As soon as Peak Master Song He said this, everyone in the hall was greatly shocked. This martial nephew was the most talented one Liuguang Sect had produced in the past several hundred years. Since entering the sect, he had always cultivated diligently and had slain evil demons for the cultivation world many times. If he truly had been possessed due to unresolved inner demons, they would find a way to drive out the possessing soul no matter what.

“But…” The female elder who had received the embroidered gauze skirt from martial nephew a few days ago frowned. She looked at the solemn-faced fellow disciples present: “But if someone truly possessed martial nephew’s soul, what he should be doing is maintaining martial nephew’s usual appearance to deceive the sect into giving him divine artifacts and magical treasures, not sending things that make us notice something’s wrong.” What would be the point of possession—just to send them gifts and make them suspicious?

With that kind of brain, he could possess martial nephew’s soul?

Thinking carefully, everyone felt the female elder’s words made sense. What evil demon, after possessing someone, would do such foolish things?

“Then what exactly has been happening with martial nephew recently?” Song He was deeply worried. A sudden major change in temperament wasn’t a good thing. He worried martial nephew had given up hope for his body and was learning from ordinary people, starting to send them things.

Could it be… to leave them something to remember him by?

Song He only dared keep this guess in his heart. He feared the sect master would be sad if he heard it.

“Have you all forgotten there’s a young girl from Yunhua Sect by martial nephew’s side? Perhaps the young girl likes buying things for her sect, and after martial nephew saw this, he bought things along with her.” The female elder smiled ambiguously. “Young girls full of vitality do have some influence on those around them.”

“That does make some sense.” Song He was quite familiar with Yunhua Sect’s style of conduct. They did indeed have a hobby of buying things whenever they went out—perhaps before even reaching their destination, their spirit stones would be mostly spent.

When he was young, he had participated in a secret realm trial with Wang Tong from Yunhua Sect. That was his first time venturing into the world, and he was very nervous. Halfway there, he encountered Wang Tong and traveled with him. Compared to his nervousness, Wang Tong completely didn’t take the secret realm trial seriously, eating, drinking, and having fun all along the way. By the time they reached the town where the secret realm was located, Wang Tong had already spent all his spirit stones.

After coming out of the secret realm, Wang Tong borrowed several hundred spirit stones from him. If Wang Tong hadn’t shown up ten years later with several hundred spirit stones to repay the debt, he probably would have long forgotten about it.

“Martial nephew is already this old. He’s doing fine traveling outside, so you all shouldn’t worry needlessly.” The female elder stood up. “Acting like nagging mothers—what kind of sword cultivators are you?”

“We’re all just worried about Huan Zong’s health.” Song He said. “Giving that formula to Nameless Zhenren is a very good choice. If he truly can discover substitute medicinal materials, we won’t have to worry about not finding all the materials needed in the formula.”

“With Nameless’s eccentric temperament, no matter which major sect disciple goes to visit, he won’t show them any courtesy. Yet martial nephew actually obtained medicine from him—this can be considered a pleasant surprise.” The female elder had heard many stories about Nameless Zhenren’s quirks. Martial nephew was definitely not the type he favored.

The sword cultivators present thought: perhaps Nameless Zhenren wasn’t as strange as the rumors? It was just outsiders spreading false information that created such rumors.

Jin Yue listened to their discussion but didn’t tell them Yunhua Sect had sent his disciple three pieces of merman scale. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them—this matter was better known by as few people as possible. Yunhua Sect had sent out the merman scales in such a low-key manner, showing they didn’t want others to know their sect had once possessed merman scales.

Yunhua Sect was so generous—this favor he could not forget.

Two days later, Yunhua Sect once again received a large gift of thanks from Liuguang Sect, this time under the banner of congratulating Kong Hou on successfully tribulating. Between major sects, if a disciple was exceptionally talented, friendly sects would indeed send people to celebrate. But Liuguang Sect’s congratulatory gift was truly too lavish—so lavish it made Yunhua Sect’s peak masters suspect Liuguang Sect had so many spirit stones and magical artifacts with nowhere to put them, so they sent over everything that leaked out of their door cracks.

“Don’t overthink it. Since this is something Sect Master Jin of Liuguang Sect sent from his own pocket, we’ll gladly accept it.” Heng Yan showed no surprise at this pile of generous gifts and had Wu Chuan move everything into the sect’s treasure pavilion.

After Jin Yue left with his disciples, several peak masters exchanged glances. The sect master seemed to have guessed something but didn’t plan to tell them. Could there be some shady spirit stone transaction between him and Sect Master Jin?

Who would have thought—Jin Yue of Liuguang Sect, such an upright person, could also do such things. But of all people to cooperate with, why did it have to be their Yunhua Sect? This consideration was too hasty.

Turning to see Wang Tong sitting with a profound expression, not speaking, Qingyuan asked with an extra word: “What, do you have some brilliant insight?”

“That’s a congratulatory gift Liuguang Sect sent to my disciple. Shouldn’t I be keeping it? How could Sect Master Senior Brother take it away?” Wang Tong said in deep distress. “Tell me, should I ask for the things back?”

Qingyuan: “…”

“You’d better shut up.” Why had he asked that extra question just now? Was he asking for trouble?

Liuguang Sect disciples came in a hurry and left in a hurry. That proud and aloof appearance drew frequent glances from new disciples, especially when the white-robed sword cultivator leaped onto his flying sword. A junior sister sighed softly: “Graceful as a startled swan, sinuous as a swimming dragon—truly beautiful.”

“That phrase… is it used to describe men?” Gui Lin couldn’t help saying. “Liuguang Sect people seem to come to our sect quite often recently?”

“Words used to describe beauty don’t need to distinguish between men and women. I don’t discriminate against men.” The junior sister shook her head and sighed. “Unfortunately, while Liuguang Sect’s sword cultivators are good-looking, their temperament is too cold. I find it a bit hard to take.”

As if you could handle it and they would fancy you. Gui Lin knew the words he said afterward wouldn’t draw any attention from these fellow disciples at all. Holding his sword, he silently left. Walking along the white jade corridor, he looked up toward the main hall, lost in thought.

The cultivation world’s number one sect, Liuguang Sect, sending gifts to Yunhua Sect—this was an extremely strange matter to begin with. Moreover, it happened twice in such a short time. Could it be that Liuguang Sect needed something from Yunhua Sect?

“Gui Lin, come quickly! There’s a dish you like for lunch today. If you’re late, there’ll only be soup left.” The chubby Gao Jianyan waved at him from a distance. “We’ll go save seats first.”

Watching their hurriedly departing backs, Gui Lin deeply doubted whether disciples raised in this environment could be of any use in the future. Though disdainful in his heart, Gui Lin’s feet didn’t stop as he walked in the direction Gao Jianyan and the others had left.

From Yicheng to Yancheng required crossing a long and wide river. For cultivators at Foundation Establishment stage and above, crossing this river was very easy. But ordinary people had to rely on boats to cross. Local residents skilled in water kept ferries docked at the riverbank, earning money from river crossings.

The ferries weren’t large—each boat could seat at most ten people. The boatmen wore thick clothing, and the hands gripping the ferry poles were dark and black, like cracked old tree bark. This was the necessary route from Yicheng to Yancheng, so the boatmen didn’t lack business. However, when they saw Kong Hou and the others descend from the carriage, they were somewhat disappointed.

One look at these three people’s attire showed they weren’t ordinary people, so naturally they wouldn’t need ferries.

A clever boatman hailed other passersby and soon filled a boat. Fortunately, the current here wasn’t swift, so with a strong push of the pole against the riverbank, the boat would slowly drift toward the river’s center.

Among ordinary people, silver and gold were also circulating currencies. Jade coins and spirit stones were rare items to them. As for purple crystals, which were more valuable than spirit stones, many people died without knowing what they looked like.

Lin Hu gently patted the horses’ heads a few times, and they rose into the air, their hooves treading on auspicious clouds as they pulled the carriage flying across the river surface. Only then did Kong Hou discover these two horses weren’t ordinary horses but horses that could fly to the heavens. She hadn’t expected that even the horse world valued keeping abilities hidden.

Since Huan Zong and Kong Hou didn’t know what riding a ferry felt like, Lin Hu could only find a boatman and rent an entire boat to let these two young people who didn’t know the hardships of common life experience the swaying feeling of a covered boat.

The long benches in the covered boat had been sat on by countless ferry passengers until they were oily and shiny. The boat bottom had a thick layer of grime—trampled by who knows how many people, the wood’s original color was no longer visible.

Seeing Huan Zong standing at the bow without coming in, Lin Hu used a cleaning spell to sweep the cabin clean and laid several layers of brocade on the long bench before saying: “Young Master, Miss Kong Hou, please come in.” Weren’t you very curious and wanted to ride the boat? Why are you standing at the bow?

“Coming!” Kong Hou chatted idly with the boatman at the riverside, asking about his daily income and what he did when the river froze. The boatman rarely had opportunities to talk with female cultivators, so he answered whatever Kong Hou asked. His face, weathered by wind and sun, was black with a hint of red. If Kong Hou asked him right now whether there were fish in the river water, he would probably jump in and catch one for her.

Seeing Kong Hou board the boat, he untied the mooring rope and jumped onto the boat, only then discovering the covered boat was now so clean it looked newly made. In just that brief moment, what had happened?

Truly worthy of immortal methods—able to make old boats new. Should he return the boat rental money to them later as a thank-you fee?

River wind blew over. The boatman quickly tightened his clothes and started rowing. The covered boat swayed on the river surface. Kong Hou felt this was too different from the lotus-picking poems’ descriptions. Inside the covered boat was narrow and stuffy—not at all suitable for viewing the river scenery.

“If Miss Kong Hou feels uncomfortable, I have a flying boat magical tool. On the water surface, it can transform into a pleasure boat—not only stable but also able to view scenery.” Lin Hu saw at a glance that Kong Hou wasn’t adapting well to the covered boat environment. Even his young master’s tense mouth corners seemed to droop slightly.

This was probably what “Lord Ye’s love of dragons” meant.

Kong Hou turned to look at the young boatman outside the canopy rowing hard with his oar and shook her head: “As a person, the most important thing is to see things through to the end. Forget the magical tool.”

Lin Hu looked at Huan Zong, who also shook his head slightly.

He sighed helplessly. Let them do as they pleased.

When the boat reached the river’s center, the current became increasingly swift and the boat rocked more violently. Kong Hou lifted the curtain in the middle of the canopy—only the size of a head—and looked out, furrowing her brow.

“Someone fell in the water?” Lin Hu also heard screaming. Soon cries for help also came over.

“I’ll go look.” Kong Hou walked out of the cabin. The boatman saw her come out and asked in confusion: “Xianzi, you…”

Kong Hou had no time to answer his question. She flung out her flying sword in midair, stepped onto it, and rushed toward the direction of the cries for help. Not far from the opposite riverbank, most of the boats that had departed earlier were half-submerged in the water. Because of the cold weather, everyone wore thick clothing. Once in the water, they sank and couldn’t swim.

“Help! Help!” A woman clung to the half-sunken boat rail with one hand, holding a three or four-year-old child in the other. The child was crying loudly in fright, his face frozen blue.

Seeing Kong Hou flying in midair, hope burst forth in the woman’s eyes: “Xianzi, I beg you to save my child!” She desperately lifted the child in her hands. Though the icy river water had exhausted all her strength, the moment she saw Kong Hou, she seemed to explode with tremendous potential and actually managed to lift the child up.

Kong Hou threw a jade boat onto the river surface. The sleeve in her hand transformed into long silk, rolled up the child, and placed him on the jade boat. With another wave of her hand, she swept everyone in the river water onto the jade boat.

“Thank you, Xianzi! Thank you, Xianzi!” The rescued people’s faces were frozen white, yet they had no time to complain about the cold. All knelt on the boat to thank Kong Hou. Even the child who had been crying loudly just moments ago didn’t dare cry too loudly anymore. Sobbing, he was pressed by his mother to kowtow.

Seeing them so anxious and fearful, Kong Hou sighed. From her storage ring, she found a rabbit fur cloak she’d worn when she first came to the cultivation world and tossed it into the woman’s arms: “The child’s clothes are soaked through. Take them off and wrap him in this for now.”

“Thank you, Xianzi! Thank you, Xianzi!” The woman kowtowed heavily several times. Looking at the snow-white, flawless rabbit fur on the cloak, she wiped her hands on her wet clothes several times before carefully helping the child change.

“Kong Hou, I have unused quilts here.” Huan Zong, standing on a flying magical tool, came behind Kong Hou. “Let them wrap up in these temporarily.” Ordinary people had mortal bodies—being too cold could kill them.

Tossing the quilts onto the jade boat, Huan Zong didn’t wait for them to kowtow to him. With a wave of his hand, he made the jade boat glide across the river and land on shore. Only then did the people who had recovered from their fright come to their senses. Some wailed loudly while others kept thanking them.

Kong Hou retrieved the flying boat. This was a Foundation Establishment gift personally crafted by Elder Pei Huai of Wuyang Peak and given to her. Because it was too beautiful, she had never been willing to use it. She hadn’t expected its first use would be under these circumstances.

The jade boat flew into her hand and transformed into a leaf-sized small boat. Kong Hou poured out the water inside, wiped the inside clean with a handkerchief, and put it back in her storage pouch. She didn’t dare use a cleaning spell—what if this magical tool was allergic to cleaning spells and she broke it?

Turning to look at the covered boat still rowing in the river’s center, Kong Hou sighed: “Looks like we won’t finish experiencing ‘drifting on the river’ today.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll try again when there’s another chance.” Huan Zong immediately said. “Let’s return to the carriage now.”

“Alright.” Kong Hou nodded. The two had a tacit understanding not to mention they could still fly back, firmly refusing to let the other discover they didn’t keep their word—riding covered boats wasn’t fun at all.

After Huan Zong and Kong Hou left, other people on the river surface helped the frightened drowning victims up in a flurry. Villagers living nearby took them back to their homes to shelter from the cold.

The village chief watched them huddle around the fire drinking ginger soup and sighed: “You were lucky—you encountered disciples from righteous sects.” Otherwise, falling into river water in this weather had only one outcome: death. Even riverside people like them, no matter how skilled in water, wouldn’t dare jump into the water to save them.

“That Xianzi is called Kong Hou,” the woman holding the child said. “I heard that Xian Chang call her that.”

“Kong Hou?” The village chief touched the top of the rescued child’s head. “Don’t forget this debt of gratitude.”

The child gripped the rabbit fur cloak that was somewhat oversized for him and silently nodded. The woman holding him hadn’t shed a single tear in the river water, yet now holding him, she cried nonstop: “Fortunately that Xianzi was there, fortunately…”

Yancheng was also called Water City. Within its geographical boundaries were several rivers of various sizes. It was said places with abundant water nourished people. Yancheng’s young men and women were exceptionally attractive, and song and dance were local specialties. Every time flowers bloomed profusely, even many cultivators would come here to appreciate flowers and performances.

The carriage Kong Hou and the others rode had just reached the city gate when guards stopped them. Only after examining all three of their identity tokens did they permit passage. Of all the cities they’d passed through, Yancheng had the strictest inspections—even Yongcheng where Yunhua Sect was located couldn’t compare.

“Please forgive us, Xian Chang. Because Yancheng has many residents and many rivers, we inspect visiting outsiders more strictly.” The guard cupped his hands toward Lin Hu. “We’ve delayed Xian Chang’s time. Please enter.”

“As it should be.” Lin Hu nodded lightly and drove the carriage through Yancheng’s main gate. Over a thousand years ago, when evil cultivators caused trouble, some poisoned Yancheng’s waterways. Fortunately, Hefeng Studio’s sect master at that time was meticulous and had dispatched disciples to constantly guard the upper and middle reaches of the rivers, monitoring whether anyone poisoned the water. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Although this matter had passed over a thousand years ago, Hefeng Studio still maintained the habit of testing water sources three times daily and strictly examining the identities of passersby. Lin Hu didn’t think this was wrong. With so many residents and cultivators in Yancheng, if something went wrong with any river, the cost would be enormous.

“I’m a proper, upstanding cultivator. What right do you have to stop me? Don’t think just because you Hefeng Studio lackeys have Liuguang Sect backing you that you can look down on us rogue cultivators.”

Lin Hu frowned and stopped the carriage to look back at the main gate. These two sentences implicated three parties of cultivators.