Chapter 7
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Looking for a Fish in a Tree, Traveling a Landlocked Boat
The night deepened, and a light, drizzling rain began to fall.
The workers painting the manor had all left, and the sprawling complex, capable of housing hundreds, was once again left with just the master and disciple cooped up in the small alchemy room. Lu Xingzhou pulled out the spirit stones he had “acquired” from the Danxia Gang and arranged a spirit-gathering formation (聚灵法阵) beside the flickering furnace fire.
The master and disciple sat cross-legged, cultivating. Before long, the spirit stones lost their spiritual energy, becoming dull and lifeless.
This was a high-quality spirit-gathering formation, set up at great cost with numerous spirit stones, yet it was completely absorbed in an instant.
If an outsider had paid close attention, they would have noticed that Lu Xingzhou only absorbed a small portion of the spiritual energy; the vast majority entered Ah Nuo’s tiny body.
In just a few days, the large quantity of spirit stones “acquired” from the Danxia Gang had been entirely consumed. No amount of money earned seemed enough for this gold-swallowing beast (吞金兽).
Ah Nuo was the first to open her eyes.
The window wasn’t fully closed, and the autumn wind, carrying rain, swept into the room, bringing a sense of bleakness.
Ah Nuo rested her chin in her hands, watching her Master’s handsome face, still so calm and gentle, as he sat cross-legged with closed eyes. Yet, she always felt that ever since Master returned to Xiazhou, his heart was as bleak as the weather.
He was a vengeful spirit who crawled out of hell, returning to claim lives. No matter how refined his demeanor was outside, once back here, he suppressed his soaring murderous intent.
Ah Nuo was not six years old this year; she was ten. As for the events of ten years ago, she was a direct witness. It was just that her constitution was unique; no matter how much she ate, she wouldn’t grow, requiring high-quality elixirs to sustain herself. This made her extremely difficult to raise, making her appear much younger than she was.
Lu Xingzhou racked his brains to earn money and elixirs, feeding more than half of it to this four-legged gold-swallowing beast, having gone through immense hardship to raise her this far.
Ah Nuo’s constitution wasn’t the only unique thing about her; other aspects were special too. For example, even though she was just an infant, she knew everything that happened with perfect clarity.
The year he picked her up, Lu Xingzhou himself was only nine.
That year, he was called Huo Qing (霍青).
Although he also had the surname Huo, Huo was a common surname in the countryside and had no relation to the prominent Huo family.
Although Sheng Yuanyao had asked if the Huo family had ever oppressed locals and formed grudges, she would ultimately only focus on Young Master Huo Qi. After all, a vengeful Huo Shang was far more interesting, the kind of dramatic rich-family feud that appeals to both officials and commoners, especially eye-catching.
Those who were easily overlooked, the oppressed, had no story, no sensationalism, and no one cared.
Even if their entire family of more than ten perished completely, their bodies wrapped in tattered cloths and all thrown down the back mountain, no one cared.
Among them, a nine-year-old child was still barely alive, and even less did anyone care.
If anyone had bothered to look, they would have discovered that in the mountain hollow between the Huo manor’s back mountain and Danxia Mountain, an infant had “grown” from the earth at some unknown time. When Huo Qing was thrown down, he rolled next to the infant, his teeth hitting the baby’s small head, drawing a trace of blood into his mouth.
The dying Huo Qing inexplicably came back to life. He opened his eyes to see the little bundle crying loudly in front of him. Unsure what potential was awakened, he stubbornly hugged the child and climbed up Danxia Mountain, collapsing at the entrance of the Daoist temple.
There was no story of a kind old Daoist priest adopting children.
The old Daoist priest did indeed save Huo Qing, but not out of adoption. He was simply curious how this child, who should have been long dead, could still be alive and climb the mountain. So, treating him as a test subject (实验药人), he tormented him with various medicines for two years.
To cope with official population checks, the old Daoist priest even registered him, making him a legitimate inheritor of Danxia Temple.
After two years of torture-like treatment, Huo Qing’s body was ravaged like a tattered cloth, and his broken leg, which could have been reattached with timely medical attention, completely lost any hope of healing.
To prevent the test subject from dying too easily, the old Daoist priest did teach Huo Qing some basic cultivation.
Having his leg broken at such a young age, and his constitution being utterly messed up, meant the martial cultivation path he had been learning since childhood was severed. He could only consider switching to Daoist cultivation, but even that had significant obstacles.
After all, for the circulation of Qi within the body, lacking the leg meridians meant it wouldn’t reach the Yongquan acupuncture point (涌泉 – bubbling spring, on the sole of the foot). It could correspond to heaven above, but not touch the earth below, thus failing to complete the Great Heavenly Cycle (大周天). Coupled with his extremely poor constitution, achieving much in spiritual cultivation would ultimately be difficult.
Moreover, Daoist magic requires even more comprehension and innate talent; it’s not something one can learn just by wanting to.
But Huo Qing still cherished this opportunity. Though being a test subject was bitter, he couldn’t leave with Ah Nuo on his broken leg, and leaving would make him easily discovered by the Huo family. It was better to endure here for now and continue learning. So, amidst various medicinal tortures, he silently studied for two years, while also saving his meager gruel to feed Ah Nuo.
The tiny glutinous rice ball, with bright, shining eyes, watching him—she was little Huo Qing’s only warmth in this living hell.
Initially, Ah Nuo wasn’t growing. The old Daoist priest thought it was normal due to lack of nutrition and didn’t pay much attention, assuming she would die prematurely in a few days anyway. But the little one had incredibly strong vitality and truly survived. However, after two years, her growth remained completely stunted at her small size, finally puzzling the old Daoist priest, who then decided to use Ah Nuo for research.
This action thoroughly enraged Huo Qing.
For two years, Huo Qing had appeared to be submissive, which had long dispelled the old Daoist priest’s vigilance. The old Daoist didn’t know that Huo Qing had foundational knowledge of formations from his childhood and, over these two years, had secretly learned and observed his system, secretly analyzing many of his unique techniques.
Taking advantage of a deep meditation session by the old Daoist priest, Huo Qing quietly disrupted the protective formation he had laid out. With a kitchen knife, he easily chopped off the old Daoist priest’s neck.
Unfortunately, although the old Daoist priest wasn’t a particularly strong cultivator, he was still around Seventh or Eighth Grade. His dying counterattack was more than Huo Qing’s tattered body could withstand.
With his neck severed, the old Daoist priest’s blood gushed, blood arrows that could have claimed Huo Qing’s life.
In that split second, a slender hand, white as jade, swept past, blocking the blood arrow’s attack. A delicate, charming voice rang in his ear: “Interesting little brother… You should have died twice already. This is the third time…”
Huo Qing turned and saw a pretty face of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, whose expression could easily shift from anger to joy.
Like a ray of light, it spilled into his dim hell.
Died twice? Once was killed by the Huo family before, and the other was… transmigrated here from a previous life?
Huo Qing took a deep breath. “Miss, you are…”
“I am a Life Lender (赊命人).” The girl’s eyes darted around. “You should have died, but I’ve lent you a life. One day, you will have to repay me.”
Huo Qing was silent for a moment. “Miss saved me. My life is already yours. If you wish to take it, you may do so at any time.”
“Mmm… How long have you been on this mountain?”
“Two years.”
“Have you heard this old Daoist priest mention any specific elixirs?”
“He refines elixirs every day. What are you referring to, Miss?”
“Hmm… Of course, those high-grade immortal elixirs that can make people ascend directly.”
“If he had such elixirs, he wouldn’t only be a Seventh or Eighth Grade cultivator, and he wouldn’t have died by my hand,” Huo Qing said expressionlessly. “Perhaps he dreamed of refining such elixirs, and wasn’t everything he did for that purpose?”
“Ha…” The girl chuckled. “Well said. I think compared to here, the Huo family is more likely to have them. The divination might have been a bit off.”
Huo Qing immediately urged, “Then why doesn’t Miss go search the Huo family manor?”
“Ha… The Huo family is quite powerful. For now, I don’t want to provoke them,” the girl chuckled. “I’ve run away from home and want to establish my own enterprise. I’m short-handed. I think you’re quite interesting, like a little adult. How about you come help me?”
Seeing that she wouldn’t trouble the Huo family, Huo Qing sighed with considerable regret. “Since my life is yours, Miss, I will go wherever you ask, with the only condition that I can bring Ah Nuo.”
The girl turned to look at the little bundle in the swaddling clothes, a hint of fondness in her eyes. “Of course.”
Huo Qing nodded and began rummaging through the old Daoist priest’s belongings.
The girl watched with interest as he pulled out cultivation techniques, secret manuals, elixirs, and even a land deed.
Huo Qing handed everything to her. “I have nothing to repay you with. This is a thank you gift.”
“No need, keep it for yourself… From now on, you’re my little brother. My name is Yuan Muyu (元慕鱼). What’s yours?”
“…Lu Xingzhou (陆行舟).”
Looking for a fish in a tree; a boat traveling on land. (缘木求鱼, 陆地行舟 – Yuán mù qiú yú, lù dì xíng zhōu)
Big Sister Yu is Master’s new life, but Master is Ah Nuo’s life.
Bang! The alchemy room window shattered, and Ah Nuo’s memories, like a broken mirror, returned to reality.
Looking up, a cold gleam shot through the autumn rain, heading directly for Lu Xingzhou, who appeared to be meditating by the furnace.
Lu Xingzhou extended two fingers, somehow already clutching a talisman, which ignited without fire.
The cold gleam couldn’t reach Lu Xingzhou. Ah Nuo flicked her sleeve, intercepting it. It was just a dart.
At the same time, the talisman burned to ash.
A sudden clap of thunder ripped through the night sky, and a bolt of lightning struck down directly. A black figure outside the window was about to flee, but how could it evade the speed of this thunderbolt?
With a boom, the lightning accurately struck the black figure, who let out a horrified scream: “Lu Xingzhou! You, you’re not an Eighth-Grade Daoist cultivator at all! How dare you conceal your cultivation from the King of Hell (阎君 – Yán Jūn)!”
“I didn’t conceal anything from her; I only concealed it from you fools.”
“I came on the King of Hell’s orders! How dare you kill me!”
“You claim you don’t even know my cultivation level, yet you dare claim to be dispatched by her?” Lu Xingzhou said indifferently. “Impersonating the King of Hell’s orders in front of me… Truly like your master, foolishly unaware.”
The person screamed and rolled, yelling hoarsely, “You… how can you determine I’m impersonating! Let me go! Otherwise… Ah!”
The voice grew fainter and fainter, soon becoming inaudible, on the verge of death in an instant.
As he was dying, Lu Xingzhou’s sigh echoed in his ear: “She and I never fell out… My departure wasn’t because of your master’s slandering and ostracism. It was merely because… she didn’t love me.”
Outside the window, silence reigned.
Ah Nuo scrambled to her feet and leaned out the window to look. The rain poured down on the corpse, seemingly like corrosive liquid, gradually eroding the body away until no ash remained.
Ah Nuo didn’t know if the other party heard those last words before dying. She hoped he didn’t; otherwise, having to vomit them out before death would truly be pitiful.
“Master, why didn’t you let him go this time, like before? Didn’t you care about old ties?”
“They found us all the way in Xiazhou. Letting him go would only bring endless trouble. What I’m doing in Xiazhou is very important; I don’t have time to deal with those fools who only think about ‘male competition’ (雄竞).”
“What if Big Sister Yu gets angry?”
“The path of immortals is long and distant… Yuan Muyu’s gaze would never linger on common mortals like us, no matter who they are.” Lu Xingzhou sighed. “Tomorrow, I’ll have to get someone to fix the window again. What a waste of money.”
“Tsk, boring.” Ah Nuo immediately knew this man was evading the point again. Wasn’t it just that he couldn’t win over a woman? Why make it sound so mysterious?
Big Sister Yu was pretty, but her face wasn’t as round as Ah Nuo’s.
The alchemy furnace trembled slightly, and the scent of elixirs filled the air.
Three golden elixirs floated out, their spiritual energy almost making Ah Nuo “drunk with oxygen.”
Seventh-Grade Soul Nurturing Pills (七品养魄丹), three pills per furnace, supreme quality (极品).
Ah Nuo drooled.
Lu Xingzhou, however, was still very dissatisfied with himself. He gazed abstractedly at the dregs inside the furnace, muttering, “Two wasted… My strength is still insufficient.”
Ah Nuo said, “You’re already very impressive, Master! Seventh-Grade Alchemists refining Seventh-Grade elixirs—I’ve never seen anyone consistently produce supreme-grade ones, let alone multiple pills.”
“But if I’m content with this, how will I break through to Sixth-Grade?”
“Uh…”
“Seventh-Grade is still among the lower three grades, fundamentally lacking. To truly cure my leg, I must break through to Sixth-Grade. Only then is there a sliver of possibility…” Lu Xingzhou sighed. “As for the opportunity for breakthrough… I hope the Huo family doesn’t disappoint me.”
– Mochinuna.
