Chapter 330: Master and Disciple Dispute

Li Yuanping rode his horse, but as the initial thrill faded, he felt a familiar tickle in his throat, hinting at a coming cough. His military armor felt cold against his skin, which was clammy with sweat underneath. Li Ximing, nestled against the horse’s head in his father’s embrace, sensed something amiss and asked, “Father, how has your health been recently?”

“Heh.”

Li Yuanping did not answer. His face pale, he let his horse wander over to the carriage where a black banner fluttered. He dismounted swiftly, and Dou Yi, standing nearby, quickly took the reins. Li Yuanping instructed, “Take this horse… give it to Xicheng for his travels. There’s no need to prepare the travel carriage starting tomorrow.”

He bent down and entered the carriage, beginning to unfasten and remove his armor. Li Ximing, ever sensible, lit the brazier inside the carriage. Li Yuanping coughed twice, then sat by the brazier. He said softly, “Sitting high in the hall, the reports from the various towns always painted a picture of peace across the four borders. But after personally traversing these lands on Heavy Grinder for the past few months, I finally feel at ease.”

“You also saw Li Jiman. Ximing, what do you think of him?”

Li Ximing’s face glowed a soft golden-red in the firelight. He poked the charcoal with a wooden stick and replied, “Your son finds him arrogant, stingy, and ruthless.”

“En.”

Li Yuanping nodded in agreement, speaking gently. “In your opinion, would it be better for the Shanyue Kingdom to be in the hands of the Tian clan, or in the hands of Li Jiman?”

Li Ximing frowned slightly and said, “Your son believes it makes no difference whose hands it falls into; it only matters which side brings our family greater benefit… The Shanyue land is vast, yet the spiritual items and spiritual rice paid as tribute are far too little.”

Li Yuanping sighed softly and replied, “It’s not just Shanyue. As our clan grows, overt and covert struggles are rampant among the seven towns. Prominent families and branch lineages vie fiercely for power. If not for the Clan Justice Hall and the Jade Court Guards suppressing them, there would likely be even more sordid affairs.”

“Our clan has existed for five generations now. If we count from the day our Ancestor returned and established our legacy, it’s been nearly a century. It’s easy to build an enterprise, but difficult to maintain a household; this is the very truth.”

As father and son conversed in the carriage, the spiritual horse leading the way snorted and stopped. Dou Yi called from outside, “Patriarch, we’ve arrived at the town.”

Li Yuanping led his eldest son out of the carriage. Dou Yi approached and whispered, “Patriarch, Chen Donghe and others are already waiting in the hall.”

“Understood.”

Li Yuanping stepped into the hall. Although he was merely a Fetal Breath realm cultivator, the Qi Condensation realm cultivators in the hall all rose from their seats as a sign of respect. Li Yuanping took his place at the head of the table, first looking at Chen Donghe, who was to one side, and asked politely, “Uncle, what brings you here?”

Chen Donghe, now over fifty years old and a fourth-level Qi Condensation cultivator, had a gentle gaze. He bowed slightly and replied, “I have packed my luggage and am ready to travel to the West Shore with Jing Tian.”

Li Yuanping nodded in understanding. He picked up a storage bag from the table, quickly stepped down a few paces, and handed it to Chen Donghe. He said gravely, “These are the talismans and spirit stones for your journey, prepared by the family. The town has also arranged for two Shanyue Impure Qi cultivators to assist you with minor matters… Please take care, Uncle!”

Chen Donghe and his wife had always intended to travel around. Publicly, they said the couple was going out to gain experience, but in reality, they were heading to the Golden Feather Sect’s desert in the west to collect Golden Yang Radiance Essence.

This matter was originally a secret. Upon hearing Li Yuanping mention bringing along two Impure Qi cultivators from Shanyue, Chen Donghe suddenly looked up. Li Yuanping smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Uncle. These two are bound by multiple ties and have taken the Xuanjing Spiritual Oath. They are entirely trustworthy.”

The cultivation methods of Shanyue were crude and ancient, compatible with the bloodlines of various Shanyue tribes, making them easy to practice but hard to master. Thus, in all these years, only five Impure Qi cultivators had emerged, mainly cultivating spiritual herbs and not capable of much else.

Collecting Golden Yang Radiance Essence alone would take twenty years. Chen Donghe naturally understood Li Yuanping’s intention. He nodded knowingly, thanked him, and, unwilling to say more with others present, accepted the pouch and departed.

Not until Chen Donghe had left did Li Xicheng step forward and respectfully report, “Reporting to the Patriarch, the spiritual rice and spiritual items from East Shanyue for the past five years have been offered as tribute: 2,100 catties of spiritual rice, 200 White Yuan Fruits, 200 catties of Yellow Jade Spiritual Rice, and eleven types of miscellaneous spiritual items.”

He paused, then added, “Totaling seventy spirit stones in value! They have already been sent down the mountain.”

“Good.”

Li Yuanping nodded. The Qingchi Sect mostly left the smaller clans of Fetal Breath and Qi Condensation realms to their own devices, collecting only a small tribute to denote their subordinate status. However, they heavily taxed the influential families.

The Li family, now an influential family, had to pay a tribute worth a fortune every five years: “Ten thousand catties of spiritual rice, converting to one hundred spirit stones; five hundred White Yuan Fruits and five hundred catties of Yellow Jade Spiritual Rice, converting to one hundred spirit stones; and other various spiritual items costing another twenty to thirty…”

However, the Li family’s current output could cover less than half of this. The remaining deficit of over a hundred spirit stones was a constant headache for Li Yuanping. In previous years, one source was the Cloud-Crest Peak Market, where tasks were posted for outsiders and family cultivators to collect herbs and hunt demonic beasts in the mountains, along with the talismans drawn by Li Xuanxuan and a few others. After subsidizing these family cultivators, they could barely earn forty or fifty spirit stones.

Another source was the Green Crow Ore Vein in their territory, which, with full exploitation, could yield forty to fifty spirit stones every five years. The remainder Li Yuanping had to meticulously scrounge for to make up the difference.

“And we still need to provide resources for the family’s cultivators…”

Li Yuanping heard Li Xicheng report that Shanyue’s income this year was not abundant and immediately felt a surge of headache. He adjusted the cup on the table and murmured, “Wutu Mountain still lacks a grand formation; it’s truly quite embarrassing… Such annual deficits are unsustainable.”

Li Xicheng stood respectfully before him. Li Yuanping, seeing that his recent speech had been quite fluent and not as dull as usual, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the situation in Shanyue?”

Li Xicheng was clearly unprepared. He was startled for a moment, then pondered for several breaths, saying somewhat nervously, “The Tian clan assists in governance… Prince Li Jiman possesses courage and strength…”

“Enough.”

Li Yuanping heard that Li Xicheng’s words were neither “the Tian clan is in power” nor “the Tian clan controls the court,” and he didn’t bother to listen further. He said gently, “Go cultivate.”

“Yes!”

Li Xicheng bowed and withdrew. Li Yuanping let out a long breath, then turned to Li Ximing, who was diligently reading nearby. He said softly, “Xicheng is taciturn and honest, gentle and generous. In the future, if you manage the household, your Brother Xicheng can be useful, but you cannot let him lead on his own.”

Li Ximing was quite fond of his elder brother Li Xicheng. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to nod or shake his head. He silently buried his head in his book. Fortunately, someone from below came forward and reported, “Reporting to the Patriarch, news has arrived from the Yuan family.”

“Oh?”

Li Yuanping quickly looked up. The man replied, “Immortal Master Yuan Tuan has arrived at Mushroom Forest Plain and will reach Moon-Gazing Lake on the day of the winter full moon.”

“Good!”

Li Yuanping immediately rejoiced. It was the third day of the eleventh month, meaning Yuan Tuan would arrive in twelve days. He smiled and said, “Send someone to reply, saying that our family awaits the esteemed Immortal Master’s arrival.”

***

The rain in Linghai Commandery was incessant. This region, south of the Yue Kingdom, was surrounded by mountains, making it gloomy, humid, and闷. Rainwater gathered in the valleys, often flooding low-lying areas.

A youth walked through the dense rainforest for a while, wading through water, the ground alive with the croaking of frogs. He frowned repeatedly and muttered sullenly, “Master, why are we still circling back to this godforsaken place?”

“Who knows what madness has gripped the Qingchi Sect,” replied the man behind him, his hair disheveled, his demeanor rough and fierce. He moved through a black mist, his voice hoarse. “They won’t even send a single Foundation Establishment cultivator related to the matter. We can only first cross Linghai Commandery and then go to Yishan City on the border of the Southern Frontier to see.”

“This body is already beyond saving. If I hadn’t once practiced the ‘Drinking Commoner’s Blood’ technique to suppress this body, it would have long been corroded into a puddle of pus by the golden essence…”

The youth narrowed his eyes, saying meaningfully, “But Master, weren’t you looking for a few specific types of Dao Foundations? If we intrude into Yishan City like this, we might never be able to turn back and will only have to go further south into the Southern Frontier.”

“If we reach the depths of the Southern Frontier, where will we find a body for you to possess?”

That youth was Jiang Yan, who had been missing for many years. Countless cultivators were using his name to cause trouble all over the Yue Kingdom, yet he had returned to Linghai Commandery without a trace. A flicker of suspicion crossed Jiang Yan’s eyes. He tentatively asked a question, but Jiang Boqing waved his hand indifferently and replied, “Your master, I, achieved Foundation Establishment at thirty and Purple Mansion at sixty. My talent is extraordinary! We’ll just think of something then!”

Jiang Yan shook his head and laughed heartily, replying, “Since Master claims to be a genius who achieved Foundation Establishment at thirty and Purple Mansion at sixty, why did you abandon the path of Purple Mansion Golden Core cultivation to instead cultivate these unorthodox incantation scriptures?”

“Damn it!” the rough man grumbled. The lines on his face twisted with his expression. He said in a vicious tone, “I was a genius back then, so how would I understand the sordidness between Purple Mansion and Golden Core? I only knew that I had never met anyone with the same immortal foundation as mine, so I buried myself in arduous cultivation day after day. Later, when I became Purple Mansion—”

“—only then did I realize that damn Duanmu Kui, the Lord of Wushan, cultivated this very path!”

The body he was controlling was on the verge of collapse, its expression twisted and ugly, barely managing a semblance of a smile. He continued, “Duanmu Kui was a figure who dominated an era. How could I wait for him to make a move? It scared me so much that I immediately curtailed my divine abilities, severed my Dao foundation, sought emptiness to create talismans, and discarded most of my cultivation just to become an unorthodox practitioner.”

“Oh?” Jiang Yan looked composed, and asked in return, “What does ‘seeking emptiness to create talismans’ mean?”

Jiang Boqing shook his head, a hint of pride on his face. He explained, “This is a method I obtained from an ancient text: it involves treating one’s innate divine abilities as talismans to be cultivated, transforming all of one’s cultivation and Dao foundation into an immortal talisman, shifting from the Golden Core Dao to the Witch Talisman Dao…”

A glimmer of hope appeared on his face as he said gently, “When I was young, I received the legacy of a senior from the Moon Essence Primordial Mansion, and this technique was among it. It was quite difficult, but it was only because my ‘Three-Nine Nature of Witch Lotus Blood’ had a strong connection with talismans that I succeeded.”

“Treating all of one’s cultivation as a talisman to be cultivated…” Jiang Yan chewed on these words. He turned back, his eyes glistening with tears. He whispered, “Master, are you now treating my entire cultivation as a talisman to be cultivated?”

Jiang Boqing, still rambling, suddenly stiffened upon hearing this. He opened his mouth to curse, “What nonsense are you speaking!”

But Jiang Yan grew even more certain. His tears gradually stopped, and he stared intently into Jiang Boqing’s eyes, saying gravely, “Although this disciple does not cultivate the path of Purple Mansion Golden Core, I understand that this path is not something one can easily switch back and forth from. Transforming a Golden Core into a talisman is already the limit, and then to use golden essence to possess bodies repeatedly? How could it be so casual!”

His eyes shone brightly as he said coldly, “If this disciple is not mistaken, Master, your Golden Essence was already severely damaged. Now that it’s disintegrating, there’s no way for you to possess a Dao foundation and start anew!”

“Heh…!” Jiang Boqing’s angry expression slowly calmed, then morphed into a hint of appreciation. He said softly, “Indeed, I no longer have the chance to possess another body…”

Jiang Yan slowly stepped back, observing Jiang Boqing’s unguarded appearance, a smile twisting his face. He said with hatred, “It seems you and the Qingchi Sect are cut from the same cloth. No wonder… no wonder the Qingchi Sect is such a colossal entity! I’ve been on the run across five commanderies for years, yet they couldn’t even catch a small cultivator like me.”

“All along this path, rivers of blood have flowed. Each time I broke through a Qingchi Sect stronghold, materials suitable for breakthroughs always appeared… Those accumulated grievances and vital blood collected for ten or even decades were always delivered into my hands, gourd after gourd.”

His pupils dilated, his fists clenching so hard that blood seemed about to drip from them. He shrieked, “Jiang Boqing! What a self-directed play… You and Qingchi each got what you wanted, putting on such a grand performance!”

“You were never a cultivator seeking to possess some special immortal foundation. That was merely comforting talk! The Three-Nine True Talisman in my Sea of Qi acupoint, the Witchcraft Blood Talisman in my Ascending Yang Mansion—these are what you plotted for!”

His voice echoed through the mountains, leaving Jiang Boqing speechless. The flesh on his face seemed to sag. Jiang Boqing was stunned for a few breaths before replying, “I was indeed closely acquainted with Bu Zi, and the demonic disaster was truly an exchange of interests between me and the Qingchi Sect… That’s why the vital blood and grievances were delivered into your hands one by one. You are a clever child; you’ve guessed these things correctly.”

He paused, then shook his head slightly, adding, “It’s just that my Golden Essence was damaged long ago, and I lost the possibility of possession. No talisman or seal can save it. Those two witch talismans on you were cultivated by my own hand… they are extraordinarily profound, but they do not serve as a foundation for possession.”

Jiang Boqing’s current body was covered in blood, but his gaze seemed gentle. He said softly, “I only occupied this body to ensure your safety. Without specialized spiritual medicines and cultivation techniques, I would eventually perish along with this body. I had hoped to keep it hidden from you until I could send you out of the Southern Frontier…”

Jiang Yan, however, was unmoved. He took another step back, his expression wary, and looked at him coldly. “You say it’s not, so it’s not? How am I to believe you!”

Jiang Boqing frowned, glanced at him, and then was startled. Suddenly, he worked his tongue and lips, letting out a sharp cry, “Tai!”

Jiang Boqing’s lips snapped shut, emitting a thunderous shout that made Jiang Yan’s head buzz. Jiang Boqing’s expression changed drastically. He cursed, “Damn it, my divine ability failed me!”

Jiang Yan’s eyes cleared, and he was momentarily stunned. He then saw Jiang Boqing grab him, summon the wind, and take flight, shouting, “Hurry and leave! He’s using a divine ability to block us; he must be close!”

“Purple Mansion?!” Jiang Yan’s hairs immediately stood on end. He quickly channeled all his magic power to fly on the wind and retorted, “Aren’t you in cahoots with the Qingchi Sect? Why would a Purple Mansion cultivator be chasing you?!”

“Most likely an old enemy of mine!” Jiang Boqing’s current body was big and burly, with messy hair. He cursed boisterously a few more times, constantly calculating in his mind, and said in disbelief, “How is this possible?! Who could have predicted this?!”

They had only flown for a breath when the fierce north wind in the heavens and earth abruptly ceased. The wind generated by their magic underfoot also stopped flowing. Streaks of black light emerged in the void before them, and the colorful radiance of a Purple Mansion divine ability surged forth.

“Senior Jiang.”

The youth slowly strode out from the void, dressed in a plain and unadorned Daoist robe, his features delicate. In his hand he held a dharma bead, dull grey and showing no extraordinary qualities.

“You have your day now.”

“Qing Ji Fang…” Jiang Boqing stared at the youth. Clearly, this person’s appearance here was beyond Jiang Boqing’s expectation, and he couldn’t even fathom his intentions. He merely said grimly, “What do you intend?”

The Purple Mansion cultivator’s Daoist robe fluttered. He gently twirled the dharma bead in his hand and stared calmly at Jiang Boqing, then spoke, “Senior need not be nervous. I have many questions I wish to ask. Whether it’s about ‘Answering the Beggar Child’s Question Under the Mulberry Tree,’ or the Upper Yuan Sword Immortal, Xiao Chuting, Tang Yuanwu…”

“What are you all plotting? And into whose hands did the immortal book ultimately fall? Mount Changhuai is very curious… I ask that senior please return to Wu Kingdom with me.”