IS Chapter 149

Chapter 149

There’s a Peach Blossom Mountain in the southeast.

Peach Blossom Mountain has mortals, fox spirits, and other kinds of spirits. There’s also a dilapidated Daoist temple.

The dilapidated Daoist temple has a couplet at its entrance, weathered by wind and rain, almost illegible. The right side reads, “Has yet to attain the supreme Dao,” and the left side reads, “Difficult to save those with karmic ties.”

There’s no horizontal inscription, perhaps the temple’s name was inscribed above, serving as one.

Horizontal inscription: The Unsaved Temple.

“Is the old Daoist inside still alive? Doesn’t he usually keep the door closed? Why is it open today?” a woodcutter passing by asked his companion.

“He’s alive, saw him eating roasted chicken a couple of days ago.”

“At his age, with no one to claim his body, it’s not a good situation. If you ask me, he still needs to take in a disciple.”

“Didn’t he have a little Daoist before? He ran off.”

“It’s better to be a layperson.”

“It’s better to be a—”

The two woodcutters stopped in unison, widening their eyes, staring blankly at the person walking towards them.

Until the person expressionlessly walked past them, a chill brushed against their bodies.

Several breaths passed before the two dared to turn their heads.

“What… what was that just now?”

“A fox spirit… probably.”

“Can fox spirits grow to look like that? If they looked like that, they’d have gone down the mountain to harm people long ago.”

“Then… a peach blossom spirit?”

“Peach blossom spirits don’t dress like that either!”

“Anyway, it doesn’t look like a person, let’s go, let’s go, don’t go into the mountains for the next few days, let’s go. Hiss, it’s cold.”

While saying “let’s go,” they couldn’t help but grip their wood-chopping knives tightly and glance back.

—Only to see a flash of crimson clothing, disappearing into the door of The Unsaved Temple.

The outside of The Unsaved Temple is dilapidated, and the inside is just as clean and simple. In Daoist terms, it’s called returning to simplicity.

An old Daoist with graying hair, wearing a cyan-blue feather robe, stood beneath the equally simple statue of the Heavenly Master. The Heavenly Master’s statue was also weathered by wind and rain, its face illegible, not knowing which deity it was, but it didn’t matter. In Daoist terms, this is called Dao following nature.

However, the visitor’s attire did not return to simplicity. The visitor’s appearance also did not follow Dao’s nature.

The old Daoist’s action of stroking his beard froze halfway, staring directly at the face of the visitor.

After a long while, he uttered a word: “Thin.”

Ye Zhuo: “Where is it thin?”

“Thin fortune, thin life, thin karmic ties.”

Ye Zhuo returned the gaze indifferently, his expression without much fluctuation.

Many people have said his life was thin. In the end, their lives became very thin.

“Oh, that’s what the physiognomy books say,” the old Daoist said. “Actually, it’s just praising your good looks. Please, sit down, please, sit down.”

Ye Zhuo sat down.

Years of vines blocked the sunlight from outside the door, the old Daoist lit a green lamp on the table, illuminating the visitor’s face a little more.

Actually, Daoist sects don’t like excessively dazzling figures like this for disciples, nor do they like overly distinct and sharp personalities. They prefer those who are easily forgotten, moderate and peaceful. Only such people can achieve great skill that appears clumsy, without sharp edges or corners, in their Daoist cultivation.

But being so pleasing to the eye is also good. It’s just that his old bones are a little afraid of catching a cold.

The old Daoist sized up Ye Zhuo, and Ye Zhuo also looked at him.

The woodcutters were already thinking about claiming the old Daoist’s body, Ye Zhuo thought that would probably take a long time, this old Daoist was almost more like a mortal than Great Master Xia.

“This old Daoist’s full name is Xiaoyao Rang. I call myself Xiaoyao Old Daoist,” the old Daoist said.

“Ye Zhuo.”

“Aren’t you curious why my surname is so peculiar?”

“Your disciple said you just randomly picked it from a book.”

“…Heh heh. But the meaning within it—”

“Was also made up by yourself.”

Hearing this, Xiaoyao Old Daoist coughed a few times, finally saying, “Little friend Ye, did you come to the temple to care for and visit me on behalf of that rebellious disciple Wei Sheng Xian? There’s no need to go to such great lengths, this old Daoist just told him to get out, didn’t say he couldn’t occasionally roll back.”

“No,” Ye Zhuo said, “I came to ask about matters of the Immortal Realm.”

The old Daoist wailed loudly, “Xiaoyao Rang, you’re truly being sentimental!”

“.”

West Sea, Heavenly Pool.

On the Natal Lotus Pond, the Lian Family Head returned after leaving.

Parting the densely growing lotus leaves, the Lian Family Head once again sailed deep into the pond near the crystal-red lotus flower. He stopped here, recalling the trajectory of seeing off the distinguished guest named “Li Yuan” just now, drifting about three zhang in that direction.

Then, the Lian Family Head glanced to the side and behind.

—Having closed the sect for many years to avoid disaster, as the current head of the family, the Lian Family Head was an exceptionally meticulous person.

Therefore, he clearly remembered that it was when he reached this point that Li Yuan subconsciously glanced in that direction, then retracted his gaze.

When a visitor comes to a place like the Natal Lotus Pond, which is vital to the sect, according to etiquette and rules, they shouldn’t look or ask too much. Therefore, Li Yuan said nothing, but the Lian Family Head still remembered that instant of movement.

Was there something attracting his attention?

The Lian Family Head meticulously sailed in that direction, releasing his spiritual sense to detect, and finally sensed a strange, seemingly pulsating aura.

—After a long while, the Lian Family Head furrowed his brows deeply in confusion.

Summoning a transmission talisman, he said, “Please summon the two old family heads.”

Dragon Realm, Cloud Firmament Heaven Sea.

Among the clouds, a golden dragon figure leaped out, soaring upwards, landing on the jade steps floating in the Cloud Firmament Heavenly Palace, transforming into a tall, handsome youth in a brocade golden robe.

On both sides of the jade steps, the palace attendants of the Heaven Sea tribe bowed to him, calling him “Crown Prince.”

He walked forward, the wide jade steps stretching forward, connecting to the solemn and magnificent nine-layered golden palace behind the sea of clouds, with towering heavenly pillars standing on both sides, carved with lifelike ancient true dragon statues, their indifferent dragon eyes looking down, as if having transcended countless ages.

The golden dragon did not look to the sides, entering the main hall of the Cloud Firmament Heavenly Palace.

The most dazzling thing in the hall was not the splendid and spacious furnishings, but the ubiquitous lampstands. Made of bronze at the base, shaped like strange beasts, growing upwards like trees, forming interconnected lampstands, with ever-burning candles inserted within. If they were all lit, the entire hall would be filled with thousands of lights shining brilliantly.

The golden dragon race loved such all-encompassing light the most. Even though the Heavenly Palace was above the high heavens and already brightly lit, they didn’t mind lighting additional candles to increase the brilliance.

But the lamps in the main hall of the Cloud Firmament Heavenly Palace had been extinguished for many years.

Seated at the head of the main hall was the Golden Dragon Clan Ancestor. Also the old ancestor of the entire Dragon Realm.

The golden dragon youth who entered the hall lowered his head slightly, stepping forward to respectfully salute: “Old Ancestor.”

The Dragon Ancestor’s voice faintly transmitted down.

“Li Yuan has returned?”

“Replying to Old Ancestor, I went to see, he has returned,” the golden dragon said, “He’s in Abyss Sea, refusing to see anyone.”

“Not even you?”

“Not seeing anyone.”

“He returned alone? Do you know what happened?”

“Yes, only him. The young brother’s temperament has always been cold, never showing his thoughts to others. I heard from the palace attendants of Abyss Sea that this time he only brought back a few volumes of Buddhist scriptures, a fairy lotus, and other than that, nothing can be seen.”

“Was he injured?”

“Shouldn’t be.”

After a long silence, the Dragon Ancestor’s gaze fell on the young golden dragon, saying, “Some time ago, the old thing from the Heart Beast clan sent a letter, indirectly saying that if there are any juniors in the Dragon Realm having a happy event, remember to invite it to be the matchmaker. I wanted you to find out what the reason was, is there any result?”

The golden dragon broke out in a cold sweat: “This matter…”

His younger brothers and sisters, ever since Li Yuan stopped beating them up so much, had all relaxed their cultivation. If talking about romantic debts, there were thousands of entanglements, but if talking about a proper happy event that would be worthy of an ancient ancestor from another realm acting as a matchmaker, there was no such thing.

Seeing the golden dragon below looking around and avoiding the topic, the Dragon Ancestor knew how well he had handled the matter. A useless thing.

The Dragon Ancestor’s gaze finally quietly landed on the interconnected bronze lampstand beside him that had already been extinguished.

After a long time, the young golden dragon heard a sigh like passing clouds and smoke.

“Do not long for, do not long for. The bright candles are extinguished, a time for heartbreak,” the Dragon Ancestor said, “You are the eldest brother. If he doesn’t come out, then you go to Abyss Sea and wait, bring along Xian Zhu and Yao Zhu. If he doesn’t come out in a day, then you all guard him for a day. Report any unusual movements to me.”

Although he didn’t understand why such a large formation was needed, the golden dragon still respectfully replied, “Yes.”

As the voice fell, he only heard a reminding voice from above: “—Do not let him repeat the mistake of Zhen Yuan.”

The golden dragon’s expression became solemn.