Chapter 93

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Chapter 93: Taoist Yusong

Middle section of Yunzhong Mountain Range

A group of cultivators arrived at the cave of Lin Jiang. One person took out a Sound Passing Talisman and handed it to Lin Jiang. He opened it and heard a voice saying, "Lin Wu, my Taoist friend, I am Yusong. Please come out for a conversation."

Lin Jiang waved his hand and the smoke around him dispersed, revealing his figure. The person in front of him approached.

"Yusongtaoist friend？"

"Indeed, it is I."

"May I know what brings you here?"

"I dare not claim to give instructions. I have brought my friend to establish a stronghold in the Cangying Ridge ahead. We also have friends stationed in this area. I came to pay a visit to our neighbors."

"Establish a stronghold?"

"Yes, recently, there has been chaos in the Yunzhong Mountain Range. Many independent cultivators who returned from the north have been causing great harm, resulting in a large number of them becoming displaced. Yusong couldn’t bear to see this and thus gathered his friends to establish a stronghold for self-protection. Many friends came to help, but the Canying Ridge is small and cannot accommodate so many taoist friends. Therefore, a group of people has been purposely relocated nearby. After learning that Taoist Friend Lin is here, they came to pay their respects."

Yusong’s words made Lin Jiang silent. During this period, he had been staying at home and knew very little about the outside world. He was still unclear about Yusong’s origin and intentions.

"If Taoist Friend is worried, there’s no need to come out. Today’s just a notice. We’ll understand Yusong’s character as time goes by."

"What do you want to do?"

"Just to protect ourselves."

"I’m not interested in joining you."

"Taoist Friend Lin, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t ask Taoist Friend to join us. I just hope that Taoist Friend will be kind to others and become a good neighbor in the future."

"I won’t harm others unless they harm me."

"Great, then Yusong will take his leave first."

Yusong bowed to Lin Jiang and then led his group away. Lin Jiang watched him leave.

"He looks quite polite, what’s going on?"

Lin Jiang wondered in his heart. Compared to those who were extremely wicked, Yusong indeed appeared very polite. Some people’s personalities are hard to hide. Of course, it could also be a cunning facade.

Lin Jiang pondered for a while, unable to figure it out. He took out the Sound Passing Talisman and sent it to a few friends to see what was happening.

·······

"Taoist Friend Lin"

"Fan Tong, my Taoist friend, why are you here? Didn’t you hide in Yunzhong City?"

Three days later, someone suddenly called out to Lin Jiang at the door. When Lin Jiang went out to have a look, it turned out to be Fan Tong. Lin Jiang remembered that Fan Tong had indeed fled to Yunzhong City.

"Friend Lin, you’ve been at home for many days, unaware of the outside situation. Now, the Yunzhong Mountain Range has returned to calm."

"What does it mean?"

"May I come in and speak slowly? I am alone."

"Come in."

Lin Jiang looked around with his divine sense, making sure there was no one nearby. Even if there were someone, he wasn’t afraid. After fighting with Zhou Yunyang, Lin Jiang knew his own strength.

"Thank you for trusting me, Taoist Friend Lin."

"What’s happening outside now?"

Recently, a lot of fierce and cruel people came from the north, causing a massacre in the Yunzhong Mountain Range. About ninety percent of the independent cultivators at the Qi Refining and Building Foundation stages fled. These killers realized that without independent cultivators to prey on, they didn’t dare to plunder near Yunzhong City. So they turned against each other. But they soon realized that if they continued killing each other, they would all perish. Everyone was after wealth, not insanity.

Therefore, several influential independent cultivators stood up and gathered a group of independent cultivators to establish their own stronghold for self-protection. Now, within a radius of thousands of miles, five forces have emerged. They are Taoist Yusong of Cangying Ridge, the Zheng brothers of Black Water Pool, Chen Xuan of Medicine Immortal Valley, Ma Ping of Songmao Mountain, and Fu Tao of Baiyugang. These five are currently the leading figures among the independent cultivators in the Yunzhong Mountain Range.

"Do the two major sects have any objections to their actions?"

"What’s your opinion? It’s not just one company, there are five of them."

"That’s right."

Lin Jiang replied, but he felt that the two major factions must have their own people among these five forces, and it’s possible that all of them are their people.

This is not unheard of. Look at the fishing gang next to the Yuntuo River. Without the approval of the two major factions, it wouldn’t be possible.

"Taoist Friend Lin, Yunzhong Mountain Range is different now, the territory has been divided, Taoist Friend Lin also needs to find a sheltering force."

"It seems that Fan Tongtaoist friend has made a choice."

"That’s right, I have chosen Taoist Yusong."

"What about the other four? Can you introduce them to me?"

Lin Jiang nodded. It was expected that without someone’s instructions, Fan Tong wouldn’t have told him so much.

"The five factions are all quite similar. The leaders are all at the Building Foundation stage, but Taoist Yusong is a bit stronger. He has attempted to break through to the Golden Core stage before, although unsuccessful, but he has already stepped into the Golden Core stage with one foot. The next in line would be the Zhengzhan and Zhengqin brothers. They both have accomplished the Building Foundation stage and they are also twin brothers who have a telepathic connection. Their combined attacks are very strong. As for the other three factions, they also have their unique strengths."

"Since you want to recruit me, what are the conditions? You surely can’t offer me no benefits at all."

"Of course there are conditions. Taoist Yusong said that if Taoist Friend Lin is willing to join Cangying Ridge and is willing to be given a position within Cangying Ridge, this cave dwelling will be reserved for you. People can be sent to help with the management, and all the proceeds will go to Taoist Friend Lin."

"What do you want me to do?"

Lin Jiang said. Cangying Ridge, Black Water Pool, and Medicine Immortal Valley are all blessed lands within the Yunzhong Mountain Range. The spiritual energy levels are very high there, and it has always been a sought-after place. Cultivating there will definitely be very beneficial for cultivation.

"There’s no need to do much. Taoist Friend Lin is a Talisman Maker and can make amulets to sell to everyone. The prices will be the same as in Yunzhong City. If someone comes to provoke, Taoist Friend Lin can help fight."

"Is there anything else?"

"No, if Taoist Friend Lin wants to do other things, that’s also possible. For example, helping to patrol the territory will have its own rewards."

"Which faction did Shao Xiong and his disciples join?"

"No, there are many other people like Taoist Friend Lin who are independent cultivators. But it’s just a matter of time. How can someone who fights alone be a competitor for everyone to seek warmth together, right?"

"That’s true."

"So, what does Taoist Friend Lin think?"

"As for me, I don’t have much vision or ambition. Besides, I’m used to being wild, so I won’t join in."

"Taoist Friend Lin, please reconsider."

Fan Tong became anxious. Brother, if you didn’t mean it, you should have said it earlier. He has even run out of saliva! You can’t just say you won’t join, that’s so disappointing.

"I’m really a free and uncommitted person. Sorry, Fan Tongtaoist friend."

"Oh, it seems like I’m not suitable to be a mediator."

"No, Taoist Friend Fan is still very excellent. He will surely achieve great success in Cangying Ridge."

"I’ll take your kind words then. Since Taoist Friend Lin doesn’t want to go, we won’t force you. If Taoist Friend Lin changes your mind in the future, please let me know."

"Certainly."

"Then I’ll take my leave first."

Fan Tong wasn’t worried. He still had to hurry to the next place. Although Yusong valued Lin Jiang a lot, he wasn’t indispensable.

"The world is becoming more chaotic, with all kinds of monsters and creatures appearing."

After seeing Fan Tong off, Lin Jiang sighed when he returned home.

"If they don’t have a story behind them, I’ll punish myself by not going to Baihua Tower for three years."

Lin Jiang sighed again. There are definitely golden core independent cultivators in the Yunzhong Mountain Range, though maybe only a few. But they don’t say a word. The waters here are too deep. Lin Jiang doesn’t plan to get involved.

After a few more days, Lin Jiang saw that order was gradually restored in the Yunzhong Mountain Range, so he left the mountains and went to Yunzhong City. He needed to clean up the things in his storage bag.

Over the years, he had killed many people, and his storage bag was almost too full of miscellaneous items. He needed to clean it up. He also needed to sell some of the spiritual talismans he had drawn.

He didn’t go to the big market. He openly sold some of the items to businesses and sold the rest in the city’s underground market.

After two days passed, Lin Jiang reached a total of 850,000 spirit stones on his body without cleaning everything up. This number shocked Lin Jiang himself.

"When did I become so rich? Oh no, when things go wrong, there will be disaster. When money goes wrong, it’s the same one by one."

Lin Jiang looked at a whole storage bag full of spirit stones and felt worried. If news of this leaked out, people from the entire Yunzhong City would come to hunt him down. Even the Nascent Soul Ancestor might make a move.

"How about buying a house?"

A thought suddenly popped up in Lin Jiang’s mind. In a slightly remote area of Yunzhong City, he could buy a small house with enough money.

But he rejected the idea. During the Blue Star period, he didn’t want to be enslaved by a house. It was the same here. Although he could pay it in full, this was the money he had saved up over more than a hundred years, worse off than being enslaved by a house.

The most important thing was that a house in Yunzhong City couldn’t provide food and drink. If he didn’t have any backing, he would still be targeted by others unless he was willing to restore Lin Sheng’s identity and continue to embrace Cao Ying’s support.

"Spending money, spending money. Keeping so much money makes me uneasy. If one day I get killed, others will benefit from it all."

"Shadiao friends, you are also lucky, from now on we will eat Demon Core as our food."

Lin Jiang gritted his teeth and decided to spend money. Poor people rely on mutations, rich people rely on spending money. Now he is also rich, so he doesn’t need mutations anymore. Mutations are not reliable, but spending money is.

And Lin Jiang decided to increase his investment in Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao. It’s just the third level, let’s do it. Let’s eat Demon Core.

For the next half month, Lin Jiang lingered in the various shops of Yunzhong City, constantly changing his identity and purchasing a large amount of daily needed pills like True Spirit Pill and Soul Nourishing Pill.

Lin Jiang also bought a total of twenty third-level Demon Cores for Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao. Each third-level Demon Core costs between thirty thousand to eighty thousand spirit stones. If he didn’t have enough money, he would continue to sell items like spiritual tools that Lin Jiang didn’t need at all.

After such insane spending of nearly one million spirit stones, most of Lin Jiang’s spirit stones were used up. The remaining ones had to be saved for emergencies, as maintaining the cave also incurred a considerable expense.

Quietly leaving Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang returned to Yunzhong Mountain Range once again. Near his cave, he encountered the people of Cangying Ridge who were patrolling.

"Who goes there?"

"Stop."

The people of Eagle Mountain saw Lin Jiang and shouted loudly. Lin Jiang remained silent, took out his flying sword, and coldly looked at the people in front of him.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, please don’t get violent."

At this moment, Fan Tong appeared and quietly spoke to the patrolling people. Their faces immediately changed, and they quickly put away their weapons.

"Friend Lin, it’s all a misunderstanding, please put away your weapons."

"Friend Fan Tong, it seems that the street lamp in front of my house isn’t bright enough."

"It really is a misunderstanding, Friend Lin."

"Alright, since it’s a misunderstanding, I hope there won’t be a second time. Can we move on?"

"Of course, I will go back and tell Friend Yusong, and ask him to give the order to let everyone in Cangying Ridge know about Taoist Friend Lin’s identity. There won’t be a second misunderstanding."

Fan Tong quickly said. Zhou Yunyang and his group of five were killed by Lin Jiang alone. Everyone in the independent cultivator community in the Yunzhong Mountain Range already knows about it. They are all amazed by Lin Jiang’s strength and don’t want to offend him easily.

"Hmph!"

Lin Jiang snorted coldly and didn’t care about anything else. He went straight back to his own cave and then completely sealed it off. He hung a "Do not disturb" sign. He was ready to stay in seclusion for a long time and wouldn’t come out until he used up all his medicinal pills. Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao wouldn’t come out until they reached the third level.