I Killed Gods and Demons in Song Dynasty

Chapter 179 Wuxianzhuang

The night passed quietly.

The next day, just after daybreak, Li Qingyun started a fire in the yard and started working.

There was a hint of chill in the early morning air, but he didn't care. He quickly drew water from the well, set up an iron pot he found in the village and started to boil water.

Next, he hunted some game nearby, carefully washed and plucked it, and prepared to make soup.

Soon, bursts of aroma emanated from the pot, rising in the air along with hot steam.

Li Qingyun skillfully put wild vegetables, pheasant and rabbit meat into a clay pot and stewed them, humming a little tune happily. He tidied up the surroundings in tidy order, and the desolate and eerie courtyard suddenly had a warmer atmosphere.

It was not until the sun rose and the morning glow spread over the earth that Feng Yaqin slowly woke up from her deep meditation.

She opened her eyes and moved her limbs slightly. She felt the true Qi flowing more smoothly through her meridians. Her physical strength and cultivation had recovered a lot. The tall and handsome man's face appeared in her mind again...

Her heart trembled, her cheeks felt slightly hot, and she even felt her body go a little weak.

"I'm thinking about something..."

Feng Yaqin was slightly startled and felt ashamed. She quickly calmed her mind, took a long breath, and tried hard to put away all distracting thoughts.

Just as she was trying to calm herself, her eyes inadvertently glanced at a corner of the courtyard and saw Li Qingyun busying around with skillful movements.

He was humming a little tune while tidying up his things and tending to the fire. His leisurely and contented look warmed Feng Yaqin's heart. She nodded secretly and praised him in her heart:

"This disciple is quite diligent. It would be much more convenient to take him with me when I go out."

Feng Yaqin has been practicing in Longhu Mountain since she was young. On weekdays, she is like a canary in a cage, taken care of meticulously and rarely pays attention to these trivial matters of life.

Now when I go out, I feel very happy to see my disciples arrange everything in an orderly manner.

Li Qingyun noticed that his master had woken up, and immediately came forward with a smile, holding the steaming hot water for washing his face in both hands, and said respectfully:

"Master, this is a remote place with poor conditions. I have barely found a clean basin. Let's wash ourselves."

Feng Yaqin nodded slightly, took the basin and washed herself simply.

Her movements were graceful and calm, her eyes were indifferent, but she couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

She was very pleased that Li Qingyun was so thoughtful and considerate.

After washing up, her eyes accidentally fell on the steaming earthenware pot on the fire rack, and she couldn't help but ask softly:

"what is that?"

Li Qingyun blinked with a smile and said mysteriously:
"This is a rabbit and a pheasant that I caught. I plucked the hair and bled them, tore them into small pieces, stewed them with fresh wild vegetables, and sprinkled some salt on them. It tastes good. Master, would you like to try it?"

Although Feng Yaqin had fasted, she suddenly felt a long-lost craving for meat when she smelled the aroma of meat. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded:
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Give me a small bowl to try."

Hearing this, Li Qingyun was secretly proud:

"Brother, I am a lieutenant in the capital and the leader of the Changle Clan. Now I am personally serving you meals. Isn't this a great honor? When we return to Longhu Mountain, why don't you say a few good words to the elders in the sect and recommend me, a peerless genius in the cultivation world?"

Although he had his own plans in mind, he still had a smile on his face.

Li Qingyun had been in Bianliang City, a place where all kinds of people mixed together, for a long time, and he had already mastered the skills of dealing with people in a smooth and thorough manner.

He knew that Feng Yaqin was always clean, so he quickly washed the dishes and chopsticks with hot water, and then wiped the tables and chairs spotlessly clean. Then he brought the broth and sat down to eat with her.

Fengya Qinben still seemed a little reserved, but when she took the first sip of the broth, the rich aroma suddenly bloomed on the tip of her tongue, and a warmth instantly flowed through her body, as if even the fatigue along the way had dissipated.

"It's so fragrant!"

She nodded secretly, feeling so relieved that she couldn't help but take another big sip.

Just like that, before she knew it, she had finished five bowls of meat soup in a row. Her belly was slightly bulging, and her pale face finally showed some redness.

She gently put down the bowl, with a complex emotion in her heart...

After a night of breathing exercises, her cultivation had recovered a lot, but the strange feeling that she was somehow connected to the fate of her disciples still followed her like a shadow.

No matter how Feng Yaqin practiced her skills and tried to subdue her inner demons, that bondage would not go away. It was like an invisible thread, gently brushing the lake of her heart, causing ripples. It was no longer possible for her to be as calm as before.

She felt something was wrong in her heart, but she couldn't tell the specific reason. She couldn't help but look at Li Qingyun beside her. Her eyes fell on his handsome profile and focused expression. The more she looked, the more she felt that he was different from before.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that his dark eyes were restrained and shone with a faint golden light.

Feng Yaqin's heart trembled, and she couldn't help but exclaimed:

"Did you break through again?"

Li Qingyun looked up when he heard the voice and saw his master's surprised expression. He couldn't help but shrugged and said lightly:

"Yes, Master. Last night, when you were regulating your breathing, I had nothing to do, so I practiced the 'Golden Light Divine Mantra' you taught me. I didn't expect that I would break through by accident."

Feng Yaqin was surprised when she heard this, but she was more relieved.

She nodded, with a hint of approval on her face:
"As expected of a Heavenly Dao Foundation, any cultivation method can lead to such rapid progress without any shackles or constraints."

At this point, she showed some worry in her eyes and said slowly:

"However, since you have already successfully established your foundation before the age of thirty, there is no need to rush for success. There is still a long way to go in your cultivation. Don't rush into it and waste such a deep foundation. You must take every step firmly to truly master the great way."

Li Qingyun felt a little relieved when he saw that Feng Yaqin was surprised at his progress but did not doubt him at all.

It seems that the current speed of cultivation should alert Longhu Mountain.

So he nodded respectfully and said:

"The disciple has learned his lesson."

Feng Yaqin nodded slightly and continued:

"Yesterday I sent a letter to the sect via flying sword, informing them of Senior Brother Qi's death and the situation in Liaodong. I believe that soon, the elders of the sect will come to investigate the matter, kill the evildoer, and avenge him.

"We will burn a stick of incense for Senior Brother Qi here, and then we will set off on our journey."

There is no evil spirit here. The spirit slave has been absorbed by me... Li Qingyun muttered to himself, then nodded silently. Together with Feng Yaqin, they set up a small altar in the yard, burned incense, prayed, and recited a few Taoist mantras for the dead.

The smoke rose up and turned into a misty green light in the morning light, slowly floating towards the sky.

Although Feng Yaqin had no good feelings towards this arrogant senior brother who had been pursuing her, they were from the same school after all and had known each other since childhood. When she saw the dissipating green smoke and thought of the other party's tragic death and the disappearance of his body, she couldn't help feeling a little sad. When she turned to look at Li Qingyun, that trace of mysterious concern once again surged into her heart, causing her heart to tremble slightly.

After a while, she regained her composure and said calmly:
"Let's go." The two left the courtyard and headed northeast.

It was September, and the weather in the south of the Yangtze River was still gentle and beautiful, but at the foot of Changbai Mountain outside Yanmen Pass, it was already covered with ice and snow.

The severe winter has arrived.

Not long after they walked, the north wind picked up and snow began to fall again.

The whistling wind blew past, blowing up snowflakes all over the sky, like a sharp blade stabbing at the face.

Feng Yaqin, a great cultivator of the fourth realm, walked on the snow without fear, but was a little worried that his disciple, who had just established his foundation, could not stand the cold wind, so he deliberately slowed down his pace.

But when he turned around, he saw that Li Qingyun didn't even use the golden light to protect his body. He walked briskly with a leisurely look. His feet walked through the thick snow as if on flat ground, leaving only faint traces, without any sinking. He couldn't help but marvel at it.

So she kept speeding up her pace, wanting to see how strong her disciple was. But no matter how fast she quickened her pace, Li Qingyun followed behind her slowly, with a long and steady breath, not at all disordered. He seemed to be at ease, but not yet exerting his full strength.

"The Heavenly Dao Foundation Building is so powerful?"

The two of them walked one in front and one behind, like immortals who never touched the ground, traveling at an extremely fast speed between the ice and snow covered world.

By noon, they had walked more than 200 miles.

From afar, Feng Yaqin suddenly saw a straight and towering mountain in front of her. The top was snow-white and reached the sky, like a natural barrier standing between heaven and earth.

She stopped, looked at the mountain ahead with a serious look, and said to Li Qingyun:

"In front of us is a holy place in the cultivation world, called 'Wuxian Manor', where five extremely prestigious witches and shamans in the Liaodong area live, known as the 'Five Elders of Liaodong'.

"Their cultivation is unfathomable, their seniority is also extremely high, and their status in the cultivation world is transcendent, and they can even sit on equal footing with the heads of the major sects."

She paused and continued:
"No one has ever mentioned the real names of these five masters, you only need to remember their nicknames - Grandma Bai, Master Huang, Master Hu, Madam Liu, and Uncle Hui.

"These people are highly skilled in Taoism and are one of the initiators of this exploration of the Taoist temple of the pre-Qin period. When you enter the manor, remember not to act rashly and follow the master's arrangements in everything."

Li Qingyun nodded in agreement, but he felt quite strange about the nicknames of these five people.

Why does the name of "Five Elders of Liaodong" sound like five monsters?
He was muttering to himself, but his face did not show any strange expression. He remained as calm as ever, and followed Feng Yaqin through a large pine forest to the foot of the mountain.

Looking up at a close distance, one can see that the mountain is extremely steep, standing upright among the mountains. The top is covered with snow and shrouded in mist, making it difficult even for ordinary monks to climb to the top.

He was doubtful:
"Is there anyone living on this high mountain cliff?"

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the sound of a spring, and a huge rock on the mountain wall in front of him moved away with a rumble, revealing a pitch-black hole.

Two sturdy men in gray clothes walked out of the cave with stern expressions.

The leader stepped forward, bowed slightly towards Feng Yaqin and Li Qingyun, and said respectfully:
"The head of the family sensed the arrival of the two Taoist priests from Mount Longhu, and specially ordered me to come and greet them. Please move in and have a cup of hot tea to warm your bodies."

As he spoke, he made a gesture of courtesy, with an extremely respectful expression.

Li Qingyun saw that the two men's temples were bulging and their eyes were shining brightly. They were at least warriors of the second level, and his heart moved slightly.

This Wuxian Manor is really grand, even the gatekeepers are a pair of cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm.

Those manor owners were able to judge a person's master and sect just by the sound of footsteps at the footsteps below the mountain. It seems that they are not the kind of people who have gained their reputation for nothing.

He followed Feng Yaqin and followed the guidance of the gray-clothed man and slowly walked into the cave. Only then did he discover that there was another world inside.

The cave was spacious and bright, with brass lamps inlaid on the walls, illuminating the surroundings like daylight.

There is a spiral staircase in the center, winding up layer by layer. It is beautifully carved and looks extraordinary. It is obviously carefully crafted.

The four of them climbed all the way up and soon reached the top of the mountain.

What comes into view is a lush cedar forest. The cedars stand proudly with neatly trimmed branches and leaves, looking clean and neat, still defying the wind and snow in this cold place.

Behind the pine forest, there is a large courtyard. The courtyard is covered with thick white snow, and it looks like a fairyland.

Led by the strong men in gray, the two entered the gate, crossed the front yard, and came to a fork in the road.

Directly in front of you is a long corridor with carved beams and painted rafters, which is exquisite and elegant; the path on the side is winding and it is unknown where it leads to.

One of the grey-clothed men clasped his fists slightly towards Feng Yaqin, pointed to the long corridor in the middle, and said respectfully: "Dear guest, please go this way."

Feng Yaqin nodded slightly and walked towards the corridor.

Li Qingyun was about to catch up when he heard another man in gray say:

"Please follow me, disciple."

The voice was calm, yet it contained an unquestionable tone.

Upon hearing this, Feng Yaqin immediately stopped and looked over with a cold gaze.

The man in gray was frightened by the glance and quickly explained:

"The head of the family has instructed that the major sects rarely have the opportunity to meet each other, and the younger disciples are often restrained in front of their elders. So the elders are arranged to discuss matters together, while the younger ones can play freely."

When Feng Yaqin heard that they were going to separate her and Li Qingyun, she suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation in her heart. Her face suddenly became as gloomy as water, and a cold light flashed in her eyes. Her whole aura suddenly changed, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

She turned to look at Li Qingyun, her tone firm:

"If you don't want to go, you can also come with me. Disciples of Longhu Mountain can go wherever they want."

Her words were filled with unquestionable authority, showing her brilliance as a talented disciple of Mount Longhu.

Li Qingyun said with a smile:
"Since the master has made arrangements, I will follow them to see what is going on, so as not to hurt the harmony and embarrass the master."

After hearing this, Feng Yaqin's expression of coldness eased a little, and her eyes softened a little. She was very satisfied with her disciple's thoughtfulness and steadiness, and nodded:
"Alright, remember, if someone bullies you, fight back immediately. Don't bring shame to Longhu Mountain."

The strong man in gray sweated profusely when he heard this. He quickly put on a smile and said flatteringly:

"What are you talking about? How could anyone in Wuxian Manor dare to bully a distinguished guest..."

Halfway through his words, he felt a cold gaze piercing him, and he quickly stopped talking, not daring to say any more.

The master and the disciple parted ways, and when they turned around and met each other, no one noticed a hair as thin as a gossamer that floated out silently from Li Qingyun's hand, and was guided by a mysterious force and gently stuck to Feng Yaqin's sleeve.

When the hair attached to her body, Feng Yaqin didn't notice it, but she felt that the connection between her and Li Qingyun deepened again, as if her disciple was always by her side, accompanying her...

……

(End of this chapter)