The quiet chamber fell silent once more.
In the spacious stone chamber, thirty zhang long and wide, pearls were embedded overhead. Beneath their hazy glow, Lei Zhan slowly opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged on the white jade bed.
"My Qi Refining Path has reached the perfected Purple Mansion stage, and I've fully consolidated my cultivation. It's time to go out."
Lei Zhan rose from the white jade bed and murmured softly, "Tianbao Mountain has the Great Xia imperial family backing it. Magic treasures, rare items, even information—all are available for trade. I just broke through these past few days, and I still have over a hundred jin of Essence Liquid. That should be enough to buy information on some nearby Myriad Phenomena demons."
When Lei Zhan thought of buying information on Myriad Phenomena demons, he naturally meant to seek out those demons and make trouble for them.
The Demon Race wasn't as wealthy as human cultivators, but they occasionally killed cultivators and obtained their treasures, so they always had some wealth left over. Of course, these demons themselves were worth quite a bit of Essence Liquid, too.
Most importantly, aside from their cultivation, what cultivators cultivated was their Dao heart. Killing cultivators guilty of grave sins was one thing, but for Lei Zhan to plunder ordinary human cultivators without cause would run counter to the original purpose of cultivation.
Most of these demons, however, were steeped in sin and fond of abducting humans to keep as livestock. Lei Zhan felt no burden about killing them.
Besides, earning Essence Liquid was only one part of it. What Lei Zhan cared about more was the process of tempering himself.
There was great terror between life and death, and nothing helped a cultivator grow faster.
Otherwise, if one advanced in cultivation but neglected to temper oneself, it would be like building a towering structure on an unstable foundation. How could it stand firm for billions of years?
Whether comprehending the Dao, honing spear techniques, or fighting cultivators to the death, nothing spurred growth faster!
Rumble~~~
The incredibly heavy stone door slowly swung open, and Lei Zhan emerged from behind it.
Outside the quiet chamber, the bright moon hung high, pure as a silver platter.
Countless stars adorned the night sky. Their light, together with the moonlight, fell across Lei Zhan's shoulders, adding a touch more charm to his already handsome face.
From below Tianbao Mountain, most of the western district lay in view, a scene of prosperity, with lanterns shining like a woven tapestry.
"I only cultivated for a little while, yet the world outside has already changed." Lei Zhan shook his head lightly, then found a clean stone stool in the courtyard and sat down.
What Lei Zhan had rented on North Sea Tianbao Mountain was, essentially, a small courtyard. Naturally, it came with a stone table, stone stools, and other furnishings. The quiet chamber, a place of relative safety and peace, was merely one part of the courtyard.
With a thought, a wine jug appeared in Lei Zhan's hand.
"Ah." Lei Zhan picked up the jug. Without bothering with a cup, he tipped it straight to his mouth and took a long swig.
"This fine wine cost me a lot of Essence Liquid, but it really is like nectar from heaven. Nothing like the ordinary wines and muddy brews from my past life!"
Lei Zhan sighed, took another sip, and set the jug down.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Just as Lei Zhan was leisurely enjoying his wine, a knock sounded from outside the courtyard.
"What is it?" Lei Zhan asked in a deep voice. He had rented a courtyard on Tianbao Mountain precisely so he could enjoy peace and quiet without being disturbed.
Lei Zhan had no friends or relatives in North Sea Commandery City, nor any old acquaintances from a sect. Someone coming to his door in the middle of the night was quite unusual.
"Senior, I'm a maidservant of Tianbao Mountain," came a woman's voice from outside.
With a wave of his hand, Lei Zhan opened the door.
"A maidservant from Tianbao Mountain? Here to see me?" Lei Zhan's voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Senior. I hope you'll forgive the intrusion." A young woman dressed in Tianbao Mountain's distinctive blue robes bowed at the door. "Tonight, Young Master Changfeng, the Marquis of the North Sea's legitimate son, is dining with friends at Tianbao Mountain. He heard you killed True Person Ying, a mid-Myriad Phenomena cultivator, while at the Purple Mansion stage, and came to invite you to the feast in person!"
"True Person Ying?" Lei Zhan looked at the blue-robed young woman in confusion. He had killed only one mid-Myriad Phenomena cultivator: the hook-nosed old man on the waters of the North Dark Sea.
Could it be that the gold-robed, hook-nosed old man was this so-called True Person Ying?
"Senior, True Person Ying was a mid-Myriad Phenomena cultivator of the Qi Refining Path. This Myriad Phenomena True Person was active in the waters between Andan Commandery and North Sea Prefecture, where he and two Purple Mansion cultivators preyed on passing cultivators."
The blue-robed woman hurriedly added, "Some of the treasures you sold at Tianbao Mountain were magic treasures commonly used by True Person Ying."
"Mm." Lei Zhan nodded faintly. "Was the True Person Ying you mentioned this man?"
Whoosh~~~
Lei Zhan waved his hand, and an image appeared in the air: a massive Dragon-Head Warship, with a gold-robed, hook-nosed old man standing at the very front.
"That's True Person Ying!" The blue-robed woman nodded repeatedly.
Suddenly.
"Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, I'm Baili Changfeng. I've heard of you and came especially to invite you for a chat!" A clear, gentle voice drew closer, then rang out from beyond the courtyard.
"The Baili Clan of the Marquis of the North Sea? Baili Changfeng?" Lei Zhan wondered. "He came in person to invite me?"
Lei Zhan could sense that the Marquis's legitimate son exuded only the aura of a Purple Mansion cultivator.
What reason did the legitimate son of the mighty Marquis of the North Sea have to seek the acquaintance of a rogue cultivator like him?
Sending a maid to invite him was one thing, but why had he followed her here himself?
As the voice faded, a handsome young man in elegant green robes slowly approached. He glanced at the blue-robed woman standing respectfully by the door and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, I'm Baili Changfeng."
"It's rare for the legitimate son of the Marquis of the North Sea to personally visit an obscure Purple Mansion cultivator like me," Lei Zhan said, looking at the handsome young man.
"Though it may be a little presumptuous, you can hardly be called obscure anymore, Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan." Baili Changfeng didn't take offense. "I enjoy making friends, and when I heard you'd killed True Person Ying, a mid-Myriad Phenomena cultivator, I wanted to meet you at once. I simply came at an inconvenient time this evening."
As the legitimate son of the Marquis of the North Sea, Baili Changfeng naturally made a point of cultivating friendships. Many cultivators with real ability had their own quirks. Someone as calm as Lei Zhan was hardly unusual.
"This evening..." Lei Zhan smiled faintly. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Young Master Changfeng. I was just preparing to head out and explore again, so I'll have to decline your invitation."
"Heading out to explore?" Baili Changfeng smiled. "Since you're going, my friends won't get the chance to meet you. That would be a shame."
"Please leave us." Baili Changfeng glanced at the maid behind him. Once she had withdrawn, he turned his hand over and offered Lei Zhan a booklet.
"Hmm?" Lei Zhan's gaze sharpened.
"This contains information about you, Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, as well as several powers that have long been purchasing information about Immortal Juhua, the Loose Immortal of a million years..." Baili Changfeng said, handing over the booklet.
"Information about me? Immortal Juhua, the Loose Immortal of a million years?" Lei Zhan's expression didn't change. His gaze remained as calm as still water.
"Half a year ago, my Baili Clan detected a trace of spatial fluctuation within a radius of ten thousand li around Qianqiu Island. Since Qianqiu Island was connected to Immortal Juhua, we kept the information under watch. You also took part in Immortal Juhua's disciple-selection trial, so the intelligence divisions of my Baili Clan and Tianbao Mountain concluded that there was a very good chance you were Immortal Juhua's disciple..." Baili Changfeng watched Lei Zhan.
"Immortal Juhua lived for several million years and was even said to have killed a Celestial Immortal... But over those millions of years, he must have made some enemies. Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, you should be wary of these powers that are watching for information about Immortal Juhua."
"Do you also believe I'm Immortal Juhua's disciple, Fellow Daoist Changfeng?" Lei Zhan smiled faintly and accepted the thick booklet of information.
He had been prepared for this when he left the Water Mansion. He simply hadn't expected the great clans and major powers to act so quickly.
But with the experience he had accumulated across two lifetimes, how could he be so easily intimidated? Though he had no great clan or major power backing him, his master rivaled a Celestial Immortal ancestor. That made him unafraid of most threats.
"Hahaha!" Baili Changfeng smiled. "Whether I believe it or not is unimportant. I only wanted to meet the Fellow Daoist who killed a Myriad Phenomena True Person while at the Purple Mansion stage."
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Fellow Daoist Changfeng. I truly am planning to go exploring again. If I return to North Sea Commandery City, I'll host a feast and invite you then." Lei Zhan flipped his hand, and the booklet in his grasp disappeared.
"As for this information, I'll accept it."
Diary of a Struggling Author
A young master from a major power comes knocking. However you look at it, something feels off. Of course, perhaps he's trying to build goodwill, or perhaps he's testing whether Lei Zhan really is Immortal Juhua's disciple. Cultivators have powerful souls and quick minds, so who can say for sure?
Not much rambling today... So let me thank everyone for your support!
Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading!
Please don't leave the book on your shelf and forget about it. New books don't update very often at first, but things will get better once it's available for purchase!
Thanks to Sunshine Like Me for the 500 Qidian coins!