Volume 2 Chapter 6

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Volume 2 Chapter 6: Night Exploration

The Zhang Mansion was easy to find, located right in the heart of Gushan Town. As a noble family estate that had stood for hundreds of years in Gushan Town, the Zhang Mansion covered a vast area of land, spanning several hundred acres, with buildings every few steps; corridors wound like ribbons, and eaves pointed high, each brick and tile displaying an aura of wealth. The grand house was brightly lit, with servants bustling about the corridors, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xu Qingfan quietly hovered above the Zhang Mansion, gazing at the extravagant residence below, feeling a sense of awe. Long ago, when Xu Qingfan was still in Xu Family Village, he often heard the Second Elder lament about the luxury of the noble families in the prosperous Middle-earth and the hardships faced by common folks. Perhaps Xu Qingfan hadn’t been in the town long enough to notice the hardships of its ordinary people, but through this grand estate of the Zhang Mansion, Xu Qingfan gained some insight into the luxurious lives of these so-called noble families, especially when compared to the small and old common houses he had seen in town during the day.

This was just a noble family in a small town. What about those grand families in big cities? Thinking about his ancestors being forced to escape to the desolate and dangerous Southern Wasteland and his own childhood of hunger and cold, despite being a cultivator, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but silently lament the unfairness of the Heavenly Way.

Xu Qingfan chuckled to himself, dismissing those chaotic thoughts from his mind. These issues were no longer something he should be concerned with.

After casting an "Invisibility Spell" on himself, Xu Qingfan descended boldly into the Zhang Mansion, ignoring the many servants passing by him. Xu Qingfan knew that with his current early Lingji level cultivation and the "Invisibility Spell," not even Immortal Master Li, let alone these ordinary people, could see through his spell.

Once on the ground, Xu Qingfan walked directly towards the rear residence. From Zhang Long’s introduction, he knew that this Immortal Master Li usually resided in a small building in the rear, claiming it was for "comprehending the Heavenly Way."

After arriving at the rear residence, Xu Qingfan easily found the small building. Unlike other luxuriously decorated rooms, this building was quite simple, fitting for Immortal Master Li’s identity as a "Heavenly Master". However, when Xu Qingfan went upstairs to find Immortal Master Li, he discovered there was more than just Immortal Master Li in the room.

Inside a room decorated like a Daoist temple, a statue of a Taoist patriarch stood proudly in front of the wall. Immortal Master Li sat peacefully beneath it, with an incense burner placed in front of him. Smoke softly curled around him, complementing his white, long beard and his simple, elegant Taoist robe, creating a truly celestial appearance. Next to him, however, lay an unusually large dark blue wolf-dog, slightly odd for the setting.

In front of Immortal Master Li, Xu Qingfan saw the young man named Zhang Hu whom he had met earlier in the day, standing respectfully with a plump middle-aged man. Xu Qingfan guessed that this man must be Zhang Hai, the father of Zhang Long’s enemy, Zhang Hu.

What caught Xu Qingfan’s attention even more were the other four people in the room. Each was about eight feet tall, dressed in Taoist attire, with a dark complexion and a somewhat vacant look. They stood quietly in the four corners of the room with not a single breath to be detected. If Xu Qingfan hadn’t observed carefully, he wouldn’t have noticed their presence at all.

"So, you lost track of Xu Qingfan and Zhang Long?" Immortal Master Li asked Zhang Hu slowly, his face emotionless.

"Those servants are useless, they couldn’t even follow two people. I’ve already asked Manager Zhang to teach them a lesson," Zhang Hu said fiercely. "But I’ve heard from our people that Zhang Long hasn’t returned to his rogue friends. I’m worried he might have left Gushan Town with that Xu Qingfan."

Upon hearing what Zhang Hu said, Immortal Master Li slightly frowned, then closed his eyes as if sensing something. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and said, "’Gold Transforming Worm’ is still here, Zhang Long hasn’t gone far. He’s currently in a small grove outside the town."

"Is that so? It’s good that he hasn’t left. I wonder what he’s doing outside town," Zhang Hu said, finally relieved.

"You should send someone to the outskirts of the town to capture Zhang Long now. It’s time to let the ‘Gold Transforming Worm’ hatch and perform the ritual on it," Immortal Master Li said slowly.

"Are we refining it now? Immortal Master, didn’t you say we need to let the ‘Gold Transforming Worm’ nourish in Zhang Long’s body for three hundred days? It’s still three days short," Zhang Hu exclaimed in surprise.

"A few days less won’t matter. For some reason, I have a bad feeling today. The sooner we refine the ‘Gold Transforming Worm,’ the sooner we’ll have peace of mind. Better safe than sorry," Immortal Master Li said with a frown.

"Alright, I’ll send someone to bring Zhang Long back now." Hearing Immortal Master Li’s words, Zhang Hu nodded seriously, clearly trusting the Immortal Master greatly.

"Mr. Zhang, have you prepared all the materials I asked you to find?" Immortal Master Li nodded slightly to Zhang Hu then turned to ask Zhang Hai.

"Well… Immortal Master, the materials you asked me to find are incredibly precious. Only the major families possess them, and they are their heirlooms. Despite my efforts and spending my entire fortune, I’ve only managed to gather about ninety percent, but as for the ‘Moon Spirit Stone,’ the Ximen family in Gandong County has it. However, the cost to obtain it is too high. I’ve tried everything, but there’s been no progress," Zhang Hai said with difficulty.

Upon hearing Zhang Hai’s words, a flash of hostility crossed Immortal Master Li’s once peaceful face, but he still spoke kindly, "You must know that the ‘Gold Transforming Worm’ is a treasure of the world, with the miraculous power to turn stone into gold. The materials needed for its refining are naturally extremely precious. But aren’t you confident that once you have the ‘Gold Transforming Worm,’ today’s sacrifices will be worth it in the future?"

Hearing Immortal Master Li’s words, a look of greed filled Zhang Hai’s eyes, but he quickly became helpless and complained, "To be honest, Immortal Master, I’ve spent all of the Zhang family’s three hundred years of savings gathering your required materials. So now, especially to acquire the ‘Moon Spirit Stone,’ I’m truly out of resources."

Without waiting for Immortal Master Li to respond, Zhang Hu quickly suggested, "Father, why don’t we sell the Zhang family estate to raise funds?"

"Sell the estate? This property is valuable but it’s the foundation of the Zhang family, meticulously maintained for three hundred years. Selling it just like that might not be a good idea," Zhang Hai replied in shock, his face full of hesitation.

"The Zhang family? Hmph…! Father, are you still considering those Zhang family people? Even though you are now the head of the Zhang family, do they really see you as one of them? In their eyes, we’re just outsiders. Why should we care about them anymore? What’s there to be upset about losing a house? Once we have the ‘Gold Transforming Worm,’ we can go to the city and buy a grand house much better than this one. Why stay in this small place?" Zhang Hu said angrily.

Listening to Zhang Hu’s words, Zhang Hai’s expression shifted from hesitation to determination, and he nodded firmly, saying, "Alright, Immortal Master, I’ll sell this house and exchange it with the Ximen family for the ‘Moon Spirit Stone’!"

"It’s good that you think this way," Immortal Master Li said with a smile. "You must understand, the ‘Gold Transforming Worm’ is a treasure from heaven and earth, and crafting it requires sacrificing one’s lifespan. If it weren’t for my old friendship with your ancestors, I wouldn’t do this. I’m willing to give up my lifespan to fulfill Mr. Zhang’s wish, so why hesitate over a mere house?"

"We’ll always remember Immortal Master’s help." Hearing Immortal Master Li’s words, Zhang Hai quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Outside the room, Xu Qingfan listened to the trio’s conversation, a faint cold smile on his face. The so-called ‘Gold Transforming Worm’ must be the ‘Spirit Control Object’ that Immortal Master Li plans to refine—the ‘Six-winged Golden Beetle.’ By now, Xu Qingfan had figured out their relationship. After Zhang Hai and Zhang Hu joined the Zhang family, this Immortal Master Li approached them, claiming he could refine a treasure that turns stone into gold, sparking their greed. He then helped Zhang Hai become the Zhang family master, enabling him to gather the precious materials needed for the ‘Six-winged Golden Beetle.’

As for the so-called ‘turning stone into gold,’ Xu Qingfan had never heard of it. He didn’t believe someone like Immortal Master Li, at the late stage of Qi Refining, could possess such extraordinary skills.

Just as Xu Qingfan was considering his next move, Immortal Master Li’s expression suddenly changed. Ignoring the surprise on Zhang Hai and Zhang Hu’s faces, he turned towards Xu Qingfan’s direction and said, "My friend, you have quite the skill to have been in my room for so long without me noticing. But won’t you reveal yourself now?"

As he spoke, the four strange disciples who had been quietly standing in the room’s corners all lunged at Xu Qingfan simultaneously. Despite their initially clumsy appearances, they moved with blinding speed, creating a powerful air current as their forms flashed, causing the room’s lights to sway violently, the momentum was truly astonishing.