Seize the day while in the prime of youth; how can one remain a youth forever? Chapter 129: A Nighttime Raid

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

When the time arrived, Bai Qingzhou and Meng Li closed their shop early. They packed all the Dharma robes into their storage bags to prevent any pilfering by petty thieves, then headed to the ferry to board a spirit boat, flying all the way toward Shuiying Market.

The distance between the two markets was not great, taking only three hours to reach Shuiying Market. Upon arrival, the two found Fan Tianhe, who was busy butchering beast meat. After a brief conversation, they left the market again to catch another spirit boat, this time heading directly toward Luogu Market.

In truth, if one were to travel through the wilderness, they could have activated their Dharma artifacts and flown straight toward the Xuanyang Sect, which would have been a shorter route. However, since the three of them were not Foundation Establishment cultivators—not to mention the risk of encountering ruthless rogues in the wild—the threat of second-tier demonic beasts made open-air flight a highly dangerous endeavor. Thus, they had no choice but to take the spirit boat; though it was a longer journey, it was safer.

It took the trio a full five hours to arrive at Luogu Market, and by then, it was already the dead of night. After some discussion, Bai Qingzhou decided against staying in the market and opted to return to the sect immediately. The three of them entered Luogu Market, found Ruan Xiuqi, who was still fast asleep, and the four of them manifested their Dharma artifacts, flying through the night toward the mountain gate.

By the time the sun began to rise, the four of them had finally returned to the sect. Looking at the mountain gate after so many days away, the other three, who had rarely been out for so long, displayed varying expressions. Bai Qingzhou, however, was accustomed to coming and going, so he felt nothing out of the ordinary.

He glanced at the group and said slowly, "Everyone is exhausted from the journey. Go get some rest first. We will sleep, and in the afternoon, we shall go to the Qingxin Hall to report to the Sect Master."

"Understood," the three replied in unison.

They then made their way toward their respective quarters. Bai Qingzhou strolled back to his courtyard.

"Welcome home, Immortal Master!" Li Er greeted him immediately at the gate.

Seeing Li Er looking so radiant, Bai Qingzhou felt pleased and smiled, "Li Er, I haven't seen you for a few months, and you seem to be in much better spirits."

"Yes, it is all thanks to Immortal Master Bai allowing me to stay on the mountain," Li Er replied respectfully. The spiritual energy on the mountain was abundant; for a mortal, living there had the effect of prolonging life.

Bai Qingzhou nodded with a smile and walked into the courtyard, finding it as clean as ever thanks to Li Er’s care. He sat down in the pavilion and said to Li Er, "Good work. Tell me, has anything happened within the sect during this time?"

"Well..." Li Er hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, "The most shocking news is that Immortal Master Chen Li has passed away..."

Having said this, Li Er looked up to gauge Bai Qingzhou’s reaction, only to find him as calm as still water.

"I have already heard about this. Tell me about other matters," Bai Qingzhou said indifferently.

"Yes..." Li Er then began to recount the events that had occurred in the sect over the past few months. Through his narration, Bai Qingzhou learned of several recent developments.

First, Yao Ting’s herb garden had been further developed. The sect had hired formation masters and spirit-farming experts to expand the original herb fields nearly threefold and had begun planting new varieties of herbs. This significantly increased the workload in the garden, but it was said that Yao Ting enjoyed the work immensely and had no complaints.

Second, the spiritual land formerly belonging to the Flying Snake Cult had been reclaimed and officially renamed Flying Snake Mountain. Xiao Feichen had been placed in full charge, leading ten sect disciples to develop the land, plant spirit rice, and cultivate herbs to increase the sect's revenue.

Finally, at the foot of the mountain, a thousand more mortals had migrated to the town to settle down. The Xuanyang Sect had dispatched registered disciples to assist them in rebuilding their homes and establishing agricultural and livestock operations. In Li Er’s account, everything in the Xuanyang Sect was moving in a positive direction.

Time slipped away quickly during their exchange. Before long, it was afternoon. After a quick word with Li Er, Bai Qingzhou left the courtyard to find his companions. He woke them from their slumber, and the four of them set off together toward the Qingxin Hall.

...

Inside the Qingxin Hall.

"Greetings, Sect Master," the four bowed in unison.

Two people were seated in the hall: Nie Fang in the center, and Han Aoyu sitting quietly to the side.

"Good, good..." Nie Fang nodded repeatedly before asking, "You all know the reason why you were called back, don't you?"

Bai Qingzhou stepped forward and replied, "We are aware."

Shi Zhichen had notified them one by one, and they had discussed it on the journey back; they were mentally prepared.

"Hmm," Nie Fang sighed and said slowly, "Chen Li failed his attempt at the Foundation Establishment stage over a month ago, which led to his passing. Tomorrow is his funeral, which is why I called you back..."

The four of them exchanged glances, their eyes filled with grief. Although they had heard the news, hearing their Sect Master announce it officially made their hearts heavy.

"Deacon Chen, he..." Ruan Xiuqi even shed tears. Although Chen Li had been the strictest with him, often punishing him for various things, the bond between them was the deepest. Ruan Xiuqi was always at his most relaxed and carefree self in front of Chen Li. He simply hadn't expected Chen Li to leave so suddenly.

Nie Fang sighed, "Chen Li had lived for over a hundred years. His chances of successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment stage were slim to begin with. I never expected him to be so stubborn at the critical moment, refusing to give up, otherwise..."

"Enough. It is all fate; there is no need to dwell on it. Everyone, please attend the funeral on time tomorrow," Nie Fang said slowly.

"Yes..." the group replied softly.

At this moment, Han Aoyu interjected, "By the way, the reason we called you back also includes discussing the management of the shop."

"Please speak, Elder Han," Bai Qingzhou said, stepping forward.

"We wish to discuss the future direction of your business, areas for improvement, and whether you require any assistance from the sect. You may speak of these things now..." Han Aoyu said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingzhou and the others began to discuss, each offering their own opinions. The two seniors provided substantial advice and guidance on management. After half an hour of discussion, they had established the direction for the shop's operations and added some detailed refinements to optimize it.

Once the business was concluded, Nie Fang said to the four, "Very well, you may all withdraw. Qingzhou, stay behind."

"Yes!" The three bowed and left the hall, leaving Bai Qingzhou alone in the great hall.