Chapter 24 – You Should Also Say It Before Taking Off
Qinghui led Xia Yi through the mountain gate, where little disciples greeted him along the way, curiously looking at Xia Yi. Qinghui introduced, “This is Senior Brother Xia.”
“Hello, Senior Brother Xia!” The little disciples hurriedly greeted him.
As Xia Yi responded, he felt dazed, thinking, am I really starting my cultivation journey now?
But no, even if this world is wonderful, I have to go back; Brother Zhu is still waiting for me at home.
Thinking of Gu Wenzhu, Xia Yi felt a pang of worry. He had no idea how Brother Zhu was doing, how Cheng Ming would explain his sudden disappearance. Brother Zhu would definitely search everywhere if he found him gone, and who knows how worried he would be.
Qinghui took Xia Yi through a serene bamboo grove and entered a round archway, arriving at a quaint courtyard. “You’ll be staying at Wangzhu Courtyard from now on. A disciple will bring you clothes and hot water soon. If you need anything else, just let them know,” he said, looking around to see if anything was lacking before taking his leave.
Left alone in the courtyard, Xia Yi began to explore.
The courtyard had three rooms, with an ancient design, red walls, and green tiles, featuring high, sweeping eaves. The ground was paved with blue stones, and in one corner, there was a small plot of land with tall, green bamboo.
Xia Yi couldn’t help but crouch down, grabbing a handful of soil and examining it closely. The soil was rich, dark, and shiny, with just the right amount of moisture. He couldn’t understand why they were planting bamboo; wouldn’t it be better to plant some green onions and chili peppers, with a trellis for loofah vines?
What a waste.
“Xia Yi.” Just as he was lost in thought, a tentative voice called from behind.
Xia Yi turned around in surprise, exclaiming, “Liu Zhiqian?”
Standing at the archway was a figure in flowing robes, exuding an otherworldly aura, unmistakably an immortal.
Who else could it be but Liu Zhiqian?
“When Qinghui reported, he mentioned your name, so I asked a few more questions. When I heard his description, I suspected it was you. After confirming he said your sleeves were two different colors, I hurried over,” Liu Zhiqian smiled.
Xia Yi was both shocked and delighted. “So you really are Elder Tianji.”
“Xia Yi, how did you get here?” Liu Zhiqian stepped inside, curious. “And you’ve become the son of Governor Xia, a disciple of my senior brother?”
Xia Yi replied, “I don’t know; as soon as I arrived, Senior Brother Qinghui just called me that.”
Liu Zhiqian nodded knowingly. “Then he mistook you for someone else; you just happen to have the same name. But it’s fine—until the real one arrives, you can temporarily borrow this identity.” Suddenly remembering something, he asked urgently, “Did my fourth junior brother come to you? I haven’t seen him for days, and he left some jewels behind in his quarters.”
“He did come to me; he’s been farming every day.”
He might be lying in a shed by the field munching on steamed buns right now.
“Ah.” Liu Zhiqian sighed in relief, saying approvingly, “The fourth junior brother is great; he never neglects his cultivation wherever he goes. Since he can’t absorb spiritual energy in your paradise, he’s been practicing hard. Good, good.”
“It’s almost dinner time; come eat with me. We can chat while we eat. Let’s go,” Liu Zhiqian said, glancing at the sun, inviting Xia Yi enthusiastically.
“Aren’t you fasting?” Xia Yi recalled Liu Zhiqian mentioning he had been fasting for years.
“Yes, I did start fasting long ago. But after experiencing the paradise, I just don’t feel right if I don’t eat something every day after coming back,” Liu Zhiqian admitted, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Xia Yi understood completely. “Let’s go eat then.”
As they exited the bamboo grove, Liu Zhiqian instantly put on a stern expression, exuding authority. The little disciples nearby greeted Elder Tianji respectfully, but Liu Zhiqian didn’t even glance at them, merely nodding slightly and grunting softly.
As Xia Yi wondered how far Liu Zhiqian’s residence was, he suddenly waved his hand, and a huge gourd appeared in the air.
The gourd was as big as half a room, with a flowing tassel tied at the neck, gently bobbing up and down in the air.
Liu Zhiqian stepped onto the front half of the gourd, standing firmly, and said to Xia Yi, “Come up.”
This is a flying magical artifact!
How exhilarating…
Xia Yi was filled with excitement as he scrambled onto the gourd. He tried to stand like Liu Zhiqian but found the gourd too smooth to find stable footing.
As he continuously shifted his position, the gourd suddenly took off without warning, soaring straight into the sky.
Xia Yi felt his heart leap into his throat and quickly crouched down, straddling the gourd. He found himself at the back half, round and bulging, with nowhere to grip even while sitting. As he leaned slightly, he nearly slid off, so he hurriedly shifted forward, wedging himself into the depression where the two halves of the gourd connected.
“Couldn’t you at least give a warning before taking off?”
The gourd was too smooth to sit on, with no handholds, let alone a seatbelt. Couldn’t they have chosen something like an Arabian flying carpet as a magical artifact? Qinghui’s UFO was way better than this.
Once the gourd took off, it flew straight toward a small floating island outside the main island. Through the thin clouds, Xia Yi could see the lush greenery of the island, with hints of vermilion rooftops peeking through.
Crouching nervously on the gourd, Xia Yi had no time to admire the scenery. Luckily, the journey was short, lasting only a few minutes, before the gourd stopped above the small floating island and began to descend.
It wasn’t until they landed in a delicate little courtyard that Xia Yi felt he had truly survived.
Seeing Xia Yi slide off the gourd with a pale face, Liu Zhiqian stroked his beard and sighed, “Xia Yi, this won’t do. You’ll need to learn to control magical artifacts yourself in the future, to travel thousands of miles. You need to practice more.”
Xia Yi waved his hand weakly. “What magical artifacts? I need to get back quickly; my family is still waiting for me.”
Liu Zhiqian led Xia Yi into the hall, where disciples had already set the table with food. Besides a feast of fish and meat, there was a full basin of steamed buns.
“Eat up.” After sitting down, Liu Zhiqian served himself some pig’s trotters and then called to Xia Yi, “Once you’re done, tell me how you got here.”
Not feeling very hungry, Xia Yi ate a little symbolically, while Liu Zhiqian polished off the rest of the meal.
After finishing, Xia Yi began to recount the details of his journey.
Listening intently, Liu Zhiqian wore a contemplative expression. “I’ve been searching the island recently to figure out what kind of teleportation array was set up to bring us here. But the person who set it up has a very high cultivation level; I couldn’t detect anything unusual.”
“My fourth junior brother was teleported here, but we don’t know when he’ll come back,” Liu Zhiqian said, looking distressed. “Even if he returns, who knows whom he might send over, or if he’ll bring people from the paradise.”
“Who could set up such an array? What is their purpose? It’s truly baffling. I always feel that someone is targeting our Qishan sect, scheming something huge behind the scenes.” Liu Zhiqian tapped the table thoughtfully, his eyes deep in thought.
“And you, innocent as you are, have been caught up in this plot, swept into the tide of this conspiracy.” He looked at Xia Yi with a penetrating gaze.
“Really?” Xia Yi replied awkwardly, thinking about the mess caused by this faulty system, which seemed poised to stir up a bloodbath in the cultivation world.
“And now my master brother is also unreachable; I don’t know if it’s related to this array or if he was also sent to some paradise.”
“No, he wasn’t taken; he’s still in this world.” Xia Yi remembered what 179 had said—that the system didn’t detect anyone else being teleported.
“Trust me,” Xia Yi said earnestly, looking straight at Liu Zhiqian.
Liu Zhiqian scrutinized Xia Yi for a moment before finally nodding. “Alright, I believe you.”
“By the way.” Xia Yi recalled something and pulled out the jade pendant he had picked up on the way, handing it to Liu Zhiqian. “This is what I found on my journey here. See if you recognize it.”
After examining the pendant, Liu Zhiqian’s voice rose in surprise. “This is the jade token of the Fallen Demon Envoy! Where did you find it?”
“Right next to the stone steps leading to the single-plank bridge,” Xia Yi explained while gesturing.
“How did this jade token of the Fallen Demon Envoy end up in our Qishan sect? When did he come? We didn’t notice anything at all.” Liu Zhiqian stood up, pacing the room deep in thought.
Suddenly, he clapped his hands in alarm. “Oh no, the sect leader has been taken by the Fallen Demon Envoy!”
“I wondered why there were no traces of the sect leader. It turns out he was taken to the Demon Realm,” Liu Zhiqian said, filled with resentment.
After a moment’s thought, he stretched out his hand, and a few small paper cranes appeared in his palm. Liu Zhiqian instructed the cranes, “Go summon several elders to the Cloud Ascending Pavilion for a meeting.” With that, he flicked his hand, and the paper cranes transformed into celestial cranes, singing as they flew out the window.
Xia Yi watched in awe—this magical cultivation world was truly astonishing.
