Chapter 180: Disciple of Mount Mao

Now that we understood the basic situation, we just had to wait for the right moment to infiltrate. Li Zijian handed the chain to Chen Chen. After putting it on, with a thought, Chen Chen’s realm also reached the third grade of the Spirit Leaf.

Now, the two of us were newly stepping into the cultivation circle. Coupled with the mask on my face, hardly anyone could recognize my identity.

The car sped swiftly across the snowy terrain and soon entered the city. Then it merged onto the highway, heading toward an unfamiliar place.

We didn’t speak much along the way—everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, especially Chen Chen. It was his first time taking such a risk, naturally putting him under psychological pressure.

Li Zijian, on the other hand, seemed relaxed as he didn’t have to venture into the tiger’s den. He hummed a tune while gazing out the window.

“Brother Yao, do you feel confident about this?” Li Zijian asked, catching me off guard.

After all, I still didn’t know where the town’s treasure was hidden. Other things also needed to be explored slowly, and the unfamiliar terrain left me uncertain.

“Hmm… it should be fine,” I replied, trying to sound composed. Otherwise, Chen Chen would get even more nervous. Like I said before, nervousness leads to mistakes.

After speaking, I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes to meditate. It had been a long time since I’d focused solely on cultivation, which explained why my realm remained stuck at the third grade of the Spirit Lotus.

So I resolved that if we returned safely this time, I would spend some time in the mountains to cultivate properly.

The car sped on, the scenery outside constantly changing. Judging by the direction, we were heading south. Soon, the snow disappeared, and the weather grew warmer.

This mission would last a month, and I increasingly sensed that the Ghost King no longer fully controlled us, though he surely had ways to punish us.

Only six of us remained in the group chat now, and the tasks were growing more difficult. This time, it wouldn’t be easy to obtain what we needed.

If the treasure proved too tough, we’d just release all the prisoners from the Seven-Color Sect. The Ghost King said to release them but didn’t say to take them away, so that was doable.

But since I hadn’t seen anything firsthand and was going only on intuition, I had to be extra cautious this time—not to end up half-dead.

Soon, we entered an unfamiliar city. Old Li said none of us had eaten that morning, so we would have a meal here before continuing.

I was a bit hungry myself and gladly agreed.

The car slowly entered the city called Yichun. I had only heard of it before but never been there.

There was a unique feeling about it—visiting every unknown city meant encountering unfamiliar people and new scenery.

Old Li checked the navigation and randomly picked the nearest small restaurant. The city’s architectural style resembled ours; though not large, the facilities were quite complete.

We parked near the restaurant and got out to walk inside.

As cultivators, we instinctively sensed the spiritual energy in the vicinity.

Right now, I detected two sources of spiritual energy inside the restaurant, both at the first grade of Spirit Flower—fairly strong.

But any one of us could easily overpower those two, so there was no need to worry.

I entered first and cast a sharp glance around. In a corner, two people were eating—those were the two spiritual energies I sensed.

Unexpectedly, both wore blue robes typical of disciples in this city.

I ignored them and casually found a table to sit, then began ordering dishes.

Even with Li Zijian as a wealthy benefactor, I wasn’t going to pay myself. He ordered quite a few dishes.

While sipping tea, I glanced sideways at those two. They had ordered seven or eight dishes each, neither looking very young—probably in their twenties.

Their talents were quite good for ordinary people. They were likely disciples of some sect, each carrying a round mirror at their waist, the purpose of which I didn’t know.

When I looked at them again, they noticed me at the same time. I expected them to glare, but instead, they cupped their hands in greeting.

That surprised me greatly. My realm was the third grade of Spirit Leaf, yet they, both higher than me, still showed such respect.

I couldn’t be rude, so I returned the gesture. One of them, a delicate-looking young man, smiled slightly before resuming his meal.

That moment stayed with me for a lifetime; I was deeply impressed by those two.

Old Li noticed my actions and the two men, whispering to us:

“Those two brothers are probably Maoshan Taoists. Maoshan is a legitimate Taoist sect with powerful magic, but the threshold is high. To master it, one must put in effort.”

“Moreover, Maoshan Taoists are widespread. Many exorcists and righteous Taoists you see probably have ancestors from Maoshan.”

“But these two are clearly not wild cultivators. Their robes and mirrors are unique to Maoshan disciples. That mirror is called the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, said to discern good and evil in the world.”

“Maoshan is known for treating people politely. When selecting disciples each year, they value loyalty and courtesy, extending this to everyone. These two are probably down the mountain for experience.”

Hearing Old Li’s explanation, I understood much. The Maoshan Taoists portrayed on TV really existed—and were quite approachable. If I had time, I’d definitely visit Maoshan.

After some more casual talk, the dishes were almost all served. Li Zijian had ordered ten dishes—a truly sumptuous feast.

The restaurant was decent, but since it wasn’t peak meal time, only two tables were occupied.

Halfway through our meal, the two men finished, paid, and prepared to leave.

Passing by my table, they nodded toward me—a farewell gesture.

“Goodbye, I am Lin Yao,” I said, standing and introducing myself.

They seemed surprised when I said my name, probably by my cultivation level.

So I stopped pretending. With a thought, the symbol of the Spirit Lotus realm appeared.

They were momentarily stunned but bowed slightly and said, “Greetings, Brother Lin.”

I realized Maoshan was truly polite. This simple act showed great respect, especially since I surpassed them in realm. Though they didn’t address me as elder, their respect was clear.

“No trouble. I’ll visit Maoshan when I have time,” I replied.

They smiled and nodded in agreement, introducing themselves one by one.

“My name is Zhang Jiushan.”

“I am Qian Liyue. I have long heard of Brother Lin’s fame—how you eradicated the infamous Xia family. It’s truly satisfying.”