Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 310 The Floating Mountain Lord's Unfailing Friendship

After leaving Guling Town, Fang Shu did not leave immediately, but lingered in the town for a long time.

Once he was certain that there were no bandits inside or outside the town who could pose a threat to the area, he wrapped himself in a cloud of peach blossom smoke and soared toward the location of the demon market.

Arriving at the Demon Market once again.

He discovered that the demon market in this area had not yet resumed business; however, some small demons and monsters were now roaming around in the old market.

Compared to before, it has already shown some signs of life.

Upon arriving, he did not land directly on the mountain where the old mountain lord was located. Instead, he first landed in the dilapidated market town and then walked to the mountaintop.

He also encountered several monkeys along the way. He bowed to them and asked them to help him go up the mountain to inform them.

In this way, Fang Shu finally climbed the hill, and the old mountain lord's figure, as large as a platform, reappeared in his eyes.

To Fang Shu's surprise, there were already figures sitting on the Lingzhi Platform today, and not just one, but two.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that one of them was the illusory image of the Old Mountain Lord, blurry and only human-shaped, while the other was a pig demon wearing a brocade robe and adorned with flowers.

This attire reminded Fang Shu of his old monster drinking buddies, especially Tian Jinmao.

Before he could even step forward, the two old mountain lords on the Lingzhi platform had already noticed Fang Shu and turned to look at him.

"Oh, it's my young friend. Come in, come in, no need to be so polite, come and have some wine."

The blurry humanoid form of the old mountain king waved repeatedly at Fang Shu.

The brocade-robed wild boar stared at Fang Shu, sizing him up, but did not speak immediately.

Only after Fang Shu also stepped onto the platform did the demon speak: "Brother Ling's young friend is not old, but his cultivation is not low, and he is also so polite, which is rare."

Fang Shu raised his eyelids slightly upon hearing this.

He scrutinized the wild boar demon before him and was astonished to find that the creature's aura was inexplicable. Even though he was now at the Foundation Establishment stage, had cultivated the Dao Insect Dao Vein, and the wonders of the Dao Talisman had been completely absorbed into his heart.

However, upon closer inspection, he couldn't quite gauge the person's cultivation level.

"Since I can't see through it, it means that this wild boar is a Foundation Establishment Immortal, and its cultivation is not just at the Seventh Tribulation!" he thought to himself.

But Fang Shu did not panic when he realized this.

He is also a Foundation Establishment Immortal, and he is currently within the territory of Mount Lu, which is also the territory of the Old Mountain Lord. We should treat him with courtesy.

"Greetings, senior." Fang Shu nodded in greeting.

The wild boar did not get up, but nodded slightly in response.

Old Mountain Lord also heard the words of the Brocade-Robed Wild Boar. It finally came to its senses and its gaze fell on Fang Shu again. After looking him over for a moment, it realized something.

The Lingzhi platform where the group sat all trembled. The old mountain spirit exclaimed in great surprise, "Young friend, you…"

It seemed surprised that Fang Shu had already established his foundation, but considering something, it didn't ask directly, instead chuckled:
"Haha, it's rare for you to visit me again, young friend. You could have just flown here directly. There's no need to send your men to inform me. That's too formal."

Whoosh!

On the Lingzhi platform, spores immediately surged and floated, carrying the wine, and landed in front of Fang Shu.

Immediately, a square prayer mat appeared beside Fang Shu.

Without any ceremony, he simply bowed and sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, took the wine and began to drink heartily, praising it repeatedly:

"Fine wine! I've never tasted it before. Is it because we have distinguished guests today that the old man brought it out?"

Upon hearing this, Old Mountain Lord muttered:
"What are you saying? You scoundrel, are you trying to trick me into giving you drinks again?"

Fang Shu smiled without saying a word, but kept eating.

However, he had already fully savored the taste of the spirit wine.

The wines on the stage are all spirit wines at the Foundation Establishment level, and are at least of the Seven Tribulations quality.

He had never tasted such spiritual wine before, since his cultivation level was too low to tolerate it, and it was simply a waste.

The brocade-robed wild boar, listening to the conversation between the old man and the young man, glanced at Fang Shu a few more times, realizing that Fang Shu and the old mountain lord had a truly good relationship.

So the brocade-robed wild boar stopped keeping quiet and started joining in the conversation between the old man and the child.

After everyone got to know each other a little better, Fang Shu just kept his head down and ate his drinks, while Lao Shan Jun and Jin Pao Shan Zhu were the ones who talked the most.

“These five sects of Mount Lu are truly cowards. They all hide themselves well inside their temples, yet they completely ignore Brother Ling and you.”

"It's alright, it's alright. My place is poor and desolate, without even a proper spiritual vein, so few people come here. If no one pays attention to the temple, it will also attract less attention."

"Will it really... help me avoid attracting attention?"

The two opponents were exchanging words, each one subtly sharp and witty.

But despite the brocade-robed wild boar's repeated attempts to pry open the old mountain king's mouth, the old mountain king remained deaf to its pleas.

"Let's drink, let's drink! Why worry about these troublesome things? It's rare to have three of us together today, it's the perfect time to drink to our hearts' content."

Old Mountain Lord raised his cup repeatedly, and he even deliberately blew air upwards, causing the dark clouds in the sky to disperse and revealing the bright white moon.

The moonlight is like a waterfall, a beautiful and auspicious occasion.

Fang Shu also raised his wine glass at the opportune moment and exclaimed, "Cheers!"

Seeing this, the brocade-robed wild boar could only smile helplessly, then raised his wine cup and drank a few cups with the two men.

Seeing that things were truly hopeless, the brocade-robed boar gave up on the idea. The demon was too lazy to say anything more and just silently ate his wine.

Such a quiet atmosphere undoubtedly made the three of them seem somewhat strange.

In the end, the brocade-robed wild boar couldn't resist any longer.

It rose, cupped its hands in a gesture of respect to the old mountain lord, and slowly said:

"Floating, floating, life is but a fleeting moment."

Unfortunately, Fudang Mountain has now been renamed "Fudang". I wonder if one day its good fortune will truly run out and its inhabitants will scatter when the tree falls.

The world is like a tide, and human relationships are like water. Old friend, if you don't want to drift with the tide, remember to come find me anytime.

The words fell.

The brocade-robed wild boar nodded to Fang Shuyi, and then its body transformed into a streak of black light, flying away suddenly and in the blink of an eye crossing several mountain peaks while skimming along the forest.

Fang Shu squinted, observing the person's whereabouts, and discovered that the person had left in the direction outside of Mount Lu.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at the old mountain king, and said jokingly:
"Is this a messenger from outside the mountain? Mountain Lord, you must keep this a secret. Otherwise, if the earth immortals in the temple find out, they will inevitably doubt your stance."

Upon hearing this, the old mountain lord made no attempt to hide his thoughts, merely grunting:
"I will naturally cover it up. If you hadn't come to my door, no one would have known about this."

"But if something happens, you might be the one who set off the firecrackers, and you should be held accountable."

After exchanging a few words, the old mountain man suddenly burst into laughter again:

"But it's all thanks to your timely arrival today, otherwise that bastard would have been refusing to leave for two days, and I'd almost finished all my wine. I can't guarantee he wouldn't stay any longer."

The other person raised a glass of wine: "Please enjoy."

Fang Shu nodded thoughtfully.

After a few moments of contemplation, he began to inquire about the situation: "May I ask, Old Mountain Lord, is there truly an envoy from the Xuanjiao sect in Fudang Mountain? And with your insight, what is the current whereabouts of the five sects of Mount Lu?" Old Mountain Lord swayed his body: "Just drink, why ask so many questions?"

However, after downing several large cups in silence, it finally revealed what it knew about Floating Mountain:
“Indeed, an envoy from the Western Altar of the Moral Mystic Sect has come and settled on Floating Mountain. Moreover, it’s not just the envoy from the Mystic Sect who has come; there are also many immortals from other places who have gathered on Floating Mountain.”

Old Mountain Lord continued:
"It was precisely because the area was so chaotic that the scoundrel went around visiting friends in Lushan, trying to recruit demons into his gang."

Even an old blockhead like me has gained his favor.

Fang Shu savored the taste and slowly realized something.

He probed, "May I ask what position you hold within Floating Mountain? You seem to be working so diligently."

Old Mountain Lord chuckled: "What position? The entire Floating Mountain belongs to him, so what position do you think he holds?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu raised his eyelids, quite surprised.

He had already guessed the identity of the wild boar, which was probably not simple, but he really did not expect that the person was the legendary Lord of Floating Mountain.

Recalling the actions of the brocade-robed wild boar just now, Fang Shu couldn't help but still have some doubts in his heart.

After all, according to popular rumors, the Lord of Fudang Mountain was comparable to the masters of the Five Sects of Lushan, which is why Fudang Mountain survived in the territory of Youqiong Kingdom.

Upon meeting him today, aside from his slightly obscure aura, he was not as domineering and arrogant as rumored. Instead, he gave off the impression of a vagabond from the streets, someone who loved to drink and wear flowers in his hair.

Seeing Fang Shu's reaction, the old mountain snorted a few times:

"What, you don't believe me? He's the mountain lord, and I'm also a mountain master. What's wrong with having a drink together and making friends?"

"No, no, not at all." Seeing this, Fang Shu quickly cupped his hands in apology and offered a cup of wine, only to sigh and say:

"This junior is simply surprised. Having only recently established my foundation, I have already encountered a senior like the Lord of Floating Mountain. It seems I was indeed impolite just now."

He added with a laugh, "Old Master Shan doesn't care about Fudang Mountain's attempts to win him over, but I'm a little envious. If Fudang Mountain were to take over Mount Lu and establish a separate residence under the leadership of the Xuanjiao envoy..."

"Establishing a good relationship with the leader of Floating Mountain beforehand, even if it doesn't guarantee wealth and honor, will at least ensure your survival afterward."

Fang Shu's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, and perhaps even he himself couldn't quite tell the difference.

Upon hearing this, the old mountain lord did not follow through with his words, but instead suddenly said:
"Why think about this? Those guys in the stomach may not be as old as me, but they're all quite cunning."

You should stay quietly inside the temple and avoid causing trouble outside. Things will naturally get through this peacefully.”

These words seemed to have a hidden meaning, but Fang Shu did not fully understand them.

But no matter how carefully he questioned or probed, the old mountain king remained silent.

Finally, annoyed by the questions, the other person muttered:
"I have no connection to either of these matters; I only wish to live off these meager possessions. Say no more!"

Seeing this, Fang Shu stopped talking and simply raised his glass to drink with the other person.

However, the phrase "all good fortune has vanished" from the brocade-robed wild boar kept swirling in his mind.

Judging from the behavior of the brocade-robed wild boar, it was clear that the situation on Fudang Mountain, under the command of the Xuanjiao envoy, was not very good.

Who knows, the other party may not have any intention of intimidating Mount Lu or conquering the Five Sects, but simply wants to live a peaceful life guarding their own mountain, like the Old Mountain Lord.

"If that's the case, even if the five sects of Mount Lu and Mount Fudang go to war, the situation will most likely not be as bad as I expected," Fang Shu thought to himself.

Suddenly, the old mountain lord, seeing that Fang Shu was deep in thought, assumed that Fang Shu was afraid to say more because of what he had just said, so he took the initiative to chat with Fang Shu.

The old man and the young man talked about their recent experiences. Fang Shu even told the old mountain lord about most of the situation in the secret realm.

Anyway, the other party is also from Mount Lu and knows some things about the secret realm of Mount Lu, so it doesn't count as leaking information.

"Tsk tsk, what a pity."

After hearing this, the old mountain lord sighed repeatedly, "If I were several hundred years younger, I would definitely go in and explore."

Fang Shu was drinking when he suddenly heard the words "hundreds of years younger," and he paused, stunned.

It should be noted that even if an immortal successfully forms the Golden Core, according to Taoist texts, their lifespan is no more than a thousand years. As for Foundation Establishment immortals, their maximum lifespan is simply three hundred and sixty years.

"Several hundred years" is more than a lifetime for an ordinary Foundation Establishment Immortal!

Fang Shuxin was surprised: "However, it is said that demons and immortals have unique bloodlines, especially those belonging to plants, who often have long lifespans."

The Old Mountain Lord is a spirit formed from a lingzhi mushroom. Given its lifespan among plants, it would be quite long; it wouldn't be surprising if its lifespan exceeded 360 years.

He came up with an explanation.

But soon he realized that if that were the case, then Old Mountain Lord might be a celestial being from the same era as the sect leaders of the Five Sects.

Fang Shu raised his eyes and looked at the blurry, swaying avatar of the Old Mountain Lord in front of him. He immediately felt that the other party was unfathomable again.

But he didn't reveal too much, and didn't ask any more questions that might spoil the other person's enjoyment of the drink.

He casually mentioned it while the two were enjoying their drinks, asking the other party to help take care of his second uncle and others in Guling Town.

Old Mountain Lord readily agreed.

The other person hiccuped as he said, "Well, putting everything else aside, as long as you can come over, my face will still be of some use."

Thus, Fang Shu's purpose for this trip has been achieved.

He drank with the other party for a while longer, and when the spirit wine on the stage was finished, he took out some wine and food from his own bag, especially the preserved meat prepared by his second uncle, which he personally cooked to accompany the wine and food.

The matter is over.

Fang Shu bowed in thanks and prepared to leave.

Just as he turned around, the old man suddenly sobered up and called out to him.

"May I ask, Lord Mountain, what other instructions do you have?" Fang Shu asked.

"Nothing much, just something I forgot."

The illusory figure of the Old Mountain Lord slowly rose, offering a cup of wine with a smile in his voice:

"I forgot to congratulate my young friend on the successful completion of your foundation building; all your hard work has paid off."

I also wish that in the years to come, we may drink more wine, see more and know more, and not just live for a mere hundred years.

The other party stood with ancient etiquette in mind, his demeanor serene, his only expression of joy at Fang Shu's successful foundation building, without any other ulterior motives.

Upon hearing the congratulations, Fang Shu was taken aback at first, then smiled broadly.

At this moment, the moonlight on the Lingzhi Platform was bright and clear, falling like rain.

Bathed in moonlight, he drank the wine without hesitation.

The wine tasted ordinary, but it had a touch of magic. However, after drinking it, Fang Shu felt that it was the best-tasting wine he had drunk that day.

"How wonderful!" he exclaimed.

"Let's drink together again on this day in the future."

With his old friend rising to see him off, Fang Shu finally became tipsy, and as if drunk, he swayed and flicked his sleeves, soaring into the air and flying away into the clouds.

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(End of this chapter)