Chapter Twenty-Two: Trouble

He Song’s actions might have seemed reckless, but in truth, they were the best response he could give Meng Guan.

If it had been him in the same situation, even he would not have thought of it before He Song spoke. Reflecting on this, Wei Fan looked at He Song with a trace of admiration in his eyes.

This was truly someone who knew how to consider his friends. No wonder he could be called a friend of five years!

On the other side, Meng Guan was momentarily stunned by He Song’s words. He had thought He Song was about to persuade him again, and he had already prepared his refusal. But unexpectedly, He Song did not try to persuade him at all; instead, he offered to take care of any worries Meng Guan might have.

This...

He glanced at Wei Fan, who sat silently by his side, then at He Song, who was looking at him with such sincerity. Warmth spread through Meng Guan’s heart.

His own aptitudes might be lacking, but the friends he had made were by no means inferior.

Since He Song had asked, Meng Guan thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I grew up in Hou Tu Manor, with no family to speak of. Here in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, apart from you two, I have no companions, nor do I have a partner. There’s no need to trouble yourselves."

"However, should I ever rise to prominence, I will not forget the two of you!" As he spoke, Meng Guan rose and offered a deep bow to He Song and Wei Fan.

Seeing this, both He Song and Wei Fan quickly stood and returned the gesture.

After they sat down again, the three exchanged glances and continued their conversation, though each harbored thoughts of their own.

Meng Guan was envisioning his future. After today, he would resign from his position as manager of the Spirit Herb Pavilion. He would go to the Red Spirit Gold Mine to mine spirit stones, save up enough, and then head to Azure Cliff Immortal City to purchase a Breakthrough Pill. With the skills he had honed over the years, he felt confident in his chances.

Once his cultivation broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement, reaching the late stage, he would count as a formidable presence in the Red Spirit Gold Mine. His chances of survival would increase significantly.

At that point... even if reaching Foundation Establishment remained elusive, as a late-stage Qi Refining rogue cultivator—even stripped of his place among the market’s inner disciples—he could still live well enough after leaving the mine.

Such was his plan: as soon as he broke through to late-stage Qi Refinement, the world would open up before him.

Wei Fan, meanwhile, though chatting with the others, felt a faint anxiety. Meng Guan’s aptitude was only Five-Spirit Root—his cultivation had been stuck at the sixth level of Qi Refinement for ages. Wei Fan could understand his friend’s desperation to change his fate.

But Wei Fan himself was only a Four-Spirit Root; breaking through to Foundation Establishment would be just as difficult for him. If, when he too was past fifty, a desperate opportunity presented itself, would he take the risk or not?

One must always be prepared for adversity.

Meng Guan now needed to take this risk. What about himself in the future...?

Unaware of the thoughts of the others, He Song was not thinking so deeply. Meng Guan’s mind was made up; no amount of persuasion could move him. He Song had simply wanted to help resolve any worries, but since Meng Guan had no family, there was nothing to worry about.

Thus, having done all he could, if the outcome could not be changed, it was no longer his concern.

He knew the Red Spirit Gold Mine was a fiery pit, but Meng Guan was determined to jump in regardless. No one could hold him back.

All He Song could do was hope that fate would favor Meng Guan, that he would escape misfortune.

Given Meng Guan’s sixth-level Qi Refinement, there was still a glimmer of hope.

After this heartfelt conversation, the three parted ways.

Walking along the bustling street, He Song let out a slight sigh, paused for a moment, then continued homeward.

He had learned much today. He needed to return home, sort through all the information, and see if any connections emerged. At the same time, he needed to assess the safety of Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. If its safety declined, no matter what, he would have to leave; staying would no longer be an option.

His mind weighed with these matters, He Song soon arrived home.

He brewed himself a pot of fine tea and sat at the solitary table in his house.

Five years had passed, yet his home remained unchanged—no new furniture, nothing missing. Everything was as it had been. Except for his cultivation, which had risen from the first to the third level of Qi Refinement, nothing else seemed to have changed.

"Meng Guan is about to resign from managing the Spirit Herb Pavilion. That post has nothing to do with me; though the annual pay is high, my cultivation is too low. I can’t contend for it."

Knowing in advance of Meng Guan’s departure was, in truth, of little use to He Song.

On the contrary, with Meng Guan gone, He Song would have no acquaintances left in the Spirit Herb Pavilion. Fortunately, Wei Fan, a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, was still there as his backing. Even if Meng Guan left, He Song wasn’t worried about being bullied. Meng Guan’s departure brought no benefits, but also no great harm—nothing more than that.

Even so, He Song sighed inwardly. The triad’s regular gatherings might soon become meetings of only two. A friend of five years leaving like this, and who knew if they would meet again—it left He Song with a sudden sense of loss.

But soon he composed himself.

"There will be plenty more moments like this in the future. I’ll just have to get used to it," he thought, a glint in his eye.

As someone on the path to immortality, he would witness countless such partings. At first, it would sting, but as time went on, he would learn to let go.

With that, He Song began to organize all the information he’d gathered, unraveling the threads to deduce whether Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market remained a suitable place for him to stay.

This was something he did every month. It might seem excessive, but it saved him from many troubles.

"The Red Spirit Gold Mine seems to be trouble. Even the Hou Tu Sect wants to dig it up as soon as possible to avoid complications. I’d better keep a close watch. If things turn sour, I’ll escape at once."

Having reviewed all the information, He Song reached his conclusion.

Recently, there had been no major incidents or disturbances around the market; aside from the Red Spirit Gold Mine, everything was relatively peaceful.

Nevertheless, he decided to keep an eye on developments at the mine. If anything went wrong, he would be ready to leave.

Having made his preparations, He Song sat in meditation and began to cultivate.

Time slipped by. In the blink of an eye, night passed.

The next morning, while He Song was still immersed in cultivation, a paper crane darted swiftly through the window and landed in front of him.

With a flutter of its wings, the paper crane released ripples of spiritual energy, instantly pulling He Song out of his meditation.