After seeing Wan Zhenyuan off, Li Yundong, though well aware that Su Chan and Ziyuan, among others, were intensely curious about Wan Zhenyuan’s intentions, smoothly steered the conversation away from the matter. It wasn't until after dinner, when everyone had retired to their rooms, that he finally called Ziyuan out onto the balcony to discuss the purpose of Wan Zhenyuan's visit.
Upon hearing Li Yundong’s account, Ziyuan expressed a degree of surprise. “You refused?”
Li Yundong shook his head. “No, I just said I needed time to consider it. But Wan Zhenyuan, much like Du Fei, does not want me to pass the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art on to anyone else.”
Ziyuan offered a faint smile, a touch of derision playing on her lips. “None of them want their rivals’ sects to grow too strong! This Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Art has suddenly become hot property. Are you planning to hold out for the best offer?”
Li Yundong sighed softly. “No, I’m simply doubting Wan Zhenyuan’s motives. Don’t you think everything is too coincidental?”
Ziyuan couldn’t help but ask, “Are you worried about…”
Li Yundong finished her thought for her. “Exactly. I keep feeling that these events, one after the other, one leading into the next, are incredibly strange, incredibly coincidental! Wan Zhenyuan’s Earth Origin Spirit Elixir happens to lack one specific medicinal guide, and that guide just so happens to be the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. And that Thousand-Year Snow Lotus just so happens to be on the holy mountain of **. And the Esoteric Sect managing that holy mountain just happened to welcome Bandaram, and this Bandaram just so happens to be Mei Duo, whom I knew when I was establishing my Foundation! This—isn't this too bizarre?”
Ziyuan paused to consider, her brow knitting slightly. “It is true that these events are like intricately meshed mechanical parts, one link engaging the next, perfectly interlocked. But this doesn’t rule out the possibility of coincidence—the idea that nothing happens unless it’s meant to.”
Li Yundong shook his head. “But it all seems too coincidental, so coincidental that it feels like someone is deliberately engineering this situation, like a pair of hands is pushing things along from behind the scenes! Do you remember those two giant golden snakes that were stolen? You once told me that to refine the Earth Origin Spirit Elixir, the inner core of a giant golden snake was essential as a guide; otherwise, success would be impossible. Do you remember that?”
Ziyuan nodded. “I remember.”
“Wan Zhenyuan must have some connection, however slight, to the person who stole those golden snakes!” Li Yundong asserted. “And that thief must, in turn, have some tenuous link to the string of incidents involving the Fox Zen Sect! If that person is Liu Ye, why would he do this? Is it to resurrect the Celestial Primal Fox? If so, what does the Earth Origin Spirit Elixir have to do with the Celestial Primal Fox? And why was Yan Fang so desperate to kill Cao Kefei earlier? Could it be…”
Ziyuan pondered for a moment, then spoke. “The first time I saw Cao Kefei, I felt something was off about her. Ordinary people possess three souls and seven spirits, yet she only has one soul and three spirits. Coupled with what Yan Fang once said about the Celestial Primal Fox’s soul being scattered, and how she has been obsessively trying to kill Cao Kefei since seeing her—do you think there might be a connection?”
Li Yundong’s face darkened, and he remained silent for a long while. After a considerable pause, his voice turned frigid. “Are you suggesting… CEO Cao… no, Cao Kefei, is the Celestial Primal Fox?”
Ziyuan shook her head. “No, that’s not necessarily the case. I only suggest there’s a connection between the Celestial Primal Fox and Cao Kefei, but it might not be her directly. It could be a remnant soul of the Celestial Primal Fox that escaped and scattered, or perhaps she was born with a naturally weak constitution, resulting in fewer spirits than others.”
Li Yundong offered no comment, remaining in silence for a long time.
Seeing Li Yundong’s brow furrowed so deeply it seemed knotted, Ziyuan couldn’t help but sigh softly. “People call you Li Wudi, you are surrounded by beauties, and you displayed unmatched might at the Lotus Gathering, earning renown throughout the world. But who can know that while you appear immensely glorious now, you are actually treading on thin ice over a bottomless abyss, facing the constant danger of utter ruin?”
Li Yundong let out a long breath, his gaze drifting toward the tightly closed door of Su Chan and the others’ room. He murmured with feeling, “Those who know me worry for my heart; those who don’t know me wonder what I’m seeking! You are the one who truly understands me.”
Listening to Li Yundong’s reflection, Ziyuan felt an inexplicable warmth spread through her heart, like a gentle current flowing within, as if alleviating the troubles of this young cultivator brought her immense solace and joy. She offered a slight smile. “Don’t worry. You’ve overcome so much trouble before; have you suddenly become so powerful that you’ve become timid?”
Li Yundong chuckled upon hearing this and was about to speak when he suddenly noticed two streaks of azure light flashing across the roof, quickly arcing across the horizon and vanishing into the distance.
Li Yundong started in surprise. “Who was that?”
Ziyuan looked equally astonished. “Judging by their silhouettes, were those Su Chan and Ao Wushuang?”
Li Yundong found it odd. “Why would they go out so late?”
Ziyuan smiled gently. “Perhaps, having been reunited, teacher and student are just going out for a breath of fresh air? Rest assured, with Ao Wushuang present, Su Chan won’t cause any major trouble.”
Li Yundong couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You’re right. I was even thinking of following them, but now it seems I was overthinking things.”
Ziyuan chuckled. “Su Chan is young, still possessing a child’s temperament, but she has matured a great deal. She will gradually become more sensible and composed; you needn't worry about her.” As she spoke, a thought suddenly crossed Ziyuan’s mind: If Su Chan grows up to become the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, and the entire cultivation world seeks to hunt her down, what will you do?
But just as Ziyuan was about to voice this concern to Li Yundong, she noticed the indulgent and sweet smile on his face when he spoke of Su Chan, and she swallowed the words back, sighing internally.
Li Yundong was unaware of Ziyuan’s inner thoughts. He laughed happily, watching the direction where Su Chan and Ao Wushuang had departed. “Never mind. Let’s go inside. After all, Su Chan has her master with her; it’s not like her master would take her out to stir up trouble, right?”
Neither Li Yundong nor Ziyuan knew that what the pair of them were about to do was far more serious than merely causing trouble.
The elder and the young fox spirits transformed into two beams of azure light, rocketing into the sky in an instant. It was winter, a season with the fewest thunderstorms, so they felt no need for restraint and ascended to a great height.
After flying for a long time, they finally descended. They found themselves in the territory of Western Sichuan. Ao Wushuang took Su Chan’s hand and slowly alighted, smiling. “Chan’er, how long has it been since we flew together like this?”
“Quite a while!” Su Chan replied cheerfully. She looked around curiously and realized she was standing amidst a lush, verdant forest. “Is this Mount Qingcheng?”
Ao Wushuang surveyed their surroundings, a note of deep feeling in her voice. “Indeed! Look how the trees around us are eternally green, with peaks encircling the area like battlements, resembling a forest city—hence the common name, Mount Qingcheng. Ah, I visited this place a long time ago; I can’t believe it hasn't changed at all!”
Su Chan eagerly tugged on Ao Wushuang’s hand. “Master, you’ve been here before?”
Ao Wushuang nodded slightly. “Yes, I have.”
Su Chan asked again, “What did you come for?”
Ao Wushuang sighed softly. “To sightsee with Wang Yuanshan…”
Su Chan immediately and wisely held her tongue, asking no further questions, lest she dredge up sad memories for Ao Wushuang.
But Ao Wushuang was deeply moved by the scenery and lamented, “I’ve always wanted to bring you here to see it, but I never had the time. Look, deep within Mount Qingcheng lies the Shangqing Temple. From the foothills to the Taoist hall, there are a thousand steps of the Dan Ladder, winding paths that lead to secluded beauty, emanating an air of quiet elegance everywhere. That’s why Mount Qingcheng also bears the noble name, ‘The Seclusion of Qingcheng.’”
Su Chan followed Ao Wushuang’s gaze and indeed saw the outline of a temple plaque faintly revealed among the deep forest greenery, its upturned eaves and bracket sets just barely peeking out under the soft starlight and moonlight.
Su Chan perceived the entire Mount Qingcheng as ethereal and verdant, its peaks rising and falling, valleys and Taoist halls nestled within. At a glance, while it lacked the vast, heroic spirit of Mount Longhu, being immersed in such an environment brought an exceptional sense of tranquil emptiness to the heart.
The little girl took a deep breath and exclaimed, “This is truly a wonderful place. No wonder it’s famous alongside the peril of Jianmen, the beauty of Emei, and the grandeur of Kuimen! To cultivate in a place like this would certainly double the results! If only our Fox Zen Sect had such a marvelous place for cultivation!”
Ao Wushuang also sighed. “Stop dreaming. For thousands of years, the first task for the patriarch of any cultivation sect before establishing their school was to claim a mountain as their domain! Over so many years, the prime spiritual lands have mostly been snatched up. We were lucky to have Tianlong Mountain, but now it’s too crowded. Alas, our Fox Zen Sect has endured too many calamities.”
Su Chan frowned along with Ao Wushuang, but her naturally optimistic and cheerful disposition quickly returned. She soon grabbed Ao Wushuang’s arm and laughed. “Don’t worry, Yundong said he would get Tianlong Mountain back for us!”
Ao Wushuang chuckled wryly. “I don't doubt his ability to do so, but I doubt your ability to keep an eye on him?”
Su Chan immediately puffed out her cheeks, feeling secretly disgruntled, but she quickly pulled on Ao Wushuang’s arm anxiously, urging her, “Then Master, you have to hurry up and teach me that dual cultivation technique for a thousand-mile divine connection and ten-thousand-mile mental communion! Otherwise, I’ll truly become a burden, and Yundong won’t want me anymore!”
Ao Wushuang, having lived through much and seen the breadth of the mortal world, understood Li Yundong’s character perfectly—like Wang Yuanshan, he was deeply loyal and valued relationships. The difference was that Wang Yuanshan was more refined and graceful, never losing his temper, whereas Ao Wushuang had gathered from Su Chan’s descriptions that Li Yundong was a man of strong emotion; usually gentle and refined, but capable of explosive rage if his fundamental principles were challenged.
Ao Wushuang saw clearly, and she trusted her judgment of character. A man like Li Yundong would never spurn Su Chan simply because her cultivation lagged. However, Ao Wushuang was happy to see Su Chan push herself to cultivate and improve due to this baseless sense of impending crisis.
Therefore, Ao Wushuang, knowing the truth, deliberately concealed it. Instead, she laughed and said, “Now you’re getting anxious? Don’t rush, don’t rush. Let me think—where would the Qingcheng Secret Record be hidden?”
Hearing this, Su Chan’s sudden panic cooled by half. “Ah? You don’t know where the Qingcheng Secret Record is hidden? Then why did we come here? To search the entire mountain?”
Ao Wushuang pondered. “Is it hidden in the Jianfu Palace? Or maybe in the Laojun Pavilion? Could it be in the Yuanming Palace? No, something this important should be hidden in the Shangqing Temple! Hmm, or perhaps in the Heavenly Master’s Cave?”
The little girl’s eyes glazed over, and she thought to herself with a suppressed giggle: Good heavens, I thought I was unreliable, but my Master is even more so!