“I say, is there a need to talk so much nonsense with him? Wouldn’t it be better to just kill him?”
Hua Yan’s lazy voice drifted down from above. The moment her voice fell, the City Lord’s Mansion suddenly returned to its original appearance.
Looking at Zhang Lide’s corpse again, it was still in that study, as if he had never stepped into some endless corridor.
“That was certainly necessary — after all, before he actively exposed his identity as an evil cultivator, it wasn’t easy for us to strike directly.”
Qu Linglong’s voice came from outside the door.
She raised her hand and gave it a light wave, causing a large wooden box to slowly emerge on the wooden floor — the very one she carried on her back every day.
“Fine. But honestly, I’m a bit surprised you guys attacked him directly,” Hua Yan said, crossing her arms as she looked at Yun Xuechang, who was silently sheathing her sword. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
‘This woman is indeed still that strong… Even with others assisting, she was actually able to finish off a Mid-Nascent Soul evil cultivator with one sword strike.’
‘Hmph, as expected of the rival I think about day and night.’
“Since he was an evil creature, I simply cut him down. Why shouldn’t I have?”
The white-clad, white-haired girl returned her sword to its scabbard, speaking bluntly.
“I thought you would give him a chance to explain himself. Maybe you’d even dwell on some Righteous Path mercy, hoping he would turn over a new leaf,” Hua Yan said, the corners of her mouth curling into a mocking smile.
“If we let him go, who would let go of the mortals who died under his evil arts?”
Yun Xuechang looked directly at her, her expression serious.
“Daoist Friend Hua, do not harbor even a shred of pity for an atrocious evil cultivator. No matter what grievances they have, cutting them down is the most correct choice for everyone.”
“Huh? Oh, right…”
Staring into those clear, crimson eyes, Hua Yan was momentarily at a loss for words and could only nod blankly.
“It is good that Daoist Friend Hua understands.”
Seeing her agree, Yun Xuechang seemed satisfied.
She turned around and began searching the mansion for remaining clues alongside Lin Qianqian.
“…”
‘Wait! I was clearly mocking her, so how did I end up being lectured instead?’
Looking at the white figure squatting by the corpse, seriously flipping through a scroll, Hua Yan finally snapped back to her senses.
‘Yun Xuechang, are you playing me?’
But when she remembered the serious expression the white-haired girl had when staring at her just now, the nameless fire in her heart somehow faded.
‘But I feel… she doesn’t seem to be lying? Moreover, she really did kill that evil cultivator with one sword. Could it be that what she said just now was all from the heart, and she isn’t that kind of pedantic, stubborn Righteous Path idiot?’
At that moment, a scene from her memory suddenly surfaced — the pink-haired girl cheering and clapping on the boat, celebrating her killing the bandits.
‘I see… Perhaps because Yun Xuechang is that kind of person, she would raise Rongrong to be like that.’
“This guy was cautious enough. None of the intelligence-related items left behind contain specific names…”
Before long, several people spread the organized clues out on the table. Qu Linglong analyzed them with her hands on her hips.
“Or rather, the person behind him is cautious enough… but we can roughly deduce that the location of the mastermind should be in the Great Chu Imperial City.”
“The Great Chu Imperial City? You mean Yunjing?” Hua Yan frowned. “Could the matter of the evil cultivators be related to the Zhao Family of Great Chu?”
“It’s not impossible. This would also explain why they could keep the news so tightly hidden,” Qu Linglong nodded.
“The mastermind behind this group of evil cultivators, even if they aren’t a member of the Zhao Family, must be someone of high status and power in the Imperial City. They likely intended to just throw us a few small fish to brush us off.”
“Speaking of which, we really have little Rongrong to thank. Otherwise, we might have actually been fooled.”
“Now that you mention it, I’m still a bit confused…”
Lin Qianqian turned to Yun Xuechang with an excited face.
“I didn’t have time to ask earlier — can Rongrong actually predict the future? When she met you last time, was it because she predicted your location and came out specifically to find you, rather than just sneaking out to play?”
“This…”
Yun Xuechang was startled and then lowered her eyes. “Actually, I don’t know.”
‘I never actually asked Rongrong the reason for that. As her mom, am I being too incompetent?’
The Sword Immortaless, as a novice mother, secretly blamed herself.
“So, what exactly is going on with Rongrong?”
Hua Yan was also full of confusion. Why could Hua Xiangrong predict both Yun Xuechang’s arrival and Zhang Lide’s escape? Could it be…
“Regarding this matter, I think I might have an answer.”
Qu Linglong smiled slightly. A mechanical arm extended from the wooden box behind her, retrieving the clues on the table along with the Shadow Recording Stone.
“Why don’t you all follow me back first, and we can explore little Rongrong’s secret together?”
……
“Mhm, as expected, little Rongrong’s constitution is exactly the ‘Heaven-Blessed Dao Body’ that is said to be once-in-ten-thousand-years.”
In the room, Qu Linglong, who was holding Hua Xiangrong’s wrist, opened her eyes with a surprise she couldn’t hide.
“What… what body?”
Hua Yan looked bewildered. ‘How have I never heard of this thing?’
“It’s the Heaven-Blessed Dao Body.”
Qu Linglong repeated it. The smile that usually hung on her face was replaced by a rare, serious expression.
“Legend has it that the owner of this body is favored by the Heavenly Dao. Their path of cultivation is as if aided by the gods, and they can occasionally glimpse a thread of the future. If they practice the Path of Divination, they will be like a fish in water, progressing at lightning speed.”
“Furthermore, it is said that those with this constitution will bring good fortune to themselves and those close to them.”
She glanced at the still-dazed Hua Yan and the ethereal Yun Xuechang next to her, who looked like a human-shaped block of ice.
“It seems Rongrong has already brought fortune to the two of you — reuniting after a long separation and continuing your past connection. Isn’t that the best proof?” Qu Linglong said with a beaming smile.
?!
‘Are you joking! How is this fortune! On the first day I saw this girl, I got my butt slapped by Grandmother for no reason, and now I’ve been kicked out of the Valley!’
‘I don’t feel like I’ve touched any good luck at all!’
After hearing these words, Hua Yan’s face turned completely red with anger.
Yun Xuechang, on the other hand, was slightly stunned.
‘Good fortune… brought by Rongrong?’
She looked sideways at the red-haired woman beside her — at some point, the other’s fair cheeks had been stained with a light blush, seemingly embarrassed by Qu Linglong’s words, making her already bright countenance even more vivid.
‘The fortune of… reuniting with her?’
“Since that’s the case, Rongrong, are you willing to join my Heavenly Mystery Pavilion?”
Qu Linglong turned back and looked seriously at the pink-haired girl.
Fearing she wouldn’t understand, she explained carefully, “My Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is named after ‘Heavenly Mystery.’ Aside from the exquisite Mechanism Art, we also have the Path of Divination that can glimpse the secrets of heaven. Both are the foundations of our pavilion.”
“Rongrong, you have extraordinary talent. If you join us, you will naturally be able to study the top divination techniques in Shenzhou. What do you think?”
“Wait, who said the girl was going to learn divination from you?”
Hua Yan frowned and abruptly interrupted her. “Rongrong won’t learn that kind of stuff that shortens one’s life. She can just follow me and learn magic arts.”
‘Hmph, who among those who study divination doesn’t end up losing their lifespan? Do you really think this Path of Divination is that easy to cultivate? What exactly is this Qu Linglong planning!’
She stared warily at Qu Linglong, her eyes full of defensiveness.
“Oh, Daoist Friend Hua, you don’t know the half of it.”
Qu Linglong spread her hands helplessly. “Actually, my Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has studied the Heaven-Blessed Dao Body since ancient times. The records in our archives mention several seniors who possessed this constitution.”
“The most heaven-defying part of this constitution is that she can actively peer into the secrets of heaven without shortening her life — after all, she is someone favored by the Heavenly Dao to begin with.”
Her eyes glowed as she looked at the pink-haired girl.
“Although the secrets she can glimpse without losing lifespan are inevitably limited, this is already a constitution that countless fellow cultivators dream of, not to mention the thread of the future occasionally bestowed by the Heavenly Dao and the blessings she brings!”
“If Daoist Friend Hua is worried that I will bind Rongrong, I can take her as only an honorary disciple. I will provide her techniques and cover the costs of her cultivation. She won’t need to do anything extra for the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. She only needs to perform one divination for the pavilion every sixty years after she reaches the Deity Transformation stage, and it will be one that doesn’t shorten her life. How about it?”
Qu Linglong solemnly held up three fingers. “I am willing to make a Heavenly Dao Oath that every word I just said is true.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she made the oath on the spot. Then, she looked at Hua Yan with a sincere tone.
“Daoist Friend Hua, this is the most generous condition I can offer. You must not waste the child’s talent!”
Hua Yan bit her red lower lip and remained silent for a long time.
‘Damn it… I thought the girl’s constitution just meant her cultivation would be fast and she could learn all kinds of spells. How could it be this most specialized divination constitution!’
‘Swords, spears, halberds, thunder, fire, or the five elements — which of these can I, Hua Yan, not teach? Only this divination…’
After a long while, she turned her head and squeezed a sentence through her teeth. “…Girl, make the decision yourself.”
The conditions of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion were indeed generous.
Perhaps what Qu Linglong truly wanted was the “fortune of those close to her” that she would gain by being the girl’s master.
The path must be walked by oneself after all; she couldn’t make the choice for Rongrong.
The pink-haired girl first looked at her mother — the red-haired girl’s face was full of conflict, but she still chose to respect her decision.
Then she looked at her mom — the white-haired girl’s expression was calm, and she gave an encouraging nod.
“Then I want to become Auntie Qu’s disciple! I’ll learn divination to help Mother and Mom!”
Hua Xiangrong nodded, her small face blooming into a sweet smile.
“That way, in the future, I can calculate the dangers you encounter and help you avoid them. Our family will never be in trouble!”