txolops Chapter 37 Doubts
Chapter 37 Doubts
Li Ping was already mentally prepared for the two points mentioned by the Meng family patriarch.
After all, the Meng family wasn't really trying to make friends with them by renting their cave dwellings to them at a low price; their real aim was to extract more spirit stones from them.
Of course, these two things are not a loss for the craftsmen in the mountains; on the contrary, they are a great convenience.
For example, Li Ping, as a second-level talisman maker, can sell the talismans he makes anywhere.
The Meng family offered door-to-door recycling, the price was about the same, and it saved him time.
The same applies to the materials used to make talismans; there is no difference between buying them from the Meng family or from the market.
The patriarch of the Meng family also promised that he wouldn't rip him off on the price.
As for whether monks would ask the craftsmen living on the mountain to help them through the Meng family?
This is equivalent to introducing business to them, which is an extra source of income.
As for what the Meng family patriarch finally said: "It is their freedom to do whatever they want, and the Meng family will never force them."
Li Ping believes that it's best to just listen to this statement and not take it seriously.
Since we've already paid a low price for someone else's cave dwelling, it's best to try to achieve a win-win situation and avoid conflicts with the host.
……
With many thoughts flashing through his mind, Li Ping nodded: "The price and what Fellow Daoist Meng said are both fine. I wonder if there are any remaining cave dwellings on this mountain?"
Upon hearing that Li Ping was willing to settle in Xiantao Mountain, the Meng family patriarch was overjoyed: "Fellow Daoist Li, rest assured. Although there are already seven or eight fellow Daoists settling in on Xiantao Mountain, there are still several vacant cave dwellings. Fellow Daoist Li can choose one from them."
As he spoke, the Meng family patriarch took out a silvery scroll from his storage bag, slowly unfurled it, and a large number of phantom images were projected out of the scroll, hovering in the void between the two.
Li Ping looked up and saw that the illusion was actually a small, lush hill, six feet high.
"Fellow Daoist, please look." The Meng family patriarch pointed to the phantom mountain in the air, on which there were more than ten golden dots. The Meng family patriarch smiled and said, "These golden dots are the locations of the cave dwellings. Each cave dwelling covers an area of about a thousand acres, and all kinds of houses and formations are complete. Fellow Daoist, you can move in directly."
The mountain peak, which is two hundred feet high and covers an area of seven or eight miles, has only a dozen or so cave dwellings, which is why each cave dwelling can occupy such a large area.
Compared to the alleyway outside the city where Li Ping used to live, this place finally had the air of a celestial abode.
In reality, cultivators are also human beings, not cavemen.
Therefore, when conditions permit, people would generally build palaces and pavilions as places of residence and practice, rather than actually digging a cave in the mountain and moving in.
The Meng family patriarch then explained with a smile, "Among these golden dots, the solid ones are already inhabited by fellow Daoists, while the hollow ones are uninhabited. Fellow Daoist Li can choose any one of them."
Li Ping nodded, then pointed to one of the hollow points of light: "Who are the fellow Daoists living around this cave?"
……
After careful questioning and understanding the situation of all the uninhabited cave dwellings, Li Ping finally made a decision after "seriously considering": "I'll rent this cave dwelling."
The hollow point of light he was pointing to was on a cliff.
Several miles away from the hollow light spot, there was another solid light spot. Li Ping had just learned from the Meng family patriarch that this solid light spot was the location of Master Hu Feng's cave.
"Alright, no problem. I'll have someone arrange your move-in right away." The Meng family patriarch smiled. "There's still about a month until the New Year. I think we should start the lease from the New Year. You don't need to pay rent for this month. Consider it my congratulations to Fellow Daoist Li on your new home."
"Then thank you very much, fellow Daoist." Li Ping readily agreed.
……
Half a day later.
Li Ping held two array jade tablets in his hands as he slowly walked down the streets of the immortal city, still pondering what had just happened.
After the matter of renting the cave dwelling was settled, the Meng family patriarch was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he chatted with him.
At first, Li Ping thought that the man wanted to get closer to him and deepen their relationship, so he didn't take it too seriously.
To his surprise, during their pleasant conversation, the Meng family patriarch suddenly brought up the matter of Dai Sangyu preventing him from becoming a guest elder of the Immortal City, and subtly expressed his disapproval of Dai Sangyu's "overbearing and domineering" behavior.
This puzzled Li Ping. He didn't know whether the Meng family patriarch was simply trying to curry favor with him or if he had some other motive.
Theoretically speaking, the Meng family and the Immortal City are bound together by fate. Even if they are dissatisfied with the way the Immortal City does things, the Meng family patriarch should not criticize his own acting sect leader in front of him, an outsider.
Unless, of course, there is a major conflict between him and Dai Sangyu, or rather—
"Could it be him who obstructed Dai Sangyu's attempt to form a golden core?" Li Ping was startled by his own guess.
However, he quickly shook his head: "The Meng family are righteous people, they shouldn't do such a beastly thing."
"Fine, fine, whatever you want to do, I'm going to be in seclusion for intensive cultivation from now on and won't be going out!"
"I won't get involved in any of this messy stuff."
……
After leaving the inner city, Li Ping went to see Zhang Tie and Gu Musheng separately to inform them of his move and the address of his new residence, which they would then use to notify the other four members of the association.
Furthermore, this year's gathering location has been changed to Shindongbu.
As is customary, members of the Fellowship hold a gathering once a year, during which they share their experiences and exchange spiritual practices.
Of course, most importantly, each person must pay their annual "foundation fund" share.
The gathering is held at the end of each year, specifically on New Year's Eve.
Just like in Li Ping's previous life, the cultivation world has the custom of celebrating the Lunar New Year's Eve and the New Year. This period is also a time for mortals in the cultivation world to reunite with their families.
Although once a cultivator discovers their spiritual root and embarks on the path of immortality, they are fundamentally different from ordinary people, focusing solely on becoming an immortal and seeking the Dao, and caring little for family reunions.
However, some customs remain. For example, the Meng family patriarch habitually regards the New Year as the beginning of the year, and for this reason, he waived one month's rent for Li Ping's cave dwelling.
Li Ping is the same; he also habitually regards New Year's Eve as the end of the year.
……
After carefully packing away his personal belongings in his old residence, Li Ping looked at the small courtyard where he had lived for more than a decade, and a sense of melancholy welled up in his eyes.
"New Year's Eve is just a month away. I wonder how Master is doing in Jiang Kingdom."
"And Master Ji, in that letter before, he said he had something to discuss with me. I don't know if that matter has been resolved yet."
He should have received my reply!
……
More than half a year has passed since he last replied to Master Ji, but he has not received a reply yet. He doesn't know if it's because the caravan is delayed or for some other reason.