Liang Shenglou looked up at his words. His gaze gradually cleared, but then he frantically looked himself over from head to toe, before freezing on the spot. After quite a while, he finally said hoarsely, "It seems you, Daoist Priest, are an Earth Immortal with true magical power. This old man had thought you were some reclusive senior who had never emerged into the world."
Shi Xuan said calmly, "This humble Taoist is still far from being called an immortal. I merely possess a little Daoist magic. Mr. Liang, you should answer my question first."
"If Daoist Priest agrees to do me a favor, I am willing to tell you everything I know and hold nothing back." After thinking for a moment, Liang Shenglou looked at Shi Xuan with blazing eyes.
"Ha. Mr. Liang, do you think you have the standing to bargain? This humble Taoist simply finds it troublesome and does not wish to use magic." Shi Xuan smiled.
Liang Shenglou raised his chin slightly and said stubbornly, "Then please, Daoist Priest, make your move."
Shi Xuan shook his head, performed the Yu Step, and chanted an incantation. Then he pointed at Liang Shenglou from afar. Two dim gleams shot from his eyes and landed squarely on Liang Shenglou's head. Liang Shenglou's gaze began to waver, and then he lost consciousness, staring blankly at Shi Xuan. This Soul-Stealing Technique had an especially potent effect on souls without fleshly bodies to protect them.
Shi Xuan slowly asked, "Tell me, when you obtained the 'Longevity Treasury,' did you gain anything else?"
Liang Shenglou answered word by word, "There was also a letter left behind by Guangyang Hermit."
"What did the letter say?"
"The letter said that the 'Longevity Treasury' was difficult to enter, and those who came after must diligently cultivate the later diagrams of circulating qi. Those were the true value of the 'Treasury.' It then mentioned that he sensed the opportunity to break through the body's barriers and shatter the void was about to arrive, so he would seek a secluded place to make his breakthrough. Whether he succeeded or failed, he would never return to the mortal world, and thus left behind the 'Longevity Treasury,' unwilling to let it be lost. Finally, he left behind a verse: 'Advance bravely and diligently for thirty years; this journey seeks the passes and mountains within the numinous terrace.'"
Shi Xuan questioned him repeatedly several more times and only stopped after confirming that nothing had been omitted. It appeared that Guangyang Hermit knew virtually nothing about what lay beyond ascension. Still, Shi Xuan was not overly disappointed. After all, he already had a complete plan of his own. Obtaining information from Guangyang Hermit had merely been an unexpected delight; failing to do so was perfectly normal.
After Shi Xuan withdrew his magic, Liang Shenglou gradually regained consciousness. Seeing Shi Xuan standing calmly before him and recalling the dizziness from moments ago, he asked in a trembling voice, "What Daoist magic did you use on me?"
"Hehe, merely a minor Soul-Stealing Technique."
"Good, good, good." Liang Shenglou looked utterly lost, as though his parents had died, as he spoke.
Shi Xuan silently recited an incantation and waved his hand, dispersing the black smoke. He said to Liang Shenglou, "All right. Now that I know what I wished to know, Mr. Liang, please do as you please. This humble Taoist shall take his leave first."
Liang Shenglou suddenly rushed over, dropped to his knees, and repeatedly smashed his head against the ground. As a soul, he could not truly feel much from this; it was more a display of his attitude. He cried hoarsely, "Daoist Priest, please avenge this lowly one! Daoist Priest, please avenge this lowly one!"
Shi Xuan looked at him and said, "I am burdened with countless matters and must cultivate as well. I cannot agree to your request."
Liang Shenglou continued kowtowing and pleading, but Shi Xuan steadfastly refused every time.
Seeing that Shi Xuan's heart was as hard as iron and stone, Liang Shenglou shouted, "Isn't it said that you cultivators treat others kindly and act on heaven's behalf? Aren't you afraid of heavenly retribution for acting like this?!"
Shi Xuan sneered. "No one has decreed that I must help you. If I help, that is doing good; if I do not, that is my duty. My conscience is clear. There is no need to frighten me with heavenly retribution. If you want revenge, seek out that sliver of heavenly opportunity yourself. Farewell!"
"Daoist Priest..." As Shi Xuan drifted away, Liang Shenglou's soul called after him several times from that dark, damp corner. Only then did he mutter despondently to himself, "Why? Why..."
After leaving the mountain forest, Shi Xuan sped toward the Official Road. What happened to Liang Shenglou afterward depended on fate. If he could promptly find a Place of Yin Energy and possessed a powerful enough obsession, he might yet have a chance at revenge someday. If his luck was poor and he simply dissipated, that was his own affair. In any case, whatever happened from then on had nothing to do with Shi Xuan.
One noon in early August, the blazing sun hung overhead beneath a cloudless sky stretching ten thousand miles. Though Chuzhou City was the seat of the prefecture, it was also a famously scorching place by the Great River. At this hour, few travelers walked the Official Road, and all of them looked drained and listless. The bustling crowds and streams of carriages from morning and evening were long gone.
The soldiers guarding the city had long since put on their bamboo hats and shrunk as far as they could into the gate's shadows. Inwardly, one of them cursed, That bastard of a captain! Wasn't it just that I won a few rounds of money off him? He arranged for me to guard the gate at high noon. Not only is there no profit in it, I'll probably have to spend money on medicine too. I'm about to be roasted alive!
Just then, he spotted a traveler approaching along the Official Road in the distance. Under the blazing sunlight, the figure was blurred and indistinct. Only when he drew near did the soldier see that he was a young daoist, ordinary in appearance yet calm in bearing, with an extraordinary air of his own. The guard had initially planned to extort a hefty sum from him, at the very least earn back today's money for iced tea. But seeing the young daoist's uncommon bearing, he hesitated. Those who guarded city gates dealt with countless people every day. Anyone without sharp eyes would offend someone they should never offend and meet a miserable end. Those who remained naturally possessed discernment and worldly knowledge above the ordinary sort.
After hesitating for a long while, the city guard finally pinched himself hard when the Daoist came close. Though he could not be certain that this was someone of remarkable origins, one could never go wrong by being careful. He hurried forward to greet him attentively, collected only two copper coins as the entry fee, and let the Daoist enter the city.
Once inside Chuzhou City, Shi Xuan saw broad streets and level roads, with taverns, inns, and all kinds of shops on either side. Many parasol trees had been planted along the roads, creating shady places to escape the summer heat. Although the weather was scorching and there were few pedestrians, in Shi Xuan's view, among all the cities he had traveled through, only Yangzhou Prefecture surpassed it by a notch. The rest fell far behind. Naturally, the great cities of his previous life were excluded from the comparison.
After leaving the ruined temple, Shi Xuan had traveled at an unhurried pace. Later, he took a boat upstream, spending nearly two months to reach the outskirts of Chuzhou. It had taken rather more time, but it had been comfortable.
After disembarking at Hanshui City, Shi Xuan spent another ten or so days reaching Chuzhou City. This was mainly because he had visited a certain renowned Daoist temple between the two cities. Unfortunately, they were all frauds who deceived the world and stole reputations, capable only of a few petty tricks.
Now that he had arrived in Chuzhou City, Shi Xuan planned to rest and recover for several days, bringing both body and mind to their peak before setting out for Tongxuan Mountain, fifty li northwest of West of the city.
After wandering about and looking around, Shi Xuan chose Yunlai Inn. Its surroundings were tranquil, and individual courtyards could be rented, making it an excellent choice for cultivators like him.
"Honored guest, please follow me. The Number One Heaven room is just ahead." The inn attendant led the way, short and skinny but quick-witted in appearance.
Shi Xuan nodded, inwardly amused. So I have a chance to stay in the Number One Heaven room too. After entering the inn's rear courtyard and turning this way and that, they arrived at a secluded small courtyard. The plaque above it read "Hexiang Courtyard." The attendant pointed at it and said, "Honored guest, this is our Number One Heaven room. There are no other courtyards nearby, so it is quite quiet. There is also a pond in the courtyard, filled with lotus flowers. Every summer, their fragrance comes in waves."
As they spoke, Shi Xuan and the attendant entered the courtyard. Sure enough, there was a medium-sized pond on the left, lotus flowers blooming across the water's surface. In this scorching heat, when people were weary and cicadas chirped while all the surrounding plants drooped lazily without spirit, the fragrant scent that rushed toward them was especially refreshing and delightful.
After dismissing the inn attendant, Shi Xuan returned to the courtyard. Beneath a large tree, he closed his eyes and rested his mind amid the fragrance of lotus flowers.
Over the next few days, Shi Xuan roamed through Chuzhou City during the day. On one hand, he gathered information for his upcoming journey to Tongxuan Mountain; on the other, he sampled Chuzhou City's delicacies, such as Great River fish and steamed crab. At night, he first practiced his fists, then visualized for Soul Strengthening, regulated his breath, and circulated qi. He did not neglect a single part of his cultivation routine.
One evening, Shi Xuan slowly strolled back toward the inn, savoring the endlessly delightful taste and fresh scallion fragrance of the Great River fish. He had just stepped over the threshold into the main hall when hurried footsteps sounded behind him. Soon, a frail scholar passed around Shi Xuan and headed for the counter. Seeing this, the inn attendant hurried up and asked, "Honored guest, are you dining or staying the night?"
The frail scholar stopped and hurriedly answered, "Greetings, brother. I am staying the night, in the common dormitory." Though thin and weak-looking, the scholar was not short, roughly seven chi tall and only a little shorter than Shi Xuan. His face was pale, but his features were rather handsome. Only his eyes seemed somewhat dull and lifeless.
The moment the inn attendant heard that he wanted the common dormitory, a trace of contempt surfaced on his face. Yet with people coming and going through the hall, he could not openly show the scholar any displeasure. Thus, he still said amiably, "Then may I ask your honored surname and given name? And where is your travel permit?"
The scholar did not notice the attendant's contempt and answered happily, "My surname is Ding, and my name is Mingde. My courtesy name... courtesy name... I have not yet entered formal studies, nor have I reached twenty, so I... I do not have one yet." By the end, he looked somewhat ashamed. At the same time, he took out his travel permit from his robes and handed it to the attendant.
The inn attendant took the travel permit. "Then please wait a moment, honored guest. I will show it to the shopkeeper, then come lead you to the common dormitory."
Ding Mingde nodded gratefully in agreement, then stood quietly to one side and waited. The shopkeeper had to record his name, hometown, and other details in the account books according to the travel permit for later inspection or official investigations, so it took some time. Ding Mingde seemed very familiar with this process. While waiting, he took an oil-paper parcel from his robes and opened it, revealing a cold steamed bun inside.
Ding Mingde stared hungrily at the bun and muttered to himself in distress, "This is the only one left. I still have to go to Tongxuan Mountain tomorrow. Should I eat it tonight, or not?"
Shi Xuan had nearly crossed the main hall and entered the rear courtyard when he suddenly heard the scholar mention Tongxuan Mountain. He walked back several steps, letting a man in a bamboo hat pass, then stood not far from the scholar, intending to hear what connection he had with Tongxuan Mountain.
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