Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology
Chapter 125 - 121: Spreading the Water Technique, 9 You Makes a Move! (3/3)

Chapter 125: Chapter 121: Spreading the Water Technique, 9 You Makes a Move! (3/3)

"What about you? What’s your opinion?" Chi Hai Scripture Master asked.

Song Lin had been resting for five days. If this went on any longer, Chi Hai would start to suspect that this fellow was overly cautious and afraid of death.

"Alright, I have no objections, Master."

Song Lin bowed to everyone and then returned to his room to pack his belongings.

"Daoist Hua Qing, may I have a word with you?" Song Lin said in a low voice as he passed by Hua Qing.

"What’s wrong?" Hua Qing asked, visibly puzzled.

He followed Song Lin into the room.

"I suspect there’s a traitor in Xuanke Temple—someone is trying to kill me!"

"Who?" Hua Qing’s brows furrowed. There had indeed been signs; the chaotic administration at Xuanke Temple this time suggested an erosion of discipline within the sect.

"I’m not sure yet, but I have a suspect in mind. I’d like to ask for your help: when they reveal themselves, I’ll need someone to bear witness for me."

"Should I go with you?" Hua Qing asked, though inwardly, he doubted a traitor would show their hand so quickly. Still, owing Song Lin a personal debt of gratitude left him with no choice but to help.

"No, that would alert them." Song Lin said. "Is there a remote eavesdropping Magic Treasure you can lend me, one that could allow reinforcements to come swiftly?"

"I don’t have anything like that."

Of course, if such an item existed, Hua Qing wouldn’t even need to venture out himself—he could summon Chi Hai Scripture Master remotely instead.

"Actually, no..." Hua Qing had a sudden flash of inspiration. His body started transforming, splitting into two identical forms.

The two identical Hua Qings further transformed: one became a wolf-headed, man-bodied demon covered in black fur with black clouds for feet; the other became a sheep-headed, man-bodied demon covered in white fur with white clouds forming its lower half.

One black cloud and one white cloud intertwined, forming a harmonious balance, resembling the Taiji.

A strong wind swept by, and the two demon forms merged into one paired jade ring.

One of the jade rings floated to Song Lin’s hand; the other transformed back into a wolf demon.

The wolf demon spoke in Hua Qing’s voice:

"This is the Jue Demon. The two were originally one entity but can separate, and either half can quickly return to its counterpart."

The ancients had said: "Two jades combine to form a Jue. All things Jue derive from it."

The Jue Demon was an extraordinarily rare dual-form demon.

"Thank you, Daoist Hua Qing," Song Lin said, bowing respectfully.

Hua Qing specialized in transformation techniques. However, maintaining this form required him to stay as the wolf demon lest the Spell disintegrate prematurely.

Song Lin held the paired jade rings and promptly flew off the mountain.

In the central mountain ranges, there were no villages to be found along the path.

Soon enough, he reached the outskirts of Shanyin County.

From the mountain’s summit, he looked down. Most of the villages had been submerged; the county seat was largely destroyed, and Xuanke Temple had utterly disappeared.

Song Lin arrived at Hidden Sword Manor.

In just a few days, thousands of wooden houses now stood on the mountain, a bustling activity thriving with harmony.

When the Taoists saw Song Lin arrive, they greeted him warmly, though there were unfamiliar faces among them as well.

"Mr. Song!" Lin Qing from the Grand Commissioner Institute emerged from a small wooden house, accompanied by Li Jing.

"What’s all this about?"

"The demons attacked the Taoist Temple, so we brought some people to retreat here," Lin Qing explained.

"What about the books from the Book Collection Pavilion?" Song Lin asked, turning toward Li Jing.

"We didn’t bring them out. We managed to rescue the Book Spirit Elder though. We’ll have to recreate the books slowly later," Li Jing replied.

Due to Jiuyou’s deliberate negligence, the Taoist Temple suffered devastating losses this time.

Not just books; farmland, spirit fields, and medicinal pills were all lost. Even the Soldier and Horse Altar of the Main Altar Spirit Hall was beyond salvage.

"Apart from the Rampant Soldiers I personally forged, all others are now useless."

But Song Lin felt things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

The most likely scenario was that the Soldier and Horse Altar had been taken by Jiuyou.

This altar contained twenty thousand soldiers—a treasure Jiuyou would likely preserve to strengthen its forces.

"I encountered Chi Hai from Mei Mountain Jungle at Dragon Head Peak along with the temple master. They’re pursuing the giant fish while delegating overall command to me."

He decided to leverage his connection to Jiuyou’s disciples without hesitation.

"I’ll convene a meeting shortly. Taoist Lin Qing, could you help tally our numbers?"

"Of course," Lin Qing replied.

Before long, everyone assembled in the grand hall, filling the space to capacity with Taoists.

Song Lin briefly conveyed the directives from the temple master.

This was his first time commanding the Taoist Temple’s operations.

But Song Lin showed no trace of nervousness.

After all, he’d lived for centuries in the story world.

"The Rampant Soldiers are all unusable?" someone asked.

"Indeed," Wang Ziyue confirmed. "Aside from the thousand Rampant Soldiers I forged myself, none can now be summoned through the talismans’ positions."

"Perfect timing. I’ve developed a technique called Water Technique Refining Soldiers. Meet with Lu Qian afterward and make sure everyone learns it as much as they can."

There was no point in keeping it secret now.

Water Technique Refining Soldiers wasn’t some extraordinary method to begin with.

The method wasn’t meant for personal use; it was designed for moments like this to win acclaim and foster unity.

Jiuyou never could’ve anticipated that confiscating the Rampant Soldiers would give Song Lin an opportunity to rally everyone.

"Water Technique Refining Soldiers?"

After hearing a brief explanation, people exchanged astonished glances. Had Song Lin really reached this level of expertise in soldier refining?

To independently create a water-based refining technique meant an unprecedented development for the art of refining soldiers.

"Taoist Brother is brilliant!" Wang Ziyue exclaimed. A soldier-refining fanatic, he understood the unparalleled value this technique held for the Taoist Temple.

Small wonder Song Lin’s patrol group always seemed to thrive in this art, Wang Ziyue thought.

"No need for more words. Shortly, I’ll stamp your official certificates. Return to your cultivation afterward," Song Lin declared.

The crux of Water Technique Refining Soldiers lay in the Temple Emperor Seal.

Without it, forging the dharma water necessary to refine soldiers was impossible. Song Lin was confident his creation couldn’t be stolen or replicated.

Soon, Lin Qing completed the headcount.

"Presently, we have two from the Three Capitals, five stewards, thirty-six Taoists, one hundred seventy-five Taoist disciples, and three hundred servants. Among them, four experts are at the Divine Establishment stage."

"That’s sufficient for now," Song Lin said.

The forces under Song Lin’s control were comparable to those of a small Taoist Temple at this point.

However, the deaths of Youyun’s direct lineage and Jiuyou’s followers had greatly diminished the strength of the temple’s upper echelon.

Yet the loss cleared the field, so to speak.

Most of the deceased were corrupt elements, neither fully human nor ghost. Jiuyou’s immediate followers were his staunchest loyalists, likely silenced to protect secrets.

"Alright, let’s wait for the temple master to return. Avoid engaging demons proactively; prioritize defense and send some people to bring the villagers up the mountain."

Song Lin saw this as a golden opportunity to spread his reputation. The louder and brighter his name shone, the closer he would be to claiming his rightful position.

For now, he would simply watch and wait for Jiuyou’s next move.

The game was undeniably perilous, but the rewards more than justified the risks. For the sake of a brighter future, Song Lin was willing to take dangerous gambles.

Upon his command, everyone sprang into action. In their downtime from practicing spells, teams were dispatched down the mountain to escort survivors upward.

Shanyin County had a population of a million. Though floods had claimed many lives, some had escaped to higher ground or fled elsewhere.

As time passed, the number of people around the mountain manor swelled. The peaks of nearby mountains soon became crowded as well.

Song Lin estimated there were at least eighty thousand people—a majority of them young and able-bodied. Though greatly reduced in number, the overall prospects were promising.

The Taoists from Xuanke Temple actively participated in the rebuilding efforts, and almost all facilities were relocated to the mountains.

Several peaks in the vicinity were packed with activity.

Taoists proficient in water-based techniques assisted not only in healing the sick but also in irrigating the farmland.

Thanks to spells, a single acre of wheat could mature in less than a month, dramatically easing the food crisis.

Under Song Lin’s leadership, the people rebuilt their homes, and Mr. Donghua’s reputation began to eclipse that of Jiuyou.

This infuriated Jiuyou, who had been watching from the shadows.

Never had Jiuyou imagined that such a misstep—denying Song Lin the soldiers—would hand him an even greater advantage by bolstering his renown.

Now, for Jiuyou to openly take down Song Lin would be nearly impossible without erasing every eyewitness—an act that would inevitably lead to its own doom.

Jiuyou pondered carefully, intent on revealing its own counterplay.

"You want the people’s hearts? Public acclaim?" Jiuyou sneered. "Fine, I will give you all the acclaim you could desire."

Jiuyou’s plan was straightforward.

He who obtains the people’s hearts will inevitably be shackled by their demands. Jiuyou intended to bait demons into attacking the mountain manor, forcing Song Lin to leave its safety to confront the crisis directly.

Then, Jiuyou would seize this opening to overpower him and take his identity.

Afterward, Jiuyou could easily return as "Song Lin" to "save the people," effortlessly claiming dominance.

Having resolved his strategy, Jiuyou exhaled a plume of green energy. His form shifted into a green-faced, sharp-fanged ghost before vanishing into the void.

On this day—

While meditating in a secluded chamber, Song Lin trained both his Divine Soul in the real world and nurtured the Coiled Dragon in the story realm.

The dual cultivation strategies progressed without interference.

Already, half a month had passed since his return to the mountain.

Over that time, several cultivators successfully mastered Water Technique cultivation.

Wang Ziyue achieved the most astounding results, commanding eight thousand Water Technique Dao Soldiers. His admiration for Song Lin had evolved into outright reverence.

Indeed, admiration for Song Lin was highest among Meditation-stage Taoist disciples just beginning their cultivation journeys.

These individuals, lacking specialized skills and possessing minimal power, often struggled to master even a single technique.

But with the Water Technique, the situation was entirely different.

As long as they had True Qi, they could cultivate one or two Rampant Soldiers for self-defense and learn basic spells like the Fireball Technique or Hemostatic Method, making them significantly less vulnerable.

To them, Song Lin was nothing short of their Grandmaster, their benefactor.

Some had already begun viewing Song Lin as the temple’s future leader, akin to how the people of Qin Land once feared anything that might prevent Liu Bang from becoming King of Qin.

All of this was exactly as Song Lin had planned.

"Once Jiuyou is removed, the temple master’s position will undoubtedly be mine," Song Lin thought to himself.

But it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. Jiuyou had yet to make its move, and Song Lin knew better than to let his guard down.

He pulled out the paired jade rings, speaking into one of them: "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist."

The jade ring glimmered in reply, signaling it was no bother.

Hua Qing had aided him immensely. Even now, after half a month, Hua Qing had maintained the wolf demon transformation to continue monitoring their surroundings.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

"Something terrible has happened! A demon army is advancing toward us!"

The frazzled cultivator appeared out of breath, sweat pouring down his face.

"How many?" Song Lin asked instantly.

"Four or five hundred!"

Song Lin’s eyes gleamed. This level of organization undoubtedly meant a hidden mastermind.

So, Jiuyou was finally making its move?

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