Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Everyone Has Been Gathered

「Ten days later.」

In the Alchemy Room of the Mountain Peak Dojo, Wang Ping was refining a Five Elements Spiritual Object. He had already failed twice. Refining Spiritual Objects was several times more difficult than refining Spirit Medicine. This was mainly because the spiritual energy within the five different objects was very uneven, and the condensation technique required perfect balance.

After dozens of patient attempts, which consumed Spiritual Objects worth several hundred silver taels, Wang Ping finally succeeded in refining one set. He then looked over at Li Xiangwen, who was reading off to the side.

Li Xiangwen was no longer on his last breath as he had been ten days ago, but he was still sickly. His qi and blood were so severely depleted that it would take at least half a year of recuperation for him to recover.

"How does it feel to be reborn?"

"Very good!"

"But your illness still isn’t cured. I’ve only managed to temporarily extend your life. You’re a smart man; you should know that I’m doing this for a reason."

Wang Ping said bluntly.

"May I ask, Upper Immortal, what do you need me to do?"

Having already died once, Li Xiangwen’s outlook had become exceptionally broad-minded. It seemed nothing on the path ahead could stop him now.

As Li Xiangwen spoke, Yu Lian’s body slowly grew, returning to her original length. She coiled herself beside Wang Ping, her vertical pupils fixed unblinkingly on Li Xiangwen.

Li Xiangwen met Yu Lian’s gaze without the slightest hint of retreat.

’His attitude shows the resolve of someone in a desperate situation, but he still has attachments,’ Yu Lian reminded Wang Ping in his Spirit Sea.

Wang Ping was not surprised.

"I only need you to complete a small task."

"What task?"

Wang Ping maintained his benevolent smile, paused for a few breaths, and said, "The White Water Sect of Wudao Prefecture and I have some history. They want me dead, and I’ve decided to strike first. I need your help."

Li Xiangwen asked again, "As long as you treat my mother, wife, and children well, I am willing to do anything. But I’m a powerless man; how can I possibly help you, Daoist?"

Wang Ping was silent for several breaths before finally revealing his plan in full. He added at the end, "You will die a horrible death!"

"That’s it?"

"Yes, that’s it!"

"No problem. I’ll do it..." Li Xiangwen agreed without hesitation, then asked, "What about my mother, wife, and children?"

"They’ve already been brought to Yongshan County. They are fine now, and they will be fine in the future."

"Can I see them?"

"No problem. However, your future identity will be that of a refugee from Mozhou Road whose wife, children, and mother have all died of illness. Therefore, it’s best you don’t let anyone else know you’re in Yongshan County. Otherwise, things will get very troublesome to handle. I hope you understand what I mean by ’troublesome.’"

After hearing Wang Ping’s words, a complex emotion flickered in Li Xiangwen’s eyes.

He looked down at his own withered hands, the knuckles still bearing the marks of his painful illness. These hands had once held a brush to write beautiful essays, brewed medicine for his mother, and shielded his wife and children from the elements. Now, they would no longer grasp the warmth of family, but a sharp blade leading to death.

But this longing did not shake his resolve. On the contrary, the thought of his family living safely in Yongshan County brought a sense of relief to his cloudy eyes. ’Since this broken body doesn’t have much time left, I might as well use it to trade for a stable future for my loved ones. Death isn’t frightening; what’s frightening is for the living to continue to suffer.’

Li Xiangwen slowly raised his head, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out. It was a calmness that came from letting everything go, as if he were about to embark on a long journey, not walk the Yellow Springs Road.

"When can I see them?" he asked.

"Tonight. I’ll take you there. You can live in the small courtyard we’ve prepared for you for half a year, but if you need to go out, it’s best to have someone else go for you."

"No problem!"

"During this time, you’ll need to learn some basic Taoist knowledge, memorize your new identity, and I will also teach you a Cultivation Technique..."

...

「That night.」

A streak of light flashed across the sky above Yongshan County. A look of amazement on his face, Li Xiangwen gazed at the courtyard at the end of a small alley, still savoring the exhilarating feeling of soaring through the sky just moments before.

Wang Ping didn’t waste any words on him. He landed directly in the courtyard, set Li Xiangwen down, and left decisively. But he hadn’t truly gone; he had merely concealed his form high up in the sky.

"Will he run away?" Yu Lian asked.

"He has no other choice. For him, choosing to believe me is his best option."

"Sigh, a pitiful man. It’s a shame our cultivation is limited, and we can’t change anything."

"Then let’s just cultivate diligently. Maybe one day we will be able to change something."

"By the time that day actually comes, we probably won’t think this way anymore." Yu Lian’s words were sometimes quite profound.

While the two conversed, the family in the courtyard had already reunited. The sounds of crying and laughing soon followed. Yu Lian, meanwhile, kept her attention focused on Li Xiangwen’s consciousness.

Wang Ping didn’t allow himself to be influenced by the sentimentality of the moment. After observing for a while longer, he took Yu Lian and left.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed, bringing them to the beginning of the Wanfeng 12th Year.

Over the past six months, the southern regions had been unusually quiet, and Qianmu Temple was even more so. The disciples practiced their Daoist arts and martial skills daily. Wang Ping meditated every night to assimilate the Spirit Communication Talisman. During the day, after teaching his two grand-disciples and one disciple, he would find time to forge ironwood swords and occasionally visit a secluded southern island to practice his killing formations.

By now, Wang Ping had assimilated 10% of the Spirit Communication Talisman, but ten years had passed in the process. He was now over sixty years old!

Liu Shuang had not returned, but she had sent a message back through someone.

「Another half a year passed.」

One morning at the end of summer, Wang Ping finally received a message from Liu Shuang via carrier pigeon. He immediately sent his three disciples and grand-disciples, who had now grown into young men and women, down the mountain to amuse themselves.

This time, the person Liu Shuang brought back was clearly a poor farmer at a glance. When he landed on the ground with Liu Shuang, he even tried to be clever and feigned fainting.

With a wave of his hand, Wang Ping made him faint for real.

"This man is named Yang Tian. He attended a private school for a while when he was young and can recognize some characters. His stomach and intestines are so ulcerated that he has two months to live at most. For the past few years, he has been constantly trying to extend his life, enduring pain that most people couldn’t bear, all to leave a little money for his two sons."

Hearing this, Wang Ping reached out and gently grasped at the air, grabbing hold of the lifeline connecting the Wood Spirit to Yang Tian. Only then did he discover that this man, who looked like an old man, was actually only about twenty-three years old.

"His way of thinking is much simpler than Li Xiangwen’s, but he still possesses some of a farmer’s low cunning. Compared to Li Xiangwen, he might have a better idea of how to survive in this world. Personally, I think he and Li Xiangwen might work together very well."

Yu Lian, who was nearby, sized up the farmer for a long time. She even flew over to his body and sniffed him before speaking in a human voice, "His consciousness is in a state of neutrality. There’s no particular malice or chaos, but no benevolence either."

’He’s actually good material for cultivation, what a shame...’ Wang Ping disliked these matters deep down. He sighed internally and ordered, "Teach him well. When he is ready, bring him to me."

"Yes!" Liu Shuang replied, then added, "I also have two backup candidates..."

"That won’t be necessary. Give their families some silver taels and make proper arrangements for them. After this, you don’t need to run around all over the place anymore... You’ve worked hard these past few years."

"It’s all part of a disciple’s duty!"

Liu Shuang treated Wang Ping with even more respect than before. After she bowed deeply, Wang Ping had wanted to say something, but in the end, he just waved his hand.