Reunion

Li Chengxuan cut through the tangled mess with a swift blade. After punishing Duanmu Ren, he returned to Supreme Mystery Mountain.

A familiar face was already waiting in the Hall of General Affairs.

"Fellow Daoist Li, long time no see."

Xue Yang, an Immortal Alliance steward, took a sip of tea and looked Li Chengxuan up and down, his face full of surprise. "It's only been such a short time, yet you've already reached the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, fellow Daoist. Congratulations!"

Li Chengxuan shook his head and sighed. "To tell you the truth, fellow Daoist Xue, this breakthrough not only exhausted me, but also used up the precious pills my sect had kept tucked away at the bottom of the chest."

"I truly had no choice."

"Turmoil is coming. If I don't break through as soon as possible, how can I gain a foothold on the Southern Edge Continent?!"

Xue Yang nodded inwardly. Put that way, it did make sense. He smiled reassuringly. "There's no need to worry, fellow Daoist. With the Immortal Alliance and Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain here, the sky over the Southern Edge Continent cannot fall."

Li Chengxuan naturally did not contradict him, nodding to show he had taken the advice to heart.

Xue Yang was also a core figure at Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain. Naturally, he had not come to Supreme Mystery Mountain for idle chatter, but to make his customary inspection of the various sects.

Supreme Mystery Mountain was somewhat unusual.

Under its jurisdiction was the Azure Cloud Sect, a New Method sect from the Central Continent.

Xue Yang sighed and said worriedly, "I made a special trip to the Azure Cloud Market. It was truly an eye-opening experience."

"Within the market, pills, talismans, artifacts and formations can all be found."

"The Azure Cloud Sect's spirit farming methods in particular allow it to gather and harvest Rogue Cultivators without any fighting or killing. Its methods are truly ingenious."

"Those spirit farmers rent and cultivate spirit fields, handing over most of what they produce. They're no different from tenant farmers and serfs in the mortal world. Where is there a trace of a cultivator's bearing?"

"Yet those Rogue Cultivators never tire of it. They're even deeply grateful to the Azure Cloud Sect."

"What a bizarre affair."

Li Chengxuan did not find it strange.

In the end, the Azure Cloud Sect had given mortal martial artists with no way onto the path and destitute Rogue Cultivators with no hope of cultivation something inconspicuous yet immensely precious.

Hope!

By working hard in the fields to earn Spirit Stones, even those without Spirit Roots could use pills to temper their bodies and become New Method Qi Refining cultivators.

Even if their Dao Paths were cut short, they could return to the mortal world and secure a lifetime of wealth and glory.

Not to mention that when cultivators had children together, their chances of producing offspring with Spirit Roots rose greatly.

Naturally, Rogue Cultivators flocked there like ducks.

However, since the Azure Cloud Sect had generously shared thirty percent of the market's revenue with Supreme Mystery Mountain, it would naturally give a share to the Immortal Alliance as well.

More precisely, to the Xue Household, which controlled the Immortal Alliance.

Though Xue Yang complained, his appearance at the market already amounted to something of an endorsement.

Supreme Mystery Mountain had some resources of its own and few cultivators, so it did not care about the market's revenue.

The Xue Household controlled the Immortal Alliance and even possessed an ancestral secret realm, so it cared even less.

Seeing that Li Chengxuan's expression remained calm and that he had not called for the market to be destroyed, Xue Yang dropped the subject and said instead, "At the foot of Supreme Mystery Mountain, I also ran into members of the Chu Household who blocked my way and begged me to punish the cultivator causing trouble. I sent them away."

"Do you know what's behind it, fellow Daoist?!"

Li Chengxuan glanced at Xue Yang and nodded slightly. "I know roughly what happened. My master mentioned it before."

After a pause, he added, "When my master was alive, he loathed the Chu Household and strictly forbade Supreme Mystery Mountain's disciples from meddling in the affairs of the mortal world."

"I will not disobey my master's orders."

"I see." Xue Yang nodded in realization, then smiled and said, "When I passed the White Dragon River, I came across someone gathering Qi by the riverside. What a dense Kan Water Manifestation he had!"

"I originally wanted to take him back to Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain, but when I asked him, I learned he was your esteemed disciple!"

"You are truly blessed, fellow Daoist, and Supreme Mystery Mountain's fortune is flourishing!"

"What a coincidence?!" Li Chengxuan smiled, then sighed. "My disciple spent too long drifting through the mortal world and missed the best time to cultivate."

"His Dao Path will probably be even more difficult than mine."

"Don't be so modest, fellow Daoist, and don't take me for a blind fool." Xue Yang looked thoroughly displeased as he set down his teacup. "I saw it with my own eyes. Not only was his Manifestation dense, but his temperament was exceptional."

"That Qi Gathering method was profoundly mysterious. Even I couldn't see through it."

"Oh?!" Li Chengxuan was somewhat surprised and hurriedly asked with concern, "I've been terribly worried since he went down the mountain to gather Qi."

"Please, fellow Daoist Xue, tell me more..."

Wild Goose Pond Mountain had grown much quieter.

When Deng Gang rose in rebellion, he took most of the able-bodied men from the foot of the mountain with him.

After the rebel army swept through Wild Goose Pond Commandery like a hot knife through bamboo and seized it, the able-bodied men who had survived took their families to settle in the commandery city.

Then, seeing that the situation had been settled, many disaster victims returned to their homes one after another.

Most of those left were the old, weak, sick and disabled, with no one to rely on and nowhere to go.

Deng Gang was deeply loyal and did not abandon them. Instead, he regularly sent people to bring them grain.

With Liu Zhijian and Elder Luo looking after them as well, the vulnerable people at the foot of the mountain were safe and had no worries about food or clothing.

Liu Zhijian had not changed much. He remained devoted to fishing.

"Is fishing really that much fun?"

Jiang Xiaoyu tilted her head and looked at Liu Zhijian, thoroughly puzzled. "You go every day. Don't you get tired of it?!"

Liu Zhijian was taken aback and did not know how to answer for a moment.

Fishing was the only thing he liked and the only thing he was good at. How could he get tired of it?!

Liu Zhijian could not even imagine himself not fishing.

If he did not fish, wouldn't his life be a blank, utterly meaningless?

Liu Zhijian smiled and shook his head. "No."

Jiang Xiaoyu did not believe him and begged Liu Zhijian to take her fishing so she could try it.

The White Dragon River was deep and windy, and jagged rocks lined its banks. It was somewhat dangerous for Jiang Xiaoyu.

Naturally, Liu Zhijian refused.

But he could not withstand Jiang Xiaoyu's endless pleading. After obtaining Elder Luo's permission, he made her a small fishing rod and took her to a shallow stretch of the riverbank.

Jiang Xiaoyu enthusiastically began fishing.

But she soon lost patience. Before a quarter of an hour had passed, she dropped the rod and went off to collect shells.

Left with no choice, Liu Zhijian took her back.

There were quite a few more soldiers at the foot of Wild Goose Pond Mountain.

Near the thatched cottage halfway up the mountain, there were even armored elite troops.

"Brother Liu!"

Deng Gang wore a suit of bright armor, looking mighty and imposing, his presence full of dominance. When he saw the fishing rod and fish basket in Liu Zhijian's hands, he could not help laughing. "I still remember those days outside Danzhou City, when you and I would warm wine and talk to our hearts' content after fishing."

"Looking back now, it truly feels like another lifetime."

Liu Zhijian smiled and nodded, though he did not feel as strongly about it.

Whether outside Danzhou City or at the foot of Wild Goose Pond Mountain, he had merely changed the place where he fished.

Deng Gang knew Liu Zhijian's temperament and did not mind. He stepped aside and made an introduction. "Brother Liu, this is my wife, Qiao Yuniang. While I've charged into battle at the front, I've relied on her to hold the rear."

Then he introduced Liu Zhijian. "Yuniang, this is Brother Liu Zhijian, whom I often tell you about. Not only are we kindred spirits, but he also saved my life!"

The smile on Liu Zhijian's face grew. He nodded and said, "Yuniang, thank you for all your hard work managing military affairs. You truly show that a woman can be no less than a man."

Qiao Yuniang was dignified and composed, with a touch of authority even when she smiled. One glance was enough to tell she came from an extraordinary background. "You flatter me, brother. I'm ashamed to accept such praise."

Old friends reunited naturally had much to talk about.

Qiao Yuniang was indeed a capable wife, having prepared wine and dishes well in advance.

Liu Zhijian's life was monotonous and dull, a straight line between two places: each day he went down the mountain to fish and came back up to sleep.

Deng Gang's experiences, on the other hand, had been splendid.

Whether it was evading one assassination attempt after another by Huang Kingdom cultivators or slaying enemy generals in battle and taking fortified cities, each called for a full cup.

Deng Gang had naturally not returned to Wild Goose Pond Mountain merely to show off Qiao Yuniang. His main purpose was to invite Liu Zhijian to join him in pursuing a great undertaking.

Before, when he had been penniless and possessed nothing, Liu Zhijian had refused no matter how hard he begged.

Now he had plenty of troops and generals, as well as the full support of the Azure Cloud Sect's Qiao Household. The destruction of the Huang Kingdom was only a matter of time.

Surely Liu Zhijian would not refuse him now?!

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Brother Deng." Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Zhijian shook his head. "But my ambitions truly lie elsewhere."

Deng Gang's expression changed slightly, and his gaze grew somewhat gloomy.

"The wine has gotten a little cold."

Qiao Yuniang, who had been pouring wine and serving food at their side all along, reached out and took the wine pot from Liu Zhijian. "I'll have someone warm it."

Deng Gang had, after all, been tempered by experience. He forced a smile and nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, my wife."