"Respect"

'Cloud Number Two has stirred again. Someone on the cloud is descending onto my path.'

Li Ping'an glanced at the Glazed Mirror in his palm, his thoughts racing as he swiftly made up his mind.

He continued racing forward above the forest sea, spreading his spiritual sense in every direction as far as he could.

After traveling like this for a moment, Li Ping'an suddenly stopped short and dropped into the crown of a large tree, frowning at the scene ahead.

A young woman lay on her side in the grass, her face deathly pale and her breath weak. She looked gravely injured, and even from behind, she was alluring and seductive.

Li Ping'an jumped straight down from the tree.

Just as the three Myriad Cloud Sect immortals in the sky thought Li Ping'an was about to play the hero and save the beauty, he cupped his hands toward the woman from afar and sighed.

"I bear a secret order from my sect and cannot invite unnecessary trouble. I hope you can safely overcome this present calamity."

—He was saying this for the immortals on the cloud to hear.

With that, Li Ping'an formed a hand seal and turned into a mass of mist that slipped into the grass. He used Earth Evasion to detour several miles westward before continuing south.

On the white cloud, Elder Yan Sheng nodded with a smile, while Steward Wei Yanzi wore a complicated expression.

On another white cloud, Xiao Yue, a True Immortal of the Myriad Cloud Sect and an Outer Sect elder, gave a soft snort through her nose, amusement appearing in her phoenix eyes.

Xiao Yue had deliberately made a trip to East Sea Market Town beforehand. From among her many nominal disciples, she had selected the three female cultivators with the finest looks and aptitude, bringing them here to trip Li Ping'an up.

—Her nominal disciples usually stayed in market towns under the Myriad Cloud Sect, much like Errand Disciples. They had not entered the Myriad Cloud Sect's disciple registry.

Seeing Li Ping'an ignore such an opportunity to play the hero and save the beauty, Xiao Yue regarded him a little more highly.

The first test had failed, but Xiao Yue was in no hurry.

There were still two more checkpoints ahead. She wanted to see how Li Ping'an would handle them.

Li Ping'an traveled south for less than a hundred miles, passing two great cities before reaching another stretch of wilderness forest.

As he hurried through the woods, layers of mist suddenly appeared ahead. A stream babbled within the fog, and treasure light seemed to flicker there as well.

Picking up treasure along the road?

Li Ping'an nearly laughed out loud.

This was the mortal world in the Eastern Continent heartland. Because mortal miasma muddied the spiritual energy here, few sect Qi cultivators settled in the area. Thus, it had become a "treasure-hunting ground" for the "lowest-ranking" Loose Cultivators of the East Continent.

The odds of finding treasure in a place like this were lower than the odds of encountering a fairy's second uncle taking a bath.

Li Ping'an did not stop. He detoured more than ten miles eastward, avoiding the area shrouded in dense fog.

When he appeared again, he did not forget to stand atop a treetop and look back, sighing.

"What a pity. I have orders from my sect and cannot take any risks. This treasure and I were not fated."

Then he continued south.

On the white cloud, Steward Wei Yanzi had already sensed that something was off, while Elder Yan Sheng's smile became ever more genial.

On the other white cloud, the delicate willow brows of Elder Xiao Yue had lightly furrowed.

Was this boy really so alert?

He was only a minor Light Condensation cultivator, not yet at Foundation Establishment, and this was his first time leaving the mountain. How could he be so mature?

Realizing that her arrangements had been too shallow, Xiao Yue was just about to summon back the third female cultivator when her Immortal Sense swept over the area and showed that Li Ping'an was already only a dozen or so miles from that woman.

And this time, judging from Li Ping'an's route, he did not seem to be avoiding her.

Is this part of an internal sect trial? Or is it an arrangement made by those immortals in the sect who can't stand my Old Li?

Li Ping'an pondered in secret.

Logic told him that someone probably wanted to prevent him from completing the Outer Sect Trial, using it to embarrass his father.

—With the Founding Ancestor Daoist Master Kongming around, those old Heavenly Immortals in the sect competing with his father for the position of Sect Leader could probably only go this far.

But after the previous two checkpoints—"hero saves beauty" and "finding treasure on the road"—Li Ping'an was truly uncertain.

If this really was an arrangement by those people, was it not a little too crude?

Out here in the wilderness, what severely injured female cultivator would deliberately wear a tight gauze dress with no protective function, while intentionally showing off the perfect curve of her back?

The treasure-picking site was even more ridiculous. Why was there ordinary dense fog outside the treasure light? Why did that fog have no spiritual energy attached to it?

In short, the flaws were everywhere.

After grumbling to himself, Li Ping'an continued carefully scouting the road ahead and soon discovered the location of the third checkpoint.

Well then, the distances between all three "checkpoints" were identical!

Within the reach of his spiritual sense, at the edge of the forest more than ten miles away, an old woman stood beneath a crooked-necked tree with a desolate expression. She was tossing a strip of cloth over a branch, apparently intending to take her own life.

This old woman...

Li Ping'an raised his right hand in a sword-finger gesture and swept it from left to right, green wood radiance flashing in his eyes.

One Leaf Obstructs the Eye, Open the Heart Eye; all things become indistinct, and ghosts and monsters are revealed!

What old woman? She was clearly a young woman with two hair buns atop her head, using a transformation technique to feign old age. Her strength was likely around Light Condensation Stage Seven or Eight.

If a Light Condensation Realm cultivator could hang herself to death, Li Ping'an would gladly have Steward Wei Yanzi take her surname.

She was at Light Condensation Stage Seven, cultivated Myriad Cloud Sect techniques, and knew a rare transformation art... Was she a sect disciple? Which peak was she from?

Li Ping'an was just about to apologize and leave when he heard the old woman cry out mournfully.

"This old woman doesn't want to live anymore! My eldest son entered the Myriad Cloud Sect to cultivate immortality, while my second and third sons are both unfilial! This old woman truly cannot go on living!"

Well now, was she starting to use an open scheme against him?

—It would have been one thing if she had not mentioned the Myriad Cloud Sect. But now that she had, if he avoided her again, someone could easily seize on it as a pretext.

Not to mention, Li Ping'an had long known that there were at least two Myriad Cloud Sect immortals above his head.

Li Ping'an set off again, heading directly for the old woman. Halfway there, he deliberately revealed a wisp of his aura so she could catch his trail.

Sensing Li Ping'an rapidly approaching, the female cultivator disguised as an old woman became much quicker. In a few motions, she hung the cloth strip, tied a dead knot, and stepped onto half a tree stump.

She was exceedingly practiced at the process of hanging herself.

When Li Ping'an appeared atop a tree to the north, the old woman had already looped the cloth strip around her neck. All that remained was the final kick.

Li Ping'an suddenly spoke, his voice clear and unhurried. "Why does this elder seek to take her own life?"

The old woman was visibly stunned. She turned toward the forest and saw a young male cultivator standing on a treetop with his hands behind his back. She could not help but gasp.

She asked in a trembling voice, "Are you... an immortal?"

Her acting was fairly convincing.

With a faint smile, Li Ping'an asked again, "I heard you say earlier that your eldest son entered the Myriad Cloud Sect to cultivate. Is that true?"

Clutching the cloth strip, the old woman sighed mournfully. "So what if it is? My fine eldest son went off to cultivate immortality and found himself a bright future. He does not care for this old woman, but I do not blame him!"

"What a coincidence."

Li Ping'an smiled.

"I am a prospective Outer Sect Disciple of the Myriad Cloud Sect. I cannot ignore such a matter."

"Ah?"

The old woman turned to Li Ping'an and asked in a trembling voice.

"Do you know my fine eldest son?"

Li Ping'an immediately shook his head. "My apologies. I have not officially entered the Outer Sect for cultivation yet, and I only know one or two friends. I cannot say how many Myriad Cloud Sect disciples there are... But since you are the birth mother of a Myriad Cloud Sect disciple, I should do something for you."

"Sigh! Immortal, you truly need not concern yourself with me! This bundle of old bones only annoys and disgusts people wherever I go. There is truly no joy in living! Today, let us part here... let us part!"

The old woman grew somewhat agitated and put her neck back through the cloth loop, ready to kick away the tree stump.

Strange. Why isn't he stopping me yet?

The young female cultivator disguised as an old woman muttered inwardly, unable to resist glancing toward the treetop from the corner of her eye.

Li Ping'an stood there quietly with his hands behind his back.

Sunlight fell across the thin mask on his face, and he maintained a warm smile throughout.

This?

The old woman closed her eyes and shed tears. Li Ping'an stood smiling.

The old woman let out a long sigh. Li Ping'an remained unmoved.

The young female cultivator disguised as an old woman hardened her heart and kicked out with her foot. The wooden stump toppled to one side, and the cloth strip instantly pulled taut.

Li Ping'an finally moved.

He descended from the treetop and stood on the somewhat pale forest path. He cupped his hands toward the old woman in salute and called out clearly.

"Since your eldest son and I are fellow sect cultivators, I should naturally collect your remains, gather your bones, and handle your body, thus fulfilling the bond between fellow disciples."

The old woman's eyes widened, and she began kicking her legs in the air.

Li Ping'an slowly sighed. "My father often says that one should abandon the urge to help others, respect their wishes, and not impose one's own thoughts upon them. Though I cannot bear to see this elder go to her death, I ought to respect her choice. Alas, alas! Born in the morning, dead at dusk, mayflies between heaven and earth!"

The old woman had begun rolling her eyes, and her kicking motions gradually slowed.

With a slow movement of Li Ping'an's right hand, a writing desk appeared before him, covered with fruits, an incense burner, and a peachwood sword.

Then, with another slow movement of his left hand, a rusty great pill furnace appeared before him.

Li Ping'an muttered, "Later, I shall cremate this elder and bring her ashes to the sect for her eldest son. Though this pill furnace is quite valuable, the Ming Cave True Fire restriction on it can only be used another three or four times. This way, the elder will not be unclothed after death, and I will be spared the embarrassment of handling her body. Mm... Open the furnace!"

Snap!

The old woman's cloth strip suddenly snapped, and she fell to the ground in a heap, glaring at Li Ping'an with tears in her eyes.

Li Ping'an hurriedly stepped half a pace forward and asked from afar, "Are you all right? I have excellent rope here. Would you like me to hang it up for you?"

"N-no need! Cough! Cough cough! This old woman suddenly thought of her grandsons and granddaughters... Cough cough cough!"

The old woman's aged face flushed bright red. Half running and half crawling, she got to her feet and sped along the path toward a distant village.

Li Ping'an hurriedly called out, "Elder! I have everything prepared!"

"No, no! This old woman has come around! I've come around!"

The old woman's retreating figure became increasingly vigorous.

Li Ping'an smiled and shook his head, putting away the writing desk and pill furnace. He once again wore a regretful expression and murmured, "I missed a fine chance to help a fellow disciple. Time to continue on my way."

With that, Li Ping'an leaped onto a treetop, his toes landing upon a drifting leaf.

Using the leaf as a boat, he crossed south alone.

At this moment, the atmospheres on the two white clouds could not have been more different.

On one side, Steward Wei Yanzi clutched his stomach and laughed until he could barely contain himself, while Elder Yan Sheng smiled with narrowed eyes as he puffed on a dry tobacco pipe.

On the other side, Xiao Yue's alluring face was dark as water. The three young female cultivators she had summoned back knelt behind her with their heads lowered, scarcely daring to breathe.

Especially the petite young female cultivator with twin buns, who was now sobbing nonstop.

"M-master! He nearly burned this disciple!"

"Silence! What are you crying for?"

Xiao Yue snorted.

"He saw through your pathetic transformation technique long ago. He was only deliberately frightening you!"

"Then, Master, what should we do next?"

"This Li Ping'an refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit."

Xiao Yue said calmly.

"I had originally wanted to see which of you had the good fortune to seize this opportunity and find a Dao companion with a powerful background, allowing you to enter the mountain gate and cultivate.

"Since this is how it is, let Li Ping'an suffer a little first.

"Ling'er?"

The female cultivator with the twin buns stepped half a pace forward. "Your disciple awaits your orders, Master."

"The Outer Sect Qi cultivator Chen Gongmin whom he seeks was sent yesterday to a Spirit Mine three hundred miles away at my arrangement.

"I will send you to Chen Gongmin's Daoist temple. You will pretend to be Chen Gongmin's disciple and make certain to lead him to the Spirit Mine. I have set up a maze formation near the mine that can trap him for a hundred days, preventing him from passing the Outer Sect Trial.

"That way, I can count it as giving several elders in the sect an explanation."

Xiao Yue swept her phoenix eyes over them.

"If you cannot even handle such a trivial matter, then there will be no need for you to serve me in the future."

"Ling'er understands!"

Afterward, Xiao Yue rode her cloud onward. This time, however, she no longer flew directly over Li Ping'an's head and instead made a detour a hundred miles eastward.

She had put away her contempt for a certain minor Light Condensation cultivator.