Yan even took the initiative to prepare some food.

He washed the dried bamboo shoots and dried vegetables he had brought and stuffed them into an earthenware jar. He also got some dried meat from the ferocious beasts he hunted, cut it into pieces, put it into the jar, added various seasonings, and poured in some cooking wine to remove the fishy smell.

Finally, a fire was lit, and the stew was simmered for more than an hour, resulting in a pot of braised pork with dried bamboo shoots.

Although the dried bamboo shoots and dried vegetables were mortal plants that Chen Yan brought from the real world, they could not compare with the spiritual vegetables of the realm, but they tasted good.

The meat of hunted animals naturally has the effect of warming the body and dispelling cold, and is therefore quite effective in avoiding dampness and moisture.

This earthenware pot dish was so delicious that not only Yun Zhao praised it repeatedly, but even the cold-faced Old Liang couldn't help but take a few more bites.

After the meal, Chen Yan deliberately tried to get closer to Lao Liang. Although Lao Liang still seemed indifferent, his gaze towards Chen Yan was only cold, but he was no longer so impatient.

Chen Yan deliberately stepped out of the carriage and stretched his limbs in the open field. He even took out a sword and practiced a few moves of what he had haphazardly learned so-called "swordsmanship".

Actually, it was a routine that he occasionally saw the outer court disciples practicing during morning classes when he was in the Hehuan Sect. It was a routine that the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Hehuan Sect specially provided for the outer court disciples to practice swordsmanship and improve their sword sense.

This isn't even a proper sword technique; it's just a few movements used to enhance the feel of the sword.

It's less about swordsmanship and more about sword manipulation.

Chen Yan memorized it after watching it a few times, but after practicing it a few times on weekdays, he didn't practice it much anymore.

Today, on purpose, he brandished the sword a few times in front of Lao Liang.

After he finished practicing the sword technique once, before he could even finish the finishing move, he heard Old Liang, who was dozing on a tree trunk behind him, suddenly open his eyes and say coldly, "The Hehuan Sect's sword technique, if you practice it like this, you probably couldn't even kill a wooden doll."

Chen Yan wasn't annoyed. He had already learned from Steward Ma that this old Liang was no ordinary person; he was a master from the Black Feather Lark Tribe.

Since he had encountered a master, Chen Yan naturally decided to take the plunge, even if he had no chance.

Sure enough, Chen Yan was overjoyed as soon as Lao Liang spoke!
There is a door!

He sheathed his sword, turned around, looked up at Old Liang, and said with a wry smile, "Senior, you have such discerning eyes! When I was in the sect, I was told that I actually had no talent for swordsmanship."

However, when going out, one should always practice some weapon skills; otherwise, if one encounters danger and has to fight someone with bare hands, one would be at a great disadvantage.

I know I'm not good at swordsmanship, but no one has given me any pointers on what other weapons I should practice.

Old Liang frowned and stared at Chen Yan for a while, his eyes seemingly scrutinizing him.

Finally, he sighed softly, "Fine, I ate a whole pot of your meat tonight, it tasted good. I'll teach you something, consider it payment for the meal."

After saying that, he flicked his finger, and a jade slip flew into Chen Yan's hand.

"This contains a set of knife control techniques that I learned when I was young. I no longer need them, so I'm giving them to you to try practicing."

You may not lack talent in swordsmanship, but I see that although your vital energy is abundant and your spiritual sense is resilient, for some reason, your control over your vital energy is too straightforward and crude, as if you have never carefully honed the techniques for controlling and utilizing your vital energy.

Swords are all about technique, especially subtle techniques. Your use of vital energy is too crude, so naturally you can't wield a sword properly.

My knife-control technique uses a broad, sweeping approach, requiring no overly refined techniques, making it perfect for a rough guy like you.

Chen Yan was stunned.

Me? A brute?!
(End of this chapter)