Stealing Immortal

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Liu Tao

「The next day.」

Chen Qingyang rose early. He took special care to tidy himself up, draping a moon-white Daoist robe over his shoulders.

His beard was graying, his frame thin and frail, and his face was covered in wrinkles. Fortunately, now that his vigor had returned, he possessed a somewhat transcendent air.

’Immortality, eternal life... Once my cultivation reaches a certain level, I can regain my youth.’ He didn’t actually enjoy looking like an old man; his difficult upbringing had simply forced him to become mature and steady beyond his years.

The Hongling Token station was not far from his small courtyard. He only needed to walk for a quarter of an hour along a narrow path skirting a cliff until he saw a cave entrance adorned with a White Jade Archway.

In a single morning, Chen Qingyang completed four Dao Rhyme Patterns. This was a full day’s workload for an ordinary miscellaneous task disciple.

The Tai Xu Sect was meticulous in its calculations and highly pragmatic. Even the workload for miscellaneous task disciples was precisely determined; four patterns was the absolute limit one person could complete working from dawn till dusk.

When Steward Wu Boyou saw this, he couldn’t help but ask, ”You didn’t happen to meet someone on the Golden Summit yesterday, did you? How is your energy and spirit so abundant?”

The change in just one day was truly significant. He wouldn’t believe it if there hadn’t been some kind of fortuitous encounter.

Chen Qingyang paused for a moment. ’I might as well have some fun with this fellow,’ he thought. ”I did indeed have some gains, but they’re not something I can share with outsiders.”

Hearing his deliberately mysterious tone, Wu Boyou instead grinned from ear to ear, his voice growing warmer. ”It seems Junior Brother Chen is even keeping secrets from me. Ah, well, the higher-ups are just pressing us so hard. My words yesterday were a bit harsh. Don’t worry about the Dao Rhyme Patterns for now.”

Those who could act like snobs naturally possessed a knack for reading people. By looking at a person’s complexion, they could deduce their recent fortune.

”Actually, there is a matter I’d like to ask you for help with, Senior Brother.”

”Of course, of course! What is it?”

”I’d like to go to the Golden Summit again this afternoon!”

Wu Boyou clapped his hands. ”Go, go! Just say the word if you need anything.”

「On the Golden Summit.」

Besides the Cloud Scripture Jade Pavilion, there were many other places on the Golden Summit, such as the Pill Institute, the Talismanic Charm Institute, and the Spirit Plant Institute. Disciples in the First Realm of Qi Refining who wished to study the Alchemy Dao could go to the Pill Institute to learn—in theory, at least.

Given Chen Qingyang’s appearance and status, this would be extremely difficult. But if he didn’t try, he would never get a chance at alchemy, nor could he use it to change his circumstances.

The Pill Institute was located next to the Spirit Plant Institute for easy access to materials. It consisted of only a few repaired buildings enclosed to form a small, multi-sectioned courtyard.

The Four Golden Peaks primarily supplied resources for the Tai Xu Sect. It had many miscellaneous task disciples but few actual disciples, and those who could study the Seven Arts were pitifully rare. Wu Boyou had once vividly dubbed it the ”Ruins of the Tai Xu.”

The Pill Institute had no sign, and there wasn’t even a guard at the gate. After entering, Chen Qingyang didn’t rush. He simply stood in the courtyard.

After waiting a short while, a man in green robes appeared and swept a glance over him. Just as Chen Qingyang was about to speak, the man walked away without a second look.

’This is my first time visiting, so I don’t know the lay of the land.’ Outer Disciples had never treated miscellaneous task disciples as human. Therefore, he would rather just observe for the day than barge in recklessly.

He stood there for a long time before an old woman emerged from a side building.

She wore a black Daoist Robe and had a full head of white hair. There was a large black mole by the corner of her mouth, her cheeks were lightly freckled, and her back was hunched. Judging by her appearance alone, she was nearly as old as Chen Qingyang looked.

”What miscellaneous task disciple are you, and who do you work for?”

Finally, she couldn’t resist adding, ”You’re already so old. Can you even work?”

Chen Qingyang showed neither humility nor arrogance as he bowed. ”I have just entered the First Realm of Qi Refining and have not yet found a master. I have studied the art of the Alchemy Dao and have completely mastered the method for refining the Qi-Introducing Pill. I have come seeking a task related to alchemy. May I ask how I should address you, Senior Sister?”

Another wave of aura swept over him, probing his body. To a practitioner, such an act was akin to being stripped and inspected. Chen Qingyang wasn’t angered; he simply let her see.

The old woman chuckled coldly. ”I do need someone to refine Qi-Introducing Pills, but what old fart are you? Scram!”

With that, she turned to leave.

’What are insults? The real shame is having no opportunity.’ Chen Qingyang strode forward. ”If you don’t believe me, Senior Sister, you can test me! Just give me a chance!”

The old woman lightly flicked her sleeve, and an immense force struck Chen Qingyang, sending him crashing to the ground. ”Don’t get in my way. I won’t be so polite next time!”

A normal person might have given up, but Chen Qingyang, who had tasted life’s hardships, understood one thing: if you don’t seize some opportunities, they’ll be gone forever.

He forgot everything else, remembering only that the old woman had said she needed Qi-Introducing Pills. ”Senior Sister, do you dare to make a bet with me?”

The commotion drew a number of people out to watch the excitement.

One person, clearly not afraid to stir up trouble, even shouted, ”Senior Sister Liu, why not give the old codger a chance? ...Speaking of which, his age is quite a good match for yours.”

”I think so too! Why not trust him this once? You’re getting on in years. If you don’t make a desperate push for Essence Condensation now, you’ll never get another chance...”

...

Being heckled by the crowd, and about her age no less, Senior Sister Liu could only vent her anger on Chen Qingyang. With another flick of her sleeve, Chen Qingyang staggered, his knees buckled, and he nearly face-planted in the dirt.

”Get out! All of you, get out!”

The old woman cursed at the surrounding crowd.

But Chen Qingyang felt everything was falling into place. The atmosphere was right, and he had the momentum. He pushed himself up from the ground. ”It seems Senior Sister Liu doesn’t dare to bet with me. Just say that I’ve lost, Senior Sister, and I promise I’ll leave right now!”

Provoked by a mere miscellaneous task disciple, and with the crowd now jeering that Senior Sister Liu was a coward.

The old woman trembled with rage, her silver hair practically standing on end. ”Fine! Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll give you this chance! If you can’t refine the Qi-Introducing Pill, you will serve me as a Furnace Boy for a hundred years! Do you dare?”

A Furnace Boy was someone who used their own True Essence to fuel a pill furnace. Never mind a hundred years—with Chen Qingyang’s current cultivation, even one year would mean certain death.