Chapter 3

"Didn't you say you were going to take me away?" Xuan Kong stared at Qin Guangwang with wide eyes.

Qin Guangwang laughed and said, "I thought you, little brother, were fearless, but I didn't expect you to still be so concerned about life and death."

"Do I fear death?" Xuan Kong's temper flared, and he sat down on the ground, then laughed, "Fear of death is a human nature. So what if I fear death? If humans didn't fear death, why would they care about health, cultivation, or accumulating virtue?"

Qin Guangwang was taken aback by Xuan Kong's series of questions and didn't know what to say for a moment.

He just asked in confusion, "You fear death, but you don't fear me?"

He didn't know that Xuan Kong's previous life was spent on the edge of danger. Like ordinary hooligans, they were afraid before a fight, but once it started, they had no choice but to fight back.

It's like being a soldier in battle; if you don't kill others, they will kill you.

So, when the moment came, Xuan Kong exuded a carefree and defiant demeanor.

He turned around, took another set of bowls and chopsticks from the Yuezhaocao Hall, and placed them on the ground. Xuan Kong smirked, "I've always heard that the King of Hell is easy to meet, but the little devils are hard to deal with. I've also heard that a person's lifespan and fortune are predestined. If my time is up, can you really prolong my life even if I beg? If my time isn't up, and you take my soul, you would be disrupting the natural order, which is a serious offense."

Qin Guangwang clapped his hands and said, "Before I came, I heard that Lao Mountain had produced a Xuan Kong, who is deeply cultivated and fearless. Today, I indeed saw it."

Xuan Kong wasn't surprised. He lived alone on the back mountain and often had mountain spirits come to bother him.

In the past, the spirits he met would transform into human form, looking no different from ordinary people, so Qin Guangwang's strange appearance today had startled Xuan Kong. Now, he had calmed down and realized it wasn't a big deal.

Xuan Kong laughed and told Qin Guangwang about what had happened during the day, proudly saying, "My Daoist name is Xuan Kong. Brother Qin Guangwang, don't forget it."

Xuan Kong was probably the first to ask the King of Hell to remember his name.

Fortunately, Qin Guangwang had already gotten used to Xuan Kong's carefree nature and nodded, "Sure, since you call me brother, I'll recognize you as a little brother."

Qin Guangwang winked and said, "But you made one mistake. You are a disciple of Lao Mountain and can be considered a cultivator of the Three Teachings. Haven't you heard that cultivation is defying the heavens? If you succeed, you can live freely in the world. If you fail, your soul will be scattered, and even I can't save you."

The lifespan of mortals is recorded in the King of Hell's book of life and death, but who controls the lifespan of immortals?

Xuan Kong didn't care and spread his hands, "Everyone says that immortality is good. I am already on the path to immortality. What more could I ask for?"

Qin Guangwang didn't expect Xuan Kong to be so content and clapped, "If everyone were as content as you, there would be fewer disputes in the world."

Xuan Kong swallowed the wine in his cup and wiped his mouth, "Actually, I do have one wish."

Qin Guangwang focused, wanting to hear what Xuan Kong, who seemed content, still desired.

It wasn't really Xuan Kong's own wish. He had been raised by an old Taoist on Lao Mountain since childhood and always thought of ways to repay the old Taoist's kindness. The old Taoist's greatest concern was how to make Lao Mountain grow and flourish.

As Xuan Kong grew older, he occasionally took on tasks from the old Taoist to go down the mountain.

Mostly, these tasks involved buying daily necessities for the fellow disciples on the mountain.

There was a tavern in the town below, and many merchants passed through. Xuan Kong was quick and efficient, and he would often sit in the tavern after finishing his tasks. Listening to the merchants brag, he gradually gained a better understanding of the world.

The dynasty was still called the Song, but there were no Western Xia, Tubo, Jin, or Mongol states that should have existed historically.

Instead, he heard merchants mention places like Chechi and Nüer.

Cultivation techniques, though kept secret by the major immortal sects, were not considered entirely fictitious by the common people. Especially in the current chaotic world, with the government in disarray, countless demons and monsters that had been dormant for thousands of years were causing trouble.

In short, the world was in turmoil.

Qin Guangwang didn't take Xuan Kong's words seriously and laughed, "That's right, little brother, you are an orphan, so you naturally need to respect your master!" But how many cultivators are there in the world?

There are those who cultivate Dao, Buddhism, Confucianism, demons, evil, ghosts, and monsters, with cultivation techniques that are infinitely varied.

To make Lao Mountain, which was less than a hundred years old, grow and flourish, it was easier said than done.

But Xuan Kong wasn't anxious. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary mortal. In this world, he became the eldest disciple of Lao Mountain, starting from a higher position than others. Moreover, as a cultivator, he had plenty of time to waste.

He drank a few more cups with Qin Guangwang, who also enjoyed the drink.

Xuan Kong was a generous person, and the two hit it off, with endless topics. However, compared to Qin Guangwang, who governed the underworld, Xuan Kong mostly listened. Qin Guangwang, having been an immortal for a long time, had a wealth of stories about the three realms.

Xuan Kong listened to his explanations of immortal techniques and continuously refilled his cup.

Qin Guangwang's face turned red from drinking, and he stopped Xuan Kong, saying with a drunken slur, "I came abruptly. This small wine pot isn't enough for the two of us to drink."

Xuan Kong laughed, "Brother Qin Guangwang, you don't know. This wine pot has a special name. It's a magical treasure I created in my spare time. Just add cold water, and it turns into fine wine. Moreover, it has the spell of the Sumeru Vase, which can store a hundred jars of aged wine."

Who has ever seen someone spend time and effort on a drinking vessel?

Qin Guangwang didn't believe it and shook his head, smiling, "You're just fooling me. I know about the Sumeru Vase spell, but I've never even heard of turning water into wine."

Xuan Kong raised an eyebrow; this was his proudest creation. He just smiled and didn't respond to Qin Guangwang, making Qin Guangwang's face turn red. He challenged, "If you can turn water into wine right in front of me, I'll grant you a great favor!"

What kind of person was Xuan Kong?

In his previous life, he was a seasoned figure in society. He was waiting for Qin Guangwang to say this. He immediately agreed, not giving Qin Guangwang a chance to back out, and quickly went back to the hut to fetch a basin of water, pouring it into the small wine pot.

But the entire basin of water was poured in, and the wine pot didn't overflow.

Qin Guangwang marveled, "This is just a trick of hiding things in a small space. Although it's amazing, it's not what you described." Seeing Xuan Kong standing still, Qin Guangwang grabbed the wine pot and filled his cup.

Xuan Kong watched Qin Guangwang's face change with a smile. As fellow drinkers, they didn't need to taste it; just the smell of the wine was intoxicating. Qin Guangwang drank a cup in silence, savoring it, and found it to be the same fine wine as before. He was convinced.

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