Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 291 Feng Baobao Comes Knocking

(Friendly reminder: The previous chapter has been updated with 3 words. Please read the previous chapter first.)

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lü Qian."

Just after Lü Qian and Zhao Fangxu parted ways, Zhang Lingyu, dressed neatly in company uniform, appeared before him.

He stood before Lü Qian, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "I thank you, Fellow Daoist Lü Qian, for your help that day, which gave me hope to break through my attachments and attain my true nature."

Lu Qian accepted Zhang Lingyu's greeting without hesitation, looked him up and down a few times, and then nodded.

"Fellow Daoist Lingyu has severed her emotional entanglement and cured herself of the poison that caused her to fall from the horse, thus successfully surviving the ordeal of the [Daughter Kingdom]."

In his eyes, Zhang Lingyu no longer possessed the ethereal, otherworldly quality he had on Longhu Mountain. Beneath that otherworldly appearance, wisps of worldly air emanated from him with every breath, making him appear even more real and authentic.

"The past is already set in stone, so why dwell on it and feel dejected?"

Zhang Lingyu smiled and shook his head, "Just as Fellow Daoist Lü Qian just said, it's simply about being true to oneself and true to one's heart."

"Once you understand yourself, the complexities of the world become much simpler."

"Also, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Lü Qian would be so kind as to come here? I have a junior who would like to ask you something."

As he spoke, he turned and stepped aside, revealing Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao, who were hiding behind him. The two stood in a corner in the distance, with the meeting room door right next to them.

It seems they want to meet with Lü Qian privately.

Seeing this, Lü Qian looked at Zhang Lingyu and smiled back, "No need for such trouble, I know what you want to ask."

"If it were before, I wouldn't have had the mind to say that, but now that we're settling old scores from the Jia Shen year, we should at least let them die knowing why."

"Feng Baobao is the daughter of Wugensheng, whose surname is Feng and given name is Yao. That's all I can say. Also, please make preparations. After the meeting, I will go and settle accounts with them."

After saying that, he walked away without waiting for Zhang Lingyu, who was still standing there dumbfounded, to react, and headed towards the meeting table, where a lot of delicious food was laid out.

"How was it, Junior Uncle? What did Daoist Lü Qian say?"

Upon seeing Lü Qian leave, Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao immediately stepped forward and patted the shocked Zhang Lingyu on the shoulder.

"Fellow Daoist Lü Qian has given us the answer, but..."

Zhang Lingyu nodded at Feng Baobao, whose eyes were filled with expectation, and said in a deep voice, "The matter is a bit tricky. We'll discuss it in detail when we get back. Also, Fellow Daoist Lü Qian told you to be prepared. He said he'll come to settle accounts with you again after the meeting."

Hearing the first half, Zhang Chulan cautiously nodded in agreement, but the second half of the sentence shocked him so much that he exclaimed, "What?!"

Shocked voices echoed in the now somewhat quiet conference hall. All the guests turned to look at Zhang Chulan and his two companions, their eyes filled with either doubt, anger, or mockery.

Facing these diverse gazes, Zhang Chulan smiled apologetically at everyone, then turned and pulled the other two out of the conference hall without looking back.

"Trying to run away? Not so easy!"

Seeing this, Lu Qian, who was enjoying his meal at the table, flashed a golden light between his fingers, and a golden butterfly, ethereal and dreamlike, flew out, fluttering and disappearing into the void. In the blink of an eye, it appeared behind Zhang Chulan and stuck to his back.

The appearance and disappearance of the butterflies did not alarm the others present, as if they were just illusions. However, Lü Qian, who was holding a pastry at the table, shook his head.

"Only with both principles and methods can there be peace. The Patriarch of Nanhua has more than just principles to pass on to future generations."

He walked along the long dining table, seemingly leisurely, but the snacks on the table disappeared quickly.

In the agitated meeting room, his focused demeanor on the food went unnoticed. But just as Lü Qian finished his rounds and was about to turn back to review the key points, someone blocked his way.

"Mr. Lü, I have long admired your name."

Some awkward words came out of the middle-aged man's mouth. The words were pronounced correctly, but they were spoken in a pure Japanese accent.

The middle-aged man was of medium height and build, somewhat stocky, with gray hair and a kind-looking face, but his eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp glint.

Behind the man was a tall, muscular young man with an indifferent expression, like a sword ready to be drawn at any moment.

"Speak up if you have something to say, don't spoil my fun."

Lu Qian glanced at the two of them, dusted off his whisk, and seemed somewhat bothered by their conversation.

"My name is Ishikawa Shin, the president of the Fish Dragon Society. I have come to see Mr. Lü about the matter of the Demon Sword."

Seeing Lü Qian's somewhat disgusted look, the young man was about to step forward with a face full of indignation, but was stopped by the middle-aged Ishikawa Shin.

"Back then, your country's strength was unfathomable, and you were able to wipe out the elite of the Hira Ninja Clan. We deeply admire that."

Ishikawa Shin bowed sincerely to Lü Qian, then composed himself and said seriously, "But the demon sword [Hiruma] is ultimately lost. We contacted your country's Natoto Company before, but their attitude was somewhat ambiguous. The whereabouts of the demon sword is of great importance."

"If there is any news about the Lü family, please inform us so that we can retrieve this wretched creature and resolve this matter thoroughly..."

"Should I say no?"

While Ishikawa Shin was speaking, Lü Qian, taking advantage of his height, glanced at Zhao Fangxu not far away, but saw that the other party was letting him handle things.

He immediately lost the will to play games with the other party and directly interrupted their seemingly sincere and earnest words.

"They wreak havoc on my land, and now they think they can just retreat unscathed? There's no way they'll get away with it so easily!"

Lu Qian chuckled twice, his words completely at odds with the other party's polite and sincere demeanor, appearing quite vulgar, yet giving people a strangely pleasant and refreshing feeling.

He stroked the whisk, the white dust slipping from his fingers, revealing a subtle sharpness.

"The demon sword killed my comrades and harmed my blood relatives. Is it really fair to just shift all the blame onto Higanbana?"

"Are you looking to demand a price? No problem, all the terms are negotiable..."

"Wrong, I lack nothing except a piece of rusty iron."

"Don't be ungrateful."

Upon hearing Lü Qian's mockery, the young man standing behind Ishikawa Shin immediately broke through Ishikawa Shin's obstruction and threw out his fists and palms, ready to attack Lü Qian.

But in the next instant, a dazzling light, as bright as the moon and as clear as silver, was released before their eyes, as if a beautiful and fragrant flower had bloomed within arm's reach, radiating an invisible and formless brilliant sword light.

"Whoosh—"

As the light flashed, Lü Qian took a light step, his figure, holding a whisk, seemingly appearing behind the two in an instant. Wisps of dust rippled and gently drifted, gradually fading away the sharp and resilient aura.

"Has no one ever told you that you can kill without a sword?"

"Sizzle—"

He twirled the whisk and draped it back over his robe sleeve. Without looking back, Lü Qian walked toward the dining table at the back. A few steps later, a clear and sharp tearing sound echoed throughout the room—the sound of clothes being ripped apart.

The sounds of tearing fabric rose and fell like ice beads and jade plates bursting forth after a sudden rupture, continuous and unbroken. Then, the clothes of the two members of the Fish and Dragon Society burst open with cracks.

These cracks were clean and slit, tearing through all the outer and inner layers of clothing, but leaving no trace on the two people's skin.

The cracks, large and small, were chaotic yet somehow orderly, resembling the scales and armor of a swimming fish.

"Sizzle—"

The continuous, ear-piercing sound of tearing cloth once again drew everyone's attention. With a final, loud explosion, the clothes of the two members of the Fish-Dragon Society, which were almost torn into burlap sacks, completely disintegrated, turning into shreds of cloth wrapped around their bodies.

"Hahaha......"

The various extraordinary individuals, who were initially somewhat impatient, widened their eyes in surprise upon seeing this. Then, some turned around and covered their mouths to laugh, while others openly pointed at the two and mocked them.

"Hey, you two, are you trying to show your sincerity to King Nathan by going naked, and then take advantage of the situation?"

"You never know."

……

Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, the two members of the Fish and Dragon Society suddenly turned bright red. Fearing further criticism, they lowered their heads and walked out of the hall with gloomy faces, not daring to continue arguing.

After the two left, a hint of cheerfulness still lingered in the somber meeting room. Zhao Fangxu, standing in the crowd, glanced at Lü Qian, who was stationed at the dining area, and couldn't help but smile.

For him, a director of NaDuTong, there are some things he can't say openly; he can only play guessing games and evasive tactics with others.

Over time, anyone would get annoyed, especially when dealing with the Fish and Dragon Society of the East. Now, thanks to Lü Qian, he has finally gotten rid of these annoying guys.

"To do as one pleases without overstepping the bounds—is this what it means to be true to oneself and one's true nature? Unfortunately, I am destined to be a willingly busybody."

Zhao Fangxu looked at Lü Qian, who seemed completely unaffected and was still eating and drinking heartily, and shook his head with some distress. "After all, someone has to plan and take responsibility. Why can't that person be me?"

"Xu Xiang, why did you leave so early, old man? Never mind, I suddenly remembered that I'm over seventy years old myself."

Sighing inwardly, Zhao Fangxu suddenly felt a little tired as he recalled his age, but this fatigue was quickly dispelled by greater pressure, and he regained his usual ease.

At the dining table, Lü Qian, who was eating snacks, suddenly smiled. He neither shook his head nor praised, but simply said something with emotion.

"The world is full of allure, yet everyone is far apart."

"If you ask about the dream in my heart, a few coins are worth more than a thousand pieces of gold."

"We are all travelers on the road; who is not different?"

The moment he asked himself this question, the clear, mirror-like space between his eyebrows and his mind suddenly transformed, and a chaotic and disorderly atmosphere appeared in that place, rendering the clear mirror space into a colorful and murky mess.

In reality, all the seven emotions and six desires, good thoughts and evil intentions, manifest in different colors, one after another, making the quiet and natural Lingtai Cave suddenly extremely lively.

"My heart is imprinted with the hearts of all, and my true heart is imprinted with the heart of Heaven."

In the center of Lingtai Cave, the primordial spirit figure sitting cross-legged with a sword opened its eyes, gazing at the bustling Lingtai Cave, which resembled a theatrical stage, and slashed its True Spirit Sword at the chaotic and colorful scene.

A burst of brilliant golden light suddenly cleaved through the chaotic atmosphere, and glittering starlight flew out from the broken chaos, like free and unrestrained butterflies and bees, swirling and flying towards the top of the Lingtai Cave Heaven according to their own trajectories.

Above the Lingtai Cave, where the golden light had cleaved through the chaotic scene, the area was now silent and dim, transformed into pure blackness.

The dancing starlight adorned this darkness, and the points of light gradually gathered in the darkness, blooming into a dazzling brilliance.

These lights move and rotate along their respective trajectories, reflecting each other. When the last ray of light merges into them, the infinite brilliance seems to transform into a boundless galaxy.

This galaxy flowed through the darkness, and in an instant, the area above Lingtai Cave Heaven seemed to transform into an immeasurable starry sky, with countless stars shimmering and sparkling within it, radiating a unique brilliance.

These intertwined rays of light descended, making the Milky Way seem to reverse within the Lingtai Cave Heaven, with endless starlight condensing and illuminating the golden, radiant primordial spirit seated below.

As the starlight shone down, wisps of clear radiance detached from the primordial spirit, mingling with the boundless brilliance, and transformed into a round seed, which floated atop the primordial spirit's head.

"Click!"

The seed swelled up in the starlight, then suddenly cracked with a crisp sound, bursting forth with new life and a burst of colorful light.

Amidst a dazzling array of colors, a seven-colored lotus flower bursts forth from its seed, hovering above the head of the primordial spirit, shimmering and reflecting the light of another five-colored lotus flower.

When the seven-colored lotus fully matured, all the chaotic phenomena within the spiritual platform vanished, transforming it back into a clear and bright grotto.

However, what the cave reflects now is no longer the mortal world outside, but the pure and tranquil starry sky above the cave, with colorful light appearing and disappearing in the starry sky.

"So this is what it means to transform heaven and earth, to see all living beings, and to follow the heart of heaven."

The changes in Lingtai Cave Heaven only lasted for a brief moment in reality. In reality, Lü Qian swallowed the pastry in his mouth and carefully experienced the feeling of the twin flowers hanging overhead. A mysterious and profound feeling arose spontaneously.

In a daze, he felt as if he were looking down on the human world from the high heavens, the mortal world unreachable; yet he also felt as if he were wandering and singing in the mundane world, the mortal world close at hand.

The vastness of the heavens and the agility of the human heart merged into one. As Lü Qian's crimson-gold pupils blinked a few times, that mysterious feeling dissipated, but Lü Qian truly felt the difference now.

It was a light and ethereal feeling, where the physical body and soul were forged together, and a trace of innate Qi slowly flowed through the limbs, bones, and internal organs, as if one were about to transcend everything in the mortal world in the next instant.

"It'll be soon, very soon."

Feeling the innate Qi gradually regenerating within his body, Lü Qian smiled slightly, his spirits becoming more unrestrained and free, and the barriers between his five internal organs and three dantian gradually dissolving.

"Once I've completed my cultivation, I'll ascend to immortality. What should I call my palaces and temples then?"

Lu Qian pondered curiously about the offerings he would make on Wudang Mountain in the future, then smiled and shook his head, "Never mind, let future generations think about it."