Passing through Jianmen Pass, Qin Sang saw that the peach blossoms had already withered, replaced by heavy boughs of fruit. Bunches of vivid red peaches were clustered together in a lovely sight. Moved by the scene, he lowered his escape light and picked several ruby peaches. Sure enough, they were plump with sweet juice, far tastier than the spirit fruits Sun De grew, and bore no resemblance to mortal fruit.
Qin Sang set aside some of the peach pits, deciding to plant them around his cave abode in the Yuncang Great Marsh once he returned so he could enjoy them often.
Back at Daomen Peak, Qin Sang hurriedly exchanged greetings with a few familiar senior brothers and sisters before walking with mild urgency toward the wooden hall. However, Martial Uncle Wen was nowhere to be seen; only Zhuang Yan was inside.
Being on good terms, Zhuang Yan showed Qin Sang to a seat, looked at him with an amused glint in his eye, and asked with a grin, "Did you return for the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm too, Junior Brother Qin?"
What was the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm?
Qin Sang frowned slightly. He had never heard of it before.
Yet his mind was entirely occupied with the mysterious orchid right now, so he paid it no heed and asked instead, "Senior Brother Zhuang, I was dispatched by Martial Uncle Wen to purge evil in Guyuan Country. Now that the matter is settled, I've come to report back to him. Do you know where he is?"
Zhuang Yan let out an "oh" and took out a jade slip, gesturing with it. "So you've been in Guyuan Country the whole time, Junior Brother Qin. You probably haven't seen the Sect Master's decree yet... Martial Uncle Wen is currently inside the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm, leaving me here to handle miscellaneous affairs. How is the demonic situation in Guyuan Country? First tell me the cause and course of events so I can record them. If you need helpers, I can dispatch troops for you."
Qin Sang thought to himself that reporting to Zhuang Yan might actually be for the best.
He had no intention of reporting every detail of what had happened to the sect. But if he concealed too much, inconsistencies would inevitably appear, and Martial Uncle Wen might see through them.
As long as this matter was put behind them, no one would take much interest in a Qi Refinement disciple falling to demonic ways.
With that in mind, Qin Sang said casually, "No need for helpers. It was merely Senior Brother Gu, who was stationed in Guyuan Country, succumbing to the temptation of an evil art and bringing calamity to the mortal realm, killing many mortals. He had hidden it exceptionally well in the past, but this time he gave himself away. Once I discovered it, I executed him. This corpse belongs to his disciple, Gu Yuan; you can see the mutations that occurred on his body. There is also this evil art retrieved from Senior Brother Gu's person. How should it be handled?"
Qin Sang handed Gu Yuan's corpse along with the evil art over to Zhuang Yan.
After examining them, Zhuang Yan shook his head with a sigh of regret. "Senior Brother Gu made a grave blunder in a moment of foolishness; death was no more than he deserved. For evil arts like this, our established practice has always been to destroy them on the spot. Looking at this wicked art, the risks it carries are immense. You must never be tempted by it, Junior Brother Qin—I certainly don't want to run into you the next time I'm sent to purge demons."
Qin Sang shook his head. "Of course not."
Watching Zhuang Yan finish recording the details, Qin Sang nodded inwardly. Although he was eager to borrow the waist token and head to Pagoda Peak, he could only wait until Martial Uncle Wen emerged from that blasted Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm. He patiently asked, "Senior Brother Zhuang, what were that Sect Master's decree and Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm you mentioned earlier?"
Zhuang Yan's eyebrows instantly shot up, and he chuckled with a somewhat lewd grin. "Now that is a magnificent opportunity! Take a look at this decree from the Sect Master first, Junior Brother Qin."
With that, Zhuang Yan summoned a sword talisman and sent it flying to Qin Sang.
The general gist of the decree was this: Master Mawu, a Golden Core Master of Shaohua Mountain, sought a Dao companion for dual cultivation. The requirements were that the candidate be in the Foundation Establishment stage, or a male disciple under forty years of age who had broken through to the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, and whose primal yang remained intact. The requirements of this dual cultivation method were exceedingly high, requiring candidates to first pass the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm—and that was merely the first trial.
After finishing the contents of the decree, Qin Sang asked in astonishment, "Openly searching for someone to dual cultivate with?"
Seeing Qin Sang's reaction, Zhuang Yan said dismissively, "What kind of idea do you have in your head, Junior Brother Qin? Our sect houses several methods of yin-yang dual cultivation, all of which are orthodox Daoist arts. Among the martial uncles who break through to Foundation Establishment, plenty seek Dao companions and choose dual cultivation methods. Not only does the technique itself offer immense benefits, but gaining a companion of profound cultivation as an ally is tremendously helpful whether in combat or traveling abroad. Why wouldn't anyone do it? It's just that I've never heard of a method with such demanding requirements. It must be an exceptionally profound secret art, which is why Master Mawu had no choice but to have the Sect Master issue this decree."
Hearing this, Qin Sang nodded. Having walked the path of cultivation for so long, he was no longer an ignorant novice. He was merely startled because he had never witnessed such a grand spectacle before.
Yin and yang complement one another; heaven and earth interact and unite.
Just as Zhuang Yan said, the path of yin-yang dual cultivation was indeed an orthodox Daoist method. Unlike the vicious absorption techniques of demonic sects, dual cultivation did not involve one party taking all the benefits while the other suffered harm. It was mutually beneficial to both men and women, by no means an evil art.
"Who is this Master Mawu?"
Qin Sang searched his memory. Throughout his time on Shaohua Mountain, he had heard many legends about the sect's Golden Core Masters and Nascent Soul Patriarchs, yet he had never once heard of this Master Mawu.
Zhuang Yan said, "She is said to be a personal disciple of Patriarch Dongyang Bo. Aloof and detached from worldly affairs, she has been in seclusion in the Yuncang Great Marsh for years, so very few people know of her. I've only heard mention of her a few times myself and have never seen her."
"A disciple of the Patriarch?"
Qin Sang was surprised. Calculating inwardly, he said, "Master Mawu must be several hundred years old by now, wouldn't she? What does she look like?"
Zhuang Yan sneered. "Looks are nothing more than a mortal shell. Do you really care about age, Junior Brother Qin? Even if you reach Foundation Establishment, how many years can you live? You might end up dying before she does."
Qin Sang looked at Zhuang Yan askance. "Senior Brother Zhuang, you seem quite tempted. Why didn't you go try the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm?"
"Who wouldn't be tempted to become Dao companions with a Golden Core Master? Clinging to a backer like that, you could have as many of the Foundation Establishment Pills we strive for as you could ever want, and she might even help you break through to the Golden Core stage. It's a straight shortcut to heaven! Look at Martial Uncle Wen—he had already taken on secular affairs and abandoned any thought of further cultivation, yet even he went. Unfortunately..."
A look of boundless regret suddenly washed over Zhuang Yan's face, and he let out a drawn-out sigh. "When I was young and lacked the strength to resist, the maidservants in my household were far too fierce and took my primal yang early on... Otherwise, how could I let anyone else steal the spotlight!"
Judging by Zhuang Yan's wanton demeanor, Qin Sang figured it was anyone's guess who had taken advantage of whom.
Seeing Qin Sang remain silent, Zhuang Yan assumed he was still unconvinced, so he adopted a solemn tone. "If your primal yang is still intact, Junior Brother Qin, take my advice and give it a try. There's nothing to feel embarrassed about. What we immortal cultivators fight for is that slim sliver of a chance to attain the Dao and achieve immortality. Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, letting it slip away for nothing would be too great a pity."
Qin Sang nodded silently.
The primal yang of this body was indeed still intact.
Qin Sanwa had been young. After taking over the body, Qin Sang had spent his time drifting across battlefields. Among the women he encountered during that period, the only one he had ever admired was Princess Dongyang, but their paths differed, making common ground impossible. After being made a marquis, he assassinated the Crown Prince the very next day, never enjoying even a single day of luxury and fine clothes.
Later, he entered the Kuiyin Sect, treading on thin ice every step of the way with his mind wholly devoted to cultivation, never entertaining such thoughts again.
Chapter 124