In the room, Mu Cengxiao was folding several garments and packing them into a bundle.

He wasn’t like Hua Yue, that wealthy young master who traveled everywhere with an entourage. He neither loved luxury nor had the money to enjoy it. When he first entered the Taiyan Sect, he hadn’t brought much luggage to begin with. Now, preparing for his move to Miaokong Hall, he only had a few pieces of clothing to pack and take with him.

The Taiyan Sect provided robes for its disciples, so there was no shortage of clothing. However, what he packed in his bundle were all undergarments and boots that Liu Yunxin had personally made for him by hand. Although he wouldn’t need them here, they still represented Liu Yunxin’s heartfelt intentions. Even though those clothes were covered with patches, with some areas that had been taken apart and sewn back together, sewn and taken apart again, when he looked at them, he felt warmth spreading through his heart.

Just as he was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door outside. Mu Cengxiao thought it was a disciple from Miaokong Hall delivering something, so he walked over and opened the door. When he saw clearly who was standing outside, he couldn’t help but freeze.

Yang Zanxing smiled at him: “Senior Brother Mu.”

Mu Cengxiao frowned: “Yang Zanxing, what are you doing here?”

“Of course, I came to congratulate you.” Zanxing stepped through the door with one foot, walking in with familiar ease. “Senior Brother Mu, from now on, we’re both Master’s direct disciples, living together in Miaokong Hall. You don’t need to give me the cold shoulder every time you see me.”

“There’s nothing to congratulate.” Mu Cengxiao’s expression was displeased, his tone ice-cold: “The one who won first place was you, not me.” Speaking of this, Mu Cengxiao also felt indignant in his heart. He had come to the Taiyan Sect to find spiritual medicine to treat Liu Yunxin’s illness. The Xianyu Lingzhi would undoubtedly be like sending charcoal in snowy weather for Liu Yunxin. So he had fought desperately to compete for first place in the inner sect examination. But unexpectedly, his skills were inferior, and he had lost to Yang Zanxing.

Yang Zanxing was just an arrogant, pampered woman with a narrow mind, whose only concern was capturing Wang Shao’s heart. He didn’t know what had happened between her and Wang Shao, but in the end, it was she who entered the Taiyan Sect and sailed smoothly all the way.

Perhaps she had some fortuitous encounter, just like him. But luck was something you couldn’t envy even if you wanted to. Mu Cengxiao thought this way in his heart, then took out a new pair of shoes from under the bed and stuffed them into his bundle.

Zanxing walked to his side and reached out to pick up those new shoes. Mu Cengxiao snatched them back in one motion, angrily saying: “What are you doing?”

“These shoes aren’t from the sect, they were made for you by Miss Liu, weren’t they?” Zanxing sighed with admiration: “They’re made so well, the stitches are so dense, you can tell at a glance they’re warm.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Zanxing looked at him. The young man stood under the lamplight. He wasn’t as handsome and bright as Gu Baiying, but he wasn’t someone who would be overlooked at first glance either. Reserved and stern, the gray-blue robe on him made him appear more resolute. This sense of strength was indeed very eye-catching.

Zanxing withdrew her gaze, sat down at the table on her own, picked up the teapot, and poured herself a cup of tea. After taking a sip, she said, “You and Miss Liu grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Although you have no blood relation, you’re closer than actual siblings. But Miss Liu’s health is poor.” Zanxing paused. “Last time in Pingyang Town, I could tell. She has a congenital deficiency, a weak constitution. The reason you wanted to enter the Taiyan Sect was hoping to be able to protect her, right?”

“What business is it of yours?” Mu Cengxiao looked at her with a face full of wariness.

Zanxing said, “In this inner sect examination, the first place reward was Xianyu Lingzhi. For cultivators, Xianyu Lingzhi can help with breakthroughs, but for ordinary people, it can temper muscles and bones. Miss Liu needs this Lingzhi.”

“Are you here to show off?” Mu Cengxiao’s expression darkened.

Zanxing opened the black box beside her. Inside the box, the Xianyu Lingzhi emitted a faint azure glow. She said, “I heard your reward is the Tianji Magical Robe. Senior Brother Mu, let’s make a trade. My Xianyu Lingzhi for your Tianji Magical Robe.”

Mu Cengxiao frowned: “What did you say?”

“Trade or not?” Zanxing looked at him with a smile.

Mu Cengxiao’s brows knitted together, his gaze full of suspicion, and for a moment, he didn’t speak.

“You don’t need to look at me like that. I’m not particularly interested in breaking through to become stronger. In comparison, I prefer that beautiful, magical robe. Since that’s the case, if you and I exchange, each getting what we need, wouldn’t everyone be happy?” She thought of something and smiled again: “If you’re afraid I’ve tampered with it, you can take this item to Master for identification, to see whether it’s Xianyu Lingzhi or not. With Master’s expert eye, there certainly won’t be any mistakes.”

Mu Cengxiao’s expression was uncertain. Indeed, Zanxing’s words were very tempting to him. He had fought desperately in the inner sect examination to defeat the Mo Sha, all for this Xianyu Lingzhi, but ultimately failed at the final moment. Now that Zanxing proposed an exchange, he naturally couldn’t ask for anything better. However, everyone knew that no matter how precious the Tianji Magical Robe was, it couldn’t compare to the Xianyu Lingzhi. Even a fool would know this was a losing deal, so why would Yang Zanxing do this?

Was she this kind-hearted?

“Take your time thinking.” Zanxing finished the tea in her cup, stood up, and said: “I’ll leave this Lingzhi with you for now. When you’ve decided, if you don’t want to trade, just send the box back. If you want to trade, just let me know and I’ll come get the Tianji Magical Robe.” After saying this, she was about to get up and leave.

“Wait,” Mu Cengxiao called out to her: “You’re just leaving the Xianyu Lingzhi here?”

Zanxing looked at him and smiled: “We’re all fellow disciples from the same sect, I trust you. Senior Brother, take your time considering.” Mu Cengxiao was the male protagonist of “Nine Heaven Summit” after all. Male protagonists were all people of their word who disdained petty behavior.

She had one foot about to step out the door when she suddenly heard someone speak behind her: “No need, I’ll answer you now.”

Zanxing turned around and saw the young man looking at her, as if he had made some kind of resolution, saying, “I’ll trade with you.”

……

The snow on Gufeng Mountain finally stopped in the evening.

Outside Xiaoyao Hall, at the end of the curved corridor, there was a small bridge. When Qinghua Xianzi was alive, she liked to stand at the bridge head, feeding the red-tailed fish at the bottom of the pool with fish food. Now that the beauty had departed, no one swept the bridge surface, and it was covered with a thick layer of accumulated snow, pressing down until the bluestone bridge seemed about to collapse.

The young man wore a pale white brocade robe with black swallow patterns embroidered on the hem and collar, practicing spear techniques in the open space at the end of the small bridge. The spear tip stirred up the accumulated snow on the ground, pear blossom snowflakes dancing around him. The red-tailed fish at the bottom of the bridge seemed attracted and floated to the surface. Suddenly, a snowflake fell into the pool with a soft “plop,” leaving only a touch of red on the water surface.

Gu Baiying suddenly withdrew his spear. At the tip of the silver long spear, a snowflake had not yet had time to melt. He looked at it for a moment, then with a flick of his wrist, that snowflake leisurely drifted down and melted into the vast white snow.

In the distance, a small figure in a light pink robe came running frantically, shouting as she ran: “Master Uncle, this is bad! Something terrible has happened!”

Gu Baiying raised his eyes and saw Mendong running breathlessly from outside the hall.

This child was always making a big fuss over nothing. Gu Baiying wiped the spear tip with a handkerchief without much concern, asking as he did so: “What terrible thing?”

Mendong stopped, panted for several breaths, and when her strength had recovered somewhat, said: “I just went to deliver supplies to the inner sect examination disciples, and thought I’d drop by to see Yang Zanxing… but I saw her leave with the Xianyu Lingzhi, so I followed her all the way and discovered she went to find Mu Cengxiao, the disciple who placed second in this inner sect examination!”

“Oh.” Gu Baiying glanced at her: “And then?”

“I eavesdropped on their conversation, and Yang Zanxing wanted to make a trade with Mu Cengxiao. She used her own Xianyu Lingzhi to exchange for Mu Cengxiao’s Tianji Magical Robe!”

Hearing this, Gu Baiying paused in his action of wiping the long spear, opening his mouth in confusion: “Does she have a problem with her brain? Didn’t anyone tell her that Xianyu Lingzhi is much more precious than the Tianji Magical Robe?”

“She knows! She knows everything!” Mendong said urgently, “Yang Zanxing deliberately gave it to Mu Cengxiao in exchange.”

Gu Baiying tugged at the corner of his mouth: “Then she’s quite generous.”

Seeing the young man’s completely unconcerned appearance, Mendong became anxious and couldn’t help grabbing his sleeve: “No, Master Uncle, aren’t you worried?”

Gu Baiying: “What does this have to do with me?”

Mendong sighed deeply: “The Xianyu Lingzhi is so precious, yet Yang Zanxing is willing to give it away voluntarily, making such a losing deal. What’s she after?”

Gu Baiying looked puzzled: “What’s she after?”

“Of course she’s after Mu Cengxiao!” Mendong shouted, “She must like Mu Cengxiao. Master Uncle!” Mendong tried to persuade him patiently: “You have to understand, the Qin Chong seed is still in Yang Zanxing’s body. With Yang Zanxing acting this way, Mu Cengxiao might very well be moved. They’re both at the age when their blood runs hot. If they impulsively dual cultivate when no one’s around… Mu Cengxiao’s cultivation is higher than Yang Zanxing’s, so the Qin Chong seed would transfer to him. If this continues, wouldn’t we be letting that boy benefit for nothing!”

The young man’s expression paused: “What?”

Seeing that this person finally had some reaction, Mendong breathed a long sigh of relief and said, “Master Uncle, that’s why I said something terrible has happened. Who knows when those two might secretly dual-cultivate? After all, it’s like dry kindling meeting fierce fire… We can’t remain indifferent. We must nip this sort of thing in the bud.”

Gu Baiying flicked his forehead with a finger, making Mendong cry out: “Master Uncle, what are you doing?”

“You keep talking about dual cultivation all day long. What does a little brat understand about dual cultivation?” He said: “Besides, how do you nip this sort of thing in the bud?”

“That’s not necessarily impossible.” Mendong covered his head and smiled slyly: “Master Uncle, I have a method that’s guaranteed to work.”

“What method?” Gu Baiying was suspicious.

“I heard that Mu Cengxiao has a childhood sweetheart who’s currently living in Pingyang Town. Why don’t we bring her back to the sect? With that young lady around, Yang Zanxing can forget about having any romantic moments with Mu Cengxiao.” Mendong looked extremely pleased with himself.