After Transmigrating as an Immortal Master, I Hold a Group Meeting - Chapter 80

By the shores of Liuyue Lake, in Lian City.

The Lian family was the most renowned cultivation clan in Lian City and immortals often came and went from their estate. Because of that, the city’s residents had long grown accustomed to seeing immortals flying overhead.

In fact, they were so used to it that they had even developed a skill for sensing the pressure and cultivation level of passing immortals.

On that day, the townspeople went about their usual business, working, drinking tea, and chatting, when they suddenly felt an immense wave of spiritual pressure from the sky.

“The last time the pressure was this intense, it was from a Golden Core cultivator. Old Liu, who was standing closest when the immortal descended, got so scared his legs gave out and he couldn’t stand back up for half a day.”

“This time, even from this far away, the horses and donkeys under the shelters are already getting restless. The donkeys especially, they’re kicking up their hooves. I can feel the energy too… Just how powerful is this immortal?”

Everyone gazed upward with reverence, eager for a glimpse of the celestial figure descending from the clouds.

Some had already started kneeling, hoping to bask in the immortal’s fortune. “Oh, great immortal, please bless me in the upcoming provincial exam so that I may become a scholar!”

Kneeling to absorb an immortal’s luck was a local tradition. More and more people began making wishes, until the first person to kneel opened his eyes and looked up at the immortal arriving from the glowing red sky.

“Old Jiang, did you see the immortal? What do they look like?” someone asked.

The kneeling man froze mid-bow. “A… donkey…”

…?

“That thing… is a donkey?”

***

The donkey-pulled carriage crash-landed in the northern outskirts of Lian City. Fortunately, Qi Miancheng had acted in time, casting a spell that ensured no one was injured.

From the wreckage, the two talisman cultivators of the Ice Quenching Pavilion crawled out, looking utterly disheveled.

The topknot talisman cultivator snapped, “How did you draw that talisman? Why wouldn’t the donkey stop? What was the stop condition?”

The ponytail talisman cultivator frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. It must be because the spiritual energy was too thin up there, making the network unstable… Wait, where’s the donkey? Is it okay?”

“It’s dead,” someone replied.

Both talisman cultivators looked up to see Ning Mingmei standing nearby, arms crossed. He was staring at the two donkeys, their corpses twisted in grotesque positions. The light reflected off his glasses and obscured his expression but his lips had never been pressed so tightly before.

The two talisman cultivators: …

The topknot cultivator cried out, “What?! We spent ten spirit stones on those donkeys! They were working so well. I was even thinking of using them again!”

Who cared how they flew? As long as they could fly, right?

The ponytail cultivator was more pragmatic. He knelt beside one of the donkeys and touched its body. “It’s still warm. Looks like it just died from the fall, not because of the talisman.”

If the talisman had killed it, they’d have to write an error report for the Pavilion Master when they got back.

Ning Mingmei’s voice was cold. “Why don’t you take another look at its twisted, pretzel-shaped neck and say that again?”

The heat on the donkey’s body was probably just residual friction from its violently spun neck.

For a moment, the two talisman cultivators were at a loss for words.

Then Ning Mingmei suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth, his expression hidden behind the glare of his glasses.

For years, the Supreme Clarity Sect and the Ice Quenching Pavilion had maintained a friendly partnership. Seeing the two younger cultivators looking so dejected, Qi Miancheng spoke in a gentle tone. “Don’t worry. I noticed that the donkey was already dead in midair but it still managed to carry us to Lian City using just its rotating neck. If you prop up its corpse, attach it to the carriage, and stick the same talisman on it again, it should still be able to pull the carriage, at least until it starts rotting.”

…What kind of hellish nightmare logic was that?

Looking at the hellish scene before him, something that would absolutely get dual complaints from both animal protection organizations and ethics committees, Ning Mingmei covered his mouth again.

The two talisman cultivators were still looking at him expectantly. “So what do we do now?”

Ning Mingmei said, “Build a grave, bury them, and put up a headstone to thank them for their sacrifice in the name of science. And place a bouquet of flowers.”

The two talisman cultivators hesitated. “…Do we really have to?”

Ning Mingmei replied, “Make the grave a bit bigger. You’ll probably end up burying a lot more donkeys and lab rats in there in the future.”

With that ominous remark, the two talisman cultivators started digging.

Meanwhile, Ning Mingmei walked alone into the forest and leaned against a tree.

The system spoke up. [I thought you’d tell them to butcher the donkeys and make donkey meat sandwiches.]

That would have been more in line with its understanding of Ning Mingmei.

Ning Mingmei sighed. [Not in the mood. I finally understand why the Ice Quenching Pavilion is located in the desolate wilderness.]

Even the Brilliant Blossom Valley only experimented on mortals now and then. If the Ice Quenching Pavilion were based in a bustling city, imagine how many Lovecraftian horror incidents they’d cause.

Noticing that Ning Mingmei had his back turned, Qi Miancheng frowned and approached. “Are you grieving for the donkeys?”

That didn’t quite fit his understanding of Ning Mingmei.

Or… did Ning Mingmei simply think ten spirit stones for two donkeys were too expensive?

Did Ning Mingmei like those two talisman cultivators that much? The moment they met, he started traveling with them, showed interest in their talisman arts, guided them on improvements, and even invited them to the Supreme Clarity Sect. And now, he was heartbroken over their ten-spirit-stone expense.

And yet, look at himself. Qi Miancheng was seen as the dignified and virtuous leader of the Supreme Clarity Sect, a shining beacon of the cultivation realm. He had gifted Ning Mingmei many things, including a precious immortal sword that was later damaged by the Fiend Lord Jiang Duo.

That sword alone was worth millions. And when it finally broke, Ning Mingmei hadn’t even blinked.

If he was so frugal, why not be consistent?

For the first time, Qi Miancheng felt something subtle, something almost like jealousy. Keeping his face calm and composed, he said, “Junior Brother…”

But before he could continue, he saw Ning Mingmei staring at him, then promptly vomited.

Qi Miancheng: …

He cast a suspicious glance at his own still-healing, bite-marked arm, and then touched his face.

He was supposed to be a highly respected sect master, a role model in both the Supreme Clarity Sect and the cultivation realm. And yet, in Ning Mingmei’s eyes… was he really that disgusting?

Overwhelmed by motion sickness, Ning Mingmei vomited violently in the forest. In the end, Qi Miancheng had to help him out.

By then, the grave was finished. The two talisman cultivators had even gathered two massive bundles of foxtail grass.

Now planted atop the grave, the foxtail grass swayed gently in the wind. It was oddly elegant and eerie at the same time.

Only then did the two talisman cultivators turn to them. “So now we…”

Before they could finish, they noticed a group approaching from a distance.

The newcomers were dressed in matching dark blue robes and rode on tall, sturdy horses. A family banner fluttered in the breeze, bearing a single, bold character ‘Lian.’

The Lian Family of Liuyue Lake.

Those people looked like they were used to being arrogant. The ponytail talisman cultivator took one glance at them and already felt uneasy.

Yet, they approached directly and were surprisingly polite.

“After hearing the townspeople talk, we suspected it was you who had arrived. And now, it seems we were right,” said the middle-aged man leading the group. “Sect Master Qi, you must be weary from your long journey. We have specially prepared a carriage to escort you.”

He looked about two zodiac cycles older than Qi Miancheng, yet his demeanor toward the ‘junior’ was deliberately humble. “Are these people traveling with Sect Master Qi?”

Qi Miancheng replied, “Thank you for coming to meet us. This is my junior brother and these two are talisman cultivators from the Ice Quenching Pavilion.”

His tone was not distant or indifferent. It was still warm, still approachable, and still the same refined and dignified Sect Master Qi that everyone knew.

The two talisman cultivators were caught off guard by such courtesy and hurriedly introduced themselves.

The ponytail talisman cultivator said, “My name is Ling Yuan.”

The topknot talisman cultivator said, “I’m Wei Xi.”

The middle-aged man greeted them just as kindly and then turned his gaze toward the freshly made grave nearby.

Several bundles of foxtail grass were planted on the mound like incense sticks, swaying in the wind, almost like they were dancing atop the grave.

Qi Miancheng said, “These were our companions on the journey. They helped us a great deal.”

The middle-aged man had already heard from disciples who arrived earlier that the group had been attacked. Upon hearing Qi Miancheng’s words, he instinctively filled in the gaps with his own assumptions.

“My condolences,” he said solemnly.

The two talisman cultivators exchanged glances, silently mourning their ten lost spirit stones.

The group mounted their horses alongside the Lian family members. Ning Mingmei declined Qi Miancheng’s offer to ride together and instead climbed onto a horse by himself.

Qi Miancheng turned to the middle-aged man and said, “Let’s go a little slower.”

His expression was caring but his palm subtly opened and closed.

Just moments ago, Ning Mingmei had leaned against him, too weak to resist, like a cat dozing off.

For a fleeting moment, it had given him the illusion that Ning Mingmei was completely unguarded around him.

And Ning Mingmei had not leaned on those two talisman cultivators.

Qi Miancheng mounted his horse. Before taking the reins, he closed his palm, holding onto the lingering warmth that still burned in his hand.

***

“Master!”

“You’ve finally arrived!”

Lian City was much larger and far more prosperous than Ye Province. Their arrival had long since caught the attention of the entire town. By the next day, their presence would surely be the talk of every street and alley.

Or rather, it was exactly what the Lian family intended. They wanted the whole city to know that two Divine Transformation cultivators from the Supreme Clarity Sect had come to visit.

Even so, when Ning Mingmei saw his disciples waiting at the Lian family’s gates, the pallor from his motion sickness finally improved a little.

It wasn’t just his disciples who had come to greet them. Qi Miancheng’s disciples were also present.

Qi Miancheng had only brought two disciples with him, which slightly surprised Ning Mingmei.

So far, he still wasn’t entirely sure why Qi Miancheng had come to the Lian family’s residence. But considering that the leader of the Supreme Clarity Sect had traveled so lightly, it was clear that his reasons were personal.

Aside from the Lian family, there were also several Golden Core cultivators among the welcoming party, likely private tutors hired by the Lian family to educate their younger generation.

As an official professor at the Supreme Clarity Sect, Ning Mingmei took one look at those freelance tutors and didn’t bother acknowledging them.

Private education? It was only a matter of time before it ended.

The patriarch of the Lian family was a spirited middle-aged man who immediately bombarded Qi Miancheng with overfamiliar chatter, so much so that he acted like Qi Miancheng was his long-lost grandson.

Qi Miancheng, ever the gentleman, spoke with composed politeness, “My junior brother and I have had a long journey and are quite tired. If there is anything to discuss, let’s wait until the evening banquet.”

The Lian family’s patriarch nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Tonight, we must hold a proper feast to welcome you. I’ve heard that your journey here has not been easy. If the Lian family can be of any assistance, do not hesitate to ask.”

Qi Miancheng smiled faintly. “You flatter us, Patriarch Lian.”

Qi Miancheng only smiled and did not respond to the flattery. However, the way he addressed ‘Patriarch Lian’ made it clear that he was deliberately keeping his distance from the Lian family.

Ning Mingmei still felt nauseous. He looked at the massive crowd of Lian family members, as well as the clan elders who were visibly displeased after sensing Qi Miancheng’s aloofness. He could tell the place was full of deep, murky waters.

The Lian family was indeed meticulous in their hospitality, arranging a separate courtyard specifically for their stay.

They truly lived up to their reputation as a once-powerful noble family. Even the Royal General’s mansion in Ye Province could not compare to the grandeur of the Lian family’s residence. It was grand enough to host an imperial concubine.

However, the Lian family’s servants lacked the perceptiveness of palace attendants. After leading them to their residence, the servant just stood there instead of excusing himself. It wasn’t until the eleventh disciple spoke up that he finally left.

“The Lian family really is arrogant,” the eleventh disciple grumbled.

For the eleventh disciple to complain meant that the Lian family had been particularly insufferable over the past few days.

“Well, they are the emperors of Lian City,” Ning Mingmei said drowsily.

He leaned back onto the couch, his stomach still churning. When his disciples looked as if they were about to ask about his condition, he cut them off first. “Tell me what’s happened these past few days.”

The eleventh disciple stepped forward to deliver an impromptu report.

While Ning Mingmei had been locked in an earth-shattering battle with the fiend cultivators, his ten disciples, under the command of Gui Ruoxue, had focused on escaping. Before heading toward Lian City with Qi Miancheng’s two disciples, they had even gone back to check on Ye Province.

The main reason was that they were furious.

They had come for a simple ghost-hunting job, so how had two powerful fiend cultivators suddenly appeared? What had the Ye Province’s officials been doing? Falsifying military intelligence?

The ones who insisted on returning for answers were two disciples from Jade Pavilion Peak.

Gui Ruoxue, being the vengeful type, turned a blind eye and let them do as they pleased.

Ning Mingmei asked, “What did you find?”

The eleventh disciple gave him an unexpected answer. “Deputy City Lord Qin is dead. And it wasn’t due to natural causes.”

He had committed suicide by poisoning himself.

Ning Mingmei frowned. “Poisoned himself?”

Someone like Deputy City Lord Qin would resort to suicide? That was strange.

The eleventh disciple nodded. “Yes. By the time we found him, he was already dead. Later, we also encountered the city’s legal advisor. He was gravely wounded and on the verge of death. So we told him everything that had happened.”

“What did he say?”

The eleventh disciple replied, “He said, ‘So it really was the fiend cultivators.’ We told him about past events and about the ‘One Dream of Huaxu’ but that was the only thing he acknowledged. He claimed the prescription had come from the fiend cultivators and the mine’s mutation was caused by the seal on the fiend cultivator within it. He still believed that they had done nothing wrong.”

The hardest thing for people to do is to examine their own mistakes without bias. Instead, they prefer to create imaginary enemies, blaming their own foolishness on those they oppose.

The eleventh disciple continued, “And… we also took a few people with us.”

One was Wu Yun, whom Ning Mingmei had specifically ordered them to bring. The other was Hu Yang, the mechanic from the cave.

Hu Yang had been severely injured due to the backlash. He had crossed paths with He Zheng, who found him pitiful and convinced the others to bring him along.

Ning Mingmei had been too caught up in battle to arrange anything for Hu Yang. Now that he had been brought back, it was an unexpected stroke of luck.

“How is he now?”

“He’s injured but stable. He can already get up,” the eleventh disciple hesitated. “It’s just that…”

Ning Mingmei nodded, absentmindedly turning the lid of his teacup in his hands. His gaze drifted.

Eventually, he asked the question that had been on his mind. “What about the child?”

The eleventh disciple lowered his head. “He was severely wounded. Master, it’s my fault. A’Yue told me from the beginning that something seemed off with the people outside. I should have checked right away.”

His brows furrowed and his expression was drowning in guilt. The disciples behind him looked similarly remorseful.

But to Ning Mingmei, it was unexpected. “He warned you that something was wrong?”

The eleventh disciple nodded. “Yes.”

It was reasonable for the child to warn the disciples about impending danger. However, for Lian Chengyue, who was naturally reserved and cautious, to knowingly walk into a dangerous cave to investigate a battle was out of character.

Ning Mingmei dismissed the other disciples and called in Gui Ruoxue.

Gui Ruoxue’s long black hair cascaded over his shoulders and his gaze was dark and brooding.

Clearly, his days of dressing as a woman and taking care of a child had pushed his mood to a new low.

However, upon seeing Ning Mingmei’s condition, he frowned. “What the hell happened? You’re this badly injured? Who did it?”

Ning Mingmei said, “I’m quite touched that you’re concerned about me.”

Gui Ruoxue clicked his tongue. “Tsk…! I just want to know who’s strong enough to have injured you this badly.”

“Jiang Duo,” Ning Mingmei said the name without bothering to ask whether Gui Ruoxue knew the person or not. “How’s A’Yue?”

Gui Ruoxue replied, “Not great. He’s lucky to be alive. That kid’s physique is… rather unique.”

“Oh?” Ning Mingmei said. “I’ll go see him.”