“In the future, if you don’t have any concrete evidence, don’t ask us to calculate anything. The young master of the yaos is still in yao territory and hasn’t appeared in the human world! Your Jiutian Sect wasted decades of my cultivation with a simple sentence. If you want to calculate such a vague matter in the future, do it yourself and don’t come looking for us!”
The jade slip transmitted Elder Hei’s mercilessly angry words, and the other Elders looked embarrassed, secretly observing Bu Ting’s expression.
For many years, few people had dared to insult the Jiutian Sect like this.
Bu Ting reached out and took the jade slip floating in the air into his palm. Elder Hei’s angry scolding also came to an abrupt end. He threw the jade slip on the table and looked at the crowd. “What do you Elders think?”
“Since even the Elder of Zhenxing Tower said that the young master of the yaos clan is still safely in the yao clan, it means that the little yao’s words are not credible.” The Grand Elder looked a little haggard. Ever since his disciple, Yin Ji, betrayed the Jiutian Sect, he had become increasingly exhausted, as if all his energy and spirit had been drained away. “We don’t need to waste any more energy on this matter.”
“The prophecies of Zhenxing Tower have been wrong time and time again. Could their divinations even be wrong?” Another elder retorted, “Why has the Wenxing School not make another divination?”
Among the ten major sects, Wenxing School was the most adept at divination.
“Wenxing School can only read horoscopes and divine good and bad fortune. If we ask them to calculate major events for the demon and yao clans, I’m afraid it will be very costly.” Third Elder spoke in opposition.
“The art of divination requires more spiritual power for greater matters, and it can even damage one’s life force. The four Elders of Zhenxing Tower exhausted decades of their cultivation to calculate the whereabouts of the young master of the yao clan. The yao clan has not shown any signs of hostility towards our cultivation world, so I agree with the Grand Elder. There’s no need to make such a fuss over a young master of the yao clan.”
The Elders had different opinions, but Bu Ting heard one thing from their words: they didn’t trust the four Elders of Zhenxing Tower as much as before.
In the past year, the prophecies from Zhenxing Tower have been frequently wrong, making it difficult not to doubt them.
“There is one more person who can do it.” The Fourth Elder, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up as everyone was arguing endlessly. “Immortal Lord Fuguang of Fuguang Mountain. His cultivation is profound, his magic power is boundless, and his divination skills surpass all other cultivators.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire place fell silent. No one responded to this statement. Some people did not dare to respond, while others felt guilty and were unwilling to respond.
“Immortal Lord Fuguang has been living in seclusion in Fuguang Mountain since birth to ensure the stability of the world, infusing the Ten Immortal Cauldrons with spiritual energy year after year.” The Grand Elder looked at the Fourth Elder with dissatisfaction. “Such mundane matters should not trouble the Immortal Lord.”
“Things are different now. The catastrophe is about to happen again, and the demon realm is acting frequently. If something also goes wrong in the yao realm, what should we do then?” The Fourth Elder said with a sullen face, “Lord Fuguang cares about the world. With his cultivation, it’s a piece of cake for him to calculate the whereabouts of the yao clan’s young master.”
“It’s easy for you to say, why don’t you do the divination yourself?” The Grand Elder sneered. “Is it because you haven’t learned the art of divination, or is it because your cultivation is not up to par, or are you simply unwilling to contribute to the world?”
“What do you mean by that, Great Elder?” the Fourth Elder retorted sarcastically. “Your disciple betrayed the sect, and I can understand that you’re upset, but as fellow sect members, you shouldn’t say such things to belittle me.”
“Fellow Elders.” Bu Ting tapped his index finger lightly on the armrest of his wooden chair, interrupting their argument. “Immortal Lord Fuguang has been living in seclusion on Fuguang Mountain for many years. We should indeed pay him a visit.”
“Sect Master…” The Grand Elder frowned as he looked at Bu Ting.
Bu Ting raised his head and interrupted the Grand Elder’s words, “Tomorrow morning, the Third Elder and Fourth Elder will accompany me to Fuguang Mountain to pay a visit to Lord Fuguang.”
“This old man knows that his cultivation is lacking, and he needs to go into seclusion to cultivate for a period of time. Farewell.” The Grand Elder stood up with a livid face and left the main hall of the Jiutian Sect with a flick of his sleeve.
Under the cold moonlight, the Grand Elder sighed helplessly as he gazed upon the boundless Jiutian Sect.
Back then, he followed behind the ten previous sect leaders, watching as they raised the infant in the empty Fuguang Palace. He also watched as the six-year-old child was drained of all his spiritual energy by the Ten Immortal Cauldrons, lying in the formation, coughing up blood and on the verge of death.
He… felt guilty.carpreads.pages.dev
The early mornings and evenings on Fuguang Mountain seemed to be indistinguishable, always a mix of cold wind and white snow.
Bu Ting held the sect token in his hand, ordering the surrounding puppets to retreat. He looked towards the Fuguang Palace in the distance. The snow that had not melted all year round was cold, hard, and slippery. Not a trace of greenery could be seen on the entire mountain.
“Sect Master,” Third Elder said in a muffled voice while wearing a mask, “I wonder if Immortal Lord Fuguang is cultivating. Should I go to the palace and ask first?”
No one dared to bear the consequences of provoking Lord Fuguang, and neither could their Jiutian Sect.
“Alright.” Bu Ting nodded slightly. He touched the icy mask on his face and listened to the howling wind, recalling the scene from five hundred years ago.
The master and the other nine sect masters fell in a pool of blood. Five-year-old Fuguang, with a pale face and expressionless face, stood silently in the formation, watching them carry away the sect masters’ bodies.
He seemed unable to speak. He opened his large, clear eyes and stared at them blankly, not crying, asking, or fussing, like those emotionless puppets in the Fuguang Palace.
The last time he saw Fuguang was when Fuguang was six years old. The six-year-old child lay silently in the Ten Great Immortal Cauldrons Formation. Only his slightly heaving chest proved that he was still alive.
The Palace Master of Changshou Palace fed him the pill and told him that if his spiritual power was insufficient in the future, he could take the Spirit Gathering Pill.
Before he left, he said to the silent child, “The entire world cannot afford to lose you.”
Fuguang raised his head to look at him, his hands hidden in his sleeves. His thin body seemed to contain an unspeakable power.
Despite wearing a mask, at that moment, he still felt a sense of discomfort from the way the child looked at him.
Time passed by, and he thought he had long forgotten that look. Today, upon returning to the old place, he realized that the look from that day had resurfaced in his mind.
“Sect Master.” Third Elder walked up to Bu Ting. “The Immortal Lord has asked for you to come in.”
The entire Fuguang Palace was built using rare materials from the world. Each floor was engraved with complex protective formations, making it the safest place in the world.
Stepping onto the icy steps, Bu Ting crossed the threshold into the main hall.
Beneath the layers of fluttering gauze, he saw a blurry figure sitting upright.
Snow and wind blew into the wide-open palace doors, and the gauze curtains fluttered. Bu Ting saw the corner of a pale silver robe, and he stopped in his tracks, cupping his hands in a deep bow. “Bu Ting pays his respects to Immortal Lord Fuguang.”
The hall was deathly silent, so quiet that it was suffocating. After a long while, the figure behind the gauze curtain finally stirred slightly: “The Sect Master of the Jiutian Sect?”
“Yes.” Bu Ting bowed with his hands clasped. All he could see was the faint silver hem of a robe.
“Why have you come to see me?”
The voice behind the veil was mysterious and distant, and Bu Ting said, “I came for the sake of the world’s people.”
The hall fell silent again. After a long while, a faint sound came from behind the gauze curtain. The gauze curtains opened in unison, revealing the people behind them.
Bu Ting lifted his head and saw an otherworldly man wearing a silver mask and a snow-white cloak. His raven-black hair cascaded over the chair, and he held a glass orb in his hand.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Fuguang asked him calmly, holding the glass orb in one hand.
Immortal Lord Fuguang was always calm and impartial.
“I would like to ask the Immortal Lord to calculate the whereabouts of the young master of the yao clan.” Bu Ting lowered his head slightly, not looking directly at Fuguang’s masked face. “There are rumors that the young master of the yao clan has infiltrated the mortal world. I ask the Immortal Lord to guide me.”
“Why not have Zhenxing Tower divine this matter?” Fuguang asked.
“Elder Zhenxing said that the young master of the yao is still in the yao territory, but I have my doubts.” Bu Ting bowed again. “This matter concerns all living beings in the world, and I dare not take it lightly. Please, Immortal Lord, have mercy.”
“You don’t believe in Zhenxing Tower?” Fuguang stood up and walked to a place three steps away from Bu Ting. “The location of this Fuguang Palace was also calculated by the Zhenxing Tower. Since you don’t believe in Zhenxing Tower, why do you dare to believe me?”
Bu Ting looked at the tall and handsome Lord Fuguang, who was elegant and dignified. He could no longer find any trace of the six-year-old child in him.
“The Immortal Lord cares about the world, and all living beings can see it.” Bu Ting spoke slowly. “I believe in the Immortal Lord.”
Fuguang was silent for a moment before saying, “Alright, I’ll calculate it for you.”
He spread out his palm, and countless star patterns in the hall intertwined and circulated, turning the entire earth into a vast starry sky.
Moments later, the stars vanished, and everything in the grand hall returned to normal.
“Zhenxing Tower didn’t lie to you. The young master of the yao clan is indeed in the yao territory.” Fuguang clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Bu Ting indifferently. “Back then, your master told me that as an Immortal Lord, I shouldn’t favor anyone. By bothering me with such trivial matters, you’re going against your master’s orders.”
“Fuguang Palace has its own rules. As the Sect Master of Jiutian Sect, you shouldn’t have made such a mistake.” Fuguang raised his hand and waved his sleeve in the air, fanning Bu Ting out of Fuguang Palace.
Bu Ting, who had a high cultivation level, was no match for Fuguang’s casual wave. He tumbled through the air several times before landing on the cold, hard snow, clutching his chest and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
“Sect Master.” The two Elders saw the Sect Master being beaten out and quickly cupped their hands in apology. “Please, Immortal Lord, calm your anger!”
“As a disciple, you disobeyed your master’s orders and should be punished.” Fuguang walked out of the hall, stood on the steps, and looked down at Bu Ting lying in the snow. “Bu Ting, do you have any complaints?”
“It was my fault.” Bu Ting stood up while clutching his chest and bowed to Fuguang. “I have no complaints.”
“The young master of the yao clan is still in the yao territory. Zhenxing Tower’s divination is accurate.” Fuguang looked at the elders of the Jiutian Sect. “You are the elders of the ten major sects. You should still remember the order of the ten sect masters back then. In the future, do not use such trivial matters to disturb the Fuguang Palace. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
“Yes.” The two Elders turned pale. They understood that the Immortal Lord was dissatisfied with their Jiutian Sect.
“Leave,” Fuguang said indifferently. “Fuguang Palace is a place of tranquility. Outsiders are not welcome to disturb it.”
“Yes.” Bu Ting left Fuguang Mountain with a pale face, and then he vomited several mouthfuls of blood.
“Sect Master, are you alright?!” Third Elder didn’t expect Bu Ting to be so badly injured, so he quickly reached out to support him and stuffed a pill into his mouth.
“It’s fine.” Bu Ting swallowed the pill and said with a pale face, “Immortal Lord Fuguang’s cultivation… is unfathomable.”
“Even you, Sect Master, say so. Could the Immortal Lord’s actual cultivation be…” The Fourth Elder lowered his voice. “Could it really be comparable to that of an immortal?”
Bu Ting clutched his chest and remained silent. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but this seemingly emotionless Lord Fuguang didn’t seem to like him.
-—–
“Zhi You, Zhi You?” Jiu Hui patted Zhi You’s shoulder. “Are you sleepy?”
Zhi You opened his eyes and asked, “We’re here?”
“Come on.” Jiu Hui pulled him down from the flying sword. “This mountain is where the iron-eating beasts often appear. I’ll take you to find their cubs.”
Zhi You looked at the steep mountain forest and followed Jiu Hui into the mountain.
There were many small animals in the mountains, and Zhi You even saw several beautiful peacocks flying by.
“Over here.” Jiu Hui pointed to the tree. “Look.”
Zhi You looked up and saw a black and white bear lying on a tree branch. The bear was lying lazily, looking relaxed and indolent.
“They love it when people call them iron-eating beasts, but since they usually eat bamboo shoots, people secretly call them bamboo cats.” Jiu Hui pulled Zhi You forward and they finally found a cub in a small ditch.
“Yes, yes.” The cub couldn’t climb out of the ditch and cried out anxiously. Jiu Hui fished it out of the ditch, tucked it into her arms, and waved at Zhi You with gleaming eyes. “Quick, quick, quick. While its parents aren’t around, let’s pet it a little.”
Before Zhi You could reach out, Jiu Hui grabbed his hand and pressed it on the cub’s head. He looked at the back of his hand that Jiu Hui had grabbed, and his ears instantly turned red.
“Is it chubby?” Jiu Hui asked with a smile.
“Y-yes.” Zhi You felt like his mind was noisier than a street market on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s a pity that their fur is a bit stiff, otherwise it would be more comfortable to touch.” Jiu Hui lifted the cub up. “Cub, why are you so cute?”
“Mm-hmm.” The little one kicked its legs.
Jiu Hui couldn’t help but give the cub two kisses. Zhi You looked at the spot on the cub that Jiu Hui had kissed and secretly looked away, his entire ear turning red.
“Young Master Jiu!”
A cry rang out from the forest: “Young Master Jiu, please put my granddaughter down. It’s hard for us Iron-Eating Beasts to have children, and she really can’t be your pet!”
A plump woman suddenly dashed out of the woods, her movements surprisingly quick and agile. She plopped down on her knees before Jiu Hui and pleaded, “Please spare my granddaughter!”
Jiu Hui put the cub down with a wry smile. “I just came to play with it. I didn’t plan to take it away.”
The fat woman scooped the cub into her arms and said with a flattering smile, “This old woman knows, young master, you just came to play with it.”
Despite her words, she held the baby tightly in her arms, as if she was afraid that Jiu Hui would take one more look at her granddaughter. Anyone who wasn’t a fool could tell that she didn’t believe Jiu Hui’s words.
Jiu Hui: “…”
Zhi You said, “Elder, I wanted to see the iron-eating beasts, and Jiu Hui brought me here. She didn’t mean to take your granddaughter away.”
“Are you Young Master Zhi?” The plump woman put down the cub, bowed to Zhi You, and quickly hugged the cub back into her arms. “Please forgive Young Master Zhi. It’s just that the young master…”
Back then, the scene of Young Master Jiu hugging the baby cub of the Iron-Eating Beast Clan was still vivid in their minds.
“Don’t be such a petty bear.” Jiu Hui took advantage of the fat woman’s inattention and took the opportunity to touch the cub again. “That was all when I was young and didn’t know any better. Look at these years, besides occasionally coming to touch their fur, have I ever taken them away?”
The fat woman looked at Jiu Hui silently. Was that occasional? She clearly brought all sorts of delicious food to coax her granddaughter every few days. The adorable iron-eating beast cub had been fed into a little fatty by her.
“Look, the freshest spirit fruit.” Jiu Hui took out a spirit fruit and shook it in front of the little one, causing the little one’s paws to follow and grab it. Its chubby face was full of desire for food.
“Young Master Jiu!” the fat woman said anxiously, “If you continue like this, I’ll have to tell the village chief of Shanghuang Village!”
Jiu Hui stuffed the spirit fruit into the cub’s mouth. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave now.”
“I’ll see you two out of the mountains.” The old woman didn’t believe Jiu Hui’s words. After insisting on seeing the two out of the mountains, she sighed as she watched Jiu Hui’s gaze occasionally fall on her granddaughter. She then stuffed her granddaughter into Jiu Hui’s arms, saying, “Please hold her for a while.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Jiu Hui took the baby and carefully placed it in Zhi You’s arms. “Look, isn’t it super cute when it eats?”
Eating was everything, and the baby iron-eating beast didn’t care who was holding it. It held the spirit fruit and gnawed on it with satisfaction, and its short little tail wagged.
Zhi You held the tiny baby beast in his arms, not daring to use too much force. His whole body was stiff as he looked at the baby beast like an elder, looking very helpless. Seeing the baby beast staring at him with its round, watery eyes, he quickly took out a spirit fruit and stuffed it into the baby beast’s arms.
The old woman was amused by his appearance and reached out to hug her gluttonous granddaughter. “Young Master, Young Master Zhi, come and play with the baby again next time. It really can’t eat anymore today.”
If she ate any more, she would turn into a black-and-white dumpling.
“Then we’ll come back to see it in a few days.” Jiu Hui squeezed the cub’s little paw. “Baby, keep eating your fruit and try to open your spiritual intelligence as soon as possible.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Young Master.” The fat woman smiled. “We’ll head back now.”
Watching the fat woman transform into a large iron-eating beast on the spot, carrying her cub back into the mountains, Jiu Hui’s smile lingered on her face for a long time: “Isn’t the cub very cute?”
Zhi You nodded.
“Why are your ears so red?” Jiu Hui stood on her tiptoes to look at Zhi You’s ears. Seeing that they were so red they were almost dripping blood, she exclaimed in surprise, “You get embarrassed even when you’re holding a baby?”
Zhi You turned his head, not daring to let Jiu Hui see his expression. “Yes… a little.”
“Don’t worry, as long as you follow me, you’ll eventually break this bad habit.” Jiu Hui hopped off a boulder and gazed into the distance. The rolling green hills rose and fell, shrouded in a thin mist. Who would have thought that such a beautiful place was the legendary land of the yaos?
Zhi You stood beside her, accompanying her in silence.
A bird’s cry pierced the clear sky, and Jiu Hui’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “Why is he here again?”
Again?
Zhi You looked at the beautiful young man flying in the air, his eyelids slightly lowered.
“Jiu Hui, I knew you’d come to steal the baby iron-eating beast again.” Kong Cangnan landed on the ground, his hands on his hips, and looked up at Jiu Hui, who was standing on a boulder. “What’s so great about those lazy black-and-white cats? How can they compare to the beauty of a peacock?”
After saying this, he remembered that Jiu Hui’s original form was a single color, so he awkwardly added, “Of course, green is also pretty.”
“What do you mean, ‘again’?” Jiu Hui retorted. “Don’t make baseless accusations against me. I’m just here to check on their growth. As a member of Shanghuang Village, what’s wrong with me showing concern for everyone?”
“Why don’t you come and show me some concern?” Kong Cangnan muttered softly. He noticed Zhi You standing beside Jiu Hui and said sarcastically, “Not only did you come to steal, but you also brought your lackey with you.”
“Hmm.” Zhi You’s lips curled up slightly. “I’m willing.”
“No.” Jiu Hui tugged on Zhi You’s sleeve. “What do you mean ‘willing’? We’re here just to visit.”
“I mean it.” Zhi You looked at Jiu Hui, his eyes gentle. “I’m willing to be your lackey, Little Senior Sister.”
Jiu Hui: “…”
Was there something wrong with the feng shui of their yao territory? Her little junior brother was perfectly fine before he came here with her, but now he wanted to be a dog*?
TN: lackey is literally “running dog” in Chinese
Kong Cangnan’s expression changed several times. He stared at Zhi You with an unsightly expression, and after a while, he snorted coldly.
The wind rose, sweeping up the fallen leaves on the ground.
Zhi You took out a jade fan from his storage ring and shielded Jiu Hui’s eyes with it, saying, “Be careful.”
Kong Cangnan’s face turned even uglier when he recognized the jade fan as the one Zhi You had used as a weapon when they had competed that night.
After the wind died down, Zhi You closed his jade fan, slowly glanced at Kong Cangnan, and put away the jade fan: “Young Master Kong came here, what is it for this time? I heard from my Little Senior Sister that you once cruelly plucked the fur of a baby iron-eating beast. Are you here today to…”
“Who would be so bored as to come here specifically to pluck fur?” Kong Cangnan glared at Zhi You. “You called Jiu Hui ‘Little Senior Sister’?”
Zhi You’s lips curled up slightly. “Young Master Kong didn’t mishear.”
“You’re older than her, yet you call her Little Senior Sister.” Kong Cangnan took two deep breaths. “Do you have any shame?”
Zhi You turned his head to look at Jiu Hui, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. “Little Senior Sister, what does he mean by that?”
“Kong Cangnan, that’s enough.” Jiu Hui pulled out the jade hairpin from her hair. “Do you still want to fight me?”
“I… he…” Kong Cangnan pointed at Zhi You in anger. “He’s putting on an innocent act to seduce you. Can’t you see that?”
Jiu Hui frowned. What kind of temperament did Zhi You have? How could she not know?
“You’re talking more and more nonsense.” Jiu Hui waved her hand and slapped Kong Cangnan into the ditch. She turned around and grabbed Zhi You’s sleeve and shook it. “Don’t take his words to heart. Let’s go back to the village.”
Zhi You nodded obediently. “Yes.”
“Bah, bah, bah.” Kong Cangnan crawled out of the ditch and watched the two people fly away hand in hand. He pounded the ground in anger. “What a shameless man!”
Sweet talk and a pretty face, acting coquettishly, using beauty to serve others!
Jiu Hui and Zhi You returned to the village, where the elders were tilling the land. Upon seeing this, she turned around and prepared to slip away.
“Why are you running? You’ve been out playing for days and now you want to shirk your duties?” Aunt Jiao swung a white cloth in her hand, dragging Jiu Hui to the field. “You’re going to obediently sow seeds here for me.”
Jiu Hui hummed and hawed, “When I first came back, you called me little sweetheart, little darling. It’s only been a few days, and you’re already tired of me.”
Zhi You wanted to go help Jiu Hui, but Uncle Wu called him back and asked him to help cut down trees. He took three steps and looked back once, took the axe from Uncle Wu, and obediently followed Uncle Wu to cut down trees.
After Zhi You and Uncle Wu left, Aunt Jiao looked at Jiu Hui with a smile. “Zhi You must have already noticed that something’s not right about everyone’s identities, right?”
Jiu Hui sprinkled the seeds into the dug pit. “He knew long ago that my identity was suspicious.”
It wasn’t human cultivators who needed the moon essence the most, but yaos.
The night she killed Chi Quan, Zhi You saw her injury and his first reaction was to feed her moon essence instead of a pill. She knew then that Zhi You had probably guessed.
“You want us to throw a banquet for him and give him the Yao Clan Token.” Aunt Jiao laughed. “Is it because you saw his great merit and feel sorry for him?”
Jiu Hui shook her head, her eyes curving into a smile. “Because he’s my little junior brother.”
Author’s Note
Kong Cangnan: How long can you please someone with your beauty? Can’t you see that this man is using this method to seduce you?
Little Garlic Chive: My Zhi You is the most innocent, don’t slander him!
Fuguang: Take off, little cyclone spinning top.