The Unruly Immortals

Gazing at the nun before him, Li Huowang held his longsword in one hand and bowed to her with great care.

"Thank you, Master Jingxin, for bestowing the sword upon me! As long as I live, I shall repay this kindness like a spring that never ceases to flow!"

Li Huowang wasn't adept at speaking; compared to what to say, he placed more importance on what to do.

Who was kind to him and who was not, he was very clear about it in his heart.

Hearing this, Master Jingxin's tone immediately became somewhat dissatisfied.

"Who said it was given to you? This is a sale, don't even think of reneging on the debt. Thirty thousand taels with interest, not a single Wen Money less, all of which you will have to repay."

"I know you can't pay it all at once, so here's the deal, whenever you have some money, just have the courier bring some over. I won't complain about a thousand taels of gold and I won't disdain half a copper coin."

"Alright, alright, that's all said and done, off you go now; I won't keep you for dinner. I guess you're not used to the vegetarian meals here in the nunnery. Remember to bring more sweets next time you come."

Having said that, Master Jingxin began to shuffle her plump body as she turned and moved back towards the house.

Seeing this scene, Li Huowang quickly stepped forward to stop her, as he still had other questions.

"Wait, Master Jingxin, I have some minor matters to inquire about."

"Ah, you're such a pest, hurry up and speak, I'll need a nap after I've eaten all that food," Master Jingxin said, clearly getting impatient.

Standing in place, Li Huowang deliberated for a few seconds before he opened his mouth and asked, "Master Jingxin, I am new to Jianghu and don't understand the powers of the whole world, their taboos, and the depths of their waters. Can you enlighten me a little?"

"What's there to enlighten," the nun scratched her belly impatiently.

"You're Xinsu, aren't you? When you encounter people from other sects, what else can you do but run?"

"That's it?" Li Huowang was obviously very surprised.

"Of course, that's it. You can't possibly think to go over and chat with them, can you? Didn't you suffer a loss at Zhengde Temple?"

"As Xinsu, in others' eyes you're hardly different from a ginseng spirit tied with a red cord. Regardless of their sect or who they are, if you can fight them, fight; if you can't, run."

"Don't even think about joining any of them. No sects ever take a bewildered Xinsu as a disciple, not even An Ci Nunnery. If someone says so, they're definitely harboring ill intentions toward you."

These words from Master Jingxin were like a sudden wake-up call to Li Huowang.

"Apart from you, is there truly no one else to trust?"

"No, who would help you for no reason?" The three layers of flesh under the nun's chin wobbled as she shook her head.

Although he had already known this, when he heard it from Jingxin's mouth, Li Huowang still felt extremely dejected.

His journey ahead seemed fraught with turbulence.

After carefully digesting this information, Li Huowang then threw out another question that he had been pondering on the road.

"Master Jingxin, can you tell me about the cultivation method of An Ci Nunnery? How do you obtain Divine Skills?"

For all these days, aside from knowing that the Ao Jing Sect gained power through sacrifices to Bahu, he was completely clueless about why certain people in this world acquired Divine Skills.

"Ha~," the nun let out a snort, "what's the use of asking this? I can tell you, but you wouldn't be able to cultivate it. Haven't you seen that all in An Ci Nunnery are nuns?"

"Please enlighten me regardless," pleaded Li Huowang.

"Sigh, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but that cultivation technique can't be read out loud; it must be written using a women's script, and then you are a man..."

With the conversation reaching this point, Li Huowang didn't wish to make things difficult for her.

"I appreciate the guidance, Master Jingxin, until we meet again." Li Huowang bowed once more before turning towards the exit.

As he lowered his head and carefully examined the longsword in both hands, Master Jingxin's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Hold on, you interrupted me earlier and I almost forgot. Something just came to mind, there's a group of people you should be especially wary of."

These words immediately perked up Li Huowang's ears, and he quickly spun around to reply, "I am eager to hear more."

"Remember this well, that group is called the Oblivion Path."

"Oblivion Path?" Li Huowang subconsciously furrowed his brow; he felt like he had heard these three words somewhere before.

However, after pondering it for a while, Li Huowang realized he had no memory of the Oblivion Path.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, why does your mind always wander off? If you don't want to listen, then I won't bother telling you."

"Master Jingxin, please enlighten me, why mention them specifically? Could it be that this Oblivion Path is hostile towards Xinsu?"

"No."

"Other people, whether they rob or kill you, there's a reason behind their actions, but the Oblivion Path is a different matter entirely."

"This Oblivion Path, they are a bunch of swindlers who enjoy gambling."

"Hmm?" Li Huowang was somewhat puzzled at this moment.

"The Oblivion Path isn't a bandit group claiming territory, nor are they a cultivation sect; no one really knows what to make of them. The only sure thing is that they like to play, and for the sake of playing, nothing is off-limits."

"Besides gambling, these swindlers' favorite pastime is to cheat people."

"For instance, they once pretended to be eunuchs of the Emperor and coaxed an entire city's worth of men into castrating themselves, finding amusement in their sheer boredom."

Even after hearing this much from Master Jingxin, Li Huowang still didn't fully grasp what was being conveyed.

With a hint of hesitation in his voice, he asked, "A bunch of gamblers who enjoy deceiving people? But... does this have anything to do with me?"

Not to mention the numerous powers coveting him, why was Master Jingxin abruptly bringing this up to him without rhyme or reason?

"Ah, you've forgotten you're the undiscerning Xinsu? What do you think they will do if they encounter you?"

"If they ever find out you're Xinsu, things won't be so simple."

"Even if that's the case, why would I be fooled by a bunch of mortal gamblers? Why is Master Jingxin so concerned?"

Master Jingxin closed her eyes and shook her head. "They're not just any gamblers; I also don't know from where they've acquired some divine skills, which are quite bizarre and troublesome."

"Furthermore, they're extremely skilled in the art of illusion, even capable of deceiving me."

"One of the Oblivion Path members even sneaked into An Ci Nunnery to tempt us into breaking our vows. Fortunately, we discovered his intentions in time, and ultimately, he saw the error of his ways and converted to Buddhism."

"Remember this, the people of the Oblivion Path are not afraid to die. Never let them get attached to you, for if they do, they'll stick to you more and more."

"They dare to cheat you monks?"

"Yes! They not only dare to cheat me but also aim to deceive the gods! I've heard that a century ago, a group from the Oblivion Path spent over thirty years planning, and they actually managed to deceive the God of Happiness."

"The God of Happiness? Are you referring to the God of Happiness from the Hu Family Ancestral Temple??" Li Huowang's pupils slightly constricted.

"No, not that God of Happiness. I'm talking about the God of Double Happiness." Master Jingxin scratched on her own flesh with dark, grimy fingernails.