The full-bearded man and the frail scholar each kept one hand hanging beside the storage pouch at his waist.
From their stance, if Li Ping dared make a move, they would immediately send their magic artifacts flying and unleash a thunderous strike.
He faced two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom was even at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.
Yet he had not even practiced a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation method, nor did he possess a single magic artifact suitable for a cultivator of that realm. Li Ping knew that daring to fight back would only invite humiliation.
Have I offended these two? Why don't I remember them at all? Li Ping's thoughts raced as he searched through several decades of memories, but he still had no clue who they were.
Fortunately, I'm in the Immortal City right now. With the city's rules in place, these two probably wouldn't dare actually kill anyone.
At that thought, Li Ping edged a little farther toward the city before speaking without betraying his unease. "I am indeed Li Ping. May I ask what you two fellow Daoists want with me? I have arranged to meet Fairy Meng, Meng Qingyi of Azure Dragon Mountain, so I'm afraid I cannot linger here too long."
As he spoke, Li Ping subtly pointed out his connection to Meng Qingyi, hoping to make them think twice.
After all, he would be joining Azure Dragon Mountain as a retainer. Surely Fairy Meng would not mind him borrowing that backing a little early.
Within the Immortal City, there should not have been any cultivators who dared provoke the Azure Dragon Mountain lineage.
Unfortunately, to Li Ping's disappointment, the burly, full-bearded cultivator merely nodded indifferently at his words. "Since you're Li Ping, come with us. Someone wants to question you!"
Li Ping's heart sank, and his pulse instantly quickened. The other man seemed utterly unconcerned about his "Azure Dragon Mountain backing," as though he had formidable connections of his own.
Even so, Li Ping could not possibly go with them just because they told him to.
If he really followed them, who knew where they would take him? His situation then would be even worse than if he fought them here!
"May I ask your names, fellow Daoists?" Li Ping tried to discover their identities.
Seeing that Li Ping refused to follow him and kept asking questions instead, the burly, full-bearded man glared fiercely at him. "Boy, we told you to come with us, yet you keep dithering. Are you asking for a taste of suffering?"
"Whew!"
Faced with the burly man's threat, Li Ping drew a deep breath inwardly, but his feet did not budge. He was already prepared to fight.
He would never let them march him away without knowing who they were.
I'll take my chances. If I can stall them even a little, the Azure Dragon Mountain cultivators will find out!
But... just as Li Ping was about to act, the frail scholar who had remained behind the burly man tugged his arm. "Senior Brother Xiong, let me speak."
Then he looked at Li Ping with a solemn expression. "Li Ping, correct? We are cultivators from Azure Dragon Mountain. The Fairy Meng you mentioned is my senior sister. We came looking for you today because another of my senior sisters has some questions for you!"
As he spoke, he took out an ancient-looking blue-green token and waved it before Li Ping.
Li Ping saw it clearly. It was indeed an Azure Dragon Mountain token.
But tokens could be forged, and Meng Qingyi's identity was hardly a great secret in the Immortal City. Who knew whether they were telling the truth? Li Ping still did not dare trust the two men before him.
In this dangerous world of cultivation, how could he casually trust anyone?
The frail scholar's words only deepened his confusion. His senior sister wanted to meet Li Ping and ask him some questions?
"Fellow Daoists..."
Li Ping kept talking around the subject to stall for time, wearing down both men's patience until they were ready to seize him by force.
Fortunately, help finally arrived at that moment.
A blue-green ruqun, moon-white shoes embroidered with plain clouds, and a sweet, lovely face-it was Meng Qingyi.
Seeing the three poised to clash, Meng Qingyi wore a strange expression. "Senior Brother Xiong, Junior Brother Ye, Fellow Daoist Li, what happened? Why do you look as though you're about to fight?"
"He's driving me mad! No matter what we say, this brat refuses to believe us! I'm so angry I want to give him two good punches-bam, bam!" When the burly, full-bearded man saw Meng Qingyi arrive, his eyes were full of impatience. "You're just in time, Junior Sister Meng. You explain it to him."
The frail scholar was also rather helpless. "Senior Sister Meng, Fellow Daoist Li refuses to come with us."
Only after Meng Qingyi appeared did Li Ping dare believe that the burly, full-bearded man and the frail scholar truly were cultivators from Azure Dragon Mountain. No wonder they had acted so fearlessly.
He had forcibly draped himself in Meng Qingyi's tiger skin to borrow her authority.
This really was a case of a counterfeit running into the genuine article.
Faced with an invitation from two Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators and one Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator, and on their own territory at that, Li Ping clearly had no room to refuse.
After Fairy Meng patiently explained things, he could only obediently summon his flight light and follow the three toward Azure Dragon Mountain.
Li Ping was also curious about the identity of someone who could order so many Foundation Establishment cultivators to "capture" him. Puzzled, he transmitted his voice. "Fairy Meng, just who is it that wants to see me?"
Hearing Li Ping's voice transmission, Meng Qingyi's eyes showed a rueful smile. Then his lips moved slightly, and his clear voice sounded directly beside Li Ping's ear. "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Li, it is my Thirteenth Senior Sister who wants to see you. In truth, I never expected that merely inviting you to become an Immortal City Retainer would somehow involve Thirteenth Senior Sister and provoke her fury."
Then, seemingly feeling guilty, Meng Qingyi told Li Ping about this "Thirteenth Senior Sister."
Windmist True Person was a Core Formation cultivator who had already lived for over four hundred years. Of the disciples she had accepted, nearly all those ranked earliest had exhausted their lifespans and passed away in seated meditation.
Among those still alive, the earliest to have entered her tutelage was her thirteenth disciple, Dai Sangyu.
According to Meng Qingyi, Senior Sister Dai possessed a cloud-type variant spiritual root, and her cultivation had already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection.
While Windmist True Person was in seclusion, Senior Sister Dai effectively managed all affairs, great and small, of the entire Immortal City and the Azure Dragon Mountain lineage on her behalf.
Naturally, inviting Li Ping to join Azure Dragon Mountain as a retainer also required her approval.
But who could have known that the moment Senior Sister Dai saw the information Meng Qingyi submitted, she would fly into a rage?
She had even directly ordered the full-bearded Senior Brother Xiong and the frail scholar, Junior Brother Ye, to "invite" Li Ping back to see her.
Meng Qingyi had only learned of this afterward and hurried over.
Now Li Ping was even more bewildered.
He had only learned the name Dai Sangyu today.
Besides, during his time in the Immortal City, he had always kept his head down whenever possible and quietly pursued cultivation. There was even less chance of him offending a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator.
Yet she had flown into a rage the moment she saw his information?
What was going on?
Li Ping voiced his confusion.
Meng Qingyi was equally puzzled. Sensing Li Ping's unease, he could only move his lips and offer reassurance. "Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding. Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Li. Thirteenth Senior Sister is always scrupulously fair in her dealings. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, she won't make things difficult for you."
"Let's hope so."
They held the knife and chopping block; I was the fish on it.
Li Ping could only sigh inwardly.