Chapter 654 (2): The Young Zhu Lian

"Why do you insist on acting in such an overbearing manner, Gu Can?" Chai Bofu asked in a solemn voice. "Why are you hell-bent on killing me? Even if there are old grudges between your master and me, both of us are vagrant cultivators, so can't we just let these differences slide?"

"What happened between you and Liu Zhimao, Brother Dragon Uncle?" Liu Chicheng asked in an amused voice.

"It was for the sake of fighting over the River Severing True Scripture..." Chai Bofu began.

Chai Bofu came to a realization upon saying this, and he continued, "Gu Can, did Liu Zhimao genuinely treat you as his successor? And you also studied that true scripture, so you're afraid that our Great Dao will clash with me around? You're afraid that I'll ruin your fortune?"

He continued to speak to himself, saying, "Liu Zhimao was most stingy, and he wanted to kill all cultivators walking the same path of the Great Dao. That being the case, would he have been willing to teach you the fundamental aspects of his Great Dao?"

Gu Can naturally wouldn't reveal the truth. Liu Zhimao had lacked confidence when entering seclusion to break through to the next cultivation base back then, and it was incredibly likely that he would have failed and died. Otherwise, Liu Zhimao definitely wouldn't have been willing to teach Gu Can that water-element true scripture. Moreover, only because Gu Can practiced this true scripture had Liu Chicheng, the true owner, tracked him down and found him.

Liu Chicheng had fallen into Cui Chan's trap, and he had once taken an unofficial disciple after breaking free. The young boy was called Yuan Tiandi, and he had once been a disciple of Old Demon Mi. However, it was a shame that things hadn't worked out despite Liu Chicheng spending some effort, so much so that he felt too embarrassed to take Yuan Tiandi around with him. In the end, he tossed the young boy into a small mountain and let him fight for his own survival.

Yuan Tiandi was accompanied by a small fox spirit, and even though Liu Chicheng hadn't given his unofficial disciple anything when parting ways, he had gifted the small fox spirit a cultivation technique and two defensive items. Even so, she presumably wouldn't be cultivating very diligently in the future. As for whether Yuan Tiandi could learn the cultivation technique from her, and regarding what kind of tale would develop between them, Liu Chicheng couldn't care less. Everything would be up to themselves.

Liu Chicheng was happy to be an unrestrained partner to beautiful women, but he wasn't willing to be an unrestrained father figure to anyone. Liu Chicheng hadn't helped the small fox spirit out of a sense of pity back then, but rather, he had been feeling pity for himself.

After abandoning Yuan Tiandi, Liu Chicheng traveled alone, and he hadn't expected his River Severing True Scripture to end up in the hands of Vagrant Cultivator Liu Zhimao. Not only that, but Liu Zhimao had done very well and earned the title of River Severing True Lord.

There would always be times in life when carefully planted flowers didn't grow, yet casually planted willows eventually provided shade.

Gu Can glanced at Chai Bofu, suddenly smiling and saying, "Forget about it. We can walk the same path of the Great Dao and spar with each other in the future."

Since Liu Chicheng was unwilling to kill Chai Bofu, and with Gu Can not being confident in his ability to kill the vagrant cultivator, the young man chose to leave him be.

In reality, Liu Chicheng thought nothing of Chai Bofu's cultivation base. What did it matter even if he returned to the Nascent Tier? Even if he served as a lackey for Liu Chicheng, what would be his use when they arrived at White Emperor City? Cultivating at White Emperor City was completely different from cultivating in ordinary immortal forces. Indeed, there was no notion of assisting each other and advancing as a whole.

The true reason Liu Chicheng didn't kill this person was that he hoped his senior brother could perform divinations based on the karmic fates tied to Chai Bofu and Li Baoping, helping his senior brother in the game of Go against that so-called middle-aged Daoist priest in the future. This would be a huge benefit even if it only increased White Emperor City's chance of victory by a tiny sliver.

In any case, he was sure that these thoughts of his had already been predicted by the so-called middle-aged Daoist priest. This didn't matter, however, and this was a problem for his senior brother to deal with in the future.

He would fulfill his duty as the junior brother, and his senior brother could continue to focus on his game of Go.

The three of them didn't soar through the sky, and they instead walked on foot to Light Breeze City.

"Your six bonded items are quite ostentatious, Brother Dragon Uncle, and two of them are only at the level of spirit tools. What's going on with this?" Liu Chicheng asked casually.

Chai Bofu smiled wryly and replied, "The beginning is the most difficult for vagrant cultivators, and it's already a great fortune for those at the Lower Five Tiers to refine one or two spirit tools into bonded items. When their cultivation base is high enough, and they own enough immortal treasures, they can indeed think about forcefully replacing those fundamental bonded items that are already intricately linked with their lives and Great Dao.

"However, this will put immense strain on their bodies, and the greatest fear is having their enemies find out about their plans. In that case, wouldn't entering seclusion be akin to seeking death? Even if they aren't killed, and the official immortals, who are bored and have nothing better to do, only interrupt their seclusion after finding their secret cultivation spots, the losses will still outweigh the benefits."

Chai Bofu sighed and continued, "If a person's enemies don't possess high cultivation bases before they reach the Golden Core Tier, then it won't be a big problem for them to replace their bonded items. However, it's a pity that vagrant cultivators will struggle not to provoke any Golden Core Tier cultivators before forming their own golden cores. Compared to those official immortals who cry murder and seek help from their ancestors after being beaten, vagrant cultivators will sometimes look around and feel like they're surrounded by troubles and enemies."

Immortals leaving home to visit friends or target enemies was completely different from ordinary mortals leaving home to do the same, where a distance over fifty kilometers would be regarded as distant travel. The continents were large, but they would appear extremely small when looking at the areas suitable for cultivation.

Powerful cultivators and immortal forces controlled areas with slightly more spiritual energy, and which famous mountain or river wasn't occupied and managed by some immortal force for many years? They were either controlled by official immortals or deities of the mountains and rivers. This was why vagrant cultivators struggled to advance and achieve success — they lacked opportune timing, geographical advantage, and popular support.

Liu Chicheng nodded in understanding.

Gu Can smiled faintly in response.

Chai Bofu faltered for a brief moment, and it was in this short period of time that Liu Chicheng placed a hand on his head and casually shattered his golden core. Chai Bofu limply collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably as blood pooled around him.

Things had been far too mystical when he had fallen from the Nascent Tier to the Golden Core Tier just then, so Chai Bofu hadn't suffered too much. This time, however, it was as if he had been dropped into a cauldron of boiling oil as he fell from the Golden Core Tier to the Dragon Gate Tier.

"Alright, you can feel free to safely replace your bonded items now," Liu Chicheng said with a smile. "Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to overcome the barrier of the Nascent Tier. There's no need to thank me, Brother Dragon Uncle."

Liu Chicheng spun a finger through the air and casually created a formation, helping Chai Bofu conceal his aura.

White Emperor City taught all kinds of mystical abilities, and an extraordinarily talented senior sister of Liu Chicheng once voiced her grand ambition to master the twelve mystical abilities of the Great Dao.

His senior sister's expression would become one shade darker every one hundred years, and in the end, she became the most short-tempered person in White Emperor City.

Chai Bofu sat down cross-legged. His body was a chaotic mess, with his Nascent Tier and Golden Core Tier cultivation having been destroyed in quick succession today. There was no time to worry about the damage to the foundation of his Great Dao, and what was most important was staying alive first.

Gu Can squatted down beside Chai Bofu and asked, "There's something I'm very curious about. Why didn't you pretend to be Xu Hun? Did you never consider shifting the blame onto him? Just what kind of vagrant cultivator are you? Is there some hidden circumstance behind all of this?"

He placed a hand on Chai Bofu's head and continued, "You practice water element cultivation techniques, and I've coincidentally learned the River Severing Sutra, so I can greatly nurture my cultivation if I seize this opportunity to take your bonded vital energy and water fortune, as well as refine the shards of your golden core. Now, tell me, what kind of impure relationships do you have with Light Breeze City or the Fox Nation? What made you act with such loyalty to attack those people and target those treasures?"

The young-looking Chai Bofu was deathly pale. Even though his white hair had made him appear slightly older just then, his hair had been silky and glistening with vigorous vitality. Now, however, more than half his hair had lost its vitality, with clumps of hair falling from his scalp after Gu Can casually placed a hand on his head. Not only that, but the falling hair disintegrated into dust before it could even hit the ground.

Gu Can pushed down slightly harder, using one of the strongest techniques of the River Severing Sutra to wantonly absorb Chai Bofu's water fortune. Chai Bofu's body had been a chaotic mess to begin with, seemingly smashed by a torrential flood, and Gu Can's act was akin to punching a huge hole into the already fragile levee.

Gu Can only cared about absorbing the water fortune; as for whether the floodwater would destroy the levee and further damage Chai Bofu's cultivation journey, making it increasingly difficult for him to return to the Golden Core Tier and Nascent Tier in the future, Gu Can couldn't care less about these matters.

Chai Bofu immediately started to reveal the secrets, saying, "I once cultivated under the same master as Xu Hun's wife, so I want to seriously screw City Lord Xu Hun over without causing Light Breeze City to reach the brink of destruction. Otherwise, the Xu Clan won't even have the opportunity to scream about injustice.

"As the city lord, Xu Hun wouldn't have been able to shirk responsibility if something untoward had happened to that young lady here, but he wouldn't have faced any additional accusations. If I pretended to be Xu Hun just then, however, and I chose to leave either the young lady or Wei Benyuan alive, then Light Breeze City would lose its status as a sect-in-waiting. I'm not willing to destroy the hard work of my junior sister..."

There were mixed emotions in Chai Bofu's mind when he mentioned his junior sister, and there was a look of deep longing and regret in his eyes.

"Ah, hopelessly lovesick, truly very lovesick," Liu Chicheng commented with a chuckle. "I like this. No wonder I felt such a close bond when I first saw Brother Dragon Uncle. I can't bring myself to kill you now."

Gu Can thought for a moment before asking with a smile, "Perhaps Xu Hun's son is...?"

"Xu Hun isn't a fool, so why would he raise my son?!" Chai Bofu exclaimed in anger. "My junior sister is pure and innocent, so stop trying to spout shit and make such disgusting insinuations, you little brat!"

Gu Can finally retracted his hand and said, "What a shame."

However, he suddenly reached over and continued to absorb water fortune and shards of Chai Bofu's shattered golden core, asking, "You don't think Xu Hun's a fool, but you're treating me like an idiot instead? Tell me, does your junior sister possess a higher cultivation base than you, or does she have some dirt on you? Otherwise, your expression of sincerity and longing is too over the top.

"Vagrant cultivators all have good reasons for how they speak and act, so since that person isn't your son, there isn't a good reason to explain your actions. Feelings of love? If you truly can't get over her, then will you genuinely be able to refrain from snatching her back from Xu Hun when Light Breeze City is facing a huge calamity and on the brink of destruction?"

Chai Bofu mustered his waning strength to open his eyes, seemingly wanting to get a clear look at the young man's face as he smiled bitterly and said, "I might be a vagrant cultivator, but I've never believed in the existence of innate vagrant cultivators. Gu Can, huh? How impressive! You can count as an innate vagrant cultivator!"

He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "My junior sister was shrewd and calculating from a young age, and after I schemed with her to kill our master back then, I only knew that she had another extremely hidden master and inheritance before she married into Light Breeze City's Xu Clan. I've always been apprehensive of this, and I definitely don't dare to provoke her."

Gu Can turned around to glance at Liu Chicheng, saying with a smile, "My cultivation base is low, so I don't mind being treated as a fool. But what about you? Do you still feel like Brother Dragon Uncle is naive and lovestruck?"

"It's okay. I'm a fool to begin with," Liu Chicheng replied with a smile.

Gu Can retracted his hand and stood up, gazing at Light Breeze City, which had huge hopes of becoming a sect-level immortal force in the future.

Chai Bofu's expression was ashen. With the little bastard, Gu Can, absorbing his water fortune and shards of his shattered golden core, even his current Dragon Gate Tier cultivation base became unsteady and damaged. It would be incredibly difficult for him to repair this.

"There's no need to visit Light Breeze City anymore. Let's return to the small town straight away," Gu Can said.

"Whatever you want," Liu Chicheng replied with a smile.

"I suggest you restrain yourself when we arrive at my hometown," Gu Can said.

Liu Chicheng's expression became extremely dark.

There were Chen Ping'an and Qi Jingchun back then, and there were Li Baoping and Li Xisheng now.

In addition, there was also Gu Can, who was traveling with him and couldn't even be bothered to try to hide his killing intent. He had also heard about True Martial Mountain's Ma Kuxuan, as well as the Great Li Empire's Feudal Lord Song Mu...

These people had all come from that tiny little fucking town.

Liu Chicheng immediately changed his mind and said, "Let's head north first, and Brother Dragon Uncle and I will wait for you on the border of the Jewel Small World afterward. We won't accompany you to the small town."

"There's actually no need to act so cautiously as long as you restrain yourself," Gu Can said with a smile.

"But what if something goes wrong? Is this really worth it?" Liu Chicheng asked in a solemn voice.

"And if Li Baoping makes her way to the Fox Nation?" Gu Can asked.

Liu Chicheng smiled and replied, "That young lady isn't as simple as you think. With just her abilities alone, anyone who dares to touch her in the measly Fox Nation will have their tails hacked off."

"I don't know why you changed your mind just then, Liu Chicheng, but don't forget that I'm returning to my hometown. Don't force me to visit the Li Clan's ancestral residence on Fortune Street," Gu Can said with a threatening expression.

Liu Chicheng smiled faintly and commented, "Oh my, your habit of turning on your companions is truly terrifying."

Just the mention of this angered him, so Liu Chicheng glanced down at the seated Chai Bofu before raising a foot and stomping on his head, exerting some extra force to push his head into the ground. Only half of Chai Bofu's head was sticking above the ground, yet he didn't dare to move at all.

Liu Chicheng squatted down, causing his large pink sleeves to rest on the ground, like an especially large and radiant peony suddenly blooming in midair. His voice was filled with impatience as he said, "I'll give you at most fifteen more minutes to stabilize your measly Dragon Gate Tier cultivation. I won't be able to protect you anymore if you fail to do this."

"Have you been to Stalactite Mountain before?" Gu Can suddenly asked.

Liu Chicheng didn't so much as look up as he replied frankly, "I don't dare to go at all unless it's with my senior brother."

This had little to do with cultivation base. Most importantly, Liu Chicheng's identity and background were completely incompatible with him getting near the Sword Qi Great Wall.

"What are you going to do with Liu Chicheng?" Gu Can asked.

"I'll naturally return this body to him when I arrive at White Emperor City," Liu Chicheng replied. "If he's lucky, he might even have the opportunity to become sect brothers with you."