Longevity Candle

Chapter 108 Decaying Peace

Under the cover of night, a wooden house, appearing and disappearing as if it had appeared out of nowhere, blocked the way.

The green mountains on both sides are shrouded in mist in the night, creating a hazy and dreamlike scene.

The caravan members' expressions changed drastically. They had traveled this route countless times and were quite certain that there were no wooden houses here.

That moving wooden house is real!

"I'll go take a look." Li Qingchen stood up.

Before Pang Duoduo could stop him, he had already disappeared into the night.

"Qingchen." Pang Duoduo called out, wanting to follow, but was pulled back by the people around her.

Although he also practiced martial arts, his talent was average, and he couldn't even compare to the guards around him.

Li Qingchen arrived alone in front of the wooden house, and a chilling aura wafted towards him.

A chilling aura, seemingly sentient, swirled around him, silently eroding his vitality and spirit.

The tabby cat stayed by his side without interfering.

Li Qingchen grasped the peach wood sword, which emitted a faint silver glow, and the surrounding cold aura dissipated.

Stepping into the wooden house, it was pitch black, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, which made the silver gleam of the peach wood sword in your hand shine exceptionally bright.

The chilling aura intensified, but it was all kept out by the peach wood sword.

The tabby cat had no choice but to speak up: "If you don't sheathe your sword soon, she's going to run away."

Li Qingchen quickly sheathed his sword and whispered, "Master, what is that?"

"Didn't you want to hone your skills? What's the point of me saying anything?" The tabby cat's figure gradually faded and disappeared into the void.

As the tabby cat disappeared and the peach wood sword was sheathed, the chilling aura intensified.

Li Qingchen was in a daze, feeling drowsy and exhausted.

In a daze, a woman wearing a pink gauze dress walked in from outside the door.

Her graceful figure was partially hidden, and the young, vigorous man had never seen anything like it.
His mind was a complete blank, and everything around him seemed to have vanished. All that remained in Li Qingchen's eyes was this slender figure.

"Young master, are you a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examination?" The woman asked with a charming smile, curtsying and saying, "I am Yun Ting, and I greet you, young master."

She looked at Li Qingchen with great joy and surprise. She had never seen such a spirited and vigorous young man before.

Even those so-called martial arts masters are far inferior to him.

Fortunately, he was just a martial artist.

"I...I am a wandering knight." Li Qingchen blushed and unconsciously lowered his head: "Miss, you should wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold."

"I am all alone and helpless. I have been robbed by bandits and am penniless. I am wandering in the mountains and forests. Where can I find clothes to warm myself?" Yun Ting looked pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I... I'll give you the clothes." In his dazed state, Li Qingchen hurriedly took the package and untied the long robe.

The tabby cat in the void covered its eyes, wondering if its disciple had fallen into a trap so soon after entering the mortal world.
As he took off his long robe, Yun Ting took the initiative to throw herself onto him, hugging his body, her breath sweet as orchids: "My lord, your body is so warm, you are such a kind person."

"Don't do this, don't do this." Li Qingchen hurriedly pushed Yun Ting away, her hands feeling icy cold, like ice.

"Does my lord despise my impure body?" Yun Ting covered her face and wept. "The man who forced me was vicious. Although I was forced, I have lost my chastity. How can I have the face to live in this world?"

Her voice was mournful, as if she were weeping and pleading. After speaking, she was about to bang her head against the door.

Li Qingchen quickly grabbed her: "I, I didn't mean to look down on you..."

His consciousness became increasingly muddled, his blood and qi were boiling, and he felt a burning sensation.

The Yun Ting before him seemed to possess a kind of magic that made him want to be intimate with her.

He forcefully suppressed his impulse and quickly said, "It's chilly at night, I'll find some dry firewood to start a fire."

"My lord, I'm scared, I'm cold."

She hugged Li Qingchen again, absorbing his energy and spirit.

Seeing my pitiful appearance, Li Qingchen was at a loss for words and said, "Then we won't look for firewood. My master has also taught me how to start a fire. Please wait a moment."

He pushed Yun Ting away with difficulty, his hands forming a mysterious hand seal, and his true energy circulated within his body: "Heaven and earth are boundless, borrow the power of heaven and earth, fire, come!"

A wisp of heaven and earth energy gathered and transformed into crimson flames, illuminating the house.

The chilling aura instantly dissipated, and Yun Ting's eyes widened in horror as she staggered backward.

As the surrounding temperature rose, Li Qingchen's muddled consciousness cleared up somewhat.

The strange tales I had heard in the past also resurfaced one by one.

Mountains and forests, temples, harmful supernatural beings, and moving wooden houses.

He stared intently at Yun Ting: "Are you afraid of this flame?"

"My lord, it's too hot. I'm feeling a little unwell," Yun Ting said quickly.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Li Qingchen's eyes flashed with golden light; Yun Ting before him had changed.

It was still Yun Ting, but she no longer possessed her former allure. Instead, she was pale, disheveled, and covered in scars, her body weak and frail.

"A wandering spirit!"

Li Qingchen's eyes turned cold, and his peach wood sword instantly flew up, transforming into dozens of sword lights that sealed off the entire wooden house.

"You're a Qi Refiner?" Yun Ting looked at him in shock and fear.

She wanted to escape, but the sharp sword energy emanating from the surrounding sword lights pierced her painfully.

"Why are you harming people here?" Li Qingchen's gaze was cold. He didn't rush to kill her, but wanted to find out Yun Ting's background.

Yun Ting remained silent, but a trace of Yin energy appeared on her body. It was very weak, but it was still a power of immortality.

She struck the sword light with her palm, trying to create an opening.

However, the sword light was too sharp for her to withstand, and her Yin magic power instantly dissipated.

Four sword beams flew out, piercing directly through her limbs.

A piercing scream rang out, sending chills down one's spine.

“You can’t escape.” Li Qingchen gripped the peach wood sword and placed it on Yun Ting’s shoulder. “If you don’t talk, I’ll kill you right now. If you do talk, I can send you to the underworld.”

"You'll send me to the Netherworld?" Yun Ting was startled and looked at him with surprise and doubt. "Are you from the Taiping Dao? No, no, no Qi Refiners have come from the Taiping Dao recently."

“The Way of Peace is not limited to the Way of Peace in the Sheng Kingdom.” Li Qingchen said, “I am the Way of Peace in Peach Blossom Spring.”

“Taoyuan Taiping Dao?” Yun Ting had never said it before, but seeing him pick up a silver-white lamp, she knew he had the ability to send souls away: “He is a Taiping Dao Qi cultivator, Zuo Fang, who asked me to harm people here.”

"The left side of Taiping Road?" Li Qingchen exclaimed in surprise, "Why would he do that?"

"He was extremely poor in talent, and only by getting in through connections did he enter the Taiping Dao and become a Qi cultivator."

However, his magical power accumulated slowly, and he lacked any spiritual medicine, so he obtained a pill formula instead.

Yun Ting dared not hide anything and told them: "That pill formula uses the essence of living beings as medicine to refine the Myriad Spirit Pill, which can enhance one's magical power."

"Such a heretical path!" Li Qingchen exclaimed in shock and anger, "Isn't he afraid of the karmic consequences of heaven and earth?"

They use the so-called "panacea" to replenish their essence, energy, and spirit, and then transform it into their own magical power.

Even those with poor natural talent can improve rapidly, as long as they are ruthless enough.

"Karma?" Yun Ting said with a bitter smile, "We are the ones who are harming them."

Karma?

It's in them!
"You guys? There's more than just you?" Li Qingchen's eyes widened in disbelief.

“Many people die in Qiuyue every year, and as a Qi cultivator, he can leave behind many wandering souls.”

Yun Ting said in a low voice, "I'm just one of them. If we want to protect our families, we have to listen to him."

No secret techniques are needed to restrain him, nor is his intervention required; threatening his family is enough.

Li Qingchen trembled with anger, his fingers shaking. He never expected that the Qi cultivators of the Taiping Dao would be so corrupt.

It's only been a few years!

Do they live up to the sacrifices made by their ancestors?

The tabby cat watched quietly, without interfering.

“I don’t want to hurt people either, but I have no choice. My family still has to live in Qiuyue City…” Yun Ting cried out in anguish.

She didn't want to harm anyone, nor did she want to incur negative karma.

Even if he cultivated a trace of Taiyin magic power, he could not contend with the left side.

The injuries on her body were all inflicted by Zuo Fang.

When her karma becomes too heavy, Zuo Fang can kill her again, which will be another act of merit.

"Why is this happening? Why is this happening?" Li Qingchen muttered to himself, unable to understand.

If it were some mountain cultivators who accidentally strayed into the path of immortality and did such a thing, he wouldn't be so angry.

But that's the Taiping Road!
The Way of Peace should strive for peace throughout the world.

"Why? I want to know why too!" Yun Ting seemed to have been provoked, and she became frantic: "Was I wrong? I just died of illness. I never thought of staying in this world, nor did I think of harming anyone. So why am I like this?"

Li Qingchen remained silent for a long time before saying in a dry voice, "I'll send you to the Netherworld, then I'll deal with Zuo Fang."

He handed the Taiyin Lamp in his hand to Yunting.

Yun Ting grasped the Taiyin Lamp, utterly bewildered: "Where...where should I go?"

"Can't you see it there?" Li Qingchen pointed to the endless darkness not far away.

"I can't see." Yun Ting held the Taiyin Lamp and walked in the direction he indicated.

She arrived at the endless darkness, the entrance to the underworld, that Li Qingchen had mentioned.

But she remained there, unchanged. "I... I can't go," she said, her expression panicked and fearful.

"Master," Li Qingchen called out.

"Those burdened by karma cannot enter the Netherworld," the tabby cat said. "I could force her in, but it wouldn't end well."

"This..." Li Qingchen was at a loss for what to do.

The tabby cat said, "Killing her will bring you merit, and she will be freed."

Yun Ting looked terrified and wanted to escape, but the area around her was already blocked by sword light.

Having become a wandering spirit and developed magical powers, she didn't want to die!
"Master, is there no other way?" Li Qingchen was kind-hearted and felt that this was wrong, at least not to kill her directly.

"Yes, she can do good deeds. Once she has accumulated enough merit and eliminated her own karma, she can naturally enter the netherworld."

The tabby cat said, "But she has already tasted the benefits of living beings, and she will not be able to resist doing evil to improve herself."

"I won't do anything evil, I won't," Yun Ting quickly assured him. "I'm willing to do good deeds, I'm willing."

“Master, I want to keep her here,” Li Qingchen said.

"Suit yourself, but be prepared to kill her. A wandering soul burdened with karma is no longer pure," the tabby cat said calmly.

He didn't care about a wandering soul, nor did he believe that Yun Ting could withstand the influence of karma.

"Thank you, my lord, thank you, my lord," Yun Ting said excitedly, bowing deeply.

"You'll stay by my side until we deal with Zuo Fang," Li Qingchen said.

"Yes," Yun Ting replied respectfully, transforming into a streak of light and attaching herself to Li Qingchen's sleeve.

Li Qingchen sighed and looked at the tabby cat: "Master, do you do this too?"

"What kind?"

"Using living beings to refine elixirs."

"No interest. Even if I refined the entire Sheng Kingdom, it wouldn't be as good as me cultivating for a few years myself," the tabby cat said disdainfully.

He is a great spirit born of nature; how much improvement could an ordinary mortal bring to him?

That slight improvement is far less terrifying than karma.

As for transferring karma?

A person with the talent to cultivate immortality is so hard to find, we can't bear to waste it like this.

They had never considered the path of immortality in the mortal realm before, so naturally they couldn't rely on mortals for sustenance.

For ordinary people who are still alive, isn't it more important to do good deeds and offer incense?

The tabby cat suddenly said, "My good disciple, you have seen the evil things brought about by the immortal path. Why don't you kill the mortal immortals?"

“If there is evil, then we should resolve it and turn the tide for the Way of Peace.” Li Qingchen said solemnly, “Every era has evil people. Even without the mortal and immortal paths, there are still plenty of evil people. As you have said, the law has no inherent good or evil.”

The tabby cat pouted: "You're quite the smooth talker. It's not bad that you were able to break free from her influence on your own before."

Li Qingchen was somewhat embarrassed, because it wasn't that he had broken free from the influence on his own; it was entirely by accident.

His mind was in complete chaos before he could ignite the flames.

If Yunting really lets him gather firewood, she might really fall into a trap.

The difference between martial arts and immortality is still too great.

“Your pure heart reflects your own state of mind,” Yun Ting said.

“That’s right, innocence is a good thing. If it were a martial artist, they would have given in long ago.” The tabby cat grinned.

“Let’s go, Duoduo is still waiting for me,” Li Qingchen said.

“This wooden house was built on the left and is also blessed by the power of the Taiyin magic,” Yun Ting said.

Li Qingchen's peach wood sword sliced ​​through the void, and a wisp of crimson flame ignited, instantly transforming into a raging inferno that engulfed the wooden house.

Back at the caravan, the people looked at him with fear: "Are you a human or a wandering ghost?"

Pang Duoduo was also somewhat afraid: "Qingchen, do you still recognize me?"

“It’s been resolved,” Li Qingchen said. “I am a Qi Refiner.”

He raised his hand, and a flash of fire appeared, illuminating the darkness.

"You're actually a Qi cultivator?" Pang Duoduo's eyes widened. We agreed to practice martial arts and play together, and you've become a Qi cultivator?

“That wooden house is destroyed, so this road will be safe from now on,” Li Qingchen said. “Do you still have peach blossom wine? Give me a jar.”

"Yes, of course we do," Pang Duoduo said with a smile. "We always bring a lot with us when we go out."

For merchants traveling far from home, peach blossom wine is consumed more often than water.

The two sat by the fire and asked about the cabin.

Li Qingchen said, "It was just a wandering spirit causing trouble, which I have already killed."

He didn't go into details, just gave a few perfunctory words.

No one dared to ask any more questions. After learning that he was a Qi cultivator, Pang Duoduo felt more fear and unfamiliarity.

After a night, the caravan continued its journey.

Half a month later, they arrived at Qiuyue City.

Instead of going into the city with them, Li Qingchen went to the peach grove from back then.

The peach orchard is much larger than before, stretching as far as the eye can see. It is well-maintained, but it has a new owner.

"Sigh," Li Qingchen sighed, "Not a trace can be found."

“Mortal things.” The tabby cat curled its lip. “After Li Qingxuan left, all traces of this place were erased.”

"Why do you want to erase it?" Li Qingchen asked.

"Perhaps she doesn't want to remember Li Qingxuan," the tabby cat said. "Or perhaps she doesn't want people to know about Qingdeng's existence."

The green lamp can command the dragon's energy and cause the rise and fall of dynasties, how could Xu Wenhe not be afraid?
I can't have the green lamp myself, so I'm afraid someone else will.

Li Qingchen paused for a moment, then turned and left.

He arrived at Autumn Moon City, at Peach Blossom Inn. The name remained the same, but the owner had changed, and the taste of the peach blossom wine had also changed.

The peach blossom wine here is less sweet and not as refreshing as the original.

Li Qingchen sipped his peach blossom wine and listened to the conversations of the tavern's patrons.

An old man was telling the story of Autumn Moon City.

"A clan once dominated this place, called the Chang family, who held sway over Qiuyue City, and even the government had to defer to them..."

Everyone listened with great interest, but they didn't seem to care much about the Chang family.

They could hardly imagine what a family that ruled over the local government would look like.

In present-day Qiuyue City, although there are some landlords, they do not own much land and their status is not high.

"The Chang family's caravans always make a fortune..."

"Merchants? The Chang family are actually merchants?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, their words filled with disdain.

Merchants today do not have a high social status; they are classified as the fourth class by the emperor of Shengguo, following the order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

Even if a businessman is wealthy, he doesn't dare to be too ostentatious.

The tavern's customers were mostly scholars, some of whom practiced martial arts, and martial arts were also considered part of the scholar class.

"If I were in that era, I would have already ridden my horse and brandished my spear, wielding the Chang family to the ground," a young martial artist said arrogantly.

Li Qingchen listened quietly, smiling occasionally, without saying a word.

He liked this atmosphere very much. Isn't a peaceful and prosperous era all about letting people talk and boast freely?
A day passed, and it was late at night when the tavern closed.

When Li Qingchen left the tavern, the streets were deserted, with hardly any pedestrians.

Yun Ting's voice rang out: "My lord, Zuo Fang has dragon energy on him, we are afraid we are no match for him."

“It’s alright, I cultivate martial arts,” Li Qingchen said.

"Martial arts?" Yun Ting murmured, not daring to ask any further questions.

What martial art could so easily suppress her?
Following Yun Ting's directions, Li Qingchen arrived at a mansion, the Zuo Mansion.

Qi cultivators hold a superior position and wield power and influence!
Li Qingchen entered the mansion silently, and lewd sounds came from inside.

Under the lamplight, an elderly man was being served by two young women, indulging in unrestrained pleasure.

His table was laden with delicious food, his wine glasses were filled with the rich aroma of wine, and the woman beside him was exceptionally beautiful.

"Hmm?" His gaze suddenly sharpened, and the door opened as he looked at the young man standing outside: "A martial artist? You have quite the nerve to trespass on my residence."

"Taoyuan, Li Qingchen." Li Qingchen pointed his sword to the left: "You're Zuo Fang?"

The two women remained completely calm, as if they were used to this kind of scene.

The man on the left had a cold gaze. Without getting up, he opened his mouth and spat out a beam of cold light, which shot straight at Li Qingchen's face.

The sword flashed, like a bright moon, piercing through the cold light and splitting the dining table.

A layer of silver light appeared on Zuo Fang's body, but this silver light only lasted for a moment before the peach wood sword pierced through his body.

"you……"

Zuo Fang stared in disbelief at the person before him—a mere martial artist who had actually broken through his protective magic...

(End of this chapter)