Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 745: Lying

This trip down the mountain had indeed brought him across many acquaintances, and Song Yan couldn’t help but lament how small the Chu Kingdom truly was.

For some unknown reason, Rong Xiaofeng’s eyes were filled with joy: "Daoist Song, it’s been several years since we last parted!"

Rong Xiaofeng’s enthusiasm exceeded Song Yan’s expectations.

He always felt that he wasn’t that close with this couple.

With a hint of doubt in his heart, Song Yan still cupped his hands and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Rong’s demeanor is even more impressive than before. I’m ashamed to say, I was also invited to Bei Ya Mountain for the Flower Festival previously, but due to pressing matters, I wasn’t able to pay a visit."

"No matter, no matter!" Rong Xiaofeng laughed heartily, his gaze falling on Wang Ke beside Song Yan: "This must be Fellow Daoist Wang Ke, who has recently risen to fame in the Dao of Chess, right?"

Wang Ke scratched his head a little shyly: "I was lucky to advance... Does Fellow Daoist Rong also understand the Dao of Chess?"

Rong Xiaofeng took out a gilded jade talisman from his qiankun bag: "To be honest with everyone, this Chess Tournament is jointly organized by the Yan Family, Linghua Valley, and the Wu Family."

A hint of curiosity appeared in Song Yan’s eyes.

To what extent had the Wu Family developed now?

"The Family Elder specifically instructed me that if I encountered any chess masters, I must invite them to our residence for a small chat."

Then he turned to Song Yan: "Fellow Daoist Song is also a distinguished guest of our Wu Family, why not come with me?"

Song Yan was about to agree when he saw Wang Ke give him a look.

"Fellow Daoist Rong’s hospitality is hard to refuse." Song Yan understood, "However, Fellow Daoist Wang Ke is tired from his journey. It’s better for him to rest in the separate courtyard for a few days. How about we gather after the tournament?"

Wang Ke quietly pulled Song Yan aside.

In his palm lay a white jade chess piece.

The chess piece suddenly shattered, transforming into a section of a gilded, spiritual vine.

It was the second section of the Luo Zhen Vine.

"Fellow Daoist Song, please keep it safe." Wang Ke lowered his voice, "I observe that the Chess Valley’s defenses are strict, and with the Cultivators of Bei Ya Mountain looking after it, there should be no problem."

"You go visit your friends. It won’t be too late to come back and watch the matches in five days."

The vine felt warm and spiritual in his hand.

Song Yan looked deeply at Wang Ke, then nodded: "Since that’s the case, be careful yourself. If anything unusual happens, send a message immediately."

"Okay."

His employer was quite easygoing.

Since he was already here, it wouldn’t be bad to visit the Wu Family... Southern foothills of Bei Ya Mountain City.

It wasn’t until he officially entered the mountain city that Song Yan felt much more familiar.

Rong Xiaofeng led Song Yan and the two through the streets and alleys. Along the way, Cultivators occasionally greeted Rong Xiaofeng.

Song Yan had a rough guess in his heart; it seemed the Wu Family now held a significant position in the city.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Being able to jointly host a tournament with the Yan Family and Linghua Valley was enough to demonstrate the Wu Family’s current strength.

"How is Daoist Wu doing these days?" Song Yan asked casually.

"She’s quite impressive." Rong Xiaofeng’s steps paused slightly upon hearing this, and a hint of pride appeared on his face: "She is now the head of the Wu Family, and all major and minor affairs of the Family are decided by her."

Song Yan was slightly surprised.

When they parted ways back then, Wu Huaguo was just a down-and-out Loose Cultivator who was constantly thinking about her Family’s development. He didn’t expect that in just a few short years, she would now be in charge of the Family.

Entering a small alley, there were fewer passersby.

The Wu Family’s territory.

On the stone tablet in front of the mansion, the characters ’Wu Family’ were carved.

Stepping through the courtyard gate, before he had walked far, he heard a hearty laugh from within the garden: "Has Fellow Daoist Song arrived?"

Before the words finished, a woman dressed in a green robe quickly came out to greet them.

The woman had picturesque features and an efficient demeanor in her every movement; it was Wu Huaguo.

She must have received an advance message from Rong Xiaofeng.

"Fellow Daoist Song!" Wu Huaguo’s eyes sparkled with pleasant surprise, "After years apart, your demeanor is even more impressive than before!"

Song Yan cupped his hands in return: "I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Wu to be the Family Head now. Congratulations."

Wu Huaguo smiled and shook her head: "It’s just the Elders in the Family showing favor." Her gaze turned to Xiao Ju and Xiao He, "These two are..."

"This is Xiao Ju, my companion. This is Xiao He, my... also my companion." Song Yan originally wanted to say’spirit beast’, but Xiao He was in human form now.

Wu Huaguo and the Rong Xiaofeng couple knew that Song Yan had a small snake spirit beast, but they had never seen her transformed appearance.

At this moment, Xiao He was grinning, hands on her hips, seemingly hoping the couple would recognize her.

However, Wu Huaguo looked at Xiao He for a few more moments, smiled, but didn’t ask further, warmly leading everyone into the inner hall.

In the hall, sandalwood incense wafted, and spiritual tea and fresh fruits were already prepared on the tables.

The group sat down and chatted. When they spoke of the current prosperity of the Wu Family, Wu Huaguo’s face lit up with joy.

The Incomplete Manual of Wu Shu, which they had brought out from Lin Qinglong’s tomb back then, was now one of the Foundations of the Wu Family’s establishment.

Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng were also two extraordinary individuals. After obtaining such a precious Cultivation Technique, they didn’t hide it at all, directly giving it to the Family.

"Over the years, my husband and I have studied that Daoist scripture and discovered that the Earth and Wood attribute Spells within it complement the Spells in the Compassionate Flower and Language Cultivation Technique with profound subtlety."

"Now, the disciples of the Family all first learn the Family’s Cultivation Technique to build their Foundation, and after reaching the third layer of Qi Refining, they then Cultivate that Incomplete Manual of Wu Shu."

Thanks to this Daoist scripture, the Wu Family has seen several Late Stage Qi Refinement Cultivators emerge in just these few years.

"All of this is thanks to Fellow Daoist Song’s help back then."

The current Wu Family, of course, was still far from comparable to those Cultivation Families. Being able to jointly host this Chess Tournament with the Yan Family and Linghua Valley also showed that the other two forces valued the Wu Family’s potential.

But it was indeed no longer the small, humble Family it once was.

As they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to the upcoming Chess Tournament.

"Speaking of which, my good friend Wang Ke seems extremely dedicated to this Chess Tournament." Song Yan took a sip of spiritual tea: "I wonder what kind of reward the champion of this tournament will receive?"

Wang Ke said he just liked playing chess, a reason Song Yan couldn’t fully believe.

Coincidentally, the Wu Family was one of the organizers, so it was a good opportunity to ask directly.

Rong Xiaofeng was startled upon hearing this, then a hint of apology appeared on his face: "Although I participated in the preparations, I actually have no skill in the Dao of Chess, so I haven’t really looked into it."

"There is indeed a special reward." Wu Huaguo said from the side: "I’ve seen it before; it’s a golden page, said to be a chess manual unearthed from an ancient Cultivator’s Immortal Cave."

A chess manual... Wang Ke had mentioned this.

Although the origin of this chess manual was unknown, any game worthy of being preserved by such means must have been left behind by those Senior masters who were proficient in the Dao of Chess in the past.

It usually recorded some games that had not been publicly revealed.

Chess manuals, including musical scores, like authentic calligraphy and painting masterpieces, often contained hidden mysteries.

Some recorded lost Cultivation methods, while others contained the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

Taking chess manuals as an example, in ancient times, some powerful individuals would hide Cultivation Techniques within them. The positions of the pieces corresponded to the flow of Meridians, and the changes in the chess formation coincided with the circulation of the Heavenly Cycle.

However, unlike normal Cultivation Techniques or secret scrolls, if one did not possess sufficient skill and insight in the Dao of Chess, even if they studied the chess manual for a hundred years, they would find it difficult to grasp its essence.

"So that’s how it is."

Song Yan was thoughtful: "No wonder Wang Ke is so persistent."

This person indeed loved the Dao of Chess, but perhaps what attracted him most was this golden chess manual page.

If his skill was sufficient to gain some enlightenment from it, that would be an immense harvest.

Especially since this person was indeed exceptionally skilled in chess, he must have enough confidence to decipher this ancient manual.

Song Yan, however, was not interested in chess manuals or anything of the sort.

After all, even if it were given to him for free, he probably wouldn’t be able to make anything of it.

As they were chatting, they suddenly heard the sound of a wooden fish drum, drawing closer.

Song Yan looked up and saw a young monk in a grey cloth monastic robe slowly approaching.

He had a thin face and held a string of ebony prayer beads.

Song Yan didn’t expect there to be a Buddhist Cultivator guest in the Wu Family.

He asked, puzzled: "Who is this?"

Wu Huaguo quickly stood up: "This is Great Master Yuan Zhen, a high-ranking Buddhist monk from the ’Jingye Zen Temple’ in the Central Region, whom the Family Elder met in a Secret Realm a few days ago."

From the Central Region?

Song Yan was slightly surprised.

Was it necessary for Cultivators from the Central Region to come to a small place like the Chu Kingdom to suffer?

However, this situation also fit his stereotype of Buddhist Cultivators.

Among Buddhist Cultivators, there was a type of monk called an ascetic monk.

They pursued spiritual liberation by minimizing all spiritual resources required for Cultivation to the simplest level, in order to escape the endless suffering of Reincarnation.

They believed that if they suffered a little more, all living beings would suffer a little less.

From this perspective, merely traveling to the Chu Kingdom didn’t seem like such a big deal.

The monk clasped his hands together and softly chanted: "Amitabha, this poor monk is traveling here and is grateful for the hospitality of the Wu Family Head. I apologize for the disturbance."

Wu Huaguo said: "Great Master Yuan Zhen, you’ve come at a good time. This is Fellow Daoist Song Yan of the Cave Abyss Sect. We were just talking about the Chess Tournament."

"So this is Benefactor Song." Yuan Zhen’s gaze fell on Song Yan: "This poor monk was playing chess with someone in the Four Palace Chess Valley earlier and saw Benefactor Song traveling with Benefactor Wang Ke."

Song Yan cupped his hands in return, but felt a little surprised in his heart.

In the Four Palace Chess Valley, when did this monk notice them?

He hadn’t even detected his prying again.

First there was Wang Ke, and now Yuan Zhen.

Sometimes Song Yan had to wonder if his powerful Divine Sense was malfunctioning.

He also subtly assessed the other party. This Great Master Yuan Zhen, the Buddhist Cultivator from the Central Region, had nothing particularly special about him.

His Cultivation Realm was also only at the Perfection of Qi Refinement Stage.

Rong Xiaofeng smiled: "Fellow Daoist Song, you may not know, but Great Master Yuan Zhen is also a chess master."

"He is one of the eight Fellow Daoists who will enter the Four Palace Chess Valley in a few days to compete for the championship of the Chess Tournament."

Although this Chess Tournament had no Restrictions on Cultivation or region.

Most of the participating Cultivators were Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators from the Chu Kingdom.

Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators rarely participated in such temporary events with no clear, valuable rewards.

At higher Realms, there were naturally higher platforms and broader horizons.

Moreover, playing chess with a group of junior Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators, winning was nothing, but losing would be truly embarrassing.

Among the eight individuals who would ultimately compete in the Four Palace Chess Valley in a few days, only one was a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.

"This poor monk passed by when returning to his room earlier and heard that the Family Head was entertaining distinguished guests, so I came to pay my respects, lest I be impolite."

Yuan Zhen clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.

After a few polite exchanges, Yuan Zhen excused himself, citing the need to return to his room to chant scriptures.

Song Yan glanced over and saw that Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng exchanged a look, with a hint of wariness in their eyes as they watched Yuan Zhen leave.

They even looked at each other.

He was surprised in his heart, but showed no expression on his face, merely picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

After Yuan Zhen had gone far, Wu Huaguo’s smile returned: "Fellow Daoist Song, since you’ve rarely come to Bei Ya Mountain, why don’t my husband and I show you around the current Wu Family territory?"

Tour the Family territory? Was that necessary... Song Yan sensed something and nodded in agreement.

"It would be impolite to refuse."

The Wu Family’s prosperity was indeed on the rise, with a complete range of training grounds, alchemy rooms, and artifact chambers.

After a tour, the sky had already darkened.

Song Yan was about to bid farewell when he saw Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng exchange a look.

"Fellow Daoist Song." Wu Huaguo transmitted her voice, "Please, let’s speak aside for a moment."

Something was indeed going on.

He looked back at Xiao Ju: "You and Xiao He wait in the main hall for a moment. I’ll come back for you then."

Xiao Ju didn’t know what was happening, but she obediently nodded.

The three came to a hidden stone room in the backyard.

The moment the stone door closed, Rong Xiaofeng formed a hand seal and set up a sound-insulating Restriction.

What was so important that these two would set up such a grand formation within their own Family... Song Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for them to continue.

"Fellow Daoist Song, to be honest, my husband and I have never trusted an outsider Cultivator this much..."

Wu Huaguo’s face showed bitterness, a stark contrast to the Family Head who had just spoken of the Wu Family’s prosperity.

"From the first time my husband and I saw you in Lingyuanze Market, to later, Senior Lin Qinglong’s..."

Wu Huaguo was speaking when she saw the other person extend a hand.

"Spare me."

Song Yan’s voice was steady and calm: "Fellow Daoist Wu, let’s skip reminiscing about the past."

"You and I are quite familiar. If there’s anything, just say it."

Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng were startled, then let out a wry laugh.

After many years, this Fellow Daoist Song gave off an even purer feeling.

Wu Huaguo took a deep breath: "To be frank, we suspect that Great Master Yuan Zhen has a problem."

"Oh?" Song Yan recalled their wary gazes earlier, "What makes you say that?"

"Does Fellow Daoist Song still remember my secret art?"

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded, already understanding a few things.

"It can determine whether a person is speaking the truth or lying."

"Exactly." Wu Huaguo nodded.

"So, is it because Great Master Yuan Zhen lied?"

Song Yan felt this reason was a bit far-fetched.

Although monks are not supposed to lie, one couldn’t accuse someone of ill intent just for telling a small lie.

There was no need to be so on guard as if facing a great enemy.

"In this Cultivation World, everyone is playing tricks against their conscience. People as sincere as Fellow Daoist Song are truly too few."

"If others merely tell insignificant lies or hide a few things, why would we randomly suspect them?"

Wu Huaguo shook her head.

Song Yan frowned: "What did he say, which parts were true, and which were false?"

"He said he came from the Central Region; that’s true."

"He said he studied under the Jingye Zen Temple; that’s also true."

"But he said he was obsessed with the Dao of Chess; that’s false."

"He said he was just traveling here with no specific purpose; that’s also false."

Song Yan’s gaze sharpened.

Traveling here being false, if Wu Huaguo’s secret art was not mistaken, then didn’t that mean Yuan Zhen came with another purpose?

Another purpose, nothing more than escaping or pursuing someone.

Or perhaps.

There was something here that he wanted to obtain.