Chapter 61 Fate [Second Update] Fate has its own arrangements; this can be considered a reunion...

Mu Meng didn't tell anyone that the monsters attacking Yunze Realm were targeting him.

Who knows when that thing will make a comeback? If she tells anyone, it will only make everyone worry about her.

After that day, Mu Meng calmed down and reflected. That person's spiritual power should be stronger than hers. If he only wanted to kill her, she really didn't know what the outcome would have been. But if she died, the Crimson Heart Pill would lose its effect, so the monster didn't kill her.

From this perspective, as long as he still wants the Red Heart Pill, he will try to dissect her alive. Until he finds a way, at least her life is temporarily safe.

After waiting for three days in Yunze Realm without any movement, Mu Meng figured that since the monster already knew that Yunze Realm didn't have what it wanted, it probably wouldn't return.

Thinking this way, Yunze should be safe. However, Mu Meng believed that to be on the safe side, he should still advise Uncle Yun to take his clan to stay with the Celestial Clan for a while. Although the monster did not find the Azure Phoenix Feather in the Peach Blossom Formation, he did not stop and leave after he came out. Instead, he activated the All-Kill Formation, wanting to kill the entire Yunze. Such a heart is really vicious. Who knows if he will come back and kill innocent people indiscriminately.

To be on the safe side, it's best to avoid it.

After taking care of everything, Mu Meng had nothing to do, so he went to the Ghost Realm to ask Lu Zhaoxin about Yu Sheng.

Unfortunately, Lu Zhaoxin went to inspect the human realm and won't be back for a while.

Finally, Mu Meng had no choice but to return to her Kunlun Realm. Now, with a heavy weight on her mind, she practiced her skills desperately whenever she had free time. While cultivating, she counted the days, and soon it was time to water the Si'an Flower for the eighth time.

Lu Zhaoxin had repeatedly instructed that the first seven waterings only required a rough estimate of the time, but the eighth watering was the most crucial and the date had to be strictly calculated. Mu Meng had already deeply etched this day into his mind.

Feng Xixue, of course, also remembered it well.

Speaking of which, Mu Meng hadn't seen him for a while. Actually, when Yun Zejing was in trouble that day, she rushed there immediately, and Feng Xixue came afterward as well. She could sense that he was always far away on the outskirts.

However, by the time he arrived, the monster had already run away, and Feng Xixue should have realized there was no danger, so she did not approach.

Mu Meng remembered that Feng Xixue had mentioned wanting to talk to Zhe Qing. She originally wanted to find Feng Xixue, but she was too busy that night and planned to talk to her the next day. However, Zhe Qing ran away.

In this way, Mu Meng did not mention to Feng Xixue that he had seen Zhe Qing.

These days she was out running around, and Feng Xixue always kept a distance that was far enough away but still close enough to arrive instantly. Until this day, Feng Xixue finally appeared in front of her.

*

Early in the morning, when Feng Xixue came looking for Mu Meng, she was already planning to set off.

“It’s perfect that you’re here. Let’s go together,” Mu Meng said to Feng Xixue. “Lu Zhaoxin has been busy in the mortal realm recently, but she should be back today. I’ll take this opportunity to ask her about Miss Yu Sheng. I didn’t know much before, but now that we have another clue, perhaps Lu Zhaoxin will have some ideas.”

The fact that she could not live past the age of twenty in each lifetime should be considered an important piece of information, but Mu Meng, out of consideration for Feng Xixue's feelings, did not say it directly.

Feng Xixue naturally understood her intentions and nodded quietly. He was not a silver-tongued person, and at times like this, he was even more tongue-tied, so he could only say in a very sincere voice, "Thank you."

"Don't be shy, let's go."

The two of them were masters among masters, and it didn't take them long to reach the Ghost Realm.

The gates to the Ghost Realm were usually closed, but today they were strangely wide open. Mu Meng and Feng Xixue exchanged a glance. She suppressed her curiosity and quickened her pace to step forward.

Before they even reached the door, they saw a man dressed in a magnificent and noble red and gold robe hurrying out.

Upon seeing that it was Lu Zhaoxin, Mu Meng immediately raised his voice and asked, "Zhaoxin, are you going out on business?"

Lu Zhaoxin had an unusually serious expression and walked hurriedly. His usually meticulously combed hair was slightly messy, but he didn't care.

It's really strange, I've never seen him like this before. "I'll take care of my flowers. If you have something to do, you can go ahead and do it. I'll go in by myself so as not to disturb you, okay?"

“Mengmeng, I was just about to look for you,” Lu Zhaoxin saw Mu Meng as soon as he stepped out. He didn’t respond to her words until he stood in front of her, then frowned and said in a low voice, “Mengmeng, I just returned this morning. I went to the flower bed just now and your Si'an flower is gone.”

Mu Meng's heart sank, and he immediately turned to look at Feng Xixue.

Although Feng Xixue did not speak, her expression was extremely cold, and a trace of worry immediately appeared between her brows. She knew that he was always calm and composed. If his face showed clear anxiety, his heart must be in turmoil. It was already extremely rare for him to remain silent and not lose his composure.

After all, even she was startled, let alone Feng Xixue.

Suppressing his unease, Mu Meng composed himself and asked, "How could they be missing? Did someone from within the Ghost Realm tamper with them, or did someone from the outside break in and steal my flowers?"

“It’s an outsider who broke in. None of the little devils under my jurisdiction have the guts to do this,” Lu Zhaoxin said with a cold expression and narrowed eyes. “They’ve waded into my ghost realm with their dirty hands and feet. If I catch them, I will not let them off easily.”

“Of course, but is it too late for us to arrest them now? Can Si’an Flower survive after leaving the soil of the Ghost Realm?” Mu Meng was also furious, but he had not lost his composure. The villain must be severely punished, but the most important thing right now is Si’an Flower.

If the flower can still survive, then we should catch the thief as quickly as possible and take the flower back; if it is no longer useful, then catching the thief is not the most important thing at the moment, but to find a way to quickly cultivate another Si'an flower.

Feng Xixue clearly thought the same thing. He stared intently at Lu Zhaoxin, his thin lips slightly pursed, waiting for him to say something.

Lu Zhaoxin said, "Once the Si'an Flower is pulled out of the soil, it is considered to be in use. If we can do our best to find it within half a month, I can do my best to keep it fresh for a year. But after a year, the Si'an Flower will gradually wither, and then no one can do anything about it."

One year.

Mu Meng's face was ashen. He had searched for Feng Xixue for thousands of years without success. A year was too short; it was practically a fantasy.

“No, a year… that’s too tight. I’m afraid it won’t be enough time,” Mu Meng bit her lower lip and frowned. “Zhao Xin, otherwise we can slowly investigate this thief. Right now, the most urgent thing is to cultivate another Si An Flower, and we need to do it quickly, preferably immediately—”

“Mengmeng,” Lu Zhaoxin interrupted her, his hand loosely clenched into a fist and pressed against his lips, coughing lightly to cover his mouth, “I never thought this would happen, so I never told you. A person can only have one Si’an flower. This flower that belongs exclusively to Miss Yu Sheng has already grown, and there can never be a second one.”

Mu Meng slowly clenched his fist.

In that case, we can only give it our best shot.

Feng Xixue had remained silent until now, when she finally moved her lips slightly, a chilling glint in her eyes. “Please, Lord Ghost King, lead the way. I wish to see the Spirit Flower Pool and find some clues to follow.”

His voice was calm and cold, clearly indicating that he was suppressing his emotions.

She remained calm, neither complaining nor blaming, but suppressing her anger and focusing on what she should be doing at that moment. Mu Meng thought the same way, looking up at Lu Zhaoxin: "That's right, since there's only one way to go right now, let's act quickly and find the flower."

As for whether they can find Yu Sheng within a year, they will do their best.

At this critical juncture, Lu Zhaoxin abandoned his usual playful demeanor and, disregarding whether Feng Xixue's status qualified her to enter the Spirit Flower Pool, pointed to the gate and said, "Please."

The three arrived at the Spirit Flower Pool. Feng Xixue went in faster than Mu Meng, her deep eyes like those of a hawk, carefully examining every detail and not letting any clue slip by.

Seeing his expression, Lu Zhaoxin understood something and lowered his voice to ask Mu Meng, "Mengmeng, so you were raising this flower for him? Then the Yu Sheng you're looking for is actually the one he's looking for too?"

It was so obvious that Lu Zhaoxin wouldn't believe it even if he denied it, so Mu Meng nodded: "Mm."

Lu Zhaoxin turned his gaze back to Feng Xixue—this person possessed extraordinary spiritual power, and under Mengmeng's guidance, cultivating a Si'an Flower would be as easy as taking candy from a baby. Seeing his anxious concern, it must be for someone extremely precious to him, yet he didn't cultivate the flower himself, but instead entrusted it to Mengmeng.

Unless... his spiritual power is too much for Si'an Flower to handle.

With a slight shift in his eyes, Lu Zhaoxin seemed to understand something, but being an extremely intelligent and shrewd person, he didn't ask a single question.

Mu Meng bent down to examine the remaining spiritual energy, suppressing her anger and resentment, her mind racing—because of Lu Zhaoxin's special care, her flower was the most hidden in the Spirit Flower Pool. Although it was in the best bloom, it was still very difficult to find. Moreover, there were plenty of beautiful and easy-to-pick Si'an flowers by the pool. Why did this thief choose her one?

Mu Meng pondered for a while, wondering if this was another attack on her, and then told Lu Zhaoxin about her doubts.

Lu Zhaoxin listened, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "I don't think so. If this person harbors ill intentions towards you, he would simply target you. This Si'an flower is for strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing the vital energy, and besides, you didn't cultivate it for yourself. What's the point of him uprooting it? Furthermore..."

He lowered his eyes, looking at the flower root he had just taken out of the soil, and carefully and gently stroked it. "Besides, the flower root is still there. I can feel that the flower is still intact. If this person really wanted to provoke you, why didn't he destroy the flower immediately after pulling it up? Why is he keeping it? Does he expect you to take it? I think he probably wants to use it himself."

That's right, she's just being paranoid.

Mu Meng agreed with Lu Zhaoxin's statement, but still found it strange: "But of all the Si'an flowers in this pond, my flower is the most hidden and the hardest to reach. Why did he go to all that trouble to take that one?"

“Perhaps he recognized it as the best flower in the Spirit Flower Pool, perhaps…” Lu Zhaoxin pondered for a moment, “Perhaps the flower’s owner, Miss Yu Sheng, is a person with an extreme destiny, so none of the flowers in the pool were lost, but hers was. It’s as if fate is trying to destroy her.”

Mu Meng was startled, recalling that Feng Xixue had once said with certainty that Yu Sheng would never live past twenty in any of her lifetimes. It seemed that this was consistent with Lu Zhaoxin's words.

She hurriedly asked, "What does 'extreme fate' mean? Is it because her soul was born with malevolent energy?"

“No. Extreme destinies are not innate. If that were the case, then it would be troublesome,” Lu Zhaoxin frowned. “Extreme destinies can only be formed by the most insidious and vicious curses with extremely strong spiritual power. In other words, it means that someone has harmed you.”

He was always carefree and cheerful, but the words he uttered were more sinister and terrifying than those spoken by ordinary people.

Mu Meng felt her heart race slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Could this extreme fate... lead to a short and premature death?"

Lu Zhaoxin said, "This is the most basic thing."

This is the most basic thing; that is to say, there are other terrible and painful things.

Mu Meng glanced at Feng Xixue, who was carefully investigating ahead. His long eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his gaze was cold. He didn't miss even the smallest detail—he was so focused on his search that he didn't even hear their hushed conversation.

Feng Xixue's worries were not unfounded. Miss Yu Sheng's soul was growing weaker and weaker. They could not wait for the hundred-year deadline any longer. Not only because of the one-year limit of the Si'an Flower, but even just to save her life, they had to find her as soon as possible.

We still don't know what Miss Yu Sheng has gone through, what this life will be like, or whether Feng Xixue can bear it.

Mu Meng nodded and whispered to Lu Zhaoxin, "I understand. We need to find the whereabouts of the Si'an Flower as soon as possible, and then preserve it to prolong its lifespan. I'll leave it to you."

Lu Zhaoxin nodded solemnly, when he suddenly heard Feng Xixue's deep voice from ahead: "Mu Meng, please come here for a moment."

Mu Meng immediately walked over and squatted down next to Feng Xixue: "You've discovered something?"

“Look at this.” Feng Xixue held out his hand to her face, his long, pale fingertips speckled with dirt.

A faint, lingering spiritual energy emanated from the soil. Mu Meng pressed two fingers together, wisps of smoke rising from between them. After examining the soil for a while, she looked up and met Feng Xixue's gaze.

"They are Celestials." The two of them said in unison.

Lu Zhaoxin heard this, frowned, and walked over, completely puzzled: "Celestial Clan? The Celestial Clan is ruled by the Heavenly Emperor, and has the assistance of the Eldest Princess. Their laws are extremely strict. How could there be a madman who comes to the Ghost Realm to steal?"

Mu Meng clenched her fists. If she was only angry before, her anger intensified when she discovered that it was her own clansmen who did it. She sneered repeatedly, "Good, so it was my Heavenly Clan that produced such a dishonest person."

She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth, saying, "The Celestial Clan's registration is overseen by General Xuantian. I will summon him now so he can identify it and immediately know who owns this spiritual power."

Sheng Yuanting arrived quickly, after all, Mu Meng had never issued such an urgent edict before. Upon seeing it, he immediately set off and arrived in the Ghost Realm in less than half an hour.

"Your Highness summoned me so urgently, what urgent matter could it be? I will certainly do my utmost to assist you." Sheng Yuanting hurried in, for Lu Zhaoxin had already given instructions, and no one had stopped him along the way. He bowed respectfully before Mu Meng.

The soil had already been placed on a white porcelain tray. Mu Meng handed the tray to him, "Brother Sheng, could you please investigate and find out who this spiritual energy belongs to?"

Her expression was serious, and it was clear that it was something important. Sheng Yuanting immediately agreed and took the tray to examine it carefully.

After a moment, Sheng Yuanting frowned: "So it was her."

He immediately bowed and clasped his hands, saying in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please allow me to report. This woman is named Lou Qingshuang. She is the descendant of a disgraced official. Her father was a senior minister who committed a serious crime and was personally punished by His Majesty with exile. Originally, her spiritual power was not recorded, but she committed a minor offense a few years ago, so her spiritual power is recorded in the Celestial Clan."

Now that we've found the person, we can't delay any longer. Mu Meng's gaze was cold: "Do you know where this Lou Qingshuang lives?"

"I know. The only place of exile for those who commit serious crimes in the Celestial Clan is the Celestial Granary."

“Alright, we’ll head to Tiancang Realm immediately. Brother Sheng, Feng Xixue, you two come with me,” Mu Meng gave the order in a calm and steady voice, then turned to look at Lu Zhaoxin, “Zhaoxin, I’d like to trouble you to stay in the Ghost Realm and help us search through Miss Yu Sheng’s reincarnations again.”

...

Tiancang Realm.

This place is remote, surrounded by mountains, open and desolate, and a gentle breeze makes the withered grass on the ground tremble.

Zhe Qing, leaning on his bamboo cane, slowly walked towards the border crossing. His slow pace somewhat concealed his physical disability, giving him an air of composure and elegance.

As the scenery at the border gradually became clearer, Zhe Qing saw a person standing at the entrance in the distance. The person had his hands in his pockets, tilted his head slightly, and squinted at him. Judging from his expression, he seemed to be a guard of the Tiancang Realm.

He was dressed in coarse cloth, and his face was stern and unsmiling.

As he approached, the man slowly said, "Stop."

He spoke in a calm, even tone, reminding them, "May I ask what brings you here? This is the Heavenly Clan's place of exile, the Heavenly Granary Realm, which is inhabited by Heavenly Clan members who have been convicted of crimes. Outsiders are not allowed to enter."

Zhe Qing stood firm, gripping the bamboo stick, and said calmly, "I am a celestial official here to question someone."

"Oh...you are a celestial official? Then you should know that the Heavenly Granary is isolated from the world. Once we sinners enter here, we are like the deaf and blind, completely unaware of the outside world." The man looked Zhe Qing up and down, his expression slightly respectful, and pointed to a shallow pool by the door:

"First, I apologize for my rudeness. Please verify your identity. After all, even if there are criminal officers in the Heavenly Granary Realm, they usually come with prisoners. When those officials come, they also verify their identity through the Spirit Pool. Since you have suddenly appeared, as a guard of the Heavenly Granary Realm, I naturally have to carefully verify your identity. I hope you understand."

Zhe Qing nodded: "That's natural."

He calmly walked to the edge of the spirit pool, extended his mutilated left hand, and casually made a cut with his fingertip while holding a knife in his other hand, causing a drop of blood to fall into the spirit pool.

Soon, the blood turned into a bright red, almost invisible mist.

The man raised an eyebrow upon seeing him, immediately bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "So it really is a lord from my Celestial Clan. I was impolite. I am Zhang Yushu. May I ask who you have come all this way to inquire about?"

Zhe Qing said, "There was once a criminal who claimed to be the deposed crown prince of the Heavenly Clan who came here. His name was Mu Qingheng, and he was shrouded in a cloud of black mist, so you couldn't see his face. Is that right?"

Zhang Yushu nodded blankly: "Yes...uh..."

"You have lived here for so long that you are cut off from news, so you should not ask about what is happening outside. This person has committed a serious crime, but there are still some things on his mind, so His Majesty sent me to investigate."

Zhe Qing said coldly, "Take me to see him."