Chapter 72 Stance

"Anyway, long hair is a hassle, so why bother taking it out?"

Yan Shiqun raised an eyebrow in disdain: "Are you not going to wash your hair for the rest of your life?"

"Can't I just learn to make it myself? I'm so good with my hands, I can definitely learn this."

"What a joke! Don't think I don't know you've been messing around with magical artifacts and have killed a lot of fish in Water Cloud Lake."

"Hey! That's an inevitable failure on the road to experimentation, you don't understand, you don't understand."

The journey was noisy and chaotic, and before we knew it, we had arrived at the border of Beishan.

The climate at this time was just between spring and summer. Snow still lingered on the outer edge of the northern mountains, but a few miles beyond that area lay a scene of ordinary life, albeit somewhat remote.

The snow on the inner edge had just melted, and this place had little contact with the outside world. A few simple and honest residents sat scattered around.

But this place is also a place where the spirit of heaven and earth gathers, and where everything feeds on everything. There are craftsmen with excellent skills, doctors with masterful medical skills, and embroiderers with superb needlework skills.

Naturally, some people are willing to travel thousands of miles to search for the item.

After landing, Qingjue and the others were still unsure of the exact location of Jingge and needed some time to rest, so they went to see an old friend first.

To forge a fine sword during the day, Chen Duanfang, the best craftsman in Beishan, was chosen.

His house was located by the river. He lived alone and was very skilled. He never had to worry about making money as long as he took orders. However, there were few opportunities to spend money in this area, so people who lived here for a long time naturally became indifferent to fame and fortune.

"Did the Immortal Lord not give any prior notice of his arrival?"

Chen Duanfang was a tall and burly man with a scar over his left eye and burns of varying degrees on his arms, which had all become scars.

He looks intimidating and fits the stereotype of a rough and uncultured man, but he is actually humble and polite. Moreover, his family was very wealthy when he was young, and he went to school and is quite cultured.

However, due to the previous struggles between various forces, his family members left one by one. He moved here and settled in Beishan. One day, he accidentally encountered a landslide and was about to die when he was saved by Qingjue who happened to be passing by.

Not only did they save his life, but they also gave him some magical artifacts to regulate his spiritual energy and cultivation techniques. As a result, he aged more slowly than ordinary people and now looks the same as he did many years ago, just a middle-aged man.

Qingjue had only recently arrived in this world and originally intended to travel around and explore the map. However, he happened to pass by that place and saw that the man was highly skilled and had superb craftsmanship. He felt that the man was destined for great things, so he taught him some things.

Sure enough, he was a great help in the sword-making process.

Even today, Chen Duanfang still regards Qingjue as his savior. He is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and he always grants Qingjue's requests.

Of course, Qingjue's character is generally reliable, and he usually doesn't make any excessive demands.

"There was an emergency, so I didn't inform you beforehand," Qingjue said, leading his disciples inside. Jie Zhoujian and Yan Shiqun had been to this place before, but the other three hadn't, so they looked around as they entered. "Would it be alright if we disturbed you in your room?"

Chen Duanfang shook his head: "How could that be? I was just worried that I hadn't prepared anything. Immortal Lord and the other heroes, please have a seat. I'll go and make you a pot of good tea."

The tea from Beishan is also very good. Qingjue originally didn't like drinking tea, but after living in this world for a long time and drinking a lot of it, he first got used to it, and later actually began to appreciate it.

Qingjue nodded and, without being polite, said, "Could you please find us a map of the area around Beishan?"

"No problem, I'll be right there."

Chen Duanfang needs to go out to find various materials at any time. Although he has some minor spells that can protect him, he is still not good at handling major events. Therefore, he always carries a lot of maps to facilitate finding his way and evacuating.

Everyone has their own specialty. His talent in forging didn't translate into cultivation, but he was already very satisfied to be guided by such an expert.

Ruan Linglai said, "If that's the case, then Master Chen was also taught by our master, so wouldn't he be considered our senior brother?"

Jie felt his position was insecure during the day.

Qingjue smiled and said, "Master Chen has no interest in cultivation. He has spent his whole life pursuing forging skills. Don't make fun of him."

Ruan Linglai playfully stuck out her tongue, then got back to the point: "Wait a minute, how many groups are we going to split up? Finding a place that reminds me of something doesn't sound too difficult... However, Beishan has changed a lot now. I wonder if it's been buried in the mountains after all these centuries."

Wen Tianyu said, "Jingge does have its own protective formation, but unfortunately I don't know the specific principles behind it. It contains a lot of books and materials. The fact that the bandits didn't take everything or burn Jingge down proves that the formation is not so easy to break."

Yan Shiqun tilted his head back: "So this is the purpose of your token?"

Wen Tianyu: "Yes, as long as we find that place, we can naturally solve it."

Jie Zhoujian said, "One of the reasons why there are few people going north is the complex terrain. Different rivers and mountain roads meander and twist. Although we can fly on swords, we are prone to overlooking the details, so it is better to walk."

Just as Jie finished speaking, Chen Duan walked in carrying a pot of tea and a map. Without disturbing him further, he put them down and went to the courtyard to continue forging iron.

The sheepskin map was spread out on the wooden table, and it was almost the most detailed map of the entire Beishan area.

Qingjue asked, "Tianyu, does this map remind you of anything? Or are there any places that seem familiar to you?"

Wen Tianyu looked at the map and pondered carefully, finally highlighting three locations.

“These three places are the most likely sites for the Jingge ruins,” Wen Tianyu said while drawing lines. “First, the Wen family used to be located in the North Mountain… which is the southernmost part of Su Jing. Originally, there was a river that should have run through the entire center, but now it has split into several different streams. This should be a natural change over the past hundred years. In my memory, there was a magnificent river in front of Jingge, so the most likely place is along the center all the way south.”

Looking at the map, Aju said, "This area has now been filled in with many stones... If we want to walk, wouldn't we have to cross mountains and valleys?"

Their lightness skills were all excellent, so they weren't worried about that, but...

Aju asked, "If Jingge is really hidden inside the rocks, will it be very difficult to recreate it?"

Wen Tianyu said firmly, "Now that things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time. This is my family's last inheritance, and we must find it no matter what. Besides, it may also be related to the future fate of Qianlun Mountain and the cultivation world."

Qingjue nodded: "Alright, then we'll split into three teams and go to these three different locations. Linglai is the best in physical techniques. You and Ayan will take Tianyu. To improve efficiency this time, you'll go with Aju during the day. I'll go to location three by myself."

Although Xie Zhoujian was usually very clingy to him, he was also a person who considered the overall situation. Hearing this arrangement, he had no objections and nodded.

"Depart immediately, stay in touch at all times, and seek help immediately if anything goes wrong."

"yes!"

After saying goodbye, Chen Duanfang watched the departing figures of the immortals and tidied up the tea that had hardly been touched in the room.

Although he didn't know the inside story, the fact that several top cultivators could be mobilized at once meant that this mission must be formidable.

...Hopefully, the immortals will be safe and sound. After all, such a peaceful life is hard-won, and no one wants to disrupt it.

At this time, Yun Yuelin was helping his father with household affairs at the Yun family home. The weather outside was fine, and there was nothing suspicious about it. However, whenever he recalled what Qingjue had told him, he became absent-minded.

What kind of demonic cult or mountain guardians?

Is the disciple whom Qingjue raised by himself really the Demon Lord himself?

Yun Yuelin's impression of the wild goose that went missing was still from when he was a child, when he was tormented by being made a writing teacher.

When the Yun family was in trouble, those young men did their best to help, and he naturally admired their youthful talent.

Rationally, they also understood that the best way for the demonic cultivators to rebel was to bring Yan Shiqun back to the top position.

But it's still hard not to have doubts when it comes to feelings.

The demonic cultivators are notorious. Besides the fact that some people are deliberately stirring up trouble and exaggerating their deeds, it is also true that their cultivation methods are extreme and can affect the minds of normal people.

A goose going missing from its flock might be a once-in-a-millennium exception, but what about the others?

Yun Yue Lin snapped a calligraphy brush in half with a forceful snap.

Could it be that his thinking is really too outdated?

"Is something on your mind?" The head of the Yun family stood at the doorway.

“Father,” Yun Yuelin put away the broken brush and picked up a new one, “It’s nothing, I was just thinking about some things.”

"It concerns the disciple of Immortal Lord Wuqing, right?"

How did you know?

"Firstly, the Immortal Lord had already greeted me, and secondly, I had already realized that these people were no ordinary people."

Indeed, it's hard not to notice that just the skill of burning fire is something not everyone can master.

The Yun family head asked, "If the demonic cultivators are ultimately forced to go to war with the cultivation world, what do you plan to do?"

"Naturally, we will fight to the death and show no mercy."

"Haha, okay."

Yun Yuelin put down the new calligraphy brush: "...Father, what do you think? Can we really trust someone who leads demonic cultivators?"

“My answer is not important. It’s normal for everyone to have different opinions,” the Yun family head said as he walked over and sat down in front of his son. “But the fact that you can sit here quietly and wait for the result shows that you trust them, doesn’t it?”

Otherwise, given her son's temperament, he would have rushed out to stop her long ago, no... he would never have allowed her to leave the Yun family's house.

“What do you mean by trust or distrust? You’re being too harsh,” Yun Yuelin said, her expression still unwavering. “First of all, they have truly done the Yun family a favor, and I can’t very well step in to stop them. Secondly, if it really is the Demonic Sect planning a rebellion, this is indeed the only safe solution right now… It’s not because I believe them, but simply because I have no other choice.”

“You’ve always had this personality since you were little, stubborn and sharp-tongued,” the Yun family head shook his head and laughed. “Look at your personal disciples, they don’t even dare to speak to you normally.”

"...This is necessary dignity! You didn't come here today just to make fun of me, did you?"

"Sometimes when I'm a father, I also want to have a heart-to-heart talk with my son. But I won't go into too much detail about grand principles. In short, just be true to yourself and the world in your conduct, actions, and judgments. Right and wrong are never absolute. There's nothing wrong with sticking to your own stance."