Chapter 257

Unlike the bleakness and decay outside the wall, this courtyard contained a fenced vegetable patch and clean, tidy ground.

At the entrance of the three-story detached building, couplets symbolizing harmony and reunion were pasted on both sides and above.

Upper line: In this mortal world, sorrow and suffering exist only as wind and frost.

Lower line: In this mundane realm, love alone allows winter and summer to remain forever together.

Horizontal inscription: Boundless Great Love.

Seeing Qu Yanping glanced at the couplet and let out a soft chuckle: "Brother Guyue, you carry boundless love."

Without revealing his identity, he preferred dealing with the righteous sects—these people had morals, held justice close, lived by principles, and befriending them saved considerable effort, making them easier to leverage in critical moments.

Moreover, their weaknesses were obvious: everything they cherished and believed in could become a tight noose binding them.

"What nonsense. I merely do what I can."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan's eyes were as deep as inked abysses, yet his face always wore a gentle, springlike smile.

"Brother Qu, tell me—why do people wish to keep living?"

This question left Seeing Qu Yanping stunned, but before he could answer, the other man walked toward the inner chamber.

"Fang Yuan brother, is this your friend?"

"Big bad guy, I'm hungry."

"Amitabha."

"Master Gu Yue."

Inside the room were about six or seven children, the youngest no more than three or four years old, the oldest seeming barely ten.

Yet these children wore varied clothing and looked vastly different—some weren't even human.

"This is Brother Qu. He's visiting us today. Be good, all of you."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan squatted down and spoke kindly to the children.

"Brother Qu, are these children cultivators?" Seeing Qu Yanping clearly sensed spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from several of them—they clearly had cultivation. In the Huan Yu Realm, these children would be top-tier geniuses.

And among them were even demon race members?

Seeing Qu Yanping stared at a few small wolves and bears that hadn't yet taken human form but walked upright and spoke human speech—his mind filled with confusion.

"Younger siblings and children of old friends," Gu Yue Fang Yuan's smile slowly faded. "I'm temporarily looking after them."

He walked to a chubby baby lying in a cradle made of crystal-like material, lifted the child with one hand, and pulled out a cellphone.

"Give it back, bad guy! I want to draw cards!" The chubby baby stretched out his plump hands, crying: "That's my phone!"

"Sigh," Gu Yue Fang Yuan tapped the phone twice, sighed, and said: "Brother Qu hasn't eaten yet, have you? I have some simple fare—please don't refuse it."

He returned the phone to the chubby baby, who immediately burst into tears the size of beans upon receiving it. "It sank."

Seeing Qu Yanping wore a sunny expression, smiling as he greeted the children, though most of them were shy and wary.

'Friend's children?'

'But there are far too many.'

Seeing Qu Yanping stared at the crystal cradle beneath the chubby baby—he felt certain this object wasn't ordinary mineral.

'What?!' He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then stared again—the child was sleeping on a bed formed from condensed immortal qi.

The bed resembled the formation of spiritual stones in this realm, yet it was composed of far superior, higher-quality energy. He knew Gu Yue Fang Yuan was wealthy, but he hadn't imagined his family's wealth reached such extremes—wasn't this excessive?

He then turned to another child with no detectable spiritual energy fluctuation—his exterior appeared divine and ethereal, but his talent remained unknown.

Gu Yue Fang Yuan glanced at the phone, then walked outside. This time, when he returned, he brought two familiar faces.

"Brother Qu."

"Brother Qu."

Two voices spoke. Seeing Qu Yanping clenched his slightly trembling palms and smiled at the two behind him: "Brother Gao, Brother Li, long time no see."

This world seemed to have a dining-table culture.

Whether cultivator or mortal, all enjoyed conversing during meals. Seeing Qu Yanping stared at the dishes before him but paid them no mind.

"Master Gu Yue, are these children descendants of your clan's members?" Li Feiyu sipped tea without touching his chopsticks, watching the children playing in the bright hall. "But there are far too many. Sorry—I'm blunt and dislike hiding things."

"There are no demon races in the Gu Yue Miao Village," Gu Yue Fang Yuan said indifferently, his gaze fixed on the children nearby. "They're all children of my seniors and old friends. They never returned, so I brought them here to care for and guide them."

"Never returned?" Gao Sheng picked up a slice of beef and placed it in his mouth, then set down his chopsticks. "Where did they go?"

"Master Gu Yue! Master Gu Yue!" A young monk ran over, holding a blooming golden lotus. "Look! Look! I've formed my first Buddha lotus!"

"Guoguo did well," Gu Yue Fang Yuan patted the young monk's head gently. "I told you—you could do it."

"Amitabha! I did it!" The young monk puffed out his chest, but his joyful expression instantly dimmed. "But when will I ever achieve the Abbot's golden lotus illuminating Shanhe?"

"One day," Gu Yue Fang Yuan patted the young monk's shoulders twice. "Go play with the wolf pups—keep them from tearing the house apart."

"Oh." The young monk rubbed his head, clasped his hands together, and extinguished the golden lotus.

This spacious house seemed built specifically for these energetic young cultivators—array formations surrounded every corner of the sky and courtyard, preventing external surveillance, and the glass and furnishings possessed self-repairing spells.

Once the young monk left, Gu Yue Fang Yuan's smile vanished. He fixed his gaze directly on Gao Sheng.

"I don't know if they'll ever return. Three years ago, they entered a Mystical Realm—and haven't come back since. That Mystical Realm is called—"

"Penglai Ruins."

A silence fell over all. Except for the children's laughter, the four seated around the table froze, motionless and expressionless.

Gao Sheng's chewing jaw halted. His expression turned grave. After swallowing the beef, he spoke after a long pause:

"Brother Gu Yue, haven't your friends' sects or families tried searching for them? And you don't need to care for the children yourself, do you?"

"Heh." Gu Yue Fang Yuan's eyes flickered with a self-deprecating laugh. "What I'm about to say—I ask you all to believe it."

"Master Gu Yue, speak freely. We'll judge truth for ourselves," Li Feiyu said solemnly.

Gu Yue Fang Yuan remained silent for a long while, his voice hoarse as he spoke:

"You think no one searched for them? Pudu Temple, Tianfo Cliff, Mingyue Monastery, Changsheng Pavilion, Ye Zhetian Trading Guild, Immortal Court—all these factions have searched for them. But over time, the original search for people turned into exploration."

"Everyone's traces are gradually vanishing; even their sects and factions no longer remember them!"

"Only a few, those closest to them, still recall—but even those memories are fading."

"Did you see those children? Some of them can no longer remember their parents. I've only taken in the children of itinerant cultivators or young disciples of solitary cultivators, to care for them."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan's shocking words exploded in the minds of those present.

"Nonsense," Gao Sheng frowned tightly. He wanted to say something, but finally calmed himself. "Apologies. Please continue."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan smiled helplessly and went on.

"I sound like a madman, don't I?"

"I know. Sometimes I wonder if I've gone mad, or if I've been possessed by a demonic force and lost my way. But I can't forget—those friends who once drank and chatted with me."

"They never emerged from the ruins of Penglai."

As Gu Yue Fang Yuan spoke, he showed no sorrow, no excitement. He sat quietly in his seat, recounting an unbelievable tale.

Yet it was precisely his demeanor that made others believe him slightly—that instinctive, numb yet resolute search for a lifeline after utter despair.

"That little monk's technique seems to be the Pure Lotus Art—the very method taught only by direct disciples of Putuosi," Li Feiyu glanced at the monk and said, "Do you have proof for any of this?"

"Of course I do," Gu Yue Fang Yuan nodded, rising. "Please, fellow cultivators, follow me."

Seeing Qu Yanping never imagined a simple exploration had suddenly turned so bizarre. He knew how many hidden cards cultivators in this world possessed—if what Gu Yue Fang Yuan claimed was true, then the danger of the Penglai Ruins had escalated to a level where even resurrection techniques might not guarantee safety.

He followed closely behind the three, his mind racing.

It was the most foolish thing to risk one's life for opportunity. Though wealth and honor come from daring, one must still live to enjoy them.

'Let me learn more. If he's telling the truth, then this exploration is over. Thinking about it now is pointless—first, let's see what Gu Yue Fang Yuan truly intends.'

They walked straight through the hall, descending the stairs. From the outside, no one had suspected the building had a basement level.

Gu Yue Fang Yuan channeled his spiritual energy, drawing a talisman on a heavy iron door that clashed with the building's style. Instantly, the surrounding space began to warp.

'Spatial displacement? No—he's not moving us. He's pulling another space here.'

Seeing Qu Yanping instantly understood his intent. He raised his guard and confirmed the resurrection mechanism he'd set up at Dongtinghu.

The iron door opened. Beyond lay a modern-style corridor, with LED lights evenly spaced along the ceiling, casting bright light that revealed many rooms and large glass windows.

"Fellow cultivators, please," Gu Yue Fang Yuan stepped inside a few paces, then halted and turned back. "We've signed contracts. You needn't fear I'll do anything harmful."

Seeing Qu Yanping, Gao Sheng, and Li Feiyu exchanged glances.

"That's true," Gao Sheng, ever the genial man, stepped right in.

Li Feiyu nodded and followed inside.

Their footsteps echoed softly down the quiet corridor. Scattered green plants lined the walls. Most rooms were empty—just a bed, a pillow, white sheets, and neatly folded quilts.

"This was originally a psychiatric hospital under the Immortal Medical Dao's operations, meant for cultivators who had lost their way. After I took it over, there's now only one patient," Gu Yue Fang Yuan's voice grew quieter.

Seeing Qu Yanping activated his Heavenly Eye again. He saw that the corridor walls and ceiling were engraved with over a dozen complex, densely woven arrays.

The seemingly decorative plants continuously emitted a calming aura—clearly spiritual plants.

"Li Brother, there's something I never told you. The reason I sought you out is because I have some knowledge of your Sky-Controlling Vase," Gu Yue Fang Yuan turned his head slightly, his gaze slipping through strands of black hair toward the rear. "I need your Sky-Controlling Vase to help me."

"I suspected as much," Li Feiyu wasn't surprised. "Heavenly artifacts are rare, but not unheard of. If you merely wished to trade information with the Yuzhe Sect for talismans, you wouldn't have sought me out specifically."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan smiled. "I knew I couldn't fool you, Li Brother."

"So Qu Brother and I are just lucky coincidences, then?" Gao Sheng's tone rose, deliberately exaggerated. "I thought we were truly destined to meet, hey~."

"You're imagining things, Gao Brother," Gu Yue Fang Yuan shook his head. "Only you are the coincidence."

"Fang Yuan Brother, you've hurt me deeply," Gao Sheng clutched his chest.

"But even coincidence proves we're well-matched, doesn't it?" Gu Yue Fang Yuan smiled faintly. "Destiny is itself a product of coincidence."

"Exactly," Seeing Qu Yanping chuckled in agreement. "When I first arrived, I never imagined I'd meet you all. It's a blessing from my past life."

"."

"Yes," Gu Yue Fang Yuan nodded slightly. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is it."

Gu Yue Fang Yuan stopped before a glass window, stepped back two paces, and raised his right arm in gesture.

The others stepped forward. Through the glass, on the large bed inside the room, lay a handsome young man with closed eyes, as if asleep.

But if he were merely sleeping, that would be unremarkable. What troubled the three was the dozen restraints on his body—and his face, strikingly similar to Gu Yue Fang Yuan's.

Seeing Qu Yanping looked at Gu Yue Fang Yuan. "Who is this?"

Gu Yue Fang Yuan placed his five fingers on the door handle. The handle became ethereal, translucent. A beetle, resembling a stag beetle, about the size of two adult palms, flew into his hand.

"This is my younger brother."

Crack! The room door swung open.

The door swung open. Gu Yue Fang Yuan stepped inside, now holding a small porcelain bottle. He uncorked it, walked to the young man's side, and poured a red liquid into his mouth.

"Fang Yuan, is he the proof you mentioned?" Li Feiyu glanced around.

"Correct," Gu Yue Fang Yuan returned the porcelain bottle to his storage pouch. "He is the only one who ever returned alive from the depths of the Penglai Ruins."

The three's gazes sharpened instantly.

"I've never heard of anyone entering the depths of the Penglai Ruins, let alone returning," Li Feiyu said gravely.

"He returned. But not completely," Gu Yue Fang Yuan smiled bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Li Feiyu instinctively moved to press further.

At that moment, Gu Yue Fang Zheng suddenly opened his eyes.

"Brother!!!" Gu Yue Fang Zheng blinked in confusion for two seconds, then thrashed violently, screaming: "I can't tell! I really can't tell!"

(End of Chapter)