At this moment, the little Bai Ze was sprawled on the ground, gnawing on a bone, looking reluctant and forlorn.
Bai Zixi stared at that bone and said calmly, "Bai Ze... gnawing on a bone?"
The Taixu Sect Master chuckled, a little helpless. "Mo Hua gave it that. After it finished, it still couldn’t bear to throw it away..."
Bai Zixi trembled, her whole body going rigid. She stared blankly. "Mo... Hua?"
The Taixu Sect Master nodded and said:
"Mo Hua, the Junior Brother of the previous generation in my Taixu Gate, Qianxue Formation Path Leader. He was an extremely kind, extremely clever Formation Master, with excellent talent as well. Strictly speaking, the fact that Taixu Gate holds its place today is all thanks to..."
As the Taixu Sect Master spoke, he suddenly sensed something amiss. Bai Zixi’s aura had undergone a clearly visible change, as if her state of mind had been shaken by something.
The Taixu Sect Master’s heart jolted. He turned his head, only to see that Bai Zixi had already withdrawn all her aura. Her expression and presence were the same as usual, showing no change at all.
The Taixu Sect Master frowned, then felt relieved.
"Must’ve been my imagination..."
The name Mo Hua only held special meaning for Taixu Gate.
But for Zixi, a Sixth garde Direct Lineage of the Bai Family, raised in front of the Old Matriarch, it didn’t mean anything...
Moreover, the two of them—their birth, Spiritual Root, aptitude, Bloodline, their very destinies—were entirely different, without the slightest overlap.
Even their "style" wasn’t the same.
Zixi was exquisitely beautiful, aloof, cold to the bone, possessing a kind of beauty that made people feel she was unreachable.
Mo Hua was gentle, easygoing, friendly, upright and kind at heart. He could get along with anyone; even the Exotic Beast Bai Ze could be treated by him as a "dog" to be fed...
The two of them simply weren’t the same kind of person.
They were also almost impossible to have any intersection.
The Taixu Sect Master continued to lead Zixi forward, walking the same route as before. The scenery around them hadn’t changed—every mountain and stone, each blade of grass and tree, every pavilion and tower—just as it had always been.
But this time, Zixi walked very slowly and looked very carefully.
For some reason, in her eyes, this originally unfamiliar scenery of Taixu Mountain suddenly became vivid, and carried a faint sense of familiarity.
All these years, her Junior Brother had been living here in these mountains, in these pavilions and towers—eating and sleeping, Cultivating, learning Spells, doing Formation Painting, sparring with his fellow Disciples, honing his Cultivation bit by bit, and little by little growing up...
Her originally indifferent heart was, for a moment, filled with warmth mingled with a sour ache.
"My... Junior Brother..."
Bai Zixi stood there dazed, lost in thought.
...
The negotiations between the Taoist Court and Qianxue were still ongoing, but after much tug-of-war, they were gradually reaching a resolution.
The Qianxue Four Talents would be sent to the Taoist Court.
The Taoist Court would be responsible for "reformation and guidance," so that they could recognize their mistakes, change, and once more serve the Taoist Court and the common people of the world.
This matter was thus finally decided.
Wanxiao City, Duanmu Mansion.
Inside an opulent boudoir of pale violet splendor, Duanmu Qing sat before her dressing table, weighed down by thoughts.
Beside her, an Elder of the Duanmu family with gentle features said softly:
"Miss, we set off today. In two months, you will arrive in Taoist State. The Old Ancestor has arranged everything. Once you get there, you don’t need to worry about anything else—just focus on Cultivation. After you condense your Bloodline Golden Core, then think about other matters..."
Duanmu Qing answered with a soft "mm," but whenever she closed her eyes, her mind filled with that breathtaking silhouette that haunted her soul—searing her heart, untouched by mortal dust.
"She..."
"Is mine..."
Duanmu Qing murmured under her breath. Then her previously listless gaze gradually hardened into stubbornness.
Her shattered Taoist Heart was being reforged by the desire in her heart.
Facing the mirror case, she wiped away the rouge, gathered up her long hair, pinned in a jade hairpin, and combed it into a clean, dashing topknot.
Then, she draped a young man’s Taoist Robe over her shoulders.
With features like carved jade and a graceful bearing, she looked like a refined and elegant noble young master in a turbid world.
For a woman, Duanmu Qing was tall and slender.
But once she donned men’s clothing, she appeared somewhat thin; her height was not far off from Mo Hua’s, and even her outline and figure bore a faint resemblance.
This identity she had once somewhat resisted was now finally, truly accepted by her.
"Let’s go," Duanmu Qing said.
"Yes, Miss."
"No," Duanmu Qing’s gaze turned cold. "From now on, address me as... ’Young Master.’"
...
Duanmu Qing set off for Taoist State.