"Elder, are we really just leaving without confronting that Qin Xuan?"
Outside Lianyun Manor, Fan Da, the senior disciple from Toad Mountain, seemed somewhat reluctant. He pressed, "Last time, my junior brother and I failed to wield our astral qi properly. We were hoping you could offer some guidance."
Beside him, his junior brother Fan Xun shot him a thoroughly bizarre sidelong glance.
Elder Tao kept silent, glancing back over his shoulder at the manor.
He thought to himself, *That junior commands his flying sword with fluid ease; his sword art is truly remarkable. Since he could dismantle a Xieling corpse general, he is certainly no mere showman. If he manages to shatter this old man's astral qi, wouldn't I become a laughingstock?*
After weighing the matter, he said to the two disciples, "Someone from Xiniuhezhou actually seems to be shielding him. That is peculiar indeed."
Fan Xun asked, "How can you be certain they came from Xiniuhezhou?"
Elder Tao said, "Your experience is too shallow, so naturally you wouldn't recognize the Buddhist markings of the Western Religion. Do you think there is only one way the world records precious scriptures? The Dao Sect has its Red Sandalwood Box Scriptures, the demon clans possess the Holy Spirit Demon Scriptures, and the demon sects carve Dark Crucible Demon Engravings. The Western Religion also has several kinds of esoteric script, one of which is the Great Treasure Raft Chan.
"It is said there are five kinds of Treasure Raft Chan, all of which are teachings for delivering the world and attaining the Dao. This old man once heard of two. The first is called Clear Conduct, conveying supreme perfection—in the course of mortal cultivation, one tempers one's wisdom and moral nature to the level of a sage, like a Buddha. The second is the Merit Chan, which requires cultivating a Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus."
A trace of wary apprehension flickered in Elder Tao's eyes. "If this old man saw correctly, the Buddhist markings just now were directly tied to the Merit Chan.
"The Five Great Rafts correspond to the Eight Esoteric Scriptures, all of them supreme Buddhist methods, hence known as the 'Five Rafts and Eight Chans.' Teachings of such supreme stature exist only in Lingshan's Huli Grand Monastery and the Great Thunder Sound Monastery. If not someone from Xiniuhezhou, where else could they have come from?"
The two disciples listened in a daze; such matters were far too remote for them.
Elder Tao let out another soft sound of wonder.
"It makes no sense. Word has it that the Western Religion has set its sights on the demon clans, intending to gather stray demons from all quarters and establish a Minor Demon Court. If so, why would this figure take action against demons instead? Could that lad from Yuansong Temple possess profound Buddhist roots that caught their eye?"
Fan Da and Fan Xun naturally had no answer.
Elder Tao scoffed with a chuckle and changed his tune: "That junior is rather difficult to see through. As for that Xieling elder who employed the flying corpse technique earlier, he suffered demonic corruption in the blink of an eye—truly rotten luck. We harbor neither grudge nor grievance against the lad; why make an enemy of him? As for last time, it was you two who crossed the line first and lacked the skill to back it up. You have no one else to blame."
"Yes," Fan Xun replied, breathing a sigh of relief, while Fan Da looked somewhat disappointed.
Yet Elder Tao continued, "Since you two are true disciples of our sect, it is high time you were tempered. Over the next few days, this old man shall employ the whipping discipline to thoroughly polish your astral qi."
Hearing this, Fan Da's spirits soared, and he hastily complied, "Yes!"
His junior brother glanced at him from the side, secretly thinking his senior brother was beyond hope.
***
This was not the first time Qin Xuan had come to the west of the city, but threading through the alleys of Huashi Street had previously been guided by the little fox.
Fortunately, he kept his bearings and found his way to the small river.
Following the stream, he arrived before a row of large willows fronting several houses. Under the faint moonlight, the vermilion coffin outside the doorway appeared exceptionally eerie.
Lanterns were lit in three rooms, with the westernmost being the brightest. Light seeped through the crack of the half-closed wooden door, casting a long shadow across the ground.
That was Gu Mei'er's room, and Qin Xuan sensed someone inside.
Yet not the slightest sound could be heard.
He stepped forward at a measured pace. His footsteps tapped against the gravel path—one, two, three... Though light, they sounded distinct in the quiet night.
"Who's out there?"
"It's me, Qin Xuan."
Upon his reply, the person inside seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. A frail silhouette appeared against the paper window, gesturing toward the door. "Young Master, please come in."
The western door swung open on its own without any wind. Though dilapidated from the outside, the interior was remarkably cozy.
The floor was merely packed earth, yet spotless. In the center lay a green bamboo mat topped with a straw meditation cushion.
Against the wall sat a half-worn elm wood table bearing a flickering bronze lamp, its glow faintly illuminating a few book scrolls and a small celadon bowl.
In the corner stood a bamboo rack stacked with clothes, beside which hung a pale-red silk scarf—evidently a young woman's belongings.
Qin Xuan quickly withdrew his gaze.
The young woman had originally been reclining on the bedding. Seeing Qin Xuan arrive, she propped herself up, offered a plate of fruit, and invited him to sit.
Her dark hair was slightly tousled, accentuating the pale, bloodless cast of her lovely face. The tails of her brows tilted upward, carrying a natural allure, and the reflection of the lamplight wavering in her eyes made her appear all the more frail—a sight that truly stirred pity.
Qin Xuan did not sit immediately. Frowning with concern, he asked, "Why are you so weak? You were fine earlier this evening."
Gu Mei'er sank halfway back onto the pillow, looking up at Qin Xuan with a faint, feeble smile curling at her lips.
"A slight mishap occurred during cultivation. But with that gourd of spirit dew, I'll be fine by tomorrow. It's nothing serious."
She looked like a sickly maiden tucked away in a quiet chamber, delighted at having someone visit her. "Young Master, why have you come looking for me so late at night?"
Seeing her in such a state, Qin Xuan hesitated, unsure whether he should bring up the royal tomb or go look for the cat on his own first.
He said, "I wanted to ask you about that grand tomb. A cat may have wandered off near there, and I need to find it and bring it back."
Gu Mei'er shook her head repeatedly. "You cannot go."
"Why?"
"Right now, there are several grave dangers there that are hard to detect, and it's difficult to explain in words. When dawn breaks, I will go with you."
"You..."
Just as Qin Xuan began to question her, Gu Mei'er cut him off, assuring him she would be fine.
Though Qin Xuan had doubts he wanted to ask, seeing her haggard condition, he held his tongue. He retrieved the spirit dew from his hundred-treasure pouch, poured it into the celadon bowl on the table, and had her drink several bowls.
He would wait until dawn to see how she fared.
After drinking the spirit dew, the girl pointed toward the meditation cushion. "Young Master may make do here for the night. Mei'er is going to sleep."
With that, she indeed closed her eyes, only her eyelashes trembling slightly.
That night, Qin Xuan sat in meditation refining qi. Aside from taking a few Solidifying Origin Pills on occasion, he made no other movement.
Mei'er, however, opened her eyes from time to time to steal glances at him, more than once.
***
The next day.
Just as the east showed the first pale glimmer of dawn, Qin Xuan snapped his eyes open and gazed through the gap in the window toward the distant sky.
With each breath in and out, mist-like qi suffused his body. The pores across his skin opened and closed in harmony with it, yet he felt no qi passing through his nose. When his breathing ceased entirely and the opening and closing of his pores came to a complete halt, a sensation of stepping into profound trance and spiritual transcendence washed over him.
He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling.
A moment later, when he opened them again, he felt the spiritual energy within his body intertwining naturally with his intent—effortless and complete.
Embryonic breathing was achieved!
Now, even if he dove into water, he could swim freely beneath the depths just like a fish.
Although transitioning from eighth-layer true breath to ninth-layer embryonic breathing had consumed far more pills than an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator would need, the speed still satisfied Qin Xuan.
Moreover, likely due to his frequent cultivation beneath the moon and the accumulation of the full moon in the mirror, Qin Xuan sensed a subtle transformation growing within his spiritual energy.
Having stepped into embryonic breathing, he was far more perceptive to this change.
Presumably, like that mass of spiritual light, it was growing increasingly sentient and spirited.
A few paces away, the little fox crouched watching. In her eyes, Qin Xuan was veiled in a faint, shimmering glow, as though bathed in self-emanating moonlight.
That indescribable sensation was like gazing at the distant sky at daybreak, when darkness receded, the remaining stars sank below the wilderness, and everything felt light and ethereal.
She rubbed her eyes. When she looked again, Qin Xuan had returned to his handsome, exceptional self, with only a faint smile playing on his face.
Sensing Qin Xuan's joy, Mei'er teased in a playful fox call, "Bathed in dawn's pure glow, rising like drifting smoke—Young Master, you look as though you're about to become an immortal."
After her fox cry, her eyes curved with amusement, and she covered her mouth with a chuckle.
"I haven't even achieved Foundation Establishment. How could I become an immortal?"
Qin Xuan smiled, noting that her expression was lively and her condition vastly improved.
"Thanks to Young Master's spirit dew, Mei'er is quite well now. Let us head to Hawk's Beak Mountain together."
Having spoken, she called out "Grandpa" toward the eastern room where the coffins were stacked, but received no response.
Qin Xuan said, "I don't sense any aura. Old Mister Gu probably isn't home."
He had accumulated quite a few yin spirit jars from the Xieling Sect and intended to trade them all, so he had been paying close attention to the fox elder.
"Not necessarily. Sometimes Grandpa lies in the coffin and emits no aura at all."
Gu Mei'er went over and knocked on the coffin, but heard no reply. Seeing the soul banners and paper money scattered on the floor, she instantly realized. "Grandpa has gone to walk the yin road."
"How long does he usually stay away?"
"About half a month, sometimes longer."
"Does he tell you beforehand when he leaves?"
"No."
Gu Mei'er patted the coffin gently and sighed. "Even though Grandpa is often away and I'm frightened when left alone, he treats me very well. He taught me all my spells, showed me how to survive in a great city, and sometimes tells interesting stories. Unfortunately, his memory isn't good, and he gets muddled on occasion. I always worry he won't return from walking the yin road, and then Mei'er won't have any family left."
Qin Xuan consoled her, "I have never seen any mention of 'walking the yin road' in my sect's records. Old Mister Gu is no ordinary person; you needn't worry."
As he spoke, he reached down to pick up a piece of paper money to examine it.
Gu Mei'er grabbed his arm at once. "Don't touch it! Grandpa said this is travel money for smoothing the way on the yin road. Every coin belongs to someone. You must never take it, or you'll suffer terrible misfortune later on!"
Qin Xuan maintained his reverence and stepped away from the paper money.
The little fox closed the door, and together they set out for Hawk's Beak Mountain. Along the way, Qin Xuan asked her about the demon that had launched the sneak attack and released the seven-colored spider venom the previous night.
Mei'er said, "That spider demon is one of the fiends from Poison Scorpion Valley in Chuanlai Commandery, named Sheng Hu. She is a great general under the Poison Scorpion King. With over two hundred years of cultivation, she is crafty, deceitful, and highly skilled in battle. Those Xieling elders surely wouldn't be a match for her."
"Did you learn this from that eel in the Lan River as well?"
"No."
She shook her head. "Earlier, I mentioned the Huyue Book Pavilion to Young Master. The shopkeeper there is an acquaintance of my grandpa and knows the surrounding demon clans well. If Young Master wishes to look into it further, I can take you to see him next time."
"Very well."
Just as Qin Xuan was about to ask more, Gu Mei'er glanced toward the riverbank ahead and suddenly gestured for him to be quiet.
Further ahead lay Daoxiang Hollow, a village west of Hawk's Beak Mountain.
Three or four li before the village ran a river—also a tributary of the Lan River—surging down from the heights of Yunxiu Mountain. More than ten zhang wide, it encircled Hawk's Beak Mountain like a jade belt, earning it the local name of the Yudai River.
The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and dew clung to the grass. Near the southern bank, the current slowed somewhat, where several flocks of white geese paddled among the reeds, looking leisurely and carefree.
Weeping willows lined the bank. The two were taking a shortcut; had they sought a ferry crossing, they would have had to travel further upstream.
Moving cautiously, Gu Mei'er pointed toward a distant weeping willow. Qin Xuan followed her finger and saw a figure sitting on the southern bank.
It was a white-haired fisherman clad in a coir raincoat and bamboo hat. Beside him lay a green bamboo creel, and in his hands he held a Xiang River bamboo rod, quietly angling.
Qin Xuan's vision was exceptional. He saw that the old man appeared serene, his eyes fixed on the float, as though all affairs of the mortal world had nothing to do with him. Even when water birds occasionally perched on the tip of the rod, he made no move to shoo them away, letting them come and go as they pleased.
Qin Xuan asked via voice transmission, "What is wrong with this fisherman?"
Mei'er pulled him back several paces and replied through voice transmission, "Young Master, that is a grave peril. Remember never to come within three zhang of him. If you do draw close, do not show hostility, do not look at his fishing rod or creel, and under no circumstances ask if he has caught any fish."
Qin Xuan was bewildered. "Why is that?"
Mei'er shook her head. "I don't know either. That's what Grandpa told me. Although he gets muddled, what he says is usually very accurate."
"Is this fisherman here every day?"
"No, only around the Yudai River recently, and he shifts his spot from time to time."
Seeing Qin Xuan linger, Mei'er pulled him upstream. "Let's go. We'll take a detour."
Qin Xuan suppressed his curiosity and walked along the riverbank.
Yet before he had taken a hundred steps, a sudden sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. His eyes involuntarily turned toward the deepest part in the middle of the Yudai River!
*Splash!*
The water rippled, and a water ball the size of a human head abruptly burst from the river. Transforming into an almost transparent jet of water, it tore through the air with a piercing shriek, knocking down a flying water bird.
An archerfish demon the size of a small boat poked out its tubular snout and swallowed the water bird into its belly.
This fish monster was clad in silver scales like cold iron. Its pectoral fins fanned slowly, churning up a surge of demonic qi and carving out a massive whirlpool with every stroke.
Familiar demonic qi, an archerfish...
Qin Xuan was startled. There was no mistake—it was him!
Elder Wu from the Cold Pool on Yunxiu Mountain!
After just a few days apart, Elder Wu was completely transformed from before, his demonic qi surging in an endless, thriving cycle.
Had Elder Wu obtained the Holy Spirit Demon Scripture?!
Yet Qin Xuan did not dare greet him, for Elder Wu's fish eyes were turbid and bloodshot, appearing not quite lucid.
However, with a swing of its head, the fish demon spotted Qin Xuan on the bank.
"Step back."
Just as Qin Xuan moved to pull Gu Mei'er backward, the fish's head poked up, speaking to Qin Xuan in a strange, flat voice utterly devoid of emotion:
"Brother Qin, it's me, Old Wu. Do you remember? We drank wine together."
Qin Xuan felt something was terribly wrong. Backing away, he asked, "Brother Wu, what happened?"
Elder Wu said, "Brother Qin, save me. Pull me up. I obtained the Holy Spirit Demon Scripture. I will share this chance for attaining the Dao with you."
His voice remained completely devoid of emotion.
The little fox trembled slightly, pressing close against Qin Xuan's chest. She pointed covertly toward the corner of Elder Wu's mouth, where a shimmering thread glistened. "Young Master, run, there's a line... That's a fishing line... It took the hook..."
Qin Xuan had already noticed it as well and hastily lowered his head.
From the corners of their eyes, they glanced downstream. The old fisherman was turning his reel, slowly drawing back the line.
Elder Wu's massive body was dragged all the way to the bank by the old man.
As the old man scooped him up with a dip net, Elder Wu shrank to the size of a willow leaf, flopping and thrashing.
The old man unhooked him, tossed Elder Wu into the creel, and kept him submerged in the water. As he changed his bait, he raised his head and cast a glance in the direction of the two. Qin Xuan and Mei'er huddled close together, ducking their necks as they hurried upstream...
Chapter 43