Controlling Magical Artifacts, Secrets

Healing illnesses and curing people!

Many disciples knew that the Sect Master and Elder Li were skilled in medicine, but this was the Qingxiao Sect's first time earning money through medical arts. Many disciples were curious and gathered at the new courtyard to watch the excitement.

As a result, Li Dongyue, using the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle, cured the merchant's daughter in just three needles. The merchant was greatly astonished and immediately took out a piece of green jade from his embrace as a thank-you gift. He said this jade could be sold for a thousand strings of coins. Yang Jueding inspected it and confirmed that the jade was indeed valuable.

This merchant's surname was Liu, and his name was Fanzhou. He was not from Guzhou but did business there. He was corpulent and kept wiping sweat after coming up the mountain. Besides his daughter, he also brought two guards, who held precious blades and carried their luggage.

The illness of Liu Fanzhou's daughter was indeed strange, but it was merely a blockage in some hidden acupoints caused by impurities. It was not a fatal disease. After the Spring Return Ghost Immortal Needle cleared her acupoints, she was considered fully recovered. Her daughter suddenly felt full of energy and started jumping around the room, which moved Liu Fanzhou to tears.

For such a generous patron, Li Qingqiu personally attended to him, neglecting no courtesy.

"Sect Master Li, I observe that the Qingxiao Sect possesses a strong Taoist aura. Do you happen to know any techniques for expelling evil? I know someone who is troubled by Yao and malevolent spirits. If you can help him, he will surely reward you handsomely. He is far wealthier than I am," Liu Fanzhou suddenly said while drinking tea with Li Qingqiu.

Besides Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun was also present. He was very interested in this incredibly wealthy merchant.

When Zhang Yuchun went down the mountain before, he had heard of Liu Fanzhou's name. This was no ordinary commoner; he was a truly great magnate.

"Wealthier than you? Just how wealthy is that?" Zhang Yuchun couldn't help but ask.

Li Qingqiu glared at Zhang Yuchun. Why is this kid so materialistic? It's undignified. Couldn't he have asked later?

Liu Fanzhou chuckled, "My wealth is not even a tenth of his. However, his status is special; he walks the righteous path."

So, he was an official.

Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun understood. Nowadays, officials were all rich.

"Troubled by Yao and malevolent spirits? Can you elaborate?" Li Qingqiu asked.

As a cultivator, he did not feel scared upon hearing about Yao and malevolent spirits; instead, he felt a sense of anticipation.

Liu Fanzhou's smile faded as he recalled, "Every night at midnight, his mansion is haunted. Other than humans, no living creature survives the night inside. He had people search his mansion several times, but they found nothing. He even hired experts from the White Emperor Mansion to stand guard, but it was useless. As long as they placed non-human living creatures in the mansion, even with experts on guard, these creatures would die without anyone noticing."

"Did you have people watch the living creatures?" Li Qingqiu pressed.

"Of course! Four first-rate experts watched the chicken coop. As soon as midnight struck, all the chickens died. Those experts were terrified."

Mentioning this, Liu Fanzhou couldn't help but shiver, and more sweat beaded on his forehead.

"That's incredibly sinister?" Zhang Yuchun asked in surprise. He immediately felt hesitant and didn't want to take the job.

Liu Fanzhou replied, "Yes, it's too sinister. If it's not malevolent spirits causing trouble, how can it be explained? So many experts went, but none could solve it. His mansion is also an official residence, and it cannot be demolished without any human lives lost. He can only endure it, living in fear every night."

After hearing this, Li Qingqiu didn't think it sounded like malevolent spirits. If it were truly haunted, could the mansion still be inhabited?

However, this matter was not worth him personally going down the mountain. If he sent other disciples, he feared they might get involved in unknown troubles. He decided not to accept.

"The art of expelling evil is a divine technique. Although the Qingxiao Sect yearns for the immortal path, we are currently still within the scope of martial arts. We cannot resolve this matter," Li Qingqiu stated.

Liu Fanzhou was not disappointed; he had only mentioned it casually, as it was someone else's problem anyway.

He was very interested in the Qingxiao Sect. Li Dongyue's cure for his daughter in three needles was truly miraculous. He requested to stay on the mountain for three days. Li Qingqiu did not refuse. There were many houses below the mountain gate, some specifically used for receiving guests.

After chatting for a while longer, Li Qingqiu got up to leave, asking Zhang Yuchun to continue accompanying Liu Fanzhou.

Zhang Yuchun was very interested in the merchant trade and began asking Liu Fanzhou for advice. Over the next three days, he also interacted with Liu Fanzhou frequently.

Three days later, Liu Fanzhou's daughter, Liu Yan, insisted on becoming Li Dongyue's disciple and refused to go down the mountain. Liu Fanzhou had no choice but to request Li Qingqiu, who eventually agreed.

After Liu Yan became Li Dongyue's disciple, Li Qingqiu immediately opened the Legacy System to check her attributes.

Unfortunately, Liu Yan, whose illness had been cured, had no special Destiny. Her aptitude and comprehension were both mediocre.

Over time, Li Qingqiu actually felt that mediocrity could be considered a form of genius, especially when referring to cultivation aptitude. How many people received only very low, substandard evaluations?

With his daughter successfully apprenticed, Liu Fanzhou was overjoyed and immediately prepared to descend the mountain, saying he would send someone to deliver a grand gift.

This was an unexpected joy.

Night fell.

Li Qingqiu came alone to the underground Spirit Lake. With his current cultivation, it didn't take long to get down from the mountaintop.

He took out the small knife that Jiang Kuotian had gifted him and injected Origin Energy into it again.

When he was still at the fourth level of the Yangyuan Realm, he had failed, but he could clearly feel that the counter-force of the restriction within the small knife was not as strong. Therefore, he was certain he could succeed when he reached the fifth level.

The underground Spirit Lake glowed with a faint light. The spirit stones embedded in the cave walls were like brilliant gems. This underground space had faint sounds of wind, making the atmosphere even more serene.

Li Qingqiu sat by the lake, his robes fluttering slightly. As he injected Origin Energy into the small knife, spiritual energy gradually gathered around him.

After a while.

The small knife in his hand began to emit a silver light. He opened his eyes and saw it, a look of joy on his face.

Success!

He had successfully broken through the restriction within the small knife and left his own Origin Energy imprint. He began to establish a certain spiritual connection with the small knife. At the same time, he also obtained some information.

This small knife was named the Flying Fish Blade. It came with its own spell and could sever Origin Energy, being extremely sharp.

"As expected of a cultivation artifact, it is truly infinitely mysterious."

Li Qingqiu was captivated by the restrictions within the artifact. These restrictions were imprinted by Origin Energy and could carry information, transforming mechanisms into an intangible state. This was beyond the scope of martial arts.

Understanding the restrictions might allow him to comprehend the method of forging artifacts.

In the future, the Qingxiao Sect would surely have artifacts for everyone. Otherwise, how could it be considered a sect of immortal cultivation?

Li Qingqiu began practicing controlling the Flying Fish Blade. After the blade recognized him as its master, he could wield it as easily as an extension of his own arm, and he found himself enjoying it more and more.

Afterward, he left the underground Spirit Lake and went into the mountain forest. He threw the Flying Fish Blade out, wanting to see the maximum distance he could control it.

Even after the Flying Fish Blade left his field of vision, he could still sense its direction and distance, a feeling that was quite wondrous.

The farther it went, the weaker his control over the Flying Fish Blade became.

After flying about three hundred zhang, Li Qingqiu's connection with the Flying Fish Blade was severed. He walked forward a few steps, sensed the Flying Fish Blade again, and beckoned it back with a raise of his hand.

Three hundred zhang was not a short distance!

In modern times, its firing speed and range would be equivalent to a sniper rifle.

With a whistling sound cutting through the air, Li Qingqiu raised his hand and caught the speeding Flying Fish Blade. As the blade landed in his palm, its residual force dissipated, allowing him to catch it smoothly without any jarring impact.

"There's no scientific explanation for this, only the mysteries of cultivation."

Li Qingqiu murmured to himself. He raised his other hand and brushed it along the blade of the Flying Fish Blade, dispersing the spiritual energy within. It then became like an ordinary weapon, and only then did he feel at ease.

Even if he encountered other cultivators in the future, it would be difficult for them to detect the extraordinary nature of the Flying Fish Blade.

"I need to craft a fitting scabbard for the Flying Fish Blade and then hang it from my waist."

Li Qingqiu thought as he ascended the mountain.

His pace was not too fast; he habitually maintained a light step, making no sound.

As he passed a patch of woods, Li Qingqiu turned his head. He heard someone practicing swordplay in the distance.

He moved closer to investigate and saw a young man practicing sword forms amidst the trees. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Xue Jin, who had joined the Thirteen Swordsmen.

Xue Jin was one of the few disciples in the Qingxiao Sect with good cultivation aptitude and comprehension. Li Qingqiu had personally recommended him to the Thirteen Swords, so he remembered him well.

It was so late, why was he practicing sword alone?

This place was two to three li away from the courtyard where the Thirteen Sword Li resided. Could he be afraid of being discovered?

Li Qingqiu observed quietly and noticed that Xue Jin's sword technique was unfamiliar. He had previously watched Jiang Zhaoxia teach the Thirteen Sword Forms, but he hadn't seen Jiang Zhaoxia impart this particular sword style.

It seemed young Xue Jin had a secret.

Li Qingqiu brought up his Legacy System and confirmed that Xue Jin's loyalty had not decreased. He then thought nothing more of it and continued up the mountain.

Everyone has secrets; as long as they don't threaten the Qingxiao Sect, it's fine.

The winter snow melted, and the spring breeze arrived.

A month after leaving, Liu Fanzhou returned with people. This time, he brought quite a few, nearly a hundred, who arrived in a bustling procession. He intended to build a mountain road for the Qingxiao Sect.

"Everything about your Qingxiao Sect is excellent, but it's just too difficult to get up the mountain. Sedans can't navigate it, and I have to climb. It's truly inconvenient. My daughter has already joined the Qingxiao Sect, and I'll definitely be visiting often. If you don't build a road, it'll shorten my lifespan."

Liu Fanzhou said with a smile to Li Qingqiu, wiping sweat from his brow.

Given such generosity, Li Qingqiu naturally thanked him repeatedly and dared not refuse.

Firstly, the Qingxiao Sect needed it. Secondly, since the man had brought so many people, refusal would result in irreparable losses and might even lead to enmity.

Liu Fanzhou also mentioned that he would promote the Qingxiao Sect wherever he went in the future, attracting more people with medical needs to seek treatment on the mountain.

"Master Liu, I am very grateful for your kindness. However, when you speak of this to others, please don't exaggerate too much. If my junior sister cannot cure them, it will not only damage our sect's reputation but also tarnish your own." Li Qingqiu said with a smile.

"Understood, understood! You can rest assured about how I handle things!"

Liu Fanzhou declared with a wave of his sleeve, exuding great confidence.

Li Qingqiu liked him more and more and decided to take better care of Liu Yan in the future. Once Liu Yan's loyalty reached a certain level, he would teach her the first layer of the Taiqing Primordial Scripture.

They hadn't chatted for long before Liu Fanzhou was pulled away by Zhang Yuchun. Despite their twenty-three-year age difference, they had a sense of kindred spirits, finding they had endless topics to discuss.

Building a road was not a task for a single day, especially in the continuous mountains. Liu Fanzhou left a servant to supervise the craftsmen and then, having matters to attend to, descended the mountain with two guards.

Li Qingqiu stood at the mountaintop, overlooking the mountains. With his eyesight, he could faintly see the busy figures of the craftsmen at the foot of the distant mountains.

"To get rich, build roads first." Everything was developing in a positive direction.

Thanks to hjhking for the 200 Qidian coins tip~