Zhongzhou, Leyuan City.
Chengyun Tavern.
“This year is truly a coincidence. The Wanxuan Academy in Louzhou is recruiting students once every ten years, the Wushi Sect is having its centennial selection, and I heard that the tricentennial Dao Conference on Canghai Island will also begin on the first day of next month.”
Someone sighed, “Canghai Island has been in seclusion for nearly five hundred years. The Dao Conference from three hundred years ago was directly cancelled. Who knows if it will happen this year.”
“What seclusion? These Chengyun Taverns spread across all prefectures, the Wujin Bazaar, the Sangyun Inns… Which one of these isn’t a property of the Canghai Tower? Female celestial Sangyun even made it into the top ten of the Tianji Rankings this year, gaining both fame and fortune. In my opinion, there’s no one better at making money than their Canghai Tower,” someone joked.
“So what if they’re good at making money? I heard that a while ago, the master of Canghai Tower, Sang Xuanqing, had an accident during his closed-door cultivation. He almost went berserk and started a killing spree. It was female celestial Sangyun herself who had to go to the Wang family to invite their ancestor…”
“Speaking of which, wasn’t female celestial Sangyun almost married into the Wang family? That eldest grandson of the Wang family, Wang Zizhuo, also made it into the top ten of the Tianji Rankings. Tsk, it must be so awkward if they meet.”
“Eh? I heard that Female celestial Sangyun was originally betrothed to the Ning family?”
“Come on, it was said that Sang Xuanqing went to negotiate with the Ning family for a long time back then. But Young Master Xingyuan didn’t even know about this matter and directly refused when he returned, making Canghai Tower lose face. It was only after that they settled on the Wang family, but that engagement was called off as well…”
Gossip always seemed to be more interesting than serious news. Gradually, the topic of discussion shifted to the love and hate between Sangyun and Wang Zizhuo. Whether true or false, it always made for good after-dinner conversation.
In a private room on the second floor, there was a crystal ball on the table, reflecting the scene in the main hall. A woman wearing a goose yellow blouse was listening to their discussion with great interest. Beside her was a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, who whispered softly, “Master, shall we drive out these gossipers?”
The woman in the goose yellow blouse had clear and beautiful features, with a calm expression. She picked up the tea beside her and took a small sip. “We’re running a business here, how can we drive away customers? It’s just a bit of idle chatter.”
The little girl had childish features and couldn’t contain her impatience. She lowered her head to look at those loose-tongued cultivators, hearing them say more and more outrageous things, her eyes turning red with anger.
“Zhong’er, guests have arrived. Go greet them,” Sangyun said, looking at the projection in the ball.
A man with handsome features dressed in black robes stepped through the doorway. He casually raised his eyes and met her gaze through the transparent crystal.
Moments later, Zhong’er led the person in.
Sangyun placed a clear and transparent jade stone on the table and looked at the visitor. “You finally have something to ask again?”
Ning Buwei tossed the jade stone in his hand to her.
Sangyun caught the jade stone and gestured for him to sit down. “I thought you came to reminisce with me.”
“There’s nothing to reminisce about.” Ning Buwei sat opposite her. The young girl knelt beside them to pour tea. Ning Buwei glanced at her.
“My newly accepted young disciple, who will inherit my legacy in the future,” Sangyun said. “What do you want to ask?”
“My son,” Ning Buwei said.
Sangyun smiled slightly, slowly sipping her tea. “Although we’re old acquaintances, I’m a businessperson. Talking about your son will cost extra.”
Ning Buwei looked at her. “What do you want?”
“Three days from now, a secret realm will open on Yumian Mountain in Zhongzhou. I want a set of Zhenlong chess from inside,” Sangyun said, dipping her finger in tea and wiping it on the table.
“Deal,” Ning Buwei agreed quickly.
Sangyun played with the two jade stones in her hand, looking at him with a smile. “Are you sure you’re asking about your son, not about the Linglong Bone?”
“Is there a difference?” Ning Buwei asked in return.
Sangyun was born with special bones that allowed her to understand all things in the world. However, her rule was not to ask about the past of the dead or the future of the living.
“The Linglong Bone is an inanimate object, your son is a living being,” Sangyun said, dipping her finger in tea and drawing another line on the table. She continued unhurriedly, “If it’s the Linglong Bone, I can tell you everything from how it appeared in the world to when it will perish. If it’s your son, I can only tell you from his birth until now.”
“My son,” Ning Buwei repeated.
Sangyun was somewhat surprised, but she still looked at the two water marks. “Ning Xiu, now four months and twenty days old. Born on the ninth day of the ninth month this year, at the first quarter of the Chen hour, on the riverbank of the Endless River, thirty-nine miles from Linjiang City in Zhongzhou.”
“Father: Ning Buwei of Xun Prefecture, Ning City.”
“Father: Chu Jun of Zhen Prefecture, Wushi Sect.”
Sangyun looked at Ning Buwei with interest, “His physical body was formed from the blood and flesh of Ning Buwei and Chu Jun, borrowed by the Linglong Bone. His three souls and seven spirits were born with the blessings of heaven and earth. Born with a formed Golden Core, he is a rare Luotian Spiritual Body seen only once in a thousand years. He has already passed three life ordeals, but his souls are unstable, making his fate difficult to predict.”
Sangyun wiped away the water marks, “You came to find a way to stabilize his souls.”
Ning Buwei waited for her to continue.
However, Sangyun suddenly frowned, staring at the table for a while before her expression changed abruptly and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Master!” Zhong’er hurried to support her, but was stopped by Sangyun.
Ning Buwei sat across from her, not moving, but his expression also turned unpleasant.
Sangyun wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled bitterly, “I really shouldn’t have asked for just one set of Zhenlong chess from you.”
“No results?” Ning Buwei’s gaze darkened slightly.
“It was fine that I couldn’t see anything about the Ning family matter 500 years ago, but this time I caught a glimpse.” Sangyun’s spirit was damaged, causing her to speak much slower, “Scattered in four directions.”
Ning Buwei’s expression wasn’t good, “What does that mean?”
Sangyun shook her head, “I can’t see the specifics.”
Ning Buwei nodded slightly, “Thank you.”
Sangyun said helplessly, “Of all the myriad things in the world I can see, there’s just one I can’t see at all and one I can’t see clearly. Yet you’ve managed to encounter both.”
Ning Buwei stood up, “I’ll come here in five days for the Zhenlong chess.”
He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he heard Sangyun say, “I’ve cultivated for 500 years. If I were to look into the Ning family matter again, I might be able to glimpse some clues.”
“No need,” Ning Buwei pushed open the door.
“Do you really not want to know?” Sangyun asked him.
The door opened and closed, and the room returned to silence once more.
Zhong’er knelt beside Sangyun, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, and asked worriedly, “Master, why did you force yourself to look? And only ask for one set of chess from him?”
Sangyun shook her head, “I owe him two great favors. I must repay them no matter what. It’s just…”
What it was “just,” she didn’t say.
****
At Yijian Peak, Wushi Sect.
“Father just left like that!?” Jiang Yizheng was shocked and heartbroken.
“It’s alright, at least he left a note,” Feng Zizhang picked up the paper on the table, trying to comfort her.
On the hastily torn piece of paper, six characters were scrawled in a flamboyant style: [Return date uncertain, don’t worry.]
No matter how one looked at it, it exuded a sense of coldness and indifference.
Jiang Yizheng grabbed the note and glanced at it, saying softly, “I just ran into the Venerable, he seemed to be in a bad mood.”
“Xiao Shan has been fussing about finding our father these past two days,” Feng Zizhang sighed. “I wonder if Father left a note for the Venerable.”
Jiang Yizheng gazed at the snow outside the window with sorrowful eyes, feeling like they were unwanted cabbages in a field. “Even the Venerable, who is so good-looking, couldn’t keep our father here.”
Upstairs, Chu Jun looked at the note in his hand and held it in front of Ning Xiu.
“Ah~” Ning Xiu grabbed the note and tried to stuff it into his mouth.
Munch~
Chu Jun pulled the note from his hand and said softly, “Leaving without a word, isn’t that too much?”
“Da!” Ning Xiu stared at him with a mix of understanding and confusion.
“His meridians and dantian have just been repaired, and his cultivation is only at the early Golden Core stage,” Chu Jun frowned slightly.
Ning Xiu nodded his little head, looking very serious. “Ah!”
Golden Core!
Father always said this word to him, he understood it!
Chu Jun looked at his son’s serious face and wiped off his drool.
Ning Buwei had used some method to conceal his whereabouts, and Chu Jun couldn’t determine his exact location for the time being. Moreover, although they had a deep connection, they had only spent a brief time together 500 years ago. Chu Jun had always been discreet and wouldn’t interfere with others’ choices.
However, Ning Buwei leaving just a note before departing without saying goodbye made him somewhat concerned.
At this moment, Ning Xiu tugged at his robe, wanting to go out.
Previously, Ning Buwei had been living next door, and Ning Xiu remembered it clearly. Whenever he wanted to see Ning Buwei, he would pull Chu Jun to go find him. In the past two days, whenever he thought about it, he would want to go next door to find him, but unfortunately, he was always disappointed.
Chu Jun looked at his son and patiently explained, “He’s already gone. There’s no one next door.”
“Ah~” Ning Xiu pursed his little mouth, looking up at him obediently, his small hand tugging at Chu Jun.
Let’s go next door to find Father~
Chu Jun had no choice but to carry him and open the door to the adjacent room.
It seemed Ning Buwei had never intended to stay here long. He had lived in this room for over half a month, but it looked exactly the same when he left as it did when he moved in, as if he had never stayed there at all.
Even Ning Xiu, a mere baby, knew to leave a little bell on his small bed to mark his territory.
“Ah?” Ning Xiu looked around from Chu Jun’s arms, searching for his father, but couldn’t find anything.
Where’s Father?
Ning Xiu pointed to the gap between the window and the bed, gesturing for Chu Jun to look.
Chu Jun helplessly carried his son over to let him see the gap. “You think he’s hidden in here?”
Ning Xiu stared at the gap for a while, confirming that his father hadn’t accidentally fallen in there. He looked up at Chu Jun, tears welling up in his eyes as he sighed.
Chu Jun: “……” He wouldn’t have fallen in there.
That evening, when Ning Xiu had only managed to drink half a bowl of rice porridge while sighing wistfully at the large floral bowl, Venerable Jinghe finally felt that his son, as a five-month-old infant, shouldn’t have to bear so much sorrow of separation.
“Drink one more spoonful of porridge, and we’ll go find him tonight.”
At the secret realm of Yumian Mountain in Leyuan City.
Over a dozen cultivators were surrounding one person.
Ning Buwei smashed someone’s skull with a palm strike, kicking them dozens of meters away. He was holding a white jade chessboard that was still dripping with blood.
Someone angrily said, “I advise you to hand over the Zhenlong chess. Such a treasure is not something a Golden Core cultivator like you can—ugh!”
Before he could finish, he was pierced through the brow by a tree branch infused with true qi.
Ning Buwei casually tossed the chessboard into his storage ring, his gaze sweeping over the group, his tone contemptuous. “Seeking death.”
Ever since he had lost all his cultivation, every fight had been extremely frustrating. Now that he had regained his powers, without the little one following him and no one surnamed Chu to restrain him, he could finally fight to his heart’s content.
A flash of crimson passed through the eyes of the great demon, his smile growing more joyful as he prepared to let the Suzaku broken knife feast well.
“Ah~” A soft, baby voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
Ning Buwei’s smile froze.
