Chapter 33 (Part 2)

Song Yuanxi was moved by his master’s painstaking arrangements. He had originally thought that once his master went into seclusion, he would no longer care about him. He had not expected his master to have already made plans for him.

After being moved, Song Yuanxi belatedly thought, My master has already fought for one slot for me, and Yuanruo fought for another. Then am I…

“Junior Brother Song is overthinking it. One person only counts as one slot, and the slot may not be transferred or sold.” Ji Wuyi completely extinguished the other party’s little schemes.

Song Yuanxi could not help letting out a long sigh. “What a huge loss…”

The two left the sect and took a flying boat toward the Ji family in the northern lands. However, the two places were over a hundred thousand li apart. Taking a flying boat the whole way would simply be too much. They had to take teleportation arrays in medium-sized cities and make several transfers in succession before they could arrive.

And now, the first city they were going to that had a teleportation array was Wan’an City, about ten thousand li from Xuantian Sect. The flying boat flew through the sky for three days and finally reached the vicinity of Wan’an City. Flying was not permitted inside the city, so the two could only get off the flying boat and walk in.

Ever since Song Yuanxi arrived in the other world, he had stayed in the sect the entire time. The trip to the Tushan secret realm had been his first time going out, but that time the large group had acted together, and they had gone straight from one point to another. It truly did not count for much.

This time was his first true trip out for sightseeing.

Song Yuanxi was very much looking forward to the Ji family’s Trial Tower, but he looked forward even more to the journey there. Tourist check-ins and tasting delicious food were things he absolutely could not miss.

Ji Wuyi had originally wanted to go straight to the teleportation array and leave as soon as they entered the city. Unfortunately, Song Yuanxi shamelessly acted cute and wheedled, insisting that they stay here for several days.

“Junior Brother Song, how exactly do you manage to be so shameless?” Acting spoiled and cute like a three-year-old child. Was he not embarrassed?

Song Yuanxi, however, was perfectly calm. “Face is something you do not bring with you at birth and cannot take with you in death. Its only use is to be lost. Losing my own face does not matter. In any case, I am not making the sect lose face.”

Ji Wuyi snorted coldly. “You calculate that quite clearly.”

Song Yuanxi chuckled and pointed at a restaurant not far away. “Senior Brother Ji, I heard this Quanfu Restaurant is the largest restaurant in Wan’an City. Its dishes are exquisite, and the freshness of the flavor… Shall we go try it?”

Ji Wuyi avoided Song Yuanxi, who was reaching out to pull his sleeve. “Stop pawing at me. Once we finish eating, we go back to the inn to rest.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother. Senior Brother is so good!” Song Yuanxi flashed a mouthful of white teeth at him, smiling like a husky.

Ji Wuyi very much suspected that behind the other party, there was an invisible tail currently wagging wildly with delight. “They were clearly born of the same mother. Martial Uncle Song is dignified and reserved, proper in advance and retreat. Why is Junior Brother Song…”

Song Yuanxi liked the restaurants of the cultivation world very much, because spiritual beasts and spiritual water came with their own spiritual energy and power. No matter how they were cooked, they tasted very good. If special seasonings and cooking methods were added, it could simply be called heavenly delicacies on earth.

After learning that Ji Wuyi was treating, and that the other party seemed to have no shortage of spirit stones, Song Yuanxi very impolitely ordered eight of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

The dishes were quickly served. Ji Wuyi picked up his chopsticks to take some, but the other party called out and stopped him.

He saw Song Yuanxi take a crystal ball out of his storage bag and turn it around the table of dishes from every direction without any blind spots. His mouth was even muttering words. “This is Taihu spirit fish, steamed and boiled eight times, with a limited daily supply at the restaurant… This is roasted yak horn, extremely rich in spiritual energy, melting as soon as it enters the mouth…”

“Junior Brother Song, what are you doing?”

“Taking a photo before eating, ah, no, I mean leaving an image before eating. How can I not leave a memento of such an exquisite feast?”

“…”

Ji Wuyi did not understand. He really did not understand! Especially when he saw that, after Song Yuanxi finished leaving an image, he made a backup recording of this segment, then sent it out using Voice Transmission Talismans. And he sent several in a row.

Voice Transmission Talismans could transmit not only sound, but also images. It was just that they consumed quite a lot of spirit stones. Unless one was a wastrel, people generally did not do this.

“Junior Brother Song, who did you send this… to?” Ji Wuyi was rather curious.

Song Yuanxi ate as he said, “Several people. Senior Sister Jiang, Senior Brother Du, Senior Brother He, Lu Ziqi… Ah, I forgot my mother. I have to send another one.”

Song Yuanxi sent the image to a specific recipient. The recipient was Jiang Wanrong. To ensure precise delivery, he even added a strand of his own hair.

Ji Wuyi said, “Daoist Master Shuanghua will not be angry?”

“Why would my mother be angry?”

“You sent her such boring images. She…”

“How could that be? My mother will be happy before anything else. This is called sharing daily life. When family members have a close relationship, they should communicate more and send more greetings.” If not for the fact that his father and Yuanruo both had important matters, he would definitely have sent the same thing in triplicate.

This was something Ji Wuyi had never encountered before. Born into the Ji family, as a direct-line heir of the Ji family, the ideas instilled in him from childhood were to become a genius, to become a genius cultivator who could win glory for the family.

“The glory of the Ji family depends on you.”

“Ji Wuyi, whether the Ji family can prosper for another hundred or even thousand years all rests on you alone. Remember this, remember this!”

“Cousin Ji, you are amazing. You are the pride of our Ji family!”

Ji Wuyi had heard too many words like these. Fortunately, he himself also loved cultivation, and especially loved studying talisman arts, which aligned with the Ji family’s purpose.

The Song family was a vast clan, even more prosperous than the Ji family. Daoist Master Yunxi’s line was the direct line of the Song family. The two Song brothers’ mission should have been the same as his. They bore the hopes and glory of their family.

But Song Yuanruo was very calm. Establishing his foundation at twenty had been something that flowed naturally into place, not a product of eagerness for quick success. As for Song Yuanxi, he was even more freewheeling.

“I do not know. Daoist Master Yunxi, he… does he not scold you for wasting time like this? After all, with five spiritual roots, if…”

Song Yuanxi finally understood what Ji Wuyi wanted to express. He stopped his chopsticks and asked curiously in return, “Senior Brother Ji, what do you geniuses pursue in cultivation?”

“Longevity. A long and supreme life, without oppression or fear, able to act as one pleases.”

“Then am I not doing what I like right now?”

“But…”

“Although my cultivation is low, and I might be in danger of losing my life at any moment if I encounter a high-level cultivator, it will be fine as long as I do not actively provoke them. If I keep my head down, I can still live pretty well. I just want to, on the day I die, look back on my life and know that I ate everything I wanted to eat, played everything I wanted to play, and spent every day living the kind of life I wanted, happily. Then I will die without regrets.”

“If you work hard at cultivation, after Foundation Establishment, you can extend your lifespan by a hundred years. If you reach Golden Core, you can live up to five hundred years. Instead, at this moment, you only have a hundred-year expectation.”

Song Yuanxi thought for a moment and nodded. “Being able to live a little longer is indeed pretty good. But no matter how long I live, what I want is still this kind of life. I cannot be a genius like you all, knowing only cultivation day and night. That would make me feel life has no meaning at all.”

Ji Wuyi frowned, not quite agreeing. Song Yuanxi laughed. “Senior Brother Ji, people have different pursuits at every stage. If you blindly work hard only thinking of success, thinking you will do those things after you succeed, then it will actually be too late. Some things and some people, once missed, are gone. There is no way to make up for it.”

Ji Wuyi suddenly thought of his childhood days in the mortal world. That period had probably been the most carefree time of his life, and he too had once smiled brightly every day. However!

“I still prefer my current life. Talisman arts fascinate me. The profundities of the talisman Dao are endless. I am willing to pour everything I have into it.”

Song Yuanxi made a sound of agreement. “So Senior Brother Ji is also living very happily. You feel satisfied with your own days, and that is enough! I am also very satisfied with my own days. Everyone has their own joy, and all is well.”

I do not like your lifestyle, but I respect everything about you. This had always been Song Yuanxi’s principle for dealing with the world.

Though Ji Wuyi did not understand, as an outsider, he did not criticize further. After eating, the two left the restaurant. Ji Wuyi went to the inn and plunged headfirst into talisman research. Song Yuanxi took a city map and began checking in at all sorts of places and wandering around.

On the evening of the third day, the two were packing up and preparing to leave when the waiter came over to inform them that someone was looking for them.

Ji Wuyi’s movements stopped. Song Yuanxi’s scalp tightened, and he immediately raised his hand to declare his position. “Senior Brother Ji, I did not cause trouble these past few days. I was very good.”

So this definitely was not his fault!

The two walked out. With just one glance, Ji Wuyi said, “It is one of our own. This is a cultivator stationed here by the sect on guard duty.”

The disciple before them was at the sixth level of Qi Refining. When he saw Ji Wuyi, he immediately stepped forward to greet him. “Xiang Tingxuan greets Senior Brother. Something has happened to the martial uncle on guard duty. We have already requested rescue from the sect, but our hearts remain anxious. Yesterday, I happened to encounter fellow sect members, so today I have taken the liberty of coming to disturb you. I ask Senior Brother for aid.”

Song Yuanxi thought of something and suddenly said, “I did feel like someone was following me. I thought it was an illusion. So it was you, Senior Brother.”

“Junior Brother, I am sorry. To confirm whether you were truly fellow sect members, Tingxuan had no choice but to resort to this method. Please forgive me.” Xiang Tingxuan returned a salute to Song Yuanxi.

Ji Wuyi, however, listened with tightly knitted brows. “Are there other cultivators here pretending to be Xuantian Sect disciples?”

Xiang Tingxuan seemed hesitant to speak. Ji Wuyi immediately said, “Speak once we reach the guard post.”

Their itinerary was interrupted. Song Yuanxi and Ji Wuyi followed Xiang Tingxuan to the sect’s guard post to understand the specific situation.

It was a courtyard residence inside Wan’an City, with two storefronts at the front and residential courtyards behind.

As soon as Ji Wuyi entered the small courtyard, Xiang Tingxuan explained the matter from beginning to end. “Half a month ago, strange things began happening in the villages outside Wan’an City. Every night at midnight, infants would go missing, and the villagers came into the city seeking help. The city lord of Wan’an City happened to be away. We Xuantian Sect cultivators uphold the strong and support the weak, slaying demons and eliminating devils as our duty, so Martial Uncle formed a team on his own and brought disciples to investigate…”

Xiang Tingxuan’s mood was heavy with grief. “In the end, only a few disciples came back. Martial Uncle Liao was even captured by that unknown demon beast and has not been heard from since.”

“When did you report this matter to the sect? And what is the reason for this matter of impostors?” Ji Wuyi asked again.

Xiang Tingxuan said, “Three days ago, a disciple escaped back, and we immediately reported it to the sect. As for the impostors, that is the unknown demon beast’s ability. It seems able to freely transform into the appearance of human cultivators, and even its aura is not the slightest bit different. Perhaps our cultivation is too low, but we truly cannot distinguish it. Two days ago, when we went out of the city to investigate the situation, we encountered it once…”

Ji Wuyi sank into thought, considering countermeasures.

According to the itinerary, the person sent by the sect should arrive within the next few days. But with this sort of matter that could not be called large yet could not be called small either, he feared the one coming would also only be a martial uncle at late Foundation Establishment.

To put it arrogantly, although his cultivation was weak, he could not beat a late Foundation Establishment martial uncle in a fair fight. But if they fought dirty, late Foundation Establishment was nothing special.

Ji Wuyi turned to look at Song Yuanxi and asked, “What thoughts does Junior Brother Song have?”

“Thoughts?”

“Whether to stay or go.”

“Of course we have to stay. These are our fellow sect members in danger. Walking away would simply be too cold-blooded.” Song Yuanxi had spent more than ten years in Xuantian Sect. His impression of the sect was extremely good, and his sense of belonging was extremely strong.

He directly looked at Xiang Tingxuan and asked, “Senior Brother Xiang, who is the martial uncle who was captured? And what cultivation does he have? Also, how many senior brothers and sisters were captured with him?”

Xiang Tingxuan said, “A total of four fellow sect brothers were captured. As for Martial Uncle Liao, he should be at early Foundation Establishment? I am not very clear either.”

“Martial Uncle Liao?” Song Yuanxi’s eyelid jumped, and he had a very bad premonition.

Xiang Tingxuan nodded and said, “Yes, it is Martial Uncle Liao Xilin of Qingtian Peak. He came here one month ago to take this guard post. Who would have thought he would run into this sort of thing as soon as he arrived? Sigh…”

Song Yuanxi: “…” Then they really could not leave.

Ji Wuyi told Xiang Tingxuan to call someone. “Please have the disciple who escaped back come over. I want to ask a few more details. Once dawn breaks tomorrow, we will go outside the city to investigate.”

“We?” Song Yuanxi immediately grew nervous. “Senior Brother Ji, what does ‘we’ mean?”

Ji Wuyi smiled. “Naturally, it means me and you, Junior Brother Song.”

“But Senior Brother Ji…”

“Junior Brother Song, this senior brother believes you will certainly be able to turn misfortune into fortune. If we cannot beat it, we will run. Did Daoist Master Shuanghua not give you a Ten-Thousand-Li Teleportation Talisman?”

Song Yuanxi: “…” Why does Senior Brother Ji know that I have a Ten-Thousand-Li Teleportation Talisman?!

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