This was a drumstick, made of ebony.
It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and it was carved with the Coiled Dragon Pattern.
Though it was quite exquisite, it truly could not be considered anything special in this era.
Yet Li Yan was already horrified beyond words.
The instant he touched the drumstick, the Substitute Divine Statue in his dantian suddenly began to tremble violently, producing a strange suction force.
At the same time, a power surged out of the drumstick.
This power was filled with warmth and carried a certain indescribable aura. The moment it entered his body, it split into thousands upon thousands of streams, swimming through his meridians like nimble serpents.
In the end, however, they all converged in his dantian and were absorbed by the statue.
Li Yan immediately understood what this was.
A Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!
He had never expected its true form to be a drumstick, hidden right here in the stable.
Had it not been for this fortuitous coincidence, he might have searched for several years without finding it.
This Heavenly Spiritual Treasure could transform into a serpent and even plot against people's Living Souls. It had clearly developed intelligence and was desperately trying to escape.
Its fortune was not merely baleful qi. It also contained certain unknown auras, full of vitality, capable of transforming into countless forms and darting everywhere in an attempt to evade his dantian.
Even its true form, the drumstick, had begun to tremble faintly.
Yet all its struggles were futile.
Before long, its fortune was completely absorbed by the Substitute Divine Statue.
Throughout the process, not the slightest trace of aura leaked out to attract anyone's attention.
No one could have known that, in the short time Li Yan held it in his hand, a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure had turned into an ordinary mortal object.
A smile crept onto Li Yan's lips.
He had uncovered another function of the Substitute Divine Statue.
Heavenly Spiritual Treasures were things even Treasure Hunters had to capture by exhausting every means, using the Mysterious Gate Evasion Technique and the principles of mutual generation and restriction among the Five Elements.
But all he had to do was touch one to devour its fortune.
The raw material of the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin was also a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, yet the Substitute Divine Statue had shown no reaction. This meant that only an originally formed spiritual treasure was useful.
After devouring this Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, the Substitute Divine Statue changed as well.
It had originally been mottled and dilapidated, but its surface now began to grow smooth. At the same time, vague information emerged: the statue's quality had improved, and it could withstand more damage.
Although his Life Flame had not been replenished, Li Yan was still excited.
This represented hope.
There were countless kinds of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. Surely there would be something capable of renewing his Life Flame.
"Young man."
Steward Lu saw him staring fixedly at the drumstick and could not help laughing. "Could it be that you also enjoy this art? Indeed, among the Hundred Pleasures, nothing has a grander presence than gongs and drums. Others enjoy the delicate melodies of Jiangnan, but I alone favor these Majestic Gongs and Drums."
"I heard that several families have successors this year. The competition for Drum King is sure to be spectacular. If you're interested, you can go to Chang'an on the fifteenth day of the first month and see it for yourself."
"Of course."
With a smile on his face, Li Yan returned the drumstick to Steward Lu.
"This one is fairly well made."
On the other side, Sha LiFei had also chosen a saddle and fitted it onto the big black horse.
"Thank you, Uncle Sha."
Li Yan was in excellent spirits. Sha LiFei looked like a lucky star to him now.
By a stroke of luck, he had obtained a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. He had no regrets left. After leaving the estate, he swung onto his horse and smiled with cupped hands. "Daoist Wang, we'll part ways here. I'll await your honored arrival at Li Family Fortress."
Wang Dao Xuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Of course. This poor Daoist will go shortly."
He was in good spirits as well. Working with Li Yan could make up for his own shortcomings. After taking on a few more major jobs, he would be able to obtain the ritual artifact he had long yearned for. Perhaps he could even renovate the Ancestor Altar.
Sha LiFei's eyes rolled, and he came up with a plan.
He had received a reward just now, and it was far more worthwhile than painstakingly commanding the wheat harvesters. If these two were getting rich, he could not simply stand by and watch. He had to get a share of the grease.
With that thought, he immediately thumped his chest and said, "Don't worry, Yan XiaoGe. Go on ahead. Leave the Daoist's safety to me. I'll see to everything perfectly."
Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Can you manage that?"
Seeing this, Sha LiFei grew anxious. "Why couldn't I? You should ask around. I, Sha LiFei, have always handled things—"
"All right, all right."
Li Yan waved his hand. "Just stay safe. Farewell!"
Sha LiFei's abilities were mediocre, but he knew the ways of the martial world. Besides, Wang Dao Xuan had traveled far and wide as well, so staying alive would not be a problem.
With that thought, he turned his reins and rode away.
Watching the distant plume of dust gradually disappear, Wang Dao Xuan also turned and looked toward the hill behind him. "Let's go. The terrain here is low and gentle. Though it has no feng shui dragon vein, finding an Auspicious Burial Site won't be a problem. Let's finish the matter today."
"Sounds good!"
Sha LiFei chuckled, hoisted his gear onto his shoulder, and followed the Daoist up the mountain.
After everyone had left, Steward Lu hurried back to the rear courtyard.
Inside the wing room, Landlord Lu was staring blankly at the First Madam.
"Master, they've all left."
"Mm. You may all leave. Let me spend some time with Madam."
Landlord Lu sent all the servants away. He then looked around before slowly kneeling on the ground, his old eyes brimming with tears. In a trembling voice, he said, "Princess, could it be that you still aren't reconciled?"
"Even if you aren't reconciled, what can we do? We barely escaped with our lives, so why insist on throwing them away? The Imperial Court is full of jackals. We can't defeat them. Wouldn't it be better to live in peace for a few years under assumed names...?"
"You saved my life that year. This old servant has served you all his life and never dared slacken in the slightest. Consider your kindness repaid."
"Your kindness has been repaid, but this old servant has failed the bloodline of his ancestors. From now on, I must make plans for myself. I hope you can forgive me..."
After muttering for a while, he wiped away his tears, rose, and left.
When he returned to the side courtyard, the two concubines immediately came forward to attend him.
Landlord Lu had already resumed his imposing air. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said coolly, "Well? Have either of you found someone suitable these past two days?"
Seeing that the two concubines remained silent, he let out a cold laugh. "Why are you still pretending in front of me? I can still let you choose for yourselves now. Bear me a child to carry on the family line, and I can ensure you never lack food or clothing for the rest of your lives."
"Fussing and fidgeting—could it be that you want to go to the Club Association?"
"Then it won't be up to you!"
At the mention of the Club Association, a trace of fear flashed through the beautiful Red-Clothed Concubine's eyes. She hurriedly said in a trembling voice, "I... I think that young man Li is quite good."
"Heh heh, as expected, every girl loves a handsome face."
Landlord Lu did not seem angry. He took a sip of tea and shook his head. "He's a martial wanderer, and he has Phoenix Eyes and Dragon Eyes. His fate is extraordinary, so he may cause trouble in the future."
"Choose someone from among those wheat harvesters. What I want is stability."
With that, he set down his teacup and turned to leave.
After he left, both concubines breathed sighs of relief.
The White-Clothed Concubine's eyes shifted as she asked, "Sister Cuilan, why didn't you mention Commander Zhao? I saw what happened that night..."
"Shh!"
The Red-Clothed Concubine jumped in fright and hurriedly motioned for her to be quiet. She glanced outside the window before forcing a bitter smile and shaking her head. "You know what this old thing is like. He says one thing and does another, and he has never treated us as people."
"If he found out, I definitely wouldn't survive. Even if I bore him a child to carry on the family line, he probably wouldn't spare us, just to conceal this matter."
A sharp glint flashed through the White-Clothed Concubine's eyes. "Sister, there happens to be an opportunity right now."
"It all depends on whether you have the courage..."
Traveling on horseback naturally made for a swift journey.
Li Yan traveled by day and found places to camp at night. At last, on the evening of the third day, he returned to Li Family Fortress.
"Yan XiaoGe, why are you back?"
"Where are the others?"
The people of Li Family Fortress were busy as well.
The wheat here was about to be harvested.
Seeing Li Yan return ahead of schedule, they assumed something had happened.
"Everyone, don't worry. They took on a major job and are doing well."
Li Yan patiently explained, without the slightest annoyance.
Communications were undeveloped in this era, and different places were relatively isolated. Sometimes, if a girl married into a neighboring village wanted to send a message, she had to specially find someone, and it would still take several days to arrive.
They were all in Guanzhong, but Xianyang was already a distant place from Li Family Fortress.
After passing along the news, Li Yan rode back home.
From far away, he saw his grandfather Li Gui sitting at the entrance, holding a long tobacco pipe. Beneath the setting sun, his white hair was disheveled, and his eyes were clouded.
Li Yan's heart clenched. He quickly dismounted, went over, crouched down, and forced out a smile. "Grandpa, I'm back. Didn't I say I'd only be gone a few days?"
"Oh, you're back. Good that you're back..."
Li Gui's voice was calm, yet he could not suppress the trace of trembling in it.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
Li Yan's smile grew brilliant. "Perfect. I learned a dish while I was away this time. I'll cook it for you, then have a drink with you."
"Hmph, what kind of dish could you learn..."
"Just wait and see. Even if nothing else comes of it, I can still become a chef someday..."
Night fell, and Li Family Fortress was utterly silent.
In the darkness, Li Yan sat cross-legged on the bed. He first regulated his breathing, then rubbed his palms together until they grew warm. After that, he massaged his scalp, temples, ears, the back of his neck, shoulders, and arms in turn...
Preserving the spirit was a stillness practice. All of this was preparation before cultivation.
Its purpose was to relax the mind while keeping the blood throughout the body circulating smoothly and making the senses more acute. One established oneself through Heaven and Earth, taking the radiance of the Sun Moon Star as the foundation.
Thus, only by guarding the One and preserving the True could one communicate with the divine. After cultivating to a certain realm and gaining Daoist attainment, one could "visualize the altar and preserve the thought" when performing rites, giving the ritual altar its "momentum."
Among Heaven and Earth, famous mountains and great rivers, feng shui dragon veins—all possessed "momentum."
Only when the two energies of astral qi and baleful qi circulated could "momentum" or a "configuration" be formed.
And if one wished to touch these things, preserving the spirit was the first step.
Li Yan's eyes were slightly closed as he regulated his breathing and quietly sensed himself. He visualized the five viscera, six bowels, Triple Burner, and Niwan Palace, finally focusing on the center of his brows...
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