Chapter 81: Chapter 80: The Master of Peach Blossom Island (Requesting Monthly Tickets)_1 Chapter 81: Chapter 80: The Master of Peach Blossom Island (Requesting Monthly Tickets)_1 Six months later.
Baochuan Market.
Fang Xi, disguised as a hunched old man, walked out of Dragon Gate Attic with an air of arrogance.
Zhong Wangu respectfully followed behind him, bidding farewell with a salute.
During this period, Fang Xi had continually disguised himself as various personas to deal with the materials of Old One Eye, Dapeng King, and the other seven Monster Kings of Ding State.
In the process, he also frequented Dragon Gate Attic as different characters, spending his money there.
The “Ten Thousand Beast Body” and the Talisman-making Inheritance were both acquired.
After all, once he started planting trees, he would be tied to one place for years, so he had to make all the necessary preparations.
Thinking of the “Ten Thousand Beast Body,” Fang Xi’s expression darkened somewhat.
This orthodox Immortals’ body refining technique was not only extremely difficult, but it also consumed a terrifying amount of resources.
There are four levels to this technique!
To complete the first level, one would need to spend dozens of Spirit Stones, and upon success, one becomes a body cultivator with the strength to match the early phase of Qi Refining.
But for the second level, one would need a medicinal bath consisting of over a hundred Spirit Stones, as well as the Essence Blood of various Monster Beasts to temper one’s body.
The third level requires close to a thousand Spirit Stones and allows one to practice the “Beast Transformation Secret Skills,” but it’s not only difficult; it’s also extremely easy to succumb to demonic possession.
As for the final fourth level…
‘Damn it, it actually requires the Essence Blood of specific second-order Monster Beasts… How can I get my hands on that?’
‘And this consumption is just astronomical; no wonder body cultivators are all so poor! Nearly a thousand Spirit Stones for the third level; what about the fourth?’
‘When I practiced Mixed Origin True Skill up to “Qi throughout the body,” the total cost of the elixirs I took didn’t even exceed two hundred Spirit Stones!’
Fang Xi thought with some depression.
Fortunately, he purchased this body refining technique solely for reference to compare with the Mixed Origin True Skill.
With extensive research from the Grandmaster Conference on “True Gang Transformation,” coupled with the insights from the four levels of the body refining technique he owned.
Fang Xi had some ideas about future breakthroughs in his Mixed Origin True Skill.
‘However, I should visit Dragon Gate Attic less in the future… although I’ve tried to space out my visits, it’s still a bit conspicuous…’
After walking around the market and confirming there was no tail, Fang Xi left Baochuan Market.
After reverting to his original appearance, he changed direction and, with a low profile, flew back to his habitation on the Green Barley Sword.
At the entrance to the habitation, a Voice Transmission Talisman was floating next to the door, emitting a faint spiritual light.
“Hmm?”
Fang Xi’s expression shifted as he reached out and snatched the Voice Transmission Talisman into his hand.
After injecting a strand of magic power, Xiumu’s voice came through: “Mr. Fang… the meeting is about to begin. You are invited to join us at the teahouse tomorrow.”
‘It seems… Xiumu has found another connection?’
Fang Xi mused thoughtfully.
…
The next day.
Inside the private room of the teahouse.
Fang Xi entered to find several people already seated.
He naturally recognized Xiumu, and apart from him, there were three other cultivators: one man and two women.
One of the female cultivators had an ordinary appearance, dressed in a peach-colored palace dress with two silver bells twined around her wrist.
The other man and woman seemed to be a pair of Taoist companions, their demeanor intimate.
“My friends, this is Mr. Fang Xi!”
Xiumu introduced the three to Fang Xi with a hearty laugh, and then addressed Fang Xi, “This is Ruan Xingling, a mid-grade first-order Talisman forger. And these two are the noble couple Wei Yixin and Hua Chanjuan!”
“Greetings to you all!”
Fang Xi wore a gentle smile as he sat down and surreptitiously observed the three.
Ruan Xingling was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, nearing the later stage, and was also a Talisman forger, which made her status the highest among those present, so she sat in the place of honor.
Though her face was plain, her skin was pale and delicate, giving her a naturally Wenwan (gentle and refined) temperament like that of a small jade.
In reality, as Immortal Cultivators advance in their cultivation, with the breakthroughs in their techniques continuously renewing their muscles and marrow, they generally become handsome men and beautiful women.
Especially at major breakthroughs, it could greatly enhance one’s appearance, akin to undergoing cosmetic surgery.
Nevertheless, some cultivators follow a different practice, intentionally preserving or even uglifying their facial features to show their dedication to the cultivation path and to eschew romantic entanglements.
Compared to Ruan Xingling, Hua Chanjuan was radiant with attractive eyes, her smile full of charm, and in terms of appearance, she was much more beautiful than Ruan Xingling, but her temperament paled in comparison.
She and her Taoist companion Wei Yixin were both at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and Wei Yixin, dressed in black, had a stern expression and resolute features, clearly one of strong will.
“Esteemed guests…”
Xiumu, the elderly Daoist, looked around with a beaming smile and began, “I won’t beat around the bush. The reason I’ve summoned everyone here today is that Mr. Fang and Wei—with their noble couple’s entrustment—have finally seen progress… Ruan, what do you think of these three individuals?”
Ruan Xingling nodded slightly, her voice unhurried, “The people introduced by Comrade Xiumu are naturally trustworthy in my eyes. These three colleagues are all at the mid Qi Refining stage, and their cultivation is barely sufficient… But it seems we are still one person short!”
Xiumu maintained his smile, “What about me then? To be honest… this old bag of bones of mine wouldn’t mind getting a bit of exercise too!”
“If Comrade Xiumu is also willing to take action, I have no objections.”
A flicker of joy swiftly crossed Ruan Xingling’s face as if she had thought of something.
“Ahem… Comrade Xiumu, what is this all about?” Fang Xi, with a guess in mind, still frowned dissatisfiedly.
“Hehe, it’s an oversight on my part… Mr. Fang, haven’t you always been eager to cultivate a large expanse of spirit land?” Xiumu’s voice carried a hint of respect, “This Ruan here is the Island Master of Peach Blossom Island!”
“Peach Blossom Island?”
Fang Xi was taken aback, then recalled the geographic atlas of Thousand Island Lake and had a vague impression—it seemed to be one of the Thirty Six Islands.
But the surname of the island master seemed to be Lu, not Ruan.
“Comrade Xiumu flatters me; I am but a homeless dog…” A bitter smile appeared on Ruan Xingling’s face.
After another explanation from Xiumu, Fang Xi roughly understood.
This Ruan Xingling, was the daughter of the former Island Master of Peach Blossom Island.
The island had a first-order Spiritual Vein, discovered and occupied centuries ago by Ruan’s ancestors, and from there, branched out generation by generation to form a small Qi Refining Cultivating Immortal Family—the Ruans of Peach Blossom Island!
However, several decades ago, the bloodlines of the master family of the island were weak, and for several generations, men lacked the qualifications of a Spiritual Root.
After the death of the family’s eldest elder, a Qi Refining stage clansman, the family suffered one disaster after another, losing several Qi Refining period members of their clan.
Seeing this situation, one of the hired guests, a Cultivator with the surname Lu, colluded with others to rebel, nearly wiping out the entire Ruan Family and brazenly taking over the whole island.
Fortunately within the Ruan Family, there remained a direct bloodline survivor—Ruan Xingling herself.
When her family was overthrown, she was fortunately traveling abroad, and at that time was only at the initial stage of Qi Refining; she could only flee far away with tears, driven from her home.
It was not until recently, having advanced to the later stage of Qi Refining, that she entertained thoughts of revenge and returned to Thousand Island Lake.
“Upon success, Fairy Ruan is willing to share Peach Blossom Island with us. The Wei couple is tired of the struggle and wishes to retire to a pastoral life, to build a family. Peach Blossom Island has two peaks and a lake, and one mountaintop is just perfect for the Wei couple to occupy, while the other, I shall unabashedly accept. As for Fairy Ruan, she will naturally preside over the main vein of Mirror Moon Lake as the Island Master of Peach Blossom Island!”
Looking at Fang Xi with twinkling eyes, Xiumu continued, “As for Mr. Fang… Peach Blossom Island also has a ‘Jadeite Cliff,’ which is an offshoot of the island’s first-order Spiritual Vein. Though the spiritual energy is not of high grade, it is still sufficient to develop over a dozen mu of Spiritual Fields. Fairy Ruan is willing to lease it to you for a hundred years, without demanding any Spirit Stone in return, as long as you lend a hand in this endeavor.”
After hearing Xiumu’s explanation, Fang Xi was silently incredulous.
‘So being at the fourth layer of Qi Refining means I have no rights, huh? Am I just a filler?’
‘All of you have higher cultivation levels than me, so you’re amazing, huh? Do you want to come down and try, I’ll let you use one hand!’
However, he soon calmed down and carefully considered the pros and cons of the entire matter.
This kind of situation could be verified with a little investigation, so the identity of Ruan Xingling as the former Island Master’s daughter must be true.
At this moment, Fang Xi actually felt a bit of fright:
‘That was close, I almost believed that story about the Lu surname…’
‘This is a lesson, in the future, when killing enemies, one must eradicate them completely to avoid future troubles!’
‘However, a hundred-year lease on a low-grade spirit land is indeed nice—a worthy cause to take action for once!’
‘Wait a minute…’
Fang Xi turned to Xiumu, “Comrade Xiumu, you’re also taking part?”
“Yes…” Xiumu gave a wry smile, “I’ve often heard of your dedication, Sir, and it also sparked some interest within me. After all, being an Island Master, farming, and fishing, living a carefree life, is much better than scraping by on my old face in the market. Besides… I’m nearing my end, I must think of my descendants.”
Fang Xi inwardly sneered at this old geezer but asked Ruan Xingling, “Ruan… when that Lu surnamed acted viciously, didn’t you appeal? Or did the Thirty Six Island Alliance not care?”
Ruan Xingling answered with a bitter smile, “The Thirty Six Island Alliance is loosely structured, and members even have blood feuds among them… Skirmishes are common, as long as it’s not an attack by the Dragon Fish Zhong Family, all is well… Back then, my Ruan Family naturally had a few in-law families, but after that Lu surname seized our resources, he quickly advanced to the late stage of Qi Refining and forcibly married a daughter from a collateral branch of the Ruan Family, taking over as the Island Master in the form of a son-in-law. White Feather Island Feng Family and Black Sand Island Mo Family didn’t intervene…”
“What an intricate and peculiar situation…”
Fang Xi sighed, making a mental remark: ‘Small temples attract big devils, shallow waters have many toads…’
“Today, I ask you all to aid me in my vengeance. I am willing to swear a Heart Demon Oath and guarantee that the promises I made earlier will be fulfilled.”
Ruan Xingling stood up, bowing courteously towards them.
When she moved, the bells hanging from her hands jingled, in turn making everyone’s minds settle into a fraction more tranquility.
“Rest assured, comrades, in eradicating evil and promoting good, we Cultivators must act without hesitation!”
Wei Yixin was the first to speak, promising his support.
“I shall certainly lend my support to a comrade!” Xiumu declared with a fierce determination, “To be frank… I also have some connections within the Thirty Six Islands, and with Ruan taking revenge as a direct descendant, as long as that Lu surname is killed, no one will say a word!”
“About that… how strong are the bandits currently on Peach Blossom Island?” Fang Xi asked a bit sheepishly at last.
“That ‘Lu Jingqing’ has broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining a few years ago, with four mid Qi Refining henchmen…”
Ruan Xingling honestly informed them, “At that time, I shall take care of Lu Jingqing, and for his followers, I can only rely on you all!”