Chapter 122: The Return of the Chijing Talisman

Lu Jiangxian sat down at the stone table, retrieving a jade pot and several jade cups from underneath. He condensed a pot of shimmering tea from the essence of Lunar Moonlight and began to slowly drink it, seemingly without purpose.

After only a few sips, Lu Jiangxian's ears twitched. The void before him suddenly tore open, and a perfectly round, brightly glowing white pellet flew out. Its shimmering white light illuminated the mountaintop in a vast expanse of white.

"A Talisman Seed... who is it from?" Lu Jiangxian frowned as the Talisman Seed landed in his hand. He examined it carefully for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Foundation Establishment cultivation... it seems to be Li Chijing. Of the four sons of the Li family from back then, only one remains now."

He slowly brought the white and luminous Talisman Seed closer and gently inhaled. Immediately, strands of smoky, misty white light were drawn into his body through his nose and throat. Numerous images appeared before his eyes: Qinghui Peak, Qingchi Mountain, Yishan City, the Southern Barbarian Lands...

"It is indeed this child, what a pity... As for Chi Wei, that name sounds very familiar." After careful thought, Lu Jiangxian finally realized that during the exploration of the Meichi Mountain cave dwelling back then, there had been a secret letter. It was written by Chi Wei to an unknown Foundation Establishment cultivator, requesting his help to besiege Li Jiangqun.

"If you had simply died, it would have been better. But if you survived, these new and old grudges will be settled with you sooner or later." Lu Jiangxian sighed softly. His internal magic power and spiritual consciousness soared. Combined with the mirror fragment and the consumed Talisman Seed, the power of Lunar Moonlight also increased to the Foundation Establishment stage, and the number of Profound Pearl Talisman Seeds reached nine.

An ethereal hand gently lifted. Lu Jiangxian made a grabbing motion in the air, and a light blue halo condensed out of the void.

"Li Chijing's lifelong experience and sword cultivation..." Lunar Moonlight surged forth, combining with the halo to condense into a light blue treasured sword. Lu Jiangxian admired it for a while, then casually stuck it into a nearby boulder.

"Waiting for someone destined." Magic power surged in his hand, and formations and talisman arts condensed one after another. Lu Jiangxian picked up the sorcery he had been studying years ago, using it to pass the time.

Li Xuanfeng and Jiang Yunü had engaged in their activities over a dozen times, each more relaxed and enjoyable than the last. Li Xuanfeng was still not satisfied, but Jiang Yunü's round face was pale, and fine beads of sweat dotted her nose. She pleaded, "My dearest foe, please spare me!"

Li Xuanfeng paused slightly, then gave an awkward laugh. He kissed her on the eyebrow and chuckled, "How much silver do you need for your redemption?" Seeing Jiang Yunü's look of disbelief, Li Xuanfeng mused to himself, "I don't have much worldly silver in my storage bag, only the thousand taels I brought from home. I wonder if it's enough."

The Li family did not have large reserves of silver, as cultivators generally had little use for it; at most, a small amount of silver powder might be used for alchemy, artifact refining, or drawing talismans. Therefore, he didn't keep much in his storage bag, and now he feared it might not be enough for her redemption.

Jiang Yunü's curved eyebrows rose. Her cute, round face was full of tension, and her complexion was pale. She murmured, "I'm just a... courtesan... I need twenty taels of silver."

"Good." Li Xuanfeng nodded. Jiang Yunü knelt naked on the bed, her face filled with incredible surprise. Thinking Li Xuanfeng was joking with her, she stammered, "Young master... please don't toy with me."

Li Xuanfeng tied his belt, then took the black longbow from the wall and hung it up. He shook his head and replied, "Pack your clothes and luggage; we're leaving now."

Jiang Yunü was stunned for a moment. She quickly picked up her clothes, joyfully dressed, and pulled him downstairs. She skipped and laughed as she walked ahead, finally displaying the innocent and charming demeanor of a teenage girl.

Li Xuanfeng smiled and followed her. When they reached the counter, they saw a slightly plump woman, dressed in red and green, sitting there clipping her fingernails. She glanced at Jiang Yunü, then scornfully turned her head away.

"Redemption." Only when Li Xuanfeng spoke did the woman look up in surprise. She said coldly to Jiang Yunü, "I wondered why you looked so pleased with yourself. So, you've found a rich patron. And you didn't even tell Mama? You just think you can leave like that?"

Jiang Yunü's round face immediately turned pale, and she didn't know where to put her hands. Li Xuanfeng frowned and said in a deep voice, "Redemption!"

The woman raised her head and glanced at Li Xuanfeng. Seeing that he was only fifteen or sixteen but possessed a certain demeanor, likely a young master from a prominent family, her attitude immediately became much more respectful. She said, "Young master... do you know that this Drunken Spring Pavilion is the county magistrate's property? Ordinary people cannot redeem anyone here casually. Do you perhaps have any friends from a noble family who could come to redeem her?"

The woman's words were quite polite. The "noble families" she referred to were not the four Foundation Establishment level families—Xiao, Wu, Ma, and Chang—but rather the secular collateral branches of these prominent families.

Li Xuanfeng was too lazy to waste time on her. He flicked his finger, and the massive wooden table before them, struck by true essence, instantly turned into flying ash, covering the woman. Only then did he reply, "Don't make me say it a third time!"

Both Jiang Yunü and the woman were stunned. The woman's legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground, slapping herself twice across the face with such force that two teeth were knocked out. Her face covered in blood, she stammered, "Let the immortal take her! Let the immortal take her! We were blind not to recognize an immortal! We were blind not to..."

Li Xuanfeng threw out two silver ingots, pulled the shocked Jiang Yunü up, and walked out. The girl was so startled that her limbs trembled, and she dared not look up at him.

It wasn't until Li Xuanfeng had bought a house, entered the small courtyard, and placed her on the couch that Jiang Yunü, still in a daze, finally asked, "Are you an immortal?!"

"A cultivator," Li Xuanfeng corrected. He then proceeded to untie her belt. Jiang Yunü dared not stop him, her face flushed as she stammered, "I... I can't... I can't."

Li Xuanfeng had to stop. Looking at the girl's cute, round face, he suddenly realized the situation had become thorny.

"How should I handle this woman from now on? Am I to return to the town in a dozen days and tell my paternal uncle that I went out and bought a courtesan? My paternal uncle has always regarded me as the family's next generation's hope; how can I cause him worry!"

Li Xuanfeng feared neither heaven nor earth; he was inherently a dissolute and pleasure-seeking individual. He only feared disappointing Li Tongya and delaying family matters. For a moment, he hesitated, a frown creasing his brow.

Jiang Yunü looked at his expression and timidly asked, "Immortal Master... what's wrong?"

"Call me Xuanfeng." Li Xuanfeng shook his head, feeling a little awkward. He kissed her on the eyebrow and said, "My family has very strict rules, I'm afraid... I can't take you home. You'll have to endure some hardship..."

Jiang Yunü was stunned upon hearing this. For a moment, she was deeply moved, and tears welled in her eyes. She said with a choked voice, "I only know that my status is lowly. Young Master must be a noble immortal from above. How could I possibly ask for anything! Young Master doesn't need to think like this. If you return to the heavens to cultivate immortality, I will wait in this courtyard, wait for five years, wait for ten years, until you return to see me."

Li Xuanfeng frowned. He couldn't bear such tearful words and mused to himself, "Never mind that, let her stay here. Going back and forth only takes a few hours; it won't delay anything."

He then unbuttoned Jiang Yunü's clothes, carefully caressed her, and picked up her tender white hand to examine it. Jiang Yunü quietly nestled in his arms and murmured, "Brother! If I die tonight or tomorrow, I will have lived enough and will no longer long for anything!"