The Eve of Departure

With her homework reduced by more than half, Li Zhiwei no longer needed to practice standing meditation, qi cultivation, or fire training. Every morning, the first thing she did was drag Xinlu into the mountains, running until dark before returning.

Li Zhitui waited for him at the gate of the courtyard. In the distance, he saw a man and a deer emerge from the pine forest. The smaller one was covered in grass clippings, and wild fruits that had been rubbed off from some tree were still hanging on its antlers. Li Zhitui sighed and carried him to the well to wash him clean.

While being washed, Li Zhiwei didn't forget to share the day's adventure with his brother, "Brother, I found a stream!" "Brother, Xinlu almost bumped into a tree today!" "Brother, can we ask Master to let me stay five years old forever?"

Li Zhitui rinsed him from head to toe, then said expressionlessly, "No, you have to grow up. When you grow up, you also need to cultivate the essence fire." Li Zhiwei screamed as he was drenched, shouting, "I don't want to grow up!"

......

Liu Jin: Can you call it slacking off when it comes to cultivation? Zhao Fengnian: Then why don't you do it yourself? Liu Jin: (drinks tea)

"Three Little Ones: Master, what are we learning today? Liu Jin: The Qi Gathering Technique. Three Little Ones: What happens after we learn it? Liu Jin: We go to the mountains to gather Qi. Three Little Ones: And you? Liu Jin: I'll go to the deeper mountains."

"I laughed so hard at the part about Zhao Fengnian using child labor. Li Zhiwei was only five years old, and she had to practice standing meditation, gathering qi, and fire cultivation every day, as well as guarding the main hall. After her studies were sealed, she was so happy that she ran wildly all over the mountain. This is not cultivation, it's kindergarten on holiday."

"But to be honest, the Qi Gathering Method and the Water Refining Method are really good things. They have low barriers to entry, are highly practical, and can even be exchanged for incense money. Although Liu Jin is lazy, he's really good at making teaching materials."

......

That evening, Liu Jin was resting with his eyes closed on a blue stone on the back mountain.

The Illusion Moon Mirror hanging at his waist suddenly trembled slightly, its moon-white light rippling. Mingxin's voice came from within the mirror: "Brother, there's an anomaly in the northern earth veins. The traces of yin energy flowing back match the signs of drought that my master described. We're still investigating the exact location, but we have a general direction."

Almost simultaneously, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. The short, stout ghost messenger rushed into the gate of the Sanyi Temple, panting, waving an official letter stamped with the City God's golden seal, and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Master Liu! Master Zhao! There's news about the drought demon!"

Liu Jin stood up from the bluestone, took the Illusion Moon Mirror from his waist, and Mingxin's voice continued on the mirror's surface. After a few brief reports of the earth's ley line coordinates, the moon-white light slowly faded. He put away the mirror, and with a swift movement, he appeared in the Sanyi Temple courtyard.

Zhao Fengnian was receiving the City God's official letter from the short, fat ghost messenger. He unfolded it, glanced at it, and when he looked up and saw Liu Jin's expression, the usual smile on his lips faded slightly.

The official letter was brief: Three thousand miles north of Jinhua Prefecture, three villages and towns have experienced several months without rainfall, causing the earth's yin energy to flow back, coffins to spontaneously combust, and livestock to be startled at night.

Two of the ghost messengers sent out by the City God Temple perished; both were nearly annihilated before even reaching the core area, their yin energy evaporated by an extremely hot wave. All signs point to the same answer.

"Brother, I'll go with you." Zhao Fengnian folded the official letter and placed it on the stone table. This time, he didn't grin and rub his hands together saying, "Finally, a fight!" He just stood in the courtyard, the dragon scales on the back of his hand faintly visible.

Liu Jin shook his head. The drought demon was not the Black Mountain Demon; the drought demon was born from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth, and its appearance would leave the land scorched for thousands of miles. The Sanyi Temple had just established its lineage, and its disciples had not yet matured; they could not be left unattended.

Zhao Fengnian, unusually, retorted, saying that the drought demon's karma was caused by his fellow Earthlings, and he also bore some of the karma. Moreover, Mingxin's story reminded him of some unpleasant memories, and he was determined to slay his inner demons this time.

The two stared at each other in the courtyard for a few breaths, the atmosphere tense and uneasy, when suddenly a gentle golden light shone from outside the courtyard gate.

The City God was still wearing that plain-colored long robe, and walked in alone without any ghost attendants.

His expression was not as relaxed as when he usually visited; there was a hint of solemnity between his brows. He said that he had received definite news that the location where the drought demon had appeared was a full three thousand miles away from Jinhua Prefecture. This distance was too far, and his jurisdiction did not extend beyond the territory of Jinhua, so he could not lead troops to provide support.

But he can help Liu Jin and the others eliminate any worries they may have; he will personally take care of the disciples of the Sanyi Temple.

Liu Jin remained silent for a moment. Several disciples in the courtyard were still in their respective positions. Li Zhitui was pulling Li Zhiwei back from the well, Li Zhiruo was stroking Xinlu's fur, Old Chen was sorting through the spirit dew gourds they had collected that day, and a crow was dozing on the eaves.

He raised his hand and pulled a piece of firework ribbon from his waist, the movement was very light, as if he were pulling a thin strand of gold and blue from a whole silk thread.

After the ribbon left her hand, it unfurled in the air on its own, growing larger and larger, from a single thread into a bolt of silk, and then from a bolt of silk into a huge curtain. The pale golden lights of thousands of homes and the deep blue Samadhi Fire intertwined to form an impenetrable curtain of light, enveloping the entire Sanyi Temple, along with its front and back courtyards, vegetable gardens, and stone paths in the pine forest.

The light curtain fell without making a sound; it simply flashed and disappeared into the air. From the outside, Sanyi Temple still looked like Sanyi Temple, the pine and cypress trees still looked like pine and cypress trees, and the courtyard wall still looked like the courtyard wall.

But if any evil spirits approach, the lights of every household will first block their path, and then the Samadhi Fire will burn away the invaders.

"Hengxiu, go to the city and post a notice that we will be closing our doors to visitors from today. I have already arranged the training schedule. Zhitui and Zhiruo will practice the Fire Accumulation Scripture according to the schedule. Xinlu and Wujian will continue to gather Qi and refine water. Zhiwei will follow her older brother and sister. Although the training is sealed, the standing meditation and Qi gathering cannot be stopped."

Old Chen bowed and accepted the order, then turned to prepare the writing materials.

Zhao Fengnian silently made preparations for departure.

He took out dry rations and a gourd of spiritual dew from the kitchen and stuffed them into his bundle. He also put a stack of talismans and a few pieces of ore he had brought back from Black Mountain but hadn't had time to refine into his bosom. With the circulation of his water-based energy, the dragon scales on the back of his hand automatically appeared, and the faint blue light at the edges of the scales was a bit brighter than usual.

Liu Jin glanced at his retreating figure, then turned to the City God and said, "I entrust the Sanyi Temple to you." The City God nodded slightly and said, "Go with peace of mind; when you return, not a single disciple will be missing."

The atmosphere in the courtyard was completely different from usual. Zhao Fengnian stopped teasing Li Zhiwei, Li Zhitui silently helped Zhao Fengnian pack his bags, and Li Zhiruo pulled Xinlu aside, gently patting the deer's neck to soothe it.

Xinlu seemed to sense something, lowered her head and touched Liu Jin's sleeve with the tip of her nose, her dark eyes reflecting the pale golden light of the ribbon-like light screen.

Wu Jian flew down from the eaves and landed on the edge of the well. Surprisingly, he didn't curse anyone. He just tilted his head and watched the people busy in the courtyard.

Li Zhiwei stood at the kitchen door. He had already gotten the gist of it from his brother: his master and Uncle Zhao were going to fight a very powerful monster, so powerful that even the City God couldn't help them.

He reached out and touched the sealed pale golden flame inside his stomach, clenching his small fist so tightly that the knuckles on the back of his hand turned slightly white.

He didn't insist on going together, but instead bit his lip and ran over to tug at Zhao Fengnian's sleeve: "Uncle Zhao, once my seal is broken, I'll go next time too."

Zhao Fengnian looked down at the little boy's face, which was scrunched up with seriousness, squatted down, and extended his fist: "It's a deal." Li Zhiwei bumped fists with him forcefully, then turned and ran back to the meditation room.

As Zhao Fengnian watched his retreating figure, he silently thought to himself: This silly child, it's best if there's never a next time.

Liu Jin gave the black-sheathed short sword given to him by the City God to Mingxin. Now that he had no extra weapons, he took the Red Lotus Spear that he had taken from the Black Mountain Demon from the back mountain.

The spear, forged from Netherworld Cold Iron, was extremely heavy. Although the Crimson Lotus Flame was no longer present at the tip, the densely packed inscriptions on the shaft still emitted a faint, dark red glow.

He slammed the gun down on the ground, the butt striking the bluestone slab with a clear, low thud. After checking the dragon scales on his body, Zhao Fengnian and the two nodded to the City God and stepped out of the Sanyi Temple courtyard side by side.