Chapter 312

This old cultivator was a Miscellaneous Qi cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining. His cultivation had already been sealed by An Jiyan. His head and face were covered in blood, his hair and beard hanging down in disarray. He straightened himself at the foot of the steps, kneeling limply.

Dou Yi, standing to the side, helped him steady himself and asked:

"You rogue cultivator! You are in the presence of the Li family's Young Master!"

The old cultivator said nothing, only kneeling there blankly. Dou Yi raised his voice and called out again. Li Brother Yuanping frowned but did not step down from his seat, calling out:

"Xu Gongming!"

Xu Gongming, standing nearby, hurriedly stepped forward, took hold of the old cultivator, grabbed his lapels with one hand and supported his back with the other, regulating his True Origin and casting two Heart-Calming Spells. Only then did the rogue cultivator return to his senses as if waking from a dream.

"Ah! Cough, cough..."

The old man spat out two mouthfuls of blood, his gaze lingering on the faces of the Li family members for a while before he covered his face and wept. Dou Yi opened his mouth to shout, but was interrupted by a wave of Li Brother Yuanping's hand, leaving the old man to sob.

Li Brother Yuanping tapped the letters on his desk without a word. The group of guest retainers and outsiders watched the rogue cultivator, and it was only after a long while that the old cultivator stopped his sobbing and lamented:

"Rogue cultivator Bi Bi Huaxuan, greets the Young Master."

"Bi Bi Huaxuan..."

Li Brother Yuanping nodded, set down his vermilion brush, and said gently:

"Old man, you are too polite. Brother Yuanping keeps in mind the cultivators who frequently travel through our Li family's territory. Your name looks familiar, Bi; you have also been making a living on this Kong Kong Guli Road for many years."

"Indeed..."

Bi Bi Huaxuan nodded sorrowfully and replied:

"Old man... this lowly one has been trading on this road for six years."

Ever since the Yu family market collapsed, there had been fewer places for trade on Moon-Watching Lake. Guanyun Peak was far away in Li Xia Prefecture, and it took considerable effort for Fetal Breath cultivators to travel there. Thus, these rogue merchant cultivators became more common on the Kong Kong Guli Road, earning small profits, and this Bi Bi Huaxuan was one of them.

Seeing him respond clearly and appear much more sober, Li Brother Yuanping asked:

"When you all travel on this road, my Li family has always welcomed you. I do not know where Brother Yuanping has been remiss, causing you all to fight so fiercely in our territory..."

Li Brother Yuanping's tone was gentle and held no threat, but Bi Bi Huaxuan had traveled among various families for years and was accustomed to the tyranny of aristocratic families and immortal sects, so his legs trembled.

He was already feeling guilty for fighting others over a treasure in the Li family's territory, and hearing this, his fear surged again before his sorrow had even faded.

There were many small temples and shrines in the mountains, and rogue cultivators like them were always at the very bottom. Furthermore, the Li family was an aristocratic family with a Foundation Establishment cultivator sitting in command, unlike those smaller clans. Bi Bi Huaxuan immediately bowed his head and said mournfully:

"Young Master, I have been wronged! We were attacked by someone..."

And so, ignoring the crowd around him, he hurriedly rambled on about the cause and effect:

Bi Bi Huaxuan had drifted his whole life and felt his path of cultivation was broken, so he viewed these few disciples as treasures and cherished them dearly. Thinking there were no great demons in the Li family's territory, he had taken them out to search.

Bi Bi Huaxuan looked up to see an underground river flowing incessantly, and there was a white object, the size of a fist, neither water nor not-water, jumping incessantly on the surface of the water, crystalline and warm, rolling back and forth, quite peculiar...

"Wait!"

The crowd was listening intently, all staring at the old man. Even An Jiyan could not help but glance over. Li Brother Yuanping had keenly caught something wrong and suddenly interrupted, saying to those around him:

"Invite Brother Jiao over!"

The attendant hurriedly went down. Dou Yi, seeing Li Brother Yuanping's expression, hurriedly said:

"Everyone, go back to your own business."

An Jiyan and the others nodded and retreated in an orderly fashion. Bi Bi Huaxuan looked around in panic, and seeing Li Brother Yuanping staring straight at him, he continued.

Bi Bi Huaxuan had seen much of the world and was deeply moved, knowing he had encountered an incredible treasure. Where was there any thought of his disciples in his heart? He had long since cast them to the back of his mind, thinking only of how to swallow it alone.

So he hurriedly drove away the few disciples who were following him and observed it carefully for a while, feeling that the saliva was like jade liquid and his cultivation was rolling, understanding that his opportunity had arrived.

"This lowly one has traveled north and south and has some knowledge. This object should be called 【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】, which is the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Water! It can... it can..."

Bi Bi Huaxuan stammered, his eyes full of greedy fire. Li Brother Yuanping gripped the armrests tightly, his expression vaguely excited, and took over the conversation:

"【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】... This object can increase spiritual sense, heal the wounds of one's foundation, and eliminate impurities in one's True Origin. From Foundation Establishment down to Fetal Breath, it has miraculous effects!"

【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】 was a rare Heavenly Spiritual Water, best at healing wounds and highly useful in many talisman and elixir paths. Li Brother Yuanping had learned of this object when asking Li Li Tongya about methods for healing.

Li Li Tongya practiced a water-based immortal foundation, for which 【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】 was most suitable. If he obtained this treasure and spent a few years healing, he might even be able to advance further. How could Li Brother Yuanping not be excited?

Bi Bi Huaxuan had been so excited at the time that he was at a loss. The thing he hated most in his life was not having a Qi-gathering formula, forcing him to practice Qi in a rush. Now, seeing the 【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】, the impulse in his heart was like a surging giant wave, impossible to suppress.

【Heavenly One Tianyi Tianyi Chunyuan】 could purify his Miscellaneous Qi and achieve Righteous Qi; even if his technique was inferior to a proper one, there was still a possibility of Foundation Establishment. He hurriedly cast a spell and carefully put away the spiritual water, but screams came from outside the cave, and a man in black rushed in.

"The person's True Origin was pure and vast. My fellow Daoists in the caravan and I fought him for a dozen rounds, but we were no match for him. He killed them until I was left alone, and I had to give up my storage bag. Who knew he would not let me go..."

Bi Bi Huaxuan cried out:

"If it weren't for the noble family's guest retainer arriving in time... this old man wouldn't even have saved his life...!"

Hearing this, Li Brother Yuanping was deeply disappointed. His excitement turned into loss, and he sat back at the table dejectedly. He wanted to scold him but couldn't, and then he saw Bi Bi Huaxuan crying:

"Everything this old man has managed in his life has been ruined by this one person, and I am left all alone! I hope the Young Master will avenge this old man, and this Heavenly Spiritual Water shall belong to your noble family!"

"Avenge?"

Li Brother Yuanping sneered and replied:

"That person has hidden in the vast forest; who could find him? My family is an aristocratic family, not a Purple Mansion immortal clan!"

Bi Bi Huaxuan stopped his sobbing, pulled back his sleeve to reveal a jade bracelet. Its patterns were profound and it glowed brightly. Bi Bi Huaxuan said in a muffled voice:

"This old man bought two jade bracelets while picking up scraps at the market. I intended to give them to my wife. One was already on my hand, and the other was still in the storage bag, which that person snatched away."

"As long as these two jade bracelets are not too far apart, they can sense each other. That person is only at the early stage of Qi Refining and fought with us for a long time, so he definitely cannot have flown too far. He is likely finding a place in the mountains to recover his magic power. If we set out now, we might be able to catch him immediately!"

Li Brother Yuanping was suddenly overjoyed, a smile appearing on his face. He was about to go down to take the jade bracelet, but suddenly stopped, sat back in his seat, and pondered:

"Wait for my elder brother to come over first."

(End of chapter)