The child was relentless. Zanxing casually remarked, “There are plenty, like Seventh Senior Brother, the one who lives next door to us. He’s good-looking, with high cultivation, and he hasn’t tangled with any childhood sweetheart. He’s a genuine young talent.”
Hongsu’s eyes lit up, “Really?”
Zanxing said, “If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.”
Zanxing was just casually placating the young girl, thinking that scaring her a bit would make her behave. But Zanxing never expected that Hongsu’s determination to find a new husband would lead her to crawl through the dog hole and sneak into the neighboring courtyard just to witness this “young talent” with her own eyes.
The night was as dark as ink, with a few scattered stars. In the snow-covered ground of the yard, a row of footprints was particularly conspicuous, disappearing at the edge of the dog hole.
Zanxing sighed and fell into deep thought, looking at the high courtyard wall.
After not seeing Hongsu for an hour, Zanxing came out and immediately noticed the footprints beside the dog hole. The Miaokong Hall where Gu Baiying resided was adjacent to the Elysium Hall. Zanxing’s Mingxiu Courtyard was separated from the Elysium Hall by just one wall. However, Zanxing had never thought of visiting, especially since Gu Baiying didn’t seem like a hospitable person. It was surprising that Hongsu had actually crawled through the dog hole.
The dog hole was extremely narrow, and the slender girl could fit through it. For Zanxing herself, it would have been a bit tight. Besides, it was simply not proper. Zanxing thought for a moment, then used her iron staff to vault over the wall with ease.
She didn’t plan to go through the main gate. It would be best to bring little Hongsu back before Gu Baiying noticed. There were no restrictions near this wall. Everyone in the sect knew that this little uncle had a bad temper, so no one would dare to trespass into Elysium Hall’s territory.
Zanxing jumped down from the wall and surveyed her surroundings.
This was the first time Zanxing had ever entered Elysium Hall.
To be honest, Gu Baiying’s daily dressing style didn’t resemble that of a cultivator, but rather that of a noble young master in the mundane world. Zanxing had expected Elysium Hall to be decorated in a lavish and elegant style, but she never imagined that it would be so eerily desolate. It was a stark contrast to the warm and rustic style of Miaokong Hall.
The long, flat ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, and even the small bridges in the courtyard seemed to have gone upswept. Under the night sky, they appeared lonely and desolate.
There was no moon tonight, only the still water of the pond reflecting a patch of stars. The wind, sky, snow, and silence were all present, making one feel the vastness of heaven and earth.
This place was indeed like a fairyland, but it was also too lonely.
As Zanxing was pondering, she suddenly noticed a giant tree growing at the end of the long courtyard, near the windows of the main hall. She had no idea what kind of tree it was, but its trunk was extremely thick and tall. Large, pomegranate-colored flowers bloomed among its branches, their vibrant colors dazzling against the snow, like glowing clouds of crimson. Zanxing couldn’t help but look up.
This giant tree, full of vibrant flowers, stood quietly in the courtyard amidst the cold and empty snow-covered ground. In an instant, it seemed as if spring had arrived, or as if red clouds were reflecting on the frost, evoking a sense of passionate beauty.
However… Zanxing was astonished. How could there be flowers in the middle of winter? It snowed every night in Gufeng Mountain, and how could there be no trace of snow on these branches?
“That’s an illusion.” A voice came from behind her. Zanxing turned around and saw a young boy of around eight or nine years old standing in front of her. The boy had fair skin and delicate features, resembling a Guanyin Tongzi from a painting
1. He was dressed in a light pink gauze robe, and one could easily mistake him for a girl.
“You said this is an illusion?” Zanxing asked.
“Of course. It’s winter now, how could there be flowers blooming so beautifully? Naturally, it’s Seventh Senior Uncle who maintains them with an illusion.” The boy spoke disdainfully, “You can’t even see through an illusion. How embarrassing.”
Zanxing bent down and looked at him, “Who are you?”
“My name is Men Dong. I’m the direct disciple of Daoist Yueguang. I joined the sect earlier than you, so you can call me Senior Brother.” The boy said smugly.
Zanxing stood up straight, completely ignoring his words. “Since you’re younger than me, I’ll call you Junior Brother.”
Men Dong was furious. “Are you ignoring me now?”
Zanxing replied: “Yes.” She then retracted her gaze and looked around for Hongsu.
Men Dong followed behind her, puffing his cheeks and saying, “You… you’re not afraid of me telling Uncle that you sneaked in? What are you trying to do by sneaking into Elysium Hall?”
“Shh—” Zanxing raised a finger to her lips. “Quiet, I’m looking for someone.”
Men Dong became curious. “Who are you looking for?”
A voice interrupted, “The ones you’re looking for, are these two, right?”
Zanxing suddenly turned around and saw a person coming out from the hall. It was Gu Baiying holding Mimi in one hand and Hongsu in the other, looking down at her from a higher vantage point.
Zanxing: “…” Hongsu, this child, not only crawled through the dog hole herself but also brought the cat along.
With one in each hand, Gu Baiying walked up to Zanxing. Hongsu looked pitifully at Zanxing, while Mimi let out a meow, almost hitting Gu Baiying’s face with her tail.
Gu Baiying loosened his grip, and both the person and the cat fell to the ground. Hongsu rubbed her bottom as she stood up, quickly hiding behind Zanxing.
“Seventh Senior Uncle,” Zanxing attempted to smooth things over, “Hongsu just arrived and got lost while wandering around in my courtyard. She accidentally wandered into your courtyard. Our courtyards are close… The Elysium Hall is spacious, and the flowers are beautiful. They are well taken care of!”
Gu Baiying looked at her coldly, unimpressed by her attempts to divert the situation.
Zanxing’s voice gradually lowered, and finally, she said, “It’s too late, I’ve found the person, so I won’t disturb Senior Uncle’s rest any longer. I’ll go back first.”
She turned around with Hongsu in tow, but unexpectedly heard a voice from behind saying, “Wait.”
Zanxing turned back, and Gu Baiying took a step forward, approaching her as if he had something to say.
“Today, when Liu Yunxin entered the sect, you seemed to be in a good mood,” he began, his expression somewhat subtle. “Are you not sad at all?”
Zanxing: “… Is that what you wanted to ask?”
In the handsome youth’s scrutinizing eyes, there was a sense of inquiry. “Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Why should I be sad,” Zanxing replied frankly. “I don’t like him anyway.”
He snorted softly. “Lies.”
“That’s right,” Men Dong chimed in softly from the side. “Women always say one thing but mean another!”
Zanxing remained silent for a moment. Did she look like an abandoned woman or something, always being given unnecessary drama? She sighed in resignation. “Anyway, I just don’t like him. If you insist on thinking otherwise, there’s nothing I can do about it. Right now, I just want to focus on my cultivation and break through before spring arrives.”
“Why rush before spring?” Men Dong asked.
“After spring, I will be going to the secret realm trial near the Lier Country,” Zanxing replied. “Although Master said that the secret realm in Lier Country is not particularly dangerous, this will be my first secret realm trial, and I’ve heard that there are talented disciples from other sects participating. It wouldn’t be good to embarrass myself. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Upon hearing this, both Gu Baiying and Men Dong were both taken aback. Men Dong murmured, “That’s right, the secret realm trial near Lier Country… The participants for this trial include newly appointed direct disciples… you, Tian Fangfang… and Mu Cengxiao.”
Gu Baiying suddenly looked up. “Mu Cengxiao?”
“Yeah,” Zanxing joked casually. “This time, I’ll be going to the trial with Brother Mu. I wonder if there will be rumors in the sect again, saying that we’re using the trial as an excuse to court each other?”
Before she could finish her sentence, the young man in front of her spoke coldly, “No.”
Zanxing was taken aback.
Paintings depicting Guanyin Bodhisattva, a Buddhist figure of compassion and mercy, accompanied by a young child attendant (called Guanyin Tongzi).