Chapter 271 - 297: Invitation from Paper Figures, a Deal, and the State Mansion’s Whereabouts

The City Mansion Gui Dao Mansion was bustling with people, and its Incense was prosperous. The smell of burning incense could be detected even from far away.

However, compared to the Gui Chen Sect within the Prefecture City, it was still far lacking.

Deep within the Gui Dao Mansion, in a residence invisible to ordinary people, Qingming Daoist Chen Tianhua stared at the shattered Incense Mirror in his hand, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

’That young man in white who called himself a traveler is extremely strange...’

Chen Tianhua muttered to himself.

"Who exactly is this person? He doesn’t seem to be from the Dayu Immortal Dynasty. Could it be..."

"...that he’s from the Outer Realm?"

Once someone made a move, many things couldn’t be concealed, such as a Daoist Palace Dharma Aspect or fluctuations of True Qi.

The power of that sword strike had been immense, and when it finally shattered, the terrifying Fist Seal it transformed into was even more horrifying.

That punch had no True Qi fluctuations, nor was it some Cultivation Technique or Divine Technique. It was just a simple punch.

Yet such a powerful individual seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

He had a vague feeling that the young man in the white robe was definitely hiding a great secret.

Just then, a frantic voice shattered his train of thought.

"True Master! True Master! This is terrible, just terrible!"

Chen Tianhua frowned and chided, "What is all the panic about?"

A Little Ghost who served him, carrying a Soul Hook Chain, knelt outside the door trembling with fear and shouted:

"Two golden paper men came from out of nowhere! They’re incredibly strong! They knocked over General Zhu and have fought their way inside!"

"What golden paper men?"

Chen Tianhua’s brow furrowed, and then he seemed to sense something.

He suddenly rose and strode out through the rumbling doors, kicking aside the Little Ghost kneeling before them with a single motion.

Like a gust of clear wind, he was already in the residence’s main hall.

There, he did indeed see the paper men.

Two golden paper men!

These two paper men were extremely thin. They didn’t look as if they were crafted from some special paper, but rather as if they had been casually cut out from a sheet of white paper.

They lacked even basic facial contours; they were crude to the extreme.

But it was these two small paper men who were rampaging through the hall, beating the Little Ghosts one by one until they howled in pain.

Despite their simple punches and kicks, even the powerful Ghost Generals he had personally trained were completely unable to resist and could only scurry away, covering their heads.

"Such powerful Divine Thoughts!"

Chen Tianhua, however, saw the truth of the matter. He glanced at the two golden paper men and said in a clear voice:

"Which great expert is playing such a joke on this True Master?"

The moment his voice fell, a surging wave of the Power of Incense billowed up, instantly enveloping the two golden paper men. Only then did the crowd of Little Ghosts retreat.

He could see with perfect clarity that these two golden paper men were being manipulated by a powerful stream of Divine Thoughts.

It was only with the empowerment of these Divine Thoughts that the two paper men were able to knock over a crowd of Ghost Generals with mere punches and kicks.

At the same time, he was also somewhat angered.

One must consider the master before beating his dog. These two golden paper men had barged in without a word and beaten up his Little Ghosts. How was he supposed to save face?

The two golden paper men finally stopped, allowing the Power of Incense to envelop them. They cupped their hands and said:

"We have come to invite the True Master to a banquet!"

"A banquet?"

Chen Tianhua’s heart stirred. He then asked in a deep voice, "Who might you be? And why do you wish to invite this True Master to a banquet?"

The two paper men did not answer.

A flash of light appeared in the hand of one of the paper men.

A sedan chair, transformed from white paper, instantly expanded in size and was lifted by the two paper men, one at the front and one at the back.

Only then did the two paper men speak again:

"Please!"

Chen Tianhua’s eyes flickered. ’I have no choice in this matter,’ he thought.

This was clearly a command, not an invitation!

"True Master, you mustn’t trust them!"

Seeing that Chen Tianhua seemed inclined to go, an elderly ghost hurriedly spoke out.

"These two paper men injured so many Ghost Messengers and won’t explain their purpose. If their master genuinely wished to invite you to a banquet, why would they resort to such measures?"

"Elder Mu is right! Please reconsider, True Master!"

The other Little Ghosts chimed in as well.

Chen Tianhua remained silent, merely staring at the two faceless paper men as his thoughts raced. Finally, he made up his mind.

"Enough! All of you, stand guard here. This True Master will be back shortly."

Within the Gui Dao Mansion, his prestige was immense. The moment he finished speaking, none of the Little Ghosts dared to utter another word.

’I’d like to see just what kind of great figure you are!’

With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Tianhua sat down in the paper sedan chair.

The paper sedan chair was surprisingly sturdy, and the two golden paper men possessed astonishing strength. They lifted him steadily and set off in a certain direction.

Chen Tianhua’s gaze was profound.

As the True Master of the Gui Dao Mansion, he was empowered by a vast amount of the Power of Incense within the Prefecture City.

Outside the city, he was no match for experts like Elder Hui De, but inside the city, he could fight on even terms.

Therefore, he had a certain degree of confidence.

Furthermore, he was a True Master officially appointed by the Immortal Dynasty and held a Divine Position, which gave him even more confidence.

The two paper men’s steps were light and nimble. They quickly left the Gui Dao Mansion and headed toward a small courtyard.

At that moment, the sun was high in the sky, its scorching rays blanketing the entire Prefecture City.

There were many pedestrians on the streets, but none of them could see the paper men carrying the sedan chair through the sky. An invisible layer of Divine Thoughts seemed to conceal them from sight.

’Could it be him?’

Chen Tianhua mused to himself in the paper sedan chair.

His true reason for accepting this "banquet" was, of course, to see who exactly had invited him.

And the first time that white-robed young man had appeared, it had been in this very direction.

WHOOSH!

With wind seeming to sprout from under their feet, the two golden paper men quickly arrived at a remote and quiet little courtyard.

Upon arriving, Chen Tianhua’s heart jolted.

He felt an unprecedentedly powerful presence emanating from within the courtyard.

His Heart Spirit, long since numbed and stained by the Power of Incense, felt as if it were being purified.

It was as if he had arrived at some Immortal Mountain Blessed Land, one that possessed the power to cleanse the heart and purify the soul.

"This place is..."

Chen Tianhua could no longer remain seated. In a flash, he appeared and landed in the courtyard.

BUZZ!

The two golden paper men suddenly swayed, making a buzzing sound as if they had lost all their power. They fluttered to the ground along with the paper sedan chair.

Chen Tianhua glanced at them.

Just ordinary white paper.

"Since the True Master has arrived, why not come inside?"

Just then, a calm and gentle voice resounded in his mind.

Chen Tianhua took a deep breath, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, and stepped forward into the courtyard before him.

The courtyard was serene, with sunlight cascading down into it.

A young man in a white robe sat at a stone table, quietly awaiting him.

Behind the young man was an old tree. Beneath the tree, a stove was boiling water for tea.

A woman was brewing tea, and not far from her, a Silver-White Dog Demon paced about leisurely with a piece of firewood in its mouth.

’It really is him!’

The moment he saw the white-robed young man, Chen Tianhua’s expression darkened.

Although he had his suspicions, seeing him in person was still a shock.

One had to understand, this person was very likely a Feather Transformation Realm Great Power. Otherwise, how would he have dared to move against the Rebirth Buddha Venerable?

"To be invited to a banquet by you, Senior, is a great honor!"

Looking at the placid expression of the white-robed young man, Chen Tianhua’s heart trembled.

"True Master, you have subsisted on the Power of Incense for so long. I wonder, how long has it been since you have tasted the food and wine of the Mortal Realm?"

Su Bai glanced coolly at Chen Tianhua and then said:

"Sit."

Chen Tianhua was wary, but since he had already come, he saw no reason to be afraid. He took a few steps forward and sat down.

"The tea is ready."

Su Bai picked up the Jade Pot and poured him a cup of tea.

"It’s just tea leaves from an ordinary family in the city. It might be a little bland, but it holds the flavor of mortal life. Why don’t you give it a try, True Master?"

"Not long ago, at Celestial Origin Mountain, I was truly amazed. Your magnificent presence, Senior, is something I have never witnessed before."

Chen Tianhua picked up the Jade Cup and cupped his hands.

"May I ask, Senior, for what purpose have you invited me here today?"

The closer he got to Su Bai, the more apprehensive he became.

Although they were sitting right across from each other, he had the inexplicable feeling that Su Bai was as distant as the horizon, while he himself was like a common mortal on the ground.

He felt the inexplicable dread of a mortal peeking at the Immortal Gods.

This person was extremely mysterious. During this time, Chen Tianhua had secretly gathered a lot of information, questioned other True Masters, and even consulted the great Taixu True Master.

However, not a single one of them could divine this person’s specific origins.

"True Master, where do you think your path forward lies now?"

Su Bai put down the Jade Cup.

"Currently, the Gui Chen Sect is powerful, and the Wansheng Institute also wants a piece of the pie."

"Add to that the various powers, large and small, who are all stirring restlessly. In the future, the Incense in the Prefecture City will be divided among more and more factions."

Su Bai drained the drink in his cup and said casually:

"I wonder, without the support of the Power of Incense, how many more years can you survive?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Tianhua’s expression changed instantly.

All of the Ten Thousand Spirits and all things have a great limit. Mortals die, and even Martial Arts Strongmen die.

His aptitude was limited. Even after ten thousand years, he was still stuck at the Ninth Tribulation Realm Ninth Layer, unable to break through.

The only reason he had lived so long was by relying on the Power of Incense to forcibly extend his lifespan.

Once the Power of Incense weakened rapidly, or even disappeared, his body would decay beyond repair in just a few short years, bringing him to the verge of death.

At that point, not even the Dayu Immortal Dynasty would be able to help him.

This was why he had previously wanted to ally with the Wansheng Institute to resist the ever-growing Gui Chen Sect.

Chen Tianhua’s face was grim. Before he could speak, Su Bai continued:

"Thirty years!"

"In thirty years at most, the Power of Incense within the Prefecture City will be carved up by the Gui Chen Sect and the Desolate State Prefecture. As for your end, it doesn’t take much imagination."

"You will inevitably become a lonely, wandering ghost."

Before him, Chen Tianhua had no secrets to speak of.

"How could you possibly know, Senior!?"

Chen Tianhua’s gaze trembled, his heart filled with disbelief.

But Su Bai didn’t answer, only chuckling lightly.

"I invited you here to make a deal."

Chen Tianhua’s spirits lifted. "Please speak, Senior."

"I have a Secret Technique that can extend your lifespan, but there are two conditions," Su Bai said.

Chen Tianhua frowned. "I’m listening."

"First, I need all the Incense you have accumulated to this day!"

The moment the words fell, Chen Tianhua’s expression changed drastically!

If his rational mind hadn’t told him not to make a move here, he would have nearly gone berserk.

For him, Incense was his very lifeline!

However, before he could refuse...

...Su Bai continued in a tone that allowed no argument:

"Second..."

He stared into Chen Tianhua’s eyes, causing the latter’s expression to tense and a chill to run down his spine.

"I need to know the whereabouts of that State Mansion."