Before long, the horse-faced Daoist's ears twitched. Sure enough, small insects such as house centipedes scurried out and fled the cave.
Even the musty smell in the air seemed to dissipate somewhat, leaving it fresher.
Li Ling seized the opportunity to suggest, "Could you give me back a piece of incense? Without it to protect me, I'm afraid I'll catch a chill and fall ill."
The horse-faced Daoist gave a mocking smile and took it all, ignoring him.
Li Ling flared up. "Not even a little? You might as well kill me!"
Only then did the horse-faced Daoist reluctantly break off a piece slightly larger than a date pit and give it to him. "How do you use this?"
Li Ling said, "If you have an incense burner, scrape it into powder and press it into a pattern. Otherwise, you can light it directly. Cultivators use the incense to anchor their thoughts and visualize various forms, following the usual Soul Tempering methods. Mortals can only use it to refresh their minds, or repel insects and ward off evil."
With that, he put the Spirit-Communing Incense in his mouth before their eyes, then closed his eyes to rest.
The horse-faced Daoist and Shopkeeper Huo exchanged several glances and secretly watched him for a while longer. Finding nothing amiss, the Daoist nodded, went to the other side, and sat cross-legged to try it.
Night fell, and all was still save for the steady drizzle outside the cave and the occasional drip of water.
Li Ling suddenly opened his eyes and glanced thoughtfully at the man keeping watch beside the campfire.
The Supreme Clarity Jade Codex of the Celestial Sovereign's Ultimate Dao recorded the uses of Spirit-Communing Incense. Besides burning it during ordinary meditation, if one encountered wicked men while traveling or faced dangerous storms on rivers and lakes, then, in a crisis with no fire available, one could chew the incense and spray it upward to avert calamity.
This was precisely the sort of crisis described as encountering wicked men. After turning it over in his mind, Li Ling concluded that only a cultivator's methods could deal with a cultivator.
Never mind the horse-faced Daoist; the Martial Warriors accompanying Shopkeeper Huo probably could not even beat Shopkeeper Huo himself. Brute force was absolutely out of the question.
There was one thing, however: the Communication Talisman was an unranked magical artifact that the ancestor had once refined using Li Ling's blood essence.
It could communicate and reveal his location, allowing the Old Ancestor to know where he was. All he needed was to sense it and direct a thought toward it for it to respond.
That required a calm mind and focused concentration. He had been jolted and shaken too much during the day to try, and now he could hardly steal the talisman from under the horse-faced Daoist's nose. But perhaps the marvelous effects of Spirit-Communing Incense would let him project his Spiritual Consciousness, contact it, and ask the Old Ancestor for help.
They knew he was a mortal and would not guard against this. Catching them unawares might produce a remarkable result.
Perhaps because his mood was so different today, Li Ling took a long time to finally enter a meditative state. He felt his body glow, and within the area it encompassed, invisible strands as fine as gossamer emerged. These were thoughts formed from his mental energy, roaming within the reach of his Spiritual Consciousness.
If he could refine spiritual energy and transform it through the five elements, he could make them manifest.
A similar aura of spiritual radiance surrounded the horse-faced Daoist. It was the domain formed when a cultivator projected his Spiritual Consciousness to detect movements around him.
Fortunately, the man was engrossed in cultivation. So long as Li Ling showed him no hostility and made no other disturbance, he should not attract attention.
But Li Ling soon discovered that he could not sense the Spirit Talisman.
Spiritual perception was different from sight. It was more like a mental resonance. Since the talisman had been refined with his blood essence, it should appear to emit a hazy glow within his range, like a luminous stone in the night.
He had never practiced qi refining, after all. These strands of thought could only roam within a radius of about ten feet around his body, far short of the hundred feet or so an entry-level cultivator could reach.
My estimate wasn't that accurate. It's still too far away...
Li Ling opened his eyes again to gauge the distance and found he was still about three feet short.
Yet at this critical moment, a mere three feet might as well have been the gulf between heaven and earth.
I can't get past a measly ten feet? Reach farther, damn it!
Li Ling screamed inwardly. Without meaning to, he suddenly felt something loosen in his mind, and the reach of his Spiritual Consciousness seemed to expand a little.
It was much like stretching out a hand to grasp something, reaching forward with all one's might, and his Divine Sense spread along with it.
But he was still more than a foot short!
Farther... just a little farther!
Li Ling had long been obsessed with finding an opportunity to cultivate. He had pestered his lovely wife into teaching him a Visualization Method and obtained spiritual medicines from Senior Brother Zhu to strengthen his Spiritual Consciousness. By all rights, he had already met the essential requirements for beginning cultivation.
But his spirit root was defective, leaving him no foothold on the immortal path. Unable to refine spiritual energy, he had never truly set foot on the road of cultivation.
Even now, he had never properly practiced qi refining. Only with the help of Spirit-Communing Incense could he occasionally project his Spiritual Consciousness.
Even so, he had never imagined that he would fall short by this tiny distance.
Only now did Li Ling truly understand what it meant for something a handspan away to be as distant as the ends of the earth.
It was just like his dream of becoming a cultivator: seemingly within arm's reach, yet impossibly far away.
Resentment filled Li Ling's heart, and his expression twisted. Is the divide between immortals and mortals truly fixed at birth?
His mind was full of stubborn thoughts. He did not consider postponing the plan and seeking another chance, nor could he easily find an excuse to move a few feet closer. Any unusual movement might arouse suspicion. Besides, once his supply of Spirit-Communing Incense was cut off, another opportunity like this would be even harder to find.
With a sudden roar, something seemed to burst violently open in his mind.
A wave of Spiritual Consciousness swept outward, spreading like ripples and surging more than a hundred feet away.
The horse-faced Daoist jolted awake. With a sharp swish, a refined gold flying sword shot from the sword pouch at his waist and hovered before him.
"What happened?" Shopkeeper Huo asked in surprise, slow to react.
The horse-faced Daoist said gravely, "A cultivator is here!"
Shopkeeper Huo immediately grew tense and quietly retreated to one side, trying to hide like an ostrich.
But after they waited a while, the rain continued outside, and there was not the slightest sign of anyone approaching.
Only then did the horse-faced Daoist realize something was wrong. He turned and surveyed his surroundings, letting his gaze linger briefly on Li Ling. "Do you have any magical artifacts or talismans on you?"
Li Ling said, "Didn't you already search me and take everything?"
Suspicion appeared on the horse-faced Daoist's face. He pondered the matter but could not make sense of it.
Did it work? I think I touched it, but maybe I didn't...
Seeing that the man had begun to suspect him, Li Ling could not help worrying. To his surprise, the horse-faced Daoist came several steps closer and immediately noticed something. He barked, "Why is your heart beating so fast? Were you behind that? What exactly did you do? Speak!"
At this crucial moment, Li Ling suddenly noticed that the man's scent had not changed at all.
He's bluffing! He doesn't know what happened either!
He therefore denied it to the bitter end. "I was resting with my eyes closed the whole time, and you startled me. Could it be that you used the Spirit-Communing Incense for too long, and it affected your Spiritual Consciousness?"
The horse-faced Daoist paused. "What do you mean?"
Li Ling said, "Have you ever trained your strength with weights? Sometimes your body gets used to carrying the weight, and when you first take it off, you misjudge your strength and feel as though you've stepped into thin air."
The horse-faced Daoist asked in surprise, "That happens?"
Li Ling said earnestly, "You were deep in meditation just now, but you aren't used to this incense, so the slightest rustle could startle you awake. It's not hard to understand. Since Spirit-Communing Incense helps with soul tempering, it must interact with things on the mental level. You were simply too sensitive."
The horse-faced Daoist hesitated for a long while but ultimately let the matter drop. Li Ling was only a mortal, after all. Even if he wanted to do something, he lacked the ability.
Still, he instructed Shopkeeper Huo, "We shouldn't linger here. We leave as soon as it's light."
Shopkeeper Huo said, "Yes."
Seeing this, Li Ling silently congratulated himself on his quick thinking, but he was equally puzzled. What exactly happened just now?
The next day soon arrived. Rain still drizzled steadily outside. The group put on straw rain capes and set off at first light.
Rather than take the government-built Imperial Road, they plunged through the dense mountain forest and soon entered a narrow, winding trail.
The mountain paths were exceedingly difficult after the rain. Li Ling trudged through the mud, his fine deerskin boots already soaked through. Muddy water clung to his socks, making him miserably uncomfortable.
Realizing that he was getting farther from home, Li Ling deliberately picked a quarrel. "Can't you choose an easier path?"
The horse-faced Daoist scoffed. "You're still being fussy at a time like this?"
Shopkeeper Huo said, "Brother Li, bear with it for a few days. Once we're out of the mountains, there will be plenty of carriages to take us onward."
After a moment's thought, he simply called over a guard and instructed him, "Carry Brother Li on your back."
Li Ling waved him off. "No need. I'll walk."
The guard said, "Prince Consort, don't turn up your nose at my sweaty smell. Just bear with it, and we'll be through soon enough. These mountain paths are rough, and you've been pampered all your life. How long would it take you to walk?"
Li Ling said, "You're not a beast of burden. Why should you carry me? I have feet. I can walk!"
Everyone assumed his mule-like temper had flared up-the sort that would not move when led and backed away when struck. They merely smiled and said nothing.
The horse-faced Daoist grew impatient. "What's wrong with him being a beast of burden and carrying you for once? You're a fortunate lad. Coming up with this formula is bound to bring you to the Old Ancestor's attention and raise you above others. But a mortal is still a mortal, babbling endlessly. Do you really think I wouldn't take my sword to you?"
The guard was not offended either. He smiled guilelessly. "That's right, Prince Consort. Everyone has their place. It's only right that I carry you, and you should listen to the immortal master."
Exasperated by his lack of backbone, Li Ling snapped, "Born to grovel! You deserve a beast of burden's lot!"
While he was fuming, unnoticed by anyone, a yellow cloud appeared beneath the horse-faced Daoist's feet and quietly spread upward through the mist.
It looked very much like mountain miasma, but its appearance was exceedingly strange. Within moments, it enveloped the horse-faced Daoist's legs below the knees, making him look as though he stood in a fluffy cloud formed from fog.
Only then did the horse-faced Daoist, whose attention had been on Li Ling, sense something amiss. He glanced down, surprise crossing his face.
Boom!
Caught completely off guard, the horse-faced Daoist was blasted into the air. Amid the swelling flames, both his feet were severed. Even the flying sword he had just summoned spun away and plunged into a nearby rock with a metallic clang.
"Immortal master!" Shopkeeper Huo's body jolted in shock, and then he felt as though he had fallen into an ice cavern.
"Senior Brother Zhu!" Li Ling, however, was overjoyed. He could clearly see a disheveled Daoist standing beside the mountain trail not far away, his hands forming a seal, still holding the posture of casting a spell.
Before anyone could react, a streak of sword light shot toward them and plunged straight into the horse-faced Daoist's heart. The qi-refining cultivator died on the spot without even having time to scream.
Only then did Shopkeeper Huo awaken as if from a dream. Rather than retreat, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward, drawing a dagger and pressing it against Li Ling's neck. "D-don't come closer!"
No sooner had he spoken than his hand twisted, as though an invisible shadow were forcibly prying his five fingers apart.
Shopkeeper Huo howled in pain, and the dagger clattered into the mud.
The disheveled Daoist could not even be bothered to acknowledge him. Standing where he was, he raised his gourd and took a deep swig of wine, while his flying sword flashed through the air toward the other four men.
"Aah!"
Screams rose one after another. The guards, their courage shattered, were slain in succession. Soon, only Shopkeeper Huo remained.
Li Ling looked back and found Shopkeeper Huo half-kneeling on the ground, his face contorted and his body trembling slightly, as though he were struggling against an invisible, immense force.
"Y-you caught up so quickly..." Shopkeeper Huo's eyes bulged with fury. He still had no idea what had happened.
"Senior Brother Zhu, they claimed to be from the Zhu Yuan Kingdom." Li Ling hurried toward the disheveled Daoist.
The disheveled Daoist said, "They are indeed. The Zhu Yuan Kingdom has always kept a close eye on the Mystic Xin Kingdom, competing with us at every turn. What I'm curious about is how they uncovered your background."
Li Ling said, "Exactly. It isn't the thief stealing that you fear, but the thief setting his sights on you."
Shopkeeper Huo managed a strained smile. He finally felt the force pinning him ease slightly, but his strength was gone. He slumped into the mud and began panting heavily.
The disheveled Daoist said, "You know why I've spared your life, don't you? Tell us honestly."
Shopkeeper Huo gave a bitter laugh. "Of all the trades and crafts in the mortal world, which one doesn't serve immortal masters once it reaches its highest level? Brother Li amassed such a fortune at such a young age. Who would believe he had no one behind him? A little deliberate investigation made everything clear."
Li Ling glanced at him and said to the disheveled Daoist, "It seems we still couldn't hide it from someone determined to find out."
The disheveled Daoist said, "We expected the existence of Spirit-Communing Incense to leak out, but we didn't expect it to happen so soon."
With that, he casually waved his hand. The flying sword struck, and Shopkeeper Huo died on the spot.
Li Ling said, "Senior Brother Zhu, why did you kill him?"
The disheveled Daoist asked in return, "Since he was of no use, why keep him?"
Li Ling could not help sighing, but he had nothing to say. This was the divide between immortals and mortals.
The disheveled Daoist beckoned and returned his flying sword to its pouch. He then took the pouch-shaped magical artifact and the partially used Spirit-Communing Incense from the horse-faced Daoist, casually tossing the Communication Talisman and other miscellaneous belongings to Li Ling. "Let's go back."
Li Ling said, "Not just yet. They still have some of my things."
He retrieved his notes from Shopkeeper Huo, then said, "Please help me pull out that Daoist's flying sword too, Senior Brother. You may not care to use it, but I'm rather fond of it."
The disheveled Daoist frowned. "Other people's swords are usually imbued with their blood essence and refined with their Divine Sense. How could they handle as well as your own? This Daoist was utterly penniless, too, by the look of it. He didn't even have a decent magical artifact on him. Only the pouch is of any use."
Li Ling said, "Then wouldn't it be perfect for melting down? There are skilled craftsmen in the city, too. It's just that a flying sword costs at least a hundred taels of gold. I've always wanted one to play with, but I haven't had the money to spare."
Inwardly, however, he grumbled, Who was it who said, "Even unranked artifacts are far from ordinary," back then?
The disheveled Daoist had no choice but to divert some of his Divine Sense to pull the sword out for Li Ling and laboriously move it over to him.
The flying sword had neither hilt nor scabbard, so Li Ling simply rolled Shopkeeper Huo's straw rain cape into a tube and wrapped it up. Once he finished, he could not help letting out an enormous sneeze.
"It's a bit cold. Senior Brother Zhu, let's hurry back."