The Eternal Way-Chapter 147: The Invitation

In the end, Yan Jun did not refuse the request. After bowing to Li Qi, he turned and left, leaving behind a street filled with gifts that shimmered with dazzling brilliance, their radiance almost blinding.

Unfortunately, no one dared to touch them.

Li Qi glanced at the scene, his eyes momentarily dazzled by the brilliance.

So much wealth.

But as he looked closer, his brow furrowed. He quickly walked over to the so-called "damaged eighth-rank" golden qi.

It was a long sword, seamlessly formed as if by nature itself. There were no signs of forging or casting, nor any engravings. It was as though a piece of iron had naturally grown from a section of dead wood, resembling the scales of an agitated lizard.

Yet, this piece of iron had taken the form of a sword, perfectly proportioned, with the dead wood serving as its hilt.

This... was a naturally born divine weapon?

The golden qi was sharp, glowing like firelight illuminating the night. A swirl of red and white qi surrounded it, resembling a serpent coiling menacingly, unstoppable in its ferocity.

However, there was a flaw—a break at the tip of the blade, significantly diminishing its overall power. Its sharpness was dulled, and its killing potential was greatly reduced. No wonder it was called a "damaged eighth-rank." Though far stronger than any ninth-rank artifact, it fell short of being a true eighth-rank treasure.

But what caught Li Qi's attention wasn't the power of this golden qi. He hadn't reached the point where he could be swayed by wealth or artifacts.

"If offered ten thousand measures of grain without discerning propriety, what benefit would they bring me?"

If something wasn't obtained through proper means, how could it hold any allure for him?

What truly intrigued him was the gap in the damaged golden qi.

That gap... bore an uncanny resemblance to the flying dagger given to him by Piaoxu.

No, it wasn't just a resemblance—it was identical!

It fit perfectly. If inserted, it would complete an eighth-rank golden qi, a naturally born divine weapon, flawless in every way.

So—!

Li Qi suddenly realized the truth.

Jin Bu Huan had been hunting a tiger demon, the reason and purpose unknown. In pursuing this tiger demon, he had come after Piaoxu.

Piaoxu was a fox spirit who had stumbled upon the corpse of the hunted tiger demon. By chance, she inherited part of its soul, causing both the original tiger demon and the fox to perish, giving rise to "Piaoxu," a new entity inheriting traits from both. Among these was the flying dagger, a pinnacle ninth-rank artifact.

Could it be that Jin Bu Huan was the one who originally sought to hunt the tiger demon and reclaim the fragment of the eighth-rank golden qi?

Was his sudden attack in the marketplace an attempt to retrieve this fragment?

And now, by gifting this golden qi to Li Qi, was he not only appearing generous but also testing whether the fragment was in Li Qi's possession—or perhaps Piaoxu's?

Was this gift, forced upon him, not just a show of dominance but also a probe? And... a setup?

For such petty motives... was he willing to commit such atrocities?

Li Qi took a deep breath. The ashes around him were gradually being blown away by the wind.

Jin Bu Huan...

You deserve to die.

Meanwhile, inside Jin Bu Huan's residence, the young master lounged with his legs propped up on the table while several beauties massaged his legs. He casually questioned a kneeling physician below.

Upon closer inspection, it was the same physician who had briefly crossed paths with Li Qi and treated Piaoxu when summoned by Qiyao.

Despite only meeting Li Qi once, Jin Bu Huan had already tracked him down for questioning.

"So, this person possesses exceedingly profound medical skills?" Jin Bu Huan absentmindedly asked, picking at his ear.

"Yes... yes, Young Master Jin, indeed. Compared to him, my medical skills are like sparrow chicks before a dragon in the clouds—immeasurably inferior," the trembling physician replied.

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"What level is he at? Ninth-rank? Even for you, a ninth-rank healer would far surpass someone unranked like yourself, wouldn't they?" Jin Bu Huan continued.

"Though... though my skills are lacking, our sect does have a few ranked elders. I've witnessed many ranked healers perform miracles, yet compared to this master, they still seem immature..." the physician stammered, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead—not from nervousness but from pain.

If one looked closely, they'd notice fine needles embedded in his fingers, clearly a result of torture. His trembling voice betrayed the agony he endured.

"Oh? Not even a ninth-rank healer can match him? Well, it makes sense. Elder Si is eighth-rank, and his curse requires an eighth-rank healer to undo." Jin Bu Huan nodded thoughtfully.

"An eighth-rank healer... capable of instructing Yan Jun, likely versed in both Dao and medicine. Quite normal," Jin Bu Huan mused aloud.

Indeed, it was normal. The Daoist path originally sought eternal life, and countless practitioners had dedicated themselves to studying life sciences.

After all, the ultimate pursuit of Daoism was eternal freedom.

Longevity wasn't difficult; immortality was.

Even some animals and plants achieved longevity by avoiding external threats.

But immortality was different—it meant indestructibility, immunity to death by illness or violence, unbound by any constraints, free to exist eternally as one wished.

To achieve this, Daoists developed methods for combat and healing. Both served the same goal: safeguarding eternal life.

An eighth-rank Daoist master skilled in both Dao and medicine was entirely plausible.

But...

Jin Bu Huan narrowed his eyes.

The presence of a Daoist practitioner wasn't unusual. After all, Wu Dao didn't oppose any tradition, maintaining a peaceful stance toward Daoists and demons alike.

Even toward humanity, Wu Dao wasn't inherently hostile, adopting a passive resistance rather than active eradication. It was humanity's aggression that escalated conflicts.

Wu practitioners believed all things existed naturally. Their role was to maintain balance and harmony, not serve any single faction.

But what kind of force would have a ninth-rank Wu practitioner accompanied by an eighth-rank Daoist protector?

Such a combination was strange.

Did Great Deer Kingdom harbor such a force?

Or was he not from Great Deer Kingdom?

Where did he come from?

Jin Bu Huan sank into deep thought.

Just then, Yan Jun entered the room.

Jin Bu Huan immediately sprang to his feet, accidentally kicking a concubine in the process. Unbothered, he slipped on his shoes, adjusted his collar, and greeted Yan Jun: "Ah, Yan Jun, you're back. What happened? Did he accept?"

"No, Young Master. All the ritual officials were killed, yet he showed no change in demeanor," Yan Jun calmly replied.

Hearing this, Jin Bu Huan clicked his tongue in admiration, fanning himself dramatically. "Wow, a ruthless man. To intervene on behalf of a stranger without hesitation and oppose me, yet remain unmoved as over a hundred people died before him, shows his firm Dao heart. He does only what he deems right, unaffected by external factors. Truly worthy of having an eighth-rank protector. I wonder which sect's disciple he is? Fascinating."

He paused, then asked, "So, Yan Jun, knowing your temperament, if he didn't accept, shouldn't you have stayed to wait? Why return so soon?"

Yan Jun calmly answered, "Li Qi sent me to invite Young Master to his residence for a discussion."

"Huh? Hahaha! Interesting. Alright, I'll go. Yan Jun, rest. Elder Si, let's head out!" Jin Bu Huan raised an eyebrow, decisively accepting the invitation without hesitation.

Li Qi inviting him?

How intriguing. This would be their first real confrontation.

Their previous encounter was coincidental; this time, it would be a direct clash.

Jin Bu Huan was eager to learn what stopped him from hunting the tiger demon and assembling his eighth-rank golden qi.

But as Jin Bu Huan prepared to leave, Yan Jun suddenly spoke from behind.

His tone was low: "Young Master, that elder..."

Jin Bu Huan waved dismissively: "Don't worry, Yan Jun. If your cultivation flaw isn't resolved this time, I'll ask Father to find a Daoist master of equal caliber to assist you."

Yan Jun bowed in gratitude, watching Jin Bu Huan depart.

That was all he wanted.

Shen Shuibei's interrupted explanation last time had tormented him, but Jin Bu Huan's promise to make amends eased his concerns.

From Jin Bu Huan's residence to the inn where Li Qi resided, it was only a fifteen-minute walk.

If they had arranged a grand procession with a six-man sedan chair, it might take three to five times longer.

But Jin Bu Huan couldn't wait to meet Li Qi.

He wondered how Li Qi would receive him.

Elder Si followed behind, along with several attendants. Jin Bu Huan quickened his pace, arriving at Li Qi's inn in no time.

However, the moment they stepped onto the street, all three stopped simultaneously.

The atmosphere here was different from the outside.

The entire street felt as if it had been washed clean, purified and refreshed. Even the air smelled different.

Moreover, they felt countless unseen gazes, sending chills down their spines.

The ground seemed to emit a faint heat, and the sun and sky appeared paler than usual.

Though they had only taken a single step onto the street, it felt like entering another world.

"...Reconstructing a region's yin-yang with one's personal microcosm, altering heaven and earth, reversing the seasons—what skill! Is this something a ninth-rank practitioner could achieve?" Elder Si, also a practitioner of Wu Dao, was astonished.

What kind of genius was this? He himself had only mastered this technique at the eighth rank.

"Interesting. What use is this? Besides making people uncomfortable?" Jin Bu Huan asked.

"It allows limited control over qi flow, essentially setting up a home-field advantage. Within it, his strength increases, while ours decreases. The difference is equivalent to two ranks, nearly guaranteeing victory against an equal opponent. But it's useless against me. If Young Master dislikes it, I can dismantle it now. It's merely a ninth-rank microcosm; breaking it won't be difficult," Elder Si explained.

"Since it can be easily broken, there's no need to bother. Let's go in and consider it decorative embellishment," Jin Bu Huan said magnanimously, waving his fan.

Elder Si nodded but added, "Still... Young Master, normally, a personal microcosm reflects the user's nature. This eerie, ghostly atmosphere doesn't match his character. He must have deliberately crafted it this way. Look, the spectral energy and lingering gazes of the dead—they're mocking your earlier actions, accusing you of lacking virtue. Shall we not dismantle it?"

"Virtue? Hmph. Virtue is for the strong to restrain themselves, not for the weak to bind the strong," Jin Bu Huan sneered. "Using such tactics to reproach me is like a woman's tantrum, devoid of manly spirit. It only makes me look down on him. I thought he truly cared nothing for the dead."

With that, Jin Bu Huan draped an arm around a servant's shoulder. "Let's go see what other tricks he has besides this venue."

As they walked, the street remained deserted. Elder Si glanced around, examining the intricacies of the place.

As an eighth-rank Wu Dao practitioner, he theoretically far surpassed Li Qi. Crushing him with brute force should pose no problem.

But upon entering, he realized that while he could forcefully dismantle the altered microcosm, much of its intricacy eluded him.

"How did the qi here change?"

"Why does this personal microcosm exude a 'thunderous boiling' aura hidden beneath the haze? How is this achieved?"

"This arrangement resembles 'seeking a needle in a haystack.' Is it a musical method? No, it seems not... then what?"

"This... is 'moon solitary qi solemn'? No, no, no!"

The more Elder Si observed, the more alarmed he became. He fully understood three-tenths, vaguely grasped another three-tenths, and could barely infer three-tenths more—but the remaining one-tenth remained incomprehensible.

Both practiced Wu Dao, and he had experienced rare encounters, possessing several techniques passed down from Wu Deity Mountain. As an eighth-rank practitioner, he prided himself on his vast knowledge. Yet here he was, unable to comprehend the arrangements of a mere ninth-rank Wu practitioner!

How was this possible?

Who exactly was this person!?

At this thought, Elder Si stepped forward, halting Jin Bu Huan. "Young Master, be cautious. Some areas here are strange. There are points I can only dismantle with brute force, but their specifics elude me."

Jin Bu Huan frowned. "Not even you can understand?"

Before Elder Si could reply, Li Qi emerged from the inn's entrance.

"Nice to see you again, Brother Jin!"