Li Yundong’s sharp cry seemed to genuinely reach the distant Dongwu City. Su Chan, who had been meditating and circulating her qi at home, suddenly snapped her eyes open. Startled and delighted, she leaped up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and peered anxiously in all directions.
Yet, all she saw were the ancient, quaint flagstones, walls of white plaster and black tile, and passersby clad in modern, fashionable attire—nothing more.
Ao Wushuang’s displeased voice drifted from inside the room: “Chan’er, what is it now?”
Su Chan returned to the room, her excitement dampened. “I heard Li Yundong call me.”
Ao Wushuang sighed, rubbing her temples reflexively. “Are you ever going to stop? Didn’t you promise me you’d focus on your cultivation when you came back? Look at you—you haven’t advanced an inch in two months. Li Yundong achieved Foundation Establishment in that same short span. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Su Chan giggled. “What’s there to be ashamed of? The stronger he gets, the happier I should be!”
Ao Wushuang bristled with anger. “Chan’er! Get over here and meditate properly!”
Seeing her Master become genuinely angry, Su Chan dared not delay. She obediently returned to her cushion, muttering as she settled in, “But I really heard him!”
Ao Wushuang laughed in exasperation. “He’s hundreds of kilometers away, how could you hear him? Do you think he can project sound across a thousand li?”
Su Chan tossed her head back with a defiant ‘Hmph.’ “We are connected by the same spirit!”
Just as Ao Wushuang was about to launch into a scolding, a light knocking echoed at the door. Immediately after, a figure shuffled in—short and thin, face a roadmap of wrinkles, clearly an old man.
The elder kept his eyes lowered, dressed in a long, grey changpao, wearing indigo cloth shoes with layered soles. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and a black melon cap sat atop his head. Paired with two thin, long whiskers framing his face, the overall effect was somewhat comical, strongly resembling a landlord from the old society.
Su Chan turned, gasped, and sprang up, stammering, “Mas—Master Ancestor!”
Ao Wushuang saw him and instantly rose as well, nodding slightly. Her expression held a mixture of surprise and wariness as she spoke. “Sect Master Martial Uncle, why have you come?”
The Head of the Huxian Sect walked into the room, surveying the interior. He noted the sparse, simple furnishings: nothing more than a single square table, two matching stools, and the two meditation cushions.
He chuckled faintly, showing a touch of melancholy. “Wushuang, why only two chairs? If you have guests, where are they supposed to sit?”
Ao Wushuang offered a faint smile. “Do I often have guests here? Most people avoid me if they can.”
The Sect Master sighed, walked over to one of the stools, and sat down cross-legged. Once settled, he pulled a purple tobacco pouch inlaid with tiny goldfish from his robes, extracting a jade mouthpiece. He loaded some tobacco leaves into the pouch, but without lighting it, took two draws from the mouthpiece. The tobacco inside ignited spontaneously, without fire.
“Almost ten years, and you still hold onto that grudge?” The Sect Master exhaled a smoke ring, watching it drift upward until it dissipated. “What’s past is past! All worldly affairs are like smoke—is there any reason they shouldn't scatter?”
Ao Wushuang’s expression turned sharply severe. “Sect Master Martial Uncle, given your temperament, it seems unlikely you’d travel here specifically to lecture me about this.”
The Sect Master smiled faintly. “It seems you still resent me for expelling you from the sect back then!”
Ao Wushuang gave a cold laugh. “I wouldn’t dare, how could I resent the Head of the Huxian Sect, known as the Divine Calculator Flying Fox, Grand Sect Master Liu Ye? I am already an orphan spirit; harboring resentment toward the leader of my own clan would surely be courting death.”
Liu Ye laughed, the wrinkles on his face deepening profoundly. He tapped the ash out of his pipe and said, “You say you don’t hate me, yet every word drips with resentment. I cast you out to protect you. I trust that with your intelligence, you must eventually understand.”
Ao Wushuang’s gaze suddenly grew distant and aged. She sighed. “Understanding is one thing; forgiveness is another. Tell me, stop beating around the bush—you don’t visit without cause. What do you want?”
Liu Ye sighed again. “I came to tell you to go back and look around while you still can. Don’t wait until you desperately wish to see it, only to find you can no longer.”
Ao Wushuang frowned immediately. “What do you mean by that?”
Liu Ye wasn't rushed. He took a few more puffs, stood up from the stool, slowly put away his pipe, and walked to the doorway with his hands clasped behind his back before pausing.
He stated, “The Six Great Sects have unanimously agreed that our Huxian Sect swallowed the Nascent Soul Golden Elixir. At the latest, in six months, they will unite to attack us. You are the finest expert from our clan. Whether you return or not is up to you!”
With that, he turned and headed out the door.
Ao Wushuang couldn't help but shout, “Why do you say it wasn't you who stole it? Are you suggesting I stole it?”
Liu Ye stopped, turned back, and let out a derisive smirk, his face filled with mockery. “What use is telling them? When have those purportedly righteous sects ever listened to us demonic cultivators? Declaring war is merely a whim for them. Furthermore, even though you were expelled, even if you turned to ash, others would still consider you part of the Huxian Sect, because no matter how you disguise yourself, you cannot change the fact that you are a Seven-Tailed Divine Fox!”
Ao Wushuang fell silent. After a pause, she spoke again. “How can we withstand a joint siege by the Six Great Sects? Why not have the sisters of the sect hide first?”
Liu Ye let out a loud HA! of laughter. “The Huxian Sect, founded by Patriarch Panshi during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, has a history spanning over twelve hundred years! In all that time, countless sects have tried to annihilate us, but what was the result? Hmph. We are diminished now, true, but if we simply run every time they attack, where in this world will there be any place left for us to reside?”
Having spoken, Liu Ye snorted, turned, and walked out, his voice echoing faintly from a distance: “You have two months to consider!”
Ao Wushuang sat stunned in the room for a while. Suddenly, she stood up and said in a deep voice, “Chan’er, pack your things.”
Su Chan chirped in assent, returned to her room to quickly gather some clothes, and emerged dragging her suitcase. She asked, “Master, are we returning to the clan?” Her words carried an unmistakable undercurrent of excitement and joy.
Ao Wushuang glanced at her, a flicker of pity and tenderness crossing her eyes. When she had taken Su Chan away from the sect, the girl was barely six years old, still a small child. Her memories of the clan were already faint.
Ao Wushuang sighed inwardly. “Not us. Just me.”
Su Chan was alarmed. “Master, you aren't taking me back to the sect?”
Ao Wushuang shook her head. “No. This time is extremely dangerous. Our Huxian Sect faces annihilation. It is too dangerous for you to stay with me. Go find your young lover; he will take good care of you. As long as he survives his Heavenly Tribulation, and as long as your identity remains hidden, you two will be fine.”
Su Chan’s expression became one of surprising resolve. She shook her head. “Master, if the sect is destroyed, what good will it do for me to remain alone? Please let me come with you! I bear some responsibility for this matter, too!”
Ao Wushuang exploded in anger. “Why must you always oppose me? Aren’t you whining day in and day out to return to Yun Dong’s side? Now I’m letting you go, and you refuse?”
Su Chan countered, “Master, you raised me from childhood, taught me to read and write, taught me cultivation techniques. If I run away alone at the first sign of danger, wouldn’t I be the most ungrateful person alive? Yun Dong would be angry with me if he knew! If I can abandon you today, couldn’t I abandon him tomorrow?”
Ao Wushuang let out a laugh, a mixture of relief and helplessness. Just as she was about to speak, she glanced behind Su Chan and exclaimed, “How did you get here?” She immediately raised her hand, preparing to strike the back of Su Chan’s neck.
But before she could act, Su Chan seemed to anticipate her move. Instead of turning around, the girl darted several meters away from Ao Wushuang, speaking warily. “Master, you mean to knock me out and return to the Huxian Sect alone?”
Ao Wushuang saw that although the girl often appeared simple and somewhat air-headed, in reality, her cleverness and cunning were no less than her own. She gave a helpless, wry smile. “Fine, let’s go. You win!”
The young girl still kept her distance, her eyes darting around suspiciously. “You aren’t tricking me, are you!”
Ao Wushuang shot her an exasperated look. “Stop the nonsense and follow me.”
With that, she picked up her suitcase and turned to leave.
The girl quickly scurried after her, calling out, “Ah, Master, wait for me!”
Catching up, she asked, “Master, can I tell Yun Dong about this? He is, after all, an inheritor of the Golden Elixir lineage; he could offer some help!”
Ao Wushuang snorted coldly. “Would he? Our Huxian Sect’s reputation is mud right now. Any cultivator with even a shred of outward propriety would flee from us. Moreover, if the Six Great Sects learned he possessed the Golden Elixir, they would capture him and stew him alive!”
Su Chan quickly retorted, “That won’t happen! He never once looked down on me even after learning my identity!”
Ao Wushuang remained cool. “Oh? Even if he came, it would be useless. He just achieved Foundation Establishment; he has no divine abilities or spells. He’d just be walking to his death.”
Su Chan pouted, muttered an ‘Oh,’ and fell silent.
At almost the exact same moment, in the distant Tiannan City, Li Yundong pointed at the heavy Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan and exclaimed in surprise, “What? School starts tomorrow, and you want me to carry this thing with me?”
Zi Yuan looked at Li Yundong. “Yes. This Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan is itself a high-grade magic artifact; it possesses inherent spiritual energy. As long as it connects with its master’s will, you can command it through mystical arts to unleash its powerful artifact might. You must carry it day and night so it can gradually familiarize itself with your aura. That way, when you attempt to bond with its spirit later, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort.”
“Besides,” Zi Yuan added, smiling at Li Yundong, “do you dare leave such a precious artifact at home?”
Li Yundong couldn't help but offer a wry smile. He looked up and down at the nearly human-sized fan, weighing over a hundred jin, grumbling internally: Carrying such a behemoth to school is just too much!”