The ancestor is incompetent!

Chapter 29 Allegiance
Li Yuan rubbed his brows and forced himself not to let his mind wander. The Qi Ling Sect's bearing didn't seem like it couldn't accommodate a few more true cultivators. After all, in this vast world of immortal cultivation, the Qi Ling Sect was only a medium-sized sect. Every additional true cultivator would naturally bring many benefits.

Then it’s not that the ancestor cannot tolerate geniuses, but other aspects.

But the Qi Ling Sect emphasizes the inheritance of orthodox Taoism, and it is impossible for them to use those evil methods too much. Could it be that the two ancestors want to eat humans in order to practice?
Li Yuan, standing on the cloud, pondered for a long time without any result. Seeing that the market was approaching, he stopped thinking about it.

He entered the market town, suppressed his cultivation and came to Baikui Hall. It happened that there were no customers in the hall at that time. There was only a disciple standing in front of the counter, and three or two mortal helpers.

"Fellow Daoist, what kind of puppet do you like?"

The young disciple came forward to greet him with a smile, but did not recognize Li Yuan who was wearing a mask.

"Come with me to the back hall."

Li Yuan took out his identity token and waved it in front of the man. The specially made black label elder's order with gold thread startled the disciple, and he quickly led him into the inner hall.

As soon as he entered the inner hall, the disciple said respectfully: "Disciple Zhang Qi, I pay my respects to the elder!"

"No need to be so polite. I'm not here for any business within our sect. I'm just here for a personal trip. I need you to do something for me or run an errand for me. Are you willing?" Li Yuan asked.

"It is my honor to serve the elder!" Zhang Qi agreed without hesitation.

"Take these spirit stones and go to Linglong Pavilion to buy a medium-sized water-type spirit gathering array. The remaining spirit stones will be used as compensation for your hard work."

Li Yuan waved his sleeves, and a pile of spiritual stones appeared in front of him. Although he didn't show it on his face, he felt pain in his heart. This was all his wealth.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi couldn't help but get excited. He quickly responded, then picked up the spirit stone and trotted out.

Watching him run away, Li Yuan sighed in his heart. There were not many good shops in Wenshan Market. Apart from the four major forces, only a large force like Linglong Pavilion had such a complete range of spiritual objects. Other forces were too far away from Wenshan Market and had no intention of opening a shop.

Regardless of whether he was hunted down last time because of the shopkeeper or because of Linglong Pavilion, Li Yuan would not risk going to Linglong Pavilion again.

After half an hour, Zhang Qi came back with a happy face, handed him the spirit gathering array, and said with a smile: "Elder, there are still 27 spirit stones left. I have been negotiating the price with the shopkeeper for a long time. Please take a look."

Li Yuan laughed and said, "You are quite a talker. Let the seven spirit stones be your hard-earned money for running away."

"Disciple dare not accept it, please take it back, Elder." Zhang Qi waved his hands in panic.

Li Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the young man in front of him, his tone unable to tell whether he was happy or angry, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Disciple doesn't dare!" Zhang Qi's knees suddenly softened, and he knelt in front of him, saying nervously: "Disciple only wants to follow the elder!"

"Oh? Do you know which elder I am?" Li Yuan felt a little funny.

"I am just making a fuss, elder. Although you have suppressed your voice, I can still tell that you are not very old. Your figure and temperament are as calm as water. In addition, you need a water spirit gathering formation, and there are not many young elders in the mountain who practice water magic.

Moreover, elders usually have trusted disciples who will do some errands for them, so I guess you are Elder Li Yuan who made a big splash a few years ago and shocked all the disciples in the mountain."

Zhang Qi finished speaking in one breath and knocked his head to the ground. His heart was beating rapidly and he felt uneasy.

"Okay, you have a good eye and a great mind. It's a pity that I am the weakest among the elders, and I have always kept a low profile. Why do you insist on surrendering to me?"

Li Yuan first praised him, then stared at him with a smile.

"Because I am good at the ancient divination technique, the hexagram shows the image, it is beneficial to be in the position of the snake, the water method, and the upper three consecutive years.

I am certain that you are my destined benefactor." Zhang Qi forced himself to calm down and clearly stated his reasons.

"What do you want?" Li Yuan did not agree, but continued to ask.

"I dare to ask for something similar to what the elder wants."

After Zhang Qi finished speaking, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he had already come this far and could not afford to hesitate any longer.

The inner hall fell into silence. Li Yuan glanced at the disciple in front of him. He was only in his thirties and in the initial stage of Qi training. His spiritual roots should not be very good, otherwise he would not have been assigned to be a manager in the market town.

He has good vision, courage, and strategy. If he has his own support, he may be able to become an elder in the future. As for building the foundation of true cultivation, that depends on fate.

"These are two puppets I made privately. If you can sell them within a month without going into the inner circle, bring the spirit stones back to the mountain gate to see me.

"

Li Yuan stretched out his hand and a communication talisman and two puppet figures landed in front of Zhang Qi. He bowed excitedly and said, "Disciple thanks you, sir!"

He looked up, but found that there was no one in front of him.

On the street in the market town, Li Yuan was still thinking about Zhang Qi. Although etiquette was important in the mountain gate, no one would kneel down and kowtow easily, unless they were punished for breaking the rules of the sect or when disciples of an elder were paying homage to their ancestors.

Relationships such as master-disciple and blood elders are naturally not included.

But it also shows that Zhang Qi is very determined to seek the truth and will not give up even if there is a slight possibility.

He left the market town and returned to the mountain gate without any trouble along the way. Then he gathered the spiritual materials for refining the real body puppet on the small street where the disciples of the sect set up stalls.

The main materials of these puppets are the most precious and used in large quantities. Other auxiliary materials have more or less in common and are used in smaller quantities. There are also many substitutes, so the main materials are the most troublesome in refining puppets.

After returning to the courtyard, Li Yuan read the detailed explanation of puppets again and simulated it several times. Then, after preparing materials such as Qixuan wood and Yunxi tree fruit in advance, he went out again three days later.

This time, Li Yuan went straight down the mountain. Less than a hundred miles north of Qi Lingmen, there was a big city at the foot of the mountain that accommodated tens of thousands of mortals and lived and multiplied.

In front of the tall gate of Yunzhou City, Li Yuan was walking among the crowd with a gourd hanging from his waist, wearing a light blue gown and shoulder-length hair.

There were two rows of soldiers guarding the city gate, but they let the people pass without checking them one by one.

On the top of the city wall, an old man with a dirty nose was lying on a bench with his legs crossed, holding a fat roast chicken in one hand and a wine bag in the other. He took a bite with the left hand and a sip with the right hand, and was as happy as a god.

The moment Li Yuan stepped into the city gate, the old man's expression changed. He hurriedly took the roast chicken and wine, then rolled down the city wall and came to Li Yuan. He said respectfully, "Disciple greets the elder! I wonder if the elder can use me for anything?"

Although his actions surprised the mortals entering and leaving the city, it was obvious that the mortals in the city had already known about the existence of immortal cultivators and were not too surprised.

"Are you the disciple guarding this place?" Li Yuan said with a smile, "Be more restrained next time. If it were the other elders, they would probably scold you. Take me to the death row in the city."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Elder!" The old man with a bad nose chuckled, wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, and hurriedly led the way. As he walked, he asked, "But Elder, one of your descendants has been wrongly imprisoned? Why would you need to go there in person for such a small matter? Just send a disciple to inform them."

Li Yuan said expressionlessly: "Just because I was refining a magic weapon and was short of a few souls, I went to death row."

"Soul... Soul..." The old man was so frightened that he trembled. He dared not be lazy anymore. He straightened his waist and his face was stiff for a while before he smiled: "The people in the death row are all extremely evil and deserve to die. It is their honor to be of use to the elder."

Soon they arrived at the death row, which was so narrow that only one person could pass through, and it was difficult for two women to walk side by side. As soon as they entered, a damp, hot, and smelly smell hit them in the face.

Li Yuan frowned and held his breath. He could go for several hours without taking a breath.

Two yamen runners followed them in, one in front and one behind holding torches to illuminate the dark and gloomy underground. They walked a full hundred feet before they saw rows of narrow and cramped cells, and the sound of iron chains could be heard one after another.

In such a place, a normal person would not survive more than half a year. They would have to eat, drink, defecate and urinate in this tiny area of ​​half a meter. Their hands and feet would be locked tightly with iron chains. They would not see the sun, and there would not even be a breath of wind. They would not know how much time passed.

Li Yuan used his magical power to spread the word, "I need the souls of three people to refine the weapon. If anyone voluntarily offers his soul, I can allow him to leave this death row for three days, and he can eat delicious food and drink every day, and live happily in brothels and brothels.

But there are only three days left. When the time comes, I will collect your souls. After using your souls, I will be reincarnated. If you are interested, you can stop me."

His voice echoed among the group of vicious criminals. The murderous demons looked at him greedily and raised their hands one after another.

After all, these people were already on death row. They would either be held in custody until their execution or stay here and be tortured to death.

It would be better to go out and have some fun, and be free and easy.

"I do! I do!"

"Master Immortal, choose me! Choose me!"

Li Yuan looked at their excited expressions, and with a sweep of his mind, he selected three men with stronger souls and said to the jailers, "Just tell the city lord that Elder Li Yuan of Lingfeng has taken away three death row prisoners."

"Yes! Yes! Master Immortal!" How could the two officers dare to have any objection? Everyone in this city knew that those on the mountain were immortals with boundless magical powers. Only old people with no hope of leisure would come down the mountain and live among them, the mortal world.

But in this city, the power of life and death is almost entirely in the hands of the people on the mountain.

The officer opened the prison door and the three men danced with excitement. It felt so good not to be in shackles!

Li Yuan flicked his sleeves and three streams of water elemental magic power shot into the heads of the three people, then said: "If the three of you take a step out of Yunzhou City within three days, my magic power will instantly penetrate your heart and decay your body and die. The pain will be a hundred times more horrible than the lingchi in the mortal world!
Go give them some silver and let them have fun and eat and drink."

Li Yuan gave an instruction to the flat-nosed old man and disappeared like the wind.

When he reappeared, he was already standing in front of a dilapidated adobe house. It was obvious that the house had been abandoned for a long time, and the door frame was covered with dust.

The small yard was surrounded by a fence, and enclosed an area about ten feet wide. A few hens were walking around with their wings folded, leisurely lowering their heads to take a few bites from the rotten and chaotic soil.

Next to the old well covered with moss, there was a young woman with a coarse cloth tied on her head. She was beating clothes on the stone with a clapboard, and the splashing water wet the area.

Li Yuan, standing at the door, looked at the woman, but could not find any familiarity in her appearance.

"My dear, where are you from? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The woman looked up when she noticed someone and saw a handsome young man with extraordinary temperament standing at the gate of the courtyard.

Li Yuan was brought back to his senses by the voice and said with a smile, "Excuse me, big sister, where did the Li family who originally lived here go?"

"Li?" The woman smoothed her scattered hair with her wrist and asked in surprise, "Do you recognize my father-in-law and mother-in-law? They both passed away seven years ago. My father-in-law passed away first, and my mother-in-law followed a few days later."

"Oh, I forgot." Li Yuan was startled and said to himself, "Yes, it has been more than 50 years."

The woman looked at the man in front of her with some confusion, wondering if he had a problem with his brain. What a waste of a good-looking body.

"Jun Gui! Get this guy out now!" she shouted towards the inner room.

"What is it?"

A man in his early thirties walked out of the house, holding a yellowed book in his hand. He was wearing an ordinary but neat black gown, and walked in a gentlemanly manner.

"Brother, what can I do for you?"

"Come to return something." Li Yuan glanced at the man and raised his hand. A jade pendant tied with an old red rope hung from his hand. Although the jade was of poor quality with a green luster, it seemed to have a layer of white light flickering. There was also a word "Li" engraved on the front of the jade pendant.

"This is a gift from our ancestors, the Li family. I came here today to return it."

Li Jungui was a little confused and said, "It's a pity that my ancestors have passed away. I don't know whether it is true or not. Now I am poor and have no money to redeem it."

"Are you our ancestor Li Zheng's..." Li Yuan asked uncertainly.

"I am an adopted son. My parents died when I was twelve, so I was adopted by my uncle. My name was changed to Jungui." Li Jungui's face looked normal, as if he was not talking about himself, but there was still a flash of sadness in his eyes.

"In that case, we are related by blood." Li Yuan held out the jade pendant. "This was given to me by Li Zheng in his early years. I was entrusted to return this jade pendant to the clan."

Li Jungui took the jade pendant with a half-believing and half-doubting attitude. After taking a look at it, he said in surprise, "Sir, do you know where the owner of this jade pendant is? I will definitely reward you handsomely!"

"This person has passed away. He was nearly sixty years old. He died of illness in Yongzhou. His ashes were scattered into the Qi River according to his wishes. I am only asking you to return this item. I hope you will accept my condolences."

Li Yuan sighed and turned around and said, "Since the item has been returned, I will take my leave. But this jade pendant was the most precious thing to its owner during his lifetime, so I hope you can keep it properly."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at the old courtyard, which was not much different from what he remembered. He smiled with relief and turned to leave.

Only Li Jungui was holding the jade pendant by himself, muttering, "Yes, it's the jade pendant that my cousin wears on his chest!

My father is eighteen years younger than my great uncle, and the abducted cousin Hua Ming is now in his sixties, so it is impossible that it is the young man in front of me. "

(End of this chapter)