Chapter 703: A Tenacious Heart
When Qiu Yun sent his master out of the mountain, he couldn't help feeling relieved. Even though he knew that his master was not a vicious person, the psychological pressure did not disappear.
Ma Qingji didn't care much about this. He thought that when these people grew up a little, they would know what was right and what was wrong.
From Ximashan to Gusu, Ma Qingji traveled by water. He picked a bamboo leaf and turned it into a flat-bottomed boat. The river water under his feet lifted the small boat and it moved slowly but quickly.
The water veins in the south of the Yangtze River are complex, but there are many connections.
The boat sailed from the mountains into the countryside, through the town, into the lake, and then into the mountains again.
There were many houses on both sides of the river, but the desolation was far worse than before.
It had not been long since the King of Wu had taken control of the Jiangnan area, but signs of human disaster had already begun to appear.
Unlike the virtuous and wise dynasties of the past, taxes, corvee labor, and conscription are now heavier than before.
Ma Qingji understood why this was the case. Losing the support of the gods was almost like losing the favor of heaven, and the imperial court would definitely take action against him.
The reason why they haven't taken action yet is simply because the threat from the former Dharma Saint has tied up the court's attention. As long as this behemoth can be freed up, a war will surely break out.
In the past, he had relied on the power of ghosts and gods to secretly exert his influence, and as long as he could keep it a secret from others, he could still accumulate food. But now that he had no ghosts and gods to help him, he had to seize every opportunity to strengthen his military power.
Ma Qingji also came in response to this call.
The boat stayed outside Gusu, transforming into a swirling bamboo leaf in the water. Ma Qingji returned to the Chixiao Pavilion and received a very grand reception.
The receptionist greeted him with great ceremony, inviting him to sit in the main hall and offering him fragrant tea and snacks. A short while later, Taoist Zhang, in the form of a demon, arrived first. He knelt at Ma Qingji's knees and said, "Welcome, Master."
Ma Qingji blew on his tea bowl without looking up and asked, "What have you been doing at the Owl House lately?"
Taoist Zhang did not dare to hide anything and reported all the recent events.
It's nothing more than the same old three things: poisoning, assassination, and using evil magic to control people. There's only one more thing, which is to invite fellow travelers to serve the King of Wu.
Ma Qingji asked knowingly, "So you sent the letter back to Ximashan?"
Taoist Zhang betrayed the King of Linchuan without a second thought, saying, "How dare I? The King of Linchuan still remembers the agreement he made with you. After all, we are working under him, so I had no choice but to write a letter to ask Master's opinion."
Ma Qingji said, "I bet you don't dare test my courage. Get up."
Taoist Zhang finally stood up and said carefully, "King Wu attaches great importance to the Owl Pavilion now. He even received us in person once. With the arrival of our master, I'm sure Xima Mountain will be in great glory."
Ma Qingji sneered and said, "What's the point of showing off your power?"
He looked at Taoist Zhang and said, "You are only a seventh-rank cultivator now, and your human body is weak. Therefore, you rely entirely on this Rakshasa ghost body to move. But you must know that the more you use this Rakshasa ghost body, the weaker your human body will become. You are already dying. Once your physical body dies, your soul will reside in the Rakshasa ghost body and be controlled by its evil nature. You will become mad and crazy, and sooner or later, your life will end."
Taoist Zhang was now in the form of a Rakshasa ghost, but he trembled with fear.
He fell to his knees on the ground like a golden mountain falling down a jade pillar, crying out, "Master, save me!"
Ma Qingji said, "Are you afraid now? It's a pity that your body is weak and cannot be saved."
Taoist Zhang wailed and said, "Master, please save me. I am willing to let you drive me around."
Ma Qingji said slowly, "Aren't you letting me drive you around now?"
Taoist Zhang kowtowed desperately and said, "Master, please be kind!"
He knocked his head until it was broken, and then Ma Qingji put down the teacup and said, "You still have two roads to take, and they both happen to be the road to Xima Mountain."
"You can choose between the Soul Retention Technique and the Corpse Transformation Technique. You can become a Ghost Immortal or a Corpse Immortal. It's up to you. But no matter which one you choose, you'll have to put in a lot of hard work and give up this Rakshasa ghost body you're used to. Are you willing to do that?"
Taoist Zhang immediately showed signs of struggle.
Ma Qingji said he was not disappointed, but had expected it. He said, "Get out of the way. Come back after you've thought it over."
Taoist Zhang got up in a daze and stood aside, not knowing what he was thinking.
After a while, Prince Linchuan finally arrived. Before he could even catch his breath, he came to pay a visit to Ma Qingji.
Ignoring the bloodstains on the ground, King Linchuan said with a smile, "Master Ma, it's been a long time since we last met. How have you been lately?"
This time, there was no Elder Xiao standing behind him. He was alone, and his words and expression were much more enthusiastic.
Ma Qingji stood up and said, "Thanks to Your Highness, I've had a few good years and am planning to establish a lineage of corpse immortals. A few days ago, I received a letter from these unworthy disciples. Remembering my promise to Your Highness, I hurried here."
King Linchuan didn't know if the Heart-Confusing Spider on him was effective, but since Ma Qingji was so kind, King Linchuan felt a little relieved and praised him, "Master, your promise is worth a thousand gold. I thank you."
Ma Qingji asked, "Your Highness, is there anything I can help you with?"
King Linchuan said, "To be honest, these are troubled times. I am willing to offer ten thousand taels of gold to invite Taoist Master Ma to join the Owl Pavilion."
Ma Qingji was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's change it. Even though there is a huge amount of gold, it can't buy me a free life."
Prince Linchuan was rejected, but he was not discouraged. He said, "As long as the Taoist priest is willing to join the Owl House, I will agree to anything you ask for."
Ma Qingji laughed and said, "What I seek is nothing more than cultivating immortality. Apart from these two things, everything else is just material possessions that I can discard."
Prince Linchuan said helplessly, "If there is a way to achieve immortality through cultivation, I would also become a monk and cultivate myself."
Ma Qingji laughed heartily and said, "Your Highness, if you help me build a lineage of corpse immortals, I can promise to help you once. If you have made up your mind, you can let this evil disciple come to find me at any time."
Ma Qingji said goodbye and left first.
Prince Linchuan tried to persuade him with kind words, but he failed to keep him.
After he left, King Linchuan sighed and said, "How could such a person appear in your Xima Mountain?"
Taoist Zhang said, "I don't know much about Master's affairs."
King Linchuan said, "Did you fail to deliver the letter to the headmaster this time?"
Taoist Zhang said, "Now that the Grandmaster is in charge of Xima Mountain, I'm afraid the Sect Leader won't be able to come."
"This is really tricky!" Prince Linchuan paced back and forth, saying, "With such a firm heart, why don't you practice the righteous way, but instead take root in your Xima Mountain?"
Taoist Zhang was quite clear about this and said, "Maybe he's not naturally gifted. Ever since our founder founded our Xima Mountain sect, there have been people with poor aptitude but strong hearts. However, descendants always have their own ways of living."
"The heart of Tao is strong and resilient. What a strong heart of Tao!"
Prince Linchuan smashed the cup and said, "I don't believe I can't take you down!"
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