“Reporting to the Daoist Master... After the incident at Green Pine Temple, Yuanwu hastily perished. That villain could barely manage his own affairs and had no opportunity to trouble our family...”
Li Chengliao answered respectfully. Tu Longjian nodded slightly, resting one hand on the table as he spoke, “Yuanwu was rash and venomous. He certainly suffered before his death. Yuanwu Peak has always been a mess; his temperament was such that even his own people feared him.”
Li Chengliao noticed that Tu Longjian seemed surprisingly familiar with Yuanwu, and even with the Tang and Yu Families, causing his heart to stir slightly. But Tu Longjian had already sunk into deep thought, Back then, Guo Er, Yu Xiuxian, Zhang Lingshu, Cheng Mianfu, and Zhang Cuotian entered Mirage Mirror Heaven together. Disputes arose midway, causing most of them to perish, with only a few managing to escape...
Guo Er claimed Yuanwu forced him into hiding. Since he was gravely wounded and near death, he had no choice but to refine himself into the Six Ding Merging Fire Token. He had fallen into slumber and was carried out by Zhang Lingshu... But how exactly did Zhang Lingshu die...
He said that before he entered Chongming Hall, there was another cushion beside the steps outside the hall, with a jade box atop it, that had been taken by Zhang Cuotian. Now it’s lost and missing.
And where did the jade stone Zhang Lingshu took end up? When Cheng Mianfu died, who took his spirit sword...
Though Tu Longjian treated his friends with great kindness, he was not without vigilance. His mind flashed with sharp thoughts, though on the surface he merely sipped his tea. His gaze paused briefly on the white ape, and his train of thought abruptly cut off.
“This one is...” Tu Longjian’s pupils turned slightly red as he activated his Purple Mansion Realm divine ability. Memories surged to the surface, and he suddenly stood up, asking, “Have you once come to this mountain?”
The white ape neither humbled himself nor showed arrogance. He bowed and said, “This old ape had the fortune to pound medicine here for over a decade, and has indeed seen the Daoist Master before.”
“So it is true!” exclaimed Tu Longjian.
The white ape looked entirely different from his past self, but his aura was faintly similar. Tu Longjian used his divine sense to compare the one before him to his memories. He felt a ripple of emotion and said deeply, “So you’ve had quite the fortune... You’ve even reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, and with True Qi at that... Why don’t you tell me about it?”
The white ape bowed deeply and said solemnly, “Reporting to the Daoist Master, after the gate was broken, this white ape was captured by the Yu Family, shackled with cold iron collars and flogged with iron whips. I encountered a demonic disaster in the marketplace, but I was fortunately rescued by my current master and have been under his protection ever since.”
Tu Longjian lowered his brows, his voice slightly hoarse as he said, “When the devil cultivators attacked the gate, the gate master escorted me along the hidden path, then turned back on his own.
“I had intended to return and check on things, but I was discovered and pursued by devil cultivators. I barely escaped five hundred kilometers away and managed to kill the pursuer by sheer luck... but I do not know what became of the gate afterward.”
The white ape’s voice was deep as he replied, “The gate master fought three enemies alone and was forcibly refined alive. The junior uncle had his head severed at the foot of the mountain... As demonic smoke billowed, the devil cultivators even used his head to devour the senior brother. Very soon, all our cultivators perished.
“I managed to escort the second young lady a few kilometers away, but my mana failed midair. We fell from the sky. I shattered half my body, and the second young lady also perished.
“I lay in the mud for a long time. Fortunately, since the devil cultivators were rampaging and scattering the demon beasts, no demonic creature came to eat me. I clawed my way out with my hands, drank a few mouthfuls of muddy water, and dug a cave to survive by sheer luck.”
Tu Longjian remained silent for more than a dozen breaths. When he spoke again, his voice was choked, “What about my father?”
At this point, the white ape’s voice could no longer remain steady, as a hoarseness crept in, “The guardian’s body was tough and well-liked by the devil cultivators. They carried him across the mountains while he was still alive. As I lay dying below, I heard the devil cultivators laughing and drinking as they divided up his flesh... Their voices only disappeared once they reached the horizon.”
Tu Longjian closed his eyes. Li Chengliao felt his heart pounding wildly and the soles of his feet burning. Blood rushed to his head, and a hazy brilliance flickered twice in the Daoist Master’s palm before extinguishing.
Sensing his discomfort, Tu Longjian forced the abnormal phenomena to fade away. Only after a full fifteen minutes did Tu Longjian open his eyes and speak softly, “I understand. You’ll come with me into the mountains. Point out each place; you and I will use divine methods to see if we can find any remains.”
The white ape glanced at Li Chengliao, who nodded his consent. Only then did he follow Tu Longjian out. The young Daoist Master left behind only a single instruction, “Chengliao, wait here. Soon, someone will invite you up to the mountain feast.”
Li Chengliao saw them off. Only then did the sweat pouring down his face begin to subside. When he looked down, he saw the bluestone beneath him flickering faintly with red light.
Molten Fire and Valley Water... They are already extremely rare today... Their power is daunting, especially in the hands of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
He would have liked to remain inside the cave dwelling, but the heat was unbearable, since it even forced his mana to evaporate and scatter. Unable to endure it, he stepped outside in just two strides and patiently waited before the stone gate.
Li Chengliao paused for a moment, and sure enough, someone rode the wind down, showing great respect as he said politely, “The banquet on the mountain has been prepared. Fellow Daoist, please proceed to take your seat.”
Li Chengliao naturally understood that Foundation Establishment Realm and Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators had to take their seats early at grand occasions like this. They would often wait three to four hours before the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators made their appearance.
The current situation is unusual. There will likely be fewer Purple Mansion guests this time.
As he pondered silently, he saw a group descend through the wind ahead of him. They all wore brilliant green dharma robes and dazzling white jade crowns, while carrying extraordinary dharma artifacts.
“Immortal envoys from Azure Pond Sect... Presenting treasured panaceas and spirit artifacts... To congratulate the Daoist Master...”
When he heard the announcements ahead, Li Chengliao realized these were cultivators from Azure Pond Sect. Each was youthful and spirited, and spoke elegantly. Their graceful leader was likely someone from the Chi Family.
Li Chengliao did not rush to take his seat but quietly observed from a corner. As the leader sat down and eagerly spoke with a boy beside him, Li Chengliao’s gaze was instantly drawn to the youth to the Chi Family member’s left.
The youth exuded a wild, unruly air, with one hand resting on the table and one foot propped on the nearby seat’s cushion. His expression was careless, his eyebrows sharp and long, and his eyes slightly narrow. If he were to look serious, he would appear quite fierce.
He found the youth’s face vaguely familiar, so Li Chengliao feigned looking for a seat and walked past their table, catching the Chi Family member’s laughter, “Yuanqin! Your cultivation has made great progress these past few days! Truly worthy of being the son of the Immortal Bow!”
The words floated softly into Li Chengliao’s ears, and he immediately reacted, his heart surging with both joy and shock, It’s him...
The careless youth scanned the seats, as if searching for something, and casually said, “The old man refuses to teach me real skills, so what’s the point? Brother Fubo, we might as well talk of other things... Chi Fuju has gone to the northern cave dwelling ruins, and here we are, stuck eating and drinking...”
His words made Li Chengliao’s heart sink. Chi Fubo’s expression instantly darkened as he set down his jade cup, his voice lowering, “You’re right, Yuanqin... But even now, the main branch holds nine peaks among the thirty-six... It won’t be easy to surpass him. I tried the plan we discussed, but my uncle does harbor some doubts about him...