Chapter 619: An Old Acquaintance (Bonus Chapter, Please Subscribe)
Chapter 619: An Old Acquaintance (Bonus Chapter, Please Subscribe)
‘It seems the Black Water Sect must have gotten hold of a lot of dirt on the Dragon Taming Sect to have suffered such a tragic fate. . . ’
Fang Xi recalled what Venerable Black Marsh had said last time about the Dragon Taming Sect allowing evil flood dragons to devour cultivators' Nascent Souls. Now, he believed it wholeheartedly, even suspecting that the Black Water Sect might have ironclad proof in their hands!
Otherwise, there would be no explanation for the Dragon Taming Sect going to such great lengths to act!
However, Fang Xi couldn't be bothered to pay it any mind.
After stepping out of the bamboo building, he strolled along the shops lining both sides of the street, beginning to browse them one by one.
After all these years, many of the shopkeepers in Organ City had updated their stock, but there was nothing that truly caught Fang Xi's eye.
“What I urgently need right now is a good flagpole material. . . one that also matches the Profound Nether heavy water. . . ”
“If it truly won't work, I'll just have to chop off a branch of the Demonic Tree, but I feel like the two aren't quite compatible. . . ”
Regrettably, after strolling around, Fang Xi still hadn't found the types of spirit wood he had in mind.
“It seems I'll just have to wait for the Grand Auction, won't I? ”
Fang Xi sighed, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, from a shop ahead, a fierce quarrel erupted—or rather, one party was berating the other.
Fang Xi leaned in to look and found it was a talisman shop. A hazy white glow enveloped its doorway and walls, and the golden plaque above bore four large characters in ancient seal script: 'Fu Family Old Shop'.
“You lazy apprentice, you've ruined another stack of 'Void Transformation Talisman Paper' now. You truly infuriate this old man. . . ”
An old man with a white beard, small but shrewd, sparkling eyes, was spouting saliva as he reprimanded one of his apprentices.
The apprentice, a young man, hung his head low, his tightly clenched fists indicating his inner dissatisfaction.
Fang Xi watched with interest. The old man's cultivation was around the Core Formation stage, while the apprentice was only in the early Foundation Establishment stage, clearly making resistance difficult.
This apprentice, however, gave him a slightly familiar feeling.
With a slight thought from his Divine Transformation-level divine consciousness, he recalled: “He must be from the Li family of Feiri City. . . ”
The Sunset Plain was too vast; even at Core Formation cultivation, one wouldn't dare lightly claim to travel through all the nations, let alone venture out.
Selling oneself into servitude to a merchant caravan like Organ City was practically the only way.
The old man scolded a few more sentences, then smugly pulled out an account book: “The talismans you ruined today are worth six hundred spirit stones. Of course, you pauper can't afford to compensate for that, so according to the contract, your bond of servitude will be extended to cover the debt. . . ”
At this point, the young apprentice finally lost his patience: “Master. . . these talisman papers have many incomplete spiritual energy patterns; they're clearly defective products. It's perfectly normal for accidents to happen, and they're not worth six hundred spirit stones at all. . . Moreover, you deliberately found excuses to extend my bond before, and now it's already thirty years longer than the original contract. Aren't you satisfied yet? ”
If he didn't argue his case now, he might be tied here until his death.
Seeing more and more cultivators gathering around, he finally retorted loudly.
“Li Rulin! ” The old man's expression immediately turned cold: “You yourself have been slacking off and wasting so many precious materials from our shop, and now you dare to turn around and accuse me? Go on, make a scene. . . Call the enforcement cultivators, let's see who's in the right! ”
With the contract in hand, he had nothing to fear.
What's more, although the enforcement cultivators of Organ City claimed to be fair and impartial, they would naturally favor him, a local resident and fellow Core Formation cultivator.
Li Rulin clenched his fists several times, then helplessly released them: “This stack of talisman paper isn't worth six hundred spirit stones at all. . . Master, if you don't believe me, let's randomly call a few cultivators to examine it. . . I'm willing to compensate, but the price must be lower. . . ”
After the farce, the numerous cultivators dispersed with satisfaction.
Fang Xi's eyes flickered behind his face mask; he had no intention of sticking his neck out for this Li Rulin.
Only after the crowd dispersed did he slightly move his lips, transmitting a few words via divine consciousness.
Given the strength of his divine consciousness, none of the surrounding cultivators naturally noticed a thing.
Half a day later.
The back door of the Fu Family Old Shop opened, and a figure furtively slipped out, walked a few streets, and entered a quiet corner.
Seeing the empty alley corner, a look of disappointment couldn't help but appear on his face.
“You're quite bold. Aren't you afraid I harbor ill intentions? ”
Suddenly, a voice sounded, and Fang Xi's figure flickered into appearance.
“Li Rulin greets Senior. . . ”
Li Rulin, however, bowed deeply: “Senior's strength far surpasses mine. If you harbored ill intentions, this junior wouldn't be able to resist. . . Moreover, this junior has but a worthless life and fears that he'll be a slave or servant for the rest of it. ”
“Not bad. Meticulous in thought, daring and tenacious. . . ”
Fang Xi nodded. He hadn't stepped forward to help this person during the day precisely because he wanted to observe him more.
Now it seems there are still some promising aspects about him: “It's a pity. . . cultivators like you are countless in the cultivation world, but most of them end up dying by the roadside, not even as good as wild dogs. . . ”
Li Rulin's expression suddenly paled: “If that's the case, then it is my destiny. . . At the very least, I have seen more of the cultivation world's scenery, and I will die without regret. . . ”
“Heh heh. . . ”
Fang Xi neither confirmed nor denied, then suddenly tossed over a jade slip and a jade bottle.
“This. . . ” Li Rulin's divine consciousness probed inside, finding a profound cultivation method, even accompanied by a talisman inheritance: “Profound Talisman Secret Record. . . it's actually primarily for cultivating talismans, while also improving one's cultivation. . . ultimately condensing into a 'Talisman Core'. . . ”
This was naturally a cultivation method Fang Xi had found in the Wang family's treasury.
Although it only reached the Nascent Soul realm, it was still quite excellent.
“Inside this jade bottle are pills that will greatly benefit your current cultivation. . . If you obtain these and still can't turn your fortunes around, then it only proves that you are destined to be a servant your entire life! ”
Fang Xi nodded and turned to leave.
“Senior. . . please, Senior, leave your name! This junior will forever remember your kindness! ”
Li Rulin quickly shouted, but saw a flash of light beneath Fang Xi's feet. As if shrinking the ground to an inch, he vanished in a few steps, leaving only a faint echo: “A Western tutor in Feiri City. . . ”
“Western tutor. . . Could it be that one from back then. . . Instructor Fang Yuan? ”
Li Rulin's eyes lit up.
This individual was considered a legendary figure within the Li family. It was said that in his youth, his spiritual root assessment was erroneous. Later, he turned to studying, becoming a Western tutor for the Li family, but unexpectedly gained an immortal destiny in Organ City.
It was said that his master possessed vast divine abilities and had once saved the City Lord Zhang Longhu's life. Zhang Longhu, having thus entered the Dao through martial arts and formed an Immortal Dao Golden Core, had subsequently provided much care for the Li family.
Later, Fang Yuan occasionally sent letters, stating that he had followed his master to Kungsang Market to settle down, and had even condensed a Golden Core more than eighty years ago!
Now Kungsang Market was nearby. Li Rulin had once thought of asking someone to visit or even seek aid, but alas, his cultivation was low, and he didn't have enough spirit stones.
He hadn't expected to coincidentally meet him in Organ City.
“This Senior Fang Yuan is truly a benefactor to my Li family. . . ”
Li Rulin sighed with emotion, then hurried back to the shop.
He had endured humiliation for many years and knew well that his master's 'Green Bottle Art' required daily meditation at this time, making it a perfect opportunity to slack off.
But in a few more incense sticks' time, the other party would complete his cultivation and come to inspect the shop again. . .
...
Fang Xi casually lent a hand, then cast the matter aside.
To him, whether it was pills or cultivation methods, they were hardly worth mentioning.
Currently, he was just acting on a whim, incidentally solidifying the persona of 'Fang Yuan'.
In case his identities as Qing Hezi and the Wang Family Ancestor were exposed in the future, and he was pursued by the Dragon Taming Sect, he could still retreat to Feiri City and live as a bumpkin. . .
He casually found an inn that rented out cave abodes, leased one, and began to quietly await the start of the Grand Auction.
Time flew by.
On this day.
Accompanied by a roar, Fang Xi, who was in meditation, opened his eyes, stepped out of his cave abode, and saw a dark green pillar of light shoot up into the sky, exceptionally conspicuous throughout the entire Organ City.
As the light pillar rose, waves of immortal music resonated, lingering for three days, their echoes endless. . .
“The Grand Auction has begun. I hope there will be some good items. ”
Fang Xi sighed with emotion and hurried towards the auction's location.
Along the way, he saw many high-level cultivators, most of whom were at the Nascent Soul stage, and even Divine Transformation cultivators were not uncommon.
Chirp!
Accompanied by a high-pitched phoenix cry, a woman with her hair in a high bun, dressed in a white palace dress and veiled, gracefully approached, treading on a phantom white phoenix. Her aura was like a Luo River Goddess descending to the mortal world, her steps light and ethereal, stirring dust with her silken socks.
“It's actually 'Luan Bingxianzi'. . . This woman has come as well. ”
Fang Xi's heart stirred.
This 'Luan Bingxianzi' was a Supreme Elder of Clear Tone Workshop, a Divine Transformation sect. Clear Tone Workshop's White Bone Mountain was located north of the Profound Nether Abyss, and she had dealings with both Qing Hezi and the Wang Family Ancestor.
Furthermore, they all belonged under the Dragon Taming Sect.
This woman gave Fang Xi the impression of being quite 'skillful at managing relationships'.
Besides her, there were also some other famous or unknown Divine Transformation cultivators, likely from out of town, drawn by this grand auction that only occurred once every three hundred years.
Upon arriving at the venue, an ancient stone hall, Fang Xi's divine sense suddenly felt a chill.
He abruptly looked up and saw a cultivator in silver robes, with ordinary features, descending.
The spiritual pressure on his body, though restrained, actually caused the expressions of all the Divine Transformation Venerables to change.
“Return to Void cultivator! ”
“Not that old dragon from the Dragon Taming Sect. . . ”
“Could this person be 'Zi Feng Lingjun'. . . This is a well-known rogue cultivator from our Starry Sky Domain, who always wanders without a fixed abode and enjoys traveling. . . I didn't expect him to be nearby by chance. ”
Cultivators one by one revealed looks of shock.
“It's actually a Return to Void cultivator. ”
Fang Xi felt a shiver in his heart, yet a hint of anticipation arose for this auction as he walked into the stone hall.
Inside the stone hall, there were surprisingly two cultivators standing, both in the mid-stage Divine Transformation realm, who emotionlessly said: “To enter the auction, fellow Daoist, please present your funds for verification. . . ”
Fang Xi was speechless for a moment, but still handed over a storage ring.
After verifying it, the other party simply nodded and let him pass.
Fang Xi entered the stone hall and found the interior to be very spacious, divided into numerous private rooms. Whenever a guest entered a room, a layer of hazy, radiant light would illuminate, enveloping the entire room, making it impossible for outsiders to peek in the slightest.
He smiled faintly, chose one, and walked inside.
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