"Borrowed?" Li Yundong was greatly surprised and quickly pressed, "Who borrowed it? How could such an important magical artifact be lent out?"

Seeing Li Yundong's anxious expression, Du Fei forced a bitter smile and advised, "Real Man Li, please remain calm for a moment. Let me explain it to you slowly."

Li Yundong steadied himself, secretly filled with doubt and suspicion. He thought to himself: How could it be such a coincidence? Just as I was planning to capture Yan Fang's Yang Spirit, this Finger-Burning Bowl was borrowed by someone, and it was a day ago! Could it be Yan Fang who borrowed it? If that's the case, this is trouble!

Li Yundong hastily asked, "Was it Yan Fang who borrowed it?"

Du Fei was taken aback: "Yan Fang? Certainly not her. It was Master Puren of Xiyuan Temple who borrowed it."

Li Yundong felt a slight wave of relief. He inquired curiously, "Why would Master Puren ask you to borrow the Finger-Burning Bowl?"

Du Fei sighed softly and said, "Real Man Li, please take a seat first, and let me tell you the whole story." As he spoke, his young and beautiful secretary pushed the door open and walked in, holding a tray with a cup of tea on it.

Du Fei smiled, "Real Man Li, you own a teahouse yourself, so I won't try to show off in front of you. This is Pre-Qingming Longjing. Please have a taste and see if it's authentic."

Knowing that the Finger-Burning Bowl had not fallen into Yan Fang's hands, Li Yundong finally settled down. He politely accepted the teacup, gave the beautiful female secretary a slight smile, took a sip of the tea, and nodded in approval: "Not bad. The liquor is clear and bright, the fragrance is delicate and pervasive—excellent tea!"

Du Fei chuckled, nodding to the secretary who stood waiting for instructions nearby: "There is nothing else for you to do here. You may go now."

The female secretary cast one last curious glance at Li Yundong before retreating with the tea tray.

After the door was closed, Du Fei also sat down opposite Li Yundong, slapped his thigh, and mused slightly, "This whole affair dates back some time. As you know, Fa Hai's Finger-Burning Bowl ended up in my hands through a series of coincidences. Many high-level cultivators from the Buddhist community sought to trade with me for this magical artifact, but I refused them all. However, since I practice Daoist arts, I cannot utilize Buddhist magical artifacts. Therefore, possessing this Finger-Burning Bowl always felt like a waste of a heavenly treasure."

"A few days ago, I learned that Real Man Li had acquired the Human Origin Golden Elixir, so I entertained the idea of trading three of my items for two of yours. But alas, destiny and fortune were against me; Du Fei was not fated to obtain that Human Origin Golden Elixir!"

Du Fei let out a sound of deep regret and exhaled a long breath, his eyes filled with melancholy and bitterness: "Although I am the senior disciple of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, my aptitude is poorer than others, and I am not a direct inner-door disciple—only an outer-door one. No matter how hard I practice, I cannot earn my Master's favor or true inheritance. If I weren't capable of making money, I doubt the Quanzhen Longmen Sect would have afforded me this current position!"

Seeing Du Fei's dejected and sorrowful tone, Li Yundong couldn't help but offer counsel: "Real Man Du, everyone has a different destiny. Moreover, True Man Zhang Sanfeng achieved enlightenment late in life, a true late bloomer. Given that, and you are still in your prime, why feel so dejected and sad?"

Du Fei’s spirit lifted slightly. He smiled at Li Yundong and said, "Real Man Li, you speak the truth. It's just that sometimes, when I look at cultivators younger than me achieving astonishing levels of cultivation, I feel quite uneasy. Especially knowing that you, Real Man Li, reached the Yang Spirit realm after only about half a year of practice! That rate of cultivation is truly astonishing, unprecedented!"

Du Fei gave Li Yundong a thumbs-up: "Real Man Li, your high cultivation and rapid progress are unmatched in my life! In my view, if you continue cultivating at this pace, you will become the foremost expert under heaven within a few years, rivaling our Daoist True Man Zhang from five hundred years ago! Haha, the True Man Zhang of old, and the Real Man Li of today—that is a beautiful thing indeed!"

Li Yundong chuckled, waving his hand: "Real Man Du, you are too polite; you are overselling me. If the True Men of the Zhengyi Sect heard this, they would surely object."

Du Fei scoffed: "Hey, I am not referring to the True Men of the Zhengyi Sect. I mean True Man Zhang Sanfeng! Although the successive Heavenly Masters of the Zhengyi Sect are formidable, there is still a gap compared to True Man Zhang Sanfeng!"

Li Yundong noticed Du Fei disparaging the Zhengyi Sect and wasn't sure if he was trying to glean information or if it was simply due to inherent friction between the sects. He smiled faintly and remained silent, sipping his tea.

Du Fei knew that Li Yundong had old grievances with the Zhengyi Sect. Seeing that Li Yundong managed to restrain himself from speaking ill of the Zhengyi Sect, his opinion of Li Yundong rose another notch: It’s one thing for Li Yundong to be so powerful in fighting techniques at such a young age, but I never expected his composure to be so profound! Logically, any young expert with his level of cultivation and age should be arrogant and high-minded! My junior disciple is arrogant all day long and barely pays attention to me, his senior brother! This Real Man Li is not only approachable and mild-mannered but, more remarkably, his political astuteness seems seasoned. I wonder how he cultivated this? Remarkable, truly remarkable!

Du Fei's thoughts raced. Seeing Li Yundong not engaging with his bait, he chuckled again: "I've strayed too far; let's return to the main topic. Does Real Man Li know which temple Fa Hai belonged to?"

Li Yundong pondered for a moment and replied, "I recall reviewing the relevant scriptures afterward. If I remember correctly, Fa Hai gained fame at Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province. That temple was originally named Zexin Temple. Fa Hai subdued the thousand-year White Python at Zexin Temple and later excavated a large amount of gold from the mountain behind the temple. Fa Hai presented the gold to Li Qi, the prefect of Zhenjiang, who reported the matter to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Emperor Xuanzong then bestowed the gold upon Fa Hai for temple repairs and renamed it Jinshan Temple. Tell me, Real Man Du, am I correct?"

Du Fei nodded and praised him: "Real Man Li is widely knowledgeable and perceptive. I am deeply impressed!"

Li Yundong laughed heartily: "I only managed to cram all this knowledge in the last few days. I didn't even know this a few days ago."

Du Fei also burst into laughter: "Real Man Li possesses such genuine character; admirable and respectable! You are absolutely correct. Fa Hai was indeed the famous demon-subduing master of Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, and his magical artifact fell into my hands by chance. The abbot of Jinshan Temple came to me recently, hoping to trade for Fa Hai's artifact, but I politely refused. At the time, I thought that was the end of it, but unexpectedly, yesterday, Puren, the abbot of Xiyuan Temple, approached me on behalf of the Jinshan Temple abbot to discuss borrowing the Finger-Burning Bowl."

Li Yundong asked in surprise: "Why borrow?"

Du Fei grinned slyly: "Because they knew I wouldn't trade it, as they don't possess anything I desire."

Li Yundong let out a helpless laugh: "Real Man Du, in business circles, you are probably number one in cultivation, and in the cultivation world, you are probably number one in commerce! You have calculated this beautifully!"

Du Fei laughed loudly: "Real Man Li, you mock me. Although our Quanzhen Longmen Sect has influence worldwide, our sphere of operation is too large, and our income doesn't quite cover the expenses. If I weren't here managing things cautiously, I fear a whole group of old and young masters would already be starving."

Li Yundong smiled, then asked curiously again: "But why lend it to Puren, Real Man Du? What does Master Puren intend to use the artifact for?"

Du Fei slightly constrained his smile and said, "Master Puren stated he intended to use this artifact, along with the Eight Directions Demon Subduing Grand Formation, to subdue demons. There are many so-called enlightened monks in the world who deceive others, but there are only a few truly virtuous and enlightened masters—Master Puren is one of them. If he says he is going to subdue demons, he absolutely will, and he would never lie to me! Therefore, if he asked to borrow it, I lent it to him. He certainly won't be like Liu Bei borrowing the territory of Jing Province—borrowing without returning!"

Li Yundong’s expression immediately became solemn. He cupped his hands: "Real Man Du, what magnanimity, what breadth of heart! I am truly impressed!"

Du Fei gave a wry smile: "Real Man Li, stop flattering me. If you wish to trade for the Finger-Burning Bowl, you must wait until Master Puren returns it to me first. See, though I speak with bravado, my heart is still trembling a bit!"

With that, the two burst into laughter together.

Li Yundong smiled: "Real Man Du, since the Finger-Burning Bowl isn't here, I won't keep you any longer. I'll go see Master Puren."

Du Fei also cupped his hands and smiled: "Real Man Li, I'm truly sorry you made this trip for nothing today. Next time you need me, just give me a call. My business card has my contact number; I will personally pay you a visit."

Li Yundong shook his head slightly and smiled: "That won't do. When one is asking a favor, one must show humility. How can one ask for a favor and expect the other party to come to their door?"

Du Fei chuckled: "Real Man Li, though young, your conduct is remarkably seasoned and steady. I am impressed, truly impressed!"

Li Yundong smiled, stood up to take his leave, but as he reached the doorway, as if remembering something, he turned back and asked, "By the way, Real Man Du, do you know there is a Mrs. Li downstairs who wants to see you, but she can never get an appointment slot?"

Du Fei was momentarily stunned, then asked with some surprise: "Mrs. Li? Could that be your wife, Real Man Li? Heavens, what kind of rudeness is this? What is Wei Qing doing? Even refusing to see your wife? She... wait, that's not right. Real Man Li, when did you get married?"

Li Yundong managed to suppress his laughter at first, but finally couldn't hold it in, bursting into loud laughter. He waved his hand and chuckled: "Real Man Du, stop joking. This Mrs. Li is not my wife. There are only a few million women surnamed Li in the world, not tens of millions; must they all be my wife?"

Du Fei understood, laughed heartily, walked to his desk, pressed a button on the phone, and inquired about the matter with Wei Qing at the front desk. After hanging up, Du Fei said with a smile: "I know now. It's Shen Wancai's second wife. Shen Wancai once came to me for a divination when his wife was giving birth. I was young then and hastily gave him a haphazard reading, saying he would have a son, but this son would not inherit his estate, and then I sent him away. Afterward, Shen Wancai didn't believe me and cut off contact for a long time, but I don't know why his second wife has come seeking me out now."

Saying this, Du Fei snorted with an air of arrogance: "When they didn't believe me, they treated me like a discarded shoe. Now that they need a favor, they come crawling back. Isn't that just pathetic? Let her wait! Besides, I know this woman; she's selfish, cruel, greedy, and ungrateful. It's good for her to hit a snag—it will teach her some humility, stop her from thinking I, Du Fei, need Shen Wancai for anything! What a joke! There are only officials and businessmen who seek out us cultivators; when have we cultivators ever sought out these worldly people reeking of copper and decay?"

Li Yundong couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, praising him: "Real Man Du, you possess true integrity. I love hearing those words, hehe. We must have a drink together over this sentiment sometime!"

Du Fei laughed heartily and cupped his hands: "It's a deal, Real Man Li. Whenever you hold your wedding banquet, I, Du Fei, will certainly attend, and we won't stop drinking until we drop!"

Li Yundong chuckled: "It's settled then!" But in his heart, he couldn't help thinking: Marriage? Does that little lass Su Chan even have household registration or an ID card? She's probably unregistered, isn't she? Can we even marry? I am human, but that girl is a demon spirit. If we truly married, what would our offspring be? Could it be... a hybrid?

Li Yundong was inwardly chuckling to himself. Du Fei enthusiastically escorted Li Yundong all the way downstairs and arranged for a car to take him to Xiyuan Temple. Only after the car was far out of sight did he slowly turn and walk back.

Li Yundong arrived at Xiyuan Temple in the private car arranged by Du Fei. The drive took about twenty minutes. After getting out of the car, he politely bid farewell to the driver and walked to the reception monk at the entrance. Just as he was about to speak, the monk stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Are you Benefactor Li Yundong?"

Li Yundong was surprised: "You recognize me?"

The reception monk smiled faintly, stepped aside, and made a gesture: "Benefactor Li, our Abbot instructed me to wait for you here."

Li Yundong was greatly astonished: "Master Puren knew I was coming? What a coincidence?"

======================================== Note: The eighteenth emperor is Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, not Emperor Xuanzong. Earlier, when discussing Fa Hai, I mistakenly wrote Emperor Xuanzong of Tang; I ask for your understanding regarding this error. Also, a huge thank you to the generous donor with the ID 13495***** for casting a VIP ticket. Thank you, thank you, you are too kind U.

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