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Chapter 115 The Bronze Toad Keeps His Promise, But Breaks His Faith

There were already people guarding the ancestral hall in Wangjia Village.

Seeing two people suddenly appear, he was startled and about to shout that there was a ghost, but then he noticed one of their faces and yelled.

"Young man, it's you back? And who's this guy next to you?"

"Here……"

The burly man named Wang Xiong even started to stammer, unsure how to introduce Chen Ji's identity.

Previously, I thought he was just a capable Taoist priest who could exorcise demons and ghosts, so I didn't take him too seriously. The experience the other day served as a wake-up call, but I realized he was nothing special, just someone who understood human nature and knew some magic.

But now, having descended from the sky, they arrived in the village from the town in no time, and upon hearing the familiar greetings, only two words came out.

"immortal!"

"immortal?"

The old man pursed his lips, unwilling to believe it.

Wang Xiong hurriedly called out.

"You asked me how I suddenly appeared, it was the gods who flew me here! They are still catching up, you can ask them if you don't believe me, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

"Besides, you have no idea how powerful this Immortal Chen is!"

Wang Xiong quickly explained to the old man guarding the ancestral hall what Chen Ji had done.

Third Uncle's expression changed repeatedly as he stared at Chen Ji in shock.

"Quickly, invite our distinguished guest in... No, this isn't suitable. Go and call the village headman, and ask him to come and invite the immortal to have tea!"

……

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Dozens of people gathered inside the house of Wangcun Village Chief, all of whom were elders and sages of the village.

To the left of the main hall is the village head of Wangjia Village, who is also the current clan chief.

Wang Xiong was seated at the end of the table because he had invited Chen Ji.

Even after tea and refreshments had been served, the elders of Wang Village, looking at the fair-skinned young man at the head of the table, still dared not speak first.

When they gathered earlier, they asked people who came and went in town and found out that what Wang Xiong said was true.

This Taoist priest Chen is truly a master like a god, with an excellent reputation for exorcising demons and catching ghosts. Even a saint once appeared in his dream and asked him to use the plaque first.

But having heard that Wang Xiong had managed to invite such a divine figure here for only thirty taels of silver, they dared not speak, for fear of offending Chen Ji.

After a long while, the Third Uncle coughed twice, stood up, bowed to Chen Ji, and then knelt down.

"Gods above, please save my nephew!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone came in carrying a tray.

A red cloth was placed at the bottom, and thirty metal ingots were neatly arranged on it.

"We have nothing else in the village, but we know that immortals need some earthly metals to refine elixirs, so we have gathered these. We hope that the immortals will not find them unworthy."

Chen Ji glanced at it and sighed that the mining business was indeed very lucrative.

Ten copper ingots, ten silver ingots, and ten gold ingots.

This is ten times more than the previously mentioned hundred taels of silver.

and……

As expected of someone who can mine on his own, he speaks flawlessly, never mentioning any reward, only saying that it's needed for alchemy, and that accepting it wouldn't damage his reputation.

However, Chen Ji did not like this way of dealing with people.

If we accept these gold and silver, our ties with Wangjia Village will only deepen, which is unnecessary.

As for the kneeling and bowing of the third uncle.

Five parts fear, two parts manipulation, two parts showmanship, and one part sincerity.

So he didn't mention asking him to get up, but shook his head calmly.

"I don't know how to refine pills, so there's no need for that."

"This……"

The seated group exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disappointment, unsure whether Chen Ji understood their meaning.

Uncle San tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing, about to say something more when the sound of a woman crying and cursing came from outside.

"Discuss! All you know is to discuss! My son is about to die, what is there to discuss!"

"And that damned deity, he might just be a shill hired by Wang Xiong to swindle money. Those monks and Taoists on the mountain want a hundred taels! How much does he want from one person? He took thirty taels of silver and still won't save anyone, he won't stop until my son dies?"

The door was slammed open from the outside, and a fierce woman rushed in.

After he stood still, the words from before drifted in on the wind, chilling the fine jasmine tea beside Chen Ji.

So Chen Ji picked up the teacup and slowly took a sip.

"That's true, saving lives is the priority, the reward is secondary..."

Chen Ji fell silent for a moment.

“Since the Taoist priest and monk on the mountain only ask for one hundred taels, this is enough for me. I will send it to the medicine shop after I finish dealing with things here.”

Without even glancing at the astonished expressions of the elders inside, he casually pointed at Wang Xiong.

"Where is the person you said is going to die? Take me to see him."

After speaking, he stood up.

He walked straight out, passing by a group of dazed figures.

Wang Xiong was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was not a place he had reserved. He hurriedly followed him out, closing the door behind him, and quickened his pace to lead the way.

inside the house.

The woman was stunned by the situation.

An angry elder, a kneeling third uncle, and a husband whose face was almost a mixture of pale and ashen.

After a long while, he suddenly realized something.

He knelt on the ground and wailed.

"My lord, I really did it to save Cheng'er, I didn't..."

"Crack!"

The fine celadon porcelain fell from the main seat and shattered into dust. The flying fragments cut the woman's face, causing bright red blood to seep out.

The woman dared not flinch, trembling as she lay prostrate on the ground, repeating her earlier words in a low voice.

"I...I really did it for Cheng'er. I never thought I would offend a deity..."

Before he could finish speaking, he knelt on the ground and twisted his body to look at his third uncle, who was also kneeling.

"Third Uncle, you know, I... I really did it for Cheng'er... I dare not offend the gods..."

"Snapped!"

A resounding slap landed, leaving a handprint on the woman's bloodied face.

Third Uncle clutched his chest, speaking haltingly.

“Our Wangjia Village has only encountered one true miracle in many years, and it’s all because of you, you idiot! Tomorrow… no! Today… immediately, move out of the village!”

"A god! A true god!"

As he was speaking, he suddenly lost his breath and fainted.

"Uncle Three!"

"Third Brother!"

……

How long did he sleep?

The house was in complete chaos, with chickens flying and dogs barking.

Chen Ji had already followed Wang Xiong into Wang Cheng's house.

A village that can afford a hundred taels of silver as a reward will naturally not mistreat the eldest son of the main branch.

Even when they are asleep and unconscious, there are still two people looking after them.

Chen Ji was asking his personal maid at that moment.

"The night watchman rang not long after I woke up last time, so it's been about six hours now."

The maid glanced outside, estimated the situation, and replied, then anxiously asked if Young Master Chen Ji would be alright.

"He's sleeping so frequently, it's probably because the ghosts in the ancestral hall are haunting him."

"It is indeed haunted by a ghost, but it has nothing to do with the ghost in the ancestral hall. It was his own loose tongue that caused his soul to remain in the ancestral hall. Losing one's soul and being sleepy is indeed normal, but this means that his soul is not far from being completely left there."

Chen Ji withdrew his Qi-observation technique and shook his head.

"what?"

The two people inside looked at Chen Ji in shock.

After the village doctor came to check but couldn't find anything wrong, they also asked nearby shamans and sorcerers to come and take a look, but none of them could come up with anything.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ji pointed out the problem with just one glance.

I just don't know what it means to stay there.

"The soul does not return to the body, the soul becomes a wandering spirit, the body is a living dead, no different from ordinary grass and trees, life is worse than death."

"Taoist Master, please save my young master!" As soon as Chen Ji finished speaking, the maid shivered and was about to kneel down.

The maidservant had been keeping a close watch on him and was unaware of what had happened in the village. She only saw Chen Ji's clothes and assumed he was a Taoist priest that the family had invited from the mountains.

Wang Xiong whispered a reminder.

"This is not a Taoist priest, but a deity."

"what?"

The maid opened her eyes wide, about to ask why he was a deity, when she saw Chen Ji raise his hand and summon wind to lift Wang Cheng's body and walk outside.

"They're...they're truly divine beings!"

The maidservant's body stiffened, and she remembered the important matter, asking where she was taking the young master.

"Go to where the problem occurred."

Ancestral hall!

Wang Xiong instantly understood and instructed a maid to inform the others, while he himself closely followed Chen Ji.

Unexpectedly, after leaving the house, Chen Ji did not rush to the ancestral hall. Instead, he looked around the area for a while, then wandered around outside for some time, looking at the layout of the village from a high place before heading towards the ancestral hall, marveling at the sight.

Wang Xiong was curious and couldn't help but ask what was strange about it.

Chen Ji did not respond, but only asked how long the village had been established there.

"I can't remember the exact time, but the family genealogy has been going on for seven or eight generations since we moved here."

"Was the house like this back then?"

"No, it seems to have been renovated more than ten years ago, organized by the previous village head."

"No wonder that's the case."

Chen Ji nodded, understanding something.

Without saying anything to Wang Xiongming, he continued walking towards the ancestral hall.

Wang Xiong was puzzled and wanted to ask, but dared not. Just then, he saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of the ancestral hall and asked Chen Ji if they should disperse the crowd.

"Need not."

Chen Ji shook his head.

"It's just what we need for them to go in together."

The group that arrived were mostly elders and sages from earlier. Now, seeing Wang Cheng floating beside Chen Ji, they didn't dare to breathe loudly and only whispered their greetings to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji glanced at Wang Xiong.

Wang Xiong understood Chen Ji's meaning and said that Chen Ji already had a way to save people, and now everyone should enter the ancestral hall.

The elders exchanged glances, looked at the ancestral hall, their faces showing some fear, but under Chen Ji's insistence, they slowly stepped inside and stood still.

Looking at the chaotic ancestral hall and thinking about the recent rumors of it being haunted, she couldn't help but ask Chen Ji.

"May I ask, what use do the immortals have for our crippled bodies when they're trying to exorcise ghosts?"

"Watch a show."

Chen Ji said casually.

As he spoke, he looked toward the entrance of the ancestral hall.

Everyone looked over, but saw nothing.

But in Chen Ji's eyes, there stood a young man dressed in a scholar's robe, who looked exactly like Wang Cheng beside him.

Beside him was an old man who bore a resemblance to Wang Cheng, but exuded an inexplicable anger.

Everyone was puzzled.

Although it is Qingming Festival now, a time for ancestor worship, we have never invited an opera troupe to perform here. What opera would we be watching?

Seeing that Chen Ji didn't seem inclined to explain, she didn't dare to ask any further and even secretly began making arrangements to invite an opera troupe to perform.

"No need, the show is about to begin."

Chen Ji smiled slightly, realizing that this was the key to the ancestral hall, and then reached out to cast a spell.

"Hunting!"

A spell was cast.

Wang Cheng's soul, which was standing at the door, vanished in an instant and entered Chen Ji's palm.

Then, he slowly lowered the floating figure beside him and slapped it down with his palm!
"Uh!"

After a loud burp, Wang Cheng actually opened his eyes, shook his head from side to side, and stared at Chen Ji.

"You...this...where am I? I...wasn't I cursing demons and ghosts in the ancestral hall? How did I end up like this?"

Before Chen Ji could reply, a shout rang out beside him.

"Cheng'er!"

"Cheng'er, you're awake! You're finally awake!"

Muramasa, tears streaming down his face, was about to rush over.

Chen Ji did not let him come over, but instead summoned a gust of wind to block his path.

"His soul has returned to his body, but it's not stable yet. You have too much yang energy in your body, so be careful not to cause your original soul to be knocked out. If your soul has nowhere to go, it will be even harder to find you."

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Muramasa stopped in his tracks, looking at Wang Cheng from afar with an extremely excited expression.

After a while, he remembered the important matter and asked Chen Ji what was going on, and whether the demons and ghosts in the ancestral hall could be captured to prevent future disturbances.

"That's exactly what I came here for, but... are you sure you mean to capture them, not eliminate them?"

"Capture him! Capture him alive!"

Muramasa was resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

"Even if this ghost comes back to cause trouble for someone else in the future?"

"Well... let's just capture him alive."

"It seems Muramasa knows the origin of this demon?"

Chen Ji looked over with a half-smile.

"I don't know... I really don't know."

Chen Zheng quickly waved his hand.

"It seems that Muramasa still doesn't trust me. Let's leave this ghost here. The people have been rescued, so I'll be leaving now."

Seeing Chen Ji about to leave, Muramasa panicked.

"Immortal, please wait! Didn't you promise to resolve the ancestral hall issue when you came? Why are you leaving now?"

Chen Ji smiled slightly.

"When I came here, I only agreed to save a life. I haven't agreed to the matter of the ancestral hall yet. Besides, even if I had agreed, would you have kept it a secret?"

"This……"

Muramasa hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to talk about it, it's just that this matter involves the secrets of Wang Village, and I really dare not speak of it. Since it has already escalated to the ancestral hall, I might as well tell the gods!"

Muramasa gritted his teeth and looked around.

“Anyone who dares to speak of these things outside the ancestral hall will be expelled from the family.”

Then he started talking about an old story from decades ago.

"This place wasn't originally called Tongshan Village, but Tongchan Village, because there was a copper toad in this mountain."

"If the place where the copper toad lives for a long time, a copper spring will form. If it moves to another place, it will solidify into copper ore in less than a month, and the copper toad will go to find a new place to live."

“Our Wang family ancestors also had some skills. They knew that this place was where the bronze toad lived, so they came here to find the bronze toad and made a deal with it.”

"As long as the copper toad allows the Wang family to mine copper here, the Wang family will worship the copper toad, build a temple for the copper toad, offer incense and help it cultivate itself."

"At first, there was no problem, but who knew that an accident would suddenly happen more than ten years ago!"

Muramasa sighed.

“Our ancestral hall was originally intended to enshrine our ancestors, but because we had made an agreement with Tongchan beforehand, we also placed Tongchan’s incense and memorial tablet there.”

"But... the previous village chief actually sought out a method from outside, and while the bronze toad came to collect incense, he separated his soul and rushed into the bronze toad's body, wanting to take over the bronze toad's cultivation and body."

"But the Copper Toad itself has already achieved success in cultivation. The previous village chief did not succeed, but only left the Copper Toad's soul trapped in the village. It should not have succeeded yet."

"How do you know?"

Chen Ji looked at it coldly.

"He once said that if we succeeded, he would tell us to move the bronze toad's memorial tablet... But recently, even the gods have learned about what has happened... I really dare not say that it is the work of demons, I can only say that there are ghosts."

"That peddler?"

"I hired someone to impersonate him to avoid being recognized."

At this point, some people who had never heard of the ancestral hall were already shocked.

Although they had heard of ghosts and spirits, they never imagined that such stories existed in their own community.

But since this was said by the village head and there was a deity present, it shouldn't be false.

Yet, they couldn't believe that this was happening in their own village.

(End of this chapter)