The following two days passed in relative peace.
My days were filled with nothing but cultivation, completely neglecting the shop's business.
My uncle, meanwhile, did nothing but hawk his aphrodisiac wine.
Only Old Mo, with nothing else to do, was constantly with Chen Yao, much to everyone's envy.
The day before our departure.
After finishing my breathing exercises, I stood by the door stretching when I saw a group of people entering Wanshou Hall.
Upon closer inspection, they were familiar faces.
The corpse salvager, Grandpa Jiang, and the corpse burner, Old Bai, among others.
Seeing these colleagues arrive at Wanshou Hall, I grew curious and walked over.
As I reached the doorway, I heard my uncle speaking:
"Old Bai, you're already this old, stop messing around.
And Old Jiang, you too. You're fine collecting corpses in the river, but the places we're going this time are all mountains. Your Taoist arts won't be effective there!"
Inside the hall, Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang stood to the side, their expressions serious.
Old Bai immediately retorted:
"We are all practitioners of the Tao. Though I am old, I still wish to contribute to the Dao Alliance and dedicate myself to the welfare of the common people.
To die defending the Tao would be my ultimate honor.
This time, whether you agree or not, I will lead my disciples to Jian Dao Peak."
As soon as Old Bai finished speaking, Grandpa Jiang added:
"Old Tang, although most of my skills are best utilized in the river,
don't forget that we corpse salvagers are also one of the nine Yin sects.
We have our ways on land as well.
My stance is the same as Old Bai's. Either you take us with you this time, or we go on our own."
"..."
Hearing this, I understood.
It turned out that Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang also intended to attend the alliance meeting at Jian Dao Peak in Western Sichuan, contributing their strength to eradicate the Black Demon forces.
Without further delay, I walked in:
"Uncle, Old Bai, Grandpa Jiang, Brother Ye..."
I called out a few greetings and entered the room.
"Oh! Young Qin is here."
"Young Qin, I visited your hometown. The stone Buddha and stone ox in the water were suppressed by our sect's ancestor. I never expected you to eliminate the things beneath them. You are truly capable for your age!"
"..."
Several people spoke up.
I smiled and exchanged pleasantries.
Although my cultivation had surpassed theirs,
these were all my seniors.
"Young Qin, tell me. These old fellows refuse to stay put and insist on coming with us. Do they have any idea how powerful those fiends are? How high their cultivation is? They'll just be throwing their lives away. They don't listen even when I tell them..."
My uncle complained.
But Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang were unconcerned.
"Since we joined this profession, we've lived on the edge. Decades have passed. It's good to contribute what we can before our time comes."
"Right, we must go this time. Young Qin, tell us, can we go."
"..."
Hearing this, I was taken aback.
But then I replied:
"Uncle has good intentions. These demonic forces are incredibly brutal, and their cultivation is very high.
It's a matter of life and death to go there.
But Uncle, isn't the very purpose of us Daoists to slay demons and uphold justice?
If Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang truly wish to go, we can actually bring them along."
"Yes, yes, yes! See how well Young Qin put it!"
"I'm an old man. If I die, I die. What is there to fear?"
"..."
Grandpa Jiang and Old Bai spoke in agreement with my words.
My uncle sighed:
"Alright, alright! Since you are determined to go, I will report your names so the Dao Alliance has a record..."
Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang were overjoyed upon hearing this.
"That's more like it!"
"Old Tang! If you had agreed sooner, it would have been fine. I'll host lunch today, let's have a drink."
Hearing about the drink, my uncle's spirits lifted.
The reason Old Bai and Grandpa Jiang insisted on my uncle agreeing to take them was that they needed an introducer to guarantee the safety and identity of those attending.
If there were any spies or infiltrators, it would lead to many complications.
Having an introducer, especially someone like my uncle who was well-connected in the upper echelons of the Dao Alliance, would greatly reduce the trouble with screenings.
At noon, we went to a restaurant for a meal.
My uncle brought out his aphrodisiac wine again.
I knew firsthand how potent this stuff was.
Old Mo and I dared not drink it.
However, a few of the young, uninhibited men brought by Old Bai eagerly downed two large bowls, "slurping" with their mouths.
I could only shake my head inwardly, knowing they would suffer later today.
After the meal, we all returned to prepare our belongings for departure tomorrow.
Those young men, however, on their way downstairs, had faces flushed red, breathing heavily, walking with their legs clamped together and their backsides sticking out, their gait extremely peculiar...
Back at the shop, I packed my own things.
Three elemental peach wood swords, Yin and Yang pearls, a demon-subduing pestle, and divine fire talismans.
With the insights I had gained, I had already drawn three divine fire talismans.
Now, I was essentially on the right track.
After preparing all my items, I burned incense for my master.
I informed him that we would be departing for Jian Dao Peak in Western Sichuan tomorrow and hoped he would bless our journey with safety.
The next day.
Everyone was ready for departure.
I, with Xiao Mei, headed to Wanshou Hall early to meet up with my uncle and the others.
This time, Old Mo and Xiao Yao were also joining.
My uncle, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, checked the time and said:
"It's about time. Let's head to the airport now. Old Bai and the others are waiting for us at the airport. We aim to arrive in Western Sichuan before midnight tonight..."