My Master’s Daoist Heart is Unstable - Chapter 9

The sword blade lunged forward.

Li Shangyuan’s body swayed slightly as he instinctively tightened his grip.

The night wind rushed past, carrying the scent of dust and the wild greenery of distant mountains.

Chen Miao’s hair and hair ribbon tangled and fluttered in the wind, brushing against Li Shangyuan’s cheek and neck. The sensation was a fine, dense itch, like silkworms nibbling mulberry leaves.

He turned his head uncomfortably, quietly taking a half-step back.

But at that moment, the sword swayed gently.

Li Shangyuan’s foot slipped. In his haste, he pressed his hand forward, and this time he made solid contact with a waist. Through the fabric, he could feel that the waist was lean yet supple, and it stiffened imperceptibly beneath his palm.

“Be careful,” Chen Miao’s voice came from ahead, still steady, betraying no emotion.

Li Shangyuan withdrew his hand as if burned, muttered a low “Sorry,” and moved his hand back to the other’s shoulder.

The pale blue hair ribbon still fluttered tirelessly in the wind, constantly brushing against Li Shangyuan’s cheek, carrying an indescribable itch.

A moment later, the two arrived outside the broken temple. Seeing Chen Miao sheathe his sword with a crisp motion, Li Shangyuan bowed deeply.

“May I ask which sect you belong to, Fellow Daoist? Your upbringing is truly commendable,” Chen Miao said softly, his gaze warm and gentle.

Li Shangyuan paused, then lowered his eyes. “You may simply call me by my name. I belong to a minor sect, one you’ve likely never heard of.”

A faint smile touched Chen Miao’s lips. His tone turned playful. “You invite me to use your name, yet you still call me ‘Fellow Daoist.’ How strange.”

Li Shangyuan, unable to counter the remark, coughed lightly. Finally, he managed, “Chen Miao.” He had considered inventing a sect to hide his identity, but he couldn’t bring himself to deceive the man who had just saved his life. He fell silent.

Chen Miao transformed his longsword into a jade flute and tucked it into his belt. He stepped aside, gesturing toward the temple. “Caution is wise. I understand.”

Inside the broken temple, Dian Chao had just finished settling the mortals and was about to head out to search for the others when he received Li Shangyuan’s voice transmission. He let out a long sigh of relief.

Exhausted from repeatedly using his Earth Escape technique, he collapsed onto the ground.

The rescued townspeople swarmed him, their voices a chorus of gratitude. Dian Chao’s head throbbed from the noise. Suddenly, he felt a weight on his arm. A child had rushed over and clung to him, laughing with a gap-toothed grin.

Dian Chao glanced down at the boy and scoffed inwardly, So you’re not afraid now, are you?

The men were mute, so it was mostly the women who offered their thanks, their voices each louder than the last.

So noisy!

With a flick of his sleeve, Dian Chao sent them all collapsing into a daze.

Finally, some peace.

The two entered the broken temple and were met with a sight of people sprawled all over the floor. Dian Chao himself looked half-dead, which immediately alarmed Li Shangyuan.

“Junior Brother? What’s wrong? What happened?” Li Shangyuan rushed to his side, reaching for Dian Chao’s wrist to check his pulse.

Dian Chao swatted his hand away and shot him a weak, exasperated glare.

Chen Miao glanced at the people on the floor and said gently, “They’ve only fallen asleep.” He then turned to Dian Chao. “Your junior brother is fine too. His weakness is likely just from his magic power being completely drained.”

Li Shangyuan’s face cleared in understanding. Ah, I was so worried I overreacted. He immediately knelt and fed Dian Chao two Guyuan Pills. Before he could say anything else, a startled cry rang out from outside.

“What happened?!!”

Bai Yu rushed in, his face pale with alarm.

At the sight of Bai Yu, Dian Chao’s half-closed eyes twitched. He muttered, “So noisy,” before finally relaxing and closing his eyes to focus on his breathing.

Li Shangyuan frowned and checked his pulse again. Only after confirming he was truly fine did he turn to Bai Yu. “Don’t panic. They’ve just fallen asleep.”

Bai Yu visibly relaxed. After a moment of silence, he walked slowly toward the dozen or so small earthen mounds behind the broken temple.

Chen Miao followed his gaze and asked casually, “What’s that?”

Li Shangyuan looked at Bai Yu as she knelt in prayer and sighed softly. “She is a companion of theirs. They were all original residents of this town.”

He paused, then glanced at the townspeople on the ground. “Later, they lived here with them.”

Chen Miao was surprised, clearly not expecting a demon to live among mortals. Li Shangyuan immediately explained the karmic connection behind it.

Hearing this, Chen Miao sighed softly.

A moment later, Bai Yu turned back to the three of them, lifted her robes, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing solemnly. “Bai Yu thanks the three Immortal Masters for saving my life! After I have hunted down those two traitors, I will return to serve you as a slave or maid to repay your kindness! Even if I should fall in battle and perish, I will return in the next life, even as a bird with a grass ring in its beak, to repay your debt of gratitude!”

Fearing they might not believe her, she immediately bared her wrist, her gaze filled with resolve.

“Immortal Masters, you may place a Soul-Tracking Seal within Bai Yu’s body first.”

Li Shangyuan frowned and helped her up. Her quest to hunt down two people was her own karmic burden, one he shouldn’t interfere with, but her words were truly too heavy.

“There is no need for this. My junior brother and I entered the Mortal Realm for training. Your words are too heavy, and we cannot accept such a burden.”

“Miss Bai Yu, you need not go.”

Chen Miao suddenly turned his head, cutting off the oath she was about to make.

Everyone froze, even Dian Chao lifted his eyelids to glance at him.

“What do you mean, Immortal Master?” Bai Yu’s expression tightened.

Chen Miao’s tone remained gentle. “No need to be tense. What are your enemy’s distinguishing features?”

Bai Yu gritted his teeth as he described them.

“So that’s how it is…” Chen Miao’s eyes narrowed as if recalling something or confirming a detail. After a moment, he nodded slightly. “Then it must be them.”

Li Shangyuan frowned. Could Chen Miao have encountered those two before entering town?

“They’re already dead.”

Bai Yu’s pupils constricted.

“As I was passing through this area, I was drawn by a restriction unique to the Ancient Tree Clan. Just as I was about to test the newly acquired Universe Cauldron, I had just summoned it when those two suddenly appeared, attempting to kill me and steal the treasure.”

Li Shangyuan recalled the magical treasure manuals in the library. The Universe Cauldron indeed existed.

This cauldron was a replica created by modern cultivators based on ancient texts passed down from millennia ago. Yet, its power was still formidable. It was said to have been snatched up by someone at the trading market that opened every twenty years. So, it was him.

“The cultivation method those two practiced was rather strange.” Chen Miao pursed his lips, his pupils narrowing slightly. “During our clash, they suddenly suffered a cultivation deviation, their own malevolent energy turning against them. It just so happened that my sword’s momentum hadn’t yet subsided. Therefore…”

Chen Miao paused and sighed.

“Immortal Master, are you certain it was those two?!” Bai Yu’s voice trembled. He seemed unable to believe that they had died so abruptly…

“How could they just… die like this?!”

Chen Miao nodded. “There’s no mistake.”

Dian Chao, who had remained silent until now, suddenly snorted coldly. “They were defying heaven by devouring demon cores to cultivate the Yin Evil Art. They got what they deserved.”

Chen Miao said softly, “Spiritual energy flows according to the laws of nature, let alone the malevolent energy of the Yin Evil Art.”

Li Shangyuan’s sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly as he added hesitantly, “Besides, these two were already severely weakened from the backlash of their failed body-snatching attempt. Forcing their cultivation to seize the treasure was the final straw.”

Bai Yu froze for a moment, then let out a low chuckle that escalated into a loud laugh, tears streaming down his face.

The three others watched in silence, letting him vent.

After a long while, Bai Yu wiped his eyes and said with grim satisfaction, “They died too easily. They should have had their cores ripped out and fed to dogs, their souls scattered to the winds.”

Li Shangyuan sighed softly. “The Great Dao is clear. Every action has its consequence, and every debt must be repaid. Consider it fate.”

Dian Chao couldn’t stand listening to their pointless chatter anymore. It was giving him a headache, so he simply closed his eyes.

Zhang Miao turned to Li Shangyuan, his gaze as deep as still water. “You’re quite young, yet you have a remarkable understanding of the Dao.”

How could he not have a unique perspective? Dian Chao scoffed inwardly. Just look at who his Master is—the greatest cultivator on the Donghua Continent who has yet to ascend.

At the thought, Dian Chao silently rolled his eyes. Why on earth would True Person Qiewei ever set his sights on someone like him?!

Li Shangyuan’s ears burned from the praise. He lowered his gaze and said, “It is all thanks to my Master’s teachings and the lessons from my Sect. I dare not claim these insights as my own; I am merely repeating what others have taught.”

As their conversation wound down after several twists and turns, day and night exchanged places. The sky above the broken temple brightened, illuminating their faces with a clear, steady light.

The townspeople were gradually waking up. Bai Yu’s revenge was complete, and now they only needed to consider how to settle the townspeople.

Li Shangyuan looked up at the sky and exchanged a glance with Dian Chao. The matter here was resolved, and it was time to bid farewell.

“Fellow Daoist Chen,” Li Shangyuan said solemnly, “I don’t know how to properly repay you for saving my life.”

Seeing his earnest expression, Chen Miao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why be so formal?”

He watched as Li Shangyuan awkwardly rubbed his nose before continuing gently, “You mentioned earlier that you two came down the mountain for experience, is that correct?”

“That’s right,” Li Shangyuan nodded.

“To be honest, I’m also on this journey to find a certain spiritual herb.” Chen Miao met his gaze, his voice as soft as a floating wisp of cotton. “My cultivation has been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time. I need this herb to refine a pill, which is my only hope for a breakthrough.”

Hearing this, Li Shangyuan understood. “Do you have any leads on the herb’s location? Should I help you search for it?”

Chen Miao shook his head gently.

“The ancient manual doesn’t specify its exact location, only that it grows somewhere in the Mortal Realm. For now, I can only search for it by chance, like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

He raised his eyelashes slightly and said softly, “I don’t need you to find it for me. As I’ve said, this was always an unplanned encounter.”

He paused briefly, a faint smile on his lips. “I see that you are skilled in formations, your junior brother possesses profound Magic Power, and my own cultivation is also decent. We are all travelers with unknown destinations, so why not travel together? The road ahead is uncertain, and by joining forces, we can look out for each other. Besides, with your skills, I might even be able to slack off a little. Let’s consider this my way of repaying you. What do you say?”

His words were both reasonable and persuasive, leaving Li Shangyuan with no immediate counterargument. However, this decision didn’t rest with him alone. He immediately sent a mental message to Dian Chao to ask for his opinion.

Dian Chao raised an eyebrow and replied via mental transmission, “Whatever.”

Either way, he wouldn’t be staying long. He was only here on his Master’s orders to protect his Martial Uncle. Having someone else with a decent cultivation level along might just help the old man survive a bit longer.

Besides, he couldn’t gauge the man’s true strength. He was either at the same level, or even higher…

He firmly believed it was the former. Among his peers, he’d never met anyone with a higher cultivation level than his own.

Only then did Li Shangyuan nod to Chen Miao, promising, “Then let Fellow Daoist Chen accompany us. We will look out for each other.”

Dian Chao, having taken the Guyuan Pill, had completely recovered his vital energy and rose slowly to his feet.

True Person Qiewei’s pills were indeed extraordinary. Ordinarily, even after taking a Guyuan Pill, he would need two days of quiet meditation to fully recover.

Bai Yu had already planned to settle the townspeople in the partially collapsed houses at dawn. Now that she knew they were about to depart, she stepped forward to bow.

“May the three Immortal Masters have a safe journey. Bai Yu wishes you all smooth travels and that you achieve all your desires.”

After speaking, Bai Yu plucked three feathers and offered them with both hands, saying, “These three feathers contain the illusion power of our Ancient Tree Clan. The Immortal Masters can use them to cast illusion techniques.”

She paused, then Bai Yu offered a regretful smile. “But you can only use them three times. My demonic power is truly meager…”

Li Shangyuan gently patted her. “Three times is enough. I’ve personally witnessed the profound nature of your illusion technique, Miss Bai Yu.” He then turned to the gathered townspeople and asked warmly, “What are your plans now, Miss Bai Yu?”

Bai Yu’s face lit up as she looked at everyone. Her voice was as firm as stone. “Rebuild Wangyou Town!”

The townspeople’s faces brightened with joy.

Dian Chao recalled the devastated town he’d seen during his Earth Escape. He clicked his tongue. “I’ve already sent word to the nearest branch of my clan. They’ll arrive to help you rebuild within seven days at most.”

The moment Dian Chao finished speaking, the young boy waddled over and hugged his leg tightly. He looked up with a dirty little face, his eyes sparkling.

Dian Chao glanced at the boy’s mud-caked fingernails and frowned but didn’t push him away.

“We’ll take our leave then. Miss Bai Yu, until we meet again.” Li Yuan bowed politely in farewell.

The three turned to go.

Bai Yu watched their departing figures. Light flooded in from the direction they were heading, blindingly bright.

Support