The cultivator from Dragon Capital remarked, “Since arriving in Chen State, the Prince has rarely smiled.”
Yin Ya countered, “His current laughter doesn’t seem typical.”
“Neither treasures nor beauties could coax a smile from him before. Today marks the first time I’ve seen him laugh so heartily,” the cultivator added.
Puzzled, Yin Ya asked, “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that he’s happier the harder he’s hit?”
The cultivator shrugged, “As long as the Prince is happy, we don’t mind a little suffering.”
“Wow, big brother, he’s the one suffering, not you. You Chen State cultivators are a bit frightening,” Yin Ya exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the battle only subsided after three walls of the Panyin Temple crumbled. Naturally, a foundation-building cultivator like Nan Yan couldn’t seriously harm a Core Formation cultivator like Mu Zhanting. Yet, when Mu emerged, his eyes were visibly bruised. Still, reuniting with childhood friends in this Upper State was worth the pain.
“So you’re here too, fox spirit,” Mu grinned. “I heard from Ah Yan that you rescued her from the Filthy Valley. You’re not so bad after all.”
Yin Ya, brought over by the Dragon Capital cultivators, rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky to be alive. If I had possessed your celestial treasure then, you might not have been so fortunate.”
Laughing, Mu turned to his entourage, “You can return now. We’ll catch up.”
“But Prince, about the Yellow Spring Mirror…”
“If the Dragon Lord isn’t rushing, it can wait. I’ll handle it. Return to Chen State,” Mu insisted.
The cultivators exchanged glances. “Since the previous Prince’s assassination, the Dragon Lord forbids you from acting alone. If demon cultivators take advantage, we’d be blamed.”
“If demon cultivators wanted me dead, they’d have done it on the Chen-Si battlefield, not here in Yin or Mao State,” Mu sighed. “Look, I’m in a good mood today. Leave for now; we’ll discuss this tomorrow.”
Excited, Mu ditched his entourage, insisting on finding a place of revelry.
Nan Yan pointed out that the Mao State was full of monasteries, lacking such establishments. They’d have to leave the temple to drink. Meanwhile, Yin Ya, remembering the Prajna Spring recommended by a young monk, secretly wanted to bathe. After some persuasion, he tricked them into going there.
…
For Core Formation cultivators, covering 200 li took mere moments.
The Prajna Spring lay in a gourd-shaped valley, its sides lined with heat-loving purple-leaved Bodhi trees. Over a hundred spring pools, large and small, steamed in the air.
The local master, only at the early Foundation Building, hurriedly ushered these high-level cultivators to a nearby pavilion.
Bodhi leaves condensed mist into the rain, creating a gentle melody. Though lacking fine meats, the place boasted its spirit wine. They drank quickly, savoring this rare moment of joy.
“Next, I plan to find my uncle,” Nan Yan continued. “After resolving my second brother’s issue, I’ll head to the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace. Once I confirm they retrieved my mother’s remains, I’ll be at ease.”
Yin Ya aimed to save his clan, Nan Yan sought family, and Mu Zhanting competed for the Imperial Throne in Chen State out of gratitude to the Dragon Lord. Despite the complexities and potential hardships ahead, they offered each other advice and support.
“I’ve heard the Dragon Lord mention the Northern Sea,” Mu said. “He occasionally visits someone near the Beast Sealing Array there – likely your uncle. The array only confines Nascent Soul-level beasts and above. Lower-level beasts, while trapped in the sea, can still cause trouble.”
Yin Ya harbored resentment towards Nan Yi. Born recently, he only remembered zither music subduing the entire Northern Sea, with lower-level beasts not daring to surface. Any attempts to reach the shore were slaughtered.
As a young cub with a newly awakened spirit, Yin Ya once fled bullies in the Beast Sealing Array, forced to surface. He vaguely saw a man on a cliff, hands bound by long chains, gently caressing an old zither. With a single stroke, the man killed Yin Ya’s pursuers but spared him.
While Yin Ya opposed Nan Yan’s uncle on principle, he always remembered this act of mercy.
Unaware of Yin Ya’s changing expression, Mu continued, “The Northern Sea was once overrun by demons and beasts. Since this person began guarding it, coastal areas have been free from invasion. Some mortals even settled nearby. With the Drunken Zither there, finding him should be easy.”
Sensing Nan Yan’s despair about her brother, Yin Ya finally spoke up: “Easy, sure. If you can’t use idioms properly, don’t force it. It’s exhausting for others to hear.”
Mu retorted, “That’s unfair. One should always seek knowledge to improve. You can’t let your jealousy of my talents bring me down, right?”
“Fine, fine, carry on. I’ll stay quiet,” Yin Ya conceded.
“After meeting your uncle, if you want to visit the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace in Yin State, I suggest not revealing your identity as Southern Fragrant Lord’s daughter immediately,” Mu advised.
“Why not?” Nan Yan asked.
Mu produced an exquisite black jade talisman, infusing it with spiritual power to reveal shadowy images.
“When I arrived in Chen State, the Dragon Lord’s first task was making me memorize the genealogies of all States,” he explained. “If your identity as Southern Fragrant Lord’s daughter is confirmed, you’d be the Jade Palace’s only Imperial Princess.”
Long ago, the Upper States were divided. Human cultivators still practiced in the Mortal State, with several powerful Nascent Soul cultivators planning to cross the vast sea for conquest. The most famous included the future Taoist Sovereign Sui Han Zi of Dao Sheng Tian, the Buddhist Repentance Lord of Chou Mountain and Brahma Sea, the old Dragon Lord and Lady of Chen State, and Red Emperor Nan Jue Yun.
The Red Emperor, the most volatile among them, made a bet with his peers to single-handedly destroy the beast kingdom occupying Yin State. He transformed it into Yin State, forcing the beasts to retreat to the northern fringes. They sued for peace by offering their royal princess.
The Red Emperor accepted, naming her Beast Empress. She bore a daughter, Southern Fragrant Lord, before dying of depression. Years later, the Red Emperor remarried a noblewoman from Shen State, naming her Cloud Consort. She bore a son, Nan Yi. From a scholarly human family, Cloud Consort educated Nan Yi in human classics. The Red Emperor, however, spoiled Southern Fragrant Lord, causing Cloud Consort to dislike her.
“So my uncle and mother weren’t born to the same mother,” Nan Yan mused. “But in the Yellow Spring Mirror’s vision, they seemed close.”
“True, but now Cloud Empress Dowager rules the Jade Palace,” Mu cautioned. “All realm lords must show her respect. Without knowing your father’s identity and given Cloud Empress Dowager’s strict adherence to rules, she might cause trouble for you because of Southern Fragrant Lord – especially since you resemble your mother…”
“What’s wrong with looking like my mother?” Nan Yan snapped. “A daughter should resemble her mother! If you’re too blind to see it, fine, but don’t yell at me, you thief!”
“It’s not my fault,” Mu defended. “Anyone who sees you would think you’ve been body-snatched. Qi Yang, don’t you agree?”
Qi Yang, who had been quiet, merely smiled faintly. Nan Yan explained, “Since Shao Cang escaped the Filthy Valley, his mind seems damaged. I’ve been telling him about past events.”
“No wonder he’s been quiet,” Mu whispered to Nan Yan. “By the way, remember when you used to hide your romance novels from him? You thought the most dangerous place was the safest, so you stuffed them under his bed.”
“I did not!” Nan Yan protested. “Besides, didn’t you read them too? You even learned idioms to torment me. I wish I hadn’t come to Mao State. I have my second brother, and he’s much better than you.”
Yin Ya perked up. “What’s good about me?”
“Everything,” Nan Yan replied. “Especially your butt. It’s great to touch.”
“Are you asking for a beating?” Yin Ya growled.
Curious, Mu and Nan Yan conspired to pour several jugs of spirit wine down Yin Ya’s throat. Soon, the fox spirit’s eyes glazed over, and purple mist swirled around him, transforming him into a white fox.
“Wow,” Mu marveled.