Chapter 125: Chapter 121: Accompanying a Master is Like Accompanying a Tiger
Before making his final decision, Du Youqian naturally went to ask his master for advice.
Feng Xiaoyi was making pottery vases again. If she were making Spiritual Artifacts or Treasures, Du Youqian could have understood.
But she was making ordinary pottery vases.
Neither their shape nor the words and pictures carved on them were anything special.
’This can only be chalked up to a Core Formation Lord’s eccentricity, I suppose.’
"Master, is that Xi Zhiheng really trustworthy?"
Feng Xiaoyi’s full, red lips curled into a slight smile. "Why bother investigating whether he’s trustworthy or not? Have I, as your master, ever investigated whether *you* are trustworthy?"
Du Youqian fell silent.
"So, as long as you have enough strength to not fear his betrayal, why worry about whether he can be trusted?"
"Yes, thank you for your teachings, Master."
Feng Xiaoyi’s gaze shifted from the pottery vase. She sized Du Youqian up for a moment, then smiled. "You really don’t like Xi Zhiheng."
Du Youqian never lied in front of Feng Xiaoyi.
At most, he would offer a partial, limited truth.
Just like now, his answer was: "It’s not that I dislike him. It’s just that this disciple has reservations about some of his methods and remains wary of him."
Feng Xiaoyi could tell from Du Youqian’s heartbeat, muscle twitches, and changes in body temperature that he wasn’t lying. She nodded in satisfaction. "It’s right to be wary. In this world, you must be wary of everyone. Even me, your master."
Du Youqian just smiled, not responding to the loaded question.
Feng Xiaoyi continued on her own, "That Xi Zhiheng was actually my junior brother. We entered the Outer Sect at the same time. His aptitude wasn’t great, and his Comprehension was average. So after I reached Core Formation, he started down another path. I don’t know if he’ll succeed or not."
"Don’t be fooled by his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivation; that’s because he’s cultivating an extremely difficult Secret Technique."
"He should have about thirty or forty years of his lifespan left... If he can master that Secret Technique before his time is up, he might be able to comprehend Divine Abilities while still in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Then, using the power of those Divine Abilities, he could use an Ancient Technique to attempt Core Formation."
"The success rate could exceed fifty percent, far higher than the success rate for someone of his aptitude attempting Core Formation normally."
In just a few words, Feng Xiaoyi had laid Xi Zhiheng’s background completely bare.
She had clearly been paying close attention to Xi Zhiheng and had likely prepared countermeasures against him.
Du Youqian said, "Thank you for telling me this, Master. This disciple is preparing to choose the Wu Kingdom as my Garrison post. I wonder what Master’s thoughts are on this?"
Feng Xiaoyi’s expression was a half-smile, making it impossible to tell if she was being deliberately mysterious or if she had truly guessed something.
Du Youqian guessed it was the former.
’There’s no way a second person could know that I can reincarnate infinitely and have deep ties to the Wu Kingdom.’
But in the next moment, Feng Xiaoyi’s smiling words sent a chill down his spine, as if he’d been plunged into an ice cave. "You little sly fox, you think the Wu Kingdom is your lucky place? After all, you found the Relics of a predecessor there, along with many treasures. But what I’m curious about is how, after you left the Sect back then, you went straight for the Wu Kingdom. Could it be that you already knew there were treasures buried there?"
If not for his real age of several hundred years and the shrewdness that came with it, Du Youqian would have probably broken out in a cold sweat, his limbs turning ice-cold, and given himself away without any prompting.
But he immediately steadied his mind, showing no trace of abnormality, and answered respectfully, "I wouldn’t say I knew. When this disciple was still a Mortal, I heard some legends that Immortals appeared on Soul-shaking Mountain in the Wu Kingdom. I was just trying my luck at the time and wasn’t certain there would be any treasures there."
Every sentence of this was the truth, so he spoke without the slightest psychological burden.
He had indeed heard that Immortals appeared on Soul-shaking Mountain.
When he went to Soul-shaking Mountain, he was indeed not one hundred percent certain that the treasures he had buried were still there and hadn’t been taken by someone else.
’Master even sent people to Soul-shaking Mountain... I hope the Sanxiao are alright.’
Du Youqian suppressed his worry and looked at his master with a composed expression.
Feng Xiaoyi withdrew her gaze, satisfied, and returned her focus to the pottery vase. "The Wu Kingdom it is, then. There’s nothing wrong with it. In the Nine Countries of Momenan Desert, there are two First-class Sects and seven Second-class Sects, each occupying one country. The Chongzhen Sect is an Orthodox Sect, so it’s not under our jurisdiction, but I imagine your target isn’t the Chongzhen Sect anyway."
"With your current strength, it would be too much of a stretch for you to Garrison a place with a Second-class Sect from the Holy Sect. The Wu Kingdom is a good choice. The strongest Holy Sect there is a Third-class Sect, the Hundred Flowers Sect. The Hundred Flowers Sect is mostly composed of women, their Sect’s style is weak, and they suffer from frequent internal strife. After you arrive, as long as you hit back hard when they test you, they won’t dare to cause trouble again. Then, if you are adept at borrowing power, you might be able to achieve Left and Right Source and skim off some profits."
Du Youqian quickly said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
"Hehehe, no need to be so formal. The thought of not seeing you for several years makes me a bit melancholy... But you, you little sly fox, your wings have hardened. I can’t stop you, so I can only let you go."
"Rest assured, I will give Xi Zhiheng his instructions and have you take full charge of affairs in the Wu Kingdom."
"You don’t need to achieve any great merits. Just make few mistakes. In a few years, when you reach the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, I’ll recall you and grant you the position of Vice Hall Master of the External Affairs Hall."
Du Youqian bowed deeply. "This disciple will also miss you, Master. Please take care of yourself. When this disciple returns after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, I will stay by your side and fulfill my filial duties."
"Go on, go on!"
After leaving Feng Xiaoyi’s cave residence, waves of lingering fear washed over him.
If Du Youqian had been a Mortal, his back would probably have been drenched in cold sweat long ago.
Back then, when he suspected that the subordinates Feng Xiaoyi sent might have a way to search the memories of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator (that Beautiful Moustache Foundation Establishment) without leaving a trace or being detected, Du Youqian had become extremely vigilant.
If Feng Xiaoyi were to find out his secret of infinite reincarnation, his fate would likely be far more miserable than Xi Mengran’s.
Even wishing for death would become an extravagant hope.
It wasn’t that he thought Feng Xiaoyi was devoid of emotion or humanity.
It was that for a Core Formation Lord like her... all emotion and humanity had a bottom line.
’To feel emotion without being encumbered by it is the most basic requirement.’
Without this state of mind, it would be impossible to pass the Heart Demon Stage.
Even if Feng Xiaoyi had some affection for him, in the face of a secret related to Enlightenment, that affection would prove to be incredibly fragile.
That was why Du Youqian had almost been unable to resist going to the Collection Room to choose a Secret Technique for Concealment and protecting his memories, or a Divine Soul Secret Technique.
But he quickly realized that if he actually did that, wouldn’t it be an obvious sign that he didn’t trust Feng Xiaoyi?
Women are the most sensitive about such things.
She might not have thought anything of it initially, but if she suddenly discovered you didn’t trust her, all sorts of negative emotions would likely surge up. She would start finding fault with everything you do, and what little affection she had for you would quickly be exhausted.
So Du Youqian forced himself to endure, waiting until he left the Sect in the future to secretly select such a Secret Technique.
However, this kind of Superior Secret Technique wasn’t for sale in several of the large Marketplaces.
Du Youqian had even taken the time to participate in a few black market deals and underground auctions, but he never came across a suitable Secret Technique and had to give up.
’But this time, going to the Wu Kingdom... I must solve this problem!’
Otherwise, accompanying a master is like accompanying a tiger; the stress alone would shorten his lifespan, no Reverse Blood Qi Transformation Technique needed.
Furthermore, he had to make his lie convincing by starting to arrange some of the details.
That way, if Feng Xiaoyi investigated, there wouldn’t be any slip-ups.
At the same time, Du Youqian felt a deep understanding.
Every single Core Formation Ancestor, even if they looked silly or seemed like a moody young woman, definitely possessed an unimaginable depth of power and resources!
’I absolutely, absolutely must not let my guard down around any Core Formation Ancestor!’
Two days later, a message arrived from Xi Zhiheng, informing him that he had been selected as the Sect’s overall person-in-charge for the Garrison in the Wu Kingdom and would take up his post on a chosen date.
At this point, the competition for this generation’s True Inheritor was gradually becoming white-hot.
The clashes between Inner Disciples and True Successor Candidates were becoming more and more frequent.
Du Youqian didn’t make a big show of his departure. After bidding farewell to Feng Xiaoyi, he took Luo Jinyu and Gu Xiaofang, first went to the Capital Suburbs of the Yan Kingdom to pick up "Yu Fei’s" parents, and then headed for the Wu Kingdom to assume his post.
He needed to first make a trip to the Chongzhen Sect to settle his parents in their Blessed Land. Then, while he was at it, he would see if that Little Eyes Daoist from all those years ago was still alive.
