"Junior Brother Qin, where is Fellow Daoist Qian Fan?"
Shen Yunfei and Zhou Cang looked at him together.
Approaching from the distance, Qin Xuan showed no change in expression, walking with easy, unhurried strides. "You two are well acquainted with Senior Brother Qian. Why ask me?"
Zhou Cang's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Did you kill him?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Why would I fight and kill him for no good reason?" Qin Xuan glanced sideways at the two of them. "Rather, whatever shady business you two were up to, don't try to pin it on me."
Zhou Cang opened his mouth to press further, but Shen Yunfei held him back.
"Come now, let's not damage our harmony."
Shen Yunfei rolled his fierce, round eyes. "For the sake of being fellow disciples, Junior Brother Qin, I must offer you a word of caution. That Qian Fan doesn't just come from an immortal cultivation clan—he is also highly regarded by Fengling Temple. If anything happens to him, you'll be in no small trouble."
Qin Xuan remained completely unperturbed. "Qian Fan has already headed back to Chuanlai Commandery. If you two miss him so much, you might as well take the road together and keep him company. Why make such a racket with me here?"
With that, he walked away without looking back.
Shen Yunfei and Zhou Cang watched his retreating figure, utterly helpless.
"Senior Brother, did Qian Fan really take to the road?"
"Yes, he took to the road—the road to the Yellow Springs."
Shen Yunfei stroked the ink-black beard under his chin, pondering for a moment. "He left in such a hurry; we should send Brother Qian off properly."
"This..."
Zhou Cang gathered his wits and looked in the direction Qin Xuan had departed. "I never imagined his nerve would be so great."
Shen Yunfei said, "He acts with nothing to fear, which means Qian Fan must have made the first move. I just didn't expect him to care so little about his reputation—it's vastly different from what I previously understood of him."
As they spoke, the two carried a small bundle straight to the back mountain.
Beneath a small slope, they dug a pit and tossed in a change of robes Qian Fan had worn at the temple.
It would serve as a cenotaph.
Zhou Cang looked solemn. "This Qin Xuan truly isn't simple. Brother Qian had quite a fearsome reputation in Chuanlai Commandery and had robbed and killed plenty of people, yet he ended up stumbling before him."
"The ultimate end of those who rob and kill is to be robbed and killed themselves."
Shen Yunfei said slowly, "Though Qin Xuan's cultivation is beneath Qian Fan's, how could battling with magic arts ever be simple? Never mind that Qian Fan was in the Qi Refining stage—even a Foundation Building cultivator could be slain with a single moment of carelessness."
While speaking, Shen Yunfei set out two bowls and arranged some fruit offerings.
Three red dates, two chestnuts, a small handful of longans, and a few pieces of fuling cakes.
"That is precisely why I detest dueling others the most."
Zhou Cang nodded, thoroughly agreeing.
Building cenotaphs for others was far from a first for them, so they were practiced and adept at it.
Zhou Cang asked, "Should we expose this matter and stir up some trouble for him?"
Shen Yunfei replied, "That depends on whether you and I are clean in this matter."
An awkward smile appeared on Zhou Cang's chubby face. It would be a wonder if they were clean.
"Then what should we do next?" Zhou Cang said heavily. "Over at Guanjiang Mountain, the conflict between Li Yanshen and Elder Lai Jing is irreconcilable. Both Qin and Zhao are close to Li Yanshen, and Elder Lai definitely does not want them to have the chance to enter the Upper Court."
"No rush."
Shen Yunfei's eyes shifted. "First, let's make an issue out of his failure to report for duty at the Records Hall two months ago, and then take a trip to the Enforcement Hall."
Zhou Cang shook his head. "Even Qian Fan failed, so I'd wager his cultivation has certainly broken through. If he uses that as an excuse, then failing to report for duty at the Records Hall wouldn't count as a violation of temple rules. That fellow is exceedingly shrewd; he recently went to Yunxiu Mountain and renewed his duties. The Enforcement Hall acts by the book—how could they do anything to him?"
"I reckon the two of us will just walk away with bruised noses again."
Shen Yunfei laughed. "How did you become so clever, Junior Brother?"
"I've always been this way."
Shen Yunfei consoled him, "Even if we walk away with bruised noses, we still have to do it. We must let the higher-ups see that the two of us are constantly at work.
"Besides, Elder Pan is currently in charge of the Enforcement Hall. Back in the day, he received guidance from Daoist Ou of the Luogu Peak lineage, and Daoist Ou belongs to Elder Lai's faction. We just need to obey instructions—why meddle in worries beyond our station?"
Zhou Cang gave an acknowledging grunt, then grumbled irritably, "Those higher-ups fight back and forth, but they run the legs off us two brothers. We barely snag a scrap of benefit, yet we've heard plenty of reprimands."
Shen Yunfei chuckled. "How many Qi Refining cultivators are there under the heavens? Yet how much immortal affinity is there to go around?
"Without gaining karmic affinity, even with a hundred years of lifespan or a thousand years of cultivation, one is nothing more than a mayfly living from dawn to dusk. Isn't that little bit of affinity the very reason you and I struggle so hard?"
Zhou Cang conceded, "Fine, fine. I can never out-talk you."
He pulled out a wine jug, preparing to pour a customary cup over the cenotaph.
"Hold on!" Shen Yunfei hastily stopped him. "Brother Qian only drank water; he never drank alcohol."
Zhou Cang then drew fresh water from a mountain stream and poured it over the mound.
"Brother Qian, in life you handled things for us, and in death we gather your remains. Now we are even. Have a safe journey."
"Safe journey, Brother Qian."
The two bowed deeply, giving Qian Fan ample face.
Shen Yunfei produced a dagger and carved several characters into a worn wooden plaque. Naturally, he could not write 'Tomb of Qian Fan'—that would only invite disaster upon themselves.
"How is this?"
Shen Yunfei showed the carved wooden plaque to Zhou Cang.
"Splendid! Brother Qian can consider his wishes fulfilled by you."
Zhou Cang took the wooden plaque and planted it on the cenotaph.
On it was clearly written: *Tomb of the Water-Drinking Immortal*.
Beneath it was a crooked line of smaller characters serving as an epitaph: *Drinking water brings ample joy; what sorrow remains in mortal life?*
The two cast a final glance at the cenotaph, then departed from the place.
***
Returning to the mountain gate, the first thing Qin Xuan did was go to Songfeng Hut to seek out Old Daoist Wu.
"You killed someone at the octagonal pavilion at the foot of the mountain?"
"Yes."
Old Daoist Wu lifted his long brows, his narrow eyes opening slightly. "Who?"
Qin Xuan answered with utmost candor, "Qian Fan."
"What happened?" Old Daoist Wu frowned slightly.
"I didn't want to cause trouble, but he made a move against me, so I had no choice but to fight back."
Qin Xuan said helplessly, "I tried to persuade him with many words, but he seemed possessed by a demon, insisting on fighting me to the death..."
He then described the events in the pavilion in full detail.
Old Daoist Wu picked up his horsetail whisk, sorely tempted to give Qin Xuan a strike with it. Lifting his brows in anger, he snapped, "You rash brat! If he blocked your way, you should have simply climbed the mountain. Why pay him any heed?"
Qin Xuan replied solemnly, "Temple Head, if I retreat when I am in the right, that is cowardice. If my thoughts are not unhindered, I will never again be able to master my family's sword art."
*Family sword art?*
Old Daoist Wu's anger softened slightly. Qin Xuan's maternal grandfather was Second Master Lin of Laidu Commandery. Though that family was not a clan of Chaotic Antiquity, they held ties with forces in Zhongzhou. If they possessed a sword art heritage, it would hardly be surprising.
Moreover, this grandson Qin Xuan possessed a metal spirit root, which was exceedingly well suited for lethal sword arts.
With this explanation, Old Daoist Wu grew somewhat more understanding.
"Enough. Qian Fan brought this upon himself, but since you caused trouble, your punishment is confinement to the temple for seven days, and you are not to speak of this matter again."
Qin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "Thank you, Temple Head."
With the temple head covering for him, his troubles would be vastly reduced.
"This disciple has one more matter to ask of you."
The old man glanced at him. "Concerning your cultivation?"
Qin Xuan nodded.
"Seeing that your spirit is full and your qi abundant, you are about to step out of the Qi Gathering stage and enter the Qi Subduing phase."
Old Daoist Wu instructed him attentively, "Qi Subduing means making the spiritual qi in your meridians more condensed and solid. Once it reaches a certain degree, the circulation of spiritual qi accelerates and stirs up wind. This wind can kindle the true fire of the human body, allowing the spiritual qi to permeate every aperture of the entire body and purge a degree of post-natal impurities.
"However, humans consume the five grains and varied flavors; the turbid turns to waste, while the clear turns to fluid. This fluid then transforms into yin essence. If yin essence is not refined, it gives rise to bizarre thoughts and lustful desires.
"Consequently, your mind can easily become unstable, and your dreams bewildered."
Old Daoist Wu extended his hand, and several sticks of incense appeared in his palm. "This is heart-calming incense. Lighting it while meditating will help you eliminate worldly distractions. Qi Subduing is a long and arduous process; guard against arrogance and impetuousness."
Qin Xuan took it and was about to express his gratitude.
The old man shook his head slightly, speaking with earnest sincerity, "Your valiant and vigorous progress of late is surely the fruit of quiet, dedicated cultivation and deep preparation yielding sudden breakthroughs. I experienced the same in my youth. Yet on the path of cultivation, straying often happens in a single stray thought. Do not take the wrong turn. Go on."
"This disciple will bear it firmly in mind."
***
"Qin Zihou, Old Daoist Wu smoothed over such big trouble for you. Aren't you going to show some appreciation?"
"Naturally, I must."
"Good, good, good! It wasn't in vain that I gave you a ride."
He Wushuang had volunteered to carry Qin Xuan back to his courtyard, and using Old Daoist Wu's name, it had wheedled quite a bit of fruit wine out of him.
"Brother Crane, how about I give you the recipe for this Yudu fruit wine?"
"No good."
The white crane held its neck high. "First, if I learn it, Old Daoist Wu will put me to work brewing wine. You are a junior, so he still shows some restraint. But if I possessed such a skill, wouldn't I end up as his wine-brewing crane?"
Qin Xuan pressed, "And second?"
"Second..."
As the white crane took flight, it left behind a voice transmission: "I don't want to learn it. Only by keeping it slightly out of reach does it feel more like my homeland. That is something you can bestow—allowing Yudu to remain forever in my memory."
Qin Xuan found some sense in that, though it might simply be an excuse for a crane's laziness.
He closed the courtyard gate and first sat quietly in meditation for four hours.
The fiend of the Nine Nethers was indeed formidable, but driving it against an enemy and running the Taiyin Soul Transformation Art consumed an utterly terrifying amount of spiritual energy.
Only after his internal qi stabilized did he retrieve Qian Fan's hundred-treasure pouch.
The space inside that pouch was similar to his own, roughly half a zhang wide and long, and over a zhang high, filled with a large heap of miscellaneous items.
The most abundant... were surprisingly books.
He casually pulled out a few: *Gleanings from the Inner Chapters of the Loose Man of Zhou*, *Strange Chronicles of Chaotic Antiquity*, *Poetry Scrolls of the Moon Spring Recitation Society*, *Veterinary Prescriptions*, *He Huan Sect's Childbearing Canon*...
What kind of things were these?
Qian Fan's tastes were far too eclectic.
Qin Xuan casually flipped through several pages and discovered annotations in many of the books, written in varying handwritings.
It seemed this fellow had robbed and killed quite a few people. His death was truly not unjustified.
Aside from books, there were some cluttered utensils, only five spirit stones, and not a single medicinal pill.
How could he be so poor?
Could he have used everything up refining the Cold Wolf Banner?
Using his spiritual power to sense the contents, Qin Xuan finally discovered an unusual cloth-wrapped bundle beneath a pile of junk. Taking it out and unwrapping it, he found a wooden box inside.
The moment the wooden box opened, the melodious tinkling of spring water seemed to echo by Qin Xuan's ears.
A sharp, azure-blue gleam flashed, illuminating the entire courtyard for an instant.
Huh?!
Qin Xuan was startled and looked closely at the object inside the box.
Within it was actually a talisman—about three inches long, a finger wide, shaped like a willow leaf, and as thin as a cicada's wing. It was completely translucent, and inside it, a pool of clear water seemed to ripple, its brilliance flowing without pause.
This... could this actually be a sword talisman?!
Inside the box was not only the sword talisman, but also a sword manual recording the method for crafting sword talismans, paired with a sword-kinesis technique called the Clear Water Sword.
A misunderstanding—a massive misunderstanding!
Senior Brother Qian was not only far from poor, he was remarkably wealthy, having actually refined a sword talisman from the essence of clear water!
Never mind the Foundation Building stage—even to Core Formation stage Qi Refining cultivators, this would be considered a rare treasure.
For a true immortal flying sword, one would need at least the true fire of a Golden Core cultivator to even have a chance of forging a sword embryo, followed by collecting heavenly celestial qi and earthly baleful qi. The difficulty could well be imagined.
Therefore, those sword cultivators who cultivated and nourished sword arts used sword talismans as substitutes.
The materials for such talismans were mostly the essences of the heaven-and-earth five elements found near the core of spirit veins. This Clear Water sword talisman belonged to the water element of the five phases, matching Qian Fan's spirit root.
If Qian Fan had known how to wield this sword art, Qin Xuan would have stood no chance of victory whatsoever.
The fiend of the Nine Nethers was quite powerful, but Qin Xuan had only just begun practicing the Taiyin Soul Transformation, and the fiend's speed was nowhere near as swift as a sword talisman's. And while Qin Xuan understood sword arts, he only had ordinary magical swords—truly a case of a clever housewife unable to cook without rice.
"Senior Brother Qian, you truly are a decent fellow!"
"Say no more, it's all in the wine... Ah, no, it's all in the water..."
Greatly pleased, Qin Xuan splashed two ladles of fresh water onto the ground, treating Qian Fan to a hearty drink...
Chapter 17