Li Tongya cupped his fist respectfully and replied, "Our Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator has been ordered by the sect to go on an expedition to eliminate demons, hence he is not currently available..."
Li Tongya had first heard from the White Banyan Fox about the Demon King refining pills at the southern border. Although Fei Luoya, often isolated on Mount Wu, was unaware of worldly affairs, Li Tongya crafted the story carefully, simply choosing to mention that Li Chejing was out on a demon-exterminating mission without specifying that it was in the southern border.
Upon hearing this, Fei Luoya frowned. People from Mount Yue were not keen to beat around the bushes, so he demanded directly, "What is the cultivation realm of your family elder?"
Just as Li Tongya was about to respond, a figure descended next to him. This person was dressed in a flowing white robe, exuding an air of elegance.
It was none other than Fei Wangbai, the head of the Fei Family.
"Greetings, fellow Daoists," Fei Wangbai cupped his fist and greeted, carrying a white long spear that was strapped to his back.
Li Tongya returned the greeting respectfully. Fei Luoya, seeing that Fei Wangbai was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, also returned the greetings in a proper manner.
Fei Wangbai raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "What's going on? Does anyone dare to provoke the sword immortal's clan?"
It was apparent from a distance that Fei Luoya was likely here to cause trouble, so Fei Wangbai stepped forward to show support.
"Of course not! Senior Fei Luoya merely wishes to meet the sword immortal," Li Tongya replied in a soothing voice.
Hearing this eased Fei Luoya’s mind a little, but Fei Wangbai laughed heartily and teased, "Everyone on the thirty-six peaks inside the sect and five prefectures in the Yue State wishes to behold the sword immortal's face. My fellow Daoist, you are quite bold… Could it be since no one is currently guarding the Li Family, you intend to bully those under the banner of the Qingsui Sword Immortal?"
Fei Wangbai’s lavish praises sounded more convincing than if Li Tongya were to speak those by himself, which immediately startled Fei Luoya. Although he had been confined to Mount Wu by Duanmu Kui for many years and was not well-versed in worldly affairs, he was still a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.
He gritted his teeth and scoffed, "Do not try to scare me, fellow Daoist… We, the people of Mount Yue, are not so ceremonious. We take what we can defeat and flee when we cannot win. The revered sword immortal is not even present here. To expect me to yield to a mere Qi Cultivator is too much..."
Though Fei Luoya spoke with a tough voice, his tone had softened considerably and he had even begun to consider retreating.
It's just a few pieces of land after all… I might as well let him have it. As a Foundation Establishment Realm immortal cultivator, gaining this worthless land brings me no benefits. I was only fighting to get back a little bit of pride.
Just as Fei Luoya was about to lift his head and offer some conciliatory words, two streaks of light arrived from the east.
A middle-aged man adorned with sachets and an old man clad in a gray robe landed next to Li Tongya. The middle-aged man cupped his fist and greeted Li Tongya, then gave Fei Luoya a sidelong glance before letting a wry smile cross his face.
"Brother Tongya, it seems I'm not too late…"
"Greetings, Seniors!" Li Tongya cupped his fist and greeted with a light chuckle. The middle-aged man was Xiao Yuansi.
Turning to look at the old man, whose face bore a resemblance to Xiao Yongling, Li Tongya knew he was a member of the Xiao Family and respectfully inquired, "And who might this be?"
"Xiao Chuchou of the Xiao Family," the old man answered warmly, his eyes twinkling as he stared at Fei Luoya.
Fei Luoya, sensing the cultivation realms of the two men—one at the early stage and the other at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm—suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
The alliance of these three could potentially detain him here. While his heart was racing, he heard Xiao Yuansi begin to speak.
Fei Luoya's demeanor changed immediately as he quickly smiled broadly and replied warmly, "I am Fei Luoya, formerly of Mount Wu… Now that I'm settling down here, I thought to acquaint myself with Brother Tongya and witness the might of the sword immortal!."
"Oh," Fei Wangbai chuckled softly, choosing not to expose Fei Luoya's pretense.
Li Tongya courteously responded, "Since we are neighbors from now on, Senior Fei Luoya is most welcome to visit my Mount Lijing."
"Of course... of course..." Fei Luoya quickly acquiesced, laughing awkwardly before hastily coming up with an excuse to take his leave.
Fei Wangbai then turned to greet the two from the Xiao Family. Seeing that they appeared to have more to discuss, he politely excused himself.
"There are urgent matters at home, so I won't disturb Brother Tongya any longer!"
"Take care, Senior… I will visit you in a few days," Li Tongya said. Although he had not yet achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm, his power was second only to Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators on the lake.
Fei Wangbai, keen on fostering a good relationship, addressed him as an equal while Li Tongya continued to refer to him as senior—a formality that put a small smile on Xiao Yuansi's face.
"Thank you for coming to support me during my time of need, Seniors."
Li Tongya’s face was earnest as he expressed his gratitude. Together, they descended to the palace where the servants immediately served them tea.
Xiao Chuchou, with his head full of white hair, took a sip of tea and said softly, "Given the current relationship between our families, I will speak frankly… We didn’t come solely for your sake."
"Decades ago, I traveled through various states with a Buddhist. In the mountains of Mount Yue's territory, we discovered a precious herb guarded by a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm demon beast. At that time, I was only at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm and also wary of attracting the attention of Mount Wu, so I noted the location and left disappointed. Now that Mount Wu no longer exists, I brought Yuansi here hoping to retrieve that herb," he explained.
"I see," Li Tongya remarked as Xiao Chuchou was clearly the senior member of the Xiao Family; even Xiao Yuansi listened respectfully without speaking.
Li Tongya agreed with a nod before Xiao Chuchou smiled.
"I’ve heard that your elegance is unmatched, and indeed it is so. Speaking of which, I must thank your Li Family… If it weren’t for the sword immortal obtaining an Essence Gathering Pill for our family, my son might not have broken through."
Li Tongya responded modestly and chatted briefly with Xiao Chuchou before voicing a question that had been on his mind. "May I ask about the Buddhist, Senior?"
Xiao Chuchou sipped his tea leisurely and replied, "You are still young and haven’t traveled far from home. Our Yue State is in the south, controlled by our Dao gate, and so is the Great Xu to the north… If you cross the long river to the north, reaching the states of Yan and Zhao, that’s the territory of the Buddhists."
"The world is vast, not dominated by our Golden Core Dao Gate alone. Buddhism also has its cultivation methods that differ from ours... However..." Xiao Chuchou shook his head, a flicker of fear crossing his face as he clenched his teeth and advised, "When you encounter a Buddhist, it's best to deal with them superficially and refrain from associating yourself too closely with them. Those who are not firm in mind can be swayed by a single encounter, falling into many traps."
"In this world, there are minor paths such as shamanic spells and curses, as well as major ones that involve consuming blood for power like the Purple Mansion Realm and Golden Core Realm. Your chosen Dao path is yours to decide, guided by the desires of your heart. But once you embrace Buddhism, you no longer have a say in the matter."
Li Tongya shivered slightly at the warning, relieved that Buddhism lay far to the north and was not an immediate concern.
"Thank you for the caution, Senior," he said respectfully.
Xiao Chuchou nodded and exchanged a few more words with the men before noticing how much time had passed. He and Xiao Yuansi rose into the sky in search of the medicinal herb, not wanting others to reach it first. Li Tongya courteously saw them off beyond his territory.
As they flew onward, Xiao Chuchou seemed to still be lost in the memories of his youthful adventures. Xiao Yuansi glanced at him and whispered in his ear, "Ancestor, about the herb..."
"The herb is secondary," Xiao Chuchou interrupted, shaking his head.
"Though the herb is real, it's also a distraction; I know of several relics likely left by the people of Mount Wu, guarded by seals. Now that Mount Wu has fallen, it’s the perfect time to explore them. If we could find even a page or two of that book, it would be immensely beneficial to our family."
Xiao Yuansi nodded, his heart set on the book bestowed by the immortal, murmuring, "Answers to a Beggar’s Questions Under the Mulberry Tree… that’s surely a Grade Seven or Eight immortal text."
"Don't get your hopes too high," Xiao Chuchou cautioned softly.
"If there was a trace of this book at Mount Wu, those Purple Mansion Realm cultivators would have already fought over it… Duanmu Kui's old tales are too ancient; perhaps the story of the immortal’s gift is just something he fabricated to aggrandize himself."
As they continued on their flight, Xiao Yuansi expressed his puzzlement.
"So, Duanmu Kui ultimately failed… Is attaining the Golden Core Realm really so difficult? Despite hundreds of years and countless Purple Mansion Realm cultivators that have attempted to break through, not a single one has succeeded…"
Xiao Chuchou chuckled and replied, "Golden Core Realm… Refining the metallic essence can extend your lifespan by a thousand years… As long as one is not discovered by the emissaries of death, even a dead Golden Core Realm cultivator can continue to linger in the mortal realm by virtue of this metallic essence. Therefore, such prestige is not easily achieved."