Kun Prefecture was located in the southwest of the seventeen states. The climate was warm and humid, with many plains and rivers, making the soil fertile. Moreover, since the entrance to the mortal realm was also in Zhenzhou, many mortals gathered there, making it the most prosperous and bustling state among the seventeen states.
And in Zhenzhou, Li City was the crown jewel.
The city gates were magnificent, with wide roads crisscrossing. Shops and taverns stood everywhere amid bustling crowds. High pavilions with silver terraces had flowing curtains embracing the scenery. The streets were filled with continuous streams of carriages and people, while countless blooming pear blossoms connected like misty clouds, their subtle fragrance drifting in the air.
Upon entering Li City, the mortal world’s atmosphere immediately swept away the cultivators’ otherworldly detachment. The lively and jubilant atmosphere, the hustle and bustle, made it feel like truly being in the mortal realm, unconsciously coating one’s sleeves with worldly dust.
Though it had been nearly five hundred years since he last set foot here, Ning Buwei’s mood remained surprisingly calm during this return visit.
He and Chu Jun had both suppressed their cultivation to the Foundation Building realm and completely changed their appearances. Chu Jun’s transformation technique was so refined that even high-level cultivators couldn’t see through it. Ning Buwei had been secretly studying it along the way but still couldn’t figure out what spells were used.
On the streets, there were many disciples wearing uniforms of various sects and carrying swords – Qingdan Sect, Hehuan Sect, Hanyan Sect… the Xie family, Wei family, Ge family…most were people from the Chongzheng Alliance.
Although Li City was still as bustling as ever, it gave people a sense of calm before the storm.
“New pear blossom wine — rich in spiritual energy, mellow in taste –” the waiter in the tavern was shouting at the top of his voice.
Pear trees were planted throughout Li City, and the pear blossom wine was famous far and wide, with its fragrance permeating the entire street.
Chu Jun said, “The entrance to the Floating Sky is a hundred miles outside Li City, opening at midnight every night. Huaran has already gone in ahead, tonight we can go in with the cultivators from the Chongzheng Alliance.”
Ning Buwei was lost in thought, walking straight ahead without answering him.
“Chengfeng?” Chu Jun called out to him.
Ning Buwei walked a few steps forward before turning his head to look at him with a slightly confused gaze. “What?”
“We’re going to the Floating Sky tonight.”
“Alright.” Ning Buwei nodded.
Chu Jun said, “Let’s rest at an inn first.”
Ning Buwei nodded and walked forward, almost bumping into someone. Chu Jun pulled him to his side, and he obediently followed.
After they reached the inn, Chu Jun closed the door and set up a barrier, then turned to ask him. “Are you not used to controlling the shell with a divided consciousness?”
Ning Buwei frowned, “Mm.”
Only cultivators at the Hinayana realm and above could divide their consciousness to control a shell. Although Ning Buwei only had Golden Core realm cultivation now, even with Chu Jun’s help, splitting his divine consciousness in two still felt somewhat overwhelming.
Moreover, half of his divine consciousness was squeezed into one shell with Chu Jun’s divine consciousness, making it feel like they were constantly pressed together, which felt…very strange.
“Just focus your attention in one place.” Chu Jun walked in front of him and personally drew a calming talisman for him.
Ning Buwei coughed lightly, “I’m not Ning Xiu.”
Chu Jun said, “When the divine consciousness is suddenly split, it’s normal to feel unsettled. You’ll get used to it.”
“This transformation technique of yours,” Ning Buwei finally couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, “How did you do it?”
He turned the calming talisman that Chu Jun had just drawn over and over, examining it. The strokes were perfect as if copied from a book, regular and without any creativity.
Chu Jun replied. “This transformation technique was actually from when you casually mentioned–”
He suddenly stopped at this point.
Ning Buwei carefully recalled all his interactions with Chu Jun but had no memory of this. He narrowed his eyes, “I casually mentioned?”
Chu Jun said with an unchanged expression. “Perhaps I remembered wrong.”
Ning Buwei found this even more strange, but before he could ask further, he heard a commotion outside.
“Help… save us…”
“…Medical Immortal Valley will not rest until this grudge is avenged!”
Ning Buwei opened the window, and a strong smell of blood drifted in with the wind. Looking toward the sound, he saw several cultivators covered in blood, with one missing an arm, desperately swallowing medicinal pills.
The common people watched from afar and whispered amongst themselves, not understanding what was happening. However, several Chongzheng Alliance cultivators stepped forward, and one asked, “Are the fellow cultivators from Medical Immortal Valley?”
“Yes,” the man with the severed arm said, his face pale and voice grief-stricken. “Medical Immortal Valley… was suddenly attacked by villains. Everyone in the valley, the sect leader and elders, all perished… We barely escaped with our lives. That person declared they would slaughter all sects in Xinzhou within a hundred days!”
This statement caused an uproar among the crowd.
Someone among the Chongzheng Alliance cultivators asked, “Fellow cultivator, do you know who this person is?”
“Ning-Ning Fan! He said his name was Ning Fan!”
“Is this the same Ning Fan who caused chaos at the Dao Discussion Conference three months ago?”
“The very same!”
“Another one with the surname Ning…”
“I heard Ning Fan was acting on Ning Buwei’s orders…”
“Eh? Wasn’t it said that Ning Buwei saved people at Dao Discussion Mountain?”
“Heh, that must be a rumor… They’re all cut from the same cloth.”
“Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with anyone surnamed Ning, tsk.”
Ning Buwei leaned against the window with folded arms, listening to these people’s words and taking in their expressions of disgust and fear. He let out a derisive laugh.
The window was suddenly closed, shutting out all those voices.
Ning Buwei looked at Chu Jun and said carelessly, “They’re not wrong. Nothing good comes from getting involved with someone surnamed Ning.”
Because of getting involved in his affairs, Chu Jun not only had to fake his death but also had to travel around with him, making it difficult for his path of tranquility to remain tranquil.
“The idle gossip of irrelevant people isn’t worth taking to heart,” Chu Jun said as he sat at the table brewing tea.
Ning Buwei curved his lips into a smile, walked over to sit opposite him, and unceremoniously grabbed the tea he had just brewed. “Hasn’t the Venerable heard that many mouths can melt metal and constant slander can wear away bones?”
“If they can’t defeat you, then what they say is meaningless,” Chu Jun poured himself another cup of tea.
Ning Buwei stared at him for a while holding his tea cup, then burst out laughing loudly. Tea spilled from his cup as it shook, but he didn’t mind. He propped his arm on the table, clinked his tea cup lightly against Chu Jun’s, and drank it all in one go.
“Venerable, you really know how to make people like you.”
—
Nightfall.
The outskirts of Li City had many wineries and wine cellars. The whole way was filled with the fragrance of wine, rich in spiritual energy. Those with lower cultivation levels might get drunk just from smelling the wine.
The entrance to the Floating Sky happened to be near the largest winery in the area a hundred miles outside the city – the Shiji Winery. Although the owner of Shiji Winery was a mortal, he was very shrewd. He had people set up many luxurious tents for cultivators waiting for the secret realm to open, and even provided free spiritual food and pear blossom wine.
Although cultivators were used to waiting for secret realms to open, no one would refuse to be more comfortable if possible.
Many cultivators felt indebted and left either spirit stones or talismans they had drawn, along with small items that mortals could use. The owner accepted these as if they were treasures, repeatedly expressing thanks and becoming even more attentive in his service.
Ning Buwei and Chu Jun blended in among the cultivators without drawing attention. They casually found a tent to sit in, and someone brought them snacks and pear blossom wine, saying “Please enjoy, honored immortals.”
Chu Jun placed a spiritual lingzhi on the server’s tray. The servant was overjoyed, “Thank you, honored immortal!”
He bowed many times before leaving happily.
Ning Buwei poured himself a drink, laughing, “That thousand-year lingzhi is no ordinary item. When you presented it just now, even those cultivators’ eyes went wide. Want to bet the owner will come right over?”
Only then did Chu Jun remember that he had been in seclusion for five hundred years, and the ordinary lingzhi he had casually collected and nurtured back then…..had naturally aged as well.
Sure enough, the owner of Shiji Winery came over with a face full of smiles to express his thanks. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with many wrinkles on his face. Smiling and bowing, he said, “Oh, thank you, thank you! Thank you honored immortal for bestowing the lingzhi! I am Jiang Mai, the manager of Shiji Winery. This is our Immortal Intoxication wine, a small token of our gratitude. I hope the honored immortal won’t find it beneath you.”
When Ning Buwei heard him say his surname was Jiang, he looked up at him and briefly zoned out.
Chu Jun nodded in response, and Jiang Mai presented a palm-sized wine jar with both hands, exchanged a few auspicious words with him, and asked his name.
“I’m a wandering cultivator without sect or school, called Wanli,” Chu Jun said.
After a few more compliments, Jiang Mai left contentedly.
Seeing Ning Buwei staring blankly at the small wine jar, Chu Jun pushed it toward him, “Do you like it?”
“It’s passable.” Ning Buwei picked up the wine jar and examined it, first pouring a cup for Chu Jun before serving himself. After taking a sip, he said lazily, “Their wine has always had a bitter taste. The brewing isn’t very good.”
“Do you know that Jiang Mai?” Chu Jun asked.
“No,” Ning Buwei took another sip, “Tsk, still bitter.”
Just as Chu Jun was about to advise him to drink less, the spiritual energy in the surroundings suddenly began to fluctuate, and the many cultivators who had been waiting all stood up to look.
Under the bright moonlight, a magnificent and brilliant white jade gate appeared in mid-air before everyone. It was called magnificent because of its enormous size – the Shiji Winery, which covered dozens of li, looked like a small stone before this gate. As for its brilliance – it was because countless gold, silver, and jewels were inlaid on it, sparkling like countless brilliant stars under the moonlight, extremely extravagant.
At the hour of zi, when the watch drums sounded, the three characters for “Floating Sky” emerged from behind the clouds and mist. Celestial music filled the air with zither and bell sounds, and the tightly closed gates of the Floating Sky opened with a thunderous sound. Pure and dense spiritual energy rushed forth, along with the pressure of an ancient secret realm bearing down.
Countless cultivators summoned their magical tools and flew towards the gate like streaks of light. Some entered easily, while others with insufficient strength were knocked back by the pressure and spiritual energy, spitting blood and blocked outside the gate.
Even when entering together, each person would land in different locations, and there were many dangers inside. The safest method was to form a temporary contract. Just as Chu Jun turned his head to explain this to Ning Buwei, the latter flew straight into the Floating Sky gate on his sword without a word, disappearing from sight.
Chu Jun’s hand, which had intended to grab him, froze in mid-air.
The small wine jar of Immortal Intoxication rolled several times on the table before falling at Chu Jun’s feet with an empty thud, not a drop of wine remaining.
The Venerable Jinghe, who hadn’t touched a drop of wine: “……”
He should have been on guard as soon as he saw the three characters “Immortal Intoxication.”
