Chapter 18: Overflow (4)
18 – Overflow (4)
Old Man Huo coughed.
Lin Xun stepped forward with Qi Yun’s sword: “Then I’ll entrust this to Master as well.”
Old Man Huo glanced at him: “Did you seize this?”
Lin Xun: “Yes.”
Old Man Huo: “You haven’t yet comprehended spiritual energy—how could you subdue a sword cultivator disciple under the Flame Sun Seat?”
Lin Xun thought for a moment, fabricating an excuse: “At that time, they had already suffered a Qi deviation. I was fortunate to defeat them.”
Old Man Huo: “Twice encountering demon seeds, you passed through safely. This time, being harassed by sword cultivators, you also happened to meet them during a Qi reversal and deviation. It seems your luck isn’t bad.”
Lin Xun said: “Master speaks truly.”
After speaking, Old Man Huo looked toward the white-bearded Daoist: “Xiaoyao, this is the new disciple I’ve taken in, Lin Suan.”
Xiaoyaozi stroked his beard: “Young friend Lin Suan is indeed a man of striking appearance.”
Lin Xun respectfully said: “Greetings, Senior.”
Xiaoyaozi kindly replied: “Hehe.”
As they spoke, they walked toward the main hall.
The structure of the Shangqing Palace was complex. As they walked, Yuanxiao introduced to him: here is the Hall of Laozi, here is the Hall of the Three Purities, and so on.
Lin Xun looked up and gazed inside, seeing the hall brightly lit and resplendent, with Daoist murals on the walls and ceiling. In the hall stood statues of celestial masters; he didn’t know who they were, but they all appeared majestic.
Xiaoyaozi settled into his seat, his gaze serious as he looked at Old Man Huo, seemingly about to ask something.
At that moment, footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall—it was Senior Brother Yuanqing, who had earlier prepared to go down the mountain to repel Qi Yun, entering the hall.
Lin Xun saw Yuanqing glance at him, then lean close to Xiaoyaozi’s ear and say something.
After he finished speaking, Xiaoyaozi looked up at him, his gaze seeming to size him up.
Lin Xun was slightly puzzled, but the next moment, a mechanical voice sounded in his mind: “Repelled Qi Yun, upheld the dignity of Qingcheng, obtained achievement ‘Xiaoyaozi’s Approval.’ Spiritual Power 5, unlocked Qingcheng Mountain side quest ‘Secret of Shangqing.’ Please claim promptly.”
Lin Xun lowered his eyes and secretly glanced at the time.
7:50.
Yuanqing withdrew. Xiaoyaozi turned again to Old Man Huo: “Brother Qingshan, the demonic creatures you witnessed…”
Old Man Huo flicked his sleeve, and two clusters of demon seeds sealed with talismans tumbled out, emitting a sharp “squeak” as they hit the ground.
Xiaoyaozi picked them up and examined them: “Indeed, they are demon seeds.”
His expression grave, he said: “The mortal world has been peaceful for a long time… Could it be that demonic creatures have finally reappeared?”
Old Man Huo said: “Old Shenji’s divination was also inauspicious. I think there’s an eighty percent chance this matter will occur.”
Xiaoyaozi pondered for a moment, then said: “Brother Qingshan, how much do you know about demonic creatures?”
Old Man Huo said: “Only heard from the elders’ tales: when demonic creatures emerge, the mortal world will fall into great chaos.”
Xiaoyaozi: “Correct, but Qingcheng’s heritage is older than that of the Limitless Sect, so I know a bit more than you.”
“How so?”
“When the mortal world flourishes, demonic creatures appear!” Xiaoyaozi said: “Extreme prosperity leads to decline; things reverse at their peak. When the mortal world flourishes, the population is greatest. With many people, the accumulation of resentment in human hearts also grows.”
The flowery and archaic phrasing gave Lin Xun a headache, but he still tried to listen—while straining to listen, he also had to keep an eye on the time. He really didn’t want to miss his idol’s livestream.
Xiaoyaozi continued, “When the resentment in the mortal realm accumulates to a certain degree, the barrier between the human and demon realms weakens, attracting demonic entities. Initially, these are demon seeds, which take root in individuals consumed by depression and resentment. Gradually, as the demonic power accumulates, the seeds evolve into powerful evil demons, eventually becoming great demons that wreak havoc upon the mortal realm. Legend has it that traces of demonic influence can be found in the numerous dynastic collapses, fallen kingdoms, and great wars of ancient times.”
Old Man Huo pondered, “Truly a calamity.”
Yuanxiao, perhaps feeling a bit frightened, moved a little closer to Lin Xun.
But Lin Xun wasn’t faring well either.
Accepting the reality of Cultivation had already shaken his worldview. Now, with Xiaoyaozi speaking of impending chaos in the mortal realm, the world felt even more unreal and perilous to him.
He touched his cherry—the smooth, cool metal and the perfectly textured keycaps.
…In a world where materialism had shattered, only this keyboard offered a semblance of security.
Xiaoyaozi continued, “As for the current plan… Brother Qingshan, I have two proposals.”
Old Man Huo replied, “Let’s hear them.”
Xiaoyaozi said, “Tomorrow, the Dharma Discussion Assembly begins, and fellow Daoists from various sects will gather. We can discuss with them, pooling our Qi to jointly reinforce the mortal realm’s barrier.”
Old Man Huo nodded, “That goes without saying.”
Xiaoyaozi stroked his snow-white beard and continued, “Demonic entities often appear in the most prosperous areas of the mortal realm. Brother Qingshan, the imperial capital where you reside is the most Qi-rich place in the Divine Land. Thus, the demon seeds were first discovered by you.”
Old Man Huo agreed, “True, but I don’t understand why they targeted my young disciple.”
Xiaoyaozi replied, “I also haven’t detected any unusual aura around Young Friend Lin Suan… It seems the demon seeds weren’t specifically targeting him but rather testing the current strength of the Immortal Sects.”
Old Man Huo said, “Though I find it hard to believe, that explanation is plausible.”
“Hehe.” Xiaoyaozi chuckled, stroking his beard. “Thus, the second proposal is for each sect to dispatch elite disciples and elders to station in the imperial capital, conducting thorough investigations to eliminate demon seeds—ensuring they never grow into more formidable demons.”
Old Man Huo nodded, “Your reasoning is sound.”
Xiaoyaozi’s smile suddenly grew more sincere. “And Brother Qingshan, you own numerous properties—why not spare two or three for our fellow Daoists to reside in?”
Old Man Huo, who had been nodding along with “of course,” “sound reasoning,” and “true,” suddenly froze.
Three seconds later, his beard bristled as he glared at Xiaoyaozi, his voice rising sharply, “Well done! You old fox, Xiaoyaozi! So this was your scheme all along!”
Lin Xun couldn’t help but feel amused.
Elder Xiaoyaozi had taken such a roundabout way to convey his central message—you have many properties, so let us use them to establish the Cultivation world’s branch office in the imperial capital.
His master, who had been nodding in agreement earlier, was now caught in a dilemma—
Sure enough, Lin Xun saw his master’s expression darken the next moment, before he reluctantly forced a smile and said, “For the sake of… the greater good of the mortal realm, I’ll rent them to Qingcheng Sect at a discounted rate for a while.”
Xiaoyaozi quickly stood up and clasped his hands toward Old Man Huo, exclaiming loudly, “Brother Qingshan, your righteousness knows no bounds!”
After that, Xiaoyaozi’s attitude softened considerably, showing great concern and warmth toward Lin Xun’s master.
Old Man Huo, however, was in low spirits. After exchanging a few words, he declared, “This old man needs to rest.”
Xiaoyaozi had already achieved his ultimate goal and did not try to persuade them to stay. “Yuanxiao, escort the True Lord and Young Friend Lin to the guest quarters to settle in.”
Yuanxiao acknowledged the order and led Lin Xun and Old Man Huo toward the guest rooms in the rear hall.
Along the way, Lin Xun heard Old Man Huo spit out in annoyance, “That old thief Xiaoyao, he actually took advantage of me! I’ll definitely assign him the worst house.”
Lin Xun asked, “Where is it?”
Old Man Huo replied, “Chaoyang Residential Complex.”
Lin Xun: “…”
Chaoyang Residential Complex.
His own apartment was in Chaoyang Residential Complex.
Old Man Huo said, “Why not put them in the same building as you? That way, they can properly protect you! Hiss… this deal doesn’t seem like a loss for me after all.”
Old Man Huo visibly brightened, humming a cheerful tune as he entered his guest room.
Lin Xun’s room was next to his master’s—a simple, small space, but fully equipped with all necessities, and the bedding was neat and clean.
Yuanxiao, still preoccupied with the unfinished Tao Te Ching he had yet to memorize, quickly slipped away after settling them in.
—This suited Lin Xun perfectly. As soon as Yuanxiao left, he took out his phone to check the time.
7:58. Good, there were still two minutes left.
Seizing the brief window, he first opened the livestream app, switched to the Galaxy launch event, and set it aside. Then, he quickly closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into the System Space.
On the mission interface, sure enough, there was an unopened silver scroll. He touched the scroll, and as it unfurled, text appeared.
“Side Mission: The Secret of Shangqing
Mission Objective: Explore the Hidden Secrets of Qingcheng
Mission Progress: 0
Mission Location: Qingcheng Back Mountain
Mission Rewards: Spiritual Power…20, Chaos Treasure Box x1, Magical Tool Level +1
Mission Time Limit: 72 hours
Mission Hint: The Sword Cultivator lineage has long coveted a well-guarded secret of Qingcheng Mountain.”
—This was quite different from previous missions. At the very least, Lin Xun intuitively felt it would be difficult.
However, the reward of “Magical Tool Level +1” was simply too tempting.
Even when he was just programming with his keyboard, he couldn’t resist the allure of upgrading its appearance or functionality—let alone now, when he relied on the keyboard as a weapon.
If the keyboard became sturdier and lighter after an upgrade, wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Moreover, this mission was related to Sword Cultivators—and he was already bound to clash with them anyway.
After quickly thinking it through, Lin Xun decided to start searching for clues about the mission early the next morning. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the livestream interface.
—The timing was perfect. The countdown on the livestream had already entered its final ten seconds.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two… one!
The previously black screen, adorned only with a silver “Galaxy” logo, suddenly lit up!
Before Lin Xun could send the comment he had swiftly typed—”My idol!!!”—the entire screen was instantly flooded with an overwhelming, countless, dense barrage of pink comments, all surprisingly identical in content.
“Husband!!”
“Ahhhhhhh husband!!”
“Husband, look at me!!”
Lin Xun nearly choked on his breath.
Expressionless, he pressed delete, erasing the words in the input box.
Then—
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