Chapter 29: Returning to Qinghe County

Early the next morning, on a high mountain two hundred li away from Guiyun Square, the master and apprentice from the Li Family Grocery Store were resting in a bamboo pavilion shrouded in mist atop the peak.

"Master, could you have passed on this Grand Void Sword to the wrong person? I've seen that kid; his aptitude is too poor, merely a Four-Spirit Root. How could he possibly cultivate your Grand Void Sword Art?"

The shopkeeper, dressed as a middle-aged Daoist, stood up and looked toward Guiyuan Square a hundred li away, then said to his puzzled apprentice behind him:

"Xingyun, you are still too young. On the path of cultivation, while spiritual root aptitude is indeed important, one cannot obsess over it blindly. In the ancient era, spiritual root aptitude was not nearly as significant. Even those with Five-Spirit Roots who ascended to become immortals were numerous; it is nothing more than a matter of opportunity."

"These years, following me into the world to cultivate has been a bit hard on you. After we return this time, I will go into seclusion for a period. You should come back with me as well; you are not far from a breakthrough in your cultivation base. Prepare well, and when I emerge from seclusion, I will find some spiritual items for you."

Upon hearing this, the young cultivator was immediately delighted and said respectfully, "Thank you, Master. Does this mean you intend to return to the sect?"

"I have been out for so long; it is time to go back and take a look."

A breeze swept across the ridge, and as the mist dispersed, the two figures were no longer to be seen in the bamboo pavilion. The surroundings, along with the entire high mountain, were as silent as if no one had ever been there.

——

Song Qingming had stayed at an inn in the square yesterday and left Guiyun Square early this morning. Along the way, Song Qingming traveled by day and rested by night, not delaying for even a moment.

Song Qingming first traveled east from Guiyun Square to reach Pingyang County, then headed south through Pingyang County. After traveling, dusty and tired, for more than half a month, he finally returned to Qinghe County.

Between going and returning, Song Qingming had been away for more than two months, covering nearly several thousand li, and had witnessed the vast world outside.

The peak of Mount Funiu pierced through the clouds in the sky, and a manually carved bluestone staircase, like an incomparably long green dragon, was embedded into the entire mountain from the summit downward.

On a giant rock in a pavilion halfway up the mountain sat a green-clad man of about forty, his eyes tightly closed like an old monk in meditation, motionless, as if he had merged with the mountain itself.

Before long, the man suddenly opened his eyes, then quickly formed a series of hand seals. A burst of spiritual energy shot from his fingertips into a smooth bluestone in front of him. A circular spot in the center of the bluestone suddenly emitted a bright blue light, slowly forming a mirror. The mirror revealed a green-clad youth passing through the bluestone archway at the foot of the mountain, quickly leaping up the stairs toward the summit. It was none other than Song Qingming.

This bluestone was also a rare mid-grade spiritual item called the "Spirit-Connecting Mirror," capable of projecting images from a hundred zhang away for a short time. It was obtained by the Song family in Qinghe Square a hundred years ago.

Seeing Song Qingming in the mirror, the man finally relaxed, smiled slightly, and dissipated the spiritual energy in his hands. He closed his eyes again and sat down cross-legged. The blue light mirror, having lost its spiritual energy, slowly vanished, and the bluestone returned to its original state.

Before long, a youth leaped into the pavilion; it was Song Qingming. Seeing the person sitting before him, he quickly cupped his hands and bowed his head in salute.

"Third Uncle, I'm back."

"Qingming, you've finally returned. If you hadn't come back, the Great Elder and the others would have organized a search party to go to the Fuyun Mountain Range to find you." The man nodded slightly and greeted him with a smile.

Third Uncle Song Zhangwu had a steady temperament and was also a diligent cultivator. Because he practiced the family's body-refining technique, his physique appeared much larger than Song Qingming's. Every time Song Qingming spoke with him, he always had to look up uncomfortably.

"Fourth Uncle, have the Great Elder and the others all returned safely?"

"Yes, the Great Elder and the others have been back for nearly a month. Everyone is fine; only your Fourteenth Uncle was more seriously injured, but it is nothing life-threatening. You are the last to return. It is good that you are back safely. Go up the mountain quickly and report your safety to the Clan Leader and the others." Song Zhangwu waved at Song Qingming. Seeing him cup his hands and quickly leave the pavilion, he closed his eyes again and returned to his previous motionless state.

After Song Qingming arrived at the council hall, he discovered that not only was the Clan Leader present, but several of the family's elders were also gathered there, a rare occurrence. Seeing Song Qingming, everyone immediately crowded around him.

"Qingming, you've finally returned safely! If the spiritual light on your name in the genealogy hadn't faded, we would have truly thought you had met with disaster." Seeing Song Qingming walk into the council hall, Great Elder Song Gubai spoke first, his tone filled with concern, and a few tears even streaked from the corners of his eyes.

Great Elder Song Gubai was over a hundred years old and was the oldest cultivator in the Song family. He had been responsible for training the family's young cultivators for nearly thirty years and could be considered the mentor of all the young cultivators of Song Qingming's generation. Although he was usually very strict with them, he had long since regarded them as his own children in his heart.

Although Song Gubai had married and started a family in his early years, raising five or six children, and his descendants already numbered in the dozens, it was a pity that they were all mortals without spiritual roots. In his later years, he had pinned all his hopes on these young cultivators of the family.

That day by the pool, facing the large whirlpool created by the Black-Feathered Python, Song Gubai had been powerless, able only to pull Song Changyun, who was closest to him, and watch as Song Qingming was swept into the whirlpool. Later, pursued by the Black-Feathered Python, he had no choice but to do the same as the Liu family and return to Qinghe County first. On the way back, Song Gubai had blamed himself deeply for this.

It was not until they returned to Mount Funiu and Clan Leader Song Gushan checked the spiritual light of Song Qingming's essence blood on the genealogy that Song Gubai learned Song Qingming was still alive. He had wanted to return to the Fuyun Mountain Range alone to meet him. If Song Gushan hadn't held him back this past month, Song Gubai would have long since gone to the Fuyun Mountain Range to search for Song Qingming.

Song Gushan patted Song Gubai on the shoulder, comforted him with a few words, and then said to Song Qingming:

"Not only have you returned safely, but your cultivation base has also improved. Truly, one who survives a great disaster is bound to have good fortune. Tell us quickly what you encountered in these two months."

Song Qingming cupped his hands and bowed to everyone, explaining, "That day, I was swept into the bottom of the pool by the whirlpool and suffered some injuries. After I swam out of the pool, I found the shore already empty. I wanted to search for you, but I was frightened by the demon beast returning to the pool and lost my way."

Song Qingming told everyone the story he had prepared, word for word. Of course, he omitted the matter of picking up Liu Tianlong's storage bag. He even provided a reason for why his cultivation had broken through to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation so quickly, lying that while he was healing in the mountains, he had accidentally found a few red spiritual fruits. Thinking they were useful for healing, he had consumed them directly, not expecting the medicinal effect of these spiritual fruits to be so astonishing, and he had broken through his cultivation base in a daze.

Hearing of his dangers along the way, his chance encounter with a group of rogue cultivators, and the great battle with a pack of wolves before finally returning safely to Qinghe County, everyone felt a lingering fear.

"Regardless, it is a good thing that you have returned safely. This time, it was all my fault. I didn't expect the Liu family's mission to be so careless that they didn't even detect a demon beast like the Black-Feathered Python hiding in that pool." Song Gushan said with a deep expression.

Song Gushan had been worried about taking on the Liu family's mission, but as the Clan Leader, he could not leave the family at will and could only wait at home. Seeing that all eight members of the Song family had returned safely this time, he finally felt a bit of relief in his heart.

"This time, the Liu family suffered heavy losses. I heard that Liu Tianlong was also seriously injured and passed away. I don't know if it's true or false. Clan Leader, the Liu family is in the northeast of Qinghe County; I'm afraid they are going to lose their influence." Second Elder Song Changfeng said, expressing his concern about the news he had obtained from the square in the past few days.

Song Gushan nodded after listening. "If there is a change in the Liu family, I'm afraid this area will not be peaceful in the future. We must also be more careful. That old fellow Liu Tianlong shouldn't be so easy to die."

"Qingming, don't rush back to Mount Lingyuan yet. Rest on the mountain for two more days and let the Fourth Elder check if you have any other problems with your body, so as not to leave any hidden dangers for your cultivation."

Song Qingming stayed on Mount Funiu for two more days. Unexpectedly, the red spiritual fruit he had made up on the spur of the moment was actually found by Fourth Elder Song Gucai to have a similar origin. From an ancient scroll recording various heavenly treasures that he had inadvertently obtained in the marketplace, he found a spiritual fruit similar to what Song Qingming had described that day.

This spiritual fruit was called the "Heavenly Dragon Fruit," a spiritual fruit that only existed in ancient times and had not been discovered in Wei Guo. This fruit had miraculous effects; even if it only had a hundred years of medicinal age, a Qi Condensation cultivator could increase their cultivation base by one layer by consuming it raw. It was a spiritual item that had long since gone extinct.

Hearing this, he was truly startled and could only admit it, lying that he had also lost his way when he encountered this spiritual fruit in the mountains that day. Now, if he were asked to search for it again, he certainly wouldn't know the way. This finally dispelled the fiery look in Song Gucai's eyes.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 30 =====