Chapter 190: A Single Tune Sets the Tone, The Water Spirit Pearl

……

Just then, a gong sounded, and everyone knew someone was about to answer the riddle of the Wolong Lantern. In an instant, many people rushed toward the West Pavilion, only to see a youth in green robes standing on the platform. The golden silk scroll containing the riddle on the small table had vanished, and even the servant who had been beating the gong in the courtyard was nowhere to be found, leaving only the lamp-tending servant standing guard in the pavilion.

After about half an incense stick's time, the servant who had been beating the gong in the distance hurried over, handed the scroll to the lamp-tending servant, and whispered something to him. Afterward, the lamp-tending servant hung the scroll on the other side of the Wolong Lantern.

"If the injury isn't on one's own body, one will never know the pain. But once it is on one's own body, there will be no room for forgiveness or mercy. Does Sixth Senior Brother really intend to strike such a ridiculous pose? Who wasn't born of parents? Those were two human lives!"

Fuyin Zhenren remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and in the end, he could not utter a single word.

Qianyuan Zhenren saw Lingxiang like this and knew she was truly angry this time, so he hurriedly spoke to Shangqing Zhenren: "Since it is so, let it be decided this way."

Shangqing Zhenren kept his eyes closed and said nothing, but Qianyuan Zhenren knew this was a tacit agreement.

He glanced at Guanxu. Guanxu understood and raised his hand to strike Huiwu's crown, but the very moment he raised his hand, Huiwu suddenly began to laugh. Yet, this laughter sounded as if it came from an entirely different person.

"As expected of Tu Mi's daughter; at such a young age, she actually possesses such a state of mind."

After Huiwu finished speaking, an invisible force of Qi instantly repelled Hanwu, who was standing to the side, and the Binding Spirit Curse on his body was actually broken.

Shangqing Zhenren and the Elders were greatly alarmed. They saw a purple Curse Seal light up on Huiwu's forehead, and then he began to change, starting from the Curse Seal. Before long, he had transformed into—

Bai Wuchang!

The Elders immediately flew down from the Hunyuan Platform, and Bai Wuchang let out another burst of laughter at the sight.

"So that is the Hunyuan Instrument crafted by the ancestors of the Yuanqing Sect; it is truly exquisite." As he spoke, he shook his robes and took a folding fan from his sleeve, beginning to fan himself.

"I have long wanted to observe your sect, but never found the opportunity. Now that I have finally come, why must you all be so enthusiastic as to welcome me together? I, Bai, am truly unworthy of such an honor!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, a Dharma Array appeared beneath his feet. It was none other than Zhaoming Zhenren's Five Elements Subduing Demon Array.

Chengkai heard this and turned to ask Shuzhu: "You say you were thinking the same thing?"

Shuzhu seemed to understand Chengkai's meaning and hurriedly replied: "It's about the same, though I was thinking that even if an ancient giant beast appeared, it would be better than suffering this ordeal. At least it would be an eye-opener."

Chengkai could not help but ponder. He had been thinking much the same thing just moments ago; how could such a coincidence occur? This giant Flood Dragon in the water perfectly matched what the three of them were thinking. If this were truly the case, then the mystery that Senior Brother Hanyang spoke of...

Thinking of this, he looked up at Shuzhu. Shuzhu also nodded in agreement, then said:

Bai Wuchang did not receive a response for a long while and turned to look.

"You have been somewhat absent-minded in your work lately. Do you need me to give you a little reminder?"

The person heard this and hurriedly said they dared not, explaining only that Lingxiang had been Spirit-Refining alone with no one present, so no information could be gathered.

Bai Wuchang asked again if the Summoning Array Compass on Yinyu Mountain had been found. The person replied that Yinyu Peak had been sealed after the martial arts demonstration, making it impossible to enter and search.

"Since that is the case, keep a close watch."

As Bai Wuchang spoke, he turned and vanished, leaving the person kneeling alone, seemingly lost in thought.

It seems this chess piece is nearing the end of its usefulness; it is time to cultivate another.

……

Seeing the third martial arts demonstration approaching, all the outer sect disciples felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Everyone was on high alert, practicing diligently outside of their lessons.

That was only natural; after all, it was the final demonstration. Regardless of the previous two, only this one could catch the eyes of the Elders and allow for direct promotion to the inner sect.

Success or failure hinges on this one move!

Especially Chengkai, who did not slack off in the slightest during his rest, whether practicing Sword Techniques or meditating on the Dao; he was giving it his all.

In contrast, the four in Long Qi's courtyard seemed extremely lethargic, all looking listless, and even Liu Xia seemed less enthusiastic about cultivation.

Alv was greatly alarmed upon hearing this. How could the Madam possess such power...

"Those with the Heavenly Star Spirit Root are born with a certain ability, and what the Madam possesses is the 'Knowledge of Heaven'."

Knowledge of Heaven! Isn't that the legendary power of precognition!?

Alv was filled with astonishment, but Ajin continued walking forward without looking back.

"However, having superior talent is not necessarily a good thing. This power is too strong for the Madam; her mortal body cannot withstand it. Having been eroded by this power since childhood, her life-fire has long been flickering. Thus, no matter how good her talent is, she cannot cultivate."

"Then... in that case..."

"That's right. Even the scheme you used to harm her was something she had long foreseen." As he spoke, his figure shifted and transformed into human form; they had arrived outside the Madam's door.

Ajin pushed open the door, signaled for Alv to enter, and cast a spell immediately after closing the door.

Alv remembered that when coming to the Madam's room before, there was always a faint scent of sandalwood, but now there was not a wisp of smoke in the incense burner. The room was filled with nothing but Ajin's Ancient God Qi.

"Alv, you have come."

Hearing the City Lord's wife speak from behind the curtains instantly brought Alv back to her senses, and she hurriedly prostrated herself.

"Do not stay so far away. I do not fear you; come closer..." The City Lord's wife was somewhat weak, making her speech sound like a sigh.

Alv entered the curtains upon hearing this but remained prostrated beneath the bed. The City Lord's wife did not force the issue, only sighed lightly and said:

"In two more days, my husband will return from the Upper City, but I will not be able to wait for him. I am leaving tonight."

Upon hearing this, Alv was so shocked she sat up, but the City Lord's wife continued:

"Although I am unwilling, it is the will of Heaven. What I cannot let go of most is my husband. He is a man of deep affection; if he returns to find me gone, he will surely fall into despair. As for my son, he looks so frail..."

Ask why?

Firstly, he had been living in fear and trepidation lately, being overly cautious and guarding against Banxia everywhere, which consumed too much of his energy. Secondly, ever since the last martial arts demonstration, he always felt as if there was a surge of Qi colliding within his body, yet he could never grasp it, leading to a sense of frustration and thus some laziness.

Long Qi was even more distracted all day long, always fantasizing during his cultivation about the days he would live on Qingwei Peak with Lingxiang, unable to settle his mind at all.

And Xin Yi was even worse. Ever since he saw the tattoo on Maidong's arm, he had preferred to stay alone, either sitting on a rock in deep thought or lying motionless in his room with the door tightly shut, his entire being filled with an aura of decadence.

With these three like this, Zhao Wuyang was even more so. Being young, he found it difficult to penetrate the profound moral meanings in the books, and with no one to correct his swordsmanship, he could only sigh listlessly at his books every day.

The moment Lingxiang stepped into the room, she saw the lax state of the few. She could understand Xin Yi being this way, but why the other three were like this left her...

"Wei is the most timid among us, so he shouldn't have had that thought, but when the giant Flood Dragon appeared, it only ate him. I reckon that at the time, his thought must have been something like 'this monster is going to eat me,' which is why he was swallowed in one gulp."

Shanhuai only then grasped the meaning behind their words: "Are you saying that here, whatever one thinks will happen? This... this is too absurd!"

Shuzhu looked at Chengkai upon hearing this, and the latter hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Whether it is so, a trial will tell." Shuzhu, having received a signal from Chengkai, spoke: "Let us all think together that daylight is coming quickly, and see if this place can brighten up."

Thus, the three tried hard to focus their thoughts on what Shuzhu had said, but after a long while, there was no sunrise; it remained incomparably dim.

However, at this very moment, the water suddenly churned, and the giant Flood Dragon from before appeared once again!

Chengkai was startled at the sight: Could it be that what he had just thought was wrong?

Shuzhu was also wearing a blank expression, staring at the giant Flood Dragon before them, not daring to move—could it be that it had heard the three of them talking and had doubled back for a surprise attack?

Yet at this time, Shanhuai scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"My apologies, just now I couldn't help but think about this giant Flood Dragon, I didn't expect it to actually come back."

Upon hearing this, Chengkai hurriedly covered Shanhuai's mouth; it was still unknown whether the previous conjecture was correct or not, and if it were wrong, then this giant Flood Dragon certainly did not return because of what Shanhuai had thought.

And just at this

The Dharma Array emitted a burst of golden light, instantly enveloping Bai Wuchang, but Bai Wuchang gave a calm smile, shifted his body, and actually dodged away.

Just as Bai Wuchang had dodged, True Person Chengxin thrust his sword over; a cold glint flashed, but it only grazed the hem of Bai Wuchang's robe.

At this moment, two talismans flew toward his face; they were the Heavenly Origin Demon-Driving Talisman thrown by True Person Donghui. Bai Wuchang had nowhere to dodge, but he only gave a soft laugh, turned the folding fan in his hand, and actually caught the two talismans steadily.

Looking at the torn fan surface in his hand, he sighed softly: "It was the one I liked the most, who would have thought it would end up like this; it is truly a pity, a pity indeed..."

After speaking, he turned around and reached out to attack True Person Fuyin, who was about to make a move. True Person Fuyin was in the middle of pinching the Heavenly Dipper Formula and did not anticipate Bai Wuchang suddenly attacking him. With nowhere to dodge, True Person Shangqing shifted his body from the Hunyuan Platform to block in front of him, steadily receiving Bai Wuchang's move.

The two sides one

At this time, the sound of a gong rose again, and one could only hear the servant beating the gong singing loudly:

"The Wolong Lantern riddle is solved, the lantern prize is one Prisoner Ox Ancient Zither!"

The crowd outside the pavilion gasped upon hearing this, scrambling to look into the pavilion. The lantern-tending servant hung up the scroll and stepped aside, only to see written on the golden silk scroll: "Black dragon climbs the wall, body draped in ten thousand golden stars."

The antithetical couplet is indeed about to bloom."

Purple-leaf Golden Cloud Flower? I have never heard of it.

Shoucheng approached in confusion, only then seeing that this old man and young girl were squatting and guarding a potted plant, but the plant had purple stems and leaves, and there were two white buds on it, looking like Epiphyllum.

Could Junior Aunt have called him awake in the middle of the night just to run over and see this flash-in-the-pan Epiphyllum?

No! Epiphyllum is a plant of summer and autumn; now that spring is about to begin, how could it be an Epiphyllum?

Just as Shoucheng was full of questions, he saw a ray of clear moonlight fall, landing precisely on the potted plant. Those two buds seemed to be constantly absorbing the Spirit Power within the moonlight, actually showing signs of opening.

"Hey, hey! Look, look, I, the old man, didn't lie to you, did I!" Zhuzhang Laoren said, his face full of smugness.

Lingxiang seemed to have no time to pay attention to him, just holding her breath and focusing on the Purple-leaf Golden Cloud Flower, as if she were afraid that if she lost focus for a moment, the flower bud would become shy and refuse to bloom.

One could see the petals opening layer by layer as they were irrigated by the moonlight. The originally white buds slowly turned golden as they bloomed, and the petals seemed to be plated with a layer of golden light, with wisps of pure Spirit Qi lingering within them.

Shoucheng had never seen such a scene and was stunned for a moment.

Just at this time, Zhuzhang Laoren suddenly opened his mouth: "You can't take your eyes off it already? This is just the outer petals opening; it will be truly exquisite when the flower bud fully opens later and the stamen is revealed!"

Indeed, now only some of the outer silk-like petals had spread open, and there were still buds inside that remained closed, yet it was already dazzlingly extraordinary.

"If this treasure is to fully bloom, it will still take another hour or two!" The look of smugness on Zhuzhang Laoren's face grew even more, as if he were showing off.

This...

Isn't this just an Epiphyllum?

Shoucheng thought this in his heart and asked it out loud; Zhuzhang Laoren heard this and smacked his lips, glancing at him sideways.

"Calling it an Epiphyllum is not wrong, but there are a hundred kinds of flowers, aren't there? This one took thirty years to sprout, thirty years to grow branches, thirty years to form a cage, and after forming the cage, it had to wait another ten years to reach today. I, the old man, put a lot of effort into it; how can it be compared to an ordinary Epiphyllum?"

"Let's just say it's a hundred years, you still have to insist on it like this, as if you're afraid I'll take advantage of you for nothing." Lingxiang stared fixedly at the flower cage and said.

Neat, but this first line of the couplet has not yet been solved, and the second line is another riddle, and there is no sign of the gong-beating servant giving an explanation.

Lingxiang remained standing there in a daze until she took the Prisoner Ox Ancient Zither, and only after Long Qi shook her twice did she come back to her senses.

"Soul, return! Spirit, return!" Long Qi mimicked the ancients, saying, "As the saying goes, wealth should not be exposed. You holding this zither like this, could it be that you want to show off to outsiders? Why not hurry up and put it into your little cloth bag? Are you waiting for someone to snatch it away?"

Hearing him say this, Lingxiang hurriedly pinched a hand seal to store the Prisoner Ox Ancient Zither into her Universe Bag, but she was still puzzled in her heart. The Long Family had met with disaster, and Long Qi had been wandering the streets since he was a child; how could he have such talent to be able to solve this lantern riddle?

Thinking this, she blurted out the question, but Long Qi wore a mysterious expression, just walking forward with his hands behind his back, not answering.

Naturally, this lantern riddle was not solved by Long Qi, but thinking about it, he must have been thinking that he would definitely have to pay his respects to the old man who sold the lanterns at Banshan Temple; those twenty copper coins were not asked for in vain!

"Since that's the case, I'll give you another good thing, come over here." The lantern-selling old man beckoned, signaling that he had something to say.

Long Qi did not doubt him, and after he leaned his ear over, he only heard the old man say:

"There will be a grand prize at the lantern festival today, and I think that young lady will definitely be extremely interested. This old man will do you a favor and tell you what I've heard. I heard that the lantern riddle is a couplet, seemingly elusive, but actually extremely ordinary; it's just a daily-use item. The first line written is 'White snake crosses the river, a red sun atop its head,' which actually refers to the oil lamp used by ordinary families. Thus, you can use a balance scale to match it, and write 'Black dragon climbs the wall, body draped in ten thousand golden stars' for the second line; you will definitely be able to win the top prize."

"Since it can win the top prize, why don't you go, old man?" Long Qi asked, puzzled.

"Hey! ~ This old man is old