The flying palace departed from the Yan City area, soaring high into the cloud layers. Mountains, rivers, and layers of white clouds were all beneath the flying palace. Kong Hou stood by the railing, looking through the barrier at the white clouds below, and the mountains and rivers that appeared and disappeared beneath the cloud cover.
When a person stands at a high place, great mountains and rivers seem extremely small, easily creating an illusion of having conquered the earth. Yet the mountains are still those mountains, the rivers are still those rivers—no one can truly conquer them. They are born of heaven and earth, and in the end will only disappear within heaven and earth.
Kong Hou raised her head to look at the deep blue sky. It was so vast there—what lay hidden behind that expanse of blue? Was it the immortal realm that cultivators dreamed of day and night, or another realm they had never encountered before?
Some say that cultivation is defying heaven and changing fate, contending with heaven and earth. Kong Hou’s perspective was completely opposite to theirs. Their cultivation was not about contending with heaven and earth, but about conforming to the great dao of heaven and earth, allowing body and mind to unite with heaven and earth, and ultimately gaining heaven and earth’s recognition to ascend as immortals. The spiritual energy they drew into their bodies came from the gifts of heaven and earth; the materials they used to craft magical tools also came from the earth. Everything they relied upon was given by heaven and earth—how could there be any talk of defying heaven and changing fate?
Huan Zong walked to her side, carrying a faint and pleasant medicinal fragrance. Kong Hou turned her head to glance at him. “Why aren’t you resting in your room?”
“I saw you standing here for a long time from the window,” Huan Zong said, lowering his head to look at the white clouds beneath the flying palace. “Are you worried about Jixiang Pavilion?”
Kong Hou shook her head and pointed at the blue sky above. “I’m looking at the sky.”
Huan Zong raised his head to look at the sky. In his pupils was reflected a stretch of pure blue, so blue it was without any impurities.
“Just now I suddenly had a strange thought. We cultivators are always accustomed to flying and standing at high places, as if everything is under our control…” Kong Hou rested her hand on the cold jade railing. “But we’re also just one among all living beings.”
Huan Zong looked at Kong Hou with surprise. He hadn’t expected that at such a young age, she already had thoughts of comprehending the dao. Comprehending the dao focused on the word “comprehension”—this was something no one could teach, and which couldn’t be taught, because the dao resides in one’s original heart. Apart from oneself, no one else could easily influence another’s dao.
Some cultivators never comprehend their own dao even unto their death, which is why people often sigh “if I could hear the dao in the morning, I could die content in the evening.” Kong Hou’s natural talent and temperament for cultivation truly made one both delighted and worried.
“Kong Hou, I am a sword cultivator. For me, the most important thing is the sword. With the sword, I can cut down all evil demons and stand proudly in the world.” Huan Zong put his hands behind his back, looking calmly at the earth below. “I am the sword, the sword is me. What my heart desires, my sword pursues—this is my sword dao.”
Something like inspiration seemed to flash through Kong Hou’s mind, but this feeling vanished in an instant. She looked at Huan Zong with half-understanding, half-doubt, feeling as if there was a path before her, but she didn’t yet have the key to open that door.
“Some things don’t need to be rushed. When the opportunity arrives, all problems will be easily resolved.” Huan Zong took out a beautiful storage ring. “There’s something I haven’t given you yet.”
“A storage ring?” Kong Hou accepted the ring. This was an ownerless storage ring without divine consciousness. She looked at Huan Zong questioningly. “What’s this for?”
“A few days ago, my master heard you were traveling with me and prepared a gift for you. Inside are some things girls commonly use. See if there’s anything you like.” Huan Zong had been wanting to find an opportunity to pass on to Kong Hou the items the Yuxiao Sect’s steward had given him, but hadn’t found an excuse. Now seeing that Kong Hou was unhappy about not comprehending the dao, he didn’t even think about the reason for giving the gift, wanting to take out these things girls might like to make her happy.
Kong Hou swept through the storage ring with her divine consciousness. Inside were hairpins and rings, skirts and robes, embroidered shoes, spirit stones—everything was there. There were even currently fashionable shawls, handkerchiefs, magical staffs, flying swords and other items. She looked at Huan Zong, then looked at the storage ring again. The legendary powerful, cold-faced and taciturn sword cultivator was actually this thoughtful?
Really… sword cultivators couldn’t be judged by appearances, just as the sea couldn’t be measured with a dipper.
Seeing Kong Hou remain silent, Huan Zong thought she didn’t like these things. “If you don’t like them, I’ll buy new ones for you when we reach Jixiang Pavilion.”
“They’re very beautiful, I like them very much.” Kong Hou shook her head and put the ring back in Huan Zong’s hand. “There are too many spirit stones inside. I appreciate Master Uncle’s kind intentions, but I can’t accept this storage ring. It’s too valuable—I would feel guilty accepting it.”
“Master rarely gives gifts to girls. If you don’t accept it, he’ll only think you don’t like these things.” Huan Zong stuffed the storage ring back into Kong Hou’s hand. “Moreover, you’ve also prepared gifts for them—how can you talk about feeling guilty?”
She had also sent gifts? When? Kong Hou looked down at the storage ring Huan Zong had forcibly returned to her palm, completely confused. Could it be referring to those three merman scales? But those were sent by the sect—what did they have to do with her?
“Sect Master, a flying sword messenger has arrived.”
“Again?” Having received gifts several times before, this time when he heard his disciple say a flying sword messenger had arrived, Jin Yue felt his heart was as calm as still water. It seemed people’s adaptability was truly very strong. “Please show them in.”
Flying sword messengers were busy. Even if the person signing for the storage bag was the sect master of the cultivation world’s foremost great sect, they had no time for small talk. After Jin Yue impressed his divine consciousness onto the jade slip confirming receipt, the flying sword messenger hurriedly flew away.
Time was money. Their flying sword messengers’ motto was fast, safe, and trustworthy—the customer’s time was life.
“Sect Master, has Martial Nephew sent something back again?” Peak Master Song He entered through the main door. Seeing the storage bag in Jin Yue’s hand, a trace of a smile appeared on his serious face. “This time it’s actually packed in a disposable storage bag—looks like the contents are very novel.”
At least it looked more refined than the previous few times when items were packed in large cloth bags that scattered all over the floor when the flying sword messenger took them out of the storage ring.
Jin Yue looked up at Song He. Song He walked to a meditation cushion, sat down cross-legged, and waited for Jin Yue to open the storage bag, showing not the slightest intention of leaving. Seeing he was unwilling to leave, Jin Yue didn’t drive him away either. He opened the storage bag and poured out its contents. A mountain of dried salted fish instantly piled up on the floor.
Song He, assaulted by the smell of salted fish: “…”
Although Martial Nephew didn’t talk much, he could at least be considered a refined person. Why would he send back a pile of smelly salted fish to the sect? In Jin Yue’s presence, at this moment he could neither leave nor cover his nose. He could only secretly circulate his spiritual power to seal off his sense of smell.
Pretending not to see his little trick, Jin Yue picked up a piece of dried fish and examined it carefully several times. “This is dried fish made from Twin-Winged Fish.”
“Twin-Winged Fish?” Song He picked up a fish in surprise and looked it over several times. “This kind of fish should be eaten fresh to maintain its best condition. Who would be so wasteful as to turn it into dried fish?!” Twin-Winged Fish could both swim in water and fly in the sky. When consumed, it had poison-avoiding and body-refining effects. A single one could sell for nearly a thousand spirit stones. People who caught this kind of fish either joyfully cooked and ate it, or carefully raised it to exchange with others for a high price. In his nearly thousand years of life, this was the first time he’d seen dried salted fish made from Twin-Winged Fish.
His feelings were… very complex.
This pile of dried fish had at least around two hundred pieces. Where did Martial Nephew find such good things?
“What’s this?” Song He saw a golden gleam in the pile of dried fish. Unable to care about how unbearably smelly these salted fish were, he pushed aside the pile and dug out the golden object. This was a small dried fish, golden all over, as if made of gold. Although most of the scales on the fish’s body were already lost, the golden glow emanating from its entire body was still very dazzling.
“This is…” Jin Yue stood up and took the fish from Song He’s hand. “This is… this is a Dragon Fish?”
There were three Dragon Gates. When a fish leaped over all three Dragon Gates, it would transform from fish to dragon. But if it crossed even one Dragon Gate, even if it couldn’t transform into a dragon, it would be touched by dragon qi and become a Dragon Fish—half dragon, half fish. This kind of fish carried dragon breath. Though not as precious as a dragon, it was extremely rare. Because most fish that failed to cross the Dragon Gates had already been struck dead by tribulation lightning, Dragon Fish that survived and were caught by people were pitifully rare.
“Sect Master… a Dragon Fish is worth an entire spirit vein. Martial Nephew is truly filial to you.” Song He thought of his own two disciples. They had followed him for five or six hundred years—why weren’t they as sensible as Martial Nephew?
“Young people don’t know any better. Relying on having some money, they like to buy rare and curious things carelessly.” Jin Yue put the Dragon Fish in a box. “I’ll keep this for him. Distribute these Twin-Winged Fish to each peak—it counts as his heartfelt gesture.”
“Sect Master, that Dragon Fish…”
“The Dragon Fish is too small to divide.” Jin Yue tossed the box into his storage ring and said with a stern face, “It’s not right to keep this pile of salted fish here. Go call disciples to come and distribute the items early.”
Song He: “…”
That stingy manner—acting as if others didn’t have disciples. He not only had them, he had two!
Huan Zong didn’t know that the pile of dried salted fish Kong Hou had helped him send back was actually extremely valuable. He accompanied Kong Hou sitting by the flying palace’s railing, watching clouds gather and scatter, winds rise and clouds disperse.
The Jixiang Pavilion disciples sitting in the flying palace’s room secretly stole glances at the two of them, feeling that the man was ethereally elegant while the woman was beautifully vivacious. Though their personalities had no similarities whatsoever, when sitting together, they were unexpectedly well-matched.
“Senior Sister, we’re about to enter Feng Province territory. Looks like this time’s great misfortune divination has been resolved.” Hong Ling looked outside and, seeing the flying palace was about to enter Feng Province territory, felt greatly relieved.
As long as they flew over this dense forest, it would belong to Feng Province’s jurisdiction. Even if there really were evil cultivators causing trouble, they would have to show some restraint.
“I’ve told you before, don’t speak carelessly until things become definite.” Ge Jin was about to lecture Hong Ling a few more words when she saw Daoist Huan Zong outside suddenly stand up. For some reason, she had an ominous premonition.
“Huan Zong?” Seeing Huan Zong’s expression suddenly darken, Kong Hou drew the Shuishuang Sword from her hair and gripped it in her hand. “Is someone approaching?”
“To have such vigilance, it seems my disciple didn’t die unjustly at your hands.” An aged voice came from the cloud layers, yet no figure was visible.
“No need for mystification—show yourself.” Huan Zong’s hand flashed with silver light and a dragon’s cry rang out. His life-bound sword had arrived in his hand. He glanced at Kong Hou behind him but didn’t remove the flying palace’s barrier.
“It’s good for young people to have ability, but too arrogant a tone shows disrespect for elders.” A white-robed old man with crane-like white hair and a childlike face, appearing immortal and transcendent, materialized. If he hadn’t spoken provocatively, Kong Hou would have only thought he was some sect’s profound elder.
“A sword cultivator?” The old man sat cross-legged on a dark purple gourd, shaking the smoking pipe in his hand. “A few days ago, my disciple visited the two of you at your separate residences and never returned. I’m deeply worried about my disciple—I hope you two fellow daoists will give me an explanation.”
This old man was an evil cultivator?!
Kong Hou recalled the evil cultivator who had prepared to attack her when they first arrived in Yan City. That evil cultivator was already at Nascent Soul stage cultivation—how profound must his master’s cultivation be?!
“Your disciple trespassed on private property and attempted to harm lives, so he naturally has been executed.” Huan Zong said coldly, “My eyes cannot tolerate a single grain of sand. You’d best leave quickly.”
“What an arrogant tone!” The old evil cultivator snorted coldly. “A life for a life—today I’ll use your heads as blood sacrifice for my disciple.”
The old evil cultivator no longer restrained the aura on his body. The massive spiritual pressure shook the barrier outside the flying palace until it nearly shattered and split—but only nearly.
Kong Hou looked at the constantly trembling barrier and asked worriedly, “Huan Zong, who is this?”
“If I’m not mistaken, he is one of the Black and White Two Evil Venerable Ones—the Painless Old Man.” Huan Zong looked at the other’s transcendent appearance. “This person is ruthless and bloodthirsty, addicted to blood like life itself. He’s already at Divine Transformation stage cultivation.”