Li Qinghong’s pupils dilated slightly and the violet light in her eyes faded significantly. She had already stowed away the Duruo Spear, exhaled softly, brought her delicate hands together, and said gently, "Qinghong greets senior."
Li Qinghong remembered that day all too clearly. Chi Buzi’s soul had seemed damaged, and she didn’t know if he still recalled what happened. So she left it at that, simply calling him senior.
If Chi Buzi had indeed lost his memory, then it would be as if the two had never met. And if he was merely some Water Mansion Immortal Official, then her words would not be out of place either.
Chi Buzi, hair loose and unkempt, said nothing. He sat down on a nearby stone bench and his pale cyan eyes was fixed on her.
He had achieved the Purple Mansion Realm many years ago, and cultivated the Pristine Water Dao, which revolved around the balance of clarity and murk. Naturally, his appearance was refined and his presence ethereal. Yet in his eyes lingered something strange, something twisted and eerie. He parted his lips slightly and spoke in a low voice, "Li Qinghong, you recognize me."
Though he smiled, his words were cold like snow in the depths of winter, falling all over Li Qinghong’s body. She lowered her gaze and spoke, "Senior jests... Qinghong has cultivated for decades and never once laid eyes on a Purple Mansion Realm master. How could I be so fortunate as to witness a real Immortal’s presence..."
Chi Buzi sat quietly in the guest seat and used no divine abilities. Yet his presence was overwhelming, pressing heavily on Li Qinghong’s chest where she stood.
Dong, dong, dong...
The spring within the cave residence began to echo, its once-clear waters slowly turning a murky gray. Chi Buzi lifted his brow and said with a smile, "Li Qinghong, I can see it clearly. You're afraid of me, whether from guilt or fear itself. You may have methods to resist divine ability, but I can see it all."
Chi Buzi gazed at her calmly and continued, "That time, I likely used a soul searching technique and accidentally touched that one's Metallic Essence, that’s why I ended up like that. But this time... I won’t be careless."
The golden sash at his waist glowed faintly with spell-light. Chi Buzi rose and paced two steps atop the platform, speaking in a low voice, "I guessed it was your family, so I dared not return to Moongaze Lake. But after much searching, I found this Zongquan Island in the outer seas. So, I waited here."
Chi Buzi clasped his hands behind his back, standing with his back to the cave’s source of light. On his pale hands were two faint lines, and he spoke gently, "Now that Pristine Water has gone to the Outer Heavens and has no strength to oversee things here, I came. Li Qinghong."
He slowly turned around. From his pale cyan pupils emerged a terrifying murky qi, gathering into a mist-like haze that curled upward from the corners of his eyes. He asked, "And who’s the master? Yingze? Shexian? Or the one from the Water Mansion?"
Li Qinghong didn’t answer, only feeling the suffocating pressure in the cave intensify. She dissected Chi Buzi’s words, line by line and quickly arrived at a conclusion, 'I guessed it was your family'... 'you're afraid of me'. Chi Buzi's memory is definitely fragmented. Otherwise, he wouldn't be guessing, he'd remember what happened that day clearly.
There’s a ninety percent chance that he forgot what happened at the lake. Whether he truly forgot or merely dared not remember, it makes no difference!
Chi Buzi seemed indifferent, but those pale cyan eyes of his were clearly gauging her expression. He said, "Li Qinghong, that one left something in my soul, you must know this."
He smiled slightly, revealing sharp white teeth, beckoned with a finger, and whispered, "I didn’t dare think of it at all. I just wandered the Eastern Sea with that foolish Immortal Official, pointing everything out to him one by one, unraveling all his precious constructs. And so, his spirit wavered and he lost his foundation.
"Once his spirit wavered, he made the wrong choice. And then I consumed that foolish Immortal Official and swallowed all his cultivation. Only then did I dare to think again. You underestimated me, as did Chi Wei, Yuan Xiu and Pristine Water."
His tone remained calm, "I'm not some fool easily suppressed. The methods used to keep other Purple Mansion Realm cultivators obedient don’t work on me.
"I've already devoured the Immortal Official, it was a true tonic. It allowed me to master a fourth divine ability, one called Chougui Hidden Form. It conceals all dharmas within the body, and can do many, many things."
He walked to the head seat and slowly sat down, facing the glow of the cave, speaking softly, "The fact that you don’t dare kill me proves you’ve not yet reached the Golden Core Realm. You wish to reclaim your Fruition Attainment and to do that, Pristine Water must be eliminated."
Chi Buzi gave a faint smile and said gently, "How Pristine Water’s Fruition Attainment is dealt with, I won’t covet. I only ask for a single Golden Core, whether it’s a surplus position or an intercalary one, I ask only for that. The master will need someone like me..."
His expression was sincere, his tone gentle, "If the master wishes to reclaim Fruition Attainment or even ascend to immortal rank, you will need a capable hand. Trust me. In such a filthy world, whether for righteous path or heretical, people like me are the true sharp blades. The Immortal Official types... will only make more and more of a mess."
Chi Buzi didn’t wait for Li Qinghong to respond and said softly, "Whether Pristine Water will return gravely injured, whether Shangyuan will be struck down and retreat to Fruition Attainment. I, a mere Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, cannot see clearly. But the master surely can. If there is any command, you may stir fate itself to guide this humble one, Buzi will know."
It sounded like a pledge, yet also a subtle probe. He continued in a low voice, "But if this humble one dies, Pristine Water will surely notice. I fear it may jeopardize master’s plans."
Li Qinghong understood these words weren’t meant for her. She remained silent. Chi Buzi rose from the high seat, descended step by step, and came to stand before her, smiling and said, "Buzi takes his leave."
His figure vanished like a gust of murky wind, slipping into the cracks of stone and disappearing into the great void.
Li Qinghong remained standing in the courtyard, unsure whether the ‘master’ Chi Buzi spoke of was truly watching. She stood still for two breaths, then sat cross-legged, silently digesting everything Chi Buzi had said.
Qunyi Strait.
Chi Buzi moved through the great void, plunging deep beneath the sea. After traveling over five thousand kilometers, he stopped on a desolate, uninhabited island.
His hands, hidden in his sleeves, still trembled uncontrollably. His breath was rapid, and the calm, composed demeanor from earlier had long since vanished. His vision darkened with lingering panic.
"Damn it... That was a True Monarch or maybe even an immortal..." Chi Buzi panted as he tried to steady himself. The fact that he hadn't yet exploded into a puddle of blue water meant the True Monarch had at least partially accepted what he said.
"To bargain with a tiger... It's a desperate move, but the only one I have..." Chi Buzi’s expression darkened gradually as he muttered, "Pristine Water must know that the current Dao requires blending purity and turbidity to be successful. Yet he deceived Chi Rui and Chi Wei completely, handing down that Five Elements Command Metal Technique. He clearly just wants to keep them from breaking through!
"Right... Muhai said it himself, he’s strained everything to suppress the dragon nature of his Fruition Attainment. How could he possibly allow anyone else to attain a surplus or intercalary position? He fears being usurped more than anything!"
Chi Buzi’s gaze was steeped in shadow, like a venomous serpent. He muttered to himself, "If I want to reach the Golden Core Realm, staying under Pristine Water only leads to death! I’d be thrown into that Pristine Gui Pool eventually... If I can’t reach the Golden Core Realm in this life, what’s the point of living? Better to die now!"
He had nothing to lose. He didn’t fear being struck down by the Li Family’s True Monarch, or being discovered by Pristine Water. If he couldn’t break through to the Golden Core Realm, it was only a matter of time before he died anyway.
Let it be death then. I’ll try it anyway! Chi Buzi’s thoughts churned as he considered, That one is likely Water Virtue too, it’s able to navigate both sides. If I get a clear read on them, and they falter. Then, once things are done with Pristine Water’s backing, I might still have a chance at Golden Core Realm...