“I’m here to keep you company. Master Uncle,” Mendong looked at the spirit artifacts on the giant tree: “I can sense very abundant spiritual energy under the tree roots, but… with so many cultivators’ spirit artifacts here, is there danger?”

“What’s there to fear?” The young man glanced at him: “Even if there’s danger, I’ll protect you. Big Senior Brother only has you as his sole disciple. When he dies of old age, he’ll still count on you to help collect his corpse. Don’t worry, I won’t let you die here.”

Mendong: “…” These words didn’t sound very pleasant.

The child sighed and simply stopped continuing this gloomy topic, changing the subject: “By the way, Master Uncle, how is that friend of yours doing lately?”

Gu Baiying was baffled: “What friend?”

“That friend who was forcibly kissed, but the other person doesn’t want to take responsibility, so he spends his days in self-pity and heartbreak, destined to be abandoned—that poor wretch friend!”

Gu Baiying: “…”

His face looked extremely ugly: “Who told you he spends his days in self-pity and heartbreak? How do you know he’s destined to be abandoned?”

“Isn’t this obvious?” Mendong spread his small hands.

“Get lost.”

“Master Uncle, don’t be angry. I know that as a friend, you don’t want him to live so miserably. Master Uncle’s friend is my friend, so I specially prepared a magical treasure for your friend with great care. Maybe someday it could come in handy.”

Gu Baiying looked at him suspiciously: “What magical treasure?”

Mendong looked around sneakily, and seeing no one around, pulled out a book from his Qiankun Bag: “Look at this!”

This was a tattered book that looked very old from the cover, as if it had been read thousands of times. The title read: “Self-Cultivation of a Fool.”

Gu Baiying raised his eyebrows: “Fool?”

“Look, when we travel around usually, the storytellers in taverns always tell those hero-saves-beauty stories, which are so old-fashioned, yet so many people still love listening to them. In these stories, there’s generally a hero, a beauty, and a villain.”

Gu Baiying: “Mm.”

Besides the hero, beauty, and villain, most of the time, there’s also an important character who is either the beauty’s cousin or her childhood friend, having a natural relationship with the beauty. He seems to have the advantage of proximity, but in the end, gets nothing. Master Uncle, guess why this is?”

“…Why?”

“Because he’s the fool! From the beginning, he’s meant to serve as a foil for that hero! Think about it—in all those plays we’ve heard, don’t those fools show every courtesy and care to the beauty, yet in the end the beauty still gives her heart to another?”

Gu Baiying held back his temper: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Master Uncle, your friend right now is equivalent to the fool in our play. Normally, at times like this, it would be best to advise him to see clearly and free himself early. But from what I hear from Master Uncle, your friend loves the beauty deeply and doesn’t want to let go for now. If that’s the case, let him read this book—it can help him.”

Gu Baiying was very skeptical: “Just this?”

“Don’t underestimate it. In the library, countless senior brothers troubled by love have read this book. This book teaches how to maintain steady, long-lasting care, achieving perfection in details—like when to show silent concern, when to quietly withdraw, when to provide help in times of need, and when not to disturb. A senior brother in our sect read this and followed what was written for ten years, finally touching the senior sister’s heart.” Mendong stuffed the book into Gu Baiying’s hands: “Take it and let that friend see it. It will be very beneficial.”

The young man waved his hand dismissively, his tone impatient: “What nonsense, I’m not reading it!”

“Master Uncle, don’t disbelieve it. This book is quite popular in our Taiyan Sect. Even Sixth Master Uncle secretly read it before.” Mendong still wanted to persuade.

As the two argued, a hand reached in between them and took the book away. Mu Cengxiao’s voice came from beside them: “If Master Uncle won’t read it, then lend it to me to see.”

Gu Baiying: “…”

Mu Cengxiao had somehow already walked behind the two of them. He was quite unceremonious, stuffing the book into his Qiankun Bag and trying hard to appear nonchalant.

“What do you need this for?” Mendong stared wide-eyed in astonishment: “Yang Zanxing and Miss Liu are both devoted to you. You’re not a fool—you’re a hero among heroes. Taking this would be completely unnecessary!”

“Junior brother, don’t speak carelessly,” Mu Cengxiao hastily explained: “Sister Zanxing and I have fellow disciple affection. As for Yunxin, I only see her as a younger sister.”

Mendong sneered: “Hah, what’s the difference between what you’re saying and what a heartbreaker would say? Then why do you want this book? Who do you want to care for? Senior Sister Meng?”

Mu Cengxiao’s face reddened, and he didn’t refute.

Mendong was shocked: “You covet Senior Sister Meng!”

A hand covered his mouth: “Keep your voice down!”

Mendong struggled to push away Gu Baiying’s hand, saying unclearly through his covered mouth: “Master Uncle, you should also control him. He’s being unclear with three girls at once. How can our sect tolerate such a person who’s unfaithful in love? And Master Uncle, you’re still protecting him!”

“Shut up!” Gu Baiying lowered his voice: “The seal is moving!”

Mendong was stunned: “Eh?”

Mu Cengxiao’s expression changed slightly as he gripped his Mieshen Saber tightly.

Wind had begun rising from the ground at some unknown time.

This wind was different from the wind when they descended the mountain. It seemed to grow little by little from underground. It wasn’t cold on the face, but it made all the spirit artifacts on the tree rustle loudly, as if these spirit artifacts would fall from the tree at any moment.

And that seal that Gu Baiying had half-opened earlier had shown no abnormalities until now, when golden yuanli gradually flowed away from the seal. The binding force grew weaker and weaker. No one was touching it, but the seal was about to open.

On the side of the cliff wall, Meng Ying and Tian Fangfang had already sensed that something was wrong. Both simultaneously gripped their weapons tightly, looking toward the giant tree.

“Strange,” Meng Ying murmured, “Master Uncle didn’t continue opening the seal, so why is the seal moving by itself?”

“This evil wind is blowing rather ominously,” Tian Fangfang shouldered his axe. “Is Master Uncle’s side alright? Should we wake junior sister?”

Zanxing was still sleeping. In her dreams, she seemed to hear someone’s voice. This voice was androgynous, sometimes far and sometimes near, like a clear child’s voice, yet also hoarse like an ancient old person. She couldn’t hear clearly what this voice was saying, only feeling that it seemed to contain endless bewitchment, luring her forward.

She couldn’t help but take a step forward.

Zanxing suddenly opened her eyes.

The next moment, the wind around the giant tree suddenly stopped. The spirit artifacts hanging all over the tree no longer swayed. In the snow-covered earth, the green tree stood tall and upright, full of vitality.

All traces of yuanli disappeared completely. The seal was opened.