It wasn't until Grandmaster Qi left that Li Qingxiao realized: he had never introduced himself, yet Grandmaster Qi knew his name was "Qingxiao." It seemed their encounter wasn't coincidental, but rather intentional on Grandmaster Qi's part.
Then his pollution by the "Great Wasteland Heaven" might not be coincidental either.
Thinking of this, Li Qingxiao's mood couldn't help but sink.
The world was perilous, with dangers lurking everywhere.
When a person sits at home, disasters come from the sky.
But Li Qingxiao's attention quickly shifted to other matters - Grandmaster Qi had left, but he was still in the Eight Scenic Pavilion. How was he supposed to get out?
If he was caught by the Li Family patriarch, he would have ten mouths and still couldn't explain himself. One misstep could lead to imprisonment, or even death.
This wasn't a game.
Just as Li Qingxiao was at a loss, the token left by Grandmaster Qi emitted a soft glow, enveloping his entire body.
Li Qingxiao felt as if he was isolated in a bubble. What he saw and heard became blurry. He tried walking forward, and the "bubble" moved with him, incredibly magical.
Li Qingxiao wasn't stupid. He immediately realized this was probably the escape route Grandmaster Qi had left for him. With this item, he could quietly leave the Eight Scenic Pavilion.
With no other options, Li Qingxiao walked outward.
As expected, all the guards and servants ignored him completely.
Li Qingxiao completely relaxed, walking easily and leisurely, avoiding people and sounds like he was taking a stroll at home.
Large estates had their own rules. If one didn't understand them, it was like entering a maze, unable to find one's way out. The Eight Scenic Pavilion was set up in the style of the Eight Gates Golden Lock. Li Qingxiao had walked with Grandmaster Qi and remembered the way, so he went from the "Death Gate" toward the "Life Gate."
On his way, Li Qingxiao passed by a study and heard someone speaking inside. It seemed to be Li Qinglan's voice, so he paused briefly to eavesdrop.
Li Qinglan's study wasn't heavily guarded. After all, with the Li Family's power, no one dared to cause trouble. Even Grandmaster Qi had let the overconfident Li siblings go because she didn't want to provoke the Grand Master.
He heard Li Qinglan say inside: "Grandfather is really something. The Immortal Crossing has been quiet for years, but this year he wants us to come take a look. The journey from Jade Capital to Penglai Island is quite long, and without a flying boat, we can only take the land route. It's really suffering."
Then another unfamiliar male voice said: "Years ago, a great change occurred, and almost all the Li clan members remaining in the Eight Scenic Pavilion were killed. After the Grand Master handled the aftermath, he went to Jade Capital to ascend as Grand Master and never set foot on Penglai Island again. It's because this place brings back painful memories. Young Master should understand the Grand Master's feelings."
"Of course, I understand him," Li Qinglan said. "I just don't understand why Grandfather didn't send a Chancellor Grandmaster. My brother and I may have some reputation, but ultimately we're just borrowing someone else's power."
"As for why not send a Chancellor Grandmaster, it's mainly because a Grandmaster-level target is too conspicuous. In a thousand Buddha caves, even the largest Buddha statue doesn't stand out when mixed with others. But in the countryside, a large Buddha statue is very noticeable."
"Never mind that. The girl you introduced to me last time wasn't bad, except for one thing - she says one thing but means another."
The unfamiliar man asked, "Oh? How does she say one thing but mean another?"
Li Qinglan said, "This girl asked me to humiliate her, saying she gets more excited when humiliated in bed. I thought about it - isn't it just humiliation? How hard could it be? So I told her: You stinking outsider, running to our Jade Capital to beg for food. Hey, then this girl flipped her attitude, she didn't like it. Isn't that saying one thing but meaning another?"
At that moment, both Li Qingxiao outside the room and the unfamiliar man inside fell silent.
After a long time, the unfamiliar man inside slowly said, "There is a difference between humiliation and insult."
"Is there?" Li Qinglan seemed not to care much. "Whatever. Anyway, I'm a bit tired of her. Playing around is fine, but forming a Daoist couple is out of the question. Our Li Family's door isn't open to just anyone. If Mother finds out, she'll nag me again. You go back and find an excuse, give her some money to send her away. It's better to part ways amicably."
The unfamiliar man responded solemnly, "Yes."
Li Qingxiao listened for a while longer but found that Li Qinglan was only talking about trivial matters and romantic affairs, so he lost interest and continued on his way.
Li Qingping's courtyard was right next to Li Qinglan's. Li Qingxiao came to Li Qingping's study window and saw Li Qingping sitting opposite an old man.
The old man was hunched over, with sunken eye sockets and deep wrinkles on his face. He would occasionally cover his mouth to cough, looking like a consumptive.
But the old man was dressed as a genuine Second Rank Taiyi Daoist, though his clothes seemed a bit empty, as if there was only bone under the crane robe.
Li Qingxiao had seen this old man before. He was the "head steward" responsible for guarding the Eight Scenic Pavilion, and all the guardian Lingguan followed his commands.
Li Qingping frowned with worry: "Going to the Immortal Crossing, whether it's the martial artists stirring up trouble or the Daoists from Jade Capital, are all minor issues. What's truly troubling is the chaos aura. Once someone is tainted by the chaos aura, ordinary people often don't last long before dying a violent death, and it can even harm their descendants."
Li Qingxiao couldn't help but be startled when he heard this. Li Qingping's words matched his own experiences. Could his parents' deaths be related to this so-called "Immortal Crossing"?
The old man sighed: "Young Miss has the Grand Master's protective immortal artifact, so she doesn't have to fear the chaos aura. What I'm worried about is Grandmaster Qi. I fear she comes with ill intentions."
Li Qingping was also helpless when she heard "Grandmaster Qi": "Grandmaster Qi was born during the Sixth Generation Grand Master's reign and has been a senior statesman for five dynasties. Not to mention her grandmaster was the Seventh Generation Grand Master and her father was the Eighth Generation Grand Master. With deep roots and widespread disciples and officials throughout the court, she's known as the 'Supreme Grand Master.' Even as the current Grand Master, Grandfather can only let her be."
The old man said, "Grandmaster Qi going to the Immortal Crossing probably has significant implications. If my memory serves me right, the 'Heavenly Jade Capital' plan was personally overseen by Grandmaster Qi."
Li Qingxiao outside listening frowned - the "Heavenly Jade Capital" plan, the broken inverted tower reaching to the heavens, the Immortal Crossing permeated with chaos aura, the extraterrestrial "Great Wasteland Heaven," the tragic Li clan massacre that made the Grand Master sad, and the ruined "Death Gate" of the Eight Scenic Pavilion.
How did it feel like everything was about to connect?
Grandmaster Qi had restored the broken inverted tower to reach the legendary Immortal Crossing? Was the Immortal Crossing also part of the "Heavenly Jade Capital" plan?
What was the relationship between the Immortal Crossing and the extraterrestrials? And what was its relationship with his parents?
The key was that the Li siblings were also going to the Immortal Crossing. How did they plan to get there? They couldn't possibly restore the inverted tower like Grandmaster Qi did. Li Qingxiao didn't think the siblings had Grandmaster Qi's abilities.
From this, it seemed that there were probably two "paths" from Penglai Island to the Immortal Crossing. The path Grandmaster Qi took was actually abandoned and impassable, only someone like Grandmaster Qi could forcibly restore it, and there was a bit of smuggling involved. The path the Li siblings would take was the main route.
He needed to find a way to discover this main route.