Chapter 182: Seeking Fate

Hearing the group making their way up the mountain, Lu Liangsheng cast a glance out of the corner of his eye but did not pay them any attention. His palm pressed against the sword’s pommel, the spiritual essence he was channeling surging ceaselessly, colliding again and again as it was tempered with the characters “Wind”, “Forest”, “Fire”, and “Mountain” engraved above. Dust motes around the sword formation were stirred up in concentric rings, spinning into a circular vortex.

The sight of the scholar holding the sword left Min Yuerou and the seven guards who had come up the mountain rooted to the spot in shock. Their hands hung at their sides, fidgeting—grasping at hems and trouser legs—because this was utterly different from the jianghu skirmishes they were used to. To their eyes, the scene before them belonged solely to tales of immortal fate.

Not one of them dared move, all of them staring tensely as pale green, earthy yellow, fiery red… streaks of color flickered unceasingly along the sword blade.

Ka-ka-ka…

A finger-wide, archaic sword body seemed to give off the sound of metal twisting as though hidden mechanisms had been triggered. Amid the flickering spiritual radiance, the patterned lines upon the blade continually extended and shifted.

The engraved lines on the sword deepened from shallow to profound. A wisp of drifting clouds revealed a cold sliver of moonlight, which fully transformed into a full moon disc. The ethereal bluish glow truly resembled moonlight shining down from the night sky.

“An immortal sword…”

Several of them swallowed hard. Glancing again at the weapons at their own waists, they realized that even if those could not compare to the immortal sword at the center, the differently styled longswords arranged in a circle around it were clearly no mundane objects either.

Over there—

Lu Liangsheng pressed both palms downward. At the center of the sword hilt, among two large and two small red jade stones, tiny specks of other colors appeared. As the spiritual essence deepened, these spread outward across the entire jade.

“Too much haste leads to failure… This will do for now. The sword embryo must be nurtured; it cannot be rushed.”

After a moment, he withdrew his cultivation power, continuing to rely on the sword formation to sustain the flow of spiritual essence and nourish Veiled Moon Sword, allowing it to gradually adapt. The surrounding winds settled. The scholar stepped out of the formation and nodded toward Min Yuerou and the others.

…She must have come regarding the matter of rescuing Minister Min.

…Indeed, it could not be delayed any longer. Yet on my end, I still need at least a few more days.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, he walked over and invited the woman and the eight others to one side. From his sleeve pouch, a wolf-hair brush slid out. He lifted the brush cap and, without ink, casually sketched in the air.

Two stone stools rose from the ground. Lu Liangsheng brushed his robe and sat down upon one of them, then extended a hand.

“Sit.”

Min Yuerou shifted her feet and walked closer. Not daring to say she would not sit, she carefully lowered herself onto the seat. A sense of solid texture came through beneath her. She looked at the scholar opposite her for a long while before finally settling down from the shock. Pressing her lips together, she spoke of her purpose.

“Young Master Lu… now… can you go with me to save my father?”

On the branch of the old pine tree, the Daoist lying on his side with a blade of grass in his mouth turned his head to look over. The Toad Daoist, seated at the edge of the cliff basking in the morning sun, also shifted his gaze slightly.

“At present, I’m afraid not.” Lu Liangsheng pressed both palms onto his knees and calmly looked at the woman opposite him. His gaze guided her toward the refining formation as he spoke in an even tone. “You’ve seen it as well—there are still matters here that I haven’t completed.”

“But, Lu—” The woman leaned forward slightly. Her lips parted, and she had just uttered two words—

“Don’t rush. Hear me out.”

Lu Liangsheng raised a hand, cutting her off. “That Venerable Master in the capital is no ordinary demon. If our preparations are incomplete, going there would only be courting death. I understand your desire to save your father, but some matters cannot be rushed.”

He rose to his feet and cast his gaze toward Sun Yingxian atop the old pine, lifting his hands in a cupped salute.

“Old Sun, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to accompany Miss Min on this trip.”

A soft hua sounded as branches and leaves rustled. Amid the bending and trembling of the boughs, the Daoist leapt down. He smoothed his sleeves against his body, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked over with a slight nod. Looking at the woman who had also risen from the stone stool, he nodded solemnly.

“…I had originally intended to linger a while longer amid these mountains and waters. But considering that Minister Min once shared ties with this Daoist, and seeing the young lady’s wholehearted filial devotion, then I shall make this journey.”

Over there, the group of guards—unaware of the situation—broke into great delight. They hurriedly clasped their fists and bowed.

“Many thanks, Daoist!” “Daoist, you truly have the bearing of an immortal!”

“Our lord is saved!”

“Then when do we set out?!”

Seeing the Daoist’s air of an otherworldly master, Min Yuerou could not be certain whether his Daoist methods were truly profound, but he should be no worse than the Young Master Lu before her…

After giving it some thought, her delicate brows curved slightly. She lowered her head and gave him a respectful bow. “Min Yuerou thanks the Daoist Master in advance.”

Watching the young woman’s slender brows and light makeup, her head lowered as raven hair spilled down like a waterfall, the Daoist swallowed hard. Realizing he had lost his composure, he hastily waved his hands, straightened his chest, and looked off to the side.

“No need for such courtesy. This is a matter of righteousness—precisely something we Daoists should undertake, upholding kindness and virtue!”

Even the usually composed Lu Liangsheng could not help but pause in surprise. By the cliff’s edge, the Toad Daoist smacked his lips and spat out a soft “ptui.”

Ahem, ahem…

Sun Yingxian cleared his throat twice, shot a glance at the scholar and the toad, then waved his hand toward the woman and the guards.

“There’s no time to waste. Let us set out at once.”

“Many thanks, Daoist Master!”

Min Yuerou clasped her hands in thanks, then led the guards down the mountain to make preparations. Lu Liangsheng walked over to the Daoist, glanced at him, and asked softly, “Not thinking about Jingqiu anymore?”

“Jingqiu?” Sun Yingxian turned his head, looking at the scholar in confusion. “Who’s Jingqiu? Never heard of her.”

With that, he chased after them, hopping now and then, his feet lightly tapping the air, jogging down the mountain with an unmistakably buoyant mood.

Lu Liangsheng smiled. With a sweep of his sleeve, the two stone stools dissipated into dust. He studied the Veiled Moon Sword for a while—now that the first strand of spiritual essence had been formed, the second through fourth had also taken shape today. Only steady, gradual progress could ensure success. Moreover, during this period, his own Golden Core realm had been steadily stabilizing. There was no need to rush to reach the Immortal realm at twenty or thirty years of age…

‘Where in this world are there so many easy gains? Besides, I’ve yet to see enough of the splendor of the mortal world.’

Gazing at the sword formation woven of spiritual energies, Lu Liangsheng sighed at the thought. He then turned and walked to the cliff’s edge, picked up his master from the ground, and placed him on his shoulder.

“Master, let’s go see them off as well.”

As the sword neared completion, Toad Master’s mood seemed somewhat peculiar. His eyelids drooped as he merely gave a soft grunt in response.

The news of the Daoist’s departure broke the calm of the small courtyard enclosed by a wicker fence. Before he left, Li Jinhua hurried to heat a large pot and bake some flatbreads for the journey.

In the courtyard, the old tree swayed gently in the sunlight. Amid the drifting fallen leaves, Sun Yingxian came out after packing his belongings. There was actually little to take—just a single bundle slung over his shoulder. Grinning broadly, he repeatedly clasped his hands in salute toward Lu Laoshi and Lu Xiaoxian, who had come to see him off.

“Happy as if he were a newlywed groom.” Lu Xiaoxian found the look on his face rather unpleasant, but she still pulled out a pair of freshly sewn cloth shoes from behind her back and tossed them over.

“Here. The pair I promised you last time. Only one pair—whether you get the other depends on this young lady’s mood.”

“Hehe, how could I possibly accept it?”

The Daoist did not stand on ceremony. He immediately took off his old pair and slipped on the new shoes, then clasped his hands in farewell toward Lu Laoshi and the old donkey in the shed.

Only then did he leave the courtyard, bid farewell to Lu Pan and the other eight, and join the crowd of villagers who had come to see him off, chatting and laughing together at the village entrance.

“Take good care of yourself on the road.” “When you come back, we’ll spar again—don’t forget!”

“Last night I even thought up a new move—ah—technique!”

“Hey, hey… won’t one of you kind souls take pity on me and send me back to Fushui County…”

Before long, Lu Liangsheng came down from the mountain. He called Sun Yingxian over and handed him a bundle.

“Inside are some pills, and a Daoist manual as well. It suits your cultivation method somewhat. Practice more along the way—don’t drop the ball.”

“Got it, got it!”

The Daoist took it with both hands, sounding impatient as he spoke. After walking halfway, he still turned back, clasped his hands, and bowed to the scholar. Then, with a grin, he waved.

“I’m off!!”

Thus, he departed together with Min Yuerou and the seven others. Well… he couldn’t ride a horse, so he activated an escape technique and followed behind them. In the blink of an eye, he vanished toward the road beyond the distant mountains.

Watching the group disappear from sight, the villagers gradually dispersed in twos and threes. Amid the thinning crowd, a disheveled old man stood there, leaning on a wooden staff.

“Hey, hey… won’t one of you kind souls take pity on me and send me back to Fushui County…”

Yet no one paid him any heed.

Lu Liangsheng, who had also been about to leave, stopped. His gaze fell upon the old man.

“Wang Banxian?”

As if hearing someone finally recognize him, Wang Banxia nodded slightly and lifted his face. A wisp of goatee fluttered in the wind. Tapping his staff point by point, he moved toward the voice and replied in a dignified tone,

“Indeed, this old one.”

After a few slow steps, he suddenly halted, shock flashing across Wang Banxia’s face.

…This is a Dao cultivator?!

Over there, Lu Liangsheng naturally recognized the man. He had encountered him the first time he accompanied his father to Fushui County to buy the old donkey and writing brushes, and later had seen him once more at the Chen’s residence. Though they had never spoken, he still remembered his appearance.

“What brings you here, old sir—”

Before the scholar could finish speaking, the old man tossed his staff aside and suddenly knelt.

“Master above, this disciple Wang Cheng’en has come to seek karmic connection!”