The Unruly Immortals

"Brother Li, what's wrong?" Seeing that Li Huowang seemed off, Bai Lingmiao instinctively tightened her grip on Li Huowang's hand.

Li Huowang smiled and shook his head, "It's nothing, just thinking about how we're about to leave the cloister and feeling a bit worried about the outside territories. Let's go, we'll help the Lv family dismantle their stage, and once that's done, we'll hurry on our way."

Li Huowang said this, but his gaze was cold, and his temper was becoming more and more like Master Danyang's.

This change sent a chill down Li Huowang's spine, coupled with the fact that others saw him as Master Danyang, that previous guess was no longer just a guess, but was slowly turning into reality.

If it were just his personality that had changed, Li Huowang could have lived with that, but he was more worried that over time, he might completely become Master Danyang himself.

"If that's the case, everything up till now would make sense. Master Danyang isn't protecting me; he's protecting himself!"

The mere possibility started to make Li Huowang feel restless. If there was someone in this world he despised the most, that madman Master Danyang would definitely be at the top of the list.

He didn't want to become Master Danyang, he'd rather die if that were the case!

Li Huowang even suddenly felt an impulse to turn around and head back to Zhengde Temple, regardless of the hardships that might follow, to have the monks hold a great ceremony for universal salvation and deal with Master Danyang first.

But that was just a fleeting thought. Before the confrontation became overt, there was still hope for reconciliation, but after he had killed those seven Buddhas, Li Huowang believed that the monks' first reaction upon seeing him would most likely be to finish him on the spot.

Those monks were not the kind who only prayed and chanted— they were capable of anything.

Luckily, according to the abbot's description, aside from Zhengde Temple, there were other sects. Li Huowang could only seek solutions from them now; what Zhengde Temple could do, other sects surely could as well.

Li Huowang walked to the front of the donkey cart and began to study the map closely.

He had always been reluctant to get involved with those people because Zhengde Temple had set a bad precedent.

But now, he had no choice but to make contact. Since Zhengde Temple had a way to deal with Master Danyang, other sects could do the same.

Although he didn't know what they wanted, their actions showed that they were coveting something he possessed.

"Is it the Heavenly Book left behind by Master Danyang?" Li Huowang thought to himself.

If he did not want to become Master Danyang, then he must find a way with their help.

"If all else fails, I will take out that Heavenly Book and offer it to them in exchange," Li Huowang decided resolutely in his mind. It was the only bargaining chip he had available.

Amidst Li Huowang's anxious feelings, they finally arrived at the small town by the border pass.

This modest town bustled with merchants coming and going, and there were people dressed in various styles—all here to do trade at the border.

Gazing at the distant pass, Li Huowang turned to Top Scholar Lv beside him, "Band Leader Lv, it seems it's time for us to part ways."

Top Scholar Lv also bowed solemnly to Li Huowang, "Taoist Master, you have worked hard. Without you on this journey, who knows how much suffering we would have endured."

Lv's Troupe obviously couldn't pass through the border; at the pass, they would take another road back and return to their village.

Once they had rested at home, the cycle would repeat. This was the fate of such a small troupe. If they wanted to escape the life of constant travel, their only hope was to buy a theater and settle down for good.

"I wish you a smooth journey. I'm not sure what you aim to do, Taoist Master, but I wish you every success! Here are some homemade salted duck eggs. Take them for the road."

Scholar Lv held the jar of salted duck eggs with a look of reluctance and placed it on the donkey cart.

"Let's hope your good words come true. If we get the chance, we'll watch Lv's Troupe perform again. Honestly, after seeing their plays time after time, I've really become addicted."

After bidding each other farewell, the donkey cart moved slowly toward the pass, filled with newly replenished supplies.

Watching their distant figures, Top Scholar Lv took a few puffs of his dry pipe and then, with a look of lingering attachment in his eyes, playfully smacked the head of his youngest son.

"Stop daydreaming about that girl with the hint of white in her hair, our humble family can't afford to get involved with her. Go back home and we'll have the matchmaker find you a suitable match."

"Dad, what are you talking about? I'm not, I really am not," Scholar Lv asserted frantically, denying the claims as the horse's head turned, heading towards the bustling street.

"Dad, how could you, someone so stingy, be willing to give him a whole jar of salted duck eggs?" asked Lv Elevated Man, holding his daughter, curiously.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't think your dad is so stingy. Remember this, be frugal when it's necessary, but don't skimp when it's time to be generous. That little Taoist Master isn't an ordinary person. If we get on his good side, it's like our Lv Family has made a valuable connection."

After a long and winding journey, they finally left the pass. Although the dirt road was still flanked by forests, Li Huowang felt that something was different.

On the road, there were not only them but also many other horse carts and people carrying loads on shoulder poles.

Distinguishing their identities was simple, just look at the style of their clothing; to the left of the pass they wear left-lapped garments, and to the right, in Siqi Kingdom, garments are right-lapped.

Li Huowang thought for a moment, then opened Top Scholar Lv's jar, finding it full of salted duck eggs.

The young fellow named Doggie came closer, surprised, and said, "Nowadays, duck eggs are valuable, and so is salt. It's rare for Top Scholar Lv to be so generous."

Li Huowang sealed the jar again, his impression of the frugal elder considerably improved.

"Enough of that. Who among you is headed home to Siqi Kingdom? Get ready to go back."

Everyone glanced at each other before the girl known as Little Full, her body wrapped in black hair, raised her right hand, her voice trembling slightly, "My home is in Siqi."

Her words caused an immediate silence among the rest, as they all knew about the grudge she held against her parents and what she planned to do once she got home.

"Little Full, maybe you should think about not..." Bai Lingmiao began, her face filled with concern, only to be interrupted by Li Huowang.

"Alright, you should be more familiar with this area. So, tell us, what's Siqi like? Are there any big sects like Zhengde Temple?"

With her face hidden under a black bamboo hat, Little Full took a deep breath. "I don't know. Though I live here, in over a decade, I've never left the village, except once when I was nine at the village head, I saw someone performing a spirit possession dance."

"Spirit possession..." Li Huowang muttered. The mere mention of spirits somehow struck a chord of fear in him due to the deep impression left by the God of Happiness.

"Do those who perform spirit possessions have any kind of community living space?"

"No, I've heard that those spirit possession practitioners all live in their own homes, each worshiping the Immortal Sects."

"Immortal Sects? Do they have any names?" Li Huowang's mind raced with the myriad peculiarities of this world.

"Red, yellow, white, willow, sorrowful. I've heard of five different Immortal Sects, but I don't know exactly what they all represent."