Unintentional Door
Ji Wang stood at the palace gate, stretched in the rising sun, and his muscles crackled softly as he stretched. The warm sunlight seemed to melt away some of his fatigue.
At his feet, Jiu Jiu imitated him, stretching out its front paws, sticking its butt out high, yawning loudly, and wagging its tail slowly.
Huaiqing walked slowly, showing no signs of fatigue, clearly having adapted to her current routine.
He greeted them, looked around, and didn't see anyone else: "Xiao Bao, where did you guys go last night? I was planning a small get-together, but you didn't even turn on the lights, it was so quiet, and you kept your presence completely hidden."
Ji turned around, a bright, almost excessive smile spreading across his face, carrying the satisfied satiation of someone who had just eaten and drunk his fill: "Something came up last night. Tonight, definitely tonight!"
Huai Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Ji Wang's expression again. She understood but didn't point it out, instead simply following the conversation and asking, "Where's Bu Jiu? Why isn't he with you?"
Ji Wang's smile deepened, his gaze drifted into the hall, and he couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. He chuckled twice and said, "He has some things to attend to, so I'll supervise the morning lessons first."
He bent down, patted Jiu Jiu's head to signal it to follow, and then walked towards a more open flat area to the side.
The fellow disciples there had already begun to stretch their muscles and bones on their own. Ji Wang cleared his throat, preparing to adopt the demeanor of a sect leader and instruct them on their training.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait. Is this the Unrepentant Temple?"
A calm voice came from the direction of the valley entrance, unhurried yet reaching everyone's ears.
Ji Wang instantly became wary and abruptly turned around. There, at the gate, stood a figure that had appeared out of nowhere.
The man was dressed in a Taoist robe, spotless, with a jade crown on his head. His aura was harmonious and restrained, subtly blending with the abundant spiritual energy of the valley, yet exuding an undeniable air of refined elegance befitting a prestigious and orthodox sect.
He stood there, seemingly blending into the surrounding scenery; unless one made a sound, it would be almost impossible to detect his arrival.
Ji Wang quickly composed himself, took a few steps forward, bowed respectfully, and said calmly, "Indeed."
The man returned the greeting: "I am a humble Taoist seeking the capital, having come from the Wuyi Gate. Yesterday, the gate received a message and specially dispatched me to pay a visit and discuss important matters."
Unintentional door.
Ji Wang thought of the battlefield strewn with corpses, the bursts of spiritual energy, and the great formation formed by countless figures dressed in what looked like Daoist robes, sacrificing their flesh and souls to buy that crucial moment for Daoist Yun Shen.
They were the branch that sent out the most disciples, and also suffered the most heavy casualties.
Ji Wang's gaze towards Xun Jing deepened unconsciously.
Xun Jing noticed Ji Wang's momentary lapse in concentration, but without dwelling on it, he simply asked, "I wonder if the sect leader here is available at this moment?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wang stepped aside and gestured for him to enter, his tone becoming even more solemn than before: "So you are Daoist Xunjing. I am the sect leader, please come in."
A hint of surprise flickered in Xun Jing's eyes. He quickly lowered his gaze, then looked up again, his expression calm: "...So young."
He was indeed somewhat unsettled. When his master received the message yesterday, his reaction was quite intense. He almost immediately jumped up from his chair, exclaiming, "It was him!" He then hurriedly pulled him up, solemnly instructing him to come in person. He also made sure he brought the sect's treasured protective pills, saying they were a small gift for the master of this place, to express the Wuyi Sect's respect.
Throughout his journey to the capital, Xun Jing had been imagining what kind of unfathomable, reclusive senior master must be to warrant such a solemn attitude from his master.
He even secretly speculated about the other person's appearance, guessing that he would most likely be a white-haired, youthful-looking man with an air of otherworldly wisdom, or at the very least, a calm and composed middle-aged man.
Who would have thought that the young man who claimed to be the sect leader looked a few years younger than himself, with eyes full of youthful vigor, and even... there seemed to be a lingering blush on his ears?
"This... Did Master make a mistake?" Xun Jing's mind raced, and he touched the jade bottle containing the precious pills with his fingers hidden in his sleeve.
This protective pill is meant to be used by elderly or severely weakened elders to restore their foundation. How can it be given to this young sect leader who is full of energy and blood?
He felt embarrassed, but maintained his composure. He looked at Nian Jiwang, who was calm and composed, and secretly adjusted his mindset.
Perhaps this sect leader is not as simple as he seems on the surface. Master's arrangement must have a deeper meaning.
"Please, Sect Leader, go first." Xun Jing suppressed his distracting thoughts. Since he was already here, he would act according to etiquette and see what important matter this young sect leader wanted to discuss.
As soon as the two sat down in the main hall, before Xun Jing could even take out the awkwardly concealed bottle of pills from his sleeve, a gentle yet highly pervasive demonic power quietly spread out.
Ji Wang looked in the direction of the source and saw Bu Jiu walking towards him. He had changed into a slightly more conservative outer garment than usual, with the collar carefully covering his face.
Bu Jiu wanted to scold Shang Ji for his ambiguous smile, but with outsiders present, he had to give up.
The moment Xun Jing saw Bu Jiu, he abruptly stood up. He immediately performed a bow even more solemnly than when he saw Ji Wang: "Lord Bu Jiu."
Ji Wangzheng's hand, which was pouring tea for Xun Jing, froze in mid-air. He put down the teapot, looked at the respectful Xun Jing, then at the indifferent Bu Jiu, and raised an eyebrow: "You two know each other?"
Bu Jiu didn't speak, but simply walked to the main seat next to Ji Wang and sat down naturally, as if it were the proper thing to do.
Xun Jing, however, gave a wry smile and answered Ji Wang's question for Bu Jiu: "This junior has long heard of you, sir, but we are only one meeting away. Every year before the grand banquet, my master would bring out a portrait treasured in the ancestral hall and instruct us, his direct disciples, to take turns carrying the portrait to several legendary sacred sites to find the person in the portrait. The person in the portrait is none other than Lord Bu Jiu."
The helplessness in his tone became more genuine: "However, according to the sect's records, no disciple has ever successfully found Lord Bujiu's whereabouts. That portrait is almost memorized by our generation of disciples. Perhaps that's why my master was so excited when he received the message from the Lord yesterday."
He omitted the detail that his master almost jumped up from his chair.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wang was first taken aback, then couldn't help but smile.
He could imagine the scene: a group of serious disciples from prestigious sects, carrying portraits, searching the world for a ghost king who didn't want to be found at all, year after year, generation after generation... This was practically like marking the boat to find the sword, or at least a sect mission version.
He turned his head to look at Bu Jiu and muttered in a whisper that only the two of them could hear, "So you're that hard to invite? People are always thinking about sending you invitations every year?"
Bu Jiu glanced at him sideways, ignoring his teasing, and said to Xun Jing, who was still bowing, "No need for formalities. Sit down."
Xun Jing then straightened up and sat down as instructed, her posture even more upright than before.
Bu Jiu didn't touch the teacup Ji Wang pushed towards him. Instead, he curled his fox tail behind him to the front, brushed away Ji Wang's hand that was carefully reaching out, and casually combed the downy fur at the tip of his tail with his fingertips before getting straight to the point: "The message already stated that the situation is urgent. Why did you come alone?"
Xun Jing immediately composed himself: "After receiving the message, my master knew that the matter was of great importance and could not be decided by one sect or school alone. He immediately notified the leaders of several sects that have been on good terms with Wuyi Sect for generations and are absolutely trustworthy. I was ordered to go ahead to make contact. Judging by the time it takes, the others should be on their way and should arrive by noon at the latest."
Bu Jiu's expression remained unchanged: "Since that's the case, there's no rush. Let's wait until everyone is here before we talk about it."
Hearing this, Ji Wang felt it wasn't quite right: "Making them wait isn't very wise—"
His words were cut short by a casual glance from Bu Jiu. It wasn't exactly a rebuke, but more like a tacit reminder.
Immediately, Bu Jiu turned his gaze back to Xun Qing and added, "This year, I'll go."
It was just four simple words, without even mentioning what it was about.
But Xun Jing understood in an instant. He looked at Bu Jiu with disbelief in his eyes, which quickly turned into excitement.
"You mean... the Grand Banquet of the Immortal Sect?!" Xun Jing almost stood up again. "You'd be willing to attend?!"
For so many years, the invitation that could never be delivered, lying beside the portrait in the Wuyi Sect's ancestral hall, has become an obsession within the sect. Every year, the master sends people to search for it; it's less about genuine hope of finding it and more about a ritual of steadfast commitment. And now… this very person has actually brought it up on their own initiative?
Ji Wang immediately understood the meaning of "not to blame" and the huge waves that the simple words "go this year" might stir up in Xun Qing and even the entire Wuyi Sect.
He was pondering how to get Bujiu to take him to the banquet when he saw Bujiu's fingertip move from the fox tail and point at him.
Bu Jiu looked at Xun Jing and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'll take him with me."
Xun Jing's excitement hadn't completely subsided when he was stunned by the next sentence: "Huh?"
Should we take this young sect leader with us? Although this sect leader seems quite extraordinary, the Immortal Sect Grand Banquet is, after all, an occasion where high-ranking members from various sects gather.
Bu Jiu was not surprised by Xun Jing's confusion, and didn't even bother to explain further. He simply raised his chin slightly, glanced at Ji Wang for a moment, and then turned back to Xun Jing: "There is only one person whom I can call 'Sect Leader'."
"Huh?!" Xun Jing was completely stunned this time.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a sound immediately. Countless clues exploded in his mind, then rapidly reassembled—
Fragmentary accounts of the catastrophe that occurred three hundred years ago…
Lord Bujiu has an unusually close relationship with this sect leader…
The sect leader's deep, complex gaze the instant he heard about the Unintentional Gate...
And there's that quality about him that's not entirely in line with his age—sometimes carefree, sometimes composed…
An almost impossible conjecture struck Xun Jing's mind.
His throat was dry, and his breathing was unsteady. He barely managed to maintain his posture thanks to years of self-cultivation, but his voice trembled slightly: "You mean... the sect leader is...?"
The honorific title so closely associated with "not blaming" almost slipped out of his mouth.
Ji Wang quickly cleared his throat, trying to break the heavy atmosphere, and gave Xun Qing a slightly helpless smile: "Drink your tea, it's getting cold."
Xun Jing almost frantically picked up the cup of tea in front of him, which he had nearly forgotten about. Only when his fingertips touched the cool porcelain did he calm down a little.
He lowered his head and took a sip of the tea, which was no longer hot, using this action to conceal the turbulent emotions within him.
We can wait! We absolutely must wait! Let alone half a day, even if it takes ten days or half a month, we must wait respectfully!
Upon seeing this, Bu Jiu lowered his eyes again, his fingertips once more stroking the fur of the fox's tail.
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