The day to leave finally arrived.
In the early morning, Hongchen Mountain was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist. The glow of the Yin Yang Twin Fish Array pierced through the mist, coating the entire mountain in a warm, gentle hue.
At the entrance of the Jingsi Courtyard, Gu Chengming carried his bundle, his plain white sword cultivator attire having been replaced by his original clothes.
Fu Xiaoxiao stood before him, rarely wearing the formal red robes of the Sect Master today. Her hair was neatly tied, and she had even applied eyebrow makeup in the style of distant mountains, making her look quite like an Acting Sect Master.
"Is everything packed?"
"Everything."
"What about the Hundred Flower Brew? The jug I had Jingxin pack for you."
"I have that too."
"And..." Fu Xiaoxiao paused, her voice lowering slightly: "What about the bracer I sewed for you?"
Gu Chengming raised his right arm, revealing a black bracer at his wrist. The craftsmanship was slightly rough, but the stitching was dense and tight.
The corners of Fu Xiaoxiao’s mouth curled up slightly upon seeing it, but she quickly suppressed the smile.
She stood with her hands behind her back, striving to maintain a posture befitting a proper sect leader: "Fine, you may go."
Her words were quite crisp and decisive.
However, as soon as the words left her mouth, her hand uncontrollably reached out and grabbed Gu Chengming’s sleeve, her knuckles turning slightly white.
"Remember to come back."
Gu Chengming said nothing more, merely reaching out to press his hand gently on the top of her head.
Fu Xiaoxiao gave a huff as the stray hairs on her forehead were ruffled by him, but she did not brush them away. Instead, taking advantage of the motion, she pressed her face close to his palm and rubbed against it: "One month."
She held up one finger: "If you don't send a letter back..."
"I will send a letter every month."
Fu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and finally let go of his hand, stepping back with her hands clasped behind her.
"Then go. As the Acting Sect Master, I have many affairs to attend to and will not see you off far."
Despite saying she wouldn't see him off, Fu Xiaoxiao remained standing in place, on tiptoe, gazing in that direction without moving until Gu Chengming’s figure vanished beyond the mountain gate.
Footsteps sounded from behind as Elder Kurong walked over. Seeing her Acting Sect Master looking so distracted and lost in thought, she hesitated to speak.
Fu Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke: "Sister Kurong."
"Yes?"
"Do you think... one month is a very long time?"
Kurong remained silent for a moment, thinking to herself, 'Don't ask me, I'm already past my prime.'
...
The flying boat pierced through the clouds, and Hongchen Mountain gradually shrank into an ink-like dot.
Xu Huayi sat in the cabin, flipping through a file from the Imperial Observatory, though her gaze would occasionally drift over the pages toward the figure on the deck.
After this trip to the Hehuan Sect, the relationship between her and Gu Chengming seemed to have subtly changed, becoming somewhat more awkward.
"Fellow Daoist Gu."
With this in mind, Xu Huayi set down her teacup and smiled: "After returning to the capital, I will handle the Imperial Observatory’s official documents. The aftermath report for the Hehuan Sect requires signatures from both parties, so you may need to go through the formalities at the Night Guard Division later."
"I appreciate the trouble, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Gu Chengming sat on a wicker chair nearby and asked casually:
"Will Vice Director Song have any doubts about the outcome this time?"
Xu Huayi thought for a moment and replied: "Probably not."
The flying boat traveled through the cloud layers, sunlight spilling onto the deck through the thin mist.
After a moment of silence, Xu Huayi suddenly asked: "Fellow Daoist Gu, your cultivation..."
She hesitated but eventually spoke: "Is it at the Third Realm, Second Level?"
After so many experiences, she had developed a certain psychological preparation for Gu Chengming’s constitution of 'advancing one realm for every business trip.' Hearing Gu Chengming’s confirmation, she gave a slight smile, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before turning back to the sea of clouds outside the window.
For the rest of the journey, the two occasionally exchanged a few words about the Longevity Sect’s subsequent layout or the recent situation in the capital. The atmosphere was neither enthusiastic nor distant, until the outline of the capital appeared on the horizon.
Xu Huayi stood up, tucked the file into her sleeve, and adjusted her clothes.
"I will go to the Imperial Observatory to report first."
She reached the cabin door, her footsteps pausing as she turned her head: "Take care, Fellow Daoist Gu."
"You too, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Xu Huayi gave a slight nod, transformed into a streak of clear light, and departed first.
Gu Chengming watched her receding back until the clear light merged into the river of national destiny above the capital.
...
Night Guard Division.
Zhou Qingmu’s state was much better than when they last met.
Although she was still in a wheelchair, her face had recovered some color. The horizontal blade still rested on her lap, but the hand holding it was no longer pale, possessing the healthy color a normal person should have.
Gu Chengming reported the true situation of this trip to Zhou Qingmu.
"The loss of control over the Hehuan Sect’s techniques originated from an imbalance in the yin and yang qi of the Yin Yang Fish, which has now been repaired."
Zhou Qingmu pondered for a moment upon hearing this: "This matter should not be publicized. I will handle things on the Night Guard Division’s side. As for the Imperial Observatory, since Xu Huayi has already submitted her report, we will settle the case based on that."
Gu Chengming understood her meaning. This matter involved the foundational roots of the Hehuan Sect, the secret layout of the Longevity Sect, and the delicate diplomatic relationship between Daqian and the Hehuan Sect. Things that could be resolved internally should not be brought to the surface.
After completing his debriefing, Gu Chengming returned to the Jingsi Neighborhood.
When Gu Chengming pushed open the door, the sight that met him made him pause slightly.
The small courtyard had been cleaned until not a speck of dust remained. On the stone table under the old pagoda tree were several small dishes and a jug of warmed wine. The orange cat, so fat its limbs were barely visible, was spread out like a pancake on a soft cushion on a stone stool, its tail drooping weakly as its purring shook the air.
And on the lounge chair under the tree, a figure wrapped in a white fox fur coat was staring blankly at the sky through the treetops, clearly having waited for a long time.
Hearing the door, Yu Wenqiu sprang up from the chair with a 'shing.' Her movements were so fast she didn't look like someone who usually found even turning over too much effort.
"You're back!"
She rushed to Gu Chengming, her gaze swiftly scanning him from head to toe and back again, finally settling on his right hand wrapped in the bracer.
"What happened to your hand? Are you injured? Let me see—"
"It's nothing, it healed long ago."
Yu Wenqiu didn't believe him. She grabbed Gu Chengming’s right hand and turned it over to inspect it, muttering:
"You were fine when you left, so why are you wearing a bracer now that you're back? Did something happen? Did those people from the Hehuan Sect make things difficult for you? Where is Li Suizhuang? Isn't she responsible for protecting you? —"
"Elder, Elder."
Gu Chengming didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he interrupted her: "It's really nothing. This bracer isn't a bandage."
Yu Wenqiu gave him a suspicious look and then leaned in to carefully examine the bracer.
The craftsmanship was rough, and the stitching was crooked.
It didn't look like something bought.
Yu Wenqiu’s movements slowed down.
She did not ask who made the bracer. Instead, she let go of his hand as if nothing had happened, patting his shoulder with a forced lightness in her tone:
"It's good that you're fine, good that you're fine. Come, come, this whole table of food took quite some effort, come and have a taste."
She turned and walked toward the stone table. Gu Chengming followed and sat down, taking the chopsticks she handed him.
Yu Wenqiu sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him eat. She chattered about all sorts of things—news from the northern border, her experiences at the Hehuan Sect, and whether anything interesting happened on the road.
As she spoke, she suddenly leaned forward slightly, her beautiful peach blossom eyes narrowing.
"Wait." Yu Wenqiu’s expression changed. She lowered her hand and asked in confusion: "Xiao Gu, your aura..."
"What is it?"
"When did you break through to the Third Realm?"
Yu Wenqiu stood up, walked behind Gu Chengming, and leaned in to carefully sense the spiritual energy fluctuations around him.
Third Realm, Second Level. His aura was deep and reserved, and his foundation was excessively solid.
She thought of how hard it had been for her to stabilize at the early Fourth Realm after so much bitter cultivation, and remembered that Gu Chengming was only at the Second Realm, Eighth Level before he left.
He went on a business trip to the Hehuan Sect.
And came back at the Third Realm?
Yu Wenqiu slowly sat back in her seat, picked up her wine cup, and drained it. An indescribable sense of frustration welled up in her heart.
As an elder, she should have been relieved to see her junior making rapid progress.
But the problem was, wasn't this progress too fast?
"Impressive, Xiao Gu. You came back at the Third Realm after one trip."
She muttered dejectedly: "At this rate, it will be your turn to protect my dao next year."
After a few moments of silence, Yu Wenqiu suddenly seemed to think of something: "Xiao Gu."
"Yes?"
"While you were at the Hehuan Sect... you weren't tricked by some bad woman, were you?"
"Elder, you're overthinking things."
Gu Chengming raised his chopsticks and picked up a piece of sweet and sour fish with a calm expression: "I'm not a child anymore; how could I be tricked?"
This was not a lie. Firstly, Fu Xiaoxiao was a good woman, and secondly, he indeed hadn't been tricked.
"Oh?" Yu Wenqiu drew out the sound, her gaze lingering for an instant on the roughly made bracer: "Really?"
"Really."
Yu Wenqiu stared at him for a long time. In the end, she did not continue her questioning, reaching out to pour herself another cup of wine and drinking it even faster than before.
Bitter wine entering the throat makes the heart ache.
Her intuition told her that something had definitely happened to Xiao Gu at the Hehuan Sect.
But now was not the time to pursue such things.
It was enough that the person was back, and without missing any limbs.
"Go to the Hehuan Sect less often in the future," Yu Wenqiu muttered as if talking to herself.
Gu Chengming pretended not to hear.
...
Imperial Observatory, Star-Gazing Tower.
Song Zhixing had just seen off Xu Huayi and hadn't even had time for a cup of tea before footsteps sounded outside the hall.
The newcomer was Chen Mo, carrying a thick stack of files.
"Vice Director, the aftermath report for the Hehuan Sect incident and the official documents from the Night Guard Division have been compared and verified."
Chen Mo placed the files on the desk, hesitated, and then spoke again: "Additionally, regarding the suppression of the Hehuan Sect chaos... This subordinate feels that while the Night Guard Division attributed the credit to the array’s backlash, it clearly involved Lord Gu’s handiwork in actual practice."
Song Zhixing picked up his teacup, took a sip, and did not respond.
Seeing this, Chen Mo emboldened himself to continue: "Vice Director, I heard Gu Chengming has already broken through to the Third Realm upon returning from the Hehuan Sect. Coupled with his previous battle merits in the northern border, accumulated achievements in the capital, and appointment as Vice Commander of the Night Guard Division, this is no longer a height an ordinary young cultivator can reach."
He paused and lowered his voice: "This subordinate feels, should we move his position on the Hidden Dragon Ranking again? After all, if this gets out, given his merits—"
"No moving."
Song Zhixing set down his teacup, his tone flat.
"Vice Director?"
"The Imperial Observatory will not participate in defining this matter. The aftermath report for the Hehuan Sect incident shall be archived according to Xu Huayi’s version."
Song Zhixing stood up and walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the dragon qi above the Imperial City, which had recovered some of its golden luster.
Although Chen Mo was puzzled, seeing the Vice Director’s firm attitude, he did not dare to say more.
"Yes, this subordinate will see to it immediately."
The footsteps faded away.
The Star-Gazing Tower became silent once more.
Song Zhixing stood by the window with a deep frown.
'Ancestor, oh ancestor.'
He let out a long sigh in his heart.
For killing a Fourth Realm evil cultivator in the northern border, the Imperial Observatory had covered it up by giving him the title of "Murder Demon."
For shattering one-third of a Longevity Sect Venerable at the Hehuan Sect, Xu Huayi had covered for him in the report.
This time it was barely hidden, but what about the next?
This "ancestor's" growth rate was completely outside the normal range. He caused a world-shaking event every few days; sooner or later, it would be impossible to hide.
Even more dire was that the royal family still had no clear attitude.
Did the Emperor know? He certainly did.
But he had neither issued a decree for an audience nor bestowed titles or rewards, nor had he secretly suppressed or excluded him. However, this observation was an attitude in itself.
Song Zhixing rubbed his brow, thinking to himself, 'Could you please stay quiet for a few days? At least let me catch my breath.'
"The Hehuan Sect aftermath report is to be entered into the secret archives, restricted to those at the level of Vice Director and above."
He spoke to the air as if talking to himself or giving instructions to an unseen person.
...
As for Gu Chengming’s promotion to Vice Commander of the Night Guard Division, the reactions from various parties in the capital were diverse and colorful.
Within the Night Guard Division, it was actually fine.
After all, although the kid had climbed to the position of Vice Commander in less than two years, in terms of merit—from the Longevity Sect case in the capital to the great victory at Falling Snow Pass in the northern border, and then this business trip to the Hehuan Sect—every single one was achieved through solid strength. Who could possibly speak out against him?
Vice Commander Liu’s side was slightly awkward. The newbie he had brought in was now on equal footing with him and might even become his superior at any time.
However, Vice Commander Liu was ultimately more relieved than anything. Far from showing any dissatisfaction, he immediately took Gu Chengming around to various places, telling everyone he met: "Xiao Gu killed enemies in the northern border and quelled chaos at Hehuan; he's young and promising," his words full of pride for being the one who brought him in.
The other vice commanders were a bit annoyed by Vice Commander Liu’s boasting. Taking in sect disciples for training was usually a thankless task; who would have thought Liu Batian would pick up such a massive bargain.
As for those civil and military officials in the court with sensitive noses, their reactions were even more interesting.
Some discussed that the Night Guard Division likely had a successor now, a direct subordinate personally trained by Zhou Qingmu who would likely take over in the future. Others sneered, calling him just a brute who climbed up through killing and fighting—a Third Realm Vice Commander? When the waters in the capital got deeper, he would have his time to cry.
Even more people turned their gazes toward the Imperial Observatory and the Imperial City.
A disciple from the Wenjian Sect rising from an unknown nobody to Vice Commander of the Night Guard Division in just two years—who would believe it if there were no one backing him?
But these discussions remained only discussions.
After all, with the title of "Falling Snow Pass Murder Demon" displayed, most people chose to sensibly shut their mouths.
Days passed like this.
The bustle of the capital returned to calm. The widely impactful incident of the Hehuan Sect’s technique loss of control gradually subsided with the repair of the Yin Yang Fish. Those once absurd and eye-popping farces on the streets slowly became dinner-table talk.
Gu Chengming’s life also settled down.
During the day, he went to the Night Guard Division to handle backlogged official business. The desk of a Vice Commander held far more than he had imagined—from reports of evil beings from various regions to mediation documents for sect disputes. Gu Chengming only now realized how much Zhou Qingmu had been carrying alone.
At night, he returned to the small courtyard in the Jingsi Neighborhood to operate his cultivation art and consolidate his Third Realm.
Occasionally, Yu Wenqiu would come over with a box of snacks, cracking melon seeds while urging him to update his stories.
It was at this time that an urgent report in a jade slip from the north landed on a desk in the Night Guard Division.
...
Night Guard Division, Director’s Private Chamber.
Zhou Qingmu stared at the contents of the jade slip for a long time before setting down her teacup and tapping her fingers on the armrest of her wheelchair twice.
"Call Gu Chengming."
When Gu Chengming pushed open the agarwood door, he sensed that the atmosphere today was different from usual.
Zhou Qingmu was not sitting in that specially made red sandalwood wheelchair; she was standing, with her horizontal blade once again hanging at her waist.
"Director?"
Gu Chengming’s gaze paused for an instant on her walking stick, thinking to himself that she had recovered faster than expected.
"Sit."
Zhou Qingmu walked to the desk with the help of the stick and pushed an unfolded map before Gu Chengming.
It was a map of the extreme north’s bitter cold lands.
A location on the map was marked with cinnabar, and two ancient seal characters were written beside the marking—
—Tianque.
"The extreme north, the Tianque Secret Realm."
Zhou Qingmu went straight to the point, her voice carrying a long-lost sharpness: "Heavenly phenomena showed years ago that this place would emerge. The major sects have been watching it for a long time, but there has never been a confirmed opening time."
"And just three days ago, the Imperial Observatory’s Star-Gazing Tower detected abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations at that location."
She raised her head, looking at Gu Chengming with a heavy gaze: "The so-called Tianque Secret Realm has officially emerged."
"With this opening, none of the various forces will let this opportunity pass. The Wenjian Sect, the Tianting Sect, the Taihao Gate... every great cultivator with hopes of reaching a higher realm will find ways to enter."
"And as for the Night Guard Division—" Her finger tapped on the cinnabar mark on the map: "We have secured three spots."
Gu Chengming vaguely guessed something.
Zhou Qingmu looked at him as if speaking of a trivial matter: "You solved many troubles for Daqian last year. Your merits with the Night Guard Division, the Imperial Observatory, and the northern military are all on record. I spent three days grinding those people in the court down using these merits to finalize this spot."
She paused, the corner of her mouth curling into a slight smile: "Do not let my good intentions go to waste."
Gu Chengming looked at the cinnabar mark on the map, feeling something subtle in his heart.
—Another secret realm?
"However, this trip is exceptionally dangerous."
Zhou Qingmu’s smile faded, her voice deepening: "Turbulent flows rage around Tianque. Even Fifth Realm great cultivators can lose their lives if they are slightly careless, not to mention the mixed bag of people from various sects. Inside the secret realm, there are no Daqian laws or sect rules. If you do not wish to go..."
Gu Chengming did not hesitate. He nodded and said: "I will go."
Zhou Qingmu was quite relieved to see his unhesitating manner.
"Fine. The specific arrangements will be given to you in three days. Go back and prepare."
As he walked out of the Night Guard Division’s gate, dialogue boxes appeared one after another before Gu Chengming.
【Hundred Bones Resonating punches the air forcefully: Finally, this one sounds like a proper secret realm!】
It seemed Old Bai was not very satisfied with the last secret realm.
【Red Dust Phantom Step spoke at the right time: If the Tianque Secret Realm is a legacy of an ancient powerhouse, the intelligence network within will surely be blank. I suggest gathering a list of various forces and their movements as early as possible to make full preparations.】
Gu Chengming raised his head, gazing at the dragon qi above the capital that had gradually recovered its golden luster. His gaze pierced through the layers of glazed tile roofs toward the vast horizon in the extreme north.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of his cheap master.
He wondered how the old man was doing in the Wenjian Sect.
If he knew he had broken through after the Second Realm, he would probably be very excited.
...
In the extreme north, within the Tianque Secret Realm, a slightly disheveled figure was rapidly weaving through a snowy forest.
This person wore a dusty rogue cultivator’s daoist robe snatched from who-knows-where. His hair was disheveled, and he had even specially shrunk his bones to hide his stature, causing his back to be somewhat hunched. Currently, he was running wildly while screaming "Ouch, ouch!"
This was precisely the Wenjian Sect elder—Ren Wencai.
A few hundred yards behind him, three streaks of light were in hot pursuit, each of them being at the Fourth Realm.
"Fellow Daoists, the treasures in this secret realm belong to the capable. Why pursue me so relentlessly?"
Ren Wencai did not look back, shouting at the top of his lungs while running:
"I was just passing by and happened to pick up a bargain; there's no need to hunt me down like this!"
"Shut up! Liu Changfeng, I haven't settled the score with you for trapping and killing my younger brother!"
The person behind him slashed out with sword qi, leveling half a mountain top.
Ren Wencai gave a strange cry, his feet slippery as if greased. His movement technique was as slick as a loach, and he avoided the sword qi with extreme narrowness.
"Cultivators nowadays have such short tempers; they don't know the first thing about respecting the elderly and loving the young."
Although his cries were miserable, his eyes, hidden beneath his messy hair, were clear and cold, showing not a hint of panic.
While running, he inconspicuously observed the surrounding terrain.
Three hundred paces to the left was a cliff covered by snow, with a nest of sleeping 'Four-Winged Cold Centipedes' beneath it. That seemingly flat snowy ground to the right was actually the remnant array of an ancient restriction—easy to enter but hard to exit.
Ren Wencai narrowed his eyes, his fingers quickly forming seals in his sleeve. Several talismans he had conveniently refined beforehand silently slid into his palm.
"Fellow Daoists, stop chasing! I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you, alright!"
Ren Wencai suddenly came to a screeching stop before the cliff, looking like a desperate person with no way out. He tremblingly pulled a brocade box from his robe, his face full of heartache:
"It's all here! Don't kill me!"
Having said that, he used all his strength to hurl the brocade box toward the flat snowy ground to the right.
"At least you're sensible!"
The three cultivators were overjoyed at the sight, not taking this sword cultivator seriously at all.
The moment they stepped onto that snowy ground.
Buzz— A faint spiritual light suddenly flared up.
That was no 'flat snowy ground'; it was clearly the eye of a chain of trapping arrays!
"What is this?! Cough, cough, cough!"
"Not good! It's a trap! This old thing tricked us!"
Almost at the same time, beneath the cliff on the left, several terrifying hisses soared into the sky.
Incensed by the scent of beast-attracting powder, the swarm of Four-Winged Cold Centipedes burst through the snow. Following the scent, they lunged toward the three unlucky bastards trapped in the array who were unable to move.
"Aah!! Despicable!!"
Screams and angry curses echoed through the cold forest.
And at this moment, Ren Wencai had already slapped a 'high-level concealment talisman' on himself the instant he threw the box, withdrawing his aura to the extreme. He pressed himself against the back of an ancient tree a hundred yards away like a piece of dead wood.
"Taihao Gate... tsk, not a shred of experience in the jianghu."
He was in no rush to leave, waiting with extreme patience for a full incense stick’s worth of time. He only slowly appeared after the commotion there had completely subsided, the Four-Winged Cold Centipedes had retreated underground after their full meal, and not even a bone shard remained of the three Taihao Gate elders.
He did not go over directly, first sacrificing a puppet mannequin carved from wood. He controlled the puppet to walk over and take a turn around the area, and only after confirming there were no hidden moves or residual restrictions did he cautiously approach.
He skillfully picked up the storage pouches dropped by the three unlucky ones. With a sweep of his divine sense, he erased the imprints, categorized and packed everything, his movements smooth and flowing—clearly a repeat offender.
"Poor bastards; three people can't even scrape together two top-tier spirit stones."
Ren Wencai curled his lip in disdain, then flicked a wisp of ghost-blue flame from his finger, burning away the residual aura at the scene until it was clean.
Having done all this, he clapped his hands in satisfaction and straightened his tattered daoist robe.
"I wonder how my silly disciple is doing now."
Ren Wencai looked toward the south: "That boy is so one-track minded. If he enters this secret realm, he'll probably stubbornly take his sword and try to confront others head-on."
'Is this cultivation world somewhere you can just fight with your life? Fighting with your life is the worst possible plan; running away, poisoning, and backstabbing with a club are the kingly ways...'
Thinking of Gu Chengming, he sighed. With his hands behind his back and his body hunched, he looked like an inconspicuous old scavenger as he merged once again into the vast wind and snow.
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