Reunion with Cai Yutong and Gao Huan

The next day. After breakfast, Li Weiyi holed up alone in his room to tally the silver coins looted from the corpses and delivered by the Changlin Gang, packing a whole chest full. From the previous night until now, Zhao Meng had been continuously practicing his breathing method. Every time danger struck, his junior brother was forced to step up front, fight ruthlessly, and kill, while he, the senior brother, could only hide behind him. Their master had originally instructed him to look after his junior brother, but now it had turned into his junior brother looking after him. Naturally, he had to redouble his efforts. More importantly, the present quiet was merely temporary, far from true security. He had to cultivate and grow stronger so that the risk of exposing his true capabilities would be smaller. *To think one hundred thousand silver coins would take up so much space. It seems I really need to exchange it all for Yongquan coins. A thousand Yongquan coins would be far easier to carry and hide.* Just as Li Weiyi was thinking this, Old Liu's voice drifted in from outside: "Little Brother Li, come out quickly! Someone's here to visit... but I can't understand a word they're saying..." Li Weiyi shut the coin chest, stored it away into the evil camel bell, opened the door, and walked out to the front courtyard. Old Liu and Old Guan were repairing the courtyard wall. Outside the main gate stood a well-dressed noble madam in her fifties, accompanied by three young and beautiful women. The three young women were all only sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in elegant ruqun skirts. One was dainty and tranquil, another had lively, sparkling eyes, and the third held a fan to veil her face, looking slightly bashful. After some inquiring, Li Weiyi learned that they were actually the madam of the neighboring Baoyue Brothel and her three most sought-after courtesan "daughters." They had come to bring housewarming gifts, hoping he would look out for them in the future. As for whether "looking out for them" meant patronizing their business or helping them out if trouble arose at the Baoyue Brothel, Li Weiyi did not press further. He had intended to decline, but after leaving the gifts, the three "daughters" departed with the madam without lingering. Once they had walked several dozen paces away, they dropped their reserved demeanor and began chattering animatedly. "Last night, watching from afar as he slaughtered people in the street, I was actually a little frightened coming to visit today. Who knew he'd blush just now? He looked so flustered, hehe." "He has formidable skills, and the ones he killed were Changlin Gang ruffians. I never expected him to be so young, and quite handsome too. What a pity he doesn't have a Pure Immortal Physique." "Do you think he's never slept with a woman before? He looks like a total novice." ... Li Weiyi naturally caught every word of their chatter. A wry smile touched his face, accompanied by a wave of helplessness. Given the choice, he wouldn't want to kill anyone either. It was never a pleasant feeling. Watching the graceful silhouettes of the women from the Baoyue Brothel recede, Old Liu and Old Guan sidled up to Li Weiyi, their eyes shining. Old Liu sighed in admiration. "The caliber of brothels in this world is truly impressive—not a trace of cheap, vulgar powder. Brother Li, you showed tremendous prowess last night and made quite a name for yourself in this quarter of the city. Did they mention anything about you getting free visits if you patronize them?" "If you two want to go seek some amusement, you can apply to me for silver," Li Weiyi joked with a smile. "Just don't you dare give my name to run up a tab or skip out on the bill. I can't afford that kind of embarrassment." Every human had desires; he could understand that. Having no roots in this world, he had to be ruthless toward enemies. But toward the friends and companions by his side, he treated them with utmost sincerity. Since Old Liu and Old Guan had been toiling over the hard, tiring labor all along, he would never leave them to fend for themselves. "Haha, Brother Li is truly righteous!" ... Further off, Qin Ke, who was scrubbing bloodstains from the ground, let out a cold snort, clearly displeased with the three of them laughing and joking over there. The sound of horses and carriage wheels approached, stopping outside the residence's main gate. The three immediately reined in their smiles and looked over. The driver turned out to be an acquaintance—Li Qi, the elderly servant who attended Cang Li. Li Qi lowered his horsewhip and dismounted first. His gaze settled on Li Weiyi, no longer carrying the slight contempt from before, but tinged with a thread of respect instead. Dressed in a white silk-gauze dress, Li Ling pulled aside the carriage curtain like a blooming Chinese crabapple. She possessed an enchanting beauty that rivaled any woman with a Pure Immortal Physique, her skin glowing with a radiant fair luster. A jade belt cinched her slender waist, her ornaments were opulent, and her red lips glistened like gemstones. Stepping down from the carriage, she walked over with a beaming smile. "I heard the news even inside the inner city—someone single-handedly suppressed the Changlin Gang last night, turning the streets into a river of blood. I wanted to rush over through the night, but the city gates were shut... In the end, the scene of a beauty rescuing the hero never played out." She walked right up to Li Weiyi, stopping merely a step away. Her almond eyes swept over him from head to toe with tender concern. "Well, reckless brute, are you hurt?" Catching the delicate fragrance wafting from her, Li Weiyi found it genuinely difficult to keep his guard up against her like this. He smiled and shook his head. "Just minor injuries." Li Ling looked skeptical. She pinched his arm and gave his chest a couple of light thumps. Finding him sturdy and confirming he truly wasn't badly hurt, she finally relaxed. Her eyes shone with curiosity. "How did you pull it off? I heard they dispatched a seven-spring dharma-martial cultivator and an insect tamer, not to mention that the Changlin Gang's chief and vice chief are both in the Wuhai Realm." "Whatever you heard was definitely exaggerated!" Li Weiyi added, "It was Old Zhao who invoked the young clan leader's name that made the Changlin Gang back down. How could I possibly have that kind of capability?" "Kang Shaomin from the City Defense did indeed seek out my brother in the middle of the night." Li Ling remained half-convinced, then said, "Whatever, you're far too good at keeping secrets. This young miss won't pry. Hey, these gifts on the ground reek of cosmetic powder, and from more than one woman, too. Which vixens sent them?" Li Weiyi glanced toward the Baoyue Brothel diagonally across the street. Li Ling's eyes immediately flashed with irritation. "Li Qi, send someone to raze that brothel to the ground." Li Qi wore a troubled expression. "That is a property of the Yang clan." "Isn't that just perfect? Yang Qingxi went to apologize to my brother this morning and plead for the Changlin Gang. That brothel can be the price she pays," Li Ling said. Li Weiyi hurriedly intervened, "Fourth Miss Li, please don't make things difficult for a few women. They have hard lives, too. How about you go wipe out the Changlin Gang instead?" Li Ling turned and called out, "Gao Huan, Yutong, come see your companion! He's on intimate terms with a bunch of brothel girls now! Was he like this in the past too?" More than one carriage had stopped outside; it was an entire convoy. Gao Huan and Cai Yutong stepped through the gate one after the other, followed by a number of servants and maidservants from the Cangling Tribe. Seeing the two of them, Li Weiyi's mood lifted immensely, and he embraced Gao Huan. Qin Ke hurried over as well, constantly wiping away tears, deeply moved by the feeling of reuniting with old acquaintances in a foreign land. Cai Yutong wore a white veil over her face and was dressed in the intricate robes of this world. Even though the stunning visage of her Pure Immortal Physique was hidden from view, her tall, striking figure and cool, aloof demeanor alone made her look like an immortal maiden descending to the mortal realm. She was naturally indifferent toward most things, yet at this moment, her eyes were also glistening with moisture as she took Qin Ke's hand, sharing what they had experienced over the recent days. "You two already speak the language of this world?" Li Weiyi was somewhat astonished, not understanding how the two of them could converse with Li Ling and even appear quite close. Gao Huan said, "The fourth miss enlightened our language wisdom. It only took a day or two for us to communicate without any barriers." Li Weiyi looked at Li Ling, surprised that she possessed such ability, and immediately felt the urge to ask her to enlighten the language wisdom for Old Liu, Old Guan, and Qin Ke as well. In the past, he would never have naturally thought along those lines. Such a thought was too dangerous! It meant that subconsciously, he had begun to accept Li Ling's goodwill, and had even grown accustomed to it. Li Ling remarked, "For a Nether Lamp Wayfinder, enlightening language wisdom isn't some monumental feat. Do you know why this young miss only came looking for you today? Because I spent the past two days busy breaking through to the next realm. I am now a mind master of the Earth Fire Realm. Against weaker Wuhai Realm martial cultivators, I can hold my own." Hearing the commotion, Zhao Meng crawled out of the main hall, overjoyed to see Gao Huan and Cai Yutong. "First Mate... you're way too tall... How about sharing some of that height with me..." Gao Huan walked over, his head only reaching up to Zhao Meng's knees. Zhao Meng replied, "Everyone has their own path and their own flaws; it can't be helped. Dr. Cai, how come it's just you and Gao Huan? Where's Dr. Qi?" Li Weiyi had long wanted to ask this question as well: Where was Chanhai Guanwu? Cai Yutong answered, "She... has proper business to attend to right now. She probably won't have time to meet with old friends like you." Li Weiyi didn't care what proper business Chanhai Guanwu was busy with. As long as his cultivation continued to advance rapidly, he wouldn't fear her coming knocking on his door again. In any case, Senior Cai had returned safely, which was what mattered most. Li Ling said, "When my brother heard about what happened last night, he originally planned to come in person, but he was temporarily held back by Yang Qingxi with more pressing matters to handle. He might meet with you a little later. However, Fourth Uncle accompanied me here." A reminder suddenly sounded in Li Weiyi's ear from Li Ling: "My fourth uncle is the foremost expert of the Cangling Tribe for this sixty-year cycle, known as the Cangling First Chief. That shows how seriously we take you, doesn't it? Mind your manners." Li Ling was standing several paces away, yet her voice felt like a whisper right next to his ear, unheard by anyone else—an extraordinary feat. "Fourth Girl, what whispers are you sharing?" The Cangling First Chief, Li Songlin, was fifty-two years old this year, but perhaps due to his profound dharma power, he looked only in his thirties. Dressed in a green robe with gray cloth shoes on his feet, he looked like a down-on-his-luck scholar, carrying no imposing aura whatsoever. He gave off an utterly natural sense of ease. Li Weiyi had anticipated a reaction from the Cangling Tribe, but he had truly never expected such an important figure to come. He stepped forward at once and bowed. "Greetings, Cangling First Chief." The others in the courtyard also bowed in respect. "No need for ceremonies, everyone relax." Li Songlin's gaze settled on Li Weiyi. After studying him carefully, he said, "Young man, shall we speak in private?" Without going indoors, Li Songlin sat down on a stone stool beneath the old poplar tree and released a cloud of dharma qi that enveloped them both to prevent their ensuing conversation from being overheard. Seeing that Li Weiyi was still standing, he instructed him to sit down at once. "Fourth Girl told me everything. In the battle of Immortal Burial Town, the Cangling Tribe incurred an immense debt of gratitude to you. Later, back in Immortal Burial Town, you saved her again and helped her expose the Earth Wolf King's Army's conspiracy." "You fear retaliation from the Earth Wolf King's Army and don't dare associate with us. I understand that, and we shouldn't have disturbed your peace." "However, last night you invoked Cang Li's name and made use of your identity with the Cangling Tribe. I believe we can now interact with you openly. Because even if you wish to stay clear of trouble, we are now bound together." "What are your plans next? Do you wish to cultivate at the Jiuli Dao Academy?"