The Shape of Home

Li Qi watched the other person leave.

It really was... a setup.

But this cause and effect has indeed been formed, and it's not just an ordinary favor; it also involves my own life.

This cause and effect is not something that can be easily resolved. Even great beings are entangled by it. For example, the Buddha had such a connection.

The mythical peacock is known for its violent nature. It once ate the Buddha, who then emerged from a hole in its back. It is said that because it came from the peacock's body, it was reborn. Therefore, the peacock is called the Buddha's Mother, and the Roc is its maternal uncle.

Because of this connection, the peacock later became the Buddha Mother of the Western Paradise, known as the Great Peacock King.

If even Buddha had such a experience, then Li Qi would naturally be the same.

If the other party simply doesn't kill him, then wanting to kill him but not doing so simply cancels out the conflict, so there's no question of 'owing me a life'.

If this were true, anyone could come along, claim they were going to kill everyone in the world, and then say they weren't, wouldn't everyone in the world owe them a life?

Therefore, the other party set up this scheme to make Li Qi owe this.

First, they misled Li Qi by using information Li Qi knew, making him believe that the lama wanted to kill Li Qi. So Li Qi naturally wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. Then, they had their disciples take action, and Li Qi directly killed his disciples.

At this point, his killing of Li Qi was a logical act of 'revenge,' and it gave him the upper hand.

But he didn't. Instead, he let Li Qi live and even gave him a hint that helped Li Qi make some breakthroughs.

Li Qi could actually have chosen not to make this breakthrough.

However, this gift was too generous, a new way to resolve his conflict on the Dao Path!

Will Li Qi refuse?

Clearly, he couldn't refuse.

Therefore, the other party protected him again, and thus, this cause and effect was formed.

A human life, plus this debt of gratitude, the layers of human kindness...

This lama, he must know about the matters he and Dakini Heaven discussed, right? He's only a fifth-rank official, so he might not be representing me.

Is it possible that he was sent by Tsongkhapa?

Or perhaps... it's the Black Heaven?

Li Qi shook his head.

It seems I've fallen into some kind of trap again. Who knows, maybe this is a trap set by Dakini Heaven for me?

Sigh, this world is like this. When you do something, there's always someone to get involved. No wonder so many people want to leave the world behind; it's all because of these kinds of things.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

What else can we do? We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Anyway, the rabbit issue has been resolved. The rest... is to keep trying to persuade Zhu Fengdan to give up the idea of sending the rabbit to the front lines.

Li Qi did indeed place some spies on the front lines, but no matter what kind of spies they are, accidents can happen, right? It's best to avoid going if possible.

There will be no danger if you don't go.

As for cause and effect and human relationships today...

Forget it, too many lice don't itch, too many debts don't worry. I still have a debt of Human Path on my shoulders. The Honglu Temple paid for Shen Shuibi's treatment, which is also a kind of cause and effect.

I'll have to pay it back eventually, whatever.

It's been abandoned.

Go home!

With the thought of giving up, Li Qi suddenly felt a sense of relief and relaxed. He stopped thinking about those worrying things and instead rode away quickly in a beam of light.

However, after Li Qi left, he saw many cultivators from the city behind him converging on this side.

They all saw the Great Fire Dharma image just now, and the scene of Li Qi's Dharma image supporting the heavens, and knew that a great battle had taken place here!

Seeing that the main characters of the great battle had left, they hurriedly ran out to see if there were any fortuitous opportunity.

The traces of the battlefield are themselves fortuitous opportunity.

Just like when Li Qi went to Zhu Ming Cave, if he were Human Path cultivator or a swordsman, he would have made a huge profit. Merely observing the Human Emperor Sword wouldn't have been enough to learn much from it.

These people are human too.

Perhaps this is... just a certain kind of ecosystem in the world.

Beyond this realm, such relics are said to be even more sought after, no longer limited to the struggle between individual cultivators, but potentially sparking a war between civilizations.

For a small world, the battle ruins of a powerful being are similar to the discovery of the remains of some advanced alien civilization on Earth.

Even a tiny bit of understanding can propel the entire civilization forward at breakneck speed.

So, with several smaller worlds discovering the same ruins, a war between civilizations is probably imminent.

But those weren't things Li Qi was thinking about at the moment. He didn't even care much about the ruins behind him. Anyway, he had controlled his strength when he actually exerted it, so there wasn't a strong aftershock. Therefore, it shouldn't have much impact on the environment, nor would it attract anything like the Heavenly Patrol Officer.

This return trip only took about two months because I had already seen most of the scenery along the way, so it didn't take much time.

Return to Wushen Mountain, arrive at Liesu, and activate it.

In a flash, they arrived at the entrance of the cave abode on Xuanjing Mountain.

The moment he arrived, Shen Shuibi noticed him. She was sitting at the entrance of the cave abode, and immediately turned to look at Li Qi.

"You're back? This trip took longer than planned, more than two years." Rabbit stood up, walked forward, and naturally took Li Qi's hand, looking him over.

Then, she frowned. "You're injured? Your heart meridian was severed?"

As she spoke, she flicked her wrist, and a roll of silver needles unfurled and hung in mid-air. She pulled out a few needles and stuck them around Li Qi.

"Fortunately, the heart is the master, the emperor, and the abode of the spirit. Its organs are strong and cannot tolerate evil. So even though the heart meridian is broken like this, no external evil has invaded. I will unblock your Shaoyin meridian, and then observe the strength of your Qi. I will treat it with speed and slowness, and replenish what is weak and drained. In this way, the Evil Qi will be expelled and the True Qi will be strengthened, so that no sequelae will be left."

"By the way, how did you get this injury? And there's demonic fire in it... Hmm, thankfully, your cultivation is solid and strong, so you're not seriously injured. Wait a minute, what's going on with your inner world? It's fused so well? Did you break through?"

As she spoke, her hands continued to move.

In the depression behind the little finger's base, directly at the Laogong point, where the Hand Shaoyin Meridian resides, insert the needle three-tenths of an inch deep.

Two more needles were inserted into the Shaochong acupoint, one fen deep, left for one breath, and one moxibustion treatment was applied.

The Shenmen acupoint, located in the depression at the end of the Dui bone on the back of the palm, is where the Hand Shaoyin Meridian flows. Insert the needle three fen deep, retain it for seven breaths, and then apply moxibustion for three cones.

Then, pierce five fen into the depression behind the elbow joint at Lingdao, Shaohai, Jimen, and the inner elbow joint.

In this way, Li Qi's injuries were temporarily suppressed.

Li Qi barely spoke throughout, just watching her chatter on and on.

Because his heart meridian was blocked by the silver needles, he appeared somewhat dazed, and his vision began to blur.

I remember a long, long time ago, Rabbit was actually a quiet person who didn't talk much. She would often space out for a whole day. At that time, she was still on her way to find Lady Luofu.

When Li Qi and she were traveling, he often tried to strike up a conversation with her, hoping to say more, but Rabbit was often indifferent and preoccupied with her worries, showing no interest in talking.

At that time, Li Qi felt that she was aloof and arrogant.

Li Qi racked his brains, hoping to exchange a few more words with her, thinking that at that time he wanted to build a good relationship and not become friends.

Now, Rabbit, who is socially awkward, can talk to him very naturally, and Li Qi no longer needs to take the initiative to make conversation.

"What's wrong? I'm asking you where this injury came from?" The rabbit twirled the silver needle, its expression displeased.

Her twist was deliberate; Li Qi immediately felt a sharp pain, and the memories of the past in his mind gradually blurred, while the scene before him became vivid again.

Just then, a child who looked about seven or eight years old suddenly darted out from the side, leaped up, sat on Li Qi's shoulder, grabbed Li Qi's hair, and said, "Father! Mother is asking you a question!"

Shen Shuibi then picked up the brat and said, "Get out of here! You know I'm the one asking! Your father has needles stuck in his body, don't disturb his meridians."

"Yeah, yeah, I told you, boss, don't be so reckless." At this moment, a jade pendant hanging from Li Shiwei's waist spoke in human language.

"Mind your own business!" Li Shiwei clenched her fist and gently tapped the jade pendant.

Li Qi also came to his senses completely. The dazedness caused by the blockage in his heart meridian disappeared, but it made him feel his current situation even more vividly.

"It's nothing, just some lamas came up to cause me trouble, but I've already driven them away. There's nothing they can do about it," Li Qi said with a smile.

"That's good." Shen Shuibi said as she put the naughty child on the ground.

As soon as Li Shiwei landed, she threw herself onto Li Qi's lap, hugged Li Qi leg, and started rubbing against him, saying, "Father... dear dad! You're finally back! You won't be leaving again after this trip, right?!"

"Who did you learn this from? Your mother doesn't talk or act like this at all." Li Qi picked her up and said, "Why don't you learn something good and be like your mother, a cool and aloof beauty?"

"No, Father, that aloofness doesn't work anymore." Li Shiwei shook her head like a little adult, and pointed with her finger, saying, "Auntie told me that I can't be like you two, so quiet and reserved. You'll easily suffer when you go out into the world like that."

"Auntie? Yang Ning is here?" Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi.

The rabbit nodded. "After you left, Yang Ning seemed to feel uneasy about us being a widow and her child, so she moved in with me. Shiwei also likes her very much, but... now that she's with Yang Ning all day, she's become about seven or eight parts like her." Shen Shuibi shook her head with a wry smile, not knowing what to say.

"My aunt is amazing, I think she's even more amazing than my mother! My aunt said that my mother used to get beaten by her every day when she was little! So now my personality is like my aunt's, and my mother is now getting her revenge on me," Li Shiwei said with a grin.

The Xuanjing Jade on her waist hummed, flew up, and disappeared into her pocket.

It's clear that this piece of jade is quite clever. Upon hearing this, it knew the naughty child was about to get a beating, so it hid to avoid being hurt.

As expected, Shen Shuibi's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she walked up with her hands on her hips.

Li Qi watched from behind with a smile.

I never would have guessed that.

That aloof and beautiful rabbit has now turned into this.

But...

Isn't that great?

It seems that entrusting children's education to Yang Ning wouldn't be feasible.

Thinking of this, Li Qi decisively got up.

He can't bring himself to hit the child, but it's better for him to talk to Yang Ning.

Thinking this, Li Qi strolled out amidst the child's cries.

Fortunately, the brat doesn't hold grudges after being beaten and is carefree, which is quite similar to Yang Ning's personality.

Damn it, this is so strange. She had a child similar to Yang Ning's, but it wasn't actually born to Yang Ning...

Li Qi strolled outside, searching for any trace of Yang Ning's presence.

That was easy to find. Before long, he found Yang Ning's current residence in the cave abode by observing the fluctuations of cultivation and the traces of her dwelling.

It seems that Shen Shuibi specially arranged a room for her to stay in.

Just as Li Qi was knocking on the door, the array above the cave abode suddenly dissipated, and Yang Ning walked out and saw Li Qi.

She looked surprised for a moment, then frowned. "When did you get back?"

Li Qi smiled and said, "Just now, no more than fifteen minutes ago."

He and Yang Ning are now quite familiar with each other. Although Yang Ning still doesn't like him much, at least she's no longer hostile towards him.

"That's quite a coincidence. I suddenly felt a bit uneasy just now. By the way, why didn't Yu come with you? Was she hitting the child?" Yang Ning raised an eyebrow.

"My child is naughty, please excuse him." Li Qi cupped his hands in greeting.

"You think I led them astray?" Yang Ning's senses were very sharp, and she immediately realized what Li Qi wanted to say.

Li Qi coughed twice, not bothering to hide his feelings, and said, "Ahem, it's not that we're leading them astray. It's actually a good thing for children to be lively. However, Yang Ning is a bit too lively. How about we tone her down a bit? Also, we shouldn't tell children everything. Bringing up stories about adults fighting when they were young is not a good idea, is it?"

Yang Ning narrowed her eyes upon hearing these words.

Then she shrugged. "Fine, since you've said so, then so be it. After all, it's your child."

"That's good, that's good. By the way, when did you become so easy to talk to?" Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He thought Yang Ning wouldn't listen to reason, but he didn't expect her to be so reasonable.

"Well, it's nothing. After all, you have your own considerations. Taking care of a child is quite tiring, especially for you. The journey to the West... wasn't it difficult?" Yang Ning asked.

Li Qi was taken aback.

Then he smiled and said, "It's a small matter, everything's taken care of. Things are much more stable at the front now. The next step is to try to see if I can avoid going."

Yang Ning nodded calmly. "That's good, but if you really have to go, take me with you."

"Okay," Li Qi replied.

The brief conversation ended.

Li Qi was somewhat moved.

Finally, it feels like... a home.

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