Volume 5 Chapter 39
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Volume 5 Chapter 39: Harvest (Part 2)
After Xu Qingfan calmed Little Black’s anxious mood, he continued to venture deeper into the ruins. However, the deeper he went, the less he found. It was clear that the people in purple had already thoroughly searched this area.
During this time, Xu Qingfan found several secret rooms once used to store valuable treasures, but he discovered nothing inside, as they were all empty. It was unclear if Gu Fulu took the contents or if the people in purple had seized them.
After completing his search of the entire ruins and gathering scattered items outside, Xu Qingfan had only collected less than five hundred spirit stones, over a hundred luminous pearls, and more than ten bottles of low-value elixirs. Although he found plenty of materials for array arrangements and crafting, they were not useful to him, yet still better than nothing.
In this search, besides an eerie skull with an unknown purpose, Xu Qingfan did not gain anything significant. The skull was quite mysterious, and although Xu Qingfan obtained it, he didn’t dare use it without knowing its origin and purpose. The memory of the uncontrolled "Flourish Qi" and "Withered Qi" was still vivid in his mind.
Reflecting on it, Xu Qingfan indeed left the "Treasure Pavilion" empty-handed. Though he had not held much hope for the ruins, he still felt some regret. He thought that Gu Fulu and the people in purple had been too thorough, leaving nothing behind.
During his search, Xu Qingfan encountered Venerable Xuan Yuan, Master Guanghui, and Layman Nanshan, who were also searching the ruins. They each entered from different directions, not wanting any disagreements over found items. However, the "Treasure Pavilion" was never large, and as ruins, it was even smaller, so meeting each other was normal.
When they met, they merely nodded in acknowledgment, without discussing their findings or searching in the spots the others had already inspected. Everyone understood that if anything remained, it would have already been taken by the others.
Apart from Xu Qingfan, the other three also wore expressions of disappointment. It was unclear if they had found something valuable and did not want to reveal it, or if they genuinely hadn’t discovered anything of worth.
When the four gathered again, the ruins of the "Treasure Pavilion" had been thoroughly searched, and there wasn’t even a single spirit stone left scattered around.
"We didn’t find anything valuable, so we should leave," Venerable Xuan Yuan frowned and said.
Upon hearing Venerable Xuan Yuan’s words, the others nodded slightly. Though they had entered from four different directions, they now left together.
The direction they left in was the same path Layman Nanshan used when he entered the ruins.
But as they reached the exit, Xu Qingfan paused slightly, pointing to a spot not far from the exit and asked, "Nanshan, do you not want this item?"
The spot Xu Qingfan pointed to was a cracked wall, which seemed to have been some sort of mechanism. Through the crack, he could see a girl-shaped puppet standing still with a sword-holding stance. It appeared to be a battle puppet from the Treasure Pavilion, but due to a malfunction, perhaps caused by the attacks on the Pavilion, it did not move into combat.
Seeing where Xu Qingfan pointed, Layman Nanshan smiled and said, "I am not skilled in the art of puppets. I checked it before; this puppet is already broken and useless to me, so I didn’t bother with it."
Xu Qingfan nodded slightly, then asked Venerable Xuan Yuan and Master Guanghui, "Are either of you interested in this puppet?"
Hearing Xu Qingfan’s question, everyone knew Xu Qingfan wanted the puppet. A damaged puppet was of no use to them, and the used materials held no value, so when they saw Xu Qingfan’s interest, they didn’t argue. Master Guanghui laughed and said, "This puppet is useless to us. If Taoist Friend Xu wants it, you may have it."
On the other side, Venerable Xuan Yuan nodded slightly, agreeing with Master Guanghui’s words.
Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "Well, then I won’t stand on ceremony."
As he spoke, Xu Qingfan waved his sleeve, and the puppet vanished into it.
Although the puppet was useless to Layman Nanshan and the others, it was actually also useless to Xu Qingfan, but the moment he saw it, Xu Qingfan thought of deeper things.
Firstly, Xu Qingfan was very interested in the art of creating and operating puppets. Although the pursuit of immortality favors depth over breadth, and one should focus on seeking the path to eternal life, like Old Beggar or the cultivators of "Medicine King Valley," who might never reach the ultimate path, so Xu Qingfan had only a slight understanding of such side paths over the years.
However, the art of making and operating puppets was different. Gaining more knowledge about it would greatly enhance Xu Qingfan’s second magic – the "Avatar" technique.
Secondly, Xu Qingfan had already observed that this puppet was of the same type as the three that had ambushed him earlier. He was very interested in the techniques of this type of puppet, which allowed for invisibility and swift relocation. Understanding these techniques could greatly aid Xu Qingfan in future battles.
Of course, although the puppet was damaged, there was only one of it. Xu Qingfan wouldn’t share these thoughts with the other three; he quietly tucked the puppet into his sleeve.
After placing the puppet in his sleeve, Xu Qingfan joined the other three outside the ruins. Outside, the disciples of Venerable Xuan Yuan and the other two had been waiting for a long time.
Xu Qingfan and the others were leisurely searching through the ruins for remaining artifacts because the figure in purple had already gone far away. The nearest other "Treasure Pavilion" was thousands of miles away, and the group did not know that all the "Treasure Pavilions" had disappeared.
However, it was not convenient to stay much longer at this time. If other people from the "Treasure Pavilion" came to help, it could become troublesome even though nothing had been done. Therefore, once they reached the outside of the ruins, Venerable Xuan Yuan was already asking Xu Qingfan about his next destination, which was also a way of bidding farewell.
Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "This time I came down the mountain to gather some items needed for my retreat. Now that everything is ready, I must return to the mountain to continue my retreat."
Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Venerable Xuan Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly, and he cupped his hands towards Xu Qingfan, saying, "We must quickly return and report the events that transpired here to the elders. Since the taoist friend is returning to the mountain for retreat, we won’t keep you. Let’s part ways here, and I wish you great progress in your cultivation after your retreat."
Xu Qingfan had many connections with the Righteous Alliance, so Venerable Xuan Yuan did not hide anything in front of him.
Xu Qingfan also cupped his hands with gratitude and replied, "Thank you."
Yet, Venerable Xuan Yuan suddenly asked, "Is your cave dwelling still in the Southern Wasteland?"
Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Yes, it still is."
Venerable Xuan Yuan smiled and said, "Our ‘Penance Valley’ is near the Southern Wasteland. We should become closer in the future."
Following Venerable Xuan Yuan’s words, Master Guanghui and Layman Nanshan both extended invitations on behalf of their respective sects, with Layman Nanshan even inviting Xu Qingfan to give a lecture at the "Xingyin Sect."
Xu Qingfan chuckled and said, "Naturally."
From Venerable Xuan Yuan’s words, Xu Qingfan realized that many people he interacted with were likely starting to doubt his identity as a Southern Wasteland rogue cultivator. However, according to Xu Qingfan’s plan, after his seclusion and re-emergence, it would be the time when Jiuhua Mountain reappears in the world. By then, unless something unexpected happened, the name "Xu Fan" would fade away, and the true "Xu Qingfan" would begin to walk the world. It was a promise made with ease.
In fact, although Venerable Xuan Yuan and others had some testing intentions in their words, their sincerity was more significant. Xu Qingfan, known as a rogue cultivator, gave lectures at Qingxu Gate and earned the title of "Palm Spring and Autumn" becoming famous within the Righteous Alliance. At that moment, the three had personally witnessed Xu Qingfan’s miraculous recovery from severe injuries, with abilities even more mystical than the legends. Regrettably, the three were eager to report back to Ronghua Mountain, unable to converse further with Xu Qingfan. Thus, they hoped to meet again another day, and their invitation was indeed sincere.
After exchanging a few more polite words, Venerable Xuan Yuan and the others left first. Xu Qingfan stood in front of the ruins, watching them depart.
Only when their figures completely vanished from Xu Qingfan’s sight did the smile on his face gradually fade. Turning to Little Black, he said, "Those two red beads you gave me before, there should be plenty here. Please gather them all for me."
As Xu Qingfan finished speaking, Little Black immediately spread its wings, swiftly flying towards a spot further around the ruins. Meanwhile, standing still, Xu Qingfan’s eyes showed a contemplative look.
