Li Tongya cupped his hands and said respectfully, "Our clan's Foundation Establishment cultivator received orders from the sect to go out and eliminate demons, which is why he is not at home..."
Li Tongya had learned earlier from the Bairong Fox about the demon king of Nanjiang refining pills. Although Fei Luoya had resided on Mount Wu for many years and knew little of the wider world, Li Tongya still remained cautious, speaking only of heading out to slay demons without mentioning Nanjiang. Hearing this, Fei Luoya furrowed his brows. The Shanyue people were never ones for convoluted schemes, and he demanded bluntly, "What is your senior's cultivation level!"
Just as Li Tongya was about to answer, a figure rode the wind and landed beside him. Dressed in white robes, elegant and unrestrained, it was none other than the master of the Fei family, Fei Wangbai.
"Fellow Daoists."
Fei Wangbai cupped his fist in greeting, a bright white spear slung across his back. Li Tongya respectfully returned the greeting, and seeing that the newcomer was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Fei Luoya properly returned the courtesy as well. Fei Wangbai raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "What is this... could someone actually dare provoke the clan of a sword immortal?"
He had clearly spotted the two from a distance, deduced that Fei Luoya was most likely here to cause trouble, and stepped forward to do a favor. Upon hearing the words 'sword immortal,' Fei Luoya knitted his brow, feeling a trace of unease in his heart.
"Not at all. Senior Fei Luoya merely wished to meet the sword immortal," Li Tongya replied mildly.
Hearing this, Fei Luoya felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Fei Wangbai let out a hearty laugh and teased, "Across the thirty-six peaks within the sect and the five commanderies of the State of Yue outside it, who hasn't longed to behold the sword immortal's countenance? Fellow Daoist, what tremendous face you have! Could it be you saw the Li family unguarded and thought to bully your way beneath Sword Immortal Qingsui's banner?"
Fei Wangbai's lavish praise sounded far more convincing than if Li Tongya had uttered it himself, giving Fei Luoya an immediate jolt of alarm. Though he had been confined to Mount Wu by Duanmu Kui for years and possessed little worldly experience, he was still a Foundation Establishment immortal cultivator after all. Clenching his teeth, he gave a cold sneer. "Fellow Daoist, do not try to frighten me. We Shanyue do not fuss over so much. If we take a fancy to something, we seize it if we can win, and flee if we cannot. Now that your so-called sword immortal isn't even here, demanding that I back down before a mere Qi Refinement cultivator—isn't that pushing things too far...?"
Though his words remained stubborn, his tone had softened considerably. Retreating thoughts sprouted in Fei Luoya's mind as he mused inwardly, *It's just a few plots of land. If he wants them, so be it. What good does this worthless land do for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like me anyway? I only felt slighted earlier and wanted to save some face.*
Just as Fei Luoya looked up and prepared to craft a few conciliatory words, two streaks of flowing light soared over from east to west. A middle-aged man draped in brocade pouches and a grey-robed elder landed beside Li Tongya. The middle-aged man cupped his hands, glanced at Fei Luoya on the side, and chuckled. "Brother Tongya, it seems I haven't arrived too late."
"Greetings to the two seniors."
Li Tongya smiled faintly and cupped his hands. This middle-aged man was Xiao Yuansi. Turning to look at the elder, he saw that the man bore a strong resemblance to Xiao Yongling, realizing he was also from the Xiao family, and asked respectfully, "This is...?"
"Xiao Chuchou of the Xiao family," the elder replied warmly, his eyes squinting as he stared at Fei Luoya.
Fei Luoya swept his spiritual sense over them, discovering that one was in early Foundation Establishment while the other was in mid Foundation Establishment. A sharp sense of crisis gripped him at once. If these three joined forces, they were more than capable of keeping him here for good. As panic stirred in his chest, Xiao Yuansi spoke up: "Might I ask who this fellow Daoist..."
Fei Luoya's expression shifted instantly, arranging his features into a beaming smile as he said warmly, "I am Fei Luoya, formerly of Mount Wu. Having settled here now, I thought that since we would be neighbors from now on, I should come by to see Brother Tongya and witness the might of the sword immortal..."
"Oh?"
Fei Wangbai chuckled softly, not exposing him. Li Tongya cupped his hands as well and replied, "Since our two families will be living side by side from now on, Senior Fei Luoya is more than welcome to visit my Mount Lijing for a cup of tea..."
"Of course... of course..."
Fei Luoya yielded quickly. After chuckling for a moment, he hurriedly excused himself and took flight. Fei Wangbai then greeted the two members of the Xiao family. Sensing that they had matters to discuss, he tactfully took his leave: "I still have urgent family affairs to attend to, so I will not disturb Brother Tongya any longer."
"Take care, Senior. In a few days, Tongya will come pay a visit."
Although Li Tongya had not established his foundation, his strength on the lake was already among the very best beneath Foundation Establishment. Fei Wangbai, wishing to cultivate friendly ties, addressed him as a peer, yet Li Tongya still called him senior. Each maintained their own form of address, bringing a slight smile to Xiao Yuansi's face.
"Thank you both, Seniors, for coming to my aid..."
Li Tongya offered his thanks, and the three of them descended together into the palace. Servants immediately served tea. Xiao Chuchou, his head full of white hair, accepted the cup, took a sip, and said softly, "Given the current relationship between our two families, this old man shall speak candidly: we did not come entirely for your sake.
"Several decades ago, while traveling through various kingdoms with a monk of the Buddhist school, I discovered a precious herb within the mountains of the Shanyue territory, guarded by a mid Foundation Establishment beast. Back then, I was merely in early Foundation Establishment, and with Mount Wu watching over the region, I feared alerting their people. Thus, I noted the location and departed in disappointment. Now that Mount Wu no longer exists, I brought Yuansi along to claim that medicine."
"I see."
Xiao Chuchou held great seniority in the Xiao family. While he spoke, Xiao Yuansi listened respectfully without daring to interject. Li Tongya chimed in with agreement, prompting Xiao Chuchou to smile. "I had long heard that your bearing was extraordinary, and indeed it is so.
"Speaking of which, our clan must also thank your Li family. Had the sword immortal not obtained a Suiyuan Pill for my family, my son might not have achieved his breakthrough."
Li Tongya responded modestly. After chatting with Xiao Chuchou for a short while, he finally voiced the doubt in his heart, asking softly, "May I ask Senior, about those people of the Buddhist school..."
"Mm."
Xiao Chuchou took another leisurely sip of tea before replying, "You are young, and few in your clan have traveled far. Our State of Yue lies in the south, under the control of our Daoist sects, as does Daxu to the north. But if one crosses the Changhe in the far north and reaches the lands of Yan and Zhao, that is the domain of Buddhism.
"The world is vast; our Golden Core Daoist sect is not the only path. Buddhism has its own methods of cultivation, each with its merits compared to our Daoist sects... however..."
Xiao Chuchou shook his head, a flicker of dread flashing across his face, and grit his teeth. "If you ever encounter people of Buddhism, it is best to offer perfunctory responses and avoid lingering in their company. Those whose will is not steadfast can have their minds ensnared at first sight, falling into numerous delusions over what is the self and what is not.
"Beneath the heavens, there are minor paths such as shamans and incantations, as well as the grand daos of the Purple Palace, the Golden Core, and consuming flesh and blood. You may cultivate any of these paths as your heart chooses. But once you enter Buddhism, you are no longer your own master."
A chill ran through Li Tongya's heart. Fortunately, Buddhism lay far in the north, not something he needed to worry about anytime soon. He said respectfully, "Thank you, Senior, for dispelling my confusion."
Xiao Chuchou nodded and chatted with him a bit longer. Seeing that time was passing, he and Xiao Yuansi took to the wind to search for that precious medicine, lest someone beat them to it. Li Tongya naturally rode the wind to courteously see them off beyond the border.
Xiao Chuchou flew through the air for a while, seemingly still immersed in the trials and tribulations of his youth. Xiao Yuansi raised his eyes, looked at him, and murmured, "Ancestor, about that precious herb..."
"The herb is secondary," Xiao Chuchou replied, shaking his head. "The herb does exist, but it is merely a cover. I know of several ruins that were most likely left behind by the people of Mount Wu in those years, protected by restrictions. Now that Mount Wu has fallen, we can explore them thoroughly. If we can find even half a page from that book, it would benefit our family beyond measure."
Xiao Yuansi nodded slightly, filled with anticipation for the book bestowed by the immortal. He parted his lips and murmured, "*Replies to the Beggar Under the Mulberry Tree*... That is an immortal book; it must be at least seventh or eighth rank."
"Do not harbor too much hope," Xiao Chuchou warned softly. "If traces of that book had been discovered on Mount Wu, those dozen or so Purple Palace cultivators would have torn each other apart long ago. Duanmu Kui's early exploits took place far too long ago. Perhaps the tale of an immortal bestowing a book was merely something he invented to flatter himself."
As the two flew on the wind, Xiao Yuansi asked in confusion, "So Duanmu Kui ultimately failed... Is the difficulty of achieving the Golden Core truly this immense? Over several centuries, with so many Purple Palace cultivators, not a single person has succeeded..."
"The Golden Core..."
Xiao Chuchou gave a soft chuckle and answered, "Forging the gold nature grants a lifespan of a thousand years. As long as one is not discovered by the overseers of Yin, a Golden Core cultivator can endure in the mortal realm through that gold nature even in death, commanding the means of an immortal. How exalted that is! Naturally, it is not something attained so easily."
Chapter 189