Li Ping had already prepared himself for the two points the Meng Family Ancestor raised.
After all, the Meng Family did not truly intend to befriend them. Its purpose in renting them cave abodes at low prices was still to earn even more spirit stones from them.
Of course, neither arrangement disadvantaged the artisans on the mountain. On the contrary, both made things considerably more convenient.
Take Li Ping, for example. As a Second-Tier Talisman Maker, did it matter where he sold the spirit talismans he made?
The Meng Family would come to collect them, offer much the same prices, and save him time as well.
The same went for talisman-making materials. There was no difference between buying them from the Meng Family and buying them at the marketplace.
The Meng Family Ancestor had also promised not to cheat him on prices.
As for cultivators asking the Meng Family to engage the artisans living on the mountain?
That amounted to bringing them business, providing an additional source of income.
As for the Meng Family Ancestor's final statement-that they were free to do as they pleased, and the Meng Family would never force them-
Li Ping felt that he should simply hear those words and leave it at that.
Since he was renting someone else's cave abode at a low price, it was best to strive for a mutually beneficial arrangement rather than clash with his hosts.
After various thoughts flashed through his mind, Li Ping nodded. "There's no problem with the price or the terms you mentioned, Fellow Daoist Meng. Are there any cave abodes left on the mountain?"
Hearing that Li Ping was willing to settle on Immortal Peach Mountain, the Meng Family Ancestor's face lit up with delight. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Li. Although seven or eight fellow Daoists have already moved onto Immortal Peach Mountain, several cave abodes remain vacant. You may choose one from among them."
As he spoke, the Meng Family Ancestor took a silvery scroll from his Storage Bag and slowly unfurled it. A large illusory image projected from the scroll, hovering in the air between them.
Li Ping looked up. Within the illusion was a lush little mountain six feet tall.
"Please take a look, fellow Daoist." The Meng Family Ancestor pointed at the illusory mountain in the air, where more than a dozen golden points of light were clearly visible. He smiled. "These golden lights mark the locations of the cave abodes. Each occupies roughly a thousand mu, with all buildings and formations fully in place. You can move in directly."
The mountain stood two hundred zhang tall and spanned seven or eight li, yet contained only a dozen or so cave abodes. That was why each could occupy such a large area.
Compared with the little alley in the Outer City where Li Ping had previously lived, this place finally had something of the grandeur of an immortal's abode.
In truth, cultivators were people too, not cave dwellers.
Thus, when circumstances allowed, they generally built palaces and pavilions to live and cultivate in, rather than actually digging a hole in a mountain and moving inside.
The Meng Family Ancestor continued with a smile, "Among these golden lights, the solid ones indicate that a fellow Daoist already lives there, while the hollow ones are unoccupied. Fellow Daoist Li, you may choose any one you like."
Li Ping nodded, then pointed at one of the hollow lights. "Which fellow Daoists live near this cave abode?"
After carefully asking about every vacant cave abode and learning their circumstances, Li Ping finally made his decision following some "serious consideration." "I'll rent this one."
The hollow point of light he indicated lay atop a sheer cliff.
A few li away from that hollow light happened to be another, solid point of light. Li Ping had just learned from the Meng Family Ancestor that this solid light marked Master Hu Feng's cave abode.
"Certainly, no problem. I'll have someone arrange your move-in right away." The Meng Family Ancestor smiled. "There's only about a month until the new year. Let's count the rental term from then. You needn't pay rent for this month. Consider it the Meng Family's gift to celebrate your move, Fellow Daoist Li."
"Then thank you, Fellow Daoist Meng." Li Ping readily accepted.
Half a day later.
Holding two formation jade tokens, Li Ping walked slowly along the streets of the Immortal City, still pondering what had just happened.
Once the rental arrangements were complete, the Meng Family Ancestor had been in no hurry to leave. Instead, he had started chatting with him.
At first, Li Ping had merely assumed that he wanted to grow closer and strengthen their relationship, so he had thought little of it.
What he had not expected was that, in the middle of their perfectly pleasant conversation, the Meng Family Ancestor would suddenly bring up Dai Sangyu's preventing him from becoming an Immortal City Retainer. His words had also hinted at disapproval of her "overbearing and domineering" conduct.
This left Li Ping puzzled. He did not know whether the Meng Family Ancestor had done so merely to show him goodwill, or whether he had some other intention.
In theory, the Meng Family and the Immortal City shared weal and woe. Even if he disapproved of how things were handled, the Meng Family Ancestor should not have criticized his own acting sect leader in front of an outsider like Li Ping.
Unless there was a serious conflict between him and Dai Sangyu, or-
Could he have been the one who tried to stop Dai Sangyu from reaching core formation? Li Ping was badly startled by his own conjecture.
But he soon shook his head. The Meng Family belongs to the righteous path. Surely they wouldn't do something so beastly.
Forget it, forget it. Whatever you're planning, I'm going into seclusion to cultivate hard next, and I won't be coming out!
I'm not getting involved in any of this damned mess.
After leaving the Inner City, Li Ping visited Zhang Tie and Gu Musheng separately to tell them about his move and give them his new address. They would, in turn, notify the association's other four members.
This year's gathering would also be moved to his new cave abode.
As was customary, the members of the Shared Boat Association gathered once a year to share what they had seen and heard and exchange cultivation experience.
Of course, most importantly, they also paid their annual contributions to the "foundation establishment fund."
The gathering always took place at the end of the year, on New Year's Eve.
Like the world of Li Ping's previous life, the cultivation world observed New Year's Eve and the new year. This was also a time for mortals in the cultivation world to reunite with their families.
Although cultivators became fundamentally different from mortals once their spiritual roots were detected and they stepped onto the immortal path, devoting themselves to attaining immortality and seeking the Dao rather than caring about family reunions,
they still retained certain habits. For instance, the Meng Family Ancestor habitually treated the new year as the beginning of the year, and had even waived a month of Li Ping's cave abode rent because of it.
Li Ping was the same. He, too, habitually regarded New Year's Eve as the end of the year.
After packing up his personal belongings in his old residence, Li Ping gazed at the little courtyard where he had lived for more than a decade, a trace of melancholy inevitably entering his eyes.
There's only a month until New Year's Eve. I wonder how Master is doing back in the Jiang Kingdom.
And Daoist Ji, too. In his last letter, he said he had something to discuss with me. I wonder whether that matter has been resolved.
He should have received my reply by now!
More than half a year had passed since he last wrote back to Daoist Ji, yet he had received no reply. He did not know whether the merchant caravan had been delayed or whether there was some other reason.