Precious Furnace Qi Absorption

Slowly, a faint look of appreciation appeared on Lu Liqian's jade-like, delicate face.

"Heh, catch!"

Lu Nanling's gaze flickered. He glanced at the young woman, then lightly flicked his sleeve. A thin paper booklet flew from its cuff and gently landed in Li Qingyun's upraised hands.

"Heh! Wanjin, take Junior Brother down with you. Mm, settle him in a third—mm, second-class room..."

Seated at the head of the grand hall, Lu Nanling smiled faintly and waved Li Qingyun and Lin Wanjin away.

Li Qingyun tucked the paper booklet into his robes. A flash of delight appeared on his pale, handsome face. He bowed once more to Lu Nanling, his daughter, and the others, then turned and left the hall.

The faint afternoon sunlight now reached into the grand hall through its gates, spilling over the youth's spring-tree-like figure. Brilliant golden light haloed his shoulders, lending him a few more traces of grace and vitality, and taking away some of his sickly frailty.

Lu Liqian's eyes brightened slightly, and she could not help following his figure with her gaze until Li Qingyun followed Lin Wanjin out of the hall and disappeared into the distance.

After the somewhat tedious formalities had ended and the attendant disciples around them had been dismissed, Lu Nanling lifted his teacup and took a shallow sip, lost in thought.

He looked at Lu Liqian, a doting smile on his face.

"Could it be that you have taken a fancy to this boy?"

"Though his family background is passable and he is rather handsome, it is a pity he does not possess the slightest Dao Bone Spiritual Root. From one look just now, his Three Treasures were wilted and spiritless as well. He must be a frivolous man with no self-restraint. He is utterly unworthy of you, even if he is only meant to be a cover..."

As he spoke, Lu Nanling's gaze could not help sweeping across the young woman's abdomen, his expression complicated beyond measure.

Beneath her slightly loose moon-white Daoist robe, Lu Liqian's lower belly was flat and soft, showing nothing unusual.

Yet father and daughter both knew that it would soon be impossible to conceal.

"Word has come from the sect. Yan Lang finished his travels last month and, upon returning, successfully established his Dao Foundation in one stroke. He has now been promoted to an inner sect disciple. Both the sect and the Yan family think very highly of him and intend to focus on nurturing him."

"How could I let Yan Lang be distracted at such a time and ruin his bright future? So, as Yan Lang said, I must first find someone to provide cover..."

Her waterfall of raven hair stirred lightly. Whenever Lu Liqian mentioned "Yan Lang," even her exquisite face seemed to glow, her eyes brimming with threads of love and longing.

Her expression was somewhat dreamy, as though she had recalled the romantic days and nights she had spent with Yan Lang over the past two months.

"Alas, but since you are already with child, there can be no delay!"

Lu Nanling was rather helpless, even faintly regretful. In the past, he should not have spoiled his daughter so excessively, leading to this day.

He toyed with the jade ruler in his hand, then nodded slightly. "That Li Qingyun is a useless man. He cannot cultivate mana or enter the Dao Path, and he looks fairly honest, even somewhat weak. He should be easy to control."

"Since you hold some appreciation for him, try getting to know him. If it does not work out, quickly seek another candidate. Actually, I think that Gu Zizhan is quite good. His strength lies in being simple and honest, and he is utterly infatuated with you. He can serve as an alternate choice..."

"Gu Zizhan?" Lu Liqian immediately looked disgusted. "Big and brawny, with a coarse face—how could he possibly be worthy of me? Even if I am only finding someone for cover, I must at least find someone as handsome and refined as that Li Qingyun!"

"Alas, then do as you please. Your father has only one thing to say: you must hurry..."

Lu Nanling's long sigh rang out once more through the bright hall.

"Junior Brother Qingyun, that is roughly how things are in the temple! I will be leaving first. If there is anything you do not understand later, you may come find me!"

A row of Bamboo Lodges lay half-hidden amid maple groves and green trees. After settling Li Qingyun in Room Bing Qi and briefly explaining a few matters concerning life in the back mountain, Lin Wanjin took his leave with a cheerful smile.

"Take care, Senior Brother!"

Already changed into a set of azure Daoist robes, Li Qingyun stood at the entrance of the Bamboo Lodge. He watched Lin Wanjin's figure flicker and vanish after only a few steps, and could not help feeling envious.

A mountain wind carrying a crisp chill blew over him, making him feel slightly cold, yet bringing a greater sense of peace to his heart.

He lifted the swaying door curtain and stepped back into the Bamboo Lodge.

The Bamboo Lodge was not particularly large. Two beds stood to the left and right, divided down the middle. Each side had a desk, as well as wooden cabinets for clothing and miscellaneous items. It was clearly a room for two.

He walked to the wooden bed on the left. That was his sleeping place in Lingbao Temple.

Compared to the bed on the right, his side was darker. After all, the right side was not only closer to the Bamboo Lodge's door, but also occupied the room's sole prized spot by the window.

He looked toward the desk by the window on the right. Perhaps that roommate had rushed out without tidying up, for the desk was somewhat cluttered. There were two unfinished talisman papers, Dan Sha and gold powder scattered over the tabletop, as well as a brush rack and other such items.

"This roommate, He Xiao, seems to be planning to follow the path of talisman arts..."

From Lin Wanjin's introduction, Li Qingyun had learned that his treatment was considered quite good. Upon first entering Lingbao Temple, he had already been assigned a second-class Bamboo Lodge. Ordinary new temple members were generally sent straight to third-class rooms.

So-called third-class rooms were communal sleeping quarters.

A single room would be packed to the brim, housing at least seven or eight people. The whole place would reek of feet, and at night one would have to endure the rising and falling chorus of snores.

He could not help recalling the moment in Lu Nanling's residence when Senior Sister Lu had changed her mind at the last moment and arranged for him to stay in a second-class room.

"It seems I have benefited a little from Senior Sister Lu..."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of the youth's lips.

Then Li Qingyun quickly began tidying up. He changed the bamboo mat and sheets, then cleaned both the desk and the Bamboo Lodge.

He was a person who liked cleanliness, and naturally could not stand a messy room.

He also wrapped the important gold, silver, and valuables from his bundle in several extra layers and locked them in one compartment of the cabinet.

For the time being, he was not worried about theft.

Lin Wanjin had said that although management in the back mountain was generally lax, Lingbao Temple deeply detested the theft of property. Any offender would surely be severely punished and expelled from the mountain.

In Lingbao Temple's eyes, stealing a fellow disciple's belongings was no different from cutting off someone's Dao Path. It was intolerable!

His little gold, silver, and jewelry were merely worldly possessions when all was said and done, not spirit stones. They were not worth anyone taking such a risk to steal.

After finishing his cleaning and organizing, Li Qingyun wiped away his sweat before sitting down to read the introductory Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art.

"From now on, I truly will have only a lone lamp for company. That old servant Yin Xunshan was not wrong about this, at least!"

"Forget it. I will first read this Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art. I will not give up until I reach the Yellow River..."

With that thought, he swiftly gathered his emotions and became wholly calm.

The booklet was thin. Excluding the cover, it contained fewer than ten pages, yet it represented the most supreme transcendent power in this world!

When he opened it, a fresh fragrance of ink drifted out. The ink used must have been excellent and expensive, and it had clearly been copied not long ago.

"What is law? The manifestation of the Great Dao. What is power? The awe revealed by law..."

When he saw the opening line, brilliance burst from his eyes, and his gaze seemed to stick between the characters.