Chapter 4: Schemes Succeed, Obtaining the Chonglou

"To treat the evil of others as one's own evil is to be evil..."

"If a person is good, treat them with goodness; if a person is evil, then benevolence and righteousness cannot be applied..."

Where is this, and why am I here! Who is it that is discoursing on the Dao...

Amidst the Chaos, Lu Ying was dazed and confused, not knowing where to go; there was no path forward, and no retreat behind.

"The path beneath your feet, tread it to level it; the path of focused heart, explore it to seek it. To hesitate and not advance is to have no Dao to speak of..."

Once these words were spoken, it was like a sudden enlightenment.

That's right, isn't the very purpose of seeking a master and cultivating to pursue the Dao? The path of the Dao must surely be sought through constant striving!

Three days had passed since the day of healing, yet Lu Ying had not shown signs of waking, and his complexion was gradually turning sallow.

Everyone said that this person's life would not last long, yet Lingxiang remained indifferent, continuing to wander the mountains and stroll about every day.

Even Xunfeng Daoren was calm; apart from coming to visit from time to time, he simply went about handling sect affairs, as if he no longer cared about the matter.

At noon that day, Xunfeng Daoren and Lingxiang arrived to visit Lu Ying at the same time.

"True Person, what a coincidence; you really calculated the time well."

"You little girl, stop teasing this old man; with such an unrestrained tongue, be careful you don't get beaten by someone later," Xunfeng Daoren scolded with a laugh. "The Taishang Sect remembers your kindness. Counting it up, the day the Sect Leader leaves seclusion is not far off; when that time comes, will you be short-changed?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare; it's all easy to say." Lingxiang had become quite familiar with Xunfeng over these two days, and this old man and young girl would often tease each other.

"It's just that today is critical for Lu Ying; I suppose someone must give him a push before he can cross that hurdle." As she spoke, she reached out and invited Xunfeng Zhenren into the room.

At this moment, Lu Ying's body seemed to be surrounded by an intangible Qi, yet it was intermittent and refused to be released.

Seeing this, Lingxiang formed a hand seal and whispered something into his ear.

Suddenly, his Qi became thick and powerful, pouring out, only to return to calm a moment later.

He had actually broken through the shackles and reached Foundation Establishment!

Lu Ying felt his body and mind clear and his meridians unobstructed; it was as if there were another version of himself in his dantian, though it was too ethereal and not very distinct.

"Good! Very good!" Xunfeng Daoren could not help but stroke his beard and laugh.

Since the founding of the sect, apart from the Sect Leader's direct Head Disciple reaching Foundation Establishment, no one else had made such progress; now that another disciple had broken through, the Sect Leader would surely leave seclusion early.

Sure enough, that very night, the Taishang Sect Leader, Lieyang Zhenren, left his seclusion chamber and summoned the several Elders to gather and discuss the matter of taking on a disciple.

The next day, just after Lingxiang finished her morning meditation, a young Daoist boy came to invite her.

As soon as she stepped into the Deliberation Hall, she saw an old man standing with his hands behind his back, with Xunfeng Zhenren at his side; the two seemed to be discussing something. After Lingxiang stepped forward, performed a Daoist salute, and introduced herself, the old man turned around.

She saw that his hair and sideburns were like snow, his long eyebrows reached his beard, his eyes were like deep pools, and his pupils were like stars—how could one describe such a transcendent, immortal air?

The old man was startled when he saw her, but in a flash, his expression returned to normal.

"Little girl, this is the Sect Leader of our sect, Lieyang Zhenren."

Hearing this, Lingxiang performed another Daoist salute and said, "Greetings, True Person."

Seeing that she was young yet polite, composed, and calm, Lieyang Zhenren immediately felt a sense of appreciation.

The three of them then discussed the purpose of Lingxiang's visit. She still offered two High-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills as a bargaining chip to request the Nine-leaf Chonglou. Seeing that she did not use her kindness to demand rewards and had no other requests, the two True Persons were even more impressed and naturally agreed readily.

Lu Ying was now a personal disciple of Lieyang Zhenren; hearing that Lingxiang was leaving tomorrow, he specifically asked for leave to come and pay his respects.

"Brother Daoist, your comprehension is extremely high and your future is boundless; in truth, with or without me, you would have broken through eventually. Furthermore, I was only doing my duty, so there is really no need to be so polite."

"I dare not accept the title of 'Brother Daoist' from you, Miss. You not only saved my life but also bestowed the virtue of enlightenment upon me. If you don't mind, you may simply call me by my name," Lu Ying said, bowing to Lingxiang.

"Quickly, don't do this," Lingxiang said, hurriedly helping him up. "You are a few years older than me; if you don't mind, let us address each other as brother and sister."

In terms of how long he had been on the path of the Dao, Lu Ying was far behind Lingxiang, and in terms of cultivation, Lingxiang was also stronger than him. He felt he was not qualified for this brother-sister address, but after a few days of getting along, he knew her personality was straightforward and never delicate; if she said this, she meant it sincerely.

"Then that is truly my good fortune. If there is ever a time you need my service, I will certainly do my utmost!"

"Then Brother, don't be so polite. But I have one more thing to say, and I hope you will think it over carefully."

"Speak freely."

"Brother, your benevolent heart is a good thing, but if you release a tiger to hide in the forest, the weak rabbits in the forest will still face a precarious fate. I hope you will act with discretion and not lack the proper methods, lest it lead to future trouble."

Lu Ying pondered for a moment, and a plan formed in his mind.

"There is one more thing; I must trouble you to hand this item to Xunfeng Zhenren as a token of my gratitude for his care over these many days." As she spoke, she handed the brocade box in her hand to Lu Ying.

"Lingxiang, Sister, what is the meaning of this? Why not give it to the Uncle-Master yourself?"

"This is a private gift between the True Person and me; it is not convenient for others to know. I hope you can help me. I will be leaving the mountain shortly, and saying goodbye is truly troublesome and not my wish; this way is just right."

Lu Ying was initially hesitant, but seeing Lingxiang's insistence, he had no choice but to agree.

As soon as Lu Ying left the guest courtyard, he headed straight for the Deliberation Hall. Xunfeng Zhenren and Lieyang Zhenren were currently discussing matters there. He presented the brocade box and relayed Lingxiang's words.

Xunfeng Zhenren opened the brocade box, and a scent of orchids wafted out; it was a Pill of unknown name. Inside the box was also a note:

"Senior Xunfeng, although you are a bit stingy and mercenary, we are birds of a feather. This is a Gathering Spirit Pill I developed. After taking this pill and circulating your energy, you can absorb the surrounding Spirit Qi into your body. The Taishang Sect is filled with Spirit Qi, so I believe it will surely yield twice the result with half the effort. I hope you can break through your shackles soon."

"This child, oh my..." Xunfeng Daoren was caught between laughter and tears, and he handed the note to Lieyang Zhenren.

"Hahahaha... Junior Brother, it seems it is time for you to go into seclusion and cultivate for a while, hahahaha..."

"Then the affairs of the sect will have to trouble you for a while, Sect Leader Senior Brother," Xunfeng Zhenren took the note back, shaking his head and laughing, "This little girl! Hahahaha..."

From then on, Xunfeng Daoren was even more fond of Lingxiang.

After Lu Ying left, Lingxiang set off down the mountain. She had come with nothing, so she naturally came and went freely. She did not alert anyone, and even the gate-keeping young Daoists did not notice that such a person had left the mountain gate.

However, outside the Deliberation Hall on the mountain, Lieyang Zhenren seemed to be able to see everything down the mountain; he stared at the mountain gate from afar with a strange expression on his face.

And after Lingxiang left the mountain gate, a person followed her sneakily, their movements very stealthy; if one were not paying close attention, it would certainly be impossible to detect.

Yet Lingxiang seemed completely unaware, strolling through the streets for a long time, purchasing some interesting little trinkets, and then leaving the city, heading toward the outskirts in a leisurely and contented manner.