Chapter 22: True Peach Blossoms, False Peach Blossoms: A Case of Yin-Yang Crossed Wires. A Charming Danger. (Third Update…)

Chapter 22: True Peach Blossoms, False Peach Blossoms: A Case of Yin-Yang Crossed Wires. A Charming Danger. (Third Update...)

Fu Yu hadn't thought about the past for a long, long time.

Now, holding the Peach Wood Hairpin she had lost and found again, she couldn't help but recall some old memories.

After Jun Bu Du gave her the Peach Wood Hairpin, for a while, she attracted an unusual swarm of suitors.

The swarm of 'peach blossoms'—suitors—became downright bizarre.

She once suspected it was this very hairpin that was attracting them, as it was the only change in her personal 'feng shui' around that time.

Unfortunately, it was a case of quantity over quality.

These men who kept finding excuses to approach her, regardless of their looks, all had a certain sleaziness in their eyes and expressions. Their words weren't sincere, shrouded in ambiguity, filled with nothing but schemes and probing.

Fu Yu was utterly fed up.

She planned to teach them a lesson, to show them they'd messed with the wrong person.

Unexpectedly, those people started disappearing one by one.

Out of professional habit, Fu Yu did a quick divination and found they had all met with violent ends.

Sensing something was off, she decisively cast a Hunter's Mark on one suitor who hadn't yet disappeared.

The Hunter's Mark was like a tracker used in hunting—no matter where the target fled, she could follow the trail.

Soon, her mark sensed danger.

Fu Yu followed the trail to a place of high walls and deep alleys.

Two massive walls cast heavy, oppressive shadows, creating an almost suffocating atmosphere. In the center, a narrow, bright sliver of silver light pierced the darkness—moonlight.

A tall, aloof figure stood within that moonlight, holding... her prey.

Words failed Fu Yu to describe her shock at that moment.

It was actually Jun Bu Du.

Jun Bu Du! A figure of extremely high seniority, with an icy temperament, supremely disciplined, a transcendent immortal straight out of a landscape painting... was actually taking care of her unwanted suitors?!

She hesitated for a moment, then chose to silently withdraw, not standing up for the unwanted suitor.

Fu Yu thought: Absolutely not.

Afterwards, she was too embarrassed to even ask: Why doesn't my friend's friend allow others to pursue my friend?

Not only that.

She soon discovered that culling her suitors wasn't enough for him.

After that, he started following her.

Although he was indeed powerful and never leaked a trace of his presence, she was a Diviner, possessing astonishing intuition.

She could sense that no matter where she went, that cool, aloof, ethereal "presence" was always following.

Occasionally, when some unwanted suitor tried to approach her, she could even catch an extremely faint hint of killing intent on the wind.

—Thrilling!

Fu Yu didn't need to ask anyone to know this was a real 'peach blossom.'

What else could it be? Was he monitoring her?

Several times, Fu Yu felt the urge to divine whether he was her fated partner. She even took out her divination coins, but gave up for various reasons—the weather wasn't great, the wind direction wasn't auspicious, the energy wasn't right, her mood wasn't there.

Anyway, she wasn't that concerned. No need to divine.

She let him follow her like this for quite some time, feeling the world around her grow quieter and quieter.

The unwanted suitors were gone, and annoying incidents became far less frequent.

She knew it was his doing.

She and he had barely exchanged a few words, yet it felt like they shared a tacit understanding.

By then, Fu Yu was already a seasoned Diviner.

In this profession, feast or famine was the norm, so a principle was passed down through generations—you'd be a fool not to take advantage.

Since he insisted on following her, she wouldn't stand on ceremony.

Fu Yu started stirring up trouble.

She had offended many people and disliked many others.

She deliberately provoked hostile forces on a large scale, using herself as bait, leading large groups of enemies deep into secret realms—in such places, settling scores was beyond even the highest authority's jurisdiction.

Jun Bu Du, as expected, followed her in.

Thinking back, that fight was quite vicious.

Jun Bu Du didn't show himself at first. After all, he had been following her for so long without ever revealing himself.

Then... she got injured.

She'd planned on it being two against them all.

If he didn't come out, of course she couldn't win.

Fu Yu had her pride too. If he didn't take the initiative, she wouldn't call out to him.

The two of them maintained this tacit stalemate.

She killed some people, and the wounds on her body multiplied.

On the verge of being overrun, Fu Yu wasn't disappointed, just silently plucked the petals from this 'peach blossom' of his in her mind, leaving a bare stem.

With death looming, she fell into a pre-arranged formation, preparing to escape.

As she began the incantation, someone attacked from behind.

If she wanted to activate the formation and leave, she couldn't dodge.

Fu Yu coldly noted this debt in her heart, twisted to avoid a vital spot, letting the blade pierce her right chest.

A chill-edged sword thrust toward her.

Before it even reached her, she could already clearly anticipate the icy stab of pain from being pierced through.

No big deal. In this line of work, who doesn’t get cut a few times?

Once she recovered and regrouped, she’d hunt them down, one by one…

Suddenly, she saw moonlight.

Jun Bu Du’s sword energy wasn’t fierce; like himself, it seemed gentle and harmless.

He made his move. That sword strike didn’t hit her.

The ambusher, along with his sword, disintegrated into papery shreds under the moonlight.

Fu Yu was speechless.

So you only show up at the most critical moment, huh? Gotta find the coolest pose, huh? Doing the most.

The enemies were dumbfounded.

“Jun Bu Du?!”

“Why is it you?!”

“You have no grudge against our Zhuotian Divine Sect, why would you…”

Jun Bu Du let out a soft sigh. “Come. All of you. At once.”

He held his longsword at his side, its tip pointing diagonally, his entire aura was so calm it was terrifying.

With him joining in, Fu Yu naturally didn’t need to flee.

She casually took up a flanking position, watching for opportunities to strike, each blow lethal.

She had guessed right. Fighting alongside him was indeed seamless, in perfect synergy.

The foes she’d crossed back then were formidable. The battle raged fiercely, darkening the heavens and earth. The ancient secret realm was torn asunder, and even Jun Bu Du was wounded.

When it ended, his Life-bound Sword was lodged in the forehead of the last enemy, falling into the abyss along with the corpse. He made a sword-summoning gesture twice, but failed.

His strikingly aloof face was splattered with quite a bit of blood, and his daoist robe was stained with large patches of red.

She couldn’t tell where he was wounded, but his breath came in short gasps.

He lifted his gaze to look at her, weak yet serene.

Fu Yu felt her whole body go completely numb under his gaze. Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and a strange, thrilling feeling instinctively surged in her heart, like she was in mortal danger.

He said, “Come.”

He stood there amidst the sea of blood, his handsome, transcendent face still bearing traces of bloodlust, stepping on the corpses of her enemies, extending his hand toward her.

The sheer impact of that moment was world-ending.

Dizzily, Fu Yu walked over.

She stood before him, raised her head, and studied his face.

The whole world seemed to have shrunk to just the two of them. He looked down at her, his focus absolute, his pupils dilating and contracting.

In a rush of heat to the head, Fu Yu said, “Let’s get married.”

His expression froze, his pupils contracting bit by bit, almost to pinpoints.

“Tsk.” Fu Yu’s face felt slightly warm. “One sentence. Yes or no?”

Giving her a token, cutting off her unwanted suitors, following her for so long, risking life and limb for her—wasn’t that the meaning?

He stared at her unblinkingly, his expression inscrutable.

Fu Yu was displeased. “Fine. Forget it. Don’t follow me anymore.”

She turned to leave.

The hem of her robe traced a sharp arc, brushing against his blood-dampened robe. Their hems met and tangled together.

He grasped her wrist, his grip tightening.

His voice was clear, cool, and slightly rough. “Yes.”

Fu Yu couldn’t help but sigh—see, she knew he was like this, unbearably passive. Poke him once, he moves once.

Just as she was about to turn back, she noticed his Life-bound Sword hovering behind her in her peripheral vision.

Fu Yu: “?”

When did this sword come back? Right behind her heart, wasn’t he afraid of stabbing her—seems he was truly badly injured, couldn’t even control his sword properly.

She extended her free hand and gave it a light flick with her finger.

The lethal aura vanished. The longsword fell to the ground.

She blinked in surprise.

“Hey, you dropped your sword.”

She bent down to pick it up for him.

The large hand gripping her wrist held firm; instead, its grip subtly tightened. The hard knuckles pressed a clear shape into her wrist, and she felt a strange shiver.

This guy, though he looked gentle and harmless, had an indescribable, captivating danger about him.

Constantly setting off alarm bells in her intuition.

Fu Yu calmly straightened up and handed the sword back to him. He paused, then slowly took it, sheathing it with painstaking slowness.

Throughout the motion, his gaze never left her for a moment.

The two walked side by side out of the secret realm.

After walking for a long time, this taciturn, aloof sword cultivator finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: “The hairpin… change it?”

Fu Yu: Tsk.

This person, wanting to give her something, yet beating around the bush.

If both husband and wife were riddlers, life would be impossible.

She stated plainly, "Alright, but you have to make it yourself."

Jun Bu Du fell silent for quite a while.

"...Fine."

Recalling the past, Fu Yu couldn't help but laugh.

Centuries later, looking back, he had made so many hairpins, yet none could ever replace this most useful one.

"Master..."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit hemmed and hawed, struggling for a long time before finally pointing at the Peach Wood Hairpin in her hand and asking, "Is this the... incredibly powerful, ultimate weapon you mentioned?"

What nonsense about the Battle of the Forgotten River.

What about heaven and earth reversing, yin and yang inverting.

What about shifting forms and positions to slay a hundred thousand Evil Spirits.

And even... shocking! Countless great cultivators in the cultivation world lost their eyeballs over her! (???)

Even though the Foxtail Grass Spirit had long known its master was prone to exaggeration, looking at this ordinary, unremarkable peach wood hairpin, it couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Wu He lazily lifted his eyelids. "If this is a killing weapon, I'd already be dead."

"Stealing" a killing weapon from the Patriarch—how many lives would that cost?

The Foxtail Grass Spirit let out a long "oh." "Right."

It tilted its head and thought for a moment, successfully convincing itself. "Who needs royal power and riches? A plain, simple life is the real deal."

Fu Yu: "..."

Couldn't be bothered to explain to these two ignorant creatures.

Her peach wood hairpin had been without its master for thousands of years; still feeling so good to the touch was already quite an achievement.

It was a magical artifact used for setting up formations.

Back when her cultivation reached the heavens and the artifact was at its peak, naturally, it could reverse heaven and earth.

But now...

Fu Yu glanced coldly at the swaying Foxtail Grass Spirit, thinking with a mean streak: Just casually toss you, this foxtail grass, eight streets away—that'd scare you to death!

She raised her hand to tie up her hair, inserting the peach wood hairpin.

There was simply no hairpin in the world more practical than this one.

"Eh? Wait, hold on, Master," the Foxtail Grass Spirit asked, "What exactly is that 'Evil Spirit' you mentioned?"

Fu Yu: "..."

What is an Evil Spirit?

Nowadays, people didn't even know what an Evil Spirit was anymore.

For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel bewildered or relieved.

Fu Yu lowered her gaze and smiled. "A monster that eats people."

Wu He slowly turned his face. "What kind? Do they have horns? Can their bones and blood be used as medicine?"

Fu Yu: "..."

This world had truly and completely forgotten the fear that once loomed under the shadow of Evil Spirits.

On their way back to Xuanmu Peak, the two of them and the grass spirit encountered someone neither of them wanted to see.

"I heard from others that you spent the whole day with Wu He."

Lu Xingchen looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot, with stubble sprouting on his chin. At first glance, one might mistake him for a drunkard who had appeared out of nowhere.

Fu Yu pressed down the Foxtail Grass Spirit, which wanted to jump up and kick someone, and asked calmly, "So?"

Lu Xingchen smiled bitterly. "What right do I have to question you now? I just wanted to tell you that once the lockdown ends, Su Yiner and her brother will leave. It's already decided."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit sneered coldly. "Master, I dare bet you a hundred spirit stones..."

Fu Yu mercilessly shook her head. "No, you only have three and a half."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit jumped in frustration. "Hey!"

Ignored, Lu Xingchen's gaze couldn't help but darken.

There was a time when she looked at him with sparkling eyes, as if filled with a galaxy of stars.

Now, in front of her, he was even less than a mere spirit creature.

Did he regret it? Of course he did.

He had never imagined things would turn out like this.

Everything was supposed to be fine.

He was supposed to form his Golden Core, marry her, settle his cousin properly, and become a disciple under the Patriarch...

Where exactly did it go wrong? How did everything end up like this?

Lu Xingchen drifted off for a moment before suddenly remembering why he had come.

He clenched his fist, forcing himself to gather his courage. "Wait for me. I will prove myself with actions. But for now, could you... lend me that Sword Intent? I promise, in the future, I will repay you double."

He had always been proud and arrogant; asking for something so directly was truly difficult for him.

After waiting a moment without a response, he gritted his teeth and looked up, seeing her and the Grass Spirit exchange a glance, their expressions inscrutable.

Lu Xingchen took a deep breath. "I know you didn't give the Sword Intent to anyone else. You were just putting on a show to anger me."

Wu He hadn't advanced to the Golden Core stage.

So that Sword Intent must still be there.

Fu Yu laughed in disbelief. "Why do you think I should give the Sword Intent to you?"

He looked up, genuinely puzzled. "Didn't I already return the Heart Elixir to you? Why not?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was utterly stunned. "...Master, I've had an epiphany!"

That day, Lu Xingchen came to return the Heart Elixir, hanging his head, sincerely apologizing.

The grass spirit almost fell for his act, thinking he was genuinely repentant. But its master said he wasn't "acknowledging he was wrong"; he just wanted to "give it back to its owner."

At the time, it couldn't wrap its head around it—what was wrong with returning something to its rightful owner?

The master smiled without answering, telling it to work that out for itself.

Until this moment, the penny finally dropped!

Lu Xingchen returned the Heart Elixir just to "take back" the Sword Intent. The Heart Elixir would be hers, the Sword Intent would be his—that's the kind of "returning to the rightful owner" he meant.

His thoughts had already been successfully predicted by the master.

The master truly could see right through people.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was too stunned to even be angry.

If it were before, hearing such shameless words would have made it so mad it would've gotten an ulcer. But now, it felt like an outsider, watching it all unfold like a play.

Fu Yu smiled and said, "The Heart Elixir is mine, and the Sword Intent is also mine. You want to use my stuff to bargain with me?"

Lu Xingchen opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to say—what's yours or mine? Do you and I have to be so formal?

He bit back the words just in time.

Now, with so many misunderstandings between them and her being angry, if they kept arguing, she might say something even more irreparable.

Lu Xingchen sighed, "Fine, don't lend it then. Why say such things... You've changed. You weren't like this before."

Fu Yu: "..."

So he's only just now realizing I'm a different person?

She smiled and told him, "I already used the Sword Intent. You don't need to think about it anymore."

Lu Xingchen shuddered, aghast, "You—your talent and cultivation are ordinary. Using a Celestial Sword Intent is a complete waste!"

He almost said "a waste of a treasure," but he held back at the last moment.

He nearly choked on his anger.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit had just felt it had successfully cultivated its mind and temper, but in a short moment, it unfortunately lost its cool.

It clenched its fists until they creaked, shrieking at Lu Xingchen, "Waste nothing! That was originally something Grandpa gave to me and my master! My master must have been blind to give it to you!"

Lu Xingchen's spirits fell.

He looked at Fu Yu, only to see that the person who was called blind to her face wasn't angry but instead gave a slight nod.

"You... sigh!" He managed a strained smile, "Forget it, if it's used, then it's used. It doesn't matter."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit jumped up to kick him, "Get lost!"

Lu Xingchen returned to his residence with a face like thunder.

His cultivation was still declining, on the verge of falling below the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

The Sect Master would return in two days.

By then, once they knew how the Patriarch was injured, they could apply the proper remedy. The Patriarch's cultivation was profound, and he would recover quickly.

He absolutely couldn't let the Patriarch see him in such a terrible state.

Becoming the Patriarch's disciple was his only chance to turn things around.

Now that he could no longer attempt to form a Golden Core, wanting the Sword Intent was a desperate gamble—using a method similar to cultivating the Heart Elixir, he would purge all the chaotic spiritual energy from his body, using the Sword Intent as the core to purify and refine his true spirit, forming a "False Core" before returning it to his dantian.

If successful, his condition would be almost the same as before, and he might be able to pull it off.

"I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity to become a disciple," Lu Xingchen mumbled to himself, head lowered. "Only by becoming a Direct Disciple will those who look down on me finally shut up... I want to prove to everyone that I made it this far on my own, without relying on anyone..."

His gaze slowly fell on his sword.

Since starting his cultivation journey, everything had gone smoothly, and his progress had been rapid. His talent was undeniable; even the Patriarch had once taken a liking to him.

For the strong, setbacks could also be a trial.

"If I use my own Sword Intent, perhaps I could even cultivate my Life-bound Sword along with it. That way, I would become a prodigy the sect hasn't seen in a thousand years."

He slowly brought the sword closer. In the candlelight, the blade reflected a pair of bloodshot, gambler's eyes.

He stood up and called the outer sect disciple who often did odd jobs for him.

"I'm going into seclusion. No one is to disturb me."

The outer sect disciple nodded obediently, "Yes, Senior Brother Lu."

Lu Xingchen added, "Especially... the Su siblings."

The outer sect disciple racked his brains but couldn't figure out how Lu Xingchen's attitude had changed again in less than two days. Still, he nodded obediently, "Yes, Senior Brother Lu."

Su Yiner felt her ears burning.

"Who's talking about me behind my back..."

She bit her lip, her face falling.

Anyone talking about her behind her back now surely boded ill.

Last night, when A Bao had an episode in front of her cousin, he clearly hadn't shown a shred of concern and had no intention of helping A Bao get treatment.

At the very least, he could have sent a Healer Cultivator to check on him, right?

Not even doing such a small thing showed he truly didn't care about A Bao.

But... he was the only one in this world who could help her.

Besides him, where else could she find another cultivator to rely on?

"No one can be relied on. I have such bad luck."

She sighed sorrowfully, waking Su Jiabao on the bed.

Su Jiabao rubbed his eyes and said loudly, "Mom and Dad said I'm the lifeblood of the Su family, the future pillar of the Su household. When I rise to prominence, you'll all live the high life with me!"

Su Yiner couldn't help but laugh, "Our A Bao is so sensible at such a young age."

She hugged him, both laughing and sighing.

Yes, she still had A Bao, her own flesh and blood.

She couldn't rely on anyone else, only A Bao.

The only one she could ever depend on was A Bao.

After putting Su Jiabao to sleep, Su Yiner bit her lip, rose, and stepped into the night, making her way to Lu Xingchen's residence.

When she got to the courtyard, she was stopped by an outer disciple.

"Senior Brother Lu is in seclusion; no one can go in."

Su Yiner looked at him pleadingly. "Not even me? Brother, please help me. Could you check with my cousin?"

The outer disciple scratched his head in distress. "I'm afraid I can't. Senior Brother Lu made it clear. He's in deep cultivation, and it's very important—he can't be disturbed."

"What cultivation could be so important?" Su Yiner chided. "Don't try to fool me. My cousin said himself he won't be trying to form his Golden Core again anytime soon."

"It's really not allowed," the disciple said with a pained expression. "Senior Brother Lu is circulating his spiritual energy. At such a critical moment, if I let someone in and they interfered with his cultivation, wouldn't he hate me to death?"

Su Yiner was stunned for a moment, hurriedly lowering her head to hide the look in her eyes. "I... I see..."

"Right!" the disciple nodded earnestly. "You should hurry back, and don't come again for the next couple of days."

"Oh..." Su Yiner forced a smile. "I understand. Thank you, brother. You've been working so hard lately."

"It's nothing, really."

Su Yiner quickly turned her back, her eyes darting wildly.

The Sect Master had gone to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to obtain the immortal artifact Retrospective Light and would return the day after tomorrow.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was deeply worried. "Master, what should we do now?"

It had originally thought the magical artifact stolen from the Patriarch could alter destiny, but now it seemed the Peach Wood Hairpin was just a peach wood hairpin—it could only hold up hair.

Fu Yu remained unhurried as ever.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let's go see Grandfather."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit opened its mouth in surprise. "Huh? Oh..."

It lowered its eyes, its gaze flickering gently.

It rubbed its feet on the ground and asked, "Master, you don't remember anything from before. Why do you suddenly want to go see Grandfather?"

Fu Yu tilted her head, staring into its eyes. "What are you feeling guilty about?"

"Huh? Huh?" It quickly averted its eyes, firmly denying it. "I'm not!"

Fu Yu smiled. "Is it because of the Fu Lu Shou Three-piece Set? I know you bought it. Otherwise, the thousand spirit stones wouldn't have dwindled to just three and a half."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit blinked slowly.

After a long pause, it lowered its head and admitted in a small voice, "Besides the Fu Lu Shou Three-piece Set... I also left the Heart Elixir with Grandfather..."

Its head drooped lower and lower. "Master left the Heart Elixir with me, and I used it without permission..."

Fu Yu chuckled. "I know."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was stunned. "Huh?"

"It was originally cultivated for Grandfather," Fu Yu said, tilting her head to look at it. "Wasn't it?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was taken aback, then pressed its lips together hard, its eyes sparkling. "Yes, Master. That's right, Master."

It quickly turned its face away, pursing its lips into a curved line, blinking frantically.

Wu He: "...Weird thing, why are you making such a strange expression at me?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit, embarrassed and angry, jumped in place. "Look in the mirror! You're the one who looks like a ghost! You look like a big opium ghost!"

Wu He: "I warn you not to make personal attacks."

Foxtail Grass Spirit: "You attacked me first!"

Wu He: "You're not a person."

Foxtail Grass Spirit: "...There's not a single part of you that looks human!"

Fu Yu left the two of them to fight.

She strolled leisurely, walking through the night toward the medicine hut where Elder Xie lay unconscious.

This was Fu Yu's first time visiting Elder Xie.

By the time she became "Xie Fuyu," Elder Xie had already been unconscious for a long time. The two of them had no connection, so she naturally hadn't sought him out.

Upon entering the quiet room, Fu Yu was immediately dazzled by the bright red and golden Fu Lu Shou Three-piece Set.

It had to be said, it looked incredibly festive.

His head rested on the Lucky Pillow, a lucky mattress beneath him, and a lucky quilt covering him.

What a vibrant and lively scene!

The long-ill Elder Xie lay there, his face glowing with a healthy-looking pink, as if he could wake up at any moment.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit scratched its head shyly. "Hehe..."

Fu Yu: "Quite good, quite good."

Elder Xie preserved the appearance of someone in his early thirties and looked very much like Xie Fuyu.

With delicate features, bright and bold—a handsome face with a feminine beauty.

Elder Xie was critically injured.

His meridians were completely severed, his bones and tendons destroyed, and his soul had clearly been severely damaged as well.

Fu Yu asked casually, "This was a vicious attack—was it an enemy?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit and Wu He shook their heads in unison. "He doesn't have any enemies."

Elder Xie's cultivation was nearing the Divine Transformation Stage.

That the perpetrator could beat a cultivator close to the Divine Transformation stage to this extent... No wonder Xie Fuyu had been so desperate, forced to pin her faintest hopes on Lu Xingchen.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit tiptoed forward, carefully tucking Elder Xie's right hand, which was exposed outside the quilt, back under the covers.

"The Peak Master [sect leader] came to see Grandpa."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was familiar with the habits of every Healer Cultivator—the Peak Master always forgot to tuck the patient's quilt after checking the pulse. Elder Bai had a quirk of brushing all the patient's sideburns behind their ears. Whenever Elder Muyun visited, the air would carry the scent of flowers...

Wu He said, "The Peak Master wanted to share some good luck with Elder Xie."

The spirit's fluffy tail trembled slightly, and the Foxtail Grass Spirit nodded vigorously, "Mm!"

Fu Yu stared at Elder Xie's Fu Lu Shou Three-piece Set (a set of charms for fortune, prosperity, and longevity) for a while.

She said enigmatically, "If there's a way to find out who injured Elder Xie... would you be willing to take the risk?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit widened its eyes, "Will Grandpa be in danger?"

"No," Fu Yu smiled. "It's us. Of course, we're already not far from death as it is."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit heaved a sigh at the heavens, "Then do we even have a choice? Let's do it!"

Wu He sighed, "I'm fine with anything, whatever."

Fu Yu nodded, "Alright, give me the Lucky Pillow."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit lifted Grandpa's head, supported it, pulled out the bright red Lucky Pillow, and handed it to Fu Yu.

Fu Yu weighed the Lucky Pillow in her hand, then pulled out the Peach Wood Hairpin from her hair.

Her dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

She closed her eyes, channeled her spiritual energy, and activated the long-dormant old artifact in her palm.

A faint Incantation Seal immediately resonated with her.

Indeed, the sensation was deeply familiar.

Fu Yu raised the hairpin and gently traced it across the surface of the Lucky Pillow, writing the incantation by touch, with fluid grace.

"Heaven and earth, yin and yang, boundless and infinite, heed my command, by decree!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit and Wu He watched intently, not daring to blink.

The human and the grass exchanged a subtle glance—

Foxtail Grass Spirit: I don't understand it, but it looks really impressive!

Wu He: Not bad, I'll learn this. Next time I need to deceive someone, I'll have new material.

Fu Yu steadied her breath and opened her eyes.

In her palm, the Peach Wood Hairpin grew slightly warm, as if emitting a faint pulse of energy.

Fu Yu stood up, "It's done."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit carefully took back the Lucky Pillow, "Just sleep on it like normal? Are you sure?"

"It's fine."

Incantations were inherently difficult to leave traces—otherwise, when important figures died, there wouldn't be so many Diviners jumping out to claim credit.

When performed by her, it was even more unfathomable, beyond the grasp of gods or ghosts.

That night.

Fu Yu fell asleep with her Peach Wood Hairpin.

"You can enter the dream or not," she said with indifference. "If you come, you can witness my prowess firsthand. Taking back the hairpin will be effortless."

In the middle of the night.

Fu Yu sat up dejectedly.

She changed her position and tried to sleep again.

The next day, she woke up without any morning grumpiness and went out.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit stole a glance at her expression, tiptoed around, and kept its mouth shut.

Fu Yu met up with the Manhunt Team.

She asked, "Did you all complete the tasks I assigned yesterday?"

The four of them nodded repeatedly.

Hua Lang, sporting dark circles that could rival Wu He's, said, "I've checked all the records from the External Affairs Hall. The lists of those who entered and left the sect most frequently, least frequently, and most evenly over the past six months are all here."

Xu Shuangqing rubbed her eyes, "This is the medicinal herb and pill record from the Xuanmu Peak. Those who used special herbs are listed here."

Le Zhou forced himself to stay alert, "This is the usage record of the training grounds."

Zhao Qing added, "This is the detailed record of spirit stones and resource allocations."

Fu Yu took the silk scrolls from the four of them, lowered her eyes, and flipped through them casually.

The four exchanged subtle glances, then looked at the Foxtail Grass Spirit behind her.

Hua Lang and the others: Is your master in a bad mood today?

Foxtail Grass Spirit: Yes, exactly. You'd better pray for yourselves.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, almost suffocating.

After a long while, Fu Yu finally looked up, gathered the four silk scrolls in her hand, and tapped them lightly against her other palm.

She raised her chin slightly, "So, the only common link among the suspects each of you identified... is Wu He?"

The four broke out in cold sweat.

No one had forgotten what happened on the first day of the investigation, when Xiao Chusheng jumped out to falsely accuse Wu He and met a grim fate.

Hua Lang coughed, "Senior Sister Xie, maybe I should pull another all-nighter today and check more carefully, just in case I missed something."

The other three nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, I also feel like my first pass wasn't thorough enough!"

"Me too, me too."

Fu Yu glanced up gloomily, "Are you volunteering to work overtime?"

The four nodded, "Voluntarily, voluntarily!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit could clearly sense her master's subtle displeasure—the kind that comes from failing to successfully pick a fight.

"Alright," Fu Yu said airily. "You all keep busy. I'll look into Wu He's situation myself."

The four wiped the sweat from their brows and left.

After walking a few steps, Fu Yu slowly turned her head. "Wu He has a problem, and you're gloating?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit immediately wiped the smile off its face and tilted its head innocently. "No, Master."

Fu Yu: "Did it ever occur to you that he might actually be one?"

Foxtail Grass Spirit: "Hahaha, that would be so great... Huh?!"

Its eyes widened in shock.

"Evil Cultists hiding in the sect? Him? Wu He?!"

Fu Yu shrugged. "Not necessarily."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was stunned for a moment before its emotions gradually calmed. "...Seems like it doesn't matter anyway. When you're deep in debt, you stop worrying."

Fu Yu looked up at the sky, at a loss for words.

For some reason, after staying by her side for a long time, many people seemed to develop this fatalistic, resigned attitude.

Fu Yu did not go to find Wu He.

She took the Foxtail Grass Spirit and walked from the mountain gate to the main peak over and over again.

"Master, are we body tempering?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit panted heavily.

Fu Yu pondered: "I need to think. What if the Sect Master returns before 3:45 PM?"

"Oh—" The Foxtail Grass Spirit suddenly understood. "Master is planning an escape route!"

Fu Yu: "Do I need to escape?"

It: "Heh."

On the third walk.

Fu Yu: "What kind of person do you think your Sect Master is?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit answered without hesitation: "A person with a very good temper!"

Fu Yu smiled.

It asked curiously: "Huh? Isn't she?"

Fu Yu: "A domineering person who brooks no dissent."

Foxtail Grass Spirit: "Huh?!"

*Was Master really not holding a grudge because the Sect Master insisted on having Lu Xingchen lead the team?*

With one glance, Fu Yu knew what it was thinking. She raised her hand and rapped its head. "Figure it out yourself."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit clutched its head.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck.

"...Huh?"

It remembered—there did seem to be a hint of that. Although the Sect Master always liked to ask those around her if they agreed after speaking, if someone truly said no, the Sect Master would act as if she hadn't heard.

"Master!" The Foxtail Grass Spirit exclaimed in shock. "Did you cast an enlightenment spell on me when you knocked my head? I feel smarter! Knock it again, quickly, knock it again!"

It lowered its head, trying to nuzzle into her palm.

Fu Yu: "..."

It seems knocking its head really did make it dumber.

After the commotion subsided.

Fu Yu asked: "Think about it. How can we make the Sect Master unhappy?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit looked up at the sky, thinking seriously. "The Sect Master likes cleanliness and tidiness, peace and quiet, and rules."

Fu Yu looked thoughtful. "Got it."

Once those four finish their all-nighter, I can arrange some more tasks for them.

"Where did you buy that Lucky Pillow? Take me to buy one."

"Purple Origin Peak, Master! I'll lead the way!"

With the Lucky Pillow in hand, Fu Yu took off her Peach Wood Hairpin and performed another blessing.

As death approaches, time flies.

In the blink of an eye, the third day arrived—the day the Sect Master returned.

Hua Lang and the other three had pulled two consecutive all-nighters. Their steps were unsteady, like four wandering ghosts.

Fu Yu assigned tasks to three of them. The three, whose brains could barely function, drifted away in a daze.

She took Hua Lang to the suspension bridge between Profound Wood Peak and the main peak.

"You wait here for your grandmother's second cousin on her mother's side." She took out the newly bought Lucky Pillow from yesterday and thrust it into Hua Lang's arms. "She will pass by you before 3:45 PM. Give her the Lucky Pillow."

Hua Lang, bleary-eyed: "My grandmother's second cousin... Oh, Perfected Person Suwen. Okay. Huh? Why give Great-Aunt a Lucky Pillow? Will she accept it?"

"Just give it to her."

"Oh... I'll just give it."

Fu Yu tilted her head, signaling the Foxtail Grass Spirit to keep an eye on him.

She left Profound Wood Peak and headed to a bluestone platform from where she could see the mountain gate.

She looked up at the sun—1:15 PM.

A streak of light flashed in the far distance.

The sect was on high alert. The Sect Protection Formation operated around the clock, blocking people outside the mountain.

Fu Yu gazed silently.

The Sect Master descended before the mountain gate, raised her hand, produced the Sect Master's token, and infused it with spiritual energy.

The formation light shifted for a moment, and the Sect Master's figure stepped through the mountain gate as if passing through a curtain of water.

Once inside the sect, she took a step and vanished into the wind.

Just as she was about to teleport to the main peak, her long eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

The inscribed stone tablets beside the mountain path were in disarray, as if someone had tampered with them.

She halted her steps, summoned the stewards, and kindly, amiably instructed them to restore each and every stone tablet to its original state.

The Sect Master finally revealed a smile: "Neat and tidy, how pleasing to the eye, don't you all agree?"

The stewards hurriedly bowed their heads: "Yes."

The Sect Master continued forward.

Soon, she was stopped again.

The wife of a steward from Cishui Peak had been caught in an affair with an elder the day before yesterday, and the news finally reached the steward's ears today. The cuckolded steward rushed to Cishui Peak to make a scene; a chaotic, bustling crowd had gathered to watch the gossip.

The Sect Master frowned again and stopped.

By the time she finished dealing with this mess, it was already mid-afternoon.

Just as she left Cishui Peak, she ran into law enforcement disciples from Jinglei Peak apprehending the fugitive Xiao Chusheng.

The Sect Master nearly laughed in exasperation.

"This sect truly cannot do without me for even a moment, can it, Xiao Bai?"

The page following her nodded earnestly: "That's right."

Elsewhere.

The sleepy Hua Lang finally waited for his grandaunt.

"Aunt... Lucky Pillow, for you."

Perfected Person Suwen was amused: "It's little Lang'er! Wow, this Lucky Pillow is so auspicious, thank you, little Lang'er!"

She happily took the Lucky Pillow, waved her hand, "I've still got things to do, see you later!"

Hua Lang was bewildered: "See you later."

Senior Sister Xie was right; his grandaunt actually didn't ask any questions and just accepted this... very tacky Lucky Pillow.

He watched as Perfected Person Suwen's figure disappeared into the main peak.

"Grandaunt is going to treat the Patriarch... carrying the Lucky Pillow...?"

It didn't seem particularly odd.

At the entrance to the forbidden grounds, Perfected Person Suwen smiled and greeted two familiar senior elders.

"The Sect Master returns today?"

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Perfected Person."

Two gazes fell upon the Lucky Pillow held in Perfected Person Suwen's arms. Their divine sense swept over it, finding nothing unusual.

"Are those blessing pillows back in fashion on the mountain again recently?"

"Every twenty years it cycles back, we're used to it, used to it."

The seal opened and then settled back into place.

Perfected Person Suwen, knowing the way well, entered the inner chamber, bowed to the unconscious Patriarch, casually placed the Lucky Pillow beside the ice-jade bed, and sat down nearby.

She focused her spirit, regulated her breathing.

And began the treatment.

Her medicinal soul and true spirit circulated through the Patriarch's body, nurturing his immortal form.

When Perfected Person Suwen finally let out a long breath and slowly ended the technique, she discovered the Sect Master had arrived some time ago behind her.

"Sect Master."

"Perfected Person, you've worked hard. Please remain seated, no need to rise."

Perfected Person Suwen did not truly remain seated. She stood up and took a step back, noticing the Sect Master had been staring at the Lucky Pillow left on the bed, causing the corner of her eye to twitch slightly.

The Sect Master had truly been greatly annoyed by all this chaos today.

Finally waiting for Suwen to rise, the Sect Master flicked her wide sleeve, tidying the askew Lucky Pillow into its proper place—under Lord Zhiwei's head.

Perfected Person Suwen: "..."

Forget it, she'd retrieve the Lucky Pillow later.

The Sect Master had already begun the task at hand; she shouldn't disturb her with such trivial matters.

The Sect Master slowly raised her hand, summoning a luminous mirror overflowing with immortal qi.

"Retrospective Light."

Behind her, the trusted Peak Masters and elders stood solemnly.

Everyone held their breath and focused, waiting for the Sect Master to activate the immortal artifact.

Fu Yu sat cross-legged before Elder Xie.

The Peach Wood Hairpin rested on her palm. She concentrated, focusing her spirit, quietly sensing the changes in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Suddenly.

Every person within the sect felt a slight tingling at the crown of their heads.

"The immortal artifact, it's activating!"

The Sect Master was activating the immortal artifact within the forbidden area to investigate the scene the Patriarch saw when the incident occurred!

The spiritual energy overflowing from the immortal artifact was vast and potent.

A veteran of countless battles, Fu Yu was keenly sensitive to changes in the world's spiritual energy.

Her breath hitched slightly as she focused her mind and spirit.

The Peach Wood Hairpin in her hand stirred without any wind, its incantation resonating and dancing with the ambient spiritual energy.

In an instant, she raised her hand on instinct, drawing a talisman backward.

“Heaven and Earth reverse, Yin and Yang invert!”

The incantations on both Lucky Pillows activated simultaneously.

For a split second, Elder Xie’s face on the bed transformed into another young, handsome face—only for a moment, before snapping back.

At the same moment, a brilliant light flared within the forbidden grounds, the intense glare from the immortal artifact blinding everyone’s vision.

Their vision blurred as they instinctively averted their gaze.

After that flood of white light subsided, the final image seen by the unconscious person slowly projected above the immortal artifact.

“Hiss…”