The Forbidden Path to Immortality
Chapter 47

Li Xun rubbed his chest. The jade pendant that usually felt cool to the touch was quite warm. He pulled it out for a look—and was startled. Faint red streaks, like blood, had appeared across its surface. His heart jumped, but he quickly noticed the strange markings were already fading fast, right before his eyes. Only then did he relax a bit.

“Pity about that drop of essence blood,” Yin Wanderer inexplicably muttered. She then gave her horsetail whisk a casual flick and continued forward.

Li Xun, on the other hand, felt drained to the bone. His legs felt like they were treading clouds—soft and unstable. He stumbled after her, step by uneven step.

That brief delay was all it took—news had already made it back to the inner residence of Prince Fu’s manor. A group of servants carrying lanterns came around from a side corridor, and the two sides met head-on.

Li Xun’s heart clenched. Leading the group… who else could it be but his father, Li Xin?

Li Xin’s face was unreadable, neither joy nor anger showing. His steps were measured, calm and steady. He stopped three paces away and finally offered a greeting: “Is the National Preceptor well?”

Yin Wanderer returned the courtesy with a slight bow, showing even more respect than she had with Emperor Longqing earlier. “The prince appears in fine health—very good, very good indeed.”

Li Xun stood there silently, not bowing, not speaking. He looked completely out of sorts, dull and lifeless.

Li Xin didn’t even spare him a glance. His eyes stayed locked on Yin Wanderer, and he gave a faint smile. “The National Preceptor has been in the capital for two years now, and yet this is your first visit to my humble estate. I would've prepared a proper vegetarian meal to show my respect if you'd given me a word.”

Yin Wanderer smiled faintly. “There's no need for the prince to trouble himself. I only came to see an old friend. This visit has nothing to do with you.”

That was a heavy line. In Prince Fu’s manor, the prince naturally holds the highest authority. Yet her words not only pushed him aside, they basically said, don’t bother me. It was blatant disrespect.

Even with Li Xin’s famously iron composure, his expression twitched at those words.

Still, he wasn’t an ordinary mortal. In the blink of an eye, the flicker of anger vanished. His voice grew cold: “An old friend, here? That’s news to me. If that’s the case, no need for the National Preceptor to go looking in person—just come sit for a bit in the main hall and tell me the name. I’ll send someone to bring them to you.”

Yin Wanderer’s smile suddenly bloomed, bright as spring flowers, dazzling, irresistible, and beyond description. Li Xin was momentarily stunned.

While  everyone stood transfixed, she had already moved past them, her laughter trailing behind: “My old friend’s got a strange temper. Even if you send someone, he won’t come.”

Li Xin furrowed his brows. Just then, he noticed that young Daoist surnamed Li who had been following behind Yin Wanderer all along, lagging behind — instead, the boy was still looking at him, with a rather strange expression in his eyes.

A thought stirred in his heart, and he smiled. “Daoist Brother Li," he said, "who exactly is the National Preceptor visiting?”

The direct address startled Li Xun and he nearly blurted out something before catching himself. His heart jumped, but he didn’t dare linger—he just shook his head and quickly followed after Yin Wanderer.

Li Xin hadn’t expected that even a mere lowly Daoist would dare to brush him off so casually. Rage flared up in his heart again, and his lips curled into a cold smile.

Nation-ruining demons! One day, I will make sure you'll die without a grave to buryyou in.

The thought flashed through his mind. He moved to follow them but suddenly paused. Turning to one of his guards, he whispered a few instructions before catching up again.

Ahead, a clever servant had already reported Yin Wanderer’s direction. Hearing it, Li Xin frowned deeply. “She’s headed to the back garden? Why?”

.....

Past a moon gate, their destination finally came into view. Li Xun’s restless heart began to calm—only to be weighed down again by the dread of what was to come.

The back garden was dominated by a massive cluster of artificial hills, towering and twisted in the moonlight. In the dark, they looked like crouching beasts, fangs bared and waiting.

Yin Wanderer came to a stop, just outside the gate, gazing into the garden from afar.

Li Xun stood behind her, heart pounding in his chest like a war drum. The frantic rhythm was draining him, and if he stayed still much longer, he might not even have the strength left to run.

Behind him, Li Xin approached. His attendants brought two lanterns. Dim light spilled through the lattice of the courtyard wall, scattering fragmented shadows across the garden.

The night suddenly felt darker, fiercer— A sudden breeze blew past. The lantern flames went out.

The servants gasped.

Li Xun could feel it—the momentary hitch in Li Xin’s heartbeat. Even he had lost his rhythm.

Heat surged through Li Xun’s body. An impulse broke out of his throat, rough and urgent. “Step back!”

He could feel Li Xin’s surprised stare behind him—there was warmth in that gaze, oddly enough.

His heartbeat began to steady. He turned slightly.“For the prince's safety," he said, "please return to the front courtyard.”

Before Li Xin could respond, Yin Wanderer laughed. “If he wants to stay, let him. If you’re so worried, then protect him yourself.”

Li Xin’s eyes widened even more. For a moment, Li Xun wondered if his father had sensed the truth.

Yin Wanderer flicked her whisk with a crack of wind, and then strode forward.

Li Xun took a deep breath and followed.

Li Xin stayed where he was. From farther off came the sound of boots marching in unison, faint clinks of armor echoing in the night.

Li Xun stepped again. The world went quiet.

In that moment, all he could see was the mountain, the figure ahead, and the heavens above.

And then, in the blink of an eye— A sleeve of blood-red silk flashed in the wind before his eyes.

The garden stank of blood.

A wild, rough voice burst into laughter:

“Kid’s got guts! I like that!”

As that wild laugh echoed, a towering figure emerged atop the rockery. The night wind swept past, making the blood-stained robes rustle with a dry, chilling sound—each whisper slicing straight into Li Xun’s heart.

It was like falling into a nightmare. Li Xun forced himself to lift his head, hearing the vertebrae in his neck crackle under the strain. And then he saw them again—those eyes, burning with crimson light like they were made of pure blood—

Blood Wanderer.

Li Xun’s knees buckled, nearly dropping him to the ground once more.

Just then, Yin Wanderer gently flicked her horsetail whisk, a smile blossomed across her face: “Wei Bufan, your skin’s gotten thick these last few years. You run into an old friend and don’t even say hello?”

Up on the rock, Blood Wanderer let out a booming laugh that shook the entire courtyard. With one giant step, his massive frame dropped down from the rocks, stopping just over ten feet from Yin Wanderer.

“Even with skin as thick as mine,” he grinned, “I wouldn’t dare show off in front of Yin Beauty. I just found this kid interesting, is all. He’s got guts. Though now that I see him up close... eh, pretty ordinary. Man gets himself wrapped around Yin Beauty’s thigh—might not have tiger’s courage, but he’s definitely got some guts below the belt!”

Yin Wanderer wasn’t fazed by the veiled jabs in his words. She just smiled faintly. “You’re not surprised? I am. All these years, we’ve heard of Blood Wanderer leaving rivers of blood wherever he goes, bodies piling up like mountains... but tunneling underground like a damn mole? That’s a new one. Or did Zhong Yin’s sword to your gut slice through your ballsack too?”

A flash of murderous intent lit up Blood Wanderer’s eyes. The flesh on his face twitched for just a moment—then stretched into a twisted grin. “Oh, nothing much... just spending some time on self-refinement. Even a killer gets tired of killing. And you—lie in bed for a year or two, even you’d get bored, wouldn’t you?”

He jerked his chin toward Li Xun. “Didn’t expect you to pick up a new little prince, though. Fresh meat, eh? Change of flavor?”

Yin Wanderer glanced at Li Xun, smile undimmed. “That nasty mouth of yours is probably even more troublesome than your Blood Demon Heart Transformation. Come on, cut it out. This is your disciple—I went out of my way to bring him back to you. And now I’m getting flak for it? Even among old acquaintances, that’s a bit much.”

Blood Wanderer chuckled and didn’t bother denying it. His eyes swept over Li Xun like a butcher sizing up livestock—just thinking about where to make the first cut.

Li Xun swallowed hard. His legs were shaking uncontrollably, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Both Wanderers’ eyes were fixed on him, and that pressure was worse than a thousand tiny knives slicing flesh. He forced himself to breathe, in and out, until he could speak again.

"M-Master."

Compared to calling Lin Ge ‘Master’, this one word felt a thousand times more wrong. But Blood Wanderer didn’t seem to care.

Once the first word was out, the rest was easier. Li Xun glanced at Yin Wanderer again—she stood there, calm and graceful—and that gave him a bit of courage. He bowed toward Blood Wanderer. “Master," he said. "I’ve brought back the Lingxi Art.”

Blood Wanderer’s thick eyebrows lifted. “You brought it back? The Lingxi Art?”

Hearing the surprise and doubt in his voice, Li Xun felt an odd flash of satisfaction and boldness. “Yes. I studied it atop Lianxia Mountain and brought it back myself. Please, Master—review it.”

Soft applause rang out beside him—Yin Wanderer, lightly clapping her hands.  “To steal," she said, "one of the Four Techniques, Three Arts, right from under Zhong Yin and Qing Ming’s noses... Wei Bufan, you’ve picked a fine disciple. As his master aunt, I’m quite proud.”

Blood Wanderer’s eyes flickered with a sharp light, clearly thrown off by this sudden turn. Normally, he had a thousand ways to deal with a disobedient disciple like Li Xun. But with Yin Wanderer—whose cultivation was clearly on par with his—standing here and throwing her weight around, all his plans unraveled.

He’d known she was in the capital, thanks to her showy presence. And he’d sensed Li Xun nearby, thanks to his sensitivity to blood energy. But not until they stepped into the Prince Fu’s manor did he realize—

The brat had climbed all the way up Yin Wanderer’s tree.