A night of turbulence.
The next day, many in the Chaotic Sect were discussing the appearance of the silver dragon in the sky the previous night. Even Sect Master Jiang Yu sent several mid-stage Foundation Establishment elders to investigate.
But ultimately, the investigation yielded no results. It could only be presumed that some great power passing through had casually displayed their techniques, leaving the sect's higher-ups in panic for quite some time.
Months passed without incident, and the matter gradually faded from people's memories.
Qiongbi Peak remained as tranquil as ever.
Naturally, no one would associate such a celestial anomaly with a middle-stage Qi Refining spirit farmer on Qiongbi Peak.
That day, Ning Daoran took Big Stupid Deer and headed to the Contribution Hall to pick up one of the simple tasks assigned every few months. He felt that it should be quite safe now and decided to descend the mountain—remaining cooped up there forever wasn't exactly ideal.
…
The Contribution Hall bustled with activity.
Ning Daoran tilted his head to look at the treasures available for exchange and suddenly locked eyes on one item. His gaze refused to shift away.
Spiritual Beast Secret! It was actually a Spiritual Beast Secret manual!
The sect had truly found a Spiritual Beast Secret manual in the warehouse!
This was a manual titled "Strengthening Technique," a beginner-level cultivation technique for strengthening the physical bodies of spiritual beasts. It was Yellow Grade Middle.
Big Stupid Deer could learn it!
Ning Daoran had been searching for a Spiritual Beast Secret just for Old Lu, and now he finally found one!
Such a thing was likely only useful to Ning Daoran in the entire sect. After all, the senior brothers and sisters were preoccupied with their own cultivation endeavors—where would they find time to divert energy to spiritual beasts?
After all, the Chaotic Sect wasn't the Beast Taming Sect.
Previously, when Ning Daoran was idle on the mountain, listening to senior brothers boast, he had heard tales of how Qingzhou once had a Beast Taming Sect, a second-class sect like the Chaotic Sect!
Reportedly, the Beast Taming Sect's sect master had even raised two third-tier lower-grade spiritual beasts with combat power equivalent to Golden Core practitioners, capable of completely overwhelming the Chaotic Sect in strength.
Unfortunately, a great upheaval occurred later, and the Beast Taming Sect mysteriously vanished.
It was said to have been wiped out, but such claims were just rumors, hard to verify for certain.
…
This Strengthening Technique required 100 sect contribution points!
Ning Daoran had no intent of slowly accumulating points. Since he was already descending the mountain, he decided to take on a mission worth 100 contribution points directly.
"Junior Brother Ning?"
A familiar voice called out—it was Zhao Lichen, an Inner Sect disciple who worked in the Contribution Hall distributing sect missions and handling contributions.
"Senior Brother Zhao, long time no see!"
"Indeed, it has been quite a while!"
Zhao Lichen smiled and said, "Junior Brother has already broken through to middle-stage Qi Refining? Congratulations! So, what type of mission are you looking to take this time?"
"The kind that gives 100 contribution points in exchange."
"Huh?"
Zhao Lichen froze for a moment. "These types of missions tend to be quite dangerous. Junior Brother, I suggest you reconsider."
"Really?"
Ning Daoran stared at the task list on the jade talisman and muttered to himself, "Haunted estate in White Leaf Town, a female ghost with middle-stage Qi Refining cultivation… Completion rewards 100 sect contribution points.
Senior Brother, this mission is perfect for me. Exorcising ghosts is my specialty."
"…"
Zhao Lichen's expression became serious. "Junior Brother Ning, don't be careless. Ghosts and other malevolent entities are notoriously troublesome. They can sometimes launch sonic attacks that invade a cultivator's mind—many of our fellow disciples have fallen victim to this tactic.
You're only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining; this mission might be pushing it."
"Senior Brother needn't worry. This mission is well within my capability," Ning Daoran thought to himself. *Senior Brother, you have no idea how powerful I've become now. A middle-stage Qi Refining ghost? Even a late-stage Qi Refining ghost wouldn't be a challenge for me.*
"Very well."
Seeing Ning Daoran's insistence, Zhao Lichen nodded and handed him the jade talisman for the mission.
"Junior Brother, hold on a moment."
Zhao Lichen reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a talisman, saying, "This is a first-tier lower-grade Barrier Breaking Talisman—it's particularly effective against female ghosts and malevolent spirits. Use it if the situation calls for it; if not, return it to me afterward. My resources are a bit tight."
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for the talisman!"
Ning Daoran gratefully accepted the gift but immediately took out 20 pounds of green bamboo spirit rice from his storage bag and handed it to Zhao Lichen. "Senior Brother, please accept this. I grew it myself."
"Huh?"
Zhao Lichen was startled. "How can I accept this, Junior Brother? This isn't appropriate…"
In the end, he reluctantly accepted the rice, his face flushed red. It was the first time he had ever received a gift while working in the Contribution Hall. Still, knowing it was from Ning Daoran made it acceptable.
Years ago, Zhao Lichen personally drove the ox cart to bring Ning Daoran from the backwaters to the Chaotic Sect.
They weren't just ordinary senior and junior brothers—they were family!
…
After accepting the mission, Ning Daoran immediately took Big Stupid Deer and used his royal weapon to descend the mountain at full speed.
Safety first, and efficiency second!
White Leaf Town.
A small town located 200 miles southwest of the Chaotic Sect. It earned its name from the white-leafed trees that grew abundantly throughout the area.
White Leaf Town sat at the junction between Shanyang County and two other counties, making it a bustling transportation hub.
Ning Daoran and Old Lu strolled along the main street, flanked by grand estates belonging to prominent local families.
Finally, the pair stopped in front of a mansion bearing the inscription "Zhang Mansion" above the gate. Ning Daoran submitted his visitation note, and soon a middle-aged scholar-like man with servants emerged.
Zhang Cheng, known locally as Landlord Zhang, was one of the wealthiest men in White Leaf Town.
The jade talisman recorded that Zhang Cheng had once been a scholar in the region. After marrying the prefectural governor's daughter, he settled in White Leaf Town, where he thrived in the silk business, becoming one of its prominent figures.
"And you are…?"
Looking at the unkempt man with faint traces of immortality alongside the deer, Zhang Cheng was mildly surprised.
"Landlord Zhang, I am a disciple of the Chaotic Sect, here to help you avoid calamity."
"Ah, I see. Please come in, Immortal Master!"
As soon as he entered, a woman appeared in the courtyard. She was the Second Lady, Zhang Cheng's concubine. She glanced at Ning Daoran and laughed lightly, "Husband, who might this be?"
"An immortal master from the Chaotic Sect."
"Oh?"
The Second Lady smiled faintly. "That's perfect. The malevolent spirit has been troubling us terribly; it would be best to exorcise it as soon as possible."
Zhang Cheng's expression sharpened—her words clearly annoyed him.
Instantly, the Second Lady's demeanor changed, her expression complex. She quickly said with a smile, "Husband, I will go make tea for the Immortal Master."
"Mm."
Zhang Cheng nodded.
Shortly after, several other concubines emerged, each as beautiful as flowers. All of them showed great respect for Zhang Cheng, speaking carefully to avoid angering him.
Interestingly, none of the concubines mentioned the female ghost again.
Ning Daoran took only a small sip of tea and had already swept the entire Zhang Mansion with his divine sense. He found that the rear courtyard was uninhabited, as heavy resentment was billowing from an old dry well there.
It seemed the problem lay within the well.
"Immortal Master."
Zhang Cheng frowned slightly and said, "That female ghost is extremely formidable; she constantly spews demonic lies and confuses people. Immortal Master, please exercise utmost caution and destroy her on sight!
Also, this is something gathered from the various estate households. If you can defeat the female ghost, all of this will be yours as a token of appreciation."
He gently pushed forward a hefty wooden box, causing it to shift slightly.
A quick sweep with divine sense revealed the box was filled with gold bars—about three hundred taels in total.
What generosity!
Although secular wealth wasn't essential for cultivators, "ten taels of gold for one spirit stone" meant this amounted to thirty low-grade spirit stones—quite significant for a Qi Refining practitioner like Ning Daoran.
"Alright."
An additional reward certainly wouldn't hurt.
Ning Daoran glanced at everyone, saying, "I will exorcise the ghost in the rear courtyard. No matter what happens, do not come out until dawn."
"Immortal Master…"
The Fourth Madam frowned slightly and said, "It's just nightfall, and the ghost's power is strongest after dark. The ghost is currently trapped in the well due to previous immortals sealing it with talismans. Why not wait until dawn for a sure catch?"
"It's fine."
Ning Daoran slowly stood, exuding a faint middle-stage Qi Refining spiritual pressure, and said, "I will exorcise her at her strongest—for your household's peace of mind!"
The group of concubines seemed to have their own thoughts—some nodded, while others lowered their gaze without speaking.
Zhang Cheng hesitated momentarily but quickly said, "Everyone follow the Immortal Master's arrangements."
Ning Daoran had already used his divine sense to study them all. He clearly understood there was more to this than met the eye.
No matter—he would deal with the ghost first.
…
The rear courtyard was bleak and desolate.
"Moo~~"
Big Stupid Deer nudged Ning Daoran's arm. The eerie winds unsettled it.
"It's alright; it's just a mere ghost," Ning Daoran said, patting the deer's head as he walked ahead. As they approached the dry well, a piercing voice echoed from its depths:
"You, as a cultivator, should be indifferent to worldly affairs. How can you act as the pawn of a heartless man? If you take another step forward, I will be merciless!"
"Come, come—I'd like to see how merciless you can be."
Ning Daoran casually took another step forward. As his foot landed, the Evergreen Technique's wood attribute mana surged out, enveloping the dry well entirely.
The ghost within the well let out a wretched scream: "So… You're a late-stage Qi Refining immortal…"
Ning Daoran sat on the edge of the well and lightly patted the spot beside him. "Come out and talk to me—quietly."
"Yes, Immortal Master…"
A figure in red floated out of the well and sat beside Ning Daoran.
Her complexion was pale, unmistakably that of someone long dead, but a hint of her former beauty still lingered.
"Tell me: Why do you haunt this household?"
"Immortal Master, please hear my petition."
The female ghost began her tale.
She explained that she was once Zhang Cheng's original wife. After Zhang Cheng achieved academic success, he earned the favor of the prefectural governor, who offered his daughter's hand in marriage.
When the original wife confronted him, her fiery temperament led to tragedy. In a fit of despair, she threw herself into the well, becoming a wandering ghost.
The governor's daughter learned of this afterward. Discovering her husband already had a wife, she secluded herself to a lifelong discipline of prayer.
Zhang Cheng, however, was a man with a penchant for indulgence. As his wealth grew, so did the number of concubines in his household.
The dry well, though, remained haunted by the ghost. Even immortals brought in to solve the problem failed, ultimately prompting a request for assistance from the Chaotic Sect.
Thus, Ning Daoran came.
"I understand your grievance. Here are two options," Ning Daoran said softly. "One: I disperse your spirit completely with a single strike. Two: You dispel your resentment yourself. But before you do, you may take one last action—I will turn a blind eye."
"Thank you, Immortal Master!"
The female ghost burst into tears, relinquished her cultivation, and slowly dissipated into the gentle breeze.
…
The next morning.
Ning Daoran jumped into the well, retrieved the ghost's skeleton, and buried it in the nearby wilderness.
Before leaving, he took the promised three hundred taels of gold from Zhang Cheng.
"Thank you, Immortal Master! May your journey ahead be smooth!"
Zhang Cheng and his concubines, beaming with satisfaction, sent him off with the utmost respect.
Ning Daoran swept his divine sense once more, noticing a strand of resentment circling Zhang Cheng. While it wouldn't kill him immediately, his life expectancy had certainly been cut short.
Within months—or at most, a year—he would surely perish.
But what did such matters have to do with Ning Daoran, a disciple of the Chaotic Sect?
…
At dawn, within the misty mountain forests northeast of White Leaf Town, an aura of Foundation Establishment spread forth—a mysterious silhouette concealed within the fog.