When Lin Hu stood at the doorway, Huan Zong already knew he had arrived. Seeing Kong Hou’s low spirits, he turned to face Lin Hu: “What is it?” Given Lin Hu’s personality, if there wasn’t something to report, he wouldn’t appear here.

“Senior Lin?” Lin Hu’s appearance indeed diverted Kong Hou’s attention. She turned to look at Lin Hu, curiosity in her eyes.

Seeing they had finally noticed him, Lin Hu stepped across the threshold: “Young Master, Liuyan Sect has revoked Bian Hong’s status as the Head Disciple and has already announced it to the entire cultivation world.”

“Revoked?” Huan Zong took out a handkerchief and placed it in Kong Hou’s hand. The soft, clean white handkerchief was like a cloud. Kong Hou gripped the handkerchief, not understanding Huan Zong’s intention.

“Here.” Huan Zong chuckled softly, gesturing at his neck, “There’s sweat here.”

“Oh.” Kong Hou tightened her grip on the handkerchief and wiped her neck. The soft cloth touching her skin felt extremely comfortable, like a mother’s gentleness, causing her movements to unconsciously slow down.

Huan Zong turned to look at Lin Hu: “Has the identity of the green-robed female cultivator been determined?”

“Not yet, but disciples have discovered a female corpse at the green-robed female cultivator’s ancestral home.” Lin Hu glanced at Kong Hou, who was holding the handkerchief and wiping her sweat. “Additionally, a few days ago when Miss Kong Hou and I were in the inn’s main hall, we discovered an elderly male cultivator with strange words and behavior. When he left, I placed tracking incense on him. Last night, I discovered he had dealings with suspicious cultivators. I suspect he’s deliberately trying to sow discord between major sects and smaller sects.”

A female cultivator who confused people’s minds, a passing cultivator with strange behavior who sowed discord—and these were just the ones they had encountered. Who knew how many similar conspiracies were targeting the cultivation world in places they couldn’t see?

Evil cultivators were most skilled at bewitching people’s hearts, but as sect internal management became increasingly strict, disciples fighting to the death over cultivation resources had become increasingly rare. When life had been stable for too long, people with ulterior motives would always emerge, attempting to overthrow the existing order and seize positions of power after throwing the world into chaos.

If Miss Kong Hou hadn’t gone out to watch the excitement yesterday, hadn’t stopped Liuyan Sect and Qingyu Sect from drawing swords against each other, hadn’t refuted the old cultivator’s words, how would things have developed?

Would Liuyan Sect and Qingyu Sect’s hatred have deepened, no longer associating with each other, dragging in other friendly sects and throwing the cultivation world into chaos? Would ordinary cultivators’ fear of the ten great sects have grown deeper and deeper, ultimately producing the idea that only by overthrowing the ten great sects could ordinary cultivators have their day?

At that point, righteous sects would fall into internal war, becoming scattered like loose sand, and evil cultivators taking over the cultivation world would be just around the corner.

This was the first time Lin Hu had the thought that watching excitement could also serve a great purpose. He turned his head to look at the young girl who was still looking in the mirror and let out a long breath. Regardless, discovering the signs of trouble allowed for early preparation—everything was still in time.

“Tomorrow is the day to collect the elixir from Nameless Zhenren, isn’t it?” Kong Hou put down the small mirror. “Should we prepare some gifts for Nameless Zhenren? That way, there’s giving and receiving, and we can feel comfortable asking him for help in the future.”

Huan Zong’s health wasn’t good now, so having good relations with master alchemists had no disadvantages.

“Thank you for the reminder, Miss Kong Hou. I’ll go prepare right away.” Lin Hu, who normally showed no emotional fluctuation, looked at Kong Hou today with eyes carrying a hint of warmth. He nodded to Kong Hou and left the artifact refining room.

“Huan Zong…” Kong Hou watched Lin Hu’s departing back, somewhat puzzled. “Did Senior Lin encounter something good today?”

“Perhaps he doesn’t like that Bian Hong from Liuyan Sect. Hearing that he lost his status as Head Disciple, his mood is quite good.” Huan Zong said, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh.” Kong Hou nodded. She hadn’t expected Senior Lin to dislike Bian Hong so much. It seemed the senior was also someone with clear likes and dislikes.

On Yunhua Mountain, several personally transmitted female disciples stood at the main gate waiting expectantly as soon as dawn broke, seemingly waiting for some important dignitary. Seeing this scene, newly admitted disciples wondered—could elders from other sects be visiting? Why were only the senior sisters and female martial aunts waiting here? Where were the other senior brothers and martial uncles?

Gao Jianyan tugged at his belt, which had become much tighter recently. Before leaving home, his family had worried he wouldn’t adjust to living at the sect and would suffer and lose weight, so they had specially prepared several sets of smaller-sized clothes. Who knew Yunhua Sect’s food would be so good? Not only hadn’t he lost weight, he’d actually gained quite a bit. Most of the clothes he’d brought from home could no longer be worn.

“Senior Brother Gao, there are several personally transmitted senior sisters over there.” A fellow disciple tugged his sleeve. “I suspect our Yunhua Sect doesn’t just look at talent and character when selecting personally transmitted disciples—they also look at faces. Look at these senior sisters, each one beautiful as flowers, a feast for the eyes.”

Gao Jianyan stopped in his tracks and secretly glanced toward the main gate several times. Touching his round, platter-like face, he sighed deeply. It seemed he had no chance of becoming a personally transmitted disciple in this lifetime.

“Why are so many personally transmitted senior sisters here? Has something major happened?” Most newly admitted disciples had just entered the threshold of Qi Refining, but they had already learned from their senior brothers and sisters the habit of watching excitement. Seeing so many beautiful senior sisters, these newly admitted disciples, both male and female, all shrank into corners to secretly observe.

Gui Lin, who was traveling with them, looked at their furtive appearance and somewhat impatiently lifted his foot to walk away. However, before he’d taken a few steps, a petite but surprisingly strong junior sister dragged him back: “Gui Lin, don’t go out. What if the senior sisters discover us?!”

Gui Lin, pressed against the wall, struggled for a bit… but couldn’t break free. What did this woman eat growing up? She looked like she had a small nose, small hands, and small feet, so how was her strength so great?

“What’s there to see? Yesterday, Peak Master Pei taught a new sword technique that I haven’t mastered yet.” Giving up on struggling, Gui Lin decided to adopt a persuasive approach. “Junior Sister, let go.”

A woman watching other women with such relish—what kind of problem was this?

“Sword techniques aren’t as good-looking as beautiful junior sisters.” The petite junior sister held him down without letting go. “Looking at senior sisters puts me in a good mood, and being in a good mood helps me practice swords better. This is called getting twice the result with half the effort.”

Gui Lin straightened his robes that the junior sister had pulled askew: “It’s nothing more than elders from other sects visiting. What’s there to see?”

“Wrong. Besides elders, there’s one other type of person who can make so many beautiful senior sisters appear together.” Gao Jianyan shook his chubby head. “You’re still too inexperienced.”

“What else?” Fellow disciples asked curiously.

“There’s also…” Gao Jianyan pointed at someone flying over on a sword from the distance. “There’s also the flying sword messenger who reaches everywhere and is everywhere.”

Gui Lin really wanted to say Gao Jianyan was talking nonsense, but when he saw those personally transmitted senior sisters excitedly surrounding the flying sword messenger, taking a storage bag from him and leaving with satisfaction, he fell silent.

He turned his head to look at the long Immortal-Seeking Path below the main gate that stretched endlessly out of sight, his body swaying slightly.

“Go, go, go, let’s hurry to sword practice.” The petite junior sister released Gui Lin and ran toward the martial arts field. Gui Lin stumbled, and when he raised his head again, his fellow disciples had all run far away. Even the fat Gao Jianyan was rolling along like a round ball.

“Hey, why aren’t you moving yet?!” Gao Jianyan, who had run some distance, turned back to see Gui Lin still standing in place. He ran back, grabbed him, and ran: “Hurry, hurry.”

Gui Lin’s face was expressionless as he was dragged along by the chubby person whose steps were even more agile than his own, his legs running unconsciously.

“How can you be so stupid? After watching the excitement, you need to retreat in time, otherwise it’s very easy to get caught.” Gao Jianyan, supporting Gui Lin, walked as swiftly as flying. “Your physical ability is too weak. I told you not to be picky about food, but you wouldn’t listen. See? You can’t even outrun the smallest junior sister.”

Looking at the junior sister who had run to the very front—the one who had just held him down so he couldn’t move—Gui Lin suddenly began to question life. Why was he here? Why did he come to this sect?

Heng Yan sat on a lazy couch covered with thick cushions, reading the letter Kong Hou had sent over and over several times. Among the medicinal materials Kong Hou inquired about, Yunhua Sect actually had one of them.

Wu Chuan sat quietly at a nearby table, reviewing report books sent up from various branch halls, not even glancing at Heng Yan, who was flipping the letter back and forth.

“Wu Chuan, isn’t there a box of merman scales stored in the sect treasury?” Heng Yan handed the letter to Wu Chuan. “Kong Hou is the most talented disciple of your generation. When you become sect master and her cultivation has also risen, if she discovers then that the sect had the medicinal materials she asked about, will she blame us?”

“Master.” Wu Chuan looked up at him. “In just the past ten years, nearly twenty cultivators have written to ask if you have merman scales. You’ve uniformly answered that you don’t.” Moreover, Junior Sister Kong Hou wouldn’t blame the sect for the sake of outsiders. Even if she found out later, she would only assume the sect had its reasons, not harbor resentment toward the sect.

“How can outsiders asking be the same as our own people asking?” Heng Yan coughed dryly. “Anyway, we have a whole box. Sharing a few pieces won’t matter.”

Wu Chuan nodded: “So your meaning is, you want everyone to believe that you coincidentally picked up a few merman scales on the road, then generously gifted them to Junior Sister Kong Hou’s friend, who also happens to be a disciple of Liuguang Sect?”

Heng Yan coughed dryly: “We can have them not spread it around. If people from Liuguang Sect don’t talk and Kong Hou doesn’t talk, who will know we have merman scales?” He still understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. If it were people from other sects who needed them, he would still answer that he didn’t have any. But people from Liuguang Sect were different—these sword cultivators valued promises highly and would absolutely not reveal this matter.

Of course, this wasn’t the most important thing. Most importantly, this was the first time Kong Hou had asked the sect for help since entering Yunhua Sect. If the sect didn’t have them, that would be one thing, but since he clearly had them but didn’t give them, he felt rather apologetic.

This thing called merman scales was valuable mainly for its rarity—there weren’t actually many practical uses for it. That full box of merman scales had been sitting in the sect treasury for over a thousand years without a chance to be used. Casually taking out a few pieces to give away really wasn’t a big deal for Yunhua Sect. He hadn’t been willing to take them out before because he didn’t want to invite trouble—some things, once started, were hard to bring to an end.

After thinking it over, Heng Yan still decided to write a reply letter to Kong Hou. He told her to be careful outside and work hard on cultivation. He also said the sect had recently obtained a few merman scales by chance, and since her friend needed them, she should take them to use. However, merman scales were exceedingly rare throughout the world, so she must not mention this matter externally, lest it invite trouble.

Taking out three merman scales and placing them in a luxurious jade box, Heng Yan handed the box and letter to Wu Chuan: “Find an express flying sword messenger and send these back.”

“Yes.” Wu Chuan accepted the letter and jade box and hurriedly left the sect.

The entire cultivation world probably wouldn’t believe that the exceedingly rare merman scales could reach another person’s hands by courier delivery.

Deep into the cold night, Huan Zong was just preparing to extinguish the illumination magical tool in his room when he heard footsteps of varying weight in the courtyard. Was this an ordinary person without cultivation?

“Miss Kong Hou, a flying sword messenger wishes to see you.”

Huan Zong frowned. This late, how could there still be a flying sword messenger coming? Hearing the door of the adjacent room open, the light footsteps unique to Kong Hou rang out in the courtyard. After a moment’s hesitation, he still opened his room door.

At the courtyard gate, behind the inn servant stood a flying sword messenger. Kong Hou accepted a tightly wrapped package from his hands.

“Thank you.” Kong Hou saw off the servant and flying sword messenger, closed the courtyard gate, and turned to see Huan Zong standing under a tree in the courtyard.

“Did I disturb you?” Kong Hou unwrapped the blue floral cloth from the package. This was a very ordinary cloth, with no talismans or array formations. Inside the package was a jade box, with a letter placed on top.

“It’s a letter from the Sect Master.” Kong Hou’s heart leaped with joy. She looked up at Huan Zong: “Huan Zong, the Sect Master must know something related to the medicinal catalyst.”

Huan Zong stood quietly under the tree, smiling at Kong Hou.

Kong Hou couldn’t wait to open the letter. She read through its contents rapidly, then lifted the jade box from the table with trembling hands, murmuring: “Huan Zong, Huan Zong…”

“What happened?” Seeing Kong Hou unable to form complete sentences, her hands holding the jade box trembling nonstop, Huan Zong worried something had happened at Yunhua Sect. He walked to her side with concern: “Don’t rush, speak slowly.”

“Young Master, what’s wrong?” Lin Hu pulled open his door and strode out, his eyes carrying barely perceptible concern.

“No, no, no…” Kong Hou said “no” several times, pointing at the jade box. “Inside, inside, medicinal catalyst.”

“You’re saying there’s a medicinal catalyst the Young Master needs inside?” Lin Hu was the first to react. He took the jade box from Kong Hou’s hands in disbelief and opened the lid.

Inside the jade box lay gorgeous brocade that emitted a faint flowing light in the night. But what made Lin Hu unable to look away wasn’t the box itself, but what was placed on the brocade.

Three blue scales the size of jade coins lay quietly, beautiful without a single flaw.

Merman scales… merman scales…

He suddenly looked up at Huan Zong. His lips moved, and only after a long while did he say in a hoarse voice: “Young Master, they’re… merman scales.”

“Shh.” Kong Hou softly shushed them, pulling both of them into the room. She even set up a barrier outside before saying: “The Sect Master said this matter absolutely must not be spread. We need to keep a low profile.”

“Please, Miss Kong Hou, even if Lin Hu dies, he will not spread this matter.” Lin Hu cupped his hands toward Kong Hou and bowed deeply. “Miss Kong Hou and your esteemed sect’s great kindness, this humble one will never forget as long as he lives.”

Frightened by Lin Hu’s solemn gesture, Kong Hou hid behind Huan Zong: “Senior Lin, what are you doing?”

Lin Hu stood up. Seeing his actions had frightened Kong Hou, he stepped back several paces: “This humble one was too excited.”

“Please don’t call yourself ‘this humble one’ in front of me—I’m not used to it.” Kong Hou felt somewhat embarrassed. During these days, she hadn’t been overly polite in front of Senior Lin. In her eyes, Lin Hu was similar to those elders in the sect. Now that this elder was calling himself “this humble one” before her, how could she get used to that?

“Kong Hou.” Huan Zong, who had been shielding Kong Hou, turned around and placed the jade box back in Kong Hou’s hands: “Do you know how precious merman scales are?” The merman clan had gone extinct five thousand years ago. Even when the merman clan was still alive, they lived deep at the bottom of the sea year-round, rarely contacting the outside world. So even Liuguang Sect, with its nearly ten-thousand-year heritage, had long since run out of merman scales.

He had never imagined that Yunhua Sect would give Kong Hou such precious items. But no matter what, he couldn’t so easily accept this precious medicinal material from the young girl’s hands.

“It’s precious when people need it. If it’s not needed, it’s just a dead object sitting there with no use.” Kong Hou pushed the jade box back to Huan Zong. “Huan Zong, since the Sect Master decided to give this thing to me, it means he’s already agreed to let me give it to you. Anyway, the Sect Master is smarter than me. If he approves, there definitely won’t be any problems.”

He had heard long ago that Yunhua Sect was extremely protective of its younger generation, and Yunhua Sect disciples were very loyal to their sect. But could a sect’s indulgence of its disciples really reach such an extent?

Seeing Huan Zong still unwilling to accept, Kong Hou said: “Once I’ve given something away, I never intended to take it back. If you feel bad about it, just consider that I’m using this to curry favor with Liuguang Sect, making you owe us Yunhua Sect a favor.”

“Alright.” Huan Zong put away the jade box. “I’ll remember Sect Master Heng Yan’s favor.”

“That’s right.” Kong Hou smiled. “Sick people shouldn’t think so much—it’s bad for your health. Go rest early. Tomorrow I’ll accompany you to collect medicine from Nameless Zhenren.”

Only then did Huan Zong and Lin Hu remember that the two of them, grown men, were still in a young girl’s room late at night. Under Kong Hou’s smiling face, they could only withdraw from her room.

Removing the barrier outside the door, Kong Hou waved her hand: “Have sweet dreams.”

Watching the door close, Lin Hu and Huan Zong exchanged glances. They probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Following Huan Zong to his room, out of caution, Lin Hu also set up a barrier outside to prevent others from hearing their conversation.

Huan Zong took out the jade box from his sleeve and removed a merman scale from inside. The pale blue scale emitted blue ghostly light at his fingertips, extremely beautiful. “Lin Hu, you were right. I’ve taken advantage of the young girl.”

“Young Master…” For a moment, Lin Hu didn’t know what to say. Along the way, at first he had only regarded Kong Hou as a likeable young girl who needed care. But he never could have imagined that the medicinal materials Liuguang Sect had searched for several years without finding a trace of—within the short month since they met Kong Hou, they had found two of them.

A year ago, the Sect Master had written to Yunhua Sect, and Yunhua Sect’s answer was that they didn’t have any. Yet today, without making any demands, they had sent out merman scales. He had never understood this sect called Yunhua Sect. Every time he thought their sect was about to decline, several disciples with excellent talent would appear. Every time he thought this sect acted unreliably, when major matters occurred, they were often very dependable.

But… a sect that so easily gave away merman scales was truly hard to believe as being cautious.

Yet precisely this kind of lack of caution, this foolish generosity, made Lin Hu feel infinite gratitude and respect toward Yunhua Sect. How many sects in the entire cultivation world could be this carefree?

To value external objects lightly and prioritize the bonds between disciples within the sect—wasn’t this also a kind of enlightenment? Lin Hu let out a long breath. His mental state, which had been confined for so long, actually felt somewhat stirred, vaguely glimpsing the gateway to the Out-of-Body stage.

“Young Master, starting from today, you must take good care of your health.” Lin Hu said in excellent spirits. “After all, Miss Kong Hou has shown you life-saving grace. In the future, you’ll need to work like an ox or horse to repay her.”

Huan Zong put away the merman scale: “You’re in a good mood today, actually teasing me.”

“Young Master, I’m not teasing—I’m telling the truth.” Lin Hu’s face showed a smile. “Besides, seeing that there’s hope for curing the Young Master’s illness, how could my mood not be good?”

Huan Zong lowered his eyes and smiled softly. His pale face seemed to have gained a few threads of vitality. He was just about to speak when suddenly a thunderclap rang out in the sky. Spiritual energy churned wildly in the courtyard, creating powerful spiritual pressure.

“A dream tribulation?!” Lin Hu’s face changed dramatically. “Miss Kong Hou is undergoing a dream tribulation?!”

A dream tribulation occurred when cultivators, after reaching great perfection in their cultivation, suddenly gained some insight during sleep that resonated with the Heavenly Dao, which then sent down lightning tribulation and a great trial of mental state. If the cultivator successfully passed through it, their cultivation would rise to a higher level. If they didn’t pass, a great drop in cultivation was a small matter—attracting inner demons was the greatest trouble.

But situations of tribulating in dreams were extremely rare, and those who successfully tribulated were even rarer. Lin Hu and Huan Zong’s faces became extremely grim as they stood guard outside Kong Hou’s door, looking up at the tribulation clouds above the roof, their hearts filled with even greater worry.

Other cultivators staying at the inn also noticed this situation and crowded around the courtyard’s perimeter to observe. Soon the surrounding walls, rooftops, and trees were all packed with people.

“Who’s staying in the courtyard? How unlucky, to actually encounter a dream tribulation?”

“Looking at this situation, I’m afraid it’s quite dangerous. Fellow Daoists, don’t just busy yourselves watching the excitement. Cultivation isn’t easy, and we’re all away from home. Those fellow Daoists with high cultivation, take out your magical tools first. If the situation becomes too brutal later, let’s help block a bit—at least we should help this fellow Daoist keep their life.”

Before long, the surrounding walls, rooftops, and trees glowed with the colorful light of magical tools. At this moment, the entire small courtyard was as bright as daylight.

Kong Hou stood in a palace with carved beams and painted rafters. Her father emperor sat on the dragon throne, cursing the hundred officials. Because the national treasury was financially insufficient and the officials didn’t support his construction of the Music Immortal Tower, he decided to increase taxes on the common people.

The opposing court officials were all dragged down and soon had their heads cut off.

“Whoever dares to obstruct me again, I will have them dismembered by a thousand cuts.”

Looking at her father emperor’s vicious face and the officials who were silent as cicadas in winter, Kong Hou wanted to stand up, but in the next moment, her arm was tightly grasped. She turned back to look—the Empress Mother gazed at her with a melancholy expression: “Don’t go. Your father emperor has already gone mad. He will kill you.”

Kong Hou froze. Looking at her pleading mother, her body felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Mother only has you as a child. If something happens to you, what will Mother do?” The Empress wept. “Child, let’s go back. Mother has the pastries you like there, and has also prepared many beautiful dresses and hair ornaments for you. Come with Mother.”

Mother’s soft, gentle hands and sad eyes made Kong Hou unable to refuse in the slightest. She followed her mother out of the great hall. Turning to look at the high palace walls, strange images suddenly appeared in her mind.

A waiter wearing half-wet cotton shoes yet standing in the snow, a man in tattered clothes carrying a child and charcoal, broken and narrow streets and alleys, common people struggling painfully in poverty.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks. These people… where had she seen them?

“Child, what’s wrong?” The Empress turned to look at her, her expression extremely gentle. She was warm sun in winter, cool breeze in summer.

Kong Hou released her hand and asked softly: “What about those common people?”

“What common people?” The gentle, beautiful Empress asked in confusion. “What do they have to do with you?”

Kong Hou shook her head: “Mother, I must go back.”

The Empress’s expression became sad again: “Child, are you abandoning Mother?”

Kong Hou looked deeply at her, then turned and ran toward the main hall entrance.

She knew what these images were now—they were the benevolence and love in her heart.

“Child, don’t leave me!” The Empress’s voice rang out behind her, seemingly mournful, seemingly weeping, like the lonely cry of a sad wild goose.

But this time Kong Hou didn’t turn back. She strode forward with firm steps, pushed open the palace hall doors that had somehow closed, and said to the emperor on the throne: “Your Majesty, please rescind your order.”

The things she hadn’t understood when young, she now understood. The things she hadn’t been able to do when young, she could now stand up to prevent.

The lives of the people under heaven were not easy. She couldn’t watch them live in fire and water with her eyes wide open.

In the inn courtyard, Lin Hu looked at the sun that had already moved west: “Young Master, it’s getting dark.”

Huan Zong stood quietly, looking at the door to Kong Hou’s room without speaking.

“You agreed with Nameless Zhenren to collect medicine today. Nameless Elder’s temperament is unpredictable. If you can’t be punctual…” Lin Hu advised. “I’ll stay here to watch. Please go collect the medicine.”

If they didn’t go collect the medicine today, going tomorrow would probably mean not getting it.

Huan Zong slowly shook his head.

“I’ll wait for Kong Hou to come out.”