The Immortal Master

Han Li, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, naturally placed no value in a mortal’s pills. But under the present circumstances, refusing the gift would have been awkward. He put on an embarrassed expression and, after a brief hesitation, accepted it.

“Haha, good nephew Han! This Heart Protection Pill is Brother Hua’s secret formula—he rarely gives it away. Bringing it out as a meeting gift today is a rare display of generosity!” Qin Yan knew Han Li wouldn’t care for the item, but he still spoke well of his friend, hoping the old man surnamed Hua would leave a favorable impression on Han Li.

The old man glanced at Qin Yan with some confusion, unsure why he was praising him to Han Li. He had given the precious pill to this youth purely out of respect for Qin Yan! Otherwise, such a medicine was hard to come by even for a thousand gold pieces—why would he hand it to a stranger?

Just as the old man’s doubts grew and he was about to ask a few questions, a sharp voice rang out.

“Prince Xin arrives!”

The servant’s announcement silenced the murmuring in the hall at once. Everyone watched in solemn respect as a side door to the hall opened.

Four maids walked out first, positioning themselves on either side of the main seats. Then a man and a woman emerged unhurriedly.

The man was in his forties, with a few inches of neatly trimmed beard. His face was square and his eyes were tiger-like, carrying an air of authority without needing to raise his voice. The woman beside him was in her early twenties, stunningly beautiful, dressed in palace robes with a long train trailing on the floor.

At the sight, the seated guests rose one after another and bowed.

“Greetings, Your Highness and Lady.”

Since the young woman was not Prince Xin’s lawful wife—only a favored concubine—the guests addressed her as “Lady.”

“Everyone here is an old friend of mine. No need for such formalities. Come, sit down.”

The prince’s speech and his appearance gave quite different impressions—he was straightforward and genial, which naturally won goodwill. His favored concubine merely offered a charming smile and said nothing.

Hearing this, the others exchanged glances and then, with a smile, sat back down.

“I’m a man who speaks plainly, so I’ll get straight to the point,” Prince Xin said, settling comfortably into his seat with a smile.

His words immediately drew a chorus of responses from those across the room.

“Please, Your Highness, speak your mind!”

“Yes, we’ve known Your Highness for years. We all know your temper.”

…

Some spoke sincerely, but there were also those blatantly flattering the prince.

“I called you all together for two reasons. First, my beloved Qing’er’s strange illness has been cured. Naturally, as is my nature, I want to celebrate! Second, I have a tremendous gift to offer you all. Whether you have the fortune to receive it depends on your own karma.”

This declaration caught everyone completely off guard. They traded bewildered looks.

Was this prince truly gathering them just to give them a gift? That seemed almost too unbelievable.

“Hehe, look, Qing’er. Just as I guessed beforehand, everyone is a bit stunned.” The prince was not angered; instead, he turned to his beautiful concubine and spoke with a smile.

The woman named Qing’er let out a light laugh and replied in a sweet voice: “Your Highness, anyone would be surprised by such news! This reaction is only natural.”

Prince Xin chuckled at her words. Stroking his short beard, he turned back to the somewhat awkward crowd and explained:

“Don’t be puzzled. Here’s what happened: Qing’er’s strange illness was actually cured by a great master who recently arrived at my residence. This master can summon wind and rain, swallow fire and spit ice—a true celestial being. Moreover, after curing Qing’er, this living immortal saw at a glance that my youngest son possesses a celestial root, capable of comprehending immortal arts. He accepted my foolish son as a disciple, and soon he will follow the master to cultivate the Dao and seek immortality.”

When he reached this point, Prince Xin could no longer suppress the joy on his face, showing a look of smug satisfaction.

Hearing this, a rotund man in the hall blurted out in surprise: “A cultivator? Could this person be the legendary cultivator?”

This remark immediately caused a stir throughout the hall.

Though cultivators were mysterious to the mortal world, none of those present were common folk. Most had heard at least some rumors, and a few had even had distant contact with rogue cultivators among their ancestors. Even now, there were persistent rumors that cultivators guarded the imperial palace. This only deepened everyone’s awe toward cultivators.

Now that these guests learned a living immortal was residing in Prince Xin’s residence, most faces lit up with extreme excitement.

When Qin Yan heard this, his heart sank. Instinctively, he turned to look at Han Li.

But Han Li’s expression was calm, showing nothing.

Seeing this, Qin Yan dared not pry further and turned back to listen to the prince.

At this point, Prince Xin, seeing that his words had stunned the audience, laughed heartily and continued: “Naturally, I asked this great master himself, and he admitted he was a cultivator. Moreover, at my earnest invitation, he agreed to stay at my residence for several months to teach me some methods of nurturing life. While chatting with him, I learned that this celestial being had come to the mortal world specifically to take on disciples with the right immortal fate. Upon learning this, I immediately thought of all my good friends. So I invited your sons and daughters here today. This immortal master accepts both male and female disciples. In a moment, I will invite Master Wu out to meet everyone. Whether they have the fortune depends on their own immortal fate.”

If the earlier words had merely stirred envy among the guests, the prince’s later remarks were like a giant meat pie falling from the sky, leaving them overjoyed and anxious. A chorus of grateful praise immediately filled the hall.

A cultivator! This was a living immortal in this world! Rumors said that if one succeeded in cultivation, they could live for several hundred years and wield immortal techniques. If one of their children or grandchildren were lucky enough to become a disciple, what a formidable backer that would be!

Han Li listened, his face still wearing a dull, wooden look. But inwardly, he was growing a bit puzzled.

When the prince first spoke of a “living immortal,” he had thought there might be a trace of the demonic cultivators he was hunting. But now, hearing that this person was openly recruiting disciples—that didn’t add up. What cultivator sent to infiltrate another country and cause trouble would blatantly show off like this? That would be like holding up a target! Unless this cultivator was…

Just as Han Li was thinking this, amid the crowd’s excitement, the living immortal finally entered the hall in grand fashion.

He wore a gray Daoist robe. His hair and beard were entirely white, but his complexion was rosy as a baby’s—exactly like a legendary enlightened master. With this image alone, even before the immortal master performed any magic, more than half of those present were already convinced.

But when Han Li saw this almost picture-perfect immortal master clearly, he was speechless for a long moment.

This fellow was clearly nothing more than a small cultivator at the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Condensation. If Han Li stretched out a single finger, he could probably crush him without effort.

Yet this “great master” was surrounded by these high-status mortals, all fawning over him, hoping the old immortal would grant them mercy and accept their children or nephews as disciples.

Qin Yan, standing before Han Li, saw this scene and began to feel tempted himself. The younger generation behind him wore even more anxious expressions, afraid that if they delayed, all the immortal fate would be snatched up.

Just as Qin Yan hesitated, Han Li’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

“Rest assured, this man is not from the demonic path. Whether you want your grandsons to take him as a teacher is entirely up to you. I’m only here to protect your Qin family’s safety. However, as for this immortal master’s cultivation… Heh heh.”

After a few cold chuckles, Han Li’s voice disappeared.

Qin Yan was startled. He quickly looked around, but found that no one else seemed to have heard this exchange. Hua was staring at him in confusion, asking why he didn’t bring his juniors to test their immortal fate before the immortal master.

At the same time, Hua was saying with a tone of sudden realization that it was no wonder he couldn’t cure the strange illness, but the other man had. So he was a cultivator! With that, the old man abandoned the Qin party and hurried over to the white-haired Daoist. His pair of grandchildren followed close behind.

(The author adds: Hehe, everyone pay attention! The three-vote limit for monthly tickets has been lifted—any number of votes per book is fine. Additionally, after noon on the 28th, all monthly tickets will be doubled! If you plan to vote for this book, try to do so after the 28th—the votes will count for more. Also, that’s it for tonight’s chapter. I’ll continue writing tomorrow morning. I need to take care of my own health. Otherwise, even the money I earn to make a living won’t be enough for medical bills. Same goes for everyone—I hope all readers stay healthy!)