"I say, what do you want with us?" A thousand-li voice transmission echoed in Han Fei's mind.
Han Fei was stunned. It was Xue Nu's voice—arriving just in time, especially since his speech was still slurred with a thick tongue. But couldn't you have come yesterday?
"Daoist thousand-li voice transmission?" Wei Zhuang and the others sensed it too, though they didn't know who it was directed at. They all turned to look at the prominently horned Han Fei.
Han Fei nodded, confirming it was for him.
"If you don't speak, I'm leaving!" Xue Nu had no desire to meet him; it would only interfere with her pursuit of her master, especially now with Dong Jun added to the mix.
"Don't, don't—Miss Xue Nu, can't you show yourself for a meeting?" Han Fei hurriedly responded in his mind.
"If you have something to say, say it. We're not close," Xue Nu replied.
Yan Ling Ji also glanced at Han Fei, her meaning clear: If you mess this up for me again, think about the consequences yourself.
Han Fei didn't even dare to force a bitter smile, so he responded mentally: "It's about Daoist matters. Yan Ling Ji is also a Daoist outer disciple; she received a Daoist heart method before and wants to find you all."
Not far from the Sikou residence, atop a weeping willow branch, Xue Nu was stunned. What's going on? One Dong Jun is already enough of a threat, and now Yan Ling Ji pops up? Is this ramping up the difficulty for me?
"Did you receive a Daoist heart method?" Xue Nu shifted the thousand-li voice transmission to Yan Ling Ji. Though she didn't want another competitor, this was Daoist business, and she knew her priorities.
Yan Ling Ji was taken aback, then replied: "When I was little, I met a Daoist master. He passed me a scroll of Daoist heart method. I want to find that master."
Xue Nu pondered. She wasn't that familiar with Daoism herself—beyond her master and Uncle Master Xiao Meng, she hadn't met the others. This is tricky. I'd have to take her to see Master, and I'm so reluctant.
"Then come out. I'll take you to see my master and uncle master. Just you—don't tell the others, especially Han Fei!" Xue Nu said. She disliked Han Fei, truly disliked him—his mind was too deep and cunning, and he was far too clever.
Yan Ling Ji glanced at Han Fei and the others, then turned and left the Sikou residence.
Han Fei and the group realized the Daoists probably didn't want to meet them, leaving them somewhat helpless. After all, Daoism had sealed its mountain; it was normal for them to avoid outsiders. Wei Zhuang had no intention of following either—if they didn't want to see him, tailing them would be pointless, and he might end up getting schooled again. Did he not care about his face?
Outside the Sikou residence, Yan Ling Ji met Xue Nu, clad in a purple gown with snow-white hair. Feeling somewhat reserved, and fearing she might upset her with heat, Yan Ling Ji restrained the seductive charm from her fire allure arts, switching to pure Daoist heart method.
"Supreme goodness is like water!" Xue Nu exclaimed in surprise.
Supreme Goodness Like Water was a secret of the Heaven Sect not passed outside, and it had been lost. This was a technique from the Daoist sage Lao Zi, on par with the Heaven Sect's Heart Like Still Water method. It was a top-tier Daoist heart method that only elders could cultivate.
"I'm called Xue Nu, sword attendant to the Human Sect leader, Wu Chen Zi. You can call me Xue Nu," she said, her attitude softening considerably. To cultivate a lost, non-transmissible Heaven Sect technique meant Yan Ling Ji was likely an heir to some Heaven Sect elder.
"Hello, Miss Xue Nu," Yan Ling Ji replied. She wasn't foolish; such a beautiful sword attendant couldn't be that simple.
"Come on, I'll take you to see my master and uncle master," Xue Nu said, leading Yan Ling Ji away from the main street. With a cast of Dream Butterfly Escape, the two vanished from the avenue.
This was why Daoist Dream Butterfly Escape was the perfect skill for burglary, murder, and arson—you never knew where they'd gone. Paired with the instantaneous shift of Blending with Light and Dust, it was an unbeatable combo. If Daoists turned to habitual thievery, there'd be no room left for the King of Thieves, Dao Zhi.
Yan Ling Ji followed Xue Nu to the small courtyard. The first sight she caught was Hei Bai Xuan Jian, cradling the Great Dao Epiphyllum under a tree. Her body instinctively bristled, and her spirit fire hairpin appeared in her hand.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian looked up at her, noting she was with Xue Nu, then lowered his head to continue bonding with the Great Dao Epiphyllum. It not only nourished the harmony between his spirit and body but also mended his old wounds.
"No need to be tense—he's... um, our chef," Xue Nu said, stopping Yan Ling Ji's movement. After a moment's thought, she settled on that introduction. Li Hai Mo had wanted to make him a Human Sect elder, but Hei Bai Xuan Jian refused, insisting on being a guard—or rather, trying to steal her role as sword attendant. Xue Nu wouldn't have that, so chef it was.
Yan Ling Ji put away her spirit fire hairpin, stunned. The heaven-human unity expert who chased the two Guiguzi vertical-horizontal disciples to the death is just a Daoist chef? How deep is Daoism's foundation?
Hei Bai Xuan Jian heard Xue Nu's introduction and looked up again. Screw your chef nonsense. I was thinking of helping you out. Now? Heh, let's see what I cook tonight—something to fatten you up, and see if Wu Chen Zi still finds you interesting.
"Yan Ling Ji? Why'd you bring her back?" Dong Jun, in her golden ornate robes, noticed her return and came out, asking in surprise.
"This is the Yin-Yang School's Dong Jun, currently our captive," Xue Nu said, glancing at her. If not for you and Hei Bai Xuan Jian as third wheels, I'd have conquered Master by now.
Yan Ling Ji was stunned again. Heaven-human unity experts are this commonplace now? One's a Daoist chef, another's a Daoist captive. My heart's racing—will I get killed?
Li Hai Mo and Xiao Meng heard the commotion in the courtyard and emerged from the room.
Yan Ling Ji looked at the two, both in cyan robes with an otherworldly aura—clearly the two Daoist sect leaders.
"Yan Ling Ji greets the two sect leaders," she said, bowing reservedly.
Li Hai Mo and Xiao Meng nodded, then turned to Xue Nu. We sent you to check what Han Fei wanted, and you bring back another person? Especially Xiao Meng, who shot her a look of exasperation. You think you're hot stuff now? One Dong Jun wasn't enough—you dare bring back another beauty on par with you all?
Xue Nu caught Xiao Meng's meaning, looking utterly innocent. I didn't want to either. So she explained: "When she was little, she received guidance from a Daoist elder and cultivated the Heaven Sect's Supreme Goodness Like Water heart method."
"Supreme Goodness Like Water?" Xiao Meng and Li Hai Mo were startled. It had been lost in Daoism; the last elder to cultivate it vanished after leaving the mountain, causing its loss. The sect still had the cultivation method, but the core inheritance was gone.
"Run the technique for me to see!" Xiao Meng approached Yan Ling Ji.
Yan Ling Ji nodded, carefully circulating the heart method. Xiao Meng placed a hand on her shoulder to sense the flow.
After a few moments, Xiao Meng withdrew her hand, nodded to Li Hai Mo, and said: "It is indeed Supreme Goodness Like Water, but incomplete. Only the introductory heart method and the water element sealing art."
Li Hai Mo nodded. His cultivation was essentially nil now, so he couldn't discern much, but he sensed a pure fire element power within her.
"How did you obtain the Supreme Goodness Like Water heart method?" Xiao Meng asked.
Yan Ling Ji recounted her experience, then watched them tensely, fearing they'd see her as an outsider and abolish her technique—or even kill her. But after a while, she realized they weren't focused on her at all; they were pondering something else, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Over a decade ago, in Bai Yue territory?" Xiao Meng looked at Li Hai Mo. Typically, only Human Sect disciples left the mountain; Heaven Sect ones mostly holed up in Tai Yi Mountain. And Supreme Goodness Like Water wasn't exclusive to Heaven Sect disciples—Human Sect elders could cultivate it too. So Li Hai Mo would know best which elder was active in Bai Yue over a decade ago. Moreover, transmitting only the introductory method and water sealing art suggested it was just to help Yan Ling Ji suppress her immense flame power.
Li Hai Mo thought for a moment. Over a decade ago, the ones who'd left the mountain and reached Bai Yue were only Senior Brother Xiao Yao Zi and Senior Brother Bai Yun Zi. But Xiao Yao Zi wouldn't do something like this, so it was likely Bai Yun Zi. He couldn't rule out even older generations of Daoist elders whose fates were unknown.
"Did you bring that heart method scroll?" Li Hai Mo asked. Only by checking the handwriting on the bamboo slips could they confirm who it was.
Yan Ling Ji produced a clean, black-red bamboo slip from her sleeve and handed it to Li Hai Mo. Knowing she'd meet the Daoist leaders, she'd carried it with her these past days.
Li Hai Mo took the slip carefully and unrolled it. It was pristine and clearly often consulted. But the writing wasn't Xiao Yao Zi's or Bai Yun Zi's. So he shook his head at Xiao Meng.
"Do you have any other impressions of the elder who taught you?" Li Hai Mo asked.
Yan Ling Ji thought hard, then shook her head. Beyond offering to take her as a disciple, he'd said nothing else.
"I think it might be one person!" Dong Jun interjected from the side.
Li Hai Mo and Xiao Meng turned to her, as did Yan Ling Ji, puzzled how a Yin-Yang School member would know about a Daoist.
"Since this elder wanted to take her as a disciple, he clearly valued her flame abilities. Only after failing did he pass her Supreme Goodness Like Water to suppress her vast inner fire source. And in Daoism, only one person in the last century excelled in fire-attuned Dao arts," Dong Jun said, a hint of fear in her voice. That was a madman; the reason East Emperor Tai Yi couldn't leave the Yin-Yang School was because, back when he was Dong Jun, he'd clashed with that person and suffered a wound to his foundation.
"The Mad Daoist He Guan Zi! The previous-previous Human Sect leader," Dong Jun said, then looked at Li Hai Mo. By that count, with Xiao Yao Zi accepting disciples on his behalf, Li Hai Mo was essentially He Guan Zi's disciple.
Li Hai Mo was taken aback, then realized it was quite possible. His nominal master had left Tai Yi Mountain due to madness and vanished, passing the leadership to Xiao Yao Zi.
The Mad Daoist He Guan Zi was also the only Daoist in the last century to cultivate fire-attuned Dao arts. So it made sense for him to want Yan Ling Ji as a disciple. He'd left the mountain saying no one could inherit his mantle. And his last known location was in Chu, near Bai Yue—it was plausible he'd gone there.
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