Housewarming Banquet (Part 2) and Settling In

Bo Yue rolled his eyes.

Yan Ke coughed awkwardly twice, then put his arm around the beautiful little flower goddess beside him and simply led her to admire the illusion set up by Li Qi.

"Oh, right, here's something for you. Liu Shenzhi and the others still haven't come, but they replied to you and asked me to bring it back." Bo Yue took out a letter from his pocket.

Li Qi took the letter and nodded slightly. "I understand."

"Then I'll head over there and take a look at the feng shui of your cave abode." Bo Yue waved his hand and left.

As a diviner within the Wushen Mountain, his duties are the easiest, so he basically has nothing to do. Diviners bear almost no real responsibility. However, correspondingly, it is a consensus among the other two lineages to consult a diviner when in doubt.

Li Qi, on the other hand, opened the letter.

The letter reads:

"Li Qi is a good friend; I regard this letter as my own."

"It has only been a year since we parted, yet we have come to this parting. But everyone has their own path, and I understand this principle. Although I am worried, I have no regrets."

"In ancient times, people's hearts were chaotic and no different from plants and trees, taking feathers as their analogy. Later sages guided them with rites and music and taught them benevolence and righteousness. Then the system of benevolence, righteousness and rules was established. Unexpectedly, Perfected Person and shamans were separated and became different from each other."

"However, although our paths differ, our hearts are equally steadfast. I am not concerned about my lowly status, but about the lack of firmness in my beliefs. If my beliefs are not firm, my virtue will not be broadened, and my faith in the Way will not be steadfast. How can I achieve anything? I truly fear that I will squander the great treasure of the sages and dishonor the remaining blessings of the great shamans. If my actions do not conform to the Way and my words do not align with the agreement, then I should leave for Chu and Yue, as if discarding worn-out shoes and not going to Chang'an. This would be the wisest course of action."

"Seeing my friend in this state, my heart is both pained and at peace. I only hope that when we meet again, it will be without war. My deepest friendship is contained in this letter. Enclosed is a Witchcraft Silkworm, a magical artifact. From now on, though we part ways, we will remain of one heart. Take care and do not worry about me."

The letter was short. After reading it, Li Qi shook his head and took out the Witchcraft Silkworm from the envelope.

The Witchcraft Silkworm has no mind, only instinct. This Witchcraft Silkworm was still alive and immediately opened its mouth to try to eat the envelope.

Li Qi reached out and froze the Witchcraft Silkworm, then put it into a deep sleep and put it into Mustard Seed Bag. The letters were also frozen together.

Liu Shenzhi said:

"I am not worried about its low status, but about the lack of firmness in the Way. If the Way is not firm, I am afraid that the great treasure of the sages will be lost and the remaining blessings of the great shamans will be disgraced. If one's actions do not conform to the Way and one's words do not conform to the agreement, then one should leave Chu and Yue as if discarding worn-out shoes."

Since that's the case, there's no need to say more.

However, after reading it, Li Qi realized that Zhong Minglou was standing right next to him.

How come this person is so invisible? They didn't even notice the true knowledge!

Li Qi was startled and jumped back.

"Minglou... what are you doing?" Li Qi asked quickly.

Zhong Minglou took a step forward and suddenly fell to the ground.

He fell to the ground with a thud, his head hitting the stalactite.

"Ah! Young Master Minglou!" The caregiver next to him rushed forward to help him up, but saw that his forehead was bleeding profusely, so she quickly took out a handkerchief to stop the bleeding.

Li Qi also rushed forward and used his Technique Method to heal Zhong Minglou's injuries.

But...

When the Technique Method touched Zhong Minglou's body, it was repelled by an invisible force, and the Technique Method in Li Qi's hand dissipated directly, but he himself was not affected.

"This is... Daoist rhythm?" Li Qi immediately realized what was stopping him.

Fragments of the Great Dao! Also known as the Daoist rhyme.

Why would they stop me?

However, by this time, the Zhong Minglou had already skillfully stopped the bleeding. He said to the caregiver, "It's nothing. I just saw something and was caught off guard, so I fell."

The caregiver was complaining as she bandaged him up; clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened.

Li Qi squatted down and looked at Zhong Minglou, waiting for him to finish treating his wounds.

After finishing, Zhong Minglou helped himself to his feet and then sat in his wheelchair.

"Minglou," Li Qi called out his name.

Zhong Minglou didn't answer. Instead, he shook his head, clutching his head which had just been injured by the impact, and wrote a single word in the air, "Peace of mind."

After saying that, he pushed his wheelchair and ran off in a hurry, at a speed that even the caregiver couldn't keep up with.

Li Qi did not chase after him; he could tell that Zhong Minglou was no longer willing to stay by his side.

As a diviner, Zhong Minglou must have just divined something, but he dared not say it, and even paid a price on the spot, so much so that he had to activate his Daoist aura to protect himself.

"Peace of mind..." Li Qi murmured these two words.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have peace of mind. What else can I do?

After watching the young master's team go off to do their own things, Li Qi continued to focus on welcoming guests.

After a while, Zhu Fengdan arrived.

Of course, as Li Qi's master, he would definitely come, and he also brought along Old Ma, who had eaten too much that day.

Old Ma is now being held in his hand like a mudfish.

"Teacher." Upon seeing Zhu Fengdan arrive, Li Qi immediately stepped forward, displaying utmost courtesy.

"It's a good thing that you're opening your own residence. I was worried that you two would be staying at my place, and I would have to stay out tonight." Zhu Fengdan showed no sense of responsibility as an elder and patted Li Qi on the shoulder as soon as she came up.

Then he continued, "By the way, I brought your brother over. I noticed he didn't have a name, so I gave him one."

Upon hearing this, Li Qi's eyes widened, and he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Thank you, teacher, for bestowing upon me a name!"

"It's a small matter. He'll take his own surname, Ma. I named him Ma Ji. Can you guess what that means?" Zhu Fengdan asked.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi frowned and pondered for a few minutes before cautiously replying, "Ji and Ji are homophones, implying the acquisition of a fine horse. Also, Ji is not the same as the state or the Altar of Earth and Grain, but rather the day's grain, is that correct?"

"Not bad, you're quite solid in these areas~." Zhu Fengdan smiled, he had nothing to say about his disciple's knowledge level, she was indeed a walking library.

The name "Ji" (骥) is derived from the idea that a horse is named after a dragon, implying that it is not known for its strength but for its virtue. This name highlights the horse's identity as Dragon Steed and expresses high expectations for it.

The Book of Documents records. "Emperor Yao reigned for seventy years. He repaired the altars at Heluo and Luoyang. On the Xin day of the second month, the rites were completed. When the sun rose, a glorious light emerged from the river. Dragon Horse- horse, carrying armor in its mouth, with red markings and green plumage, appeared at the altar and spat out the armor pattern." It is said that "Ji" means "side." The "Ode to the Dragon Horse" says, "Some have extraordinary appearances and unique feet, born out of the virtue of the sage."

Therefore, the steed is not praised for its strength, but for its virtue. The former emperor Yao, because of his holy virtue, gave birth to a Dragon Horse came to pay homage with a map in its mouth.

Therefore, Ma Ji) is derived from this meaning.

"Thank you, Old Ma. With such a name, Ma Ji's future Dao Path will be much smoother," Li Qi replied.

Zhu Fengdan waved her hand casually. "By the way, the time has been set. The war will start in a thousand years. As for the front line I'm in charge of, it's near the Heart Mansion, which is quite far. You'll find out when the time comes. You can stay at home for the next four or five hundred years. After that, you'll be going to the vicinity of the front line. As a strategist, you'll be responsible for setting up the front line. There will be many people coming from that direction."

Li Qi nodded to indicate that he understood, but at the same time, he had some doubts, so he asked, "Several hundred years ahead... won't this really give us away?"

"What are you going to expose? You don't think you can hide it by then, do you? Total war starts from the moment the battlefield is set up. Human Path forces can break out from every corner. There's nowhere to hide. We can only fight head-on." Zhu Fengdan said nonchalantly.

Li Qi remained silent.

That is indeed the case, but when Human Path, Shaman Path, and the Way of Evolution are vying for power, there is no place that can be considered safe, nor is there any place that can be considered a secret.

The Shaman Path has diviners, the Human Path has Heaven Supervision Department, and the true dragons must also have their own methods. At that time, everyone will be playing their cards openly. Things can only be hidden at home, not on the battlefield. No matter what methods you use, they may not be exposed during the secret weapon stage, but when you are ready to use them, they will naturally be revealed.

A war where both sides reveal their cards is the most dangerous.

But this also puts the skills of each commander to the test.

Those unparalleled sages will engage in a fierce battle of wits with all the intelligence in hand, far surpassing the petty cleverness Li Qi displayed in his battle against the Demon Prince.

The more Li Qi understood the magnitude of this war, the heavier the burden on his shoulders became.

How can Shen Shuibi be rescued from danger? Can he really find the loopholes in those brilliant minds and help Shen Shuibi find a way out?

Admittedly, to those unparalleled sages, Li Qi was merely a pawn on the battlefield. With a single command from him, millions of pawns would vanish into thin air. Therefore, Li Qi was only facing a tiny, insignificant part of the opponent's vast wisdom... Their attention was entirely focused on the opponent's sages.

But can you find out a small portion of them on your own?

However, just as Li Qi was struggling with his decision, Zhu Fengdan patted him on the shoulder. The culprit who had thrown Shen Shuibi to the front lines said with a grin, "Although I am very unhappy with Mi Xin, his advice to you is still correct. Think about it carefully. Your master will not harm you, but he will not spoil you either. There will definitely be a way out. This advice is the greatest help I can give you."

After saying that, Zhu Fengdan stretched and ran to find Granny Mei. It was said that he wanted to have a meeting with the parents. Since Lady Luofu was not here, he would go to Granny Mei instead.

Li Qi stood still and nodded.

This is indeed a great help.

Having a goal means that your efforts are worthwhile. The hardest thing is not climbing to the top, but being a headless fly.

As long as there is a mountain in front of you, you just have to climb it. What's scary is when there is no mountain, and you don't even know where to put your strength. Zhu Fengdan's reminder is indeed very important. Teacher... as expected, she is still a teacher.

Putting these distracting thoughts aside, Li Qi stood still and began to quickly recall.

What did the great shaman Mi Xin say to him?

He began to draw upon his memory, recalling every word the other person had said to him, and every detail of every second he had been by his side.

Then, he found a sentence.

"Don't be discouraged. If you want to do something, it's always best to start now."

"If you want to cultivate the qualities that an immortal should have, you should start now. You may think this is asking too much of others, or that it is an impossible task, but you should know that so-called impossible and huge tasks are also made up of one small thing after another that can be accomplished."

"You must learn to find the answers in your long life, to break down the seemingly impossible grand goals into smaller, achievable parts, and then complete them little by little."

"All great achievements are initially built brick by brick. The way to destroy a group of worlds is to destroy worlds one by one. The way to cross endless realms is to advance step by step. No matter how grand something is, it must eventually be composed of smaller parts."

(See Chapter 299)

What if we interpret this sentence in reverse?

All great achievements are initially built brick by brick, and this war is a great undertaking that will sweep across the heavens, with countless people involved.

So, in other words, Li Qi and Shen Shuibi are one of the bricks in the wall.

What he needs to do is not to fight against the entire great cause, but to remove one brick and replace it with another without affecting the entire great cause.

Thinking about it this way, the difficulty of the matter suddenly decreased significantly, and it became much more hopeful.

The problem is, where can we find a brick to replace Shen Shuibi?

This is something to consider later. There are still five or six hundred years, which is enough for Li Qi to slowly do these things. Because Li Qi also remembered that the Great Shaman Mi Xin said another sentence, "Learn patience, learn to be long-term. Pursuing short-term and quick results is just a child's idea."

Li Qi still doesn't realize that he is an immortal being. After all, he is only in his thirties. Even if he is aware of it, his age doesn't allow him to truly understand immortal beings.

However, there is now enough time.

Let's set a timeframe, 450 years.

By breaking things down into four hundred and fifty years, he can take his time to think about and do things.

Upon thinking of this, Li Qi immediately felt much more relaxed.

That would be better.

So, let's continue welcoming guests.

Li Qi continued to preside over the banquet celebrating the opening of the government office until the very end, when everyone had enjoyed themselves to the fullest and left satisfied.

Niu Huang directed the spirits and villagers all over the mountain to pack up the remaining garbage.

It was both to help Li Qi get rid of the waste from the banquet and to take the opportunity to make a quick buck.

These pieces of trash are trash to Li Qi, but they are treasures to these people. They can make something amazing with them, including the parts that Li Qi damaged in his illusions.

Li Qi saw the guests off one by one.

Shen Shuibi was by his side, with him, and even accompanied Li Qi as he bid farewell to the people of Mount Luofu.

This move definitively signifies that her home will no longer be Mount Luofu; Mount Luofu will now be both her maternal home and her sect.

We waited until everyone left and everything was cleaned up.

The two closed the door to the cave abode.

They exchanged a glance.

Green leaves form a new canopy, and red blossoms adorn the branches.

The Milky Way seems to fall like stars, adorned with coral and seven treasures.

First, we drank the wine of Wenjun, and then rode the bright moonlight.

I wish to offer myself to you in the night, with the fragrance of orchids and sandalwood filling the air.