Chapter 107: Study

Even if Cui Ya prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed, she did not believe that this celestial elder would heed her request.

“The demonic monk from Faci Temple and the Ghost Golden Sheep, who claims to be the Star Official of the Ghost Constellation, entrenched in Evil Sheep Ridge.”

Cui Dan glanced sideways at Cui Ya, whose face was fraught with hesitation and anxiety, unsure of what to say. Calmly, she looked at Su Yuanbai and spoke in a steady voice.

“What has the demonic monk from Faci Temple done?”

Su Yuanbai’s gaze held Cui Dan’s steady inquiry.

“He preys on human lives under the guise of an ancient Buddha, and steals the statue of the ancient Buddha to deceive people,” Cui Dan answered calmly.

Cui Ya turned her head to look at the young lady beside her. The lady’s expression was very composed, her tone unruffled, yet Cui Ya noticed the moisture in the lady’s palm.

Lowering her eyes, Cui Ya saw herself clutching the lady’s hand tightly. The veins on the back of the lady’s hand stood out, and her fingers gripped with great force.

The lady was very nervous and frightened.

Just as Cui Ya suspected, Cui Dan was currently tense and scared.

She did not know the origin of this handsome man. For someone like Cui Dan, who was skilled in gathering intelligence first, a stranger was an unknown and terrifying presence.

He might be a righteous celestial elder, devoted to exorcising demons and protecting the way, or he might be an evil path aligned with the Faci Temple’s dark dealings.

In the Southern Wild Continent, the latter was far more likely.

For Cui Dan, who was not good at gambling, this uncertainty made her quite anxious and somewhat fearful.

From Cui Ya’s account, she learned that this handsome man was unafraid of the Southern Ming’s Lingering Fire and had, in the blink of an eye, destroyed a blazing ghost that had long troubled the Taoist priests of Fufeng Monastery.

He also completely wiped out Gan Wen, a guard of the Xu family who absorbed demonic energy, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Furthermore, just now, Cui Dan had seen the young master of the Xu family hastily fleeing from the gates of the Xie Mansion, accompanied by a group of servants.

Although Cui Dan did not think highly of this Xu family young master’s intelligence, he was certainly not a fool who knew nothing. The group he led must have included a gray-clad Taoist assigned by his father to protect him.

Cui Dan was well aware of the strength of this gray-clad Taoist; even the haughty Taoist priests at Fufeng Monastery would show him some respect.

Since the young master of the Xu family fled in panic, it meant that the gray-clad Taoist was no match for this handsome man.

“What about the Ghost Golden Sheep, who claims to be the Star Official of the Ghost Constellation and occupies Evil Sheep Ridge? What has he done?”

Su Yuanbai’s face remained calm, his dark eyes betraying no emotion as he asked again.

This made it even harder for Cui Dan to guess Su Yuanbai’s true thoughts. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue gambling, hoping he was not an evil aligned with demons.

---

“This Ghost Golden Sheep, who claims to be the Star Official of the Ghost Constellation, appeared on Evil Sheep Ridge six months ago. Anyone passing through must perform a sacrifice of the Three Livestock at the temple before the ridge, then offer nine incense sticks and three candles in worship, only then may they pass.”

Cui Dan held Cui Ya’s hand tightly as she slowly told Su Yuanbai.

“That doesn’t sound too bad—just extorting tolls,” Su Yuanbai said, tilting his head slightly.

“Do you know what the Three Livestock are? Pig, ox, and human. All three must be sacrificed by fire. Who could accept burning a living person alive as an offering?” Cui Dan gave a bitter smile upon hearing Su Yuanbai’s expressionless and indifferent words.

“Which is closer, Faci Temple or Evil Sheep Ridge?”

Su Yuanbai looked up at Cui Dan, whose face was pale and tinged with despair, and asked calmly.

“Faci Temple is naturally closer. Mount Qingtan lies on the western outskirts of Mengfu City, and Faci Temple is located on Mount Qingtan,” Cui Ya summoned her courage and lifted her head to answer Su Yuanbai.

Though only a servant maid of the Cui family, she could not allow the young lady to face the invisible pressure brought by this mysterious celestial elder alone.

“Then we’ll go to Faci Temple first,” Su Yuanbai said calmly.

“Ah?”

“Really?”

“But I have one question—do you have any books on breath control and qi refinement?”

Su Yuanbai’s next words plunged the inner courtyard into silence. Cui Dan pursed her lips and looked at Su Yuanbai with a trace of puzzlement. She was unsure whether the expression on this handsome man’s face was genuine or feigned.

Cui Ya was already stunned, not understanding the celestial elder’s meaning.

“Celestial Elder, if you don’t mind... I have a martial arts internal skill here, called the 'White Ape Heart Sutra.' According to cultivators, it is considered a mid-level internal skill,” Wu Yang, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke. He looked at Su Yuanbai seriously.

“Your 'White Ape Heart Sutra' is an open secret of your sect. Though your master was devoured by demons, your sect still exists. I also have several Taoist breath control methods at my residence; the highest among them reaches the Earth level,” Cui Dan glanced at the solemn-faced Wu Yang, then regained her calm demeanor and spoke to Su Yuanbai peacefully.

“Oh, rank doesn’t matter. I just want to take a look,” Su Yuanbai said.

---

The inner courtyard fell silent once more.

What did he mean by “just want to take a look”? With such abilities, this celestial elder surely had his own unique breath control and qi refinement methods. Could it be that he was simply here to amuse himself by seeking theirs?

Cui Dan’s carefully composed expression nearly faltered again. It was hard to fathom the true thoughts of this handsome man.

“Celestial Elder, please take a look,” Wu Yang broke the silence. He fiercely glanced at the White Ape Mother and Child bronze staff in his hand with his left hand’s silver-patterned crescent blade. The blade’s edge was cracked, and the bronze staff had a notch.

Wu Yang inserted a finger into the notch and pulled out a sheet of yellow hemp paper covered in dense tiny characters.

Su Yuanbai took the yellow hemp paper without ceremony from Wu Yang’s two hands and lowered his eyes to read the dense script.

“Celestial Elder, I have only one request. When you go to Faci Temple to exorcise the demonic monk, please allow me to accompany you so I can avenge my master’s death,” Wu Yang said slowly, lifting his eyes to Su Yuanbai.

Su Yuanbai did not answer. After Wu Yang finished speaking, he returned the yellow hemp paper to him.

Wu Yang’s eyes flickered with a hint of dejection.

“If you don’t like the 'White Ape Heart Sutra,' you can come to my residence to select some breath control methods you prefer. Perhaps they can help you draw analogies and improve your own methods,” Cui Dan spoke calmly to Su Yuanbai.

She roughly guessed this Taoist’s intention—he wanted to use breath control methods and internal skills from other sects to draw analogies and thus improve or refine his own.

“No need. I already know them,” Su Yuanbai shook his head.

“Ah?!” Wu Yang looked at Su Yuanbai in shock.

Su Yuanbai sat cross-legged, hands resting downward on his knees. As he slowly closed his eyes, behind him appeared a towering white ape apparition far larger than Wu Yang’s image of the White Ape.

The white ape beat its chest and roared furiously, like a primeval beast of ancient times.