Divine Tang Era

Xu Dan didn't know how long he ran before he dared to stop and rest when he saw that the goat he had hit behind him wasn't chasing him anymore.

That's really too cruel of him to run into a goat. He only killed one, so why did the whole flock have to come after him? Luckily, he ran fast, otherwise his 180-pound body would have been left there.

No, I need to go back and practice some light-body skills, otherwise I'll be in big trouble if they catch up with me.

Xu Dan summarized his experience and reflected deeply on his mistakes.

Looking around, he realized he was already close to the city gate, meaning he had run for half a day straight. Was this even humanly possible? He had to go back and learn light-body skills and archery. If he had shot that lead sheep, none of this would have happened.

The basket was nowhere to be found, but since all the valuables were stored in his storage ring, Xu Dan wasn't worried about any losses.

Brushing the dust off his clothes, Xu Dan took out the Soul-Devouring Yin-Yang Hammer, placed it behind his neck, put his hands on the hammer head, and walked towards the city gate with a proud and unruly air.

"Young master is back!" A familiar soldier on the city wall greeted him politely.

"You're back. Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

Xu Dan waved to the soldiers guarding the city, as if a leader had come down for an inspection, which made the soldiers both amused and exasperated. After entering the city, he didn't rush home, but ran quickly towards Mingfeng Tower. He was as fast as the wind. He Rong was about to go up and greet him, but he disappeared in an instant.

"Sister, how much do you think this gold nugget is worth?"

Xu Dan arrived at Mingfeng Tower and ran straight up to the second floor without needing a maid to lead the way. Li Zhu happened to be there as well, so she led him into the reception room.

Li Zhu leaned lazily against the soft cushions of the couch, gave a dissatisfied snort, and said sarcastically, "You men, when you need help you call me 'sister,' but when you don't need help you call me 'madam.' Men in this world are indeed the most unfaithful, ungrateful, and heartless."

"Sister, you have a man?" Xu Dan asked in surprise.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Li Zhu glared at her, annoyed.

"Why do you sound like that? You sound like a woman resentful in her boudoir."

"What nonsense! I was just expressing my feelings. If you keep talking nonsense, I won't accept this stone from you."

Hearing her say that, Xu Dan quickly said, "I don't think you're that kind of person." He then stepped forward and sat down next to Li Zhu, saying, "Sister, someone as beautiful as you, a fairy unparalleled in heaven and earth, why would you need to find a husband, get married, or marry anyone? You might as well dedicate yourself to cultivation and become an immortal."

Think about it, you're so beautiful, yet you have to get married, have children, manage the household and finances. Isn't that a bad deal?

If you marry a man who understands, loves, and cherishes you, someone who can comb your hair and draw your eyebrows for you, that's fine. But if you marry a man who only knows how to sweet-talk, spout empty vows of eternal love, and then discards you like trash after he's had his way with you, spending his days either drinking and gambling or frequenting brothels, coming home drunk and calling you a "worn-out hag"—who could stand that?

"So, sister!"

Xu Dan shifted closer to Li Zhu, grabbed her gentle hand, and said earnestly, "Take my advice, don't think about any men."

Cultivate diligently, attain enlightenment as soon as possible, and when you swallow a golden elixir, your fate will be in your own hands, not in the heavens. Transcending the Three Realms and beyond the Five Elements, you will roam freely in the world, attaining true freedom. Isn't that wonderful?

Zhu Yuxian appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the wall. Hearing his words, his eyes lit up.

"Heh, it's not like you can become an immortal just by saying so."

Li Zhu pulled her hand away, slapped him, and sneered, "If it were a thousand or eight hundred years earlier, you might have actually become an immortal, but now it's difficult. I wouldn't dare to hope for that; I only hope to be carefree. Since you're so sweet-talking, I'll take this broken stone. What do you want in return?"

"Sister, I need a technique for lightness of body, so I can run as fast as I can, so no one can catch me. I also need a technique for concealing my aura, so I won't be discovered by monsters in the wild. If there are any left over, I'll divide them into two parts and exchange them for gold and spirit stones."

"You're so small, yet you ask for so much." Li Zhu glared at him, then beckoned, "Come here."

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. When you need something from someone, Xu Dan had no choice but to endure it and run over.

Li Zhu reached out and pinched his cheeks, asking, "When are you finally going to tell your legendary tale? I've been waiting for so long."

"I'll come tomorrow," Xu Dan said hurriedly.

"Remember, you must come tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll go and drag you back and lock you up until I finish telling you the legend, then I'll release you."

"I'll definitely remember it," Xu Dan assured him repeatedly, but then added, "This story is something I racked my brains to come up with; there are no other legendary stories like it. If you want to hear it again, don't come to me."

"Finish what you've said first!"

Li Zhu waved her hand, ignoring what he said.

Having been in charge of Mingfeng Tower for so many years, she's seen all sorts of people. How could she not know Xu Dan's little schemes? He thinks he can escape her grasp? That little monkey is dreaming.

Judging from her attitude, she clearly doesn't admit it.

But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Helpless, Xu Dan can only take it one step at a time.

With a flick of her sleeve, Li Zhu produced two booklets. "One of these is the Seven Star Flying Steps, a lightness skill. If mastered, it allows one to draw upon the power of the stars, enabling one to move without fatigue. The other is the Breath Concealment Technique you requested, the Purification of Mind and Spirit Restoration Method. This technique not only conceals your breath, making you undetectable, but also nourishes your soul."

"Thank you, sister."

Xu Dan took the booklet, thanked him, and began to read it. His expression now bore no trace of his earlier helplessness.

Li Zhu chuckled lightly. If she couldn't handle this little thing, what was the point of being the mistress of Mingfeng Tower? She might as well just find someone to marry her off.

Xu Dan flipped through the two manuals and found that it was indeed as Li Zhu had described. The Seven Star Flying Steps involved visualizing the seven stars and walking on the Big Dipper. The effects weren't immediately apparent, but as the practice deepened, a continuous flow of stellar power entered the body, making walking completely effortless. Where could one find such a wonderful technique?

The method of purifying the mind and calming the spirit is a kind of fetal breathing technique that guards the spirit within, which is somewhat different from fetal breathing.

Most importantly, it can not only conceal one's aura so that others cannot detect it, but also nourish and repair the damage to the soul, and strengthen the spirit.

The owner of the first floor is indeed extraordinary; he always offers good stuff.

Xu Dan suddenly felt ashamed of his petty thoughts. It's just telling legendary stories, what's the big deal? With this powerful backer, he could tell legendary stories or even just call her "Mom".

Thinking of this, Xu Dan smiled and said, "Thank you, sister. Where would I find this kind of skill if it weren't for you?"

"Oh"

Li Zhu haughtily raised her chin. Men are all the same. They're all sweet-talking when they need something, indifferent when they don't, and cold and sarcastic when you actually need their help.

Xu Dan suddenly remembered something else, "Sister, do you have any pills that can greatly replenish qi and blood? I'd like to buy some."

"What, you haven't mastered the 'Establishing the Cauldron and Sealing the Furnace' technique yet?"

Since Li Zhu had given him the cultivation method himself, he naturally knew what Li Zhu wanted to do with the things he bought to replenish his qi and blood.

"It'll be soon, but eating meat all the time gets boring, so I'm buying some things to replenish my qi and blood to change things up. Besides, taking medicine is simpler; I don't need to eat so much meat." Xu Dan naturally couldn't tell the real reason; he just made up an excuse.

Li Zhu didn't ask any further questions, but simply told her maid to fetch it.

The cultivation technique was fine, but she couldn't possibly carry such a low-level qi and blood tonic with her at all times.

A moment later, a maid brought over something. Li Zhu explained, "This is the Golden Jade Double Lock True Elixir, which greatly replenishes qi and blood, but it cannot be taken in large quantities. It can only be taken once every two days, otherwise it will damage the body."

"clear."

Xu Dan picked up a bottle of pills and opened it, releasing a fragrant aroma. He inhaled it, and the fragrance transformed into vital energy, flowing into his body. He was somewhat surprised; if the smell was this strong, the pills must be even more extraordinary.

She couldn't help but ask, "Sister, how much does this pill cost?"

"It's my brother's first purchase, so I'll give it to you for free," Li Zhu said generously, waving her hand.

This is a rich woman! If I don't seize the opportunity now, when will I? Xu Dan's composure crumbled, and his adult reserve vanished without a trace. He immediately put away the pills and eagerly stepped forward, saying, "Sister, I recently learned a massage technique. Let me give you a massage."

He didn't care whether Li Zhu agreed or not, and pressed down on her shoulder.

He pressed it twice and asked, "Sister, did I press it well?"

Li Zhu said disdainfully, "What's so good about it? You're clumsy, not even as good as Xiao Yue'er's toes."

Xu Dan was displeased. "Sister, you're clearly ungrateful. I've only ever given you massages in my entire life, and you're complaining?"

Seeing his serious and angry expression, Lizhu couldn't help but giggle.

"So cute, come here and let your big sister give you a hug."

How could Xu Dan possibly let her hug him? He patted his clothes and said arrogantly, "Look at my face. Countless young women would scream and be head over heels for me if I walked down the street. The men who like me could line up from one end of the city wall to the other. Do you think someone like me is someone you can just hug?"

"Giggle giggle"

Li Zhu laughed so hard she was shaking, and the other immortals also laughed along.

While Xu Dan wasn't paying attention, Li Zhu grabbed him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, then burst into laughter.

Xu Dan was speechless. Although he liked to hug young women, he was always the one who took the initiative. What was with this passive behavior? Even though Li Zhu was hugging him, he felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Fortunately, Li Zhu only hugged him for a short while before letting him go.

He lay back on the couch, waved his hand, and a fruit basket appeared on the table. "Take these spiritual fruits back and eat them. Let Xiaoyue take you to get the rest of the spirit stones and gold. Remember to come early tomorrow to tell the legend."

It's just telling a story, why keep tearing it down? There's just not enough entertainment!

Xu Dan replied calmly, "I know. No matter if the sky falls or the earth cracks, or the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, I will come to tell you the legend." After saying that, he walked out under Xiao Yue'er's lead.

Li Zhu always felt that the phrases "the sky collapses and the earth cracks" and "the sea dries up and the rocks crumble" were strange to use here, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

Zhu Yuxian leaned against the wall, his shoulders heaving, secretly chuckling to himself.