Chapter 70

“You’re so hard to pin down!” Jiang Shishi shoved an ice cream into Gu Zhao’s hands. “Always in seclusion!”

“When else will you work hard if not when you’re young?” Gu Zhao spoke with solemn conviction. “I’ll rest only when I can fly through empty space, move mountains and fill seas, and achieve immortality.”

Jiang Shishi giggled. “When you do become immortal, remember to lend a hand to this humble woman. I don’t ask for much—just eternal youth.”

Gu Zhao waved his hand. “That’s nothing.”

At the mention of eternal youth, Jiang Shishi couldn’t help but study Gu Zhao’s face, examining him closely.

“What are you looking at?”

“Your face.”

Jiang Shishi clucked her tongue, reaching out—only for Gu Zhao to dodge with a grimace. She then muttered, slightly envious, “You’re a man, yet you still care about skincare? What do you use?”

Tall and handsome was one thing—Jiang Shishi came from Yanjing Music Academy, surrounded by art schools, and had seen plenty of handsome men. But skin as flawless as Gu Zhao’s? Not a single one among them!

Though they were all still young, they were past twenty. Up close, she could tell Gu Zhao hadn’t applied any makeup—his skin was simply pale, soft, and fine, with a hue and texture…

Like a child’s. One couldn’t help but want to pinch it.

“Skincare? I used to use Dabao, but I don’t anymore,” Gu Zhao mused.

“What do you use now?” Xiao Ya couldn’t help asking.

“I use nothing now,” Gu Zhao smirked, raising an eyebrow. “You forgot—I’m a cultivated Daoist master.”

Xiao Ya’s lips parted slightly. “Really?”

Jiang Shishi asked in surprise, “Is that why your skin is so good? Because you’ve cultivated internal energy?”

Gu Zhao nodded. “Exactly.”

“Big brother!” Jiang Shishi grabbed Gu Zhao’s arm.

“Absorb the Qi of the Sun God, visualize the solar wheel, its radiance like crimson fire. Depending on the sun’s daily position, silently recite the Sun God’s incantation—An-Po-Huo-Luo-Jun-Nu-Li-Suo-Ke—inhale green Qi through the nose, nine breaths per swallow, repeat nine times, swallowing nine times, guiding the Qi upward to the Celestial Court, downward through the hundred bones.”

Jiang Shishi straightened up, eyes fierce. “I can endure…”

“Persist for twenty years. If there’s still no result, you can give up,” Gu Zhao said coolly.

Jiang Shishi silently let go of his arm. “I’ll stick with it until you fly through the heavens and vanish underground—then help me keep my youth.”

Xiao Ya smiled beside them. Seeing Jiang Shishi deflated, she teased, “Before you fly through the heavens, you’ve got to build up your strength first. Today we’re going to buy clothes.”

Gu Zhao looked alarmed. “How much clothing are you planning to buy?”

“So much!” Jiang Shishi raised her hand. “Not just ours—yours too.”

Gu Zhao blinked. “Mine too?”

Jiang Shishi pleaded. “Xiao Ya and I started Doukuai accounts to post videos of us playing ancient instruments, but this niche is insanely competitive. Big brother, help us out!”

Xiao Ya pulled out her phone at the same time. “Have you got a Doukuai account? Let’s follow each other!”

Gu Zhao took out his phone and followed them both, discovering they were, unsurprisingly, musical—their usernames were elegant: 【Yue Ya】 and 【Xi Shi】.

“Guang Zhao,” Jiang Shishi laughed. “Sounds like a history buff.”

“What do you mean?” Gu Zhao asked.

Xiao Ya smiled. “‘Sun and Moon’—it’s bright and clear. There are a lot of Ming loyalists these days.”

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t expect you two to know so much about history.”

“You’re underestimating us?” Jiang Shishi lifted her chin. “We practice folk instruments—we must understand their heritage. That means studying history.”

As Jiang Shishi spoke, Xiao Ya scrolled through Gu Zhao’s videos. When she saw his latest one, she froze. “Palmar Thunder?”

“What’s palmar thunder?” Jiang Shishi asked, then saw the video herself. She looked up in shock. “Is this real?”

Gu Zhao remained calm, pointing to the button in the lower-right corner of the video. “Check the comments. The tree I struck is purple sandalwood. Tell me—is this real or not?”

They opened the comments. Only then did Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya exhale in relief.

Knowing Gu Zhao had cultivated true Qi, that his strength and speed were extraordinary, and that his talismans could heal and nourish—these were understandable. But palmar thunder? That was too extreme.

“Speaking of which, my grandfather knows a Daoist who also cultivated internal energy,” Xiao Ya told Gu Zhao.

“Oh?” Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“My grandfather’s condition improved thanks to your Tian Gang protective talisman—he was the one who figured it out, proving your worth,” Xiao Ya said, still a little annoyed. “My mom didn’t believe it. She said it was just her care.”

Xiao Ya roughly recounted what Su Lei had told her, including how Yi Hong Daochang admitted he was inferior to Gu Zhao—but omitted Su Lei’s later suggestion that Xiao Ya date Gu Zhao.

“Bai Yunguan in Yanjing—no wonder it’s the ancestral temple of the Longmen sect.”

Daochang Yan Song had lived on the mountain for decades, detached from worldly affairs, his heart pure and his Dao path smooth—only then had he cultivated true Qi.

But Bai Yunguan lay within Yanjing city. Though revered, it was burdened with worldly duties, making focused cultivation difficult.

Yangcheng Yuanfa Palace was proof—when Gu Zhao had visited, the Five Thunder Talisman hadn’t stirred at all.

“If so, there must be many Daoists across the country who’ve cultivated magic power,” Gu Zhao mused. “Both Qingcheng Mountain and Bai Yunguan have them. Even small Daoist temples surely harbor true Daoists—and those who cultivate in quiet isolation might well have earned the Five Thunder Talisman’s recognition.”

“Ssshh—” Gu Zhao sucked in a breath. “How many hidden Daoist temples are scattered across the country? Am I going to spend the rest of my life traveling from one temple to another?”

But he couldn’t avoid it. Even ignoring lofty ideals like reviving the Three Pure Ones’ glory or spreading the Dao—just finding one person who could fight for him in the other world and earn Sha Qi meant he had to actively recruit talent.

Pushing the thoughts aside for now, Gu Zhao turned to Xiao Ya. “As long as your grandfather’s recovered, that’s what matters.”

Xiao Ya shook her head vigorously. “She still shouldn’t have wronged you!”

“Come on, let’s go buy clothes!” Jiang Shishi linked arms with Xiao Ya. “I heard Yangcheng’s clothes are super cheap—we haven’t bought anything yet. Today we’re going all out.”

Gu Zhao was confused. “Those are just regular clothes. Do they even have ancient-style outfits? I haven’t paid attention.”

“No problem! Seasonal clothes need buying too!” Jiang Shishi’s voice brimmed with excitement.

“Mm-hmm!” Xiao Ya nodded eagerly, her eyes gleaming.

A sudden sense of dread rose in Gu Zhao’s chest.