Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

After Steward Qi left, Gu Yao looked a bit worried: “This is bad. The Changxian Sect is definitely guessing that we came through other means. If they really investigate, they’ll probably trace it back to us and suspect our identities.”

After all, their individual characteristics were still quite obvious. He was a pill master, and Chi Changye was a thunder-type sword cultivator. The two of them were traveling together. Even if they changed their names and faces, the Changxian Sect would likely adopt the mindset of “better to miss than to let go,” and start focusing on them.

Chi Changye patted his head. “Don’t worry. Unless they’re not interested in the Spirit-Refining Pills, they’re bound to have suspicions. Plus, the Qianhao Continent is much larger than the Tianlin Continent, and it’s not easy to find a few cultivators in such a vast sea of people.”

What Chi Changye was thinking was that unless Gu Yao kept hiding his talent in pill refining, it was only a matter of time before it was exposed.

“Don’t forget that we’re currently in a partnership with Qianfeng Pavilion. For the sake of Qianfeng Pavilion and Baihe City, I’m sure Steward Qi will help conceal our movements.”

Gu Yao nodded. That was true. Since they arrived here, aside from contacting Steward Qi, they hadn’t been disturbed by anyone. When they went out to play, although they hadn’t intentionally hidden their appearances, no one had recognized them. Clearly, those who knew of Master Yao’s reputation still didn’t know that they had come to Baihe City.

Tian Feirong said, “If it comes to it, we can separate and hide ourselves in the continent. Even if the Changxian Sect has some ability, they won’t be able to turn the whole continent upside down.”

Gu Yao wasn’t too worried either. The next time they went out to play, he would subtly alter his appearance. And since they always traveled in pairs, their identities hadn’t been exposed. After going around for a while and losing interest in sightseeing, the four of them focused their energy back on cultivation, though this time they didn’t spend all their time in seclusion.

Gu Yao continued to study his pill refining techniques, while Chi Changye either practiced his swordsmanship or studied talismans. Tian Feirong, on the other hand, picked up his weapon crafting skills and threw himself into the art of forging with great enthusiasm.

The Tian family had always been skilled in weapon crafting, and later, at the Tianfu Academy, Tian Feirong had read many related books on the subject. He had even tried forging magic weapons, although the level of the weapons he made was too low to compare with those he had obtained through various means, so he couldn’t really showcase his results.

Now that he realized his cultivation wasn’t progressing much through hard training alone and that he no longer needed to open a shop, Tian Feirong focused his energy on weapon crafting. He couldn’t always rely on Gu Yao; he needed to have his own specialties. Additionally, the Azure Flame within him was of great help in forging, so it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

The little fatty, after thinking it over, realized he didn’t have the natural talent for pill refining or weapon crafting. So, he tried his hand at talismans and formations, and discovered that he had a bit of talent for formations. Though not as good as others, having multiple skills meant more ways to survive and protect himself. So, he dove headfirst into studying formation techniques.

Seeing that everyone was busy and working hard, Gu Yao was happy in his heart. It was great that everyone had goals and skills to rely on. Even if they were to part ways and travel alone in the future, they would have the means to make a living. The formation techniques would also help enhance their self-defense and combat abilities.

Even when they were leisurely boating on the lake, everyone would be holding a book, sometimes reading, other times lifting their heads to enjoy the scenery, or exchanging a few words with each other. Compared to the past, this peaceful life was indeed rare. However, they all knew that such peace was only temporary and would be short-lived, so they had to seize the time to improve themselves.

The actions of the four of them were closely observed by the Qianfeng Pavilion and even the City Lord’s Mansion. This included City Lord Liu, who had her eye on Gu Yao’s pill refining abilities. She hoped he could help restore her partner’s condition. Over the years, the City Lord’s Mansion had recruited many pill masters and cultivators skilled in medicine, and maintaining her partner’s current state was the result of many people’s efforts.

She didn’t place all her hopes on Gu Yao, but she didn’t want to miss any opportunity. When Steward Qi brought the restored Spirit-Refining Pill recipe to her, City Lord Liu instructed her people to secretly keep an eye on the four of them.

Those who knew the couple were aware that Qianfeng Pavilion was affiliated with the City Lord’s Mansion, as Liu’s partner was named Zhang Qianfeng, and the pavilion was named after him. What outsiders didn’t know was that the true controller behind Qianfeng Pavilion was actually Zhang Qianfeng, who also played the role of a strategist within the City Lord’s Mansion.

Steward Qi came again to see Zhang Qianfeng. The man sitting in front of him looked no different from an ordinary person. However, one of his hands moved somewhat sluggishly, while the other seemed completely unharmed, not as others had said, torn apart. In fact, with a careful observation, one could still notice the difference. The arm was actually a prosthetic, grafted onto the severed limb. Though it could be used quite flexibly, it still couldn’t compare to a real, natural arm.

“Qi Yi, you’re here. Yue’er, serve tea to Uncle Qi,” said Zhang Qianfeng.

A graceful and ethereal woman emerged from the inner room—it was Liu Yue, the young city lord of Baihe City. She treated Steward Qi with the respect of an elder.

After Liu Yue served the tea, she sat quietly to the side, listening to the conversation between the two elders. If she were to inherit Baihe City in the future, she couldn’t be ignorant of business matters, lest others lead her by the nose.

Qi Yi and Zhang Qianfeng immediately began discussing Gu Yao and his companions, sparking Liu Yue’s curiosity about the four of them. She had heard of Gu Yao’s pill refining skills, and compared to him, what was the significance of Li Qi from the Changxian Sect?

Zhang Qianfeng asked, “Do you have any speculations about them?”

Qi Yi replied, “I have a bold suspicion. You may not believe it when I tell you.”

Liu Yue laughed, “Uncle Qi, you haven’t even said it yet, how do you know we won’t believe you?”

Zhang Qianfeng also smiled and waited for him to speak. Qi Yi laughed heartily and said, “I have a strong suspicion that the Spirit-Refining Pill wasn’t created by Li Qi from the Changxian Sect. There’s a high chance it’s related to this Pill Master Yao, and it seems like there’s some conflict between them and the Changxian Sect. Ever since I sent the spirit stones to Mingkong Island to announce the disposition of the pill recipe, their expressions have been a bit strange, like they were worried about something.

Then, when they went out to travel again, they disguised their appearances a bit. If I hadn’t come into contact with them, I might have overlooked it. But doesn’t this mean they’re worried about being traced back to them? But why are they worried?”

Zhang Qianfeng stroked his chin and said, “So, if the Spirit-Refining Pill didn’t come from Li Qi’s hands, then our secret auction of the pill recipe might have led the Changxian Sect to suspect the true owner of the recipe? What’s strange is that our people could only trace them to their appearance in the sea outside Jiangyun City, but after that, there’s no trace of them. The four of them stand out too much; they shouldn’t be unknown figures.”

Qi Yi nodded and said, “That would explain why Pill Master Yao was able to restore the recipe in five days, unless he is the true owner of the Spirit-Refining Pill. Even though the Changxian Sect tampered with the pill, its essence didn’t change, so it makes sense that he could do it in just a few days.”

Liu Yue gasped, “How old is this Pill Master Yao? Does he have a powerful mentor behind him?”

Qi Yi replied, “He looks under forty by his bone age, and his companion, Daoist Chang Ye, is no more than fifty. They’re really young, like disciples carefully cultivated by a large sect, but there are still many things that don’t add up.”

Zhang Qianfeng pondered and said, “Have you considered that they might not be cultivators from our Qianhao continent? What if they came from another place via a teleportation array? That could explain why they appeared in the sea, but no trace of them could be found before. As far as I know, the Changxian Sect controls several areas.”

Qi Yi instinctively disagreed, “But those places are all barren lands. How could they cultivate four Golden Core cultivators? Even on our Qianhao continent, they wouldn’t be inferior to elite disciples trained by large sects.”

Qi Yi had heard that Di Feng from the Tailuo Sect hadn’t managed to gain the upper hand against them, let alone Mu An, who had only recently formed his core in the Mu family.

Zhang Qianfeng, however, didn’t rule out this possibility. “Maybe these four are one in ten thousand. You know, I’ve seen many ancient texts over the years, and some places are remnants from the ancient wars. So, while the spiritual energy in those places might be poor, it doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t ancient inheritances passed down. The Changxian Sect has always been domineering in their actions. It’s possible that some of the areas they control want to break free from the Changxian Sect’s grip. To achieve this, they might have gathered all their resources to cultivate a few powerful cultivators.”

“That…” Qi Yi was swayed and uncertain, “If this is the case, then they must have a purpose for coming to Baihe City?”

Zhang Qianfeng smiled, “Not necessarily. It could just be a coincidence. Maybe they simply came to relax and travel. Cultivation needs to be balanced, and based on what we’ve learned, they’ve never slacked off in their training since they appeared in Jiangyun City. In my opinion, we should find an opportunity to talk to them, but before that, we need to hide their movements more carefully.”

Although they had made some adjustments before, they hadn’t erased all traces, and if someone looked closely, they might still be able to find something.

Qi Yi nodded, realizing that a serious conversation was necessary. If the other party did indeed have an ulterior motive, they couldn’t continue acting so passively.

Liu Yue’s eyes lit up, “Uncle Qi, next time you go to Mingkong Island, take me along.”

Zhang Qianfeng laughed, “If Yue’er wants to see it, take her along for a look. Let her act as your guard or as a steward down there.” Qi Yi naturally didn’t object. It would be a good excuse to take Liu Yue out to relax. Ever since the Changxian Sect incident, Liu Yue had rarely used her real appearance in Baihe City, not wanting to bring more trouble to City Lord Liu and his wife.

They all deeply hated the pressure from the Changxian Sect, and Zhang Qianfeng would never sacrifice his daughter’s life for his own well-being, pushing her into the fire. Even so, he couldn’t overcome the heart demon tribulation that came with the formation of a nascent soul. For this reason, Liu Yue didn’t act on her own accord.