Chapter 14

The celestial phenomenon known as “Heavenly Light Opens and Closes” is neither too significant nor trivial, but it is rare for both the immortals and the spirits to gather in such large numbers.

In just one day, all the inns in Yan City, big and small, were packed, leaving many immortals and spirits without a place to stay. Chen Shang State has an unwritten rule that prohibits the use of small dimensional spaces within a hundred miles of Yan city, whether by immortals or spirits, to avoid disturbing the delicate balance of the city.

These pampered immortals and spirits had no choice but to rent mortal residences or even camp out in the suburbs, waiting for the moment when ‘Heavenly Light Opens and Closes’.

Many spirits who had not yet overcome the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation hid in deep mountains and forests, praying for the auspicious light to bless and protect them through the tribulation to become immortals.

On her way back to the inn, Tanyin saw all kinds of spiritual beasts and birds, along with various luxurious carriages, lining up for miles. Every inn in Yan City was filled to capacity, making the innkeepers beam with joy.

However, trouble always accompanies joy. With so many immortals and spirits of various renown gathered in Yan City, it was inevitable that some would use illusion spells to turn objects into silver to deceive mortals, like what happened yesterday. As Tanyin walked, she was surrounded by shopkeepers begging to buy fraud-detecting mirrors from her.

Her previously deflated purse quickly bulged again, a rate of money-making that left Yuan Zhong in the dust.

“Three hundred taels,” Tanyin said, weighing the purse in her hand.

Despite exchanging various small silver pieces for large ingots, it was still almost bursting.

“This is the first time I’ve made so much money in one day.”

Yuan Zhong snatched it away and put it in his pocket.

“It’s mine now.”

Just as Tanyin was about to speak, she saw the crowd in front of the inn suddenly parting. A young man in purple, fanning himself, walked out with two stunning maidservants behind him. As soon as he appeared, the noisy street seemed to quiet down for a moment.

“Oh my! Where is this immortal young man from?!”

A young girl by the roadside nearly fainted.

“A single strand of his hair is more beautiful than all those immortals combined!”

The elegant and noble immortal young man was obviously used to being admired. Without a flicker of his eyelid, he looked up at the sky and gracefully said, “Wanqiu, Lanxuan, I heard there is a hot spring nearby in Tuo Mountain. Let’s go there.”

As he turned and was about to take a step, he suddenly spotted Yuan Zhong and Tanyin in the crowd. His eyes widened, his mouth opened, and the tip of his fan trembled as he pointed at them, looking like an idiot.

“You, you, you…” He couldn’t even complete a sentence.

Yuan Zhong grinned at him. “Tang Hua, did a war ghost take your tongue?”

“You, you, you have the nerve to show up!” Tang Hua finally managed to shout a complete sentence. Looking around, realizing it wasn’t the best place to talk, he angrily grabbed Yuan Zhong’s sleeve and whispered, “Come with me!”

He dragged Yuan Zhong to a corner and angrily said, “Elder Dingxu was furious! It’s fine if you left, but go somewhere secluded! By coming here so brazenly to watch ‘Heavenly Light Opens and Closes’, are you trying to anger him to death?”

Yuan Zhong laughed like a rogue. “I left, but isn’t there still you?”

Tang Hua, unusually, did not lose his temper. Instead, he spread his hands with a bitter smile and said, “Me? What use am I? Even if it’s just one war ghost, let alone six, I can’t defeat them. Besides you, who in our clan can? You killed six war ghosts and covered it up meticulously, but the war ghost clan will still find out. When they come for revenge, are you going to have us all lined up for slaughter?”

Yuan Zhong still smiled, rubbing his nose. “Tang Hua, why belittle yourself? You know your own strength best.”

Tang Hua was silent for a moment before chuckling softly. “It seems you’ve done quite a bit of digging into me in secret. Orders from Elder Dingxu?”

“I’m tired of it.” Yuan Zhong patted his shoulder, his voice indifferent. “Even among clansmen, there’s all this scheming and backstabbing. I’m really sick of it. To put it simply, I won’t go back.”

“Are you serious?”

“Serious.”

“Then you’re no longer the high priest of our clan?”

Yuan Zhong fell silent. He had chosen to become a priest because priests presided over celebrations and rituals. He couldn’t forget those eyes on the high platform, which had haunted his dreams in his youth, binding his soul like a spell. But after three cycles of sixty years, those eyes had never reappeared. He even began to hate those beautiful eyes, though he couldn’t say why. His entire youth, all his purest and most fervent feelings, had been devoted to those eyes, like a madman without reason.

Even after leaving Fangwai Mountain, he still used the title of high priest, unwilling to let it go, fearing that losing it would mean never seeing those eyes again. He was selfish and despicable. Tang Hua’s question left him speechless.

“…Maybe in a little while,” Yuan Zhong murmured wistfully, “In a little while, I might give up the title of high priest.”

Tang Hua himself felt the question was too heavy. He coughed twice and decided to change the subject. “So, where are you planning to go next?”

“Just wandering around, enjoying the mountains and waters…” Yuan Zhong smiled.

“By the way, you mentioned something about a hot spring nearby. It sounded interesting…”

Before he could finish, Tang Hua’s expression had already changed dramatically. What a joke! He definitely didn’t want to be around this troublesome ancestor. He promptly interrupted, loudly ordering, “Wanqiu, Lanxuan, this inn has some dirty stuff. Let’s find another place.”

Yuan Zhong hooked his arm around Tang Hua’s neck, blowing into his ear and whispering with a smile, “Is little Tang Hua so afraid of me?”

Tang Hua shivered, goosebumps all over, and struggled free with force, shouting angrily, “If you keep this up, I won’t be polite!”

“Idiot, I have no interest in men.”

Yuan Zhong blew into his face again and turned away with a smile.

Tang Hua watched him walk towards a young girl in green, who was none other than his chosen maidservant, Ji Tanyin. Unexpectedly, she could still stay by the side of this suspicious and strange high priest. His heart stirred, and he suddenly shouted, “Be careful! Elder Dingxu is furious with you. He might send someone to catch you.”

Yuan Zhong didn’t even look back; he just waved his hand.

Hearing the words “send someone to catch,” Tanyin couldn’t help but turn and look at Tang Hua. He stared at her, a flash of vigilance in his eyes.

This immortal had hostility towards her.

Tanyin lowered her head and quickened her pace to catch up with Yuan Zhong.

Yuan Zhong, drooling over the idea of the hot spring ahead, repeatedly asked, “Xiao Ji, want to join me at the hot spring? We could do something very enjoyable together…”

Before Yuan Zhong could finish his sentence, there was a commotion inside the inn. A gaunt man came running out, shouting angrily, his expression very unpleasant.

“Just one day late, and I can’t find a room anywhere! What kind of intel did you gather?!”

On his shoulder perched a small, delicate black crow, cawing indignantly, as if arguing with him.

Yuan Zhong raised an eyebrow—Meishan Jun, the immortal known for collecting all kinds of secrets and gossip, had also arrived.

“Meishan Jun,” he said politely.

Meishan Jun’s eyes lit up upon seeing him. He ran over with a fawning smile, rubbing his hands together. “High Priest, I didn’t expect to meet you here. By the way, those two jars of ‘Drunk Life and Dreaming of Death’ you mentioned last time, I still haven’t received them…”

Yuan Zhong suddenly realized, “I forgot.”

Forgot… Meishan Jun turned away to wipe a tear. Well, what could he do? Yuan Zhong was the High Priest of the Fox clan, after all. He had to endure it!

“You can’t find a room?” Yuan Zhong asked with a sincere smile.

“I can clear out a room for you. If you want it, it’s yours. I haven’t had time to go home recently, so let’s call those two jars of ‘Drunk Life and Dreaming of Death’ even.”

This was a tough choice: his head could be severed, his blood could flow, but he couldn’t be without fine wine. Meishan Jun looked righteous, ready to refuse this shameless fox’s offer, when someone called out behind him, “Meishan.” The voice was rich and deep, and it was very pleasant to hear.

Everyone turned to see a man in white standing by the roadside. He had long eyebrows and a complexion like bronze. He was strikingly handsome, but a melancholic mole beneath his eye added a touch of sorrow to his otherwise charming and debonair demeanor.

“Fu Jiuyun!” Meishan Jun exclaimed with surprise and joy. “Where have you been these past years?!”

Fu Jiuyun approached with a smile, pressing his palms together in a respectful greeting to Yuan Zhong.

“I didn’t expect to encounter the High Priest here. It’s truly an honor.”

Yuan Zhong had only met Fu Jiuyun once before and wasn’t very familiar with him. However, Fu Jiuyun’s background was quite unique. He was a spirit born from the soul lamp, a divine artifact.

As the Fox clan served the heavenly gods, Yuan Zhong naturally felt a certain affinity for him. Before Yuan Zhong could say anything, Fu Jiuyun turned to Tanyin, his smile deepening. His gaze was warm and intoxicating, like the melting waters of spring.

“And who might this young lady be?”

He couldn’t resist flirting upon seeing a woman.

Yuan Zhong felt a twinge of annoyance, especially since Tanyin was staring straight at Fu Jiuyun’s flamboyant face. His irritation grew.

Her eyes were practically falling out of her head! Yuan Zhong turned away, his expression indifferent.

Tanyin stared intently at Fu Jiuyun, growing more puzzled the longer she looked. After a moment, she exclaimed, “You… you are…”

He was definitely not human, but also not immortal. The aura he emanated was very familiar—it was the aura of the soul lamp, a lost divine artifact.

“I am Fu Jiuyun.”

Fu Jiuyun introduced himself with a slight smile, pretending not to notice the High Priest’s cold expression.

“…You are very strange.” Tanyin hesitated before speaking.

Fu Jiuyun looked puzzled. “In what way?”

Tanyin silently shook her head and said nothing more.

Meishan Jun pulled Fu Jiuyun aside, chattering away, mostly asking where he had been all these years. He was quite troubled by the absence of a drinking companion.

Fu Jiuyun laughed.

“I’ve been wandering the world recently, inspired to compose a new piece. I’ll need you to critique it when it’s done.”

“Haha, that’s no problem! Are you here to see ‘Heavenly Light Opens and Closes’ too?” Meishan Jun, already craving wine upon seeing him, dragged him into a tavern, refusing to let go.

Yuan Zhong noticed that Tanyin was still staring at Fu Jiuyun. Unable to hold back, he flicked her forehead lightly but firmly.

“A young lady like you, staring at a man like that—aren’t you ashamed?” His voice was low, but his tone was harsh.

Tan Yin covered the spot where she was flicked, but her eyes remained fixed on Fu Jiuyun.

After a long moment, she finally said, “He… is not human.”

“You figured it out again,” Yuan Zhong said sarcastically.

Tanyin shook her head. Such things only happened in legends. It was said that tools and vessels crafted with utmost sincerity by artisans could, over time, develop their own spirits. But she never expected a spirit to actually emerge from a soul lamp in reality.

Fu Jiuyun strolled out of the small tavern, dressed in white with his flamboyant face. He exuded charm, and as he walked down the street, nearly every woman cast a glance his way. The one who didn’t was probably blind.

“Your Highness, the High Priest, and this girl, why don’t both of you come and have a drink?” He said this to Yuan Zhong, but his eyes were on Tanyin.

A sense of both fondness and pride welled up in Tanyin’s heart toward him. The soul lamp she had made with her own hands had been harshly criticized by Taihe in the past for being too vicious, which had left her unable to create any artifacts surpassing the soul lamp. But now, a spirit with its own consciousness had emerged from her soul lamp, giving her a feeling akin to seeing her own child.

“Sure,” she answered without waiting for Yuan Zhong to speak.

Yuan Zhong’s mood instantly turned sour, as if it had never been worse.