The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 53 Li Jing’s Superpower

Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Li Jing’s Superpower

As for Nezha, he had no plans to visit Li Jing. Meeting face to face would only be awkward for both of them. Although Nezha’s feelings toward Li Jing had changed significantly, it was simply impossible for him to call someone "father" now.

Li Jing too had learned from his wife about Nezha’s return. His emotions were indescribable—complex and conflicted, to say the least.

He hoped Nezha would come, yet he didn’t know how to face him if he truly did. Perhaps this was the helplessness of middle-aged men. Deep down, he felt some regret, guilty over his coldness and suspicion in the past. But he would never express it.

Sitting atop a distant high slope after just vanquishing the enemy, Li Jing gazed far off in the direction of the Deng family’s stronghold.

After handling matters of the military, Jinzha and Mu Zha, the two brothers, glanced at Li Jing but refrained from saying anything to mediate the tension between their father and third brother.

The two had apprenticed themselves to Golden Immortals Manjusri and Puxian. With the addition of the peaches Nezha had given them, both had attained the cultivation level of Human Immortal. They also carried treasures gifted by their masters, making their combat prowess far from insignificant.

However, now that their family was focused on conducting real business ventures, they certainly couldn’t be bothered helping with the pesky Gou Ba Xizhou matters. Having embarked on the Immortal Path, they were not much concerned with worldly power and wealth.

After reporting to Li Jing, the brothers returned to continue handling military affairs.

Li Jing waited from morning until the sun dipped toward the west, yet Nezha never came. It seemed he wouldn’t show up today either.

Just as Li Jing was about to leave, he spotted a Daoist in an unusually styled Daoist robe walking southward. Instead of ignoring him, Li Jing greeted him with great respect: "Immortal Master, the southern lands are shrouded in miasma and teeming with wild savages and man-eating demons. Please take care."

This Daoist was none other than Saint Zhunti, wandering in search of "fate."

Initially, Zhunti paid little attention to this insignificant mortal not even at the level of Immortal. He was busy calculating what treasures in the south might be fated for the West. While walking, a stranger called out to him and even expressed concern—a completely unexpected gesture.

It was... rather surprising.

Zhunti then gave Li Jing a once-over. With the divine clarity of a Saint’s Dharma Eye, he immediately saw through Li Jing, understanding him better than Li Jing knew himself.

What kind of person was Li Jing?

He was the epitome of a proper, dependable, and competent middle-aged man—a square-jawed face, well-proportioned features, bushy brows, a piercing gaze, and a neatly trimmed mustache that gave him a certain "old cadre heartthrob" charm.

Would Zhunti himself qualify as an "old cadre?"

Of course! In the Primordial Era, there were few people more senior or more qualified among the immortals than Zhunti.

The more he looked at Li Jing, the more he liked what he saw. If not for the heavy entanglement of cause and effect, Zhunti would have recruited him as a disciple right then and there. In the heart of a Saint, a mere moment could spark thousands of thoughts.

Seeing the Daoist silently sizing him up, Li Jing added, "Immortal Master, why not come to my tent for a brief rest? Have some wine and allow me to explain the situation in the southern regions before you proceed. No need to hurry."

Zhunti chuckled and replied, "Very well."

In Li Jing’s perception, Zhunti exhibited no signs of mana. He likely concluded that this was an eccentric mystic down on his luck. Sharing a drink and forming a bond might come in handy if the man faced difficulties in the south and sought refuge under his command.

Zhunti made no show of grandiosity. The two of them, like a pair of middle-aged men, talked candidly—from the situation in the south to broader affairs across the land, and even to problems of educating their children. Zhunti deeply resonated with the conversation, especially since he was responsible for raising disciples for the sect due to his elder brother’s focus on arduous cultivation.

For someone as ancient as Zhunti, he couldn’t even recall the last time he had such a drink. Even Saints, it seemed, could occasionally lose themselves in fleeting moments of nostalgia. His brother’s obsession with cultivation left him burdened with the disciples and the sect—an unavoidable reality.

The more Zhunti interacted with Li Jing, the more pleasing he found him. Previously, he had taken Yuan Hong right in front of Nezha, an act that technically entangled him in karmic cause and effect. However, as a Saint, he was above such ties and had no intention of settling them.

As their drinking progressed, Zhunti eventually pulled three golden bodhi seeds and a golden scripture from his robe and handed them to Li Jing.

An intoxicated Li Jing immediately refused these items, protesting that they were friends sharing a drink. "Why are you giving me these things? Take them back; otherwise, you’re embarrassing me!"

Zhunti smiled broadly and uttered a single phrase: "Fate is wondrous and beyond words."

With that, he laughed and left the tent. Li Jing, still somewhat tipsy, stumbled after him in an attempt to return the items. But all he managed to catch was a hazy glimpse of the Daoist’s fading figure.

Li Jing sobered up considerably in an instant. This was clearly no ordinary figure—this was a true master!

Returning to his tent, he spent the entire night intently studying the scripture and bodhi seeds.

He told no one about this incident. From that day on, Li Jing still climbed that high slope each day. Now, however, he was not only waiting for Nezha but also for that enigmatic Daoist. He felt that the drink and meal he had offered weren’t enough for such valuable treasures, so he hoped he could find the Daoist and return them.

Half a month drifted by, and each day after completing his military duties, Li Jing returned to that spot to wait.

In the end, he didn’t encounter the strange Daoist again but instead saw an elderly Daoist radiating an immortal air, riding a Green Bull. There was something oddly familiar about him, though he couldn’t quite place it.

Li Jing was bewildered—why was everyone heading south these days?

Learning from his previous experience, he did not underestimate this newcomer and cautiously reminded him about the dangers of demons in the southern lands.

The old Daoist’s Green Bull came to a slow halt beside Li Jing. In a calm voice, the Daoist said, "Would you mind leading my bull?"

Li Jing, slightly confused, nodded out of courtesy. Taking hold of the bull’s nose ring, he asked, "Immortal Master, where are you headed?"

"Southward."

Leading the bull along, Li Jing couldn’t shake the sensation that the old Daoist carried an air similar to that of an elder. Unintentionally, he adopted a tone of seeking advice, as one would with a senior: "Daoist Master, I have always been an honest and upright man. Yet now, to protect my family, I find myself committing acts of rebellion against the Great King. Each day I am consumed by torment. Am I right or wrong in this?"

The Daoist, sitting steadily atop the Green Bull, replied, "The Dao is natural. Non-action is ultimate action. Simply follow your heart."

"Daoist Master, my youngest son is immensely talented and blessed with extraordinary root bone. Yet because of my own doubts and coldness, the situation between us has soured. What should I do about it?"

"Letting go is not necessarily a poor choice."

Completely immersed in their conversation, Li Jing lost all sense of time. When the Daoist finally said, "We stop here," Li Jing was suddenly jolted back to awareness. Turning around, he saw that the treacherous mountains and poisonous miasma they had traversed had transformed into a vast, flat plain covered in lush grass.

Realizing the truth, Li Jing immediately bowed deeply. "Li Jing, a registered disciple of the Human Sect under Du E True Master, pays his respects to the Immortal Master!"

During their journey, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad had taken note of Li Jing’s honesty, integrity, and capability. It seemed that Li Jing’s talent for winning over "old leaders" had once again manifested.

In a measured tone, Lord Lao Zi said, "You are indeed worthy of being a disciple of the Human Sect. For leading my bull a thousand miles, I shall not treat you unfairly. This I bestow upon the Li Family."

He then added: "Heavenly Mandate lies with Zhou, its reign lasting eight hundred years."

With that, he tossed an Eight Diagrams Mirror to Li Jing. The Green Bull, stepping on auspicious clouds, ascended amidst billowing purple mist, heading toward the Outer Heaven.

From afar, Nezha, who had been trailing behind the entire time, immediately knelt and raised his voice: "Farewell to Saint Taiqing, Honored Master-Uncle!"

Hearing Nezha from the distance, Jinzha, Mu Zha, and the rest of the Li family, along with the soldiers, quickly knelt as well and cried out: "Farewell to Saint Taiqing!"