Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 156 Reencounter with Lin Qiongyu

Since Senior Sister can't refine pills, wouldn't it be a waste of her time to eavesdrop on Master's pill refining?
This really puzzled the girl.

Qingjun glanced at her senior sister, who was still listening attentively to her master refining pills, yawned, and nimbly slipped into the quilt like a snow-white kitten.

“Master…Master…”

Zhiwei stroked the jade pendant, murmuring to herself.

My ears almost stood up.

It's perfectly normal for an apprentice to secretly learn their master's techniques!
Zhiwei believed that his disciple should work hard to eavesdrop on his master.

That's only natural!
She's just trying to learn a skill, what's wrong with that?

Chen Ye was unaware that at that very moment, one of his disciples was eavesdropping.

Although he was already in the late stage of Qi Refining, he had no suspicion of the jade pendant he took from his disciple.

After all, this jade pendant was a gift from Mao Qingzhu and was worn by Zhiwei.

Seeing that Zhiwei had already undergone the ritual, he did not perform the ritual again.

Anyway, carrying it around would have a calming effect, so he was too lazy to refine his disciple's magic weapon.

"In the end, the Mind-Concentrating Pill is still the most effective for me... I'll give the Qi-Nourishing Pill to my disciple once it's refined to the highest grade, unless I can get the recipe for the Qi-Stabilizing Pill."

Chen Ye took out the Hundred Herbs Elixir Manual and his gaze fell on the Mind-Concentrating Pill.

However, the Concentration Pill is a second-tier pill formula, and its refining difficulty is far greater than that of other first-tier pill formulas.

However, in reality, the three second-tier pill formulas in the Hundred Herbs Pill Classic—the Concentrating Spirit Pill, the Foundation Building Pill, and the Demon-Slaying Pill—can only be considered pseudo-second-tier pill formulas, because these three pills are actually intended for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage.

Compared to the pills given to Foundation Establishment cultivators, the difficulty level has decreased by another level.

This is also why Li Guangzong was able to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill with his Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation.

However, the refining process takes a very long time; it took Li Guangzong nearly two months to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Chen Ye thought for a moment. He only had one Concentration Grass, which Li Guangzong had bought at an auction.

The Concentration Grass is expensive; if the refining process fails, this valuable spiritual plant will be wasted.

He planned to wait until he had mastered the other pill formulas before attempting to refine the Spirit Condensation Pill.

……

A night of alchemy passed in the blink of an eye.

early morning.

Chen Ye had already packed his bags.

Taoshanfang is located near Yunxifang, especially Linsong Medicinal Garden, which is situated at the intersection of the two neighborhoods.

This trip to Taoshanfang might also give me a chance to return to Yunxifang, visit my old home on Bishui Street, and pay a visit to Old Man Hei's family.

Both Chen Ye and his two apprentices were looking forward to this long journey.

"Oh dear, have you brought everything? Qingjun feels like there's something we forgot."

The little girl checked her storage bag with unease, and then couldn't help but go home and look around again.

What do you have?

Chen Ye rolled his eyes at Qing Jun, annoyed.

This little girl, she was just about to leave, but she kept turning back, always wondering if she had forgotten something.

"You stinky master! You'll be gone for a year and a half. If you forget anything, it'll be a hassle to come back for it!"

The little girl spoke with righteous indignation, glanced at the stone table in the courtyard, and pinched her fair chin.
"Master, do you think we can bring this table? Qingjun painstakingly carved a Go board on it..."

Chen Ye rubbed his forehead, but amidst the little girl's cheers, he put the stone table into his storage bag.

Anyway, the storage bag is empty anyway...

Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Brother Chen! Where are you headed today?"

Chen Ye looked in the direction of the sound and saw Li Yanfeng standing outside the door with his hands behind his back, dressed in a neat instructor's uniform. His expression was no longer serious as usual, but rather carried a hint of mutual respect between swordsmen.

Ok?
Chen Ye had known for a long time that Li Qiuyun's father was Li Yanfeng.

However, Li Yanfeng seemed unaware that his daughter was his own disciple.

Chen Ye returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Brother Li, what brings you here?"

"Hey! I heard a few days ago there was a spiritual plant master whose Azure Wave Sword Control Technique was superb, and he captured three inner disciples. After thinking it over, this spiritual plant master must be Brother Chen."

Li Yanfeng stepped into the courtyard, his gaze falling on the iron sword behind Chen Ye, his eyes filled with admiration.

He never expected that Chen Ye could actually cultivate the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique to the fourth level!
You should know that even he is still on the third floor!

This person's swordsmanship talent is even greater than mine, it's just a pity he's a bit too old.

If we had come to Lingyin Sect earlier, perhaps Lingyin Sect would have produced a Foundation Establishment cultivator skilled in flying swords in the future!
Li Yanfeng paused, then took out a jade slip from his storage bag and handed it over: "This is a piece of knowledge about sword intent condensation that I obtained by chance during my travels in my early years. Perhaps it will be of some help to you when you break through to the fifth level of the Thunderclap Realm in the future."

Chen Ye accepted the jade slip, and was also delighted.

Recently, the rate at which his proficiency in the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique has increased has slowed down. If he had this insight to help him, it might be able to help him break through to the fifth level again!
As the two were exchanging pleasantries, another beautiful figure appeared at the courtyard gate.

The newcomer was dressed in a sky-blue Taoist robe, with a slender figure and an imposing air; it was none other than Li Qiuyun.

The moment Li Yanfeng saw his daughter, the smile on his face vanished instantly. His eyebrows furrowed, and his tone became stern: "Qiuyun! What are you doing here? Did you come to disturb Brother Chen's peaceful cultivation?"

Li Qiuyun was taken aback by her father's sudden reprimand, and her pretty face flushed slightly, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed.

Little did she know her father would be here!
What made her even more embarrassed was that her father had no idea that the Brother Chen he spoke of, who was exceptionally talented in swordsmanship and whom he considered a close friend, was the same steward whom he had repeatedly told her to stay away from!

Li Qiuyun thought to herself, "How could my father be so foolish? Logically speaking... Uncle Chen's rumors had spread everywhere before..."

She overlooked the fact that, as the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly.

Li Yanfeng paid no attention to the rumors circulating outside, nor did he bother to ponder whether the two spirit plant masters of the Lingyin Sect were the same person.

She took a deep breath, a surge of courage rising within her, and straightened her back, meeting her father's stern gaze. She said in a clear voice, "Father, your daughter... is going to Taoshanfang with Uncle Chen."

"What?" Li Yanfeng was taken aback at first, then his brows furrowed even more. "Accompany him? What are you going to do with him? Wait..."

In that instant, Li Yanfeng's mind went blank.

Ok?
His daughter was a newly appointed spiritual plant master's disciple, and Chen Ye was also a newly appointed spiritual plant master.

Seeing her father's old face turn from green to white, and then from white to red, as if a dye shop had been opened, Li Qiuyun felt that if she stayed any longer, she would be so ashamed that she would faint on the spot.

She gritted her teeth and, before her father could react, quickly grabbed Chen Ye's sleeve, making a show of running away.

"Father, we're leaving now!"

She hurriedly called out to her father, who was still standing there in a daze, and then pulled Chen Ye out without looking back.

"Eh--"

Li Yanfeng reached out in the direction his daughter had gone, wanting to call her back and ask her what was going on, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know where to begin.

The two beautifully sculpted girls looked at each other in bewilderment, then quickly shouldered their small bundles and followed closely behind their master.

Before leaving, Zhiwei turned back and respectfully bowed to Li Yanfeng: "Senior Li, we'll be going now..." "What...does something feel off?"

Seeing his daughter's attempt to cover up her secret, Li Yanfeng stood there dumbfounded, muttering to himself.

Suddenly, I felt a little regretful for giving him that book of swordsmanship insights.

……

three days later.

Momoyama Square.

As the carriage traveled to the outskirts of the market, its speed unconsciously slowed down.

Chen Ye lifted the carriage curtain, but the scene before him made him frown.

In stark contrast to the beautiful and bustling Yuexi Lake Market, which is built along the water, Taoshan Market is more like a weathered and ancient border town.

The tall, thick city walls were covered with a mix of old and new claw marks and charred marks from magical attacks. In some places, there was even obvious collapse, which was hastily repaired with huge pieces of spirit wood and earth and stones.

At the city gate, the monks came and went in a hurry, most of them with worried and wary expressions, lacking the hustle and bustle and vitality that a market should have.

"How could it... have turned out like this?" Li Qiuyun looked at the desolate scene before her, her beautiful face full of confusion.

In her memory, Taoshanfang was not as wealthy as Yuexihufang, but it was still one of the largest markets in Guang'an County, and it had always been a prosperous place. How could it have ever been so dilapidated?
Chen Ye sighed inwardly. He had already learned from Tian Nong that Yunxi Fang and Taoshan Fang were the first to be hit by the cold disaster and beast tide and suffered heavy losses.

He hadn't noticed before, as he was in the stable sect and the bustling Moon Rhinoceros Lake neighborhood.

But witnessing it firsthand now, I truly felt the devastation of that natural and man-made disaster.

"It seems that the beast tide was triggered by the cold wave back then... Fortunately, the beast tide has ended in the last month."

Chen Ye looked out the window at the many busy independent cultivators and sighed.

In the past, he had also suffered from the beast tide in Yunxifang.

However, he immediately joined the Lingyin Sect and received the sect's protection.

"Alas, my few acres of sacred fields have all been frozen to death by that damned frost. I'm afraid there will be no harvest this year..."

"What's that! The Zhang family in the west was wiped out the night before last by the Riftwind Wolf Demon that broke into the market... Alas, the whole family, young and old, is gone!"

"How are we supposed to live like this..."

By the roadside, several independent cultivators huddled together, sighing and complaining.

Chen Ye remained silent, watching these figures struggling to survive in the cold wind, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Not long ago, wasn't he one of them?
If it weren't for his proficiency panel, he would probably be busy making a few spirit stones for consultation fees right now, or he might have already lost his life in some insignificant conflict or accident.

"Master..."

Zhiwei appeared beside him at some point and gently tugged at the hem of his clothes with her small hand.

Chen Ye turned around and saw a hint of unease in his eldest disciple's dark eyes.

Looking at the rogue cultivators whose circumstances were so similar to hers and her junior sister's in the past, she unconsciously clenched her small fists.

Qingjun's dark phoenix eyes stared blankly at everything around her.

The scene before them undoubtedly stirred up those deep-seated memories of hunger, cold, and despair buried in their hearts.

Chen Ye sighed inwardly, pulled his two disciples to his sides, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, your master is here."

He led his group through the desolate streets and headed straight for Linsong Medicinal Herb Garden, located on the west side of the market.

……

As the Lingyin Sect's carriage slowly passed by, the anxious rogue cultivators, like a frightened herd of beasts, instinctively retreated to the sides of the road, as if trying to avoid it at all costs.

Ordinary independent cultivators would avoid such sectarian cultivators at all costs.

Just like Chen Ye in the past.

Among the crowd was a thin girl who had wrapped most of her face with a gray headscarf, revealing only a pair of dull, lifeless eyes.

She had a pointed chin, but her face was obscured by a headscarf.

This person was none other than Lin Qiongyu.

At this moment, she was anxiously squeezing into the herbal medicine pavilion in the market.

Since the cold disaster, my sister's cough has become increasingly severe, and ordinary medicines have been ineffective. Only the lung-clearing powder sold by the herbal medicine store offers a glimmer of hope.

As for the Profound Yin Pill that she risked her life to bring back...

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a counterfeit pill!
"Next!" Behind the counter, a bloated manager impatiently banged on the table.

Lin Qiongyu hurriedly stepped forward and placed a tattered bag on the counter. Her voice was both humble and pitiful: "Steward, I... I would like to ask for a packet of Lung-Clearing Powder. This is all I have. I am still short twenty spirit sands. I wonder... I wonder if you could make an exception? I will definitely repay you double in the future!"

The manager glanced at the pile of spirit sand in the bag, then looked Lin Qiongyu up and down. Seeing that her cultivation was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, his eyes immediately showed disdain: "Make an exception? Hmph, do you think the Lingyin Sect is a charity? If you don't have spirit stones, get out of the way and don't get in the way of the people behind you!"

"But my sister..."

"Whether your sister lives or dies is none of my business!" The steward rudely interrupted her, throwing the storage bag back at her. "Don't come begging for medicine if you don't have money. Next!"

Lin Qiongyu gripped the empty storage bag tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Once upon a time, she was a fairy who was sought after in the market. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?

The girl gently stroked her chin with her slender fingers. In fact... if she were willing to remove her veil, her beauty could earn her a large amount of spirit stones.

But ever since that cold night when he was seriously injured, Chen Ye refused to help him.

She was left with a hidden ailment: the shame of showing her true face to others.

In other words... it's a post-stress mental illness.

"What? You want to trade your body for it?"

The fat steward saw Lin Qiongyu trembling as she stroked her chin, and then leered at the female cultivator a few times.

Ok……

Although her face is not clearly visible, this woman has a slender waist, full hips, and delicate skin, so she must be quite beautiful.

If you were to use it for tonifying your body, it would be worth spending some spirit stones.

"I……"

Just as she was feeling lost and disoriented, a commotion suddenly broke out among the crowd on the street, and they all moved to the sides.

Lin Qiongyu looked up blankly and saw a magnificent carriage pulled by a red cloud horse steadily driving from the center of the street.

"Hmm? Which manager is this... Could it be Steward Tian? Or the manager who replaced Steward Tian?"

The fat steward, disregarding the beauty, repeatedly scolded Lin Qiongyu and sent her away.

He quickly composed himself and tried to walk briskly to the carriage to greet the new steward.

　Continue with 10,000 daily tasks tomorrow

　　(P.S. I know that sometimes authors make grand promises, but then fail to deliver the next day, which can be very disappointing for readers...)
　　(So ​​the author secretly wrote 10,000 words a day for two days the other day.)
　　(Hmm... let's see if I can keep my promise this time)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)