Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 163 Your Family's Immortal Talent's Mistress Comes to Take the Blame at Night (6 words)

A remote place.

Fang Shu and Er Daiyuan sat facing each other.

Erdaiyuan bowed solemnly and said, "It is indeed a donation."

She paused for a moment, then introduced herself: "To be honest, although I have no spiritual root, I am a member of your family, and can be considered a direct descendant. I have come up the mountain to serve under my clan's ancestor."

In recent years, our clan has frequently selected individuals from the mountains with impeccable character and exceptional talent to provide financial assistance, hoping to forge positive relationships.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu immediately had an idea.

Such aristocratic families do indeed occasionally select immortal talents from the outer disciples for assistance, hoping that someone can be promoted to an inner disciple, or marry into their family.

However, those who can receive funding are either born with spiritual roots, or the conditions for funding are quite harsh. In reality, it is no different from the contract work in Duobaotang.

Fang Shu didn't mince words and asked directly, "May I ask what kind of assistance you, sir, can provide for me, and what are the conditions?"

Er Daiyuan laughed, seemingly aware of Fang Shu's concerns, and carefully chose her words:

"Fellow Daoist Fang, rest assured, our clan will provide financial assistance without any restrictions or rules. We will not interfere with your cultivation methods, nor will we require you to serve us. This is by no means a recruitment or marriage arrangement."

If there is any fixed condition, it is that I hope that after you successfully establish your foundation one day, you will leave behind a bloodline descendant in my family. That is all.

Regarding the more specific funding, our clan divides it into approximately three tiers. If you are interested, please accompany me to pay respects to the Ancestor, where we can discuss the details. Any disagreements can be addressed.”

The woman spoke with great sincerity.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu pondered the clause about "leaving behind bloodlines after Foundation Establishment," and was momentarily speechless.

I don't know whether to say that Er's family's scheme is truly far-sighted, or that they really think highly of Fang Shu.

It should be noted that, according to the general knowledge book in Duobaotang, there was once a person with great supernatural powers who calculated the situation of people in the world when they were building their foundations, and the result was barely one in a hundred.

However, the booklet did not specify whether those with weak foundations or even those who were Qi Refining soldiers were included in this one-in-a-hundred selection.

However, based on Fang Shu's own observations of the Five Internal Organs Temple, the difficulty of Foundation Building is indeed far greater than that of Refining Essence and Refining Qi.

Very few succeed.

While pondering, Fang Shu suddenly thought of something and asked again, "I wonder how old your ancestor is now?"

Erdaiyuan's smile froze.

Asking about someone's lifespan, especially the lifespan of their ancestors, is considered extremely impolite for someone practicing spiritual cultivation.

But Fang Shu stared intently at him, and he merely cupped his hands in apology, without retracting his question.

After a few moments of silence, Er Daiyuan let out a long breath and sighed:
"I do not know how old the Ancestor is, but I have heard that it has been more than 220 years since the Ancestor established his foundation and ascended to the Dao."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu immediately understood.

Generally speaking, Qi Refining Immortals live for three Jiazi (180 years), while Foundation Establishment Immortals live for five Jiazi (300 years).

Even if the immortals' cultivation methods are good at self-cultivation and can prolong life, and they have never suffered any hidden injuries, their original essence is intact, or they have the help of longevity medicine, Qi Refiners can at most add half a Jiazi (60 years) to their lifespan, and Foundation Establishers can at most add a Jiazi (60 years) to their lifespan.

Furthermore, immortals need time to cultivate before they can establish their foundation. Even if the other party's ancestor was exceptionally talented in his youth and successfully established his foundation within sixty years, his lifespan is now only seventy or eighty years.

If the practiced methods cannot prolong life, or if one has been injured and had their lifespan shortened, it is possible that they may only have less than ten years left.

Based on Er Daiyuan's attitude, it is clear that the Er family, apart from their ancestor, has not yet nurtured a second Foundation Establishment Immortal.

They were probably making various plans and arrangements for how to maintain their vast family business and immortal clan once their ancestor passed away.

Investing in immortal seeds is one such example.

Having realized this, Fang Shu breathed a sigh of relief.

This is a misfortune for your family, but it can also be considered a small stroke of luck for him. If your family's ancestor hadn't lived too long, your family would never have offered such lenient terms.

Er Daiyuan composed herself, looked calmly at Fang Shu, and asked again, "Brother Fang, would you be willing to come with me to discuss this in detail?"

Fang Shu immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.
"I have my wish, but I dare not ask for my ear."

Erdaiyuan's face lit up with joy. She immediately stood up and took out a small medicine bottle from her sleeve. It was the same Golden Salt Cloud that she had bought a few months ago when she was preaching at Jin Yanxian's house.

The woman covered her face with her sleeve and sneezed slightly.

With a hiss, yellow smoke immediately billowed from the snuff bottle, enveloping the two of them and sending them flying like fast horses towards some place in the mountains.

Before long, the two flew to the front of a valley.

The valley is open and spacious, with many clusters of buildings built along the mountainside. They are layered and staggered, and from a distance, you can see flying eaves and upturned corners, and intricate brackets. Many of the eaves are also decorated with gilded wind chimes that tinkle when the wind blows.

There are quite a few people coming and going here, and it's more lively than any of the other temples Fang Shu has seen so far.

However, after carefully examining the hilltop, his gaze swept over all the prominent pavilions and archways, but he could not find any plaques that read "One of the Eighteen Halls". There was only a huge rock with the two characters "Ergu" engraved on it, standing upright in the valley, which was extremely conspicuous.

Erdaiyuan flew over with Fang Shufei, and landed as soon as they reached the mouth of the valley.

As she walked briskly forward, she introduced, "This is our clan's dwelling in the mountains. It is mostly inhabited by our clansmen. Please follow me, fellow Daoist."

Fang Shu nodded and followed behind the other person at a leisurely pace.

The two went straight in.

The people in this "Ergu" are also quite different from those in other temples. Many of the immortals or servants, upon seeing Fang Shu, immediately realized that he was an unfamiliar face and took a few more glances at him.

Soon, Erdaiyuan walked expectantly to the outside of a private room. She asked Fang Shu to wait outside for a while, and after tidying her clothes, she slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

Fang Shu stood quietly outside the pavilion, and soon heard a voice coming from inside:

“Er Daiyuan, a disciple of the clan, has come today with celestial materials and requests an audience with the Ancestor.”

But after a dozen or so breaths, no more sound came from the attic.

Just as Fang Shu thought that Naerdaiyuan had gone deeper into the attic, a faint voice suddenly sounded again:
"Don't you know the rules? First, present the resume of the immortal material."

"Yes," a respectful voice replied.

Immediately following was the sound of pages rustling, and within a breath or two, the sound of tapping on the tabletop echoed in the room.

The person inside muttered indifferently to himself, "Born from the foot of the mountain, a disciple of the Gu Hall Master, with good comprehension, but only a pseudo-spiritual root..."

After a long pause, the other party gave their comments:
"Alright, he is a celestial talent, but there's no need for him to pay homage to the Ancestor."

"Yangyang, take your sister Daiyuan downstairs and have a proper discussion with that fairy about the amount of funding."

After a "Yes" was heard from the attic, several breaths passed before another "Yes" was heard.

Then came a series of rustling footsteps.

Fang Shu turned his head and saw that the wooden door of the elegant room was opened in time, and Naerdaiyuan and another pretty woman walked out.

The pretty woman was dressed in a black robe and had a strong aura. She was obviously a Qi Refining disciple in the temple. There was a hint of arrogance in her eyes. As soon as she saw Fang Shu, she looked him up and down with a scrutinizing look.

The woman frowned slightly and looked at Er Daiyuan beside her:

“Sister Dai Yuan, how could you forget the rules of the valley? How can you let the immortal materials wait in the corridor? This is outrageous.”

Erdaiyuan's expression was already indifferent; compared to before she entered the cabinet, she had far fewer smiles.

At that moment, she was spoken to again by the pretty woman beside her, and her face immediately showed only a forced smile.

Fang Shu discreetly observed the two women. He noticed that the pretty woman was facing him, and instead of bowing in greeting, she simply nodded and said:

"Fellow Daoist Fang, is it? My name is Erdaiyang. Please come to the private room in this pavilion and sit down. We will discuss the matter of providing assistance with immortal materials."

"Okay." Fang Shu nodded.

Then the ram walked ahead of the two of them and hurried off to other parts of the attic.

When passing by some people, the other party casually assigned the servants to tidy up, burn incense, and serve tea.

So when Fang Shu and his companion entered the private room, the incense and tea were already prepared. However, the woman did not go in, but instead smiled and said from outside the door:
"Please wait a moment, I'll go and check the clan's aid funds for this year."

Fang Shu and Er Daiyuan nodded.

As a result, the two sat quietly in the private room for a full three cups of tea before Erdaiyang finally arrived.

The other person walked in from outside the door with a bright smile and light steps.

I thought this woman would take out a whole stack of documents and flip through them, but she only had a thin piece of yellow paper in her hand.

Erdeyang placed the yellow paper on the table and gave a brief introduction:

"Although the clan's support for immortal materials is not as demanding as that for recruiting workers or sons-in-law, if one wants a more generous reward, it often requires a closer relationship between the two parties."

If you are willing, fellow Daoist…

Before the other person could finish speaking, Fang Shu calmly said, "There's no need for that."

Erdeyang paused, as if she wanted to say something more.

But Fang Shu paused for a moment, then said directly:
"I am here only to establish good relations, not because I am in dire straits. If the nobleman has any other requests, then this matter will be dropped."

These words made Erdaiyang frown slightly. She glanced at Erdaiyuan beside her, seemingly wanting to give her a signal to reassure her.

But Er Daiyuan also looked up and stared at her intently: "Please, Sister Daiyang, tell Fellow Daoist Fang about the most basic amount of assistance."

These words made Erde sheep's expression turn serious.

The woman was too lazy to speak for a moment, but simply pointed to the yellow paper on the table: "The costs for the third-class immortal materials are all listed here. There's nothing that can be changed. You two can take your time to look at it yourselves."

After finishing her sentence, the woman even stood up and gave a perfunctory bow: "I need to prepare some incense for the ancestor. Once you two have confirmed that everything is correct, you can sign and affix your seals."

Fang Shu merely narrowed his eyes at this gesture, but Er Daiyuan beside him could no longer maintain her forced smile and stared intently at him.

But Erdeyang paid no attention to the two of them and walked straight out of the private room, only remembering to close the door behind her.

Fang Shu withdrew his gaze and looked at the table for a few moments.

As expected, this contract contained almost no restrictive clauses. Apart from requiring that after the immortal material reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he must leave a bloodline within the Er family. The rest was to attend the Er family's banquets as much as possible and to help Er family members if he encountered them.

Even these points all explicitly state that they are not mandatory, and even the matter of leaving bloodlines is stated as simply requiring cooperation.

As for the benefits of this subsidy, Fang Shu will receive a 30% discount on all purchases of spiritual materials, exchange of spiritual stones, and rental of quiet rooms at Erjia's shops and stores.

Furthermore, every month, Fang Shu can enter the Er family's library and spend a day browsing through books, or borrow a Qi Refining level book, regardless of its specific category.

Aside from that, there were no other benefits, not even a single spirit stone or two in kind. Fang Shu closed his eyes slightly, tapped the table, and pondered quietly.

Seeing this, Erdaiyuan, who was standing next to him, said somewhat awkwardly in a low voice:
“Fellow Daoist Fang, this is the basic amount for the Class C contract. If you feel it is inappropriate, I can call Sister Dai Yang back and discuss it with you again.”

"No." Fang Shu suddenly opened his eyes and chuckled softly.
"This contract is just what I want, I'll take it."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and bowed to the other party: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Er."

Erdaiyuan's expression relaxed, and she immediately stood up and returned the greeting.

After a brief exchange, the two signed and sealed the document together.

Before putting pen to paper, Fang Shu did an extra check to see if there were any hidden layers or strange patterns on the contract. Fortunately, there was nothing unusual; it was just a contract.

After everything was settled, the two walked out of the private room.

They were on their way to look for the Narde sheep, but soon after they left home, they bumped into each other.

The woman was talking to a young man in the garden between the attics. Her beautiful face was full of smiles, without any arrogance. Instead, her eyes seemed to be able to draw out threads.

She caught a glimpse of the two people, but didn't pay them any attention, continuing to chat and laugh with the man.

Seeing this, Er Daiyuan sighed, gave Fang Shu an apologetic look, and then pulled Fang Shu toward the previous elegant pavilion. She handed over the contract herself and helped Fang Shu retrieve the token that allowed him to enter and leave the Er family's library.

After everything was settled, it was already quite late.

Fortunately, the Er family had prepared a quiet room for Fang Shu to rest in, and servants promptly brought him food. The food was not neglected; it was all made of spirit grains, befitting his status as a Qi-refining immortal.

So he stayed in the quiet room of the Er family for the night, intending to return to his cave during the day to avoid any trouble on the way.

The night is darker.

Zheng Fang sat cross-legged in meditation, in a semi-tranquil state.

Bang! Bang! Suddenly, there was a knocking sound outside his door.

Fang Shu opened his eyes in the darkness, a look of confusion on his face.

Before he could get up and open the door, the door to his room was slowly pulled open, and the person who came in knew how to break the restriction on the door.

A faint, elegant fragrance wafted into Fang Shu's nose first.

A figure appeared outside the door. With a flick of his finger, the person's robe fell to the ground, revealing a gourd-shaped, white, jade-like body.

The other person, carrying a red candle, walked in calmly from outside the door and said with a smile:
"A distinguished guest is coming tonight, how can I treat him with coldness and loneliness? I wish to be with you in joy."

Fang Shu carefully examined the newcomer, his eyes showing surprise.

The visitor was not one of the male or female servants used to entertain guests in Er's household, but rather his fellow cultivator who had cultivated Qi—Er Daiyuan.

Moreover, the woman exuded a pure aura, and her demeanor was reserved yet somewhat nervous, quite unlike her outwardly confident manner, clearly indicating that this was her first time doing this.

Fang Shu put away his hand seals and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, is this truly your family's way of treating guests?"

He's merely a third-rate immortal talent; why would your family bet a Qi Refining maiden on him? Even entertaining him with a Qi Refining soldier or a maiden doing menial tasks would be incredibly generous.

Upon hearing this, Er Daiyuan hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "I have been disrespectful to you today, fellow Daoist. As the mediator between you and my clan, if there are any disagreements or negotiations, I should be the one to persuade and mediate, so as to avoid any misunderstandings."

Fang Shu was still skeptical when he heard this.

But the next moment, Erdaiyuan gracefully walked to his side and said, her breath sweet as orchids:

“Fellow Daoist Fang, I am also a pseudo-spiritual root, and I am a person from the mountain. I have no other skills, only this body.”

This too is a note you made.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu's eyes showed a hint of understanding.

So it turns out this woman came because the other party wanted to seduce her, become lovers, and gamble on Fang Shu's future.

Faced with such a benefit offered to him, Fang Shu naturally wouldn't refuse; he'd just consider it a bargain and take advantage of it.

Anyway, he possessed wondrous techniques and didn't believe that the other party, a mere Qi Refining Immortal, could break his "Minor Joy of Life and Death Yin and Yang" and take his vital essence. If that were the case, he would have to consider switching cultivation methods.

Seeing that Fang Shu didn't speak again, Er Daiyuan understood his meaning. She took a deep breath and immediately pressed herself against him, both nervously and boldly, whispering:

"Fang Lang."

Amidst rustling sounds.

That night.

The relationship between these two passengers from the foot of the mountain suddenly made a breakthrough, even better than before.

It was dawn the next day.

After Fang Shu got up, he glanced at Er Daiyuan, who looked like a beautiful woman in the quiet room, and felt completely relaxed.

Spiritual practice is not enough if it's just about arduous training; some moderation is also necessary for balance.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Erdaiyuan, then used his magic to summon a garment and draped it over her shoulders before turning away, showing no intention of staying any longer.

As for Erdaiyuan on the bed, she opened her eyes the moment Fang Shu turned around.

The woman kept her eyes fixed on Fang Shu.

But until the door was closed, all she could see was Fang Shu's back; she didn't see him turn around.

Youyou sighed.

Erdaiyuan rose and sat alone, placing her hand on her chest and muttering to herself, "What a decisive person. No wonder she, with her weak background, was able to win the favor of both the Old Mountain Lord and the Dragon Lady. I hope you... are truly remarkable."

He was lost in thought for a long time.

She came to her senses, looked at her own beautiful body and the marks on the bed, her eyes filled with a wistful and shifting expression.

………………

After some time.

In the elegant room where Fang Shu had previously stood, the usually indifferent voice showed a rare emotional fluctuation.

He angrily cursed:

"You, Erdaiyuan, are indeed a lowly bastard from the mountains, dissolute and frivolous, utterly shameless, wasting the clan's resources!"

Tell me, why did you leave me? To whom did you give yourself?!

Erdaiyuan, dressed in red, knelt in the hall.

She looked coldly at her aunt in the hall and said calmly, "Dai Yuan's conduct is impeccable. She has never been dissolute. She has only obeyed the clan's orders and made good relations with the immortal materials selected by our clan."

These words caused the elegantly dressed woman in the hall to pause in her speech.

But Erdai, standing next to the woman, couldn't help but sneer: "A mere third-grade pseudo-spiritual root immortal material is worth offering yourself to, sister? Are you perhaps truly starving?"

Erdaiyang said reservedly:
“My Pei Lang has a medium-grade spiritual root and outstanding comprehension. He is recognized by the ancestor as a first-class immortal talent and truly has the potential to establish his foundation. But even so, I, his younger sister, have not yet lost my virginity, for the sake of planning for the future.”

As she spoke, if her mother hadn't been there, Er Daiyang, feeling delighted, would have wanted to continue recounting how she had seduced Pei Lang while remaining perfectly safe.

But the next moment, Erde sheep's face froze.

"Since Dai Yuan has been returned, then Dai Yang, you should go first. Don't delay important matters."

It was the woman in her elaborate attire who suddenly spoke, her face expressionless.

Erdey turned her head, looking at the other person in disbelief, thinking she had misheard.

The woman in elaborate attire softened under her gaze, her expression instantly turning gentler, but she still said:

"Don't worry, you are a disciple of the temple, not a servant or a furnace for cultivation. You are just assisting in cultivation. It will only take a toll on your health, but it won't be a big problem."

These words made Erdeyang immediately take a half step back, and she stammered in a fluster:
"Then, what about Pei Lang? What will happen to him? What will happen to me?"

The woman in her formal attire remained silent for a few moments, opening her mouth as if to explain, but ultimately said nothing more, simply waving her hand.

Without a sound, several blank-faced maids immediately emerged from the hall and surrounded Erdaiyang to prevent her from escaping and causing trouble.

Erde's face lost all its arrogance and reserve; her face turned pale, and she panicked, letting out a piercing scream:

"I'm not going, Mother!"

Mother, you are my mother. It was Dai Yuan who ruined things, what does it have to do with me?

The woman in her finery couldn't bear to hear such screams.

She abruptly stood up, waved for the maids to leave, and walked personally to Erdeyang.

Erdaiyang was overjoyed, thinking she had escaped a calamity. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Mother, we can look in the clan again. If we can't find them there, I know a few fellow Daoists..."

However, when her hand was pulled up by the woman in full dress, she immediately felt that her inner energy was being restricted, and her body went limp.

The woman in elaborate attire soothed him in a low voice, "Yangyang, don't be afraid. I'll go in with you. I'll take good care of you and speak up for you so that your foundation isn't damaged."

These words stunned Erdean.

She was still in a daze until she was almost pulled out of the cabin; in her disorientation, she even forgot to scream and struggle.

*Smack!*

As the door opened, a crisp sound rang out again.

It was the woman in her finery who reached out her hand.

She looked at the figure still kneeling in the pavilion with disgust, and cursed viciously:

"You shameless wretch! You worthless good-for-nothing, this is all you'll ever be."

After finishing her tirade, the elegantly dressed woman quickly led her daughter out of the attic.

Erdaiyuan knelt in the hall.

She covered her face expressionlessly, keeping her head down the whole time, without even glancing at the mother and daughter who were leaving.

　If the plot is more complete, it can be combined into one chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)