Chapter 043: The Daoist Art of Divine Transmission in the Inner Sect

“Damn it, which bastard is cursing me again…” Lin Le sneezed and cursed under his breath.

At this moment, the Lincoln was driving toward Longyuan Lake in the north of the city.

Liang Qiuyang, who sat in the car, could not conceal his excitement. The methods he had witnessed Lin Le employ at the Tang family’s residence had truly broadened his horizons.

“Mr. Lin, I never expected you to be so young, yet so well-versed in the arts of geomancy, and to possess such mastery of ancient medicine as well. It’s truly remarkable!” Liang Qiuyang praised.

“It’s just a little knowledge, nothing more,” Lin Le replied modestly.

Liang Qiuyang felt a pang of embarrassment. If someone of your ability claims to know only a little, then what does that make the rest of us? Should we all pack up and go home?

“By the way, Mr. Lin. The money the Tang family offered—I’ll transfer all of it to you later,” Liang Qiuyang suddenly recalled.

Those two hundred million were earned through Lin Le’s own skill. If it had been up to Liang Qiuyang himself, he wouldn't have earned a cent; on the contrary, he’d likely have suffered a serious setback with the Tang family.

“How about this—let’s split it fifty-fifty. That way, neither of us worked in vain. Don’t bother declining,” Lin Le said directly, showing no excessive courtesy.

“Well… very well…” By now, Liang Qiuyang had come to understand Lin Le’s character. He knew Lin Le was not someone who worshipped wealth, so he accepted without further protest.

At this moment, Liang Qiuyang was truly excited.

Half—one hundred million. Even for him, that was a massive sum!

Such an enormous amount would be astronomical for Lin Le, who was at a low point in his life, yet its arrival brought him little joy.

This money was born of enmity. Given the history between the Lin and Tang families, such help was once given freely—never as a cold monetary transaction.

Had the Tang family offered a helping hand when the Lin family fell on hard times, there would be nothing Lin Le wouldn’t do for them now—not even if they asked him to walk through fire and blades.

Thinking this, Lin Le could not help but sigh inwardly.

“Mr. Lin, do you have any plans for what comes next with the Tang family?” Liang Qiuyang asked.

“To be honest, my relationship with the Tang family is rather complicated. There’s no helping it—I must see this through,” Lin Le answered truthfully, knowing Liang Qiuyang was not the type to gossip.

“I see. But I fear your opponent will not be easily dealt with. Please be careful, Mr. Lin! If there is anything I can do to help, I will give my utmost,” Liang Qiuyang said earnestly.

“I understand. Thank you, Master Liang.”

Then, something occurred to Lin Le. “May I ask, Master Liang, under whom did you study?”

The first time Lin Le saw Liang Qiuyang at the villa on Longxi Mountain, he sensed an extraordinary aura in the man—clearly, he was a cultivator who had entered the Foundation Establishment stage. That was why Lin Le chose to probe further.

“I am a disciple of the Xiutu lineage of the Five Paths Sect,” Liang Qiuyang replied.

“The Five Paths Sect?” Lin Le was taken aback.

He was not unfamiliar with that name. Back in his days with the Jiuzhou Bureau, he had often heard it mentioned.

The Five Paths Sect is a collective term for the five branches of Daoist arts: Xiutu, Ma Yi, Zhong Ge, Quanzhen, and Maoshan.

These five sects are Daoist organizations handed down through generations and spread among the people—similar to itinerant cultivators.

Yet after years of development, the Five Paths Sect wields considerable influence. The truly mysterious Daoist orders are often aloof and uninterested in worldly affairs, so the Jiuzhou Bureau’s ability to enlist Daoist strength mostly came from the Five Paths Sect.

“I can tell Master Liang is quite accomplished. Surely your lineage is more than just the Five Paths Sect?” Lin Le inquired.

Liang Qiuyang started—he hadn’t expected Lin Le to see through him so thoroughly.

“Mr. Lin is correct. To be honest, my master’s true heritage descends from the Divine Dao Sect…”

This was something Liang Qiuyang almost never revealed to outsiders, for few even knew of its existence.

“What? The Divine Dao Sect?! You’re a disciple of the Divine Dao Sect?!” Lin Le straightened at the words, shock evident on his face.

“So, you’ve heard of the Divine Dao Sect, Mr. Lin?” Liang Qiuyang was surprised.

Even within Daoist circles, few had heard of the Divine Dao Sect. The Daoist world is vast, with many schools, but like the martial arts world, there are ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ sects.

The ‘outer’ Daoist sects are those commonly known—Dragon Tiger Mountain, Maoshan, Wudang. These are accessible to the public.

But the Divine Dao Sect is different. It belongs to the inner Daoist circle, as secret as the inner martial arts sects—perhaps even more so—completely removed from the mundane world, out of reach and knowledge of ordinary people.

Thus, seeing Lin Le react so strongly, Liang Qiuyang was quite astounded.

“The Divine Dao Sect is one of the four great inner Daoist sects. Of course I’ve heard of it,” Lin Le replied, finally understanding. No wonder he could sense the aura of someone who had entered the Foundation Establishment stage in Liang Qiuyang—his master’s connection to the Divine Dao Sect must account for it.

All that Lin Le knew about the Divine Dao Sect he learned while at the Jiuzhou Bureau.

Even the Jiuzhou Bureau, the highest special department in China, knew very little of the Divine Dao Sect or the inner Daoist sects as a whole.

Lin Le only knew that it was a world utterly isolated from the mundane.

One thing more: the Daoist techniques and arts of the inner sects are almost entirely inherited from ancient, even prehistoric times—a unique continuation of ancient esoteric civilization.

At this point, Liang Qiuyang’s astonishment was plain to see.

“Mr. Lin, you’re so well informed about the inner Daoist sects—are you perhaps one of them yourself?” Given all Lin Le had accomplished at Longxi Mountain and at the Tang residence, Liang Qiuyang was nearly convinced.

After all, how could an ordinary seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy possess such miraculous abilities?

Yet to his surprise, Lin Le shook his head.

“I’ve only heard bits and pieces about the inner Daoist sects—I’m not one of them,” Lin Le answered honestly.

“I see…” Liang Qiuyang was even more surprised.

If Lin Le truly was just an ordinary youth, how could he be so gifted? It was simply unfathomable.

At that moment, Lin Le felt a shudder from within his coat—it was the insect in the glass vial, violently writhing. Its eyes glinted with venom, fixed intently on Lin Le through the glass.

That look was not something an ordinary insect could possess—it was almost human. Even Liang Qiuyang, sitting nearby, felt a chill run down his spine.

A technique of spirit transmission? Lin Le understood immediately.

The owner of the insect had linked their consciousness with it; at this very moment, no doubt, the owner was watching Lin Le through the insect’s eyes.

“Before I find you, you’d best get out of Haizhou. Otherwise, I won’t let you off lightly,” Lin Le said coldly to the vial.

The insect’s features contorted in a ferocious snarl, filled with hatred for Lin Le.

“Stare all you like!” Lin Le had no patience to stare down a bug. He seized the vial and shook it vigorously until the insect was utterly disoriented.

Such shaking, transmitted through the spirit link, would be felt by the insect’s owner as well. Unable to endure, the owner promptly severed the connection.

The insect instantly lost all strength, collapsing limp and motionless in the vial.

“Don’t let me catch you, or you’ll regret it,” Lin Le said coldly, tucking the insect back into his coat.