Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 13 Floating Boat Square

"My name is Li Rulong, greetings, senior!"

Li Rulong, with his square face and strong features, solemnly stepped forward to express his gratitude.

Although Fang Qing looked a few years younger than him, he was clearly an old monster who had mastered the art of preserving his youth, and should not be underestimated.

"senior?"

Fang Qing touched his face: "I'm about the same age as you, just call me Fang Shui..."

"Age...about the same?"

Li Rulong's eyes widened.

Fang Qing chuckled and scratched his head: "When I was a child, I fell off a cliff and found the mantle of a senior. There was also a red fruit tree next to it. After eating it, my strength increased greatly..."

This was a fabricated backstory he made up for himself. His image as an honest and simple-minded young man could be taken lightly, and it could also explain why he knew basically nothing.

More importantly, this "Fang Shui" identity is protected by the "Dao Sheng Zhu," giving him an effect of "being within the calculation," making him unafraid of being investigated or calculated.

"Is that so...?"

Li Rulong felt as if he were listening to a story from a vernacular novel, but a thought struck him: 'However, this person revealed his true nature the moment we met; he does seem naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world…'

The two returned to the convoy together, and Li Rulong introduced Fang Qing to everyone.

His group originally consisted of seven people, all scions of martial arts families from ancient Shu. They were all like-minded and thus swore brotherhood, calling themselves the "Seven Swords of Shu Mountain"!

It's a pity that today's battle to fight the strong and help the weak resulted in the deaths of three people!

There was still Li Rulong, the eldest brother, Liu Wansu, the second brother, Zhu Zhenheng, the sixth brother, and the youngest sister, Guo Tianhong.

At this moment, everyone was injured, but Li Rulong was in the best condition.

"Thank you... Brother Fang Qian... for saving me."

Liu Wansu, dressed in a blue robe, had the appearance of a refined gentleman, but at this moment he was covered in blood. Zhu Zhenheng had lost an arm, and only Guo Tianhong was slightly better off, but his face was ashen, and he had suffered serious internal injuries.

"You're welcome..."

After Fang Qing exchanged a few polite words, a matriarch from the caravan approached and said, "My name is Pu Feiling, from the Pu family of Yulin. Thank you all for your help."

After saying this, she gave a graceful bow.

Immediately, he ordered the doctors to come up and bandage everyone, then clean up the corpses, and continue on their way. Everything was handled in an orderly manner.

The Seven Swords of Shu Mountain—no, four of them—were all injured, and under Madam Pu's kind invitation, they had no choice but to board the carriage to recuperate.

Fang Qing agreed and escorted the other party to the next city.

……

a few days later.

At night, the moonlight is like water.

Li Rulong was drinking with Fang Qing by the campfire.

After spending some time with him, he became convinced that this "Fang Shui Brother" was indeed a lucky young man who was naive and ignorant of the ways of the world.

Furthermore, they have lofty ambitions.

"You want to seek immortality?"

Li Rulong took another sip of wine, his eyes fixed on Fang Qing.

"Of course... I even have a celestial calendar at home. Celestials definitely exist, it's just that we can't find them..."

Fang Qing answered honestly.

"I've also read the Immortal Chronicles... It's said that some powerful families even have secret versions..."

Li Rulong's eyes also held a longing.

After all, who wouldn't want to become an immortal?

"To be honest... the seven of us brothers ventured into the martial world with the same intention of seeking immortality, but we never expected..."

Li Rulong's expression darkened as he spoke.

The two got very drunk and went back to their respective carriages to rest.

Little did they know that after Fang Qing lowered the carriage curtain, his expression suddenly became incredibly clear, with a faint smile playing on his lips.

He concentrated his magic power into his ears, instantly enhancing his hearing.

In the distance, inside a carriage.

Pu Feiling was sitting cross-legged, and opposite her was a young girl with a round, slightly chubby face, who looked plump and healthy.

"Mother... is Fang Shui really alright?"

At this moment, the girl spoke with a puzzled expression.

"He... should be, as he himself said, a worldly warrior who was lucky enough to have swallowed a spiritual fruit!"

Pu Feiling's face showed certainty: "I mentioned the name 'Yulin Pu Family' to test him. If he is really a cultivator, he couldn't possibly not know the name of the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan... Moreover, I have been testing him these past few days and have not found any flaws."

Fang Qing overheard this and his lips twitched slightly.

He genuinely didn't understand cultivation in this world; he was just playing himself, and his attempt to probe was ultimately fruitless...

"I see... When my family suffered this calamity, the Seven Swords of Shu Mountain and Fang Shui both helped, so we should repay them..."

The girl hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Mother, is it possible?"

"No!" Pu Feiling's expression immediately turned extremely serious: "Your mother is just a member of a collateral branch of the Pu family. She married young and has no standing in the main family anymore. This time, we specially changed your surname to Pu so that you could go back and acknowledge your ancestors... If you have the aptitude to cultivate, then all the spiritual resources will be prepared for you. Do you know how precious that first breath of 'true qi' is? Even the main family cultivators have to painstakingly gather qi for years or even decades to obtain it... You can't even take care of yourself, how can you expect to help someone else?"

The girl immediately fell silent.

At this moment, Pu Feiling said, "Moreover... I don't think the Seven Swords of Shu Mountain necessarily possess the aptitude for cultivation. On the other hand, that silly boy had a fortuitous encounter in his childhood, so perhaps he has some destiny. Maybe we can form a good relationship with him?"

"What does Mother mean?"

"We don't have the ability to help people enter the path of cultivation... but it's not difficult to give them some guidance. Calculating the dates, Fuzhoufang will be opening soon, and it just so happens to be nearby, so we can let them try their luck... As for spiritual resources? We naturally won't contribute a single penny."

Pu Feiling said with certainty.

Little did they know that the conversation the mother and daughter thought was private had already been overheard by Fang Qing.

After listening to everything, he suddenly laughed: "How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan? Trying to lure me with a rotten rat?"

Although there were several spiritual items in the caravan, they did not catch Fang Qing's eye.

Even if it is rare enough, how can it compare to the cultivation world that has quietly and smoothly integrated into this world?

"The Yu Lin Pu family? The Purple Mansion? Sounds like a powerful force. We should avoid them as soon as possible..."

"That floating market seems like a nice place to go..."

……

Yunying City.

This city is located at the southern end of Ba County; further south, it falls outside the boundaries of Ba County.

The closer Fang Qing got to the city, the more he felt that order was gradually returning.

outside the city.

"I'll leave you here."

He watched as the Pu family's convoy lined up to enter the city and immediately said goodbye.

"I am eternally grateful for your life-saving grace."

Pu Feiling and her daughter bowed respectfully: "My daughter and I will forever remember your great kindness. As for what you said before, about seeking immortality? I do know some clues..."

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Li Rulong and the other three swordsmen also became interested: "Please enlighten us, Madam Pu, as we also aspire to seek immortality."

"Not far from this city, there is a place called 'Floating Boat Workshop,' where it is said that some cultivators make a living..."

Pu Feiling took out a wooden token. The token was bright yellow and seemed to be carved from wood. The front was engraved with the character "Pu". "Although Fuzhoufang is not open to mortals, if you show this token, you should give the Pu family some face."

"Thank you, Madam."

Fang Qing accepted the token without hesitation, turned around and left without any hesitation.

"Thank you for your guidance, Madam. If we succeed in our quest for immortality, we will surely repay you in the future."

Li Rulong clasped his hands in greeting and hurriedly led the Three Swords of Shu Mountain to catch up with Fang Qing.

"I never expected... that Madam Pu, who looks so gentle and frail, would know about the path to immortality."

On the way, Guo Tianhong, the youngest, finally couldn't help but speak up: "Maybe she was secretly laughing at us when we saved her."

His tone clearly betrayed some resentment.

"Seventh Sister, you mustn't be so rude."

Li Rulong quickly stopped him: "I know you are deeply troubled by the deaths of your third brother and the others, but the dead are gone..."

The group fell silent and continued on their way.

Finally, a mountain peak shrouded in thick fog appeared before Fang Qing's eyes.

"Floating Boat Pavilion... So it's because the clouds here resemble floating boats?"

Fang Qing had already transformed his magical power and was now just a mortal. Looking at the clouds in the sky, he sighed.

"I wonder if we can become immortals?"

Seeing their long-awaited destiny with immortality within reach, Li Rulong and the others tried their best to remain calm, but their hearts were practically pounding in their chests.

"Becoming an immortal... Haha, what's so good about becoming an immortal?"

Just then, an old voice suddenly came from the side.

Fang Qing looked over and saw a disheveled old Taoist priest strolling over, a mocking look on his face: "Even if you become an immortal, you still have to be a slave to the immortals above you... No, they're not immortals, they're demons! One by one, they spread plagues, they kill people and steal their blood essence... What have they done to this once beautiful Ba County?"

"Releasing plague? Could it refer to the Black Gu Sect? And killing and taking blood, could it refer to those mutinous soldiers?"

Unlike Li Rulong and the others who were utterly astonished, Fang Qing knew some of the truth and immediately made the connection.

The Ba Commandery has remained unpacified for so long, and a large number of people have died; it seems there is more to the story.

"The cultivators in this Ba County seem to lean more towards... the demonic path?"

Fang Qing had spent three years working his way up in the Azure Sea Sect, so he naturally learned some of the inside story of the Sea Dragon King's birthday celebration.

After all, the tasks are all assigned to the General Affairs Hall.

He was now only grateful that those who accepted the missions were all Qi Refining disciples, unable to project their divine senses and see clearly, so the monitors on the island naturally wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.

"Furthermore... even if the Azure Sea Sect wanted to raise demonic beasts, they would only occasionally kill some mortals, and they would do it all under the guise of sacrificing to the Sea Dragon King... unlike here, where they're so blatantly massacring an entire city!"

Fang Qing thought of many things in an instant, when he heard Li Rulong shout, "Who are you?"

"Haha... Everyone knows the immortals are good, but only conscience can't forget them. Where are the emperors and generals now? Just a pile of withered bones and no graves left..."

The disheveled old Taoist priest looked at Li Rulong with a hint of pity in his eyes, then walked into the thick fog on his own.

In an instant, his figure vanished.

"He's also an immortal."

Liu Wansu, one of the Four Swords of Shu Mountain, asked in surprise, "Why are you so unkempt? No, more like eccentric?"

"Perhaps immortals have their own aesthetic sense."

Fang Qing remained vigilant, took out the Pu family token, and stepped into the thick fog.

Before long, a memorial archway appeared before the five of them.

Above the archway are three large, elegantly written characters: “Floating Boat Archway,” with shadowy buildings behind it.

A man in coarse clothes was leaning against the archway, seemingly dozing, when he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Fang Qing and his companions: "Mortals? What business do you have in my Floating Boat Market?"

"We have come seeking a chance to become immortals; we humbly request that you grant us this favor, Immortal Master."

Fang Qing stepped forward and handed over the token.

"The Pu family?"

The man in coarse clothes changed his expression and then said, "Let me let you know that although this market has a connection with immortals, you are just mortals. Even with the Pu family's influence, you still need to have your credentials verified if you want to enter."

"That's alright, my family is quite wealthy."

Li Rulong said confidently.

"These are not worldly gold and silver, but spiritual resources, that is, spiritual objects!"

The burly man in coarse clothes shook his head: "If you don't have any spiritual items, you won't be able to trade even if you enter the market. You might as well go back to where you came from..."