Chapter 1 First Enemies Meet

Within the Wuji Path, dark clouds gathered, torrential rain poured down, and mountain streams surged, washing away the muddy remains of flesh and blood...

A tall, thin figure stood in the pouring rain, holding a cicada feather sword. The water vapor washed away the blood from his body.

"Interesting..." His eyes were cold, as was his heart. "Are you trying to force me to my death?!"

The muddy ground steamed up wisps of mist, which gathered against the backdrop of the downpour behind him, and a stout old man gradually emerged as the mist condensed.

"Lord Xuanfeng, we've investigated. They've all been eliminated; there are no survivors."

“Master Qimen,” he said, his voice choked with tears, “I know my status is special, and I have always been without desire or ambition, courteous and humble, seeking only to protect myself. But now, she won’t tolerate me. How am I supposed to face this? Should I continue to endure it?”

The old man raised his head slightly, his eyes resolute yet complex. "Lord Xuanfeng, I am both your teacher and your subject. Whatever decision you make, I will have no objection!"

He looked up at the sky, and the raindrops instantly turned into a waterfall, impacting his last bit of mercy and forbearance. Since there was no way out under the dark clouds, he might as well fight to the death and go all out!

"Immortal Master Qimen has issued a summons for Hall Immortals, secretly recruiting talented individuals. To avoid alerting the enemy, the focus should be on outlying immortal towns. If we can find capable people, perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope..."

"yes!"

...

The market in Qianlong Town was still bustling, but the area in front of the bulletin board under the city gate was even more lively.

The crowd whispered among themselves as they looked at the numerous recruitment notices for Tang Xian'er on the bulletin board.

"Has she been summoning a spirit again?"

"Why are so many branches hiring at the same time? How are we supposed to choose?"

"That's great! The Fox Spirit Hall! Anyone who is interested can sign up, and those who are destined to join will be selected!"

"This is not bad either! The family hall already has a monument, so we're recruiting errand runners!"

"This... it doesn't say whose shrine it is, nor does it say where it came from. It just says it's recruiting spirit mediums with special abilities..."

Everyone looked at the notices on the bulletin board recruiting immortals, and they were all eager to try their luck.

Normally, the conditions for recruiting immortals are extremely strict, with cultivation level alone eliminating many people. Unexpectedly, this recruitment notice did not specify a cultivation period, giving hope to those who have just acquired supernatural abilities.

"Nonsense!" A childish voice came from the crowd.

Everyone turned around and made way for them.

A chubby little girl with double buns on her head, wearing a light green dress, fair complexion, willow-leaf eyebrows, almond eyes, delicate nose, red lips, and a round figure with chubby cheeks, swaggered forward, holding a candied hawthorn.

"Oh! Isn't this Miss Su Yuyao! Sneaking out again? Be careful you get punished by Madam Su when you get back! Hahahaha!"

Su Yuyao glanced at the person who was making fun of her and said, "You're worried about whether I'll be punished or not? You should be worried about whether you'll be fooled!"

She climbed onto the stone bench under the bulletin board, carefully examined each call for volunteers, and shook her head, saying, "None of them will do! None of you can go!"

After saying that, she jumped off the stone block, licked the candied hawthorn, and walked out of the crowd.

"Miss Yao'er, please tell us, why not? Even with the lowered requirements this time, do we still have no chance?"

A fleeting smile appeared on Su Yuyao's lips as she turned her head and said seriously, "It's not that I can't say it, but I won't say it for nothing! It's a family rule that divination never goes unanswered and words are never spoken in vain!"

"Hahaha! That's for sure! Just say it!"

Su Yuyao returned to the bulletin board triumphantly, her little belly sticking out as she said, "Take a good look, all these summons notices have similar handwriting and the same strokes, they must have been written by the same person. No matter how powerful a deity is, they can't be the king of more than two monuments at once! So, these are all fake!"

"Based on the handwriting alone? Miss Yao'er, that's a bit hasty!"

"It's not just the handwriting! I've cast a divination. There are twelve summons in total, six on the top row and six on the bottom row. The divination result is Kan (water) on both the top and bottom rows, indicating danger both inside and out. The person who summoned them must be in deep danger himself, which is why he's gathering talented individuals to seek a glimmer of hope. But even that hope is fraught with danger! In short, this whole thing is extremely ominous!"

Su Yuyao chewed on a candied hawthorn, pacing back and forth as she said, "Don't you guys think about it? Each Monument King has extremely high requirements for the immortals under their jurisdiction. How could they possibly recruit with such broad conditions? These recruitment notices are just to attract people like you who have just developed some supernatural abilities to sign up. Once you get there, who knows what they'll do with you! I think, for your own safety, just treat these recruitment notices as entertainment!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the previously excited and impulsive crowd instantly calmed down, and everyone began to question the authenticity of the summons.

After finishing her candied hawthorn, Su Yuyao opened her purse, looked up at everyone, and continued, "Those who understood and found it helpful, don't forget what you promised!"

Everyone burst into laughter, pulling out copper coins and tossing them into Su Yuyao's purse. "You little rascal! You'd better keep your money safe, or your mother will give you a good beating!"

"Hehe, got it!"

With a grin, Su Yuyao ran into the Yunkelai Restaurant near the city gate, carrying her money bag. She pulled out a handful of copper coins, slapped them in front of the manager, and said, "Boss! A roast chicken, please!"

Two diners were sitting by the window on the second floor of Yunkelai.

“Lord Xuanfeng,” a plump old man with a long white beard asked with a smile, “what do you think of this little girl?”

"Immortal Master Qimen, I need capable people, I don't have time to raise children!" Xuanfeng said through gritted teeth, staring at the fading summons. "That brat is such a hindrance!"

Qi Men stroked his beard and smiled, then called out, "Waiter! Bring me a pot of wine!"

"Okay!"

The waiter was extremely quick; he had barely answered when the wine was on the table.

"Hey waiter, who was that little girl talking so eloquently down there just now? She's so young, and people actually believe what she says!" Qi Men joked.

"You two look like you've come from afar, no wonder you don't know," the waiter said while pouring wine. "She's the late-life daughter of our town's master fortune teller, Mr. Su Yuan, named Su Yuyao! She's the apple of their eye! On the day Miss Yao'er was born, Mr. Su retired from fortune telling, vowing never to tell fortunes for anyone again, only praying for Miss Yao'er's health and safety. Although he no longer practices, Miss Yao'er can still perform divination. Even if her interpretations aren't as insightful as Mr. Su's, we're all willing to listen, and we'll even give her some coins to buy food..."

"Waiter! Waiter!" Su Yuyao carried a roast chicken upstairs and sat down behind Xuanfeng. "Give me a pot of osmanthus wine! Hot!"

"Alright! Miss Yao'er!" the waiter replied cheerfully, then said to Xuanfeng and Qimen, "My lords, please enjoy your meal and drinks. Call me if you need anything!"

After saying that, he ran off happily.

Su Yuyao took off her shoes, sat cross-legged on the chair, tore off a chicken leg, wrapped it neatly in a lotus leaf, and put it in her bosom. She then tore off another chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth.

Xuanfeng listened to the smacking sound coming from the back of his head, and looked at the deserted bulletin board, his anger rising even higher.

You brat! You're actually eating so heartily?!

Qi Men stroked his beard, picked up his wine glass, walked up to Su Yuyao, and said with a smile, "Miss Su, I've long admired your name! I have something I wish to settle, and I wonder if it would be convenient for you to do so..."

Su Yuyao's mouth was stuffed with chicken. Her cheeks puffed out as she looked at Qimen, pondering: "Miss Su? Everyone who has heard of me calls me Yao'er! This old man is deliberately trying to get close to me; he must be no good!"

So he shook his head and said, "It's inconvenient!"

"Miss Yao'er! Your Osmanthus Wine!" The waiter brought over a steaming hot wine pot.

Qi Men smiled and said, "Oh... Miss Yao'er, my young master and I are traveling around the country and are new to this place. We were very impressed by what you just said, so we would like to ask you for some guidance."

Su Yuyao frowned and asked, "The scenery here is unremarkable, and it's not a famous fairy town, so why did you come here to travel?"

"Hahahaha," Qimen stroked his beard and laughed loudly, "Within this Nine Provinces, there are countless places worth visiting, both in the fairy realms and beyond. Moreover, the people of Qianlong Town are known for their simple and honest character, which is a rare find! Miss Yao'er, there is only one chicken and one pot of wine on your table. Would you like to sit with us? We can have a good chat!"

Su Yuyao, sucking on a chicken bone, turned to look at Qi Men's table. It was indeed a feast—meat, fish, vegetables, and soup! However, the person sitting at the table…

He had sharp, pointed eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a hooked nose, and a round mouth. His hair was tied high on top of his head. He had a fair complexion with a neutral to fair skin. His eyes were azure and sharp. He was cold and ruthless, with a face full of anger. His whole body exuded a bloodthirsty aura!

This guy... doesn't seem like a good person!

Su Yuyao glanced at Qi Men again; that old man was too cunning! Neither of them were good people!

This place is not safe to stay!

"I'm not going!" Su Yuyao spat out the chicken bone, shook her head as she put on her shoes, and said, "I'm going home!"

Su Yuyao carefully wrapped the remaining roasted chicken in lotus leaves and tied them to her body. She then poured the warm osmanthus wine into her small water bottle and ran downstairs without looking back, heading towards the outskirts of the city.

Looking at the numerous recruitment notices for Tang Xian'er plaques covering the bulletin board, Su Yuyao muttered, "Instead of posting harmful things, we should just tear them down!"

She climbed onto the stone pier, grabbed a corner of the summons, and pulled hard, causing Tang Xian'er's summons to fall to the ground.

Crack!

A pair of chopsticks snapped in two in Xuanfeng's hand. "That brat..."

Su Yuyao skipped and hopped to a century-old tree in the suburbs, carefully examined it, then squatted down, moved a stone next to the tree roots, and took out a cloth bag from a hole under the stone.

She poured the coins into the cloth bag, hid the bag again, and finally patted the thick tree trunk, saying, "Grandpa Tree! Please watch over my money bag for me! Thank you for your hard work!"

After hiding the copper coins, Su Yuyao ran to the riverbank not far away, found a flat stone to sit on, took out the roast chicken and osmanthus wine again, and began to eat and drink to her heart's content.

After finishing the last piece of roasted chicken and drinking the last drop of osmanthus wine, Su Yuyao went to the river to wash her hands, feeling satisfied, and headed home.

The Su family's residence was small and exquisite, with only two courtyards, one in the front and one in the back.

Su Yuyao looked around the front yard and, after confirming that her father and mother had not returned, ran confidently towards the bedroom.

"Green Ivy, I'm back!"

"Miss! You're finally back! I'm exhausted!" A young maid, about the same age as Su Yuyao, pouted and said, "You were out playing all day, and I only managed to copy the Taoist scripture twice. You can copy the last one yourself!"

Su Yuyao took out a chicken leg wrapped in lotus leaves from her bosom, handed it to Green Ivy, and said with a smile, "Miss Green Ivy, thank you for your hard work! This is a roasted chicken leg specially saved for you! Eat it! I'll cook the rest myself!"

Green Ivy finally smiled, picked up the chicken leg and started eating. "Miss, please take me out next time! It's so boring at home!"

“Okay! No problem! But…” Su Yuyao picked up her pen and carefully copied the Taoist scriptures, saying, “Don’t let anything slip about what happened today!”

"Okay! Got it!" Green Ivy nodded in response, munching on a chicken leg.

As dusk fell, a carriage came to a stop at the entrance of the Su family mansion, its bells jingling softly.

Dressed in white, with white hair and a white beard, the old gentleman Su Yuan, who had the air of a Taoist immortal, got off the carriage first. He then turned around and helped the plump, kind-faced woman, saying, "Madam, please be careful!"

Madam Su got off the carriage and stretched her limbs slightly. "I'm getting old, so I can't travel far anymore. I went to Lingxian Mountain and I was actually a little overwhelmed."

Su Yuan smiled and put his arm around Madam Su's shoulder, saying, "You're not old at all! I remember you were full of energy when you were scolding Yao'er!"

"Father! Mother!" Su Yuyao heard the carriage bells ring and ran out quickly, throwing herself into Madam Su's arms and saying in a spoiled tone, "Why did it take you so long to come back, Mother? I'm so hungry!"

"Yao'er, did you sneak out today?" Madam Su asked affectionately as she smoothed Su Yuyao's stray hairs.

"Of course not! My mother punished me by making me copy the Taoist scriptures three times, and I haven't even finished copying them yet. How could I have had time to sneak out?"

"Green Ivy!" Madam Su looked at the little maid Green Ivy beside her.

"Reporting to Madam, Miss did indeed stay home obediently copying Buddhist scriptures today and did not go out," Green Ivy replied with her head bowed.

Madam Su glanced at Green Ivy, then at Su Yuyao in her arms, and said with a smile, "I'll believe you for now. If I find out you're lying, you'll get a beating! Go get the punishment paper, I want to take a look."

"Hehehe..." Su Yuyao smiled guiltily and looked at Su Yuan.

Su Yuan stroked his beard and shook his head helplessly.

He saw through Su Yuyao and Luoluo's lies at a glance, but fearing that his wife would punish Su Yuyao, he could only help cover for her. "Madam, Yao'er said she's hungry. I've been driving the carriage for so long, and I'm hungry too. How about... we eat first, and then we'll see what the punishment is, okay?"

"You two!" Madam Su said, feigning annoyance, pointing at Su Yuan and Su Yuyao. "You never give me a moment's peace! Wait! I'm going to cook! Yao'er, get ready to do your punishment writing. I want to see it after dinner!"

After saying that, Madam Su led Green Ivy to the kitchen.

As Su Yuan watched his wife walk away, he grabbed Su Yuyao's ear and whispered, "Yao'er, come with me to the study."

"ah?"

Su Yuyao stood in the study, rubbing her ears, and whispered, "Father, I was wrong..."

Su Yuan rarely showed a serious expression. "Didn't I tell you not to go out today? Why are you so disobedient!"

"It's so boring at home! And you guys won't take me to Lingxian Mountain..." Su Yuyao said guiltily, her head down. "Besides, I only went out for a little while..."

"Did you get into any trouble?" Su Yuan asked.

"Hmm...no...I don't think so..." Su Yuyao recalled the summons she had torn up, wondering if it was a curse.

"It's best if no one does! What if someone comes knocking on your door to complain? Then we'll see what you do!" Su Yuan said, tapping his precious daughter's nose.

Although Su Yuyao had already eaten roast chicken, she still couldn't resist the delicious food prepared by Madam Su.

Madam Su scooped up some fish soup and fed it to Su Yuyao. She then removed the fish bones, placed the fish meat on top of the rice, and brought it to Su Yuyao's mouth.

“Madam, don’t spoil Yao’er like this. She’s all grown up now. Let her eat by herself!” Su Yuan said with a smile.

“There are so many fine fish bones, what if someone gets stuck in their throat? Besides, Yao’er is almost of marriageable age. Once she’s married, I won’t be able to feed her anymore…” Although Madam Su’s face was full of smiles, her tone was very sad.

Su Yuyao snuggled into Madam Su's arms, pouting, and said, "Then I won't get married, or I'll find a husband who will marry into my family! Anyway, I don't want to leave Father and Mother!"

Madam Su hugged Su Yuyao and laughed, "Silly girl, can you stay by your mother's side forever?"

After dinner, Su Yuyao was snuggling and acting spoiled in Madam Su's arms, while Su Yuan watched with a smile as his precious daughter nestled in his wife's arms. Suddenly, there was a loud knocking at the front door, and Green Luo quickly got up to open it.

"Master, Madam, there are two visitors outside. They say they are looking for someone..." Green Ivy walked in, glanced at Su Yuyao, and reported.

Seeing the look in Green Ivy's eyes, Su Yuyao immediately tensed up. Oh no! Who came knocking on our door?

"A visitor this late?" Mrs. Su stood up in confusion and said, "I'll go check."

Seeing his daughter's worried expression, Su Yuan quickly stood up and pressed Madam Su down, saying with a smile, "Madam, let me go take a look."

Su Yuyao was still worried, so she followed them out. She took a look from afar, and her heart skipped a beat!

Aren't these the two scoundrels I met today?!