Chapter 140: Cutting In
The main hall was very quiet, and combined with the arrangement of An Kan’s altar, it gave people a sense of anomalous solemnity.
Master Tao respectfully lit three incense sticks and bowed, as if reporting to his own elders, speaking in a soft, low voice.
“Master Bai Fourteen, we’re here.”
Lu Bai stood to one side, silently waiting.
It didn’t keep them waiting long before a figure appeared on that painting, like ink wash, gradually becoming clear—it was none other than Master Bai Fourteen.
It lightly stepped out in one stride and sat cross-legged on the shrine, nearly making one think it would crush the shrine.
Master Bai Fourteen looked Lu Bai up and down, liking him more and more: “You two juniors have kept me waiting a good while.”
Hearing this, Master Tao was just about to explain when it directly waved a hand: “Little Short Person, you go down first. Let me chat with Little Bai.”
With it said like that, how could Master Tao dare to refute? He could only nod in agreement: “Then I’ll wait outside.”
This Master Bai Fourteen was probably truly impatient from waiting. Before Master Tao could even walk out of the main hall, it impatiently beckoned to Lu Bai and said, “Little Bai, ah, I reckon you’ve guessed my intention. How about it? Want to be my spirit messenger?” Upon close observation, it could confidently affirm that Lu Bai had excellent talent—simply born to be an incense master. He was just right for this.
You see, the more capable the incense masters under one’s command, the more abundant the incense offerings the immortal could harvest.
As such, all immortals under the four great gates system hoped to find a good spirit messenger.
The problem was that spirit messengers required compatibility; talent was rare and hard to come by. Most incense masters were just the tallest short person.
Don’t think Master Tao seemed to underperform when fighting the fox spirit—actually, he was already a fierce general under Master Bai Fourteen.
Take the incense masters under Master Bai Fourteen as an example: it had a total of twenty-two spirit messengers, but only two could withstand its divine descent.
And even they were at a degree where a slight movement would make one worry if the spirit messenger themselves could endure it.
Master Bai Fourteen was at least of a lawful faction; treating incense masters as disposable items wasn’t appropriate, and the spirit messengers themselves certainly wouldn’t be willing.
As for incense viewing and such, poor aptitude similarly meant they couldn’t borrow much of its magic power.
Lu Bai was different. Even though Master Bai Fourteen hadn’t formally given him “opening the crown” yet, just the extremely high affinity with immortals emanating from his entire body was enough for it to recognize him as a good seedling.
Of course, exactly how good would only be known after “taking the law.”
In any case, facing such talent, Master Bai Fourteen’s attitude was quite friendly. Though in this world, generally no one would refuse to become an incense master, it still decided to first inquire about Lu Bai’s will, lest the other think it was forcing him.
“Little Bai, ah, rest assured—my reputation in these ten miles and eight townships is top-notch. No matter who you ask, they’ll give a thumbs up at my name?”
Master Bai Fourteen added with a squinting smile: “How about it? Be my incense master?”
Lu Bai just had some resistance to being taken over by an immortal’s body control. If it was burning clear incense to give himself more means, that was still pretty good.
He then nodded and asked: “Alright, what should I do?”
“Excellent.”
Master Bai Fourteen didn’t hide its delight at all; it rubbed its hands.
With a hook of its finger, a cushion flew out from the corner: “Sit on it. You don’t need to do anything else—I’ve got this.”
Lu Bai did so.
In the four great gates theoretical system, the so-called “taking the law” actually referred to controlling a person’s consciousness and body through some special means.