Resolving Worldly Ties

Li Ping'an held the blade-shaped jade talisman in his hand, carefully sensing it, and only felt a faint, obscure Dao rhyme emanating from it.

He pondered for a moment, then glanced eastward.

Could this disturbance be related to the ancient battlefield on the coast of the Eastern Sea? That place was at least ten thousand li away from here.

Wasn't this jade talisman supposed to be a sect token?

Why was it suddenly acting so strangely now?

Adhering to the principle of caution over carelessness, Li Ping'an wrapped the jade talisman in his mana and returned to the room. With his right fingertip, he traced an empty symbol in the air, drawing a faint talisman, then flicked his finger lightly.

Two streams of water arrows shot out, directly waking Steward Wei Yanzi and Daoist Priest Chen.

Wei Yanzi mumbled drowsily, "Chen Gongmin, is your house still leaking? This is way too shabby..."

"How could it possibly leak... This humble priest's roof has three-hundred-year-old green tiles, they're practically developing spiritual nature..."

Li Ping'an took out two Spirit-Awakening Pills he had refined himself, fed them into the mouths of the two Daoists, and stood by waiting for them to sober up.

A short while later, the three cultivators sat on the doorstep, studying the jade talisman floating above Li Ping'an's palm.

Wei Yanzi remarked in surprise, "Isn't this the Myriad Cloud Return Sect Token? The sect actually gave you a treasure like this."

Li Ping'an set aside thoughts of Elder Xiao Yue for now and asked in confusion, "Isn't it just a token?"

"Long ago, a Golden Immortal in the sect gained insight into the Cosmic Dao and crafted thirty-six Cosmic Shift Talismans. The one in your hand is one of them."

Wei Yanzi spoke slowly:

"This talisman can only be used once every ten years. If you encounter danger, take it out, inject a bit of mana, and it will let you tear through the cosmos and return to the mountain gate.

"That's why it's called the Return Sect Token—'returning to the sect' is its meaning.

"After one use, it's just a token, needing ten years to restore its power.

"The token in your hand is clearly still usable. This is a privilege only granted to top-tier prodigies when they leave the sect!"

Chen Gongmin praised from the side, "This humble priest has heard Steward Wei Yanzi speak of your and your father's fortunes. Truly enviable, that such a treasure can be gifted to you for personal carry."

"The sect is just giving me this life-saving charm out of consideration for my father's face."

Li Ping'an weighed the jade talisman in his palm, took out an empty Storage Artifact, and stored it separately.

"See that!"

Wei Yanzi raised an eyebrow at Chen Gongmin:

"Did I say it wrong? In His Bones, Ping'an is fiercely independent. He wants to make a name for himself, not stay sheltered by his father forever."

Chen Gongmin squinted with a smile: "Ping'an, do you still remember that sentence you said to this humble priest back then?"

Li Ping'an asked with a smile, "What sentence?"

"Blindly avoiding convention is itself a convention; blindly chasing individuality is essentially following the crowd."

Chen Gongmin patted Li Ping'an on the shoulder with a laugh:

"In life and deeds, seek your own satisfaction. Why overthink so much?

"Your current avoidance of the benefits your father brings—isn't that also a kind of wrong path?

"Let, it, be, as, it, is."

"Thank you, Daoist Priest!"

Li Ping'an laughed:

"I don't refuse most things my father gives me, but I always keep myself alert, never opening my mouth to ask him for anything. After all, I'm an adult now.

"But why did the Return Sect Token act strangely earlier?"

Wei Yanzi and Chen Gongmin thought it over for a long while but couldn't come up with an answer.

Wei Yanzi hummed a few times: "It's possible someone else activated their Return Sect Token, so yours resonated. It is a cosmic treasure, after all."

Chen Gongmin sucked in a cold breath: "Sigh! If that's the case, the immortals on our side have even used their Return Sect Tokens... Did things get that desperate over at the Eastern Sea? Should we go help?"

"With that level of combat, we really can't get involved!"

Wei Yanzi sighed:

"If a precious treasure has appeared, most of the immortals rushing there are True Immortals or Heavenly Immortals. With our cultivation, we'd just be extra cannon fodder."

Chen Gongmin said, "We should report this to the sect as soon as possible!"

Li Ping'an smiled: "Daoist Priest, no need to rush. Elders Xiao and Yan have already headed to the Eastern Sea. The sect has long known of this news."

Wei Yanzi stroked his goatee and hummed a few times.

He was actually a bit tempted.

He was an Origin Immortal, the lowest tier among immortals, but if fate smiled on him, he might pick up a small windfall...

A strong, powerful hand suddenly gripped Wei Yanzi's arm.

Wei Yanzi looked up and met Li Ping'an's handsome face.

Li Ping'an said earnestly, "Your own desires, the enemy of a lifetime."

Wei Yanzi grinned. "Alright, alright, this poor Daoist was a bit tempted, but what's more important is keeping you safe."

Chen Gongmin suggested from the side, "Since we have nothing to do, why not take a trip to Wan'an City? The steward rarely visits the mortal world, and the mortal scenery has its own unique flavor."

Wei Yanzi raised an eyebrow. "Easy to say, easy to say. Let's go taste these mortal delicacies and take in the mortal beauties!"

"Then let's go."

Li Ping'an smiled.

"I left in a hurry three years ago. I wonder what condition my old residence is in."

Myriad Cloud Sect, Main Peak Bamboo Forest.

The front mountain of the Main Peak was quite lively, with jade talismans flying to and fro, and old immortals constantly riding clouds toward the Eastern Sea.

The back mountain of the Main Peak, however, was rather quiet. The secluded cultivation grounds of the sect's highest-ranked and most powerful elders were rarely disturbed.

Daoist Master Kongming had already begun paying attention to the matter of the Eastern Sea ancient ruins.

But as a Golden Immortal of the sect and a long-established immortal path expert of the East Continent, bound by various restrictions, he could not easily make a move.

Treasure hunting in the ruins wasn't a major affair; letting the sect's immortals handle it themselves was fine.

If they gained something, good. If they suffered a loss, so be it. Such things were the norm in the East Continent.

Of course, if the disciples suffered too great a loss, or if the Sect Leader personally requested aid, Daoist Master Kongming would naturally appear to intimidate the petty villains and protect the disciples' safety.

Treasure hunting relied on both skill and fortune. And speaking of fortune...

Daoist Master Kongming opened his eyes and looked at his closed-door disciple within the formation. A faint smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of the old man's mouth.

Since the dawn of humanity in ancient times, how many human children had been blessed with great fortune?

Tracing back through history, the only humans Daoist Master Kongming knew of who carried great fortune were a few generations of Human Sovereigns and the human divine generals of their era.

Thinking back tens of thousands of years, Daoist Master Kongming sighed with emotion.

The collapse of the Ancient Heavenly Court, the rise of humanity, the retreat of the hundred races, the Mother Goddess sealing the Southern Continent...

These great events that shook heaven and earth, which Daoist Master Kongming had personally witnessed, all had one or two great human sages blessed with immense fortune.

There was a saying in the cultivation world: whenever a Bearer of Great Fortune appears, a great calamity for living beings is not far off.

The Myriad Cloud Sect had become a sanctuary for Dazhi's cultivation. Whether this would ultimately be an opportunity or a crisis for the sect, Daoist Master Kongming could not say.

But he was willing to bet on it.

In truth, Daoist Master Kongming, a human immortal who had cultivated the immortality Dao fruit since the end of the ancient era, thought even more deeply.

Such a Bearer of Great Fortune was crucial to humanity. Guiding him onto the immortal path and shaping him into a worthy talent was also a great merit for the human race.

Daoist Master Kongming might even have the chance, as Dazhi's master, to have his name inscribed on the wall of great sages within the Mother Goddess Temple...

To have one's name recorded in humanity's 'clan genealogy'—what glory that would be!

Daoist Master Kongming stroked his beard and chuckled softly, a hint of longing in his eyes.

"That's all. Let's see what Little Peace is doing."

Daoist Master Kongming picked up the Yin-Yang Mirror beside him and said with a smile:

"If his character is indeed as Dazhi described—lofty aspirations, a heart firm as a rock—then this poor Daoist will set aside his pride and find him a good master, how about that?"

The old Daoist's beard trembled slightly. The Yin-Yang Mirror revealed the scene within ten li of Wei Yanzi's location.

Then, the smile on the little old man's face froze, and black lines slowly crept across his forehead.

In the Yin-Yang Mirror was a scene of dazzling lights and drunken revelry.

Two rows of large red lanterns illuminated the mortal tavern as if it were daylight. Everywhere one could see singing girls and hear coquettish whispers.

The three Daoists in robes—two middle-aged, one young—sat in a corner behind a screen. Young women behind them added dishes and poured wine. Several seductive dancers swayed, and in the corner, female musicians in thin, colorful garments played and sang.

Smack!

Daoist Master Kongming tossed the Yin-Yang Mirror aside, gave a light snort through his nose, then shook his head with a soft sigh.

Ah, well. When he was young, he hadn't been much better.

Back then, many ancient kingdoms had Hundred Flowers Pavilions gathering beauties from a hundred races. He had occasionally wandered through them in his youth.

How could he demand of his disciples and grand-disciples what he himself had failed to do?

Daoist Master Kongming's thoughts cleared instantly. He retrieved the Yin-Yang Mirror and prepared to tuck it into his sleeve.

Suddenly, Li Ping'an's laughter came from the mirror:

"Steward, you've had your look. We should be going... The turbid qi here is mixed. My cultivation is weak, and I'm afraid it will harm my Dao foundation."

"Ah, right! Let's go, let's go! This place is too filthy!"

Wei Yanzi tossed down a silver ingot, grabbed Li Ping'an and Chen Gongmin, and pulled them away from the table, rushing out of the brothel.

The three exchanged glances on the street, then threw their heads back and laughed together, ignoring the stares of the mortals around them. Chatting and laughing, they continued wandering down the road ahead.

Daoist Master Kongming stroked his beard and nodded, muttering, "Not bad, after all."

He then tucked the Yin-Yang Mirror into his sleeve and continued focusing on protecting his closed-door disciple.

Behind Li Dazhi, the faint shadow of a lotus had already appeared; he was clearly not far from comprehending the Life and Death Mysterious Barrier.

Within three to five days, he might achieve Ascension.

Meanwhile, Li Ping'an, Chen Gongmin, and Wei Yanzi were idly wandering through Wan'an City, at ease and content.

Sometimes they sang loudly of wind and moon while drinking heavily, other times they leaned against windows, patting their bellies and belching.

As long as they ignored the stares of passersby, they could freely enjoy the carefree pleasures of the mortal world.

From morning until afternoon, Li Ping'an noticed the streets before him growing more familiar, and he even spotted a few recognizable faces.

Several elderly men cooling off by the roadside were also frowning as they studied him.

Turning a corner, the grand gates of the Li Residence came into view.

"We're almost at my home."

A trace of emotion flickered in Li Ping'an's eyes.

Chen Gongmin chuckled, "Cultivation always requires leaving one's hometown. I recall you only had your father in the household, so there's no need to dwell too much on it today."

"This place is well maintained!"

Wei Yanzi laughed.

"Ancestor Dazhi took you into the mountains to cultivate, yet this place hasn't fallen into neglect at all."

Li Ping'an swept his spiritual sense over the residence and saw that everything was exactly as it had been three years ago—even the number of servants and guards hadn't diminished. A puzzled expression crossed his face.

Chen Gongmin explained, "After the immortal took you and your father away, I informed the local authorities to keep everything unchanged, so none of your belongings would be lost."

Li Ping'an clasped his hands in salute. "Thank you, Daoist Priest Chen."

"Ah!"

Chen Gongmin quickly waved his hand and joked, "You and I were already friends across generations, and now I'm relying on you and your father for guidance. This was just a trivial effort—nothing worth thanking!"

"Ping'an is always too formal!"

Wei Yanzi burst into laughter.

"If a few hundred years from now Ping'an starts taking disciples, his first lesson will definitely be teaching them how to bow and salute—how many bowing postures there are, how low to bend the waist, and what each degree of bending signifies!"

Chen Gongmin laughed heartily at that, while Li Ping'an looked utterly helpless.

"They say courtesy never offends. My father and I rose from humble beginnings, mingling among the common folk. If we offended an immortal through discourtesy, wouldn't that be too unjust?"

Li Ping'an gazed at the estate and smiled. "Why don't you two find a teahouse for some tea? I'll disperse the mortal family assets and sever my worldly ties."

"We'll come along, we'll come along!"

Wei Yanzi grinned. "I'm quite curious about Ancestor Dazhi's former residence!"

Li Ping'an didn't refuse and led the two Daoists toward the main gate.

The two guards at the entrance froze for a moment, then hurriedly shouted inside, "The young master has returned!" Men and women quickly gathered from the front and back courtyards.

Li Ping'an didn't put on airs. He briefly reassured them, handed out longevity and health pills suitable for mortals, made them take the pills on the spot, then ordered the steward to tally the accounts and distribute all the household valuables among the staff.

For the half of the servants who didn't wish to leave, Li Ping'an left a written deed allowing them to continue living in the mansion.

Let's skip the endless expressions of gratitude.

After handling these trivial matters, Li Ping'an returned to his own courtyard.

The courtyard showed no signs of neglect. The three-story pavilion had been freshly painted with vermilion lacquer not long ago, giving off a faint woody scent.

Led by a few slightly nervous maidservants, Li Ping'an brought Wei Yanzi and Chen Gongmin into the pavilion, opened a hidden door, and descended the stairs into Li Ping'an's "secret base."

This so-called secret base had only excavated a small portion of what Li Ping'an had originally planned—just two studies.

One study was filled with books. Li Ping'an took out a Storage Artifact and collected all the tomes he had acquired at great expense over the years, leaving a few erotic picture albums on the shelves.

The other study displayed various contraptions Li Ping'an had tinkered with: improved carriage models, Luban Locks, Mechanism Crossbows, and self-walking Mechanism Puppets that moved once wound up...

"You actually have such skills!"

Wei Yanzi laughed.

"No wonder you enjoy studying the Dao of Artifact Refining—you were already fond of tinkering back in the mortal world.

"This puppet is well made, though a bit simple."

Li Ping'an smiled. "Just something to toy with. I'm just about done packing. Let's teleport away from here—I dislike farewells."

"Excellent!"

Wei Yanzi and Chen Gongmin walked toward an earthen wall hung with a landscape scroll painting and vanished into it.

Li Ping'an looked around the room, walked to the wall, and brushed his fingers across the edge of the desk.

He made a shallow Daoist bow toward the space, then turned and vanished, free and untraceable.

Before leaving, Li Ping'an didn't forget to probe everywhere with his spiritual sense. Those few spring palace albums—he had no idea which senior had conveniently taken them away.

(PS: Thank you to 'Da Ying Yu De' and 'sfqk' for the Silver Grand Alliance support!

Thank you to 'Hangqing Buyu', 'Liren Xinshangju', 'Zisang Lingfeng', 'Wuwang Changkong', 'Bushi Rong Xiaorong', 'AdrianWen', 'Lianruo v', 'Wangqing i', 'Tcmiaou', 'Xiao Fengzi and Da Yingzi', 'Braised Duck', 'Once There Was a Girl Who Called Me Big Pig Trotters', 'Young Master Queyue', 'Blue Algae Is Not Algae', 'Ren Zhi Chu 1967', 'Qingquan Liuxiang', 'Tuanzi Tuanzi Tuan', 'Canglan Fate', 'There Will Be More Later' for the Grand Alliance Lord support!

An extra chapter will be added at 7 PM tonight! After going on the shelves, I'll work hard to add more chapters! Please vote and bookmark!

If you all enjoy reading, I'll write more.)