A master of comedy!

Although the old man from Niushan's words were somewhat arrogant, he absolutely had the right to say so.

Zhou Sheng knew that even if he found another master who could also refine dragon cores and horns, he might not be as good as the other man.

A disciple of Liu Bowen, the senior brother of the Black-Clad Dragon King, and a polymath who is proficient in alchemy, array formations, talismans, artifacts, and divination—such a person is extremely rare and hard to find.

They are even rarer than those who have reached the Tribulation Transcending Realm.

"Okay, I'll get the wine for you."

Zhou Sheng closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was exceptionally firm, indicating that he had made a decision.

"Danshan—"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Zhou Sheng gave Yao Taifeng a look, which immediately put her at ease.

She knew that Zhou Sheng possessed some kind of magical ability that allowed him to see through everything and turn misfortune into good fortune.

"Great, that's satisfying!"

Old Man Niu Shan laughed and said, "Don't worry, since Old Beggar has eaten your food, he will naturally do his best to ensure the safety of your man. In addition, given his own destiny, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Senior, what should I do?"

Zhou Sheng asked, "Since you've made up your mind, don't delay, the sooner the better."

"Hehe, don't rush. We must be fully prepared. Come to the Fire God Temple outside the city at midnight tonight. Remember, don't be late."

After saying this, the old man from Niushan was about to turn and leave, but when he reached the door, he turned back and gave another word of advice out of concern.

"Before stealing wine, one should bathe and burn incense to purify the mind and reduce desires, so as not to be tainted by impure air, which would cause unnecessary trouble later."

Zhou Sheng coughed and said, "Don't worry, senior, we understand."

A blush rose on Yao Taifeng's face, her delicate skin glowing with a hint of pink.

After the old man from Niushan left, she spoke again: "Danshan, I observe that this person is playing around in the mortal world, and is unfathomable. Although he seems to have no ill intentions, people's hearts are unpredictable. Can we really trust him?"

Zhou Sheng thought for a moment and then smiled, "Even if you don't believe me, you should believe my master."

Yao Tai Feng was slightly taken aback.

“He was clearly beaten by my master, and the two of them should have been enemies, but my master still recommended him to me because in my master’s heart, the other party was trustworthy.”

Zhou Sheng trusted his master's judgment of people.

Opera performers are observant and perceptive, having dealt with all sorts of people and things over the years. They have long since developed a keen eye for detail, able to see through people and situations with remarkable clarity.

"Then I'll go with you. No matter what happens, we'll have each other's company."

"it is good."

……

Night, midnight.

Zhou Sheng and Yao Taifeng had already burned incense and bathed, changed into clean clothes, and arrived at the Fire God Temple outside the city in high spirits.

Although it's called the Fire God Temple, it's actually long since abandoned and dilapidated. It's only slightly better than the White Snake General Temple in White Snake Village, where you can at least find shelter from the wind and rain.

This place is dedicated to the Fire God Wang Lingguan, but at this moment, the mighty statue of Lingguan is only half a body, and the golden whip in his hand is gone.

Old man Niu Shan had been waiting for a long time.

When Zhou Sheng and the other man saw him again, they were both taken aback.

He was seen holding a cinnabar brush, sitting amidst thirty-six unlit glass lamps, his expression serene and his aura mysterious.

At this moment, the old man from Niushan was no longer the disheveled beggar. Instead, he had carefully washed and dressed, put on a purple Taoist robe, tied his long hair with a hairpin, and even the sores on his face seemed to have faded a lot.

His demeanor was calm and serene, especially his eyes, which were as deep and vast as stars, seemingly able to see through the changing seasons and the mysteries of the universe. Unfortunately, he gave himself away the moment he opened his mouth.

"Wine! Wine!"

Zhou Sheng thought he was calling him his uncle, and after a moment of surprise, he casually tossed him a jar of fine wine.

Old Man Niushan drank it all in one gulp. Because he drank too fast, the wine spilled down his beard and onto his purple robe, making him look somewhat disheveled and completely destroying his image as a sage.

He looks just like a drunkard who stole someone else's clothes.

"Phew! I'm alive again!"

Old Man Niu Shan patted his chest, still shaken, and said, "Preparing these things wasn't easy. Old Beggar personally went to Longhu Mountain and even stole this garment, only to be chased for six hundred miles by that group of Taoist priests..."

Zhou Sheng: "???"

So you stole all your clothes and gear?

And what they stole was from Longhu Mountain?
Those who possess purple Taoist robes are all highly skilled Taoist practitioners, each with profound Taoist knowledge and abilities. The fact that the Old Man of Niushan was able to successfully steal them demonstrates his prowess.

"What are you looking at? This is the business of a cultivator, how can it be called stealing?"

"That's called borrowing!"

"Once the old beggar has drunk the Celestial Master's Wine, he will return these things."

After saying that, he calculated with his fingers and hurriedly said, "It's almost time, kid, hurry up and take off your clothes!"

Zhou Sheng was taken aback. Before he could speak, Yao Tai Feng asked, "Senior, may I accompany Dan Shan?"

Old Man Niu Shan quickly shook his head and said, "Don't be silly. If you want to go to that place, unless you can separate your soul from your body, you have to take off your clothes and have the old beggar draw the Taiyin Refining Form Crossing the Netherworld Talisman on your body. Otherwise, as soon as a living person goes in, they will be discovered immediately."

"Not to mention that you are a girl, and men and women should not touch each other. Even if you could accept it, it wouldn't work. Your destiny is only noble, but not fierce enough to tame the vicious guard dog."

"Only this kid's destiny can scare them."

Upon hearing this, Yao Taifeng's eyes dimmed. In that case, she really couldn't accompany Dan Shan to brave the dragon's den and tiger's lair. She felt a little disappointed.

"But girl, you don't need to worry. There will be things you can do to help later, and the boy's safety will largely depend on you."

Hearing this, she perked up and regained her energy.

"Alright, time's almost up, kid, hurry up and take off your clothes!"

A moment later, the old man from Niushan used a cinnabar brush to draw lines of mysterious tadpole-like runes on Zhou Sheng's body.

As the last stroke was made, Zhou Sheng suddenly felt a change in his entire being.

His body became unusually light, and the surging blood and energy within him seemed to have vanished completely, like a frozen river, falling into a deathly silence.

This is somewhat similar to how his master once drew a talisman for him to lock away the yang energy of a living person so that he could go to Juxianlou to perform on stage.

It's just more complex and sophisticated than the talisman my master made.

"Alright, now listen carefully to what I have to say, don't forget a single word!"

The old man from Niushan said solemnly, "I will draw a door on the wall later. When the moonlight shines on the door, you can pass through it and come to a treasury."

“There are three checkpoints in front of the gate. The first one is guarded by the Hundred-Eyed True Lord. The gatekeeper has hundreds of eyes and can see through all concealment techniques. My talisman can only hide your aura, not your form. Therefore, you need to make it close its eyes first.”

How can I make it close so many eyes at the same time?

Zhou Sheng couldn't help but ask
"Don't worry, Old Beggar has prepared everything for you."

The old man from Niushan took out a small brocade pouch and said with a smile, "Once you get there, open this pouch a hundred feet away, and the difficulty will be resolved on its own."

...(End of this chapter)