Stealing Immortal

Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Passing on the Pill

’That fellow doesn’t normally cultivate in the Water Moon Grotto Heaven. What could he be doing? He’s been gone for half a day and still isn’t back.’

Fortunately, Chen Qingyang was patient enough. He waited as the sun set behind the western mountains, as the river of stars began to shine, and as the moon rose to join them...

When the Conscious Fish detected his trail, it quietly followed. The location wasn’t far from Peach Immortal Valley, well within the Conscious Fish’s range. Chen Qingyang simply settled down to meditate and cultivate right there, continuing to monitor Hu Sheng’s movements.

’The bait has been cast. He has to make some sort of move, sooner or later.’

The Seven Immortals of Peach Valley truly led a carefree life. On any given day, when not meditating and cultivating, they would chat, drink tea, and even brew their own fruit wine. Long Sheng, however, had remained in seclusion, a stark contrast to the other six in recent days.

Patiently, Chen Qingyang waited for three consecutive days. At sunrise on the third day, the peach blossoms were in perfect bloom.

The spring breeze stretched for miles across the land, and vast swaths of peach blossoms adorned the landscape. Long Sheng finally emerged from his thatched cottage. The seven of them sat beneath a peach tree, and after some necessary pleasantries, the conversation turned back to Chen Qingyang.

"Junior Brother Lu, you and Junior Brother Hu went to visit Chen Qingyang. Did you learn anything?"

The Conscious Fish observed everyone in detail, just as Lu Sheng was observing Long Sheng in detail.

He saw that Senior Brother Long’s Qi Mechanism had stabilized and his Cultivation was gradually recovering. With a respectful expression, he said, "Senior Brother Long, Senior Brother Hu and I have discussed this matter. We are in complete agreement that the last incident was the Peach Spirit’s fault. That Chen Qingyang is truly at the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining and has no ability to interfere with our plans."

After hearing this, Long Sheng’s gaze fell on Hu Sheng. "Junior Brother Hu, is that so?"

A flash of annoyance crossed Lu Sheng’s face at this display of distrust.

Hu Sheng replied, "That’s right. His Cultivation is mediocre; he just has some talent for the Alchemy Dao. He was extremely respectful toward us and even offered many thanks for the peach blossom banquet."

Long Sheng nodded, finally able to relax. "If that’s the case, Junior Brother Bao, have you discovered what happened to the Peach Spirit?"

Bao Sheng, however, shook his head. "I don’t fully understand yet. Its body is massive and its Divine Soul is scattered, making it difficult to gather. It’s lucid at times and muddled at others. This is also related to..."

Bao Sheng hesitated before finally saying, "It has something to do with the measures Master put in place. And by my calculations, that opportunity is about to mature."

Hearing this, Chen Qingyang grew puzzled. ’Could it be that this Peach Blossom wasn’t just planted here? Does it have another purpose?’

Unfortunately, Long Sheng didn’t bring it up again. "That’s certainly a possibility. We can’t just go and ask Master about it, either. After all, she sent the seven of us here to guard this Peach Spirit, not to stir up more trouble."

Bao Sheng said, "I’ve investigated it again over the past few days. The Three Bows of Peach Blossoms hasn’t shown any more issues. It might have just been a coincidence."

Just as the two finished their discussion, Lu Sheng interjected, "Senior Brother Long, regardless of what happened, it’s still connected to Chen Qingyang. The same trick might not work a second time. If we’re going to deal with him again, we need a new idea, don’t we?"

Hu Sheng had been listening quietly from the side. Now, he could no longer hold his tongue. "Senior Brother Long, I don’t think that’s necessary."

Lu Sheng looked surprised to hear him speak up. Long Sheng asked, "Junior Brother Hu, what do you mean?"

"Senior Brother Long, I don’t think we need to kill Chen Qingyang. He’s quite deferential to us, the Seven Immortals of Peach Valley, and can provide us with elixirs as a Sacrificial Offering. Why not just bring him into our fold and turn hostility into friendship? Wouldn’t that be wonderful!"

Hu Sheng glanced over. Seeing that Lu Sheng was about to speak, he continued, "We all cultivate on Cyan Bamboo Peak. Why must we divide ourselves into factions? Tian Jingzhao may be one of our disciples, but what has he brought us besides trouble? I don’t see why we should completely push away someone like Chen Qingyang, who can provide us with elixirs, just for his sake."

Long Sheng seemed to trust his junior brother. He raised no objections, instead feeling that this could be a viable path. But then, Lu Sheng suddenly stood up.

"Senior Brother Long! In normal times, Senior Brother Hu’s line of thinking would have some merit, but not now! What if he’s secretly colluding with him? What if he’s betraying us from the inside?"

Hu Sheng was furious. He viciously unleashed his Qi Mechanism, startling Lu Sheng and making him shrink back.

"Enough!" Long Sheng slammed his staff on the ground in anger, instantly silencing them both.

When his ancient eyes looked at Hu Sheng again, they were filled with suspicion. "Junior Brother Hu, are you saying this for the good of us all, or for yourself?"

Hu Sheng normally appeared simple and honest, but he was a very practiced liar. "For the good of us all, of course. When we visited that day, didn’t Junior Brother Lu also accept his elixirs? Besides, you all know what kind of person I am, don’t you?"

As soon as he said this, Que Sheng stood up to speak on his behalf. "Senior Brother Long, there’s no need to let such a trivial matter affect the bond between us brothers. Besides, what Senior Brother Lu said is baseless speculation. It sounds like... he’s trying to sow discord, doesn’t it?"

Hu Sheng was very pleased to hear this, while Lu Sheng was very displeased. Instantly, He Sheng, who sided with Lu Sheng, stepped forward and began to speak in his defense. The situation devolved into a chaotic argument.

At this moment, Long Sheng, seated at the head of the group, wore an extremely grim expression.

His greatest fear was that the Seven Immortals of Peach Valley would no longer be united. As their leader, he could not let that happen.

"That is enough! We will set this matter aside for now. I need time to think!"

Although his Cultivation had suffered, his authority as their leader remained. The moment he spoke, silence fell.

After glancing at Hu Sheng, Long Sheng turned to Lu Sheng. "And you need to keep that Tian Jingzhao in line. He can’t just cause us trouble without bringing us any benefits!"

His attitude was clearly leaning toward Hu Sheng. Lu Sheng remained silent, but a chill crept into his heart. "Senior Brother Long, we have cultivated here for a hundred years. Junior Brother Tian has provided many of the things we’ve lacked. He has contributed through his hard work."

"Indeed." Long Sheng replied curtly before dismissing them. He waited until everyone had left for their own homes before leaving himself, worried his junior brothers might start arguing again.

Seeing this, Chen Qingyang recalled his Conscious Fish. He had spent the last few days of waiting meditating and cultivating in this very forest.

’Hu Sheng has started speaking up for me, which has already caused a dispute among the Seven Immortals of Peach Valley. If I can just add a little more fuel to the fire and make them split apart, that would be perfect.’

’If they fight amongst themselves and damage their foundations, or lose something in the process... then the resulting karma will all be on my head, and I’ll naturally be able to take the Immortal Seedling. It will all happen without a trace, and no one will ever suspect me.’

「Back in the small courtyard.」

It was daytime, and the sunlight was pleasant.

Two young boys were processing Alchemy Raw Materials while Xu Baoling guided them from the side. A young girl stood in the courtyard, chatting and laughing with them. This girl was none other than Hong’Er.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen!" Hong’Er said, bowing to Chen Qingyang.

"Did Tian Jingzhao send you?"

To his surprise, Hong’Er shook her head. "No. Ever since he received your elixirs, Senior Brother Chen, he’s been in seclusion. I imagine he’s trying to quickly restore his Cultivation. After all, Master Water Moon is putting pressure on him!"

’That makes sense. Cyan Bamboo Peak has no shortage of Outer Disciples. It’s perfectly normal for one to be expelled every now and then.’

"So that’s why you have time to come visit me?"

Hong’Er nodded. "I just said I was running an errand. There’s no one in the Cave Mansion to question me now anyway."

After speaking, she gazed at the two busy boys and Xu Baoling with an envious expression. "So you can really learn things here at Senior Brother Chen’s. This Immortal Sister not only teaches cultivation, but she also teaches Alchemy!"

At this, Zhang Ping couldn’t help but add, "Senior Brother and Senior Sister treat us extremely well. They never interfere in our personal lives and don’t give us too much work. Every day is very relaxed."

Hearing this only made Hong’Er more envious. "I wonder when there will be some progress on the matter Senior Brother Chen promised me?"

She was, of course, referring to her request for Chen Qingyang to take her in.

Chen Qingyang said, "Be patient. If this isn’t handled correctly, not only will it fail, but it could also cause you trouble. I need to find the right opportunity."

His previous response had been an ambiguous acquiescence, but today’s was a firm promise. That was enough for Hong’Er. "Thank you, Senior Brother Chen! Once I’m here, I will cultivate diligently and repay you as soon as I can!"

Chen Qingyang just waved his hand at her words. All he needed was someone who could help process Alchemy Raw Materials. There was nothing to "repay."

He entered the Alchemy Room, sat down cross-legged, and called Li Sheng in as well.

"Senior Brother Chen!"

Chen Qingyang pointed to the spot in front of him. "Sit."

"Yes."

A single glance told him that Li Sheng’s Cultivation had stabilized since his breakthrough. "I’ve been thinking. You can’t learn other Dharma Gates here, but you can’t be idle, either. So, I’ve decided to have Xu Baoling teach you how to refine Qi Gathering Pills."

"For one, you can take them yourself to continue consolidating your Cultivation, which will benefit you in the future. For another, I can see you have a talent for cultivation. If you can learn a bit of the Alchemy Dao, you’ll be able to go much further down the road. You are here under the official title of my Alchemy Child, so studying some simple Alchemy Dao doesn’t violate any Sect rules. What do you think?"

Li Sheng seemed completely taken aback. His expression shifted from shock to elation. "You are willing to guide me, Senior Brother Chen, how could I possibly refuse? I knew the benefits of your elixirs back at Four Golden Peaks. I will definitely study how to make this Qi Gathering Pill with all my effort."

Only by beginning to study Alchemy could one truly understand the properties of the raw materials and process them better. Chen Qingyang had his own selfish motives for this decision, but for Li Sheng, it was still a tremendous opportunity.

"Good. You’ll start tomorrow. How far you go from here is all up to you!"

Li Sheng no longer hesitated. He knelt and kowtowed in gratitude. Chen Qingyang sat as still as a great bell, accepting the gesture.

Afterwards, Xu Baoling came in. "Master, I will teach him well tomorrow."

"Yes. You are quite busy. Don’t forget your own Cultivation."

Xu Baoling replied, "With the elixirs you provide, Master, I have no need to worry about my Cultivation. You, on the other hand, are managing countless tasks. It’s about time someone shared your burden. I think that girl, Hong’Er, is suitable as well."

Chen Qingyang simply gave a slight nod.

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