CH 55

The room sank into a brief moment of silence.

As if hearing something extremely shocking to the world, Xiao Guo didn’t even bother to check Feng Ci’s pulse anymore and looked at Pei QianYue like seeing a ghost. 

Even Xiao Que couldn’t resist taking several glances at Pei QianYue.

He knew of Feng Ci’s identity, but……

Had he thought wrong this entire time?

It’s not that the City Master didn’t know restraint, but rather the City Master was…… too clingy? 

Inside the room, three pairs of eyes instantly gathered on Pei QianYue. The latter, however, was calm and composed. He lowered his head slightly and replied softly: “En, you’re right.”

“Cough cough cough—!” Xiao Guo didn’t even know if he should be shocked by Pei QianYue’s words or shocked that the LangFeng City Master, who has always treated people indifferently and heartlessly, can actually display such a warm and gentle side. Failing to catch his breath properly, he started to cough violently.

A moment later, he covered up with some dry laughs and said: “That’s good. This…… is pretty good.”

Pei QianYue turned to face Xiao Guo, resuming his previous cold and detached expression: “How is it? Is it treatable?”

“While I can treat it,” Bringing up the business at hand, Xiao Guo became slightly more serious: “it will depend on how much you want it healed.”

Pei QianYue said: “Naturally, fully healed.”

“But to what extent do you want it fully healed; there’s still a difference, no?” Xiao Guo slowly said: “This little beauty…… cough, this little gongzi had endured the pressure of too much spiritual energy, which caused his meridians to collapse and become damaged. If you only wanted to reconnect his meridians and heal the injury, wouldn’t you guys just have Xiao Que do it?”

Behind him, Xiao Que froze. 

The relationship between these two brothers was really very strange. When Xiao Que talked about this elder brother, he behaved very dodgy, evasively, not wanting to mention the other person. Meanwhile, Xiao Guo was able to use such a normal expression to mention Xiao Que, as if there were no barrier or ill-feelings between the two of them, nor any long term separation.

Feng Ci’s gaze swept over these two people. He was somewhat unable to figure out Xiao Guo’s thoughts here.

Sure enough, those individuals capable of becoming the leaders of the Six Sects… none of them were simple.

“But you guys even disregarded the long distance to come to my Shaman Valley. Clearly, it’s not just to ‘heal it well’.” Xiao Guo turned around and returned to the table. He picked up the long stemmed pipe on the table. Tapping it on the edge of the table, he took another puff: “Which is it? Do you only want him to recover to the state prior to his injury, or do you want to…… make this body perfectly adapt to the power of his soul?” 

A faint light flashed in Feng Ci’s eyes.

He was able to tell?

Merely from a brief check of his pulse?

Back then, when Feng Ci’s Divine Soul returned to this world, when he had first encountered Pei QianYue, Pei QianYue also checked his meridians, wanting to figure out his identity. However, even Pei QianYue couldn’t find any indications. How did this person…… 

“Why use that kind of expression to look at me?” Xiao Guo reclined against the table: “Is discovering this a very hard thing to do? He had clearly used powers that were far beyond the limits of his, abusing his body into a crippled state. Such a strong and impressive power from the soul, yet the physical body is only that of a mere teenager. Who’d believe that?”

So it’s like that.

This answer felt much more acceptable to Feng Ci.

If this person was really strong enough to detect Feng Ci’s true identity, the position of Immortal Alliance Leader might have needed to be changed. 

Thinking of something, Xiao Guo suddenly frowned: “Did I speak a secret that I shouldn’t have said out loud? Let’s make it clear first. I’m fine with providing medical treatment, but you guys can’t silence me after everything is done. We’re all well-known figures of the cultivation world. We can’t do such donkey-slaughtering business.”

Feng Ci: “……”

Was this person completely unaware of the issue in comparing himself to a donkey?

“Don’t worry. No one will silence you.” Feng Ci asked him: “Do you really have a way to make this physical body accommodate all of my soul’s powers?” 

“What’s so difficult about that?” Xiao Guo said: “Your physical body is just too weak, so it can’t withstand the pressure of your soul. As long as the body’s meridians are strengthened and made more durable, naturally it will be able to accommodate the power of the soul.”

Theoretically speaking, that was indeed the case, but to put it into practice……

Xiao Guo took another puff of his pipe and said leisurely: “No need to worry. I have tested it several times before. The enhanced body can withstand a spiritual pressure several times more than the original. Unless the soul is on the same level as that of Grandmaster QianQiu, there’s definitely no problem.”

Feng Ci: “……” 

Pei QianYue: “……”

Xiao Que: “……”

Xiao Guo frowned: “Why do you guys have that kind of expression again? Did I say anything wrong?

Feng Ci pinched his brows and smiled: “Then why don’t you take a guess, who am I?” 

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After seeing them enter the wooden house, Xiao Guo still had a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

He stood next to the vine bridge and watched the door close before finally patting the young man next to him: “Grandmaster QianQiu…… is really back?” 

Xiao Que didn’t look at him. His voice was also somewhat stiff: “How can this be fake?”

“It’s hard to say.” Xiao Guo took a puff of his pipe and said leisurely: “In this world, who doesn’t know that Grandmaster QianQiu had used and abandoned Pei QianYue. What if Pei QianYue had gone insane and randomly grabbed someone, insisting that he’s QianQiu?”

Xiao Que: “……”

Xiao Que sighed silently and explained: “He is the Saint Sovereign QianQiu. I’ve seen his sword aura in LangFeng City.” 

Xiao Guo gave a put out ‘Oh’.

Xiao Que then asked: “Can you really strengthen the Saint Sovereign’s physical body?”

“I can only try and see.” Xiao Guo sighed: “But that’s Grandmaster QianQiu. How many people in this world can withstand the power of his soul. You go tell Pei QianYue to relinquish his body, perhaps it might work then.”

Xiao Que: “……” 

“Speaking of which, since Grandmaster QianQiu is not actually dead, where’s his own physical body? Don’t tell me, Pei QianYue ate it?”

Xiao Que: “………….”

Xiao Guo still wanted to say something, but the window of the wooden house was pushed open. Feng Ci sat expressionlessly beside the window: “First of all, this Venerable One’s physical body was not eaten by City Master Pei, thank you for your concern. Second of all, this Venerable one didn’t use and abandon him, don’t talk nonsense.”

Ignoring the identical embarrassed expressions of the two brothers outside, Feng Ci closed the window and withdrew his gaze to look inside the room. 

Pei QianYue was currently helping him make his bed.

This person was the grand and majestic Immortal Alliance Leader. He had such a high and mighty, awe-inspiring existence outside, no one would imagine him doing this kind of thing. Yet for some reason, Feng Ci didn’t feel like the sight seemed out of place at all. On the contrary, he found it warming to the heart and pleasing to the eyes.

Who wouldn’t enjoy having a great beauty at home to manage affairs and provide care.

Unfortunately…… 

Good things were rarely everlasting.

Feng Ci quietly withdrew his gaze.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise under the edge of the table next to him. Feng Ci lowered his head and saw a small ball of fur curled up at a corner of the table, trembling.

It was the little white cat that he saw a while ago. 

Feng Ci frowned.

When did this small cat come inside? How come he didn’t notice it just now?

Right now, Feng Ci’s physical body was severely injured, practically completely without any spiritual powers. However, his basic senses were still present. There’s no reason that he wouldn’t be able to notice a living creature next to him.

And he could tell, this small cat wasn’t a demon(妖) either. 

Regardless of a demon(妖)’s cultivation and how much spirit energy they had, their body always carried a demonic(妖) aura.

Even a powerful demon(妖) who has cultivated thousands of years like Pei QianYue can, at most, conceal his original form from being discovered. But he still couldn’t completely conceal his demonic(妖) aura.

Yet this little cat didn’t contain any demonic(妖) aura.

Noticing Feng Ci’s evaluative gaze, the little cat hugged its tail and trembled even more terribly. 

Feng Ci glanced towards the inner room. Pei QianYue was still fixing the bed, not appearing to have noticed what’s going on over here. Feng Ci lowered his head and beckoned towards the little cat.

The little cat raised its head. A pair of bright and round, light-green eyes turned towards Feng Ci.

This little white cat was born very beautiful. Its size was slightly larger than a normal kitten. The fur on its body was soft and fluffy, looking very nice to touch.

As if sensing that Feng Ci possessed no ill-intent, the little cat slowly moved closer and nuzzled Feng Ci’s fingers with its head. 

The next second, a hand grabbed it by the back of its neck.

“What are you trying to do?” Pei QianYue lifted the little cat, tone icy.

The cat’s fluffy fur puffed up entirely. In Pei QianYue’s hands, it kicked its legs and wailed loudly. Its cries were extremely shrill and tragic.

Pei QianYue said indifferently: “Keep pretending and this Venerable One will take you back to Valley Master Xiao.” 

The little cat instantly struggled even harder.

It opened its mouth and spat out human words, speaking in a very clear and youthful voice: “Don’t, don’t, don’t—”

Pei QianYue raised his hand and gave it a toss. The little cat landed and instantly turned into a delicate and pretty looking youth.

“City Master Pei, we’re at least colleagues and it’s been so long since we met. Can’t you be a bit gentler?” The youth’s elegant brows furrowed. As soon as he transformed back, he started complaining. 

“It has indeed been a long time.” Pei QianYue said coldly: “ZiZhu Dock Master.”

ZiZhu Dock, the sect that was rated last of the Six Sects. It was also an extremely marginalized sect.

Different from Shaman Valley, although Shaman Valley was also peripheral inside the Six Sects, it’s because they were located in a remote area and didn’t want to visit the Central Plains too much. However, the Shaman Valley’s reputation in the Art of Medicine and Poison was still resounding outside. In the cultivation world, it could still be considered somewhat prestigious.

As for ZiZhu Dock…… It’s purely because their sect’s cultivation techniques weren’t popular enough. 

No one wanted to learn it. No one was willing to learn it. Over time, the sect naturally became of no interest to anyone.

Since ancient times, if a sect wanted to develop long term, a core set of cultivation techniques was absolutely essential.

Yet ZiZhu Dock’s core technique was the Art of Spirit Governance.

Feng Ci considered himself pretty fair and impartial when he accepted disciples back then. The Art of Spirit Governance that he had passed onto the founder of ZiZhu Docks definitely wasn’t lacking. 

As the name suggested, the Art of Spirit Governance was a practice that used the power of the soul to command living beings. The method for creating a pact and building a bond with a spiritual pet was also included in this subject. After cultivating the Art of Spirit Governance to its fullest, not only can one command all the living beings within this world, if the person is lucky, they can even possess the ability to coexist with the Heaven and Earth.

No matter how you look at it, it shouldn’t be disregarded to this extent.

Yet unfortunately, the Art of Spirit Governance ended up in the hands of successors that weren’t very diligent in their studies.

The core of the Art of Spirit Governance was originally techniques that commanded living beings. When cultivating this practice, not only was extreme talent required, the subject itself was also extremely difficult. It was a practice that’s easy to learn but hard to master, and required single-minded focus to cultivate. 

The higher the difficulty, the higher the entrance requirements. Passing it down generation by generation like this, now there’s no longer many successors who can fully utilize the Art of Spirit Governance.

Right now, the skill that ZiZhu Dock was best known for was actually…… raising and training spiritual pets.

To say it more unpleasantly, it’s a salted fish sect that’s only concerned with relaxing and having fun every day, squandering their time raising cats and playing with dogs.

Naturally, no one was willing to go there. 

And this person in front of them right now was ZiZhu Dock’s current Dock Master, named Li Jiu.

“In the last few months, the ZiZhu Dock Master has failed to participate in any of the Six Sect’s gatherings. This Venerable One even thought you no longer wanted to be involved in the Six Sect’s matters, Dock Master, but you were actually hindered by other things.” Pei QianYue said calmly.

“Of course I want to be involved!” Upon mentioning this matter, the youth instantly became indignant: “It’s completely Xiao Guo’s fault. He shut me inside this stupid place for over half a year already.”

Speaking here, he walked a few steps towards Feng Ci. However, Pei QianYue turned sideways and blocked him off. 

Seeing Pei QianYue’s expression, Li Jiu returned to his original spot sulkily.

The youth looked at Feng Ci, eyes moist and bright, extremely similar to the expression he had in his cat form: “I was hiding outside just now and heard everything. Are you really…… really Grandmaster QianQiu?”

Feng Ci didn’t answer, but asked back: “You’ve been hiding outside this entire time?”

Li Jiu: “Yes.” 

Feng Ci pondered for a moment and understood: “You’ve already mastered the technique of coexisting with the Heaven and Earth?”

“You can tell?!” Li Jiu’s eyes lit up again: “That’s right, that’s right. I’ve mastered it for several hundreds of years already!”

After mastering the technique of coexisting with the Heaven and Earth, the physical body merges completely with the world, becoming a state that’s both like a human and demon(妖). Not only was there no need to eat, drink, or cultivate, the person can rely entirely on absorbing the spirit energy of the world to survive. They can also transform their bodies into any living being, eternal and everlasting.

This was also the reason why Feng Ci couldn’t sense the presence of the little cat just now. 

His presence has already merged with the Heaven and Earth, becoming part of the world. Naturally, he could conceal himself perfectly.

Feng Ci still felt it was strange: “Then what’s going on between you and Valley Master Xiao? Why does he want to imprison you here?”

He definitely didn’t forget what Xiao Guo had said previously, that he placed a parasite inside the little cat.

“Well……” Discussing this matter, the youth’s expression suddenly became a bit shifty. 

Pei QianYue poured Feng Ci a cup of warm tea and handed it over while saying calmly: “Most likely, it’s because Valley Master Xiao couldn’t stand his frivolousness.”

Feng Ci raised an eyebrow slightly.

With Xiao Guo’s lackadaisical manner, he’d actually condescendingly find someone else frivolous?

Li Jiu was also very dissatisfied with this explanation: “How am I frivolous? It’s just that I…… I just like beauties alright? Everyone has a love for beautiful things!” 

“…..Xiao Guo is obviously the petty one.”

The youth really liked transforming into a cat. In his various behaviors, he has also acquired the habit of a cat. With a graceful leap, he sat down on the edge of the table and started to vent to the two people.

The beginning of this incident actually occurred during one of the Six Sect’s meetings. Li Jiu encountered Xiao Guo, who had arrived to attend the meeting.

Ever since Li Jiu mastered the skill of coexisting with the Heaven and Earth, he devoted himself to enjoying the pleasures of life and was determined to conquer all the beauties of the world. Especially those handsome men who looked like the unapproachable type, these beauties suited his interests best. At the meeting, after a shocking glance, Li Jiu took notice of this new Shaman Valley Master, who had recently inherited his position. 

Then after some sweet and flowery words, he managed to catch the man, hook, line, and sinker.

Li Jiu has lived hundreds of years in this world. This was no longer the first time he’s done such an immoral deed. To gain a favorable impression, naturally it was all kinds of sweet words and honeyed flattery. However, after saying those words, he’d forget them, never to be taken to heart.

However, he would have never imagined that this time, he caught a lunatic.

“He’d actually put a parasite inside me!” Li Jiu said indignantly: “Not letting me leave the valley and even forcing me to eat bugs!” 

Falling silent for a moment, Feng Ci turned to Pei QianYue and said seriously: “See this? Now this is what’s called ‘use and abandon’. I definitely didn’t do this.”

Pei QianYue: “……”

Li Jiu: “……”

The youth seemed completely unaware that there was something wrong with his actions and sighed gloomy: “If I knew he was this petty, I wouldn’t have gotten involved with him in the first place.” 

“Who are you calling petty?” A young man’s voice spoke up outside the door.

With a creak, the door was pushed open. Xiao Guo leaned against the side of the door, an ambiguous smile on his masked face: “Xiao Jiu, I was searching for you everywhere. Why did you run over here?”

With a full body jolt, the youth transformed into a small cat and landed on the ground.

Xiao Guo walked forward and picked up the small cat with a hand. Holding it in his arms, he gave it a few practiced strokes: “Don’t disturb the guests. It’s time to head back. If you don’t head back, that parasite of yours will act up in a bit and you’ll be crying and complaining about discomfort again.” 

With a whimper, the little cat obediently laid in his arms, no longer moving.

Xiao Guo finally looked at Feng Ci and Pei QianYue: “A small family affair. Sorry the two of you had to see the spectacle. I just finished mixing the prescription for your medicine, Saint Sovereign. Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we will start the treatment.”

Looking at the completely withered little cat in Xiao Guo’s arms, Feng Ci really couldn’t contain his curiosity: “The poisoned parasite inside the Dock Master……”

Although the Art of Soul Governance might not match magic spells or swordsmanship in terms of battle and combat, Li Jiu has already reached the peak of the Art of Soul Governance. If he turned serious, it’d be hard to find a worthy opponent for him within the Six Sects, not counting Pei QianYue. 

No matter what the circumstances, he shouldn’t be threatened or coerced by someone of a younger generation like Xiao Guo.

Guessing what Feng Ci wanted to ask, Xiao Guo said: “It’s only a HeHuan Parasite. Xiao Jiu really likes it.”

The little white cat’s tail smacked Xiao Guo’s wrist unhappily.

Feng Ci: “……” 

After saying this, Xiao Guo went to leave. After he walked out the door, however, he suddenly poked his head back inside, like he had just thought of something.

“Oh right, I still have some HeHuan Parasite left over here.” Xiao Guo said with a smile: “City Master Pei, if you need it, I can sell it to you cheap.”

Feng Ci: “……”

Feng Ci: “???”