Chapter 8: A Baffling Invitation
Chapter 8: Chapter 8: A Baffling Invitation
The bearded man and the frail-looking scholar both had a hand hovering near the Storage Bags at their waists.
It was clear that if Li Ping dared to make a move, they would instantly unleash their Dharma Artifacts in a devastating attack.
He was facing two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and one was even at the Mid-stage.
Yet he hadn’t even practiced a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation Technique, nor did he possess a single Dharma Artifact suitable for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Li Ping knew that fighting back would be nothing short of humiliating.
’Have I offended these two before? Why don’t I have any memory of them?’ Li Ping’s mind raced as he sifted through decades of memories, but he still had no clue as to their identities.
’Fortunately, we’re in the Immortal City. There are rules here. They probably wouldn’t dare to actually kill me.’
With this thought, Li Ping subtly shuffled his feet toward the inner city before speaking in a measured tone, "I am indeed Li Ping. May I ask your business, fellow Daoists? I have an appointment with Fairy Meng Qingyi of Cyan Dragon Mountain and cannot afford to be delayed."
While speaking, Li Ping covertly hinted at his connection to Meng Qingyi, hoping to make them wary.
After all, he was slated to join Cyan Dragon Mountain as an Honored Guest Elder. Surely Fairy Meng wouldn’t mind him using that connection now.
Within the Immortal City, no cultivator should dare to provoke anyone from Cyan Dragon Mountain.
Unfortunately, to Li Ping’s disappointment, the bearded cultivator merely nodded dismissively. "Since you’re Li Ping, come with us. Someone wants to ask you some questions."
Li Ping’s heart sank, and his pulse quickened. They seemed completely unfazed by his ’Cyan Dragon Mountain background,’ suggesting they had powerful backing of their own.
Even so, Li Ping couldn’t just obediently go with them.
If he went with them, who knew where they would take him? His predicament then would be far worse than just fighting it out now!
"And how should I address you two, fellow Daoists?" Li Ping asked, trying to fish for their identities.
Seeing Li Ping refuse to leave and instead pestering them with questions, the bearded man shot him a glare. "I told you to come with us, yet you’re still dawdling. Are you looking for a beating?!"
HUFF!
Faced with the bearded man’s threat, Li Ping took a deep breath. His feet remained rooted to the spot, ready for a fight.
He would never allow himself to be hauled away without even knowing who they were.
’I have to take a chance. If I can just stall for a little while, the cultivators from Cyan Dragon Mountain will find out!’
But just as Li Ping was about to act, the frail-looking scholar who had been standing behind the bearded man tugged on his companion’s arm. "Senior Brother Xiong, let me handle this."
He then turned to Li Ping, his expression turning solemn. "You’re Li Ping, correct? We are cultivators from Cyan Dragon Mountain. The Fairy Meng you spoke of is my senior sister. We’re here today because another one of my senior sisters has some questions for you."
As he spoke, he produced an ancient, cyan-colored Token and flashed it before Li Ping.
Li Ping got a clear look; it was indeed a Cyan Dragon Mountain Token.
But Tokens could be forged, and Meng Qingyi’s identity was no great secret in the Immortal City. Who knew if they were telling the truth? Li Ping still didn’t dare trust them.
’In this dangerous world of cultivation, how could he just blindly trust others?’
The scholar’s words only deepened his confusion. ’Their senior sister wants to see me to ask some questions?’
"Fellow Daoists..."
Li Ping tried to stall for more time with excuses, which only served to make both the bearded man and the frail scholar grow impatient. They were about to seize him by force.
Fortunately, at that very moment, his salvation arrived.
Clad in a cyan robe and moon-white cloud slippers, her face as sweet and lovely as ever, was Meng Qingyi.
Seeing the tense standoff between the three, Meng Qingyi’s expression was puzzled. "Senior Brother Xiong, Junior Brother Ye, and you, Fellow Daoist Li... What’s going on? Why does it look like you’re about to come to blows?"
"This is infuriating! No matter what we said, this kid just wouldn’t believe us!" The bearded man exclaimed, his eyes full of impatience upon seeing Meng Qingyi. "Junior Sister Meng, you’re just in time. You talk to him."
The frail-looking scholar added with a helpless sigh, "Senior Sister Meng, Fellow Daoist Li refuses to come with us."
...
Only after Meng Qingyi appeared did Li Ping finally believe that the bearded man and the frail scholar were indeed cultivators from Cyan Dragon Mountain. No wonder they had been so brazen.
He had been bluffing by using Meng Qingyi’s name as a shield,
and now the real deal had shown up.
Faced with an ’invitation’ from two Mid-stage and one Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators on their own turf, Li Ping clearly had no room to refuse.
After a patient explanation from Fairy Meng, he had no choice but to obediently summon his Escape Light and follow the three of them toward Cyan Dragon Mountain.
Curious about who could command so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators to ’arrest’ him, Li Ping sent a spiritual voice transmission. "Fairy Meng, do you have any idea who wants to see me?"
Hearing Li Ping’s transmission, a wry smile touched Meng Qingyi’s eyes. Her lips barely moved, but her clear voice sounded directly in his ear, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Li, the one who wishes to see you is my Thirteenth Senior Sister. I truly never imagined that simply inviting you to become an Honored Guest Elder for the Immortal City would somehow involve her and earn her fury."
Then, as if feeling guilty, Meng Qingyi began to tell Li Ping about this ’Thirteenth Senior Sister’.
Fenglan Master is a Core Formation Cultivator who has lived for over four hundred years. Most of her earliest disciples have already exhausted their lifespans and passed away.
Of those still living, the earliest to be inducted was her thirteenth disciple, Dai Sangyu.
According to Meng Qingyi, this Senior Sister Dai possessed a Cloud Element Abnormal Spiritual Root, and her cultivation had already reached Perfect Foundation Establishment.
While Fenglan Master is in seclusion, Dai Sangyu is the one who actually manages all the affairs, large and small, for both the Immortal City and the Cyan Dragon Mountain faction.
Inviting Li Ping to become an Honored Guest Elder for Cyan Dragon Mountain would naturally require her approval.
But who could have known that as soon as this Senior Sister Dai saw the file Meng Qingyi submitted, she would fly into a rage?
She then immediately ordered Senior Brother Xiong and Junior Brother Ye to ’invite’ Li Ping to see her.
Meng Qingyi only heard about this afterward and had rushed over immediately.
This left Li Ping utterly baffled.
He had only learned the name Dai Sangyu today.
Besides, he had always kept an extremely low profile in the Immortal City, focusing on his cultivation. It was impossible for him to have offended a cultivator at the Perfect Foundation Establishment realm.
’But she flew into a rage just from seeing my file?’
’What was going on?’
Li Ping voiced this confusion.
Meng Qingyi was just as perplexed. Sensing Li Ping’s unease, her voice once again sounded in his ear, a comforting tone lacing her words. "Perhaps it’s all a misunderstanding. Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist Li. Thirteenth Senior Sister is known for being exceptionally fair. Once this is cleared up, I’m sure she won’t give you any trouble."
"I certainly hope so."
He was a fish on the chopping block.
Li Ping could only sigh inwardly.