Chapter 332: Master and Disciple Dispute

Li Brother Yuanping rode his horse, the excitement passed, and he faintly felt the urge to cough again. His military uniform was cold, and his inner clothes were soaked with sweat. Li Li Ximing in his arms hugged the horse's head, faintly sensing something, and asked:

"Father, how is your body recently..."

"Heh."

Li Brother Yuanping did not answer. With a pale face, he rode his horse to the carriage where the black flags were fluttering, and dismounted. Dou Yi on the side hurriedly took the reins, and Li Brother Yuanping replied:

He bent down and entered the carriage, beginning to remove his armor and military uniform. Li Li Ximing sensibly lit the fire basin in the carriage. Li Brother Yuanping coughed twice, sat down by the fire basin, and said warmly:

"Sitting high in the hall, the letters from the various towns are always full of peace in the four borders. Having ridden the Zhongsuo these past few months and seeing it with my own eyes, I finally feel at ease."

"You have also seen Li Li Jiman. Ming'er, what do you think of this person?"

Li Li Ximing's face was slightly golden-red from the fire, and he poked the charcoal fire with a wooden stick, replying:

"The child thinks he is arrogant, stingy, and cold-blooded."

"En."

Li Brother Yuanping nodded in response and said warmly:

"In your view, is it better for the East Shanyue country to fall into the hands of the Tian family, or into the hands of Li Li Jiman?"

Li Li Ximing frowned slightly and spoke:

"The child thinks that no matter whose hands it falls into, it makes no difference. It just depends on which side can bring greater benefits to our family... The East Shanyue land is vast, but the spiritual rice and spiritual objects handed over now are too few."

Li Brother Yuanping sighed in a low voice and replied:

"More than just East Shanyue, as the clan grows, the wind of fighting and competing among the seven towns is prevalent. The noble families and branch lineages fight fiercely. If it weren't for the Clan Justice Court and the Mount Yuting Guards suppressing them, I fear there would be even more sordid affairs."

Father and son were talking in the carriage when the spiritual horse at the head snorted and stopped. Dou Yi called out from outside:

"Family Head, we have arrived at the town."

Li Brother Yuanping took his eldest son's hand and got out of the carriage. Dou Yi leaned over and whispered:

"Family Head, Chen Donghe and the others are already waiting in the hall."

"Hmm."

Li Brother Yuanping stepped into the hall. Although he was only a Qi Condensation cultivator, the Qi Condensation cultivators in the hall all avoided their seats. Li Brother Yuanping sat at the head and first looked at Chen Donghe on the side, saying politely:

"Uncle-in-law, this is?"

Chen Donghe was now over fifty, with a cultivation of the fourth level of Qi Condensation. His gaze was gentle, he bowed lightly, and replied:

"I have already prepared my luggage and am ready to go to the west bank with Li Jingtian."

Li Brother Yuanping nodded in realization, picked up a storage bag on the desk, hurriedly walked down a few steps, handed it to Chen Donghe, and said in a deep voice:

"This is the talisman and spiritual stone resources prepared by the family. Two East Shanyue miscellaneous Qi cultivators have already been prepared in the town to do some chores for Uncle-in-law... Uncle-in-law, take care!"

Chen Donghe and his wife had intended to travel abroad. What they said to the outside world was that the couple was going out to venture, but in reality, they were heading to the Great Desert of the Jin Yu Sect in the west to collect 【Golden Yang Jinyang Huangyuan】.

This matter was originally a secret. Hearing Li Brother Yuanping say he was bringing two East Shanyue miscellaneous Qi cultivators, Chen Donghe looked up suddenly, only to see Li Brother Yuanping smile:

"Uncle-in-law, rest assured, these two have many ties, and have taken the Profound Scene Spiritual Oath, so they can be used."

The East Shanyue cultivation methods were simple and ancient, compatible with the bloodlines of the various East Shanyue tribes. They were easy to cultivate but could not become vessels. Thus, over these years, five miscellaneous Qi cultivators had emerged, but they only planted spiritual herbs and were of no great use.

Collecting the Golden Yang Jinyang Huangyuan alone required a full twenty years of time. Chen Donghe naturally understood Li Brother Yuanping's meaning. He nodded in realization, thanked him, and since there were outsiders present, he couldn't say much. He accepted the brocade bag and left after bidding farewell.

Until Chen Donghe left, Li Li Xicheng stepped forward and bowed:

"Reporting to the Family Head, the spiritual rice and spiritual objects of East East Shanyue for the past five years have been offered. 2,100 catties of spiritual rice, 200 White Origin Fruits, 200 catties of Huang Yu Spiritual Rice, and 11 types of miscellaneous spiritual objects."

He paused and replied:

"A total value of 70 spiritual stones! They have already been sent to the foot of the mountain."

"Good."

Li Brother Yuanping nodded in response. The Mount Qingchi Sect's treatment of small clans at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment levels was almost one of free-range, only collecting a little tribute to show subordination, but they exploited these noble families with heavy taxes.

The spiritual objects that the Li family, as a noble family, had to pay every five years could be described as worth a fortune:

"10,000 catties of spiritual rice, converted to 100 spiritual stones; 500 White Origin Fruits, 500 catties of Huang Yu Spiritual Rice, converted to 100 spiritual stones; the remaining miscellaneous spiritual object tributes also had to be 20 or 30 spiritual stones..."

And the Li family's current output could only offset less than half. The remaining 100-plus spiritual stones had always been a headache for Li Brother Yuanping.

In previous years, one way was to supplement from the Guanyun Peak market, issuing tasks for outsiders and family cultivators to enter the mountains to collect herbs and hunt demon beasts, plus the talismans drawn by Li Li Xuanxuan and others. After subsidizing these family cultivators, they could barely make a profit of 40 or 50 spiritual stones.

On the other hand, it relied on the Green Crow mineral vein in the territory. Mining it with full force could also yield 40 or 50 spiritual stones every five years. The rest all relied on Li Brother Yuanping's penny-pinching to barely make up for it.

"And I have to provide resources for the cultivators in the family..."

Li Brother Yuanping heard Li Li Xicheng report that the income from East Shanyue this year was not very abundant, and for a time, he had another headache. He moved the cup on the desk and muttered:

"There is no grand array on Wutuo Mountain, it is really shabby... To be in deficit year after year like this is not a way."

Li Li Xicheng stood respectfully before him. Li Brother Yuanping saw that his words were still fluent and there was no sign of his usual woodenness, so he couldn't help but ask:

"How is the situation in East Shanyue?"

Li Li Xicheng clearly had no psychological preparation. He was slightly startled and pondered for several breaths before saying somewhat uneasily:

"The Tian family assists in the government... Prince Li Li Jiman has courage..."

"Alright."

Li Brother Yuanping listened to Li Li Xicheng not saying "The Tian family is in power," nor "The Tian family holds the government," and was too lazy to listen any further. He said warmly:

"Go and cultivate."

"Yes!"

Li Li Xicheng bowed and retreated. Li Brother Yuanping let out a long breath, turned his head, looked at Li Li Ximing, who was reading carefully on the side, and whispered:

"Li Xicheng is wooden and honest, gentle and generous. In the future, if you govern the family, you can use Brother Li Xicheng for things, but you cannot let him take charge alone."

Li Li Ximing still liked his eldest brother Li Li Xicheng quite a bit. For a time, he didn't know whether to nod or shake his head, so he silently buried his head in the book. Fortunately, a person came up from below and reported:

"Reporting to the Family Head! There is news from the Yuan family."

"Oh?"

Li Brother Yuanping hurriedly raised his head, and then saw the person reply:

"Good!"

"Send someone to reply, saying that our family respectfully awaits the Immortal Master's arrival."

————

The rain in Linghai County was continuous. This place belonged to the south of the Yue country, surrounded by mountains, humid and stuffy. Rainwater gathered in the valleys, often submerging low-lying areas.

The youth walked through the dense rainforest for a while, with frogs croaking all over the ground. He frowned and said in a muffled voice:

"Master, why are we circling back to this bird place again."

"Who knows what madness the Mount Qingchi Sect is having."

The man behind him had messy hair, was rugged and fierce, and walked on black mist, his voice hoarse:

"It's just that they didn't send a single Foundation Establishment cultivator related to the matter. We can only cross Linghai County first and go to Yishan City near the Southern Border to take a look!"

"This body is already unusable. If it weren't for the fact that I once practiced 'Drinking People's Blood,' which can suppress this body, this body would have long been worn away into a pool of pus and blood by the metal nature..."

The youth narrowed his eyes and said ambiguously:

"But Master, aren't you looking for a few special Dao foundations? Breaking into Yishan City like this, I fear we will never be able to turn back and can only go deeper into the Southern Border."

"If we reach the depths of the Southern Border, where can we find a body for you to possess?"

The youth was Jiang Yan, who had been missing for many years. I don't know how many cultivators were using his banner to cause chaos all over the Yue country, but he had unknowingly run back to Linghai County.

A trace of suspicion flashed in Jiang Yan's eyes, and he asked tentatively, but Jiang Jiang Boqing waved his hand indifferently and replied:

"Your master, I, reached Foundation Establishment at thirty and Purple Palace at sixty, with outstanding talent. When the time comes, I will think of some ways!"

Jiang Yan waved his hand and laughed, replying:

"Since Master claims to be a genius who reached Foundation Establishment at thirty and Purple Palace at sixty, why did you abandon this Purple Palace Golden Pill path back then and switch to practicing the Curse Technique Strange Scripture?"

"Damn it."

The rugged man let out a muffled cry, the patterns on his face twisting with his expression, and he said viciously:

"I only found out that Senior Duanmu Kui, the Lord of Witch Mountain, practiced this path!"

The body he was controlling was already on the verge of collapse, his expression twisted and ugly, barely able to see that he was smiling, and he continued:

"Senior Duanmu Kui is a figure who suppressed an era. Where could I wait for him to make a move? I was so scared that I immediately reduced my divine abilities and cut my Dao foundation, seeking emptiness to make talismans, lost most of my cultivation, and only then became a strange scholar."

"Oh?"

Jiang Yan's expression was calm, and he asked rhetorically:

"What is seeking emptiness to make talismans?"

Jiang Jiang Boqing shook his head, a trace of pride appearing on his face, and explained:

"This is a method I obtained from an ancient book, which is to practice one's life divine ability as a talisman, turning one's cultivation along with the Dao foundation into an immortal talisman, switching from the Golden Pill path to the Witch Talisman path..."

A trace of hope appeared on his face, and he said warmly:

"I obtained the legacy of a predecessor of the Moon Essence Yuan Palace when I was young. This technique is quite difficult, and only I could seek the Witch Lotus Blood Three-Nine Nature, which has a great connection with the talisman path, and only then did I succeed."

"Practicing one's cultivation as a talisman..."

Jiang Yan chewed on these words, turned his head back, his face full of glistening tears, and whispered:

"Is Master now practicing my cultivation as a talisman?"

Jiang Jiang Boqing was still muttering incessantly. Hearing this, he froze suddenly, opened his mouth, and cursed:

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Jiang Yan was even more certain. His tears gradually stopped, and he stared quietly into his eyes, saying in a deep voice:

"Although the disciple does not practice the Purple Palace Golden Pill path, I also understand that this path is definitely not something that can be easily switched back and forth. Turning the pill into a talisman is already the limit, and then using the metal nature to occupy and occupy, how can there be such a casual thing!"

His pupils dilated, and his fists were about to bleed. He said sharply:

"It seems that you and the Mount Qingchi Sect are the same kind of goods. No wonder... no wonder the Mount Qingchi Sect is such a behemoth! I have been wandering in the five counties for many years, and you couldn't even catch a small cultivator like me."

"The blood flowing like a river along the way, every time a stronghold of the Mount Qingchi Sect was broken, there were always materials suitable for breaking through... Those blood and resentment collected for ten or twenty years could always be sent to my hands gourd by gourd."

His pupils dilated, his fists were about to bleed, and he said sharply:

"Jiang Jiang Boqing! What a self-directed and self-acted good show... You and Mount Qingchi each took what you needed and performed a good show!"

"You were never possessing any cultivator with a special immortal foundation; these were just sweet words to appease me! The Three-Nine True Talisman in my Qi Sea acupoint, the Witch Dao Blood Talisman in my Rising Yang Palace, these are the things you are plotting!"

His voice echoed in the mountains, stunning Jiang Jiang Boqing into silence. The flesh and blood on that face fell off with a rustle. Jiang Jiang Boqing froze for several breaths and replied:

"I have a close relationship with Bu Zi, and the demon disaster is indeed a benefit exchange between me and the Mount Qingchi Sect. You are a clever child, and you guessed these few things correctly."

He paused, shook his head slightly, and replied:

"It's just that my metal nature was damaged, and I long ago lost the possibility of possession. It is not something that any talisman or talisman can save. The two witch talismans on your body were cultivated by me... they are miraculously unusual, but they have no effect as a foundation for possession."

Jiang Jiang Boqing's body was covered in blood, but his gaze could be seen to be gentle, and he whispered:

"Occupying this body was just to protect you, that's all. Without the matching spiritual medicine and cultivation methods, it will sooner or later perish with this physical body. I thought I could hide it from you until I sent you out of the Southern Border..."

Jiang Yan was unmoved, stepped back again, his expression vigilant, looking at him coldly, and replied:

"You say it isn't, so it isn't? How do you want me to believe you!"

Jiang Jiang Boqing frowned and glanced at him, shocked, and suddenly agitated his tongue and lips, shouting:

"Bah!"

Jiang Jiang Boqing's lips and teeth closed, spitting out a thunderous shout, shaking Jiang Yan's head until it buzzed. Jiang Jiang Boqing's expression changed greatly, and he cursed:

"Damn it, my divine ability is blinded!"

Jiang Yan's eyes were clear for a moment, and he was stunned. Then he saw Jiang Jiang Boqing pull him up, drive the wind and rise, and shout:

"Leave quickly, he is blocking with divine ability, it must be not far away!"

"Purple Palace?!"

Jiang Yan's hair stood on end, and he drove his whole body's magic power to fly on the wind, asking rhetorically:

"Aren't you in cahoots with the Mount Qingchi Sect? Why is there still a Purple Palace sent to chase you!"

"It's mostly an old enemy of mine from back then!"

Jiang Jiang Boqing's body was big and thick, with messy hair, and he cursed a few times, constantly calculating in his heart, and said in disbelief:

"How is it possible?! Who could have calculated it!"

The two had only flown for a breath when the north wind between heaven and earth stopped abruptly. The wind driven by the magic power under their feet also stopped flowing. In the void before them, black streams of light emerged, and the colors of the Purple Palace divine ability gushed out.

"Senior Jiang."

This youth paced out of the Great Void slowly, his Daoist robe simple and unadorned, his eyebrows clear and eyes bright, holding a magic bead in his hand, gray and hazy, unable to see anything miraculous.

"You have today too."

"Qing Qing Jifang..."

Jiang Jiang Boqing stared at the youth. Clearly, this person appearing here was beyond Jiang Jiang Boqing's expectations, and even his intentions were unclear. He only said in a deep voice:

"What do you intend to do?"

This Purple Palace Daoist's robe fluttered, the magic bead in his hand turned lightly, staring at him quietly, and spoke:

"Senior, don't be nervous. The junior has many questions to ask, whether it is the 'Answer to the Beggar Under the Mulberry Tree,' or the Upper Origin Sword Immortal, Xiao Xiao Chuting, Tang Tang Yuanwu..."

"What are you plotting? And into whose hands did the Immortal Book finally fall... My Changhuai Mountain is very curious... I ask Senior to accompany me on a trip to the Wu country."

Jiang Jiang Boqing stared at the youth; clearly, this person appearing here was beyond Jiang Jiang Boqing's expectations, and even his intentions were impossible to gauge. He only said in a deep voice:

"What is your intention?"

The Early Zifu cultivator's Daoist robe fluttered, the magic bead in his hand turned gently, and he stared at him quietly before speaking:

"Senior, there is no need to be nervous. This junior has many questions to ask, whether it be about the 'Answers to the Beggar Under the Mulberry Tree,' or that Upper Origin Sword Immortal, Xiao Xiao Chuting, Tang Tang Yuanwu..."

"What are you all plotting? And in whose hands did the Immortal Book finally fall... My Changhuai Mountain is very curious... I invite Senior to return to the State of Wu with me."

(End of Chapter)