The scene shifted, and it changed to the view of Ning City in Xun Prefecture.
Next to Yan Jinzhou was Mingsang, who looked more mature, though his appearance wasn’t much different from now, but judging from his eyes he wasn’t very old.
“It’s rare for you to seek me out, the sun must be rising from the west today,” Yan Jinzhou looked at the bustling stalls with interest, and without hesitation went to link arms with Mingsang, who subtly avoided it.
Yan Jinzhou pouted and grabbed his sleeve without letting go, “Monk, quickly tell me what’s the matter, I’m very busy.”
Mingsang lowered his gaze and said, “Xingyuan is looking for you.”
“Ah.” Yan Jinzhou immediately lost interest, holding his sleeve and refusing to move from where she stood, looking unhappy, “I knew you wouldn’t come find me on your own.”
Mingsang said seriously, “Benefactor Yan, for these decades you’ve come to Jiting Sect every year, this time is also—”
“If you say one more word I’ll never come find you again,” Yan Jinzhou said fiercely.
Mingsang: “This poor monk—”
“The kind where we completely sever ties and end our friendship,” Yan Jinzhou’s tone carried a threat.
“……” Mingsang decisively fell silent, allowing her to pull his sleeve as she led him to the Ning Mansion.
Outside the Danhuai Courtyard, a large black dog lazily lay at the entrance sunbathing. Seeing the two of them approach, it gave a perfunctory “woof” before turning over to continue sunbathing.
“Hey, this dog.” Yan Jinzhou let go of Mingsang’s sleeve, wanting to pull the dog’s tail, but was blocked by Mingsang’s raised hand.
“Linyuan and Sang Yun are also here,” Mingsang said, “Haven’t you always wanted to meet them?”
Yan Jinzhou’s attention immediately shifted from the dog as she followed him into the courtyard.
In the open space of the courtyard grew large patches of Nine-Leaf Lotus, a vast expanse of sky-blue color. Yan Jinzhou exclaimed in surprise, “As expected of the Ning family, growing Nine-Leaf Lotus as decorative flowers.”
Just as she finished speaking, she saw movement in the most lush area of the Nine-Leaf Lotus, and a small head emerged. Yan Jinzhou exclaimed in shock. “After not seeing him for a few years, Ning Xingyuan even has a son?”
The child in the Nine-Leaf Lotus was fair and clean, though his empty gaze and expressionless face were somewhat creepy. The child looked at them once, reached out to pluck a flower petal and put it in his mouth, then disappeared back into the flowers.
“He’s a child Xingyuan brought back from a branch family,” Sang Yun stood in the corridor and smiled, “Isn’t he cute?”
Yan Jinzhou’s mouth twitched, “He’s alright.”
She is most annoyed with children.
Sangyun said, “Come in quickly, Xingyuan and the other one are inside.”
Yan Jinzhou and Mingsang followed her in. Before entering, Yan Jinzhou couldn’t help but look back one more time, coincidentally meeting the child’s eyes.
Yan Jinzhou mischievously made a scary face at him, frightening the child so much he fell on his bottom among the flowers, while she laughed in delight.
“He’s timid, don’t scare him,” Ning Xingyuan’s leisurely voice came from inside.
Yan Jinzhou said curiously, “Raising dogs and vines is one thing, but now you’re even raising children?”
A green vine poked out from Ning Xingyuan’s sleeve, observed everyone around for a moment, then retreated back into his sleeve, seemingly uninterested.
Ning Xingyuan gestured for them to sit down. The five people sat in a circle while Dulu served them tea nearby.
Ning Xingyuan said to Dulu, “Go out and watch over Chengfeng.”
Hearing this, Dulu nodded, stepped back a few steps with the tea tray, turned around and left, closing the door behind him.
Seeing everyone’s serious expressions, Yan Jinzhou casually picked up some grapes from the fruit plate and ate them idly, “What are you all doing? Why do you all look so grave?”
“Recently when I went to the Dark Realm to train with Xingyuan and Mingsang, we discovered that the Eight Trigrams Formation of the entire seventeen states has shown signs of weakening, and the spiritual energy throughout the seventeen states is slowly disappearing,” Chu Linyuan said gravely.
“Xingyuan and I calculated together that the Eight Trigrams Formation of the seventeen states will last at most another five hundred years before it loses its effect,” Sang Yun said worriedly.
The expression on Yan Jinzhou’s face went blank for a moment, “No, if that’s the case, why not quickly report to your families and sects, let them find a way to resolve it?”
Ning Xingyuan shook his head, “We’ve informed the Ning family, Wushi Sect, Jiting Sect, and Canghai Tower, but whether they investigate the Dark Realm or calculate together, all indicate there’s no problem with the Eight Trigrams Formation of the seventeen states.”
Yan Jinzhou was silent for a moment, “…Did you calculate wrong?”
The elders and powerful experts of various sects and family clans were naturally stronger than these few newly emerged young cultivators, and the cautious ones would naturally go to check, but they came to completely opposite conclusions and dismissed the matter after reprimanding them.
“…Moreover, the powers within the major sects and family clans are deeply intertwined. Even ordinary matters can be debated back and forth for a long time. Without real urgency, no one wants to be the first to step forward,” Chu Linyuan had a clearer view of human affairs than them. “Although our cultivation is high, we’re too young in seniority, so few people actually listen to what we say.”
“Also, I went to the Dark Realm again with Xingyuan and others, and we calculated many times together, but the results were still the same as before,” Sang Yun said worriedly.
“Oh,” Yan Jinzhou swallowed a grape whole and said, “So you’re certain that in about five hundred years, the seventeen states will be finished.”
Chu Linyuan’s eye twitched, “…That’s roughly the idea.”
Although Yan Jinzhou verbally said they calculated wrong, she knew exactly how capable these people were, otherwise she wouldn’t have hung around with them for so many years.
Moreover, Sang Yun had a special constitution that could understand all things, and Ning Xingyuan was blessed with the Luotian Spirit Body. The possibility of an error in their joint calculations was extremely low.
Yan Jinzhou handed a grape to Mingsang beside her. Mingsang looked down at the grape, peeled it, and handed it back to her.
Yan Jinzhou stared at the grape in her hand, visibly becoming more cheerful, “So what do you plan to do?”
Ning Xingyuan placed a small wooden box on the table. When opened, inside lay a crystal-clear bone.
“Half a year ago, the Floating Sky Realm opened near Li City in Zhenzhou, and I found this inside,” Ning Xingyuan took out the thumb-length bone. “This is called the Linglong Bone, it can revive the dead and regenerate bones, with endless vitality within.”
The green vine wrapped around his wrist extended a small leaf to lightly touch the Linglong Bone, and the originally sparse vine almost instantly sprouted many new buds.
“Isn’t this similar in principle to your self-created Rejuvenation Array?” Yan Jinzhou stared at the bone and said, “They can both revive the dead and such.”
Ning Xingyuan shook his head, “Although the Rejuvenation Array can revive the dead, it has many limiting conditions and can easily fail if not careful. Moreover, fundamentally, the Rejuvenation Array relies on spiritual energy to operate and restore original vitality, which is a give-and-take process with considerable consumption. But this Linglong Bone can not only revive the dead, it can even directly bring inherently dead things to life, creating vitality from nothing…”
Everyone’s expressions became increasingly grave as he spoke.
Yan Jinzhou was even more blunt, “You dare to bring this thing directly out of the Floating Sky Realm, aren’t you worried about making life too peaceful for your Ning family?”
Ning Xingyuan’s Rejuvenation Array was already eye-catching enough in the seventeen states. If not for the Ning family’s considerable power and Ning Xingyuan’s own heaven-defying talent, reaching near-Hinayana realm cultivation before the age of hundred, deterring those who coveted the Rejuvenation Array from rash actions, he would have been picked clean to the bone long ago.
Once news of the Linglong Bone spread, few family clans and sects would likely remain calm, after all, even current powerful experts would want to gain extra lives out of nothing.
Ning Xingyuan said, “I naturally know this thing is a hot potato, but it would be perfect for repairing the Eight Trigrams Formation…”
“If the Eight Trigrams Formation can’t hold, not just the seventeen states, but the mortal realm connected to the seventeen states would likely face catastrophe too,” Chu Linyuan worried, “But just us few and the Linglong Bone are far from enough…”
The group discussed back and forth trying to find the best solution, with all their words centered on the safety of the entire seventeen provinces.
Yan Jinzhou listened to them talk about the deeply intertwined powers of the major family clans and sects until her head spun. She stretched and said, “You all continue discussing, I’m going out for some air.”
Compared to the Linglong Bone and the safety of the seventeen states, she would rather have Mingsang peel another grape for her, but clearly the monk was unwilling. She left the barrier and opened the door, only to see Ning Xingyuan’s young disciple Dulu.
“Hey, where’s that kid?” Yan Jinzhou yawned, peering into the Nine-Leaf Lotus grove.
“Young Master Chengfeng has returned to his room,” Dulu smiled.
Yan Jinzhou had a good impression of Dulu – obedient, sensible, and perceptive – practically her ideal candidate for a disciple. She joked, “How do you feel Ning Xingyuan treats you? If he’s not treating you well, why not become my disciple instead?”
Dulu smiled helplessly, “Please don’t joke, Master he… treats me very well.”
Yan Jinzhou found his pause interesting and teased, “That pause clearly shows you’re dissatisfied.”
A moment of panic flashed in Dulu’s eyes, which he concealed by bowing, “I have absolutely no disloyalty towards Master.”
“Alright, alright, I was just teasing you,” Yan Jinzhou waved her hand, losing interest. “Where’s that kid’s room?”
Just as Dulu was about to point it out, a servant entered from outside the courtyard and approached Dulu, saying, “Ning Fan from the branch family is here again requesting to see the Young Master.”
Dulu frowned, his face showing contempt and disgust, “The Master said he won’t see him. Go tell him if he dares disturb the Master again, I’ll break his legs.”
“Yes,” the servant hurried away.
Yan Jinzhou watched the drama from the side, “How rare, even the good-tempered Ning Xingyuan has someone he dislikes this much?”
Dulu said, “Recently something happened to the Ning family branch in Chen City of Shangzhou. Only Chengfeng was left, and that Ning Fan took him to practice the Heartless Dao. When Master heard this, he was furious and directly brought Chengfeng back.”
Yan Jinzhou clicked her tongue, “Forcing such a young child to practice the Heartless Dao. Your Ning family looks like a noble house, but why do you keep doing such inhuman things?”
Dulu smiled bitterly, “If not for Ning Fan having some marriage ties with the family head’s wife and being protected by the family head, Master would probably have cleaned up the house right then.”
“Those who practice the Heartless Dao are all cold-hearted people who see through love and emotion, at least a hundred years old with Golden Core. What would a five or six-year-old kid know about the Heartless Dao?” Yan Jinzhou had a bad temper and spoke bluntly, but ultimately this was the Ning family’s internal affair – if even Ning Xingyuan couldn’t intervene, let alone her, a rogue cultivator.
“I’ve never seen someone so young practice the Heartless Dao. Come on, Xiao Lu, let’s go take a look,” Yan Jinzhou turned to leave.
Dulu said, “I need to stay here, Master and the others—”
“Oh come on, there’s a barrier, it makes no difference whether you’re here or not,” Yan Jinzhou said impatiently, “Hurry up.”
She took large strides, and just as she turned the corner of the corridor, she saw a figure dart out from not far away, looking strangely familiar. Dulu caught up and said, “I still don’t—”
“Are there others in the Danhuai Courtyard besides you and Ning Xingyuan?” Yan Jinzhou asked puzzled.
“Of course, there’s also Chengfeng,” Dulu said.
“Tch.” Yan Jinzhou narrowed her eyes, muttering quietly, “Didn’t look like a child though.”
“What?” Dulu hadn’t heard clearly.
“Nothing, just saying your master is really frugal,” Yan Jinzhou laughed it off.
“Master just bought two jade paperweights from the Treasure Pavilion last month,” Dulu was young and somewhat indignant, “He’s very wealthy.”
Yan Jinzhou burst out laughing, “Ning Xingyuan has such unique tastes, I thought he only cared about that precious knife of his.”
****
The scene in the water mirror was abruptly cut off, and in an instant the surroundings changed to the Chengyun Tavern.
Yan Jinzhou knelt before a small table, on which lay a ring-pommel knife – it was Suzaku.
Yan Jinzhou raised an eyebrow, “What does this mean?”
Across the small table, Ning Xingyuan looked more steady, though his expression was even more gentle and peaceful, “Sang Yun and I divined the heavenly secrets, my time is approaching.”
“Huh?” Yan Jinzhou clearly didn’t believe it, “You’re now at the peak of HInayana realm, only ninety-nine years old. Even if you gave up ascending and crossing tribulation, doing nothing you could still live for thousands of years. What do you mean your time is approaching?”
Ning Xingyuan smiled bitterly, “It’s not just me, the Ning family and all of Xun Prefecture can’t escape this tribulation.”
Yan Jinzhou sat up straight, “Have you divined it clearly?”
“Sang Yun and I calculated over a hundred times, without exception,” Ning Xingyuan said calmly. “The Heavenly Dao demands balance. The Linglong Bone is not of this world, and even with Sang Yun’s combined effort we cannot see whether the Eight Trigrams Formation can ultimately be repaired successfully. But the Rejuvenation Array defies heaven – the art of reviving the dead should not exist, yet its outcome is clear. I was arrogant in attempting to oppose the Heavenly Dao, not thinking that… if the vitality of the Southeast Xun Prefecture is severed, the Eight Trigrams Formation of the seventeen states will ultimately fall silent. Perhaps it was because our group’s calculations back then differed from the sect and family elders’ that it led to today’s result. In the end, heaven’s will cannot be defied.”
Yan Jinzhou pondered for a moment, then said, “If you really thought that, you wouldn’t have come to find me alone.”
Ning Xingyuan smiled, “No wonder Sang Yun always says you’re the smartest among us.”
“Stop flattering me, you have plenty of twists and turns in your mind too. Just say what you want to say,” Yan Jinzhou waved her hand.
“You have no sect or school, being a rogue cultivator, and haven’t been involved in the Chongzheng Alliance’s affairs. After much thought, you’re the most suitable person to entrust this matter to,” Ning Xingyuan said.
Yan Jinzhou looked at the ring-pommel knife on the table.
“Though Xun Prefecture’s vitality will be exhausted, there is one person outside of this vitality who could become the only remaining thread of life,” Ning Xingyuan said. “Afterward, no matter what happens to me, the Ning family, or all of Xun Prefecture, please don’t intervene. I only ask that you protect this one person.”
Yan Jinzhou’s heart suddenly thumped heavily, “Who?”
“Ning Chengfeng.” Ning Xingyuan pushed the Suzaku knife in front of her, “Please give the Suzaku knife to him when the time comes.”
Yan Jinzhou seemed to take a while to remember, “That child you took in from your Ning family branch ten years ago?”
“Chengfeng lost both parents at a young age and was forced to practice the Heartless Dao by Ning Fan. The Ning family has wronged him. I brought him to my side to care for him, only hoping he could grow up safely, not expecting the Ning family would face such huge changes,” Ning Xingyuan said with self-reproach. “When divining, the entire Ning clan perishes except for him alone. Upon careful investigation, Sang Yun discovered that Chengfeng was born with a fate of early death and no vitality, but met a benefactor who helped expand his sea of consciousness and reshape his bones, even forcibly sharing a thread of vitality from themselves. However, in the future that benefactor will definitely have several fate tribulations fall on Chengfeng, which Chengfeng must resolve.”
Saving someone fated for early death with one’s own vitality – the Heavenly Dao would surely seek retribution. This benefactor’s future cultivation would likely be difficult and treacherous, suffering misfortune for hundreds or thousands of years, with the slightest mistake leading to their demise.
“There’s actually such an extremely kind fool in the seventeen states?” Yan Jinzhou was first surprised, then felt something was wrong, “Could they be repaying some karmic debt to your Ning family?”
If she encountered such trouble, she would definitely postpone the fate tribulation, honestly go into closed cultivation for a few hundred years, and wait out the bad luck first. Otherwise, walking outside and dying from a simple fall would be too frustrating.
Ning Xingyuan smiled bitterly, “Whether out of kindness or repaying karma, at least they gave the Ning family a thread of hope. As long as Chengfeng lives, the Ning family hasn’t reached rock bottom and can still rise again.”
Yan Jinzhou had known him since youth and they were friends after all, so she couldn’t help asking, “What about yourself?”
The young man sitting across from her had gentle features and a peaceful expression, “I seek my chosen path without regret even facing death nine times. Even if this is heaven’s will, I still want to struggle against it.”
The divination result showed the Ning family would perish and all life in Xun Prefecture would be extinguished, but how could someone who created the Rejuvenation Array truly accept fate?
Yan Jinzhou understood, raising her eyebrows and said, “You sought me out just to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
Chu Linyuan was trapped in the power struggles of the Chongzheng Alliance, Mingsang remained detached from the mortal world, Sang Yun was bound at the Canghai Tower, yet only she, Yan Jinzhou, was an unaffiliated cultivator without any attachments.
Ning Xingyuan stood up and gave her a deep, solemn bow.
Yan Jinzhou stood in place without avoiding it.
Ning Xingyuan said seriously, “Jinzhou, I will forever remember your great kindness.”
Yan Jinzhou said earnestly, “Fine, if you’re still alive by then, just bring Mingsang to me tied up and we’ll call it even.”
Ning Xingyuan couldn’t help but laugh.
After exchanging a few more words, Ning Xingyuan bid her farewell.
Yan Jinzhou watched as he left the Chengyun Tavern. Dulu came forward to receive him, and there seemed to be someone else sitting in the carriage who lifted the curtain and looked in her direction, revealing half of a blurry face that felt strangely familiar to her. But before she could get another look, the curtain was lowered.
With Ning Chengfeng at the Wanxuan Academy, the green vine at Chenyue Mountain, and Dulu at the restaurant front, who could that person in the carriage be?
Yan Jinzhou leaned against the window, feeling somewhat uneasy as she recalled her parting conversation with Ning Xingyuan.
“Is there really no other way?”
Ning Xingyuan smiled slightly, “I wish there was, but for now, I need to settle them first to be at ease.”
“What about your precious vine? Aren’t you afraid it will go crazy when it finds out?”
“I’ve already sent him to Chenyue Mountain for closed-door cultivation. When he emerges, everything will be settled. If I’m still alive, I will naturally take Chengfeng to receive him,” Ning Xingyuan lowered his eyes, his voice carrying a barely detectable trace of regret, “If by then I have perished—”
Ning Xingyuan paused, took out a small jade leaf from his clothes, and placed it together with the Suzaku Knife.
“Then let him cultivate on his own path.”
