Chapter 218: Tracking

Yun Youzi accepted it calmly, took a sip of wine, and held the cup, lost in thought for a while. Then, with some hesitation, he asked, "Brother Qin, when you met Ji Xin... how was he doing?"

"Daoist Ji Xin was a kind-hearted man who embraced poverty and selflessly provided medicine and treatment to the poor. When I sought refuge at Qingyang Temple, it was a year of severe disaster. Refugees from the north flooded south, and countless people starved to death. Daoist Ji Xin freely distributed medicine, saving innumerable lives..."

Seeing Yun Youzi's interest, Qin Sang recounted everything he had witnessed after entering Qingyang Temple, down to the smallest detail.

He greatly admired Daoist Ji Xin, who was a truly compassionate person, embodying the belief of bringing joy and shelter to all the world's impoverished.

Qin Sang knew he couldn't achieve such a feat himself, but that didn't stop him from admiring such individuals.

"He did very well."

Yun Youzi nodded, a sense of relief washing over him.

"Daoist Ji Xin passed on the Daoist lineage that your predecessor left in the mortal world. His disciple, Mingyue, was also intelligent and righteous. However, before I left Great Sui, I visited Qingyang Temple again. Daoist Ji Xin and Mingyue had already left the temple to avoid the war. And now, over forty years have passed, so I'm afraid..."

Qin Sang's expression grew somewhat somber.

Time was unforgiving.

Mingyue was only two years younger than him, and if Daoist Ji Xin hadn't had a miraculous encounter, he would surely have passed away.

Yun Youzi also realized this, letting out a soft sigh. Stepping onto the path of cultivation meant eternal separation between immortals and mortals.

"Did senior join the Taiyi Pill Sect?"

Qin Sang recalled the scene when he first met Yun Youzi: the steward of Taiyi Pill Pavilion had addressed him as 'Martial Uncle' when seeing him off, clearly indicating a very close relationship.

Yun Youzi hummed in affirmation. "This old Daoist's esteemed master, True Immortal Piaoya, was from the Taiyi Pill Sect. Back then, my master saw that I was skilled in medicine and had some talent in alchemy, so he made an exception and brought me into the immortal sect as a medicine boy. Fortunately, I knew a few medical techniques and was adept at health preservation. Though I was old, my body remained robust. Later, I also consumed a few spiritual elixirs, which allowed me to fortunately take this step."

Although Yun Youzi spoke lightly, Qin Sang knew well the immense hardship hidden within those few words.

Outside Changyang Market, Qin Sang bid farewell to Yun Youzi.

"Brother Qin, please return! You are a disciple of Shaohua Mountain, and our sects jointly guard Xuanlu Pass. We are sure to meet again in the future. Until we meet again!"

Yun Youzi cupped his hands at Qin Sang from a distance, then turned and headed west alone.

Qin Sang watched Yun Youzi's slightly thin figure disappear into the mountains.

According to Yun Youzi, although he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his advanced age had left him with hidden ailments during the breakthrough, which hindered his subsequent cultivation.

He had traveled for many years in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, searching everywhere for a way to resolve these hidden ailments. This time, he had finally received news, which was why he made this journey, unexpectedly encountering Qin Sang in Changyang Market.

This reminded Qin Sang of himself; the two of them were in fact fellow sufferers. However, Qin Sang's predicament was self-inflicted, whereas Yun Youzi only encountered his immortal destiny at the age of seventy-eight, which was truly fate playing tricks, something difficult for humans to defy.

As for what kind of hidden ailment Yun Youzi had, Qin Sang didn't delve deeper.

His acquaintance with Yun Youzi was merely a slight connection formed because of Daoist Ji Xin. They had only met once, and there was no deep friendship between them, so it was best to avoid speaking too intimately with a casual acquaintance.

Yun Youzi had merely offered a brief explanation, not intending to say more, nor had he invited Qin Sang to assist him. Qin Sang, understanding the hint, also didn't press further.

Qin Sang stood rooted to the spot, turning to gaze southeast, remaining motionless for a long time.

The unexpected encounter with Yun Youzi stirred Qin Sang's thoughts.

If he had chosen to remain in Great Sui back then, instead of pursuing the path of immortality, what would his life be like now?

Perhaps he would have held immense power, or possessed wealth rivaling a nation, or been surrounded by children and grandchildren...

That life, he mused, would surely have been extraordinarily brilliant too.

But deep down, would there always be a lingering regret, rising from his heart every time he gazed at the night sky alone?

After all, gods and immortals truly existed in this world!

Qin Sang looked up at the vast sky, then turned and walked into the market. He found an unoccupied corner, activated the Spirit Concealment Art to hide his cultivation at the thirteenth level of the Qi Condensation stage, then put on a ghost mask and returned to the main street, walking briskly as if he had something urgent to attend to.

Changyang Market was surrounded by undulating stone mountains of varying heights, making the terrain complex.

At this moment, a masked figure left the market. As soon as he was outside, he immediately activated a flying magical artifact and soared west at full speed, frequently glancing back, highly alert.

He seemed unaware that behind him, nestled among the mountains, two figures were using the terrain to conceal themselves in the shadows, silently creeping up like venomous snakes, constantly trailing him!

Of the two, one was dressed in tight-fitting attire and had a robust physique, while the other resembled a frail scholar.

"Second Brother, he's just a guy at the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation, with cultivation similar to ours. Even without the Yin Poison Mist, two against one would surely be an easy win. Why bother alerting Big Brother?"

The burly man detested covert tracking. To avoid being discovered by the target, he didn't even dare to breathe heavily, feeling greatly stifled and uncomfortable all over, his tone laced with discontent.

Yet, the scholar insisted on waiting for their Big Brother to act together.

Big Brother was a Foundation Establishment master. Disturbing his cultivation for a mere Qi Condensation stage 'fat sheep' seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill.

The scholar's eyes never left the figure ahead. He spoke in a low voice, "This person is extremely cautious, selling only a small amount in each shop. But from our tracking, he entered seven or eight shops consecutively, selling the same type of items. This shows that the amount of Fire Element Stones and attached evil spirits he possesses is definitely not small. Someone capable of acquiring so many spiritual objects, no matter how low their cultivation, cannot be underestimated. It's better to be careful. You also open your eyes wide and talk less, lest he escape using an illusion."

Having been lectured, the burly man had no choice but to suppress his dissatisfaction and follow orders.

The three brothers had been running their 'capital-free' business in various towns and markets. Their ability to continue for so many years without incident was entirely due to Second Brother's strategic planning. Even Big Brother listened to Second Brother's every word, so the burly man dared not raise any objections, merely grumbling to himself.

After tracking for some more time, the person ahead gradually slowed down. It was unclear whether this was due to severe spiritual energy depletion, making him unable to sustain his magical artifact, or if he had simply relaxed his guard, seeing that nothing had happened.

Just then, the scholar suddenly whispered, "Big Brother is here. Let's move!"

"Alright!"

The burly man let out a sinister chuckle, stomped the ground, and shot upwards like an arrow from a bowstring. The scholar followed closely. In the blink of an eye, the two men approached their target, encircling him from left and right.

In their eyes, the eyes beneath the mask were filled with helplessness and panic.

From both of their hands, a cloud of foul-smelling, malevolent mist simultaneously surged forth. Upon closing in on their target, they immediately unleashed the mist, instantly enveloping him completely.

"Fall, fall, fall..."

The burly man was still cackling wildly.

But the scholar's expression drastically changed. "No! The poisonous mist is useless! Big Brother, quickly, attack!"