As he spoke, Tang Youshu took out the turtle shell and bronze coins.

Yu Ling’er merely thought Young Master Tang was amusing himself with her, so she smiled sweetly as she placed the bronze coins into the turtle shell, shook it, and poured them onto the Eight Trigrams diagram for Tang Youshu to see.

Tang Youshu concentrated intently, and suddenly his brow furrowed with apparent melancholy. Under Yu Ling’er’s constant urging, he finally began his divination: “Look, both bronze coins landed on the Earth Palace suppressing Fire Fortune. Earth overcomes and extinguishes fire, which means your path of love is fraught with hardships. Every time your passion burns like fire, it will be smothered by a handful of dust… Miss Yu, if you would heed my advice, you should rein in your emotions early and not waste too much on matters of the heart… Your path of love is destined to bear flowers but no fruit. Rather than this, you should focus on cultivation and achieve enlightenment early.”

Yu Ling’er had been smiling sweetly at first, but by the end, she was completely stunned.

What did Young Master Tang mean by this? That she had no fate with love? Was he tactfully telling her that he, Tang Youshu, did not fancy taking a fox clan woman as his wife?

There was no need to be so cruel! In an instant, tears welled up in the little fox’s eyes like blooming flowers.

Cui Xiaoxiao was listening nearby, and upon hearing Tang Youshu’s divination, she felt the old man had gone too far!

Even the most black-hearted fortune teller trying to swindle money wouldn’t be so ruthless to a beautiful young maiden!

If he didn’t like Yu Ling’er, that was fine, but why did he have to cut off all of Yu Ling’er’s romantic possibilities?

Fox clans value emotions deeply – asking such a demon race to cultivate the way of emotionlessness was completely against fox nature!

Did Tang Youshu think all the good men in the world were just him and his master?

Just because Yu Ling’er no longer loved Wei Jie, did she have to cling to him, Tang Youshu? Did the little fox have to choose her man from among them?

Perhaps one day in the future, the little fox would have another sudden awakening, stop spinning in circles among acquaintances, and meet a good man who truly suited her heart!

Before Yu Ling’er’s bean-sized tears could fall, Cui Xiaoxiao quickly came over to smooth things over. She snatched the turtle shell and bronze coins, shaking them while laughing: “How accurate are you? Let me try!”

After speaking, she shook the turtle shell, then flipped it over and opened it, scattering the bronze coins onto the Eight Trigrams diagram.

What a coincidence – Cui Xiaoxiao’s two bronze coins fell in the same spots as Yu Ling’er’s had moments before, both with Earth Palace suppressing Fire Fortune.

Now, without Tang Youshu’s explanation, Cui Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded and laughed at herself: “I truly live up to my Ten Wounds fate – how accurate this is. It seems my path of love is also destined to bear no flowers or fruit, returning to dust…”

At this, Yu Ling’er threw her arms around Xiaoxiao’s neck and choked out: “What, you also think his divination is accurate? Or is he also hinting to you not to pester his master, lest you delay Wei Jie’s path to immortality?”

This… Xiaoxiao felt this made sense, too. Otherwise, how could the hexagram be identical? Could it be that Old Master Tang had placed a magnet under the Eight Trigrams board? This was a common trick of street charlatans, who could produce whatever auspicious or ominous hexagrams they desired at will.

So both young ladies silently fixed their gazes on Tang Youshu, preparing to interrogate him about why he was playing such tricks.

But before the two unfortunate maidens could act, a Heaven’s Punishment sword wrapped in thunder descended from the sky, mercilessly smashing the fortune-telling turtle shell to smithereens.

“Tang Youshu, if you don’t pack up your fraudulent stall right now, you’ll need to divine how you’ll die today!” After Wei Jie raised his hand to dismiss his sword, he coldly warned him not to frighten the young ladies!

It was one thing to frighten Yu Ling’er – that little fox was clingy enough as it was.

But what was he doing pulling this nonsense with Xiaoxiao? If he were a sensible disciple, shouldn’t he divine harmony and early offspring for his future master’s wife?

Creating such trouble, he was forcing his disciple to kill to prove his way!

Tang Youshu was always an obedient disciple in front of his master. He immediately smiled apologetically and hastily packed up his fortune-telling stall, saying his skills were inadequate and the whole thing was just to fool people.

But as he turned around, Tang Youshu’s expression stiffened.

He had become quite proficient with this divination technique, and the turtle shell was enhanced with his psychic power. His judgments of fortune and misfortune generally weren’t far wrong.

However, that both girls would get the same hexagram when divining their romantic paths was beyond his expectations.

Looking back at Xiaoxiao sitting beside his master with her charming smile, Tang Youshu’s heart kept sinking.

His master had to experience seven tribulations in the mortal world. Now, with Xiaoxiao accompanying Wei Jie through their journey of dangers and narrow escapes, they had overcome six tribulations together.

But what this final tribulation was, even Tang Youshu didn’t know. After all, the Wei Jie of his previous life had failed at this last step and died at the hands of his treacherous disciple.

He could only hope… Hope that his divination was inaccurate…

Now, after learning that Ye Yi was very likely the heavenly god Dong Yuan with great origins in the heavens, Wei Jie discussed with Xiaoxiao about heading to Zhangwei Mountain.

The reason for going to Zhangwei Mountain was simple – the red moon of the Underworld would not reappear.

Given Dong Yuan’s determination to personally descend with his divine soul, possessing Ye Yi’s body to open the Underworld, after this soul-grafting failure, he would surely try again to reverse destiny.

Now that Ye Yi also knew the secret of Cui Xiaoxiao’s return from two hundred years in the future, he would certainly try to reach Zhangwei Mountain to obtain the statue of Zhu Jiuyin and use it to reverse destiny once more.

So they had to get the statue before this scheming heavenly god to ensure complete success.

After determining their goal, their group began heading toward Zhangwei Mountain.

According to the “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” Zhangwei Mountain was beyond the northwest sea, north of the red waters – a phantom mountain that existed neither on land, nor in sea, nor sky.

This meant that even if they reached the location, without the proper destination, they still wouldn’t be able to see the mountain.

Along their journey, they saw many devout men and women kneeling in worship before temples, with incense smoke curling everywhere.

Tang Youshu ran to inquire carefully and learned that the statues of Emperor Dong Yuan in temples everywhere had manifested the strange phenomenon of bleeding from their foreheads.

Such phenomena truly terrified those who sincerely worshipped, who declared this was an apocalyptic sign – perhaps the gods were manifesting to warn mortals of impending great disasters.

For a time, incense and candles sold like hotcakes everywhere, with many people kneeling day and night in temples praying for blessings.

If any county happened to be experiencing drought, floods, or similar disasters, even the local officials would join the common people in worship.

Seeing this widespread panic along their journey, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile wryly.

If she told those common people that the bleeding statues were caused by her making the god furious, would the devout people come after her with hoes?

But this showed that not all gods enshrined on altars necessarily had compassionate hearts – some might be sanctimonious schemers.

They enjoyed mortal incense offerings and escaped life and death, but what they did wasn’t necessarily good deeds for the country and people.

However, this way they didn’t worry about food and drink along the journey – they just needed to take from the incense temples after nightfall.

When Xiaoxiao took steamed buns and fruits from the altar, she didn’t forget to wave at the Dong Yuan Emperor statue with a hole in its forehead: “Sorry for taking your offerings. But since you’re busy scheming against people all day, you probably don’t have time to eat or drink. Don’t thank me – I’m just helping you out!”

When she said this, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, her smile cunning and adorable, full of spirit and quite infuriating.

At that moment, a hundred li away, Ye Yi, who was sitting in meditation in a meditation room, suddenly smiled slightly: This Cui Xiaoxiao takes advantage and then acts coy, actually running into his temple to openly provoke him before his statue!

Just then, Lord Can entered with several disciples of the Ghost Sect and reported to Ye Yi: “Divine Lord, our scouts report that Cui Xiaoxiao, Wei Jie, and their group seem to be heading northwest.”

Actually, without Lord Can’s report, Dong Yuan, possessing Ye Yi’s body, was well aware of Cui Xiaoxiao’s group’s itinerary. Northwest direction… they were probably going to get that Zhu Jiuyin statue.

Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao weren’t trying to hide their movements at all, acting as if they wanted everyone to know where they were – quite arrogant.

After all, they had someone who had traveled from two hundred years in the future, so naturally they felt they had foresight and were fearless!

Dong Yuan smiled slightly, not particularly concerned about the Talisman Sect group’s movements, but asked: “That Qin Lingxiao you mentioned – where is he now?”

Lord Can reported: “His father, without my blood to sustain his life, is now barely hanging on. Only by obtaining the Demon Pearl can his life be saved. To get the Demon Pearl, he must obtain it from either Cui Xiaoxiao or Tang Youshu, so now father and son are secretly following Cui Xiaoxiao’s group.”

Hearing this, Dong Yuan smiled slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and said softly, “It seems Zhangwei Mountain will become quite lively!”

After speaking, he closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Lord Can stopped disturbing the Divine Lord’s meditation and quietly withdrew from the room.

When only Dong Yuan remained, he slowly opened his eyes and gazed intently at the magnolia tree outside the window.

This wasn’t the blooming season, but when he entered this temple, he had conjured a magnificent blooming magnolia tree in front of the building.

He had once told Cui Xiaoxiao that this tree was to commemorate his deceased wife, but these words were half-true, half-false.

The longing was real, but false was that the person he missed had never been his wife.

Watching the magnolia petals flutter in the wind, Dong Yuan slowly extended his palm and conjured a divine shadow in his palm. The shadow gradually rose in his palm, glowing faintly, suspended in mid-air.

This was a woman in golden armor, with long hair reaching her waist, slender limbs, a gleaming golden helmet, and transcendent, bright, cold features. When she drew her golden eagle bow, her slender arms showed lean but powerful contours, her exquisite profile carrying a handsomeness no less than male gods, impossible to look away from.

With a gust of wind, the light shadow drifted to the flower tree outside the window. Her golden armor transformed into flowing white robes, black hair cascading over her shoulders, slender waist graceful, large eyes sparkling with brightness as she smiled while picking the fragrant flowers, no longer in the golden armor’s handsomeness but radiating feminine charm and allure…

Emperor Dong Yuan stood up, gazing intently at this divine shadow.

This was the only female god among the Seven Palaces – Divine Lord Weifeng. The days when she fought alongside him seemed like yesterday, yet he could never again hear her clear, melodious voice.

As heaven’s favored son, Dong Yuan could easily capture women’s hearts, even divine ladies were no exception. Though her origins were humble and didn’t match his status, such a woman was impossible to ignore.

Dong Yuan had always felt a sense of security about her, as if she were in his palm, at his beck and call, even as he moved between her and many other divine ladies.

For gods, life was endless – everything unchanging would become tedious over millions of years.

He had never thought of forming a destined immortal partnership with any divine lady, sharing each other’s divine power and cultivation.

At that time, he was high-spirited and so dazzling among the gods of the three realms, surrounded by too much adulation and noise, so much so that he didn’t notice when she began to grow distant from him.

When she admitted that she no longer loved him, Dong Yuan’s reaction was merely a light smile, unconcerned.

But when he discovered Weifeng’s words were true, that her gaze no longer lingered on him, Dong Yuan felt for the first time in his life what it meant to have a heart that ached with panic…

He suddenly realized he couldn’t completely accept the fact that Weifeng’s clear eyes no longer held him.

For this, he laid a slight trap, designing the snare of the Demon City massacre, then watched her fall into the trap, quietly waiting for her to admit fault and beg him.

Only then did he learn that the woman who had always been gentle and compliant before him could be so coldly ruthless when her heart hardened, even showing no mercy to herself…

At that time, she already knew the Heavenly Emperor would place the sin of the Demon City massacre on her alone, but during the gods’ judgment, she said nothing, never once arguing that the order to massacre the city came from Dong Yuan.

Afterward, he had subtly indicated to her that he would report everything to the Heavenly Emperor and restore her innocence.

She replied indifferently: “No need. Even as gods, we shouldn’t owe personal debts. I owed you and the Holy Lady tremendous favors, and repaying them all together is only proper. It’s just heavenly punishment – for me, it only weakens my divine status for a few hundred years, no great matter. Your immortal path is flourishing, having just been appointed Emperor. Speaking out would only put the Holy Lady and Heavenly Emperor in an awkward position.”

She appeared so calm, as if willingly taking the blame for him. But at that time, he refused to admit fault and lower his head, always hoping she would suffer some hardship to understand his goodness and return to his side.

He had thought then that it was good she had her divine status reduced. Only when people were in lowly positions would they not be so greedy, demanding a lifetime with one person…

Just then, the shadow moved slightly, just like the day she went to the West Sea to subdue evil spirits, naturally turning her back, unwilling to look at him again.

But who could have known that heavenly punishment would suddenly descend when she was severely injured, and her soul would fall into the Underworld’s River of Forgetting, never to surface again…

At this moment, Weifeng’s figure was just as it had been during their final meeting – resolutely turning and leaving.

This scene had appeared countless times before Dong Yuan over hundreds of years. Each time he watched, he could recall the endless regret that tormented him – if at that time he had grabbed Weifeng’s hand, or accompanied her to the West Sea, wouldn’t he have the regret he carried now?

Since her, no matter how many divine ladies surrounded him, none could be the unique her. Only in the daily monotonous repetition did he suddenly realize that apart from her, he could want nothing else!

Seeing her about to leave, Dong Yuan quickly reached out to grab her arm, but the moment he grasped it, the light shadow scattered like golden sand, vanishing without a trace.

Dong Yuan couldn’t help but furrow his brow in pain. Now that he was possessing a mortal’s body, the agony of longing seemed to strike doubly hard.

“Weifeng… where are you exactly?” Unfortunately, this cry only echoed in the meditation room, with no one to answer.

With such turbulent emotions, his forehead wound began bleeding again. Dong Yuan struggled to calm his surging emotions, steadying his breath.

Though the red moon no longer appeared, he wasn’t without other opportunities.

When Weifeng suffered heavenly punishment in the West Sea, she happened to be in the mortal realm. If that were the case, he would reverse time and return to the past.

As long as he could obtain that Zhu Jiuyin statue, he could reverse destiny like Cui Xiaoxiao and return to the past. At that time, why would he need to entangle with the likes of Wei Jie? He only needed to return to that moment of regret and keep Weifeng by his side.

Thinking this, he gently closed his eyes again: No rush, this time he would get Zhu Jiuyin in his hands… without regret!

Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao’s group traveled a thousand li daily and finally reached the edge of the northwest sea.

Zhangwei Mountain was beyond the northwest sea, and with its uncertain location, if they flew on the wind daily, they might very well fall into the sea before finding it.

So before going to sea, they needed to find a reliable ship.

Unfortunately, Tang Youshu had divided the Talisman Sect’s remaining assets into individual money pouches for the dismissed disciples. Now, everyone’s pockets were cleaner than their faces.

Cui Xiaoxiao asked Wei Jie if he had any banknotes. Wei Jie replied: “When my divine status possessed me, I felt these worldly things led to indulgence and hindered cultivation, so I burned them all.”

Xiaoxiao was stunned, then turned to Tang Youshu. Tang Youshu nodded with an admiring expression: “Master’s resolution in burning bank notes was beyond ordinary people. If this disciple had Master’s determination earlier, perhaps I wouldn’t have been delayed by worldly affairs and could have advanced further in cultivation!”

Though Tang Youshu’s cultivation wasn’t much, his skill at flattering his master was truly peak perfection, soaring beyond the ninth heaven.

Hearing such heroic words, Xiaoxiao and Yu Ling’er, two worldly people, simultaneously clutched their chests and silently ached for a moment – so many bank notes could have bought how many roast ducks, sugar balls, and sauced pig knuckles?

Yu Ling’er said with feeling, “Xiaoxiao, you had foresight! Separating from these two spendthrifts early. Otherwise, our Hehuan Sect’s mountains of gold and silver would have been squandered by them too!”

Xiaoxiao felt Yu Ling’er’s words made perfect sense. The first rule of her Hehuan Sect was that those who didn’t treasure money would be expelled immediately without a moment’s mercy!

But they needed silver to rent a ship, so Tang Youshu asked Yu Ling’er hopefully: “When you went down the mountain with Xiaoxiao, I gave you so much money. You two couldn’t have spent it all – surely you have some left?”

Yu Ling’er gave an embarrassed laugh. Following Xiaoxiao’s advice at the time, she had spent money desperately to have an excuse to return and ask Tang Youshu for more, so she had eaten and drunk extravagantly all the way, tipping generously like a princess on tour, spending every last coin.

As a result, when the two independently established sects compared accounts, they discovered that after the once-wealthy sect divided, each had squandered its inheritance and could close its doors for bankruptcy.

Even if Wei Jie asked his grandmother for a loan, it would be too late.

Just then, Yu Ling’er’s eyes lit up as she pointed to a notice recruiting sailors nearby: “Look, that ship is heading to Lingxi Island in the northwest sea to fish. If we can get on board, not only can we ride for free, we might even earn wages!”

As they spoke, they had come beside this fishing boat. Compared to other fishing boats, this sea vessel had a massive keel – a good ship that could ride wind and waves.

But with such a large ship, there weren’t enough sailors to handle the sails and ropes. The ship owner was eager to set sail and disregarded the usual taboos, even hiring women and old wives.

Yet even with such lenient conditions, no one came to apply.

When Xiaoxiao’s group and the fox clan people approached, the recruiting steward’s eyes brightened, immediately becoming obsequious: “Are you also here looking for work? Just get on board – we provide food and lodging, plus one string of cash per day. How about it? Would you consider it?”

Xiaoxiao looked carefully at the steward and his followers, smiling: “You don’t look like people who make their living from the sea. Why are you going to sea?”

She could see clearly that these people had fair skin, not weathered by sea winds.

The steward looked Cui Xiaoxiao up and down lecherously, secretly amazed to encounter such stunning beauty in this remote place.

He grinned with yellow teeth: “Sharp eyes, young lady. My master wants to salvage a family heirloom from Lingxi Island, so we’re going to sea. If you can sail, I’ll double your wages.”

After hearing this, the Talisman Sect group stepped aside to discuss.

Tang Youshu whispered, “I just chatted with fish vendors by the dock. This ship has gone to sea twice before, always hiring sailors at high prices. But all the previous sailors disappeared without a trace. When families came asking, they claimed those people stayed on Lingxi Island to pan for gold and wouldn’t return until New Year. When some didn’t believe it and threatened to take them to court, those family members broke their necks falling in field ridges on their way home… Now, everyone here knows this is a black ship that can only trick greedy outsiders!”

Originally, Wei Jie and Xiaoxiao weren’t sure whether to board this ship, but now, hearing this, they said in unison: “Perfect, we’ll take this ship!”

After speaking, they looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.

Yu Ling’er watched the two enter their demonic state with rather unkind smiles, couldn’t help but shiver, and sincerely felt sorry for the ship full of bandits.

Xiaoxiao’s thinking was easy to understand. Their journey held unknown dangers – if they boarded a good family’s ship and brought disaster to innocent people, that would be bad.

But if this were a human trafficking ship, then she needn’t be polite. She could turn the tables on them, overturn a ship of bandits, see if she could find traces of those missing sailors, and incidentally search for the mysterious Zhangwei Mountain – wouldn’t that kill multiple birds with one stone?