It was a drumstick carved from ebony.
It felt slightly heavy in his grip and was engraved with coiled dragon patterns.
While reasonably exquisite, in this era it was hardly anything extraordinary.
Yet inside, Li Yan was overwhelmed with astonishment.
The instant his skin touched the drumstick, the substitute idol within his dantian suddenly jolted into a violent tremor, exerting an uncanny pulling force.
At the same time, a surge of power welled out from the drumstick.
This power was brimming with warmth and carried an indescribable grandeur. The moment it entered his body, it split into thousands of strands, slithering along his meridians in all directions like nimble spirit serpents.
Ultimately, however, they all converged toward his dantian, where they were absorbed by the idol.
Li Yan understood at once what this was.
A heavenly spirit earthly treasure!
Who would have guessed its true form was a drumstick tucked away in this stable?
Were it not for this stroke of fortune, he might not have found it even after searching for years.
This heavenly spirit earthly treasure could take the form of a serpent and even prey upon human living souls; it had clearly developed sentience and was now struggling desperately to break free.
Its blessings consisted not only of gang qi, but also of certain unknown, highly vibrant energies. Capable of dividing into countless forms, they darted everywhere in a frantic effort to avoid his dantian.
Even the drumstick itself began to tremble faintly.
Yet all its resistance proved futile.
Before long, the blessings were completely absorbed by the substitute idol.
Throughout the entire process, not a wisp of aura leaked out to draw anyone's attention.
No one could have imagined that, within this brief span, a heavenly spirit earthly treasure held in Li Yan's hand had been reduced to an ordinary, mundane object.
A smile crept across the corners of Li Yan's mouth.
He had unlocked yet another function of the substitute idol.
Even skilled treasure stalkers had to rack their brains and employ the Qimen Dunjia and the mutual generation and overcoming of the Five Elements just to capture a heavenly spirit earthly treasure.
Yet all he needed to do was make physical contact, and he could devour its blessings.
The raw material of the Three Powers Demon-Suppressing Coins was also a heavenly spirit earthly treasure, yet the substitute idol had shown no reaction to it, proving that it only worked on pristine, unrefined spiritual treasures.
After swallowing this treasure, changes occurred in the substitute idol as well.
Its originally mottled, dilapidated surface began to turn smooth. At the same time, a vague impression entered his mind: the idol's quality had improved, allowing it to withstand greater harm.
Although it had not replenished his life-fire, Li Yan remained thrilled.
This represented hope.
Heavenly spirit earthly treasures came in countless varieties; there had to be something out there capable of extending his life-fire.
"Young brother."
Seeing him stare intently at the drumstick, Steward Lu could not help but chuckle. "Could it be that you're fond of this art as well? Indeed, among all instruments, gongs and drums carry the greatest grandeur. Others may fancy the gentle melodies of Jiangnan, but I have a passion solely for these majestic Weifeng drums.
"I hear that several families have found worthy successors this year, so the contest for Drum King will surely be thrilling beyond compare. If you're interested, you can visit Chang'an on the fifteenth of the first month to see for yourself."
"Of course."
Smiling, Li Yan handed the drumstick back to Steward Lu.
"This set right here—the craftsmanship is pretty decent." On the other side, Sha Lifei had finished picking out a saddle and fitted it onto the big black horse.
"Much obliged, Uncle Sha."
Li Yan was in high spirits, looking at Sha Lifei as though he were a lucky star.
Having stumbled into obtaining a heavenly spirit earthly treasure, he had no remaining regrets. Leaving the manor, he swung onto his mount, clasped his fists, and said with a smile, "Daoist Wang, we part ways here. I shall await your arrival at Fort Li."
Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Naturally. Pindao will follow shortly."
He was in a good mood as well. Partnering with Li Yan made up for his own shortcomings; taking on a few more major jobs would allow him to finally acquire the magical artifact he had long dreamed of, and perhaps even renovate his Patriarch altar.
Sha Lifei's eyes darted about as he made his own calculations.
He had received reward money just now, which was vastly more profitable than toiling to manage wheat reapers. With these two making a fortune, he could hardly just watch from the sidelines; he had to skim a share of the profit.
With that in mind, he immediately thumped his chest. "Young Brother Yan, rest easy and go ahead. Leave the Daoist's safety to me—I'll see that he's looked after properly!"
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you up to it?"
Sha Lifei grew flustered. "Why wouldn't I be? Go ask around—when has Sha Lifei ever botched an errand..."
"All right, all right."
Li Yan waved a dismissive hand. "Just stay safe. Farewell!"
Sha Lifei lacked skill, but he was thoroughly versed in the ways of the jianghu. Coupled with Wang Daoxuan's experience traveling far and wide, survival would not be an issue.
With that thought, Li Yan tugged the reins and galloped off.
Watching the dust slowly settle in the distance, Wang Daoxuan turned toward the low hill behind them. "Let's go. The hills here are gentle, and while there are no feng shui dragon veins, finding an auspicious burial plot will be no trouble at all. Let's finish the task today."
"You got it!"
Sha Lifei chuckled, hoisted their gear onto his shoulder, and followed the Daoist up the slope.
Once the others had departed, Steward Lu hurried back toward the rear courtyard.
Inside the wing room, Squire Lu sat staring blankly at the First Madam.
"Master, they've all left."
"Mm. All of you withdraw. Let me stay with Madam for a while."
Squire Lu sent the servants away, glanced around to ensure they were alone, and then sank slowly onto his knees. With tears brimming in his aged eyes, he asked in a trembling voice, "Commandery Princess, can it be that you are unwilling to accept this?
"Even if you cannot, there is nothing we could do. We barely escaped with our lives, so why couldn't you let it go? The imperial court is full of wolves and jackals; we cannot fight them. Isn't it better to conceal our names and live in peace and quiet...?
"You saved my life back then, and I, this old servant, have served you all my days without daring to slacken for an instant. I have repaid your kindness.
"The debt of gratitude is settled, but this old servant feels ashamed before the bloodline of my ancestors. From now on, I must plan for myself. I only hope you can forgive me..."
After muttering to himself for a while, he wiped his tears, rose, and departed.
Upon returning to the side courtyard, two concubines stepped forward at once to attend to him.
By now, Squire Lu had regained his imposing demeanor. Taking a sip from his teacup, he asked casually, "Well? Have you two taken a liking to anyone these past two days?"
Seeing both concubines remain silent, he let out a cold sneer. "What are you putting on airs for in front of me? Right now, I'm still giving you a choice: bear a child to carry on my family's incense and lineage, and I'll ensure you never lack food or clothing for the rest of your days.
"Acting all coy—do you want to be sent off to the Bangchui Gathering instead?
"If so, you won't have any say in the matter!"
At the mention of the Bangchui Gathering, a flash of terror crossed the eyes of the charming concubine in red. She stammered hastily, "This concubine... thinks that Young Brother Li seemed decent."
"Heh, young women truly do favor handsome faces."
Squire Lu showed no anger. Taking another sip of tea, he shook his head. "He belongs to the jianghu, endowed with dragon pupils and phoenix eyes. His destiny is out of the ordinary, and he'll likely draw trouble down the road.
"Pick one from among those wheat reapers instead. What I want is peace and stability."
With that, he set down his cup and turned to leave.
After his departure, both concubines let out a breath of relief.
The concubine in white rolled her eyes and asked, "Sister Cuilan, why didn't you mention Commander Zhao? I saw you that night, you know..."
"Hush!"
The red-clad concubine started in fright, quickly motioning for her to keep quiet. Glancing out the window, she offered a bitter smile and shook her head. "You know what this old bastard is like—he says one thing and does another, never treating us as human.
"If he found out about that, I wouldn't live to see tomorrow. Even if I bore an heir to carry on his lineage, he probably wouldn't spare us just to keep the truth buried."
A sharp gleam flared in the white-clad concubine's eyes. "Sister, an opportunity happens to be right before us.
"It just depends on whether you have the courage..."
* * *
Traveling on horseback naturally made for swift progress.
Li Yan rode by day and found places to camp by night, finally returning to Fort Li at dusk three days later.
"Young Brother Yan, why are you back?"
"Where are the others?"
The villagers of Fort Li were also busy.
The wheat fields in their area were soon ready for the scythes.
Seeing Li Yan return early, they assumed something had gone wrong.
"Rest easy, everyone. They took on a major job and are doing just fine."
Li Yan explained patiently without the slightest trace of irritation.
In this era of poor communication, regions were relatively cut off from one another; sometimes, if a married daughter in a neighboring village wished to send word, someone had to be sent specially, and the message took days to arrive.
Though both lay within Guanzhong, to Fort Li, Xianyang was already a distant land.
After delivering the news, Li Yan rode home.
From a distance, he spotted his grandfather, Li Gui, sitting by the doorway holding a long tobacco pipe. Beneath the setting sun, his white hair was disheveled, his gaze cloudy and dim.
A pang of sorrow struck Li Yan's heart. Dismounting quickly, he stepped forward, squatted down, and forced a smile. "Grandfather, I'm back. Didn't I tell you? It was only for a few days."
"Ah, you're back... Good, good that you're back..."
Li Gui's voice sounded plain, yet he could not suppress that faint tremor.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
A bright smile broke across Li Yan's face. "Just in time. I learned a new dish while I was away. I'll fry it up for you, and we can share a drink together."
"Hmph, what kind of dish could you possibly have learned..."
"Just you watch. If worse comes to worst, I could always make a living as a cook..."
* * *
Night fell, and Fort Li sank into stillness.
In the darkness, Li Yan sat cross-legged on the bed. First, he evened out his breathing, then rubbed his palms together until they were warm before massaging his scalp, temples, ears, nape, shoulders, and arms in sequence...
Spirit preservation was an internal, still practice, and these were all preparatory steps before cultivating.
The purpose was to relax the mind while ensuring smooth blood circulation throughout the body and sharpening the senses, rooting oneself in heaven and earth with the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—as coordinates.
Therefore, only by preserving the One and maintaining truth could one communicate with the divine. Once cultivation reached a certain realm and one gained true attainments, one could perform altar-transforming contemplation during rituals, endowing the altar with momentum.
Throughout heaven and earth, famous mountains, great rivers, and feng shui dragon veins all possessed momentum.
Only with the circulation of gang and sha qi could momentum or a layout take shape.
And to touch these forces, spirit preservation was the very first step.
With eyes gently closed and breath measured, Li Yan quietly sensed his inner self, contemplating the five viscera, six bowels, the Sanjiao, and the Niwan, before finally focusing his awareness between his brows...
Chapter 27