“Like the City Lord’s wife?”
Everyone exchanged looks.
“Are you certain?” Mo Xuanli asked.
Three Bean looked troubled. “The statue is crudely made, badly eroded… it just feels a little like.”
That kind of answer made it impossible to judge. And even if it did look alike, what could that prove?
Setting aside the small suspicion, they continued forward.
They had just turned a corner when a strong wave of spiritual energy washed over them.
Suddenly, from farther ahead came the old cultivator’s pained cry, as if struck.
Immediately after, a voice rang out: “To enter the spirit vein, first hand over spirit stones!”
At that, everyone understood—it must be the cultivators who set up tolls along the path, just as they’d been told.
Gu Baiqing’s mind stirred. Wasn’t this the opportunity? A reclusive master, by rumor, would surely bestow something after being rescued by the protagonist.
He was just about to pat Mo Xuanli to send him forward, but Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling had already rushed ahead.
…Truly, an admirable sense of justice.
Gu Baiqing looked somewhat exasperatedly at the slow-to-react Mo Xuanli. “Why didn’t you go?”
Mo Xuanli blinked. His master wanted him to help? “With Brother Li and the others there, they shouldn’t need me to step in.”
Besides, he had always felt this old cultivator was strange—not like an ordinary person, and with a faintly familiar aura on him. With so many uncertainties, Mo Xuanli’s nature leaned toward watching and waiting. On top of that, surrounded by cultivators, how could he casually leave his master, who had no spiritual power to defend himself?
Seeing Mo Xuanli’s lack of initiative, Gu Baiqing felt his disciple was being a very unqualified protagonist. Since he’d already strayed from the original’s romance-heavy route, shouldn’t he now be walking the domineering “Dragon Proud Heaven” path? Faced with trouble, he should charge in. Without such clashes, where would opportunities and face-slapping moments come from?
While he was still thinking, the two who had gone ahead lifted the old cultivator, and Li Xiuran had just rescued the male cultivator who’d earlier tried chatting up Ji Chuling.
At the barricade stood four men. Three were only Foundation Establishment, while one appeared to be at mid-Stage Golden Core. Indeed, the strongest cultivation among those present.
“A bunch of brats who don’t know proper manners. Coming onto someone else’s turf, trying to dig for treasures without paying a toll—doesn’t sit right, does it?” The Golden Core cultivator sneered. Clearly he’d judged their strength as all below early Golden Core, and so grew arrogant, posturing as a senior.
Gu Baiqing frowned slightly. These people might as well have “cannon-fodder for face-slapping” written on their foreheads.
The old cultivator, too, acted unserious. Having been helped up, he struck an imposing air and said, “Since when did this become your turf? This is a wild spirit vein—by rights open to all. If you want to speak of turf, it belongs to Star-Stepping City. Did you ask them before claiming it?”
“Courting death!” the Golden Core cultivator snarled, striking out with a spell. With their disparity in cultivation, that one blow could likely cost the old man half his life.
But just then, Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli had reached him. Mo Xuanli’s God Nine Transformation blade, now fixed in sword form, swept out lightly and cleaved the spell apart.
At some point, he had already locked it into sword form—probably to hide its true nature and pass it off as an ordinary spiritual sword.
Seeing someone dare block him, the Golden Core cultivator instantly shot into the air, about to “teach” Mo Xuanli a lesson. But midway he was struck down by Li Xiuran, landing face-first in the dirt. His three subordinates froze in shock, too terrified to act.
“Crossing realms… and still winning?” The onlookers could hardly believe their eyes.
Gu Baiqing also wanted to scoff. Truly, the strength of cannon-fodder defied logic. How could such trash reach mid-Stage Golden Core? It was insulting.
Naturally, the Golden Core cultivator was shaken. But he also understood—the newcomers were a group, and not ones to be provoked.
“You… what do you want?”
“Wasn’t it you demanding spirit stones from us? Why ask us now? Shouldn’t I be asking you what you want?” Ji Chuling shot back playfully.
“What do you think?” Li Xiuran sneered as he stepped forward, sword raised proudly to point at the Golden Core cultivator. “Those deeper inside are too strong to provoke. Can’t win spirit stones from them, so instead you leech off the weak out here. Is that it? Either go back inside and mind your own business—or get out of my sight.”
Gu Baiqing hadn’t expected Li Xiuran to show such domineering vigor. Yes—that’s the proper posture for face-slapping!
And as for his own disciple… he had hardly ever seen him like that. Wasn’t Mo Xuanli originally supposed to be the overwhelming, awe-inspiring type? Why did he turn into a meek little lamb as soon as he didn’t go dark?
Mo Xuanli noticed his master watching him. He looked back at him in puzzlement, then tilted his head slightly, face pure and innocent.
Gu Baiqing nearly wanted to cover his face.
“Brother, what’s the matter?” Mo Xuanli stepped forward to ask.
At that moment, the old cultivator who was still rubbing his waist suddenly froze upon hearing Mo Xuanli speak. His back instantly straightened, and he said, nearly in disbelief, “You two are brothers? You actually have an older brother? How can that be?”
The words were rude, but they stunned both Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing for a moment.
“Senior, you know me?” Mo Xuanli’s eyes sharpened, his expression turning wary.
The old cultivator coughed. “I only read faces. From your face, you shouldn’t have an older brother.”
Some people did indeed know such physiognomy skills. That made Mo Xuanli relax a little. “Then senior must have read it wrong. He is my older brother.”
The old man’s mouth twitched, then he forced a smile and nodded. “Then I must have read it wrong.” But Gu Baiqing felt something off—the mysterious old man was clearly just going along with the lie. Could it be he really knew Mo Xuanli?
The face-slapping ended quickly; the group of bandits slunk away resentfully, cowards at heart who dared not provoke the strong. The barricade was smashed and cleared by Li Xiuran.
The male cultivator from earlier came forward to thank them. When the smaller sects heard Li Xiuran was from the Tianzhao Sect, they grew excited, clearly wanting to travel along with them. The young man’s leg-hugging skills weren’t bad.
Since they were headed the same way, they all entered the spirit-vein tunnel ahead, filled with spiritual energy.
Because the wild spirit vein stretched beneath several mountains, the tunnels were vast, like another world inside, crisscrossed with deep chasms. Spirit stones were embedded in the rock walls, visible even upon entry.
But near the outer edges, they were all poor quality, of no interest. Everyone pressed deeper in search of better finds.
Along the way, they encountered other cultivators discussing the terrain, trying to find patterns, guessing where better spirit stones—or spirit crystals—might lie.
Whenever newcomers entered, they would scan them first for danger, then return to their own business.
“So many people already… looks like we’re late,” the male cultivator said in frustration.
“Good things don’t depend on how many people there are. It’s all a matter of fate.” The old cultivator, perched on his Ascending-Cloud Stork, looked about curiously.
The male cultivator, seeing that the old man’s cultivation was weaker than his, dismissed him. “It’s not like this is some secret realm. What fate? I say it’s just strength in numbers—or luck.”
“What you’re talking about is spirit stones. I’m not referring to such common things.”
“You mean spirit crystals,” Ji Chuling said.
The male cultivator’s eyes lit up instantly, but soon dimmed with hesitation. He knew such extremely rare items might not appear even once in the whole wild vein. And even if found, he wouldn’t be able to keep it. Before he could even warm it in his hands, he’d be murdered for it. That kind of treasure couldn’t be hidden—once unearthed, the fluctuation of its spiritual energy would shake heaven and earth.
“If I really were so lucky to find one, I’d sell it on the spot at sky-high price.”
Everyone laughed at that. Li Xiuran immediately said, “Then fine, sell it to me—I’ll pay whatever it takes. Or sell it to him.” He glanced toward Mo Xuanli.
“Brother Li, so generous. Or is it that you didn’t come here for spirit crystals at all?” Mo Xuanli raised a brow.
“Spirit crystals are a treasure for any cultivator. But indeed, my purpose this time isn’t the crystals, but the spiritual herb that grows alongside them.” Li Xiuran replied.
“The Spirit Crystal Flower?” Mo Xuanli, trained in medicine, naturally understood. “A friend of yours is ill?”
Li Xiuran nodded solemnly. “Yes. The Spirit Crystal Flower is needed as a medicinal guide. The flower itself has little effect, but it only grows with spirit crystals, and must be plucked before the crystal is extracted to be effective—making it especially hard to obtain.”
Seeing his honesty, Mo Xuanli understood. “You’re hoping to cooperate? But won’t you be at a loss that way?”
“I’m not a fool. Even between brothers, accounts must be clear. But since we’re friends with some trust between us, if we each find our own, we’ll discuss terms separately. If we find the same one together, then I don’t need the crystal. We seize it together, and I only take the herb. How about it?”
“Agreed.” Mo Xuanli accepted readily. If he truly gained the advantage later, he would be willing to gift a prescription in return—balancing things out.
Mo Xuanli had no interest in knowing which friend of Li Xiuran was sick, so he left it at that. But Ji Chuling was more probing. “So that’s why you rushed over here? If your friend’s ill, you could’ve told me—I could help too… Is it a man or a woman?”
That last part was probably the real point.
Everyone around exchanged knowing looks. Li Xiuran grew slightly awkward, just about to answer, when the old cultivator chuckled unseriously, “A woman.”
Li Xiuran stared at him in astonishment.
“How do you know?” Ji Chuling was clearly displeased.
The old cultivator faltered, looking regretful. “Didn’t I say I can divine and read faces?”
“Then divine this—what’s her relationship to him?” Ji Chuling asked, not sure if she believed him or just wanted to know.
The old cultivator smiled. “What your relationship with him is—that’s what hers is too.”
Ji Chuling’s face went through several changes. “I have no relationship with him!”
The old man stifled laughter. Li Xiuran couldn’t take it anymore. “Stop spouting nonsense. It’s our sect’s senior sister who’s ill. Not just me—other disciples have come earlier too. They’re probably already inside.”
Senior sister of their sect—that would be He Zixuan, whom they’d encountered once during the secret realm incident. A mature, steady young woman. Even then it was clear she relied quite a lot on Li Xiuran—not just a simple fellow disciple relationship, it seemed.
Gu Baiqing hadn’t expected such dramatic developments. So, Li Xiuran had this much luck with women? Then why, in the original story, did he fall for Mo Xuanli? Too many women to choose from until he got confused?
By comparison, just look—on one side there was someone from the Hidden God clan, and on the other, a senior martial sister of a sect.
But his own disciple, aside from a puzzling Little Plum Branch, seemed to have no other girls around him.
Why did it feel like his disciple was losing out again?
Ji Chuling was clearly still displeased, while Li Xiuran kept his composure—he didn’t coax her the way a boyfriend would, probably thinking it was enough just to explain things normally.
The old Daoist was suppressing a laugh as he watched from the side, while the male cultivator wore an embarrassed look, trying to ease the atmosphere. He asked the old man: “Senior, since you’re so good at reading fate, could you take a look for me too? Just see if I’ll have good luck today—nothing else—maybe a top-grade spirit stone?”
The old Daoist’s face stiffened for a moment. “Your fate is unusual—I can’t read it.”
“Huh?” The male cultivator, who had never thought himself unusual, looked utterly horrified.
“And what about me?” Gu Baiqing thought the old man truly strange and decided to test him.
“You… your identity is certainly not ordinary. Beyond that, I can’t see.” The old Daoist swept his gaze over Gu Baiqing’s face, then glanced at Mo Xuanli behind him.
Gu Baiqing frowned. “You seem awfully good at reading these two.” He meant Mo Xuanli and Li Xiuran.
The old Daoist chuckled. “Fate, fate. Their features are easier to read. Fortune-telling also depends on affinity, doesn’t it?”
“Then tell me—this time, will the two of them succeed in what they seek?” Gu Baiqing asked directly.
In fact, Gu Baiqing wasn’t the only one with doubts about this Daoist. Li Xiuran and Mo Xuanli both turned to him upon hearing the question.
The old Daoist suddenly felt he had stepped into trouble, but he wasn’t afraid. He simply said: “My reading says they will succeed. Only—their paths will be different.”
“How different?” Gu Baiqing asked curiously. At least the part about Mo Xuanli succeeding was a lucky guess.
“You want me, this old man, to say even more?” The Daoist smiled. “Then I can only tell him alone. After all, heaven’s secrets cannot be fully revealed.”
Mo Xuanli, however, wasn’t very interested. “Brother, forget it. I don’t believe in this. I believe success depends on effort.”
“Well said—success depends on effort.” Li Xiuran agreed.
“And since he already said heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed, if we force him to, wouldn’t that harm him?” Mo Xuanli said lightly.
“Ah, you… I must say it. Come over here…” The old Daoist, unhappy with their dismissiveness, rode his Ascending-Cloud Stork closer and beckoned Mo Xuanli aside. “If you don’t believe, then listening won’t matter anyway.”
Since the Daoist was so insistent, Gu Baiqing gave Mo Xuanli a little push. Mo Xuanli obediently stepped forward to listen.
The Daoist even drew a soundproofing array, then lifted his head with a somewhat uneasy expression—as if he were wary not of these people overhearing, but of Heaven itself listening in. Was this truly revealing a heavenly secret?
And the very first thing Mo Xuanli said, once the array was active, was: “Senior—you know me.”
The old Daoist turned his head and was instantly startled. Gone was the bright, optimistic look of someone who had just said “success depends on effort.” Instead, Mo Xuanli’s eyes were dark and fathomless, probing and scrutinizing, enough to make even the old Daoist’s heart jolt.
But the old Daoist quickly steadied himself. “Didn’t I say? Fortune-telling and face-reading. You don’t believe?”
Mo Xuanli was deeply wary. “That depends on what you say.”
“I just said both you and he will get what you desire. But your experiences will differ—one extremely good, one extremely bad.”
“I’m the extremely bad one.” Mo Xuanli almost didn’t need to ask. He had long been used to thinking good fortune never came to him—except for his master. Lately he often thought: maybe a person’s luck is fixed. His misfortunes in the past were all because he had used up his good fortune on meeting his master in the future. If so, all other things had to be difficult and full of hardship. Each time he thought this way, he no longer felt unlucky—only that all the trials were worth it.
The old Daoist raised a brow. “You are perceptive. Yes. I gave you this warning so you might hold fast to the light and kindness in your heart. If you’ve already strayed, don’t keep straying further, or greater suffering will follow.”
Mo Xuanli, who had been solemn, suddenly blinked in confusion. “What? I strayed onto the wrong path? What path?”
The Daoist put on a mysterious air, casting him a knowing look, which only left Mo Xuanli even more bewildered—almost suspecting the old man was spouting nonsense.
“On today’s journey, someone will harm you. Though you will suffer, as long as you endure until someone rescues you, you will be fine. I’ll give you this advice: the one who saves you truly cares for you. If you return that sincerity, your future will be bright and happy. Like those young couples—love and affection. Stop spending all day thinking only of strength. You will gain much more beauty in life.”
Mo Xuanli: …So he is a fraud? What nonsense is he babbling?
“And, your master…” the Daoist suddenly said.
Mo Xuanli’s face changed at once—this time openly vigilant. “What? What about my master?”
The old Daoist looked at him in surprise. “Are you two that close?”
Without Mo Xuanli answering, he already saw everything in his expression—that same fierce protectiveness as a dragon guarding its reverse scale.
The Daoist wore a puzzled look, thought for a moment, then said: “In that case, remember this: if you stray onto the demonic path, your master will die by your hand—and not long from now.”
Mo Xuanli’s pupils contracted, his gaze instantly blazing with killing intent. The God Nine Transformations Sword in his hand trembled violently with his unstable emotions, overflowing with murderous aura.
“What did you say?!”
It was as if someone had struck his reverse scale. Mo Xuanli’s eyes flushed red, and if the Daoist dared to say one more word that displeased him, he looked ready to strike without mercy.
Not only the Daoist—even the nearby cultivators chatting as they walked felt it. They turned curiously to look over.
