Chapter 123: A Little Evil Cultivator Shock For The Gluttonous Ghost
The next day, the group stayed another day at the Lu Shan Sect.
Jiang Ce insisted they had to wait for results from the Celestial Master’s Mansion before feeling at ease, forcibly dragging everyone else to stay and guard here, calling it keeping an eye on the remaining people of the Lu Shan Sect.
Although the Lu Shan Sect had lost its pillar, they didn’t dare do anything to Jiang Ce and the others, but their inherent arrogance remained; from the sect’s core figures down to the disciples doing odd jobs, they were all respectful on the surface but deeply resistant at heart.
Jiang Ce naturally saw this point. Normally, he would at least pick a fight, but now with matters weighing on his mind, he had no time to bother with these small fries and just let them be.
Anyway, as long as they didn’t cross paths, there wouldn’t be any conflict.
Even the kitchen was something Xuan Qing had asked for during a free moment; the few of them were self-sufficient.
But though they called it self-sufficient, the cooking actually all fell on Jiang Ce. Xuan Qing and Ku Zhen went without saying—experts, with their pride. The others more or less had some background, never lifting a finger at home, not even knowing how to boil noodles.
At key moments, it still came down to Jiang Ce, the professional orphan.
“Chicken soup’s here!”
Jiang Ce wobbled over to the group with the freshly cooked chicken soup.
Lifting the lid, a rich aroma hit them. Xuan Qing’s furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, replaced by a face full of astonishment.
“You really know how to cook.”
“Of course. Back then, to poison my senior brother, I specially practiced cooking for half a year to gain Master’s trust. Too bad I was kicked down the mountain halfway, ambitions unfulfilled.”
Jiang Ce puffed out his chest proudly.
Liang Zhi Che gave a thumbs up and started the classic one-damn one-praise: “Big Brother is Big Brother, unlike Liang Zhi Zhou, who knows nothing and probably won’t even find a partner later.”
“Amitabha, pity Master and I have precepts against it and can’t partake.”
“No problem.” Jiang Ce waved grandly: “I made special vegetarian dishes for you. Wait here.”
He turned and returned to the kitchen.
Seeing Jiang Ce temporarily leave, Lou Leshan finally raised the question: “I mean, this isn’t chicken either.”
Qin Shen Bo nodded upon hearing: “Neck’s a bit long.”
“This is goose?” Lu Yun looked at the unidentified creature in the pot, then at the others, asking cautiously.
Ku Zhen suddenly chimed in: “This is crane. The beak was chopped off, but it’s still obvious.”
“Crane?” Qin Shen Bo was stunned: “Where’d he get a crane from?”
“I might know where it came from.” Xuan Qing pursed his lips, face grave.
Facing the curious gazes, he explained: “I remember the Lu Shan Sect Leader raised two cranes, fed them herbs daily. After over a decade, they gained a bit of spirituality. Probably…”
The group exchanged glances, staring silently at the crane meat in the pot.
Only Lou Leshan was very optimistic: “Then we have to go all out this time! The Lu Shan Sect Leader’s crane—probably the only chance in this lifetime!”
Just then, Jiang Ce returned, placing two plates of yellow-green mixed vegetables in front of Ku Zhen and Ling Xun.
The two stared at them for a long time before looking up at Jiang Ce questioningly.
Jiang Ce flashed a confident smile: “Houttuynia cordata cilantro salad. Try it!”
Ku Zhen’s face didn’t look good; he stayed silent.
Ling Xun picked up a piece of houttuynia cordata with chopsticks, helpless: “Houttuynia cordata and cilantro aside—not unpalatable—but this dirt…”
“I deliberately left some when washing.”
Jiang Ce said seriously: “This way you’ll know you’re eating fresh houttuynia cordata, just dug from the ground.”
Xuan Qing laughed wildly.
Ku Zhen glanced at him: “Schadenfreude, the Daoist Sect’s bad habits—pitiful and lamentable.”
Xuan Qing’s face changed.
Jiang Ce sat down, eating crane while watching the two argue, enjoying it thoroughly.
Seeing Jiang Ce start eating, the others no longer held back. Soon, the pot of crane meat was cleaned out.
In the end, Jiang Ce said he planned to stir-fry roast chicken tomorrow; everyone looked forward to it.
In ancient times Zhao Gao called a deer a horse; now Jiang Ce calls a crane chicken. One small step for Jiang Ce, one giant leap for villains.
No news yet from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, so after dinner Jiang Ce and Lou Leshan went to fool some pilgrims, using the Lu Shan Sect’s name as guarantee to randomly interpret lots for people. Time passed quickly.
Late at night, everyone else rested, but Jiang Ce remained full of spirit.
Just past midnight, the Masked Man from last night appeared in the room again.
This time, the air lacked tension, as the Masked Man showed no hostility like last night; instead, he eyed Jiang Ce with interest anew.
Jiang Ce sat on the bed, leaning against the wall with legs crossed, as if expecting it.
“See? I wasn’t wrong.”
The Masked Man nodded: “Mostly matches what you said, but I need specifics—like the Gatekeeper’s next plan, which city you’re targeting, or detailed deployments. Just some non-secret intel probably isn’t enough, right?”
Jiang Ce’s mouth twitched, thinking, how the hell would I know.
But he said: “Big Brother, that’s not how being an inside man works. If I tell you everything, how do I keep blending in? You gotta give some feedback at least.”
“Heh, you really think you’re doing business?” The Masked Man couldn’t help laughing.
“What else? Charity?” Jiang Ce retorted.
“Forgot you have a handle on me?”
“What handle?” Jiang Ce played dumb.
“You impersonating our Holy Cult to commit crimes, and leaking intel to us.”
“Who?”
“You.”
“What about me?”
“You impersonating our Holy Cult to commit crimes, and leaking intel to us.”
“Me? Me impersonating your Holy Cult to commit crimes, and leaking intel to you?”
“Yes!”
“Yes what?”
“That sentence you just said.”
“Who? Said what?”
“You damn!”
Seeing the Masked Man get agitated, Jiang Ce grinned and waved: “Just joking.”
The Masked Man took a deep breath, unclenching his fist: “Anyway, if I spread the word, neither side will have room for you.”
“Spread what? Who? What room?”
“You damn!”
“No, talk evidence.” Jiang Ce shrugged like a little bear: “Who saw me impersonate you? Who can prove I leaked intel? You said it yourself—those things are checkable, not secrets, just hard to spot. At most, a wake-up call for you.
It’s like me telling you all the original batch have brain issues—everyone knows. You can’t blame me for leaking secrets and have their dad miHoYo sanction me. No reason for that.”
The Masked Man was silent a while: “I won’t argue the rest, but I must clarify: Genshin has normal players too.”
Jiang Ce nodded: “I know, I only target the original batch.”
“Just bad apples, deserve to die. To be honest, I avoid using original batch in my cultivation—their life force is too weak and impure.”
“Correct. Suggest Hearthstone players—they’re all excellent.”
“Thanks, I’ll try next time.”
At least in this moment, the two reached rapport for the first time, though the vibe was odd.
“Back to business.” After a brief silence, the Masked Man looked at Jiang Ce: “You’ve shown your value. So how do you want to use it?”
“I’m thriving with the Gatekeeper. You want me to work isn’t impossible, but at least let me see the pie, not just painted promises—and this pie can’t be smaller than the Gatekeeper’s.”
The Masked Man exhaled long: “So you think I’m not worth your honesty. You probably don’t know my strength or status.”
Jiang Ce shook his head: “Not really, but I can guess. You weren’t afraid of my stalling last night or arrangements to take you out today, coming alone—means you’re at least Unity of Heaven and Man, no issue escaping. As for your identity, I truly don’t know.”
“I’m one of the Holy Cult’s Holy Envoys, overseeing the world, direct line to the Cult Leader. Enough weight?”
The Masked Man introduced proudly.
Jiang Ce raised a brow, pondered, then realized: “Eunuch, huh? You’re actually a eunuch?!”
The Masked Man’s eyelid twitched; he roared: “Eunuch my ass! I’m at least a Jinyiwei—nothing to do with eunuchs!”
Jiang Ce patted his chest in relief: “Scared me. Thought mixing with you meant self-castration.”
“Cut the crap!” The Masked Man was annoyed, deliberately provoking to deflate Jiang Ce: “Alright, the Holy Envoy Chief’s nearby. I told him about you yesterday; he’s interested. If you think my level’s low, I’ll take you to him—but you go alone. Dare you?”
Jiang Ce’s eyes lit up: “Sure.”
“Huh?” Jiang Ce’s straightforwardness threw the Masked Man off.
Yesterday he saw Jiang Ce as a cowardly fickle dandy; after investigating, something more; now he seemed boldly arrogant. But his eyes were too clear—no acting, completely unpredictable.
“Good.” The Masked Man smiled sinisterly: “Don’t regret it.”
“I’d only regret being original batch.”
“Heh, confident, huh? Then follow me.”
Jiang Ce suddenly hesitated: “Others won’t notice?”
“Relax, back before dawn.”
With that, the Masked Man approached Jiang Ce, hand on his shoulder. Before Jiang Ce reacted, the world spun, darkness fell, wails in his ears—like traversing the Ghostly Realm.
When he came to, he was in a desolate wilds.
The Masked Man pointed behind Jiang Ce smugly: “Every move of yours under my watch—including stealing Gao Song’s crane.”
Jiang Ce turned; the Lu Shan Sect was on another hilltop. In moments, such vast distance crossed. He sucked in cool air—underestimated Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master’s ability.
Not far off, figures waited. The Masked Man dragged Jiang Ce over without a word.
The Masked Man cupped hands to a refined middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit: “Brought him.”
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded: “Thanks for the trouble.”
One beside him approached without instruction to frisk Jiang Ce.
Jiang Ce looked helpless: “Really? With my scrawny arms and legs, what threat am I?”
“Apologies, but routine.” The middle-aged man soothed.
Jiang Ce had no choice, nodded, muttering: “Pretty polite.”
But then, the frisker paused, pulling a bottle from Jiang Ce’s pocket: “What’s this?”
Jiang Ce glanced: “Just some health supplement I made. Think Red Bull.”
The man opened it, frowning at the black small blocks: “Health supplement? Never seen it.”
He handed the bottle to another: “Check it.”
That one had low cultivation, only Fourth Rank, scholarly look. He took it, poured out a block to study. Jiang Ce figured he was the tech guy.
Seeing Jiang Ce unhappy, the middle-aged man soothed again: “Don’t mind. You understand our position—better safe.”
“Whatever, no guilty conscience means no fear of shadows.” Jiang Ce said magnanimously.
Noticing the odd vibe, he paused, corrected: “Upright body fears no crooked shadow.”
The scholar couldn’t figure it, popped the block in his mouth, claiming: “No color, no taste, no clue. But I’ve tasted worldly poisons; one try tells what it is.”
Too fast—Jiang Ce couldn’t stop, hoping he’d be fine.
But no such luck; after two chews, the scholar toppled stiffly.
The group startled; the frisker checked, said gravely: “He’s on the brink of death.”
Facing suspicious or angry glares, Jiang Ce held firm: “Don’t panic, let me see.”
He squatted by the scholar, observed closely, seemed to conclude, then reassured the frisker: “He looks brink of death, but not really…”
“How so?”
“He’s already dead.”
“You hide malice—die!”
As they moved, Jiang Ce stepped back warily: “Don’t bullshit. You found it, he ate it himself. It’s health supplement—watch me eat it.”
He swallowed a “poisonous” black small block amid their shock. Next moment, abundant spiritual energy uncontrollably leaked from him.
“See? Any problem?”
Speaking, from chewing too fast, turbid gas escaped his mouth. He seemed fine, utterly normal—no, totally not; couldn’t say no issue, looked problematic, leaving them staring.
Then the middle-aged man spotted it, bent down, pried the scholar’s throat, pushed out half-dissolved block, pressed his chest hard. Turbid gas like Jiang Ce’s escaped the scholar’s body.
Once gas expelled, the scholar opened his eyes, but face full of pain—clearly damaged.
Realizing what happened, gone was his arrogance; his gaze at Jiang Ce now awe and fear.
“Poison! Deadly poison! Without my cultivation and timely save, I’d be dead!”
The Masked Man’s gaze on Jiang Ce shifted, serious: “For real, you should work with us. Wasted with the Gatekeeper.”
