Fishing

Lu Yang had no idea that some of the guests invited by the Dao Seeking Sect were currently being beaten up by another group of invited guests. In the cultivation world, such occurrences were commonplace. Cultivators wielded immense personal might and acted purely on whim. Fighting and killing were the norm, and being hunted down was an everyday affair. Daoist Buyu was intimately familiar with this reality. Having thoroughly enjoyed her role presiding over the sacrificial rite, the Immortal Fairy graciously returned Lu Yang's body to him. All along the roadside, senior brothers and sisters had set up various stalls, offering such an array of bizarre games and activities that Lu Yang could not even recognize them all. When permission had been granted for disciples to host their own games, everyone had leapt at the opportunity, each brimming with ideas. Applications had flown into his immortal cave like snowflakes. The Immortal Fairy had delegated authority to Lu Yang, and Lu Yang, feeling his head throb at the sight of the mountain of requests, had promptly passed the responsibility on to Eldest Senior Sister. Eldest Senior Sister’s criteria for approval were exceedingly simple: so long as an event was neither dangerous nor harmful to the image of the Dao Seeking Sect, it was approved. "Sect Master Lu!" "Greetings, Sect Master Lu." "Good day, Sect Master!" Greetings rang out all along his path. Lu Yang nodded in response to each one, thoroughly enjoying the sensation. He then changed out of the heavy, cumbersome ceremonial robes. "Acting Sect Master, care to buy a few books?" called out a senior brother who frequently stood guard at the Mission Hall. People within the Dao Seeking Sect addressed Lu Yang as Acting Sect Master, while outsiders called him Sect Master. "Buy books? Aren't they available in the Scripture Pavilion?" Lu Yang asked, puzzled. "These are prime goods you won't find anywhere in the Scripture Pavilion. Sect Master, care to take a look?" the senior brother from the Mission Hall urged. Intrigued, Lu Yang stopped in front of the bookstall to see what kind of treasures were being sold here. "What do you have?" "Though you're the Sect Master's disciple, Acting Sect Master, you probably haven't had much contact with him. I happen to have an autobiography written by the Sect Master himself, detailing his life in full. Would you like to buy a copy?" "Master's autobiography?" That was indeed something not found in the Scripture Pavilion, and Lu Yang was genuinely interested. "I'll take one." "Fifty contribution points." Lu Yang clicked his tongue. Fifty contribution points for a single book was quite steep, but he had repeatedly performed meritorious deeds and had plenty of contribution points to spare. He didn't mind parting with such a small amount. He swiped his contribution points, and the senior brother from the Mission Hall handed over a volume with curled edges. *Two Thousand Years of Changing Prison Environments in the Great Xia Dynasty*. "... This is Master's autobiography?" Lu Yang suddenly recalled hearing Eldest Senior Sister mention this book before. She had said that their master believed a person ought to leave something behind in this world, so he had written a book based on his personal experiences—and this was that very work. Strictly speaking, the contents of this book were far more reliable than the pingshu storytelling, so it truly did count as an autobiography. Lu Yang felt a pang of regret. Out in the mortal world, this book could be bought for a few bits of broken silver, yet here in his own sect, it cost fifty contribution points. Swindling people all the way to the Sect Master's head! "Acting Sect Master, please don't be angry. I'll throw in another book for free," the senior brother from the Mission Hall said hurriedly, his conscience not entirely extinguished. "What book?" "The Sect Master has enemies all over the world. As his youngest disciple, you're bound to run into them whenever you travel. How about I gift you a list of the Sect Master's enemies?" "Now that sounds more like it." Lu Yang took the book. The title read: *List of Body Integration Cultivators of the Great Xia Dynasty*. "... Are you telling me every single Body Integration cultivator is Master's enemy?" The senior brother waved his hands and helped Lu Yang flip the book open. "Not quite, Acting Sect Master. Look, I marked a few names in red." "Those are Master's enemies?" "No, only those individuals are *not* his enemies." Lu Yang felt an overwhelming weariness. He had taken a master who hadn't taught him a single day of cultivation, yet his master's enemies were scattered across the four corners of the earth. "Take care, Acting Sect Master! Come again next time!" the senior brother called out warmly as Lu Yang departed. Once Lu Yang was gone, someone approached the stall. "Excuse me, senior brother, do you have another copy of that book just now?" "Which one?" The senior brother narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the newcomer. "The *List of Body Integration Cultivators of the Great Xia Dynasty*. I don't recall ever seeing it outside." The customer appeared fairly young, about Lu Yang's age. Feeling uncomfortable under the senior brother's stare, he scratched his head and gave a sheepish chuckle. "I'm Zhou Qingshi from the Firm Rock Sect, here to participate in the finals. I figured if I run into Body Integration seniors in the future and fail to recognize them, it would be terribly impolite. So I wanted to buy a copy to study." Hearing this, the senior brother beamed, his suspicions evaporating. "So that's how it is. Fixed price: five thousand spirit stones." "F-Five thousand?!" Zhou Qingshi was astounded. But considering the value of the book's contents, he gritted his teeth and bought it. The senior brother cast a glance to a companion nearby, signaling him to note down Zhou Qingshi's name, add him to the suspect list, and keep him under close surveillance. He sneered inwardly. *A mere Golden Core stage cultivator wants to get acquainted with all the Body Integration cultivators of Great Xia? Who do you think you are, Junior Brother Lu?* ... Lu Yang hadn't walked far when he spotted an acquaintance. "Palace Master Luo, what are you doing here?" Luo Hongxia had set up a makeshift roadside stall. It technically counted as an unauthorized structure, but no one dared tell her off. She sat on a woven straw mat with a box resting in front of her. Luo Hongxia glanced up at Lu Yang. "Ah, Sect Master Lu. I'm fishing." "Fishing?" Lu Yang was baffled. There wasn't even a puddle of water around—what was she fishing with? Luo Hongxia offered no explanation, merely gesturing for Lu Yang to take a seat. Once Lu Yang sat down, Luo Hongxia said leisurely, "I assume you've heard the pingshu storytelling, *Legend of the Dao Seeking Sect: Lu Yang Chapter*. The stories in it are described in vivid detail, and they happen to be true. I wonder who leaked them." Cold sweat instantly broke out across Lu Yang's brow. He sold out his master without hesitation: "It was all Master! He used his authority as Sect Master to ask about the meeting, so I told him what happened." "Hmph, I knew it was him!" Luo Hongxia scoffed, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. Before Lu Yang could say another word, an acquaintance of Luo Hongxia strolled over. Lu Yang recognized him as the Sect Master of the Xuan Sect. Seeing Luo Hongxia, the Sect Master of the Xuan Sect grinned maliciously. "Fellow Daoist Luo, I heard you were beaten up by Sect Master Lu. Is there any truth to that?" Anyone with half a brain could deduce that a Golden Core cultivator defeating a Body Integration cultivator had to involve some hidden trickery, but that didn't stop him from coming over to gloat. What a pity Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding weren't here, or he could have mocked all three at once. Just as Lu Yang was about to explain, Luo Hongxia waved her hand, signaling him not to speak. "It is indeed true. Sect Master Lu can attest to it." Luo Hongxia's candid admission caught the Sect Master of the Xuan Sect off guard. This reaction wasn't right. "It involves secrets of primordial antiquity. If you're interested, I can tell you all about it." "Secrets of primordial antiquity?" The Sect Master of the Xuan Sect was immediately enticed. "There are too many eyes and ears around here. Let's talk inside the box." Luo Hongxia opened the box. The corner of the Xuan Sect Master's eye twitched. The box looked remarkably familiar. "Isn't this your Moon Laurel Immortal Palace's Light-Confining Treasure Box..." Before he could finish his sentence, the box erupted with blinding light and sucked him straight inside. Inside the treasure box, the Sect Master of the Xuan Sect heard a sneer come from behind him. "Heard you wanted to know how we lost to Lu Yang, brat?" He whipped around to see Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding grinning menacingly at him, while Master Jiesha wiped blood from his fists, wearing an expression of boundless Buddhist compassion. Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding swarmed forward, and agonizing screams from the Sect Master of the Xuan Sect soon echoed out. Lu Yang stared dumbfounded as Luo Hongxia shut the box, then swallowed hard. "That," Luo Hongxia said calmly, "is what I meant by fishing."