Chapter 1173: Deal With Teng Jiwen
While leisurely drinking his wine at the tavern, someone finally came. It was Teng Jiwen, followed by the three old men.
Li Qiye gave a faint smile after seeing him and said: "You all have been following me for a long time now, so this can't be a coincidence."
Teng Jiwen didn't hide anything after hearing this. He came forward and bowed: "This little brother's name is Teng Jiwen of the Heavenvine Citadel. Sir, I admire you, so I have decided to stay here to watch you. Please excuse us."
He was quite polite and candid. As someone from a treefather's lineage, he was not arrogant at all. This was quite rare.
Li Qiye glanced at him and said: "If I cared about it, you wouldn't be standing here and talking to me right now." Having said that, he tapped on the table with his finger.
Teng Jiwen bowed again with cupped fists before sitting down. He looked at Li Qiye but was quite hesitant for he was searching for the right words.
Li Qiye chuckled: "Speak, my time is very precious so I can't sit here all day to entertain you."
Teng Jiwen took a deep breath and spoke: "Sir, you have a supreme dao of alchemy. Your techniques are wonderful, to be able to see your method of revival—"
"No need to flatter me." Li Qiye waved his sleeve with a smile: "I know my alchemy dao is supreme and matchless. I am the best alchemist in the nine heavens and ten earths."
Teng Jiwen was suddenly dumbfounded. If Li Qiye praised himself like that, there was no need for him to say anything else.
He lamented this situation deep inside. Other people would start acting quite humble, but this person actually boasted even more!
Teng Jiwen went straight to the point after making up his mind: "Sir, can you really replenish the life an ancestral tree?"
Li Qiye gave a mysterious smile: "I can also cure your ancestral vine. After the calamity, its situation should be quite bad."
"You…" Teng Jiwen's expression shifted as he stood up and took several steps back. The chair behind him was knocked down in the process.
The three old men had similar expressions. They stared at Li Qiye intensely, making the situation tense. This was because only the upper echelons of the citadel knew about this matter. Teng Jiwen was a descendant-level disciple, so he knew as well. Ordinary disciples didn't know about it.
Li Qiye sat there nonchalantly while sipping more wine: "Don't have any stupid thoughts such as killing me to keep it a secret or I'll bury you under the Peacock Tree as fertilizer."
In just a moment, the elders glanced at each other. They didn't know what kind of power this man ahead had, but they didn't dare to act carelessly.
Teng Jiwen took a deep breath and gently waved his hand towards the three elders. They then converged their auras and slowly retreated to the side.
He went back to the table and cupped his fists: "Sir, you are quite well-informed. May I ask how you found out about this?"
Li Qiye lazily replied: "Why dwell on this dull topic? Not too many things can hide from me in this world. You stayed behind to see my dao of alchemy, so this is naturally what you were aiming for."
Teng Jiwen responded: "Sir, the truth is that this little brother is very interested in your dao of alchemy. After all, very few people in history are capable of such a feat."
Li Qiye waved his hand dismissively: "There's no need to waste time with polite formalities. You just want to ask me to save your ancestral tree."
"Sir, you are correct." He knew he couldn't hide it any longer and decisively stated: "I do have this thought simply because your dao of alchemy is matchless."
"Requesting my service is not difficult, but you need to be mentally prepared. My asking price is very high." With that, Li Qiye turned around and left.
However, he left one last message as he was walking away: "You better decide soon. My time is precious; if you miss this opportunity, it will be your lifelong regret."
Teng Jiwen mulled over the situation left in silence after Li Qiye.
One of the old men said: "Asking an outsider with an unclear background to cure our treefather is too dangerous. I'm afraid the ancestors will not agree."
A different one shared this sentiment with a nod: "We don't know anything about this person. It is still too early to know if his dao of alchemy is actually matchless or not. If he can do it, then it'll be easy. If he can't, it will be a big disadvantage to you. Your opponent will use this against you and, with one misstep, you will never be able to redeem yourself. At that time, not to mention competing for the position of the citadel lord, you might not even have a place to stay in the city."
"I know that full well." Teng Jiwen wryly smiled: "But if he is truly a master, isn't this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? In the present times, how many people in the Heaven Spirit World actually have the ability to cure a treefather?"
He paused with a sigh: "I know, the wise decision is to recognize the complexity that lies within and focus on winning the position of the citadel lord first. However, if we truly miss this chance, then it would be a huge regret for our city as a whole."
"That might be true, but such a great event should be decided by the elders." The old man called Third Uncle said: "Just focus on becoming the lord for now. If you are truly determined, it won't be too late after you take the position."
"But the issue is, will this opportunity wait for us?" He replied: "If he is truly able to replenish the Peacock Tree, then it shows just how heaven-defying his alchemy is. He would become famous the moment he successfully carries out this task. At that time, people all over the world would come begging him, including many imperial lineages and treefather heritages, to prolong their ancestors' life and trees!"
"And once the nine worlds are reconnected, there would be an even larger world in front of him; even more would kneel before him to ask for life replenishment." Teng Jiwen said: "At that point, he would be the ultimate alchemist, would he bother looking at us then? It's just as he had put it, this will become our lifelong regret."
The man called Third Uncle responded: "But these are only his words. He might not have this ability. Otherwise, he would be famous already."
"Some things in this world can't be judged with common sense. The world is too vast with many great and eccentric people." Teng Jiwen said with a tinge of helplessness: "In my opinion, he isn't a man of empty words. Without absolute confidence, no one would say such things. It is unwise to deceive and offend our Heavenvine Citadel unless he is powerful enough."
After hearing this, the three old men glanced at each other. One of them said: "Even if you believe so, the other ancestors might not necessarily agree with you."
Teng Jiwen took a deep breath and replied: "Rest assured, I will certainly be able to convince them. I'm confident in this."
The three old men had nothing else to say after seeing that Teng Jiwen had made up his mind. In fact, his good foresight was one of the reasons why he was a top candidate to become the citadel lord.
Li Qiye went back to the Exquisite Valley's abode for several days and, sure enough, Teng Jiwen came to find him.
Kong Qinru asked: "Young Noble, were you waiting for him to come?" She knew that Li Qiye was no joke. If he didn't wish for it, Teng Jiwen wouldn't be here right now.
"Yes, I have been waiting for him to come since I do need to go to the Heavenvine Citadel." Li Qiye chuckled.
"The Heavenvine Citadel?" She was surprised and asked: "What about the Peacock Tree then?"
Li Qiye shook his head in response: "Can't rush this matter. We have done what we need to do for now. Give it time to digest. When the time is right, I will carry out the last step."
He looked at her and continued: "This is mainly because in order to have a successful replenishment, we still need some more special items."
She said with haste: "What else is needed? The Exquisite Valley will get them for you."
Li Qiye shook his head: "They aren't things you lot can obtain. I have to do it in person."
She realized something and asked: "Does the Heavenvine Citadel have them?"
"Yes, a very important item, the key to replenishing the Peacock Tree." He replied with a smile.
She said: "I think the citadel won't give it up so willingly." How could a treefather's lineage give away their treasure to an outsider, and a human at that?
"I have always gotten what I wanted." Li Qiye smirked.
Such domineering words left her slack-jawed. She eventually said: "Young Noble, you want to rob them?"
Chapter 1174: Ongoing Plan
"Rob?" Li Qiye chortled and said: "Whether by force or as a gift, it is entirely up to them. This is their own good fortune; if they miss the chance, I can only say that they will feel very regretful later on."
Kong Qinru lamented the upcoming event. Forcing a treefather's lineage into giving him something… Outside of Immortal Emperors, no one would dare to carry out this domineering task.
"The ancestral vine from the citadel is still there." She had to remind him: "Rumor has it that it is still very young and powerful, plenty capable of fighting an Immortal Emperor."
After treefathers turn into ancestral trees, these existences wouldn't care for mundane matters and weren't much different from ordinary plants.
However, when an enemy invades their lineage or when a calamity approaches, these non-sentient beings would still fight to kill the enemies to protect their descendants.
The young trees were especially powerful, no less than their peak form when they were still alive. Thus, not even Immortal Emperors could defeat them with certainty.
"I know." Li Qiye chuckled: "It's no big deal if that tree is still there. If I wasn't certain, I wouldn't be going to the citadel in the first place."
She heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. Even though she knew that Li Qiye was not a bulliable nice guy, she still didn't know the true source of his power. After all, he will be facing a treefather's lineage, an invincible ancestral tree. Not too many would come out unscathed from a battle against such foes.
Both Godkings and Emperor Candidates won't do unless they were at the Emperor Assailant level.
"Is there no other way? Maybe we can try negotiating with them. My Exquisite Valley still has some influence, perhaps we can exchange some treasures with them." No matter which angle she looked at it, she didn't want him to quarrel against the citadel.
In her mind, even if he couldn't replenish the Peacock Tree's life, he still had an imperial bloodline. She hoped that he would be able to pass down this legacy in great numbers.
"Your valley has a lot of treasures, but even if you take out the best ones hidden in your sect for exchange, they still won't agree." Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.
Kong Qinru was startled and blurted: "Don't, don't tell me that you want that item from the citadel…"
"Yes, precisely." He nodded before she could finish speaking: "It won't be easy for the Peacock Tree to survive for another eight to ten generations, so that item will be very useful."
She was dumbfounded right away. Initially, she thought that he wanted something else from the citadel, not their mythical item. While looking quite silly, she had to spill her mind: "Well, well, it will be impossible. The citadel will definitely not give it to you."
"Don't worry, they will." He smiled and shook his head after noticing her expression: "Don't think of me as an unreasonable brute. Sometimes, I am very reasonable. I might need someone else's stuff, but I will give them a deal of equivalent value. Look, I'm giving them a huge chance right now, it is up to them to take it."
"It's still impossible, they will want nothing in exchange for it." She shook his head: "It is too precious to them."
"That's a pity because if that's the case, the Heavenvine Citadel will collapse into ashes." He faintly smiled.
"What…" She was stunned once more. No one would believe the upcoming destruction of the Heavenvine Citadel. Their ancestral vine was in its prime and would live for a much longer time across the generations.
Furthermore, with its protection, who would dare to attack the citadel?
"Don't let your imagination run wild. It won't be destroyed right away and I won't be the one to do it." Li Qiye gently shook his head: "I can only say that if they give up this godsend opportunity, they will cease to exist in one or two generations."
She didn't know what to say for this matter was beyond her comprehension and imagination.
He glanced over and said: "Outside of some other things, there is one more matter that you need to do. Go spread a message that the Peacock Tree is about to die. Remember, do not leave any traces."
"That the Peacock Tree is dying?" She tried to confirm: "Do you want to spread this message right now?"
"No, wait until the time is right. I will let you know then." He insipidly stated: "But you must be ready before then. I want this news to spread very quickly across the entire Heaven Spirit World."
"I understand, the valley will do our best." She nodded.
"One more thing." He ordered: "Make plans to temporarily evacuate everyone from the Peacock Land. I will let you know when the time is right."
"Evacuation?" Despite being a bit startled, she still agreed: "Leave this to our valley as well."
Li Qiye asked: "And how are you doing on my issue?"
She quickly replied: "I have just received a new message. The person you are looking for has been seen before. She was seen at the Jade Sea, to be exact, at—"
"Cavalry Town." Li Qiye gently sighed and finished her sentence. Who understood the Su Clan's secret channel more than him? He naturally knew where she landed after coming to the Heaven Spirit World.
"Yes, her first appearance was at Cavalry Town. She traveled through several places since then, it seems like she was asking about an ancient tribe." She elaborated: "But later on, she crossed the sea to the Dragon Demon Sea. It gets more complicated there and we haven't received anything back. It might require more time."
Li Qiye nodded and said: "Keep on searching and update me when possible. Let Teng Jiwen in, it is about time for me to leave as well."
Kong Qinru acknowledged and followed his instructions. Of course, she couldn't see Teng Jiwen herself. She took Li Qiye from Golden Isle, so if others were to find out that she was the mastermind behind this, it would bring a lot of trouble to the Exquisite Valley.
A moment later, Teng Jiwen marched inside and bowed the moment he saw Li Qiye: "Sir, this little brother will be bothering you again."
Li Qiye glanced at him and eventually smiled: "You are not bad at all."
Teng Jiwen was surprised to hear this. He didn't know why Li Qiye would suddenly make this statement. Nevertheless, he still bowed and said: "Thank you for the kind words, Sir. This little brother, no, this student came this time to ask you to come visit my Heavenvine Citadel." 1
Li Qiye cheerfully and said: "It seems like your ancestral vine's problem is not trivial."
The youth coughed and replied: "There is indeed a problem with our ancestral vine, so I'm inviting you to personally come and perform your skillful healing art, Sir."
Li Qiye nonchalantly responded: "If I can't cure your ancestral vine, no one else in the world can. However, you, or rather, your citadel should be ready. My price will be sky high, don't blame me for not bringing this up at that point."
Teng Jiwen felt that he and the citadel were fishes on a platter; Li Qiye was free to do whatever he wanted to them.
He took a deep breath and solemnly said: "Sir, rest assured that everything is negotiable as long as you can cure our ancestral vine."
Li Qiye looked at the boy and smirked because the boy didn't know what he wanted at all. Li Qiye then spoke: "It is good that you all have such determination. Let us go then, my time is very precious."
Teng Jiwen didn't waste words and immediately led the way.
The Heavenvine Citadel was a great lineage in the Jade Sea. It was built on top of the Heavenvine Ancestor, also known as the Heavenvine Treefather.
Of course, it was not comparable to Golden Isle. The isle had two ancestral trees and was much older than the citadel with inconceivable resources.
Nevertheless, the citadel was still a great lineage even when placed among the rest of the Heaven Spirit World since it still had one treefather. Not to mention ordinary cultivators, even Godkings wouldn't dare to have any ideas against a place protected by an ancestral tree.
However, little did the citadel know that Li Qiye was preying on them. Moreover, the item he wanted was their lifeblood.
Teng Jiwen and Li Qiye traveled through a portal to directly reach the Heavenvine Citadel.
While standing here, anyone could feel a majestic aura full of life wafting in the air. On the platform, Li Qiye glanced at the lofty sky and boundless sea.
It is important to note that he has been calling Li Qiye "sir" nonstop. This "sir" can also be what students use to call their teachers. He moved himself one position lower on the hierarchy by addressing himself as student instead of little brother. This sentence is awkward but is necessary to show the change of tone, the speaker's change of belief in the duo's relative status. ↩