Chapter 820 - 246: [When You Meet a Hidden Master, Suck Up!] (Part 2)
He was already a Third Realm Cultivator, and the speed of transporting Primordial Qi was getting faster, the efficiency improved as well, and with cultivation in this Saint’s sect where the Qi was dense, his cultivation increased slowly but steadily.
Chen Yan roughly estimated that, if he continued at this pace, it would take him about three to four years to fully complete the Ascension Realm to the Great Perfection Realm.
However...
What’s the fun in cultivating without an effort-free shortcut?
After going back, I still need to find a few more hacks, and gain more Merit Cultivation.
·
Early the next morning, Chen Yan was meditating in the training room when he heard the sound of a door opening from Old Wang’s place outside in the courtyard.
Chen Yan immediately got up and went out, and saw Old Wang just stepping out from the western wing.
He had changed his clothes— the previously dirty apricot-yellow robe he’d been wearing for several days had been replaced. Though what he wore now was also old, it was at least clean, not marred with filth like before.
Taking a closer look, Chen Yan noticed that even Old Wang’s hair was neatly groomed today, with no loose strands on his forehead or temples, the hair slicked back against his scalp, and the twig that used to be in his hair bun had been replaced by a polished wooden hairpin.
Holding a bucket in his left hand and a broom in his right, Old Wang gave Chen Yan a nod and headed out of the courtyard.
Chen Yan followed to the entrance and watched as Old Wang headed towards the Southwest Cemetery.
For one morning, Old Wang seemed to finally remember his title as the cemetery steward and properly performed his duties.
He moved between the tombstones in the cemetery.
Clearing weeds and scrubbing off the grime from the graves.
After that, he even took out a bronze censer and lit a few sticks of incense.
Seeing Old Wang earnestly bow to the censer, he solemnly said, "I’ve been busy with trivial matters lately and neglected keeping your homes clean, so today I’ve properly cleaned them for you. Please don’t blame me for my negligence in previous days!
These few sticks of incense are my apology to you.
Senior brothers and predecessors, if you have knowledge of this from the underworld, please don’t hold a grudge against this old man."
When the incense burned out, Old Wang put away the censer, casually splashed the water from the bucket, tossed the broom inside, and then walked to a stone stool to sit down. Surprisingly, he brought out a tobacco pipe from his chest, lit it with a flick of his fingers, and began to smoke leisurely.
After a couple of puffs, his eyes seemed hidden in the bluish-green smoke, but hearing the approaching footsteps, Old Wang sighed helplessly, "I told you, boy, not to be too curious about an old man, why don’t you listen?"
Chen Yan had already walked up to Old Wang, glanced at the surrounding tombstones, and shook his head with a smile, "Who’s prying into your secrets? I just thought I’ve been living here these days and haven’t paid respects to the seniors of the sect, so I felt uneasy and came over to take a look."
"You sneaky boy, can you really be so kind-hearted?" Old Wang snorted, "Alright, if you want to pay respects, go ahead. Let the sect seniors underground see if this kid who infiltrated the sect with a fake face is up to no good. Maybe they might see through your trick and crawl out from the graves to strangle you."
Chen Yan didn’t care about Old Wang’s spiteful words. Instead, he chuckled, sat down next to Old Wang on the stone stool, and nudged him, "Move over a bit, make some space."
Old Wang widened his eyes at Chen Yan, finally smiled bitterly and moved over.
Chen Yan got comfortable, took out a cigarette, and laughed, "Want to try mine?"
"Tch, isn’t it just a cigarette from the Otherworld? This stuff is sold in big cities." Old Wang waved his hand dismissively, "I’m not used to this."
"Old Wang," Chen Yan whispered, "since you saw through the fake face I made with the Transformation Technique—why didn’t you report me to the sect?"
"Report you? Why would I report you, what good would it do me?" Old Wang waved his hand, "You’re neither stealing nor causing trouble in the sect, as long as I know these two points, I won’t bother with you."
With that, he looked at Chen Yan with some disdain, "Why do you keep hanging around an old man like me? I’ve said I won’t care about you, and I won’t report you, so you don’t need to worry."
I don’t want to hang around you either... Chen Yan sighed inwardly.
But, who told you to be like a Sweeping Monk!
This Old Wang being able to see through my Sealing Spirit Technique means his insight is at least superior to the excellent Inner Sect disciple Nangong Sheng within the sect!
Moreover, his ability to see through my Transformation Technique—it means his cultivation is at least at the Celestial Human Realm!
Such a person, yet within the sect, is just a lowly Outer Disciple, taking on a thankless job at the cemetery.
If this isn’t a Sweeping Monk, then what is it!
"Speaking of which, Old Wang, what realm are you really at?"
"Mid-stage Guiyuan Realm."
Chen Yan pouted, "As if I’d believe you!"
"Don’t believe me? Then get lost; if you’re going to pay respects, why waste time here with me, go kowtow, there are over two hundred tombstones here, you can knock at each one."
Unexpectedly, Chen Yan actually stood up, leisurely walked over to a row of tombstones, and began looking over each one...
Though he didn’t kneel and kowtow, he grandly bowed and saluted, saying loudly, "Dear fellow and predecessor brothers, this junior has just entered the sect and happened to live nearby, so in a sense, we are both fellow sect members and neighbors.