A Fated Meeting

What does it mean to be destined to meet?

A chance encounter is not a coincidence, but a destiny, a meeting that is meant to be.

There is no such thing as pure chance in this world; there is only inevitability resulting from the combined effect of multiple chances.

A simple example is the mountain lord of Ink Bamboo Mountain, an old monster in the Transformation Stage who doesn't accept Nascent Soul Stage below the Core Formation stage. Would he really care so much about his young disciple Wangshu's disciple, whose boy was eaten by Jade Toad Granny, that he would specifically find a suitable replacement for her?

Or perhaps it was just a sudden whim of his, wanting to pick out some snacks to share with fellow Daoists, and while he was browsing, he stumbled upon a pair of Golden Core cultivators nearby who were practicing dual cultivation under the Moon Worship, both of them transforming into human form. He even recognized one of the snakes as a maidservant under Wangshu's command. Then he remembered, "Oh right, Wangshu also had Jade Toad Granny eat a servant boy. Isn't that a perfect coincidence?" And so, he casually arranged for Li Fan to eat one.

Is this a coincidence or an inevitability?

In any case, it can probably be considered a kind of fate.

Of course, what the mountain lord was really thinking at the time was a trivial matter, and he might have even forgotten it himself. Li Fan naturally had no way of knowing; he was just making this conjecture in his mind.

However, Qingyue and this Senior Sister Liu Qing did indeed know each other once, and they both studied under Real Person Wanshu to cultivate the Tai Su Dao. They also had a connection with Fuling, so they were indeed connected by many causes and conditions.

That way, we're officially considered one of our own.

"Please have some tea, senior sister."

"Greetings, Junior Brother."

With the introduction of Fuling, and a banquet hosted for them, the three of them chatted and drank, and Li Fan thus became acquainted with this Senior Sister Liu Qing.

Liu Qing, whose full name should be Jiang Liuqing, was a maidservant raised by the Jiang family. Her mother was also the wet nurse of Real Person Wanshu Fairy Wangshu. She and Immortal Fairy Wangshu, a lady from a prominent family, to Ink Bamboo Mountain to serve her daily life. It can be said that she served Jiang Wangshu all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm. She is a classic case of a lowly-born follower who ascended to the pinnacle of life by following an immortal.

As for why Fuling was sent to Wangshu Residence by Zhang Jiugao, it certainly wasn't because he expected that lazy Real Person Wanshu would know how to take care of children. He clearly knew that in all of Ink Bamboo Mountain, when it came to taking care of people, only Jiang Liuqing, the full-time maid, was the most professional.

Therefore, Fuling can be considered the successor raised by Jiang Liuqing. Moreover, after Liu Qing achieved the Golden Core and married, she inherited Liu Qing's main job, which was to feed and take care of Jiang Wangshu, a young lady who lacked the ability to take care of herself.

In fact, Liu Qing had been visiting Fairy Wangshu from time to time, but she hadn't seen her these past few days. This was naturally because when Li Fan first entered the sect, the False Moon shone brightly in the sky, causing quite a commotion. Qin Jianshi was beheaded and his body severed, and his vital energy was greatly depleted. She and her husband were also seriously injured and it took them half a year to recover. This time, seeing that her younger sister Fuling, whom she had raised since childhood, had come to pay her respects, she immediately came out of seclusion to help.

Incidentally, Li Fan's former page, the poor child who was eaten by a monster, was also supposed to inherit the maid lineage of Liu Qing Fuling. However, the appearance of Li Fan, the mountain lord's designated disciple, temporarily interrupted their maid lineage's inheritance.

So during the meal, the two even discussed that now that Li Fan had achieved the Golden Core and his Dao body had reached adulthood, it would be inconvenient for him to continue living with the young lady. They suggested that once he opened his own cave dwelling and moved out, and once Fuling's cultivation level stabilized, they could choose one of the obedient and sensible maids from the Jiang family to take as a Fuling and teach her the way of a maid.

Li Fan was truly sweating bullets. So, she'd been kicked out of her nest and had to fend for herself...? And wasn't Fairy Wangshu's pampered upbringing a direct result of being spoiled? Even her personal maids had a lineage to follow...

"Fuling, don't worry. Just focus on your cultivation and solidify your foundation. My cultivation was unstable before when I Moon Worship, but it's fine now. I'll take care of Jiang Ji's affairs."

As for Junior Brother Qingyue, oh ho ho, his cultivation is even more profound, so don't worry about him. As long as someone guides him through the sect and gives him some pointers, he will naturally understand many things within the sect.

Well then, it just so happens that many fellow practitioners are still gathered in Changsi City and have not yet returned. I am also worried about the safety of many old friends. In a couple of days, after I have settled things at the trading company, I will take my junior brother to Changsi City to check on the situation in Li Country and also introduce him to some fellow practitioners.

As for the young lady, she's even more fine. She's a Divine Transformation cultivator; missing a few meals won't hurt her."

Jiang Liuqing had the decisive and efficient demeanor of a big sister, and arranged everything in just a few words.

In this way, Fuling could focus on her cultivation, and Li Fan also had the opportunity to build connections. He naturally thanked her without further ado.

Although it was a bit of a pity that Fairy Wangshu wouldn't sneak into his room to impart her skills anymore, and that he wouldn't have those long, white legs to hug and nibble on, Li Fan still breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that he was moving out to create his own cave dwelling. After all, after drinking for several rounds, just a glance at the smooth, white, exposed shoulders and backs of the two older sisters beside him, and a whiff of the gentle fragrance emanating from them, Li Fan found that his adult body was reacting very strongly! If he didn't suppress it and uphold his Dao heart, he probably wouldn't be able to resist losing his composure under the influence of alcohol!

Dangerous, this is too damn dangerous! If that fair-skinned, smooth-skinned woman comes to transfer her powers again tonight, Li Fan definitely won't be able to resist!

Calm down, calm down, calm down! Control yourself, control yourself, control yourself!

His two senior sisters, Fuling and Liu Qing, have taken such good care of him; he must not harbor any beastly thoughts!

Fairy Wangshu is simply a free-spirited and natural beast!

Therefore, boys who go out to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao must protect their vital energy!

Let's move out, let's move out! Speaking of which, should we move to the South China Sea to find Island Master Mo? Sigh! Distant water can't quench immediate thirst!

"Qingyue, Qingyue? What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm? Ah, oh, it's nothing, I was just wondering how things are in Li Country, whether there will be a fight this time." Li Fan hurriedly avoided looking at Fuling's body, trying to focus his attention on Liu Qing's snake eyes to calm himself down.

"Hehe, junior brother, don't worry. I heard that the fighting has subsided. We'll set off from Lou Guan Tower the day after tomorrow. I'll find some like-minded people to go with us, so don't worry about being ambushed. Who knows, we might even see Wen Jin's coffin on this trip. Hehe!" A murderous glint flashed across Liu Qing's face.

"Huh? Wen... that doctor committed suicide?" Li Fan came back to his senses, somewhat surprised.

Fuling looked worried. "Doesn't Qingyue know yet? I heard he claimed to have cut out his heart to prove his loyalty for the sake of the Li Country and people, and his death was extremely tragic. People over there are outraged. All the students in the Li Country admire his integrity and uprightness. The common people say he was forced to death by evil and demonic forces, and they are building shrines and temples for him. All the civil and military officials are also worried. Now, the reputation of Ink Bamboo Mountain outside has become very bad."

Liu Qing sneered, "Oh ho ho, clearly it was a case of self-destruction and reincarnation, yet they still resort to such tricks. Truly, they are treacherous and despicable villains. I'd like to see how they die, to vent my anger. What about you, Junior Brother Qingyue?"

"Hmm, oh, ah? Is that so? I think it would be best if this matter could be resolved here without causing any more casualties." However, Li Fan also realized that Jiang Liuqing was probably a very tough Southern Faction.

That's understandable. After all, she was Golden Core Immortal in Ink Bamboo Mountain, but in the eyes of the Northern Faction Cultivation Family Clan, her birth meant she was a lowly servant who didn't even have her own surname and was destined to serve others for life. She probably hated those aristocratic families who preached the ethics of ruler and subject, and the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues.

"Indeed, Junior Brother is from the Li Country after all," Jiang Liuqing said with a smile. "The Liqiu Palace will not be lenient towards you because of this, since you are already a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain who has received the Dao Register, aren't you? You should still be careful. When you go out into the world, you have to be ruthless and eliminate evil with a merciless hand, otherwise you will end up harming yourself and others."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. I always remember that I am a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, and I am determined to transcend worldly affairs and cultivate to seek the Great Dao. I have long since forgotten about Human Dao matters." Li Fan spoke the truth, after all, he had no idea...

"Oh, that's good."

After seeing off Senior Sister Liu Qing, Fuling also came to her senses and said to Li Fan, "By the way Qingyue, since you were also born in Li Country, when you return to the Central Plains, will you go home to visit your parents? Bring some gifts to let them know you're safe and sound?"

Li Fan broke out in Fuling, don't be so meticulous! I'm a transmigrator, a person from another world. Where am I supposed to transform into a family tree for you to check? And you're telling me I'm safe? I don't even know what my original body is called... By the way, do you know about the system? You should know, right?

'The host transmigrated using the standard template, following the normal process.'

What is a standard template? What is a normal workflow?

'Parents have passed away, earthly ties are severed, lifespan has ended; a person on the verge of death is reincarnated.'

Holy crap! That's way too perfect!

Li Fan immediately felt reassured and squeezed out a crocodile tear, "Sister Fuling, to be honest, Qingyue has no family left in the Human Dao. Going back would only cause her unnecessary sorrow. Now, Ink Bamboo Mountain is my home, and Sister Fuling and the fairy are my family!"

Fuling was probably drunk too, and was very moved. "I never imagined that you, Qingyue, who are usually so crazy and often talk to yourself, would turn into a demon fetus. I was always worried that you would turn into Devil Embryo. So you are so bitter and lonely inside? I misunderstood you!"

Don't be sad anymore, from now on you're not alone!

Li Fan, "..."

If this were an American TV series, the two of them would be hugging and biting each other right now. Unfortunately, in Eastern culture, the expression of emotions is restrained, subtle, implicit, and implicit. So, Li Fan was sent to feed the leftovers to Kun and wash the dishes while he was at it...

In short, now that Li Fan has achieved the Golden Core and befriended Jiang Liuqing, he can be considered to have properly connected with the Jiang family and the Wangshu lineage.

With Senior Sister Jiang Liuqing as his guarantor, he could also make friends with the Golden Core level disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain, helping each other and exchanging magical treasures and cultivation insights. Moreover, he could actually go to the Central Plains to see the Central Plains. Cough cough, Li Country is still a borderland, but compared to the desolate mountains and wilderness of the South China Sea and the Ten-thousand-mountains Mountains, or the isolated islands overseas, it is already considered part of the Central Plains.

Considering the importance of first impressions during a first appearance, Li Fan visited his friend, the manager of the Heavenly Clothes, early the next morning.

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, you're just bragging. Heavenly Clothes is a big brand with branches all over the world. They established their main store in the Three Realms since the time of the Immortal Venerable. You think you can be friends with their manager?'

Hey! Don't you believe me? Besides, the branch manager is a manager too!

"Hey friend! I've grown a little taller recently, and I'm going to the Central Plains soon. I need the Purple Sash Immortal Clothes by tomorrow, so could you please hurry up and finish it? Also, I hope you won't ask for extra money?"

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, Master?"

"..." Li Fan ripped off his Daoist robe, deciding that if this guy dared to renege on his debt, he would chop off his dog's head.

"Oh, it's you, my friend! I didn't expect your cultivation to have improved so much in just a few days. Congratulations! No problem, a friend's business is my business. I'll expedite it for you right away!" The shopkeeper smiled and looked around.

Li Fan put away his robes and said irritably, "Stop looking, there's nobody here. Your things are so expensive, who else would buy anything except me, the sucker?"

The shopkeeper wasn't angry at all, and said with a smile, "Friend, are you going to the Central Plains? Things haven't been peaceful in the Li Country lately. Would you like to see some good things?"

"... What else do you have?"

Actually, Li Fan was out of money, but these black market merchants, who seemed to require a certain amount of money to appear, might actually have some good stuff. Even if he couldn't afford it, it wouldn't hurt to see what it was like.

Sure enough, the shopkeeper chuckled again, taking out a red envelope-like object wrapped in a red handkerchief from his pocket. He unfolded it layer by layer, revealing a lifelike golden cicada in his palm. The golden cicada's wings were still slightly trembling, incredibly lifelike. A talisman was written on the cicada's head with a red pen, Li Fan didn't recognize. He hadn't seen it in the book given to him by Chen Fushi, otherwise he would have remembered it.

What is this thing?

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, eheeeheheheheheh!!! This... this... this isn't it! No, no, no, no! This isn't it! Oops! You scared the hell out of me! But it really does look like it...'

Your big reaction really startled me...

The shopkeeper smiled enigmatically. "Friend, you probably wouldn't recognize this thing, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fan laughed, "What if I recognize it? Will you give me a 50% discount?"

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Ha! Friend! Not to boast, but if you recognized this treasure, would you still be asking me for a 50% discount?"

Okay, I'll give you a 50% discount, but if you say it's a cicada, a golden cicada, or a golden fly, that doesn't count! You have to give a reason why you know it!

"You said it yourself!" Li Fan grinned from ear to ear. "Xuan Tian! Up!"

Li Fan paused for a moment, then repeated haltingly, "The corpse liberation is the transformation of form, the refinement and shedding of the true essence, and the transformation of the physical body. Therefore, it is also likened to 'cicada molting,' like a cicada retaining its skin and changing its bones, preserving its vital energy and solidifying its form in a cave, and then ascending to become Real Immortal."

The treasure known as the 'Cicada Feather Transformation Immortal corpse left in the mortal realm, shaped like a cicada.

If a cultivator experiences the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, suffers severe damage to their physical body, or goes into a state of demonic possession, they can wear this Golden Cicada Nascent Soul Stage nascent soul. This allows them to undergo a physical transformation, protect their primordial spirit, and endure until they are reborn by relinquishing their original body.

Of course, such celestial objects can only be made by the molted remains of immortals who have ascended to the Dao stage and passed away. Therefore, only a few powerful families among the Three Great Sects possess this secret method.

Moreover, it is usually only suitable for cultivators Nascent Soul Stage has not yet been formed, or Nascent Soul Stage has collapsed and been damaged, resulting in their soul being unable to leave their body and disintegrate. Therefore, Golden Core cultivators compete to contribute to their sects and obey the orders of the Three Great Sects, just to obtain this item so that they can have it for future use when they are reincarnated and start cultivating again.

"You actually recognized it! My friend is indeed True Cultivator, with profound knowledge and extensive learning. I admire you greatly!" The shopkeeper was truly impressed.

Li Fan froze for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Hmm... this 'Cicada Molting Immortal Robe' looks like it was refined by someone who has cultivated to the peak of the Sun True Form Immortal Body. Although it looks similar... it shouldn't be... But just to be on the safe side, I'll ask... did your sect break into the immortal tomb and sword grave of the Beichen Sword Sect of Nine Yin Mountain to make this item?"

"Ah? No, no, no, of course not. Although the Beichen Sword Sect has enemies all over the world, it is still one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects. The Three Great Sects are at their zenith. To dig up someone's ancestral grave and open the coffin to make artifacts is just too suicidal, cough cough..."

The shopkeeper looked around, stared into Li Fan's eyes, and said softly, "To be honest, this was made using the immortal bodies of the seven true disciples of the Luo Sect."

"Luo Sect?" Li Fan was a little confused for a moment.

Why is it the Luo Sect again? Ah, but Profound Heaven Sword Intent seems to have mentioned that only Ancestor Luo's seven true disciples who attained enlightenment learned the authentic <<Mount Tai Immovable Scripture>>. So the Immovable True Scripture on the human skin Daoist robe and this cicada-molted immortal robe make sense. But are the Luo Sect's spies really this cunning? They even used the patriarch's corpse to make magical Magic Treasure...

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent... no, he's lying! I personally participated in the killing of Ancestor Luo's seven true disciples! I fought each and every one of them! None of them possessed the True Form of the Sun!'

Huh? Lying? Testing?

Li Fan immediately frowned, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he couldn't quite make sense of them. He asked in a deep voice, "This... is this truly the immortal body of a true disciple of Ancestor Luo?"

The shopkeeper stared at Li Fan for a while, then suddenly smiled, "My friend, you are indeed very knowledgeable. It seems we are truly destined to meet. I feel a little embarrassed to have earned 50,000 strings of cash from you like this."

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, divine horse! Fifty thousand strings of cash!'

'Kun, tofu!'

Li Fan, "..."

Before Li Fan could react, the shopkeeper had already wrapped the golden cicada in red silk again with a smile and said softly, "It's a rare coincidence that we met. Consider this cicada garment a small gift from our shop to you, Master. We'll sew it into your fairy robe later."

"Rest assured, we will definitely prepare a formal suit for you before you return to the Central Plains."

"Uh... oh, thank you..."

Li Fan scratched his head, somewhat confused, and left the Heavenly Clothes amidst his friend's suddenly warm and friendly gaze.