Chapter 7：Unscrupulous old swindler

On a vast grassland, two figures, an elderly Taoist and a young apprentice, were strolling leisurely. The elder Taoist carried a horsetail whisk, while the younger one had a long sword strapped to his back.

"Master, is this really okay?" the young Taoist asked, concern evident in his voice.

"What's wrong with it?" the elder replied, shaking the whisk before taking a satisfied sip from his gourd of wine. Suddenly, he turned and glared at his disciple, threatening, "Boy, if you dare tell the sect master about this, I'll take back that sword on your back!"

The young Taoist glanced at the sword and pouted. "It's just an old, worn-out sword. How dare you call it a treasure?"

The elder Taoist choked on his drink at the remark and, after a moment, grinned mischievously. "Alright, alright. I'll talk to the sect master and get you a better one. Just don't let a word of this slip!"

"Master, you're a cultivator at the peak of the Cloud Realm, yet here you are, stealing someone else's wine. Aren't you afraid of karma?"

As it turned out, these two were from a minor sect called the Tai Fu Sect on the Shenwu Continent, with only a few hundred members. The elder Taoist was the younger brother of the sect master, and he had taken the young Taoist out for training. Passing by a tavern, the elder Taoist had been overwhelmed by the smell of fine wine and, unable to resist, had stealthily filled his gourd with the best Daughter's Red while the tavern owner wasn't looking. Naturally, he hadn't used any ordinary gourd—what self-respecting cultivator at his level would?

The entire tavern was thrown into chaos when the barrels of wine vanished, leaving the tavern owner in tears, shouting for the thief who had just stolen a year's worth of income. But by then, the culprit had long since disappeared.

"Haha, karma? Boy, you're hilarious," the elder Taoist said with a booming laugh. "Look at this vast plain. I can see for miles in every direction. What could possibly happen to me? Do you think the heavens will drop a meteor on me?"

Just as his words fell, there was a resounding crash, and something plummeted from the sky, striking the elder Taoist squarely.

"Huh? Why is this so soft?"

Tianfan, now sitting in a daze, found himself atop the elder Taoist. When he looked down, he was startled to see a person beneath him.

It turned out that when Tianfan had entered the spatial tunnel, he had taken the dragon egg into his body. Darkness had engulfed him, and, unable to move, he had waited cautiously for the tunnel to open, wary of the dangers of the space-time currents. Finally, after an uncertain amount of time, the tunnel opened, and he was ejected into the light—only to land on the unsuspecting Taoist.

"My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they? Is this really divine retribution!?" the young Taoist muttered, staring wide-eyed at the scene, hands clasped together in prayer. "It has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me. Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha..."

"Stop that nonsense! We're Taoists, not monks!" the elder Taoist growled, still lying face-down on the grass.

"Oh, right! By the grace of the heavens, it has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me..." Corrected by the elder, the young Taoist quickly switched prayers and continued his muttering.

"To hell with your prayers!" the elder Taoist yelled. "Get over here and help me up!"

Looking at the feet next to his head, he bellowed again, "You fool on top! Comfortable up there? Get off your master right now!"

Hearing the voice from beneath him, Tianfan leapt to his feet, flustered. The young Taoist hurried over and helped the elder up.

"My apologies, senior. I didn't mean to!" Tianfan said, stifling a laugh as he bowed in apology.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" the elder Taoist, sharp as ever, eyed him.

"No, of course not!" Tianfan replied hastily.

"Then tell me, how did you fall from the sky?" The elder Taoist, clearly displeased at the earlier mishap, demanded answers.

"Oh, well, a senior opened a spatial passage and sent me through," Tianfan said seriously, his expression turning somber.

At this, both the elder and the young Taoist burst into laughter.

"Haha! My dear disciple, I didn't expect we'd find someone even funnier than you!" The elder Taoist doubled over with laughter, as even the young Taoist, who had been startled moments ago, was now shaking with mirth.

"Boy, do you take me for a fool? Tearing open a spatial passage is beyond even those at the Immortal Realm. Only gods can do that! Are you telling me you were sent by a god?"

Seeing their reaction, Tianfan realized they wouldn't believe the truth—that he had met a divine dragon in the Enchanted Forest. So, he offered a cover story: "Haha, senior, you've seen through me. Actually, I was swept up by a powerful whirlwind and fell here. I'm sorry for injuring you."

"Hmm, yes, that makes sense. The winds here can be fierce. Given your low cultivation, it's no surprise you'd be caught up in one," the elder Taoist said, straightening up and laughing. "You didn't hurt me; nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, senior," Tianfan said, holding back another smile.

The elder Taoist then scrutinized Tianfan. "Young man, where are you from? What sect do you belong to?"

Tianfan turned toward the south, where the Longteng Empire lay—the place of his birth, a place he never wanted to return to. Though he could return as a cultivator, armed with a dragon egg that would earn him great favor, perhaps even the throne, he had no desire to go back. He was happier here.

"Hey, kid! Are you listening?" the elder Taoist barked, snapping Tianfan out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just a wandering cultivator, no fixed abode," Tianfan replied.

"A wandering cultivator, eh? Why not come visit my Tai Fu Sect? I'd be honored to host you," the elder Taoist said with a grin. Hearing this, the young Taoist pouted, remembering how he had been similarly lured in.

Though the elder Taoist's offer seemed suspect, Tianfan had taken a liking to his quirky personality. "What kind of place is Tai Fu Sect?" he asked, glancing at the young Taoist. Just as the boy was about to answer, the elder cut him off.

"Tai Fu Sect is a prestigious cultivation sect on the Shenwu Continent. You've heard of the Longteng Empire, haven't you?" the elder said mysteriously.

"Of course! It's one of the most powerful forces on the continent. Are you connected to it, senior?" Tianfan feigned surprise.

"Indeed," the elder said with a satisfied nod. "The current emperor of Longteng is my younger brother. I've no interest in politics, so I roam the world. One day, I met a fateful acquaintance, and together we founded Tai Fu Sect, a place where talented young cultivators are trained before being sent to Longteng to become disciples of the royal family."

Tianfan could barely contain his laughter. As the seventh prince of Longteng, he knew there was no truth to the elder's claim. Still, he maintained his shocked expression. "Incredible, senior! I had no idea you held such a high position!"

"Yes, but keep this to yourself. If word gets out, it could cause trouble," the elder Taoist warned.

"Of course, senior. I won't tell a soul!" Tianfan said, struggling to suppress his laughter.

"Good, now come along. We'll head to Tai Fu Sect," the elder Taoist said, leading the way with his whisk in hand.

The young Taoist shook his head, muttering to himself, "Another poor fool, tricked onto the old man's boat of lies."

Tianfan followed behind, curious to see where this odd journey would take him.