Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 129 Intrigue and deception
After returning, the three of them struck while the iron was hot, found some pen and paper, and worked together to write out the roster from memory. They passed it around and studied the competitors in their group.

For the next three days, Xu Boyang hardly ever left his house. He was either meditating or practicing martial arts in his room. Occasionally, he would practice his sword skills and try out his new sword "Liuhe" to see if it was comfortable for him.

That day, Fei Wenlong and Lu Yangxian came knocking on the door early, saying that they wanted to go to Taipingyi, the base of Nanhuai Xianzong in Yuchuan, to visit his uncle Zhang Guanzhi, and to inquire about the information of the participants of the Taihe Jingwu Banquet. They asked Xu Boyang and Fei Wenyu if they wanted to go with them.

In the past three or four days, Fei Wenlong and Lu Yangxian went out early and came back late, busy making friends with monks in Linghuai River and gathering information. Unfortunately, they had little success and came back dejected every night. Xu Boyang laughed secretly. He had planned to show them the list he had written down, but Fei Wenyu firmly disagreed. Xu Boyang thought it was not good to interfere in other people's family affairs, so he had to give up.

Seeing the two people inviting him, Xu Boyang pondered for a moment and politely declined, saying that he would not go if he helped his two families take care of Lingxizi. Fei Wenyu saw that the two were going to the Xianzong headquarters, and was afraid that the two would use the back door again and suffer losses, so he patted his butt and followed them.

As soon as the three of them walked out of the inn, two waiters from the inn quietly followed them.

At noon, Ding Xuelian knocked on the door. After Xu Boyang came out, Ding Xuelian brought three Lingxizi with him and said with a smile:

"Mr. Xu, I'm going out to do some shopping. Could you please help look after the children?"

Xu Boyang nodded in agreement, then took the three children back to the room. He watched Ding Xuelian go downstairs and closed the door thoughtfully.

After Ding Xuelian left the inn, he didn't walk far before looking back and hurried to a hiding place he had found in advance. He silently practiced his profound skills and used [Paper Cutting into Soldiers] to secretly observe the movements in Xu Boyang's room.

Seeing Xu Boyang sitting in the room practicing without any unusual movement, she was unwilling to give up and kept waiting. Unexpectedly, when the sun was setting, Xu Boyang remained unmoved.

Just when she was about to give up and prepare to go back, she suddenly saw Xu Boyang open his eyes and stand up. She immediately became nervous. Unexpectedly, Xu Boyang stood up and called Lingxizi who was playing in the flower hall, and accompanied them to the front hall for dinner.

Ding Xuelian finally let go of his worries and returned to the inn, seeing the innkeeper Xu Rucheng serving dishes to the children. The two looked at each other, nodded slightly, and understood each other tacitly.

Just at this moment, Lu Yangxian, Fei Wenlong and the other two walked in.

Lu Yangxian and Fei Wenlong were talking and laughing, looking very happy and cheerful, as if they had heard some news. In contrast, Fei Wenyu was walking alone behind them, looking depressed.

Xu Boyang was sitting in the hall drinking tea. He smiled and asked:

"Why are you so happy, Master Lu?"

Lu Yangxian took two steps closer, sat down, and said with a smile:
"Brother Xu, let me tell you, our Nanhuai has made a great success this time. A peerless beauty has emerged, named Yan Qingshang. She's only nineteen years old, but she's already at the eighth level of Condensation Yuan. She's the undisputed number one for the Six Ding and Two Jia of the Earth Yuan!"

Fei Wenyufang stepped over the threshold and was unhappy after hearing this. He snorted:
"Brother Lu, don't speak too soon. The competition is unpredictable. The situation at the eighth level of Condensation Yuan is actually not that bad. It's less competitive than your ninth level. Look at the people in your group. Which one of them is a pushover?"

"Yunfu has a 17-year-old genius, Shen Zhaolin, who has reached the ninth level of Condensation Yuan. There are also the three giants of Yuchuan, Zhao Jiuchang, Zeng Shuming, and Kong Zhonghai. I have to say that Boyang is still sitting here. Humph, Brother Lu, you'd better wish you good luck!"

Lu Yangxian looked nonchalant:
"I don't care. If I can't win, then forget it. The worst that can happen is that I can go back to my hometown, Huangkou Town, to inherit the family business. Anyway, I have tried my best. Since fate has chosen not to give me a life full of ups and downs, then I can only choose to live a life of ease and comfort without worries about food and clothing."

Fei Wenlong sighed softly: "To be honest, I feel the same way."

Ding Xuelian was really angry and amused watching these two young men from small families who had no ambitions. Suddenly, he saw Fei Wenyu's face turn red and white, and he went upstairs without saying a word, waving his sleeves.

Seeing this, everyone looked at each other and fell silent for a moment.

"The three of you take your time chatting."

Xu Boyang stood up and said, "I'll go see him."

Seeing Xu Boyang follow him upstairs, Ding Xuelian asked in confusion, "What happened to Mr. Fei San?"

Fei Wenlong snorted when he saw this, and sat down and said:
"My younger brother doesn't have the destiny of an aristocratic family, but he has the disease of an aristocratic family. He always suspects that I will harm him after I inherit the family business. I am no longer surprised."

"Alas, Master Fei, you are just talking nonsense. Nothing in the world is groundless. We are all from the same roots, so why are you so eager to fight against us?"

Ding Xuelian sighed softly and glanced at Lu Yangxian with resentment.
"Mr. Lu, you've exposed my wounds with your words!"

Lu Yangxian was confused, rolled his eyes, and said unhappily:

"Their family affairs in Dongke Town have nothing to do with me. How would I know how his mother died?"

"His mother...is dead?"

Ding Xuelian was very curious after hearing this and turned to ask, "Master Fei, excuse me, but you and your brother seem to be in love but they are not together. What's going on?"

Faced with this question, Fei Wenlong's face darkened slightly, and he sighed, feeling somewhat lonely.
"Miss Ding, I'm ashamed to say that Fei Wenyu and I have the same father but different mothers. His mother was originally my father's concubine, but later died of illness. At that time, he was still young and ignorant. Because of his disobedience, he was punished by my mother twice, and he held a grudge. Later, he always suspected that my mother was jealous and killed him. He was suspicious all day long and didn't practice well..."

After Xu Boyang went upstairs, he glanced at Ding Xuelian, quickly went into the room and closed the door, and asked anxiously with his spiritual sense:
"Wenyu, how is it?"

Fei Wenyu nodded as usual and replied with his spiritual consciousness:

"Everything went well. I've already given the letter to Zhang Guanzhi. I've also delivered the message you asked me to. He said he would definitely do it."

Xu Boyang nodded: "That's great, thank you for your help."

"It's just a trivial matter, why do you care?"

Fei Wenyu waved his hand and asked with a wry smile, "Boyang, it seems that you are just like me, unhappy at home. Your family background is already extraordinary, why don't you leave the Ding family?"

Xu Boyang knew that he had been misunderstanding, and slowly shook his head: "Not really, Wenyu, you and I have known each other for ten years, you know me well, I will not do anything to harm others and benefit myself, but don't ask too much about this matter, don't think too much, some things are much better unknown than known."

"I understand. Since it concerns the Yushi family, I dare not ask you." Fei Wenyu nodded slowly and sighed softly: "Boyang, to be honest, apart from the last time I went to the Fangcun Room with you, I was slightly happy for a day or two. The rest of the time I have been living in agony. It is simply difficult to speak..."

Xu Boyang could see that he was worried and unhappy, so he said softly, "If you want to say something, just say it. Don't keep it in your heart. It will make you feel better if you say it out."

Fei Wenyu sat down dejectedly and said:

"I went to the Nanhuai base today. I heard that Yan Qingshang is very powerful. He has already cultivated three spiritual energies and his strength is much higher than mine. I feel really nervous..."

"Boyang, you don't know this, but my family is from Nanhuai, and we've always been a descendant of the Nanhuai Taoist priest 'Water and Fire Unmatched'. The Taoist priest's surname is Sun, and he's the head of our Nanhuai Immortal Sect. I dare not mention his name, but our success and failure are all due to our head. Because of this, our family has been declining among the other Nanhuai families for many years, and has been ostracized and bullied."

"It's simply because the other families are jealous of our Ghost Market. However, this Ghost Market was awarded to our family by 'Water and Fire Not Yet Harmonious' years ago. Unfortunately, the head Taoist priest was punished by the Immortal of 'Langfeng Peak' to be imprisoned in Zuoling Town for decades. Now, he only has the title of head, but not the power."

Xu Boyang's heart trembled. He understood that no aristocratic family in Qingshen could remain immune to the consequences. The Fei family in Dongke Town also had an unknown story behind it. This story was quite profound, and it even involved the head of the Nanhuai Immortal Sect, the Taoist priest "Water and Fire Unmatched" Sun Guozhen. Then he heard Fei Wenyu say with a sigh:

"Boyang, you should know that my Nanhuai County is adjacent to Liwu. It is mountainous, the land is barren, and the border is unstable. It is the worst among the four Qingshen counties. The Nanhuai Immortal Sect is also the weakest among the four sects. The reason is that there are too few feathered masters."

"Back in the day, when our main branch, the Sun family, was still thriving, the head of the Immortal Sect, the Sun family's ancestor, 'Shui Huo Wei Ji', was a Taoist priest in the late Huang Ting stage. At that time, the four sects of immortality advanced simultaneously, and life in Nan Huai was much better than it is now."

"At that time, as long as he was alone in command of Taiping Mountain, the other three sects would not dare to covet it. Unfortunately, the head Taoist priest committed some crime and was cruelly exiled to Langfeng Peak. A severe ban was set up, and he was ordered to guard the border as a criminal, and he was not allowed to leave Zuoling Town without an imperial decree."

"From then on, the Nanhuai Immortal Sect fell into decline and became a vassal of the other three immortal sects."

"Mortals often say that when one person achieves enlightenment, everyone around him will rise to heaven, and vice versa. My family, as a branch of the Sun family, has also fallen into decline. Over the past thirty or forty years, the entire Nanhuai Immortal Sect has appeared harmonious on the surface, but in reality, it has long been torn apart."

"The Immortal Sect's Grand Elder, the feathered scholar 'Bai Yu Fu Chen,' has taken refuge with the Pei family in Jiangzuo. 'Li Yan Ding Hai' has joined the Ling family in Yuchuan. 'Jin Zhi Yu Ye' is from the Qi family in Huaishang. These three remaining Huang Ting feathered scholars in Nanhuai, while still physically present in Nanhuai, have long since departed. Their lack of strength has forced them to seek refuge elsewhere, seeking self-preservation."

"Of these three feathered masters, except for 'White Jade Whisk' who is in the middle stage of Huangting, the other two are newly promoted to Huangting."

After Fei Wenyu finished speaking, he glanced at Xu Boyang and said with a wry smile: "Boyang, don't doubt it. These things were told to me by my great grandfather himself. I can't be wrong."

"I have no doubts."

Xu Boyang was secretly shocked. He didn't expect that after all this talk, it was still because of the [Hidden Demon Mirror]. It seemed that this matter was really extraordinary back then, and its impact has been far-reaching to this day. With a sigh in his heart, he nodded and said,
"So, these three families of feathered samurai have joined forces with other families in other counties, gained support, and developed independently. After decades of hard work, they have become capable of challenging the Sun family and coveting the position of head of the Immortal Sect. The subordinate clans under your jurisdiction have always been jealous of your family's monopoly on the Ghost Market and even deliberately found fault with your family. And your main family, the Sun family, although the head family, has gradually declined because their ancestor was imprisoned by the Immortal, but they can do nothing about it."

Fei Wenyu was stunned. He didn't expect that Xu Boyang would understand what he said right after he just said the beginning. He said, "Yes, Boyang, you are right!"

"Alas... this matter is entirely the fault of the Sun family. I heard that 'Water and Fire Are Not Yet Complete' is a man of dictatorship, ruthless in his actions, and protective of his own people. The other Taoist families under Nanhuai's rule suffer terribly whenever they encounter any dissatisfaction. I heard from my great-grandfather that he's exactly like Yu Chuan's 'Fuhuo Yingtian' back then!"

"So, people's hearts were divided. 'Water and Fire' was trapped in Zuoling. Countless people celebrated, and the entire Nanhuai Immortal Sect was even more divided. Now, although his Sun family still controls the Immortal Sect, it has long become an empty shell. They have only the title, but they can't get any help from heaven or earth."

Xu Boyang listened silently and said, "Wenyu, fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. Under the current situation, there is no way to change it. Your family can only endure the humiliation and believe that one day, things will change!"

"Boyang, my great grandfather also told me the same thing. Days have passed like this. Although these feathered clans are clamoring, they are ultimately from the foundation-building families. As long as 'Water and Fire' are still alive and my great grandfather is still around, they dare not act rashly."

"It's a pity that my great grandfather doesn't have much time left..."

Fei Wenyu finally spoke out the secret in his heart. His face turned pale, his eyes staring blankly at the ground, tears rolling in his eyes unconsciously. He said in a hoarse voice,
"If my great-grandfather passes away, my father is a coward, and the burden will fall solely on Fei Wenlong. If Fei Wenlong can't handle it, sooner or later Loufu Mountain will become the territory of the Zhang family of Ningyang Town, also a Sun family, and my ghost market will probably be lost..."

Xu Boyang frowned and said, "I remember you told me that your great-grandfather was a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and his lifespan could reach 240 to 250 years. At your age now, it shouldn't be that long. Could it be that your great-grandfather is nearing his end?"

"Boyang, you don't know that my great-grandfather was injured in his early years and his life was shortened. At his age, he already knows his destiny and has a clear understanding of it. In fact, ten years ago, when Sishui was in turmoil and the two major feathered families in the north, the Cangwu Chen family and the Yunfu Lin family, were fighting, he had already ignored worldly affairs and began to retreat, preparing to break through the Huangting. However, because the Sun family was isolated in Nanhuai and had no one to help him, he could only ask the Ding family of Yuchuan for help."

Xu Boyang was shocked: "He went to look for 'Firefly Reflecting the Snow'?"

"That's right!" Fei Wenyu nodded and sighed, "Actually, the only family my family can rely on now is the Zhang family in Ningyang Town, but they're only a foundation-building family, so the only one left is the Ding family."

"However, Fei Wenlong didn't know about this. After all, his mother is from the Zhang family."

Xu Boyang sucked in a breath of cold air. He didn't expect that the Fei family in Dongke Town was actually related to the Ding family. No wonder the Ding family arranged for him to work in the ghost market of the Fei family when he was escorting and selling elixirs all these years.

It turned out to be the case.

For a moment, Xu Boyang's forehead was sweating. He quickly stood up, quietly pushed open the door a little, and glanced at the front hall across the corridor. He found that Ding Xuelian was chatting with Fei Wenlong and Lu Yangxian. He didn't know what they were talking about. He felt a little relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned around and spoke with his spiritual consciousness: "The sound transmission is secret, don't use words. You say this, but what happened at home?"

Fei Wenyu smiled bitterly and nodded. "Two years ago, my grandfather summoned me and told me that even with the help of the Ding family's 'Firefly Reflecting the Snow', he couldn't escape the fate of life and death of his small family. He had failed to break through the Huangting... and his Dao foundation wheel was cracked. Even the gods couldn't save him. Barring any unexpected events, he would die within five years..."

"He told me that if Fei Wenlong and I couldn't establish our foundation, or if we couldn't achieve anything at the Taihe Jingwu Banquet, Loufu Mountain would be in jeopardy once he left. If Fei Wenlong took refuge with his mother, the Zhang family of Ningyang Town, I would be left with nowhere to go."

"If it finally comes to that, and he asks me to abandon the Ghost Market and come to Yuchuan to seek refuge with the Ding family, there might still be a glimmer of hope..."

"So, Boyang, you know the relationship between Fei Wenlong and I. I've been living in constant fear for the past ten years, and even more so in the past two years. Do you know why I haven't made any progress in the past ten years? I, I really... can't sleep at night... I'm plagued by nightmares..."

"At this Taihe Jingwu Banquet, I have absolutely no way out. I can only burn my boats and fight to the death!"

After hearing this, Xu Boyang looked at Fei Wenyu's resolute eyes. Suddenly, a flash of lightning flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but exclaimed with his spiritual consciousness:
"You mean, 'Firefly Reflecting the Snow' killed your great-grandfather Fei Xuanzhi?"

Thanks to my book friend Xiaolaoniu KuaiKuaiPao for the monthly ticket! Please give me the monthly ticket and the recommendation ticket! Thank you everyone!

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(End of this chapter)