The Original Intent of the Thatched Cottage Small Gathering

  After listening to the words of the four friends from Wudang, Yue Qing said resolutely: "Although it is so, the teacher's kindness is heavy, and the enmity with Emei is deep. We cannot not repay it! My sister and I have accumulated a lot of materials over the years, and this time we were generously given many by the three palace masters of Ziyun Palace, which is enough to open the furnace. Due to insufficient manpower, we had to pull down our old face and trouble the four Daoist friends for help." He smiled and said, "This time, the four of you helped us busy ourselves in Ziyun Palace for nearly three years, delaying a lot of work. It's just right that this time we refine the treasure, two labors and one reward, after the matter is successful, I will give you a set of eight yang treasures to thank you."

  The four friends of Wudang hastily declined: "Not to mention our private friendship for decades, but just because of the fellow's determination to help the world, we cannot stand by and do nothing. The eight Yang treasures are the most precious things in your sect. I heard that Jiang Sangu had refined two of them back then, relying on them to dominate the world, and defeated several masters of Emei Sect. Your move is even more difficult than founding a school and establishing a doctrine. In the future, you will inevitably recruit many disciples, so it's better to pass the treasure to your disciples."

  Yue Qing naturally couldn't go back on his word, and only said that he must give it to them. If not, they would have to find someone else to help them. Only then did the four friends from Wudang finally agree.

  The four friends of Wudang have been away for many years, and now they are in a hurry to return to Mount Wudang. After passing through Guangdong, they parted ways, while Yue Qing and Xu Fei Niang rushed to Mao Mountain.

  As soon as the four arrived near Maoshan, they were discovered by the guardian deity. A golden light appeared in the clouds, and within it stood four golden-armored deities, each over three zhang tall, holding a demon-subduing staff, a demon-slaying sword, a demon-calming pagoda, and a demon-executing bow, blocking their path: "Maoshan is a sacred place, do not be rude! To pass through, you must ascend to an altitude of 5,000 meters or go around. If you want to enter the mountain, you can walk up from the mountain gate."

  Yue Qing smiled and said: "Old Li! Old Zhang! Don't you recognize me? Who was it that received my Tongling Bixi fragrance back then?"

  The Golden Armor Godly Man focused his eyes, and two golden lights shot out from his eyes, looking at Yue Qing and others, also smiling: "It's actually Fellow Daoist Yue and Fellow Daoist Xu! It's been many years since we last met, your Dao cultivation has become even more profound!"

  Yue Qingdao said: "Liu Xian finally agreed to let you out, these years you've been cooped up in the jar and gone bad!"

  These four Guardian Deities were originally evil masters of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, contemporaries of the Three Elders of Mount Emei, and their generation was even higher than that of Xuan Yuan Fa Wang, one of the three great giants of the evil path. They were quadruplets who had always been lawless and committed many evils, but were struck dead by Tao Hongjing's Nine Heavenly Thunderclap. Although they should have lost their souls, Tao Hongjing calculated that their fate was extraordinary and different from ordinary people, so he used a precious vase to collect their remaining souls and made an agreement with them: they would serve as the 3,000 Guardian Deities of Mount Mao for 3,000 years, after which the seal on their Daoist magic would automatically lose its effect, allowing them to ascend to heaven and continue as immortals.

  These four guardian deities have been practicing for over a thousand years, cultivating the Taoist methods passed down by Tao Hongjing, and have taken the path of transforming from ghost immortals to earth immortals. They are now at the pinnacle of ghost immortal cultivation. In the past, the Mao Mountain and Wudang sects were on good terms, and Yue Qing followed Taiyi Hunyuan Patriarch to Mao Mountain, where he often saw them and was extremely familiar with them. He even went to Beihai Wuding Island's Trap Empty Old Ancestor to request the Tongling Bi Xiang incense for them, which they had received before. As a result, their bodies became even more refined, and they were very grateful to Yue Qing.

  After Mao Lao Dao flew up, the development direction of Mao Shan Sect turned to secularization. Even the guardian gods were put into the pot, and only a few small Taoist priests were sent to offer three branches of grass incense every day. Now that the guardian gods have all been released, it seems that Liu Bu Xuan brothers are really going to make a big move.

  After chatting for a few sentences, the Guardian Deity let go of the cloud path and invited Yue Qing to descend: "The Sect Leader has already prepared fragrant tea in the Upper Clear Palace."

  "Brother Yue!" Liu Bu Xū was still as lively as ever.

  Liu Bu's eyes were extremely sharp, and after sizing him up from head to toe a few times, he exclaimed: "In just three short years, Brother Yue has actually made such rapid progress! It's simply unbelievable!"

  Yue Qing introduced them to each other, Xu Fei Nang was also familiar with them, they chatted for a few sentences, and then the two new apprentices were settled.

  Liu Bu Xuan looked at Lu Rong Bo and exclaimed in surprise: "You are a Primordial Infant?"

  Lu Rongbo was about to speak when Yue Qing said beside him, "She's not an outsider. She is the daughter of Lu Min, known as the Golden Immortal of the Land, who cultivated in the Xuanfeng Cave on Tu'er Cliff in Mangcang Mountain back then."

  Everyone in the room was stunned except for Xu Fei's mother, the younger ones were wondering who Lu Min actually was, Lu Rongbo and Wei Rong had always suspected Yu Qing and Xu Fei's motives, at this moment when they heard him reveal his true identity, their faces changed instantly, Wei Rong even shielded Lu Rongbo in front of her, almost releasing a flying sword.

  Liu Bu Xuan thought for a moment and finally remembered: "That Lu Min is the nominal disciple of the Extreme Bliss True Person, right?"

  Yue Qing nodded: "Not bad, back then we five opened the furnace to refine treasures, our master invited Extreme Joy True Person. That Lu Min happened to meet True Person near Mount Wutai, coincidentally, and went up the mountain to watch. He had drunk the Embracing Moon Immortal Wine with us before."

  Liu Bu Xū had some impression at this time, nodded and took another look at Lu Rong Bo: "Big niece, how did you become like this?"

  Yue Qing said: "She had already completed her cultivation and was about to ascend to the realm of immortals, but when she was about to leave her physical body, she was encountered by San Feng. At that time, Chu Feng wanted to refine the divine sand to defend against enemies, but there were not enough people, so he sent everyone out to search for disciples and servants separately. As a result, San Feng happened to bump into her who was ascending at that time, using magic sand to break the divine light during ascension, forcing her to come down, bringing her back to the Purple Cloud Palace, and solidifying her body with Yuanyuan Divine Glue, thus becoming what she is today."

  Lu Rongbo listened to him recount his experiences in vivid detail, with every twist and turn crystal clear, as if he had been standing right next to him at the time. He couldn't help but be extremely surprised, thinking that it was all calculated by Yue Qing using the Xiantian Shenjue, silently admiring the profundity of the immortal method.

  Yue Qing said: "The Extreme Bliss True Person and my master are old friends, and in the past, we also had a connection with your father. Therefore, we are not outsiders, seeing you suffering in the Purple Cloud Palace, I couldn't just ignore it, so I found an excuse to bring you over. Moreover, let me say something that you might not want to hear: your father was only a pre-disciple of the Extreme Bliss True Person and didn't even qualify as a registered disciple. The Taoist methods he learned could only take him to the Immortal Realm through the Yuanying ascension. Our Wutai Sect has the Golden Immortal Tao, which is the legacy of Tongxuan True Person, and we also have the Heavenly Immortal Tao, which is the legacy of Xiyue Old Ancestor. If you join our Wutai Sect, in the future, you will be the first female immortal of your generation. With your talent and comprehension, it's absolutely not difficult to achieve the Heavenly Immortal position. Of course, if you insist on refusing, we won't force you. After all, a forced melon is not sweet, and our Wutai Sect doesn't have the reason to rush to take in disciples from other sects. Since there's this connection between us, if you regret becoming a disciple later, that's up to you. Tell me a place, whether it's the Xuansheng Cave where your father used to cultivate or the Happy Village where your Lu family ancestors lived, I'll send you there."

  Lu Rongbo listened to him finish speaking, and only then did she suddenly realize that the reason why he had brought her from the Purple Cloud Palace was actually a good one. At this time, the reputation of the Wutai Sect was not as bad as it would be later on, so she wasn't very opposed to joining the Wutai Sect. Although she felt some resentment towards Xu Fei Niang, she still had more respect and gratitude for Yue Qing.

  On the other hand, as Yue Qing said, his father Lu Min was not even a nominal disciple of the True Immortal of Extreme Joy, but just an uninitiated person who had not yet entered the gate. The Taoist techniques he cultivated were also unrefined and shallow. Although the True Immortal of Extreme Joy did not ascend to heaven due to being held back by his disciples and concubines, he was indeed a Golden Immortal, far surpassing many Heavenly Immortals who had already ascended. However, Lu Min's attainments in Taoist techniques were actually quite poor. After Lu Rong fell into this field, Lu Min also dispersed his physical body after death, and his primordial spirit flew up to heaven to become a "Mao Shen" (a low-ranking deity) subject to constraints.

  Lu Rongbo has now left this place, either to return to Tu'er Cliff's Xuanfeng Cave to reunite with her son, and then to concentrate on bitter cultivation for several decades, and to ascend to the heavens together with her son like Lu Min. It would be fine if she did so herself, but her son is a rare talent, with extraordinary qualifications. Even if he cannot become a Golden Immortal, it is absolutely possible for him to cultivate into a Heavenly Immortal. If in the future he were to end up like herself, ascending as a corpse, it would be too regrettable. Although she had previously calculated the future's aura and determined that she would have to endure great hardships at the Purple Cloud Palace before being rescued by the Emei Sect, along with her son entering the Emei Sect to cultivate, now things have changed, and in difficult times she has first shifted her aura, escaping suffering, thinking that her own Daoist powers are limited, and misjudging Heaven's will.

  In a brief moment, Lu Rongbo made up her mind. After all, joining the Wutai faction at this time would be extremely beneficial to herself and her son. Moreover, Yue Qing and these people were obviously upright and virtuous immortals. Xu Feinang had not done anything heinous before, except for being annoying when she was with Sanfeng Dongxiu in the Purple Cloud Palace, and had even given her a precious treasure, the Sun Gourd. Therefore, Lu Rongbo kowtowed to the ground: "Nü Lü Rongbo, thanks to Master's rescue, I have escaped from my suffering and been reborn. The kindness is impossible to repay. Now that I have become your disciple, Nü will never regret it. If I harbor any second thoughts, may I be punished by heaven!"

  Yue Qing nodded in approval after hearing her say that, and let her get up to pay respects to the various masters. Then he pointed at Wei Rong and Liu Bu Xuan brothers and said: "This child is even less of an outsider, he is Ling Xiao Zi's little apprentice."