This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 349 conforms to the stereotypes of prestigious and upright families

In early May, the morning light was just beginning to break.

The grand convoy departed from Tai'an Prefecture, the capital.

At the forefront were twelve silver-armored scouts who dispersed the fans blocking the official road; in the middle were the carriages of Wuyou Valley; and at the rear were the iron-armored cavalry of the capital. Thirty-six flags fluttered in the wind, with the Northern Qi eagles embroidered in gold thread on them poised to take flight.

Behind them was a huge crowd of fans from Beijing, clearly intending to attend every show of the Wuyou Valley's tour concert.

Its main focus is companionship!
This group of people are clearly overthinking things. The Northern Qi territory is vast, and the waterways within its borders run east to west. The tour concert can only travel south by land official roads, requiring the entire journey by carriage and horse, which would take more than a year to complete.

Which idol can withstand such a long journey? The car ride is so tiring that once they arrive at their destination, they won't have the energy to showcase their talents in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Therefore, the armored cavalry in the capital was merely a showpiece to demonstrate the importance the Northern Qi government attached to this grand event.

After traveling twenty miles, the cavalry returned along the same route. The caravan from Wuyou Valley had accompanying Nascent Soul stage experts who could teleport directly to the scene, avoiding a long journey and wasting time.

When they reached the next city, which was twenty miles away, another batch of cavalry would escort them in and out of the city.

The procedures in this province can be omitted, but for those that shouldn't be omitted, the bigger the scale, the better.

As for the carriages in Worry-Free Valley, the dozen or so carriages looked unremarkable from the outside, except that they were decorated more elaborately.

The interior is surprisingly spacious; a single carriage could carry a considerable number of people or supplies.

The top performer on the tour was Jiang Yingjun, with 80% of the fans coming to see her. The remaining 20% ​​were given to other famous singers, Zhen Chan, chess masters, and other members of Wuyou Valley who had achieved great success in the arts.

Some of them followed the convoy southward to challenge the capital of Western Chu.

Another group had already arrived at several major cities that the caravan would inevitably pass through in Northern Qi. In Xiang Yuan's words, these were invited temporary guests who all held a prominent position in the local art circles.

As the royal family's appointed bodyguard, Xiang Yuan not only had to protect Jiang Yingjun 24 hours a day, but also ensure that she was under his watchful eye for most of the day.

So he squeezed directly into Jiang Yingjun's car.

As a top idol in Northern Qi, Jiang Yingjun did not need to be provided with a car by Wuyou Valley. The Jiang family of Bozhou was quite wealthy and had a nanny car custom-made for their own brand.

The interior is extremely luxurious, and the space is more spacious than the vehicles provided by Wuyou Valley.

Take the soft couch where Xiang Yuan was lying as an example. It was as wide as a small bed and covered with three layers of brocade embroidered with gold thread. The top layer was cloud silk from the Southern Jin Dynasty. Imported goods are indeed good. Touching it is like touching flowing water. He propped his chin up with one hand and lay down on it. With two cushions filled with goose down between his legs, he immediately didn't want to get up.

The carriage was covered with soft, or rather, the entire carriage was covered with fur carpets, the fur as pure as snow, and you could sink half an inch into them if you walked barefoot on them.

In front of the chaise lounge, the tea table was elegantly colored, exuding a subtle fragrance and a touch of coolness that dispelled the stuffiness of the enclosed space inside the carriage. On the tea table were jade tea sets, a gold plate with auspicious cloud patterns filled with fruit, and a box with dragon and longevity patterns filled with snacks. Even the most inconspicuous incense ash in the incense burner was specially supplied by the royal family.

There are also mechanical bookshelves on the side, filled with a large collection of books, which can be used to pass the time.

Xiang Yuan called the area he occupied the living room. From a distance, several maids surrounded Jiang Yingjun, preparing for the next concert. They were rummaging through drawers and cabinets, matching clothes and hair accessories, or figuring out matching makeup. They even researched several combinations of underwear that were not to be shown to outsiders.

Living is so tiring. Since I'm not going to show it off to anyone, I might as well not wear it at all.

It's cool!

Xiang Yuan stared with dead fish eyes, lamenting that being an idol was tough, even picking his nose had to be done in public. Jiang Yingjun didn't think so.

Or rather, she's gotten used to it.

At this moment, the artistic young woman sat upright at the piano table, her slender fingers playing the zither, while her personal maid chattered and fussed around her.

I practice the piano for one hour every day, practice calligraphy and painting for another hour, ponder the art of chess in my spare time, and spend the rest of my time reading and recharging. Occasionally, when I have a sudden inspiration, I will squeeze out a line or two of poetry, which I will quickly copy down and ponder repeatedly.

Writing poetry is like this: just as a great hero doesn't necessarily have to be handsome and dashing, and a poet's ability to compose verses on the spot is often just wishful thinking on the part of ordinary people. Ninety-nine percent of poets write their poems first, without rushing to publish them, and then, when the time is right, they bring them out to show off.

If someone truly possesses the extraordinary talent to compose a poem in seven steps, that's incredible. If all the talent in the world is worth one bushel, this person could claim eight bushels.

This is not a good thing. The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. Not to mention outsiders can't stand it, even our own brothers are envious.

Inside the carriage, a flurry of activity unfolded. People's joys and sorrows are not shared. Xiang Yuan, detached from the busy atmosphere, yawned listlessly, then casually picked up an ancient book and began to read.

On the other side, the maids finalized the plan, and after Jiang Yingjun reviewed it, she changed her dress to a light yellow one that she preferred.

She likes yellow!
A beautiful woman appeared in full regalia, resembling a dance costume. Her delicate face was adorned with a red dot between her brows, her black hair was dyed with ink, her jade sleeves fluttered in the wind, and she moved with light, lotus-like steps. Her graceful waist was like a deadly sword, and her lithe figure was like a soul-summoning weapon.

elegant.

So elegant!
Unfortunately, it only tightened the waistline and failed to highlight the key points. The Pythagorean theorem was not included, nor were the four standard equations of a parabola. Jiang Yingjun's advantages in the field of geometry were not demonstrated at all.

Bad review! I don't think you understand fans at all!
A refined demeanor is worthless in the face of sexiness, unless it is a sexy demeanor. Therefore, Xiang Yuan only glanced at him once, then glanced at him again, before turning his gaze back to his book.

It must be said that these maids, or rather their assistants, were indeed very good at matching clothes and makeup, making Jiang Yingjun look ethereal and fairy-like. With her graceful dance, the opening and closing of her wide sleeves concealed her exquisite beauty, making people's hearts race and almost forget to breathe.

At least several maids were screaming.

Xiang Yuan guessed correctly. These maids were indeed extraordinary. They were trained by renowned teachers and accompanied Jiang Yingjun. They not only served as assistants in life and work, setting off the beautiful flowers with green leaves, but also took the responsibility of shielding Jiang Yingjun from harm if necessary.

There are two blocking methods; choose according to your actual needs.

Twenty miles from the capital, the cavalry turned back, while the Nascent Soul stage guards of Wuyou Valley used spatial teleportation to lead the caravan straight to the next city.

Just in case, please get out of the vehicle and get some fresh air.

In the distance, the fans, who were blocked by the cavalry, saw Jiang Yingjun step down from the carriage and shouted loudly.

Those in the know understand that this carriage is extraordinary, with internal spatial restrictions and external defensive restrictions. Those who don't know much about it just think this carriage can be crammed in, and wonder whether their idol is squatting or lying down inside, and in such a crowded situation, whether the idol is sitting on someone's face or having someone sit on their face.

Wait a minute, why is there a pretty boy getting out of the carriage?

Good heavens, it was that pervert who climbed over the wall that day; he was in the car too.

Why was he inside?

This is outrageous! The carriage is only so big, how many people can it hold? Did he just sit on Grandma Jiang's face?

What?! Jiang Dajia sat on his face?
That won't do if I didn't ask!

Let me do it. I have a big face, so Ms. Jiang can sit more steadily.

After a period of commotion, the convoy from Worry-Free Valley moved away, and the fans' convoy began to speed up, trying to reach the next city before sunset to continue following in their idols' footsteps.

But clearly, they can't catch up.

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.

Northern Qi Dynasty, Huai Prefecture.

Twenty miles outside the city.

The space distorted slightly, and Chai Tong, a Nascent Soul stage expert from Wuyou Valley who was exploring the way, emerged from it.

His clothes fluttered, his eyes were like lightning, and the moment his feet touched the ground, his brows furrowed abruptly.

wrong.

So quiet!

The official road was deserted. There were neither soldiers from Huai Prefecture waiting in formation nor fans coming to greet the carriage. The entire road was completely silent, and not even a whiff of wind could be heard.

The lush trees on both sides cast dappled shadows, yet there wasn't a single bird chirping or insect buzzing, as if the entire world had been stripped of its vitality, leaving only deathly silence.

Chai Tong narrowed his eyes and spread his senses. There was no ambush, no formation, and no sign of life.

Nothing at all.

Huaizhou City is only twenty miles away. As one of the top three most prosperous cities in Jian'an Road, this place is a bustling commercial hub, and should be teeming with carriages and horses. But today, the official road is eerily silent, as if isolated by some invisible force, becoming a forgotten void.

There was definitely an ambush, but he couldn't see it with his cultivation level!
If even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't be detected, the ambush must have been carried out by a Grandmaster of the Profound Realm.

Thinking of this, Chai Tong was so shocked that he doubted his own imagination.

This is Jian'an Road of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and next door is Tai'an Prefecture, right under the emperor's nose. What grandmaster would dare to ambush the Wuyou Valley's caravan here?

The convoy not only included the Empress's younger sister, Princess Wenying, but also a grandmaster from the royal family. In a sense, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a rebellion.

This is the big crime of beheading!

Chai Tong was quite confident in the security situation within Northern Qi. Due to the influence of certain prestigious sects, the grandmasters of top-tier forces were exceptionally low-key and would neither be willing nor dare to ambush the Wuyou Valley's caravan, unless…

"A grandmaster from Western Chu?"

Chai Tong murmured to himself, having roughly seen the truth. He felt dizzy and wanted to teleport back to inform the Western Chu Grandmaster that there was an ambush here.

Several attempts ended in failure. There was indeed a formation set up along the official road, but he couldn't see it, couldn't find a way to break it, and couldn't escape from it.

Just then, a large group of men in black wearing straw hats emerged from the bushes, each carrying a long sword. One of them disguised himself as Chai Tong in front of him, teleported away, and reported to the caravan heading to Wuyou Valley that the road ahead was safe and they could pass freely.

Star Palace!
"Has your Star Palace gone mad, daring to ambush the Worry-Free Valley's caravan here? Do you even know who the important figure in the caravan is?"

Chai Tong watched helplessly as the assassins from Xingxiu Palace left. Moments later, the space shook and blurred, and a large number of people from Wuyou Valley arrived, only to be trapped like turtles in a jar.

"What's going on? Is this some kind of abstract performance art by fans?"

Xiang Yuan looked bewildered at the men in black all around him. Although he didn't know what was going on, he had long since developed a good habit of instinctively shielding Jiang Yingjun in front of him.

Jiang Yingjun: ()
Is this how you protect me?
As the prominent figure of the Jiang clan and the top talent in Northern Qi, promoted by Wuyou Valley, Jiang Yingjun has no shortage of cultivation resources and is guided by many famous teachers. Three years ago, she had already reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Regardless of whether her Nascent Soul stage cultivation was forced or not, and whether she had any chance of becoming a Grandmaster in the future, her Nascent Soul stage cultivation was genuine. She carried two magic treasures, one from Wuyou Valley and the other from the Jiang Clan. As long as it wasn't a Grandmaster in front of her, she could protect herself.

They also protected the maids who were traveling with them.

After a brief moment of surprise, several Nascent Soul stage cultivators from Wuyou Valley stepped forward and activated the defensive formations built into the carriages, protecting the convoy from all sides.

The chilling atmosphere in the air grew even stronger, and as the assassins from the Star Palace drew their swords, the killing intent suddenly became extremely heavy.

From the Star Palace camp, a burly, masked man stepped forward, his fierce eyes sweeping across the entire area before locking onto the composed Jiang Yingjun. With a wave of his hand, he hoarsely declared, "Kill everyone except Master Jiang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the burly man saw half of a pretty boy's face behind Jiang Yingjun. His pupils shrank instantly, his body trembled, and he retreated repeatedly.

His face was half covered, so his full expression couldn't be seen, but the terror in his eyes was so striking that Jiang Yingjun could see it clearly.

"withdraw!"

The burly man led the charge, while the other man, taking a single step, teleported away through space.

The assassins from the Star Palace had no idea what was going on, but since their leader was gone, there was no point in them staying. They either turned into afterimages or teleported, disappearing from their original positions in a few flashes.

"That's interesting, that guy seems to recognize me..."

Xiang Yuan stroked his chin and said to Jiang Yingjun's back of the head, "Don't move around here. I'll go catch one alive."

"If this is a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, wouldn't you be playing right into their hands by chasing after them all the way?"

Jiang Yingjun disagreed. She disliked Xiang Yuan's foul mouth, but she never doubted his strength. She had seen it with her own eyes: the masked giant, a master-level man, looked like he had seen a ghost when he saw Xiang Yuan, and wished he had more legs.

"It's alright, I'll be quick."

Xiang Yuan took a step to the side and followed the spatial fluctuations to catch up. He disappeared in one step.

If I'm not mistaken, he already knows who the big man is.

The situation in Northern Qi was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface; undercurrents were turbulent, and there were many audacious and powerful figures.

……

Amidst the mountains, the space seemed to sway, and a masked man emerged from within. He glanced behind him, and thinking of Xiang Yuan behind Jiang Yingjun, he felt a lingering fear.

"How could it be him?"

"Isn't he a cultivator of the Original Heart Path? How did he become a member of the Liu Clan? Why didn't the other side tell me such important information?"

The burly man cursed and swore, worried that Xiang Yuan might suddenly catch up, so he teleported again to prepare to escape.

If one attempt isn't enough, you'll have to move it several times.

His figure shifted between light and shadow, attempting several times to blend into the space, but all attempts ended in failure. Sensing the malicious gaze behind him, he swallowed hard.

"Oh, isn't this Pang Qianjun from the Great Sword Alliance? So you also have a part-time job at the Star Palace." Xiang Yuan walked out with narrowed eyes. The fact that the leader of the Great Sword Alliance had an alias in the Star Palace fit his stereotype of prestigious sects.

It's not Pang Qianjun, it's Pang Wanjun!

Upon seeing Xiang Yuan, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, appear, Pang Wanjun's expression changed several times as he weighed the pros and cons and considered the possibility of victory.

A cultivator at the Tongyou stage fighting a cultivator at the Huashen stage—this battle is practically won; victory isn't difficult. The key question is how to handle the aftermath of the victory.

He couldn't possibly kill the cultivators of the Original Mind Path!

In just two breaths, Pang Wanjun figured it out. He took off the black cloth covering his face and scratched his head with a simple and honest expression: "So it is a Shaolin Taoist priest. I am Xing Ri Ma of Xingxiu Palace and the master of Tianji Palace. I am willing to travel a thousand miles away from you in person. I hope you will take pity on my difficult situation and do me a favor."

The Star Palace has twenty-eight constellations, each with a palace master. Its headquarters are located in Northern Qi, but the exact location is unknown. Its branches are spread throughout the three kingdoms of Qianyuan. As long as you pay a high price, you can hire a palace master-level assassin anywhere.

Not all palace masters have the cultivation of a grandmaster. Check if there are any top-tier experts near the branch. If there are, then forget about it; the branch palace master will definitely be a grandmaster.

To be precise, it was the top-tier organization in the world that forcibly moved a branch of the Star Palace to its own territory and forcibly occupied a position as a palace master.

Grandmaster: I've had a dream of becoming an assassin since I was a child, and now I want to be the Palace Master. Star Palace, do you agree?

Needless to say, I definitely agree!

Not to mention distant places, there are Xingxiu Palace branches around Jianxinzhai and Wushuang Palace. The identity of the palace master is unknown. Whenever someone places an order to assassinate the disciples of the two families, the local Xingxiu Palace branch will come to kill them.

The evil sects like Xingxiu Palace, Immortal Mountain, and the Guardian Spirit Sect have been thoroughly outmaneuvered by the righteous sects.

The Great Sword Alliance, adapting to local customs, also joined in!
"Doing good to others is doing good to yourself. I am not a powerful person. Alliance Leader Pang has given me face by staying far away. I will naturally do you a favor in return."

Xiang Yuan smiled and said that he was easy to talk to. After Pang Wanjun breathed a sigh of relief, he changed the subject and said, "But."

"However, you can leave, but you must leave behind the name of the person who hired you."

Xiang Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Don't rush to refuse. Let me make this clear: if you don't agree today, you'll be forced to bow your head to the ground."

Pang Wanjun's face was extremely ugly. He said with difficulty, "Daoist, this is not in accordance with the rules of Xingxiu Palace."

"Shaolin is the greatest rule in Northern Qi!"

"..."

It was a bit convoluted, and Pang Wanjun almost couldn't figure it out. After a while, he held a long sword in his hand and said coldly, "Taoist Master, I apologize."

"Oh, your Great Sword Alliance is a cultivation force in Northern Qi, under the protection of my Shaolin. Today, you're willing to turn against us to protect the name of the person who hired you. It seems the other party has a very powerful background!" Xiang Yuan narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before quickly settling on a target.

The Way of the Heart!
Only the Original Mind Path can deal with the Original Mind Path.

No need to think about it anymore, the person who hired the hitman must be a heartless old Taoist priest, that old geezer is up to his old tricks again.

"Daoist Master, you don't need to keep testing me. I've already made my decision today, and I'll bow my head to the ground. I won't break the rules of the Star Palace!"

Pang Wanjun gripped his long sword, his aura surging, appearing from afar like a celestial sword rising from the ground, its tip piercing the clouds.

He wasn't afraid of Xiang Yuan—what was there to fear about a Nascent Soul cultivator? What he feared was the power behind Xiang Yuan… Shaolin Temple. He didn't want to offend the younger generation and attract the older ones, which was why he was so tolerant.

Xiang Yuan did not refuse, so he could only draw his sword and spar with Xiang Yuan a few times, showing off his muscles and hoping that Xiang Yuan would back down.

After a few moves, Xiang Yuan, worried that Jiang Yingjun would be left unprotected, would leave.

At that time, Benxindao's reputation was preserved, and the name of the person who hired the killer was also preserved.

Win-win!

Not only is it a sure thing, it's a winning streak.

"cut!"

Pang Wanjun roared, and the Heavenly Blade stirred up the vortex of dark clouds in the sky. The blade guided the thunderous force, carrying the power to destroy the world, and slashed straight into the distance.

Today I'll show you what master-level techniques are!

The camera turned.

Pang Wanjun knelt on the ground, his face bruised and swollen. His eyes were narrowed into slits on his swollen face. Although his eyes were not clear, his clear and honest expression did not seem fake.

As expected of a Shaolin Taoist priest, he concealed his aura and pretended to be a Nascent Soul cultivator. Look at the misunderstanding this has caused. Don't do it again next time!
Xiang Yuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of Pang Wanjun, gesturing with his hands and feet as he said, "Not bad, your strike just now was very skillful. You must be a swordsman, you're really amazing."

"Master, you have a good eye. I've been practicing with a knife since I was a child."

"Stop your nonsense in front of me. Tell me, who exactly hired the assassin? If you don't tell the truth today, I'll send you to the capital and have His Majesty issue an edict designating your Great Sword Alliance as a heretical sect!" Xiang Yuan weighed the Qiankun Ring in his hand and said coldly.

Pang Wanjun sighed and looked up at the sky, lamenting that it was another tough day. He said bitterly, "Daoist, sending me to the capital was the right thing to do. It was ordered by the Liu family of Tai'an!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)