Druid Fairy

Chapter 73 Immortal Secrets
The peach wine is a specialty of the town, and the exquisite sandalwood box packaging looks very classy.

Shen Xiaotian carried two boxes of peach-flavored craft beer to visit the Li family.

He was a powerful martial artist who could walk dozens of miles on a smooth road without feeling tired at all, moving with incredible speed, and the gift box in his hand didn't even wobble.

At the entrance of Peach Blossom Village, because there had been too many unfamiliar faces visiting the Li family recently, some of the village's young men were waiting there. Seeing Shen Xiaotian, he stood on the wooden watchtower, looking down at him and asked, "Where are you from?"

Shen Xiaotian frowned.

In the past, his bad temper would never have tolerated such neglect, but the thought of those two old men striking first behind his back, causing the alliance's friendship to capsize at any moment, made his thin belly swell up like a pufferfish in anger.

One step slower, every step slower!
He had no choice but to swallow his anger and said in a muffled voice, "I am Shen Xiaotian from Pantao Town, here to pay a visit to the Li family."

Qingzhuang nodded. He was just a farmer's son from the village who had never been to the town and didn't know the famous name "Shen Xiaotian," so he was unmoved.

As for the "Li family," although most families in Peach Blossom Village are surnamed "Li," nowadays the "Li family" only represents Uncle Rongzhou's family. Outsiders only look for them and there is no confusion.

Looking at the long sword at Shen Xiaotian's waist, the young man said in a serious tone, "Brother Yuan said that weapons are not allowed in the village. You can put your weapon on the sword rack and retrieve it when you leave the village. I will keep it safe." This is to prevent any criminals from hurting people.

Looking into the young man's clear eyes, Shen Xiaotian understood that the other party was not deliberately making things difficult for him, so he could only reluctantly put down his long knife and several long needles.

The slings slid, and the wooden door creaked as it moved.

As Shen Xiaotian passed by the wooden platform, he couldn't help but snort coldly. He then used his movement technique, his body moving like a phantom, and disappeared from the young man's sight in the blink of an eye.

"so fast?"

The young man stared wide-eyed, belatedly realizing that this was a martial arts master!
Terrified, worried that he had offended someone he shouldn't have, he quickly told Li Yuan everything when he came to supervise.

Li Yuan reassured him, "Don't worry, you did a good job. Just do your job well."

His gaze turned toward the Li family's direction.

Even Shen Xiaotian, the most stubborn of the Divine Fiend martial artists, has come to curry favor, so there is no longer any obstacle for my elder brother to open a martial arts school in Pantao Town.

…………

Li family.

The lingering aroma of silver dew and pine resin tea fills the air. The originally simple reception room is now decorated with various ornaments, calligraphy and paintings... When one's strength reaches a certain level, wealth will flow in.

Shen Xiaotian felt relieved and relaxed after drinking a sip of hot tea, which had made him feel frustrated and uncomfortable all the way.

He couldn't tell the quality of the tea, but he could tell that it was expensive, which told him that Li Pingfu's attitude was relatively friendly.

Unlike his sarcastic demeanor at the banquet, Shen Xiaotian was much more amiable in private, his face beaming with warmth: "It's been many days since we last met, I've missed you terribly."

Li Pingfu felt something was off. He thought about the changes in the attitudes of the two martial arts school masters, Baihu and Zhuque, and now it was Qinglong... Their probing had failed, so they had switched to a strategy of winning them over.

One has to admire these martial arts school owners; they are all seasoned veterans. Their ability to change their demeanor is masterful, switching between arrogance and obsequiousness without a hint of embarrassment. I still have much to learn from their skill.

Regardless of what they might be complaining about in their hearts, they would still be warm and hospitable on the surface.

"Senior, is there something urgent that you're visiting? I will do my best to help if I can."

Shen Xiaotian was overjoyed upon hearing this and said sincerely, "Pingfu and I hit it off immediately. After thinking about it for the past few days, why don't we become sworn brothers?"

This was the idea he came up with on a whim. Once you're brothers, you'll naturally share joys and sorrows, which is much better than that bastard woman having her daughter use her beauty to seduce you.
Li Pingfu was startled and almost lost his composure. In a farmer's family, the two of them were already grandfather and grandson, not brothers.
He quickly replied, "Senior has been famous for a long time, and I dare not compete with you. If you don't mind, how about I call you 'Brother Shen'?"

"Alright then." Shen Xiaotian was slightly disappointed, but he knew that he couldn't force it.

Although they didn't become sworn brothers, they eased their tensions and avoided confrontation, thus achieving their goal.

"Brother Shen."

"Brother Li Xian."

Once the way of addressing each other was established, the two were no longer strangers, and the atmosphere truly became harmonious.

Shen Xiaotian smiled and said, "Brother Li, you've just entered the Divine Fiend Realm, so there are many things you don't understand that you can ask me." The peach wine was just a gift; this was his true sincerity.

Improving your skills and expanding your network will allow you to access more information and avoid many detours.

Li Pingfu's mind raced, and he asked, "Brother Shen, why is the Divine Fiend Realm so important?"

It wasn't just a matter of the martial arts school owner's attitude; he also met with government officials today who came to deliver good news: a special approval had been granted for martial arts registration, exempting him from land taxes.

The two brothers, one skilled in literature and the other in martial arts, together could exempt them from the tax on hundreds of acres of forest land.

This made Li Pingfu vaguely feel that the Divine Fiend Realm was not simple.

"Brother, you've come to the right person. This is a closely guarded secret of the Divine Fiend Realm. Do you know why the government values ​​Divine Fiend Realm warriors?"

He waited calmly for Li Pingfu to press for answers.

This was one of his wicked pleasures. Whenever he taught his disciples core martial arts techniques, he would deliberately keep them in suspense, watching their eager expressions as they scratched their heads, giving him a sense of satisfaction.

"Oh?" Li Pingfu smiled slightly, calmly sipped his tea, and didn't say much.

Now it was Shen Xiaotian's turn to feel uncomfortable, caught between a rock and a hard place, needing to get it off his chest.

"Haha, my brother is really good at keeping his composure."

He gave an awkward, fake laugh, and seeing that Li Pingfu still didn't respond, he could only continue on his own: "Ahem... because to immortals, a Divine Fiend Realm warrior is someone who can injure or even kill them. Rather than valuing them, the government is using fame and fortune to lure them and strengthen its control."

Li Pingfu seemed to be deep in thought.

Immortals are supreme, and those with official titles are even more inviolable; he had never thought of it in that direction.

'Can even a sage be killed when they are weak?'

he thought to himself.

As Shen Xiaotian explained, Li Pingfu understood that a Divine Fiend Realm martial artist was equivalent to the first or second level of Qi Refining Immortal, while an Acquired Realm martial artist was equivalent to the third or fourth level of Qi Refining Immortal, an Innate Grandmaster was equivalent to the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, and a Divine Martial Realm Grandmaster was equivalent to the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining Immortal.

As for whether there are further realms in martial arts, that remains to be seen.

Immortals at the first and second levels of Qi Refining do not possess strong spells or robust physiques. Once they are approached, they are difficult to deal with physically strong martial artists, as their fragile bodies are easily pierced.

As for whether a Divine Fiend Realm expert can deal with a first or second level Qi Refining expert, it depends on a combination of factors such as the weapon they possess, the cultivation method they practice, and their minor realm in martial arts.

The longer one cultivates oneself or seeks immortality, the longer one can prolong life. No matter how powerful a martial artist is, as they age, their vital energy will decline, and their potential will be limited.

Shen Xiaotian's words completely shattered Li Pingfu's illusions about immortals.

"Don't lay a hand on any immortals with official titles. No matter how discreet you are, the court will find the real culprit," Shen Xiaotian warned, fearing that his newly recognized brother might become arrogant and rebellious, committing a crime that could wipe out the entire clan.

"Brother Shen, rest assured, how could I dare to disrespect an immortal?"

Li Pingfu appeared perfectly composed, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts. "By the way, does Brother Shen know of any wondrous and sacred places that I might wish to visit?"

What kind of veneration is this? Are you looking for a connection with the immortals?
Hearing about the benefits of cultivating immortality, who in the world wouldn't want to cultivate immortality!
Shen Xiaotian gave him an "I understand you" look and said, "The spiritual lands have long been occupied by various forces. They are either immortal families or martial arts families. It's not up to us Jianghu forces. The magistrate of Yunshui County occupies the spiritual vein mountain in Yunshui County. His immortal path is profound. Actually, there's no need to be envious. The spiritual lands are of no use to martial artists. Mortals cannot comprehend the mysteries of the Qi of heaven and earth."

Information that is inaccessible to ordinary people is often heard about by word of mouth among martial arts school owners.

Seeing Li Pingfu's disappointment, he smiled and said, "Although there is no sacred land, there is a legend that a meteorite fell a hundred years ago deep in Taichang Mountain, its golden light shining for thousands of miles, and even immortals searched everywhere but could not find it; there is also the underground spring in Wuling Mountain, a sip of which can turn back a day..."

After a casual chat, like a vast ocean embracing all sorts of fascinating tales about cultivation unknown to ordinary people, Li Pingfu absorbed them all. Seeing that Shen Xiaotian's expression remained unchanged, he clearly only regarded them as strange and unusual stories.

An hour later.

"It's getting late, I'll come back to chat with Brother Li next time."

Shen Xiaotian got up to say goodbye, and Li Pingfu personally escorted him to the village entrance. Regardless of any past grievances, Shen Xiaotian had indeed come with the sincerity of making peace.

When the young man guarding the gate saw Shen Xiaotian, he quickly presented him with a long sword held up with both hands.

"You've got some sense, kid."

Shen Xiaotian took the long sword, regained his face, and felt relieved. The previous unpleasantness had long since vanished.

…………

Li family.

Li Pingcan looked at the panel.

【LV9 Water Manipulation】, Characteristic: 【Condensation】.

【Shape Condensation: The water you manipulate can take on shapes according to your will, and these shapes can be lethal】

Working day and night, I finally upgraded my water manipulation skill to the maximum level.

He once condensed a water blade underwater, powerful enough to cleave through the hard shells of some magical beasts, but it was difficult to hit agile water beasts.

Fortunately, water manipulation can be combined with solidification. The only drawback is that it consumes too much mana. When casting the transformation spell, without conserving spiritual energy, it can only be cast a maximum of thirty or forty times.

Thanks to the [Water Manipulation] technique, I have also gained a lot of Qi and blood tonics, as well as a section of lotus root plant in the past six months.

Treasure plants are indeed hard to find! Unfortunately, the lotus root's [water] attribute is incompatible with the killer bee's [earth] attribute, so they cannot coexist and connect, and can only be transformed into martial arts blood.

"Judging by the time, it's almost time for the 'high tide' that Xiao Jin mentioned."

Li Pingcan calculated that every August and September, influenced by the weather and terrain, the Qingjiang River would experience a spectacular tidal bore. The tide would come from the horizon, initially like a thousand white silk ribbons rolling in, and in the blink of an eye, it would transform into a giant wall stretching across the sky and earth, with the broken stones on the embankment trembling underfoot.

Magnificent!

Without the ability to manipulate water, a fish cannot withstand the undercurrents of the river by simply relying on its shapeshifting ability.

Fortunately, it's not even July yet, and he's already at max level with [Water Manipulation]. He really loves improving.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Big brother?"

[Earth Vein Sensing] came hurried, heavy footsteps. Li Pingcan dispersed the water vapor floating in the air and looked at Li Pingfu.

"Little brother, I have the news you're looking for."

Li Pingfu was adept at networking among several martial arts school owners. After verifying the information channels among them, he relayed the combined information to Li Pingcan.

"Taichang Mountain?"

Li Pingcan extracted the information he wanted. Hearing this name, it seemed familiar. After thinking about it, he realized that he had seen it on the simplified map of Weiyuan Escort Agency. Qingshan County and Longquan County were adjacent to each other, and Taichang Mountain was outside Qingshan County, which was the stronghold of the Longhu Village.

It was much more chaotic there than Longquan Town, but the meteorite caught his attention. The rumors were true or false, but what if there was a chance to become an immortal?

It's better than being completely clueless.

'I have plenty of time; I can take my time to search and verify its authenticity.'

Ordinary people would never have the chance to learn about the secrets of immortals. It's only thanks to my elder brother's breakthrough of the Divine Fiend realm that the barrier of information was broken.

"Brother, what level of cultivation do you think that sword immortal from the Seven Star Sect is at?" Li Pingcan suddenly asked.

Li Pingfu was taken aback and remained silent for a moment. After breaking through to the Divine Fiend Realm, his father had also told him about Li Qian, just to warn him against his arrogance and remind him that there are always people more capable than him and that the world is dangerous.

"Being able to fly through the air means the other party's cultivation level shouldn't be too low; at least it should be at the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

Although immortals of sects do not have official status and killing them will not be detected by the government's secret techniques, sword cultivators are all about killing and must be extremely powerful.

Li Pingcan nodded without saying a word.

Compared to such an immortal being, the Li family was far too weak, like an ant trying to shake a tree.

…………

The next day.

Li Rongzhou carried the peach wine and walked towards Zhou Enxian's house.

Since the death of the wealthy Li family, the two families have become increasingly close. Of course, even if the wealthy Li family were still alive, given Li Pingfu's current status, he would only be able to kowtow and beg for mercy.

"Brother Li is here? Hong'er, quickly bring tea and water."

Zhou Enxian was lying on a recliner enjoying a shoulder and leg massage from his concubine when he saw Li Rongzhou arrive. He quickly got up and greeted him with a smile.

"No need for that." Li Rongzhou waved his hand, declining Hong'er's hospitality. "Brother Zhou, I brought some peach wine. Let's drink until we're drunk."

He doesn't like drinking, but lately he was really happy and wanted to get drunk, so he asked Zhou Enxian to drink with him.

"Hong'er, bring me a wine cup."

"Yes." Hong'er had an ordinary appearance, but a very slender figure, especially her pair of pert buttocks, which swayed from side to side like a large millstone, perfectly conforming to the simple concept that "big buttocks are good for childbirth".

A dish of peanuts, a side of smashed cucumber, a plate of salted shrimp... Li and Zhou drank and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After reminiscing about the past and having drunk several rounds of wine, Zhou Enxian suddenly asked, "Brother Li, is your family going to open a martial arts school?"

Li Rongzhou smiled and agreed. The martial arts school grounds had already been leased for eight taels of silver per month. When the owner of the martial arts school heard that his family wanted to rent it, he generously reduced the rent by two taels of silver.

Not only can a martial arts school bring a stable source of income to a family, but it can also cultivate connections. Anyone who enters the school must serve Li Pingfu as their master, ensuring a strong master-disciple relationship.

As for the peach orchard on Peach Blossom Mountain, their family doesn't plan to give it up either. It's one of the foundations of the Li family, and if the martial arts school doesn't perform well, they'll have a way out.

“I’m thinking of investing in this company. What do you think?” Zhou Enxian asked.

“This…” Li Rongzhou hesitated. No matter how good the brothers are, it’s hard not to fall out when there are too many interests involved.

Then Zhou Enxian continued, "I can provide the Black Tiger Skill and teach this skill. I won't interfere with how your family develops. Just give me a monthly dividend."

By this calculation, the Li family couldn't possibly have lost money; they could be considered angel investors!

Seeing Li Rongzhou's puzzled look, Zhou Enxian sighed, "Hong'er is pregnant, I have to think about the child's future."

His wife was jealous; she invested not for the money, but to build a relationship with the Li family and provide protection for their child.

In youth, he was full of ambition and pride; in old age, all he wants is for his children and grandchildren to surround him.

He also had another secret idea: all the children in the Li family were successful, and if his own children could get to know them better, they might also become successful!
Parents hope their sons will become dragons and their daughters will become phoenixes; children are an extension of their hopes.

Sensing the desolation and expectation in Zhou Enxian's words, Li Rongzhou agreed.

…………

On the south street of Pantao Town, a newly painted ebony plaque hangs high above the doorway, and the four gilded characters "Li's Martial Arts School" shine brightly in the morning light.

The decorations were red and colorful, and firecrackers littered the ground, attracting a crowd of onlookers from half the street, who began to discuss the scene.

On the day Li Pingfu opened his school and accepted disciples, some wandering Taoist masters came to "instruct" him. However, how could such wandering Taoists be a match for Li Pingfu?

He won eighteen consecutive battles, and in the eyes of the people, he was like a god of war.

"Although this martial arts school is newly opened, the owner is quite fierce."

"Such a young martial arts school master might just break through to the Acquired Realm. If my son could become his disciple, he could benefit from his success in the future!"

"The Azure Dragon and White Tiger techniques are not suitable for my child, but the Black Tiger technique might be better!"

The visual impact of winning eighteen consecutive matches was too strong. Amidst the frenzied shouts and cheers, many townspeople were filled with excitement, as if they themselves had won eighteen consecutive matches. They signed contracts on the spot to join the Li Family Martial Arts School.

……

"Brother Yuan, as you instructed, those Daoist masters have already taken the money and finished their business," Miao Kai said in a low voice.

Li Yuan nodded. It wasn't about throwing the match; it was just that there weren't that many fools who liked to "humiliate themselves" and would still ask for a beating even though their elder brother was at the Divine Fiend Realm.

Moreover, the real opportunity to kill the enemy is only a moment away, making it impossible to display "superhuman bravery" or create the glory of "invincibility".

To win the approval of the people, you have to be somewhat "performative".

He said, "Tell the brothers to keep an eye on things these next few days, so no one causes trouble, and don't mess with the underworld. Go get busy."

As time went by, the boy who used to follow Li Pingfu around like a tagalong has gone through various experiences and gradually become more worldly-wise.

……

An old farmer stood awkwardly in a corner of the martial arts school. His child, who looked about eight years old, stared at Li Pingfu in the center of the crowd with bright eyes and a face full of admiration.

Sensing his son's emotions, the old farmer gritted his teeth and asked, "Young man, how much does the martial arts school cost per year?" He thought to himself that if it didn't cost more than three taels of silver, he would sell everything he owned to pay for his son's lessons.

Business has started.

Xie Xiaodao said enthusiastically, "Brother, for just fifteen taels of silver a year, you can choose any martial art from Black Tiger Style or White Crane Style."

To be fair, the price isn't expensive. Towns are different from rural areas. When Zhou Enxian took on disciples, he charged ten taels of silver a year. Moreover, the Li Family Martial Arts School allows students to choose their own training methods, a privilege that other martial arts schools don't offer.

"So expensive?" the old farmer exclaimed. This was an astronomical price for his family.

The child's eyes dimmed instantly. "Dad, forget it. I don't like learning martial arts."

After saying that, she pulled her father away from the place of sorrow.

Xie Xiaodao was somewhat at a loss. Li Pingcan stepped through the crowd and sensed a vigorous vitality from the child whose clothes were torn, whose breathing rhythm was as resilient and unyielding as weeds.

"Hey, kid."

He called out to the child, who was not much younger than himself.

"Want to learn martial arts?"

"I can find someone to teach you!"

Author's note upon release: 10,000 views per day.

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(End of this chapter)