Chapter 146: Why Did You Finally Choose He Ming?!

Fengtian City, Zhao Residence.

The wind and snow of the twelfth lunar month beyond the Great Wall have never known gentleness.

In just over ten minutes, a torrential snowfall had swallowed the entire city in a vast expanse of silvery white.

The north wind howled like ghosts and wolves, carrying icy snow pellets that frantically lashed against the windows, producing a dense, drumbeat-like "pattering" sound.

In contrast, the chess and cards room in the central courtyard of the Zhao Residence was another world altogether.

As the door was pushed open, a wave of cozy warmth mixed with a faint, unusual fragrance greeted them.

In the center of the room, a purple bronze auspicious beast charcoal brazier was burning vigorously, but what burned inside was not ordinary charcoal.

It was valuable crushed spirit meat, smokeless, with a warmth that could penetrate to the marrow.

The floor was covered with a single, enormous hundred-bear pelt, its edges trimmed with a circle of fiery red fox fur.

Double-layered glazed windows shut out the severe cold, misted with a thin layer of condensation, blurring the icy world outside into an impressionistic splash-ink landscape painting.

The heat inside the room confronted the severe cold outside right at this layer of glass, neither willing to yield an inch.

At the mahjong table in the middle sat two people.

One was Zhao Qiao'er, the other was Song Meiqin.

These two stunningly beautiful, top-tier mature women usually wore as little as possible in the warm comfort of their home.

Today, however, both wore proper silk garments underneath, clearly ready to throw on their heavy cloaks and head out at any moment.

On the mahjong table between them lay an unfinished game.

But their minds were completely off the game, instead turning from time to time to look out the window behind them at the sky.

Naturally, they knew about today's events at the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony.

Lu Yuan had kept absolutely nothing from these two wives of his; they were even aware of the plan with the Deity of Beauty.

At such an important moment, the two of them had not gone to the venue.

It wasn't that these two great, beautiful aunts didn't want to go; Lu Yuan had forbidden it.

The two great, beautiful aunts completely understood why Lu Yuan had done this.

After all, when it came to matters of the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony, they were completely clueless and couldn't be of any help.

If they went and, because of something, couldn't help but make a fuss, wouldn't that be purely distracting Lu Yuan?!

The two spent the day at home playing mahjong, partly to distract themselves, partly to pass the time.

The distraction part was certainly real; after playing mahjong for several hours, the two of them had suffered quite a losing streak.

In just this short while, the two combined had lost nearly a thousand yuan.

Good news: they were truly distracted.

Bad news: they were completely distracted by the mahjong.

As the two great, beautiful aunts played mahjong, they kept looking back at the window, at the direction of the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony.

That patch of sky was sometimes overcast with dark clouds pressing down on the city, other times radiant with golden light. Every change made their hearts leap into their throats.

After the Deity of Beauty suddenly left, the sky had finally calmed down for over half an hour, only to suddenly start snowing heavily again.

This left the two great, beautiful aunts feeling terribly anxious, unsure if this snow was related to the events at the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony.

"Relax, that celadon woman will definitely handle it!"

"Hurry up and find someone to fill in, let's play a couple more rounds quickly!"

A sharp, thin voice suddenly rang out from the side. The two great, beautiful aunts looked back and rolled their eyes in unison.

Today's mahjong game was truly a first in their lives.

One refined from celadon porcelain, one a weasel... Good heavens...

At the mahjong table, only Song Meiqin and Zhao Qiao'er were human.

Its two small paws were swiftly counting the money on the table, its black bean-like eyes sparkling with a miserly glint.

Seeing Yellow Braised Chicken's utterly money-grubbing expression, Song Meiqin and Zhao Qiao'er were both left speechless.

Hadn't this creature become a deity? Why was it still so interested in money?

"Play what? We've been playing for several hours, let's just take a break."

Song Meiqin got up and walked to the window, gazing at the increasingly violent wind and snow outside, her delicate brows furrowed.

Zhao Qiao'er also put down her tiles, raising her fine eyebrows slightly as she said,

"Won so much and still not satisfied?"

"If you need money, just say the word to the accounts office."

Hearing this, Yellow Braised Chicken gathered the money even faster, shaking its head like a rattle-drum.

"That's not the same at all!"

"I'm a Household Guardian Immortal, not a Household-Wasting Immortal. How could I just reach out and ask the client for money?"

"Wouldn't that make me an Evil Entity, sucking the client dry?"

At this point, seeing that Zhao Qiao'er and Song Meiqin had stopped playing, Yellow Braised Chicken began to sweep the money on the table while shaking its head and wagging its tail, saying,

"Besides, I'm not short on money. It's the thrill I'm after!"

Listening to Yellow Braised Chicken's words, Zhao Qiao'er and Song Meiqin shook their heads speechlessly for a moment, then stopped paying it any mind.

Finally, the two exchanged a glance, put on their heavy cloaks, and prepared to open the door and go out.

If they weren't allowed to go to the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony venue, waiting at the main gate of their home should be fine, right?

Logically speaking, the Deity of Beauty had been gone for over an hour; she should be back by now.

No matter what, today was just about facing off against that Shen Jizhou, wasn't it?

The two great, beautiful aunts were very clear about the detailed plan for the Celestial Master Grand Ceremony.

When Lu Yuan and the Deity of Beauty had discussed this matter, Song Meiqin and Zhao Qiao'er had both been listening nearby.

"Relax, nothing's gonna happen to Lu Yuan."

"I've taken a look at that kid; his Fate Pattern is brilliant, his life force is incredibly tough. Nothing major will happen to him."

Yellow Braised Chicken said this while sweeping the money, not even looking up.

As for these words, the two great, beautiful aunts turned a deaf ear. Though the words were comforting, they were still terribly worried in their hearts.

Subsequently, the two put on their heavy cloaks, strode out with their long legs, and hurried towards the front courtyard.

When they reached the front courtyard, they saw Wang Fu, who had gone to gather news, rushing back.

Before the two great, beautiful aunts could even open their mouths to ask, the hastily returned Wang Fu panted, out of breath:

"The Master has returned!"

As soon as Wang Fu finished speaking, they saw a large group of people approaching majestically from the street corner.

In the middle was a splendid Celestial Master carriage.

.......

.....

Night had fallen.

Lu Yuan was already comfortably half-reclining on the heated brick bed in the main room of the rear courtyard, with soft cushions propped behind his back.

His wounds had been treated by the best Town Physician Aunt Qiao'er could summon, he had changed into clean clothes, and his whole person exuded a lazy, post-calamity relief.

The two great, beautiful aunts, Zhao Qiao'er and Song Meiqin, hadn't stopped fussing over him since he returned.

They washed him, applied medicine, and now were personally overseeing dinner preparations in the small kitchen.

Celestial Master He Xun hadn't left. He sat on a chair by the edge of the kang bed, his eyes fixed intently on Lu Yuan, his gaze extremely complex.

"You kid, you're truly born with good fortune!"

"Out there, with beauties in both arms... and even a deity-like figure backing you up. At home, you have two wives who dote on you with all their hearts!"

Hearing Celestial Master He Xun's words, Lu Yuan wore an awkward expression as he said,

"Master Uncle, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Celestial Master He Xun curled his lip, not pursuing the matter further.

After all, this was Lu Yuan's own ability; he couldn't envy it.

Right now, his heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat; he desperately wanted to understand one thing.

Earlier, with many people around and Lu Yuan covered in injuries, it wasn't a good time to ask.

Now, he simply couldn't hold back any longer.

"This matter of yours... at first, I thought you'd gone crazy, but later I saw..."

"You really are quite mad!"

"To be honest, if that old fellow Shen Jizhou wasn't obsessed to the bone with top-grade Ritual Tools, your strategy had a ninety-nine percent chance of blowing up in your face!"

Celestial Master He Xun looked at Lu Yuan, unable to help but frown.

As for these words from Celestial Master He Xun, Lu Yuan was completely unfazed.

This was just like the "if only the monster" comments often seen in bullet comments when watching videos back on Earth.

"Master Uncle, you can't say it like that."

"It was precisely because I calculated he had this flaw that I tailored this approach specifically for him."

"If he didn't have this flaw, I naturally have other methods to deal with him. The process would be different, but the result would be the same."

Lu Yuan's tone was very calm, yet it carried an undeniable confidence.

Tailoring a trap to the person was the very foundation of strategy.

Celestial Master He Xun nodded slightly, no longer arguing about this. He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming extremely sharp.

"Fine, even if your calculations were flawless and your plan succeeded."

"Shen Jizhou today was defeated by that... that... Mei..."

For a moment, Celestial Master He Xun stumbled over the Deity of Beauty's name.

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, then immediately chimed in:

"Meimei Sangnei."

"If it feels awkward, just call her Ling Mei. She really is a disciple of our Zhenlong Temple."

Celestial Master He Xun: "..."

"Why does this name sound a bit like a little Japanese flavor..."

"Where did you find her??"

"How is she a disciple of your Zhenlong Temple, and also He Yin's disciple?"

"Why didn't I see her during the New Year period?"

Lu Yuan: "..."

"I brought her back from the Nurturing Malevolence Site after the New Year."

"This matter is a bit complicated to explain; I'll tell you in detail when there's time."

Regarding the Deity of Beauty's name, Lu Yuan had just mentioned it casually at the time.

Since the Deity of Beauty had a Taoist name, a personal name naturally couldn't be left out.

Lu Yuan had a flash of inspiration back then, opened his mouth, and came up with this name.

And then...

The Deity of Beauty actually liked it quite a bit, and so it was settled...

Celestial Master He Xun waved his hand, brushing this odd point out of his mind, his expression turning serious again.

"Today, Shen Jizhou was defeated by Ling Mei, so your strategy can be considered more than half successful."

"Or rather, if you hadn't chosen He Ming at the end, your master's title of Contemporary Celestial Master would already be set in stone."

"You could have already sent someone to Zhenlong Temple to summon your master today."

Celestial Master He Xun leaned forward slightly, asking word by word, his voice filled with extreme bewilderment.

"What I'm most curious about now, and what I absolutely cannot figure out, is..."

"Why did you finally choose He Ming?!"

Celestial Master He Xun's gaze burned, fixed intently on Lu Yuan as if trying to see right through him.

This was the question Celestial Master He Xun had been pondering all day without finding an answer.

Why choose He Ming?!!

In this land beyond the Great Wall, aside from Shen Jizhou, the ones with the most top-tier strength were him and He Ming.

What was the point of choosing He Ming?!!

What was there to gain?!

This simply made no sense!

What level of strength the Deity of Beauty possessed, Celestial Master He Xun didn't know, but...

What Celestial Master He Xun did know was that if He Ming had been serious from the very beginning, he might not necessarily lose to the Deity of Beauty.

Again, this matter was just baffling!

Anyway, Lu Yuan was targeting Shen Jizhou. Once this "Questioning Heaven Challenge" was completely won,

Lu Yuan would definitely replace Shen Jizhou.

In that case, there was simply no need to choose He Ming!

If he had chosen one from the lower four gates back then, they really could have already rushed to Zhenlong Temple on fast horses to bring He Yin over.

But now...

He Ming was a variable!

Between He Ming and his junior brother He Yin, there was old enmity.

The scene of He Yin using He Ming as a jump rope back in the day was still a topic of conversation at some old-timers' drinking tables.

Now that Lu Yuan wanted to seize the Celestial Master position for He Yin, would He Ming be willing?

He Ming would definitely not go easy!

So...

Celestial Master He Xun truly couldn't understand why Lu Yuan would choose He Ming.

Of course.

Celestial Master He Xun didn't have the slightest intention of blaming Lu Yuan.

It was pure curiosity.

After all, when the "Questioning Heaven Challenge" began, He Xun still hadn't figured it out.

Later, when Lu Yuan chose to challenge Shen Jizhou, He Xun still hadn't figured it out.

And the result?

Look at now, Shen Jizhou really lost.

This afternoon, after the Deity of Beauty took the stage, the two sides didn't even exchange blows.

Shen Jizhou conceded defeat on the spot.

After all, being in that state, no matter how tough your bones were, it wouldn't work. One had to know when to yield.

Anyway, this "Questioning Heaven Challenge" business was really close to being pulled off by Lu Yuan!

Wasn't that just outrageous?!

Celestial Master He Xun even felt that he could no longer look at Lu Yuan with the eyes of an elder looking at a junior.

He believed that Lu Yuan's choice of He Ming must conceal deeper calculations.

After He Xun finished speaking, Lu Yuan fell into a period of silence, or rather, deep thought.

"You kid..."

Celestial Master He Xun stared at the silent Lu Yuan, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tentatively asked,

"Could it be that because your master challenged one of the Upper Three Gates back then, you insisted on replicating it exactly and chose the strongest one too?"

For a moment, He Xun felt he was about to hear it.

About to hear that familiar *pfft pfft* sound.

However, this time He Xun was disappointed. When Lu Yuan came back to his senses, he immediately shook his head very honestly and said,

"That wasn't really part of any calculation."

Huh...?

Celestial Master He Xun was stunned, then wore a strange expression as he said,

"Then why the hell did you choose He Ming??"

"Do you have some plan that guarantees victory over him?"

"Beyond the Great Wall, aside from Shen Jizhou, it's him and me!"

"Can you be sure that your whatever Meimei Sangnei can definitely defeat him?"

Hearing Celestial Master He Xun's words, Lu Yuan blinked a few times, then said very seriously,

"This... is really hard to say..."

Celestial Master He Xun: "????"

"What?!?!"

"You kid?!?!"

Coming back to his senses, Celestial Master He Xun pointed a Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger at Lu Yuan's nose and glared, saying,

"What do you mean by that?!"

Lu Yuan looked at Celestial Master He Xun with a bewildered expression and said,

"Just that it's hard to say."

"I really don't know for sure if the Deity of Beauty can definitely defeat He Ming..."

This Lu Yuan truly didn't know.

What could be confirmed now was that the Deity of Beauty could definitely handle anyone below the Grand Celestial Master level.

As for above the Grand Celestial Master level... Well...

Lu Yuan couldn't say for sure.

Celestial Master He Xun: "????"

"Are you fucking joking with me?!"

"No, what other plans do you actually have?!"

Lu Yuan shook his head bluntly and said,

"I really have no other plans."

Celestial Master He Xun:

"????"