Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 133: A Fourth-Rank Chance to Live

Ji Chuan looked as if he'd seen a ghost in broad daylight, his eyes wide as he stared at the enormous gun gun (panda).

When he snapped back to his senses, his expression was extraordinarily strange.

In Lei Jun's words, it looked as though Ji Chuan felt a… massive pain in the a.

Unlike the Rain Mountain Temple disciples who didn’t know much about Yuan Mobai's background, Ji Chuan had a moment where he truly thought Yuan Mobai and his disciple were standing in front of him.

But soon, he realized that although this giant gun gun had lively, intelligent eyes, it hadn’t fully awakened its spiritual intelligence.

This definitely wasn’t Yuan Mobai.

Even so, Ji Chuan felt as though his mind was about to shatter from sheer bewilderment.

He twisted his neck stiffly, his gaze shifting between Lei Jun and the giant gun gun. “Lei Daoist… is this some sort of new tradition in your sect?”

Lei Jun replied, “It’s a misunderstanding, pure coincidence.”

He glanced at the giant gun gun next to him and looked back at Ji Chuan. “I stumbled upon this spirit beast by chance… After all, this is the land of Bashu. You wouldn’t easily encounter this kind of spirit beast elsewhere.

We cultivators follow the way of nature and go where fate takes us. Since fate brought us together, I thought I might as well go with the flow.”

Ji Chuan's face twitched. “Lei Daoist… you really are fated with this kind of spirit beast.”

Lei Jun laughed, “I wouldn’t dare claim that. It’s just that Bashu is blessed with extraordinary people and land.”

Ji Chuan was speechless again.

Of course, Bashu was blessed with extraordinary people.

But that giant creature next to you… doesn’t seem very people-like…

Just then, something seemed to click in Ji Chuan's mind. He glanced between Lei Jun and the gun gun, his expression growing even more peculiar.

Lei Jun seemed to know what Ji Chuan was thinking. “Ji Daoist, I’m purely human.”

Ji Chuan gave a dry laugh, but his physical condition wasn’t good. The laughter triggered his injuries, making him cough violently.

Lei Jun invited him to sit down and, after a quick examination, took out the Golden Bone Jade Flesh Powder he obtained from Chu Yu. “This medicine works well for physical injuries. Give it a try.”

Ji Chuan recognized its worth immediately. “Considering the situation, I won’t be polite. I don’t have any suitable treasures with me now, but I’ll repay you later.”

Lei Jun smiled, “No need to be so formal, Ji Daoist. I’m the one who owes your sect for all the help during my stay.”

Although their first meeting hadn’t been pleasant, their interactions afterward were friendly enough.

During the battle at Cangbo Mountain, Lei Jun knew it was safe, but Ji Chuan stayed behind to take care of the Zouhuo Rumo-afflicted disciples from Mount Longhu. Lei Jun owed him for that.

Later, Ji Chuan acted as a guide, showing Lei Jun the famous mountains and rivers of Bashu, fulfilling his duty.

When the Shushan internal conflict broke out, whether out of consideration or not, Ji Chuan, He Dongxing, Ji Dongquan, and Ye Dongming all avoided dragging Lei Jun and the Tianshi Mansion into the chaos.

Now that the conflict had mostly settled, Ji Chuan finally came to see Lei Jun.

His condition was poor, indicating that while he survived the internal strife, it was a close call.

Unlike the Talismanic Branch and the Daoist Alchemical Sect, whose cultivators focused on dual cultivation of essence and spirit, Shushan's artifact refiners emphasized refining their souls and external artifacts.

To them, the physical body was merely a vessel to nurture the soul during the early stages of cultivation.

As their cultivation advanced, they shed their mortal shells.

Thus, while they had the longest attack range among the three Daoist branches, their physical bodies were the most fragile. They relied heavily on artifacts for protection.

Once their physical bodies were injured, healing was much harder than for cultivators of the Talismanic Branch or Alchemical Sect.

Shushan was famous for refining artifacts and also renowned for its alchemical skills. However, their medicines mainly nurtured the soul for ascension.

Healing physical injuries wasn’t their strong suit.

Ji Chuan's lingering injuries were largely due to this.

Now, with Lei Jun’s Golden Bone Jade Flesh Powder, he looked visibly better, though not fully healed.

“Thank you, Lei Daoist,” Ji Chuan said sincerely.

Lei Jun waved it off. “No need to be so formal.”

He patted the giant gun gun, which shifted to a more comfortable position.

“Ji Daoist, I have no interest in your sect’s internal matters,” Lei Jun continued. “But my master was concerned about Senior He and your father, Senior Ji, as well as a few other elders.”

Ji Chuan nodded. “Thank you for your concern. My master and father were injured, but they’re fine. As for the other elders… sigh.”

He let out a long sigh.

Lei Jun nodded slightly, having expected this.

With Shushan in turmoil, Lei Jun, being in Bashu, immediately reported to Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion.

His cultivation had reached the Middle Heavens stage, allowing him to use a higher-level spirit talisman of his sect:

The Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman.

This was beyond the capability of Lower Heavens cultivators. Back then, communication relied on traveling or shouting.

At the Middle Heavens stage, Tianshi Mansion’s talismanic disciples could draw and use this talisman.

Even so, depending on the talisman’s grade and the user’s cultivation, the range varied greatly.

Lei Jun couldn’t send messages directly from Rain Mountain to Mount Longhu. He had to relay them through nearby sect members.

If lucky, a strong relay could skip several stops and deliver the message directly.

Yuan Mobai’s reply was simple: Stay put. Avoid the Shushan conflict, but don’t leave hastily either.

Yuan Mobai didn’t need detailed intel, only to check on He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan once it was safe.

Ji Chuan didn’t hide much from Lei Jun. He confirmed the safety of He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan and shared some information, likely on the orders of his master and father.

The Shushan conflict had ended with the conservative faction's defeat. The reformists, led by the current sect leader, won but suffered heavy losses.

Unlike Mount Longhu’s split during its internal conflict, Shushan remained united—barely.

For now, the reformists suppressed dissent, achieving temporary unity.

Lei Jun didn’t comment much. He simply wished Shushan prosperity, echoing Yuan Mobai's sentiments.

After chatting a bit more, Ji Chuan took his leave to report back to He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan.

Lei Jun stayed at Rain Mountain, awaiting developments in the southern Bamboo Sea and focusing on his cultivation.

He also observed his new companion.

This oversized gun gun wasn’t naturally large. It had likely consumed some special spiritual herbs, giving it a solid foundation.

Lei Jun was confident that with proper training, this gun gun could become a cultivation genius—whether as a demon beast or spirit beast.

No wonder the fortunes called it a Fourth-Grade Opportunity.

He patted its head. “You’ve got a good foundation. It’d be a waste not to cultivate. When we return to see my master, he’ll decide your future.”

The gun gun blinked, its eyes gleaming, though it seemed more interested in the Upper Qing Golden Bamboo.

Lei Jun chuckled and resumed his cultivation.

As summer arrived, he finally left Rain Mountain with his new companion, heading to the Bamboo Sea of southern Shu.

In that True Yin land, the peculiar bamboo shoots had grown into strange, long stalks.