Black Journey to the West: The Imposter Star Lord

Chapter 43: The Fragrance Gathering at the Jade Pavilion

Cao Xing sorted out his thoughts and reviewed his conversation with the three gods again. Only after confirming that there were no omissions or errors did he feel relieved.

I checked the time; there was still some time before dawn.

We've left those old devils hanging for so long, it's time to go and see them.

Thinking of this, Cao Xing jumped off the bed, pushed open the door, and strode out.

He headed straight for the pile of corpses behind him.

In the dim woods, tiny fireflies floated.

These fluorescent lights were cold and pale, appearing and disappearing intermittently, giving people the creeps.

They were originally drifting aimlessly in the forest, but as soon as Cao Xing approached, the fireflies quickly gathered and converged on him.

The light spots gathered more and more, becoming brighter and brighter, gradually outlining blurry human figures, numbering at least twenty or thirty wandering spirits.

As these wandering spirits gathered, the surrounding temperature turned icy cold, and a thin layer of frost quickly covered the leaves.

"Brother Cao, you've arrived."

Ding Yi, Feng Yue, and Jiang Yi rushed over and surrounded Cao Xing, while the other wandering spirits watched cautiously.

Even though Jiang Yi and the others repeatedly assured them during this period, these wandering souls were only willing to be enlightened by Cao Xing, but had no intention of leaving with Cao Xing.

"Okay, get ready. I'm planning to take you out today. Anyone else want to come along?"

Upon hearing that Cao Xing was going to take them away, the three were overjoyed and immediately pulled along a few of their close companions.

A moment later, they pulled six more people along, making a total of nine, intending to leave with Cao Xing.

The number of people wasn't large, but it wasn't small either.

Cao Xing hadn't expected to take them all at once; after all, there was plenty of time, so there was no rush.

At this moment, Cao Xing suddenly realized something and looked at the hole below the corpse-dissolving pit.

When I didn't come, you knocked on my door; now that I've come, you're hiding behind me.

Cao Xing's impression of these old ghosts immediately dropped even further.

He called out towards the dark woods ahead, "It's rare that I'm here early today. How long are you old fogies going to hide?"

"Phew~~~"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew in, carrying withered leaves from the ground, making a rustling sound in the woods.

"Fellow Daoist's methods are ingenious, we admire them. Please come in and have a chat."

The sound came from the corpse-dissolving cave behind.

Cao Xing looked at Jiang Yi and the other two, and the three of them understood and moved closer to Cao Xing. Jiang Yi whispered, "Brother Cao, don't go in, it's dark inside."

As soon as Jiang Yi uttered these words, a chilling wind suddenly arose from the distant Corpse-Dissolving Cave, causing the surrounding vegetation to sway and the forest to howl.

Seeing this, the other wandering spirits retreated in fear, but Jiang Yi and the others were not intimidated at all.

If it were any other time, they really wouldn't dare to offend these old ghosts like this. But Cao Xing was about to take them away, so what were these old ghosts? They weren't the Heavenly King himself, so who would be afraid of them?

"It seems you're not sincere about this talk. Farewell then," Cao Xing said, turning to leave.

"etc!"

A voice came from inside the Corpse-Dissolving Cave: "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. It's not that we're unwilling to come out for a face-to-face talk, but the timing is wrong. We can only come out between midnight and 1 AM every day. It's already 3:30 AM now, and we can't get out."

"Alright."

Cao Xing certainly didn't believe what these old ghosts said; all he wanted was for the other party to give him an answer.

"Let's talk about the Qionglou Incense Gathering. What exactly is this place? We have plenty of time today, so could you tell me more about it?"

After a brief silence, the old ghost in the Corpse-Dissolving Cave burst into laughter: "Hahaha, it seems you haven't been cultivating for very long, fellow Daoist."

Cao Xing's expression remained unchanged. He knew that his words had revealed him to be a complete novice who had just started learning.

Exposing one's own shortcomings is a taboo at any time.

But Cao Xing was unusually candid. He nodded and said, "I come from a small place, my parents died early, and I had no one to rely on. It's really not easy for me to get to where I am today."

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be modest. Just the fact that you live in this godforsaken place day and night is enough to prove that you have extraordinary abilities."

But then another voice came from inside the cave: "Enough of the idle talk. Since you want to know about the Qionglou Incense Gathering, let us tell you what kind of place it is. Actually, Qionglou is a poor man's house, and everyone secretly calls it the Poor Ghost Temple Fair."

"Oh~ Oh~ Oh!"

As the first rays of light brushed the mountain ridge, a rooster's crowing pierced the morning mist, and Cao Xing's figure was already strode down the mountain on the blue bricks.

As he walked, he pondered the information the old ghost had mentioned.

The Qionglou Incense Gathering is an incense gathering jointly organized by several major sects in the vicinity.

Gods, demons, human cultivators, and even those from the demonic and ghostly paths can all trade here.

This place, Yuqiong Mountain, is the place where the three realms of Xiniu Hezhou meet, located in the heart of Wuji Kingdom.

The Qiongshan Mountains extend eastward through Baoxiang Kingdom and westward to Chechi Kingdom.

It can be said to be one of the most blessed lands in Xiniu Hezhou.

There is a building on this mountain called Qionglou.

As the saying goes, "Jade palaces and pavilions are shrouded in cold mist, the moon is cold and the stars are sparse, and I cannot sleep through the night. Suddenly, a crane's cry pierces through the snow, and a sliver of a fairy's shadow lands before the eaves."

It is said that every ten years on the 28th of August, celestial beings descend to the Jade Palace to receive offerings from the mortal world and bestow upon them cultivation techniques and treasures.

Of course, this comes with certain conditions.

The arrangement is orchestrated by the immortals, and various factions will send their experts to compete for the right to offer incense.

The sect that finishes offering incense last will receive blessings from the immortals.

How could something so grand be called a poor man's temple fair?

The reason for this is that during the incense festival, various sects will also offer some benefits, giving those rogue cultivators, minor demons, and even ordinary people a chance to gamble. The methods vary and are different every year, so even the old ghosts in the Corpse Dissolving Cave can't explain it clearly.

This was merely a reminder to Cao Xing that the Qionglou Xianghui was arguably the largest and most lively opportunity in Xiniu Hezhou.

The number of participants is at least tens of thousands, but in the end, very few people actually make money from the incense gathering, or even leave unscathed. The vast majority go in intact but come out missing limbs.

Therefore, if Cao Xing wants to participate, he should improve his strength as soon as possible, preferably to the Foundation Establishment stage. As for participating in incense offerings, forget about it; that's not a game that an ordinary person like him can participate in.

Actually, even without these old ghosts saying it, Cao Xing didn't plan to participate in activities like offering incense.

However, those old ghosts are right; I do need to improve my strength as soon as possible.

After descending the mountain, Cao Xing still found a place for Bixia to return to her original form and stretch her legs properly before they went out for a big meal together. After all, Bixia had been lying motionless in his sleeve for a while and was getting restless.

Although it wasn't her first time visiting Wutong City, Bixia still couldn't stop smiling as she looked at the bustling streets around her.

Bixia wanted to stuff all the snacks, such as candied hawthorn, lamb skewers, and flatbread, into her mouth in one go.

"Brother, it's so nice to be human, there's so much delicious food."

Bixia happily ate the fried pastries in her hand. She opened her mouth and took a bite. The outer crust made a crunching sound, and the inside was filled with minced meat. She ate one after another until her cheeks were round.

Cao Xing smiled noncommittally.

But in his heart he thought, "Yes, being human is a blessing, but in the world of Journey to the West, being human is the most unfortunate thing."

However, Cao Xing wouldn't say such discouraging things to Bixia; at this moment, she was happy.