Chapter 5

Ming Xiao was taken aback by what he heard. A mist of confusion clouded his eyes, and his breath became erratic.

Xu Manman’s words had upended his understanding of a longtime friend. Staring at Xu Manman in bewilderment, he asked, “Why are you slandering her?”

Xu Manman sighed, turned her back, and looked at the two characters “Xianyun Hall” on the plaque.

Slowly, she said, “Perhaps it is not slander but the truth? You should understand that the path of cultivation is ruthlessly inhumane. How can a person of mediocre talent survive in this world without some cunning and strategies? Having witnessed three hundred years of the mortal world, do you still believe that goodness can reform evil, gentleness can dissolve hostility, and compassion can make everyone submit?”

Ming Xiao was stunned, as the figure before him seemed to overlap with another. That person should have been adorned in a resplendent golden robe with a dazzling crown, her face blurred by the halo of light. He had known her for so many years but never remembered her appearance clearly.

“Did she say these words to you?”

For some reason, he began to believe what Xu Manman was saying, perhaps because it was reasonable or because her tone was so confident.

“I know her too well. She doesn’t need to say certain things for me to understand,” Xu Manman sighed softly.

“She and I are true kindred spirits. As a Daozun, she carries heavy responsibilities and inevitably feels weary at times. Who wouldn’t wish for someone to listen, rely on, and stand by them? She appears as a high and mighty deity to the world, but only in front of me is she a person of flesh and blood, with a heart and emotions.”

Ming Xiao was left speechless by Xu Manman’s words and suddenly understood why Ning Xi had lifted her suspicions about her.

She was really… too good at talking…

and every word was heart-piercing.

“Ming Xiao Fazun, do you believe me a little now?” Xu Manman blinked.

Ming Xiao frowned.

“Do you have more to say?”

“Can I ask you a question?” Xu Manman inquired.

“What question?” Ming Xiao asked.

Xu Manman’s eyes twinkled as she asked, “Has something happened to Fu Yue Shenzun?”

Ming Xiao’s expression tightened, “How do you know?”

Xu Manman confidently stated, “On the day of Daozun’s funeral, Fu Yue Shenzun did not appear. The various leaders of the Daoist Alliance held the meeting without waiting for Fu Yue Shenzun, which likely means that Fu Yue Shenzun could not attend.”

Her reasoning was sound, temporarily dispelling Ming Xiao’s doubts. He did not deny it and nodded, confirming Xu Manman’s speculation.

“Fu Yue Shenzun often remains in seclusion, sometimes sleeping for centuries. To draw him out is not easy unless it’s the Daoist Alliance meeting or…the Daozun died.”

Xu Manman unconsciously folded her hands into her sleeves, rubbing her forefinger as her thoughts raced and her mind cleared.

“Now that I think about it…perhaps the ambush on Daozun by the Burning Heaven Division was just a ploy to lure out Fu Yue Shenzun.”

Xu Manman’s words were like a thunderbolt, splitting the fog in Ming Xiao’s mind. His eyes widened in realization.

“The Blood Sect acts insanely, but in the end, they are human. Meticulously planning to kill someone has only two purposes: revenge or profit. Daozun killed countless evil cultivators of the Blood Sect. If the ambush was for revenge, then targeting Fu Yue Shenzun, who has always been indifferent to the world, must be for one purpose: profit.”

Xu Manman analyzed slowly.

Ming Xiao pondered, “What profit could be gained from Fu Yue Shenzun?”

He immediately answered his own question.

“The Divine Bloodline!”

Two voices rang out simultaneously.

Xu Manman smiled and nodded.

“There are many esteemed individuals in the world, but those titled ‘Gods’ are only the descendants of the divine race. The divine race has long vanished into myth, but the bloodline of divine beasts remains. Di Luan, Yun Jiao, Fu Yue, and Tun Tian—the divine beasts have long lifespans, but the more they reproduce, the thinner the bloodline. Yun Jiao’s divine bloodline is the weakest, while Fu Yue Shenzun is of the first generation, over ten thousand years old, with the purest bloodline. Legend has it that the divine race is immortal, and the Blood Sect’s obsession with immortality might be their motive for abducting Fu Yue Shenzun.”

Ming Xiao nodded repeatedly, suddenly enlightened.

“Indeed, that makes sense…”

“The Blood Sect has four divisions: Burning Heaven, Fate-defying, Doom-bringing, and Soul-reaping. The Burning Heaven Division specializes in killing, the Fate-defying Division in life and death arts, the Doom-bringing Division in blood curses, and the Soul-reaping in puppet arts. If they are after the divine bloodline, they must have hidden Fu Yue Shenzun in the Fate-defying Division.”

“Where is the Fate-defying Division of the Blood Sect?” Ming Xiao asked urgently.

“I don’t know either.” Xu Manman shrugged helplessly.

“You…” Ming Xiao realized he had been led by her words and even felt a sense of reliance.

“After all, I am just a lonely widow…” Xu Manman covered her face, crying, “The Daoist Alliance must avenge my…partner and return her body…”

Ming Xiao found himself speechless.

Xu Manman slowly walked back to the southern courtyard from the Xianyun Hall. Since her rebirth, she has been in a constant rush, fearing that if she was late, something might happen to her body. Now that her body was gone, she finally relaxed and had a moment to enjoy the night view of the Siyi Sect.

Her aptitude for cultivation was not great, and she always progressed slower than others. Initially, there were twenty to thirty disciples in the Siyi Sect, but the talented ones were poached by other sects, and the less talented couldn’t break through and eventually died of old age in the Siyi Sect, buried in the depths of the Purple Bamboo Forest.

At fourteen, she never imagined she would be the one to stay the longest in the Siyi Sect, nor that one day she would become the Daozun of the Daoist Alliance.

She couldn’t distinguish how much of what she told Ming Xiao was true or false. But these past three hundred years have been truly arduous. She had cultivated diligently for over a century before forming her Golden Core. Her master told her that this was just opening the door to the path of cultivation and that the distance of the road beyond depended on her determination. She needed to find her path in the mortal world.

So she left the Siyi Sect, where she had lived for over a century, and wandered for decades. She endured many hardships and met many people. She thought she had left her home, but with the world as her home, her family had grown larger and more numerous. One day, she had an epiphany, found her true Dao, and finally achieved the Dharma Aspect.

After her master’s demise, she took on the mantle of leader of the Siyi Sect, gradually elevating it from an unremarkable sect to one of the seven major sects, even if it was the lowest-ranked.

It still had a seat in the Daoist Alliance. Later, she schemed for the position of Daozun and used many cunning strategies, benefiting as others fought. Those in the Daoist Alliance only realized the full extent of her ambition when the Siyi Sect became the leading sect in the alliance years later.

Lian Yue, the Daozun, was known for her thick-skinned, black-hearted, and ambitious nature.

This was how the leaders of the Daoist Alliance evaluated her.

However, now they believe that with Lian Yue Daozun dead, there is nothing more to worry about. The Siyi Sect has no successors and will soon decline back to being a minor sect.

Currently, out of the seven great masters, only five remain. Xie Zhenliu is a sword fanatic; Qian Luo Yaozun is obsessed with flowers; and Qun Yu Fangzun is the flower of his obsession… The Daozun will either be Ming Xiao Fazun or Ya Sheng Xingzun.

Xu Manman couldn’t help but chuckle and nod at this thought. She was no longer the Daozun, yet she was still concerned about the Daoist Alliance’s affairs. If she could regain her former cultivation power, she might be able to influence the situation somewhat. However, her current body could not harness her original strength, and her cultivation was only at the initial stage of the Golden Core. Walking around, she could easily be trampled to death by someone.

Xu Manman walked to the lakeside and admired her reflection in the moonlit water. It was said that Qun Yu Fangzun had the appearance of a celestial being, noble and ethereal, like a moon goddess. However, her own appearance was not inferior: bright eyes and white teeth, radiant and charming, with rosy lips that curled into a smile before she spoke, shining like a rose, outshining all others. Such looks were hard to ignore, which is why she masked her face when returning to the Siyi Sect. This was also why so many believed she was Lian Yue Daozun’s beloved—such an appearance made it easy for people to overlook her gender.

In a cultivation world where beautiful people were abundant, such looks would rarely go unnoticed. Ning Xi and Ming Xiao Fazun must have investigated her background but found nothing. Xu Manman could not use other powers to investigate this body’s past, but she had been trying to communicate with it these days.

Cultivators believe that the body is a vessel for the soul, and the path of cultivation involves refining the vessel and then strengthening the soul. Opening the ten apertures is the first door in cultivation. After that, one introduces the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body, which is the Qi Refining stage. Tempering the body is the Foundation Establishment stage, condensing the soul forms the Golden Core, and only then has one truly entered the path. The Golden Core is like a woman’s womb, nurturing the soul. Only with a firm Dao heart can one cultivate the soul, transforming it into a Nascent Soul. When the Nascent Soul is strong enough, transform into a Dharma Aspect, and leave the vessel, just like a god coming to the world.

The body Xu Manman had possessed had a shattered Golden Core, indicating that its soul was damaged and incomplete. A damaged soul means either death or dementia. When Xu Manman awoke, she was in an icy cavern, her limbs stiff and weak, and it took great effort to break free from the ice. This showed that the body’s original owner had long been dead, perhaps for many years, making it difficult for Ming Xiao Fazun and others to trace its origins.

Since it was a dead body, Xu Manman had no qualms about occupying it temporarily. However, the Golden Core within was either complete or not there at all. She could have re-cultivated it herself, but it was only half complete, occupying the core of her divine body. If she wanted to cultivate, she would have to try merging with that half Golden Core. This was something the Blood Sect was most familiar with. They devoured others’ Golden Cores and then refined and merged them. Even with the fierce and overbearing Blood Sect techniques, doing this was extremely dangerous, let alone for her, who was a kind-hearted person…

Xu Manman sighed helplessly, realizing that nothing in this world comes entirely without a price. Every blessing comes with a cost.

Before dawn the next day, Xu Manman was awakened by a loud noise. She opened her eyes in frustration, knowing without looking that the fish and bird were arguing again.

She covered herself with the blanket, intending to sleep a bit longer, but soon heard Ning Xi’s voice. Worried about Ning Xi getting hurt, she struggled up and opened the door to see what was happening.

The sun had just risen, its morning light casting a holy golden edge around the handsome young man standing in the air. Xu Manman looked up, squinting her eyes and yawning.

“Master Li Que must have been taught by his parents from a young age that the early bird catches the worm.”

Li Que snorted, “The Di Luan clan does not roost on anything but the Wutong tree or drink anything but divine nectar. How could we eat worms?”

Xu Manman chuckled.

“Look at what you’re saying. At least get down from the bamboo.”

Li Que’s face stiffened with embarrassment. He tapped his foot and gracefully landed on the ground.

Ao Xiu, standing aside with a cold smile, spoke indifferently to Ning Xi, “Cultivator Ning, we have stayed at the Siyi Sect for three days. Have you found any clues about the missing body of Daozun? Are we cleared of suspicion?”

Ning Xi looked apologetic, her voice gentle, “Your Majesty the Sea Emperor, please forgive us. The Daoist Alliance has faced many major events these days, neglecting our hospitality. After investigation, we found that the Xianyun Hall incident had nothing to do with you. By the Immortal Lord’s command, I am here to escort you down the mountain today.”

Li Que furrowed his brows and said urgently, “Have you investigated thoroughly? How could it have nothing to do with him? His presence that day was highly suspicious, and he even requested to take Daozun’s body back to the Endless Sea for burial. I’ve never heard of such customs among the Yun Jiao clan!”

“That’s because you are young and ignorant,” Ao Xiu said calmly.

“Hah!” Li Que gritted his teeth.

“The Yun Jiao clan, with their promiscuity and lack of shame, what do you pretend to be so deeply affectionate for?”

Ao Xiu said contemptuously, “The Di Luan clan, with more yin than yang, has lost its masculinity. Isn’t this against the will of heaven?”

“Yin and yang, male and female, inherently have yin above and yang below, female first and male second; without female, there can be no male. Isn’t it true that even your aquatic clan is born of mothers?”

Ao Xiu’s discriminatory remarks did not faze Li Que in the least, and he responded with a well-reasoned rebuttal.

Ao Xiu’s face darkened.

“The males of the Feathered Clan only know how to show off their feathers and flirt, which is utterly disgraceful for males.”

Li Que retorted seriously, “The males of the Feathered Clan build nests, support their families, and nurture their offspring, far superior to the Aquatic Clan in every way. I’ve heard that the Aquatic Clan are all orphans, homeless, fatherless, unraised, and uneducated.”

Ao Xiu angrily flicked his sleeve and said, “You!”

Li Que delivered the final blow: “No wonder the Daozun didn’t want you.”

Xu Manman, who was enjoying the show, thought, “…”

Ao Xiu’s face turned ashen. If it weren’t for Ning Xi being present, there would probably have been another fierce battle. It was unclear what Ning Xi was thinking when she arranged the three lovers of the Daozun together. Xu Manman, aware of her low cultivation level, did not dare show herself, while the other two quarreled with each other every time they met.

The Feathered Clan and the Aquatic Clan were like fire and water, mutually contemptuous and at odds for a long time. The Feathered Clan looked down on the Aquatic Clan for their promiscuity, while the Aquatic Clan thought the Feathered Clan had an imbalance of yin and yang, contrary to nature. As leaders of their clans and descendants of divine beings, Di Luan and Yun Jiao played a leading role in racial discrimination.

Ning Xi, looking helpless, said, “Respected ones, please calm down…”

Li Que interrupted, “I’m not angry. I’m being reasonable. He just can’t argue with me and is ashamed.”

Ao Xiu’s clenched fists were bulging with veins. “Out of respect for the Siyi Sect, I won’t argue with you. Do you really think the Sea God Palace fears the Radiant Vermillion?”

Li Que responded earnestly, “I don’t know if the shrimp soldiers and crab generals of the Sea God Palace fear the Radiant Vermillion, but you, as the Sea Emperor, don’t represent the Sea God Palace. I’ve heard the Sea Emperor’s position is highly contested, changing every ten years. If you delay a few days, someone else might take your place.”

Just as Li Que finished speaking, Ao Xiu’s fist was already coming at him. However, Li Que, despite his noisy demeanor, reacted extremely quickly, dodging the attack at the last moment. Red flames ignited in his eyes as his spiritual energy surged. With a flick of his red sleeve, a warm breeze swept through the courtyard.

Ao Xiu, who had fought his way to the throne from among countless brothers, was not an ordinary person. His surging spiritual energy manifested as icy blue, layer upon layer, rushing toward Li Que. To Xu Manman’s surprise, Li Que’s cultivation was more formidable than expected. Faced with Ao Xiu’s furious attack, his evasive movements were elegant and effortless, akin to a phoenix dancing, pleasing to the eye.

Ning Xi, protecting Xu Manman, moved aside. The southern courtyard wall could not withstand the impact of their spiritual energy and collapsed, merging two courtyards into one, turning the once intact wing room into an open-air space.

Xu Manman let out a miserable cry.

Ning Xi hurriedly asked, “Are you hurt?”

Xu Manman, on the verge of tears, replied, “The house collapsed.”

Ning Xi was puzzled.

“It’s all Daozun’s hard-earned foundation…”

—They are all my property! How hard I worked to make money back then, and you prodigals don’t feel bad for demolishing other people’s homes!

Ning Xi, feeling empathetic, thought, “This is someone who truly loves the master…”

“Don’t worry, Shi Niang.” Her heart leaned toward Xu Manman.

(T/N: Master’s Wife)

“I will have it repaired immediately.”

Xu Manman nodded with a heavy heart and then shook her head.

“Make sure they pay for it. They can afford it. A hundred taels, three hundred taels, five hundred taels…”

She seriously counted the property damage and suddenly noticed Li Ying standing on the eaves, watching the spectacle. Li Ying, exceptionally beautiful in her red dress and golden crown, watched the fight below with a lazy smile, looking completely detached.

“Your Majesty the Feather Emperor,” Xu Manman called out.

Li Ying glanced over, raising an eyebrow without responding.

“Aren’t you going to intervene? Isn’t Master Li Que your younger brother?”

Li Ying lazily replied, “Men fighting, women shouldn’t interfere, or people will say I’m bullying.”

With that, she leaped away and disappeared.

Xu Manman was left speechless for a while before saying, “No wonder our ancestors did not recommend humans and beasts to fall in love. It’s because the racial differences are too great, and they cannot understand each other.”

Ning Xi, deeply agreeing, nodded repeatedly.