The Long Journey to Immortality

But she still chose to "lie" and respect Ping'er's idea.

Regarding the matter of the artifact spirit, Senior Zhen asked a few more questions, inquired about Han Lu's general situation of possessing an artifact spirit, and combined with his own experience, he secretly transmitted his voice to Han Lu, giving her some advice on how to get along amicably with the artifact spirit.

There were four points in total, three of which were reasonable. Han Lu humbly accepted them and also thought of finding opportunities to improve her relationship with Ping'er.

After finishing their business, as always, Senior Zhen invited Han Lu to go fishing together.

“Cultivating one’s character and temperament, you might even be able to experience a trace of the true meaning of tranquility.”

"It is better to accept than to be disrespectful," Han Lu said happily, and walked side by side with Senior Zhen to the lakeside.

As usual, the two used the weeping willow as a fishing rod, playing the game of Jiang Taigong fishing, where those who are willing to take the bait will be caught.

Compared to thirty years ago, Han Lu's fishing skills have not improved, but her luck has improved considerably.

During the two hours of fishing, a total of twelve fish were caught.

If the lake water hadn't been so clear, she would have almost thought someone was lurking underwater, catching fish and putting them on her willow branches.

Unfortunately, although she caught a lot of fish, Han Lu did not have the ultimate comprehension or opportunity to experience the Way of Stillness that the senior had just introduced.

It was a bit of a pity, but it was within Han Lu's expectations.

She wasn't arrogant enough to think she was a chosen one, capable of easily comprehending the truths of the universe that her predecessors had spent countless years trying to understand.

It was already late at night when Han Lu left the small world where Senior Zhen was.

Walking along the secluded mountain path of Zhengyi Gate, Han Lu felt an indescribable sense of joy.

It seemed that only by gaining the approval of a true senior could she truly become a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Chapter 1190

For cultivators, there is not much difference between day and night.

However, the vast majority of cultivators start their cultivation from being mortals, especially low-level cultivators, who have not yet completely broken away from the rhythm of mortal life in terms of lifestyle.

Only cultivators who practice certain specific techniques would live a nocturnal life, hiding during the day and going out at night.

Therefore, at night, Zhengyi Gate, like any ordinary city, is exceptionally quiet.

Even Foundation Establishment disciples and Golden Core elders who occasionally travel in and out of the sect will tiptoe around and avoid making any noise that might disturb the disciples who are meditating in their rooms.

In addition, since she had already planned to stroll around the sect and see the night view of the sect that she had overlooked because she was focused on cultivation, Han Lu continued to walk at a pace close to that of an ordinary person on the mountain path of Zhengyi Sect, returning the way she came.

Arriving at the foot of Wuxing Mountain Academy, Han Lu found three disciples practicing in the open air, breathing in spiritual energy under the bright moonlight on a platform beside the mountain road.

They were all at the second or third level of Qi Refining cultivation.

Han Lu noticed that this place was one of the few "unclaimed" areas in the Zhengyi Sect, but with a relatively high density of spiritual energy.

Moreover, the moonlight was bright.

Practicing meditation here at night is a good option.

"It seems they must have spent some time searching to find this treasure land," Han Lu said, casting an appreciative glance at the three diligent disciples. "Judging from the attributes of their cultivation techniques, they are mostly disciples of my East Mountain Academy or South Mountain Academy."

"Unfortunately, his talent is a little lacking, his utilization rate of spiritual energy is too low, and he is even more restless when meditating, unable to enter a state of complete concentration."

"Therefore, it is not much more efficient than sitting on your own bed to cultivate."

Seeing that the three of them had cultivated Taoist arts for at least a year or two, and shouldn't be in such a sorry state, Han Lu couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

"Could there be some hidden story?"

With a touch of curiosity, Han Lu watched quietly for a while.

Fifteen minutes later, after the two men awoke from their meditative state, she only needed to hear a few words to discover the truth behind it all.

It turns out that these three disciples encountered a shameless thief while cultivating here a month ago.

Because he was so focused during his meditation, he didn't realize he had lost something until sunrise the next day when he woke up.

Although the storage pouches at their waists were not lost, one of the people's jade pendants, which had a calming effect, fell into the hands of a thief.

This made the three of them still anxious and worried when they cultivated here again, even though they deliberately left their storage bags and other valuables at their residence in the branch academy. They were afraid of encountering thieves again and being ambushed.

The most powerful of the three was only at the third level of Qi Refining. How could they possibly set up any sophisticated restrictions or formations to protect themselves while they were meditating? If any thief had a cultivation level of the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, he could take advantage of the three being in meditation and do dirty and despicable things without anyone noticing.

Hearing that this was the reason why the three disciples, who were wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation, were unsettled and had to be cautious during meditation, Han Lu was quite angry.

"I never expected that there would be such a despicable thief in the Zhengyi Sect."

Slightly displeased, Han Lu, who had planned to do more for the sect in the remaining six months, stepped aside without hesitation.

Suddenly, a female cultivator whose cultivation level was clearly higher than theirs appeared. The two disciples were startled, thinking that this time they had attracted robbers instead of thieves.

But when they could see Han Lu's face clearly by the bright moonlight, they put down their guard, bowed respectfully, and subconsciously called out, "Senior Sister."

Her seniority had suddenly dropped considerably, but Han Lu did not argue with the three disciples who had just joined the sect and did not recognize her about the issue of status.

Without further ado, Han Lu generously gifted the three of them a magical artifact she used frequently from her storage bag, saying, "This is a set of array flags that I used when I was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"Next time the three of you are outside breathing in spiritual energy and bathing in the moonlight to cultivate, you can set up the array flags here to protect yourselves and avoid being afraid of being ambushed and stolen by despicable people."

Upon hearing Han Lu refer to herself as "this one," the third disciple, who had just awakened from her meditative state upon hearing the commotion, immediately recognized Han Lu's identity and quickly corrected his companion's earlier mistake.

"Thank you for the treasure, Elder."

Two of the three men were all smiles, excitedly playing with the twelve battle flags they held.

The disciple who lost the jade pendant hesitated for three or four breaths before pleading with Han Lu before she could speak, "Elder, could you please show some kindness and help me find the lost jade pendant?"

"That jade pendant was a coming-of-age gift from my mother. I lost it by accident, and I don't know how to explain it to her."

"If the elder can help me find this item, I..."

The disciple wanted to make a promise, but realized that he had no gift to express his gratitude and make the Golden Core elder in front of him "feel" it.

Han Lu also noticed this, so she simply interrupted the other party and promised, "Even if you don't mention this matter, in order to find this despicable black sheep in the Zhengyi Sect, I will do my best to help you investigate this matter, find the real culprit, and make amends for the mistake."

Upon hearing this, the disciple who had lost his jade pendant was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Elder, thank you, Elder."

A cultivator standing nearby cautiously asked, "May I ask how you should address the elder? The three of us will remember your kindness in our hearts."

Although Han Lu did not help them for fame, she did not mind letting these three young disciples know who she was, so that they would feel awe towards her and even take her as their role model to continue their cultivation journey.

"You can call me Elder Zhenfeng," Han Lu raised her hand, condensed a fist-sized amount of water vapor, and then turned it into clear water. "It's just a small matter, nothing more than a helping hand."

Upon hearing that the female cultivator before them was none other than the renowned Elder True Phoenix Venerable, who had recently advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm and gained great fame within the sect, the three were overjoyed.

Logically speaking, divination to find lost items requires some clues and materials as a starting point to get an accurate response.

However, Han Lu has now advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm. Given the huge difference in cultivation between her and the thief, it would indeed be easy for her to divine the truth using her above-average divination skills.

With a simple water divination spell, Han Lu found out who this despicable cultivator was in less than ten breaths.

“I am fully aware of this matter,” Han Lu promised. “Within three days, this person will be dealt with according to the sect rules.”

"I will also send someone to deliver your jade pendant."

"The three of you should set up the formation. Don't let trivial matters cause you anxiety and affect your cultivation."

After saying that, Han Lu turned and left, planning to resolve the matter completely the next day and bring the scoundrel to justice.

Chapter 1191

The next day, Han Lu did not personally take action. Instead, she wrote down the cause and effect of the matter on a paper sword and sent it directly to Piaomiaozi, the vice dean of Dongshan Academy and her master.

Han Lu knew very well that Piaomiaozi was a typical cultivator from the Central Plains, and that he had a special affection for the sect.

He will definitely take this matter seriously and will not suppress or handle it privately to save face for Dongshan Academy. Instead, he will strictly follow the sect rules and publicly announce the evil deeds of this immoral villain to the world, and punish him severely without leniency.

When Han Lu reported the matter to Piaomiaozi, he did not hesitate to expedite the process.

We know the cause, the result, and who the real culprit is.

Thus, the Zhengyi Sect is qualified to conduct a secret internal investigation to thoroughly investigate this theft case in a more reasonable and compliant manner.

Even if it weren't for Han Lu, one of his prized disciples, reporting this matter, Piaomiaozi would have taken it seriously.

Quite easily, in just half a day, the thief Tan Liangpeng, who had been practicing at Dongshan Temple for four and a half years, was brought to justice.

Although Tan Liangpeng chose to evade the questioning by the academy students in charge of investigating the matter, attempting to deceive them and find another opportunity to dispose of the stolen goods that were still with him.

However, the academic student investigating the case did not give Tan Liangpeng any time to catch his breath.

In just a quarter of an hour, the jade pendant, whose location had been calculated by Han Lu, was found.

Caught red-handed, the thief Tan Liangpeng had no choice but to confess his crime and try to get leniency.

However, this matter has long become a powerful tool for the Misty Child to uphold his principles, so there is no reason to raise it high and then let it go easily.

Soon, three days after Han Lu learned of the matter, a notice was posted in the inner and outer warehouses of Dongshan Courtyard to explain the situation.

The stolen jade pendant was returned to its rightful owner.

The thief Tan Liangpeng had his cultivation stripped in accordance with the sect's rules and was temporarily imprisoned in a dark cell in the East Mountain Academy, awaiting final judgment.

He faced at least a year of imprisonment and expulsion from the sect.

In comparison, the price of being caught as a thief in the Zhengyi Sect is much higher than the price in the mortal world.

As the leading sect in the cultivation world of the Southern Dynasty, the Zhengyi Sect cannot afford to have even the slightest flaw in its image.

After this experience, Han Lu gained a better understanding of the sect's situation.

After things calmed down, she took the initiative to seek out fresh delicacies.

He hoped to resolve some minor issues within the Zhengyi Sect, and also to help his friend who had always taken good care of him, so that his career as sect leader could have more remarkable achievements.

Han Lu's suggestions were not complicated; there were only two.

First, in addition to major cultivation practices, another sect activity will be added to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient cultivation environment for disciples with additional needs.

Secondly, we must rectify the atmosphere and strengthen the authority of the Law Enforcement Academy, ensuring that disciples nominally affiliated with the Academy are not merely serving as "etiquette officers."

"With increased exchanges between East and West, many disciples have been influenced by the cultivators of the Great Yu Dynasty, no longer holding themselves to high standards of morality and conduct, and even disregarding the rules of the sect."

"We must strictly discipline them to prevent a few talented but morally corrupt scoundrels from ruining the long-standing good reputation of the Zhengyi Sect."

Han Lu spoke of the matter in a serious manner, which made Xianyu Ji momentarily distracted, as if he thought that Han Lu still valued the sect and would continue to fulfill her responsibilities as an elder even after leaving the sect.

Seeing that Xianyu Ji did not answer immediately, but instead looked serious, Han Lu subconsciously thought that she had spoken too harshly.