Chapter 172 - 119: Descending the Mountain to Visit Relatives

Chapter 172: Chapter 119: Descending the Mountain to Visit Relatives

The next morning, Li Yinsheng sat at the desk in his bedroom, looking at the Geomancy Map spread out before him.

His Junior Martial Uncle Jiang had already marked the location on it. It was situated in a corner of the Dayong Dynasty, tucked within an incredibly inconspicuous small mountain range. Although it was a mountainous region, this particular range was entirely confined within Dayong’s borders, forming a tiny circle disconnected from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Furthermore, no Spirit Vein had ever been discovered there. It was no wonder she had called it a remote place.

To Cultivators, it was more than just remote; even to mortals, it would likely be considered a barren and treacherous land—an absolute wasteland.

His gaze swept back and forth across the Geomancy Map, a thoughtful expression resting on his face. He wasn’t contemplating the exploration itself. He had bought the most expensive and detailed version of the map, and with his martial uncle’s markings, there was no need to worry about being unable to find the place. What he was considering was the fact that the marked location was already within the Dayong Dynasty. Since he was heading to Dayong anyway and time wasn’t pressing, why not bring his junior martial sister along and let her visit her family?

Although she had only been on the mountain for a year and theoretically shouldn’t be visiting her family so soon—other disciples had to train on the mountain for at least several years, or even over a decade, before being allowed to do so—her current Cultivation far surpassed that of most disciples who had trained bitterly for over ten years. Moreover, with his current Escape Speed, taking a detour to Xiaoyu’s home wouldn’t take up much time.

Just as Li Yinsheng was deep in thought, the grand resonance of bells echoed in his ears. His vision shifted, and he found himself standing on the White Jade Platform in the Grotto Heaven. Golden Characters emerged before him.

[Through arduous effort, the Master of the Cave Heaven has successfully refined the first Lower Grade Magical Artifact. The reward for this achievement is twenty years of Cultivation. Please cultivate on your own to claim it.]

"It’s only been a little over a month, and she’s already refined a Lower Grade Magical Artifact?" Li Yinsheng was somewhat surprised. He had witnessed her hard work recently, but for her to succeed this quickly was truly beyond his expectations. It seemed that while she lacked the Root Device for normal Cultivation, she possessed remarkable talent in Artifact Refining.

"Since she has worked so hard, aside from the Fire Seed, I’ll reward her with a trip back home to visit her family," he decided, skillfully sitting down cross-legged. Even if life on the mountain was good, a sixteen-year-old girl who had been away for a year would certainly be homesick. Having made his decision, he calmed his mind, deployed the Moonlight Spirit Refining Array above his head, and began his Cultivation.

Three days later.

Back in his bedroom, sitting at the desk, Li Yinsheng opened his eyes. He had absorbed most of the Moon Dew he refined this time, but he left a small portion for his junior martial sister’s stash. Since she had already undergone several rounds of Refinement with the Moon Dew, her current reserves were even greater than when she first started. Following his recent closed-door session, he now had two extra Fire Seeds as well.

A moment later, Mu Xiaoyu pushed open the door with disheveled hair. She ran over with a face full of excitement, waving a small, pitch-black hammer in her hand.

"Senior Martial Brother! I did it!" Mu Xiaoyu cheered.

Although she had taken a slight shortcut by refining a relatively simple Hammer-shaped Magical Artifact, it was undoubtedly a genuine Lower Grade Magical Artifact.

"Well done! It seems you truly have a great talent for Artifact Refining!" Li Yinsheng did not hold back his praise.

"Hehe!" Mu Xiaoyu grinned proudly and handed the hammer to him. "Check it out, Senior Martial Brother!"

Though she asked him to inspect it, her little expression clearly demanded that he hurry up and praise her masterpiece. She had finally refined it after so much effort; how could a single compliment be enough?

Li Yinsheng took the hammer and examined it closely. From the head to the handle, it was only a little over a foot long. It looked quite delicate and compact, but it weighed dozens of pounds in his hand. If he were to inject a bit of Magical Power or Qi Blood, its weight would increase even further. However, he only dared to inject a tiny thread of power, afraid he might accidentally shatter the hammer.

This hammer was less of a magical tool and more like a weapon designed for a Body Cultivator. But for Xiaoyu, it was a perfect fit. In the hands of a Body Cultivator like her, the utility of this Lower Grade small black hammer would likely rival that of other Middle Grade Magical Artifacts. After offering a few more words of praise, he returned the small black hammer to her, watching her giggle with sheer satisfaction.

"Perfect timing. Since you’re a Body Cultivator, you can use this on a regular basis. It’ll save more Magical Power than the Cold Bright Sword."

In truth, he was just saying that casually. Once he found some more Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to help improve her Cultivation, this Lower Grade Magical Artifact would become completely useless to her.

However, Mu Xiaoyu’s reaction was quite strong. She immediately shook her head vigorously.

"I’m not using it! I’m a gentle lady, how can I use a hammer!" she exclaimed, shaking her head like a rattle. Wielding a sword would make her a dashing female swordswoman, but what would she be if she wielded a hammer?

"If you don’t want to use it, then don’t. Just go with what you like," Li Yinsheng smiled, not forcing the issue.

Mu Xiaoyu put away the small black hammer, tossing it into a corner of her Qiankun Bag. She looked at her martial brother with a face full of expectation. "Senior Martial Brother, where is the Fire Seed?"

Li Yinsheng opened his hand, and two wick-like flames surfaced in his palm.

"Yay!" Mu Xiaoyu beamed with excitement. "Then... Senior Martial Brother, where is Shangguan?"

"Shangguan?" Li Yinsheng paused in surprise. "She went back to her Dharma Vein yesterday."

Mu Xiaoyu stood utterly dumbstruck.

"She went back to her Dharma Vein?!" Her eyes widened into saucers. "Why didn’t you tell me!"

"She didn’t let me tell you. I originally wanted to call you out to see her off, but she said you were so engrossed in your Artifact Refining that it was best not to disturb you," Li Yinsheng replied.

Mu Xiaoyu’s face turned ashen. However, as the light of the Fire Seeds reflected in her eyes, she quickly snapped out of it. Regaining her senses, she clung to a sliver of hope and asked, "Senior Martial Brother! Can I... wait until I see Shangguan again before undergoing the Refinement of the Fire Seed?"

Li Yinsheng smiled faintly. "Of course you can. We’ll be able to see Miss Shangguan by the end of the year anyway."

"Yay!" Hearing that she could put off the Refinement, her hope was instantly rekindled.

"What a pity, though. I had originally planned to take you down the mountain to visit your family once you refined the Fire Seed," Li Yinsheng sighed, shaking his head.

"Visit my family!?" Mu Xiaoyu nearly jumped into the air, her words tumbling out incoherently. "You’re taking me home... no, you’re going home with me... no, that’s not it either...

"Anyway, you want me to be able to see my parents, right!" she shouted in pure elation.

"But we’ll have to wait until you’ve refined the Fire Seed. After all..."

Before Li Yinsheng could finish fabricating his excuse, Mu Xiaoyu snatched one of the Fire Seeds, tossed it into her mouth, and sat down cross-legged with gritted teeth.

Less than an hour later, she had completely refined both Fire Seeds. She grabbed Li Yinsheng’s sleeve and whined affectionately, "Senior Martial Brother~ Senior Martial Brother~ When are we going to see my parents~"

Li Yinsheng was rather curious whether she would burst into tears right then and there if he joked, "I was just fooling you, we aren’t going." But after a brief hesitation, he figured that would be a bit too wicked. Instead, he rubbed her head and stated directly, "Get some rest early tonight. We’ll set off tomorrow."

Immediately after, a cheer so loud it nearly blew the roof off his house erupted from her.

Later, in Junior Martial Uncle Jiang’s bedroom.

"You want to bring that little girl along?" Her tone and volume noticeably rose.

"Mhm, her home is in the Dayong Dynasty," Li Yinsheng smiled. "She’s been on the mountain for a year, so it’s about time she missed her parents. Since it’s on the way, taking her back for a visit is a good idea."

Hearing this, Junior Martial Uncle Jiang froze for a moment before nodding. "That’s fine. Since she misses them, she should see them."

Li Yinsheng was slightly taken aback. "Martial Uncle, you’re agreeing to it just like that? I thought you would scold me for spoiling her too much. After all, what normal disciple gets to go home after just one year?"

"The bond between parents and children, the joy of family—it is natural law and human sentiment. Why should one be overly harsh about it?" Junior Martial Uncle Jiang’s gaze grew distant as she spoke softly. "Since she has family and relatives, she should cherish them well.

"Someone like me, destitute since childhood and unaware of who my parents even are... I wouldn’t know where to look even if I wanted to see them. So how could I stop her?"

Li Yinsheng fell silent. He understood the feeling she described; in fact, he was confident he understood it even better than she did. After all, in both his past life and his current one, he had been an orphan. He had plenty of experience in this regard.

"By the way, Yin Sheng, you as well..." Junior Martial Uncle Jiang looked at him and grabbed his hand.

Li Yinsheng held her hand in return, smiling. "But I actually consider myself luckier than she is. If she wants to see her relatives, she has to travel down the mountain to go home. My relative is right here in Xuanzhen Temple."

Jiang Ningzhi’s lips curled into a relaxed smile, and she nodded softly. "Yes, me too."

After a few moments of silence between them, she let go of his hand and asked, "So, when do you plan to leave? And for how long?"

"As for leaving, we’ll head out tomorrow. It’ll give me peace of mind to retrieve that Exotic Treasure early on," Li Yinsheng answered. "As for how long...

"That depends on how long she wants to stay at home. It could be as short as three to five days, or as long as... perhaps two or three months. After all, the Daoist Examination is still nearly six months away, so we have plenty of time."

"Two or three months!" Jiang Ningzhi’s volume spiked sharply once more.

He was going to leave Xuanzhen Temple and stay at that little girl’s home for two or three months!

After leaving Junior Martial Uncle Jiang’s bedroom, Li Yinsheng took inventory of his Qiankun Bag. Yesterday, when he went to Baoguang Temple to buy the Geomancy Map, he had conveniently picked up a few items suitable for mortal use. After all, disciples from various Daoist Temples often traveled down the mountain to visit their families, so it was only natural that Baoguang Temple would sell the necessary supplies.

For instance, he bought Talismans meant to ward off evil spirits and protect households, as well as various Elixirs that benefited mortals by strengthening their bodies and prolonging their lifespans. He had purchased the finest quality of everything so Xiaoyu could personally hand them to her parents. Additionally, he prepared a vast stash of snacks, ensuring that a certain gluttonous little girl wouldn’t go without her mountain treats during the trip.

The Mortal World...

Although his primary goal was the Metal Element Exotic Treasure his martial uncle mentioned, taking Xiaoyu to visit her family in the Mortal World was just a convenient side objective. However, this was technically his first time venturing into the Mortal World as well, so he was looking forward to it to some degree.

Moreover, Miss Shangguan had mentioned that there were Loose Cultivators living in the Mortal World too. Some lived in seclusion, while others accepted offerings from mortals; they simply weren’t allowed to rule over or indiscriminately slaughter normal people. He wondered if he would run into any Loose Cultivators or Cultivators from other Sects during this trip down the mountain.