The Bodhi tree’s branches swayed gently, and through the rising mist, the sound of water echoed from behind the bamboo fence.
A spiritual barrier shielded the area beyond the tall fence from prying eyes. Nan Yan immersed herself in the warm water, her long hair floating as the alcohol’s effects gradually wore off.
She realized she might have said something inappropriate earlier. Glimpsing her reflection in the water, she sighed and covered her face. Ten years of Buddhist cultivation, yet one night of drinking revealed her alluring nature—truly unbefitting a Buddhist practitioner.
After reciting the Heart Sutra thrice while fingering her prayer beads, her mind calmed. Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of a zither, seemingly just tuning.
Slightly embarrassed, Nan Yan sank deeper into the spring, though she knew she couldn’t be seen. “Shao Cang, I apologize for my drunken words earlier.”
Qi Yang gently wiped the Drunken Zither’s headstock. Though his eyes were closed out of propriety, he couldn’t block out the water sounds.
A cultivator’s heightened senses weren’t always advantageous.
His fingers lightly pressed the strings, forgetting to release them. When he came to, he had produced an awkward off-key note. Qi Yang curled his fingers and replied, “I know you have many questions. I too have things difficult to express. When the time is right, I’ll be honest. Then… I hope you won’t dismiss me lightly.”
His words, rather than increasing her worries, actually reassured Nan Yan.
“You’ve always been meticulous in your planning, Shao Cang. I won’t pry. Even if one day you make a mistake, even if everyone else abandons you, I’ll be the last to do so.”
Since reuniting with Shao Cang, Nan Yan had felt uneasy. Over the years, their paths had diverged. They seemed familiar, yet were strangers.
The past couldn’t be reclaimed; she only hoped their futures wouldn’t drift too far apart.
Blushing slightly, she added, “But in the end, I rely on you more. As my brother mentioned, Cloud Empress Dowager might dislike me. I’m not sure how to handle that.”
“The Yun clan of Shen State values tradition highly. Southern Fragrant Lord was a realm ruler who had a child with an unknown person—unacceptable to Cloud Empress Dowager. However, your status in Chou Mountain and Brahma Sea of Mao State should offer some protection.”
“True. I don’t seek status in the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace; I just want to confirm if my mother’s remains were truly retrieved,” Nan Yan said, her voice tinged with worry. “When you drew out the Dragon Lord’s spirit sense and he expressed shock at my mother’s passing, I had suspicions. If Yin State took my mother’s body, how could the Dragon Lord, a realm ruler, only learn of it now? I think… there might be more to my mother’s story.”
“You may need to uncover more about your mother’s past. Did she ever mention your father?”
“I… I don’t know.” Nan Yan had been raised solely by Nan Rao as far as she could remember.
Unlike other strict mortal mothers, Nan Rao had a childlike approach to parenting, ensuring Nan Yan experienced everything firsthand.
When six-year-old Nan Yan was pushed into a river by classmates, Nan Rao arrived in time to save her life with some spell. When a neighbor insisted on brewing herbal medicine, the clueless Nan Rao dragged Nan Yan from her sickbed to watch, nearly burning down the kitchen in their failed attempt to learn.
Those happy days with her mother meant Nan Yan never dwelled on her father’s identity. Now, she regretted not asking more as a child.
“I truly can’t remember anything,” Nan Yan said, pressing her wet hand to her forehead. “Given my age, my mother must have conceived me about twenty years ago. Shao Cang, have you heard of any romantic connections Southern Fragrant Lord had around that time?”
“It’s improper to speculate about the deceased.”
Nan Yan smiled at his response. Shao Cang had always been particularly cautious and respectful in certain matters, influencing her subtly.
“Your heart is pure, Shao Cang. No need for such formality. In the vision from the Drunken Zither, you showed me, I saw someone who seemed to be my uncle’s friend. Could he be a possibility?”
Unexpectedly, a long silence followed her question. Only when Nan Yan asked again did Qi Yang respond.
“Shao Cang, what’s wrong?”
“Southern Fragrant Lord was unconventional and renowned for her beauty across all realms. Her admirers were countless. Even among current realm rulers, some still cherish her memory. You’ll likely hear more in time. The twenty-year timeframe isn’t definitive; at her level of cultivation, she could have suppressed a pregnancy for years, even a decade or more.”
“I see…”
Qi Yang continued, “Among the realm rulers, three had genuine relationships with Southern Fragrant Lord. First was Dragon Lord Ao Guanghan of Chen State. In their youth, they studied together at Dao Sheng Tian on their fathers’ orders—childhood friends, you could say. But both had fiery tempers and fought each other more often than they faced demon cultivators.”
“Oh my,” Nan Yan recalled the Dragon Lord’s intimidating spirit sense. “In three months, we’re going to Dragon Capital to explain the situation. Won’t this Dragon Lord hate me?”
“Don’t worry. The Dragon Lord treats even Mu Zhanting, who came with a broken engagement, like his own child. If you were his daughter, he might love you even more than the Red Emperor loved his daughter.”
“Who’s the second?” Nan Yan asked.
“Prince Song Zhi’s master, Sword Hero Meng Xiaolou of Wei State. It’s said Southern Fragrant Lord once disrupted his sword heart. Rumors claimed he’d either kill her or marry her. When the old Taoist Sovereign was alive, he was close friends with the Red Emperor and intended for the Southern Fragrant Lord to marry his top disciple. On the eve of their engagement, Meng Xiaolou suddenly took Southern Fragrant Lord away, declaring they’d elope. They disappeared for three months. Dao Sheng Tian values its reputation highly, so the engagement had to be called off…”
Nan Yan’s expression grew complex. “It seems the realm rulers were quite reckless in their youth. How could their elders still let them rule realms after such behavior?”
“I’m not sure, but apparently, just before their respective sects found them, Southern Fragrant Lord had already tricked Meng Xiaolou into returning to Wei State for closed-door sword cultivation.”
Nan Yan recalled Song Zhu’s unwavering dedication to the Way and said, “My mother probably didn’t have that ability. It’s more likely that Jian Xiong suddenly realized the importance of swordsmanship over romance. Ah truly befitting a sword cultivator—worthy of admiration and emulation.”
“…” Ji Yang fell silent for a moment before responding, “The sword cultivators of Wei Zhou are not to be underestimated.”
Nan Yan then asked, “You mentioned three people earlier. Is the third one the person called ‘Ze Wei’ from the illusion?”
Instead of answering, Ji Yang posed a question: “Yan, since you’ve come to Shang Zhou, do you know who the strongest cultivator in the current world is?”
“As a mere false Core Formation cultivator, I wouldn’t dare to judge the powerful cultivators of Shang Zhou. However, I imagine the Dragon Lord of Chen Zhou and Jian Xiong of Wei Zhou, whom you just mentioned, must be at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.”
“Beyond the Nascent Soul realm lies the Deity Transformation realm. Breaking through Deity Transformation allows one to shatter space and ascend to immortality. The rulers of all regions are at the Deity Transformation level.”
“Then…”
Ji Yang’s voice carried a hint of indifference: “Ying Ze Wei, the Lord of Dao Sheng Tian, is the master of all paths in the world and currently the number one figure in the cultivation world.”
The number one in the cultivation world! Just hearing this title evoked the image of a towering mountain peak, inspiring awe and reverence.
“Legendary figures like Dao Zun and Chi Di ascended to the upper realm seven hundred years ago. Ze Wei of Dao Sheng Tian might become the next to ascend.”
Shocked, Nan Yan instinctively lowered her voice: “Then he…”
“Among the people I mentioned, the Dragon Lord and Jian Xiong could potentially be your birth father, but he is not a possibility.”
“Why?”
As soon as Nan Yan asked, she sensed a change in the atmosphere. Ji Yang seemed to have stood up and walked to the bamboo fence.
Nan Yan instinctively shuddered, sinking deeper into the water. “Shao Cang?”