Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 133 The Divine Mist Mao Family, Qingjun's Aggrieved Feelings

The two entered Yajixuan and found the shop dimly lit, with a faint scent of sandalwood and old books filling the air.

On several rows of pear wood display shelves, old porcelain, jade, calligraphy and paintings are casually placed, all ordinary items without any spiritual aura.

A middle-aged man with a thin face, wearing a faded blue cloth long gown, was sitting behind the counter, holding a yellowed ancient book and reading it with great interest, without even looking up at the two people who came in.

“Uncle Zhao,” Li Qiuyun stepped forward, her voice clear and crisp, “we want to ask about some things.”

The middle-aged man then slowly put down his book and glanced at them lazily: "Yajixuan only sells antiques, not information. If you two are looking for antiques and calligraphy, feel free to look around. But if you're looking to find out anything, you've come to the wrong place."

Li Qiuyun frowned slightly. She took out a small silver token and gently placed it on the counter: "My father is Li Yanfeng."

When the middle-aged man saw the token, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the lazy look on his face softened a little.

He picked up the token and examined it carefully for a moment before looking at Li Qiuyun again, his tone becoming more polite: "So you are Instructor Li's daughter, my apologies. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to be saved by Instructor Li... May I ask what Miss Li and this fellow Daoist wish to inquire about?"

"We want to know some things about the Xu family of Yuexi Lake," Li Qiuyun stated her purpose directly.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly: "The Xu family? The Xu family of Yuexi Lake is a prominent family in Guang'an County, with considerable influence. May I ask what aspect of the Xu family you two wish to inquire about? Business dealings, or family secrets?"

Chen Ye stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "We want to know if the Xu family has a... special bloodline ailment that causes mania when it flares up?"

The middle-aged man pondered, his fingers slightly bent as he tapped the table:
"Yes, but also no."

After he finished speaking, the man fell silent.

What does it mean?
Chen Ye's eyelids twitched. So he's playing with turtle soup, huh?

Fortunately,

He didn't keep them in suspense; after pausing for a moment to examine the token, he slowly began to speak:
"The Xu family has a long history, being a branch of the Xu family of the Xu Kingdom, who migrated from the Xu Kingdom three hundred years ago. However, the Xu Kingdom Xu family did not have any hidden bloodline diseases... In other words, the Yuexi Xu family may have hidden diseases, but they may not be related to their bloodline; they are more likely influenced by other factors..."

The middle-aged man spoke very vaguely, sometimes saying "maybe" and sometimes "not necessarily."

But when Chen Ye heard these words, he was shocked.

The Xu family has no hidden bloodline diseases!
However, there is indeed a hidden illness that causes manic mood during flare-ups.

There are too many secrets behind this matter, especially for Chen Ye, who knows Qingjun's true identity.

Chen Ye remembered clearly that the more Qing Jun used the power from her bloodline, the more frenzied she became; her madness must be related to her bloodline.

The problem is, the Xu family bloodline is not the issue...

Could it be... that Qingjun is not actually of the Xu family bloodline?
Moreover, the Xu family is actually influenced by the bloodline of the true dragon.

"What could be influencing this?" Chen Ye asked, staring intently at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man sized up Chen Ye for a moment, seemingly assessing something, before saying:
"Perhaps it's the Xu family's cultivation technique, or perhaps some kind of curse... As for the deeper reasons, only the ancestors of the Yuexi Xu family probably know. Even the current Xu family probably doesn't know much about it, let alone Tingfeng Pavilion?"

Chen Ye frowned. One of the main purposes of his trip was to find out about Qing Jun's "hidden illness".

Xu Qingsong's words left a thorn in his side.

Now, Tingfeng Pavilion's explanation only deepened his suspicions.

He pondered for a moment, then changed the subject: "Then... Mao Qingzhu, Fellow Daoist Mao, have you heard anything about her lately? If we need to find her, how should we do it?"

Chen Ye came to Yuexi Workshop in search of Mao Qingzhu.

To Chen Ye's surprise, in Yuexifang, not only was Mao Qingzhu not very prominent, but the Mao family itself had a very low profile.

Even Li Qiuyun from Yuexi Lake Lane had no impression of the Mao family!
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man continued, "She did indeed return to Yuexi Lake Lane with the Xu family's caravan a month ago, and should be at the Mao family's place now. However... Madam Mao lives a secluded life and is probably not easy to find. The Mao family is also a reclusive family, located in Shenwu Valley, which is not connected with the outside world, so it is probably difficult to find them."

Shenwu Valley!
This place is near the Misty Forest, shrouded in mist and fog year-round, and contains illusion arrays; it is the location of the Mao family.

According to the middle-aged man, the Mao family is living in seclusion, and with this illusion array, it will be difficult to find Mao Qingzhu. He only has one month, and at the same time, he cannot alert the Xu family...

Just as Chen Ye's heart sank,
The middle-aged man smiled faintly again:
"But dealing with Tingfeng Pavilion is no problem. However... Fellow Daoist Li, Instructor Li saved my life years ago, so I owe him a favor..."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Li Qiuyun, his unspoken meaning quite clear.

If you want to help Chen Ye, you'll have to use this favor.

Li Qiuyun did not hesitate. She had already prepared herself mentally after bringing Chen Ye to Tingfeng Pavilion.

Although this was an emergency life-saving item left to her by her father...

Before Chen Ye could object, Li Qiuyun reached out and took his hand, looking at the middle-aged man:
"Uncle Zhao, then let's exchange this favor."

The middle-aged man nodded: "Although the Mao family has secluded themselves from the world, Tingfeng Pavilion has gone to great lengths to plant a person within the Mao family, namely Mao Qingzhu's maid. With the help of my Tingfeng Pavilion's secret techniques, Fellow Daoist Chen can disguise himself as a woman and infiltrate Shenwu Valley."

Seemingly sensing Chen Ye's hesitation, the middle-aged man continued leisurely, "This is a secret of my Listening Wind Pavilion. Now that I've told you, this favor is null and void, regardless of whether you want to go to Divine Mist Valley..."

……

"Qiuyun, I'm really sorry to trouble you this time."

After leaving Tingfeng Pavilion, Chen Ye expressed his sincere gratitude.

He never expected that Li Qiuyun's seemingly casual gesture of bringing him to Tingfeng Pavilion was actually a gesture of gratitude for saving his life.

The girl pursed her lips, completely unconcerned.
"Uncle Chen! You're overthinking it. This favor isn't worth any spirit stones. It happened more than ten years ago. If we don't use it now, we won't be able to use it once Uncle Zhao retires!"

She spoke lightly, but Chen Ye could tell that this favor was far more valuable to Li Yanfeng than Li Qiuyun made it out to be.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically given the token to his daughter as a talisman.

He felt a warmth in his heart, and realized even more that this girl was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

"Uncle Chen, are you really... going to disguise yourself as a woman and sneak in?"

Li Qiuyun recalled Manager Zhao's words and couldn't help but reveal a strange smile on her face, barely managing to suppress it.

Chen Ye blushed and coughed lightly: "In times of emergency, one must act expediently. What is this sacrifice for Qingjun?"

Seeing his embarrassed appearance, Li Qiuyun couldn't help but smile.

She pinched her chin and said mischievously, "Uncle Chen, don't worry, Qiu Yun's makeup skills were passed down from my mother. I guarantee that I'll make you look... well, absolutely stunning!"

Who told Uncle Chen to always joke around! Now it's her turn!
"..."

Chen Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

However, now is not the time to enter Shenwu Valley.

After all, the Mao family has always lived in seclusion, and Tingfeng Pavilion will need to find a suitable opportunity, such as when making external purchases, to arrange for Chen Ye to switch identities.

Therefore, the two of them went ahead to the Herbal Pavilion.

Along the way, I saw many wandering monks hurrying along, their faces beaming with joy.

From their words, it is clear that these low-level rogue cultivators are all heading towards the legendary secret realm of the Misty Forest and the girl who possesses a powerful treasure.

"These rogue cultivators are truly daydreaming. The Misty Forest is located near Moon Rhinoceros Lake. If there were any secret realm there, would it be their turn? As for the girl wielding such a powerful treasure, that's even more laughable. Such a girl is most likely someone of great importance, perhaps even an old senior who has regained his youth." Chen Ye shook his head.

Li Qiuyun agreed: "Most likely. These low-level rogue cultivators are just trying their luck. Or maybe they're just going to join in the fun... I think it won't be them chasing after the girl, but the girl chasing after them!"

Her tone carried a hint of disdain.

If there truly are secret realms and opportunities, how could ordinary rogue cultivators possibly get their hands on them? Most would simply become cannon fodder.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye nodded slightly.

He had no interest in the so-called secret realm and had no desire to get involved in the treasure-hunting frenzy of these rogue cultivators.

He said no more and quickened his pace with Li Qiuyun, heading straight for the Herbal Pavilion in Yuexi Lake Market.

The Herbal Pavilion in Yuexi Lake Lane is much larger than the one in Yunxi Lane. It is a six-story building with carved beams and painted rafters. There is a constant flow of carriages and horses in front of the gate, and cultivators come and go in an endless stream, making it look very grand.

Chen Ye handed over the Lingyin Sect's steward's badge, and soon a person who looked like a manager welcomed them inside.

The person in charge of receiving us was a kind-looking old man in a yellow robe, with a cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining. He introduced himself as the manager of the Herbal Pavilion, and his surname was Sun.

"Steward Chen, you've come from afar, thank you for your hard work." Steward Sun politely led the two into an elegant quiet room and ordered someone to serve them spiritual tea and snacks.

Chen Ye handed over the document dispatched by the sect. Steward Sun took it and examined it carefully. His smile widened. "So it was Steward Tian Nong who recommended Steward Chen. My apologies. Steward Chen's skills in planting spiritual plants are superb. With your help, my Moon Rhinoceros Lake Herbal Pavilion will surely reach new heights."

"Manager Sun, you're too kind. I'm new here and will have to rely on you all a lot," Chen Ye said humbly.

After exchanging pleasantries, Steward Sun explained in detail the mission Chen Ye was on this trip.

It turns out that there is a sizable medicinal garden in the backyard of Yuexi Lake Herbal Pavilion, which is dedicated to cultivating some relatively delicate and difficult-to-grow medicinal herbs.

However, due to the recent busy market affairs and the lack of manpower in the pavilion, the herb garden has been neglected, and several rare medicinal herbs have developed varying degrees of disease.

Manager Sun's intention was to ask Chen Ye, the newly arrived expert in spiritual plants, to help cultivate that medicinal garden and restore the vitality of those weak and sick herbs.

This job sounded quite easy, which suited Chen Ye's taste perfectly.

He immediately agreed.

Seeing his straightforwardness, Deputy Steward Sun was very pleased and immediately ordered someone to take Chen Ye and Li Qiuyun to the herb garden in the backyard to settle them in.

The herb garden is located deep in the backyard of the Herbal Pavilion, in a quiet and secluded environment, with a richer spiritual energy than the front yard. Several exquisite bamboo houses are built in the garden, presumably where Chen Ye will live in the future.

After settling in, Li Qiuyun took her leave, saying she was going to visit a distant cousin who worked in Yuexihufang.

Chen Ye stood alone in the herb garden, looking at the medicinal herbs that were either withered or had yellowed leaves, but his heart was filled with peace and tranquility.

Here, far from the hustle and bustle and strife, there is only the fragrance of grass and trees and the scent of earth.

He took a deep breath, and felt that the stress and worries of the past few days had dissipated in this moment of tranquility.

"Very well, I'll stay here and be a herb farmer in peace."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Ye's lips. He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across a purple orchid with curled leaves, slowly channeling a wisp of pure wood-elemental spiritual energy into it.

The orchid seemed to sense this vitality, trembling slightly, and its curled leaves unfurled a bit.

Peaceful and serene, free from worldly strife.

At this moment, Chen Ye is enjoying the rare pleasure of caring for spiritual plants.

……

Misty Forest.

This place is shrouded in a grayish-white miasma year-round, and the forest is teeming with poisonous insects.

Two small figures stumbled and ran through the woods.

"Sister, there seem to be more and more bad people... Waaah, Sister Bai is a bad person! She doesn't help us at all!"

Qingjun's eyes were brimming with tears, and her delicate, beautiful face was filthy, even bearing a smear of blood.

She gripped the Xiaohan Sword, a weapon that seemed to resonate with her perfectly, tightly in her hand. The sword was adorned with starlight, yet it couldn't conceal the tension of its owner.

"Shh." Zhiwei's cold gaze swept across the miasma-filled forest. She held the Shenchen Sword horizontally in front of her, her voice still calm, "Hold your aura, don't be afraid, your sister is here..."

The two girls never expected things to develop to this point!

The Misty Forest does indeed contain hidden realms.

Even they didn't know how they entered the secret realm.

Within that secret realm, there was only a round bead; nothing else.

Most fatally, the divine thoughts left behind by Bai Susu disappeared completely after she entered that secret realm!

"Senior sister, how about... we just throw that broken bead at them?"

Qingjun muttered to herself, somewhat unwillingly touching the inconspicuous storage bag at her waist.

This bead... was originally intended as a gift for my master...

snort!
This is a treasure from a hidden realm.

If Master gets it, she'll definitely pick me up again, nuzzle my face against hers, and say I'm a fragrant and soft little steamed bun...

But no matter what, life is the most important thing!
As long as Qingjun is around, there's no fear of not having kids to tag along with!

Zhiwei silently shook her head: "Even if we hand over this item, those greedy people might not let us go. They have no idea that a secret realm exists! It's just a case of their clever scheme backfiring..."

She could see clearly that those pursuers, besides being after that elusive treasure, were probably more interested in the pair of second-tier magic weapon-level flying swords in their hands!
"Goo-"

Qingjun's stomach suddenly growled. She carefully took out the pear blossom pastry from her storage bag. The pastry was flattened and dirty, and it was the last piece of pastry that Chen Ye had left behind.

She carefully separated the two halves and handed them to Zhiwei.

"Hmm? I remember you brought some homemade snacks?" The older girl took the half-eaten snack and suddenly looked a little puzzled.

She remembered clearly that when she came, Qingjun had brought the pastries she had made over the past few days.

"That's for Master... Qingjun said she would cook delicious food for Master, but if Senior Sister is hungry, she can have some!"

The little girl carefully took out a pear blossom pastry, the size of her own face, which she had painstakingly made, from her storage bag. She proudly puffed out her little chest.

"Hmph! Master's pear blossom pastries aren't as big as Qingjun's! Waaah... I originally wanted them to be as big as Master's, so that by the time I finished making them, Master would be back. But I didn't expect Sister Bai to bring us here..."

Looking at the enormous pear blossom pastry, Zhiwei knew that Qingjun had put a lot of effort into making it.

She smiled slightly: "I'm not hungry, but... Chen Ye will be so happy then."

The little girl pouted in disgust: "How awful! Qingjun doesn't care whether he's happy or not. Qingjun is just fulfilling her promise!"

However, before Zhiwei could speak...

"call out--!"

A sharp sword light pierced through the air, fast as lightning, and without missing a beat, it directly split the huge piece of candy in Qingjun's hand in two!

The candy shattered, its aroma spreading everywhere. Half of it fell onto the muddy ground, covered in filth, while the other half was blasted away by the aftershocks of the sword energy, its whereabouts unknown.

"My sugar cake!"

Looking at her empty little hands and the ruined beloved pastry on the ground, Qingjun's phoenix eyes widened instantly, her little mouth pursed, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"who?!"

Zhiwei reacted extremely quickly, drawing the Canchen Sword instantly. The sword gleamed coldly as she shielded Qingjun behind her, warily watching the source of the sword light.

As the miasma surged, several figures slowly emerged—the rogue cultivators who had been chasing them!
The leader was a burly man with a face full of scars. He was licking his lips, holding a longsword that was still dripping blood in his hand, and a cruel smile on his face: "Little brat, your snacks are quite good, too bad, you won't have a chance to eat them!"

The crowd behind him burst into laughter, looking at the two girls as if they were fish on a chopping board.

Poisonous miasma surged in the forest, and a murderous intent permeated the air!
Qingjun's crying stopped abruptly. She looked at the destroyed sugar cakes on the ground, then at the fierce-looking enemies, her small body trembling slightly with anger.

She abruptly raised her head, and her once watery phoenix eyes now blazed with two crimson flames! "You...you villains! Pay me back for my candy!!"

With a furious shout, the Sky Sword was drawn, its blade radiating starlight and carrying a fierce killing intent that was completely out of place with her petite figure, as it charged straight toward the burly man in the lead!
A sword whistle rang out, the mist in the forest churned, and the sword light moved as swiftly as a bolt of lightning!
The burly man's pupils contracted, and his scalp tingled.

A sense of impending death rushed into my heart.

This... how come this little girl has such a strong aura!
I am a master at the fifth level of Qi Refining!
He subconsciously summoned his magical weapon and, without thinking, directly clashed with Qingjun's Xiaohan Sword.

"boom!"

A deafening roar erupted, and a shockwave of spiritual energy swept outwards from the two of them, causing the poisonous miasma in the forest to churn and the trees to sway!
The light of the Sky Sword dimmed, and it flew back.

Qingjun's small figure flew away like a kite with a broken string, spitting blood.

"You scared your grandpa half to death, you overconfident little brat."

The burly man spat, still shaken, with a disdainful sneer on his face.

Although he was also shaken by the sword energy contained in the Xiaohan Sword, he managed to withstand it thanks to his profound cultivation.

"As expected of a second-tier magic weapon, it possesses such power! Wait... where are they?"

The burly man's greed intensified, but he was also more wary of the little girl's strange strength.

He steadied himself, his gaze sweeping fiercely across the swirling miasma around him: "Where's that little bitch? And that black-haired one too!"

That attack just now, with its surge of spiritual energy, stirred up the poisonous miasma in the forest like a raging sea, and the thick fog almost obscured all vision.

"Damn it! She did it on purpose..."

The burly man was startled, realizing that the white-haired girl was fighting him to forcibly stir up the already dense miasma in the misty forest!

What ruthless scheming! What decisive methods!

This is hardly something a naive young girl would do.

"Quick, those two little brats are nearby! Go and catch them! If we wait for the other rogue cultivators to find out, it will be too late for us to intervene!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hesitant rogue cultivators around him suddenly had a greedy glint in their eyes. They shouted and rushed deeper into the miasma like hungry wolves that had smelled blood.

The burly man looked at the rogue cultivators who had been stirred up by his few words and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Sending them as cannon fodder to scout ahead is the best course of action.

He always felt that the white-haired girl was not as simple as she seemed on the surface.

Could it be... that he really is a disciple of some major sect?

Do not!
If they were disciples of a major sect, wouldn't they have protectors?
It must be a magical artifact obtained from a secret realm!
After all, their cultivation level was really low, and the spells and techniques they used were also mediocre.

Despite these thoughts, he quietly retreated and blended into the crowd.

Meanwhile, another group of cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining, about a dozen people, quietly arrived at the Misty Forest...

　Thank you to Lazy Cat Jia Qinghuan for the 1500 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)