Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 235 [Concealment Technique] (Second Update!)

Strong-willed?

Zheng Que pondered these four words, about to ask more questions, but Lu Maohong seemed to have lost interest in talking. He stood up and said, "Alright, now that we've recognized each other, there will be many more opportunities to talk in the future. Let's leave it at that for today."

"I will arrange for someone else to take charge of the 'Geng' car. From now on, you will stay by my side and take charge of the 'Jia' car together."

"Next, come out with me and get to know the other people in the 'A' car."

With that, he stood up and walked straight outside.

Seeing this, Zheng Que had no choice but to get up and follow.

As soon as we stepped out of the vehicle, we saw the sun setting in the west, casting dappled light through the maple trees, making the campsite appear to be in a state of alternating light and shadow.

As soon as the two came out, the fat green-robed cultivator from before came to greet them. He did not speak immediately, but glanced at Zheng Que. Seeing that Lu Maohong did not intend to avoid him, he reported directly: "Senior Lu, all the cultivators in the caravan and the taxes in the carriages have been checked, and nothing abnormal has been found."

Lu Maohong's gaze swept across the camp, and he saw that the carriages that had been scattered in various places had all moved slightly to make way for the newly returned "Geng" carriage.

The cultivators who were guarding the town had already dispersed. Some were cultivating, some were chatting, and some were even setting up temporary stalls to trade... Only a few people stood at a distance, peeking out and watching the situation on the side of the "A" car.

Lu Maohong withdrew his gaze, looked at the fat cultivator in green robes, and calmly said, "Investigate further."

The plump, green-robed cultivator immediately replied, "Yes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, seemingly about to arrange the next investigation.

Watching the plump cultivator in green robes depart, Lu Maohong said, "This is Shi Yiquan. His cultivation level is the same as yours, at the seventh level of Qi Refining. He is the head guard of the City Lord's Mansion."

Zheng Que nodded, indicating that he had made a note of it.

Next, Lu Maohong led Zheng Que toward a cultivator guarding the "A" shaped vehicle.

Soon, under Lu Maohong's guidance and introduction, Zheng Que got to know all the cultivators in the "A" class vehicle.

Unlike the other carriages, where taxes are levied by a Qi Refining Level 7 cultivator leading a team of four Qi Refining Level 6 or 5 cultivators, this one is responsible for the tax collection.

All of these monks were independent practitioners.

The "A" chariot was escorted by eight cultivators, all of whom came from the City Lord's Mansion and held specific positions within it. In other words, they were all government officials!
Of the eight, Lu Maohong had the highest cultivation level, at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Next were Shentu Jinghai and Yu Zhongyin. Shentu Jinghai wore a dark red robe with a lotus pattern, had a short beard, and had a friendly, smiling appearance, making him seem very easy to talk to. Yu Zhongyin, on the other hand, was dark-skinned and thin, taciturn, wore a gray robe, and carried a long sword on his back.

Both of them were at the eighth level of Qi Refining cultivation.

The remaining five people were all at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Zheng Que had already met Zhang Guitu and Shi Yiquan. The other three were named Feng Jian, Yan Zhiyong, and Wei Yingjuan.

Feng Jian was the cultivator Lu Maohong had questioned in front of the city lord's mansion when they set off. He was refined and dressed like an ordinary scholar. He addressed Lu Maohong as "teacher," but judging from Lu Maohong's attitude, the other party was not his disciple. He had only received some guidance from Lu Maohong on formations, so he insisted on treating him with the respect due to a teacher.

Yan Zhiyong followed the path of "corpse raising." All the cart-pulling corpse puppets in the entire caravan were provided by him. Even without the array plate, he could control all the cart-pulling corpse puppets.

Like Yu Zhongyin, this man was taciturn and did not utter a word from beginning to end. He only glanced at Zheng Que when Lu Maohong introduced him, nodded slightly, and then indifferently took out various items to begin maintaining the corpse puppet of the "Jia" chariot.

The last one, Wei Yingjuan, was a female cultivator. She was about twenty years old, with delicate features and fair skin. She wore a soft green silk robe and a chestnut purple pleated skirt, and had a pair of mandarin duck swords hanging at her waist. She spoke gently and seemed very amiable.

Of course, Zheng Que will also be added to this team next.

It's clear that, compared to other vehicles, the taxes levied on vehicles with the "Class A" designation are the most significant!
After showing Zheng Que around and seeing that this familiar junior had initially integrated, Lu Maohong told Zheng Que to do as he pleased, while he turned and walked to the other carriages to personally check the cultivators and taxes in the convoy.

Seeing this, Zheng Que initially wanted to help, but quickly realized that his ghost servant could only sense the ghosts of the [Tongue-Pulling Hell]. If there were indeed ghosts from the [Iron Tree Hell] mixed in with the caravan, even if they were just a part of the ghosts, his underworld official duties alone wouldn't be enough to detect them. In comparison, it would be more prudent for him to first cultivate the [Concealment Technique]...

So Zheng Que found a corner in the open space next to the "A" shaped carriage, had two ghost servants protect him, and began his cultivation.

As his mind settled, the various noises in the camp quietly faded away, and the slanting sunlight outlined Zheng Que's cross-legged figure, gradually lengthening his shadow.

Soon, the sun set in the west, and dusk fell.

Zheng Que opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. He had successfully mastered the [Concealment Technique].

This technique is similar to the [Concealing Breath Talisman], which can hide one's cultivation aura without time limit.

Furthermore, when he uses the [Concealing Breath Talisman], Lu Maohong can easily see through his true cultivation level. Even some cultivators of the same realm can use some detection techniques to know his approximate strength.

Only those rogue cultivators with little background or resources are unable to see through the disguise of the [Concealing Breath Talisman]...

This [Concealing Qi Technique] is even more effective at hiding one's aura than the [Concealing Breath Talisman]. With his current cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining, after using this technique, cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage will basically be unable to see through his true cultivation level.

However, compared to Xiao Yiyang's technique from the Heavenly Artifact Sect, this [Concealment Technique] cannot freely change one's aura...

After finishing his practice of the [Concealment Technique], Zheng Que got up and stretched his limbs, took a short walk around the camp, greeted his newly met teammates, and seeing that everything was alright, continued to practice the [Life-Generating Technique].

Time passed slowly, and the night quickly came to an end.

The next morning, Zheng Que had just finished a round of training and hadn't even opened his eyes when Lu Maohong's voice echoed throughout the entire camp: "Closing up camp, preparing to depart!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a flurry of activity erupted throughout the camp.

Zheng Que immediately got up and, with two ghost servants, came to the side of the "Jia" carriage.

Beside the "A" shaped vehicle, all eight cultivators from the City Lord's Mansion, including Lu Maohong, had arrived.

Lu Maohong glanced at Zheng Que and instructed, "Guitu, take Zheng Que with you."

Zhang Guitu immediately replied, "Yes!"

He then turned to Zheng Que and whispered, "I'll be in charge of guarding the left side of the 'A' car. From now on, you'll come with me."

Zheng Que nodded: "Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, reports came from every corner of the camp...

"Car B, ready to go!"

"Car C, ready to go!"

"..."

"The 'Geng'-shaped vehicle is ready!"

"..."

"The 'Gui'-shaped vehicle is ready!"

Lu Maohong glanced around to make sure all the vehicles were ready before nodding slightly and ordering in a deep voice, "Let's go!"

(End of this chapter)