Looking at this bag of spirit stones, Huan Zong felt somewhat dazed. He had almost forgotten about this matter.
The spirit stones weren’t many—only a few hundred. For Huan Zong, they were dispensable. Over these years, he had created one story after another, yet no one liked them. At first, Lin Hu had deceived him by saying the books sold well, but he wasn’t a child of a few years old—how could he not distinguish whether Lin Hu was telling the truth or lying? Seeing that Lin Hu and his master were very happy about his story writing, he pretended not to know. Through the protagonists’ stories in the books, he fabricated some fantastical tales while incorporating some of his cultivation insights into them.
If the books had no one who liked them, then there was simply no affinity. He didn’t care too much about it.
So this time he still treated Lin Hu as deceiving him.
“You keep it and use it.” Huan Zong didn’t reach out to accept it. Holding the stack of books, he prepared to enter the hall.
“Young Master, that book you recently wrote, ‘Destined Together,’ is selling very well. Many people say it’s a remarkable masterpiece of the ages. If there were truly a woman named Feifeng in the world, she would certainly move countless young men’s hearts.” Lin Hu hurriedly followed. “The bookshop owner also hopes to contract you for the next book…”
“Even if there were a woman like Feifeng in the world, it would have nothing to do with other young men.” He reached out and snatched the money pouch containing spirit stones from Lin Hu’s hand. “I’ll only write one such book. I won’t write another in the future.”
“But Young Lady Kong Hou likes to read it. If you don’t write anymore, she’ll be sad.” Lin Hu touched his nose. “If you write privately just for her alone, are you prepared to let Young Lady Kong Hou know that Miaobi Ke, who has created works for many years but couldn’t sell books, is you?”
Huan Zong: “…”
“Also, didn’t you say to give me those spirit stones to spend myself?” Lin Hu reached for the spirit stone pouch but was avoided as Huan Zong dodged.
“I’ve decided not to give them to you after all.” Huan Zong glanced at him and turned to enter the hall.
The sword attendant saw Zhenren Zhong Xi return to the hall and bowed, stepping forward to take the books from his hands.
“No need.” Huan Zong’s tone was indifferent. “I’m going to the back courtyard to bathe. If Fairy Kong Hou from Yunhua Sect comes looking for me, let her enter directly. Don’t make her wait outside.”
“Yes.” The sword attendant had already heard from others about the matter between their zhenren and Fairy Kong Hou. Though he had been half-doubting before, now hearing the zhenren say this, how could he not understand?
Representatives from major sects had successively arrived at Liuguang Sect. Even the monks from Tranquil Temple, who rarely went out, appeared outside Pei City’s gates. Leading Tranquil Temple was the amiable-tempered Monk Yuanchen. He smiled at everyone like the laughing Buddha in temples, able to embrace all things in the world.
Passersby who saw them didn’t come forward to disturb them. Those who believed in Buddhism stood at a distance with hands pressed together chanting Buddha’s name, not approaching.
The people of Pei City were calm and reserved—completely different from the enthusiasm of Yong City, like two different worlds. These two cities each had their good points and bad points. The only similarity was that they were both well-protected by the sects that governed their cities.
“Monk Yuanchen.” A woman approached. She wore a red satin waist-tied skirt. Embroidered on the dress weren’t flowers, grass, trees, or birds, but stars and rivers. A woman wearing such a colored dress should have had a passionate and fiery temperament, but her expression was very indifferent—clearly someone accustomed to being serious.
“Sect Leader Hongyan.” Yuanchen chanted Buddha’s name, his eyes carrying compassion for the mortal world. Even the sect leader of Yuexing Sect had appeared—the evil cultivator realm’s movements were probably not small. Yuexing Sect was the sect in the entire cultivation world most skilled in divination. If she hadn’t calculated something important, why would Sect Leader Hongyan personally make this trip?
Hongyan hadn’t expected that Tranquil Temple would actually arrange for Monk Yuanchen to come. She was slightly stunned for a moment before saying: “Monk, please.” Both had some understanding of the current situation, but this was the city gate with people coming and going—it wasn’t appropriate to say much.
“Sect Leader is too kind. Please.” Yuanchen didn’t walk forward. Only after Hongyan moved her feet did he begin to continue forward.
The Liuguang Sect disciples guarding the city didn’t dare be negligent. After using magical artifacts to confirm they weren’t evil cultivators in disguise, they grandly welcomed them into the city.
Disciples inside the city came to receive them, leading them onto flying magical artifacts.
The flying magical artifact was an exquisitely crafted corridor boat. Hongyan stood on the deck, looking at the Liuguang Sect’s mountain range where mountain peaks could already be faintly seen in the distance. She said to the Liuguang Sect disciple guarding beside her: “I wonder if Zhenren Zhong Xi is in closed-door cultivation this time?”
“In reply to Zhenren, Uncle-Master Zhong Xi is not in closed-door cultivation.”
Sect Leader Hongyan nodded slightly. The shawl on her body was blown wildly by the wind, like a winding river that could never obtain true tranquility unless the river dried up and the wind no longer blew.
Seeing Hongyan suddenly ask about Zhenren Zhong Xi, Yuanchen, who was sitting on the deck meditating, slightly opened his eyes, glanced at Hongyan, and silently closed his eyes again.
Hongyan seemed to sense something and looked back. Seeing Yuanchen still had that appearance untainted by worldly matters, she slowly spoke: “Monk, Hongyan has something in her heart she doesn’t understand.”
“Please speak, Sect Leader.” Yuanchen stood up. He in his plain monk’s robes standing together with Hongyan in her full radiance looked like people from two different worlds.
Hongyan quietly looked at him. After a long while, she lightly sighed: “Forget it.”
Yuanchen touched his prayer beads and chanted Buddha’s name: “The Sect Leader can calculate the past and divine the future. If you cannot see through something, wouldn’t it only invite vexation?”
“Fifty years ago, I divined a hexagram for Zhenren Zhong Xi.” Hongyan turned around, no longer looking at Yuanchen. “Zhenren Zhong Xi has a life-and-death tribulation—it will occur within these ten years.”
It had been too long since anyone in the cultivation world had ascended—so long that people were beginning to doubt whether from now on no one could ascend anymore, whether the path to ascension they pursued was actually wrong.
“Does the Sect Leader have a solution?” Yuanchen knew why Hongyan was so worried. Zhenren Zhong Xi’s status in the cultivation world wasn’t only because of his outstanding talent, but also because he represented the cultivation world’s hope.
If a genius like Zhenren Zhong Xi couldn’t ascend, would others still have hope?
“There is no solution, but there is a method of assistance.” Hongyan said. “Unless there is a woman whose destiny matches his, who can practice dual cultivation with him—she might be able to help him.”
Yuanchen chanted Buddha’s name and said nothing more. He was a monk and shouldn’t discuss matters of male-female yin-yang relations.
“The natural order cycles, yin and yang harmonize. No matter how powerful Zhenren Zhong Xi is, he’s still just a cup with a gap. He needs someone to make up for his deficiency.” Hongyan turned to look at a female cultivator in white gauze clothing. “This disciple of mine is named Lianqiao. Her destiny is very compatible with Zhenren Zhong Xi.”
The female cultivator dressed in white gauze wore a veil. The eyes exposed outside the veil showed neither joy nor anger. She curtsied to Yuanchen, as if she had no emotions of her own: “Hello, Monk Yuanchen.”
“Sect Leader, you are someone who can listen to the Heavenly Dao. Why do you still not understand that some things are already predetermined? Even if you exhaust all your efforts, you cannot change them?” Yuanchen couldn’t bear seeing this young girl being used as a tool to repair Zhenren Zhong Xi’s destiny. “Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Some things cannot be forced, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for maneuver. Forcing brings no benefit. Don’t be obsessed either. Let it go.”
“Let go…” Hongyan looked at him and slowly said: “The Monk jests.”
What she wanted to see in this lifetime was a cultivator successfully ascending. Otherwise, what did her past sacrifices and letting go amount to?
The jade boat descended onto the Immortal-Welcoming Platform. Xiao Dong, who had been waiting for a long time, led several disciples forward to salute: “This junior Xiao Dong greets all the seniors and fellow Daoists. You’ve all worked hard coming from afar. Our humble sect has prepared a banquet in the main hall. Please honor us by moving there.”
“Thank you for your trouble.” Hongyan nodded.
Xiao Dong was secretly shocked inside. How had Yuexing Sect’s sect leader come personally? Yuexing Sect’s sect leader didn’t easily appear at important occasions. If she appeared, it definitely represented something major happening.
The group arrived at the main hall. Hongyan sat in a chair with an indifferent expression. People from other sects who saw her didn’t dare randomly approach to disturb her, but their hearts were already surging like stormy waves.
How had Yuexing Sect’s sect leader appeared? Could it be that the Heavenly Dao had sent down some hints?
Everyone’s hearts were uneasy. As long as Hongyan glanced to the side, everyone couldn’t help guessing what the glance meant, whether it had special significance.
The strange atmosphere wasn’t slightly relieved until Jiufeng Sect and Zhaohan Sect arrived one after the other. Unfortunately, though Jiufeng Sect and Zhaohan Sect had some discord privately, in crowded situations they were particularly harmonious, so they couldn’t even find an excuse to pretend to mediate and ease the atmosphere.
Before long, another group entered. Everyone recognized them as people from Yunhua Sect and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Good—with Yunhua Sect people here, they definitely didn’t need to worry about the atmosphere not being lively enough. But after seeing clearly that the person leading was Zhenren Qiu Shuang, everyone hurriedly stood to salute. Those who had originally wanted to joke all abandoned this thought.
“Everyone needn’t concern yourselves with such formalities. Please sit, please sit.” Qiu Shuang raised her hand for everyone to sit down, chose a good position for herself and sat, holding a cup of tea and slowly drinking, determined to be an elder who didn’t talk much or meddle in affairs. Seeing the elder not speaking, other Yunhua Sect disciples didn’t dare speak casually either. They sat more properly than one another—if people didn’t know better, they’d think they were Liuguang Sect disciples in disguise.
Thus the atmosphere became even more solemn.
Hongyan, seeing Zhenren Zhong Xi was not present, turned to Jin Yue sitting in the host seat and said: “Sect Leader Jin Yue, why don’t I see Zhenren Zhong Xi?”
“Everyone, please excuse me. My inferior disciple went out traveling and only recently returned. I had him return to his peak to properly recuperate before coming to meet outside guests.” Jin Yue didn’t understand why Hongyan specifically asked about Huan Zong. He replied politely and courteously: “I imagine he’ll arrive shortly.”
Hongyan nodded and said no more. The white-clothed female disciple sitting behind her sat quietly. Hearing the four words “Zhenren Zhong Xi,” she had no reaction, only the hands hidden in her sleeves clenched tight, then helplessly relaxed.
With her aptitude, she originally couldn’t enter Yuexing Sect. Because her destiny was good, she was taken as a personal disciple by her master. As for the rest… perhaps it wasn’t important.
“He’s here.”
“There seems to be a fairy beside Zhenren Zhong Xi?”
Lianqiao looked up and only saw a handsome man in white robes with hair bound by a crown descending from a flying crane outside the hall door. On the flying crane’s back was still a young lady. This young lady wore a gorgeous flowing fairy dress. The hairpins on her flying immortal bun were like clouds and mist, so beautiful one couldn’t look away. Such ostentatious hairpins—she had never used them.
Zhenren Zhong Xi was a very handsome man. She had never seen such a handsome person. But when she saw this man turn around and reach out his hand, supporting the young girl’s hand to help her descend from the flying crane’s back, she actually secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
This zhenren had someone his heart delighted in—Master wouldn’t make her go make up for his destiny, would she? She carefully turned her head and saw her master hadn’t noticed her, but was staring at Zhenren Zhong Xi who had just entered and the young lady beside him.
【Huan Zong.】Kong Hou released Huan Zong’s hand, lifted her skirt hem to step over the threshold, and used telepathy to say:【That great beauty in the red dress is looking at me with such enthusiastic eyes. I’m so shy.】
Huan Zong reached out his hand again, holding her hand to step over the threshold and walking several more steps into the hall before releasing Kong Hou’s hand.
【That is Yuexing Sect’s Sect Leader, Zhenren Hongyan. This person’s temperament is very cold and stubborn, her temper somewhat strange.】
【Looking at star charts and calculating the Heavenly Dao all day—even the most normal person would gradually become strange.】Kong Hou curtsied, showing goodwill to everyone. She gave Hongyan a big smile, then turned to prepare to walk and sit beside her sect members.
“Wait.” Huan Zong grasped her wrist. “You’re just going over like that?”
“Hm?” Kong Hou looked at him in puzzlement.
Huan Zong’s expression was somewhat unnatural. Not very accustomed to saying such things, he said softly: “Don’t forget to bring your most precious treasure with you.”
Kong Hou instantly understood. In front of everyone, she brought the once-in-a-millennium genius to sit among the Yunhua Sect disciples.
Liuguang Sect disciples: ??
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**Author’s Note:** Huan Zong: A treasure delivered to your door—don’t lose it.