Fairy Ji shifted slightly to the side, but the coffin was small, and the two remained pressed closely together.
Qin Xuan did not take advantage of the situation and yielded some room.
Even so, Fairy Ji lay on her side, softly resting half her weight against him.
Outside, the wind wailed sharply. Qin Xuan's attention was drawn to the two old ghosts.
Grandpa Fox had told him that whenever one ran into unclean things, hiding inside this coffin would make them lose interest.
He had thought of this coffin at first, but worried it would prove useless.
Seeing Mei'er's divine talisman display its might earlier, his confidence in the coffin grew.
Mei'er had told him that everything she possessed had been taught by Grandpa Fox.
To be able to walk the yin road was indeed no ordinary feat.
While Qin Xuan and Ji Qingni lay comfortably inside the coffin, Mo Jianli of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave and the middle-aged woman outside paced in circles with anxiety.
They had not lost interest as Grandpa Fox had claimed; rather, in their soul forms, they were utterly helpless against this coffin.
Qin Xuan pondered carefully.
Recalling how the death qi on the two earlier had gnawed at the Buddhist light like worms, that stuff was vastly different from ordinary yin qi or ghost qi.
Possessing the Supreme Heart Method of the Nine Nethers, his perception of such matters was extraordinary.
For instance, Ji Qingni could not see that death qi, but he could sense it clearly.
Inside the coffin, the two lay side by side, initially in silence. Ji Qingni still held the parasol leaf, which continued to glow.
Seeing the phoenix fire dance across the leaf, Qin Xuan hurriedly warned, "Be careful. Don't burn my precious coffin."
"I wouldn't dare. Right now, I cherish it more than you do."
After speaking, she curiously appraised the coffin. "It doesn't look like anything special, yet it leaves those two outside completely helpless."
Qin Xuan said, "That's because you don't know quality when you see it. I bought this coffin for a thousand taels of underworld money."
"A thousand taels of underworld money!"
Ji Qingni reacted with astonishment, but the middle-aged woman outside from the Nine Nethers reacted even more intensely upon hearing it: "Boy, you actually possess such wealth!"
"Is it worth that much?"
The middle-aged woman said, "A thousand taels can buy a Human Origin Fruit in the Nine Nethers Underworld, extending one's lifespan by four hundred years! That fruit not only prolongs life, but also washes away tribulation qi. And you actually squandered it on a wretched coffin! What a ruinous, shameful waste!"
"No wonder an evil-warding divine talisman was wasted here!"
The middle-aged woman's voice dripped with resentment, showing she had never enjoyed such a fortune when she was in the Nine Nethers.
Qin Xuan responded calmly, "Without this wretched coffin, wouldn't we have been forced to fight you to the bitter end?"
Mo Jianli and the middle-aged woman fell silent, their thoughts unreadable.
Ji Qingni studied the coffin once more.
Qin Xuan asked, "Fairy Ji, do you want a coffin like this too?"
"I do."
"If we get a chance to get out, once I take a trip to Yin City, I'll pick one up for you. I'll haggle down the price this time. As a regular customer, it'll be easy to negotiate—maybe I can snag it for seven or eight hundred taels."
Ji Qingni hummed in acknowledgment. "I don't have underworld money. Can I write an IOU first, and pay you once I have some?"
Qin Xuan was left speechless. This Tea Fairy truly was not easy to fool; she had obviously realized he was marking up the price to turn a profit.
*It seems I'm still too honest at heart, with no talent for being a crooked merchant,* he consoled himself.
The two old ghosts outside said nothing, and the two inside the coffin quieted down as well.
Qin Xuan reflected on everything concerning the royal tomb and the Wine Tribulation Immortal's Dao sanctuary.
Ji Qingni did much the same.
However, having arrived in Pingyuan Commandery not long ago, she did not know as much as Qin Xuan. Once she thought through their present circumstances, her thoughts began to wander a bit. For instance...
For some reason, the Little Sword Immortal beside her seemed to carry a very pleasant scent.
If Tiandu Fairy were lying beside her, she certainly would have leaned close to take a sniff. Right now, she naturally would not be so forward, but she could not help feeling curious.
Able to notice the peculiarities of the townsfolk, skilled in Yindu ghost arts, and possessing this large coffin...
This Little Sword Immortal Qin really had quite a few secrets.
The coffin was not spacious, nor had it shrunk the two of them down the way it had with the yaksha.
Qin Xuan could smell a faint, delicate fragrance, and Ji Qingni could catch his pleasant scent.
In short, neither of them was at a loss.
Outside, however, the mighty Sword Madman of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave felt he was at a great loss, and had to do something.
Mo Jianli pondered for a long time. Hunching his back, his aged face pressed against the coffin, he said to the two, "You two, do you want to learn sword arts? This old man is unwilling to let his heaven-reaching sword art be lost to history. I can teach you."
Qin Xuan felt a flicker of interest. "What sword art?"
Mo Jianli's voice sounded ghostly and eerie, yet carried a hint of pride: "The sword arts of my Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave rank among the top ten even in Zhongzhou. The most famous is naturally the Ten Directions Extinction Wild Sword Formula!"
"Among the myriad methods and sects of Zhongzhou, who does not know the renowned name of this sword formula?"
"Our sect seeks neither finesse nor clever variation; we govern the sword solely with wild intent. Once drawn, heaven and earth crack; the sword momentum bears down like an overhead deluge. The opponent cowers before battle begins, collapsing of their own accord before our absolute might."
"Do you want to learn? I can teach you."
Ji Qingni saw straight through his scheme: "What he says is true, but he is plotting against us."
"The sword arts of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave emphasize mental momentum above all. Before the sword strikes, the intent has arrived; once the intent arrives, the momentum forms."
"He's baiting us into learning his sword art. If our emotions waver and we fail to suppress the wild sword intent, it will instantly generate a torrential momentum and shatter this coffin from within."
Qin Xuan reached a sudden understanding. Outside, Mo Jianli pretended not to hear.
Facing the coffin, he directly recited the general outline of the sword art.
"Within the ten directions, my sword reigns supreme. The wild is no madness, but the seizing of heaven and earth's will with my intent, the crushing of all directions with my momentum. The momentum is unstoppable; whatever stands in its path is utterly destroyed..."
Centering around the momentum of the wild sword, he chanted on and on...
Ji Qingni did not cultivate the sword, so holding down her thoughts was not difficult.
She was somewhat worried about the one beside her.
Seeing Qin Xuan motionless, she thought he might have become immersed in the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave's Ten Directions Extinction Wild Sword Formula.
This was entirely possible; the sword arts in Pingyuan Commandery were bound to fall short of this famous wild sword formula from Zhongzhou.
For a sword immortal, the temptation was far too great.
Ji Qingni leaned closer and nudged him with her hand, breaking his train of thought. "Little Sword Immortal Qin, don't learn his sword art. Let's talk."
"Talk about what?"
"Um... anything. You speak and I'll listen. Don't fall for Senior Mo's trick."
"Alright."
Qin Xuan thought for a moment. "Then I'll tell you the story of *The Little Fox Immortal Knocks Under the Moon*."
Hearing this, Ji Qingni's eyes rippled with gentle light.
This... this sounded like one of the romantic tales belonging to the legendary Breeze and Moon Little Sword Immortal...
He tempered his sword heart through tales of breeze and moon—that was understandable enough.
Only...
Never in her wildest dreams could Fairy Ji have imagined a scene like this in her life: snuggled intimately against someone, listening to an improper story.
She was an obedient girl, and at this moment she even whispered in her mind: *Mother, it isn't that I want to listen. In such a dire crisis, I can't interrupt him either...*
Qin Xuan began recounting the romantic tale while taking the Wild Sword Formula into his ears. Mo Jianli was a kind of soul form whose voice struck straight into the divine soul; simply sealing off one's five senses could not block it out.
However, the Wild Sword Formula was steadily suppressed by the Spring and Autumn sword art!
Harmonizing with the female immortal's sword qi and contemplating the sword art of *Spring Letters, Autumn Post*, the torrential momentum stirred by the Wild Sword Formula gradually settled down.
Evidently, the female sword immortal's sword art surpassed even the heritage of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave.
In this manner, after roughly an hour or so, Mo Jianli ceased chanting the Wild Sword Formula.
He sighed. "What formidable composure. This old man has lost."
The hunchbacked old man stopped pacing and sat down beside the coffin. The middle-aged woman urged, "You should try again. Perhaps he is on the verge of breaking. We have entered the dwelling and made our move; this is our last chance."
Desolation filled Mo Jianli's ghostly visage. "Six thousand years ago, this old man was the Sword Madman. Though I cannot execute the sword art, reciting the sword formula forms its momentum. If that momentum cannot overpower the foe, it is a defeat."
"Back then, I entered this Ascension Land to seize the Tribulation Immortal's Dao wonders, so that I might have absolute confidence in transcending the Qiongxiao Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and touching the threshold of the Great Dao. Yet in the end, I became trapped here."
"To this day, this old man's sword formula cannot even shake the resolve of a junior. My sword has already rotted away in the passing of time—why struggle any further?"
With that, he spoke no more.
The middle-aged woman continued circling the coffin. Hearing his words, Qin Xuan and Ji Qingni felt some pity, but fearing a trick, they did not reply.
Time trickled by...
At long last, a rooster crowed in the town.
The moon sank, the morning sun rose, and all the monsters and demons in town vanished.
Qin Xuan took out the golden token. Even through this miniature square-inch map, he could feel the outside world bathed in bright daylight.
They were safe.
Lifting a corner of the coffin lid, they saw the hunchbacked old man and the middle-aged woman both standing by the window.
Their forms were growing fainter and fainter.
When a ray of sunlight shone upon the Sword Madman of Zhongzhou, Mo Jianli let out a long breath. It was over.
He turned his head, glanced at them, and gave a slight nod. "Truly, the youth are formidable..."
"This old man was compelled by circumstance and caused much offense. You must be careful..."
He wished to say more, but some secrets could not be spoken aloud.
His voice cut off abruptly, and Mo Jianli's figure vanished, erasing the final trace of a powerhouse from six thousand years ago.
Qin Xuan saw that the worm-like death qi dissipated along with him.
The middle-aged woman's silhouette faded even more slowly than Mo Jianli's. At this moment, like Mo Jianli, she had regained clarity of mind.
Yet the look of unwillingness on her face was far deeper.
Turning her head toward the two, she said, "Had this old woman not been schemed against in the Nine Nethers, how could a wind calamity have forced my corpse-liberation, and how could this place ever have trapped me, True Lord Yuanhai..."
Her words were steeped in profound desolation.
With that, she too vanished beneath the morning sun of the Tribulation Immortal's Dao sanctuary.
Qin Xuan had not expected that this woman had also been a great figure. Judging from her ability to resist the morning sun compared to Mo Jianli, her cultivation had surpassed even the Sword Madman's.
Yet their ends were the same.
Stepping out of the coffin, Qin Xuan couldn't help asking, "Do you know who True Lord Yuanhai was?"
"I don't."
Ji Qingni had no memories regarding this person either, only remarking, "Since she dared call herself a True Lord, she must have surpassed the Black Thunder Tribulation of the Spirit Transformation stage and become a Mahayana cultivator. Taking just half a step further, she could have achieved the Void Immortal realm."
"From her words, after reaching the Mahayana stage, she failed to survive the wind calamity and was forced into corpse-liberation, suffering a steep drop in cultivation. Otherwise, this Dao sanctuary wouldn't have been able to draw her in."
Ji Qingni added, "My guess is that she entered willingly."
"Why do you say that?"
"She was forced into corpse-liberation. If she acquired the Wine Tribulation Immortal's Dao wonders, she would have had a chance to become a corpse-liberated immortal here, or even follow those Dao wonders to vie for the Wine Tribulation Immortal's Dao fruit. That was likely her calculation, but in the end, she still fell before the ancient Tribulation Immortal."
Qin Xuan gained new insight. "Fellow Daoist Ji is truly knowledgeable."
Ji Qingni smiled. "The Ji family of the Eastern Lands is a Chaotic Antiquity aristocratic family whose heritage is extraordinarily ancient, tracing back prior to Chaotic Antiquity. Would you be interested in cultivating there? I can guarantee you treatment on par with a true disciple of a great sect."
Qin Xuan was surprised. "That's your family clan?"
"Mm. My Ji family hasn't produced a divine child in five thousand years, and there are only two true disciples in the family. The ancestors are very anxious."
"Fellow Daoist Ji isn't counted as a divine maiden in your clan?"
She shook her head. "My family possesses an upper dao immortal scroll belonging to the enlightened secret arts akin to those of Zhongzhou's myriad methods and sects. It has no written characters and was handed down only through a special recording method, much like your Dao Sect's Purple-Planted Case Scripture."
"Unfortunately, I could not master this immortal scroll."
"If you have the talent to comprehend it, regardless of your cultivation, you would immediately become the Ji family's divine child, holding a status even higher than mine."
"What do you say? Want to give it a try?"
Madam Wei had intercepted him before Perfected One Xuanling could act, and Ji Qingni had already predisposed herself to seeing Qin Xuan as someone extraordinary. After witnessing his uniqueness in this encounter, she was tempted to intercept him from Madam Wei.
Had Qin Xuan belonged to Guanjiang Mountain itself, it would be out of the question. But he was from the Lower Court and had never learned their core true disciple secret arts, so it wouldn't be much of a problem.
The Lingbao Great Sect had lost its immortal sword and already owed the Ancient Immortal Province an immense debt of gratitude; as the Guanghan Fairy, could she lack even this bit of face?
The Tea Fairy's erudition gave Qin Xuan a sense of security. In this Tribulation Immortal Dao sanctuary, she would make a fine partner, so naturally he wanted to foster a good relationship. Thus, he did not refuse immediately, merely saying, "If we get a chance to leave, we'll talk then."
Qin Xuan added with solemn earnestness, "Fairy Ji, we can be considered to have shared hardship and walked the Yellow Springs together. How many times in life does one get an experience like this?"
Someone slower might not have understood what he was getting at. But having grasped a bit of Little Sword Immortal Qin's temperament, Ji Qingni understood in a heartbeat. "Sharing both sweet and bitter, right?"
She brought out two teacups and sat opposite Qin Xuan to drink the Nine Heavens Pure Tea. Leaving brewed tea unconsumed was a waste anyway.
The Guanghan Fairy slightly tilted her lovely head, lifting her cup to gaze at the rising morning sun outside the window, and suddenly chuckled. "Tell me, does savoring tea in the Wine Immortal's Dao sanctuary count as violating the venerable elder's taboos?"
She waited for a moment without receiving a reply.
Looking down, she found Qin Xuan downing cup after cup like a thirsty ox.
Half the tea in the pot had already disappeared down his throat.
Snatching the teapot away, her lips curved upward slightly. "Hey, Little Sword Immortal Qin, why help yourself without asking?"
Qin Xuan replied as if it were only natural: "Didn't you promise the treatment of a great sect's true disciple?"
"You haven't come to my family yet, so naturally it doesn't count."
Qin Xuan said no more.
Surprised, Ji Qingni watched him suddenly close his eyes, sinking into tranquil oblivion.
The morning sun climbed higher. Half an hour later, an extraordinarily wild, fierce aura slowly rose from Qin Xuan. When he opened his eyes, a surge of sword intent swept outward like a torrential deluge. "This is... the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave's sword art, the Ten Directions Extinction Wild Sword Formula!"
Her almond eyes stayed fixed on Qin Xuan, as if she had discovered something astounding.
Last night in the coffin, hadn't he been recounting romantic tales the entire time, lost in tender affection with the little fox immortal? How on earth had he mastered Mo Jianli's Wild Sword Formula?
In other words, splitting his mind, he had not only suppressed the wild sword intent Mo Jianli provoked, but also grasped the general outline of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave's sword art?
Ji Qingni glanced at the teapot. While Nine Heavens Pure Tea aided in comprehending the Dao, it was nowhere near this potent.
"Have you cultivated the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave's sword arts before?"
"Never."
Qin Xuan sounded genuinely regretful: "Senior Mo taught with sincerity, and I learned with sincerity. Unfortunately, I've only grasped a bit of the surface. This sword momentum lacks real lethal power; it can probably only be used to frighten people."
"If you were studying his sword art last night, why were you reciting romantic tales?"
"Reciting romantic tales was naturally to disperse the violent impulses rising in my mind."
Qin Xuan joked. He truly had been trying to divert his attention at the time, for he had not known from the start that the Spring and Autumn sword art could suppress the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave's Wild Sword Formula.
The Guanghan Fairy's thoughts drifted. *Breeze and Moon Little Sword Immortal... those three toads were telling the truth after all.*
As Qin Xuan looked toward the morning sun, Ji Qingni watched his profile, musing: *The true disciples of Guanjiang Mountain might not be here, but a Dao Seed of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave is sitting right in front of me.* Her desire to abduct him back to the Ji family and intercept him from Madam Wei grew even stronger.
Just then, the creaking roll of cart axles sounded from downstairs.
Qin Xuan had just finished sorting through what he had gained from the first day when he looked through the window and saw who was coming.
He walked downstairs and opened the front door. The borrower who had knocked last night was naturally gone.
Before him was a scene strikingly similar to yesterday's. The black panther pulled the cart in front, while Shen Yunfei and the red-furred old ape pushed from behind. There was only a single corpse on the cart, yet they pushed with great exertion.
Upon seeing Qin Xuan, the man, the ape, and the panther all came to a halt.
With a hint of admiration, the red-furred old ape said, "Little friend, I heard something got into your home last night, yet you're still alive. Truly a rare sight."
It wanted to do business with Qin Xuan again.
Qin Xuan countered directly, "If you want to know how I survived, give me a hundred spirit shells."
The red-furred old ape froze. *Aren't those supposed to be my lines?*
The corpse on the wooden cart turned out to be another acquaintance: Tan Chi, the Mountain Ghost Divine Official from the Hawk's Beak Mountain temple.
Back outside the fake tomb at Hawk's Beak Mountain, this fellow had tried to take advantage of their plight, only to run into Master Bear. Who would have thought he would die here?
The panther spoke up: "Junior Brother Qin, do you want to know how he died?"
"I do, but I don't have spirit shells to give you."
Zhou Cang, transformed into the panther, said, "He opened his door at night, and his soul was devoured by a demonic entity."
At this moment, the red-furred old ape chimed in opportunely: "I have a method to deal with demonic entities. It only takes two hundred spirit shells."
Qin Xuan looked at the three of them as if staring at a fraud ring.
Changing the subject, he asked Shen Yunfei, "Senior Brother Shen, have you seen any fellow disciples from our temple?"
Shen Yunfei thought for a moment before answering, "Aside from you, I've only seen a few disciples from the mid-mountain dormitory rooms. The temple head, the elders—I haven't seen any of them. However, Senior Brother Xiang, Elder Lai's disciple, became a winemaker just like you."
"If anyone dies in town, are all the bodies transported by you to the back mountain?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
Qin Xuan thanked him. This was good news; at least they were all still alive.
The red-furred old ape resumed pushing the cart, warning as it left, "In this town, if you deliberately search for someone, you won't find them. Just like the Wine Immortal—what he seeks cannot be found either."
Assuming an unfathomable air, it said, "Come to the back mountain. This Yuan will guide you on how to obtain Dao wonders and how to step out of this Dao sanctuary."
Behind Qin Xuan, the Guanghan Fairy, who had remained silent until now, asked, "Instructor Yuan, why haven't you claimed the Dao wonders and left the sanctuary yourself?"
The old ape fell silent. It thoroughly disliked this pair of man and woman; though it had retorts prepared, it couldn't be bothered to waste its breath.
While Qin Xuan was pondering the old ape's words, Shen Yunfei and the others stopped the corpse cart not far away, right in front of Captain Lu's door from the Yingyang Prefecture.
Monk Jin Guan and Mountain God Tan came over as well.
The old ape asked them, "Did someone knock at your doors last night, just as this Yuan said?"
Captain Lu nodded. "Indeed."
The old ape continued, "You resisted the temptation on the first night, but that doesn't mean you can every night. One slip, and you'll end up like him." It pointed to the corpse on the cart.
Mountain God Tan's gaze hardened. The Mountain Ghost Divine Official Tan Chi had been his trusted subordinate, and this struck a painful chord of empathy in him.
"For ten spirit shells, this Yuan will tell you a life-saving method that allows you to survive even if a demonic entity enters your home."
The three were skeptical. The old ape pointed toward Qin Xuan, turning back to them: "A demonic entity broke into Qin Xuan's house, yet he survived precisely because he listened to me."
With that, it pushed the cart forward. Mountain God Tan, Captain Lu, and Monk Jin Guan chased after it, bargaining furiously, and ultimately paid up their spirit shells.
Watching from a distance, Qin Xuan didn't expose it. It would be best if those fellows were scammed to death.
On second thought, that old ape was deliberately exploiting this dynamic. Through Shen Yunfei and Zhou Cang, it surely knew of the bad blood between him and those people.
Ji Qingni remarked, "This old ape is an ancient being as well, perhaps similar to Mo Jianli and the others from the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave. Yet he remains alive and well."
"Still, now is not the time to worry about them."
"This is the second day; we cannot dally. The old steward said yesterday that every two months, you must deliver a batch of freshly brewed wine to the Wine Immortal Tower for the wine tasters to judge. If you receive a low rating, tribulation qi will settle upon you, which would be disastrous."
"And as the one washing the spirit fruits, I'll go down with you."
Qin Xuan nodded. Master Bear's wine shop held information regarding the Wine Tribulation Immortal, but Master Bear needed time to organize it. Right now, Qin Xuan wanted to verify something first. "Come, let's take a walk around."
Ji Qingni guessed what he intended and pointed east of the inner canal. "The lights were bright on that side last night; there should be more townsfolk over there."
The houses in town were far from fully occupied. Places with more people made it easier to run into whoever Qin Xuan was searching for. Not knowing how to brew wine herself, she had to learn the sanctuary's brewing lore step by step, temporarily pinning her hopes on Qin Xuan.
The two walked around the town. The layout of Wine Immortal Town was very simple: an inner canal ran from north to south, dividing it into eastern and western halves. To the north lay the back mountain where Shen Yunfei and the others were stationed. To the south was a ring of clear river, and further out lay black river waters. The isolated island was enveloped by the black waters, yet it constantly shone with light—radiance visible even in broad daylight.
Qin Xuan strolled through the eastern side of Wine Immortal Town, but didn't catch sight of Old Daoist Wu, the white crane, Zhao Huaimin, or Uncle Li. It seemed to bear out the old ape's words: if you searched for someone intentionally, you couldn't find them.
Along the way, he took the opportunity to observe the town. Quite a few people were entwined with death qi.
This time, Qin Xuan had learned his lesson; without needing to evade them, he simply acted as if he noticed nothing amiss, and all remained peaceful.
The two arrived at the southern edge of town, along that clear river. Small fishing boats were ferrying back and forth across the water. On the bank, people were butchering and selling fish, with cries of peddlers ringing out. Some who were permeated with death qi also went to buy fish.
"Little friend, care to buy some fish?"
Just as he was inspecting the scene, he heard a fishmonger touting business and looked up.
The fish seller was about fifty years old, with sparse whiskers, high cheekbones, and shimmering golden treasure robes that stood out starkly amid the fish stalls. Their eyes met. Qin Xuan couldn't tell who he was, but once the elder got a clear look at Qin Xuan, his expression turned rather sour.
At that moment, a fishmonger clad in black robes beside the elder spoke up as well: "Little friend, why not buy this old man's fish?"
Qin Xuan looked over at the black-robed man. His appearance was ordinary, his face scrawny, and around his neck hung a necklace of miniature skulls.
The fish before both stalls belonged to the same species: about two feet long, with a bluish-black back, a silvery-gray belly, and irregular black spots across its body. "How much are these fish, and what use do they have?"
The black-robed man was more willing to humble himself. He gave a dry chuckle: "These are spotted Spanish mackerels from Wine Immortal Town's Heart Lake Sea. Not only are they delicious, they are products of spiritual power born of interaction with heaven and earth. Eating them can greatly increase your mana. One fish costs you one spirit shell."
Qin Xuan glanced at the gold-robed elder. He seemed to be at odds with the black-robed man, yet hadn't contested the price, so it clearly wasn't expensive. "Is there any taboo or consequence to eating this fish?"
The black-robed man shook his head repeatedly, wanting only to close the sale. Beside him, the gold-robed elder said coldly, "This fish contains demonic thoughts. Those without an unshakeable Dao heart cannot eat it."
The black-robed man glared furiously at the gold-robed elder beside him, warning sharply, "Fellow Daoist, if you carry on like this, neither of us will make a sale. You know full well what the consequences are."
The gold-robed elder sneered coldly: "So what? Selling fish is selling fish. One must make the benefits and drawbacks clear. Deceiving a junior—how could this old man stoop to such acts?"
From their exchange, Qin Xuan caught on to the underlying mechanics. It was similar to his role as a winemaker: within two months, new wine had to be brought to the Wine Immortal Tower, and if it wasn't good, the repercussions were dire. These two selling fish in the Wine Immortal's Dao sanctuary were also part of keeping Wine Immortal Town running. Their task was likely to sell the fish on hand, which was why the black-robed man concealed the truth and spoke only of the benefits.
Qin Xuan walked up to the gold-robed elder and asked, "Senior, for one spirit shell, will you sell this fish?"
The gold-robed elder froze for a moment, then frowned. "You still want to buy it?"
Then, casting a glance at Ji Qingni behind him, he adopted the reprimanding tone of an elder scolding a junior: "With that frivolous, wandering heart of yours, keeping female companionship even here... Eat this fish and you will succumb to inner demons immediately, wandering the town at night like those demons and monsters."
Ji Qingni remained completely unbothered, snapping open her folding fan to fan herself, wafting away all the unpleasant words.
Qin Xuan felt this old fellow in gold seemed to know him. "Can this fish truly increase mana?"
The old man in gold said, "When a Qi Refining cultivator interacts with heaven and earth to seize spiritual power, they come into contact with the endless thoughts of heaven and earth. The higher one's cultivation realm, the more terrifying these endless thoughts become; one careless lapse, and one is assimilated by the Dao of heaven and earth. This fish is formed from a fraction of the spiritual power left after that senior interacted with heaven and earth. The strands of demonic thoughts within it cannot be resisted without immense perseverance."
Qin Xuan understood. In other words, this spirit fish was crystallized from the Wine Tribulation Immortal's mana!
In an instant, he figured something out. The ancient Tribulation Immortal's Dao fruit had been tainted by tribulation qi; in order to heal it, everything in this town was directed toward that singular purpose. For example, the demonic thoughts in this fish. If absorbed by cultivators here, they would be transferred onto them. To the Wine Tribulation Immortal, such a minuscule sliver of demonic thought was negligible, but accumulated over time, the effect would be profound. That was why he maintained the town's operation: whenever fresh blood was needed, just like this incident at the Pingyuan King's tomb, treasure light was used to lure cultivators in, who were then swept into the Tribulation Immortal's Dao sanctuary! This place was indeed home to great fortuitous encounters, a legendary Ascension Land, yet it was also a burial ground. Mo Jianli of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Cave, True Lord Yuanhai... and perhaps the black-robed man and old gold-robe before him, as well as himself. No wonder an item that boosted mana was so cheap.
After a moment's thought, he pulled out six spirit shells. The old man in gold had only six fish before him. "Give them all to me. Will you sell them? If not, I'll buy his."
At Qin Xuan's words, the gold-robed elder handed him the six spotted Spanish mackerels. Beside him, the black-robed man looked on with a murderous glare.
Qin Xuan turned to leave, but the old man in gold stopped him: "Wait."
Puzzled, Qin Xuan saw the gold-robed elder produce a pill shimmering with golden light from his treasure pouch. It was a precious crimson pill, its medicinal potency far surpassing raw spirit herbs. "This is a Heart-Cleansing Pill. Take it."
The gold-robed elder casually tossed the pill over, admonishing sternly, "Since you have this many spirit shells, you must have become a winemaker. Then focus on brewing wine, and don't obsess over romantic entanglements. Strive to survive five hundred years, and there will come a turn for the better."
Qin Xuan was virtually certain that this elder knew him, and was moreover a senior from his sect. "Senior—"
Just as he was about to ask for his identity, the old man in gold waved his hand, unwilling to speak further, and gestured for him to leave.
Qin Xuan looked at him, then at the sullen black-robed man, before walking away with Ji Qingni.
Watching the two walk away, Jin Tu thought of the rumors on Luogu Peak and couldn't help furrowing his brows. *The boy has no shortage of minor flaws, but his character isn't bad, and he's far from mediocre.*
Beside him, the black-robed man sneered, "Peak Master Jin, selling fish to your own sect's junior—aren't you harming him? To be so ruthless to your own kind makes you a perfect fit for my Huanyin Sect's arts. Why not switch allegiances to my master and become fellow disciples with me?"
Jin Tu looked thoroughly contemptuous: "Save your nonsense. When Cult Master Kuang made a move against Madam Wei, was that your grandmaster's intent, or the will of Chaosheng Pool? And why were you foolish enough to throw eggs against a rock, pursuing all the way to Pingyuan Commandery?"
The moment Jin Tu arrived here, he had recognized the black-robed man's identity: the very disciple of the Huanyin Sect Master they had been seeking all along!
Yet this was the Dao sanctuary of an ancient Tribulation Immortal, and neither dared break the rules.
"If Peak Master Jin wishes to know, go ask at Chaosheng Pool. I just wonder if you have the guts to step into the Great Sage Swallowing Heaven's Dao sanctuary?"
"Hmph. Swindling people under the demon sage's name will bring a backlash upon you sooner or later."
"Cowardice is cowardice."
"Sell your fish first before talking. If you can't sell them, let's see how you endure the tribulation qi next month. From now on, whenever anyone approaches, this old man will tell them the fish can't be eaten."
"You—!"
Jin Tu chuckled tauntingly. Looking at his empty stall, he found Qin Xuan even more pleasing to the eye.
Leaving the fish stall, Qin Xuan toyed with the crimson pill in his hand, pondering the person's identity until an answer took shape in his mind. Madam Wei had said that the leader who came to Pingyuan Commandery this time was the vice peak master of Luogu Peak from Guanjiang Mountain, Jin Tu. He was considered a senior of Lai Jing, hailing from the same lineage, and their relationship was surely close. Who would have thought that aside from having a stubborn, bullish temper, he wasn't really so bad—otherwise, he wouldn't have kindly warned him and even gifted a pill.
"What do you plan to do with those fish?"
"Eat them, of course."
Ji Qingni blinked. "You really intend to eat them? I thought you were just helping him out."
"The Tribulation Immortal's mana is tempting, but it can also cost your life—otherwise, why would it be sold so cheaply?"
"Hey, whenever you eat the fish, open the coffin first so I can hide inside. That way, if you succumb to inner demons, I won't have to bear striking you down."
Qin Xuan chuckled, as if seeing right through her. "If you want to inherit my coffin, just say so."
They reached the vicinity of the ferry crossing at the south of town. They gazed at the ring of clear river and the even wider black river beyond it, looking toward the isolated island resting in the middle of the black waters, radiating light. On the river, several fishing boats came and went, appearing to head toward the isolated island.
"Fellow Daoists, do you wish to cross the river?" By the dock, a middle-aged man with unkempt, loose hair stood on a small wooden boat, asking them with a smile.
Ji Qingni asked politely, "What is on that island?"
"Danger, but also immortal fruits."
The middle-aged man said nostalgically, "About three thousand years ago, someone walked out of this Ascension Land carrying Dao wonders. That person had visited that island. It is said that when brewing fruit wine, only by adding immortal fruits picked from there might the Wine Immortal be satisfied."
Qin Xuan merely listened without completely believing him. To a boatman, such words served his own interests—just like the black-robed man, who wouldn't tell others that the fish held demonic thoughts. "How many spirit shells to cross the river?"
"Five spirit shells round-trip, three spirit shells one-way."
"One-way? Not coming back?"
Qin Xuan asked offhandedly, not expecting the man to be quite honest. Without asking for spirit shells, he answered directly, "Some people near the end of their lifespan are unwilling to live as walking corpses here, so they go to that island for one final gamble."
"No one knows how many ages this Ascension Land has existed, but the isolated island is already piled high with bones."
The man sounded somewhat desolate: "In a few years, I too will go up and try my luck."
Qin Xuan said solemnly, "I am Qin Xuan. How should I address you, Fellow Daoist? If I ever set foot on the island, I'll look for your boat."
The man bowed in return: "My surname is Fu. Fellow Daoist Qin may simply call me Old Fu."
Qin Xuan left the ferry crossing without venturing toward the western side of the town. A sense of urgency welled up within him; he began to understand why being a winemaker was an aggressive choice. In other trades, one could scrape by. A winemaker, while able to obtain more spirit shells, had to constantly endure the Wine Tribulation Immortal's trials.
He paid a visit to Master Bear's wine shop. Master Bear was very cautious; still organizing his knowledge of the shop, he dared not give Qin Xuan an offhand answer.
By the time he returned to the backyard with the Guanghan Fairy, dusk had fallen. Qin Xuan brought out all the brewing vessels and utensils kept in the pavilion—fermentation jars, stone mortars, wooden pestles, bamboo lids, and the like. Ji Qingni began washing the spirit fruits tainted with death qi.
Qin Xuan gazed into the distant sky, feeling a touch of emotion. The sunset in this Ascension Land was somewhat intoxicating. "What kind of wine do you think the Wine Immortal likes?"
"I don't know." Ji Qingni shook her head. "I've only had one cup of wine in my entire life, so I can't give you advice."
"Only one cup?"
"Yes."
"That really is too few."
Qin Xuan wanted to hear more of her thoughts, so standing beneath the spirit fruit tree, he fetched the pot of wine gifted by the Wine Immortal and poured two small jade cups full. He handed one to her. Twilight floated upon the surface of the wine; swirling the dusk in his cup, Qin Xuan said softly, "'A jade cup parts fine nectar in amber light.' Fairy Ji, the sunset is lovely, so let us drink another cup of the Wine Immortal Dao sanctuary's evening twilight..."
Chapter 89