Chapter 26: 26. Chapter Twenty-Six

26. Chapter Twenty-Six

While the Qingtan Assembly was in total chaos, Zhang Zeyan was walking along a deep, secluded path in the back quarters, frowning as he pondered how to persuade his Junior Brother out of the sunless alchemy room.

To be honest, he knew it would be difficult; after all, his good Junior Brother had locked himself in that dilapidated little shack for a full fifteen years. It was less a matter of being obsessed with cultivation and more a form of disguised self-punishment.

Zhang Zeyan did not understand this Junior Brother of his; they had spent far too little time together. His "good Junior Brother" Qi Han cultivated the *Book of Changes and the Triplex Unity*, which emphasized internal and external alchemy, while he himself studied another of the Immortal-Seeking Path's foundational mental cultivation arts—the *Yellow Court Canon*, which focused on contemplating the body's spirits. To prevent two disciples following different paths from influencing each other, Wei Sheren never encouraged them to interact, which suited them both perfectly.

True Immortal-Seeking Path disciples had never been particularly willing to go out or socialize.

Unlike the First Immortal Sect as seen by outsiders, beneath the Immortal-Seeking Path's flourishing exterior lay a complex web of interests. The Immortal-Seeking Path was the Immortal-Seeking Path, but it was also not the Immortal-Seeking Path.

The true Immortal-Seeking Path consisted of the direct-lineage disciples led by Wei Sheren. They spent their days smiling as they guarded their alchemy furnaces, adhering to the precepts of stillness and non-action, happy to let others manage the sect for them. Every day, they were either refining pills or cultivating; that single-minded devotion to the Dao was enough to make most cultivators feel ashamed.

And those who managed the sect for them were, naturally, the branch disciples.

Those who sought refuge in the Immortal-Seeking Path were mostly not cultivators with deep foundations or great talent. Compared to honest, painstaking cultivation, it was more practical to eat a few extra Golden Cores to extend their lifespan. Because of this, the cultivation of most Immortal-Seeking Path branch disciples was piled up by pills, or they had learned a trick or two of flashy, superficial skills. In any case, the direct-lineage disciples could refine several furnaces of strange and bizarre things every month, and it would be a pity to throw it all away.

The Beihai Sword Sect had originally intended to do just that: if Atian lacked cultivation talent, they would buy some pills from the Immortal-Seeking Path and force-feed her. It was just that this method was only useful in the beginning; once they reached Foundation Establishment, that was basically the limit.

Cultivators all stress "dual cultivation of nature and life." The biggest reason why cultivation cannot be achieved is that one's temperament cannot keep up. These people would not suddenly become enlightened after being forcibly piled up with power. Naturally, once they held great power, they would become arrogant and lose their sense of propriety, so it was no surprise they would do one or two outrageous things.

The world says the Immortal-Seeking Path branches are rampant and the direct lineage is cowardly, not knowing that they are a perfect match, both happy to be at ease.

At the very least, that was what Zhang Zeyan thought. Although he found that bunch of troublemakers annoying, he had to admit that it was indeed very convenient having them around. At the very least, he, the Sect Leader's disciple, had successfully freed himself from a pile of miscellaneous chores; otherwise, how could Junior Brother Qi Han have hidden in the alchemy room for fifteen years?

Thinking aimlessly to this point, he stopped in front of a courtyard house billowing with thick smoke. His mouth twitched, but he still pinched his nose and walked inside.

"Cough, cough, cough... Junior Brother?"

As soon as he entered the smoke-filled room, he was choked into a fit of coughing. It was clear that Qi Han had just blown up a furnace; otherwise, given his skill, the room should have been filled with fragrance.

Raising his hand to wave away the surging black smoke, Zhang Zeyan navigated the various sundries scattered in the main hall with practiced ease, winding his way to the hidden alchemy room, and then kicked open the tightly shut door without ceremony.

"Junior Brother! Junior Brother Qi!"

The smell in the room was even more suffocating than outside. He covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and strode to the side of the man who was sitting in meditation before the alchemy furnace.

The man, seemingly awakened by the commotion he caused, slowly opened his eyelids. After glancing at him, he looked as if he intended to close them again. "... It's you."

Qi Han's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. He looked even more emaciated than the last time they met; deep, dark-green shadows occupied his sunken eye sockets, his cheekbones protruded high, and his thin lips were bloodless, with even some dead skin peeling off them.

Zhang Zeyan had no time to beat around the bush with him and went straight to the point. "Something happened at the Qingtan Assembly. Master wants you to go and preside over it."

"What does the Qingtan Assembly have to do with me? I'm not going," Qi Han said slowly.

Having long anticipated his answer, Zhang Zeyan had no intention of wasting more breath. He had long understood that any effort to persuade Qi Han to leave his precious furnace would be a waste of words. Yet, inexplicably, he thought of Wei Sheren's instructions and decided to make one last struggle.

"The ones looking for trouble are from the Beihai Sword Sect. They said they want to beat up everyone at the Qingtan Assembly. Master told me to come and get you."

Sure enough, Qi Han remained facing the furnace, without any reaction.

The furnace fire had raised the temperature in the room too high. Zhang Zeyan wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, muttering to himself that "Master's method doesn't work either." But just as he intended to turn and leave, he saw Qi Han actually stand up, swaying.

He was truly too thin; the purple Daoist robe hung on him and swayed, and the hem of his outer robe had been burned away—it was hard to say if that was the masterpiece of a blown furnace.

"Beihai Sword Sect, huh..." Qi Han muttered to himself, "Must go, must go..."

It actually worked?

Zhang Zeyan was instantly dumbfounded, feeling that his Master's image had become inexplicably tall at this moment, even possessing a sense of being unfathomable.

"What are you standing there for? Go early and return early." Qi Han walked out a few steps, and finding his unlucky Junior Brother still standing there in a daze, he turned his head to urge him.

"Ah? Oh!" Zhang Zeyan immediately came to his senses, flicked his robes, and followed.

The two left the house one after the other. Qi Han had not stepped out of the room for a long time; now, hit by the sunlight, he couldn't help but squint and raise his hand to shield his eyes. His near-pathological pale complexion was even more striking under the light. After finally adapting to the sun, he put his hands behind his back and began to walk slowly forward. Don't let his swaying, stalk-like appearance fool you; every step he took was steady, making Zhang Zeyan, who followed behind, look like a toddler learning to walk.

Qi Han was a master who practiced the *Book of Changes and the Triplex Unity*, and his internal and external alchemy had long reached a state of perfection. By comparison, although Zhang Zeyan's *Yellow Court Canon* had achieved some small success, it was not enough to be seen when placed together; if he wasn't careful, he would be led astray by him. Both the Immortal-Seeking Path and the Taixuan Sect were derived from the Huang-Lao philosophy of ancient times, following a path that was mysterious and profound. The higher the cultivation, the more profound it became—or rather, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe them as having an "evil edge." Therefore, although he wouldn't admit it out loud, Zhang Zeyan was truly a bit afraid of this Junior Brother in his bones.

Heaven knows what this guy had been thinking about while cooped up in his room all day.

"Hmm..."

Qi Han looked around as he walked, acting like a stranger who had come to the Immortal-Seeking Path for the first time, rather than a cultivator who had practiced here for who knows how many years. It was only when he saw a few immortal cranes dancing in the clouds that he revealed a complicated expression and beckoned for Zhang Zeyan to come closer.

"Junior Brother, tell me... are these immortal cranes... fed too fat?"

Zhang Zeyan followed his gaze and saw three long-legged balls colliding with each other. He could vaguely tell they were trying to strike a graceful pose, and the sheer stupidity of it made him feel like he was suffocating.

He would definitely have to ask who was responsible for feeding the cranes in this area later, and whether they had any basic aesthetic sense at all!

Fortunately, Qi Han was actually just asking in passing and let it go, his attention drawn away by other things. These reactions were not strange for someone who hadn't left his room for over a decade, but Zhang Zeyan always suspected that his Junior Brother was stalling for time without leaving a trace.

Did he want to go but couldn't?

Or did he not want to go but had to?

He felt that Master Wei Sheren and Junior Brother Qi Han were playing a game of charades, and he had no clue about it.

However, no matter how long he stalled, the main peak was only so big, the road from the square to the back quarters was only so long, and there was only so much to see. Qi Han still strolled to the Qingtan Assembly venue. As soon as he walked in, he heard an extraordinary clamor, and saw people three layers deep inside and three layers outside, not knowing what they were surrounding. Because the crowd was gathered so densely, the corners were blocked very tightly, leaving the two of them able to see only the disciples whispering to each other on the outermost edge.

Zhang Zeyan felt very confused at this moment; he had only been gone for less than an incense stick's time, so how could something have happened here again?

By comparison, Qi Han was very calm. He walked toward the crowd with his hands behind his back. Wherever he went, the gathered crowd was pushed aside by a gentle force, clearing a path wide enough for him to pass.

Of course, in the eyes of outsiders, it looked as if the others had automatically made way for him.

In the center of the circle were two distinct groups of people: one was the Immortal-Seeking Path disciples, who were facing a formidable enemy, and the other was the murderous Beihai Sword Sect. Between these two groups of people sat Zhu Huang on the ground, with Mu Yi stepping on him.

Qi Han walked slowly toward the center. As he passed through the middle, he glanced at the two with a half-smile, then turned his feet and bypassed them.

Bai Xinli shifted his gaze from the struggling middle-aged cultivator and happened to meet the probing gaze cast by Qi Han. As soon as their eyes met, Qi Han grinned, flicked his sleeves, and was about to continue walking forward, while Bai Xinli transformed his right hand into a sword finger and pointed it in the direction he was heading.

The sword finger collided with Qi Han midway. A powerful air current erupted from the point of intersection, instantly sweeping across the entire field. Countless swords on the Beihai Sword Sect side automatically unsheathed and rang out, while behind Qi Han, various treasures began to glow, and those who couldn't react in time were blown about by the air current.

When everything dissipated, Bai Xinli was still standing in the same spot, while Qi Han had retreated half a step. He reached out to flick the dust off his clothes, put his hands back behind his back, and took a step forward.

This time, Bai Xinli did not stop him.

"That's more like it, young man. Don't have such a temper." Qi Han, who looked no older than Bai Xinli from the outside, said with a smile. He paced to the front of the Beihai Sword Sect's defensive circle, raised his hand to pat a disciple on the shoulder, signaling him to move aside, and stretched his neck to peer inside.

After seeing the scene inside clearly, the smile on Qi Han's face froze.