Chapter 273: Chapter 272: A Much-Anticipated Day Tour of Daluo Palace
Liu Jin was from Qinglu County in Changping Prefecture.
His father was a well-read scholar and his mother was virtuous and sensible, but he was a complete disappointment. Though handsome, he was frivolous and lecherous, spending his days idling about, uneducated and unskilled. He ran with a bad crowd and lived only for the moment.
His parents went to great trouble to arrange a marriage for him. In the end, not only did he continue to frequent brothels, but he also struck his future father-in-law in the street. Naturally, the engagement was called off.
His father died of anger, and his mother wasted away from grief. Liu Jin squandered the family fortune, and when he could no longer get by in the county, he was driven out like a stray dog.
But he was blessed with good looks and a silver tongue, and he caught the eye of a Martial Arts Expert who took him in as a disciple and taught him martial arts.
But once Liu Jin had mastered the skills, he came to resent his master’s strict discipline. When his master was grievously wounded by an enemy, Liu Jin took the opportunity to murder him and then forced himself upon his master’s daughter.
After that, he returned to Qinglu County. Relying on his martial arts, he slaughtered his former fiancée’s entire family. Only then did he leave, fully satisfied, becoming a notorious and unrestrained womanizer.
He thought his life would continue in this delightful fashion, but two days ago, while preying on another woman, a ghostly figure emerged from her mirror and froze him in place.
Liu Jin was scared to death, thinking the woman was a Mage and that he had finally picked the wrong target. But to his surprise, the ghostly figure from the mirror helped him overpower the woman, then entered into a Harmony with him, promising to help him become a Mage.
How could Liu Jin refuse such a wonderful offer?
Thus, he became the Harmony Mage of the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting. A wonderful life was truly within his grasp!
Although Liu Jin learned that the Forgotten Soul Hall had been annihilated by the Nether Fire Sect in Shide Prefecture and that its disciples had been slaughtered by Daluo Palace in Changping Prefecture, neither he nor the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting gave it much thought.
Now that they were in Harmony, their progress—be it the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting’s recovery or their own future Cultivation—would advance by leaps and bounds.
As long as they could get through this current slump, it would be nothing but peaks from then on!
To get through this slump, they naturally needed to find an absolutely safe place to hide. They could only reemerge after the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting had recovered his strength.
And in Changping Prefecture, what place could be safer than Daluo Palace?
And so, under the arrangements of the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting, Liu Jin engineered a chance encounter with an Inner Sect Disciple of Daluo Palace. He conveniently helped the disciple with a small matter and ended up being taken on as his apprentice, which is how he was brought into Daluo Palace.
"Once I recover my Cultivation, I’ll be able to use the Forgetful Soul Technique and make everyone in Daluo Palace recognize you as their master."
"What about the real Daluo Palace Master?" Liu Jin asked.
The old voice cackled. "We’ll devour his soul, of course. Absorb his memories, his skills... and his women."
Speaking of women, just after Liu Jin had been assigned his room, he saw a young woman in a light, white-gauze dress walking toward a rear hall in the West. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a gentle expression.
"That’s Senior Sister He from the Alchemy Hall. She’s a friend of Hu Guardian, the Sun Rabbit of Room Official, and the Direct Disciple of Elder Ming Chong. Among the Inner Sect Disciples, she’s a prodigy who everyone adores," a middle-aged man said, patting Liu Jin on the shoulder.
Liu Jin nodded. "Right, right. Senior Sister He is not someone an Outer Disciple like me should be thinking about."
The middle-aged man waved his hand. His palms were covered in thick calluses, the mark of a Palm Technique expert. "You misunderstand. The atmosphere in Daluo Palace is great. There are differences in status, but no one ever throws their weight around to bully others.
"I’m just reminding you that Senior Sister He is a Spirit Monarch, a Celestial Maiden-like figure. Don’t get infatuated, or you’ll only end up hurting yourself."
Liu Jin nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. My name is Liu Jin. In my old life, I went by the name ’Cloud-Stepping Swallow’."
"Sounds like your Lightweight Skill is impressive!" The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up. "My name is Qiao Hu," he introduced himself. "I practice the Iron Palm Skill, but Lightweight Skill isn’t my strong suit. When we go down the mountain to act as vigilantes in the future, we could team up."
Liu Jin clasped his hands. "Then I’ll have to ask for Senior Brother Qiao’s guidance in the future."
"Not at all, not at all," Qiao Hu said with a hearty laugh. "We’ll help each other out and make contributions to the palace. If we can use points to redeem some Spirit Medicine and cultivate True Qi, we can become Inner Sect Disciples, too!"
While humoring Qiao Hu, Liu Jin asked another question. "I just saw that rainbow light bring someone else in. Do you know who it was?"
Qiao Hu shook his head. "That rainbow light was clearly connected to the Sect Leader’s location. That person came from the sky, so she must be a friend of the Sect Leader—a senior with profound Dao Practice. I’ve never seen her before."
It wasn’t just Qiao Hu; most Daluo Palace disciples had likely never seen Li Qingshuang.
Just then, Liu Jin saw two young women walking past together. But while many people had warmly greeted He Cailian, everyone simply offered these two a respectful bow, without being overly friendly.
Liu Jin looked to Qiao Hu, who explained, "The one in the green dress is our palace’s Star Official, Bihua Guardian. The one beside her is Senior Sister Chen, who is in Harmony with her. The two of them have a more reserved temperament, so no one goes out of their way to disturb them."
"Speaking of which, Senior Sister Chen has incredible luck. Just a few months ago, she was an ordinary person who was nearly abducted by a Ghost to be its bride. But she was rescued by two of the palace’s Elders, who brought her back to Daluo Palace to join the sect.
"Then, not many days later, Bihua Guardian discovered that their Divine Souls were compatible and entered into a Harmony with her. Just like that, Senior Sister Chen’s status skyrocketed, and now she’s a Mage."
Qiao Hu’s voice was filled with envy. "I don’t expect to be noticed by a Guardian, but it would be amazing if even a senior brother or sister from the Inner Sect took an interest in me!"
The Inner Sect Disciples of Daluo Palace were not all human; there were Spirit Monarchs and Ghost Gods among them, who could naturally form a Harmony with mortals.
"Come on, I’ll show you around Daluo Palace," Qiao Hu said, pulling Liu Jin along. "Besides the main courtyard, Daluo Palace has many side courtyards, but those are all residences for the Elders, so we shouldn’t disturb them.
"I’ll take you to see the Alchemy Hall, the Contribution Hall, the Magic Treasure Hall, and the like. Then we’ll go get you a longsword. Once you officially become an Outer Disciple, you can also receive a Golden Gang Bracelet."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Liu Jin readily agreed and followed Qiao Hu around Daluo Palace for the better part of the day. The sights and sounds were a true revelation. Even the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting, hidden within his body, clicked his tongue in wonder, his heart filling with even greater anticipation.
His only regret, however, was that he didn’t see any more beautiful women, nor did he catch a glimpse of the Daluo Palace Elders or the Sect Leader.
Qiao Hu consoled him, "The Elders are mostly off the mountain, and the Sect Leader rarely leaves her quarters. Forget you—many Outer Disciples who joined long before you have never even seen the Sect Leader."
After touring for most of the day, Qiao Hu took him to pay his respects to the Inner Sect Disciple again, then led him to dinner. They only returned to their rooms as the sun began to set.
"Our rooms aren’t large, but we each get our own. I live right next door, so call me anytime if you need anything," Qiao Hu said warmly.
"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother!" Liu Jin clasped his hands, finally sending the overly enthusiastic Qiao Hu on his way before returning to his room.
"Daluo Palace treats its disciples pretty well. Even new Registered Disciples get their own rooms," Liu Jin snickered.
"That certainly makes things convenient for us. No matter how secretively I cultivate, a faint trace of Magical Power still emanates," the old voice chuckled. "But with a private room, it won’t be an issue."
Liu Jin peeked through a crack in the window. "There’s hardly anyone outside. Most people have gone back to their rooms to cultivate."
"We’re in no rush. Let’s wait until later tonight," the old voice said.
So Liu Jin lay back on his bed, fantasizing about the wonderful future that awaited him. ’Once I become the Daluo Palace Master, I’ll have them all—Senior Sister He, and that Bihua Guardian, and Senior Sister Chen!’
"They’re all yours!" The Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting, however, was focused on the Daluo Palace’s Cultivation Method. "The Magical Power from this method is the natural bane of all things dark and sinister. Once I fully comprehend it, I’ll surely reach the next level."
The two of them chatted idly until the moon was high in the sky.
Liu Jin sat up, crossing his legs on the bed. He made a strange gesture with his hands, and a wisp of black Qi emerged from between his eyebrows, suffusing the air around him.
"Time to culti—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a blast of Gang Qi imbued with the Celestial Light of the sun and moon erupted from the pillars of the room, surging violently toward him at its center.
PFFT! Before Liu Jin could react, the Gang Qi slammed into him, and he sprayed a mouthful of blood.
The next moment, a black shadow shot out from the crown of his head and solidified. It was the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting.
The Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting immediately protected Liu Jin’s life and blocked the remaining Gang Qi. But just as he was about to flee, he found a faint barrier of light enveloping the room. On his first try, he couldn’t even break through it.
At the same time, four corporeal yet formless iron chains materialized around him. They coiled around his body and sank inside, surging toward his Dantian Sea of Consciousness.
This forced the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting to cry out in alarm, "What is this?!"
