Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Identity Revealed

「One day.」

Li Ping was in the middle of his cultivation when Bai Lin came to inform him that he had a visitor. This person had arrived accompanied by none other than the Meng family’s Ancestor.

Normally, Li Ping didn’t receive strangers. He would simply have them leave a calling card.

However, for the Meng family’s Ancestor to personally escort a visitor, this person was clearly no one ordinary.

Out of respect for the Meng family’s Ancestor, Li Ping ultimately agreed to receive them.

Standing in his pavilion, Li Ping watched as the Meng family’s Ancestor and a young Female Cultivator in a green robe entered his cave residence.

Li Ping smiled. "Fellow Daoist Meng, what a rare honor to have you visit!"

"Haha... Fellow Daoist Li, you jest. I am the one who has disturbed your cultivation. I should be the one apologizing." A hint of apology appeared on the Meng family Ancestor’s face.

Li Ping smiled and shook his head, his gaze shifting to the young Foundation Establishment Cultivator beside the ancestor. "Aren’t you going to introduce me, Fellow Daoist Meng?"

The Meng family’s Ancestor smiled faintly and was about to speak, but the green-robed Female Cultivator stepped forward first. "I am Yu Menghan. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist Li."

Seeing the young woman’s forwardness, the Meng family’s Ancestor didn’t get angry, but a wry expression crossed his face. This only made Li Ping more curious about the identity of this self-proclaimed Yu Menghan.

"Ah, so it’s Fairy Yu." Li Ping nodded slightly.

"Alright, Fellow Daoist Meng, thank you for bringing me to see Fellow Daoist Li," Yu Menghan said with a playful smile. "I have some private matters to discuss with him now, so if you would please give us some space."

The Meng family Ancestor’s expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly composed himself. "Then I won’t disturb you. Please, take your time. By the way, Fellow Daoist Li," he added, "Fairy Yu is from the Ying Sea Commerce Association. You must not treat her poorly."

"The Ying Sea Commerce Association?" Li Ping was taken aback.

This wasn’t the first time he had heard that name.

According to Cheng Yao, Wang Li had ordered his seven-hundred-year-old Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng through the Ying Sea Commerce Association.

After learning this, he had tried to purchase Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng from the association himself so he could refine his own Foundation Establishment Pills.

However, the Ying Sea Commerce Association was exceptionally mysterious, and he had never succeeded.

He never expected they would now come knocking on his door.

At the same time, he mulled over the Meng family Ancestor’s words. ’The implication is obvious. The Ying Sea Commerce Association has a powerful backer, one I can’t afford to offend. I’d best not anger Yu Menghan.’

By the time he came back to his senses, the Meng family’s Ancestor had already left.

He smiled and gestured. "Fairy Yu, please, have a seat in the pavilion."

Yu Menghan nodded in acceptance.

After they had both sat down in the pavilion, Li Ping asked curiously, "If I recall correctly, I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting you before, Fairy Yu. May I ask why you were seeking me out?"

At his words, Yu Menghan blinked her eyes playfully and said with a grin, "I have long admired your great name, Fellow Daoist Li. I’ve come to find you this time because I’d like to ask for your help."

"Help?" Internally, Li Ping was unperturbed, but he put on a surprised expression. "I wonder how I can possibly help you, Fairy. Are you looking to purchase Tier Two Spirit Talismans?"

Yu Menghan shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Tier Two Spirit Talismans... No, that’s not what I need. The truth is, I rushed all the way from Jixia to Fenglan Immortal City because my Spirit Beast is gravely injured. I was hoping to ask you to heal it for me, Fellow Daoist Li."

"Heal a Spirit Beast?"

Li Ping froze. He looked up at the young woman in green, who gave him a knowing smile and a wink. "Or perhaps I should call you... Fellow Daoist Yan?"

At that moment, Li Ping’s expression remained placid, but inside, his mind was in turmoil.

He couldn’t tell if Yu Menghan truly knew something or if she was just bluffing.

If she really knew, then his alias had likely been exposed.

However, his Yan Buping alias had only ever been associated with extraordinary healing abilities. He hadn’t done anything wrong or made any enemies under that name, so even if he was exposed, he wasn’t particularly worried.

’So what if I’m exposed? Which Cultivator doesn’t have a few alternate identities? What’s the harm in just admitting it?’

At that thought, Li Ping’s mind settled. He said nonchalantly, "I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean, Fellow Daoist Yu."

Seeing Li Ping’s apparent displeasure, Yu Menghan hurriedly explained, "Fellow Daoist Li, I mean you no harm! It’s just that my Spirit Beast’s life is hanging by a thread, and I had no choice but to use the association’s resources to search for a High-tier Pharmacist. I only found you by investigating the time you treated Xiao Yunzhi."

"The association’s resources?" Li Ping’s sharp mind seized on the key phrase.

He thought to himself, ’The Ying Sea Commerce Association... They found me using their own resources? This association’s reach is impressive.’

While he was lost in thought, Yu Menghan had already taken a translucent crystal the size of an adult’s head from her Spirit Beast Pouch and placed it on the table. Sealed inside was a butterfly-shaped Spirit Beast.

"As long as you can save Xiaoyu, Fellow Daoist Li, we can discuss any reward you wish." A trace of sorrow filled her eyes; she clearly shared a deep bond with this Spirit Butterfly.

Since Yu Menghan had laid her cards on the table, even bringing up Xiao Yunzhi so clearly, there was no point in Li Ping continuing to deny it.

In truth, his Yan Buping alias had seemed flawless. But it wasn’t surprising that a major power, if it spared no effort in its investigation, could eventually pinpoint him as the target.

After all, there were only so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Western Wilderness.

By analyzing and comparing enough data, one could track the movements of every Foundation Establishment Cultivator over a given period.

It was all just a matter of whether it was worth the effort.

Most major powers wouldn’t be bored enough to go to such pointless trouble.

With this in mind, his gaze followed Yu Menghan’s gesture and fell upon the translucent, head-sized crystal.

The Spirit Butterfly sealed inside was only palm-sized. Its wings, thin as a cicada’s, were folded tightly around its body, shimmering with a beautiful seven-colored light.

Searching his memories, Li Ping soon recognized the Spirit Butterfly’s species. He asked, somewhat uncertainly, "A Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly?"

Yu Menghan nodded. "You are correct, Fellow Daoist Li. It is a Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly. Xiaoyu was gravely injured saving my life, its own life force all but extinguished. I could only seal it within this Celestial Profound Crystal to keep it alive."

Li Ping now understood why Yu Menghan had gone to such great lengths to find him to treat her Spirit Beast.

The Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly was a top-tier spirit insect possessing a trace of the True Spirit Mirage Dragon’s bloodline. Naturally adept at Illusion Techniques, its value, in a sense, was even greater than that of his own Spirit Bird, the Desolate Fire Sparrow.

He extended his senses briefly and confirmed her words. The Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s life aura was almost nonexistent, as still as a corpse.

In fact, the spirit insect was practically dead. Just at the moment before its life expired, someone had used a Secret Technique to seal it within the Celestial Profound Crystal—a rare treasure of heaven and earth—to barely hang on to a final thread of life.

The moment it was removed from the Celestial Profound Crystal or the sealing technique was lifted, it would die without a doubt.

With the heaven-defying nature of his Nourishing Life Skill Power, Li Ping was certain he could save the spirit insect.

However, he didn’t rush to begin treatment. Instead, he asked with a calm smile, "The Ying Sea Commerce Association... I’ve never heard of it, nor have I ever had any dealings with them. I wonder if you could tell me a bit about it, Fairy Yu."

Yu Menghan shook her head. "Regarding the association, there are things I cannot easily speak of. Please don’t press me, Fellow Daoist Li. I can only tell you that the Ying Sea Commerce Association is not a power native to the Western Wilderness. The presence here is merely a branch office."

’Just as I thought...’ Li Ping’s suspicions were confirmed. ’She must be from the Cultivation Realm that lies beyond the territory of the four great Demon Dao Sects.’

But since Yu Menghan was unwilling to discuss it, he couldn’t press her too hard. He would just have to find another way to inquire about it in the future.

"Fairy Yu, I’ll be frank," Li Ping said. "While I am confident I can treat your Spirit Beast, the process will take a great toll on my Primordial Energy. It could take me over a decade to recover. Therefore, unless you can offer something that truly moves me, you must forgive me, but I will be unable to help."

Since Yu Menghan had already sought him out, given her background, she would not let the matter rest if Li Ping refused to help her.

He didn’t want to offend a major organization like the Ying Sea Commerce Association, either. Since refusal wasn’t an option, he might as well maximize his own benefit.

Li Ping knew that when dealing with powerful, wealthy cultivators like her, it was best not to be coy. He had to be direct.

After all, they were short on time, not resources, so they had no patience for people who beat around the bush when asking for payment.

’When you make a deal with people like that, you have to be bold and name your price outright!’

Just as he’d expected, a look of delight flashed in Yu Menghan’s bright eyes. She immediately took a dozen or so items from her Storage Bag and laid them out in a row on the table. "As long as you can save Xiaoyu, Fellow Daoist Li, you may choose any three of these items!"

A Talisman Treasure, Tier Three Spirit Talismans, a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, a thousand-year-old Spirit Medicine... Li Ping stared, dumbfounded.

This Fairy Yu Menghan was even more loaded than he had imagined.

Li Ping’s gaze swept over the items. He smiled and asked, "Do you happen to have any well-aged Golden Marrow Jade Ginseng?"

"You want to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill?" Yu Menghan frowned and shook her head. "A Spirit Medicine with such a specific use isn’t always in stock, even at the association. How about this: in addition to the three Spiritual Objects, I’ll give you one Foundation Establishment Pill as a bonus. Would that be satisfactory, Fellow Daoist?"

"One Foundation Establishment Pill." Li Ping nodded.

He needed the Foundation Establishment Pill for his concubine, Bai Lin, so one was acceptable.

With that in mind, he nodded. "I accept the deal."

...

Li Ping and Yu Menghan then negotiated the details, settling on a ten-year treatment plan for the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly.

Once a month for the next ten years, Yu Menghan would bring the spirit insect to Immortal Peach Mountain for a treatment session with Li Ping.

After three years, they would assess its progress.

If she was satisfied with the results, Yu Menghan would let Li Ping choose one of the items and also give him the promised Foundation Establishment Pill.

After six years, Li Ping could choose the second item.

At the ten-year mark, the treatment would conclude.

Li Ping would then select his third item, and their transaction would be complete.

Li Ping also made sure to remind Yu Menghan that she was not to reveal his alias to anyone. If she did, he would immediately stop treating the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly.

Yu Menghan, of course, readily agreed to his condition of secrecy.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.