Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 199 Yi Wan
Pines and cypresses stand still, a gentle breeze blows, and wisps of smoke and sand rise from the clouds, coming from nowhere.

The courtyard was quiet, without any superfluous landscapes except for a few green bamboos. Beneath the reddish-brown octagonal pavilion, the sounds of an argument gradually rose in volume, echoing from the pavilion and hitting the gray-white courtyard wall, shaking the vines clinging to it and making them rustle.

Zhang Gaoxia was dressed in a light blue silk dress. Her usually amiable face was tinged with anger, but it then turned into deep worry. She stared ahead and said, "You're still young. This matter concerns your future path. How can you make such a decision so easily?"

She frowned slightly and looked at the woman in front of her with a persuasive tone in her voice.

Zhang Yiwan had snow-white skin, ink-black hair, and a slender figure. The wind blew past, fluttering her dark purple dress.

The woman gently stroked the bluestone table in front of her, looked at the person who came to persuade her, and said calmly: "Aunt, I have made up my mind. My grandmother is old and needs my company."

"You can send someone to look after her. If that doesn't work, you can bring her to your place to recuperate."

Zhang Gaoxia's expression was somewhat moved. She and Zhang Yiwan were not closely related, but she knew there was such a person, whose parents had both passed away, who was a loner, and who had the same surname as her, so she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for her.

Her family had originally separated from Dapan, and the process was not very pleasant, involving some disputes over land. This branch of the Zhang family moved to the vicinity of Changming. When Dapan fell, there were some relatives who gloated over it.

Zhang Gaoxia, however, did not care about the rift between the ancestors. He just fulfilled his responsibility as an elder and took the initiative to take care of Zhang Yiwan. When he heard that she was leaving, he could not help but come forward to persuade her.

"Thank you for your kindness, Auntie. Yiwan has already decided not to pursue Qi Refining and will leave after giving up her cultivation. I intend to exchange the rest of my Daoist power, minus the penalty for leaving the sect, for elixirs to prolong my life."

Zhang Yiwan's voice was low but very firm.

"Everyone has their own aspirations. I cultivate for my family, and I shouldn't put the cart before the horse. I wish to spend the rest of my life with my grandmother and live a peaceful life in the fields."

"As for asking someone else to take care of her, or bringing her here, that's not appropriate."

There was a moment of silence under the pavilion. Zhang Gaoxia sighed softly and said softly:

"Family ties are certainly important, but can the path of cultivation be abandoned? Qi training and fetal breathing are very different. Don't you want to try the feeling of flying through the air and riding the wind?"

"Yiwan doesn't want to. I have no intention of pursuing the Tao. I only see raging water and fire ahead, and swords and weapons everywhere. The further I go, the more I dare not look back." Zhang Yiwan's eyes brightened a lot, and her voice was like autumn frost, full of chill.

"I'm tired of practicing Taoism every day. I've seen too many things, such as fighting for power and wealth, killing people and stealing treasures. Even if I become a Qi Refiner, it doesn't matter. I don't have any hope of building a foundation."

Zhang Gaoxia understood what the other party meant. With their qualifications alone, it would be extremely difficult for them to establish a foundation, but he still advised:

"At least give it a try. Once you become a Qi Refiner, you'll have more paths to explore."

Zhang Yiwan shook her head slightly and said:

"Once you reach the Qi Refining stage, it's not that easy to leave. Many disciples at the Fetal Breathing stage leave the sect for reasons of personal connection. They can give up their cultivation, but not the Qi Refining stage. Even if you use the sect's Qi and obtain the techniques, you can't easily escape."

"When I was chosen by the sect and was willing to come here to practice, I only wanted to ask for some longevity pills for my grandmother. Now that my goal has been achieved, I can't be greedy."

These words touched Zhang Gaoxia a little, and she didn't know what to say, so she said:

"Since you are so willing, I won't try to persuade you any further. If you encounter any problems after returning home, you can write a letter to my peak."

After she finished speaking, she left in the white mist without saying anything more.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Zhang Yiwan stood up to say goodbye and walked out of the pavilion. She felt her heart trembling violently. She looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing gently.

She picked up a red jade-carved token and gripped it tightly. Inside it was the Taoist merit she had accumulated over the years. If she calculated it carefully, it was enough to exchange for a Qi-refining-level longevity pill.

Now she had nothing but spiritual objects and magical instruments, all of which she had traded for Daoist skills. She took one last look at the courtyard, watered the bamboos by the wall, and then slowly walked towards Luo Qing. After exchanging the pills and giving up her cultivation, she could return home.

With her stamina in the late stage of fetal breathing, she reached Luo Qing in just a short while. The location of the alchemy room was between Dangxia Peak and Caiyun Peak. It was a vermilion palace with flying eaves and pointed corners, and a golden plaque with a few large characters on it: [Danxin Palace].

All the elixirs seized and traded by the sect over the years are stored here. Because they are valuable, they are directly managed by the elders, who appoint their trusted confidants to guard them.

She climbed up the white jade steps, her heart sinking little by little. The wide palace door opened, and it was extremely deep. She stood in front of it, hesitated for a moment, and finally entered.

There are twelve sandalwood beams in the hall, carved with fairy flowers and auspicious herbs, white deer and blue birds. The sky is hazy with white mist and the patterns are flickering like stars in the sky. The fragrance of elixir is wafting in the air, which reminds her of the bitter medicinal smell she smelled when her grandmother took her to the pharmacy to get medicine when she was young.

Many inner disciples came and went here, but Zhang Yiwan didn't know anyone there, and had no intention of building relationships with them. She seemed like an outlier among the inner disciples, and some of them had never even met her.

"Are there any pills that can prolong life? I want something milder, preferably at the Qi Refining level."

She spoke in a low voice, walked to the front desk and asked first.

Behind the rosewood platform is the storeroom. There aren't many pills in it. There's no alchemist in the sect, and they rely on buying and seizing pills. Therefore, the prices are quite high and the quantities are scarce. However, there are usually some longevity pills. After all, most of the disciples are still in their prime and don't need these things. As their cultivation improves, their lifespan will naturally increase.

"Yes, but you are still young and your cultivation is already in the late stage of fetal breathing. You should go to exchange for Qi refining techniques and spiritual energy. This longevity elixir is of no use to you."

Sitting next to the wooden platform was an old man, quite old, with white hair, and in the late stage of fetal breathing. He had a kind smile and a hunched back.

"At my age, I haven't even thought about prolonging my life. Young people should be fighting for it."

"If you are asking for it for your relatives, it will be easy to accumulate Dao power after you refine your Qi, and you can still exchange it for elixirs."

Zhang Yiwan didn't know how to respond, so she just said:

"I only want the elixir. I hope that Senior can exchange it for me. Don't worry about other things."

Being able to be on duty here, his status must be quite high. Zhang Yiwan did not dare to address him rashly and only called him "senior".

"If you are lacking in Dao power, you must come here to exchange it now. You can also borrow some from fellow disciples temporarily, so as not to delay your Qi training."

"The sooner you refine your Qi, the smoother your cultivation will be. According to your age, you could have joined a peak earlier. Now is not too late. After refining your Qi, there will be plenty of opportunities."

The old man tried to persuade her, but Zhang Yiwan was determined to leave. She had already intended to leave, but she did not want to tell others about her affairs. She lowered her eyebrows and said in a deep voice:

"Thank you, senior. I don't have any acquaintances, so it's not necessary."

The old man smiled and shouted towards the storeroom behind him, saying:

"Zhou Du, come out quickly. There's a fellow disciple here who's having some trouble."

A woman walked out slowly from the storeroom. She was wearing a goose yellow robe and had reached the first level of Qi Refining. She looked over and said softly:

"Father, what's the matter?"

It was Jiang Zhoudu, and the old man beside the stage was Jiang Chiyu. After he retired from Bai Shi these years, he came to Luo Qing to take charge of the alchemy room. All the buying and selling transactions went through his hands, and Jiang Zhoudu came here to help when he was free.

"This fellow disciple is in a difficult situation. He is currently in the Qi Refining stage and needs to exchange pills for his relatives. Please see if the sect can be more generous. Keep this in mind for now."

Jiang Chiyu himself cannot refine Qi, which is his sore spot, so when he sees these disciples with good qualifications, he can't help but care a little. Over the years, he has helped many people, and if there is a loss, he will make up for it himself. He has a very good reputation among his disciples.

"Junior sister, if you have any difficulties, the sect's rules are not set in stone. Just remember them for now, and then make up for it with your Dao skills when you have refined your Qi."

Jiang Zhoudu had now broken through to the Qi Refining stage and was practicing the "Shangyang Hearing the Rain Method." Her once unremarkable appearance had transformed, becoming more spiritual, and even her timid and shy personality had changed. Her Qi Refining cultivation had given her the confidence to face fellow disciples, relatives, and even her parents with ease. Her tone of concern was as friendly and amiable as that of Senior Sister Gaoxia.

Zhang Yiwan shook her head slightly and said:

"Thank you, Senior Sister. I want to leave and return my cultivation to the sect. I don't want to owe you anything anymore."

"This"

Jiang Zhoudu was speechless for a moment. She was not good at these words, so she could only think about what Senior Sister Gao Xia would say. After thinking for a while, she was about to persuade her, but she heard the voice in the hall stop, and all the disciples who were passing by stopped and looked outside the hall door.

"Senior Brother Fayan."

"I've seen the true story."

The voices rang out one after another, and a man with yellow eyes walked slowly into the door. He had a gloomy temperament and glanced at them, which made people feel scared.

Xu Fayan nodded slightly in response, asked everyone to disperse, and slowly walked towards the rosewood platform. Jiang Zhoudu felt her body stiffen. If she had known that this senior brother was coming today, she would never have left the warehouse.

Jiang Zhoudu had no grudges against this disciple of the headmaster, but she had heard about the other party's cruel methods and strange temper on Caiyun Peak. He had been in charge of Dongmi for many years, killing countless barbarians, and was famous for his greatness, and his cultivation was even more profound.

'Don't look at me, don't look at me.'

Jiang Zhoudu was half-hiding behind his grandfather at this time, watching his senior brother coming towards him, but he didn't dare to speak to him.

"Brother Xingfang is a good person, handsome, and willing to talk to me."

In just a moment, countless images flashed through her mind. Although she was shy, her mind was active and she often had wild thoughts. At this moment, her expression was normal, but her thoughts were already turning a thousandfold.

Zhang Yiwan, who was standing by, saw this and the pair of yellow eyes. She suddenly realized who the person was.

The headmaster has three disciples. Xiao Wen received the true teachings and left the mountain to travel. He is a new disciple that he has rarely seen. He is just a person of fair character, considerate in his dealings, and practices the orthodox Bing Fire in the sect.

Xingfang Zhenchuan is now very famous in the sect. After all, he inherited the swordsmanship directly from the sect leader. In several battles in the sect, this senior brother killed countless enemies and was always on the front line. He was highly respected by the disciples. What's more, he was a child of a noble family, but he was humble and treated others very well.

The most important thing is that he is handsome. It is said that many women in the sect secretly copied his portrait and hung it indoors, looking at it day and night. Zhang Yiwan did not feel anything about this and only thought that this behavior was a bit ridiculous.

As for this true disciple of Fa Yan, she didn't know much about him. She only knew that he had extremely high cultivation and extraordinary talent. He had been in Eastern Esoteric Buddhism for many years and had a somewhat eccentric temperament.

Seeing the other party coming here, she bowed and greeted him, then tactfully stepped aside. The man nodded at her, then walked directly to the wooden platform and said in a deep voice:
"Brother Chiyu, how many longevity-prolonging Qi-refining elixirs are left in the warehouse? A sect in Chonghua wants to acquire them, and the price is very high. Now is the perfect time to sell them."

Jiang Chiyu was a little confused when he heard this, and said:
"There are still twelve pills left. Who in this family has reached the end of their life span and suddenly wants this pill?"

"Zijin Temple, it seems that several elders of this family are nearing the end of their lives and are urgently seeking Qi Refining-level longevity pills. The quantity they want is very large, and twelve pills may not be enough. We need to collect more from the plains."

As Xu Fayan spoke, he calmly showed the Sect Leader's token on his waist. Jiang Chiyu understood what he meant and knew that this matter was not that simple, so he said:

"In that case, let's take a look first and discuss the price."

Jiang Zhoudu, who was standing by, looked at Zhang Yiwan and saw that she looked a little embarrassed. He said,

"Junior sister, Qi-refining-level longevity pills are useful for now, but do you think fetal breathing pills are worth it?"

"This is probably the level of fetal breathing."

After saying this, Zhang Yiwan turned around and was about to leave, but she saw Fayan beside her suddenly looking at her. His yellow eyes brightened a little, and he said:

"You're asking for an elixir of longevity? Is it for monks or mortals?"

"It's a mortal."

She spoke in a low voice, somewhat puzzled as to why the other party suddenly became concerned about this matter.

"The longevity elixirs in our sect's inventory are mostly prepared for cultivators. They are very potent and not suitable for mortals. Fortunately, you didn't take them, otherwise it might have been counterproductive."

Xu Fayan looked over and chuckled, his yellow eyes bright and captivating.

Zhang Yiwan didn't know why, but she seemed to have some trust in the person in front of her, so she said softly:
"Thank you, Senior Brother Fayan, for the reminder. However, the longevity pills prepared for mortals are hard to find. I went to Qinglifang and saw that they weren't selling any. I heard that our sect has them in stock, so I came here."

"Those few have already been used up, but you are asking the wrong place."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiwan felt her heart sink to the bottom of the valley. Thinking of her grandmother in Dapan Village, she couldn't help but feel worried, and her brows frowned.

"If you need it urgently, you can go to the Sutra Library. There are several volumes of elixir books at the fetal breathing level. Although they are simple, they also record several elixir recipes for prolonging the lifespan of mortals. You can refine them yourself."

The person in front of him spoke with concern, speaking directly to Zhang Yiwan's concerns. From Huang Mou's perspective, this touched the woman a little.

"This alchemy furnace and Dao fire are more than I can afford."

"It's okay. The sect will have a competition in a few months, and we are encouraging our disciples to practice alchemy, weapons, and talismans. If you want to participate, you can borrow the sect's items."

Xu Fayan's voice was low, but Zhang Yiwan couldn't help but be convinced. She nodded and responded, looking into the pair of yellow eyes, feeling a bit of intimacy.

Jiang Zhoudu, who was standing by, had a changed opinion of Brother Fayan. He didn't expect that he cared so much about his disciples. It was different from what he had imagined.

Suddenly, someone else came from outside the hall. A woman in a light blue silk dress walked straight in, with a worried look on her face. When she saw Zhang Yiwan, she was about to come over, but when she saw the yellow-eyed man beside her, her expression froze, she stopped, and said,
"What are you doing here? Why are you with Yi Wan?"

Zhang Gaoxia was worried and wanted to come see her relative again, but he was chatting happily with Xu Fayan at the moment, without any hint of resistance when he saw her, which made her feel a little doubtful.

"Senior Sister Gaoxia, it's okay. Senior Brother Fayan is helping me with the pill issue."

Zhang Yiwan spoke in a low voice, and in front of outsiders, he still addressed her as "senior sister".

Zhang Gaoxia looked over and saw those muddy yellow eyes. He remembered what they had said in the past and glanced at Zhang Yiwan again. He didn't know what to say. He just took a few steps forward, looked at Xu Fayan, and said in a deep voice:

"Come out, I have something to tell you."

After she finished speaking, she pulled the other person out of the hall, rode the wind straight up, and the two figures disappeared.

Zhang Yiwan didn't understand what was going on. Jiang Chiyu and Zhou Du behind her were also bewildered, not understanding what was going on between the two.

Jiang Zhoudu thought about what happened just now, looked at Zhang Yiwan, and said softly:

"Junior sister, there will indeed be a big competition in the sect in a few months. In addition to the battle of magic, there will also be competitions for alchemy, weapons, talismans and formations. The Sutra Library and the alchemy furnace are now open. As long as you participate, you can use them."

"You have great talent. It would be a shame to give up on Qi Refining. If you are lucky enough to become an alchemist, it would be much more convenient for you to refine medicine on your own."

"According to what you said, you originally wanted to leave the sect directly in exchange for some medicinal pills? Have you ever thought about how you would obtain medicinal pills if your relatives fell ill again in the future and you lost your cultivation and your sect?"

Zhang Yiwan nodded slightly. When she thought about this, she felt that it was a bit hasty, but at this moment her heart was gradually occupied by those muddy yellow eyes from before. She looked dazed, responded in a low voice, and left the Dan Palace.

(End of this chapter)