Housewarming Feast (Part One)

Invitations have been sent out.

About a month later, the banquet officially began.

All of his relatives and friends naturally arrived, and many Daoist priests came from Mount Luofu, all of whom looked at Li Qi with somewhat complicated expressions.

However, the Daoist priests who had previously cooperated with Li Qi and handled matters in the Sacred Flame Realm were constantly explaining to them that this was not a political marriage, but rather a genuine union of hearts.

Whether they believed it or not was another matter, but these Daoist priests clearly had no intention of causing trouble. They sat there calmly and even formed a group to Li Qi.

Li Qi naturally took it very seriously, accepting all comers, and things remained peaceful.

However, some of those who had worked with Li Qi were quite emotional, saying things like, "So this day has come after all," as they bid farewell to Shen Shuibi.

For them, this meant that Shen Shuibi had officially left Mount Luofu. From now on, Mount Luofu would be her maternal home and her sect, but it would never be her 'home'.

Shen Shuibi's 'home' has been moved to this cave abode at this very moment.

However, Shen Shuibi didn't feel any regret. She wasn't dead, and she could go back anytime she wanted, so it wasn't a big deal at all.

After that, Yang Ning also came.

As soon as she arrived, she pulled Li Qi to a secluded spot at the back. Everyone else wanted to follow, but Shen Shuibi stopped them.

Hmm... Li Qi shouldn't get beaten up, right?

Later, Li Qi glanced at Yang Ning and wisely refrained from speaking.

Speaking now might cause problems.

The sun's essence Fire Qi.

However, unexpectedly, Yang Ning did not do anything drastic. Instead, she said to Li Qi in a very ordinary way, "The location is well chosen. Cultivating here should be fast, and the foundation is deep, so there is no fear of it being depleted."

"We still need to be more restrained. There needs to be a limit to the acquisition of Qi, otherwise it may disrupt the balance and affect the stability of the Great Source," Li Qi replied casually, pondering what Yang Ning wanted to say.

"I know it's against the natural order Mount Luofu knows this too, otherwise our mountain gate would have been emptied long ago. We also understand the way of nature. The Dao Ancestor once said that 'the Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity.' Of course we understand the importance of maintaining the Great Source." Yang Ning found a place to sit down.

Li Qi figured it out from those two sentences of conversation.

She seemed to want to say something, but didn't know what to say. However, she wasn't the type to hesitate, so she pulled herself together. Once she did, she found that she really couldn't say anything, so she started chatting idly.

A few more casual words followed.

Li Qi agreed, but then noticed that the other person didn't seem to be leaving.

So, after thinking for a moment, Li Qi stepped forward and said, "Don't worry."

Upon hearing this, Yang Ning was momentarily stunned. Then, she reached out and grabbed Li Qi's collar, holding it tightly, and said in a low voice, "How can I rest easy? I heard her say that at most a thousand years from now, war will break out."

"So what if we go to war?" Li Qi asked.

Yang Ning did not answer; of course she knew that.

So what if war breaks out? Can she stop it?

This war will involve multiple sorcerer gods, Perfected Person emperor may personally take action. The Sun and Moon Path is of great importance and can be considered a high-ranking event among the first-rank gods.

By seizing the Great Dao Opportunity of the Sun and Moon Path to advance, one will have complete control over the workings of the heavens, and may even be able to influence the Star Official and establish connections with the Four Symbols.

In this context, what else can they do? What can they possibly do?

So Yang Ning couldn't say anything either, because she couldn't escape herself.

However, Li Qi grabbed her hand and pried her fingers off one by one from his collar.

Yang Ning was astonished to discover that Li Qi's cultivation level was already high enough to interfere with her physical body, and he could even pry open her fingers.

At this moment, Li Qi repeated, "Don't worry."

After that, there was silence between the two of them.

Yang Ning's hair turned from black to golden red, then gradually burned, before slowly calming down.

Finally, she turned and walked out, leaving only the words, "Then I can rest assured for now. If anything happens..."

She choked up at this point.

Something went wrong, and then what?

Will she still have the mind to settle scores with Li Qi then?

Thinking of this, she simply stopped talking and walked out in silence.

Li Qi shook his head.

He said "Don't worry" twice.

But is he at ease with himself?

It's hard to say, it's hard to say.

However, let's do our best.

After seeing Yang Ning off, Li Qi was about to leave when he saw another person enter.

A woman who looked to be around forty or fifty years old, not young, but still very charming.

Li Qi certainly recognized who this was.

Granny Mei is one of the only four remaining in Mount Luofu.

"Granny Mei." Li Qi immediately stepped forward and bowed.

When interacting with elders, one must not fail to observe proper etiquette.

"Li Qi, the last time I saw you, you were only an eighth-rank official," Granny Mei said, looking at Li Qi.

"Yes, I was young back then," Li Qi replied with a smile.

"You are still very young now, and it's only been a few years since then. To me, it's just a blink of an eye, but you've already reached the sixth rank." Granny Mei looked at Li Qi, her eyes filled with... indescribable emotions.

I don't know if it's admiration, fear, or... worry?

"I've progressed too quickly and my foundation is unstable. I'm sorry to have made Granny Mei laugh at me." Li Qi immediately lowered his head.

"Some people can't even have an unstable foundation if they want to. They've been cultivating for less than ten years and they're already at the sixth rank. If word got out, it would scare a lot of people to death," Granny Mei sighed.

"Many Child of Destiny can do it too," Li Qi replied immediately.

"Yes, the Child of Destiny can do it too, but the Child of Destiny's Dao Path is inherently restricted; he cannot transcend the level of the world itself," Granny Mei said.

"It's not that it's impossible, it's just very difficult. You need to make up for what you haven't put in a thousand times, ten thousand times more, just like me," Li Qi said with a smile.

Yes, Li Qi was forcibly promoted from a third-rank to a sixth-rank by the head of a third-rank being, just like Child of Destiny being forcibly promoted by the power of the world's Heavenly Dao. He will have to pay the price in the future.

A fifth-rank Child of Destiny would need to put in thousands of times more effort than an average person to cultivate from scratch to the fifth rank in order to break through to the fifth rank.

The same applies to Li Qi.

Granny Mei waved her hand. "It's different. Your debt will only be repaid when you reach the third rank, but the Child of Destiny has to repay it on the spot. This is much less efficient."

When Li Qi arrives, he will be repaying a debt owed to a sixth-rank official even if it's a thousandfold or ten thousandfold, but there will still be a chance.

But the Child of Destiny are bound to repay debts of equal rank, and they may not be able to repay even once, let alone ten thousand times. That is why it is said that the Child of Destiny cannot transcend the world itself.

However, Li Qi couldn't understand why Granny Mei would say these things to him. He didn't understand the meaning of these conversations. Was Granny Mei trying to... warn him about something?

Li Qi was puzzled, but he didn't want to guess, so he simply asked, "Granny Mei, is there any deeper meaning behind what you're telling me?"

"Profound meaning? Why should there be a profound meaning in what we say?" Granny Mei, puzzled.

However, being a fourth-rank expert after all, she immediately realized Li Qi's concerns.

So the old man reached out and patted Li Qi's head.

Li Qi felt a little uncomfortable, since no one had ever touched his head before. When Zhu Fengdan touched his head, she was probably preparing to beat him up.

However, since the other party was a kind elder, Li Qi did not respond in any special way.

Granny Mei said, "Your promotion was too fast. Others may only feel envious, but... you definitely couldn't achieve this speed through hard work. You must have seen a lot of things you shouldn't have seen, right? And the reason they approached you is that they want something from you."

Li Qi remained silent.

"Don't worry, what do you think I would want from you? Not everyone speaks to you with hidden meanings. Take a good rest. The next few days may be the most peaceful period of your life." After saying this, Granny Mei looked at Li Qi with a look of heartache and regret before getting up and leaving.

Li Qi then realized this.

Just as the other party said, she really was just like an ordinary elder, coming over for a simple chat, perhaps talking about everyday things, asking about Shen Shuibi's situation, and so on.

However, after Li Qi finished speaking, she gave up on the plan and left.

Li Qi stood there for a long time before letting out a sigh.

Yes, there are people in this world who do that. Sometimes, not every word has a deeper meaning.

I have to say, this feeling is pretty good.

Thinking of this, Li Qi felt a little more excited. He went out again and greeted the guests with Shen Shuibi.

Before long, all the spirits on the mountain, the villagers from the village at the foot of the mountain, and the demons from various demon nests arrived.

They all looked at the important figures beside them with trepidation.

There were people from Wushen Mountain and Mount Luofu, and there were people of the fifth and sixth ranks everywhere. Even the mountain god Niu Huang, who had the highest cultivation among them, was terrified and had to walk with his head down.

Fortunately, no one thought these little monsters were noisy. In fact, no one paid any attention to them. Many of the little mice and weasels were running around, rolling around on the floating delicacies, eating voraciously, and then being pulled down by the elders of the tribe.

It was clear that the older rats and weasels really wanted to give these little brats a good beating, but since they were still at a banquet and afraid that their crying would spoil the important people's enjoyment, they just glared at them fiercely without actually doing anything.

Having not been punished, the little rascals were naturally not afraid. Although they restrained themselves a bit, they still played around with each other, laughing and running around. Some of the bolder ones even greeted the larks of Mount Luofu.

Although most of the welcoming larks of Mount Luofu had already reached the rank of Master and their cultivation was higher than that of the weasel elders, they were of lower seniority and younger age, and had the temperament of children. They really got along well with these little brats, without regard for their status or cultivation. A bunch of little larks and mice mingled together, flying and darting around the hall, their laughter echoing everywhere.

The Mount Luofu smiled knowingly, but the rat elders and the like were so frightened that they could barely stand. It was only after the mountain god Niu Huang persuaded them that they did not rush to punish the children, but instead let them play.

As for the adults, they seemed to be infected by the laughter and chatter everywhere, and the banquet became much more lively.

Li Qi greeted the guests, offering toasts everywhere to welcome the newcomers.

A short while later, Bo Yue and the others arrived as well.

Bo Yue, Yan Ke, and Zhong Minglou also arrived here, but... they were still at the eighth rank and had not been promoted.

Not everyone can advance two ranks in a few years; they need to accumulate experience and then steadily advance to the seventh rank.

"Damn it, sixth rank! You're a monster!" Bo Yue punched Li Qi on the shoulder. "How did you get promoted? Did your master give you some kind of empowerment?"

Though said unintentionally, it hit the nail on the head. Li Qi gave a wry smile, "Sigh, don't even mention it. Do you think I wanted to? But judging from your appearance, your foundation is already solid. Why haven't you started working on your promotion yet?"

Yan Ke tossed his hair, exuding his handsome charm, and laughed, "He was planning to settle down for a hundred years before talking about the seventh rank. Just a few days ago, he cracked the lottery mechanism in Chang'an, which was a good way to accumulate some wealth. The kid was overjoyed, but the Celestial Person changed it again, and it hasn't been cracked yet. He's planning to deal with it first."

Bo Yue is also a top genius. His studies in Chang'an have brought him a lot of benefits, and he now seems to have a chance to become a seventh-rank official.

However, he was different from Li Qi. Li Qi was always being chased for promotion, while Bo Yue had enough time to slowly accumulate experience and build up his skills before being promoted when everything was in perfect order.

However, this is actually a manifestation of the gap.

If Bo Yue were to advance to the seventh rank now, it would diminish his potential, so he wouldn't do that and would rather take it slower.

However, when Li Qi was promoted from the eighth rank to the seventh rank, although it was said that he was forced to do so, he had actually accumulated enough experience, which is why others were amazed.

However, when it came to advancing to the sixth rank, it was like being forced into it; there was no other way, or the Demon Prince would kill you.

The three chatted happily. Yan Ke even brought a female companion, Li Qi didn't recognize, but was said to be a little flower goddess. However, Zhong Minglou, who was next to him, remained silent the whole time.

Everyone was used to it; Zhong Minglou was a quiet person, so naturally no one found it strange.

Standing next to him was a caregiver, the ordinary person Li Qi had hired for him. She was also terrified, and was just pushing Zhong Minglou's wheelchair, nervously looking around.

She had never seen anything like it before in this area—demons, Demon God, and monsters. She had been told this when she arrived, but no one had told her that even the rats in the territory of Wushen Mountain could talk!

It's one thing for rats to talk, and it's normal for monsters to talk, but that divine ox just now brought over a stone, and that stone could talk too!

This is truly bizarre.

The young master's team chatted for a while and were about to leave, some eating and others greeting guests, when Zhong Minglou suddenly coughed.

The other three immediately quieted down and perked up their ears.

If a charlatan speaks, you have to listen carefully.

After coughing, Zhong Minglou remained silent for a while.

The others waited patiently as well.

However, after waiting for about two or three minutes, Yan Ke couldn't hold back any longer. "Ming Lou, what do you want to say?"

"Huh? I don't have anything to say." Zhong Minglou asked, puzzled.

"Then why are you coughing?"

My throat is itchy.