Chapter 492: The Words of That Time

At the same time.

Xu Xing and Master Mei Zu had already returned to the Ancestral Master's Cave Heaven.

In the enclosed, windowless chamber, Xu Xing sat on a rosewood chair beneath a painting of red maple leaves, while Master Mei Zu leaned against the soft couch at the side, her manner languid.

"Aiya~ While we were outside just now I was thinking about going out more in the future, but the moment I get back I don't want to move a muscle."

Master Mei Zu exhaled softly, summoned a jade cup with a wave of her hand, and took a gentle sip of the wine within, which glowed like the evening clouds.

With a light toss, she threw the jade cup back to its place, and said seriously:

"Looks like the plan to go out walking will have to be shelved for a few hundred years."

"..."

"Alright, alright." She rose from the couch, walked over, and sat on the other side of the rosewood table. "Let me first take a look at your condition, Dao Brother."

"Mm."

Xu Xing gave a slight nod and, just like last time, released the restraints on his mind.

Master Mei Zu focused her gaze and once again observed that layer of heavy, dark shadow veiling his spirit.

The feeling was the same as last time — a single glance was enough to stir endless doubts and worries in her heart, making one unable to stop the mind from wandering.

She knit her brows and asked:

"Are you certain the influence of 'Dao Wang' has weakened?"

"Yes."

"..."

Yet the 'Dao Wang' she observed remained neither increased nor decreased; its overall mass had not changed in the slightest.

"How did Dao Brother come to know Elder Lingzu?" Master Mei Zu suddenly asked.

"Mm? Why the sudden question?"

"Emm… just testing." Master Mei Zu said with perfect seriousness. "This 'Dao Wang' can affect Dao Brother's thoughts to some extent, so I wanted to see if the effect was still the same as before."

She had planned to test the waters with a question about Elder Lingzu first, and if it worked, try other questions…

Ahem!

Xu Xing: "..."

You'd better be.

"Let me try again, don't resist." She swiftly skipped past the topic.

"Alright."

Master Mei Zu's expression turned solemn, and she softly chanted: "All Dao must revere me."

The same method as last time — the words rang out, echoing across the lake of the heart.

Just as Xu Xing's perception held nothing but Master Mei Zu's breathtakingly beautiful face, the heavy shadow lingering over his spirit seemed to be stirred as well, trembling faintly.

Every detail was no different from last time.

"What did you observe?" Xu Xing severed the connection on his own, and his perception returned to normal.

What was the situation?

Master Mei Zu weighed her words for a moment, then slowly began: "In my view, the condition of this 'Dao Wang' is no different from last time."

"But its influence on you, Dao Brother, has weakened…"

"Perhaps it's just as you yourself surmised — you are gradually adapting to this state of 'Dao Wang lodged in the heart.'"

"Beyond that, I can't make out any further details."

"My apologies."

"No need for that — cultivation was never a matter of a single day." This outcome was also within Xu Xing's expectations. "Besides, in all our years of cultivation, we've been feeling our way forward step by step. Taking it slow is the way."

Back then, groping forward step by step, countless people had thrown themselves into the breach one after another.

It was the sacrifice of countless people, the blood and sweat of countless people, that pushed the cultivation realm to where it stands today.

How could it possibly be achieved in a single stroke now?

Master Mei Zu lowered her eyes.

Of course she understood what Dao Brother said, but Dao Brother had so rarely needed her, and yet she had been unable to offer any substantive help…

The thought flashed through her mind and vanished; she quickly raised her head, her usual bright smile returning.

"Dao Brother is still the same as ever, always saying things like that."

"Mm? Saying what?"

There shouldn't be anything wrong with that.

"Guess~"

Master Mei Zu waved her hand to summon the wine cup once more and drained its contents in one go.

The wine slid down her throat, warm with a hint of sweetness…

Because she had sorted a few things out, her mood today was quite good.

She still remembered…

Back then, after she and the others had been rescued, Dao Brother sent them back.

But some spineless elders, upon hearing that Dao Brother had cut down the Willow Spirit Tree, were not pleased at all — instead they reproached Dao Brother.

Seeing that Dao Brother had Suffered Heavy injuries, they even harbored ill intentions, wanting to seize his cultivation methods from him…

However, they had misjudged the strength of both sides; not only did they fail to take the cultivation methods, they were easily defeated instead.

Afterwards, Dao Brother used Lei Ting-like measures to purge the human tribe she had belonged to at the time; every elder who dared to raise a hand against him was beheaded and displayed as a warning.

Moreover, he stayed within the tribe for a full year, leaving behind all of his own cultivation methods, divine techniques, sword arts, and even the freshly created "Grand Void Sword Canon."

Right — back then it wasn't yet called the "Grand Void Sword Canon," but the "Grand Void Sword Art."

Compared to the other humans in the tribe, she was the only one who didn't find that Dao-brother "terrifying."

So she went to ask him why he did it.

Though still young, she understood much.

The elders in the tribe never shared their own belongings.

She remembered how Dao-brother had answered her then.

"Born into a world like this, none of us know when we might suffer an accident or lose someone important."

"I've experienced it once, and I know exactly what that feeling is like. If I can, I hope others facing sudden misfortune will have at least some other choices."

"Maybe one day I'll… heh, even if I can't return home, I can still leave some trace that I existed in this world."

"Maybe someone else will come along."

At that time, Dao-brother probably thought of her as just a clueless child.

Perhaps he wasn't even speaking to her—more like he was mocking himself…

Of course, though she understood more than some of her peers, she certainly hadn't grasped something so subtle back then.

These were all things she gradually understood over the years, after witnessing the world's many truths.

On the day Dao-brother was leaving, she had already reached Qi Refinement fourth layer, so she gathered her courage and asked him for a name.

After all, as a low-value offering, she had no name.

"You should find your own meaning first, then decide your own name."

At the time, he seemed to think for a long while before answering her like that…

Unfortunately, even after wandering the world for so many years, she still hadn't settled on a name for herself.

…

…

Hehuan Sect.

The blessed land where the 【Anti-Fraud Training Center】 was located.

The 【Anti-Emotional-Fraud】 training zone.

Although Hehuan Sect's "Anti-Fraud Training" covered every aspect, this particular service was the most famous.

After all, having Joy cultivators conduct 【Anti-Emotional-Fraud】 training sounded incredibly professional!

After Lin Changsheng entered the hall, a female cultivator in gray uniform, with an excellent figure and lovely face, immediately approached with a smile.

Nascent Soul realm cultivation, foundation mediocre—not good, not bad…

Even if I were at the same realm, I could easily defeat ten of her!

Lin Changsheng quickly confirmed the basic information.

"Are you Senior Lin Changsheng?" she extended her hand, "I'm Qing Qing. I'll be guiding you to Senior Meng Ling."

Lightly?

He shook her hand, his gaze casually sweeping over her name badge.

So it's this Qing Qing…

I wonder—is she a Charm cultivator or a Joy cultivator?

As for why he didn't consider she might be a Celestial cultivator…

Judging by her looks alone, the chance she was a Celestial was slim.

"Hello."

Since his family paid, he'd booked the premium membership course—no waiting, direct one-on-one instruction!

"Then I'm in your hands."

"You're too kind," Qing Qing bowed slightly, pointing the way, "Senior Meng Ling's classroom is this way. Please follow me."

This was a major client—the premium membership package.

As a receptionist, she'd get a huge cut!

emm…

But wasn't this guy the top-ranked in the Nascent Soul division of last year's Xian Sect Grand Competition? Why would he come here for training?

Could he have been "emotionally scammed" too?

Tsk tsk!

These fraudsters are getting bolder—now they're even targeting Lin Changsheng, a Xian Sect prodigy!

Qing Qing's gossip flame burned fiercely, but she strictly followed staff regulations and said not a word more.

After all, who here didn't have some embarrassing "experience"?

To be a qualified receptionist, you must never pry!

After walking further inside, Lin Changsheng noticed something odd.

In the 【Anti-Emotional-Fraud】 waiting area deep in the hall, many people waiting in seats wore masks, or bizarrely bulky outfits, some even wrapped entirely in mosaic blocks.

"…"

Lin Changsheng suddenly felt a sinister premonition.

"What are they…?"

"Due to the nature of this service, most clients here disguise themselves to avoid being recognized," Qing Qing explained with a smile. "I've been a receptionist this long, and I've only seen a few as open as you, Senior Lin."

"Don't you keep things confidential?"

"Of course we do—we have strict policies that never leak client information," Qing Qing said seriously. "But we can't control what these guests themselves do."

Holy shit!

Nobody told me this!

Feeling the synchronized gaze fixed on him, Lin Changsheng's heart trembled.

"Hey? Isn't that Lin Changsheng?!"

"Did the number one of the Xian Sect's Grand Competition get emotionally scammed?"

"Who's so powerful they actually scammed a Xian Sect prodigy?"

Done for!

Hearing these whispers, Lin Changsheng felt the sky was collapsing.

He was going to become a laughingstock of the Xian Sect Grand Competition, just like Zhao Ruoming from the Taishang Dao Sect who was driven to tears!

But the next few sentences gave him a glimmer of hope.

"It probably isn't true—even if Lin Changsheng was emotionally scammed, he wouldn't walk in here so openly, would he?"

"True. Maybe someone is impersonating Lin Changsheng to smear his reputation."

Exactly!

That's it!

I'm the one impersonating him!

"Not necessarily. The Xian Sect prodigy has an extraordinary mindset—perhaps he simply doesn't care about public opinion?"

"Exactly." A man covered entirely in mosaic nodded, "Lin Changsheng's already fallen for a Celestial—why would he care what others think of him!"

Fuck!

Who the hell is spreading rumors here?!

Do you think I won't twist you into a knot?!

Lin Changsheng's peripheral vision locked onto the mosaic man, as if trying to pierce through the disguise and devour him alive.

…

…

After over a minute, amid the strange glances and murmurs of the crowd.

Lin Changsheng followed Qing Qing into a consultation room.

Looking around, half the gray curtain before the floor-to-ceiling window was drawn back, sunlight streaming through the glass to fall upon a gray fabric sofa.

Though this was a blessed realm not existing in reality, it still had its own sun, moon, and stars.

Its internal time flowed perfectly in sync with the outside world.

"Please wait a moment—Master Meng Ling is preparing and will arrive shortly."

"Hmm." Lin Changsheng nodded slightly, then couldn't help asking, "Don't you have a membership channel? One that's completely private."

"We do." Qing Qing still wore her polished smile, "But that's an added benefit exclusive to the Premium Membership package. Would you like to upgrade to Premium Membership?"

Lin Changsheng: "..."

That ridiculously expensive Premium Membership package?

And I've already walked in here, with everyone watching—what's the point of upgrading now?!

This is like burying silver and advertising it!

"Actually, you needn't worry—your reverse psychology worked perfectly. Many believe you're an impostor."

Qing Qing pulled out a small booklet from her storage ring.

"If you're truly concerned, we offer PR services. Given your current situation, a Mid-Level Membership package will resolve it perfectly."

More money?

Lin Changsheng was about to refuse, but then remembered—this entire expense was covered by his family…

"I'll take a look first. I'll contact you if I need it."

He took the booklet Qing Qing handed him.

"Always at your service." Qing Qing's smile brightened further.

She bowed slightly, then turned and stepped out, gently closing the door behind her.

Glancing at the booklet in his hand, Lin Changsheng sat on a nearby sofa, pulled out his phone, and prepared to grill Old Chang.

He absolutely knew about this place's traps!

Sword Saint: "Fucking hell! You have to impersonate someone here too?!"

Old Chang: "??"

Old Chang: "Isn't that common knowledge? You just walked in like that? /confused"

Old Chang: "Wait! Won't there be news about you trending tomorrow?!"

Old Chang: "'Shocking! Xian Sect Grand Competition No. 1 Lin Changsheng Heartbroken by Love,' 'Lin Changsheng Appears at Hehuan Sect,' 'Exposed! Lin Changsheng Was Emotionally Scammed'"

Old Chang: "Which headline do you like better? /doge"

Fuck!

This bastard is enjoying this!

Sword Saint: "You've been here too—if I go trending, I'll expose everything about you!"

Old Chang: "Go ahead. I'm from Taishang Dao Sect."

Old Chang: "/picknose"

For a Gou Dao cultivator, taking an anti-scam course isn't normal?

Fuck!

Almost forgot—this old schemer couldn't care less about this stuff.

Just as Lin Changsheng was about to reply further—

Click!

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from beside him, forcing him to exit the chat interface first and pocket his phone.

He looked toward the doorway.

The front door opened, and a girl walked in—her hair tied in a ponytail, her skin fair as snow, looking very lively and spirited.

"You're Lin Changsheng, right?"

Her voice, however, was utterly at odds with her appearance—steeped in allure yet crisp and decisive, making one feel their bones go soft the moment they heard it.

"I've already gone over your basic information. For all upcoming lessons, I'll use this appearance."

Hmm? (End of chapter)