Hehuan Sect, Hongchen Mountain.
A flying boat hanging the banner of the Imperial Observatory landed slowly outside the mountain gate.
The boat was not large and its design was simple, but starlight shimmered within the flow of its array patterns, marking it as a configuration beyond the standard equipment of the Imperial Observatory.
Xu Huayi leaped down from the boat, her divine sense expanding the moment her toes touched the ground, perceiving every fluctuation of spiritual aura within a few miles.
The aura of Hongchen Mountain was indeed recovering, but the residual yin and yang imbalance still loomed over the peak like a thin veil of mist.
It was nearly imperceptible without careful focus, but to someone like her who dealt with arrays year-round, this mist was more obvious than the sun overhead.
She had come as a special envoy personally dispatched by Song Zhixing, the Vice Director of the Imperial Observatory, representing the capital’s official authority on three missions.
First, to supervise the internal purge of the Hehuan Sect to ensure no similar incidents occurred; second, to assist in evaluating the restoration of the yin and yang qi of the Yin Yang Fish with her expertise in arrays; and third, as Song Zhixing had privately instructed—to investigate if there were hidden truths behind the incident that had yet to surface.
A legitimate errand, a legitimate business trip.
It was absolutely not because she had heard the Hehuan Sect incident involved Gu Chengming and had volunteered at the first opportunity.
Absolutely not.
"Envoy Xu, the mountain gate of Hongchen Mountain is just ahead," a clerk from the Imperial Observatory reminded her from behind.
Xu Huayi nodded and straightened her collar, pushing the thoughts that shouldn't appear during official duties to the deepest part of her Sea of Consciousness.
Business first; everything else could wait.
She strode toward the mountain gate.
...
The Hehuan Sect’s reception was of no low standard.
Elder Kurong waited personally at the mountain gate, followed by two rows of inner sect disciples, all neatly dressed and respectful.
After all, the Imperial Observatory represented the eyes of the Great Qian imperial court, and since the Hehuan Sect had just suffered such a major crisis, they naturally had to maintain the lowest possible profile.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Kurong, Xu Huayi was led to the guest courtyard of Hongchen Mountain.
The guest courtyard was located halfway up the mountain in a quiet environment, with a peach grove visible outside the window.
Though it was not the flowering season, the gnarled branches possessed a desolate charm.
Xu Huayi set down her luggage, pushed open the window, and took a deep breath of the air, which carried a faint floral scent.
Then she heard voices coming from outside.
"I’m telling you, Senior Sister Qingmeng has painted a new version! It’s a profile view this time!"
"Really? Let me see!"
"Look, look at the lines of his shoulders. Doesn't it look just like him?"
"It does! It looks so much like him! But I think his chin should be a bit sharper..."
"You dreamed about his chin?"
"I dreamed that when he turned his head to look at me, the outline of his chin was exceptionally handsome!"
Standing by the window, Xu Huayi listened as the two passing disciples walked further away, her brow furrowing slightly.
What were they discussing?
A person in a dream? A portrait?
Xu Huayi paid it no mind, closed the window, and began to organize the array tools she would need for the trip.
But this was only the beginning; over the next two days, no matter where she went, she heard similar conversations.
Doubts finally taking root, Xu Huayi found an opportunity to ask a receiving inner sect disciple about the origins of this so-called "Seeking the Sword Pavilion" under the pretext of "understanding the sect's current state."
The moment the topic was raised, the disciple’s eyes lit up as if she had finally found someone to confide in, and she spoke at great length.
After listening, a question mark appeared in Xu Huayi's mind.
What did they mean by the entire female population of the Hehuan Sect suddenly gaining the same dream lover overnight?
What was this, a super-massive gathering of thousands?
The disciples of the Hehuan Sect played far too fast and loose.
...
Setting aside this somewhat bizarre matter for now.
The next day, the formal meeting between Xu Huayi and the acting sect master, Fu Xiaoxiao, took place in a side hall of the main hall of Hongchen Mountain.
The side hall was small and elegantly furnished, with a long table in the center and prayer mats and tea sets on either side.
Fu Xiaoxiao arrived before Xu Huayi; she wore a formal red sect master’s robe today, and her hair was tied back properly, giving her an air of majesty.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see faint dark circles under her eyes, yet the corners of her mouth were irrepressibly curled upward, presenting a subtle state of being "very tired but very happy."
Xu Huayi pushed the door open, and their gazes met.
"Array Master Xu," Fu Xiaoxiao said, rising and nodding slightly.
"Sect Master Fu," Xu Huayi returned the greeting, taking a seat on the opposite prayer mat.
Both were clever individuals, and they cut to the chase after fewer than three sentences of pleasantries.
Xu Huayi produced a draft regulatory agreement prepared by the Imperial Observatory and went through it item by item with Fu Xiaoxiao.
The content covered the reporting mechanism for the Yin Yang Fish’s restoration, periodic testing standards for the yin and yang qi, and clauses for the Hehuan Sect to accept irregular inspections from the Imperial Observatory over the next three years.
Fu Xiaoxiao had no major objections to these terms, only suggesting minor changes to some wording, and the two sides quickly reached an agreement.
However, during the discussion, a thought kept spinning in Fu Xiaoxiao’s mind.
Shouldn't Gu Chengming be responsible for this?
He was from the Night Guard Division, and the investigation of the Hehuan Sect incident was led by the Night Guard Division; logically, the subsequent supervision and cleanup should be handled by them.
But this Array Master Xu from the Imperial Observatory hadn't mentioned Gu Chengming's name once from start to finish.
Even when referring to "the investigators previously dispatched by the Great Qian side," the only person she mentioned was Li Suizhuang.
She didn't know Gu Chengming was here.
Fu Xiaoxiao had some suspicions.
The official powers of Great Qian were complex and overlapping; the Night Guard Division, the Imperial Observatory, and the Ministry of Rites each had their own intelligence channels and operating styles.
Gu Chengming had infiltrated secretly as Li Suizhuang's assistant, so very few people knew the truth; it was logical that the Imperial Observatory hadn't received the news.
Furthermore, Gu Chengming was currently investigating leads on the red dust seeds and the Longevity Sect in secret, and the concealment of his identity was vital, so she naturally wouldn't mention him.
Thus, Fu Xiaoxiao kept her expression calm and suppressed the thought.
Instead, after the agreement was finalized, Xu Huayi held her teacup and asked as if casually:
"By the way, Sect Master Fu, as I have been moving about the sect these past few days, I have heard an interesting topic circulating among your disciples."
Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand holding the tea paused slightly.
"What topic?"
"It seems to be about a 'dream sword cultivator'," Xu Huayi said, her tone like that of someone chatting about a trivial curiosity. "It is said that on the day the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array fluctuated, over a thousand of your disciples dreamed of the same person?"
Fu Xiaoxiao waved it off, her tone relaxed. "When the Yin Yang Fish lost balance, it released a large amount of red dust aura, affecting the disciples' divine senses and causing some common hallucinations. The Hehuan Sect practices the Red Dust Technique, so our perception of emotion is naturally acute. Such a collective dream reaction is rare, but theoretically sound."
She paused and added, "As for that 'Seeking the Sword Pavilion', it is just a pastime for the younger disciples to kill time. Elder Kurong has already reprimanded them, and it will disperse in a few days."
Xu Huayi nodded and did not press further.
...
After the meeting ended, Xu Huayi returned to the guest courtyard, closed the door, and sat at the table for a long time.
Fu Xiaoxiao’s explanation was reasonable and flawless.
But Xu Huayi was a genius of the dao of arrays, and her intuition told her it wasn't that simple.
A collective dream of over a thousand people with highly consistent content and details rich enough to produce portraits was not something "red dust aura affecting divine sense" could explain.
The influence of red dust aura was diffusive and vague; it could amplify emotions, but it would not create a specific, unified image out of thin air.
Unless someone had actively intervened in the disciples' seas of consciousness.
If someone had truly touched the seas of consciousness of over a thousand disciples simultaneously under the cover of the red dust aura when the Yin Yang Fish lost balance... that person's strength and methods were far beyond her imagination.
And Fu Xiaoxiao’s dismissive attitude toward it made her even more uneasy.
Did she truly not care, or was she deliberately hiding something?
Xu Huayi closed her eyes and reorganized the information she had gathered over the past few days.
Yun Ni, the former sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, had died suddenly from a qi deviation, and Fu Xiaoxiao had taken over the sect’s affairs in a crisis.
The Yin Yang Fish had restored its balance in an extremely short time, too fast to be a natural recovery; it seemed more as if someone had intervened from the inside.
A collective dream of over a thousand disciples pointed to an unidentified sword cultivator.
And Fu Xiaoxiao—a Fish-Managing Elder who wasn't considered part of the core leadership before—had quickly taken control of the situation after Yun Ni's death, with the more senior elders Kurong and Jingxin stepping back.
Everything was far too smooth.
It was so smooth it looked as if someone had meticulously arranged it behind the scenes.
Xu Huayi opened her eyes, thinking to herself: what if Fu Xiaoxiao hadn't taken over "in a crisis," but had "replaced" her predecessor?
What if Yun Ni hadn't died of a qi deviation, but had been eliminated?
What if that mysterious sword cultivator who could touch the consciousness of a thousand people was the person behind Fu Xiaoxiao?
A bold guess formed in Xu Huayi’s mind—
This so-called "internal strife" in the Hehuan Sect was a carefully planned coup from start to finish.
Fu Xiaoxiao was merely a puppet pushed to the front, while the true mastermind was a sword cultivator of unfathomable strength who remained hidden within the Hehuan Sect, controlling everything from the shadows.
Regardless, she had to investigate.
...
The night was as dark as ink, and moonlight scattered across the bluestone paths of Hongchen Mountain.
Xu Huayi retracted her compass, her white jade judge's pen tapping lightly in the void, causing a miniature array node pattern to vanish into the air.
The reason of "investigating whether there were issues with the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array" was flawless.
Even if the patrolling Hehuan Sect disciples saw her, they could only bow respectfully and say, "Envoy Xu has worked hard."
But in reality, her true goal was to find the person—the so-called "mastermind."
Two consecutive days of observation had only strengthened the suspicion in Xu Huayi's heart.
The situation in the Hehuan Sect was too stable, the repair of the Yin Yang Fish was too fast, and then there was the dream lover of over a thousand disciples.
Fu Xiaoxiao was likely just a puppet pushed to the stage.
Approaching a deep bamboo forest, Xu Huayi stopped in her tracks.
With a soft shout, a bright light flickered deep in her pupils.
This was the "Star-Gazing and Qi-Observing Art" of the Imperial Observatory, which allowed one to see what others could not and perceive the finest shifts in aura.
Under the gaze of her astral eyes, the spiritual aura of the ley lines flowed like a river, and the vitality of the flora turned into points of starlight.
Beneath all these surfaces, Xu Huayi captured an extremely discordant color.
It was a residual trace of pale gold.
She had indeed found it.
Following the direction of the aura, she looked toward the heart of Hongchen Mountain, which was also where the guest courtyard of the Hehuan Sect was located.
Could it be that the mastermind was brazenly hiding within the guest courtyard?
Xu Huayi did not make a sound. After noting the location, she retreated silently from the bamboo forest.
...
The next morning.
The weather on Hongchen Mountain was somewhat gloomy, with clouds hanging very low.
Inside a room in the Jingsi Courtyard, Gu Chengming set down the last jade slip recording data on the heart-parasites, his brow slightly furrowed.
Analyzing the content of the jade slip, Gu Chengming said, "Normal emotions are mixed, with joy, anger, sorrow, and delight intertwined like a tangled mess. But the emotions absorbed by the red dust seeds have been stripped."
"It doesn't want memories or karma; it only wants the purest essence of the emotion itself."
"For example, with 'fear', it removes the reasons for the fear and the target of the fear, leaving only the concept of 'fear' itself."
Hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao seemed to remember something and spoke up. "In the history of the Hehuan Sect, there have been records of a certain kind of existence. It is not a living being, nor is it a dead object, but a convergence of emotions from heaven and earth. It feeds on the joy, anger, sorrow, and delight of all living things. Wherever it passes, the emotions of all things are devoured, leaving only a deathly, silent void."
"If that is the case..." Fu Xiaoxiao looked up, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes. "The thing that is coming is likely the natural enemy of all Hehuan Sect cultivators."
If it was truly an existence of that level, it would indeed be troublesome.
"Fortunately, I am not a Hehuan Sect cultivator. If it truly comes, just leave it to me," Gu Chengming teased with a light laugh.
Seeing his confident expression, the heart that had been hanging in Fu Xiaoxiao's chest inexplicably settled.
As long as he was there, it felt as though even if the sky fell, it wouldn't be a big deal.
She lowered her head, hiding the smile at the corners of her mouth by taking a sip of tea, and then whispered, "Will we continue tonight?"
Gu Chengming was taken aback for a moment before he understood her meaning.
"Of course," he nodded, struck by a thought. "Should we try utilizing the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array?"
Fu Xiaoxiao gave a soft "mhm," the tips of her ears turning red as she blocked half her face with her teacup.
...
Night fell once again.
There was no moon tonight, and the wind was strong, making the trees on Hongchen Mountain rustle loudly.
Xu Huayi continued her tracking along the path she had discovered the previous night. The lines traced by the judge's pen in the void became clearer and clearer, and the direction became more specific.
Passing the Training Ground of the Outer Sect and bypassing the Alchemy Room of the Inner Sect, the line finally stopped before a secluded courtyard.
Jingsi Courtyard.
Xu Huayi hid behind a tall parasol tree, her gaze locked onto the plaque above the courtyard gate.
Why did the clues lead here?
Xu Huayi took a deep breath and drew an Invisibility Talisman from her sleeve. With a flash of spiritual light, her form and aura vanished completely into the air.
She leaped lightly, landing soundlessly atop the courtyard wall.
The courtyard was quiet, with only the old pagoda tree swaying in the wind.
A dim yellow candlelight glowed in the window of the main room, casting two figures onto the window paper—a man and a woman.
Xu Huayi’s heart suddenly accelerated.
Two people?
She focused her hearing, trying to distinguish the movement inside the room.
At first, there was a low whisper, the voice so soft she couldn't hear it clearly.
Soon after, there was a suppressed groan—a nasal sound unique to a woman, carrying a certain pleasure.
This voice... though slightly strained, she could never mistake it. Was it Fu Xiaoxiao?
Could it be that the mastermind was actually this new sect master’s lover?
Xu Huayi felt she had stumbled upon a staggering secret, but before she could sort out her thoughts, the sounds from within the room interrupted her reflection.
"Mhm..."
Next came the rhythmic creaking of the bed, one after another, matching the irrepressible low moans. Xu Huayi froze entirely.
Though she was inexperienced in such matters, she had seen enough to know what was happening. In a place like the Hehuan Sect, even the stray cats outside yowled more melodiously than elsewhere; how could she not understand what was occurring inside?
She had originally intended to leave immediately, but with just one glance, she remained rooted in place.
Because she saw the face of the so-called mastermind.
Gu Chengming.
Xu Huayi’s mind went blank instantly.
Why was he here? What was his relationship with Fu Xiaoxiao? How could he be even more than I imagined... No!
Seeing her thoughts veering in a bad direction, Xu Huayi cut them off, watching the scene with gritted teeth.
She had traveled thousands of miles from the capital under the banner of official business, but her mind had been full of Gu Chengming. She had been thinking of how to offer him warmth and how to earn some favor in front of this "old friend."
And the result?
Gu Chengming had become an honored guest of the acting sect master, even engaging in such "deep communication" in bed!
Reason told her she should leave immediately. This was someone else’s private matter, and spying was extremely rude, not to mention she was the special envoy of the Imperial Observatory. The consequences of being discovered would be unimaginable.
Yet, by some strange impulse, she couldn't help but watch a little longer.
Xu Huayi found a clumsy excuse for herself: "Right, I am the special envoy. I have the right to confirm if there is any coercion in the room. What if Gu Chengming is being forced? What if this is some evil cultivation ritual?"
"I must stay and observe to ensure Fellow Daoist Gu’s safety."
While frantically brainwashing herself, she slowly crouched down, shrinking into a ball to minimize her presence.
The battle inside seemed to escalate. The swaying of the bed became urgent, and Fu Xiaoxiao’s voice was no longer in complete sentences, leaving only intermittent gasps and unconscious pleas.
Xu Huayi’s breathing became ragged, her heart pounding as if it might leap from her throat.
Her legs grew weak as she struggled to maintain the hidden array, her hands trembling as she adjusted her clothes in a frantic attempt to compose herself against the overwhelming sensory input from the room.
How could the soundproofing in the Hehuan Sect be this bad?!
She wanted to cover her ears, but her hands seemed to have their own ideas, reaching toward her own collar in a daze.
I'm just checking; I'm just too hot and need to straighten my clothes.
She bit her lip to keep from making a sound.
Her other hand gripped the roof tiles beside her tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
The commotion inside finally reached its peak. The bed gave an overburdened groan, and Xu Huayi slumped down, gasping for air.
Cold sweat soaked the clothes on her back, and the night wind felt chilly against her skin.
She looked at the window where the light still burned, at her disheveled collar, and at her hand she hadn't yet pulled back.
If Gu Chengming ever found out, she wouldn't be able to face anyone for the rest of her life; she might as well just find a wall to run into!
Xu Huayi didn't bother tidying herself up. She scrambled to her feet, nearly forgetting to maintain her Invisibility Talisman.
She didn't stop until she had run all the way back to her room. After locking the door and setting up three layers of isolation arrays, Xu Huayi sat on the floor, covered her burning face, and let out a howl of despair.
"Xu Huayi, you're beyond help."
She rolled around on the floor and buried her face in the covers.
"You're really beyond help! Aaaaaah!"
That night, someone was destined to get no sleep.
...
The next morning, the air in the Jingsi Courtyard still held a trace of the damp, cool moisture from the previous night. Standing outside the courtyard was a visitor Gu Chengming had completely not expected.
"Fellow Daoist Xu?" Gu Chengming was a bit surprised.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, long time no see." Xu Huayi took a deep breath, her tone unnaturally cheerful as she laughed. "As I suspected, you were indeed here."
"Why are you here?"
"The Imperial Observatory dispatched a special envoy to supervise the aftermath of the Hehuan Sect incident."
Xu Huayi pulled a token from her sleeve and waved it in front of Gu Chengming, her movements so fast they seemed to be hiding something. "I arrived yesterday. I checked the sect’s register and found an apprentice named Gu An, so I wondered if it might be you and came to visit."
Her gaze paused for a split second on Gu Chengming’s collar, where a button seemed slightly misaligned.
Scenes of the ear-reddening commotion from last night instantly flashed through Xu Huayi’s mind.
Stop! Shut it down! Xu Huayi, you are here for business!
She jerked her gaze away, staring at the doorframe behind Gu Chengming as she spoke rapidly.
"Since Fellow Daoist Gu is safe and sound, that is excellent. The turmoil in the Hehuan Sect involves many things. Though I am here to supervise, if Fellow Daoist Gu needs any assistance, the Imperial Observatory is at your service."
Looking at her "I am professional, I am calm, I know nothing" appearance, Gu Chengming felt a sense of irony.
【The Yin Yang Creation Strategy reminds you: She was here last night, eavesdropping outside the door.】
Shut up, I know. I’m also pretending not to know.
"Come in and talk." Gu Chengming ignored the Yin Yang Creation Strategy, which had no sense of reading the room, and stepped aside. "Coincidentally, there are some things I truly need an array expert to consult on."
Xu Huayi froze.
"What is it?" Gu Chengming asked, seeing her not moving.
"No... it's nothing." Xu Huayi bit the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to walk forward. "Official business is official business; of course I should come in to discuss it."
She entered the room, her eyes uncontrollably scanning the interior.
Fortunately, the bed had been tidied neatly, and the table was wiped clean, showing no trace of the "fierce battle" from the night before.
Xu Huayi breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt an inexplicable hint of disappointment.
The two sat at the table.
Gu Chengming poured her a cup of tea and then got straight to the point, explaining the matters regarding the red dust seeds, heart-parasites, and the intervention of the Longevity Sect, though he omitted some core secrets of the Yin Yang Fish.
"That is the general situation."
Xu Huayi held her teacup, appearing on the surface to be listening intently with a furrowed brow.
In reality—
"Fellow Daoist Xu?" Gu Chengming called out.
"Ah? I'm here!" Xu Huayi snapped back to her senses, nearly spilling her tea.
She coughed to cover it up and said seriously, "Regarding the red dust seeds, there are indeed no direct records in the archives of the Imperial Observatory. But the Longevity Sect has always enjoyed using people as 'nests'."
"You said just now that those seeds are used to refine emotions?"
"Yes." Gu Chengming nodded. "Stripping away memories and karma, leaving only the purest emotional energy."
"Stripping karma..."
Xu Huayi murmured the four words, forcing herself into a work mindset. She reached out, her finger dipping into the tea to draw a simple array model on the table. "Could the Hehuan Sect’s protection array, the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array, be being utilized without anyone knowing?"
"Highly likely." Gu Chengming admired her sharpness. "This is also where I want to ask for your help. I want you to inspect the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array."
"No problem."
Xu Huayi agreed immediately. She looked at Gu Chengming’s profile, which remained striking even after his disguise, her gaze sliding from his jawline to his moving Adam's apple, and then to that misaligned button.
She really wanted to help him fix it.
The moment the thought appeared, Xu Huayi’s ears turned red.
She lowered her head in a panic, her fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve as her heart pounded like a drum.
"Um, Fellow Daoist Gu, is this room a bit stifling?"
Gu Chengming looked at the open window and the howling north wind outside. "Is it?"
"It is, it is." Xu Huayi laughed dryly and drained her tea. "Perhaps it's because the topic is too heavy."
Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from outside.
Fu Xiaoxiao pushed the door open. She wasn't wearing her elaborate sect master’s robe today, but simple casual clothes, her hair tied in a loose bun with a wooden hairpin. She looked radiant, her skin glowing with a nourished pink hue.
Looking at her, the teacup in Xu Huayi’s hand was nearly crushed.
It was this woman who was crying out so loudly last night.
Fu Xiaoxiao’s gaze swept over Xu Huayi, pausing slightly at the Imperial Observatory uniform before revealing a half-smile.
"Oh, if it isn't Envoy Xu from the Imperial Observatory?"
Fu Xiaoxiao crossed the threshold and did not walk toward Xu Huayi. Instead, she went straight to Gu Chengming’s side, set down a tray, and naturally reached out to fix the misaligned button for him.
"Sect Master Fu." Xu Huayi stood up, a flawless smile on her face, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Official business is at hand; please excuse my intrusion."
"Nonsense." Fu Xiaoxiao sat down beside Gu Chengming, her body leaning slightly until her shoulder was almost touching his. "It is the Hehuan Sect’s honor to have Envoy Xu visit. I just wonder why the envoy has come so early to look for my... for Gu Chengming?"
She deliberately paused before "my", and although she changed her wording, the sense of marking her territory was unmistakable.
As sharp as Fu Xiaoxiao was, how could she not notice the way Xu Huayi looked at Gu Chengming?
Gu Chengming changed the subject. "I was discussing the Longevity Sect with Fellow Daoist Xu. Her knowledge of arrays is profound, and she can help us check the array for vulnerabilities."
Fu Xiaoxiao drew out her words. "I see. Then I must trouble the envoy. Array matters are tedious and dull; it is truly the Hehuan Sect’s fortune that the envoy is so dedicated."
"It is my duty." Xu Huayi straightened her back, projecting the aura of a candidate for Vice Director. "When the safety of Great Qian is at stake, personal feelings are minor matters. Since the Longevity Sect has dared to lay a trap in the Hehuan Sect, they must have a grand scheme. As an envoy, I will naturally give my all."
Fu Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, about to counter, but Gu Chengming interrupted the strange atmosphere.
"Back to business." Gu Chengming pushed the jade slip containing the heart-parasite data to the center of the table. "Based on the current leads, Senior Sister Fu and I suspect the final recipient of the red dust seeds is likely an entity that feeds on emotion."
At the words "feeds on emotion," Xu Huayi's expression turned serious.
Setting aside her messy thoughts, she pulled a yellowed ancient book from her sleeve and turned to a page.
"If that is the case, I think I know what it is." Xu Huayi pointed to an illustration on the page, her voice sinking. "In the 'Records of Natural Disasters', a top-secret file of the Imperial Observatory, there is a record of an existence named 'Beihuan'."
Gu Chengming and Fu Xiaoxiao leaned in to look.
The illustration was abstract, without a fixed form, showing only a mass of distorted lines with countless faces of people in pain or joy faintly visible within them.
"Beihuan, one of the eight venerables of the Longevity Sect," Xu Huayi explained. "According to the records, it is a convergence of emotions from thousands of dead souls, formless and intangible, yet capable of devouring the souls of all sentient beings. It does not need to fight; as long as it draws near, it can trigger a cultivator’s inner demons, causing them to perish in extreme sorrow or ecstasy."
If those mystical descriptions were stripped away, this so-called "Beihuan" was essentially just an evil spirit.
Gu Chengming tapped his finger lightly on the jade slip on the table.
And isn't killing an evil spirit the easiest thing of all?
"Beihuan is formless; as long as there is a crack in one’s heart, it can enter freely. According to the Imperial Observatory files, three cities once became dead zones overnight. The citizens had no injuries on their bodies, yet all died of exhaustion in states of ultimate bliss or ultimate sorrow."
She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the two opposite her. "If it truly comes, our only chance of winning lies in the moment it manifests."
Sitting beside Gu Chengming, Fu Xiaoxiao traced the rim of her teacup with her finger.
"Manifests?"
"To feed, it must transform from a formless emotional convergence into a form that can touch the physical world," Xu Huayi explained. She stood up, walked to the map of Hongchen Mountain hanging on the wall, and pointed to the core of the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array.
"That moment will be extremely brief and will surely occur in the place where the red dust aura is densest and emotional fluctuations are most intense."
"The place where emotional fluctuations are most intense..." Gu Chengming repeated.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he looked at Fu Xiaoxiao. "Senior Sister, we can temporarily lift the restrictions on the 'Seeking the Sword Pavilion'."
"Not only should we stop suppressing them, but we should also add fuel to the fire, making the image of the 'dream sword cultivator' sink even deeper into their hearts."
Fu Xiaoxiao stared at him for a few breaths, as if understanding something, her eyes brightening. "I see! You mean..."
"Exactly!"
Listening to the two behind her share an understanding without revealing any specific information, Xu Huayi felt a pang of envy and jealousy.
Gu Chengming then explained the plan to Xu Huayi.
Hearing it, she realized what he was doing. "If that's the case, I need to adjust the nodes of the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array."
"Here." Fu Xiaoxiao answered curtly, taking a token from her sleeve and pushing it across the table.
Xu Huayi walked over and picked up the token.
"Thank you for your trust, Sect Master Fu." Xu Huayi tucked the token into her robes and didn't stay longer. "I will go set the array. It will be adjusted before nightfall."
She nodded slightly to Gu Chengming and then turned to leave.
The door opened and closed, bringing in a gust of cool wind.
Fu Xiaoxiao watched the door close again and then looked at Gu Chengming.
"Does she know something?" Gu Chengming poured himself a cup of tea.
"Perhaps, but it doesn't matter."
Fu Xiaoxiao gave a soft hum and leaned casually against Gu Chengming’s shoulder, poking his arm with her finger.
"She can't compete with me in dual cultivation anyway."
What does that even mean, Senior Sister Fu?
She then turned over to sit on Gu Chengming’s lap and said fiercely:
"Once this matter is resolved, you must stay in the Hehuan Sect for at least half a month."
Gu Chengming sensed a sharp crisis.
"For what...?"
"Work."
Rate on N.U.
