Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 545: No Trade, No Slaughter

The five of them channeled spirit energy to the person in front. Since the transmission of spirit energy inevitably incurred losses, it would eventually drain them completely.

Fortunately, Lu Yang had taught the other four the Swallowing Heaven cultivation method. While transferring energy, they opened their mouths wide to devour ambient spirit energy, making the transmission elder wonder if they had been possessed.

Transmitting the spirit energy also allowed them to achieve the realm of “me within you, you within me.” By now, Lu Yang’s spirit energy hardly belonged to him anymore; it was intertwined with the other four’s, and vice versa. Their spirit energy had merged seamlessly.

The transmission elder hadn’t anticipated them reaching this state so quickly.

“Next, we’ll begin with the third step—practicing combination abilities...”

~~~

“Speaking of which, the Five Great Immortal Sect’s exchange should be underway,” Dai Bufan murmured while sorting intelligence reports. “Junior Brother Lu Yang and the other four have already arrived at the Five-Elements Sect, so why hasn’t Shi Chan from the Hanging Monastery shown up yet?

“Could something have happened?”

~~~

A handsome monk strode out of a slaughterhouse, heading toward the nearest docking point for flying vessels.

“What a fragrant aroma.”

The monk’s nose twitched as he passed a bustling restaurant at noon, the peak hour for business. The wafting aromas of dishes halted him in his tracks.

A meal wouldn’t delay boarding the flying vessel. He changed his itinerary at the last minute and entered the restaurant.

“Waiter, are there seats available?”

“Master, you’ve come to the right place! Our Thousand-Li Fragrance Restaurant’s vegetarian dishes are the best!”

“I don’t want vegetarian dishes. Bring me two jin of braised beef in soy paste，[1] a portion of red-braised pork knuckle in soy sauce,[2] and a bowl of lamb offal noodles.”[3]

The waiter sized up the monk in surprise, wondering if he had misheard. Many people pretend to be monks these days, but I’ve never seen such a blatantly fake one. This has nothing to do with me though. I just serve whatever customers order.

“One moment, guest.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Soon, a platter of beef, a portion of pork knuckle, and a bowl of noodles were served.

Shi Chan enjoyed his meal at a leisurely pace.

“Guest, that’ll be sixty-six copper coins in total.”

The monk wiped his mouth and said placidly, “My shifu often tells me: ‘no trade, no slaughter.’ If no one ate meat, no one would have to slaughter livestock. This restaurant of yours also wouldn’t serve meat dishes, only vegetarian dishes. He warned us never to order meat at restaurants, for it will foment improper practices.”

The waiter was utterly flummoxed by his speech. “Guest, so you want to...”

“Dine and dash. No payment means no trade.”

~~~

At the Dao-Seeking Sect’s mountain gate, two disciples on guard duty yawned idly, chatting about recent events.

“Finally, no more marriage proposals for Junior Brother Lu. Peace at last.”

“Right? I’d never seen a queue of people come knocking for marriage. It was truly an eye-opener.”

A tall figure approached, palms pressed together, and asked in a clear voice, “May I ask if this is the Dao-Seeking Sect?”

The visitor was handsome and draped in a worn-out kasaya robe. His eyes shone brightly with spirit, clear as pond water, and his head was smooth with no hair. If not for the kasaya robe, the disciples might have mistaken him for a victim of Lu Yang’s Arhat Fist coming to seek revenge.

“Junior Brother Shi Chan of the Hanging Monastery?” one disciple probed tentatively, recalling Dai Bufan’s notice about the immortal sects’ exchange period, where a monk from the Hanging Monastery would visit the Dao-Seeking Sect for a study exchange.

“That is me. Apologies for my tardiness. Washing dishes proved time-consuming.”

Baffled by Shi Chan’s words, the disciple said politely, “Please wait here a moment. I’ll fetch Senior Brother Dai.”

One disciple left to look for Dai Bufan, while the other continued guarding the gate.

Soon, Dai Bufan rushed over to find Shi Chan sitting in meditation at the gate.

Noticing Shi Chan’s dignified bearing, thick brows, righteous-looking countenance, and rock-solid foundation, Dai Bufan nodded inwardly. All these signify real skills—as expected of the disciple groomed by Master Jiesha.

Hovering in a lotus position midair, Shi Chan sensed Dai Bufan’s presence and rose to bow. “Greetings, Senior Brother Dai.”

“Junior Brother Shi Chan, you’re here alone?”

“My senior brothers in the monastery are occupied and couldn’t escort me.”

“Occupied?”

“Yes. Shifu received news of your esteemed sect leader’s whereabouts in Wilderness Province and led my senior uncle and all my senior brothers there.”

Dai Bufan, “...”

If memory serves me right, my shifu values the code of brotherhood and is currently impersonating the Taciturn Daoist Priest to spin tales through storytelling in Wilderness Province.

Could the so-called news Master Jiesha received be about Shifu?

Never mind. Shifu has his own fortune; there’s no need for me, his disciple, to fret. At worst, he’ll get a beating—he won’t die.

“Please enter, Junior Brother Shi Chan.”

Dai Bufan personally hosted Shi Chan. I hope my hospitality will move Master Jiesha and persuade him to go easier on Shifu when he beats him.

Crossing the River Spirit’s territory, the two arrived at the heart of the Dao-Seeking Sect, where Shi Chan was stunned to see the vibrant bustle. Compared to the Hanging Monastery, the Dao-Seeking Sect is way too lively.

“Junior Brother Shi Chan, how much do you know about our Dao-Seeking Sect? What do you wish to learn here?”

“When my shifu could still speak, he told me a lot about your esteemed sect. He mentioned you have abundant cultivation resources and numerous cultivation techniques, especially the scripture library’s troves.

“There are two abilities I would like to learn.”

“Speak your mind, Junior Brother.”

“I heard that Fellow Daoist Lu Yang’s Arhat Fist can make victims lose their hair. May I learn it?”

“Umm...” Dai Bufan showed a troubled expression. Of all people, why choose to learn from Lu Yang? Is that even something that can be learned? “To be honest, Junior Brother Lu’s Arhat Fist is truly unique. No one else in the sect can perform it, and he’s currently at the Five-Elements Sect for exchange.”

“Then what about Fellow Daoist Meng Jingzhou’s Single’s Curse Fist, which encompasses karma. May I learn it?”

Dai Bufan, “...”

Kid, are you sure you’re not here to stir trouble? You insist on learning whatever’s unavailable.

“Neither?” Shi Chan was visibly deflated.

He had long admired these two fist techniques, believing them to be the true mighty abilities of Buddhist sects—even the Deliverance Sutra and Sixteen-Foot Golden Body couldn’t compare.

It’s a pity the people who can execute them are absent.

“Perhaps fate has yet to arrive; forcing it would be inappropriate. Senior Brother Dai, do carry on with your work. I will take a stroll through the sect. Despite the Dao-Seeking Sect’s long-standing reputation, I have yet to witness it myself. This is the perfect opportunity for me to broaden my horizons.”

Dai Bufan was indeed swamped. As the de facto head of the Great Mission Hall, even a day’s rest would accumulate a mountain of work.

“Hold on to this token—having this is as good as my being present. You may move about the sect as you please, including places such as the scripture library. If you have any questions, you can ask the nearby disciples, and they will gladly assist you.”

Shi Chan accepted Dai Bufan’s token and thanked him.

~~~

Dai Bufan returned to the Great Mission Hall but didn’t attend to the matters at hand. He pondered for a moment and produced a jade disc—a magical treasure used for communication between him and First Elder.

He wrote on the magical treasure: Shifu, Junior Brother Shi Chan said Master Jiesha has led everyone in the Hanging Monastery to Wilderness Province in search of the sect leader. Since you’re impersonating him there to tell pingshu stories, you might encounter them. Please be extra careful.

Dai Bufan tapped the middle of the jade disc to send the message.

First Elder’s reply came swiftly.

Say sooner next time

Dai Bufan fell silent for a bit as he analyzed the message. “He didn’t even write the punctuation. Looks like the battle is fierce.

“Shifu is Shifu after all—plotting strategies with keen foresight. He must have predicted this calamity long ago. No wonder he built all those tombs.”

1. Braised beef in soy paste ☜

2. Red-braised pork knuckle in soy sauce ☜

3. Lamb offal noodles ☜