novelapdf Chapter 1 The Demonic Gate
Chapter 1 The Demonic Gate
Yushamen.
Wanzhi Peak, Fu Fang.
The charcoal fire inside glowed faintly red, and a warm, fragrant aroma filled the air.
Du Jianyuan, his clothes disheveled with only a loosely draped outer robe, was carefully massaging the shoulders and neck of his superior, Ling Yue, his voice tinged with a hint of flattery:
"My lord, I still wish to stay in the Talisman Room and serve you."
Ling Yue gently blew on the hot tea in her cup, her long, slender, snow-white legs casually crossed, and said languidly and contentedly:
"You have a fine appearance and you do a good job. It would be a waste to keep you in the talisman room as a lowly servant..."
"Why don't you go to Crane House? They're short-handed. If you can win over Senior Brother Yin, you'll never have to worry about spirit rice and spirit stones again."
"Many people want to use this back door but don't even have the right to. Don't be ungrateful."
"You're willing to let people get in through connections? I'm not!"
Du Jianyuan cursed inwardly, "I just served you so well, we talked about the Dao and you were oblivious to the world, and now you've sold me out?"
In my memory, the head of the Tsurubo tribe, Yoon, had a penchant for male beauty, especially for torturing people to death and then harvesting their vital essence.
Therefore, male cultivators who enter the Crane Chamber are essentially stepping halfway into the gates of hell.
Although the talisman room wasn't exactly a pleasant place, Ling Yue would at least leave him a way out when she was engaging in sexual intercourse, so as not to kill him outright.
Fortunately, he had been serving Ling Yue for some time and knew that this wretch was greedy by nature. He didn't send her directly to the Crane Chamber, but simply wanted to squeeze more money out of her and teach her a lesson.
"It is my honor to be recommended by you, sir... but my abilities are meager, and I fear I would be inadequate if I were to go to Tsuruboku!"
As he spoke, Du Jianyuan untied the tattered storage bag from his waist, presented it with both hands, and said with a beaming smile:
"I heard yesterday that you had made a breakthrough, so I prepared some congratulatory gifts in advance. I wish you great success in your cultivation and prosperity in the immortal realm."
"Oh? You're quite thoughtful."
Ling Yue raised her eyebrows slightly, waved her hand, and unceremoniously emptied the bag of spirit rice and spirit stones. Satisfied, she narrowed her eyes and smiled:
"Considering your unwavering loyalty, I can't bear to move you elsewhere... Go to work as usual tomorrow."
"Thank you for your praise, sir. It is my honor to be able to contribute to your path to immortality."
Du Jianyuan bent down to pick up the storage bag that had been thrown back to his feet, bowed, and left.
……
In the dead of winter, heavy snow was falling.
Du Jianyuan wrapped his robe tightly around himself and struggled forward in the biting cold wind, his body shivering slightly from the cold, his heart feeling icy cold.
"I barely got through today's ordeal... but once Ling Yue's novelty wears off, she'll still sell me to Hebao!"
He rubbed his face, which was stiff from smiling, and glanced at the empty storage bag, then sighed deeply.
"Being a corporate slave in my past life was already miserable enough, but I never imagined my life would be even worse in this one—I've become a cow, a horse, or a duck."
Half an hour ago, he stumbled upon this incredible opportunity and traveled through time.
During the discussion, the mystery of the womb was revealed. Having just digested all the information about himself, he was forced to give up his entire fortune and all his possessions.
More than 300 catties of spirit rice and six spirit stones... years of hard-earned money vanished in an instant.
"Sigh, if we don't make her empty her pockets, she might lose her life, let alone get a back door."
Du Jianyuan was filled with worry and didn't know what to do next.
Suddenly, he remembered the fleeting glimpse of profound light during the discussion, and quickly sank his spiritual consciousness deep into his dantian.
In an instant, a round bead emerged from the heavy clouds, displaying two colors, yin and yang, clear and turbid, with water and fire constantly rippling outwards, and mysterious light gathering.
"Is this... my cheat code?"
As soon as the information arrived, Du Jianyuan immediately understood the two main functions of the bead:
The first is [Secret Manual Analysis], which can interpret and analyze any secret manual, allowing him to easily understand all methods and enhance his Taoist wisdom.
The second principle is "Heaven rewards diligence," meaning that one will gain something from cultivation and one's cultivation will never regress.
"Great! With this, even the most profound and complex cultivation techniques won't be difficult for me, and I can keep improving!"
Du Jianyuan was overjoyed. He saw the water and fire on the bead drip down and slowly converge to form several large characters:
[Spirit Guiding Ritual (Completed)]
Upon seeing these words, Du Jianyuan also recalled the reason why he had been trapped in the first level of Qi Refining for many years.
"This 'Spirit Guiding Technique' is the lowest-level cultivation method bestowed upon the servants by the Fiend Control Sect. It can only guide spirits into the body, but cannot connect the Yin and Yang energy channels, so naturally, it cannot break through cultivation levels..."
Therefore, if a servant wants to advance further, the only way is to change their cultivation method.
However, the cultivation techniques in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall require at least ten spirit stones, equivalent to a thousand catties of spirit rice.
As a servant in the talisman room, his monthly salary was only sixty catties of spirit rice. Half of it had to be used to make a living and maintain his true essence and magical power, while the other half would be deducted by the head servant, leaving him with no surplus food.
To earn spirit rice, one can only take on those hard and tiring jobs in the miscellaneous affairs hall after work to earn some extra money.
"If it weren't for that recent mishap, I'd only need a little over thirty catties of spirit rice to change my cultivation technique!"
Du Jianyuan felt both hatred and pain, but there was nothing he could do.
In this Demon-Suppressing Sect, lower-level cultivators are the private property of higher-level cultivators, and it is already difficult to survive.
"However, now that I have the [Heaven Rewards Diligence], even if I don't eat spirit rice, my cultivation won't regress. I can save thirty catties of spirit rice every month, which is three hundred and sixty catties a year..."
"With the spiritual rice I earn from odd jobs, I can switch cultivation methods in about two years."
Only when Du Jianyuan thought of his extraordinary wisdom and unparalleled talent did his terrible mood ease somewhat.
For him, as long as he develops steadily and peacefully, he will eventually be able to build a path to the heavens.
There's no need to argue with someone over a short time.
A short while later, Du Jianyuan arrived at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.
He had just accepted the task of gathering spirit bamboo when a teasing voice reached his ears:
"Oh, isn't this Lord Du! It's been a while since we last met, and your Qi Refining Level 1 cultivation has become even more solid!"
Du Jianyuan turned his head and saw his fellow villager An Mingjun striding towards him with an air of smugness, his face beaming with pride. He couldn't help but ask:
"What could make you so happy?"
"Hmph!"
An Mingjun sighed and clicked his tongue, then took out a jade pendant from his pocket and tied it around his waist. He then put his hands on his hips, raised his head, and said:
"I, An, am unworthy, but I am currently serving as the head of the alchemy workshop, receiving a monthly salary of eight spirit stones!"
"Whoa!"
Du Jianyuan was shocked. The position of head of the yamen was extremely lucrative. It wasn't just about having the ability; one also needed strong connections to get it.
His immediate superior, Ling Yue, was one of the heads of the Talisman Office.
Just by exploiting the paper craftsmen and talisman makers below, one can earn at least dozens of spirit stones more each month.
"How did you get promoted?"
"I was just lucky enough to refine three batches of mid-grade pills, and was promoted by Lord Xiao, the manager of the pill room, on a whim."
"Wow, impressive, Falcon! You've even become a mid-grade alchemist! Congratulations!"
Du Jianyuan was genuinely happy for his friend.
This also means that An Mingjun has finally made it through and is expected to shed his menial job and be promoted to the inner sect.
"Well, it's just so-so."
An Mingjun smiled and waved his hand, but there was no humility on his face. He said boldly:
"But today is a day to celebrate! Which cultivation technique do you fancy? Just say the word, and I'll buy it for you!"
Du Jianyuan was too embarrassed to actually take it, so he waved the bamboo-picking token in his hand and laughed:
"That will have to wait until I'm done with my work."
"Alright, look at the gloomy face you were looking just now, do you think I don't know what's wrong?"
An Mingjun grabbed him and, without saying a word, walked towards the cultivation technique area, saying:
"Hey, I only have one request: whichever cultivation method you think is most suitable for you, that's the one we'll buy. Don't let saving a few spirit stones delay your cultivation; we're not short of money right now!"
Du Jianyuan opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, and only sighed:
"Thanks, Falcon."
"Forget the formalities, in short, it's all or nothing! I'm here for you, you're here for me!"
An Mingjun waved his hand, but reminded him:
"The initial stage of Qi cultivation involves opening the meridians, nourishing the essence, strengthening the true energy, allowing the magical power to circulate throughout the body, transforming the physical body, and achieving a harmonious integration of the inside and outside... Therefore, changing cultivation methods is not a big deal."
"After consuming a mouthful of the purest and most refined spiritual energy of heaven and earth, one can break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining. Changing one's cultivation method will shake one's foundation... At best, it will leave hidden injuries that require ten or eight years of quiet recuperation; at worst, it will damage one's Qi Sea, making it impossible to establish a foundation."
"Therefore, choosing a cultivation method is equivalent to choosing a lineage and path to immortality. You should think this through carefully."
"clear."
Du Jianyuan nodded slightly, understanding the implications, and began to carefully peruse the cultivation techniques in front of him.
Deep within his Qi Sea, the bead slowly rotated, transforming those obscure words into easily understandable principles, presenting them before his eyes.
An Mingjun then lowered his voice and said:
"The techniques used in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall are mostly demonic, and the only complete lineages within the sect are [Ding Fire] and [Fire Qi]..."
"If you choose something else, you'll have to find the subsequent cultivation methods yourself."
After careful selection and deep consideration, Du Jianyuan finally looked at the "Heart-Burning Fiery Technique" worth fifteen spirit stones and said:
"This one will do."
An Mingjun took a closer look, and his expression immediately changed:
"How about... we try another one?"
Du Jianyuan was somewhat puzzled:
"What's wrong?"