Chapter 83: Pointing Fingers and Giving Orders: Busy with Repairs

Under the eaves, Lingxiang sat leisurely with her legs crossed, a bag of pine nuts tucked in her lap; she shelled them while watching the three busy people, occasionally speaking up to add a word or two.

"Hey! Stick that wooden board on tighter, don't let it trap water under the felt later!"

"And for that roof beam, use high-quality cedar for me, and make sure the mortise and tenon joints are secure! Even if this isn't some grand palace and can't afford golden nanmu, it should at least last a hundred or eighty years, shouldn't it?"

"Tsk tsk tsk! Don't waste the leftover wood; this is yellow pear wood. Make me two sets of small tables and desks to place under the eaves; I can use them to play pai gow or something when I'm bored."

……

Long Qi had already experienced Lingxiang's bossiness back at Youran Abode and was long accustomed to her ways, simply letting it go in one ear and out the other. Xin Yi wasn't seeing it for the first time either, so he naturally didn't take it to heart and just focused on the work in his hands. Rendong, however, was inwardly astonished; although this Fucang Elder was his master, she was ultimately a bit younger than him, and he hadn't expected her to be so...

Full of airs!

When Maidong arrived, she saw Lingxiang lying on a rocking chair with her eyes closed, resting. This rocking chair was one she had just begged from the Bamboo Elder; the bamboo frame was incredibly comfortable to lie on.

"You 'scholar of eight bricks,' hiding here to slack off while making these three do the hard labor—you certainly have a clear conscience."

Hearing this, Lingxiang didn't even open her eyes and answered lazily: "I am their master, after all, so naturally I must put them to work. Besides, once this house is repaired, aren't they the ones living in it? Do you expect me to make them run back and forth from Youyuan Hall every day? If you went to Youyuan Hall every day, you wouldn't be able to be as unbridled as you are coming here, would you?"

After hearing this, Maidong felt the words made sense, so she sat down with Lingxiang and grabbed a handful of pine nuts to shell.

Seeing this, Rendong sighed inwardly: Birds of a feather flock together; the old saying does not deceive me.

……

Wu Yuan and Chiyanzi were traveling in a hurry; another half-hour of walking would take them out of Manzhou, however...

A gust of fierce wind whistled past Chiyanzi's ear. He dodged hurriedly to the side, only to see a dagger deeply embedded in the ground. Looking back, that black-clad Demon General had actually pursued them relentlessly this far!

He saw the Demon General flying over, shrouded in demonic wind, his Demon Blade shimmering with purple light. Chiyanzi hurriedly pinched a hand seal, and a large rock instantly appeared around him, which then shattered into many stone spikes that flew toward the black-clad Demon General.

The black-clad Demon General charged fiercely. Seeing Chiyanzi's witchcraft flying toward him, he hurriedly channeled his cultivation technique to resist, but these stone spikes turned into a thick smoke just as they were about to hit him, scattering all around and blinding him to what was ahead.

Seeing the witchcraft take effect, Chiyanzi hurriedly pulled Wu Yuan along and ran forward. Once they crossed the border ahead, they would be in Lindong; he figured this member of the Demon Race would not dare to step out of Manzhou.

It was a situation that should have been extremely dire, yet Wu Yuan laughed: "I say, old man, do you have no other tricks? Why are you using these deceptive stunts again?"

Hearing this, Chiyanzi didn't think anything of it: "This Formless Technique is meant for saving one's life and stalling for time. My dharma treasures are all destroyed and haven't been repaired; how could I possibly tangle with him? Or can you beat him?"

"You haven't seen me use my real skills, so how do you know I can't beat him?"

"I haven't seen your real skills, but this old man knows you were defeated by Lingxiang before." Chiyanzi didn't look back, focusing on the road as he spoke.

Wu Yuan's face flushed red upon hearing this: "That little girl used a trick to make this lord fall into her trap. Besides, when did I ever lose to her?"

"A fox spirit with profound cultivation falling for the tricks of a little girl—if word got out, people would laugh their heads off. You're still acting so carefree now, but I bet you're deeply ashamed!"

As Chiyanzi spoke, he took two paper figures from his sleeves and pinched the Formless Technique. Two people instantly appeared beside him, looking exactly like the two of them, and as soon as these two appeared, they veered off in a different direction and ran toward the south.

"That little girl is extremely cunning; even a fox that has become a spirit would likely be schemed against by her. What does my mere hundred years of cultivation count for?"

Thinking of Lingxiang's face in his dreams, Wu Yuan couldn't help but laugh. He wondered what that little fox was doing now.

……

The houses at Xianyun Abode were finally repaired before the Lantern Festival, and Long Qi and the others moved in from Youyuan Hall. Although the place was full of wooden huts and thatched roofs, it was fully equipped with all necessities, and living here made one's heart and mind tranquil; it could be considered a good place for cultivation.

It was just that Long Qi had always been curious why Lingxiang forbade them from entering or leaving the side room of the main house, nor did he ever see her go in to clean it.

Something so strange must have a hidden secret!

Xin Yi was already in the Jiedan Realm, his cultivation higher than Lingxiang's. Lingxiang had originally wanted him to guide Long Qi and Rendong in their cultivation, but who would have thought he didn't understand Daoist techniques at all; his entire cultivation was based on Martial Dao, and he only knew some techniques to enhance physical strength.

Actually, this was no surprise. Most Exorcist families in the mortal world practiced the Martial Dao, and the demons they removed were mostly low-level ones. If a family was lucky enough to have a great martial artist at the Primordial Spirit stage of Martial Dao, they could subdue mid-level demons, but in this age where Spirit Roots are scarce, it is difficult for anyone in the Martial Dao to reach such a realm.

Moreover, the path of Martial Dao cultivation is limited. From ancient times to the present, those who have reached the highest realm have only reached the Primordial Spirit stage of Martial Dao. If an Exorcist wants to further their cultivation, most will turn to pursue the truth of the Dao, either practicing Daoist techniques or contemplating Buddhist teachings.

However, although the path of Martial Dao is limited, if one uses Martial Dao as a foundation to practice Daoist techniques, as long as one crosses the threshold of cultivating the heart, the path of the Dao will surely be smooth thereafter.

Lingxiang had originally thought that if Xin Yi were there, she would only have to go through the motions, but she hadn't expected that she would have to teach from the very beginning after all.

This day, she had Xin Yi properly teach Long Qi and Rendong the Body Refining method, while she herself went to Kuncheng Peak.

When Donghui Elder heard from the young acolyte that Fucang Elder had arrived, he didn't react for a moment. Lingxiang had always been one to do as she pleased, entering and leaving his Langhuan Pavilion as if it were an empty space; when had she ever needed to be announced?

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Lingxiang swinging her sleeves and swaggering through the door.

Sure enough, it would be a miracle if she ever had someone announce her before entering.

Donghui Elder only looked up and glanced at her, then went back to contemplating the remnant scroll in his hand.

When Lingxiang arrived, she didn't stand on ceremony either, sitting down carelessly and speaking to herself.

"Oh! Fourth Senior Brother is still reading the 'Xuantian Remnant Scroll'? Tsk tsk tsk! Looking at it over and over, isn't it still a remnant? If you don't have the missing piece, won't it just be the same no matter how much you contemplate it?"

Donghui Elder didn't even lift his head as he said: "If you are here to read, then please do as you wish. Why must you seek to amuse yourself at my expense and waste such good time for nothing?"

Hearing this, Lingxiang laughed: "Who said I came to read? Which book in your Langhuan Pavilion haven't I read? I've only come to notify you that in two days, I will be bringing my disciples in to select some Dharma Techniques."