"Let's talk while we ride the wind."
Kong Yu, anxious and fearing that his opportunity to earn might be snatched away by his seniors or juniors, could hardly stay at the foot of the mountain gate for even a moment longer.
He soared through Shanji Prefecture as he explained, "According to my master, someone from an immortal gate of the Dao lineage on Mount Luoxia in the north has descended to undergo a tribulation. I'm not sure who he is, but his plan is to reach the Qi Cultivation Realm in nine months, establish a foundation over three years, find a beauty, dismantle clans, eliminate devil cultivators, and enjoy all the benefits of wealth... then return to the north..."
"T-That's..."
Li Xuanxuan, though skeptical, could not refute it and simply muttered under his breath, "If that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem for us to just pass through there..."
Kong Yu's face showed a flicker of terror as he responded in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, you probably only think that he's nothing but a genius because you haven't encountered someone like him before. When you meet someone with fate or even Metallic Essence, you'll understand!"
"Senior Tongya should be aware of this as well... you might want to ask him," he added.
After saying this, Kong Yu fell silent and refrained from revealing more details, leaving Li Xuanxuan to infer what he would.
The two shifted the conversation to other topics, and by the time they left Shanji Prefecture, night had fallen. Kong Yu took out a jade box and placed it on his palm. He puffed his cheeks, blew out a black cloud, and explained, "Fellow Daoist, this Night Cloud is a dharma artifact that can provide concealment. Given the dangers on this road, you and your spirit beast should join me in this."
"Alright!"
Li Xuanxuan accepted his offer without hesitation. Despite Profound Peak Gate's current desolation, it still had a rich legacy. Naturally, as the descendant of Daoist Master Changxi, Kong Yu possessed many treasures.
With devil cultivators rampant and the two unable to pass through Yufu Prefecture, they were forced to navigate hills and forests filled with wild temples and rogue cultivators, where countless devil cultivators might lie in ambush. It was indeed perilous.
They had to pause their journey to cultivate during the day and resume at night. Kong Yu, who was both talkative and knowledgeable in the way of talismans, compared his notes with Li Xuanxuan, and both found the exchange extremely fruitful.
One day, as they flew toward the junction of Yue State and Xu State, they witnessed a devil cultivator fleeing on the wind, streaking across the night sky like a stream of golden light. A figure behind him, wielding a golden ring, pursued him relentlessly.
The scene was all too familiar, and they typically avoided such conflicts. Given that both the immortal and the devil were peak Qi Cultivators, provoking them was unwise.
Kong Yu stopped and whispered, "Those are people from the Golden Tang Gate... The Situ Family has some engagements with my Kong Family, so it's not right for me to just stand by. I'll lend him a hand."
As soon as Kong Yu finished speaking, he summoned a jade seal and hurled it directly at the devil cultivator. Li Xuanxuan sighed and began casting spells, using talismans to assist in restraining the devil cultivator.
Boom!
The devil cultivator, who was already exhausted, was overwhelmed by the combined assault from both parties. With two disciples from the immortal sect pressing on his tail, his several life-saving escape techniques proved futile. He met his end after only a few dozen exchanges.
The disciple from the Golden Tang Gate, wielding a golden ring that glowed with a hazy golden light, captured the devil cultivator's body and drew it toward him. It was clear he intended to claim the spoils for himself.
"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.
Li Xuanxuan didn't feel like answering him so he moved behind Kong Yu, pretending to be his lackey. Kong Yu frowned and replied, "I am Kong Yu from Profound Peak. It's been a while since I've seen anyone from the Golden Tang Gate. I'm not here to share in the spoils but rather to repay the favor of the past... I'm helping you out of gratitude."
"Oh," the young man replied indifferently, giving Kong Yu the cold shoulder.
"Oh? I see that you're a really friendly person, fellow Daoist," Kong Yu remarked sarcastically. Feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger, he swung his sleeves and turned to leave.
The young man, however, sneered and said, "And here I was, wondering who you are... It turns out you're from the One Stick of Incense Clan !"
Kong Yu's face flushed with rage instantly. His Dharma artifact flew into the air as he shouted, "How dare you, junior?!"
The young man remained unfazed, disdain evident on his face as he said, "Let me remind you that Kong Nuanmeng married Situ Li, who was already eliminated by my Situ Mo's lineage. If the Kong Family dares to mention past favors again, it'll be no different from challenging my family!"
Kong Yu's face turned into a mix of amusement and anger as he gritted his teeth and spat, "Fool! How did a great man like Situ Tang raise imbeciles like you?!"
With that, he turned and left, ignoring the shocked and furious expression of Situ Mo, the direct descendant of the Golden Tang Gate. He quickly took to the wind, with Li Xuanxuan hiding in the clouds. Li Xuanxuan let out a long sigh of relief when Situ Mo did not pursue them.
"Why provoke him, fellow Daoist? The Golden Tang Gate is known for its offensive cultivation techniques, and this Situ Mo seems like a legitimate heir. That golden ring he wields is quite formidable... Angering him could spell trouble for us."
Even if a fight did occur, Kong Yu, an old man who had failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm despite nearly a hundred years of effort, knew he would not be in immediate danger. However, the outcome might not be as favorable for Li Xuanxuan, who was merely a talisman crafter. Naturally, he feared for his life.
Kong Yu sighed and murmured, "In the past, Daoist Master Changxi visited Mount Golden Tang and helped the Golden Tang Sect move several mountains, which led to an alliance through marriage... I never imagined that time would fill the Situ Family with such arrogant descendants."
Golden Tang Gate had been in turmoil for so long, naturally, Kong Yu was aware of the changes within the Situ Family. The branch of the Kong Family that had married into the Situ Family had been wiped out long ago.
The Kong Family, being weak and unwilling to make enemies, had opted to focus on maintaining their alliance with the Golden Tang Gate rather than seeking retribution. However, Situ Mo's harsh words earlier had only chilled Kong Yu's heart.
"Clan that lasted only the duration of a stick of incense" was definitely an insult that left an impression on Li Xuanxuan. Despite his curiosity, he held back his questions and offered a few words of comfort while waiting for Kong Yu to explain further.
Unlike a sheltered disciple who had grown up on the immortal mountain, Li Xuanxuan was an astute man, having mingled with the secular world for decades.
Given how Kong Yu brought up his deceased senior brother and past favors, Li Xuanxuan realized that Kong Yu was someone who struggled to hide his grief and tended to wallow in self-pity.
After a brief silence, Kong Yu finally spoke, as expected.
"To be honest, the Kong Family has suffered greatly due to the incident in Yufu Prefecture. My grandfather perished in this affair. While searching for spirit items near Jishui Prefecture in Xu State, he lost his senses and acted like a madman. Everything would have been fine if he had found a small tavern to rest, but instead, he insulted a young man.
"The young man sneered and walked away. Six months later, he attacked our clan and killed my grandfather... Despite being a top immortal cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm, my ancestor allowed a mere Qi Cultivator to escape!"
Li Xuanxuan felt as though he was listening to a storybook.
"How is that possible..?" he exclaimed in disbelief.