Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 455: Fourth-In-Command of the Everlasting Lineage

At the Dao-Seeking Sect’s Hundred Refinements Peak, Li Haoran was still recalling his past life memories about Mu Baiyi.

As a vice creed leader from the new generation, the youthful and spirited Mu Baiyi was held in high regard by Qin Haoran.

“Mu Baiyi was a pitiful child. He grew up in poverty and became a cultivator, hoping to earn money after joining a sect. Instead, the sect shut down before he could make much.

“Later, he saw that the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s monthly stipend was decent and decided to join them. He mentioned that he originally wanted to join the Everlasting Creed because their followers earned a monthly stipend triple that of a local official’s.”

“Then why didn’t he join them?” Qin Yanyan interjected.

“The Everlasting Creed was too well-hidden—he couldn’t even find their entrance. On the other hand, it was easy to find the Nine-Netherworlds Creed. Just find a random ghost in the wild, and there’d be a one-tenth probability that it belonged to the Nine-Netherworlds Creed. Just like that, he could track down the Nine-Netherworlds Creed.

“Of course, that was in the past. Eventually, Qin Haoran realized it was too risky and could easily expose them to the righteous path, so he learned from the Everlasting Creed, making the Nine-Netherworlds Creed equally hard to find now.

“Qin Haoran had a pretty good relationship with Mu Baiyi, who helped him quite a bit in the Nine-Netherworlds Creed. Once, when Qin Haoran heard that banks were profitable, he wanted to start one. But he was worried no one could deposit money, and he would become a laughing stock. Thus, he had Mu Baiyi transform into various people—male, female, old, and young—to make deposits on opening day.

“Basically, he was hiring shills—a common business tactic.” Thanks to Qin Haoran’s memories, Li Haoran was now well-versed in all sorts of shady commercial practices.

“Did the bank succeed?”

“No. Qin Haoran forgot to obtain approval from the authorities when he opened the bank, so the two were arrested for illegal absorption of public deposits. The two explained that no one had actually deposited any money and that it was all staged.”

“Did the authorities release you?”

“No. The authorities said it constituted illegal absorption of public deposits and fraud, warranting combined penalties for both crimes.”

Lu Yang, “...”

Qin Yanyan, “...”

“During their imprisonment, the two studied various laws industriously. In the end, they were released after serving their full terms, returning as experts.” Li Haoran hadn’t fully inherited Qin Haoran’s memories. Otherwise, I’d at least be a legal expert now.

“Fortunately, Qin Haoran had prepared for rainy days and anticipated this disaster. Before entering prison, he had arranged everything and prevented the sect’s financial deficits from being exposed.”

This is a testament to Qin Haoran’s incredible foresight.

Li Haoran wanted to continue recounting the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s glorious days when a cold, graceful figure appeared behind him.

“Big Senior Sister.”

“Greetings, Big Senior Sister.” As a Heavenly Court Creed member, Qin Yanyan had debated whether to address Yun Zhi as “Creed Leader” or “Big Senior Sister.” After a series of internal struggles, she chose to follow the majority.

“Big Senior Sister, I was just confirming with Junior Brother Li. The white paper-hatted man at Hanshui City is indeed the Nine-Netherworlds Creed Leader, Mu Baiyi.”

“Nine-Netherworlds Creed Leader Mu Baiyi? Got it. All of you have done well. Little Junior Brother, come with me.”

~~~

Lu Yang obediently followed Yun Zhi back to Heaven’s Gate Peak.

“Big Senior Sister, did you need me for something?”

“Not you. I need Senior Immortal Fairy.”

“Looking for me?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy sprang up from her bed like a carp leaping from water, cheerfully darting out from the mental space. “Speak! What do you need from me?” It was rare for Yun Zhi to seek her help, and the Everlasting Immortal Fairy was rejuvenated, feeling like she was ten years younger.

I’m now only six years old.

“Something is wrong with the Xia Emperor’s lifespan—he only has about ten years left. Little Herb Kings are ineffective on him. Do you have any ideas, Immortal Fairy?”

Lu Yang was flabbergasted. Everyone in the outside world says the Xia Emperor is in his prime, pursuing grand ambitions, with Great Xia’s future looking bright. How could he suddenly only have a few years to live?

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy excitedly asked, “When do we start the uprising?” She believed the Dao-Seeking Sect had the resources and the scale to vie for supremacy in the world. When the time is ripe, the masses would rally behind us, and success would be guaranteed!

Isn’t this what Lu Yang mentioned in the strategies he proposed to the Nine-Netherworlds Creed?

With top-tier powerhouses like me and Yun Zhi, can’t we make anyone emperor?

“...Not an uprising. Immortal Fairy, do you have lifespan-extending methods?”

The special trait of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s Dao Fruit is “Everlasting.” Even if she dies, she can be revived so long as someone calls out her honorific title and name. Let alone cultivators—even Little Herb Kings envy such an ability. In Yun Zhi’s view, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy was the most likely candidate to resolve the Xia Emperor’s malady.

“Give him an Everlasting Incipient Dao Fruit and let that Xia Emperor or whoever become the fourth-in-command of the Everlasting Lineage?” First come, first served. The newcomer naturally has to be ranked last.

The Everlasting Lineage is a force to be reckoned with—the first-in-command is the head of the Five Ancient Immortals, the second-in-command is a Golden Core old ancestor, the third-in-command is a half-immortal, and the fourth-in-command is the current emperor. Lu Yang suddenly felt that his position as second-in-command of the Everlasting Lineage carried significant weight.

Yun Zhi shook her head. “The imperial palace’s ancestral grounds would certainly not agree.” If the Xia Emperor becomes the fourth-in-command of the Everlasting Lineage without rhyme or reason... Yun Zhi could imagine the outrage from the person in the imperial palace’s ancestral grounds and how he would likely challenge the Everlasting Immortal Fairy to a duel.

And this would expose the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s existence.

Yun Zhi needed a solution that could be shown to the world.

“If Little Herb Kings don’t work, then immortal fruits... Mine can preserve corpses and ensure they are everlasting. It can only be used after one dies.

“The Qilin Immortal’s and the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s immortal fruits also don’t have effects that grant eternal life or lifespan extension.

“Wait, does he have sons? See if you can fetch water from the Mother-Child River. It could let him leave behind a descendant.”

“He has nine sons and seven daughters.”

“So fertile? Is he giving birth to piglets?” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy muttered. Even drinking the water from the Mother-Child River and Twins River won’t achieve the Xia Emperor’s fertility.

The Qilin Immortal and the Dragon and Phoenix prodigies had tried for years without giving birth to a single little Qilin.

The higher one’s cultivation, the harder it was for them to leave behind an offspring.

“Ah!” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy screamed, suddenly remembering a clue. “There’s a natural spiritual peach tree. It is born and nurtured by heaven and earth and not within the scope of natural treasures. Its immortality peaches[1] have lifespan-extending effects! We five have eaten the peaches from that tree. They were very delicious and juicy.”

“Where is this natural spiritual tree?” Yun Zhi had never heard of this, and neither were there records of it in ancient texts.

“No idea. The peach tree had legs. It ran away after we plucked its peaches.”

Yun Zhi nodded. This is a lead, just that it’s elusive. She instructed Lu Yang to keep up with his cultivation practice while she consulted other elders.

After Yun Zhi left, Lu Yang pensively headed to the scripture library.

“What are you going there for?” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy asked.

“I vaguely recall seeing a book regarding longevity in the scripture library. It was buried right at the bottom, so few people have probably studied it. Who knows if it might help?”

1. A reference to the immortality peaches kept by Xi Wangmu. ☜