Chapter 530: Jade in the Stone

Shen Shuibi used to be prone to paranoia, especially when she lacked a sense of security.

When she was on Mount Luofu, and also when she was fighting the Chan Zhi Monk with Li Qi, she felt particularly insecure during that time, to the point of anxiety for a period. After a rampage, she even ran to a Mortal Gang to find people, eventually dominating a large underground Gang in Guangyang and becoming something like 'Ma Wang'.

Li Qi stroked the rabbit's head and said, "Don't worry, who can do anything to me? Look, my spiritual perception is stronger than yours, isn't it? I don't even have any ominous premonitions. Just wait for me to come back with peace of mind. It's only a year or two, which is just a blink of an eye for us."

"That's true. It's just that now is a time of many troubles. All Dao Orthodoxy know that a great war is about to break out, so they should exercise restraint. My spiritual perception is not as good as yours, so I must be overthinking it." Shen Shuibi rested her forehead on Li Qi's shoulder. "Then go and return quickly. Shi Wei is too lively, and I'm a bit... overwhelmed."

Children who are too lively, and a rabbit who prefers quiet to movement, naturally find it exceptionally tiring to look after a child.

In reality, compared to Li Qi's unrestrained indulgence, the rabbit often wanted to discipline the naughty child. If Li Qi were to leave, the Little rabbit might very well be disciplined by her own mother.

"Alright, I'll return as quickly as possible. After all, this trip is... merely to verify a conjecture, and it won't take much time." Li Qi nodded.

After speaking, the two separated and began their own affairs. Shen Shuibi had her own important matters, so she continued to cultivate in the secret chamber.

And Li Qi prepared to go down and find Li Shiwei to play with the child before he left.

He couldn't just leave without a word.

Li Qi quietly arrived downstairs, only to see Li Shiwei clinging to the Niu Huang Mountain God's head, with a smooth, round stone placed nearby.

She seemed to have grown tired of playing war games and was now listening to Niu Huang tell stories with the stone.

The Niu Huang Mountain God stood by the stone, recounting tales of the mountain.

They weren't very interesting stories; Li Qi knew them all. They were just everyday happenings in the mountain: how one family fought with another, how human villages and Anomolus Spirit lairs faced off over a piece of land, conflicts, stories of schemes, and also about successful people who emerged from certain families and what they accomplished.

These were all rather uninformative gossip, and Li Qi wasn't particularly fond of them. He preferred discussing things that had a substantial impact on the Dao.

But Li Shiwei, on the other hand, didn't like these things. She preferred listening to Niu Huang's meaningless chatter, wasting time.

However...

Never mind, she was only half a year old.

Li Qi walked forward.

Niu Huang sensed Li Qi's arrival, immediately stopped speaking, and then lowered his head: "Greetings, Invoker! This humble deity was slightly disrespectful, please..."

"It's fine. I know Shi Wei's temperament. I'm happy that you two have a good relationship." Li Qi waved his hand, pulled him up, and then looked at Li Shiwei, who was pouting to the side.

The little girl was very unhappy because her father had interrupted her story time, just like scrolling through Weibo and finding new gossip, only for her father to show up halfway through.

"You two continue, I'll listen along too." Li Qi smiled and sat down beside them.

"These are all useless idle talks, I'm afraid..." Niu Huang became anxious and quickly tried to explain.

But at this moment, the stone suddenly vibrated, and through this vibration, it emitted a sound: "If everything had to be useful, wouldn't we be exhausted to death?"

This amused Li Qi. He couldn't hold back and laughed heartily: "Haha, you're an interesting stone. It's a pity, you're too useless. If you put in some effort, why would you still be a Anomolus Spirit? You would have transformed into a Demon long ago."

But then he heard the stone reply, "I don't want to transform, nor do I want to follow the Demon Dao. I'm doing quite well here. If it comes to cultivation, I'd rather follow the Shaman Dao!"

"You stupid stone, no matter what Dao you follow, you have to learn to read first! You can't even understand cultivation method yet, so what are you talking about!" Li Shiwei patted the stone, mocking it.

Then, the little girl nimbly ran to Li Qi's side, burrowed into his embrace, and said with a giggle, "Father, why did you suddenly come here?"

She was afraid of her mother, but not her father, mainly because Li Qi spoiled her so much that he had no authority whatsoever in front of the little girl.

Li Qi wiped her face, removing the dried grass stuck to it, and then said, "After today, I'll be leaving for a while. You and Mother will be here alone. Remember to be obedient. No one will back you up now, so you'll get a beating."

As soon as these words were spoken, the little girl's face instantly filled with terror. She immediately climbed onto Li Qi's shoulder: "Father...! Where are you going? Can you not go?"

"Can I not go? What do you think?" Li Qi countered.

She was immediately stunned.

The stone next to them laughed heartily, making thumping sounds, while the Niu Huang Mountain God lowered his head, hoping this matter wouldn't involve him.

Li Qi originally thought she would cry, just like all children do after not getting the answer they want, throwing tantrums and crying to make their Parents give in.

However, she paused for a moment, then suddenly furrowed her brows, touching her nose with one hand, her entire small face tense, clearly deep in thought.

The Niu Huang Mountain God watched, stunned.

He had seen that expression on Invoker Li Qi more than once. Whenever Li Qi encountered trouble, he would make similar gestures, indicating that he was deep in thought.

Li Shiwei's expression was almost identical.

And Li Qi seemed to be seeing this gesture for the first time. He was a bit surprised, but he didn't speak. Instead, he slowed his heartbeat and movements, and at the same time, he cast a spell to block out the surrounding sounds.

She was thinking.

This naughty child, though only half a year old, when faced with the difficult problem of 'very likely getting a beating,' her first reaction was to ponder, to figure out a solution, rather than rolling on the ground and crying.

So, Li Qi created a tranquil space for her.

He suddenly realized something.

Everyone has their own path. Although he often said this, he had never thought this way about his daughter. He had always been thinking about how to guide her onto a good path.

Now, it seemed he had discovered something.

What he needed to do was not to think for his daughter, but to help her block out the surrounding distractions when she was thinking.

Then...

What Zhu Fengdan had to do should also be like this, right?

Li Qi suddenly understood, and he focused his gaze on Li Shiwei.

The little girl, like her Parents, was completely immersed in her own world of thought, still unaware that the surrounding noise had faded.

Just as Li Qi hadn't realized how much noise Zhu Fengdan had unknowingly shielded him from.

Is that so?

Is it always like this?

Is this... a father's reflection?

As Li Qi was thinking this, Li Shiwei suddenly looked up: "Then I know, Father, I want to go with you, to that... West Heaven!"

"That's not a very good term... but never mind. Is that what you came up with?" Li Qi asked, "How did you think of that?"

"Well, I don't dare to provoke Mother, but I don't think I can avoid making her angry, so why not go with you? That way, Mother definitely won't be angry, and Father, you never get angry, and I won't get a beating. Isn't that good for everyone?" Li Shiwei logically explained her reasoning.

"En, from your perspective, that's indeed the case. However, why should I take you with me?" Li Qi asked again.

This exchange reminded him of the questions and answers between him and Zhu Fengdan in the past.

When he first pondered 'What is I?', Zhu Fengdan impatiently enlightened him on what 'I' meant. Zhu Fengdan never gave any answers, only constantly asked rhetorical questions, using various examples to prompt him.

Looking back now, this approach was actually a bit risky. It was essentially negating Li Qi's incorrect ideas and guiding him towards his own answers.

But it was the fastest way.

As his cultivation, status, and horizons improved, Li Qi seemed to understand those riddle-tellers more and more, to the point where he himself seemed to be becoming a riddle-teller.

It's all a Reincarnation.

The deeds of predecessors are lessons for those who come after. No one is special; everyone goes through this. In the Dark Continent, predecessors have already paved a path with their bones. All you have to do is not stray.

Of course, straying is also fine; perhaps you can forge a new path? But generally speaking, the results of straying are not too good.

Only when you reach the very front, the very front, the very front, and there are no more bones to pave the way for you, at that time... you will have to truly face this vast, dark, boundless continent and step forward.

Perhaps becoming the next set of bones to pave the way, or perhaps... completing the path.

These thoughts swirled in Li Qi's mind. After seventy years of refinement, he was no longer a hothead.

He and his daughter engaged in a series of questions and counter-questions, watching the little darling constantly think, to the point where her little head started turning red, clearly indicating that her brain was operating at its peak and she was already getting dizzy.

She had just thought of a dozen ways to persuade Li Qi to stay or take her with him. Her arguments were clear and logical, with sound reasoning, but unfortunately, nothing worked, to the point where her brain was almost short-circuiting.

So, Li Qi rubbed her forehead, then picked her up, holding her under her armpits, and said, "Alright, I definitely won't be taking you on the trip to West Heaven, but I'll bring you back some little things. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Then, then can you bring me some healing medicine?" Li Shiwei looked at Li Qi pitifully.

Li Qi chuckled, "Still playing pitiful. Your mother has the most healing medicine, and she can keep making new ones. It's fine."

Then, he placed Li Shiwei on Niu Huang's back: "You two continue playing, I'll be leaving now."

"Farewell, Invoker." Niu Huang immediately bowed.

The stone, however, didn't bother with etiquette. Instead, it immediately began to mock Li Shiwei for being about to get a beating, which angered Li Shiwei so much that she kicked it. She already had the combat power of a Ninth Grade, and one kick almost sent the stone flying, causing it to tumble down the cliff.

Niu Huang was startled. Although the stone had already become a Anomolus Spirit, it had no cultivation. Would it be shattered?

Although a Anomolus Spirit like a stone wouldn't die if shattered, without a physical body, its future Dao path would probably be very difficult to traverse.

He quickly ran downwards.

Li Qi also rushed over to see. His speed was even faster; Niu Huang was still running, but he had already caught up with the stone.

He saw that there was indeed a crack on the stone.

Fortunately, it wasn't shattered.

Li Shiwei, riding on Niu Huang's back, also quickly followed down, her small face pale. She was very smart and knew that she was really going to get a beating this time.

The stone itself, though cracked, didn't seem to feel any pain. Instead, it emitted a muffled, questioning sound: "Huh? What's going on? Uh, I feel so clear-headed."

"Clear-headed about what? Are you alright?" The Niu Huang Mountain God was the first to step forward, nudging the stone with his horn, checking if its body was broken.

The stone, however, asked in return, "Mountain God, Mountain God, what did you teach me this morning? Do you still remember?"

"This morning? I taught you 'Bei' this morning. What's wrong? Why are you asking this? How's your body?" Niu Huang asked.

"I remember, there was a sentence in it that said, 'Closing the door is called Kun, opening the door is called Qian. It also says: Heaven and Earth are set in their positions, and mountains and lakes communicate Qi. 'Nip' means birth. Jia moves eastward, where things are born, so the number begins with it.' Is that right? See if it's written that way?"

As the stone spoke, it began to draw strokes on the ground with vibrations.

The others watched in surprise as the stone actually wrote the correct characters.

Such a thing happened?

The Niu Huang Mountain God, who had taught the stone to write for hundreds of years, widened his eyes, too astonished to speak. He could only look at Li Qi, hoping to gain some insight from him.

What's going on? Did it get smarter after falling?

It was Li Qi, however, who suddenly realized something.

Although he didn't have True Knowledge now, his eyesight wasn't bad, so he stepped forward and delivered a swift hand chop.

To Niu Huang's horrified gaze, Li Qi directly shattered the stone!

Invoker spoils his daughter like this?! This stone only said a couple of words and was actually killed!?

Niu Huang was terrified, but then he saw the stone crack open, emitting a burst of precious light. Amidst the countless fragments, there was a beautiful jade.

This beautiful jade vibrated continuously, emitting sounds: "Yi! I understand! So that's what you meant, Mountain God! I remember all the characters you taught me before!"

The stubborn stone broke open, and the beautiful jade formed perfectly.

Li Qi took out the beautiful jade, and saw that it was suffused with a precious Qi, a High Grade jade.

This was a... Mountain Xuan Jade.

In the past, when he was in Chang'an, Li Qi bought a jade hairpin for Shen Shuibi and mentioned that among jades, the High Grade ones were Shui Bi Jade and Mountain Xuan Jade. Li Qi bought a Shui Bi Jade for the rabbit.

"Haha, Mystic Radiance Mountain, Mountain Xuan Jade, it really fits." Li Qi laughed, handing the jade to the Niu Huang Mountain God. "This is probably fate. The stone didn't expect there to be such another layer to it. This is also an opportunity."

"Then, Father, does this count as a merit for me?" Li Shiwei quickly asked.

Does this mean she won't get a beating?

"Whether it counts as a merit, your mother decides. I'll tell her about this, and how to handle it will be up to her. As for me, now that I've seen this interesting event, it's time for me to go."

"Stone, give yourself a good name, haha!" Li Qi touched the jade.

Who would have thought that such a thing could happen before leaving?

How interesting.