Homecoming in Glory

In the blink of an eye, the Dragon Boat Festival had arrived.

After the Flower Festival, more than two months of recuperation had not only healed Li Mo's body and damaged spiritual sense, but also brought his cultivation to the late fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage. He had also obtained the Elixir Recipe for the Qi Gathering Pill through an exchange of insights at the Medicine Refining Hall.

Among alchemists, the Elixir Recipe for the Qi Gathering Pill was considered semi-public knowledge.

Still, Li Mo had paid a price for it: he had looked after a spirit field for an alchemist who had to leave temporarily. In return, he had been spared the fine for missing a daily task.

During the exchange of insights among alchemists, Li Mo had learned that although the Qi Gathering Pill could aid cultivation during the Qi Refining Stage, its effects were not particularly potent. It had spread widely among cultivators of the Gan Kingdom's sects and become popular among Qi Refining disciples only because it had no specific restriction on its main ingredient and required just one Hundred-year-old Spirit Herb, making it suitable for mass production.

Many alchemists also knew what were supposedly exclusive Elixir Recipes, whose effects far surpassed those of the Qi Gathering Pill.

But for now, Li Mo had no use for those so-called exclusive Elixir Recipes.

He had not even taken a Qi Gathering Pill yet. Besides, his cultivation aptitude was decent. He had only hit a bottleneck at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, and in the end, he had broken through by relying on his own insights. Judging by that, he probably would not face much resistance at the fifth level either.

After the sixth level, however, he might need to make some preparations.

In particular, when he reached the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, the form of the spiritual power in his Dantian would change once again, creating what was known as a bottleneck. But if he could break through, his spiritual power would undergo a qualitative transformation in an instant.

Judging by last year's second-year disciples, the peak of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage seemed to be their limit. The third-year disciples, meanwhile, were at the ninth level.

"I should be able to break through the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage and reach the fifth before the end of this month."

Li Mo pondered.

"Even if I don't need it at the fifth level, the summer thunderstorm season will mean I enter the Mystic Dream more often, which will greatly speed up my cultivation. I'll have to break through to the sixth level then, so I might as well prepare early."

With that in mind,

Li Mo planned to go to the Advanced Study Hall's mission hall after breakfast and take on a temporary commission.

He intended to work hard in the coming days to earn Spirit Stones and buy all kinds of auxiliary spirit medicines. He would use that Hundred Year Red Essence Fungus as the main ingredient and refine a batch of Qi Gathering Pills!

Of course,

he would also keep an eye out for clues about Spirit-flavored Lightning-Struck Wood and the Ephemeral Demon Core while carrying out the commission.

"Li Mo, some new disciples have arrived at the Enlightenment Hall!"

Ma Ling called excitedly from outside.

"Oh?"

Hearing her, Li Mo went with Ma Ling to find Niu Li. The four of them headed to the Flying Ship station in the rear courtyard of Sacred Tree Plaza, where they saw the new disciples, wide-eyed and bewildered, their clear eyes somehow brimming with foolishness as they followed the Supervision Hall disciples down from the Flying Ship.

"Time really flies. A whole year has gone by in the blink of an eye."

"Yeah."

Hearing that, Yang Guang couldn't help sighing too.

"Last year at this time, I was just like them. I didn't know a thing. Hehe, at this year's year-end assessment, I'm going to give them a thorough thrashing and show them what their senior can do!"

Li Mo was speechless.

But then he remembered how the second-year disciples had trounced the first-years at this year's year-end assessment, and how Zhao Liang had eliminated him. This year, it would be these new guys' turn to enjoy the same treatment. He couldn't help grinning too.

"Yeah, we should give them a proper welcome!"

After chatting for a while in front of the Flying Ship station, the four returned to the Advanced Study Hall's kitchen to eat breakfast. Then Li Mo bade the others farewell and went alone to the hall's mission office.

At that moment, there were more than a dozen temporary commissions open to second-year disciples. Each listed only the location, objective, deadline, reward, and person who had posted it.

As Li Mo glanced through them, he came across one that went to Tongchao Town in Baian County.

The reward was six Spirit Stones.

"From Tongchao Town to Hua'an Town, it'd take no more than three days on a fast horse along the main road. Even if I make the round trip, I won't miss the fifteen-day deadline."

He had been away from Hua'an Town for more than two years. He wondered how his family was doing.

He thought of his mother, Zhao Siman, Zhang Qin, Master Zhang Dongliang of Jimin Hall, his friend Wang Pan, Senior Brother Ding Jie, Senior Brother Zuo Shu, Senior Brother Wang Ben...

His longing welled up like a spring. He immediately took down the commission plaque and, using the contact details on it, found Uncle Xiong of the Refining Hall.

"When you get to Tongchao Town, head to Apricot Blossom Village and find a boy named Xiong Shao'an. His family lives beside the fishpond at the eastern end of the village. Show this jade pendant to his family, and they'll understand. Then bring him here."

"Yes."

So he would have to spend an extra Spirit Stone on a Flying Ship for the return trip?

The commission only paid six Spirit Stones. No wonder the deadline had been stretched to half a month.

Li Mo guessed that Xiong Shao'an was probably this uncle's nephew from a distant branch of the family, but he didn't dare ask. He accepted the jade pendant, turned, and hurried to the Flying Ship station.

The Flying Ship stations usually ran fixed routes, reaching only prefectural cities and larger county towns. They were public transportation subsidized by the Lingmu Sect.

For the rest of the journey, to the various counties, towns, and villages, travelers had to find their own way.

Li Mo chose a Flying Ship about to depart for Anbei Prefecture. After paying one Spirit Stone, he went into the cabin and waited quietly.

About half an hour later,

the Flying Ship slowly rose into the sky and raced through the clouds. It did not land until Weishi the next day, when it reached the prefectural city of Anbei Prefecture.

Though Anbei Prefecture's prefectural city could not rival the splendor of Anle City, the provincial capital, it was still on a whole different scale from a county town.

Li Mo was pressed for time, since he also intended to visit Hua'an Town during the commission. He did not linger. He hurried to the Heaven's Mandate Bureau in the city, showed his Lingmu Sect disciple's waist token, and rented a fast horse without paying a deposit.

While there, he also asked about the exact route.

Tongchao Town in Baian County was not too far away. Under normal circumstances, the journey took three or four days. But if he pushed himself and rode day and night, he could get there in about two. So, in theory, although the commission paid little, it also took less time. He immediately spurred his horse into a gallop.

He planned to go to Apricot Blossom Village first and confirm the target of the commission, then give the family a few days to get ready.

He would use that time to visit Hua'an Town.

The round trip, plus the time spent in Hua'an Town, would take no more than seven or eight days. Riding back to the prefectural city would take another two or three. He could make it, though just barely.

"Hyah! Hyah!"

Li Mo was actually riding while circulating his qi through the Lesser Celestial Circuit.

He had his past experience as a gatekeeping Daoist child to thank for managing such a difficult feat. Even so, the efficiency of his cultivation dropped sharply, to less than a quarter of what it was normally.

That was partly because of his cultivation conditions, but the spiritual energy around Qingming Mountain was also far richer than anything outside.

The sun sank in the west.

Li Mo frowned.

After living in the sect for so long, he had almost forgotten what the outside world was like.

To Li Mo, the sky reflecting the sunset clouds seemed strangely sinister, thick with oppression, terror, absurdity, and unease. Those vast, looming shapes had appeared again. Now and then, they seemed to try to draw near the earth, their enormous shadows threatening to blot out the whole sky. Most of the time, though, they merely waved their tentacles in the distant heavens, looking even larger than the setting sun.

Li Mo looked away. Xi Time was an inauspicious hour, and he should avoid traveling outdoors.

He noticed a tea stall by the road not far ahead, reined in his horse, and brought it to a stop.

"Boss, a pot of hot tea, two baked flatbreads, and four more packed to go."

"Right away, sir. Just a moment."

More than two years ago, when Li Mo went out, people still saw him as a half-grown boy, barely past childhood. Now, though he was still an adolescent, no one mistook him for a child anymore.

Even sitting quietly, he gave off the air of a grown man.

After eating his fill, Li Mo paid the copper coins he owed and was about to leave when the stall owner hesitated, then warned him, "Are you heading to Tongchao Town, sir?"

Hearing that, Li Mo frowned.

"What happened there?"

The owner sighed.

"You may not know, sir, but after the nearby prefectures and counties joined forces to wipe out the bandits of the Eighteen Mountains last year, quite a few of them escaped. Tongchao Town borders the Eighteen Mountains, and some of them showed up there recently. They're all highly skilled in martial arts and seem to be looking for someone. They stop people on the road, searching everywhere for pretty women, and kill travelers. The authorities sent people to hunt them down once, and they lay low for a while. But lately, they've started up again."

Li Mo sneered when he heard that.

With his martial arts and cultivation, he had nothing to fear from common bandits and thieves, so he paid it no mind. After thanking the tea stall owner, he rode off into the night.

Two days later,

whether by luck or because the bandits who blocked the roads were luckier than he was, Li Mo made it to Apricot Blossom Village in Tongchao Town without incident. Following Uncle Xiong's directions, he found a Xiong family at the eastern end of the village.

"Anyone home?"

Li Mo knocked and called out.

He could tell that the family was not well-off.

A moment later,

an old man appeared at the door, holding a wooden stick and peering through the crack. He looked extremely wary.

Seeing that, Li Mo quickly took out the jade pendant as a token. The old man stared at it for a moment, then burst into tears of joy and opened the courtyard gate.

"Wonderful, wonderful! Shao'an, come out here!"

A dark-skinned boy came out of the house.

The old man wept uncontrollably. "Your Fourth Granduncle really hasn't forgotten us. He's sent someone to bring you to him. Shao'an, you're quick-witted. Get out of here. Listen to your fourth granduncle, and you'll surely make something of yourself."

Li Mo understood what was going on.

He quickly said, "There's no rush. Get ready first. I have something else to do, and I'll be back in seven or eight days."

The old man paused, then nodded.

"Then... all right. You go ahead, young hero. We'll wait here. Just be sure to come back soon. Things have been rough lately!"

Li Mo was about to leave when the old man's warning made him pause thoughtfully.

"Have bandits been causing trouble around here?"

The old man gave a bitter smile.

"Just a month ago, they took the Zhang family's daughter at the west end of the village, and old Zhang was killed too. I had no choice but to write to his fourth granduncle and beg him to give the last surviving branch of the Xiong family a way out. Sigh."

Li Mo narrowed his eyes at that. He nodded and prepared to leave.

If his deadline weren't so tight, he wouldn't have minded upholding justice here. These roving bandits were even more despicable than the highwaymen on the Eighteen Mountains who charged tolls.

"Oh, right, one more thing. Have you heard of any trees nearby that were struck dead by lightning?"

"That? I haven't heard of any."

Li Mo had no leads on Spirit-flavored Lightning-Struck Wood, but he did not dwell on it. He rode off.

For the next two days, Li Mo rode hard toward Hua'an Town. By dusk on the third day, he finally reached the outskirts. Looking into the distance at the familiar vendors along the town's streets, he was momentarily dazed. He dismounted and walked forward, leading his horse by the reins.

"Baked flatbreads, hot and fresh!"

"Freshly steamed meat buns!"

"Candied Hawthorns..."

The familiar cries brought the past vividly to mind.

An indescribable feeling welled up inside Li Mo. He turned to the vendor selling Candied Hawthorns and said, "Boss, one skewer... no, two skewers of Candied Hawthorns."

"Coming right up. Sixteen copper coins altogether."

More than two years had passed, yet the Candied Hawthorns here still cost eight copper coins a skewer. Li Mo had passed this stall countless times, swallowing his desire each time without daring to buy any. Today, he could finally make it up to himself.

Holding the Candied Hawthorns, Li Mo continued on.

His horse's hooves clopped against the stone-paved road as he led it to the three-story medical clinic. The signboard bore three large characters: Jimin Hall.

He looked into the front hall, where several senior brothers were chatting.

Memories of the past gradually resurfaced, and he couldn't help losing himself in them.

"Senior Brother Ding Jie, Senior Brother Zuo Shu... Wang Pan."

The chubby young man in the pharmacy paused. Suspiciously, he glanced toward the front hall, thinking someone had called him to hurry up. Then he shook his head and went back to preparing the medicine, looking simple and endearing.

"Junior Brother Li Mo!"

Ding Jie was the first to recover. He strode out of the front hall toward Li Mo, disbelief on his face. Grabbing Li Mo by the shoulders, he looked as though he might cry.

"It's been more than two years! Where have you been?"

Everyone else came to their senses and hurried out too.

They peppered Li Mo with questions about what had happened to him.

"Li Mo!"

Wang Pan still had the same soft, baby-fat face. Seeing Li Mo, he cried out in delight and ran over. He grabbed Li Mo, made sure he was real, then pulled him into a bear hug.

"I've missed you so much! Why did it take you this long to come back?"

When they finally let go, Wang Pan's eyes were misty with tears.

"Jimin Hall in Quhe Town said you never showed up. Senior Brother Ding Jie was so worried that he went there himself, and even reported it to the authorities. Someone said you'd been bullied by a scoundrel named Niu Er. The constables arrested him and grilled him thoroughly, but in the end they couldn't get anything out of him..."

"Ahem."

While everyone was talking over one another, Old Man Feng came out of the front hall and looked at Li Mo, his expression one of complicated comfort.

"It's good that you're back. Sigh, your master, Zhang Dongliang, passed away in Shangfeng Prefecture three months ago, having lived out his years."

"Master."

Hearing that, Li Mo went momentarily blank. It had been three years since his master had retired to his hometown. If he remembered right, his master should have been sixty-seven this year.

A bitter smile, too complicated to describe, appeared on his face as he looked up at the sky.

"I learned alchemy, just as you hoped."

Two sparrows chirped in the sky, chasing each other as they flashed past.