Chapter 91: A Journey Abroad (Please Subscribe)
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Cao Feng busied himself with serving dishes and pouring wine. In the end, he even sent away the butler and servants, replacing them with a group of graceful young women dressed in sheer, light silks, intending for them to attend to Li Guanxuan as he drank.
Li Guanxuan was taken aback, his face paling. “Brother Cao, what is this for?”
“Huh?” Cao Feng was momentarily stunned. “Brother-in-law doesn’t like it? Could it be that cultivators at the Qi Refining stage don’t catch your eye?”
Then, with a thoughtful look, Cao Feng added, “Foundation Establishment female cultivators are a bit tricky, but not impossible... Chen Bo!”
Chen Bo was the butler’s name.
“Master.”
Hearing the call, Chen Bo hurried over.
“Go—”
Before Cao Feng could finish, Li Guanxuan quickly interjected, “Brother Cao, Brother Cao, you’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t mean that... I prefer to drink plain, not with any extras.”
Li Guanxuan found the situation somewhat amusing; Cao Feng, the Lord of Silver Maple City, was truly passionate to the point of zeal.
“Plain drinks?” Cao Feng narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly. “Brother-in-law, don’t be afraid. What happens today, you know, I know, and Manager Zheng knows... It’s fine to indulge in some ‘meat’ every now and then.”
“Yes, yes...” Zheng Huangjin, attended to by several Qi Refining female cultivators, was already swaying, his face flushed with drunken cheer, seemingly having come to terms with things.
This fellow was usually so serious; no one expected him to be this playful in private, Li Guanxuan thought with a wry smile.
“Brother Cao, please forgive me.”
Upon hearing this, Cao Feng suddenly understood. “I see... why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Li Guanxuan was a bit speechless, raising his cup in a silent toast with a smile.
“Let me tell you, the Lord of Shanggu City is no longer a force to reckon with. Everyone’s eyeing his piece of juicy territory, trying to see which part is the fattiest. Once the time is right, they’ll take a bite. He has no mind to bother with you anymore.”
Cao Feng smiled broadly. “That old fellow has come to this. When I first wanted to cooperate with him, he shut his doors on me and sent a few beast bones as an insult. Serves him right!”
Raising his head, Cao Feng drained his cup, seeing Li Guanxuan raise his own in response. He laughed heartily and continued:
“Rest assured, I’ve already got a general idea of his trade routes. Once I take Shanggu City, before long, the Great Heng, Great Xuan, and Great Zhou dynasties will come knocking on their own! Then, those trade routes I don’t know about will naturally surface. Ha ha ha...”
Li Guanxuan drank another cup and earnestly advised: “Better to be cautious. Those trade routes are a hot potato with too many eyes on them. Let others scramble over that. Brother Cao, you should go for the spiritual veins. Once you get a spiritual vein, Silver Maple City can expand and develop. Besides, it’s only about two thousand miles from Shanggu City, not too far.
“Once you reach the Golden Core stage, the Three Great Immortal Dynasties will open trade routes for you, no need to seek them out yourself.”
Hearing this, Cao Feng pondered deeply, then nodded seriously:
“So... you’re confident you can refine a golden core pill? Besides that, since I am a demonic cultivator, I’ll need Earth Vein Thunder Crystals, Core Spirit Marrow, and Heavenly Azure Resurrection Grass...
“Of course, these rare treasures are easier to get—either buy them or borrow a few from the Lord of Shanggu City. He must have plenty stored, more than he could ever use, and shouldn’t be so stingy.”
Li Guanxuan’s impression of Cao Feng shifted; he hadn’t expected this man to be so humorous and engaging.
But it made sense—both were at the peak Foundation Establishment stage, and Cao Feng had seventy or eighty years left to live, clearly much younger than the Lord of Shanggu City. Defeating an old man in his seventies was no problem.
Though it was somewhat ruthless, when it came to forging the Golden Core... ruthless measures were justified.
Besides, Cao Feng was a demonic cultivator; demonic cultivators should do the things demonic cultivators do.
“Within fifty years at the latest, I will refine a premium golden core pill,” Li Guanxuan said, patting his chest.
He needed this promise to maintain his relationship with Cao Feng. After all, he would be living in Silver Maple City, and having Cao Feng as an ally would make future affairs much easier.
Moreover, in cultivation, the concept of “wealth, companion, method, and land” includes companions beyond just Dao partners—friends along the path.
Some friendships must be maintained by one’s own strength, not by relying on connections.
Friendships based on connections seldom last and rarely involve genuine sincerity.
Therefore, relationships must be sustained by one’s own ability.
What is truly yours is real.
Cao Feng looked intently at Li Guanxuan, his voice grave:
“Brother-in-law, these things can’t be casually promised. I know you worry about future troubles, but to be frank...
“My bond with Brother Wuji is deep. Without him, I might already be dead. So, you are his brother-in-law, and thus mine as well. I could never let you perish.
“But if you promise me a premium golden core pill, I’ll take it seriously. If you fail to produce it in the future...”
He left the rest unsaid.
“Your will be done.”
Li Guanxuan’s smile faded, replaced with sincerity.
“Good!”
Cao Feng said heartily, “I’m an honest man, and so are you. If you say it, I believe it. Once you give me a premium golden core pill, your future is my future! Manager Zheng can witness this... Zheng?”
“Yes, yes, yes... so white,” Zheng Huangjin giggled.
He was already drunk on the repeated cries of “Immortal Lord,” his vision blurred in a wash of white, oblivious to everything else.
Li Guanxuan and Cao Feng exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.
...
As Cao Feng said, the Lord of Shanggu City had only seven years left to live and paid no attention to Li Guanxuan.
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Currently, the Lord of Shanggu City was fully focused on forging his Golden Core.
If he couldn’t produce a premium Golden Core pill with a thirty percent chance, then a regular Golden Core pill was still within reach given his resources and connections.
Hence, he planned to begin seclusion today to form his Golden Core.
Even if he failed to form the Golden Core, any kind of true or false core pill would suffice, as long as it extended his life.
He dared not hope for much now; survival was all that mattered.
Once news of his seclusion spread, many forces began to stir—Cao Feng among them.
But after hearing Li Guanxuan’s advice, Cao Feng understood what he truly needed.
Spiritual veins!
Only spiritual veins were the most precious and stable stepping stone to the Golden Core stage.
Everything else could be left for others to scramble over.
...
While outside undercurrents surged, Li Guanxuan enjoyed peaceful family bliss within the Inner City’s Peaceful Garden.
Day after day, year after year...
Two years later.
After a day’s serious dual cultivation, Li Guanxuan entered his meditation chamber to refine.
Now, his pillcraft, talisman arts, and puppetry were all at mid-level second rank.
His formations had reached the high first rank.
His Wood Spirit Root cultivation progressed slowly, still mid-grade.
His Foundation Establishment spiritual awareness extended to eighty zhang, and he could use his clones to control puppets for external excursions, burning away any traces so no one could track him down.
“Still some way to go to Foundation Establishment second layer—probably one or two years,” he stretched. Though not yet at the second layer, he was pleased with his progress.
A year ago, Song Zhiqiao had broken through to Qi Refining fifth layer, providing more wood-elemental immortal energy.
As long as Song Zhiqiao kept advancing, his own cultivation would accelerate.
After organizing the pills and talismans he had refined, Li Guanxuan set out for the Myriad Images Pavilion.
Since Liu Xiaoxian’s team could no longer stay in Shanggu City, they had opened a second branch of Myriad Images Pavilion in Silver Maple City.
Zheng Huangjin’s branch was in District Three Market.
Cao Feng, out of respect for Li Guanxuan, had reserved a sizable spot in District One Market for Liu Xiaoxian’s pavilion.
Though Liu Xiaoxian had heard rumors about the relationship between Li Guanxuan and the Silver Maple City Lord, seeing it herself still shocked her.
But recalling Li Guanxuan’s promise to Cao Feng, she found it reasonable.
Refining a premium Golden Core pill was no trivial matter.
Li Guanxuan’s confidence in producing one within fifty years was enough for Cao Feng to invest.
After all, Li Guanxuan had proven quality results with Foundation Establishment pills, detoxification pills, and life-critical pills.
Arriving at the Myriad Images Pavilion in District One Market, Manager Dong had intended to greet him personally, but upon seeing Li Guanxuan’s gesture, he smiled, nodded slightly, and busied himself.
“Master, I’m here,” Li Guanxuan called softly.
He took a shortcut to the top floor, knocked, and after no response, pushed the door open.
A familiar, soothing spiritual fragrance greeted him; he was accustomed to this calming essence.
Seeing his voluptuous master lying motionless in the grand chair, but with the gentle rise and fall of her flat abdomen and curves, he guessed she was in deep sleep to recover from spiritual exhaustion.
Li Guanxuan sat quietly beside her, secretly admiring her peach-like mature figure.
Golden wavy hair framed a face unadorned yet poetic. Her slightly upturned crimson lips invited a kiss.
Her slender jade neck revealed a stunning curvature, flowing into a lithe, sinuous waist and hips fuller than Qin Jiyue’s, forming a pear-shaped silhouette.
Her translucent jade-like legs extended from loose Daoist robes, smooth and shapely, without an ounce of excess fat.
Sensing Liu Xiaoxian was about to awaken, Li Guanxuan swiftly dispelled all idle thoughts from his mind to avoid being caught.
Otherwise, his beloved disciple might become a fallen one.
“What’s with the serious face?” Liu Xiaoxian’s languid, alluring voice sounded, her golden eyes still piercing and perceptive, immediately seeing his discomfort.
“Master, your immortal authority is immense; your disciple is frightened, naturally a bit nervous,” Li Guanxuan smiled in explanation.
“Is that so? You don’t look it,” she murmured, then changed the subject:
“Not long ago, Chen Yinshan went to the Beast Taming You family and killed their relatively new Great Elder.”
Li Guanxuan’s eyelids twitched but said nothing, quietly waiting for more.
Liu Xiaoxian continued, “He originally planned to kill the You family patriarch, who is You Shaoneng’s biological father. The patriarch had long sought revenge for the deceased ancestor and You Shaoneng, even issuing a bounty...
“Chen Yinshan must have heard this and went to Huajing Immortal City.
“But don’t worry, I happened to pass by and saved him. I wanted to ask for more information, but he only said: ‘I’m well, do not worry...’ and left.”
Li Guanxuan smiled—typical Chen Yinshan.
“Recently, I have little to do and have just finished crafting a mid-level second-rank puppet. I plan to test sending it out in my stead.”
He said, “I’ll first visit Huajing Immortal City to assess the situation. We can’t always wait for the Beast Taming You family to come to us; sometimes, we must take the initiative.”
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“Just be careful. If any trouble arises, notify me immediately. Don’t lightly transfer your primordial spirit to your clone; getting trapped would be troublesome.”
Liu Xiaoxian had no objections, only a gentle reminder.
She had taught Li Guanxuan all her puppetry arts, including the clone technique.
Her precious disciple was quick-witted and had mastered everything within a few years.
Li Guanxuan even repeatedly examined the puppet manufacturing process to ensure no traces were left before giving his approval.
“Don’t worry, Master.”
After a few more pleasantries, leaving some pills and talismans behind, Li Guanxuan rose to leave.
...
With a clone, a second-rank flying ship, two mid-level second-rank puppets, and several talismans, Li Guanxuan set out for Huajing Immortal City.
Liu Xiaoxian had told him that cultivators should not remain confined in their spirit city forever.
Occasional journeys broaden their horizons, enriching their mindset and aiding future breakthroughs.
Knowing Li Guanxuan’s cautious nature, she suggested he prepare clones and puppets.
Better to lose these than his life.
“This clone technique is truly useful...” Li Guanxuan stood on the deck, breathing in the freedom, a smile spreading across his face.
He would not leave Silver Maple City without necessity.
But now, he needed to visit Huajing Immortal City to gain insight—after all, there was a Golden Core immortal stationed there, and the market offered many things Silver Maple and Shanggu cities lacked.
Besides, he needed to prepare materials for breakthrough pills like the Heavenly Origin and Yellow Court pills.
Liu Xiaoxian and Zheng Huangjin found it difficult to procure these materials, and applying through higher authorities was a tedious process.
Sometimes, Li Guanxuan had to personally gather materials.
With Chen Yinshan near Huajing Immortal City and the You family’s continued pursuit, Li Guanxuan’s trip conveniently helped reunite the You family patriarch.
His clone’s appearance had been altered, so there was no fear of being recognized.
On the way, Li Guanxuan encountered a tragic clan extermination of a Foundation Establishment family.
Their strongest cultivator was Foundation Establishment third layer, but facing three from a rival clan, they fell with bitter regret.
Li Guanxuan merely observed from afar and left, choosing not to intervene.
Days passed.
Stopping at a second-rank spirit city named Ruyi City, governed by the Bright Moon Sword Sect, he took a break rather than rush to Huajing Immortal City.
Ruyi City was filled with sword cultivators, mostly women.
Incidentally, the Li family was a sword cultivation lineage, all their techniques related to swordsmanship.
Though Li Guanxuan lacked sword seed-level aptitude, he inherently understood sword techniques.
In this city, he felt a certain kinship.
In a tavern, he sampled local wine, the flavor transmitting back to his true body.
“Young friend, I see you are at the peak of Qi Refining. Have you prepared a Foundation Establishment pill?”
“No? Well... perfect timing. I’m a mid-level second-rank pill master and recently crafted a Foundation Establishment pill. Seeing our fate, I’m offering it to you for five thousand low-grade spirit stones.”
“No five thousand spirit stones? How about four thousand eight hundred? I’m taking a loss...”
Hearing this familiar tone, Li Guanxuan froze momentarily.
Turning, he saw Murong Li—his hair and beard grayed, wearing a Bagua pill-crafting robe.
Fate had truly brought them together again.
Li Guanxuan shook his head, harboring no murderous intent. After all, it was merely a minor grudge, not a life-or-death conflict.
“Young friend, traveling alone?” Murong Li fixed his gaze on Li Guanxuan, sensing the peak Qi Refining aura.
Li Guanxuan, with his clone abroad, was less polite now and smiled faintly:
“I don’t need inferior Foundation Establishment pills. Please find another unlucky soul to waste your breath on.”
“You... you dare slander and defame my reputation?!” Murong Li exploded, slapping the table.
“A normal Foundation Establishment pill has two Dao runes; yours has only one. What else is it but inferior? It only has a ten percent chance to aid breakthrough. If it fails, who compensates?”
Li Guanxuan’s tone was cold. “Don’t rush to hide the pills. If you dare, open them for all to see if they’re inferior.”
With many cultivators’ eyes on him, Murong Li sneered and swept his sleeve, leaving:
“Blind fools, I won’t waste my breath arguing with you!”
Li Guanxuan laughed quietly, unfazed, continuing to eat and drink.
Yet, he noticed a fleeting murderous glint in Murong Li’s eyes.
Additional chapter forthcoming: 5,000 words; 15,000 words outstanding.
(End of chapter)