Worked Like a Donkey in the Beast Taming Sect?

After three rounds of wine, Li Guanqi spoke up softly. "I'm getting ready to leave Qinzhou." Blushing slightly from the alcohol, Lin Wujiu froze for a moment, then turned to Li Guanqi and said in a low voice, "Where to? Can't you stay a few more days? My cousin will be back the day after tomorrow—he wanted to meet you. Besides, my father also wants you to stay a bit longer." The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth curled upward as he retorted wryly, "Stay a few more days for what? Wait for your father to shove some cousin of yours into my arms? I'm already a married man, you know." A flash of embarrassment surfaced in Lin Wujiu's eyes; his father really had mentioned that to him. Still, hearing Li Guanqi say this, he exchanged a glance with Qisha and chuckled teasingly. "You really have a Dao companion? Someone from the Spirit Realm?" Li Guanqi smiled and chuckled softly. "Carried home in an eight-bearer sedan chair." "Oho... look at that grin! Got a portrait of our sister-in-law? Let the two of us have a look." With a wave of his hand, Li Guanqi projected a beam of spiritual light that condensed into the likeness of Meng Wanshu. It immediately drew heartfelt praise from both of them. Lin Wujiu murmured in genuine awe, "Sister-in-law's presence... who calls the shots in your household?" Li Guanqi coughed twice and offered no further explanation. "By the way, don't forget to look for my father-in-law. If you can't find him, I'm afraid neither of you will be able to wield a suitable sword or saber in this lifetime—unless you can track down an immortal artifact of fifth grade or higher." Lin Wujiu's cheek twitched. "Fifth grade? Even if we cleaned out our Lin family's entire vault, we couldn't afford one..." Li Guanqi calmly raised his wine cup and took a sip, only now truly realizing just how valuable the two weapons on his person were! No wonder Chen Tianhua had risked his life trying to seize the Demonic Sword Xue Ming! Qisha chimed in, "Brother Li, could you give us a portrait of your father-in-law? That way it'll be easier when we go looking for him." Li Guanqi nodded slightly, then gave them portraits of Meng Jiangchu, Ye Feng and the others, as well as Meng Wanshu. "Keep an eye out for these people for me. If you find any of them, be sure to notify me right away! They... are all very important to me." Both men nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, I'll mobilize the Lin family's resources to help you search for them." "Me too!" The three drank heartily and chatted, keeping many deeper thoughts unspoken in their hearts. Qisha simply exchanged cup after cup of wine with the two. Early the next morning, before either of them had awakened, Li Guanqi went to Lin Jinting's room to bid him farewell. "Kid Li, you really won't stay a few more days?" Li Guanqi smiled with an amused look. "I won't. If I don't leave now... I'm afraid you'll tie me down to be a matrilocal son-in-law for the Lin family, Uncle Lin." Lin Jinting felt not the least bit embarrassed at having his intentions exposed. "For an outstanding young talent like you, staying with the Lin family would naturally be ideal. But you harbor lofty ambitions, and Uncle Lin won't stand in your way. Just remember: no matter what trouble you run into in the Fuyu Lands, you can always ask Uncle Lin for help! Ask the Lin family for help!" A warm feeling welled up in Li Guanqi's chest, and he said softly, "I'll remember, Uncle Lin." "Good. Then Uncle Lin won't make a big fuss of seeing you off—no need to get all sentimental. But slipping away without telling Wujiu... once that boy sleeps off the wine, he'll probably complain about you." The man stood up and walked shoulder to shoulder with Li Guanqi toward the estate's exit. Li Guanqi said softly, "Life isn't only about reunions; there are partings as well. Besides, we're still young. Saving something for next time is fine too." Lin Jinting's eyes gleamed. With one hand behind his back, he nodded slightly. "Saving it for next time... Hahaha, well said!" After escorting Li Guanqi to the city gate, Lin Jinting clasped his hands in a solemn salute. Li Guanqi bowed in return and said softly, "Please go back, Uncle Lin. I will come visit you again in the future." "Alright. As you roam the Immortal Realm, remember to be careful, be careful, and be careful above all else." With that, Lin Jinting produced an ancient ring containing a full-power strike of his. "Keep this for a rainy day. It can save your life." Deeply moved, Li Guanqi accepted the ancient ring. The man then took out a pale-gold scroll. "This is a teleportation scroll I bought at an auction years ago. It can randomly teleport you three thousand li away!" Li Guanqi accepted that as well. Finally, the man urged, "Don't worry about your master. His soul will remain unharmed for a hundred years. You have a copy of the list for the remaining materials as well. Whenever the Lin family finds an item, we will cross it off. Once everything is gathered, come back." Li Guanqi nodded heavily, took a deep breath, tossed out the Red Lotus sword, and leaped onto it. "Take care, Uncle Lin!" "Haha, you too!" As the words fell, Li Guanqi rode his sword thousands of zhang into the sky, piercing through the clouds and speeding across the void. Unbeknownst to him, atop the roof of the Lin estate, Lin Wujiu and Qisha were watching Li Guanqi's departing figure, curling their lips. "That guy really leaves the moment he says he will... not dragging his feet in the slightest." Qisha smiled and cupped his hands. "Brother Lin, it's about time for me to take my leave as well. Take care." Lin Wujiu sighed ruefully. "Go, go, off with both of you. Once I wrap up family affairs in a couple of days, I'm heading out to wander the world and roam the four corners of the earth myself." Qisha laughed aloud. "Then I'll be waiting for you! I'm off!" Once Qisha had left, Lin Wujiu's expression gradually grew somber. Dropping to the ground, he turned toward the shadows and spoke in a deep voice: "Find out who injured Qisha. And... look into which organization Qisha defected from! If possible, have my father step in to negotiate and see if we can get them to call off their pursuit." A faint glimmer flickered in the dark, and a low voice answered, "Yes, Young Master." During their heavy drinking last night, Qisha had revealed a great deal about himself, leaving Lin Wujiu deeply worried. With hands clasped behind his back, Lin Wujiu walked through the Lin family estate, all who saw him bowing in respect. Immortal primal energy surged around Lin Wujiu, and as he strolled with eyes closed in focused contemplation, an aura poised to break through to the seventh layer of Mystic Immortal faintly stirred around him! Feeling the fiery power leaping within his body, a faint smile appeared on Lin Wujiu's cold, handsome face. "Brother Li, oh Brother Li... You were already so exhausted yesterday, yet you still smoothed out my bloodline power. The Lin family owes you an immense favor..." With a single step forward, the space spanning a hundred zhang around Lin Wujiu was sliced through by countless strands of sword qi. Rumble! A tempestuous aura erupted with a roar, and a pillar of light shot straight into the clouds. Looking back toward the Lin estate in astonishment, Lin Jinting murmured, "Wujiu broke through to Mystic Seventh? Sigh, damn it, this debt of gratitude just keeps growing bigger... Whatever. From now on, I'll just treat him as half a son." *** High up in the sky, Li Guanqi soared through the clouds. Pengluo rode on Li Guanqi's neck, clutching his head and grinning broadly, his big teeth on full display. "Master, I kept all those second-grade immortal herbs! I'll give them all to you later!" Li Guanqi chuckled and asked softly, "Where is the Seven Treasures Pavilion?" At those words, Pengluo's eyes instantly reddened, his mouth trembling as he pouted. "So... Master never forgot... You never forgot all along!" Clutching Li Guanqi's hair, Pengluo stood atop his head and pointed toward the firmament. "The Eight Desolations!!" Li Guanqi slowly looked up and said calmly, "Then wait a little longer. One day, I will lead you in storming the Eight Desolations to avenge your grudge!" Pengluo nodded vigorously, leaping up while clinging to Li Guanqi's hair like a kite trailing in the wind. The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. "Stop fooling around. After ascending to the Immortal Realm, did you sense Jiuxiao at all?" Tugging on his hair, Pengluo dropped back down beside Li Guanqi and said in a grave voice, "Nope! And from what I know, if Brother Jiu really had rotten luck, he's probably been captured by now! And there's a very high chance he's been sold to some Beast Taming Sect to be worked like a donkey..."