The news that the princess had successfully been accepted as a disciple under Baize Dijun delighted Qi Nan so much that her whiskers nearly flew to the heavens. All the way back, she smiled so widely she couldn’t close her mouth.

Xuan Yi leaned against the carriage window, continuing to pinch flowers from snow, pouting as she muttered: “You’ve gotten your wish too. I’m the one who’s suffering—from now on I have to face that cold-faced Fucang every day.”

Qi Nan forcefully straightened her face and chided: “Fucang Shenjun is someone the princess herself offended. The princess clearly had no grievance or enmity with him, yet you used him to extricate yourself. It would be strange if he weren’t angry when he sees you!”

Xuan Yi’s mouth pouted again: “But I’m only a little over nine thousand years old. Who marries this early?”

Qi Nan glared at her: “Does the princess really think that if you hadn’t displayed those detestable attitudes, Fucang Shenjun would have fallen in love with you at first sight?”

Xuan Yi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then nodded: “That’s right.”

…How exactly did the Dijun and his wife give birth to such an arrogant girl? Qi Nan was so angry she laughed instead, becoming even more certain that one day she would indeed be angered to death by her.

“The princess is overthinking.” It took her a long while to squeeze out a sentence. “As the saying goes, better to resolve enmity than to create it. Moreover, in the future the princess and Fucang Shenjun will be colleagues. I still ask that the princess show love to her colleagues and treat people with sincerity.”

Xuan Yi used her fingernail to shape the petals and said coolly: “I dislike that Fucang.”

He believed Fucang Shenjun should dislike her even more… Qi Nan had somewhat of a headache. Her good mood had completely transformed back into various surging worries. She felt she should say something more, but didn’t know what else she could say.

The little princess across from her didn’t know what she had thought of again. Sweeping away the earlier gloom, her face revealed an innocent and smug smile.

“I must write a letter to Qing Yan!” Her eyes lit up with delight. “The fact that I took Baize Dijun as my teacher will definitely shock him!”

Qi Nan had long since grown accustomed to her changeable emotions and remained unmoved.

She had served as a divine official for over a hundred thousand years and had seen countless deity clans—amorous and romantic like Zhongshan Dijun, aloof and eccentric like Xuanming Dijun, transcendent and otherworldly like Wangshu Shennu… At least their actions always followed certain patterns, but even now she still hadn’t managed to figure out the little princess’s style.

Often when she thought things couldn’t get worse, the princess would open her eyes to new possibilities. Often when she thought they’d reached a dead end, the princess could twist and turn a thousand times and continue the path forward.

Sometimes she really felt that perhaps keeping her confined to Mount Zhong for a lifetime would be the most worry-free option.

Upon returning to Mount Zhong, the anxious Qi Nan’s first order of business was to go to Changsheng Hall to find Zhongshan Dijun.

Learning that Xuan Yi had passed Baize Dijun’s test, even Zhongshan Dijun felt astonished: “A’Yi really entered under Baize Dijun’s tutelage?”

Previously, he and Qi Nan had selected many teachers for Xuan Yi, originally planning that if she didn’t want this one, she would always want that one. Although Baize Dijun was the first choice, the possibility of Xuan Yi becoming his disciple was extremely slim. He hadn’t held much hope, and never imagined it would succeed on the first try.

Qi Nan smiled bitterly: “The princess has always been clever. Baize Dijun has a discerning eye for talent, so naturally he would select her. Dijun… this subordinate has another matter of concern.”

She recounted all the various conflicts between Xuan Yi and Fucang, finally speaking with worry: “This time, the princess has thoroughly formed a grudge with Fucang Shenjun. They have both taken Baize Dijun as their teacher, so it’s hard to guarantee they won’t continue to deepen their animosity in the future. This… not only wastes the Dijun and Tian Di’s painstaking efforts, but in the long run, it’s also not beneficial to the princess’s reputation. Moreover, it also affects the relationship between Qing Di and the Dijun.”

Who would have thought that after hearing this, Zhongshan Dijun would burst into hearty laughter? Since his wife’s demise, he had never laughed like this. Qi Nan couldn’t help but freeze.

“I’ve always feared she was too gentle and weak. I never imagined my daughter would have such capability!” A layer of surprised radiance bloomed on the Dijun’s haggard face, and the candlelight in his palm suddenly brightened countless times. “Good! This is what a descendant of the Zhuyin Clan should be like!”

After A’Cui’s demise, his heart had turned to dead ash. He didn’t concern himself with external matters and had also been neglectful in caring for his pair of children. Qing Yan resented him, so he had left Mount Zhong far behind. Xuan Yi was still young and had never left home. He had been extremely worried about his daughter and wanted to pave all the roads for her, to let her walk steadily and properly.

If not for Qi Nan’s words, he still wouldn’t have known that Xuan Yi wasn’t the taciturn and obedient little girl from his impressions.

Joy and excitement caused Zhongshan Dijun’s back to straighten immeasurably. He remembered when he was young—the previous generation’s Zhongshan Dijun, who was also his father, had always been dissatisfied with him. The phrase he said most often was: “You don’t resemble a descendant of the Zhuyin Clan at all.”

Incomparable confidence, crystal-clear cleverness, unparalleled arrogance—he possessed none of these characteristics. Instead, he was shy and sentimental, drawing countless sighs from his father. But if his father could have seen Qing Yan and Xuan Yi, he would never have sighed. They were the true descendants of the Zhuyin Clan. He himself had lived an ordinary life, yet had given birth to a pair of excellent children.

“Qi Nan, you need not worry too much. The Zhuyin Clan has never known fear. Just let Xuan Yi do what she herself likes.”

Qi Nan hadn’t expected the Dijun to say such a thing too. She couldn’t understand, but also couldn’t persuade him further. She could only say helplessly: “If we let things run their course, isn’t the Dijun afraid that even at five hundred thousand years old, the princess still won’t be able to marry?”

Zhongshan Dijun smiled and shook his head: “Future matters can be discussed in the future. As long as Xuan Yi won’t be bullied, even if she never marries for her entire life, what harm is there?”

Qi Nan had nothing to say. She simply cupped her hands in salute and took her leave. The Dijun suddenly called her again: “Wait a moment, Qi Nan. Let me take another look at exactly how many disciples are under Baize Dijun’s tutelage.”

Last time his mind wasn’t on this matter—he had only glanced through briefly. This time, carefully reviewing the register, he discovered that over the past twenty thousand years, Baize Dijun had only accepted a total of twelve disciples. Now, adding Fucang and Xuan Yi, it would be fourteen. Among them, the eldest disciple was Tian Di’s ninth imperial son, the sixth disciple was the Flower Emperor’s third son, the ninth disciple was the princess of Tuxiang Mountain’s Snake Emperor, and the eleventh disciple was Chi Di’s young princess… Looking down the list, his disciples were simply each and every one of illustrious birth and inexpressibly noble.

Zhongshan Dijun’s gaze suddenly stopped on the name of the twelfth disciple, and he furrowed his brow: “The Qingyang Clan? From the Nine Heavens Phoenix lineage?”

He hadn’t noticed before that there was also a deity from the Nine Heavens Phoenix lineage who had entered under Baize Dijun’s tutelage.

Qi Nan pondered: “This subordinate noticed before and also had concerns. But firstly, the friction between the Zhuyin Clan and the Qingyang Clan was caused by the Dijun from two generations ago—so many years have passed that there’s not much need to dredge up old matters. Secondly, exactly why the two Dijuns had a conflict back then, to the extent that the Sea of Parting Regret has been cordoned off as a forbidden zone to this day, is a great mystery. Moreover, both Dijuns have already perished. Things have changed with the passage of time. Therefore, this subordinate believes there is nothing improper about the princess and descendants of the Qingyang Clan studying under the same teacher.”

Zhongshan Dijun contemplated for a moment and nodded: “Correct. For now, let’s not concern ourselves with this. Being timid and excessively cautious about everything is not the style of the Zhuyin Clan. Are we really going to fear them?”

He hadn’t expended this much mental energy in a very long time. The earlier emotionally charged laughter seemed to have exhausted him. The candlelight in his palm flickered and gradually dimmed.

Qi Nan sighed inwardly. Back then, in a fit of wild rage, the Dijun had frozen the Tongshan Clan, consuming too much divine power. To this day, he still hadn’t completely recovered.

She put away the register and said in a low voice: “Please calm your mind, Dijun. This subordinate will take her leave first.”

Zhongshan Dijun slowly closed both eyes and said softly: “Go… If there is any news from Qing Yan, you must tell me.”

Qi Nan bowed and retreated backward to the hall entrance. Looking inside once more, the dense darkness had already quietly swallowed the dim candlelight.