PDLP Chapter 36 Little Evergreen Peak
Chapter 36 Little Evergreen Peak
"Brother Lin, I, Zhijing, will follow you! Wherever you go, I will go!" Li Zhijing said humbly, leaning forward slightly.
Li Zhijing is currently a Qi Refining cultivator. For someone from a less-than-ideal background like him, being able to follow a Foundation Establishment cultivator is an honor, especially since this cultivator is someone he has followed for many years. He doesn't need to think twice; he can simply pledge his loyalty.
Seeing the great changes in Li Zhijing, Lin Changqing knew that his cultivation level was now different. According to the rules of the cultivation world, he was considered Li Zhijing's senior.
However, Li Zhijing did not call him "senior" but still called him "elder brother," and he did not stop him. In his opinion, Li Zhijing was reliable and capable, so he let him call him whatever he wanted.
As long as Lee Ji-jung doesn't cross my bottom line, I can tolerate everything based on our years of relationship.
Lin Changqing did not talk with Li Zhijing for long. He simply patted Li Zhijing's arm gently, offered some encouragement, and then flew to Huangfeng Valley to meet the sect leader.
Standing there, Li Zhijing watched Lin Changqing walk away, her expression constantly changing before finally settling down. She murmured to herself, "My own Foundation Establishment opportunity is still there, but why is Brother Lin's luck a bit unstable after breaking through to Foundation Establishment? It shouldn't be like this."
"Forget it, let's not delve into it too much. Just sticking with Brother Lin will always bring good things. We've been following him for so many years now, and things have always been stable and reliable. Isn't that great?"
Li Zhijing didn't know why, but after reading more and more jade slip books, he seemed to have an epiphany. He could clearly sense some things, which were somewhat like divination, but different from the divination he had learned. They felt more mysterious and strange.
Just like when he was in the lake and didn't want to go to the island, he clearly felt there was danger in his heart. However, it was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he was not sure. Now, he felt something from Lin Changqing, but he didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse.
......
Lin Changqing held the jade slip and waited outside the main hall of Huangfeng Valley, awaiting a summons from Sect Leader Zhong of Huangfeng Valley.
Although Sect Leader Zhong is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he is different from other rogue cultivators. He can meet many Core Formation cultivators, and his status is far above that of ordinary disciples. He can also allocate some important resources of Huangfeng Valley.
Therefore, it was normal for Lin Changqing to stand alone outside the hall waiting. Regardless of whether the other party's intentions were good or bad, once they arrived, he could only wait; there was no other way.
After a while, a white-robed man at the Qi Refining stage appeared inside. He approached Lin Changqing and said coldly, "The sect leader wants to see you. Fellow Daoist Lin, you may leave!"
Upon hearing the white-robed man's cold words, Lin Changqing frowned and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
"A Qi Refining cultivator addressing a Foundation Establishment cultivator as a fellow Daoist, defying the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches—this gatekeeper of the main hall is truly something else!"
But Lin Changqing ignored him. He was just a Qi Refining stage disciple. Lin Changqing pretended not to understand the reason and walked in calmly.
He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, invited by Sect Leader Zhong. He could have left in anger, but the man in white wouldn't have punished him severely. At most, he would have given him a warning. After all, Huangfeng Valley didn't lack Foundation Establishment cultivators; it was the Foundation Establishment cultivators who lacked Huangfeng Valley's resources.
So his angry departure was somewhat unusual, and even suggested that he looked down on Huangfeng Valley.
He was there as a guest steward, not a real steward of Huangfeng Valley. He had no right to get angry or discipline Huangfeng Valley disciples, not even those at the Qi Refining stage.
Unless it's wartime and they're drafted and given command authority, no longer just a figurehead, then they'll have to find opportunities outside of Yellow Maple Valley.
Moreover, he is currently a rogue cultivator, and his status as a guest elder has not yet been finalized. If he leaves in anger because of this matter, he will be criticized and it may even affect his ability to sell magical artifacts and pills in the Yellow Maple Valley market.
The disciples of Huangfeng Valley are impolite and look down on rogue cultivators; that's their business. If Lin Changqing gets angry about it, then that's his business and Huangfeng Valley's business.
Therefore, Lin Changqing had no need to clash with them. Once he had his own spiritual land, as long as Huangfeng Valley did not summon him, he would simply close his own building and stay there, regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, and would no longer come to Huangfeng Valley.
In any case, his willingness to become a guest steward was simply to obtain a proper mountain peak, open up his own cave dwelling, avoid being disturbed by others, and concentrate on his cultivation.
Lin Changqing finally entered the main hall at a leisurely pace, passing through three gates before finally meeting Zhong Lingdao, the head of Huangfeng Valley.
On either side of the hall, two women, after paying their respects to Zhong Lingdao, turned and left.
It just so happens that Lin Changqing recognized one of the women; she was Chen Qiaoqian, the woman from the Chen family whom he had met at the Tainan Small Meeting.
At this moment, Chen Qiaoqian also saw Lin Changqing. Her beautiful face froze slightly, and her delicate body trembled with surprise.
"It's him? What's he doing in Yellow Maple Valley? Could he be a disciple of Yellow Maple Valley?"
The woman in blue noticed her junior sister's condition and quickly looked over. Her expression froze for a moment before she came to her senses and whispered to Chen Qiaoqian, who was staring at Lin Changqing, "Junior Sister Chen, we should go."
Upon hearing the telepathic message, Chen Qiaoqian snapped out of her daze and, with a slightly flushed face, replied telepathically to the woman in blue, "Senior Sister Nie, thank you for the reminder!"
The two then passed by Lin Changqing.
After leaving the main hall, Chen Qiaoqian was still a little lost in thought, seemingly preoccupied with something. Nie Ying, however, noticed something and said with a charming laugh, "Qiaoqian, are you still thinking about that man in the main hall?"
Chen Qiaoqian blushed as Nie Ying teased her, making her even more beautiful, like a red rose. She whispered, "No, I was just wondering how I ended up running into him here."
At this moment, Chen Qiaoqian's explanation aroused even the ethereal Nie Ying's curiosity.
However, before he could ask a question, he was interrupted by a sinister-looking young man who ran over from a distance.
"Qiaoqian! Junior Sister Nie, you've both received the Foundation Establishment Pills from the Sect Leader, right?"
"We haven't been in the valley long, how about we take a walk together? I've already made plans with Junior Sister Dong from Yellow Maple Valley!"
The young man surnamed Lu was tall and handsome, with a gentle and polite demeanor, and he had a charming and elegant air about him, which made him very likable.
Since this was Nie Ying's first time meeting the young man surnamed Lu, she didn't refuse and wandered around with them.
......
On the other hand, Lin Changqing met a middle-aged man with three long strands of beard, who was probably over a hundred years old.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, you weren't given any trouble, were you?" Zhong Ling asked calmly and peacefully.
"My name is Lin Changqing, and I greet Sect Leader Zhong!"
"As for the troublesome matters, with Sect Leader Zhong here, how could these things happen?" Zhong Lingdao is a Foundation Establishment cultivator and the Sect Leader of Huangfeng Valley, so he definitely has to reply. He can't ignore Zhong Lingdao like he ignored the man in white. In fact, when he speaks, he can't make Zhong Lingdao feel angry or disturb his mood, so as to avoid the matter of the cave going to waste.
Zhong Lingdao looked at Lin Changqing, who was bowing, and smiled kindly, wondering if he knew anything about what was happening outside the door.
At this moment, he was very satisfied with his impression of Lin Changqing. Huangfeng Valley needed this kind of handsome, otherworldly, and sensible person to show other sects that Huangfeng Valley cultivators were no worse than those of the Yanyue Sect.
Overjoyed, Zhong Lingdao slightly raised his hand, and an invisible, gentle force lifted Lin Changqing up, preventing him from continuing his worship, thus demonstrating his respect for scholars.
However, Lin Changqing was not buying it and only wanted to focus on cultivation. He was speechless and wanted to see how Zhong Lingdao would perform.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, now that you've come, I agree to your becoming a guest elder of Huangfeng Valley. You can find a deserted mountain peak within Huangfeng Valley and open your own cave dwelling. Here, take this token!" Zhong Lingdao didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, passing a token to Lin Changqing.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!" Lin Changqing was also delighted. He had a good impression of Zhongling Dao, so he stopped thinking about whether the white-robed man's matter was related to him or whether it was to suppress him.
Zhong Lingdao's peaceful demeanor makes it hard to believe he would suppress others; he truly deserves to be the head of Huangfeng Valley!
"Guest Elder Lin, you're too kind. Just make more contributions to Huangfeng Valley in the future, and our sect will not treat you unfairly." Zhong Lingdao encouraged Lin Changqing after seeing him accept the token, and then dismissed him.
After receiving the token, Lin Changqing bowed and took his leave. He walked out of the hall with a normal expression, giving the white-robed man a scrutinizing look.
This time, the man in white remained calm and didn't seem to care about Lin Changqing's gaze. It was as if his previous coldness was all an act, and he even revealed a slight smile.
Lin Changqing now understood that the man in white was perhaps acting on the orders of "Sect Leader Zhong" to give these new rogue cultivators a taste of their own medicine, a test of how he would handle such a situation, to analyze his character and whether he could be retained as a guest elder.
After leaving the cold main hall, Lin Changqing now only wanted to find a secluded mountain peak as soon as possible, open a cave, and devote himself to cultivation, detached from worldly affairs. Worldly matters were too complicated, and after witnessing the ways of the major sects, Lin Changqing felt uneasy, as if this choice might have some bad consequences.
However, this feeling was only fleeting, and Lin Changqing quickly put it aside. He only wanted to cultivate and achieve the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages.
In the eyes of major sects, those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage are merely larger ants; whether they are used or not is entirely up to them, and whether they are killed or not is a matter of weighing whether the benefits are sufficient.
"The major sects have complex and intricate systems; I might not be able to handle them. I'd better find a secluded place to cultivate!"
After some thought, Lin Changqing left the main hall and, following the map shown on the token, went to find an unexplored mountain peak. As for Zhong Lingdao's words of encouragement, he ignored them completely.
......
At the herb field, a dark-skinned man stretched and yawned, gazing at the azure sky, enjoying the tranquil surroundings, and once again expressing his gratitude to an old friend.
Suddenly, a talisman came from afar and stopped beside the man.
Curious, the man used his magic to activate the talisman, and a beam of light appeared in the air.
"Junior Brother Han, I have successfully established my foundation. I hope you can come to Xiaochangqing Peak to attend my celebration in ten days."
The talisman is marked with its location and the purpose of the visit.
The person who obtained the talisman was naturally Han Li, who was also the only person Lin Changqing introduced to the cultivation world.
Han Li looked at the information on the talisman and immediately became happy.
"Senior Brother Lin has broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage! And he's even become a guest elder steward of Yellow Maple Valley. That's wonderful! I'll be able to ask Senior Brother for advice more often in the future."
"But what kind of gift should I prepare?"
Han Li glanced back at the herb garden and fell into deep thought.
On Xiaochangqing Peak.
The mist was thick and reached straight into the sky, its spiritual energy much richer than that of the Yellow Maple Valley market.
This mountain peak stands alone on a plain. Because it is too far from Huangfeng Valley, no true disciples chose it, so it fell into Lin Changqing's hands.
The mountain was originally unnamed, but Lin Changqing saw that the mountain was covered in evergreen trees, full of vitality and beautiful scenery, so he took the name "Changqing Peak" on a whim. However, he changed his mind and felt that the word "Changqing" was too ostentatious, so he added a "Xiao" (small) in front of it.
Although not as good as Changqing Peak, it was still acceptable and quite fitting for his status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
As for when to remove the word "small," we can only say we'll talk about it when we've mastered the art!