Chapter 3: The New Corpse Collector

"Are you Chen Shen?" A cold voice reached his ears.

Chen Shen looked up and saw a tall, burly man walking toward him with an indifferent expression.

"It's me." He bowed slightly and asked with a harmless smile, "Senior Brother, are you here to deliver a corpse?"

"I'm here to send you off!" The man, Ma Ruhai, seemed displeased just hearing the question. He almost cursed but held back, responding coldly.

"Take this." Without waiting for Chen Shen to say more, Ma Ruhai tossed a small bell at him. "This is a Spirit-Summoning Bell. The last one broke, so take this new one. Place it somewhere visible or tie it around your waist. When you hear it ring, that means it's time to collect the corpses."

Chen Shen caught the bell and inspected it curiously. He suddenly recalled the old bell he had been playing with before.

"So this is a communication tool?" He muttered to himself. "I've been here for three months, yet no one told me about this…"

Then again, he realized—he didn't really know anyone here.

"I'll be living on Tianzhu Mountain from now on as well," Ma Ruhai said as he scrutinized Chen Shen. "Why didn't you collect your spirit stones yesterday? Otherwise, Steward Sun would have informed you about my arrival."

"I forgot," Chen Shen replied casually.

In truth, not only did he skip yesterday's collection, but he had also avoided it last month. He had no plans of going again in the future.

"Senior Brother, why don't we go inside and talk? I'll make you some hot tea." Chen Shen smiled warmly, inviting Ma Ruhai into his hut.

However, Ma Ruhai didn't move. In fact, he had no intention of associating too much with a mere mortal without spiritual roots.

His gaze swept over Chen Shen's dilapidated hut before he turned around and walked away.

Chen Shen watched as Ma Ruhai made his way toward a small forest about half a mile away.

A short while later, Ma Ruhai emerged, carrying five massive tree trunks with a single hand.

"Building a house?" Chen Shen followed curiously.

There were actually two old thatched cottages on Tianzhu Mountain, built by previous corpse collectors, but it was clear that Ma Ruhai had no interest in living in them. He intended to build his own place instead.

This also meant Ma Ruhai would be staying long-term and officially becoming his colleague.

When Chen Shen entered the forest, he saw several wooden pillars neatly cut and smoothed on the ground.

Cultivators had their own ways of construction—faster and more precise than any mortal tool.

Chen Shen grabbed a wooden pillar and carried it toward Ma Ruhai's chosen site.

To his surprise, the location Ma Ruhai picked was rather picturesque—a mile away from Chen Shen's hut, next to a small bridge, with flowing water, ancient trees, and a serene landscape.

"Huff~" Chen Shen struggled to carry the log, his face turning red from exertion.

After putting it down, he gasped for breath, sweat covering his forehead. He looked utterly exhausted.

Ma Ruhai cast him a cold glance but didn't ask for more help.

Despite this, Chen Shen's willingness to assist had softened their initial distance, making it easier for him to strike up a conversation.

During their brief exchange, he learned that Ma Ruhai hadn't come here voluntarily. He had been punished for two years after injuring a fellow disciple in a fight.

"The bell is with you now. Don't run around. Stay in your hut," Ma Ruhai said firmly before cutting the conversation short.

Even though they were both corpse collectors, Ma Ruhai still saw a vast gap between cultivators and mortals.

To him, a mortal without spiritual roots like Chen Shen wasn't even worth acknowledging as a fellow disciple.

Chen Shen took the hint and returned to his hut without pressing further.

---

The Next Day

At noon, Chen Shen was meditating when the bell suddenly rang.

His eyes opened.

"A corpse has arrived."

He stood up and walked toward Ma Ruhai's newly built house—an elegant, multi-story loft.

Knock, knock, knock!

He knocked lightly and called out, "Senior Brother Ma, the sect has delivered a corpse. Please come help collect it!"

There was no response.

Chen Shen noticed faint spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the house. He knocked again, louder this time.

"GET LOST!"

A loud, irritated voice came from inside.

Chen Shen sighed helplessly. He had expected this outcome—otherwise, Ma Ruhai wouldn't have given him the bell or built his house so far away.

With no other choice, he went to collect the corpse alone.

---

The Sky Burial Grounds

When Chen Shen arrived at the bridge, he found three dead disciples wrapped in white burial cloth.

One by one, he carried them deep into Tianzhu Mountain, spending half a day burying them properly.

Rewards Acquired:

Cangwu Immortal Method (Qi Training, Fifth Layer)

Fire Bomb Technique

Wind Movement Technique

Four Seasons Swordsmanship (Spring Rain Chapter, Incomplete)

Immortal Cultivation Experience

Partial Spiritual Root Enhancement

A refreshing wave of energy coursed through his body.

"The Four Seasons Swordsmanship… but it's incomplete," Chen Shen murmured.

It was the third combat technique he had gained from corpses so far, and by far the most powerful.

Unfortunately, he had only obtained the Spring Rain Chapter—three more sections (Summer, Autumn, and Winter) were missing.

"If I can collect all four chapters, I'll have a top-tier sword art."

He sighed.

But he knew that eventually, some disciple would complete the entire technique—and when they perished, he would inherit it.

---

Seven Days Later

A full week passed.

More waves of dead disciples were delivered, all with Qi Training cultivation below the fifth layer.

Chen Shen didn't gain much, but he deepened his mastery of the Fire Bomb Technique. He could now summon four fireballs instead of three, and each one had significantly greater power.

More importantly, his Four Seasons Swordsmanship had undergone several secret practice sessions.

"Even though I only have the Spring Rain Chapter, its power is already several times stronger than my Fire Bomb Technique."

He shuddered to imagine how terrifying the completed version would be.

One evening, after finishing his burial duties, Chen Shen returned along the familiar path—only to cross paths with Ma Ruhai.

The man was coming from the direction of the bridge, walking with his usual cold and indifferent expression.

When passing by Chen Shen, he didn't even spare him a glance.

Head held high, he walked straight back to his house.

Chen Shen chuckled to himself.

"Well, at least I don't have to share the corpses."