Qin Xuan left Yuansong Temple and followed the directions on the visiting card to a teahouse at the foot of the mountain.
From a distance, he spotted an iron-tower-like monk sitting beside a window on the second floor.
"Patron Qin, please come up and have some tea."
Possessing keen senses, the Black Bear Monster looked back and invited Qin Xuan upstairs.
"Master, there are too many prying ears here, and the tea is rather bland. Let us find another place."
The Black Bear Monster gave an understanding smile, quite empathetic to Qin Xuan's sentiment.
After settling the bill for the tea, he brought Qin Xuan aboard a cloud, ascending into the sky toward Hawk's Beak Mountain. Only when there was no one around did he offer his earnest thanks: "Patron Qin, thanks entirely to your scheme this time, a worry that weighed upon this poor monk's heart has finally been laid to rest."
"Congratulations," Qin Xuan offered his felicitations, then asked, "May I ask if the favor I asked Master to look into along the way was accomplished?"
"It was done."
The Black Bear Monster said, "This poor monk has discovered that Mountain God Tan's hostility toward you originated from Liangfeng Temple."
"Hmm?!" Qin Xuan frowned. "Could Master be mistaken? Although our sect contends with Liangfeng Temple for incense, I harbor no deep hatred or grudge against them."
Back in Daoxiang Hollow, he had indeed crossed paths with Abbot Jin Guan of Liangfeng Temple. Even if he had offended him, the timeline did not match up.
"This poor monk told you long ago that Liangfeng Temple also possesses a treasure kasaya. Outsiders do not know that Abbot Jin Guan is closely tied to Mountain God Tan. This time, I learned from a mountain ghost in the Mountain God Temple that it was you who ruined Liangfeng Temple's scheme."
Qin Xuan probed, "The Geng residence?"
"Indeed."
The Black Bear Monster did not beat around the bush. "Because you showed up at the Geng residence, Temple Head Wu intervened, which ruined their plan.
"Had Patron Qin not taken part... the outcome for the Geng residence would have been completely different."
Qin Xuan said nothing, listening intently as the Black Bear Monster continued: "Demons from the Western Religion's Lesser Demon Court would have struck to throw everything into chaos. The hidden factions would have all entered the fray. The Geng family head would either have died a miserable death or joined Liangfeng Temple. A great battle would have unfolded around the Geng residence, and the upheaval would have spilled over into the commandery city. Countless lives would have been lost.
"Liangfeng Temple would then have cleaned up the mess, dispelled the evil karma, gathered faith, and amassed even greater incense vows in the city.
"Temple Head Wu had cultivated in seclusion for years. Your intervention left those factions unable to fathom Guanjiang Mountain's stance, thereby averting a catastrophe.
"For the common folk of the commandery, what Patron Qin did was an act of great benevolence, which this poor monk also admires. But for Liangfeng Temple, it was an act of great evil."
As Qin Xuan pondered, he parted a cloud drifting toward him and asked, "If that was the case, why did someone from the Western Religion lend me a hand that night at the Geng residence?"
"This poor monk does not know either. However...
"There is something in my cave abode that might resolve your doubts, though you will have to wait several days."
The Black Bear Monster urged his magical mist faster, flying straight into the Heart-Cleansing Chan Cave on Black Wind Ridge. Only then did Qin Xuan discover that a grand array had been set up outside the Black Bear Monster's cave abode. Buddhist light circulated within the array, trapping a kasaya inside.
Was this the treasure kasaya?
Qin Xuan faintly glimpsed Buddhist script, unaware of its meaning, nor could he fathom why the Black Bear Monster had done this.
"The treasure kasaya cannot be used just yet. It will take ten more days to refine away the imprint upon it so that the people of Liangfeng Temple cannot sense it."
The Black Bear Monster smiled. "Calling Patron Qin here in advance was to fulfill this poor monk's promise."
Qin Xuan put away his curiosity, offering a Buddhist salute as he said, "Master is the true foremost eminent monk in the commandery. If it were up to me to choose who should be the abbot of Liangfeng Temple, Master would be the one."
"Patron Qin flatters me."
As the man and bear spoke, they arrived at the spirit spring behind the cave abode.
Compared to the last time, the wondrous white mist over the pool was even thicker. Within the mist drifted an alluring fragrance, along with wisps of an exceptionally distinct aura.
"This is..."
Qin Xuan's spirits rose. "Evil qi?!"
Could his senses be mistaken? The Soul-Eroding Cold Evil beneath Hawk's Beak Mountain carried a grim, sinister chill, vastly different from this aura.
"Indeed, it is evil qi."
The Black Bear Monster pointed to the water of the spirit spring pool. "This is the great boon this poor monk spoke of. Beneath my spirit spring lies a channel tapping into a small spirit vein on the sunny side of Hawk's Beak Mountain. It was because of this that an Acanthopanax Golden Thorn medicinal flower was nurtured here. This item is specifically used to cultivate the Nine Abysses Glazed Chan and the Buddhist Law-Splashing Vajra Dharma Body.
"The treasure kasayas of Liangfeng Temple and the Mountain God Temple contain precisely the Chan arts this poor monk requires. I have already descended into the spirit spring and cleared away the silt in the subterranean spring eye, unleashing the qi of the spirit vein.
"This Acanthopanax Golden Thorn medicinal flower of mine has grown here for two cycles. Intertwining with the spirit vein, it coalesced a wisp of earth vein evil qi."
The Black Bear Monster smiled profoundly. "This evil qi is the Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil from among the Seventy-Two Earth Evils, belonging to the path of Taibai Geng Gold. It clings closely to the Acanthopanax Golden Thorn medicinal flower. The moment this poor monk plucks the spirit flower, it will inevitably spew forth.
"Patron Qin shares an affinity with this Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil. Seizing this chance to gather it will save you over a decade of arduous toil gathering evil qi in the future.
"Furthermore, the water of this spirit spring will also be of great benefit to you."
What a fine bear, truly a fine bear!
Delight welled in Qin Xuan's heart. "When does Master plan to pluck the spirit flower?"
"Right now."
As the Black Bear Monster spoke, he tossed Qin Xuan a bamboo cylinder glistening with watery luster, much like the one that had held the True Water Mist before, inscribed with a Buddhist array he had left inside.
The Black Bear Monster was a man of action.
He recited an incantation formula to Qin Xuan, then golden light erupted around his body as he plunged into the mist-shrouded spirit pool.
In the next instant, the medicinal fragrance in the pool boiled over. A burst of golden radiance the size of a lotus leaf flashed into view, followed by rolling mist as a sharp white light, accompanied by the howling of the wind, cleaved the pool water in two and shot straight upward.
Holding the bamboo cylinder, Qin Xuan channeled his magic power and chanted the incantation.
"Whoosh—!"
A gust of gale whipped past his ears, mist and moisture striking his face. His vision blurred, but he could vaguely make out the white streak plunging into the bamboo cylinder in an instant.
Without needing to draw close, he could hear the bizarre sound coming from within the bamboo cylinder from afar.
It sounded like a great wind blowing through a tree laden with golden leaves.
The Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil qi was already sealed inside!
Qin Xuan had witnessed Qiu Bailu harvesting the Soul-Eroding Cold Evil in the prince's tomb lair—laying a grand array to draw the evil from the earth vein had been an ordeal of immense difficulty. Obtaining this evil qi now was in stark contrast.
Master Bear was right—this evil qi indeed shares an affinity with me.
With a splash, the Black Bear Monster leaped out from the pool, holding a spirit flower of great medicine. The Acanthopanax Golden Thorn medicinal flower gave off a shimmering golden glow, lending the Black Bear Monster's face an even more venerable Buddhist appearance.
This great medicine flower was precious beyond measure.
Yet Qin Xuan had already obtained the Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil. His heart was satisfied, and he would not covet the bear's great medicine.
"Patron Qin, next, a great deal of the subterranean spirit vein's qi will escape. You may enter the pool and take the opportunity to refine qi. This poor monk must refine this great medicine. In ten-odd days, we shall speak again of the treasure kasaya."
"Very well."
The Black Bear Monster rode the mist back to his cave abode. Qin Xuan first sent a transmission to Old Daoist Wu, then toyed with the bamboo cylinder for a moment.
Now, not only did he possess evil qi, but he was also continuously feeding the Nether Root Divine Wood.
For Core Formation and Golden Core—the two great realms within the Jade Fluid Reverted Dan—he had already secured precious resources for both.
Ever since the ancient mirror manifested, his cultivation speed had advanced by leaps and bounds, yet the time he had spent cultivating was simply too brief after all.
Not only did his fire lack compared to the spirits of the Divine Way and demons with centuries of cultivation,
even among his fellow disciples, he had only refined qi for six years.
Gazing at the pool where spirit mist surged, perhaps due to the remnants of the great medicine and the Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil qi, the scent Qin Xuan caught immediately brought a feeling of refreshing ease to his breathing.
Without a second thought, he stowed the bamboo cylinder and leaped straight into the water.
He dove more than twenty zhang deep to the pool bed and found the spring eye where the Black Bear Monster had plucked the Acanthopanax Golden Thorn medicinal flower.
Even underwater, a potent medicinal fragrance lingered here; the watery glow around the spring eye even shimmered with gold.
The Taibai Mysterious Wind Evil had also spewed forth from this very spot.
Immortal path qi refiners, once having attained embryonic breathing, could remain underwater for long periods without needing a water-avoiding charm.
Qin Xuan shooed away several large spotted carp darting about the bottom, hauled over a smooth stone slab, and began meditating beside the spring eye.
Just as he began channeling the Scripture of Rinsing Jade as usual, he suddenly experienced a wondrous sensation...
Chapter 70