After Cultivating the Wrong Strong, Pitiful, and Beautiful Demonic Lord - Chapter 5

Mount Donglu was the dwelling place of ascended Immortal Lords and had received the devotion of the people in Yangyang City for countless years, naturally bearing the responsibility of protecting this region.

To honor this pledge, every single decade Mount Donglu would dispatch a junior Immortal Lord down the mountain to bestow the purest cleansing ritual upon the entire city of Yangyang, safeguarding it so that the winds and rains came at the right times and all remained free of illness and disaster.

This was precisely why the people of Yangyang City held such unshakeable faith in Mount Donglu.

Offering tributes to the Immortal Lords of Mount Donglu was originally something the common folk did spontaneously. At first, it simply consisted of fruits and vegetables grown in their own fields, but over time, it gradually evolved into all sorts of expensive and devout offerings.

Fearing that the immortal elders might not accept them, they racked their brains to track down every conceivable item related to cultivation, prettifying it as a display of their pious devotion while ultimately seeking greater blessings and protection from the immortals.

The moment it was mentioned that the offering might fail to be presented on time and that the immortal elders might never come again, quite a few people began to grow anxious, all worrying that without the protection of the Mount Donglu immortals, they were bound to suffer a terrible catastrophe.

“Valley Master Su, you are well-traveled and knowledgeable; why not offer some guidance?” Immediately, someone thought of Su Jianshan.

Having traversed far and wide over the years, Su Jianshan possessed vast experience and naturally maintained certain ties within the immortal sects, making him someone who could carry weight in a conversation. Seeking his help might just bring about a turning point.

Gently shaking his ink-splashed folding fan, Su Jianshan’s gaze, which had been drifting among the crowd, abruptly landed on Li Jian. Looking momentarily surprised, he gave him another appraisal, pressed the edge of his fan against his brow, and smiled.

“Today, Old Master Qi’s manor is home to many capable and extraordinary individuals. Why not set out to search for it together? After all, an object like that isn’t going to grow legs and run away on its own.”

Following Su Jianshan’s gaze, Old Master Qi subconsciously looked over at Li Jian as well, instantly grasping the implication.

Taking three steps in two with a somewhat unsteady gait, Old Master Qi looked at Li Jian as though gazing upon a straw drowing man, cupping his hands together:

“Immortal Elder, I beg you to save us.”

By the time Li Jian realized he had seemingly been sold out by someone, it was apparently already too late. Everyone’s eyes were fixed squarely on him, as though they wouldn’t let him off easily if he didn’t agree on the spot.

To be honest, Li Jian really did feel a bit panicked. Although he was a cultivator, that belonged to the original body; he had no clue what on earth he was actually capable of doing.

Damn it, what a useless system! It had dropped the mission halfway through and run off, leaving him to fend for himself entirely.

“As long as the Immortal Elder is willing to lend a hand, my Qi family is willing to offer a hundred liang of gold as a reward.”

A hundred liang… of gold?

Li Jian silently felt a wave of temptation. He was currently completely penniless, so that offer held a rather undeniable appeal.

Yet the proper airs still had to be maintained; he couldn’t let people think he had never seen the world. Composing his expression to hide his eagerness for that hundred liang of gold, Li Jian cleared his throat and said:

“It is not entirely out of the question for me to help. Since this concerns the affairs of the immortal sects, it is my bounden duty. However, the situation arose so abruptly that I am unprepared; I am afraid I will need someone to assist me.”

“No problem at all. Whomever the Immortal Elder desires, just say the word.”

Li Jian had not the slightest doubt that even if he demanded the moon right now, Old Master Qi would not refuse; and even if the Qi family didn’t have it, the other guests could easily scrape together a pile.

As for silver, however, having enough to get by was plenty; after all, he wouldn’t be staying in this world forever. And as for the other choice…

Li Jian’s thoughts shifted abruptly. His slender, fair fingertips pointed straight toward Xuan Lang in the corner, and his voice rang out clear and bright:

“I want him to help me.”

Not only Xuan Lang, but everyone present was taken aback. They hadn’t expected him to pick this particular person.

Old Master Qi paused for a moment before raising a hand to summon Xuan Lang over. As long as Li Jian could help him find the divine statue, there was nothing he wouldn’t agree to—even if he had to ask his old bones to help personally, it wouldn’t matter.

“I am so furious!”

The banquet in the front courtyard quickly dispersed. Although they were searching for the divine statue, the guests were all prominent figures from illustrious families, so they couldn’t simply be locked in and barred from leaving. Thus, after seeing off the guests alongside his father, Qi Jingyao bolted straight back to his own courtyard, smashing things in a fit of rage.

“Xuan Lang, Xuan Lang, it’s always Xuan Lang! Why does this fellow always manage to step on my head? Clearly, I am the young master of the Qi family, so why does everyone always set their sights on him!” Qi Jingyao’s anger burned unchecked.

The attendant trailing behind him didn’t dare to move, terrified that a teacup might come flying at his head the very next second.

“Young Master, please calm your anger.”

Qi Jingyao let out a cold snort. “Calm my anger? I’d have to be out of my mind to stay calm. My father is like that, that Su Jianshan is like that, and now this Li Jian has shown up and it’s still the same!”

“Why didn’t he pick me? Am I not much better than that good-for-nothing who can’t even squeeze out a single fart?”

When Qi Jingyao heard that Li Jian needed someone to help, he had been fully prepared to volunteer himself. After all, this incident had happened right inside their Qi family manor; if anyone was needed to assist, it ought to be someone from the Qi family.

Qi Jingyao had initially figured that even if Li Jian picked a young master from another family, it wouldn’t be the end of the world he simply hadn’t expected the choice to fall on Xuan Lang!

The attendant didn’t dare to speak his mind, thinking to himself: My dear young master, do you honestly have any self-awareness regarding your reputation outside?

“Young Master, that’s just a grueling chore anyway; let Xuan Lang go deal with it. At least we get to enjoy some peace and quiet, right? Besides, I hear that immortal-style ghost-hunting is terribly dangerous; it’s a good thing we aren’t going.”

Seething, Qi Jingyao snatched the fan right out of the attendant’s hand. “That’s completely different!”

What was he afraid of regarding danger? He intended to enter an immortal sect to cultivate in the future; he wasn’t afraid of danger at all, but he simply could not lose to Xuan Lang.

Besides, he was the dignified young master of the Qi family; why should he lose to an outsider who wasn’t even worthy of bearing the Qi surname?

Anyone could, but Xuan Lang absolutely could not.

After sending off the remaining visiting guests, only Li Jian and Xuan Lang remained in the luxuriously decorated front courtyard.

The exquisite carved-wood windows stood wide open. In front of the screen, a cool and refined young gentleman sat inclined upon a golden-nanmu master’s chair, with his dark hair draped over his shoulders, exuding an air of effortless grace.

On the nearby table sat four or five dishes of delectable delicacies, accompanied by several exquisitely crafted pastries, instantly filling the entire room with the rich aroma of food.

“Mhm, not bad. Aren’t you going to have a taste?”

Li Jian sat by the table, testing the dishes idly with his chopsticks. He picked up a piece of tender fish meat and placed it directly onto the plate belonging to Xuan Lang opposite him.

The youth lowered his head to murmur a word of thanks, but his hands remained entirely still.

It looked like he didn’t have much appetite.

Li Jian picked up another piece for himself. This was sliced raw fish he had specifically requested—prepared using the freshest, plumpest fish available. While fish slices were normally eaten raw, he didn’t care for raw food, so he had instructed the kitchen to cook it thoroughly before serving. Paired with a specially blended dipping sauce, it was beyond delicious.

The Qi family’s banquet had essentially consisted of sitting around drinking tea; Li Jian had eaten two pastries, which hadn’t even come close to filling his stomach.

Ever since transmigrating, he hadn’t managed to eat a proper meal, leaving him utterly starved. Right now, if someone dragged an entire ox before him, he could chase after it and gnaw on it for three miles.

Xuan Lang sat obediently across from him, occasionally lifting his gaze to look at him before finally failing to hold back his question: “Immortal Elder, aren’t we supposed to be looking for the item?”

Li Jian nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then shouldn’t we get started? If we wait too long, what if the divine statue gets smuggled out in the meantime? Won’t it be even harder to find?”

Although he had no idea how Li Jian planned to locate the divine statue, following Su Jianshan’s logic, whoever had stolen the divine statue whether human or ghost would inevitably have to find a way to transport it out.

If the statue remained within the Qi family grounds, that was one thing; but once it left the Qi family, Yangyang City was simply too vast it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack with no way to trace it.

Li Jian raised his head, his cheeks puffed slightly as he chewed on a pastry. Swallowing it under Xuan Lang’s puzzled gaze, he replied:

“Before looking for things, shouldn’t we fill our stomachs first?”

Looking at Xuan Lang’s handsome face, he suddenly smiled. “Even if you’re working for someone else, you shouldn’t mistreat yourself, don’t you think?”

Doubtful, Xuan Lang nodded. He had never heard anyone say such a thing before.

The crowd gathered outside the Qi family gates hadn’t dispersed yet. It was only because Li Jian had demanded that everyone be cleared out so he could work undisturbed that Old Master Qi had chased everyone outside.

Everyone was still waiting at the entrance, eager to see how Li Jian intended to find the divine statue.

Yet after waiting for some time, they only saw a servant rush out in a flurry, shouting loudly to Old Master Qi at the gate: “Master! The Immortal Elder says… says the food isn’t enough; he wants more dishes.”

“What?”