Chapter 16. Carefree Abode, Wordless Stone Stele

After some time, Master Yuyang opened his eyes and flashed a kind smile toward the group.

"Esteemed benefactors, have you rested enough?" Master Yuyang asked.

"We're good to go, Master," Liu Qing replied with apparent eagerness.

Master Yuyang nodded and stepped ahead of the group once more. "The Celestial Master Hall had arranged for the vegetarian meal to be served at two in the afternoon. Before that, why don't we select your personal lay cultivation sites first. What do you think?"

Everyone agreed readily without any differing opinions.

After all, they had been sitting for a while and now had to climb a mountain again. Many of them were already feeling queasy from the exercise. So they had no complaints about a delayed lunch.

"You may take a look at these booklets first. They contain details about each site's location and surrounding environment."

A young Daoist stepped forward and handed out several illustrated guides.

Lu Yuan received one as well. As the group continued their hike, he began to flip through the pages of his copy.

The content was detailed and with multiple sites to choose from, each had its own location and landscape.

To put it plainly, a lay cultivation site was a space within Mount Hulong that one could claim as their own. It was similar to leasing a place of residence. They could live there and usually the lease would last for ten years. However, all furnishings and structures inside were not to be altered as they were all assets of the Celestial Master Hall.

Most people donated and opted for a lay cultivation site to build a good relationship with the Daoists in the Celestial Master Hall.

Of course, for those who were more superstitious, they also found a sense of spiritual solace through donating.

An ordinary person might find it foolish to spend such a large amount of money this way. But to the rich and wealthy, it made logical sense. After all, not every penny was clean. Even the rich needed their own kind of redemption.

"These sites look great. The view is pretty. It's perfect for a quiet getaway."

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"I agree. They are excellent venues for some off-the-record business talks too."

"I think I will choose a location closer to the hall itself."

The group of tycoons chatted among themselves, voicing their opinions over the various sites. They were truly satisfied with the offered locations.

In the first place, Mount Hulong was a scenic tourist destination, and naturally, its environment outshone any bustling city.

There was nothing to complain about the proposed places. It was just a matter of which one to pick.

Liu Qing was determined to pick a spot close to the main building of the Celestial Master Hall in order to bask in that air of celestial aura.

"Master, can we check out these places in person?" Lu Yuan raised a question. He wasn't sure where exactly the Wordless Stone Stele was and he could only seek it out himself.

"Of course. Please, follow me," Master Yuyang said with a warm smile then turned to lead the group further into Mount Hulong.

The group followed the designated path and toured each site one by one. A young Daoist accompanying them also provided detailed explanations as they went.

All the lay cultivation sites were built by the Celestial Master Hall and each was fully equipped for living. Clothing, food, shelter, everything was taken care of. Most importantly, the surroundings were peaceful and picturesque.

Each site also came stocked with Daoist texts and scrolls for one's viewing pleasure.

As the businessmen toured, they also started to make their decisions. One by one, they selected the place that would be theirs for the next ten years. After picking a place, they would then be able to have free access to their retreats and also the chance to have casual interactions with some of the Daoist elders.

Of course, the interactions were expected as everyone present had donated a substantial sum for this privilege.

Soon, they had finished touring all the proposed sites and everyone made their selection—excpet for Lu Yuan.

He had yet to pick a place.

"Xiao Lu, be quick and make a decision. Look at the time now. I think the Green Mountain Abode looks pretty nice," Liu Qing couldn't hold back and urged.

The others nodded in agreement. They, too, felt that Lu Yuan was being too slow. All the retreats were more or less the same and there wasn't much reason to hesitate. The only thing that really mattered was the proximity to the main hall.

By this time, everyone was already hungry and eager to get lunch.

However, Lu Yuan didn't respond. He pondered for a brief moment before he turned toward Master Yuyang and said, "Master Yuyang, I recall that there's a place called the Carefree Abode on Mount Hulong. Can you take me there for a look?"

Based on the memories in his past life, he vaguely remembered that he had heard whispers that the Wordless Stone Stele had appeared in that place.

Of course, he had never been able to verify the truth in those words and could only think of it as a rumor.

But now, after searching every other location and finding nothing, this was his final try.

"Carefree Abode? That..." Master Yuyang's brows furrowed together. He then kindly advised, "Such a place does exist in Mount Hulong. But it's rather remote and hasn't been maintained for years. The place's overgrown with weeds and brambles so it wasn't listed as one of the proposed lay sites. Would you like to reconsider?"

"It's okay, Master. Please bring me there to have a look at it," Lu Yuan replied.

Master Yuyang eventually gave a slight nod in agreement.

After all, Lu Yuan was still a guest. He had even donated a large amount of money. A small request like this was reasonable.

Liu Qing and the others exchanged subtle glances. However, they didn't say much and followed along in silence.

Though, they had already made the decision in their heart. If Lu Yuan still couldn't make a decision soon, they would just leave and have lunch by themselves first.

The Carefree Abode was indeed remote.

The group walked for half an hour before they spotted the silhouette of a shabby wooden cabin among the distant trees.

As no one had visited in years, the area surrounding the wooden hut was completely overrun with wild growth. Thorny vines and jagged rocks lined the ground.

The path beneath their feet was also uneven and they had to take each step with extreme caution. Else, they could easily lose their footing and fall.

"To think that there was still such a primitive place near the Celestial Master Hall..."

"How barren. A snake or poisonous bug wouldn't suddenly appear, right?"

"Don't scare me like that. Should we leave now?"

Liu Qing and the others were successful businessmen and were accustomed to lives of ease and luxury. Their faces were turning darker with apparent impatience.

But Lu Yuan was different from them. He strode forward with calm and composed steps. As he got close to the wooden hut, he slowed down and carefully scanned the surroundings.

Suddenly, something caught his eyes—a stone tablet protruding from a tangle of overgrown weeds.

His eyes lit up at once. He strode over, crouched down, and swept the weeds aside, reaching out to feel the surface of the tablet.

There were no characters inscribed on the tablet and he couldn't determine the age of it. But he could sense one thing—the tablet was no ordinary stone.

The reason he could sense it was simple. After being tempered by the remnants of pill essence in the Meridian Heavenmend Furnace, his senses had far surpassed those of an ordinary person. The moment his hand touched the stele, he could feel its astounding solidity. Despite standing here for countless years, weathered by wind and rain, not a single crack or chip could be seen on its surface.

This was it. The Wordless Stone Stele he had been searching for.

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned toward Master Yuyang and said, "Master, I'd like to pick this place as my lay retreat!"

Before Master Yuyang could respond, the others exchanged confused glances. Apparent shock painted their faces.

"Xiao Lu, are you serious about choosing this place?" Liu Qing was the first to speak.

"Yeah. This is a reckless decision. That Green Mountain Abode from earlier is much better!"

"Young people... really... This place is too remote and so far from the main hall."

The few others felt that Lu Yuan had lost his mind. Carefree Abode did sound like a pleasant name but the reality was far from it. It was desolate without a clear water source nearby and the dilapidated hut couldn't even compare to those retreats they had chosen.

They wouldn't even trust themselves to be able to endure a night in the wretched place.

Eventually, even Master Yuyang weighed in.

"Benefactor, you've donated ten million to Mount Hulong. You can easily choose a better place."

"There's no need, Master." Lu Yuan replied, shaking his head. With a determined gaze, he continued, "I'm picking this place."

From the very beginning, his goal was this Wordless Stone Stele. Now that he had found it, there was no way he would walk away.