Chapter 48: The Prelude to a Demonic Art

In truth, Master Liu had long since wanted Chen Wenfa to become a true Taoist and cultivate alongside him. Yet, because Chen Wenfa was still young and seemed to linger fondly in the mundane world, he hesitated—for entering the Taoist path required the suppression of many desires.

Chen Wenfa had not followed his master from childhood, but was found by him during the prime of youth, that most beautiful period of one's life. Had he been brought up in the ways of the Tao from an early age, his heart would not be so easily distracted.

Although Master Liu firmly believed Chen Wenfa to be the best successor he could ever hope for, he had no choice but to let Chen Wenfa consider the matter at his own pace.

“Master, I’ve discovered someone truly remarkable. He’s very special. Using the art you taught me, I found him, and I believe he could be of great help to your cultivation!” Chen Wenfa spoke with barely contained excitement.

At these words, a gleam of delight flashed across Master Liu’s face.

Indeed, in order to practice a certain forbidden art, he required a very special person as a catalyst—a person not easily found, for it was no ordinary youth or maiden that would suffice. According to the ancient tome of their sect, he and Chen Wenfa had spent one or two years searching the entire region around Qingwu, venturing even to its borders, yet had found no suitable candidate.

Yet now, in the middle of the night, Chen Wenfa came to him in high spirits, claiming to have found the catalyst. How could the Taoist not be shaken?

He did not believe Chen Wenfa was simply trying to please him with empty words. For one, Chen Wenfa dared not deceive him; for another, he had made sure Chen Wenfa understood the requirements for the catalyst. Even if Chen Wenfa could not be absolutely certain, the master reckoned his judgment would not be far off.

Perhaps, by sheer luck, he had found just the one!

“Where is this person?” Master Liu asked his disciple urgently.

“Master, please follow me!”

Chen Wenfa hurried to lead the way, convinced in his heart that this time his judgment was flawless.

When the two reached the room where Zhang Pu had been placed, Master Liu observed Zhang Pu for a short while and then concluded that he was indeed suitable as the catalyst for his art.

Chen Wenfa nearly leapt with childlike glee.

“Wenfa, where did you find this man? Surely he’s not from the Qingwu region? We’ve searched within a hundred-mile radius for two years and found no such person. If he had been here all along, why did our ancestral compass fail to reveal him?” Though excited, Master Liu was also puzzled.

“Well…” Chen Wenfa found himself at a loss for an answer. “I’ve never seen him before either. I met him at the Moonlit Manor auction. I found him unusual from the start, and was later astonished by his martial prowess—a mere student, alone at an underground auction. Master, I suspect he’s from far away. Perhaps he’s a disciple of some distant sect or a member of a great family, forced into exile for some transgression. There’s an air of distinction about him, not just because he could serve as the catalyst.”

Chen Wenfa’s lengthy account sent his master into deep thought.

In fact, Zhang Pu truly had only just been reborn into the Qingwu region, which explained why neither Chen Wenfa nor his master, despite using the mystical compass, had ever detected his presence before. Yet, unaware of Zhang Pu’s rebirth, they could only surmise he was a stranger from afar.

At that moment, a vague unease crept into Master Liu’s heart. He feared Zhang Pu might indeed be someone of great power or a scion of a prominent family, and using him as a catalyst could invite trouble upon himself.

But he could not afford to let this opportunity slip away! He had searched for years without encountering such a catalyst.

Should he succeed in mastering the sect’s forbidden art, Master Liu knew he would immediately ascend to the ranks of martial grandmasters. His Ghost Sorcery Sect, with its spellcraft in battle, would make him a formidable foe—perhaps more so than most grandmasters, unless they were of the highest order or possessed unparalleled experience.

At this moment, desire burned fiercely in Liu Yingde’s heart.

His name, Liu Yingde, suggested virtue and abundance, and outwardly he always wore the guise of a benevolent monk, offering charity and helping the villagers with matters of feng shui and illness. Yet behind closed doors, he and his disciple Chen Wenfa had committed their share of petty crimes, and even acts far more reprehensible.

The art he yearned to master was the sect’s ultimate skill, “The Gathering of Ten Thousand Ghosts”—a dark and poisonous technique. Coupled with the guidance of their ancestral compass, it was said that once attained, he could summon countless vengeful spirits to do his bidding—a terrifying prospect for any enemy, who would surely be dealt a dreadful fate.

To practice this art, it was necessary to sacrifice the soul of a most extraordinary individual as an offering—such a person was exceedingly rare. Liu Yingde knew that his own master had spent a lifetime searching, and died with bitter regret, never finding the one described in the ancient tome. Liu Yingde understood this all too well.

Who would have thought that the chance to bring glory to the sect would finally fall to him?

He steeled his resolve: no matter the risk, he would not let it pass! Fortune favors the bold, after all. Once he mastered “The Gathering of Ten Thousand Ghosts,” the future would hold limitless possibilities.

Of course, should he succeed in seizing the catalyst’s soul, he would have to ensure secrecy. If the catalyst had powerful connections, there was a chance they would come seeking vengeance. To eliminate all loose ends, he could simply kill everyone who knew of tonight’s events—including Chen Wenfa’s subordinates. If he could not bear to kill his beloved disciple, he could always administer a pill of forgetfulness, erasing all memory of what had transpired, allowing the boy to remain by his side.

All these thoughts flashed through Liu Yingde’s mind in an instant, while Chen Wenfa, standing by, merely saw his master lost in contemplation—little did he know that in this brief span, his master had already made all his decisions, even to the point of considering sacrificing him.

“I will have the catalyst brought to my secluded chamber at once. There is no time to lose; I must begin my cultivation immediately. Wenfa, you have worked hard through the night—go and rest with your men,” Liu Yingde said, having thought everything through.

So soon? For a moment, Chen Wenfa could hardly recover from his astonishment.