Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 350 Wu Cheng'en Joins the Faction, the Hehuan Sect Opens for Business

"but."

Wang Cheng turned to look at Wu Cheng'en, who was noticeably younger than before.

"Perhaps I'm still quite far from being a top-tier fighter, but there's a top-notch henchman here who's already got one foot in the top three. We can't let him get away."

This fellow has successfully advanced to the Life-Cultivation Corpse-Guarding Realm with the help of a [Kanli Jiji Pill].

Even though he hadn't yet managed to cultivate the most fundamental Dragon-Tiger True Qi of the Inner Alchemy Method like his family, and thus begin his alchemy practice, he had already obtained the qualifications of a third-rank living ghost or god.

Moreover, as one of the two founders of alchemy, his strength after breaking through will definitely far surpass that of a mediocre person like Amakusa Shiro, the Onmyoji.

So he cupped his hands in greeting to the old man and sincerely invited him:

"Brother Wu, what are your plans for the future?"
It is already a great destiny that we, descendants of the Divine Land, can meet in this remote and untouched land. Now, we can even jointly explore the path of the Golden Elixir. Isn't this a blessing that would be difficult to achieve even in thousands of lifetimes?

"Brother Dao, why don't you stay a few more days at my place, so I can show you some hospitality?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng'en agreed almost without hesitation:
"I would be honored to accept your offer, and I will shamelessly trouble you for a few days in the Eastern Sea Kingdom."

After he put on the calming headband and regained his senses, he could guess Wang Cheng's true identity.

He had long been utterly disappointed with the Great Zhao Dynasty, especially Emperor Shaozhi, the ruler of the state, and the death of his childhood friend Shen Kun had become a thorn in his heart that he could never remove.

He had no intention of returning to serve the Han family; he only wanted to gain immense power to completely change this dark and hopeless world.

And who in the coastal areas doesn't know about the rapid changes taking place in the East China Sea?

Without anyone noticing, the Donghai Kingdom has become a beacon of civilization in the hearts of many, a kingdom atop the mountains!

Wu Cheng'en himself only realized that he should go east after reading "On Sea Power" and opening the door to a new world, so that he could trace his roots and return to the origin (Chapter 261).

He wandered into the Eastern Sea Kingdom by chance and actually solved his problem.

Even if Wang Cheng tried to drive Wu Cheng'en away, he would still stay there.

"I consider myself to have traveled all over the country, and few can match my experience."

But as for elixirs that can help people embark on the path of life cultivation and achieve the prerequisite of cultivating both body and mind, I have never even heard of them.

No one knows better than me just how dangerous the thirty-six immortal elixirs of external alchemy really are; even if they were given to me, I wouldn't dare to eat them.

This Fellow Daoist Wang possesses my only resource for embarking on the path to the Golden Core realm; how could I possibly abandon such a powerful ally?

Thinking of this, he cupped his hands again, adopting a very humble posture, and said somewhat embarrassedly:

"The Wu family has had only one son for generations. I lost my son in middle age and my wife in old age. Apart from a copy of 'Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities,' I have nothing of value. If there is anything I need you to do, please feel free to ask."

Wang Cheng nodded, snapped his fingers, and summoned the bookworm-like lady in blue robes, who was also a novelist, and instructed her:
"Qingyi, arrange a villa for Mr. Wu in our newly built state guesthouse, with all the highest-level treatment."

We have also arranged a quiet room in our Earthly Official's Realm for Mr. Wu to come and cultivate himself.

"Please have the manager of Shidetang in Pinghu Port come over again. Tell him that I'm going to patronize their business again."

A lady in blue robes gracefully offers a blessing:
"Yes, Your Majesty."

After Wang Cheng finished speaking, he smiled and explained to Wu Cheng'en:
"Brother Dao, you should have heard of the reputation of Shidetang."

This is the Tang family bookstore complex in Southern Zhili. The book industry flourished here, and the printing of books was very popular. The books were not only beautifully bound, but also widely distributed, reaching Confucian cultural circles at home and abroad.

They were the ones responsible for publishing my book, "The Theory of Sea Power".

With the quality of your book, *Journey to the West: The Tale of Exorcising Calamities*, once it's published and you receive positive feedback from readers, that will be the day you advance to the upper three ranks!

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng'en, who had originally intended to ask his friend in Dazhao to publish the novel himself, repeatedly expressed his gratitude:

"I am truly ashamed to accept such a title."

From now on, if anything happens to your Donghai Kingdom, it's my problem; don't stand on ceremony with your foolish brother.

He is currently just an unknown and down-on-his-luck scholar. How could he possibly compete with the powerful and influential Prince Jinghai if he were to step forward on his own?

As products are gradually distributed and word-of-mouth spreads, a year or two may pass.

He was nearly sixty years old, and half of his body was already buried. The "Kanli Jiji Dan" was not the "Wuzang Guizhen Dan," so it did not have the exaggerated effect of extending his life by sixty years on the spot.

Embarking on the path of cultivating life force is just the beginning; the challenges ahead still require gradual cultivation.

Every day he advances faster than the third rank increases his chances of cultivating the Golden Core, making every minute and second extremely important.

Wu Cheng'en has yet to realize that, as the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to be obligated to him, and he who takes another's gifts is bound to be obligated to him," and that the benefits from Master Wang are not so easy to obtain.
A national treasure, the Mind-Stabilizing Golden Hoop, the Elixir of Harmony, the theoretical framework of the Golden Elixir Method, generous benefits, a fully-managed promotion ritual, and future life-cultivation resources.
Now that he has received round after round of favors from Master Wang, he doesn't need any debt of gratitude. Just his integrity as a scholar is enough for him to repay the debt in his later years.

When the lady in green opened one of the original manuscripts of "The Loyal and Righteous Water Margin", she led Wu Cheng'en back to Pinghu Port, using the world in the book as a transit point.

This drew gasps of amazement from him.

"This trip was worthwhile, truly worthwhile."

"Young lady, I wish to take you as my disciple, making you the founding disciple of my Nine Heavens Void Sect. Would you mind lending me this copy of *Water Margin*?"

His good mood lasted until he saw Sun Tianba, the "Needle and Pen Craftsman" who had the image of "Havoc in Heaven" tattooed between his legs and was sparring with Xu Youde, the "Gongyang Confucian".

The previously suppressed restless mind began to rage again. His fists and golden cudgel hardened simultaneously.

After seeing off this "rare find," Wang Cheng passed through the moon gate of the Taoist temple, which was a manifestation of the Earthly Official's Dharma Realm, and tiptoed to the small courtyard next door.

The beautiful and charming fox spirit, dressed in a gold-sprinkled pomegranate skirt and wearing a gold hairpin, sat on the daybed in the small hall, her delicate hands supporting her cheeks, her head nodding slightly.

Under the table, a crystal toe, painted a sweet cherry color, half-raised a gold-threaded shoe, its hem rising and falling with each breath as if about to fall.

Clearly unaware of how long she had been waiting there, she had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep; the sight of the crabapple tree in its spring slumber was exceptionally beautiful.

Wang Cheng used the "Overseas Star-Traveling Technique" to calculate and discovered that he and Lao Wu seemed to have touched upon the fundamental rules of this world during their enlightenment. It was as if they were watching a game of chess and the game was over, and three or four days had passed without them realizing it.

Although I don't feel tired, the passage of time is real and undeniable.

Seeing the fox sister who had been waiting for him, he felt a warmth in his heart from the thought of being cared for.

He couldn't help but step forward and sit on the couch, wrapping his arms around his senior sister's slender waist from behind.

It has to be said that the girl is slender where she should be slender and plump where she should be plump. She has an excellent feel, warm, soft and fragrant. Once you hug her, you never want to let go.

"Hey, Fugui, the enlightenment is over? Did you get the opportunity?"

Feeling the familiar embrace, Shen Yueye suddenly opened her charming and amorous emerald fox eyes.

She kicked off her shoes, wrapped her arms around her junior brother's neck like a koala, and curled up in his embrace.

She tucked her icy little feet into his shirt and pressed them against his belly, which was covered in eight firm abdominal muscles.

"hiss--!"

Wang Cheng grimaced from the cold, but when he saw the girl's pitiful expression and pleading look, he couldn't bring himself to be angry.

He pulled her into a tight embrace and gave his senior sister's full, red lips a light peck, though he was a little annoyed.

"You're such a vixen."

However, when the topic turned to opportunity, he couldn't help but beam with excitement. Looking at the stunningly beautiful fox sister in his arms, he teased her:

"Senior sister, you must remember this epoch-making day. Things are different now than before."

I possess the secret to immortality, but I cannot sell it cheaply. I do not want a single pound of gold from you, nor do I want any gifts or donations.

Come, as long as you obediently call me teacher, I'll take you as the founding disciple of the Hehuan—I mean, the Dragon Tiger Yin Yang School—and also as my bedchamber pot, hehehe."

Shen Yueye knew her junior brother's nature well; just by looking at his smug expression, she knew he had received a tremendous benefit.

She was quite happy to play romantic games with him, and proactively wrapped her arms around his neck, saying in a husky, seductive voice:
"Alright, it's easy to become your disciple, but your master will beat you to death."

Wang Cheng's face stiffened. He knew that this sentence was actually an abbreviation of "I'll beat you until you shit yourself, then beat you with your shit, and then beat you back into the shit," but it was more intimidating than simply beating someone to death.

He was just trying to take advantage of his senior sister, yet he still stubbornly insisted on his point:

"Ahem, but I can teach you the superior method of internal alchemy. Once you swallow a golden pill, your fate will be in your own hands, not in the heavens, sister!"

Shen Yueye repeated that sentence with a half-smile:
"Your master will beat you to death!"

Wang Cheng coughed lightly and finally revealed his final trump card:

"Enter my gate and you will live forever, stay young forever, and be eighteen years old every day."

"If you don't acknowledge me as your master, this will be very difficult. I think the position of chief disciple will definitely belong to Sister A-Xiao."

This time, with each word he uttered, Shen Yueye's eyes brightened a little more. Before Wang Cheng could finish speaking, she grabbed his hand and nodded vigorously:
"A word is settled!"

Six fiery red fox tails emerged from its rear end and spun rapidly.

The eldest daughter of the family, Yan Yunxiao, is so tall that you can't see her end. But she is only made of mortal flesh. She may be a beautiful young girl now, but in a few years she will only be a young woman.

How could one not feel threatened when compared to the Dragon Girl?
Whether it's powerful or not is another matter; the beauty benefits that come with this internal alchemy method are what truly strike at her weak point.

Wang Cheng kissed the girl's delicate white hand and said smugly:
"Does this mean I don't have to worry about getting beaten to a pulp by my master anymore? I think I should just give up."

Shen Yueye gave this guy, who was acting innocent even after getting the benefit, a charming glare, and whispered with a hint of shyness:
"Hey, what a blockhead! Let's each talk our own thing."

From now on, when we're in the dorm or in bed, I'll call you teacher, and when we're out of the dorm, you can just call me senior sister.

Besides, your master's wife said that once the Duchy of Medinaceli is settled, she will send her own "Bodhisattva-like" attendant back for a short stay. At that time, how will your master have time to care about you?

Also, your master's wife sent me some lingerie, dresses, and crystal high heels from the Western Continent. Want to see them?

Wang Cheng was instantly manipulated by the fox sister, nodding repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice:
"Tonight, we'll exchange money for goods. Your master will personally bestow your teachings upon you."

The two cuddled together for a while longer, when Shen Yueye suddenly remembered something, jumped out of his arms, and reminded him:

"By the way, during your seclusion these past few days, the King of Japan secretly sent an envoy who has been waiting for you for a long time."

He said he had a great secret about immortality to tell you.

(End of this chapter)