"This... truly befits the Nine-tailed Fox Immortal, seeing at a glance that this humble Daoist's cultivation is too shallow, unable to achieve tranquility and inaction."
Lord Lü, with a face full of embarrassment, said, "This humble Daoist has some businesses in the bustling world; how could I possibly persuade the Fox Immortal Lord to become a monk? One of the reasons I brought Xiaowang to visit Master Fuli today is..."
"The clay boxes you previously commissioned us to buy back from those moles seem to have some issues."
Lord Lü glanced at the clay boxes, somewhat guilty as he spoke.
There were a total of four clay boxes, one bought from an overseas collector, and the other three were rewarded and bought back using the connections of the Dao Alliance in the gray market.
Lord Lü originally intended to gather nine clay boxes before personally visiting Master Fuli, but just last night, the clay boxes suddenly floated in the air, with strands of light emanating from the gaps between the clay.
Then, the clay boxes fell heavily to the ground, emitting waves of painful wailing intent.
Frightened, Lord Lü and Wang the Taoist hastily conducted a night-time ritual, burning paper money for the clay boxes and calling the Security Bureau.
But those riddle-speakers at the Security Bureau, with their poetic nonsense, told them not to worry. If they can still call the Security Bureau, doesn't it prove those clay boxes are safe? They wouldn't murder for money.
Even Lord Lü, who's nearly two hundred years old, almost lost his composure upon hearing such words from the Security Bureau.
Yet, the Security Bureau was genuinely busy last night, and couldn't attend to a few clay boxes scattered outside.
Everything within and without the Security Bureau needed to make way for Li Wenkang's team's mission. The first-level alert was only lifted after the mission was completed. To have someone take time to answer Dao Alliance's call was already out of friendship.
"They'll be fine, Fat Cat, go water the clay boxes."
After hearing Xiaolu's account, Ansheng looked at the Fat Cat lying beside him and instructed it to water the clay boxes.
The insides of the clay boxes were full of fungi. As long as there's a suitable temperature and humidity, they could tenaciously survive and wouldn't easily perish.
Complying, the Fat Cat picked up the clay boxes and threw them directly into the fish tank where the jellyfish lived.
"Ah—Panda! Don't think your cute appearance allows you to do as you please, you actually threw those filthy things into this lady's home!"
The jellyfish, who had fainted from gambling, jumped up in panic upon seeing the outrageous act of the Fat Cat, and scrambled into the fish tank to retrieve the dirty stuff.
"Hiss...."
The Dao Alliance elder and Liu Lingyu gasped upon seeing the jellyfish speak human language.
"Don't mind her, and don't listen to her. That one is a gambling addict, hiding in my tearoom to avoid creditors after being chased to the door,"
Ansheng waved his hand, indicating the crowd need not mind the talking jellyfish.
"I'm aware of the clay boxes' issues, and I've seen your quiet contributions and efforts. Master Fuli won't let you suffer losses..."
"I'll let you experience, for once, the legendary state of Unity of Heaven and Man for some enjoyment."
As Ansheng spoke, he intended to open a drawer, take out two vials of Spirit Particle Potion, and inject Xiaolu and Xiaowang.
But before Master Fuli could turn around, Xiaolu spoke out to interrupt.
"Fox Immortal Lord..."
Lord Lü hurriedly grabbed Master Fuli, saying, "Really, we can't accept this. You've already agreed to serve as the face and auspice for our Dao Alliance, how could we accept your gift?"
"The real reason for our visit is actually to seek advice from the Fox Immortal Lord."
"With your experience of achieving immortality, you must have traveled through Xia Country's vast mountains and rivers, seen a lot, and known the thousand secrets unknown to ordinary people, as well as forgotten history."
Lord Lü took out a 5G smart button phone from his robe, quickly operated it, opened the media library, and played a video.
In the video, there's an old Daoist with white hair, sitting under a tree at the Daoist temple, smoking an e-cigarette.
However, unlike most people, he is a conjoined twin, with two bodies and heads on his upper torso.
The head on the left was smoking while the one on the right was blowing smoke rings, showing a look of deep dismay.
"Hmm?"
Ansheng, watching the conjoined twin in the video, looked at Xiaolu puzzled, "Conjoined twin? Is there any use in coming to me for this? Judging by their smoking and exhaling behavior, they share one set of lungs, and the lower body is shared too."
"No, no.... It isn't a medical issue, but one of bizarre otherworldly matters."
Lord Lü put away his phone and, with a solemn look, addressed Master Fuli:
"The old Daoist in the video is my master, born in 1733, and one of our Dao Alliance's living fossil-level figures, yet he's on the brink of suicide..."
Lord Lü's voice remained low, devoid of joy or sadness: "My master is very strong. He is so formidable that he once leaped from the summit of Mount Hua without dying, and even ingested all kinds of poisons, inhaled cyanide, and injected dichlorvos without dying."
"Therefore, he has had to resort to using a large amount of known carcinogens and radioactive materials, hoping to destroy his immune system and take his right half with him to die."
"Do they have some irresolvable conflict?" Ansheng asked curiously.
Being born in 1733 seemed a bit absurd; Spirit Particles' resurgence is less than a hundred years old. How could the old Daoist in the video possibly have lived for nearly three centuries?
If Xiaolu isn't lying, then the strength of his master's Physique could probably allow him to sit with those major landlords. Miyel wouldn't dare face the old Daoist directly without taking a few punches.
Of course.
It's not that humans can't do this, humans still contain Dragon People's genetic information, and an exceptionally gifted few might actually have this potential, just like Ah Qing, who developed some superpowers even before ingesting the Spiritual Particle Plant.
But... that old Daoist is too outrageous, awakening on his own even before Spirit Particles' resurgence? That's impossible!
"My master wasn't a conjoined twin. When I became his disciple in my childhood, he was still a normal person, only having a tumor on his right shoulder. But over the past fifty years, the right body gradually grew out."
Lord Lü sighed, "The master said that the right body isn't his and is a truly evil entity. He wasn't trying to intentionally seek death; he sensed that the right body was rapidly slipping out of his control."
"He plans to kill the right body before it fully grows and develops, in order to preserve the virtue he had accumulated as a human."
"We have consulted renowned doctors all over the world and even sought help from the Security Bureau but to no avail. The Security Bureau's scoundrels even tricked my master into fighting monsters, almost getting him caught in an unfair situation by mountain spirits, taken to sire offspring..."
Xiaolu's idea of seeking help was by consultation, without holding back, he openly shared the predicament that his master was facing and the current events.
The master might be sick, or they might have touched upon an understanding beyond human comprehension, the realm of an Immortal.
Xiaolu didn't know, as modern and traditional medicines couldn't reveal any explanations.
The existence of Master Fuli undoubtedly surpassed his master's, an ancient Immortal, with an unknowable age.
If there's anyone who could provide an answer,
Undoubtedly, it would be Master Fuli.
Even if it involves some treasure, if Master Fuli developed a greed, then... it would make his master's dream come true.
The elder would no longer need to suffer.