This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 336 Asking the Nine Paths to Heaven (Thanks to the guild leader 'Even I, the cat, think you're outrageous' for the generous donation)

"I thought of it!"

In the quiet room, Xiang Yuan's worried expression vanished, and he opened his eyes with joy, naming this self-created supernatural power "Nine Paths of Asking Heaven".

He managed to squeeze out four words in three days, which almost killed him.

Of course, as Xiang Yuan would say, this is called slow and meticulous work; as long as the name is cool, everything is worth it.

boom!
The cruise ship cut through the waves, the river wind suddenly picked up, and the ship shook violently, as if it had hit some boundary and entered a landscape painting without warning.

Thick ink represents the mountains, with rugged peaks like a giant brushstroke; light ink represents the clouds, with drifting mist and haze, as if an immortal lightly swept the brush, outlining a vast and misty landscape with just a few strokes.

There are also large areas of blank space, which gives off a sense of ethereal beauty.

The bow of the boat cut through the surface of the river like a ribbon, ripples spreading out like a brushstroke across raw paper, leaving delicate, wispy ink marks. Several egrets were startled from the reeds, their wings fluttering, causing ink-like specks to fall, drifting away like smoke and mist, disappearing into the distant sky.

"It came at just the right time. If it had been three or five seconds earlier, I would have been holding back... I never thought of such a cool name."

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, his senses spreading out. The ink-colored scroll was a magical artifact, and in the distance stood three figures in black, two men and one woman, all with their faces covered, their disguises rather perfunctory.

Xiang Yuan didn't say anything. The three grandmasters met the requirements, and as long as the information was true, there was no chance of failure on this trip.

Given that the situation is already in their favor, the fact that they're willing to cover their faces is already a big concession.

He took out the Mad Beauty Sword and threw it out. After the female zombie caught it, he said, "Ah Hong, take down the three people blocking the way. Go easy on them. They're just delivering business to our doorstep. Kill three-quarters of them, but don't take their lives."

Compared to Wentian Jiudao, Xiang Yuan's choice of name for the female zombie was undoubtedly much more hasty. He decided on it in no more than three seconds after seeing her red outfit.

Ah Hong nodded, a hint of red light flashing in her eyes. She channeled her cold-blooded will into her clone and disappeared into the quiet room.

At the same time, the cruise ship opened its window, and Li Ziqing peered out, looking at the three grandmasters standing high in the sky, thinking to himself that they had arrived very quickly.

She turned to look at Li Jingwu and Li Zisu, who were playing chess, and asked with great interest, "Master, senior brother, this is the border between two factions. In front is the Cao family of Luzhou, and behind is the Wang family of Liangzhou. Which family do you think made the move?"

"neither."

Li Jingwu placed a piece on the board: "I recognize this magic weapon. The scoundrels from the Sun family of Jiangdong have arrived."

"Ah, they're all the way in Jiangdong, how come they're so well-informed?"

Li Ziqing was taken aback. The Sun family of Jiangdong was located in the easternmost part of Southern Jin, a long distance away. Logically, it shouldn't have been this fast.

"The Hundred Rivers Alliance is a mixed bag, which is not surprising," Li Jingwu said calmly.

“Master, the three Grandmasters have arrived. I’m afraid the man surnamed Xiang won’t be able to hold onto the Zhenshui Iron Sword. Surely the Grandmasters of Qingyun Sect will make their move this time?” Li Ziqing’s interest grew even stronger. The scene of multiple Grandmasters fighting was truly astonishing. To witness such powerful figures clash would leave him with no regrets in this life.

"..."

Li Jingwu paused slightly as he held his son's hand. His intuition told him that even without the intervention of the grandmasters behind the Qingyun Sect, the three grandmasters of the Sun family would be easily defeated.

Although the guess was far-fetched, Li Jingwu still believed it.

He sighed and put down the chess piece, feeling quite worried. Three nights ago, he had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg and realized that Xiang Yuan was powerful, like a dragon crossing the river, suppressing the local bully and rendering him unable to move.

Even a powerful Grandmaster of the Transcendent Realm like Illusionary Path was ultimately forced to have an external body captured by him.

Li Jingwu was unsure of Xiang Yuan's true strength. The Qingyun Sect had also laid an ambush nearby with several grandmasters. Could his Li family withstand such a powerful force rushing into Tai'an Prefecture, the capital?
Li Jingwu was deeply wary of Qingyun Sect's schemes. He thought to himself that there was no way to solve their open plot. The Li family would have to let Xiang Yuan enter the capital in order to obtain the Zhenshui Iron Sword. But if they let Xiang Yuan enter the capital, it would be like opening the gates of the capital wide, allowing Qingyun Sect to come and go as they pleased.

Coming and going is not scary. The six great families often come and go together, and have long since expanded their gates. What is scary is that the Qingyun Sect will think the house is nice and stay there.

Thinking of this, Li Jingwu felt a chill run down his spine and looked expectantly into the distance.

You three scoundrels from the Sun family, you absolutely must win!

If we really can't win, it's good to lure out the Qingyun Sect's grandmaster and figure out how deep this trap is.

"Master, who is that senior in red?"

Li Ziqing's eyes shone as she watched Ah Hong walk on air. She was captivated by the older sister's heroic and valiant demeanor and took her as her role model, secretly vowing to grow up to be like her.

"The body outside the body of the Path of Illusion is an empty shell and a dead thing."

"..."

Forget it, I hope I don't grow up to look like that in the future.

Li Ziqing felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He shook his head repeatedly, trying to dispel the image of himself dressed in red, and asked in surprise, "Master, how does the Xiang family member control the 'body outside the body' of the Illusionary Annihilation Path? Could it be that he also cultivates the evil techniques of the Illusionary Annihilation Path?"

"I've told you so many times, all the prestigious sects are like this. What's so strange about him coming from the Qingyun Sect?"

Li Jingwu paused here, then instructed, "Don't always use the surname Xiang. Xiang Zuoshi has a given name, Zisu, and so do you. From now on, you should address him as Senior Xiang."

"I understand, my disciple."

Li Zisu had no objection, but Li Ziqing still had some doubts: "Master, I remember you taught your disciple that a cultivator must not fear power and must hold a righteous heart in order to..."

Li Jingwu interrupted directly: "I also said that those who cultivate themselves should be able to live a long life by assessing the situation and having a sense of awe. Being a little sweet-talking is never a bad thing."

"..."

Alright, you're the master, whatever you say goes.

Li Ziqing looked up at the sky, his gaze drawn to the fierce battle high above.

At first, the woman in red fought one-on-one against a grandmaster and held her own. After a while, another grandmaster stepped in, making it two against one, and she still held her own.

In the final three-on-one situation, they held a clear advantage.

Li Ziqing's mouth opened wider and wider, and he looked at his master and senior brother with a "ba aba" sound, admitting that his master was right, and that it was not a bad thing for a cultivator to be a little sweet-tongued.

The camera pans, and two heads peek out from the window. Li Zisu joins the stunned silence, his mouth agape along with his junior sister's.

Li Jingwu didn't join in the fun; with his divine sense, he clearly saw the fierce battle in the sky.

The three grandmasters of the Sun family suffered a devastating defeat; if he had been in their shoes, the outcome would have been the same—whoever faced them would have met a tragic end.

Li Jingwu's forehead was dripping with sweat. The three rats from Jiangdong failed to lure out the master of Qingyun Sect, and they couldn't even figure out Xiang Yuan's true strength. The latter threw out a body-shifting device he had picked up, and the three rats were beaten so badly that they ran away with their heads in their hands.

Is it really a good idea to bring such a terrifying force to the capital, Shangyuan Prefecture?
Or, let's make the people suffer a little and not control the flood this year.

After an incense stick had burned, Xiang Yuan strode to the top deck of the cruise ship, followed closely by Li Jingwu and the other two, who lagged a few steps behind to show their respect.

Under the eaves of the top deck of the cruise ship, three heavily injured Sun Clan masters knelt in a row, looking warily at the female zombie wielding the Rouge Sword. A beating was about to be launched at them, and despite her great reasoning, she couldn't beat them up.

Whose subordinate is this? He's so formidable!

This person isn't mentioned in the intelligence...

I understand now, she is a powerful magic weapon that cannot be broken by anyone other than three grandmasters!
Damn the Hundred Rivers Alliance, is this how you deliver intelligence? Isn't this deliberately setting us up?!
Under the incredulous gazes of the three grandmasters, Xiang Yuan pulled out a chair, sat down, beckoned his subordinate Ah Hong, and sheathed the Mad Beauty Sword.

Ah Hong stood silently behind Xiang Yuan. Unlike the dead Jiang, she placed her delicate fingers on Xiang Yuan's shoulder, looking meek and gentle as she massaged his shoulder, much like a spoiled young master's mistress.

Considering that Ah Hong is able to move, it is entirely controlled by Xiang Yuan's primordial spirit, so it can be considered that she is touching herself.

The three of us haven't even beaten a single maid; your actions are rather excessive! x3
Xiang Yuan met three angry gazes and sized up the three grandmasters who had removed their masks. They came from prominent families, the men were tall and the women were handsome, all of them outstanding in appearance.

"Name."

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. The three of us were no match for them, which is due to our lack of skill. The fault lies with ourselves, and we have no complaints."

The leading man was furious, his eyes bloodshot, and said, "But you, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, are putting on airs here. This is going too far! Let your master come out and speak!"

You lowly masters, why do you all use the same lines? Can't you come up with something new?

Xiang Yuan glanced at the three of them disdainfully and said in a pretentious tone, "A defeated general dares to boast of bravery? A scholar can be killed but not humiliated, is that it? Fine, I'll grant your wish!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Hong stepped forward.

The camera then shifts to three bruised and battered masters kneeling obediently.

The man at the head of the group smiled shyly, revealing two missing front teeth: "So that you may know, senior, the three of us are members of the Sun family of Jiangdong. I am Sun Hao, and these are my younger brother Sun Qian and my younger sister Sun Shanwei."

It's a no-go that it's not Sun Ce, Sun Quan, or Sun Shangxiang! Also, Sun Hao was a ruler who lost his country, and you're from Jiangdong and the Sun family—that's bad luck!
Xiang Yuan wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but no one understood the joke he threw out, which was a pity given Sun Shiwan's reputation for being so cheerful. He had no choice but to give up in disappointment.

He looked at Sun Hao and nodded with satisfaction: "Your thick skin is quite adept at navigating social situations, which is quite the demeanor of a grandmaster. You are a person who can accomplish great things. However... your younger siblings seem to have a lot of opinions about me. They look at me with disdain and are quite arrogant!"

"Senior, you misunderstand. It's not that the two of them are unwilling to accept it, but rather that they've been fighting for so long that they're too embarrassed to smile."

"Alright, since you're quite eloquent, I'll accept this excuse for now."

Xiang Yuan returned the smile with a generous smile, squinting his eyes as he said, "Jiangdong is thousands of miles away. The three of you have come here and blocked our way. Do you have something in mind about the Zhenshui Iron Sword?"

"Senior, as you can see, the three of us juniors have such meager skills, how could we dare to have any thoughts? It was all a misunderstanding!" Sun Hao explained repeatedly, insisting that it was a misunderstanding, and that the fight was caused by a problem in the communication process.

"They won't shed tears until they see the coffin; they still won't tell the truth now."

Xiang Yuan's smile widened as he pointed at Sun Shanwei, who was tall, had long legs, and a delicate face, and said, "If you don't say anything, someone else will. Ah Hong, take this woman named Sun something-wei to my room, wash her clean, wrap her in a sheet, and I have my own ways of getting her to talk."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Shanwei's face turned deathly pale, while Sun Qian's eyes blazed with fury, as if he wanted to fight another three hundred rounds.

Unfortunately, they couldn't fight; even standing up was difficult.

Sun Hao took off his Qiankun Ring, released the primordial spirit restriction, and said quickly, "Senior, I am willing to tell the truth. I came here because the floods in Jiangdong are the most severe, and it happens every year. I am here to ask for the Water-Suppressing Iron Sword to control the floods. I am here to do business."

Xiang Yuan didn't believe it. He waved his hand and took the Qiankun Ring. He swept it with his primordial spirit and found a large number of rare and precious materials, all of which were cultivation supplies.

They really are here to discuss business!

Of course, winning is a different story.

The Sun family of Jiangdong came with two plans: if they won, they would seize the Zhenshui Iron Sword; if they lost, they would honestly discuss business. They were rich and foolish, so Xiang Yuan could just ask for whatever price they wanted and they would accept it.

Xiang Yuan marveled at how meticulous large families were in handling affairs: they would first be courteous, then resort to force, and after the force was used, they could still be courteous again. No matter the situation, they always had a foolproof solution.

However, this is nothing compared to what's to come; it's a gross underestimation of Li Xianyuan's extraordinary abilities.

"Sir, with such a small amount of money, it's difficult for me to do anything for you!"

Xiang Yuan put away the Qiankun Ring: "I am going to Southern Jin with the Zhenshui Iron Sword. I do not seek money or fame, but only to save the people from suffering. If you insist that I do this for money, I will not refuse. I will take this business. Next, let's discuss the money for your lives."

"Senior, hasn't the misunderstanding been cleared up?"

"What? Just because I'm a senior, does that mean I can't bully the weak a little?"

Xiang Yuan chuckled lightly: "I don't know how you Southern Jin do business, but this is how my Southern Border Yellow Springs Path has always done business."

"..." x6
The man was in Southern Shanxi, and before he even disembarked, he gave the locals a small shock of the southern frontier.

Sun Hao smiled wryly and took the Qiankun Ring from Sun Qian's hand: "Senior, here is the money we three paid to save our lives. Please count it. If it's not enough, my sister has another Qiankun Ring."

Wow, they're so well prepared!

Xiang Yuan thought to himself that the Sun family was mature enough to understand how to conduct themselves in society. Whether the Sun family was involved in the 140s or not was still uncertain, but the Sun family's way of dealing with people and things was well understood and could not be denied.

He took the Qiankun Ring from Sun Qian's hand, scanned it with his primordial spirit, nodded in satisfaction, and looked at Sun Shanwei with curiosity: "If I am satisfied now, what is the meaning of the Qiankun Ring in your sister's hand?"

"Money to buy your life!"

"I've already bought it."

“There are two debts. One is to buy my life from you, senior, and the other is to ask for your protection so that my siblings and I wouldn’t be harmed by the Li family of Shangyuan,” Sun Hao said with a simple and honest smile.

"Alright, just based on the business acumen of the Sun family, I'll protect the three of you." Xiang Yuan exclaimed in amazement, truly impressed this time.

"The senior is kind-hearted and generous, and his ambition and magnanimity are beyond our reach..."

"Stop bragging. Find yourself a room to stay in. After I finish my visit to Shangyuan Prefecture, I'll go with you to Jiangdong."

Xiang Yuan glanced at Li Jingwu and said, "If anything happens to the three of you, I will give my life for yours, and I will not let you go to the Yellow Springs alone."

Li Jingwu, keeping his eyes down and his mind at ease, abandoned his idea of ​​launching a night raid on Sun Hao and his two companions upon hearing this. Instead, he began to consider a plan where the highest bidder would win, preparing to pay Xiang Yuan to kill Sun Hao and his two companions.

Admittedly, Xiang Yuan agreed to save the lives of Sun Hao and the other two, but Xiang Yuan of Qingyun Sect's agreement did not mean that Xiang Jin of Xingxiu Palace also agreed.

They are all from reputable families; Xiang Yuan surely understands this principle.

……

Five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The top deck of the cruise ship was crowded with people. On one side were three grandmasters from the Sun family of Jiangdong, and on the other side were four grandmasters from the Zhao family of Hengyang and the Cao family of Luzhou. They were all there to do business. They huddled together, staring at each other, but because they shared the same plight, they quickly found common ground to talk about.

So many masters are standing on the top floor, not for any other reason than some unlucky guy blocking the way and being forced to kneel down.

The Yang family of Jingquan!

As the cruise ship was about to arrive at Shangyuan Prefecture in the capital, and the Zhenshui Iron Sword had fallen into the hands of the Li family, the Yang family could no longer bear it. They asked the other families what they meant, but no one answered. They cursed the group of useless people in their hearts, gathered three masters from the clan, set up an ambush, and stopped the cruise ship on the river.

How can we build up the Southern Jin Dynasty and make the Li family bow down and submit when we are with a bunch of cowardly insects like you?
Everyone step aside! Today, I, Yang's Little Knife, will seize the Zhenshui Iron Sword to show you all what's what!
After a flurry of activity, the three masters of the Jingquan Yang Clan fell silent.

There was no other reason than twofold: firstly, they had never fought and were forced to pay the ransom; secondly, on the cruise ship, they saw several powerful families who had remained silent when questioned earlier.

We're all here!

No wonder you all kept quiet when I asked you questions. It turns out you fell into this trap and dragged my Yang family down with you!

The three masters of the Yang family glanced around and noticed that the Zhu family of Linguan and the Wang family of Liangzhou had not yet arrived. They inquired with Xiang Yuan and learned that they could make contact with the outside world, so they decided to keep their own families silent.

Hey buddies, you two are the ones who have to suffer and work hard. Come in and pay up!
Meanwhile, Xiang Yuan was enjoying Ah Hong's shoulder and neck massage while looking at the aristocratic masters chatting together with dissatisfaction.

It's bad enough that they didn't have the top-tier lineup of founding emperors like Sun Quan, Zhao Kuangyin, Cao Cao, and Yang Jian, but they also failed to assemble the lineup of rulers who brought about the downfall of their kingdoms. Sun Hao clearly made a good start, so it's really disappointing.

Thinking about it, Xiang Yuan suddenly realized that the surnames of the six great families of Southern Jin seemed to match the royal surnames he knew, and the two families that had not yet arrived, the Zhu family of Linguan and the Wang family of Liangzhou, were no exception.

The Li family of Shangyuan, through their own efforts, managed to suppress the six families of Sun, Zhao, Cao, Yang, Zhu, and Wang.

It can only be said that the Li family is indeed worthy of its name. Their dynasty has a long reign and their fortune is extraordinary. Compared to the Li family, these few are all considered to be the emperor's younger brothers.

Conversely, what terrible things did the Li family commit to have six imperial brothers within their territory?
Such a blessing is too great!
"Wait a minute, I know the Zhu family, but does the Wang family have an emperor?"

Xiang Yuan sorted it out and found that there really was one: Wang Mang, whose Xin Dynasty was founded by Ya Zheng, but whose country perished as soon as it was founded.

That being said, is it really okay to gather so many of the Emperor's younger brothers together to go to Shangyuan Prefecture?

Of course there is a problem!
Li Jingwu stated that there is not only a problem, but a very big one.

Li Jingwu hadn't shown up for several days. At first, he was all smiles as he looked at the three grandmasters of the Sun family, but as the number of people increased, his smile disappeared, and he could no longer be happy.

Before the cruise ship even reached Shangyuan Prefecture, a total of ten grandmasters had already gathered on board. This did not even include Xiang Yuan, nor the grandmasters hidden in the shadows by the Qingyun Sect.

Li Jingwu became increasingly frightened, so much so that he sent telepathic messages twelve times a day, once every hour, asking his clan what to do.

The reply was that the cruise ship should not be allowed to enter the capital; it should be allowed to wander around outside, going wherever it wants except north, southeast, and west, and ideally heading directly to Northern Qi or Western Chu.

The capital has decided to make this year a difficult one for the people, with floods and such. The great Confucian scholar has already written an edict of self-reproach for the emperor, and he will not take any further action.

Upon receiving this reply, Li Jingwu felt helpless but also thought it made a lot of sense. Everything had gone wrong on this trip, and there was something strange about it. It was the right thing to do to send Xiang Yuan away as soon as possible.

Also, the nickname "Heavenly King" is excellent; it's definitely not wrong.

Li Jingwu went to a distant house, prepared his words, and discussed how to return. After searching for a long time, the house was empty, and he didn't see a single ghost.

Xiang Yuan left without saying goodbye and went directly to Beijing.

Li Jingwu was so frightened that he teleported to the capital, Shangyuan Prefecture.

"Oh no, oh no! The Heavenly King himself is here!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)