Xiangzi’s Record of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 58: Tales Among Men

Even masters have their youth.
Who hasn’t been young?
At first, Lin Junqing recounted Liu Tang’s stories.
Then Liu Tang, letting loose, shared how a twenty-something Lin Junqing sneaked his apprentice brothers to the mines to hunt and roast demon beasts.
Even Lin Junqing’s face lit up with a rare smile.
Liu Tang gestured animatedly, his tales vivid.
For the first time, Xiangzi saw Liu Tang—
Lord Tang
to the pullers—show a boyish spark. At twenty-five, he was, in another life, just a recent college grad.
Men’s banter always bridged gaps.
The banquet’s mood lightened with these stories.
Xiangzi listened, laughed, and sipped plum wine from a demon tree in the Sichuan mines, its berries larger and brighter than ordinary plums.
The taste? Debatable.
Since taking over the mine line, his nerves had been taut. Today, he relaxed.
As the meal ended, they rose.
Lin Junqing, slightly flushed, steadied Liu Tang. “You’ve awakened Bright Force. You should return to the hall to train. Staying at that small rickshaw yard might cost you your chance.”
Liu Tang paused, sighing. “Senior Brother, you know my father died early. Fourth Master raised me, gave me my name. He’s over seventy now, with few years left. How can I abandon him?”
Lin Junqing wanted to argue but, seeing Liu Tang’s expression, held back.
Word of Harmony Rickshaw Yard’s mine line troubles had spread through Forty-Nine City. Rumors spoke of bandits and refugees.
Half-true, half-false, but Lin Junqing sensed deeper implications.
Who in Forty-Nine City had the guts and power to target the mine line?
A gentleman avoids danger.
His advice was a subtle warning to his junior brother to leave the troubled yard.
But Liu Tang’s stubbornness hadn’t changed.
Sighing, Lin Junqing clasped his fists. “If you need me, come find me.”
Liu Tang, perhaps warmed by wine, felt a surge of emotion, his eyes misting.
As the brothers stepped into the hall, they froze—
Familiar figures stood there: disciples from Baolin Martial Hall.
“Greetings, Senior Brother!”
“Brother Lin!”
Spotting Lin Junqing, the disciples bowed respectfully. Though he’d fallen in rank and status, his former title as head disciple commanded respect. These outer disciples dared not slight him.
By contrast, the tall young noble, Wan Yuxuan, smirked playfully. “Didn’t expect Brother Lin here. I should’ve visited to share a drink.”
Lin Junqing’s face frosted over. “I can’t afford your Wan Family’s wine.”
His blunt words carried no courtesy, but Wan Yuxuan, unfazed, shrugged with a carefree smile and left.
His gaze lingered on Xiangzi, and he grinned. “Nice stance, little brother. We meet again.”
Xiangzi clasped his fists. “Thanks for last time.”
“A trifle. As the stories say,
fate brings us together
. Don’t take it to heart.” Wan Yuxuan laughed and sauntered off.
His entourage followed like stars around a moon. Among the steady-stepped disciples, Wan Yuxuan, the strongest, walked lazily, hands behind his head, his massive frame swaying like a bear.
Xiangzi, watching his carefree swagger, sighed inwardly.
Is this the noble’s style?
He walked with a stance, ever mindful of training.
As the disciples left, only the Li Family’s Third Miss remained.
She didn’t recognize Xiangzi, her clear eyes settling on Lin Junqing. “Brother Lin, it’s been a while. You stay in the back courtyard, hard to visit. Please don’t mind.”
Then, to Liu Tang, she smiled. “Years apart, and Brother Liu’s still as dashing.”
Liu Tang greeted her warmly, showing no trace of his youthful infatuation.
The Third Miss, true to her Li Family roots, spoke with poised elegance, her smile flawless.
But Xiangzi caught a subtle difference—she was warmer with Lin Junqing than Liu Tang.
Perhaps loosened by wine or the lively chat, Lin Junqing spoke candidly. “Little Third, I’m half a cripple now, just seeking peace.”
Her brows furrowed, her gaze flicking to his right leg. “Don’t lose heart, Brother. There may be a way.”
Lin Junqing smiled, changing the subject. “You, out with such a crowd? Not like you.”
At Baolin, the Third Miss was known for her relentless training.
She laughed. “Not quite a stroll. The city’s had incidents lately. The Marshal’s Mansion and Police Bureau sought our hall’s help. Master sent us to patrol and assist at the gates.”
Lin Junqing raised a brow.
What could alarm even Master?
“It’s that ‘King Chuang,’” she continued. “Someone spotted him in the city recently. No one knows why he came alone, without his troops.”
Lin Junqing nodded. The elusive “King Chuang,” a skilled warrior, clashed often with Marshal Zhang, attempting multiple assassinations. No wonder the city was on edge.
“And last night, a major case broke,” she added, glancing at Liu Tang. “They say a Harmony Rickshaw Yard puller swallowed a prismatic ore, turned demonic, and killed several people.”
“That man’s name, Brother Liu, you’d know—Jin Fugui.”