Their group of people went to meet with the Sect leader of Liuyun Sect, Liu Mang Zhenren, first.
Mo Tianliao contemplated silently for a long time after hearing this name, he repeated it out loud to himself, pronouncing it slowly and clearly.
There was a tradition at Liuyun Sect. Once the Sect Leader changed, the generation of the new Sect Leader will change their name into “Liu”. It was said that this Sect Leader was originally called Wei Mang Zhenren, and his martial brothers were called Wei Chen, Wei Chan, etc. Later, when he became the Sect Leader, his martial brothers also changed their names, which did not make a big difference, but as for the Sect Leader’s name, it somehow sounded… not quite decent.
When his martial brothers became Elders, they did not necessarily have to be called by their new name, like that Master Craftsman, Elder Ding. This was not the case for the Sect Leader, as he represented the whole sect, he must be called his new name as a sign of respect.
Looking up at the triangular eyes of Liuyun’s Sect Leader, Mo Tianliao felt that there was a reason his Master had chosen to give Liu Mang Zhenren such a name.
“Qingtong, I haven’t seen you for such a long time, but you still look so… young…” Liu Mang Zhenren, who had been seating, stood up immediately when he saw Qingtong. He completely ignored Xuanji, who was also greeting him.
Mo Tianliao frowned, seeing the outstretched hand about to touch his cat, he decisively placed a jade box between the two. “This is what our Sect Leader sent Zhenren.” Once he said that, he placed it on Liu Mang Zhenren’s hand without waiting for him to even open his mouth.
“Tianlang really shouldn’t have.” The Sect Leader handed the jade box to the disciple behind him without even looking at it. “You have come such a long way and must be tired. I won’t keep you.”
Qingtong retracted his fist, which had been halfway extended. It was really a pity, if his stupid disciple had not blocked him, he would have beaten Liu Mang’s nose until it was crooked.
The whole of Liuyun Sect had a very opulent atmosphere, all the major stone steps were paved with white jade. Ordinary white jade was not that valuable to cultivators, but it would still cost a lot if it was used like this. This mountain range was quite odd, there were many funnel-shaped stone mountains, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. Coupled with the perennial spiralling mist, they look like the proverbial immortal islands floating in a sea of clouds.
Elder Qiu took the Woyun Sect group to one of these “islands”, which had an entire mansion with 30 rooms, five independent courtyards, and was complete with maids and servants for their exclusive use.
Mo Tianliao looked at their surroundings, although it was peaceful and they would not be disturbed, it also served to isolate their group from the rest of Liuyun Sect, which would prevent them from prying into their host’s secrets.
Each of the five small courtyards had its own distinctive features. Xuanji asked Qingtong to choose first. Qingtong did not demur and chose a courtyard full of wisteria flowers, Xuanji chose one with a pond.
“As for the remaining three courtyards, decide amongst yourselves,” Xuanji said to the direct disciples.
Ordinary disciples would live in the rooms inside the house, and the mouthy Zi Mo would be in charge of watching over them. Yu Li and Hua Qing would live in the courtyard farthest from shishu, Zi Mo and Bai Luo would live together in another courtyard. Once everyone had decided they looked at Mo Tianliao.
“There’s no one to wait upon Master, I should stay with him.” Mo Tianliao smiled, his face the very picture of filial piety.
Xuanji was stunned, he turned to look at his two disciples. Hua Qing had already turned into a big butterfly and fled to play amid the flowers and grass. Yu Li stared with his dead fish eyes and said, “Master, let me soak in your pond for a while.”
Watching someone else’s disciple eagerly following behind his Master, and even the big tiger rushing to make himself into a cushion, Xuanji went into his courtyard without saying a word, a hand clutching his chest. Yu Li followed him in, but ran straight to the small clear pond, jumping in with a splash, and happily spitting out a bubble.
“Master, come in, let’s soak together!” The big silver carp wagged his tail happily.
Xuanji, squatting next to the pool and looking at the fish, consoled himself that at least his disciple knew to take a bath with his Master…
It was already late autumn, the wisteria flowers should have already withered, yet they still bloomed all over the small yard. There was a big one-zhang-square pergola built out of wood, it was covered with wisteria, flowers hanging in a dense cascade.
Qingtong stood under the pergola, he slowly raised his hand and touched a cluster of flowers, making them sway tremulously like a small bell.
Mo Tianliao leaned against a wooden pillar and quietly looked at the beauty standing under the flowers, he could not bear to disturb him. The gentle breeze blew, the hem of his snow-coloured mermaid silk clothes fluttering softly. The slender jade-like hand touched the lilac flowers again, then, it grew claws and gave it a couple of quick scratches.
Mo Tianliao turned around, put an array around the courtyard, and set up several barriers. When he was finished with his work, he found that Master had already laid a cushion under the pergola and dozed off while leaning against the big tiger. Mo Tianliao went over and covered him with a quilt, and then went in again to inspect their dwelling place.
The rooms were very finely decorated, with beds, tables and incense stand all made from white jade. Mo Tianliao carefully inspected everything to make sure that there was nothing wrong with the place, and that there were no hidden magical tools or spy mirrors, only then he could feel at ease. He went to draw some well water, heated it with his fire qi, made a pot of tea, and went to the small kitchen to make some snacks.
Taishi had not spoken for the whole journey, it finally could not stand it any longer. Mo Tianliao took off his wristband and let it become a big mouth. “Master, when are we going to steal the Wenyu fruit?”
Mo Tianliao had asked Taishi before, besides dual cultivation, what other method was there to repair the soul? Taishi had said that in order to create an item that could connect two souls, he would need several specimens of the world’s rarest things, such as Wenyu fruit, Dixiu Tree, Fanhun Tree and Nine-Souls Crystal. In addition, the injured party also needed to consume the Soul Condensing SanSang in advance, and it required another person to master the technique of soul transportation.
Mo Tianliao rubbed his eyebrows, it knew that they were going to steal something yet it still sounded so high and mighty when he said it. “If you don’t have anything important to say, then just go shout down the well.”
The Soul Condensing SanSang had already been eaten by Master, and he also had the Nine-Souls Crystal. This time, apart from keeping Master company at Liuyun Sect, the most important thing was to get the Wenyu fruit.
The Wenyu fruit grew on the Wenyu tree, and was the required ingredient for refining Nascent Soul Pills. To attain the Nascent Soul stage, the most important thing was to condense the divine soul into a nascent soul. The Wenyu fruit acted like a sort of glue, aiding in the condensation process of the divine soul, if it was refined into Nascent Soul Pills, the probability of forming a Nascent Soul increased by 20%.
In the entire Taixuan continent, only the Liuyun Sect had a Wenyu tree, which was the reason why the price of Nascent Soul Pills remained so high.
Taishi, once again rejected by its master, flew outside the house. When he saw the big tiger awake and playing with the falling flowers, he immediately flew over excitedly. “Yo, big tiger, I heard you don’t have a dick.”
The big tiger raised his head and bared his teeth at the big mouth, he had seen this thing before, he did not know how shidi had acquired it. Master forbade him from bringing it up, but he of course knew that objects that could talk and change shape were definitely not commonplace. But, how could it say things like that? Why was it so bad-mannered?
The big mouth turned into a jade penis. In order to emphasize that it was a tiger’s organ, a fine layer of fur was added at its base, this fur was as hard as steel needles, however. It wriggled in front of the tiger. “That female leopard was very beautiful. Want me to help?”
“Roaaaar.” The tiger’s howl resounded through the sky.
Qingtong raised his hand without opening his eyes and gave the tiger cushion a slap.
Once Mo Tianliao went outside after making tea and snacks, the first thing he saw was a tiger holding a tortoiseshell-coloured jade penis in his mouth, eating it happily. This picture, it was really… harmful to the eyes.
Splat! Seeing shidi look as if he had swallowed a fly, the big tiger finally realized what he was doing. He opened his mouth and Taishi fell to the ground, getting just what it deserved. Its body, drenched in tiger saliva, immediately got covered in a layer of mud.
Mo Tianliao dragged a low table out of the house to put his things on and sat on the cushion. He poured two hot cups of tea, letting one cool, and drank the other. After he finished drinking, he picked up the other cup, which was no longer hot, and silently brushed the hair of the man next to him. “Master, have some tea.”
“Mmnn…” The man who was sleeping soundly against the tiger replied vaguely, curled up, moved his head to Mo Tianliao’s lap, and then went on sleeping.
Mo Tianliao’s hand, holding the cup, stiffened, he slowly put it down, pulled the thin blanket to cover the other man, raised his hand and gently caressed the long ink-like hair. “Xiaozhao, you…” Do you realize that being so intimate with me in your human form could already be considered as crossing a line? Do you know what you are doing?
Looking down at that exquisite profile, his hand slid down slowly, touching the smooth chin. Qingtong slowly moved his chin closer to his hand to give him better access, revealing a sliver of white neck.
Mo Tianliao could not help smiling, he wanted to bend down and kiss him, but he was sitting with both legs stretched out, so it was a little difficult to reach the head on his thigh.
Just as Mo Tianliao was enjoying this “beauty lying on his knees” scene, someone suddenly triggered the barrier outside the door. The gate was wide open, Mo Tianliao could clearly see someone coming. However, thanks to the illusion array he had set up earlier, the person outside the gate would not be able to see into the courtyard, they would only see a closed gate, which could not be opened.
Mo Tianliao had seen that person before, they had met him coming back from Liuhe market, it was the guy who had tried to stop them and beg for the Starfall Stone, he seemed to be called Ding Zijin.
“Junior Ding Zijin is here to present the conference’s schedule.” Ding Zijin stood very properly in front of the gate, a jade slip in his hand.
Mo Tianliao gestured at Taishi with his chin. Something like sending a schedule was a task anyone could do, this Ding Zijin had been slapped by Qingtong last time, since he had dared to come now, it proved that he had something that he needed to say. He did not give a damn about whatever that guy wanted, his cat needed to sleep, he could not let him be disturbed by whatever nonsense this was.
Taishi, its whole body still covered in mud, flew to the door. Adjusting the tone of its voice, it said, “Zhenren is already resting, and this servant can’t open the door. Please leave the things outside. If you want to meet him, come back tomorrow.”
The voice was gentle and frail, just like that of the Qingning Palace’s maids.
“Then, Junior will come back tomorrow. I thank you.” Ding Zijin put the slips on the jade steps in front of the door, saluted and turned away.
“He knows how to behave,” Qingtong, still lying on Mo Tianliao’s lap, said with a yawn.
“Did he wake you?” Mo Tianliao held up his Master and fed him tea.
Qingtong leaned lazily on Mo Tianliao’s chest, he drank the cup of tea from Mo Tianliao’s hand without even lifting a finger to hold it himself. “What were the two of you saying just now? About the Wenyu fruit?”
“We need it to repair your soul.” The still muddy Taishi went back to speak in his regular shrill voice, it eagerly flew over and tried to ingratiate itself, spilling the beans without even having to be threatened into it. It recited all the things needed to mend a soul, harping on and on about them, finally, as if feeling it had still not expressed itself enough it said, “Actually, there’s no need to go to all this trouble. There’s clearly a simple method that Master just doesn’t want to use. Ow! Hot, hot, hot!”
A burst of woodfire promptly baked the mud on the outer layer of the jade dick into a ceramic shell.
Unedited, please point out any mistakes
Mother of God! This chapter took so freaking long to translate!
This extra chapter is thanks to anon. Thank you so much for the ko-fi