Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 389: Going into Hiding

When Xi Canhen woke up, he found that he was inside a silk canopy.

His body was covered by a beautiful brocade blanket from Jade Cassia Boutique, and the canopy around him was a jade bead canopy from Green Ring Garden. Inside the incense burner was imported Whalehead Incense, and even the tiles on the floor were patterned with floral designs.

The furnishings and decorations were all rare items, and there was so much opulence and luxury that it dazzled the eye.

Xi Canhen tried to stand up, but he found his body aching and weak.

Two maids were standing outside the canopy. Seeing him rise, they both shouted, “Young Sir Xi is awake.”

A maid quickly went to help him rise while the other went to call someone else.

“Is this the Wei Estate?” Xi Canhen somewhat understood what was going on when he saw how he was being treated.

“Yes. Young Sir, after you were injured, Young Master Shi Meng had people send Young Sir here to recover. You were already unconscious when you arrived, and you slept for three days straight.”

“I was out for that long?” Xi Canhen muttered. “What about my little sister?”

The maid smiled. “Young Lady Xi was just here, keeping watch over you while crying. But she was truly too tired after keeping watch for several days, so we only just managed to persuade her to rest.”

“What about Young Master Tang?”

“Honored Master Tang is still in the mountains searching for his cherished beast and has yet to return.”

Xi Canhen’s heart ached when he heard that there was still no confirmation on the fate of the little tiger.

He was just about to say something when Shi Meng walked in.

Upon seeing Shi Meng, Xi Canhen struggled to rise, but Shi Meng pressed him back down. “Your injuries aren’t healed yet, so there’s no need for the excess courtesy.”

Xi Canhen propped up his body and said, “Young Master Shi Meng, my thanks for taking care of this lowly one.”

The maid brought over a chair, and Shi Meng sat down next to the bed. “There’s no need to be polite. I took care of you partially because you are Tang Jie’s servant, so I cannot neglect you. And it is also because there are some confusing things that I wish to question you about.”

“‘Confusing things’?”

Xi Canhen was mystified. Shi Meng firmly nodded. “Yes. When I was treating you, I noticed some oddities about your body.”

Shi Meng began to explain.

It turned out that Shi Meng had noticed something strange about Xi Canhen’s body when he had gone to pick him up from Tang Jie. Someone with Xi Canhen’s injuries would have long since died in those intervening days, but Xi Canhen had managed to hold on and even crawl down the mountain. How strong did one’s constitution have to be for one to do this?

Only after Shi Meng had inspected Xi Canhen’s body did he find that his meridians were particularly broad and strong, and he had inexplicably opened a Spirit Eye. It was for this reason that he had been able to survive such injuries.

“Spiritual energy has the effect of strengthening the body, but for natural reasons, the effect is limited. But your body is different from others. Your meridians are particularly broad, and the spiritual energy that can flow through them is more plentiful than usual. Thus, the strengthening effect of the spiritual energy is stronger, which is why you were able to survive for so long. From what I know, you weren’t like this before you followed Tang Jie. Can you tell me what happened to you while you were on your own?”

If Xi Canhen had really been this talented, Tang Jie would have seen it. Thus, something must have happened with Xi Canhen in this period of time.

It was only after hearing Shi Meng’s words that Xi Canhen understood why he had survived. He wasn’t an idiot and could roughly guess as to why this was, so he explained how he had forcibly cultivated the Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra.

When Shi Meng heard about how Xi Canhen had cultivated the Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra and survived, he was speechless.

He had heard of the Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra as a mantra that could achieve the Great Dao, but came with much risk. While it provided swift success, it came at the potential cost of one’s life. The Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra was a fierce mantra that used a strong and forceful spiritual energy, and this shock might have widened Xi Canhen’s meridians. But widening in these circumstances normally led the meridians to fracture. To put it bluntly, widening meant rupture, so why was Xi Canhen still alive and fine?

Shi Meng didn’t understand this.

He didn’t know that this was thanks to the little tiger’s blood, plus the medicinal power of the ten-thousand-year ox bezoar. Their combined effect, plus an immense chance factor, had led to this success, so even if the same conditions were given again, the same outcome might not occur.

As for Xi Canhen’s current body, to put it simply: meridians were like pipes. Other people cultivated to increase the capacity of their water tank, but Xi Canhen had decided to get bigger pipes before he had even finished his water tank.

“It’s no wonder you were able to break free of Xie Yu’s seal and stab your sword into his body. It’s because your Spirit Eye was already open and your meridians had been widened. With your expanded meridians, you can unleash the power of an average Spirit Disciple for an instant. Given that he was treating you as a mortal, he would naturally suffer a loss.”

Xi Canhen asked, “Young Master Shi Meng, then do you mean that I will have the strength comparable to a Spirit Disciple in the future?”

“Nonsense!” Shi Meng curled his lip in scorn. “Your meridians are just broader and thicker, allowing them to transfer more spiritual energy and allowing for a more explosive burst of power.”

“So doesn’t that mean that when I cast a spell, it will be more powerful than usual?” Xi Canhen cautiously asked.

Rather than insulting him, Shi Meng actually nodded and said, “Yes. All of your meridians have been expanded, and are particularly good at transmitting spiritual energy, so for the same spell art, it would use 30% more energy and be 30% more powerful.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Xi Canhen clenched his fist.

Shi Meng replied, “Don’t celebrate too early. There are both upsides and downsides to this. The upside is naturally that your spell arts will be stronger, but the downside is that they cost you more. This is unfavorable for long battles and also means that your daily cultivation time will be reduced. For the same amount of spiritual energy, I can train one hundred times while you can only train seventy-six times.”

Xi Canhen immediately replied, “Then I’ll just learn fewer spell arts and only pick the strong ones! There are many spell arts, and when it comes to killing someone, only one or two are really needed.”

Shi Meng was taken aback.

While this youth wasn’t that old, he had a very clear-minded way of seeing the world.

Shi Meng couldn’t help but nod. “Besides that, not every spell art’s power is related to spiritual energy consumption. Some spell arts are the same no matter how much spiritual energy you use. This is particularly true after you enter Mortal Shedding and can harness the might of the world. In this aspect, the waste might be more than the improvement.”

“But something is out there that will suit me, right?” Xi Canhen asked.

Shi Meng nodded. “Yes. There are myriad spell arts in the world, so there will always be one that fits you. But this is the last and most troublesome problem. We’ve never seen anyone in your situation before, so nobody knows how to help you. I fear that not even Tang Jie would know how to assist you in your cultivation.”

“Is that so?” Xi Canhen dropped his head for a while. “Then I suppose I’ll think as I go. If it’s no good, I can just continue cultivating the Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra. In any case, this life of mine should have already been lost. I’ll just see how far I can go.”

Shi Meng couldn’t help but smile at how open-minded the youth was being. “For you to have this sort of mindset is for the best. You’re still healing, so continue resting.”

Xi Canhen remained in the Wei Estate to recuperate. His wounds healed very quickly—after two days, he could walk, and after another two days, he was completely healed. While this was partially due to Shi Meng’s skill with the Returning Spring spell, it also had to do with his own strong body. Putting aside whatever disadvantages his widened meridians had, at least they were much better when it came to having spiritual energy nourish his body.

Oh, maybe I can take the body refiner path, Xi Canhen couldn’t help but think.

But this idea quickly passed, for he remembered that Tang Jie was also a body refiner. He had sworn an oath to follow Tang Jie, but if he walked the same path as his master, then there would be very few places where he could show his power. While young, he had constantly been rushing around to make a living, so he had long ago understood that a person who wanted to live a good life first had to find their position. They had to make themselves useful, to have abilities that other people did not. Of course, if he were asked to summarize this experience in words, he wouldn’t be able to do it. However, while working, Xi Canhen would inadvertently try to do everything he could to grasp what other people did not.

He had the aptitude to be a body refiner, but Tang Jie was also a body refiner, so how could he best use his advantage while not overlapping with Tang Jie?

The youth began to rack his mind for ideas.

Several days went by, during which he thought about this problem in the small pavilion in the Wei Estate, sometimes even ignoring his own sister. Bystanders didn’t know what he was doing and thought he had been rendered an imbecile. Privately, they gossiped that Xi Canhen must be suffering residual effects after being saved, with his mind occasionally going blank.

Xi Canhen ignored them and continued to think.

One day, Xi Canhen was still sitting in the garden pavilion when a girl wearing a green dress rushed out of a bush, jumped up to Xi Canhen’s ear, and yelled. But Xi Canhen didn’t seem to feel anything, indifferently saying, “I saw you ages ago. You can’t scare anyone like that.”

The girl pursed her lips. “Big Brother, I can’t believe you. Even though I was so well-hidden, you still managed to spot me.”

It was Xi Canhen’s little sister, Xi Shangyue.

Xi Canhen placed his hands on the back of his head and said, “Because you’re dumb. While the bush can hide your body, when you move around, you’ll hit the leaves and make a noise. While you can’t see someone, you can hear them. How could I not know that someone was sneaking up on me?”

“Big Brother, you’re awesome!” The girl clapped her hands and smiled.

“Of course. You forgot that your big brother came out of the mines. In that place, anything can happen for the sake of some ore. Someone could come out of the shadows at any time with a knife…” Xi Canhen made a slicing motion across his neck, intentionally speaking in a scary tone. “And then, while you’re lying in a pool of blood, you won’t immediately die. You’ll be able to see your murderer steal everything you have and then go back to lurking in the darkness.”

The girl went deathly pale, backing away several steps. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Brother, you’re so bad, trying to trick Shangyue again! If it was really that dangerous, then why are you still okay?”

Xi Canhen put his hands on his waist and said, “That’s because I’m an expert in this field. If I want to hide, no one can find me. Once I cultivate some spell arts, I’ll be able to hide my traces so well that even Immortal masters of the great sects might not be able to sense me!”

Xi Canhen suddenly froze as if he had realized something. He suddenly stood up and began to think.

Xi Shangyue saw his behavior and muttered, “It’s over. He’s like that again.”

But she tactfully chose to not disturb him.

After some time, Xi Canhen jumped, hugged his little sister, and shouted, “I know what I should do now!”

At that moment, he finally knew what sort of choice to make for his life!

Starting from this day, Xi Canhen began to seek instruction on various concealment spell arts from Shi Meng.

As it turned out, Shi Meng was somewhat of an expert on such spell arts. In their team of three, he was the one who dabbled in a lot but wasn’t really good at anything, but this was exactly why he was more suited to be a teacher than Tang Jie in some fields. His thoughts were perhaps not as profound as Tang Jie’s, but he was superior when it came to an all-around understanding of spell arts. After all, he had learned simply too many of them.

While Shi Meng was surprised that Xi Canhen wanted to learn concealment spell arts, he didn’t refuse him. After all, Basking Moon Academy mainly banned the transmission of primary cultivation mantras like the Lesser Sea Grotto Metal Mantra. When it came to spell arts, so long as it wasn’t a secret Divine Firmament art, there weren’t many restrictions.

Xi Canhen learned spell arts from Shi Meng during the day and cultivated the Heaven-Howling Dragon Tiger Mantra at night. His Spirit Eye was already open, and though it hadn’t become a Spirit Spring, he could still be considered an official Spirit Platform Disciple. Thus, it took him only a few days to grasp the lowest-level Aura Restraint spell.

Aura Restraint wasn’t true stealth, but a means of restraining one’s aura so that it didn’t leak out. Although it was a very low-level spell art, it was very practical. In the future, if he got stronger, it could even be used to avoid the detection of another person’s Divine Will.

After learning Aura Restraint, Xi Canhen tried it out within the Wei Estate. As Aura Restraint did not conceal the body, it couldn’t fool people, but it could fool cats, dogs, mice, and other such creatures that were more sensitive to aura.

At times, when a mouse was walking around, it would only notice Xi Canhen when he had come up right behind it, upon which it would scamper off.

Even more often, Xi Canhen would walk up to a small dog and make a loud noise, making the dog bark and run off, much to the amusement of the maids. These moments of chaos in the Wei Estate somewhat lightened the heavy mood hanging over it.

The heavy mood was because Wei Tianchong had gone to his father’s study upon his return and said something to him. From that day forward, Wei Danbai hadn’t had a very good look on his face—not that he usually did.

Something was brewing in the Wei Estate.

Xi Canhen had felt it.

But he didn’t know exactly what it was.

Tang Jie still hadn’t returned from Mount Eternal, and with each day that Tang Jie didn’t return, the mood grew heavier and heavier, and the master’s temper grew worse and worse. A few days ago, he had inexplicably beaten a servant, cursing him as an “ungrateful thing” and driving him from the estate.

Today, Xi Canhen went to seek out Shi Meng’s advice on some cultivation problems, but as he got close, he spotted Shi Meng speaking with someone. From the look of it, he was speaking with Wu Xing.

Xi Canhen immediately wondered if he could try and listen in on their conversation without them noticing.

He didn’t have the ability to walk past Shi Meng without him noticing, but if he found a hiding spot beforehand, he had a chance of escaping his perception.

He immediately retreated into a flower bush, restraining his aura and slowly melding with the darkness.

Nearby, Wu Xing walked as he talked, saying, “In other words, Tang Jie is still not willing to forgive the clan head?”

Shi Meng walked with his hands held behind his back, sighing, “I understand Tang Jie. He’s someone who values his relationships. The little tiger had been with him for many years, and he treated the little tiger like his own child. For the clan head to give up on the little tiger for the sake of mortal profits was truly unwise. It is hard to blame Tang Jie for being mad.”

“The problem is that we cultivators were able to get this far thanks to mortal silver,” Wu Xing replied. “Didn’t the clan head let us enter the academy so that we could attain Immortal arts and serve the clan? Was this all done instead so that the clan could serve the cultivator?”

“Yes, that’s where the problem is,” Shi Meng sighed. “If it weren’t the little tiger, I’m sure that Tang Jie would have happily accepted this explanation. But he won’t accept it if it comes at the cost of the people at his side.”

“A tiger is not a person.”

“That’s only how mortals see it. A fiend tiger at Mind Opening is no different from a person. You should understand that.”

“But you can’t completely blame the Wei Estate for what happened. Even if the Wei Estate had gone, it might not have been able to resolve the problem.”

Shi Meng shook his head. “Tang Jie already asked some people from the Stone Gate Sect, and he confirmed that the one who pursued Xi Canhen was called Xie Yu, at the second level of Nine Revolutions and of average strength. He would have been no match for the combined might of the Wei Clan’s several Spirit Masters. He began his pursuit shortly after Tang Jie had notified the Wei Clan, which means that if everyone had done as Tang Jie had planned, nothing would have happened to the little tiger.”

Wu Xing’s face fell.

Shi Meng sighed. “If the Wei Estate didn’t want to do it, they could have just refused from the outset instead of accepting the task and then slacking off. There was no problem with Tang Jie’s plan. The problem was with the people carrying out the plan, so how could he not be resentful? The Wei Estate has shown great kindness to Tang Jie, but has Tang Jie not generously repaid the Wei Estate? All that he has already done for the Wei Estate is something that some people could go their entire lives without achieving. Has he not already returned a hundred, a thousand times more than what he took from the Wei Estate?”

Wu Xing’s face turned red. He knew that Shi Meng had partially been talking about him in those words. He had also been supported by the Wei Estate to enter the academy, but Wu Xing’s contribution to the clan was pitiful compared to the investment. But this was the case for the vast majority of students. Ultimately, after vast sums of money had been expended on them, they could become core members of the clan so as to repay their debts.

As for Tang Jie, he was a pleasant surprise.

Alas, some people had taken his contributions as deserved repayment, taking it for granted, and his status had naturally fallen with the rise of this attitude.

Of course, not everyone would look down on him. At least Zheng Shufeng would not. Unfortunately, Wei Danbai was the exact opposite.

He was too used to his status as “master”.

Even though they understood this, Wu Xing and Shi Meng would not state it openly.

Wu Xing asked, “Then how do you feel like Tang Jie will handle this affair?”

Shi Meng thought it over and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I don’t think Tang Jie will do anything too bad to the Wei Clan over this. He’s not that sort of person.”

“I don’t think he’s that sort of person either. Then will he leave the Wei Clan?” Wu Xing asked.

Shi Meng shook his head. “He swore a great aspiration, so he will not.”

“That’s good,” Wu Xing sighed in relief. “I can go and report to the First Young Master now.”

Shi Meng frowned. “All you care about is whether you can still use Tang Jie and if he will do you any harm. Have you never considered his personal feelings?”

Wu Xing went red in the face. “In the end, I’m a member of the Wei Clan, so I have to think for the sake of the Wei Clan. Besides… the Wei Clan has treated my parents very well.”

Shi Meng coldly shot back, “But not because of you!”

Wu Xing paled, but he ultimately turned and left.

As he watched Wu Xing leave, Shi Meng muttered, “None of you get Tang Jie… You think that if Tang Jie doesn’t leave the Wei Clan or strike against the Wei Clan, he won’t do anything? This person has always clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges.”

He suddenly froze and turned his head.

In the flower bush, Xi Canhen was coldly looking at Shi Meng.

Shi Meng was shocked. “Xi Canhen? When did you get there?”

He wasn’t shocked just because Xi Canhen had listened in on the conversation, but also because Xi Canhen had been able to hide from his senses.

He hadn’t expected this kid to be that talented in concealment.

Xi Canhen said, “Young Master Shi Meng, was my being injured to the point of death and the little tiger going missing all because the Wei Clan head went back on his word and was unwilling to send people to get us?”

“…” Shi Meng was momentarily speechless. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “You ended up finding out. This matter… haaa.”

Xi Canhen’s face darkened.

He suddenly turned and began to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Shi Meng asked.

Xi Canhen stopped. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill him. Just as Young Master Shi Meng said, Young Master Tang will handle this matter. But by staying here, I am relying on the Wei Clan’s favor, which will presumably pose an obstacle to Young Master Tang’s plans. Since that is the case, it is best if my sister and I withdraw from this place.”

“You’re going to leave the Wei Clan?” Shi Meng was startled. “Where will you live?”

Xi Canhen turned his head and flashed a toothy smile. “Young Master Shi Meng, thank you for all your guidance. Xi Canhen will never forget this kindness. As for where I’ll live… the two of us are used to poverty, so any place will do.”

“Then what will happen when Tang Jie comes back and can’t find you?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll meet when we should meet,” Xi Canhen casually replied.

Boy, Wei Danbai has really messed things up. Tang Jie has now lost both his tiger and his disciple.