Chapter 4

“Have you heard?”

“Are you referring to the matter of the Siyi Sect?”

“It seems everyone knows now…”

“I never thought that Lian Yue Daozun, who is as bright and beautiful as the sun and the moon, would be such a romantic figure!”

“She has no qualms about any type—whether it’s flying in the sky, swimming in the sea, or growing on the ground.”

“Not just that, I’ve heard that Lian Yue Daozun’s true love is a stunningly beautiful woman, so it seems she likes both men and women.”

“Though Lian Yue Daozun has varied tastes, they all share one common trait: a love for beauty.”

“I’ve heard that Lian Yue Daozun herself is rather plain-looking. Could it be that this is why she especially marries for beauty?”

“Not necessarily. The most beautiful person in the world is actually the esteemed Qun Yu Fangzun. If Lian Yue was so enamored with beauty, she wouldn’t have overlooked her.”

“You don’t know this, but my third uncle’s wife’s distant cousin is the sister-in-law of an outer disciple of the Siyi Sect. According to her, Qun Yu Fangzun and Lian Yue Daozun don’t get along because of Immortal Lang Yin…”

Despite Ning Xi’s immediate order to seal off the Siyi Sect, rumors spread uncontrollably, and it was unimaginable how much Lian Yue Daozun’s lifetime of good reputation had been destroyed. In a few days, the quick-acting street bookstores might start selling titles like “I Became the Daozun’s Furnace,” “The Romantic Daozun Fell in Love with Me,” and “The Daozun’s Heirs.”.

(T/N: Cultivation Furnace is just someone who has their life force/essence/cultivation absorbed through dual cultivation to strengthen whoever they are doing it with.)

For the Siyi sect, preserving the deceased master’s reputation was not the most urgent task. The immediate priority was to find the missing body. However, the belated arrival of  Ming Xiao Fazun brought another shocking news.

The owner of Lingju Island, Fu Yue Shenzun, had disappeared, suspected to be the work of the Blood Sect.

In the Daoist Alliance, consisting of seven sects—Siyi Sect, Shenxiao Sect, Xuantian Temple, Yongxue City, Flower God Palace, Myriad Thorn Palace, and Lingju Island—two leaders had been lost within seven days, leaving only five to convene the Daoist Alliance meeting.

(T/N: I previously translated this into Snow City, but I decided to keep the name in Chinese (Yongxue) as it is better, and I’ve fixed the previous chapter.)

“Six days ago, I learned of the Daozun’s death and hurried to the Siyi Sect. On my way, I received a warning from Fu Yue Shenzun.”

Ming Xiao Fazun looked weary, his handsome face pale, as if his spiritual energy were exhausted. He extended his right hand, revealing a broken conch.

“The Tianyin Conch.”

The expression of Qian Luo Yaozun became grave. He and Fu Yue Shenzun, both of the spirit clan, often advanced and retreated together in the Daoist Alliance, making him particularly concerned about Fu Yue.

“Why is the Tianyin Conch broken?”

The Tianyin Conch is made from the dragon-patterned conch of the Endless Sea. Its extremely hard material, containing wind and water spiritual energy, enhances the effectiveness of sound transmission arrays, making it more precious and durable than ordinary sound transmission conchs. There are only about ten Tianyin Conches in existence today, all personally refined and inscribed by Ming Xiao Fazun, each with a unique array mark.

“It was shattered by Fu Yue Shenzun.”

Ming Xiao Fazun frowned.

Without waiting for questions, he continued, “That day, my Tianyin Conch rang, but I heard no voice, only the sound of waves. Suspicious, I backtracked the array and found the sound came from beyond the East Sea. Only a few Daoist Alliance leaders can communicate with me through the Tianyin Conch, and the only one residing beyond the East Sea is Fu Yue Shenzun. I tried to communicate with him but received no response, so I hurried to Lingju Island, only to be told by disciples that Fu Yue Shenzun had left the island the day before.”

Ming Xiao Fazun paused, took a breath, and continued, “I traced the last sound from Fu Yue Shenzun’s Tianyin Conch to a nameless island. There, I found the shattered Tianyin Conch, where the grass was withered, the trees decayed, and the spiritual energy was cut off, indicating signs of a sealing array. I deduce that Fu Yue Shenzun was lured into that island’s array, trapped, unable to speak, and could only shatter the Tianyin Conch to warn me.”

“In the Daoist Alliance, only Ming Xiao Fazun has the ability to backtrack the array and locate where Fu Yue Shenzun was trapped.”

Ya Sheng Xingzun nodded slightly, affirming Ming Xiao’s words.

The loss of two venerable masters within seven days left everyone present with heavy hearts.

“Fu Yue Shenzun, a descendant of the divine race, is nearly immortal. If he focused on defense, the Blood Sect shouldn’t be able to kill him easily.”

Xie Zhenliu Jianzun said, “I don’t understand why the Blood Sect would abduct Fu Yue Shenzun.”

Fu Yue Shenzun’s ancestor was the divine beast Black Tortoise.

Fu Yue’s true form resembled a vast island-like sea turtle. Among the four divine beasts, he had the longest lifespan and the most serene temperament. He reluctantly became the head of Lingju Island due to the sea spirit beasts’ persistent requests. Even while holding a high position, he remained detached from worldly affairs, often staying on the island to sleep, making it difficult for the Daoist Alliance to invite him to their meetings.

“Is the Blood Sect planning to declare war on the Daoist Alliance by killing two leaders? Do they have other plans? Who will they target next?” Qian Luo Yaozun is worried.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, feeling a storm brewing.

In the face of the Daoist Alliance’s crisis, Xu Manman remained oblivious. Though once a revered Daozun, she was now just one of the Daozun’s companions, a status yet to be confirmed.

Ning Xi was ordered to thoroughly investigate today’s visitors, but everyone had a reputable identity except for this suspect, Yanyue, so she came for interrogation.

“Ning Xi… Manman often mentioned you to me.”

Xu Manman’s eyes reddened, tears welling up as she showed a strong yet sorrowful appearance.

“You’ve been by her side for one hundred and sixty-eight years, right?”

Ning Xi was surprised and then deeply moved.

“Master still remembered…”

“How could she forget? You were the child she raised herself, her most capable disciple. After she became the Daozun, you handled all the Siyi Sect affairs, allowing her to focus without worries.”

Xu Manman spoke while placing food in Ning Xi’s bowl, “This is your favorite, stir-fried bamboo shoots.”

“Master even told you this…” Ning Xi whispered.

Unconsciously, she started using honorifics, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth with Yanyue, reminiscent of being with her master.

“Every year on your birthday, she would personally cook a bowl of longevity noodles and serve stir-fried bamboo shoots, hoping you’d remember the taste of Siyi Sect, the taste of home.”

Xu Manman’s voice was gentle and affectionate, moving Ning Xi deeply and bringing her master’s image vividly to mind.

At three years old, Ning Xi’s father was conscripted and died in battle. She and her mother were expelled from their village by greedy uncles. After years of hardship, her mother fell ill and died. Ning Xi, with her good looks, became a target for kidnappers who wanted to sell her to a brothel. Desperate, she jumped into a river one freezing winter day, hoping to escape all her suffering…

But at that moment, a pair of hands embraced her, lifting her away from the abyss of suffering and filling her body with a continuous warmth that dispelled all the coldness.

The person supported her thin and frail body, looking down at her with a smiling face. Her eyes were blurred with tears, making it hard to see the person’s face clearly, but the voice was warm and lazy, like a spring breeze in third lunar month.

“Child, if you don’t want this life anymore, then come with me.”

Her throat felt like it had been slashed with a knife, burning too much to respond.

“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as a yes.”

She saw those vicious men approaching, only to be lightly swept away by a flick of the person’s sleeve, sent flying several feet away. A pale gold rope appeared from nowhere, tightly binding the men together.

“Let’s go to the courthouse first to claim the bounty,” the person said cheerfully.

Later, Ning Xi learned that this person was Xu Manman, the last remaining disciple of the Siyi Sect.

“The Siyi Sect is very poor, with hardly any resources for cultivation or artifact tools. We survive by catching wanted criminals for bounty, but don’t worry, there’s always enough food!”

“Little Ning Xi has such great potential in cultivation; let’s strive to achieve fasting soon, hahaha…”

“Hey, don’t stop eating. Master isn’t complaining about how much you eat!”

She had long lost her home, but meeting her master gave her a place to belong. Those years spent following her master took them across seven countries and fourteen states. They witnessed the splendor and decadence of Yu City, offended nobles in Capital City,Tiandu, and were chased like stray dogs by the Fazun. They traveled, cultivated, earned money, and saved lives along the way. Her master, soft-hearted, couldn’t help but save those in distress. The saved people didn’t always show gratitude; some even bit the hand that fed them. She didn’t mind, and she always smiled. When faced with scammers, she was quick to escape. Along the way, they picked up many children like her, lonely and helpless, regardless of their talent, and brought them into the Siyi Sect.

She once asked her master why, given the precious nature of cultivation resources, other great sects were extremely selective, only accepting the exceptionally talented to avoid wasting treasures on the mediocre. Why did the impoverished Siyi Sect accept disciples so freely?

Her master scratched her head and said, “Because master’s master was just as easygoing in taking in disciples…”

“The Siyi Sect is not like other great sects; we have no heavenly treasures or spirit vines to help our disciples soar to the skies. The world is often rainy, and life is full of suffering. If you are willing, consider the Siyi Sect a small umbrella to temporarily shelter you from the storm. When the skies clear, you can leave if you wish.”

She paused and added very seriously, “Just don’t mention the Siyi Sect if you cause trouble.”

Two hundred years passed, and the Siyi Sect’s disciples grew in number, but none ever left.

Except her…

She often said in life, “One’s life is fleeting, bound to come to an end, but we can leave behind many things.”

She was gone, leaving only endless longing…

Ning Xi cried uncontrollably, and Xu Manman lent her shoulder, gently patting her back and comforting her softly.

“Good child, it’s okay to cry in front of your master’s wife…”

She wondered if she acted too much, hoping not to push Ning Xi into a mental breakdown…

The guards outside listened to the cries from inside, exchanging glances.

“Senior sister has been in there all afternoon, right?”

“She’s cried three times already…”

“Who’s interrogating whom here…”

Naturally, Xu Manman didn’t manage to move into the Purple Bamboo Pavilion, which had been Lian Yue Daozun’s residence. However, she wasn’t reduced to a prisoner either. Her words in Xianyun Hall had an effect. Though Ning Xi suspected her to be a Blood Sect heretic, she more strongly believed her to be her master’s beloved. Ning Xi, a filial child, couldn’t treat her master’s cherished one harshly.

Xu Manman lied to her disciples with a clear conscience, as it wasn’t the first time. To her disciples, their master was compassionate and noble, a saint-like figure close to the gods. Only Xu Manman knew she was a scoundrel. She became the Daoist Alliance’s only female Daozun in three thousand years, not through compassion and kindness.

She remembered trekking for six months to the Siyi Sect, seeking to become a disciple of Nian Yi. When asked why she chose the Siyi Sect out of all the Daoist sects, she answered without hesitation, “Because it’s the closest.”

Nian Yi kept nodding.

“An honest child is accepted.”

At ten, with short legs, she could only walk so far in a day. Naturally, she chose the nearest place.

Nian Yi’s reason for accepting her wasn’t her honesty but the Siyi Sect’s poverty and lack of disciples, with many trying to leave. Just before she arrived, a talented disciple had been poached by a sect a few hundred miles away, and Nian Yi had personally congratulated them.

The Siyi Sect only accepted her because someone was needed to tend Nian Yi’s herb garden…

When she told her disciples this story, none believed her, thinking it was a joke to amuse them. Xu Manman realized that people preferred to believe in their imagined reality rather than the truth.

Her initial plan was to reveal her true identity to Ning Xi, letting her know she was her beloved master. But now, she couldn’t let Ning Xi know. The girl was too sincere and couldn’t act, easily revealing the truth. If Immortal Lang Yin, Young Master Li Que, or Sea Emperor Ao Xiu found out she was alive, her fake death would turn real…

After an afternoon of conversation, Ning Xi was convinced of her story.

Xu Manman wasn’t wrong; no one knew or loved herself better than she did. She perfectly fabricated the identity of Xu Yanyue, the secret lover of the libertine Daozun. Given the three male cultivators claiming to be Lian Yue Daozun’s lovers, people naturally accepted that she had affairs with both men and women.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

This is Xu Manman’s first rule for survival.

That night, the moon shone brightly among the scattered stars. Soft moonlight quietly flowed, mingling with the strange glow emanating from the open doors of the Xianyun Hall. The hall seemed crowded yet unusually silent, as if a silent drama were unfolding in a dream, observed by a lone spectator.

A tall figure stood there for a long time, holding a dark golden compass. The silent light and shadows were projected from it. His brows furrowed as he closely watched each person in the scene. Suddenly, his legs gave way, causing the compass to wobble, and the vision before him vanished.

A hand reached from behind to steady his arm, preventing an awkward fall.

“Even Ming Xiao Fazun cannot endure repeatedly activating the backtrackking array,” a gentle female voice said softly.

Ming Xiao turned his head to see a stunningly beautiful, unfamiliar face. However, he recognized the eyes; he had seen them multiple times in his replays. According to Ning Xi, this woman claimed to be Xu Yanyue, one of Xu Manman’s lovers.

“Why are you here?” Ming Xiao’s expression turned guarded.

“Your background is unclear, and you are highly suspect. You should be waiting in the side room for an investigation.”

Xu Manman, unfazed, smiled and said, “Naturally, it’s because I’ve been investigated and cleared of suspicion, which is why I’m here.”

Ming Xiao was surprised and puzzled.

“How could it be so quick?”

Xu Manman replied, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Ning Xi. I love Xu Manman the most, and she loves me the most. No one cares more about her whereabouts than I do. After watching the replays so many times, have you found anything?”

Mingxiao replied indifferently, “I saw nothing unusual.”

Xu Manman laughed.

“Ming Xiao Fazun, you must have used the time-reversal array seven or eight times. With your intelligence, how could you not see anything unusual? Oh, wait…” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Too many things happened in the Xianyun Hall; everyone was distracted, each with their own thoughts. When everyone seems suspicious, the true anomaly is hard to spot.”

Ming Xiao’s expression grew serious, scrutinizing Xu Manman more intently.

Seeing no response from him, Xu Manman continued, “Surely you understand this very well after watching it so many times. So, you think the one who deliberately caused these abnormalities is the most suspicious.”

She pointed her slender finger towards several spots in the hall: “Ao Xiu, Li Ying, Li Que, and even Immortal Lang Yin all seem suspicious. But of course, the person you suspect the most is me.”

She curled her finger back, pointing at herself, her eyes filled with a gentle smile, seemingly unconcerned about the suspicion.

“Correct.”

Ming Xiao didn’t deny his suspicion.

He gazed steadily at Xu Manman, saying gravely, “The others have traceable identities and pasts, but you are a blank slate, like a sheet of white paper you can color as you please. What they say might be partly true or false, but I don’t believe a word you say. I’ve known Xu Manman for over three hundred years; I know what kind of person she is.”

Xu Manman couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this.

Ming Xiao frowned in displeasure.

“What’s so funny?”

Xu Manman wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still smiling.

“May I ask what kind of person you think Xu Manman is?”

She wanted to know if the Xu Manman her confidant saw matched the one she portrayed.

Ming Xiao hesitated briefly before saying, “She is wise, selfless, and cares deeply for the people.”

Xu Manman nodded in satisfaction. “And do you know how others see Xu Manman?”

Ming Xiao frowned, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Xu Manman continued, “You say she’s wise, but in the eyes of Immortal Lang Yin, Xu Manman is just a piece of stupid and useless wood. She only opened her spiritual aperture at sixteen and took a hundred years to form a golden core. By cultivation standards, her talent wasn’t remarkable.”

Ming Xiao couldn’t honestly deny this and remained silent.

“And as for selflessness…” Xu Manman smiled.

“Everyone knows that the Siyi Sect is fiercely protective. When their disciples get into disputes, she always sides with them, right or wrong.”

“But…” Mingxiao defended, “Others were indeed at fault.”

“Not always,” Xu Manman countered.

“Sometimes, her disciples were wrong, and she would secretly settle things with money, punishing them behind closed doors.”

“And about her caring for the people…” Xu Manman added, “The other Daoist Alliance leaders don’t think so. They see her as cunning and power-hungry. During the Daozun struggle, other sects were stronger. Xu Manman pretended to withdraw but secretly incited the Xuantian Temple against Myriad Thord Palace, while Myriad Thorn Palace allied with Flower God Palace against the Xuantian Temple. The leaders fought, and Siyi Sect took advantage. To this day, those leaders probably still resent it.”

Ming Xiao said, “She wasn’t seeking power; she wanted to do more and help more people.”

Xu Manman smiled and said, “Only you think so. Maybe she made you believe that to gain your support.”