This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 340 Don't go spreading rumors, the Xiao family of the capital can't stand it.

Really good at judging people!

Xiang Yuan took the Qiankun Ring, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be quite heavy, showing great sincerity. This immediately broadened his mind, making him regard money as dirt.

"It is indeed my Qiankun Ring. Look at this hand of mine, I always lose things without even realizing it."

Xiang Yuan was extremely annoyed and slapped his right hand hard.

"Senior, do you remember now?"

"It'll be soon, give me another three to five years, and I should remember it."

Xiang Yuan expressed his shame, saying that he had already said he forgot, was tired, or was too lazy to move, and there was no reason for him to change his mind so easily.

Ding dong!

Another Qiankun Ring rolled to Xiang Yuan's feet. After Li Jingwu picked it up for him, he cured Xiang Yuan's old problem of amnesia.

Having acquired two Qiankun Rings, Xiang Yuan was moved by the sincerity of Li's apology. In addition, the Golden Dragon of Fortune was a precious item, and the slightest carelessness could endanger the people of Southern Jin. He chose to suffer injustice and act against his conscience, becoming a person who broke his word.

"Since you're already here, I'll lend you a hand today. But let me make this clear from the start: one thing at a time, labor costs are separate and cannot be confused with this."

Xiang Yuan floated up and was the first to enter the deep pit. Just in case, he disguised himself and called himself Li Xianyuan.

There are pyramids beneath the capital of Western Chu, and there are also pyramids in the capital of Southern Jin. Northern Qi must be no exception. The other side's schemes against the three kingdoms are so grand that there must be a mastermind behind them. Constantly exposing their conspiracies may bring trouble and make Li Xianyuan take the blame.

Xiang Yuan knew very well that this was self-deception and utterly useless. If the powerful figure behind the Other Shore Sect really came knocking on his door, Li would be the first to betray him.

Therefore, he took the lead as an extra precaution, shielding Aqing and Ahong in front of him.

The main reason is Ah Hong. Wang Daoyan often logs in, using Huanmie Dao to shield himself from disaster, spread the firepower, and make his side appear to have more people and strength.

The effect was excellent; Li Yuanrong took the initiative to protect Ah Hong behind him.

Xiang Yuan couldn't understand how these two could have been locked in a love-hate relationship for fifty years when everything was out in the open. If it were him, he would have had four generations under one roof by now.

Having experience working in the fields once before, Xiang Yuan took out the Mad Beauty Sword and easily passed through the demonic energy array of 365 pillars. As he walked, he explained, "The entrance to the pyramid is at the top. There is another illusion array at the entrance. Even a Grandmaster of the Netherworld stage cannot escape it. The Ghost Cultivators of the Other Shore Sect are numerous and come from various backgrounds. They know a bit about both righteous and demonic methods..."

The description was extremely detailed, practically a walkthrough. If it weren't for Li Yuanrong's strong testimony, Li Jingwu and the other two would have suspected that Xiang Yuan and the Other Shore Sect had joined forces to lure the four masters of the Li family into the pyramid and kill them.

That's really what they think.

Li Yuanrong asked curiously, "Senior, where did you see this pyramid before?"

"The Divine Capital of Western Chu".

Xiang Yuan glanced at the four people and said, "Of the three major capitals in the world, two have evil formations that can kill dragon veins. I suppose Northern Qi is no exception. The plans of the Other Shore Sect are so grand that even I dare not think too deeply about them. Perhaps the three of you can sit down and talk about this matter."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanrong and the other three were filled with disgust, cursing the Northern Qi and Western Chu for being inhumane and concluding that the two countries would sabotage the meeting with underhanded tactics. They were not optimistic about the outcome of the three-nation meeting.

Xiang Yuan was quite disappointed. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. He didn't know that there were supreme experts in the three royal families behind them, but each of them controlled a country, and the resources they could mobilize were terrifying. If these three families could join forces, the Other Shore Sect would be like a mudfish in a urinal, unable to make much of a splash.

With themselves in dire straits, they had no time to bother him.

"Senior, have the nails in the Western Chu Dragon Vein been removed?" Li Yuanrong asked.

"hold head high."

"Your senior was foolish!" Li Jingwu exclaimed, pounding his chest in frustration.

"The Xiao family has a notorious reputation. Their ancestors were immoral and shameless scoundrels. They occupied the capital and then claimed to be the legitimate successors of the Zhou dynasty. My Li family has never seen such a shameless person in the history books!" Li Ruyu's face was red and his teeth were clenched. He wished he could devour the Xiao family alive.

“Indeed, who in the world does not know that last week the rightful successor was clearly our Southern Jin Li family!” Li Yuanji nodded in agreement, indicating that his child’s cousin was right.

"Senior, you may not know this, but my ancestors were relatives of the Zhou royal family. They changed their surname to Li and entered the court as Grand Historians, in charge of books and compiling historical records. The claim that the Zhou dynasty was legitimate is by no means an exaggeration."

Mentioning the Xiao family, Li Yuanrong spat and was even angrier than when his fiancée was bullied by Xiang Yuan: "What is the Xiao family? Their ancestors were nothing more than servants who raised horses for the Zhou emperor. Now they dare to claim to be the legitimate successors of the Zhou dynasty. They are simply a bunch of clowns."

With such skill in horse breeding, the Xiao family has the potential to unify the world!

Just a passerby, but the Xiao family really did raise horses in the past, and even your Li family couldn't control them!
Xiang Yuan had always felt that the Liu family of Tai'an in Northern Qi and the Li family of Shangyuan in Southern Jin both possessed the air of emperors. In comparison, the Xiao family of Western Chu was neither high nor low, somewhat resembling the younger brother of an emperor, and unworthy of sharing the world with the former two families.

Upon hearing that the Xiao family used to raise horses for the Zhou emperor, the feeling immediately changed. The claim of dividing the world into three kingdoms was well-deserved, and the Xiao family certainly deserved it.

I'll ask around later if the Xiao family has a son named Xiao Zheng!
After the four grandmasters finished listing the countless misdeeds of the Xiao family, they were exhausted. Seeing that Xiang Yuan had no reaction at all, Li Yuanrong asked, "Senior, why do you have such a good impression of the Xiao family?"

“I am engaged to a woman from the Xiao family.”

"..." x4
The concise and insightful answer was a wake-up call, so powerful that the eyes of the four Li masters turned red.

Li Jingwu bluntly stated, "Senior, my Li family has an unmarried princess who is stunningly beautiful and intelligent, far surpassing the Xiao family in beauty!"

"So, you told your apprentice to stay away from me and not let me take advantage of her, you changed your mind so quickly."

Xiang Yuan rolled her eyes and composed herself; being arrogant at first and then obsequious was too boring.

“Ziqing is not a princess and is not worthy of you, senior,” Li Jingwu said firmly.

Hmm, as expected of your grandmaster, when it comes to being shameless, you don't care about saving face at all.

Also, if you're so capable, say it again in front of your female apprentice and see if she cries!
"Senior, say something!"

"It's too late. You weren't here in the dead of winter, and now that spring is here, who are you? I, Li, no longer care about the princess."

Xiang Yuan shrugged, because he really did have a princess.

Li Jingwu wanted to say something more, but Xiang Yuan had already led the team to the top of the pyramid. They activated the mechanism, triggered the teleportation array, and in a blur, they entered a familiar illusion array.

He exerted a little force to break free, and looking back, he saw that Li Yuanrong was showing signs of breaking free from the illusion array. In terms of cultivation level and strength, he was above the three idiots of the Xiao family.

Considering that he cultivated the Illusionary Annihilation Path, entered the Dao through his mind, possessed a powerful primordial spirit, and had extremely high resistance to illusions, coupled with prior precautions, it's understandable that the three idiots of the Xiao family performed worse.

Among the group, Ah Hong was the first to wake up, or rather, Wang Daoyan, who was worried about Li Yuanrong's safety. This female master, who was shouting for battle and clamoring to have fun with her pretty boy, also rushed in.

The disgusting dog food was really hard to swallow. Xiang Yuan looked to the side with disdain, but seeing that Li Yuanrong had not yet woken up, he kindly helped him out.

"Sister-in-law looks so radiant!"

"puff!"

Li Yuanrong awoke vomiting blood, dazed and inexplicably grief-stricken. Upon closer listening, she could also hear self-consoling words like "pure and innocent."

Xiang Yuan also had a way to resolve the conflict between Li Ruyu and Li Yuanji, but because they weren't familiar with each other, he didn't speak up.

A moment later, Li Yuanrong dispelled the illusion for the three members of her clan and continued on her way with Xiang Yuan.

Last time, Xiang Yuan's teammates when he entered the pyramid were the three clowns of the Xiao family and Xiao Lingyue. This time, the lineup is even stronger. It feels like Li Yuanrong and Wang Daoyan are enough to sweep through the dungeon without the guide's help.

Stepping out of the pyramid's stone path, a breathtaking view unfolds before you. Unlike the previous desolate shore, this time there is no Yellow Springs River, nor any flowers of the other shore. The gentle breeze and clear skies are just like the vast, sunny sky outside.

"Senior, this is somewhat different from what you said!"

Li Yuanrong and the other three looked solemn.

They were all intelligent people and did not suspect that Xiang Yuan was lying about the details. They immediately realized that the Other Shore Sect was not the only force targeting the Three Kingdoms Dragon Vein; the Other Shore Sect was just one of the forces.

Be bolder, the Other Shore Sect is nothing more than a pawn of the mastermind behind the scenes, and the mastermind has no shortage of henchmen of the same caliber.

Xiang Yuan was secretly alarmed and decisively shielded Ah Hong in front of him, trying to downplay his presence as much as possible: "Your Southern Jin's golden dragon of fortune, you shall save it yourselves. I will stand guard for you to prevent treacherous villains from attacking from behind."

Li Yuanrong piloted A Qing through the air, taking the lead at the forefront, followed by Li Jingwu and the other two, while Xiang Yuan and Wang Daoyan brought up the rear.

"My eldest brother is so generous, he's almost as generous as my other brother..."

Xiang Yuan muttered to himself, and from afar he could see the slightly smaller pyramid standing under the starlight, surrounded by 365 pillars, a formula reminiscent of the one below the capital.

Inside the pyramid is the golden dragon representing the fortune of the Southern Jin Dynasty. The celestial bodies and constellations shackle and imprison the dragon's head, gradually eroding the fortune of the Southern Jin Dynasty. This move, a complete disruption, has been kept secret from the Southern Jin Dynasty for countless years.

There's no mistake, there really is a mastermind targeting the Three Kingdoms!
However, there was only a grand formation targeting the dragon vein, but no grandmaster-level experts guarding it, suggesting that the other side had anticipated this and had withdrawn their personnel beforehand.

Xiang Yuan frowned in thought, spreading his primordial spirit to perceive the ground, which stretched three zhang deep, confirming that there were no guards here. After thinking for a moment, he realized that the great formation beneath the Western Chu capital had been exposed, and the mastermind's scheme had not yet reached its final step, hence the evacuation of the Southern Jin capital.

If I'm not mistaken, the great formation beneath the capital of Northern Qi is also empty.

After confirming that no one was around and they couldn't even capture a prisoner who could reveal information, Li Jingwu and his two companions, in a fit of anger, dismantled the great formation and rescued the trapped Golden Dragon of Fortune.

The great formation is nothing but an inanimate object; with the three grandmasters working together, they can dismantle it however they wish.

In a short while, the golden dragon of fortune broke free, the small pyramid was destroyed, and the large pyramid collapsed as well.

It has truly become a tourist hotspot.

Xiang Yuan couldn't be happy at all, even though he had easily resolved a troublesome matter. The mastermind behind it all was deeply hidden and had great ambitions. Just thinking about it made him tremble with fear.

Upon returning to the surface, Li Yuanrong said, "Senior, the enduring fortune of Southern Jin is entirely due to your efforts. From this day forward, you will be a guest of honor of the Shangyuan Li Clan. The barren and desolate lands of Southern Xinjiang are unworthy of the Yellow Springs Path. Have you considered relocating the Yellow Springs Path to Southern Jin?"

"Why move here? To see your powerful families baring their teeth?"

Xiang Yuan shook his head and said, "The longevity of the Southern Jin Dynasty has nothing to do with me. Don't spread rumors. The Xiao family of the capital city won't be able to stand it."

No one could stand it if their own son-in-law helped the enemy country prolong its fortunes!

Li Yuanrong nodded, reminded by Xiang Yuan, and prepared to immediately spread the news to the capital, hoping to anger all the grandmasters of the Xiao family to death.

"I came to Southern Jin with my sword to guide you and save the Golden Dragon of Destiny. My initial purpose was to prevent the suffering of the people... Of course, I will still collect the money that is due."

Xiang Yuan was halfway through his sentence when he worried that he had raised his voice too high and might be taken advantage of by a gentleman. He quickly changed his tune and continued, "Instead of trying to win me over, the Li family of Shangyuan should consider that someone is plotting against the three families' dragon veins, intending to overthrow the three kingdoms' regimes, start wars, and cause great chaos in the world. This is no ordinary rebel group, and we must take strong measures."

Xiang Yuan earnestly suggested that the three kingdoms organize a dinner party to sit down and discuss the matter properly, even if it meant forming an investigation team.

Li Yuanrong remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Senior has the well-being of all people in your heart and possesses great compassion. I am far inferior to you..."

"Stop talking nonsense and just tell me if there's a chance or not?"

"It's probably hopeless."

Li Yuanrong gave a bitter smile and pointed to the sinkhole, saying, "With your wisdom, senior, you should be able to guess that my Shangyuan Li clan is suffering such a great calamity and unable to stop the damage. We are happy to see the Northern Qi's national fortune decline year after year. When the Northern Qi is weak, the Southern Jin will be strong."

The Southern Jin Dynasty is just playing dead. It's impossible to expect the Li family to inform the Northern Qi. The Western Chu next door is the same. We're all brothers. If I don't betray you, who will?
Then I'll have to go by myself!

Xiang Yuan sighed and put the trip to Northern Qi on his agenda, planning to make the trip after the flood was resolved.

Heaven above, good people will be rewarded, so be sure not to encounter Benxindao in Northern Qi.

“Senior, please stay in the capital for a while. My Li family has prepared a small gift for you. I dare not say how much it is, but I am sure it will satisfy you,” Li Yuanrong said.

Suppressing the flood is a small matter, but saving the golden dragon of fortune is a great favor. In addition, once the misunderstanding is cleared up, the Li family of Shangyuan will surely offer a generous gift.

Xiang Yuan understood the meaning behind the words and said bluntly, "There's no need to go to great lengths. Just replace everything with cultivation resources such as rare and precious materials. I will go to several other places in Southern Jin to manage the floods and send them over directly once they are ready."

"Senior, don't you plan to stay in the capital for a while and experience the local culture?"

"..."

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes speechlessly. If he dared to stay, a princess-level tour guide would come to his door tonight, taking him sightseeing during the day and letting him sightsee at night.

It's okay if you don't like them. Just like with that other thing, if this batch of princesses isn't good enough, we'll bring in the next batch.

Xiang Yuan doesn't care about a princess who has no feelings. If he really wanted to be with a beautiful woman, why would he stay in Southern Jin? He could just move to Jianxinzhai.

He has no shortage of female fans at Jianxinzhai.

Putting aside other cases, Sima Qingyan and Tang, when he broke into their homes late at night, they didn't even make a sound.

Of course, even if he were to actually go to Jianxinzhai, he wouldn't have the guts. He wouldn't need to break down the door at night; someone would break it down in broad daylight.

"senior?!"

"No, I'm afraid if I refuse the princess, the Li family will send out the empress. If I refuse again, where will your Li family's face be?"

Xiang Yuan scoffed and looked at Ah Hong, who was silent to the side: "Besides, I have already experienced the characteristics of Southern Jin. I promised Dao Yan that I would stay in Liangzhou for a while, and she would personally entertain me."

The constant mention of cattle infuriated Li Yuanrong, causing him to cough up blood repeatedly. His face turned ashen as he said, "Many aristocratic families are ambitious and uncouth, and I'm afraid they might disturb you, senior. You are a distinguished guest of the Li family. If you don't mind, I'm willing to accompany you."

"What, you want to play the flute outside the door to add to the fun?"

"puff!"

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.

Southern Jin Dynasty, Liangzhou.

Two days had passed since Xiang Yuan left Shangyuan Prefecture. In a hurry, he did not take a boat again. Instead, he moved through space to Jiangdong, Hengyang, Luzhou, and Jingquan in the order of arrival to complete the water-suppressing ceremony.

The scene is roughly as follows: inside, the water-suppressing iron sword moves on its own, and outside, Xiang Yuan is counting money.

Because the senior was meticulous in handling matters and had a very strong sense of reason, both parties were always satisfied when settling the bill.

Furthermore, due to Zuo Lengxie's propaganda, Xiang Yuan's reputation for the Left Envoy spread to the Southern Jin Dynasty. These aristocratic families gave Xiang Yuan the illusion that women were more numerous than men, as most of their members were beautiful women and he had hardly seen any men.

Getting back to the main point, Liangzhou was Xiang Yuan's penultimate stop in Southern Jin, and his last stop was Linguan.

Although the Wang family of Liangzhou did not actively send away the Grandmaster prisoner, they left behind Ah Hong, who brought Xiang Yuan a lot of amusement and provided a lot of emotional value. The Zhu family of Linguan did not say a word, and the whole process was transparent, so they had to pay more.

Liangzhou was the Wang family's stronghold. Upon arriving in this area, Li Yuanrong, who was acting as a tour guide, driver, and bodyguard, felt extremely uncomfortable. Gazing at the Wang family's ancestral mansion in the distance, he felt rooted to the spot and couldn't move forward.

"Come on, what are you afraid of? Daoyan is just pregnant, her belly isn't showing yet, it's like she's not pregnant at all."

Xiang Yuan's words caused Li Yuanrong to vomit blood. He was petty and still fussing over that old dog food. It was possible to expect him to take the initiative to clear up the misunderstanding, but he would only make the misunderstanding worse and break up couples.

Wang was well-informed and knew that Xiang Yuan was coming, so a pair of beautiful young girls were waiting at the door to greet him early in the morning.

In the prime of her youth, her appearance was unparalleled, her eyes were clear, and her face was filled with the innocence of someone untouched by the world.

Seeing this, Xiang Yuan exclaimed that people's hearts have become corrupted and the world is going downhill. He realized that the powerful families of Southern Jin must have some misunderstanding about Xiang Wentian, otherwise they wouldn't have pulled off such an operation.

What is going wrong?
Xiang Yuan was quick to speak and got straight to the point. He went to the water-suppressing altar set up by the Wang family, got paid to do the job, and waited for the water-suppressing iron sword to finish moving on its own before letting the twin sisters lead the way, preparing to meet Wang Daoyan.

There was no other meaning; it was absolutely not about trying to extract another two pounds of blood from Li Yuanrong in front of him.

He wanted to have some fun, but Wang Daoyan might not cooperate. Their affair would be exposed as soon as they met, and forcing it would only make things worse.

He sought out Wang Daoyan because he coveted her Nine Tribulations of Illusion. He had already copied Li Yuanrong's Nine Tribulations of Illusion in the past two days, and now it was time to copy Wang Daoyan's.

After copying it, Xiang Wentian took the money to release the person and returned Ah Hong free of charge.

The twin girls led the way and stopped outside the elegant courtyard. Xiang Yuan led Ah Hong into the stone path. Li Yuanrong followed with trepidation, wanting to turn back several times, but finally held back.

Dao Yan's purity and innocence, and the senior's benevolence, are all false; they are merely the tricks of the Illusionary Path to manipulate people's hearts.

It's all an illusion; it won't scare him!
Inside the courtyard, a woman in red stood quietly under a tree, her back view elegant, her demeanor serene and composed, her hair perfectly proportioned, her long, ink-black hair reaching her waist, the ends loosely tied with a plain white silk ribbon.

Wang Daoyan, the patriarch of the Wang clan.

Upon seeing the figure that haunted his dreams, Li Yuanrong barely dared to breathe, fearing that he might shatter this illusory dream.

Wang Daoyan, her face veiled in red, slowly turned around. Her complexion was fair and her eyebrows dark, her eyes filled with deep affection. She brushed her hand over her slightly protruding belly, smiling silently as she looked into the distance.

"..." x2
Li Yuanrong's face turned deathly pale, and she stiffly turned to look at Xiang Yuan.

"What do you see me doing?"

The scapegoating was too much for Xiang Yuan. His eyelids twitched, and he suddenly received a telepathic message. After discussing the price, he decisively changed his tune: "See, you've got the right person. That's right, it was me who did it!"

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)