I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals
chapter-173

The restriction on Senior Brother Zhuo's storage pouch was quickly broken.

Lan Chang'an began to inventory the items inside, carefully screening for anything suspicious.

Aside from a second-rank communication talisman, there were no other tracking devices. This communication talisman didn't have location-tracking capabilities. For now, it cannot be destroyed, as the corresponding talisman would detect that.

There were fewer spirit stones than Lan Chang'an had expected—only a few thousand. However, the resources inside far exceeded his expectations.

In addition to the golden magical treasure prototype, there were two supreme-grade magical weapons: one for offense and one for defense, both of the highest quality in their respective categories.

"Are these materials for the Crystal Condensation Pill?" Lan Chang'an was most surprised by the ingredients for the Crystal Condensation Pill.

Earlier, during his conversation with Song Wenshu, Senior Brother Zhuo mentioned that he had only gathered about thirty percent of the materials needed for the Crystal Condensation Pill. However, the reality was that he had collected over seventy percent of the necessary ingredients.

What was missing was a key main ingredient and two or three other materials. Among the auxiliary herbs, the most valuable one, the Fire Essence Date, had already been obtained and was stored in a jade box.

No wonder Senior Brother Zhuo didn't have many spirit stones left. Gathering seventy percent of the materials for the Crystal Condensation Pill, acquiring a magical treasure prototype, and obtaining quasi-third-rank talismans had consumed a vast amount of resources. Moreover, he had to surrender a portion of the spirit stones he plundered.

"Good thing I decided to take him down. With these materials, if I can find the right connections, I already qualify to collaborate on refining the Crystal Condensation Pill." Lan Chang'an was glad to have made the decision to leave no loose ends.

If Senior Brother Zhuo had successfully formed his Core, the consequences would have been dire. Even though Lan Chang'an estimated that Zhuo would likely only achieve a Fake-Dan, an enemy at the Fake-Dan level in the open was one thing; a hidden adversary lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, was an entirely different threat.

Capturing Senior Brother Zhuo privately was the best decision Lan Chang'an made tonight. The greatest benefit wasn’t just the resources he could now claim for himself.

If he had teamed up with Fairy Shi to kill Zhuo, they would have risked offending Flame Departing Palace cultivators, leaving behind unknown hidden dangers.

...

An hour later, Lan Chang'an returned to the lake where the battle had taken place and met up with Fairy Shi. This was their prearranged meeting spot.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, did you find anything?" Fairy Shi, who had arrived before him, asked.

Lan Chang'an shook his head. "I found some clues, but after following them, I found nothing of value. After that, I met up with the Earth Burrowing Rat, but it couldn't track the target either."

"Hmm, that 'Night Fisherman' is indeed skilled in tracking and deception. It seems we've all been misled," Fairy Shi said, acknowledging that she hadn't discovered anything either.

"However, given his severe injuries and the damage to his lifespan, it's unlikely he'll dare to come near Wuqi Mountain again in the short term."

Today's battle had severely wounded the notorious Night Fisherman and killed two bandits at the Foundation Establishment Realm, effectively reasserting Wuqi Mountain's deterrent power. In the future, most rogue cultivators would have to think twice before attempting to rob near the mountain.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, here are the spoils from killing the two rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators. Let's split them equally." Fairy Shi took out two storage pouches and displayed the spirit stones and other items inside.

The wealth of the two dead rogue cultivators was modest, but there were still two supreme-grade magical weapons, as well as other magic weapons, pills, and talismans. These were enough to cover their battle losses and even allow for a small profit.

Lan Chang'an’s apparent losses included the self-destructed mid-grade second-rank puppet, a damaged supreme-grade magical weapon, and several talismans. From Fairy Shi's perspective, his contribution was far from negligible, hence her proposal to split the spoils evenly.

"Fairy Shi, I should only take thirty percent at most. You were the main force in tonight's battle, you expended valuable talismanic treasure uses, and this matter started because of Bingyun..." Lan Chang'an insisted on reducing his share of the spoils.

Considering the Earth Burrowing Rat's contribution, his efforts weren’t much less than Fairy Shi's. However, Fairy Shi had helped both him and Mu Bingyun out of personal favor, which was significant.

If she hadn't severely injured Senior Brother Zhuo, Lan Chang'an wouldn’t have been able to capture this well-known late Foundation Establishment expert so easily.

After some back and forth, Fairy Shi agreed to take sixty percent of the spoils, earning herself a tidy profit. She looked at Lan Chang'an with a touch of appreciation.

Normally, Lan Chang'an was fair in his dealings, never taking more or less than his due. But she hadn’t expected him to be so generous when it really mattered.

...

By the time Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi returned to Wuqi Mountain, dawn was just breaking.

Lan Chang'an had not brought the captured Senior Brother Zhuo with him.

Firstly, carrying a living person was inconvenient, especially since they couldn't be stored in a storage pouch as a corpse could. Secondly, he wanted to avoid any unexpected situations that might give him away.

A notorious rogue cultivator like the Night Fisherman might attract the attention of Fake-Dan cultivators from a sect.

Lan Chang'an had the Earth Burrowing Rat watch over Senior Brother Zhuo, hiding him underground near Wuqi Mountain. With his cultivation crippled and severe injuries, Zhuo posed no threat.

"Uncle Lan."

At Little Turtle Peak, Mu Bingyun stood on the mountaintop, her face filled with worry. When she saw the familiar white-robed figure returning, her smile bloomed like snow melting in winter.

"Fairy Shi, Fellow Daoist Lan." Ye Fei arrived from Little Pill Peak.

The three peak masters, along with Mu Bingyun, gathered in the cave mansion on Little Turtle Peak.

After hearing the situation, Ye Fei had no objections to Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi's private actions. After all, hunting down rogue cultivators was inherently risky, and with his strength being the weakest, it made the most sense for him to remain stationed at Wuqi Mountain.

"The two of you made the right decision. After Miss Bingyun returned, I inspected Wuqi Mountain and identified a rogue cultivator's spy."

"A spy?" Lan Chang'an asked, knowing that if all three peak masters had left together, their movements might have alerted the Night Fisherman.

"The spy was a late-stage Qi-Refining cultivator, skilled in disguise, who had replaced one of the servant cultivators affiliated with Little Pill Peak..." Ye Fei explained the details.

Since it was just a Qi-Refining cultivator, Lan Chang'an didn't pay much attention. Wuqi Mountain, being a small trading hub, couldn’t be completely isolated from the outside world, and the three peak masters still needed some laborers.

The affiliated cultivators of the three main peaks couldn’t entirely prevent spies. Besides the affiliated cultivators, those guests who came to the mountain could also take on this role.

Lan Chang'an only needed to ensure that there were no issues on his own Little Turtle Peak.

"There is a dereliction of duty on the part of Wuqi Mountain's steward, Lan Lin, and considering that she is already old and has served the mountain for most of her life, it might be best to dismiss her," Fairy Shi suggested.

Lan Chang'an and Ye Fei had no objections. The steward was a trusted servant chosen by the previous owner of Little Pill Peak, Lin Ye. In recent years, she had aged considerably and her duties had mostly been taken over by her descendants.

...

Half an hour later, the meeting concluded.

In the cave mansion on Little Turtle Peak, Lan Chang'an and Mu Bingyun sat facing each other.

"About last night, Uncle Lan did not ask for your permission," Lan Chang'an said, expressing his apology.

By now, Mu Bingyun must have realized the truth—that she had been used as bait. Lan Chang'an decided to be upfront about it to avoid any lingering resentment.

"Last night, when Uncle Lan and Fairy Shi arrived in time, I had already guessed it," Mu Bingyun said, her lips slightly pursed, her expression serene, though tinged with a hint of grievance.

"Uncle Lan did it for my own good, to eliminate any future threats. If you hadn't acted, I wouldn’t have survived." Mu Bingyun understood the bigger picture, though she couldn’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"I'm glad you understand," Lan Chang'an replied with a smile.

In truth, neither of them owed the other anything. Lan Chang'an had saved Mu Bingyun, but he had also used her as bait, resolving a significant threat and gained a substantial reward for himself.

"So, Uncle Lan didn’t keep me overnight because he wanted to lure out the Night Fisherman," Mu Bingyun said, her eyes bright as she seriously studied Lan Chang'an, clearly concerned about this point.

"Right," Lan Chang'an admitted. That was indeed the main reason. Last night, he had found an excuse not to let Mu Bingyun stay overnight in his cave.

"So, Uncle Lan doesn’t mind if I stay overnight at your place," Mu Bingyun said with a soft smile, her dimples appearing as she spoke.

Lan Chang'an hesitated for a moment, then quickly added, "Only occasionally. Each peak on Wuqi Mountain is meant for a single Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Mu Bingyun nodded. "I understand the rules of Wuqi Mountain, but if a Foundation Establishment visitor is not cultivating and doesn’t place any additional burden on the spiritual vein, it shouldn't be an issue."

Lan Chang'an was at a loss for words, surprised that Mu Bingyun had found such a loophole.

That day, Mu Bingyun seemed to return to her former role as a maid, calmly and joyfully attending to the affairs of Little Turtle Peak, keeping busy throughout the day.

That night, she stayed overnight in the cave on Little Turtle Peak, sleeping in the room she had once occupied years ago.

...

The next morning, Mu Bingyun rose early.

After much deliberation, she finally mustered the courage to take out a letter she had personally written and placed it under her pillow.

If Lan Chang'an entered her room, he might find the letter. If he didn’t, he might never see it.

Leaving the letter behind made her heart race, her cheeks flushing slightly.

At dawn, as the sun began to rise, Mu Bingyun took her leave.

Lan Chang'an didn’t try to stop her, nor did he go into her room.

(End of chapter)

The restriction on Senior Brother Zhuo's storage pouch was quickly broken.

Lan Chang'an began to inventory the items inside, carefully screening for anything suspicious.

Aside from a second-rank communication talisman, there were no other tracking devices. This communication talisman didn't have location-tracking capabilities. For now, it cannot be destroyed, as the corresponding talisman would detect that.

There were fewer spirit stones than Lan Chang'an had expected—only a few thousand. However, the resources inside far exceeded his expectations.

In addition to the golden magical treasure prototype, there were two supreme-grade magical weapons: one for offense and one for defense, both of the highest quality in their respective categories.

"Are these materials for the Crystal Condensation Pill?" Lan Chang'an was most surprised by the ingredients for the Crystal Condensation Pill.

Earlier, during his conversation with Song Wenshu, Senior Brother Zhuo mentioned that he had only gathered about thirty percent of the materials needed for the Crystal Condensation Pill. However, the reality was that he had collected over seventy percent of the necessary ingredients.

What was missing was a key main ingredient and two or three other materials. Among the auxiliary herbs, the most valuable one, the Fire Essence Date, had already been obtained and was stored in a jade box.

No wonder Senior Brother Zhuo didn't have many spirit stones left. Gathering seventy percent of the materials for the Crystal Condensation Pill, acquiring a magical treasure prototype, and obtaining quasi-third-rank talismans had consumed a vast amount of resources. Moreover, he had to surrender a portion of the spirit stones he plundered.

"Good thing I decided to take him down. With these materials, if I can find the right connections, I already qualify to collaborate on refining the Crystal Condensation Pill." Lan Chang'an was glad to have made the decision to leave no loose ends.

If Senior Brother Zhuo had successfully formed his Core, the consequences would have been dire. Even though Lan Chang'an estimated that Zhuo would likely only achieve a Fake-Dan, an enemy at the Fake-Dan level in the open was one thing; a hidden adversary lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, was an entirely different threat.

Capturing Senior Brother Zhuo privately was the best decision Lan Chang'an made tonight. The greatest benefit wasn’t just the resources he could now claim for himself.

If he had teamed up with Fairy Shi to kill Zhuo, they would have risked offending Flame Departing Palace cultivators, leaving behind unknown hidden dangers.

...

An hour later, Lan Chang'an returned to the lake where the battle had taken place and met up with Fairy Shi. This was their prearranged meeting spot.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, did you find anything?" Fairy Shi, who had arrived before him, asked.

Lan Chang'an shook his head. "I found some clues, but after following them, I found nothing of value. After that, I met up with the Earth Burrowing Rat, but it couldn't track the target either."

"Hmm, that 'Night Fisherman' is indeed skilled in tracking and deception. It seems we've all been misled," Fairy Shi said, acknowledging that she hadn't discovered anything either.

"However, given his severe injuries and the damage to his lifespan, it's unlikely he'll dare to come near Wuqi Mountain again in the short term."

Today's battle had severely wounded the notorious Night Fisherman and killed two bandits at the Foundation Establishment Realm, effectively reasserting Wuqi Mountain's deterrent power. In the future, most rogue cultivators would have to think twice before attempting to rob near the mountain.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, here are the spoils from killing the two rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators. Let's split them equally." Fairy Shi took out two storage pouches and displayed the spirit stones and other items inside.

The wealth of the two dead rogue cultivators was modest, but there were still two supreme-grade magical weapons, as well as other magic weapons, pills, and talismans. These were enough to cover their battle losses and even allow for a small profit.

Lan Chang'an’s apparent losses included the self-destructed mid-grade second-rank puppet, a damaged supreme-grade magical weapon, and several talismans. From Fairy Shi's perspective, his contribution was far from negligible, hence her proposal to split the spoils evenly.

"Fairy Shi, I should only take thirty percent at most. You were the main force in tonight's battle, you expended valuable talismanic treasure uses, and this matter started because of Bingyun..." Lan Chang'an insisted on reducing his share of the spoils.

Considering the Earth Burrowing Rat's contribution, his efforts weren’t much less than Fairy Shi's. However, Fairy Shi had helped both him and Mu Bingyun out of personal favor, which was significant.

If she hadn't severely injured Senior Brother Zhuo, Lan Chang'an wouldn’t have been able to capture this well-known late Foundation Establishment expert so easily.

After some back and forth, Fairy Shi agreed to take sixty percent of the spoils, earning herself a tidy profit. She looked at Lan Chang'an with a touch of appreciation.

Normally, Lan Chang'an was fair in his dealings, never taking more or less than his due. But she hadn’t expected him to be so generous when it really mattered.

...

By the time Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi returned to Wuqi Mountain, dawn was just breaking.

Lan Chang'an had not brought the captured Senior Brother Zhuo with him.

Firstly, carrying a living person was inconvenient, especially since they couldn't be stored in a storage pouch as a corpse could. Secondly, he wanted to avoid any unexpected situations that might give him away.

A notorious rogue cultivator like the Night Fisherman might attract the attention of Fake-Dan cultivators from a sect.

Lan Chang'an had the Earth Burrowing Rat watch over Senior Brother Zhuo, hiding him underground near Wuqi Mountain. With his cultivation crippled and severe injuries, Zhuo posed no threat.

"Uncle Lan."

At Little Turtle Peak, Mu Bingyun stood on the mountaintop, her face filled with worry. When she saw the familiar white-robed figure returning, her smile bloomed like snow melting in winter.

"Fairy Shi, Fellow Daoist Lan." Ye Fei arrived from Little Pill Peak.

The three peak masters, along with Mu Bingyun, gathered in the cave mansion on Little Turtle Peak.

After hearing the situation, Ye Fei had no objections to Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi's private actions. After all, hunting down rogue cultivators was inherently risky, and with his strength being the weakest, it made the most sense for him to remain stationed at Wuqi Mountain.

"The two of you made the right decision. After Miss Bingyun returned, I inspected Wuqi Mountain and identified a rogue cultivator's spy."

"A spy?" Lan Chang'an asked, knowing that if all three peak masters had left together, their movements might have alerted the Night Fisherman.

"The spy was a late-stage Qi-Refining cultivator, skilled in disguise, who had replaced one of the servant cultivators affiliated with Little Pill Peak..." Ye Fei explained the details.

Since it was just a Qi-Refining cultivator, Lan Chang'an didn't pay much attention. Wuqi Mountain, being a small trading hub, couldn’t be completely isolated from the outside world, and the three peak masters still needed some laborers.

The affiliated cultivators of the three main peaks couldn’t entirely prevent spies. Besides the affiliated cultivators, those guests who came to the mountain could also take on this role.

Lan Chang'an only needed to ensure that there were no issues on his own Little Turtle Peak.

"There is a dereliction of duty on the part of Wuqi Mountain's steward, Lan Lin, and considering that she is already old and has served the mountain for most of her life, it might be best to dismiss her," Fairy Shi suggested.

Lan Chang'an and Ye Fei had no objections. The steward was a trusted servant chosen by the previous owner of Little Pill Peak, Lin Ye. In recent years, she had aged considerably and her duties had mostly been taken over by her descendants.

...

Half an hour later, the meeting concluded.

In the cave mansion on Little Turtle Peak, Lan Chang'an and Mu Bingyun sat facing each other.

"About last night, Uncle Lan did not ask for your permission," Lan Chang'an said, expressing his apology.

By now, Mu Bingyun must have realized the truth—that she had been used as bait. Lan Chang'an decided to be upfront about it to avoid any lingering resentment.

"Last night, when Uncle Lan and Fairy Shi arrived in time, I had already guessed it," Mu Bingyun said, her lips slightly pursed, her expression serene, though tinged with a hint of grievance.

"Uncle Lan did it for my own good, to eliminate any future threats. If you hadn't acted, I wouldn’t have survived." Mu Bingyun understood the bigger picture, though she couldn’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"I'm glad you understand," Lan Chang'an replied with a smile.

In truth, neither of them owed the other anything. Lan Chang'an had saved Mu Bingyun, but he had also used her as bait, resolving a significant threat and gained a substantial reward for himself.

"So, Uncle Lan didn’t keep me overnight because he wanted to lure out the Night Fisherman," Mu Bingyun said, her eyes bright as she seriously studied Lan Chang'an, clearly concerned about this point.

"Right," Lan Chang'an admitted. That was indeed the main reason. Last night, he had found an excuse not to let Mu Bingyun stay overnight in his cave.

"So, Uncle Lan doesn’t mind if I stay overnight at your place," Mu Bingyun said with a soft smile, her dimples appearing as she spoke.

Lan Chang'an hesitated for a moment, then quickly added, "Only occasionally. Each peak on Wuqi Mountain is meant for a single Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Mu Bingyun nodded. "I understand the rules of Wuqi Mountain, but if a Foundation Establishment visitor is not cultivating and doesn’t place any additional burden on the spiritual vein, it shouldn't be an issue."

Lan Chang'an was at a loss for words, surprised that Mu Bingyun had found such a loophole.

That day, Mu Bingyun seemed to return to her former role as a maid, calmly and joyfully attending to the affairs of Little Turtle Peak, keeping busy throughout the day.

That night, she stayed overnight in the cave on Little Turtle Peak, sleeping in the room she had once occupied years ago.

...

The next morning, Mu Bingyun rose early.

After much deliberation, she finally mustered the courage to take out a letter she had personally written and placed it under her pillow.

If Lan Chang'an entered her room, he might find the letter. If he didn’t, he might never see it.

Leaving the letter behind made her heart race, her cheeks flushing slightly.

At dawn, as the sun began to rise, Mu Bingyun took her leave.

Lan Chang'an didn’t try to stop her, nor did he go into her room.

(End of chapter)