Chapter 9

“Does Yaozun know why Fangzun is so eager to invite the Immortal Lang Yin to take over the Flower God Palace?” Xu Manman asked.

Qian Luo Yaozun recalled the rumors circulating outside and responded sourly, “Fangzun loves beauty.”

He then touched his own face and added, “How am I any less attractive than the Immortal Lang Yin?”

Qian Luo Yaozun himself was exceptionally handsome, with a tall and imposing stature, deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly wavy long hair streaked with dark green, a trait related to his true form.

His true form was a fern that had lived for over a thousand years. It is difficult for plants to become spirits, often taking hundreds of years to awaken spiritual consciousness and a thousand years to take human form. Qian Luo Yaozun was able to transform into a human form and gain enlightenment at just over a thousand years old because a traveler had meditated under his tree daily, awakening his spiritual consciousness.

Who knows what was preached, but after transforming into a human form, Qian Luo Yaozun first became carefree and unrestrained and later turned into a love-stricken fool.

Xu Manman sighed softly and said, “Yaozun, it seems you don’t love Fangzun enough; otherwise, how could you not understand her so well?”

“Nonsense!” Qian Luo Yaozun angrily retorted, “No one in this world loves the Fangzun more than I do!”

Xu Manman shook her head gently, “You only know that Fangzun loves beauty, but you forget what else she loves.”

“What else does she love?” Qian Luo Yaozun asked suspiciously.

“Of course, she loves flowers!” Xu Manman revealed, “Why is the Flower God Palace named so? It’s not just because Fangzun practices the Flower Beauty Art, but also because the palace cultivates all the famous flowers of the world.”

Qian Luo Yaozun nodded thoughtfully, “That is true…”

“No, it’s not.” Xu Manman waved her finger mysteriously, “Flower God Palace does not have all the famous flowers; there is one flower it lacks.”

Qian Luo Yaozun was taken aback.

“The thousand-petaled hibiscus, blooming on the cliffs of chaos, the immortal flower of the battlefield of gods and demons, the only flower in the desolate land,” Xu Manman said solemnly.

“Fangzun is not only the goddess of beauty but also a flower enthusiast. Her Dao heart seeks the ultimate perfection. Flower God Palace collects all the flowers of the world but lacks this most unique one, which makes it imperfect. Such an imperfection could affect her Dao heart, even forming inner demons and harming her cultivation!”

Qian Luo Yaozun was shocked, “Is it really that serious?”

“Yes, Qian Luo Yaozun’s Dao heart should be related to love.”

Xu Manman said solemnly, “If one day, Qun Yu Fangzun forms a Daoist partner with someone else, will your Dao heart be damaged?”

Qian Luo Yaozun, imagining this possibility, felt a stabbing pain in his heart, his brow furrowed, and his face showed agony, “I would rather die…”

“This is the consequence of a damaged Dao heart, which can even endanger your life.”

At this moment, Qian Luo Yaozun no longer felt that Xu Manman was exaggerating. He could sense that heart-wrenching pain, knowing that a tainted Dao heart or a damaged one is a near-fatal disaster!

“What should I do!” Qian Luo Yaozun anxiously asked, “Should I take the Myriad Thorn Palace and eliminate Immortal Lang Yin, then plant him in the Flower God Palace?”

“No, no!” Xu Manman hurriedly waved her hand, “This won’t do. Immortal Lang Yin has a temperament of perishing together with his enemy. Even if the Myriad Thorn Palace could defeat him, he would never surrender willingly. He would destroy himself, and Fangzun would never obtain that flower, leaving her Dao heart permanently scarred.”

“Then what should I do!” Qian Luo Yaozun was so anxious that he couldn’t sit still.

“This matter can’t be rushed. Fangzun has waited sixty years; we can take our time.” Xu Manman smiled slightly.

“But there is another issue closely related to you.”

“What issue?” Qianluo Yaozun asked curiously.

“When Fangzun left just now, you asked her a question.” Xu Manman said, “Didn’t you want to know why she wouldn’t let you join Flower God Palace?”

Qian Luo Yaozun nodded repeatedly, “Yes, why?”

“The answer is obvious,” Xu Manman smiled, “because you can’t bloom.”

Qian Luo Yaozun clapped his hands, feeling enlightened.

“So that’s it, because I can’t bloom!”

At this time, the people of Flower God Palace were already on their way back.

Wantang asked in confusion, “Sister Xihe, why does Fangzun insist on inviting Immortal Lang Yin to the Flower God Palace?”

Xihe replied, “I once heard Fangzun mention unintentionally that the Flower Beauty Art has a life-and-death barrier, and the Immortal Lang Yin’s innate immortal energy can help solve this problem.”

Wantang suddenly realized, “So that’s it… I thought…”

“You thought Fangzun admires Immortal Lang Yin?” Xihe smiled teasingly and said, “You’re just as ignorant as the common folk.”

“I did not!” Wantang blushed.

“Fangzun is otherworldly and won’t be entangled in love!”

The disciples of Flower God Palace were all devout followers of Fangzun. Their only goal in cultivation was to become more beautiful. If this beauty had a time limit, it would be a thousand years. They could accept death but not becoming old and ugly.

You don’t know how ruthless a group of beauty-loving women can be toward themselves. Their Dao hearts were clear and firm from the beginning, and their diligence in cultivation was astounding. It was because of these diligent disciples that the Flower God Palace rapidly developed in just a few hundred years to become one of the seven sects of the Daoist Alliance. The Flower God Palace had the most Nascent Soul cultivators among all the sects, but only Fangzun had reached the Dharma Aspect stage. Many did not know why, but only a few close disciples knew that the Flower Beauty Art had a life-and-death barrier, though they couldn’t explain it clearly.

Wantang was a latecomer to the sect but was one of Fangzun’s most valued disciples, so Xihe trusted her with this secret.

“But…” Wantang asked in confusion, “The Yaozun of Myriad Thorn Palace has profound cultivation and is devoted to Fangzun. Why doesn’t she let him join the Flower God Palace?”

At least he could make up for the shortage of Dharma Aspect cultivators in Flower God Palace.

“Well… I know a little about that,” Xihe covered her mouth and chuckled.

Xihe lowered her voice and said, “Because he is stupid.”

Qun Yu Fangzun was fundamentally a righteous person. She disdained Qian Luo Yaozun’s foolishness and wouldn’t exploit his infatuation. She rejected him clearly, without leaving him any false hopes, but Qian Luo Yaozun would always comfort himself. Even if Fangzun told him to “get lost,” he would convince himself: Fangzun was polite to others, but only said ‘get out’ to him and really didn’t treat him as an outsider.

Xu Manman was not exactly a righteous person. She often took advantage of others and never got tired of it. She frequently deceived people, making them think she was a compassionate and kind individual. Otherwise, how could she, with mediocre talent, mediocre appearance, and mediocre background, become the only female Daozun in history?

It was because of her extraordinary cunning and shamelessness.

Qian Luo Yaozun’s already not-so-smart brain was completely misled by her earnest nonsense. At this moment, he felt he had encountered a true wise person who had unraveled the mysteries that had long puzzled him, making everything clear.

“So Fangzun didn’t accept me because I can’t bloom.”

Qian Luo Yaozun felt both delighted and distressed. He was delighted because he understood the issue and distressed because it seemed impossible to solve.

“My true form is a seven-leaf fern, which can’t bloom, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Strictly speaking, ferns are not trees but pteridophytes; they neither bloom nor bear fruit. Plants turning into spirits differ from animals; animals are born male or female, whereas many plants are monoecious and can transform between genders when taking human form. After experiencing human life for several decades or centuries, they gradually settle on one gender.

(T/N: A pteridophyte is a vascular plant that reproduces by means of spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as “cryptogams,” meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden.)

Qian Luo Yaozun was no exception. His fern form was hermaphroditic. He had wavered between male and female forms until he met Fangzun, whose beauty like a celestial being amazed him, and he chose to be male. In his simple mind, the harmony of yin and yang, male and female dual cultivation, was a natural law. However, Xu Yanyue’s appearance changed his perspective. It turned out women could also form Dao companions with women…

Had he chosen the wrong path? Should he become a woman in the Flower God Palace, which is filled with women?

Xu Yanyue told him that wasn’t the reason; the real reason was that he couldn’t bloom.

And this wasn’t much easier than changing gender…

Qian Luo Yaozun sighed deeply, and Xu Manman comforted him, “Yaozun, don’t lose heart. I have an idea that might help.”

Qian Luo Yaozun’s eyes lit up, “What idea? If you can make me bloom, you will be my reincarnated parents!”

“Not at all. Yaozun and Fangzun are a perfect match. I’m moved by Yaozun’s infatuation. I can’t guarantee this will work, but it’s worth trying.” Xu Manman smiled, “This method is called the Technique of Combined Grafting.”

“Combined Grafting?” Qian Luo Yaozun pondered, “I’ve heard of it somewhere…”

“This technique was created by Revered Nian Yi, the master’s of Lian Yue Daozun. Revered Nian Yi dedicated his life to studying the cultivation of spiritual flowers and grasses and taught all he learned to Lian Yue Daozun, who then taught it to me. I may not be very talented, but I have some expertise in growing spiritual plants.”

Xu Manman smiled modestly.

Qian Luo Yaozun believed her completely and eagerly asked, “So what is this Combined Grafting technique about?”

“Yaozun, don’t be hasty. Let me explain in detail…” Xu Manman began, “Spiritual flowers and grasses are difficult to cultivate. Revered Nian Yi discovered that similar-looking flowers and grasses could be tightly bound together with spiritual soil, allowing their energies to merge. By exchanging deficiencies for strengths, even dead wood could spring to life. He experimented for many years and invented branch grafting and bud grafting methods, proving their effectiveness. The spiritual flowers and grasses of the Siyi Sect became famous worldwide because of this.”

Xu Manman’s words were entirely true. Although Qian Luo Yaozun wasn’t very smart, he had been a tree spirit for over a thousand years and naturally understood the principles of plant production. He knew she wasn’t deceiving him.

“You mean, two types of plants can be grafted together, complementing each other…”

Qianluo Yaozun pondered, his eyes growing brighter.

“Yaozun is truly wise, grasping the essence of Combined Grafting immediately,” Xu Manman praised.

“I heard that Blood Sect’s evil cultivators experimented with humans and spirits for limb reattachment, inspired by this technique. But they didn’t understand that all living things have a spirit and reject foreign entities. The stronger the spirit, the harder it is to merge. This technique only works on plants. If Yaozun wants to bloom, you need to find a similar plant for grafting, which might give you hope.”

Qian Luo Yaozun sincerely said, “Sister Yanyue, if you don’t mind, call me brother. You’ve taken my problem as your own; from now on, your problems are mine too!”

Xu Manman was taken aback, then slowly smiled kindly, “Brother Qian Luo…”

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that her solitary life, after dying once, would gain her so many brothers…

The wonders of nature are truly amazing. There are emotionless flowers like Immortal Lang Yin and love-sick trees like Qian Luo Yaozun. After their conversation, he trusted Xu Manman completely and wanted to swear an oath of brotherhood. Xu Manman also extracted a lot of intelligence about the Daoist Alliance from him.

In recent days, the Daoist Alliance council decided to temporarily appoint Ming Xiao Fazun to the position of Daozun, with the primary task of intensifying the search efforts to rescue Fu Yue Shenzun. The seven major sects all activated their protective arrays, fearing the Blood Sect would take advantage of the situation.

Xu Manman had guided Ming Xiao Fazun that night, making the Daoist Alliance realize that the Blood Sect’s objective might be related to the divine veins. Among the four divine beasts, the purest bloodline belonged to Fu Yue Shenzun, the most mixed to Yun Jian, the third to Di Luan, and the second to Tun Tian. The Tun Tian had the deepest connection with the world, being revered as a divine beast by the Seven Kingdoms and beloved by the people. The reason for this was that their divine veins, like those of the ancient gods, absorbed the power of faith for cultivation. The love and worship of the people provided them with endless power.

Nowadays, Tun Tian resides in Tiandu, the capital city of the Seven Kingdoms, a city filled with the powerful and the elite. However, the strength capable of protecting Tun Tian is quite weak. Shenxiao Sect is the closest to Tiandu, so Ming Xiao Fazun immediately sent a warning to Tun Tian and dispatched Shenxiao Sect cultivators to Tiandu to protect Tun Tian, intending to follow shortly.

Xu Manman, aware of the deployments of other sects, was in no hurry for revenge; she had other plans.

Due to the destruction caused by two troublemakers in the South Courtyard, she ended up benefiting from the misfortune and got to stay in the Purple Bamboo Pavilion as she had hoped.

Stroking the spotless furniture, Xu Manman couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. This was her room, but she hadn’t returned for many years…

She joined the Siyi sect at the age of ten. Unable to open her spiritual aperture and cultivate, she spent four years learning to grow spiritual plants in the herb garden with Revered Nian Yi. She was naturally clever and good at reading people and pleasing them, making it hard for anyone not to like her. Revered Nian Yi once joked with her, “You, little girl, have too many tricks up your sleeve, always thinking of making others happy. Have you ever made yourself happy?”

She obediently replied, “If my master is happy, I am happy.”

Seeing through her cleverness, Revered Nian Yi wasn’t annoyed or displeased; he merely tapped her forehead and shook his head with a smile, “No wonder you can’t cultivate. All paths, whether righteous or evil, ultimately aim to please oneself. If you can’t understand this, you’ll never open that door.”

At eleven or twelve, she thought she had experienced enough birth, old age, sickness and death, love and hate, and separation in the world, but she didn’t understand what her master said.

Revered Nian Yi lovingly patted her head, saying, “No matter, being an ordinary person isn’t bad. Learn to grow flowers in the herb garden with me, smell the medicinal fragrances, and you’ll live a long, happy life.”

“Master, is there a fragrance here? My senior brothers say it all smells like manure.”

“Those little brats… what else should we use to grow flowers if not manure!”

Lying on the bamboo couch by the window, hands behind her head, legs crossed, Xu Manman couldn’t help but laugh at the moon outside as she reminisced.

The luckiest thing in her life was crossing mountains and rivers to join the Siyi Sect at ten, meeting her master and Immortal Lang Yin. Her master taught her to grow flowers and set up arrays, and Immortal Lang Yin taught her to cultivate. Her hundred years in the Siyi Sect were her warmest memories. Later, wandering the seas, seeking her Dao heart, countless lonely and cold nights, just looking at the Lianyue Crown would spark a bit of warmth within her.

She considered the Siyi Sect her home, but her master said it was her anchor.

“In the world’s storms, you must face them alone. The Siyi Sect’s broken tiles and dilapidated walls can’t shelter you, but with an anchor in your heart, you won’t drift aimlessly.”

How could anyone not like that little old man? Xu Manman naturally assumed that Immortal Lang Yin stayed in the Siyi Sect because her master had shown him kindness. But today, hearing from Fangzun, she learned that sixty years ago, the Immortal Lang Yin refused to join the Flower God Palace because of her, Xu Manman.

How many more secrets did Immortal Lang Yin have that she didn’t know about…

Xu Manman’s eyes twinkled with renewed curiosity.

She flipped over from the bamboo couch, rummaging under the bed, and pressed a hidden mechanism. A hidden compartment opened with a click.

The compartment was empty!

Xu Manman was astonished. She had built the Purple Bamboo Pavilion herself, and only she knew about the dozen or so hidden compartments in the room. This particular one should have contained a sealed conch, handed to her by Revered Nian Yi before his death, and she was asked to instruct her disciples to pass it to the Immortal Lang Yin after her own death. Xu Manman had intended to tell Ning Xi about it, but she hadn’t expected to die so young, leaving no time to explain.

So, who had taken the conch?

The prime suspect was the Immortal Lang Yin, but stealing hardly fit his noble image…

Xu Manman bit her fingertip in thought. She might use a backtracking array, but it consumed a lot of spiritual energy, and the longer the time that had passed, the greater the consumption. As a mere Golden Core cultivator now, she feared exhausting herself before finding the thief.

Her master instructed her to pass the conch to the Honorable Lang Yin after her death, suggesting the secret within related to both her and the Immortal Lang Yin. But why wait until after her death to tell the Immortal Lang Yin? Was her master tricking the Immortal Lang Yin somehow…