Chapter 29
Part 2
Wen Heng briefly explained why they were here, and Gouzi jumped up again: “Holy crap! Heng, you’re way too lucky! Shen Liang is an elder of our Qingcheng Sect—the youngest one at that! They say he built his foundation at thirty and formed his core at eighty. That cultivation speed is nothing short of godlike!”
In cultivation, time holds no sway. Whether you’re a child or an ancient elder, cultivation progress has nothing to do with age. The speed of advancement depends solely on innate talent. Some never master qi cultivation before death, while others attain formidable strength before adulthood. That’s why they say cultivation requires both defying heaven’s ways and aligning with its principles.
Shen Liang established his Foundation at thirty and formed his Core at eighty, yet he appeared barely over twenty. Were he an ordinary mortal, he’d be an old man nearing the grave. But look at him now—still youthful and handsome, while his second brother, Shen Gong, already had white hair. This alone explains why so many seek cultivation.
Gouzi’s work at Qingcheng Sect was fairly easy, but since it was his first day on the job, he could come back to visit. Munching on a pastry, he mumbled, “The manager told me that we menial workers don’t get to come back every day. Sometimes we have to leave the sect to run errands.”
Among cultivation sects, menial servants enjoyed the most freedom. Unlike other disciples who spent most of their time outside the sect on trials, servants were constantly running errands for the sect. Most servants were ordinary people; compared to struggling to survive in the mortal world, being a servant in a cultivation sect was easier. If one day they served that venerable ancestor well enough, a single pill as a reward might just set them on the path to immortality.
Gouzi, however, wasn’t thinking about cultivation. He just liked being a menial laborer—two meals a day, with leftovers to take home. If he ate sparingly, his portion could feed three people.
It must be said, Gouzi was a down-to-earth kid. To him, having food to eat was happiness.
“Ah Heng, they say menial laborers get two meals a day plus a monthly allowance. Someone like me could earn two taels of silver a month!” Gouzi envisioned a bright future. “I’ve decided—we’re going to make it in Qingcheng Town. I’ll save every penny so we never have to beg again.”
Wen Heng ruffled Gouzi’s hair. Gouzi, munching on a pastry, grinned widely. “Food earned by your own labor tastes so much better. Ah Heng, Mr. Lian, help yourselves!”
Lian Wushang chuckled, “Gouzi, you can’t call me Master Lian here. You should call me Wushang, just like Ah Heng does.” Wen Heng frowned at once, “Right, don’t call him Master Lian or Wushang. Call him Fellow Daoist Wu. And you’ll call me Qianji Wandering Immortal. Got it?”
Gouzi was even more confused. He looked at Wen Heng and Lian Wushang, ” You two… are you guys nuts? Thousand Schemes Hermit? Hah, you’re crazy.” Whatever, names don’t matter. Gouzi finished eating, wiped his mouth, and wandered into the room.
Soon, Gouzi’s exclamations echoed from inside: “Ahhhhh! What a huge, gorgeous room!… Ah!! This bed is so soft!!” Within minutes, the sound of Gouzi’s snoring filled the air.
Wen Heng and Lian Wushang exchanged bewildered glances. Wen Heng had considered himself rather unsophisticated, but it seemed Doggie was even more so.
Come evening, Wen Heng and Lian Wushang were led by servants to the main hall for dinner. There, they met the four brothers of the Shen household. Shen Liang, beaming, introduced Lian Wushang and Wen Heng to his siblings, simply stating they were his friends staying temporarily at the Shen residence. Shen Gong, Shen Jian, and Shen Rang all performed perfunctory bows, which Wen Heng and Lian Wushang returned.
After taking their seats, Lian Wushang drew a jade bottle from his robe. “This is the Pei Yuan Pill. For ordinary people, it strengthens the body and extends life. For cultivators, it solidifies cultivation foundations.” Lian Wushang had pondered this for a long time—they were staying at the Shen residence, after all; they couldn’t arrive empty-handed. These Pei Yuan Pills were actually something he’d casually taken from the Guixu. They’d been gathering dust in his storage pouch for ages.
Shen Liang accepted the jade bottle with delight: “We are truly grateful to Daoist Friend Wu.” Opening the lid, the fragrance of high-grade Pei Yuan Pills wafted out. These were indeed top-tier. In the Spirit Realm, a single bottle of these pills was incredibly rare, yet Lian Wushang had handed over an entire bottle. They say the demon cultivators of Sangzi Island are deep-pocketed, and Shen Liang now understood that firsthand.
Wen Heng didn’t know what Lian Wushang had produced, but he found the scent quite pleasant. After inhaling it, he felt a wave of comfort wash over his entire body. Since Lian Wushang had given a gift, Wen Heng wondered what he could offer in return. After a moment’s thought, he decided to quietly sip his tea to mask his awkwardness. But Shen Liang seemed determined to challenge Wen Heng.
After returning to the Shen residence, Shen Liang began tempering his life-bound spirit sword. Yet whether due to psychological shadow or not, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the blade appeared limp and lifeless, its aura dull and depleted. Shen Liang was so furious he could have stabbed that beggar in the side room to death…
Shen Liang smiled as he asked Wen Heng, “I wonder, Fellow Daoist Wen, what school of thought you follow? Today I happened to overhear you reading my fourth brother’s fortune, and it was remarkably accurate. Might I ask if you could read mine as well?”
Wen Heng’s lips twitched stiffly. He set down his teacup with a heavy thud. “Fellow Daoist Shen, to be perfectly honest, I am but a humble mountain dweller. Reading fortunes is beyond my skill. I’m more of a jinx—good things never come true, but bad ones always do.”
Shen Liang maintained his composure: “You’re too modest, Fellow Daoist Wen. I’m curious—do you cultivate the Divine Path?” Few practitioners followed the Divine Path nowadays, though it was said they could commune with the Way of Heaven. Of course, Shen Liang didn’t believe Wen Heng practiced it; he simply disliked him.
Wen Heng hastily waved his hands. “No, no! I’m a coarse man who’s only mastered a few meager spells. How could that compare to the Divine Path?” What the Divine Path was, he had no clue.
Lian Wushang reached out to touch Wen Heng’s hand beneath the table, meeting his gaze directly. “Since Fellow Daoist Shen has personally invited you, why not grant him this favor? If your predictions prove inaccurate, it’s no harm done—we’ll simply laugh it off. Shen knows you’re not one for flattery; he won’t take offense. Am I right, Shen?”
Shen Liang and Shen Gong chimed in with laughter. “Exactly! Just treat it as lighthearted banter over tea.” ”
Wen Heng stared at Lian Wushang’s innocent expression. “Alright then, I’m really going to say it.” Pointing at Shen Liang, he declared, “Shen Daoyou, your cultivation journey will be smooth sailing. You’ll breeze through the Golden Core stage, only to perish beneath the clouds of the Infant Transformation Tribulation.”
The atmosphere instantly froze solid. Wen Heng covered his face. He truly was terrible with words.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")