Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 237, 236: Wonderful Wind, Bright Power; Bait, Trap (6,000)

"Junior Brother Li, greetings."

Looking at the two brothers in front of her, Ye Shuyi thought to herself, "What a fine pair of brothers."

The jade-green Taoist robe, with its flowing sleeves, accentuated his figure, which resembled an ancient pine tree and a crane.

Regardless of their skills, these two brothers have an exceptional appearance; anyone who sees them would praise them as having an otherworldly air, like immortals.

'However, this boy still seems quite immature, while his elder brother possesses a calm and composed demeanor, suggesting he is not a simple character.'

"Greetings, Senior Sister Ye," Li Cunxiao returned the greeting, also feeling that the woman before him was quite different from those he had seen before.

Judging solely by strength, he was subtly threatening to him, probably at the Heavenly Ladder realm.

I heard that Ye Shuyi has been in seclusion for several months. So, she came straight to Miaoyan Palace after she came out of seclusion?

Were they here for Taiyi, the master of alchemy, or for themselves?

Did she come on her own, or was Changsun Chi testing her intentionally?
A series of possibilities flashed through Li Cunxiao's mind. After bowing, he turned and sat down on the other side of Taiyi, with Mucha standing behind him.

"After Junior Nephew Ye ascended the Heavenly Ladder, did he gain new insights into alchemy because his true qi transformed into true essence?"

"Uncle-Master, you are wise. I do indeed have a few questions I would like to ask. Unlike the Azure Dragon True Mercury, I cultivate the Vermilion Bird Elixir."

The young female Taoist priest spoke eloquently, her words focusing on the methods of alchemy and the key points of refining, completely contrary to the hidden shrewdness that Li Cunxiao had anticipated.

Taiyi Zhenren also showed rare patience, unlike his casual attitude towards Du Guanglei. He answered every question, and when the conversation got interesting, he would even use his true energy to manifest and shape things on the spot, giving a personal demonstration.

Li Cunxiao listened patiently for half an hour and found that it really was just an academic exchange between senior and junior alchemists, which surprised him.

His gaze drifted backward, and Li Mucha was already bewildered by the various discussions about lead, mercury, and minerals; his eyes had lost their sparkle.

"Mokcha, go back and feed Chili for me."

He made up a random excuse and was immediately relieved, bowing to the group and taking his leave.

With a small scroll in her left hand and a wolf-hair brush in her right, Ye Shuyi wrote swiftly, following the old Taoist's narration, leaving behind tiny characters.

The wide sleeves of her Taoist robe slipped down, revealing a section of her fair arm, and her focused face had a uniquely captivating expression.

Taiyi secretly praised him and turned his attention back to Li Cunxiao.

But he saw his disciple sitting motionless, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought. His beloved was beside him, yet remained silent, like a wooden statue. A sudden sense of displeasure rose within him, and he coughed lightly.
"Cunxiao, did you understand what I just said?"

“There are indeed many things I don’t understand,” Li Cunxiao said sincerely.

"Our Louguan Dao is a major school of external alchemy, and the Four Symbols are an ultimate skill. It also uses metal and stone as metaphors, which contain profound mysteries."

"Like the Azure Dragon True Scripture, it represents the wood element of the East (甲乙木), which is like mercury. It cannot be clarified by stillness, nor can it be muddied by stirring. It cannot be grasped near, nor can it be abandoned from afar. Its hidden transformations are endless, hence the name 'dragon'."

"The Vermilion Bird True Scripture is derived from the fire of the south (丙丁火), and is also known as cinnabar. Its energy rises to become the heavens, and its substance descends to become the earth, thus it is the foundation of the Great Elixir. It flies away upon seeing fire, hence the name Vermilion Bird."

"Cinnabar absorbs the energy of the sun and is the king of all stones. The energy of Vermilion Bird Cinnabar is also pure Yang. When used to refine medicines, it is fundamentally the same as true mercury, but there are many differences in the details."

"I am still a novice, and I have no time to read books except to hone my skills. In the past, I have only refined second-tier pills at most."

"I am ashamed that I lack both theoretical and practical skills, and it is even more difficult for me to understand the profound meaning of Master's and Senior Sister Ye's words."

Taiyi was somewhat embarrassed by these words.

His original intention was to make a name for himself, but because he was used to his disciple's extraordinary talent, he forgot that the other party had only recently broken through to the True Form realm and hadn't even read many of the books.

Even the most talented person needs a learning process. Who can practice martial arts and alchemy at the same time and do it all perfectly?

"Junior Brother Li is quite straightforward, almost like he was cut from the same mold as Senior Uncle."

Ye Shuyi put down her pen and paper and smoothed things over, though she was actually a little surprised herself.

The more talented someone is, the more arrogant they tend to be. To put it bluntly, they value their reputation highly and would never show weakness or shortcomings in front of others.

This Li Cunxiao has recently gained a great reputation within the sect, but he has received even more negative reviews. Many people believe that he was able to enter the inner sect entirely because of his connection with Taiyi Zhenren, and that he is a nepotism case.

Once someone is labeled as having "gotten in through connections," even the most talented person will be overlooked.

Ye Shuyi wouldn't judge a person based on rumors, but if Li Cunxiao had just been talking nonsense and showing off his writing skills, she would definitely look down on him.

The art of alchemy emphasizes practice. Even the formulas for alchemy need to be adjusted during the refining process according to the changes in the ingredients. How much experience can a young man who is not yet twenty years old accumulate?

Li Cunxiao frankly admitted that he was too young, lacked the necessary skills, and was unable to focus on alchemy. Ye Shuyi found this to be a realistic truth, which actually made her feel more favorably toward him.

“Cunxiao is indeed like me,” the old Taoist priest said, his expression brightening again.

Ye Shuyi didn't linger. After asking a few concise questions, she got up to take her leave.

"She is simple and unassuming on the outside but refined on the inside. What a wonderful woman she is."

The old Taoist priest sighed as he glanced at his disciple.

"A match made in heaven, but who knows who will end up getting it?"

Li Cunxiao remained silent upon hearing this, pretending not to have heard it.

"He's not even thirty years old yet, and he's already broken through the Heavenly Ladder. His talent is even better than Guang Lei's."

"And she comes from the Ye family of Jinglong Temple; her family background and appearance are both top-notch."

Taiyi kept babbling on and on, and seeing that he wouldn't stop until he opened his mouth, Li Cunxiao had no choice but to speak up:
"Still unmarried at thirty, judging from Senior Sister Ye's appearance, she must be wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and have no interest in marriage."

“Ignorant,” Taiyi glared at him.

"A Heavenly Ladder martial artist can live for two hundred years without illness or disaster. So what if he is ten years older than you?"

"You're still unmarried, it must be because you haven't met the right person yet. If you could just realize that, my lad, your teacher..."

"Master, I still had a book on alchemy to finish reading when I came here. I'll go back and study it now."

Seeing that things were heading in the direction of pressuring him to get married, Li Cunxiao threw down his words and ran away without waiting for Taiyi Zhenren's reaction.

When he returned to the courtyard and saw Mu Cha feeding Chi Li refined animal food, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Big brother, you're back so soon?"

Li Mucha brushed the crumbs off his hands. When Chili saw its master, it happily came forward and rubbed its big head against his chest.

Li Cunxiao reached out and grabbed it; the fur was like silk, and the deep red skin seemed to glow. It was clearly a magnificent steed.

"Eat more, I'll be waiting for you to carry me to the heavens and the earth in the future."

Nowadays, in terms of speed on flat ground, this horse can no longer outrun Li Cunxiao, but Chi Li has the bloodline of the heavenly horse "Shengwu", and can now ride the wind at high speed, and even hover at low altitude for a short period of time.

Given time, the prospect of soaring through the clouds is within reach.

Although Li Cunxiao possessed the Wind and Fire Wheels, these divine weapons were currently his trump card, and using them consumed more true energy than using magical treasures.

If the Crimson Horse can evolve further, even if it doesn't need to have the strength of the Nine-Headed Green Lion comparable to the Xuan Guan, as long as it can serve as a flying mount, then this part of the consumption can be saved.

Li Cunxiao was not stingy at all in this regard. It is no exaggeration to say that the treatment Chi Li received was basically on par with that of the outer disciples of Louguan Dao.

In any case, based solely on personal expenses, he is now completely free of gold and silver.

Once he gains control of the dragon boat, the wealth accumulated by the former Zhou royal family will allow him to become one of the richest men in the world overnight.

Just as Li Cunxiao was lost in thought, Li Mucha suddenly spoke up:

"Big brother, when are you getting married?"

"Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Li Mucha asked in confusion:
"Isn't it normal to get married and have children?"

“I’m all grown up now, I don’t need to be taken care of anymore. My older brother is twenty years old, shouldn’t he be carrying on the family line?”

"Thirteen years old is not considered an adult," Li Cunxiao said with a wry smile, sensing his younger brother's worry.

"Brother, it's not because of you that we're not getting married; it's just that with the chaos of war, the time isn't right yet."

"Frank and straightforward?"

"Ah."

"Gone?"

Seeing the puzzled looks on her master's and senior brother's faces, Ye Shuyi paused for a moment and did not speak immediately.

Actually, she was still somewhat disappointed.

Alchemy is not like martial arts. The latter can be improved in battle, but even the most talented person must go through hundreds or thousands of failures to get closer to perfection.

An occasional flash of inspiration only makes the eventual success come a little sooner.

Therefore, although it was anticipated that Li Cunxiao, due to his age, was unlikely to achieve anything significant in alchemy, his status as a disciple of the Taiyi Zhenren naturally aroused expectations.

pity.

She originally wanted to become Taiyi's disciple, but the Guo and Ye families were old friends, and Changsun Chi was Guo Zhao's master. Some relationships were already decided before she was even born.

However, Ye Shuyi also had doubts in her heart. What she could think of, her master and senior brother should also have thought of.

Even the most talented young man who has just come of age needs time to realize his potential. Li Cunxiao may achieve great things in the future, but at present, he doesn't deserve so much attention.

Why are Changsun Chi and Guo Zhao in such a hurry?
Ye Shuyi had thought of all this, but she didn't ask. Meeting their gazes, she finally only responded with a simple "Yes."
"Gone."

"Ugh"

"Shuyi, you can go down now."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Guo Zhao couldn't help but sigh as he watched Ye Shuyi's retreating figure.

"Junior Sister has always had nothing on her mind but alchemy. I'm afraid Master didn't take her seriously when he asked her to gather information."

"What's the big deal?" Changsun Chi said calmly, as if he was not surprised at all.

Guo Zhao asked in surprise, "You expected this all along?"

"Taiyi is a cunning old fox, and his disciple is also a cautious person. He has been staying at home and not interacting with others since he entered the sect a month ago."

“Lingbao is a national treasure; how can it be tested by words?”

"Then you should return it?"

"But Shuyi also said that Taiyi was not opposed to her visit, and even welcomed it."

Changsun Chi stirred the boiling tea, a smile playing on his lips.

"It's enough to maintain contact."

"Some words and some things are irrelevant; no matter how well you say them or do them, it's useless."

"Conversely, if the relationship is established, there is no need for hints; others will naturally open their hearts."

Changsun Chi's words were pointed, and Guo Zhao's gaze shifted as he subconsciously searched for Ye Shuyi's figure, but he could only see a small dot.

"Blood is thicker than water, and the closest kinship in the world is none other than in-laws. That's Master's intention. But can Junior Sister's personality work out?"

"It's only our first meeting, why are you in such a hurry?" Changsun Chi said, scooping up a bowl of tea from the richly flavored tea pot.

"The flavor of tea comes from the heat just right. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; the more urgent the situation, the less you can rush it."

"Come, try my cooking. I added extra pepper to this pot."

"Lord Li is so generous! He even added pepper to this meat porridge; it's so warming!"

"Lord Li is truly a kind man! This is the first hot meal we've had since we fled to Huayin!"

"Lord Li is truly benevolent!"

"Does Lord Li's household need any help? I used to feed horses, and I'm quite skilled at taking care of livestock."

"Yes, give us a job. We don't need wages, just meals and a place to shelter from the rain."

At the entrance of Huayin County, a long queue formed in front of the porridge stall.

The group included men and women, young and old, some with children, some all alone, some with all four limbs intact, and some crawling through the mud on their hands and knees.
"Please don't push, there's plenty of meat porridge left!"

A man resembling a butler appeared before them, protected by several guards, his face bearing a compassionate expression.
"War is raging everywhere, and everyone is desperate and forced to leave their homes."

“Our lord is a member of the Qin royal family, a descendant of the founding emperor, so naturally he must serve the court and the people.”

"Spring is just around the corner, and the Duke still needs people to work in the fields. Those who have experience tending crops, come to my left!"

Immediately, more than half of the crowd squeezed through.

"Anyone who can forge iron, work as a carpenter, or raise horses—anyone with a skill—come to my right!"

Of the remaining people, about a third of them went over.

After these two rounds of screening, only a few disabled refugees who didn't seem to have much time left remained.

The manager spoke nicely, but after gathering the two groups together, he simply closed the soup kitchen.

Those who were slower could only watch helplessly as the steaming meat porridge was carried away by the burly servants, and the city gate suddenly became deserted.

As the sun sets in the west, the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled feel the chill of early spring. Looking at the heavily armored guards at the gate, they can't help but feel a sense of despair.

The imperial court was at war with the puppet Qi regime, and it plundered grain, weapons and supplies from all directions, adopting a scorched-earth policy.

The outcome of the battle is still far off, but in the area between the capital and Luoyang, the people surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood are no longer able to live a normal life and are fleeing in all directions.

Huayin County had long been under martial law, and only nobles from the city were allowed to take people to safety.

Those who were strong, handsome, and skilled were all chosen, leaving only these people to gnaw on tree bark and drink dew, waiting for death to approach little by little.

"The taste of porridge? Am I dying? How can it taste like porridge?"

The pale-faced woman lay helplessly on the ground, while the four- or five-year-old child in her arms looked sickly and had no strength left to even cry.

Just then, a warm and sweet taste slid into my throat, and before I could even react, a warm feeling spread through my stomach.

The woman stared wide-eyed as a group of simply dressed people carried porridge buckets, filled rough bowls with thin millet porridge, and handed them to each person one by one.

At the city gate, only the sounds of swallowing and occasional sobs could be heard.

"you."

The woman fed the child first, and then her vigilance began to rise.

Those who were given porridge also ate it quickly, but after finishing a bowl, they couldn't help but feel nervous looking at the group of people of unknown origin in front of them.

Lord Li was distributing porridge so that he could find servants to do his work.

To put it bluntly, the people left here are all a burden and useless. These people in front of you are not monks, so why should they show you mercy?
"Come with us, meals will be provided."

To everyone's surprise, the group didn't offer much explanation, simply leaving behind this one sentence and watching them quietly.

At first, the crowd was silent, and no one moved. But soon, someone shakily got up and moved closer.

One by one, except for those with broken legs who couldn't walk, everyone eventually chose to leave with this group.

The woman carrying the child was also mixed in with the crowd. But as the group started moving, she was surprised to find that the disabled were also being taken into the mountains by these unknown people in vehicles.

She hesitated, feeling that something was wrong, but the words "food provided" seemed to have a magical power, hooking her feet and strangling the necks of others as well.

Even if they know there's a problem, as the leftover people, they had no choice in the first place.

The group eventually entered a manor.

"Lord Li is truly a master at manipulating people's hearts."

High up in the pavilion, two people dressed as monks, wearing white robes and black hats, gazed into the distance.

Under the torchlight, the crowd looked like ants, one by one crawling into a carefully designed pocket.

"What duke? That's all nonsense from a country bumpkin. I'm just a lowly county man. My family has long since fallen into decline. If it weren't for the Holy Sect's help, it's questionable whether I could even break through to the Yellow Court realm. I wouldn't be where I am today."

Behind the two monks, a portly man stood respectfully and beckoned. The steward who had recruited servants at the city gate stepped forward and handed him a booklet.

"You two Ming envoys, in the past month, you have gathered a total of 21 artisans, 104 able-bodied men, and 86 boys and girls."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the ant-like crowd below.

"The original number of people who 'sacrificed' was seventy-four, plus the twenty people who just died, making a total of ninety-four."

“That’s a bit too little,” one of the monks frowned.

He was tall, and his sideburns, which connected to a full beard, could be seen under his black hat.

“Mingli, don’t be too harsh. This is, after all, Huayin County, right under the feet of Louguan Dao.”

The other monk spoke in a gentle tone, which made Li Ding, who was initially a little nervous, relax a bit.

He looked at the other person's overly soft, almost feminine face, her back bent even lower, and even the loose-fitting round-necked robe couldn't hide her swollen belly:
"Envoy Jingfeng, please forgive me. I am, after all, a member of the Qin royal family, and my identity is far too sensitive."

“Recruiting farmers and craftsmen is nothing compared to what the royal families and nobles in the city do.”

"But these old and weak people are of little use. The Xuanwu Sect is still keeping a close eye on Louguandao. What if we're exposed?"

“This is none of your business,” Mingli interrupted the conversation.

"The more 'sacrifices' the better; if that's not enough, then use the farmers to make up the difference. Anyway, we're at war right now, so what's the use of having more fertile land you've annexed?"

"this."

Li Ding looked somewhat embarrassed and stammered a few times. Jing Feng then spoke up for him, and he reluctantly agreed before leaving with the steward.

"I really want to slaughter this fat pig with one stroke."

Mingli picked up the teapot and poured all the tea leaves and tea into his mouth, his beard trembling as he chewed.

“The area around Xijing is full of nobles and officials who are deeply involved with the Li imperial family, making it extremely difficult to develop informants.”

“If Li Ding had not fallen into poverty early in his life and had not lacked talent in martial arts, he would never have sided with the Holy Sect.”

Jingfeng, with her delicate features, spoke as if to defend her, then changed the subject:
"But I recently discovered that he was quietly shifting his businesses, probably because the recent war between the West and East has scared him to death."

"When the time is right, not a single member of the Qin royal family will be spared."

Mingli nodded, a hint of fervor appearing in his expression.

"The church is demanding more and more 'sacrifices' lately, so the leader should be close to success."

"Whether it's Gao Pian, Qinglong Temple, or Louguan Taoism, they all relied on Lingbao in the past, but now... humph."

The two exchanged a glance, both understanding the unspoken meaning in the words.

"But what about the Laughing Buddha and the Immortal Taiyi?"

When Mingli brought up this matter, his face darkened again.

“King Leming said that the Laughing Buddha has half a spiritual treasure of the Pure Land School on his body, and asked you and me to find out about it.”

"And that Master Taiyi, he seems to have obtained the dragon boat from the previous dynasty."

"We have been making offerings through 'sacrifice' for many years, but we are still far from achieving our goal. Now, two spiritual treasures have suddenly appeared. Is Dharma King Leming making fun of us?"

Upon hearing this, Jingfeng frowned.

The Ming Cult has five Ming Envoys: the World-Holding Envoy, the Ten Heavens Ming Envoy, the Demon-Subduing Victory Envoy, the Light-Inducing Envoy, and the Earth Store Envoy; as well as five Ming Disciples: Pure Qi, Wonderful Wind, Bright Power, Wonderful Water, and Wonderful Fire, all of whom are masters of the Mysterious Pass.

The difference lies in the fact that the Five Wisdoms were originally under the leadership of the Good Mother Dharma King and were responsible for conquest and warfare.

Jingfeng and Mingli were originally in charge of intelligence work in Xijing, but they were temporarily summoned by King Leming.

"Since arriving in Huayin County, the Cloth Bag Maitreya has disappeared without a trace. The Taiyi Zhenren entered the Louguan Sect, and there has been no news of him either."

Jingfeng tapped the table with his fingers, his eyes narrowed.

"A message came from the Xuanwu Gate informs us that Yan Daotong will be back soon."

"Land immortals. By then, we'll really have no chance."

"Unfortunately, that person's status is not high. He can only help Li Ding cover up, but he is far from enough to spy on the four sect leaders."

"Where is that Li Cunxiao?" Mingli asked impatiently.

"He also lives a secluded life. However, because Taiyi Zhenren is too fond of him, there is a lot of discussion about him in the Louguan Daoist community now."

Ming Li felt irritated and simply said:

“Li Ding is a member of the imperial clan and a county baron, so his status is not low.”

"If he dies, could you designate a disciple of the Louguan sect to perform a Buddhist ritual?"

“No. As you said yourself, he was a member of the imperial clan and a county baron. His sudden death would inevitably arouse suspicion.”

"If we attract a grandmaster here, not only will we have to flee, but this stronghold will also have to be abandoned."

Jingfeng pondered for a moment, then suddenly stopped tapping the table.

“I remember there were two other boys who followed Li Cunxiao into the outer sect.”

"Without Master Taiyi's backing, they have to go down the mountain to do odd jobs on a regular basis."

Jingfeng beckoned to a servant to bring Li Ding over, then spoke gently:
"Louguan Taoism is the state religion of the Great Qin Dynasty. As a member of the royal family, you must have made many offerings to it, right?"

Li Ding was startled, thinking that he was about to be held accountable later, and quickly tried to explain:

"You misunderstand. That was all to deceive others. I am loyal to the Holy Church and would not hesitate to die for it."

"Besides, the steward usually handles the donations to the Taoist temple on our behalf."

"Oh?" Jingfeng smiled upon hearing this.

"Then is your steward willing to die for the great cause of the Holy Church?"

(End of this chapter)