Zanxing stared at him and said, “Master Uncle, your competitive spirit is really strong.”

This young man was simply like an unyielding wolf cub—whoever provoked him had to be bitten back.

“What else?” He raised an eyebrow: “Like you, standing there waiting to be ambushed? I’m now seriously doubting Xuan Lingzi’s judgment.”

“Master Uncle, it’s getting late.” Meng Ying glanced into the distance: “We should find a place to stay first.”

“Right, right,” Mendong also quickly stretched lazily, “I’m hungry too. Let’s go find an inn.”

The ruler of the Li’er Kingdom had warmly invited them to stay in the royal palace, but there were too many rules in the palace. Both Gu Baiying and Meng Ying disliked being constrained, so they decided to find an inn in the city instead. As a tourist city, the Li’er Kingdom had plenty of inns. During the once-every-ten-years secret realm opening period, the inns near the beach were especially packed.

The cultivators were all carefully selected promising talents from their sects, naturally not lacking spirit stones, so they all stayed at the best inns. In the Li’er Kingdom, the most expensive inn was the “Immortal Seeking Sea” inn.

The sea area near “Immortal Seeking Sea” had distinctly granulated white sand that looked clean and soft. Red mangroves grew by the seaside, and the distant seawater was as azure as glass. The inn buildings were all wooden towers. At night, sitting in the buildings and pushing open the windows revealed the ocean view. If there were a bright moon hanging high, it would illuminate the beach silver-bright like snow. Where tree shadows swayed, distant tide sounds surged, and moist sea breezes blew against one’s face, it was like mistakenly entering a fairyland’s secluded mirror.

Truly like seeking immortals by the sea.

This was Tian Fangfang’s first time staying by the seaside. He touched everything around—the bed curtains here were all snow-white gauze curtains. When sea breezes blew in from outside the window, the curtains fluttered like flowing clouds and mist. Zanxing sighed inwardly that such a wonderful place would be wasted if not used for a honeymoon.

She shared a room with Meng Ying, Gu Baiying shared with Mendong, and the remaining Mu Cengxiao and Tian Fangfang naturally shared a room as well. Although the Taiyan Sect wasn’t exactly poor, staying here cost over a hundred spirit stones per night—they could save a bit where possible.

Zanxing sat in the room for a while before feeling hungry in her stomach. She originally wanted to ask Meng Ying if she wanted to go out together to get something to eat, but saw that Meng Ying had somehow already begun meditating. Not wanting to disturb Meng Ying, she went downstairs alone to see what food was available at the inn.

This inn was very large, with small buildings on all four sides. In the middle of the small buildings was a courtyard with a flame tree planted in it—very beautiful. Zanxing went downstairs, wanting to cross the courtyard to reach the front hall. As she passed by, she noticed a bronze mirror hanging from the tree in the courtyard, wondering if it was deliberately hung there for people to arrange their appearance.

Zanxing walked to the mirror and looked at the person in it. The girl in the mirror had a tall and graceful figure with pretty features, except for the abrupt, dark, bruise-like scar on her right cheek that made her originally beautiful appearance look somewhat fierce.

She sighed. She had been taking the Jade Complexion Pills for several months now, but the scar hadn’t faded in the slightest. Zanxing suspected whether Li Danshu’s claim that it would fully recover in two years was just a consolation. Zanxing’s hand touched her cheek—this scar was too unsightly.

“How rare.” A familiar voice emerged from behind: “I thought you didn’t care.”

Zanxing turned around. Gu Baiying stood at the bottom of the building with his arms crossed, looking at her with leisure.

“Seventh Master Uncle?” Zanxing looked behind him and, not seeing anyone else, said: “Everyone has a heart for beauty. I also don’t want to be called ugly every day.”

“What, were you hurt by those bastards’ words at the gambling house?”

Zanxing: “……”

She put on a fake smile: “After all, I’m a young lady, and I don’t have Master Uncle’s overwhelming grace and brilliance like morning clouds.”

Gu Baiying always accepted others’ praise at face value. Hearing this, he showed no trace of modesty and simply said: “Of course.”

Zanxing was speechless and changed the subject: “Master Uncle, this tree looks very much like the flowering tree in Xiaoyao Palace.”

“So?”

Zanxing said, “I love it so much. Could you teach me illusion techniques?”

Ever since seeing that tree that could bloom even in winter at Xiaoyao Palace, Zanxing had developed a strong interest in illusion techniques. But the Taiyan Sect didn’t have illusion techniques as a subject, and even in the Scripture Pavilion, there were very few texts about illusion techniques. Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying: “I asked Master before, and Master said that in the Taiyan Sect, your illusion techniques are the best. Master Uncle, could you teach me?”

Gu Baiying might have a bad temper, but being away from home, he still bore the title of Master Uncle after all, so he didn’t refuse outright. He just lectured her: “Illusion techniques are just tricks to fool the eye with no attack power whatsoever. What’s most important for you now is improving your cultivation. Don’t aim too high while accomplishing too little, having high aspirations but low abilities.”

“How can they have no attack power?” Zanxing asked: “When we first met, the snow that flew out of your magical artifact was an illusion technique, but it still hurt me.”

“That was a cultivation method, not an illusion technique.” Gu Baiying rarely had the patience to explain: “Cultivators in the cultivation world disdain using powerless tricks to fool the eye, because such tricks can only deceive ordinary people without cultivation.” At this point, he glanced at Zanxing, probably despising that as a disciple of the Taiyan Sect, she couldn’t even distinguish illusion techniques. He paused before continuing: “Illusion techniques are mostly used by demons to harm people. The two-headed Asura you encountered in the Xumi Jiezi Map—in a certain sense, the two human faces you saw were also the result of illusion techniques.”

“You mean illusion techniques only work on ordinary people?” Zanxing humbly sought instruction.

“In most cases, yes.”

“Then in the small number of cases…”

“Legend says there are great demons in the demon realm who have lived for over a thousand years and can create illusions of entire cities. The flowers, birds, insects, and beasts in the pools, the sun, moon, clear skies, and rain, the people, livestock, and buildings are indistinguishable from reality.” Gu Baiying said, “If one encounters such a great demon, even cultivators with high cultivation might find it difficult to distinguish.”

“That amazing?”

Gu Baiying frowned: “Just legends, not to be taken seriously. Demons are naturally good at bewitching people’s hearts. There’s no meaning for mortals to study illusion techniques, so you’d better not think wildly and focus on cultivating properly with your feet on the ground.”

Zanxing felt that the current Gu Baiying was radiating the aura of a disciplinary director all over.

She stepped forward and looked up at Gu Baiying with a smile: “But according to what Master Uncle says, we cultivators have neither meaning nor advantage in studying illusion techniques. Then why did Master Uncle learn them? It couldn’t just be to see flowering trees in winter, right?”

The young man froze, his clear eyes instantly becoming as deep as night. Before he could speak, a voice came from behind: “What do you understand? Although it’s not very useful, all girls like it!”

Zanxing turned around to see Mendong running down from upstairs. In a flash, he ran to Gu Baiying’s side and looked at Zanxing: “Cultivating just for the sake of cultivation—how boring is that!”

This child had a face like a pink jade-carved little immortal boy, but every time he spoke, he sounded old-fashioned, making people not know whether to be angry or amused.

“But your little Master Uncle doesn’t look like someone who would charm girls.” Zanxing pinched his cheek.

Mendong struggled free from her hand: “What does ‘charm girls’ mean?”

“It means winning girls’ favor,” Zanxing laughed.

“My Master Uncle needs to win girls’ favor?” Mendong answered without thinking: “It’s always others trying to win his favor.”

Gu Baiying slightly raised his eyebrows and interrupted the child: “What are you doing out here?”

“Senior Brother Tian and Senior Brother Mu came knocking on my door, asking if I wanted to go out together to find something to eat.” Mendong pointed behind him: “They’re coming.”

Tian Fangfang and Mu Cengxiao had just come downstairs when they saw Gu Baiying and Zanxing standing in the courtyard. Tian Fangfang walked to Zanxing’s side with Mimi perched on his shoulder and said: “Junior Sister, perfect timing that you’re here too. Junior Brother and I are going for a walk by the beach. I heard that the oysters in Li’er Kingdom are so fresh they could make you swallow your tongue. Junior Brother Mu and I plan to take a look first. Will Junior Sister come?”

“Yes!” Zanxing laughed: “I also want to try those oysters you mentioned.” Traveling without eating all the local delicacies was like not coming at all.

“Master Uncle, come with us too?” Tian Fangfang warmly invited, “We don’t have the sea on our side of Gufeng Mountain, so it’s rare to see these things.”

“Not going.” Gu Baiying, just as Zanxing had guessed, looked down on such junk food and said: “Food eaten by mortals has not a bit of spiritual energy and is no good for cultivation. I advise you all to eat less of it, too.”

Tian Fangfang paid no heed to Gu Baiying’s words at all and said, “Alright, we promise to only taste a tiny bit.”

Gu Baiying turned to go back upstairs, but seeing Mendong secretly slipping toward Tian Fangfang’s group, he unceremoniously grabbed Mendong by the back collar and pulled him back, saying: “You’re not allowed to go either.”

Mendong had a flash of inspiration and shouted, “Master Uncle!”

Gu Baiying lifted his eyelids: “What are you shouting about?”

Mendong tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Master Uncle, think twice! The Qin Chong seed is still in Yang Zanxing’s body, and she still has improper thoughts about Mu Cengxiao that haven’t been eliminated. In this darkness, we can’t let the two of them go out together. What if they dual cultivate?”

“What business is it of yours?” Gu Baiying laughed in exasperation: “Tian Fangfang is still there. How could they dual cultivate?”

“That big fool Tian Fangfang doesn’t understand anything. Who knows, they might send him away with just a few words. The Qin Chong seed is safer kept under our noses. Master Uncle, you came to Li’er Kingdom for the Qin Chong—you can’t fail at the crucial moment. Details determine success or failure! He struggled and turned to glance at the backs of the three people, urgently saying: “Master Uncle, look quickly! They’re all walking together, so intimate—it’s very dangerous!”

Gu Baiying had originally been quite impatient listening to Mendong’s nonsense, but who knew Mendong would become more and more heartbroken as he spoke. Finally, he couldn’t help but stop and turn back to look.

In the distance, Zanxing walked in the middle with Mu Cengxiao and Tian Fangfang walking on either side of her. Looking at it alone, the distances seemed about equal.

Mendong was still making noise: “Look, their shoulders touched! Their hands are about to touch, too! Oh my god, are they going to be together tonight?”

“Shut up.” Gu Baiying covered his mouth, frowning tightly as he stared at the three people ahead. After a moment, he strode forward, walking right between Zanxing and Mu Cengxiao, pushing the two apart.

Zanxing: “?”

“I changed my mind.” Gu Baiying said, “I’m going too.”