Chapter 40 : Controlling the Magical Artifact, the Secret

Chapter 40: Controlling the Magical Artifact, the Secret

To heal illness and cure people!

Many disciples knew that the Sect Master and Elder Li were skilled in medicine, but this was the first time the Clear Sky Sect had made money through medical arts.

Countless disciples were intrigued and gathered around the new courtyard to watch the spectacle.

As a result, with only three uses of the Ghostly Immortal Needle of Rejuvenation, Li Dongyue completely cured the merchant’s daughter.

The merchant was astonished and immediately took out a piece of green jade from his bosom as thanks.

He said the jade could sell for a thousand taels of silver.

Yang Jueding examined it and confirmed that the jade was indeed of high value.

This merchant’s surname was Liu, given name Fanzhou.

He was not a native of Guzhou, only doing business there.

He was rotund and sweating profusely after the climb.

Besides his daughter, he had brought two guards, each armed with treasured blades, who carried the luggage for them.

The illness of Liu Fanzhou’s daughter was indeed strange, yet it was merely that several hidden acupoints had been clogged by impurities—it was not fatal.

Once the Ghostly Immortal Needle of Rejuvenation cleared her meridians, she was healed.

The young girl suddenly felt full of vitality, jumping about inside the room, moving Liu Fanzhou so much that he wept with joy.

For such a wealthy patron, Li Qingqiu personally received him, showing no lack of courtesy.

“Master Li,” Liu Fanzhou said as he drank tea with him, “I see that your Clear Sky Sect bears quite the air of a Daoist sect. I wonder—do you have a method to dispel evil? I know someone who’s been tormented by wicked spirits. If you can help him, he’ll reward you handsomely. He’s far richer than I am.”

Besides Li Qingqiu, Zhang Yuchun was also present.

He was greatly interested in this well-dressed merchant.

Before descending the mountain last time, Zhang Yuchun had already heard the name Liu Fanzhou—this was no ordinary tradesman, but a true magnate.

“Richer than you? Then he must be extremely rich,” Zhang Yuchun couldn’t help blurting.

Li Qingqiu shot him a glare.

This boy—so mercenary! How improper.

Couldn’t he wait to ask later?

Liu Fanzhou chuckled.

“My wealth doesn’t even amount to one-tenth of his. But his status is… special. He walks the path of the white road.”

So, an official.

Li Qingqiu and Zhang Yuchun immediately understood.

In these times, officials were all wealthy.

“Haunted by evil spirits, you say? Can you describe it in detail?” Li Qingqiu asked.

As a cultivator, he wasn’t afraid of tales of demons and spirits—in fact, he found them intriguing.

Liu Fanzhou’s smile faded as he recalled, “Every night at midnight, his mansion becomes haunted. Apart from people, no living creature can survive the night. He’s had the entire residence searched multiple times, but found nothing. He even invited experts from the White Emperor Manor to stand guard at night, but it was useless. As long as a living creature—anything non-human—was placed inside, even under the guard of masters, it would mysteriously die without a sound.”

“Did they keep watch over the creatures?” Li Qingqiu pressed.

“Of course! Four first-rate masters watched over the chicken coop. When midnight struck, all the chickens died suddenly. It scared those experts half to death.”

As Liu Fanzhou spoke, he shuddered, wiping sweat from his brow.

“So strange?” Zhang Yuchun muttered, instantly feeling reluctant to get involved.

Liu Fanzhou nodded.

“Indeed. Too strange. If it isn’t some malicious spirit, what else could it be? Many masters have gone, but none could solve it. Since it’s an official’s mansion, and since no human has died, it can’t be torn down. So he can only endure it—living every night in fear.”

After hearing this, Li Qingqiu felt that it didn’t sound like a haunting.

If it were truly ghosts, could anyone still live there?

Still, this matter wasn’t worth descending the mountain for.

Sending other disciples might involve unforeseen trouble, so he decided to refuse.

“The art of exorcising evil belongs to the realm of immortals. Though our Clear Sky Sect aspires toward the immortal path, we are still within the domain of martial arts. This is beyond our ability,” Li Qingqiu said.

Liu Fanzhou wasn’t disappointed—he had only mentioned it casually.

He remained deeply fascinated by the Clear Sky Sect.

Elder Li Dongyue’s three-needle cure was nothing short of miraculous.

He requested to stay on the mountain for three days, and Li Qingqiu did not refuse.

There were many guest houses at the mountain gate, some built specifically for hosting visitors.

After chatting for a while longer, Li Qingqiu rose and left, letting Zhang Yuchun continue accompanying the guest.

Zhang Yuchun was very interested in the merchant trade, and began asking Liu Fanzhou for advice.

Over the next three days, he interacted frequently with him.

Three days later, Liu Fanzhou’s daughter, Liu Yan, insisted on becoming Li Dongyue’s disciple and refused to descend the mountain.

Liu Fanzhou could only plead with Li Qingqiu, who ultimately agreed.

After Liu Yan formally apprenticed under Li Dongyue, Li Qingqiu immediately opened the Dao Lineage panel to inspect her attributes.

Unfortunately, though cured of illness, Liu Yan had no special Fate Trait.

Her aptitude and comprehension were both average.

After seeing so many disciples, Li Qingqiu had come to think that “average” was already a form of genius—after all, the standard referred to immortal cultivation aptitude, and most people could only receive abysmally low, unranked evaluations.

With his daughter’s apprenticeship secured, Liu Fanzhou was overjoyed and prepared to descend the mountain, promising to send a great gift.

That was an unexpected delight.

Night fell.

Li Qingqiu went alone to the Subterranean Spiritual Lake.

With his current cultivation, it took little time to reach it from the mountain peak.

He took out the small knife that Jiang Kuotian had gifted him, and once again infused his Vital Energy into it.

Back when he was in the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, he had failed, but even then he’d sensed that the counterforce of the knife’s restriction was weakening.

Thus, he was confident that upon reaching the Fifth Layer, he would succeed.

The underground lake glimmered faintly.

Spirit stones embedded in the cave walls shone like scattered stars.

A faint breeze whispered through the cavern, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.

Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged by the lake.

His robe gently stirred as he poured Vital Energy into the knife.

Gradually, spiritual energy gathered around him, coiling about his body.

After a while—

The knife in his hand began to glow with silver light.

He opened his eyes, delight flashing across his face.

Success!

He had broken through the restriction within the knife and left his own energy imprint inside.

A subtle spiritual link formed between him and the blade—and with it, a stream of information entered his mind.

This small knife was called the Flying Fish Blade.

It carried an inherent spell—capable of severing Vital Energy, and incomparably sharp.

“As expected of an immortal cultivator’s magical artifact—truly wondrous and profound.”

Li Qingqiu was fascinated by the restrictions within the weapon.

These were seals etched by Vital Energy, able to store information and transform mechanisms into intangible constructs—something that transcended martial understanding.

By studying such restrictions, he might one day comprehend the art of forging magical artifacts.

In the future, every member of the Clear Sky Sect must wield a magical artifact—only then could it truly be called an immortal sect!

Li Qingqiu began practicing control of the Flying Fish Blade.

Once it acknowledged him as master, he could command it like an extension of his own arm, delighting him endlessly.

Then, he left the lake and entered the mountain forest.

He threw the Flying Fish Blade forward to test the maximum distance of control.

Even when the blade left his sight, he could still sense its direction and distance—a truly strange sensation.

The farther it flew, the weaker his control became.

After about three hundred zhang, his link with the blade was severed.

He walked forward a few steps and sensed it again, then raised his hand to summon it back.

Three hundred zhang—quite a distance!

In modern terms, that was the range and speed of a sniper rifle.

With a sharp whoosh, the Flying Fish Blade returned.

Li Qingqiu raised his hand, catching it effortlessly as the kinetic force dispersed, leaving not even a tremor in his grip.

“No scientific explanation—only the mysteries of cultivation.”

He murmured softly, running his other hand along the blade’s edge.

The spiritual energy dissipated, leaving it looking like an ordinary weapon once more.

Only then did he relax.

Even if he met another cultivator, it would be difficult for them to discern the blade’s extraordinary nature.

“I should craft a fitting sheath for the Flying Fish Blade, then wear it at my waist.”

Thinking this, Li Qingqiu began ascending the mountain again.

He didn’t move fast, his steps naturally light and silent.

Passing through a grove, he turned his head—he had heard someone practicing swordsmanship in the distance.

He quietly approached and saw a young man training among the trees.

Looking closer, he recognized him—it was Xue Jin, one of the Thirteen Sword Fiends.

Xue Jin was among the few disciples in the Clear Sky Sect with “good” cultivation aptitude and comprehension.

Li Qingqiu himself had recommended him to join the Thirteen Sword Fiends, and thus remembered him clearly.

Why was he practicing alone at such an hour?

This place was two to three li away from the Thirteen Sword Fiends’ courtyard—was he hiding from others?

Li Qingqiu observed quietly and realized that Xue Jin’s swordsmanship was unfamiliar.

He had watched Jiang Zhaoxia instruct the Thirteen Sword Fiends before, and had never seen him teach such a style.

So, this Xue Jin had a secret.

Li Qingqiu opened the Dao Lineage panel and confirmed that Xue Jin’s loyalty hadn’t dropped.

Satisfied, he thought no further and continued up the mountain.

Everyone had their secrets—as long as it didn’t threaten the Clear Sky Sect, it was fine.

……

Winter snow melted, and spring wind returned.

A month after his departure, Liu Fanzhou came back—bringing over a hundred men.

He had come to build a proper mountain road for the Clear Sky Sect.

“Your Clear Sky Sect is fine in every way—except the climb. Sedan chairs can’t pass, and I had to climb on foot last time—it nearly killed me! Now that my daughter has joined your sect, I’ll be coming often. If I don’t fix this road, it’ll shorten my life!”

Liu Fanzhou laughed as he wiped sweat from his face.

Such enthusiasm—Li Qingqiu naturally thanked him profusely and dared not refuse.

First, because the sect truly needed it; second, because Liu had already brought so many men—refusing would be both wasteful and offensive, possibly ruining their relationship.

Liu Fanzhou also said that wherever he traveled, he would promote the Clear Sky Sect, bringing more people up the mountain to seek treatment.

“Merchant Liu, I truly appreciate your goodwill,” Li Qingqiu said with a smile.

“But when you speak of us to others, please don’t exaggerate. If my junior sister cannot cure them, it would damage our sect’s name—and your own reputation.”

“Understood, understood. Don’t worry—I know what I’m doing!” Liu Fanzhou replied heartily, waving his sleeve.

Li Qingqiu grew even fonder of him.

He resolved to look after Liu Yan more, and once her loyalty reached a certain level, he would teach her the first-layer mental method of the Supreme Purity Primordial Unity Scripture.

Before long, Zhang Yuchun came to pull Liu Fanzhou away.

Though they were twenty-three years apart, they had developed a strong friendship—kindred spirits with endless conversation.

Building a road through the mountains was not the work of a day, especially with such rugged terrain.

Liu Fanzhou left a servant to oversee the craftsmen, then departed with his two guards.

Standing atop the mountain, Li Qingqiu gazed down.

With his sharp vision, he could faintly see the laborers bustling at the foot of the distant hills.

To prosper, one must first build roads—everything was moving in a better direction.