The East Wu City was not far from Tianlong Mountain, yet Li Yundong carried Su Chan on his back, walking the entire way, recounting the recent events. The two were so entwined they couldn't bear to let go for even a second, only reaching the foot of the mountain as dusk settled.

As Su Chan listened to Li Yundong describe how he established his Foundation, cultivated his divine powers, and endured the Heavenly Tribulation, she held her breath and widened her eyes whenever the narrative grew tense. Especially when Li Yundong recounted how, immediately after achieving Foundation Establishment, Wu Hao and Lü Fengping of the Wuhua Mountain Yin-Yang Sect attempted to seize the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan, Su Chan grew furious and declared loudly, "Despicable! They deserve death for bullying the few with the many and trying to steal the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan!"

Li Yundong chuckled and continued his story about the ordeal of the Heavenly Tribulation. Su Chan, full of emotion, remarked, "Master Ziyuan must have expended considerable effort to help you through the Heavenly Tribulation. It’s a pity Master was imprisoned at the time; otherwise, she would surely have come to your aid as well."

Li Yundong nodded with equal feeling. "Indeed. I owe her too much. I must find an opportunity to repay her in the future."

Then he spoke of his triumphant defeat of the top experts from various sects at the Fox Zen Gate on Tianlong Mountain. The thrills and dangers of the fight left the young girl’s eyes wide, as if she were experiencing it firsthand.

When Su Chan heard Li Yundong finish with his victory over Ziyuan and the subsequent retreat of the great sects, she looked at him with sheer admiration and sighed, "Yundong, even before you began formal cultivation, I always felt you were destined to become a truly great hero. Now, it seems my judgment was absolutely correct!"

Li Yundong laughed, turned, and playfully pinched the tip of the girl's nose. "Yes, yes, it's all thanks to my little darling having the discerning eye to recognize a hero. Only then could this clumsy boy transform from a useless homebody into the current Master of the Fox Zen Gate."

Su Chan giggled, brimming with pride, and suddenly asked, "Yundong, do you think Master Ziyuan might have intentionally held back against you?"

Li Yundong paused in thought. "It's possible. Ziyuan’s cultivation is not only profound but also incredibly broad. I was deeply wary of her magical arts, intending to settle the fight through close-quarters combat, but unexpectedly, she was also exceptionally skilled in martial arts, executing her Baguazhang with incredible finesse."

Su Chan smiled. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'Nine out of ten cultivators are doctors, and nine out of ten are martial artists'? Which cultivator doesn't know medicine or fighting techniques? It’s just a matter of degree. For a direct disciple like Master Ziyuan, bathed in medicinal elixirs from the womb and immersed in medicinal baths from birth, starting martial and spiritual training at five—her skills are formidable."

Li Yundong nodded. "Thinking back now to my duel with Zhang Tianhe, I realize luck played a huge part. If I had to fight him again, who knows whose hand would have held the final victory."

Su Chan nestled against Li Yundong's shoulder and said sweetly, "Yundong, you are the Master of our Fox Zen Gate now. What are you going to do next? When will you go find my Master?"

Li Yundong pondered for a moment. "Regarding your Master’s situation, I suspect it will ultimately fall to Ziyuan to resolve. After all, she is Yan Fang's Martial Aunt. We'll see if Ziyuan can play the mediator then."

Su Chan drifted into a daze upon hearing this. She murmured, "I never imagined Master had such a complicated romantic history with Wang Yuanshan, the Master of the Ling Gong Sect, and Wang Yuanshan's junior martial sister, Yan Fang. Yan Fang is too forbearing and vicious—to infiltrate our Fox Zen Gate as a mole for nearly nine years, plotting and scheming to destroy us—such cunning and methods are terrifying!"

Li Yundong also sighed. "This thing called 'love' enthralls people and drives them to madness. Yan Fang has already walked the demonic path; I hope she can turn back soon. Alas, I wonder how Ziyuan is doing now."

The two walked and talked until they reached the mountainside, almost seeing the main gate of the Fox Zen Gate.

Li Yundong patted Su Chan's bottom and said, "Get down now. We're almost at the sect grounds; you still need a piggyback ride? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

Su Chan giggled, "I'm not afraid!" But she obediently slid off. She looked around left and right, sniffed the air, and said, "There's such a heavy smell of blood here!"

Li Yundong sighed. "The massive battle between the various sects created a great deal of karmic killing. Many died in the Fox Zen Gate, and many died among the major sects too."

Su Chan suddenly tilted her head. "I think I hear someone singing opera?"

Li Yundong was startled. "Singing opera? Don't joke with me; it's one or two in the morning. Who would be singing opera deep in these mountains? Could it be the lingering spirits of the dead? You won't scare me, though!"

Su Chan laughed. "Of course not. You are now a renowned figure in the cultivation world; why would you fear such ghosts and specters? But I truly hear someone singing opera!"

Foxes are naturally endowed with keen senses, far surpassing humans. Li Yundong focused, tilted his ear, and finally detected faint strains of opera music drifting from a distance.

Li Yundong looked perplexed. "What is going on here?"

He exchanged a glance with the little girl, then said, "Let's go take a look!"

The two sped forward. When they reached the main gate of the Daoist temple, they didn't bother pushing the door; they simply flew straight in.

As soon as they entered, Li Yundong clearly heard the opening instrumental passage of a Xipi melody, and a woman was singing in a drawn-out, stylized voice. Li Yundong couldn't make out the lyrics distinctly, only vaguely discerning that the atmosphere sounded quite lively.

Li Yundong grew increasingly bewildered, unsure what had befallen the Fox Zen Gate. He made a shushing gesture to the girl; the two hid in the darkness, holding their breath as they advanced stealthily.

They proceeded this way until they reached the main hall of the temple. To Li Yundong's surprise, a temporary stage had been erected in the Yin-Yang training ground where he had fought the legions of experts earlier. On the stage, a woman dressed in opera costume was singing. Below the stage sat a group of musicians—complete with Jinghu, Erhu, Banhu, clappers, cymbals, bowls, and drums.

Li Yundong glanced at the singing woman on stage and found her somewhat familiar. He couldn't help but whisper in shock, "Who is that woman singing? She looks a bit familiar?"

Su Chan stared blankly and stammered, "Isn't that our Sixth Martial Aunt, Cao Yi?"

Li Yundong was greatly astonished. In his memory, the Sixth Martial Aunt Cao Yi of the Fox Zen Gate was dignified and composed, someone reliable in times of crisis. Yet now, facing a major upheaval in the sect, why was she wearing an opera costume and singing?

This... this was too absurd!

Li Yundong watched the beautiful and dignified Sixth Martial Aunt Cao Yi execute small, flowing steps on stage, her long sleeves sweeping like clouds and mist—her foundation was clearly deep. Even if she wasn't professionally trained, she was certainly an accomplished amateur performer!

Cao Yi flicked a sleeve on stage, covering her face with the cuff, and lamented in song: "Cried out, my husband, you are a short-lived ghost, you only know how to cheat outsiders, you only cheat your wife. We intend to guard your little orphan boy, but no one in your family amounts to anything. The mother-in-law is nagging and always looking for trouble; the sister-in-law is flirtatious and loves to curse. The old man is already sixty this year, and I, your wife, eat oranges while he peels the skin for me. I thought that at such an age, he had nothing else to do, never expecting he was born utterly useless. If we hadn't set our minds straight, my dear, my dear! Even after your death, you'd still wear a green hat."

The singing of this passage was rich and resonant, the voice long and clear, which Li Yundong heard distinctly, every word sharp. He gasped, his eye twitching violently, and he mumbled, "Isn't this The Little Widow Visits the Grave? At a time like this, why sing this piece? This... this is completely out of line!"

Su Chan then pointed to the musicians below the stage and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, aren't those my Third Martial Aunt Zhuang Yating, Fourth Martial Aunt Changsun Hong, and Fifth Martial Aunt Liu Yuehong?"

Li Yundong looked and indeed saw several women in Daoist robes sitting among the musicians: Zhuang Yating, Changsun Hong, and Liu Yuehong. One was playing the Jinghu, another the clappers, and the third the drum. When Cao Yi reached a particularly fine part of her singing, they all let out shouts of praise, shaking their heads rhythmically, thoroughly immersed.

Li Yundong's mind was in utter chaos. He stuttered, "W-what on earth is going on here?"

While he stood dumbfounded, Cao Yi finished the performance. Cheers and applause erupted from below the stage. A young disciple of the Fox Zen Gate called out loudly, "Sixth Martial Aunt, your vocal delivery is becoming even purer!"

Cao Yi smiled behind her sleeve on stage, flirting with the female disciples below. She cast a look, pointed with her delicate hand, and cooed flirtatiously, "You wretch!"

A burst of hearty laughter swept through the audience.

Li Yundong nearly fainted at the scene. Just as he was about to step out and demand an explanation, Third Martial Aunt Zhuang Yating stood up and said, "Let's stop the play here for now. It’s time to burn paper offerings for Master!"

She was tall, nearly one meter seventy-eight, with a neutral voice that carried an air of authority.

After Zhuang Yating spoke, everyone on and below the stage assented, quickly shedding their opera costumes to put on their Daoist robes before moving to the side of the stage.

Only then did Li Yundong notice a simple memorial altar erected next to the stage. In the center hung the posthumous portrait of the former Sect Master, Liu Ye. Beneath the portrait rested a coffin made of golden nanmu wood, flanked by two large iron buckets.

After changing into her Daoist robes, Cao Yi led the senior martial sisters, junior martial sisters, and disciples to kneel neatly before the altar. The senior disciples knelt in the center, suddenly tossing paper money towards the sky. Then, the disciples erupted in loud wails, crying heartbreakingly. The training ground of the Fox Zen Gate was suddenly filled with earth-shattering cries of grief, making even the little girl’s eyes turn red.

After weeping for quite a while until the paper money was burned up, Cao Yi called out clearly, "Stop!"

The disciples' weeping ceased instantly. Those who had been rolling on the ground moments before scrambled to their feet, returned to the stage, picked up their respective instruments, and one curious disciple even asked, "Hey, what are we singing next?"

The disciple addressed rolled her eyes. "Stupid question! Isn't it the interlude first?"

In just a moment, the troupe reassembled, and all the Fox Zen Gate disciples returned to their posts.

Li Yundong watched them start crying on command and stop just as easily, finding their performance more professional than professional mourners, and he was awestruck.

As he stood gaping, a squeaking sound of string instruments began below the stage again. This time, the singer was not Cao Yi, but Fifth Martial Aunt Liu Yuehong, while Cao Yi sat below, solemnly tapping a small drum.

Li Yundong’s eyes widened. Liu Yuehong sang on stage: "...As she spoke, her anger mounted. The rhombus mirror fell to the flat ground, smashing the mirror stand after shattering the glass. Hair oil and fragrant powder splashed everywhere. If I can't win the argument, I won't. Second Sister, I want to go upstairs for a while..."

As she neared the end, the people below the stage suddenly chimed in together: "Go for a while, hey eh hey ya..."

Li Yundong stumbled backward three steps, nearly collapsing on the spot. Fortunately, Su Chan caught him, preventing him from falling flat on his behind.

Seeing Li Yundong's loss of composure, Su Chan couldn't help but ask, "What are they singing?"

Li Yundong's eye twitched violently, and he stammered, "Wang... Wang Erjie Yearns for Her Husband!"