In the classroom there were altogether over a dozen Daoist children. Aside from that innate immortal root who was in the Foundation Establishment stage, all the other Daoist children were at the level of the Qi Refining stage.
They sat cross-legged upon meditation cushions, and before them there were wooden desks.
On the desks, apart from the Four Treasures of the Study and books placed upon them, there was actually also an abacus, but the beads of the abacus were all made from human eyes.
Ren Qing not only deliberately lowered his sense of presence, but also divided off a few ghost shadows to follow Wuliangzi, mainly to investigate the reality of Wuwei Monastery.
"What the hell, could it be that the Daoist sects nowadays still teach arithmetic?"
He casually fiddled with the abacus a few times, and suddenly felt a stabbing pain at his fingertips, almost tearing the skin of the Scapegoat Skin covering his body.
Ren Qing hadn't expected that the abacus was actually a magic artifact. If he continued to mess with it in such a way, his fingers would probably be instantly ground into minced flesh.
He had already sensed that Wuwei Monastery was out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to continue examining it, the sound of footsteps from outside drew near and entered the classroom.
It was a middle-aged Daoist woman of about forty, her four limbs showing varying degrees of aberration, and her cultivation at the full completion of Foundation Establishment.
There was no need for the Daoist woman to even open her mouth to remind them, the classroom spontaneously resounded with voices of recitation.
"'Urgently completed, the strange and the peculiar are different from the multitude, listing out the names and surnames of all things.'"
"'Separately divided and arranged, not mixed or confused, making daily usage concise and truly pleasing.'"
"'If one strives diligently, there will surely be joy...'"
When Ren Qing heard this, his brow lifted; he immediately realized that the classroom was actually studying The Rapid Primer, a text for literacy and manners.
Though The Rapid Primer was far less famous than The Hundred Family Surnames, it was indeed an ancient textbook for learning to read, normally recited daily by young pupils.
However, Wuwei Monastery's version of The Rapid Primer had undergone some modifications, specifically adding various conversions of silver and coins, which should correspond to the abacus magic tool.
Ren Qing took it merely as an introduction to arithmetic.
But for him, having to study literacy in a classroom with a group of children was truly uncomfortable, he would rather go into the mountains for secluded cultivation.
The two hundred years of lifespan were already about used up, it was time to advance the Shadow Ghost Technique.
Ren Qing also hadn't expected that the Daoist children, though at least at the Qi Refining stage, were still unable to read.
He suspected that when Wuwei Monastery recruited Daoist children, they had already, through certain means, infused the contents of the Heavenly Insect Method into their memories.
Ren Qing instantly lost interest, and so focused all his attention upon Wuliangzi.
Because of his loss of control due to aberration, Wuliangzi's temperament was somewhat strange, but once he distanced himself from people, he clearly began restraining himself.
He sat cross-legged like a corpse, said to be cultivating, yet there was no movement at all.
At the center of the temple stood a statue of Heavenly Daozi; even the three Dao Ancestors could only be placed to the right side, showing the founding ancestor's status.
On the left side was a large stone platform, upon which were placed numerous spirit tablets, as many as hundreds or thousands, each inscribed with various Daoist titles.
Ren Qing had originally thought that these spirit tablets were memorials for the dead, but soon discovered that the Daoist titles on them were actually exuding faint traces of spell energy.
These Daoist titles should have absorbed traces of the soul aura from Wuwei Monastery disciples who had gone out, serving to confirm whether they had perished or not.
Wuliangzi knelt before the statue of Heavenly Daozi, and as his distracting thoughts slowly vanished through meditation, his expression became devout.
Ren Qing rubbed his temples, even if Wuliangzi were to eat a few people, that would be something; this kind of calm instead made him unsure what to do.
The ghost shadows split off again, wandering several rounds around the Daoist temple on the mountain.
In the end, within the entire Wuwei Monastery, only Wuliangzi was at the Core Formation stage; all the rest were at Foundation Establishment, and their numbers were even fewer than expected.
In his puzzlement, Ren Qing decided not to waste time.
He could completely rely on Soul Butterfly projections to monitor Wuwei Monastery, there was no need to attend literacy and arithmetic classes with a bunch of children.
The ghost shadows under his feet dispersed quietly, wrapping around the classroom in utter silence to prevent the aura of spellcraft from accidentally leaking out.
Ren Qing tapped the surface of the table, the small sound caused all the Daoist children around to stop abruptly.
Under their surprised gazes, he walked up to the middle-aged Daoist woman and asked, "Daoist, how should I address you?"
The middle-aged Daoist woman's expression was dazed for a few breaths, then she replied, "Tianfuzi, I am Wuliangzi's junior sister, cultivating the Biluo Method, merging True Yuan into the four limbs and body..."
"All right, all right."
The Daoist children had no idea who this sudden newcomer Ren Qing was, and could only sit trembling upon their cushions.
"When does the sect recruit disciples?"
Affected by spellcraft, Tianfuzi spoke like a puppet: "On the fifteenth of every month, mainly from nearby farmers and certain merchants in the city."
"Why must they learn to write and do arithmetic?"
"Arithmetic is the foundation of our sect, established by the previous headmaster, Qiankunzi..."
Ren Qing roughly understood Tianfuzi's meaning, that Wuwei Monastery's disciples, after leaving the sect, actually relied on arithmetic as their livelihood, and in his heart he could not help but feel deep absurdity.
"Doing business?"
"To benefit others is to benefit oneself."
He could already imagine what kind of business it was, since it involved eerie cultivators, it was likely something heretical and crooked.
In a sense, it really was similar to the Restraint Officers' Hall.
"Forget it, let it be. Continue."
Light rippled in Ren Qing's eyes; the Daoist children and Tianfuzi resumed reciting The Rapid Primer, though their memories had some slight blanks.
"I wonder what Heavenly Daozi would think, seeing this scene..."
"But this can allow children cultivating the Netherworld Heavenly Insect Method to blend into Wuwei Monastery."
Ren Qing walked out of the classroom, others would only feel the light subtly shift, completely unable to detect anything amiss.
Wuwei Monastery truly had declined; facing the current situation in Jingzhou, where all powers were contending, the measure it had chosen was actually to divide itself into scattered parts.
Even if the sect were destroyed, it did not matter, after all, its disciples were scattered everywhere.
Ren Qing left a few Soul Butterfly projections within Wuwei Monastery, then planned to go into the mountains to find a secluded place to cultivate in seclusion.
He had already been in Jingzhou for quite some time, yet had not properly sorted through his own spells.
Even though his mindset was already quite steady, he still felt somewhat weary, perfect to use cultivation to relax his mind.
Ren Qing followed a small path through the mountains. Numerous farmers were busy in the fields, cultivating crops unique to Jingzhou.
When Ren Qing had arrived earlier, since his body was merged with ghost shadows, he hadn't deliberately observed the fields, but now he noticed that the grain yield was extremely high.
The crops resembled rice, but the ears of grain were even fuller, and the time needed for ripening was shorter.
He picked a stalk of rice.
The unripe ear emitted faint traces of True Yuan, if consumed long-term, it would greatly benefit the physique of Jingzhou people.
The farmers held crude hoe-type magic tools; with their strength, not even at the Qi Refining stage, they could only barely wield them.
Ren Qing could not help but sigh, Wuwei Monastery, in order to survive in Jingzhou, truly spared no means, even engaging in farming.
Just as he was about to leave, a young man from the nearby field approached, looking at Ren Qing with eyes full of reverence.
The youth's skin was dark, his insect-like aberrations not apparent; though he possessed no cultivation, one could see that he had built considerable strength working in the fields.
Scratching his head, he asked, "Daoist sir, you must be a disciple of the immortal sect up the mountain, right?"
"What is it?"
"I heard that Wuwei Monastery is skilled at 'fetching chestnuts from the fire', is that true?"
"Fetching chestnuts from the fire" referred to the way of making wealth, after all, Qingyan Town was full of hidden dangers, nearly cutting off any hope of progress for ordinary people.
Before the young man finished speaking, an older farmer grabbed him by the neck and pulled him away, repeatedly apologizing to Ren Qing, fearing his blame.
Ren Qing shook his head.
He realized that Wuwei Monastery was still living off the ancestral industries it had left behind back then.
No wonder Wuwei Monastery was so populous, recruiting disciples every month, the source evidently lay in the sect's business nature itself.
But how was that any different from lambs waiting for slaughter?
Ren Qing shook his head again, then flickered several times and vanished into the mountainside.
He found a hidden cave on a neighboring peak, sealed the entrance with stones, and began cultivating in peace.
Once this seclusion ended, the Immortal Market would also be ready to reveal its tip of the iceberg.
Wuwei Monastery remained completely unaware of Ren Qing's disappearance; each morning the sounds of reciting The Rapid Primer continued to echo.
From time to time, sect disciples who had achieved Foundation Establishment descended the mountain, making it clear the sect never planned to keep too many cultivators within the mountain gate.
Ren Qing closed his eyes to meditate upon his techniques, spending several days to calm his restless state of mind.
Then he took out the gourd magic tool, weighed it, and nodded in satisfaction.
All of the Peach Wine was poured into the Flesh Furnace, and as the kindling flames evaporated the wine, his face took on a faint flush.
The Peach Wine he had stored over this time amounted to a whole pond's worth, aside from the portion placed in the Great Dream Pavilion, not a single drop was left.
He had never before tried drinking in large quantities for lifespan extension, usually he only took small sips, since the intoxication of Peach Wine was impossible to resist.
"Gurrrr—"
Ren Qing only felt his primary and secondary souls gradually losing consciousness, while his lifespan visibly increased at a speed perceptible to the naked eye.
He let the ghost shadows guard him, then fell drunkenly asleep in the cave.
Loud snores resounded one after another.
Ren Qing's body and soul seemed to transform into a Soul Butterfly, traveling across mountains and rivers, and in the blink of an eye returned to Xiangxiang thousands of li away.
When this dream finally ended and he awoke, he did not even know how long had passed.
Holding his head in both hands, his memory went blank for a moment; only after a long time did he come to himself, exhaling deeply.
Through drunkenness, not only was his body relaxed, his soul also showed a tendency of growth.
From the ghost shadows he learned that half a year had already passed.
Originally it had been early summer, but now he felt faint cold seeping from the rock walls into the cave, Wuwei Monastery was covered in snow.
Ren Qing quickly checked the Soul Butterfly projections he had placed in various spots, the sect remained peaceful, though the number of spirit tablets had decreased by several dozen.
From the stored information of the Soul Butterfly projections, he learned that not long ago the sect had been drawn into conflicts between eerie factions, causing casualties.
But its tendons and bones were uninjured, Wuwei Monastery still managed to extricate itself safely.
Next time, however, it would not be so easy.
Fetching chestnuts from the fire, indeed it was fetching chestnuts from the fire.
Ren Qing summoned the stream of information; when his gaze swept across the "lifespan" entry, he was startled, thinking he had misread it.
[Lifespan: 475 years]
What had happened? In an instant his lifespan had increased by nearly four hundred years.
According to Ren Qing's original estimate, Peach Wine could at most extend life by a hundred years, the remaining two hundred-plus must have come from Xiangxiang's Ghost Market.
After a moment's hesitation, he simply stripped the Nether Yuan from his dantian and handed it to the ghost shadows, actively returning from the Crescent Moon Layer to the New Moon Layer.
The cave was still the same cave, but outside, Wuwei Monastery was no more.
Ren Qing visualized the Butterfly Dream Technique, descending his consciousness over the Ghost Market.
He had only just appeared when the Great Dream True Person emerged beside him, confirmed there was no problem, then vanished without a word.
Ren Qing looked helplessly at the Ghost Market, finding that the number of Restraint Officers had nearly doubled, and that the Eerie Fetus artifact-refining method had already spread.
Though not everyone possessed an Eerie Fetus artifact, at least one-third did, almost all related to the Taotie Method.
Clearly, the Restraint Officers' Hall's strategy was progressing steadily, gradually popularizing the Taotie Method.
As a beneficiary, Ren Qing felt a bit emotional, he and the Restraint Officers' Hall were mutually beneficial; in the future, the efficiency of lifespan harvesting would only grow.
Therefore, he had to find a way to draw the Restraint Officers' Hall into the Jingzhou power struggle as well.
Even if those eerie entities resembled pseudo–Yang God realms born of spellcraft, for Song Zongwu and the other Yin Runner realms, they would certainly be of great use.
The more Restraint Officers ascended to the Yang God realm, the more resources Ren Qing would have at his disposal.
Ren Qing looked toward the corner's Feng Market, the number of stalls there was clearly insufficient.
Seeing this, he communicated with the Soul Butterfly that had become the Ghost Market, his body growing more solid and soon spreading outward.
Within the Ghost Market, the Restraint Officers halted their steps, seemingly sensing something, all looked up at the sky in disbelief.
No one knew when it began, but a rumor had spread throughout the Restraint Officers' Hall:
That the master of the Ghost Market, gravely wounded in the marshlands, his body and soul aberrated beyond control, had gone into a death-closed cultivation somewhere in Xiangxiang.
And this seemed to have been proven true.
But now, the master of the Ghost Market announced his return to Avici Hell.
A colossal shadow, dozens of meters tall, was revealed beyond doubt, both eyes were profound double pupils, and on the forehead were three eyes formed from Dream Seeds.
A faint halo surrounded his body.
In sheer presence alone, even the Great Dream True Person could not compare.
Huang Ziwan stood at the center of the street, his joy at breaking through the third aberration vanished completely, and a thought arose unbidden in his mind.
"Could Ren Qing be about to ascend to the Yang God realm?!!"
Impossible, even a reincarnated Heavenly Abomination realm wouldn't reach such a degree.
But no matter how he looked, such a spell could not be something displayed by one newly entered into the Yin Runner realm, at least Merging the Yin God, or perhaps Releasing the Yin God?
Ren Qing swept his gaze across the Restraint Officers, then raised his hand and gave a firm clap.
The dream-spell tried to modify the Ghost Market, but relying only on the Soul Butterfly artifact was difficult, he could only make partial adjustments.
At that moment, the Great Dream True Person appeared again, light and shadow enveloping Ren Qing.
With the assistance of a Yang God realm, the branches of the dream tree began to grow, the Ghost Market's area gradually expanded, and the stalls of the Feng Market multiplied severalfold.
Ren Qing drew in a deep breath, almost exposing himself, but fortunately, the Great Dream True Person had intervened in time.
Once the Immortal Market in Jingzhou was completely established, he could discuss with the Great Dream True Person about connecting the two markets together.
After finishing the expansion of the Ghost Market, Ren Qing felt his consciousness weaken.
However, he did not immediately return to his body, instead, he went to the Great Dream Pavilion, preparing several sets of needed materials.
Then, using the link between his consciousness and the Prison Within the Abdomen, he transferred the materials into his internal small world.
Ren Qing also took the intentionally reserved Peach Wine and placed it upon the shelves of the Ghost Market's Great Dream Tavern, to restore the lifespan harvested from the Restraint Officers.
Once everything was ready, it was finally time for the breakthrough in cultivation.