Chapter 91 Upon seeing her father, she vowed to single-handedly challenge the Xuanmen Patriarch...
After daybreak, the cultivators gathered at the entrance of Mengxia Village and set off in groups towards the Wenxin Pavilion.
Bitao was exhausted after walking the "bird" all night, so she rode a horse with Zhankui and lay on top of him.
She turned around and looked at the bright light behind her as she walked.
The two men looked at each other from their horses.
Mingguang's golden eyes shone brightly in the morning light, even more dazzling than the sun on the horizon. He did not deliberately avoid Bitao's gaze.
But those eyes were filled with indifference, piercing through the peach blossoms to look elsewhere.
It was as if the peach blossom was a flower or a tree, and a random blade of grass by the roadside could not attract his attention at all.
Bitao did not look away, but instead lay on Zhan Kui's back and stared at him unabashedly.
Not long after, Mingguang, with a stern and cold expression, reined in his horse, turned around, and ran to the back of the group, behind Yunchuan and Binglun.
Even if Bitao stared in his direction, she could only see half of his head, which was taller than everyone else's.
Tsk.
Bitao withdrew her gaze and lay dozing off on Zhan Kui's back.
Zhan Kui muttered under his breath, the buzzing sound transmitted to Bi Tao through their pressed bodies: "Ming Guang's expression is like he wants to eat someone alive. How did you manage to offend Ming Guang?"
"If the emperor is angry, a million will die. He wouldn't resort to the 'extermination of nine generations' approach, would he?"
Zhan Kui expressed his genuine concern: "I haven't lived enough yet!"
Bitao chuckled and quickly fell asleep with her head resting on Zhan Kui's shoulder.
Bitao slept most of the way. After walking for a whole day, the group found a clearing in the forest to rest in the evening, and Bitao finally woke up.
After waking up, she headed towards the direction where Mingguang was resting.
As Bitao drew closer, the voices on the other side grew softer and softer.
As Mingguang grew increasingly stiff and rigid within the crowd, Bitao stopped in front of them, looking down at him.
When Mingguang could no longer bear it, he raised his sharp golden eyes and looked at Bitao—
Bitao laughed, a laugh that was particularly irritating.
She winked at Mingguang in public, not with any hint of ambiguity, but rather with a strong sense of provocation.
Mingguang's hands, which were resting on his knees, were clenched into fists inside his sleeves, so taut that the veins on his arms bulged out.
But Bitao spoke up, saying to Yun Chuan beside him, "Yun Chuan, come with me for a moment, I have something to tell you."
After Bitao finished speaking, she turned and left. Yun Chuan was stunned for a moment and instinctively turned his head to look at Ming Guang, only to find that Ming Guang had already closed his eyes.
Yun Chuan hesitated for a moment, then got up and followed in the direction Bi Tao had left.
Previously, Bitao helped him find Xiu Niang's soul and provided him with support when he was at his most devastated and mentally unstable. Yun Chuan was very grateful to her.
Bitao walked to the edge of a deserted grove, stood there and waited for a while before Yunchuan came over.
Bitao didn't beat around the bush and asked Yun Chuan directly, "Once we arrive at the Wenxin Pavilion, are you going to personally follow the shooting star down to the Netherworld to send Xiu Niang's soul into reincarnation?"
A look of surprise flashed across Yun Chuan's face as he replied, "Yes." He could only feel at ease if he personally watched Xiuniang enter the cycle of reincarnation.
His lips moved slightly, and to repay Bitao's kindness, he took the initiative to say, "Mingguang came with me to Wenxin Pavilion for this reason, and also to collect the hundred earth-grade spirit stones, so as not to arouse suspicion from others."
Indeed, these cultivators gathered in Mengxia Village to kill the evil spirits because the spirit stones offered by Wenxin Pavilion were quite valuable.
If someone leaves without taking the hundred earth-grade spirit stones, it will indeed arouse suspicion from others.
Bitao then said, "I have something I'd like to ask you."
Yun Chuan's expression showed a moment of tension.
Bitao immediately waved her hand: "Don't worry, it's not what you're thinking."
"I'm just very curious about the underworld of this star realm. After you go down and send Xiu Niang into reincarnation, come back and give me a good description of what it's like there."
Yun Chuan's expression relaxed: "No problem."
He thought Bitao wanted him to keep an eye on Mingguang, or to report on something about Mingguang.
He was, after all, Mingguang's servant. Regardless of the relationship between Mingguang and Bitao, or what future entanglements might arise, his actions would be tantamount to betrayal.
"Okay, you can go back now." Bitao waved to him, then turned and went back to Zhan Kui's side.
Yun Chuan returned to Ming Guang's side. As soon as he sat down, Ming Guang opened his eyes and looked at him.
Yun Chuan's back tensed instantly. He thought to himself that Bi Tao hadn't said their conversation shouldn't be told to Ming Guang. What if Ming Guang asked...?
Mingguang closed his eyes again.
Yun Chuan breathed a sigh of relief again, thinking that being a waiter these days was really too difficult.
Before Yun Chuan could even catch his breath, Bing Lun leaned over and asked with a serious expression, "What does she want with you?"
"What does this have to do with you?"
Yun Chuan also closed his eyes and sat in meditation, completely ignoring Bing Lun.
Binglun choked, glanced at the unmoved Mingguang, glared at Yunchuan, and got up to talk to Bingjing.
After a short rest, the group continued their journey.
We returned to Wenxin Pavilion after two and a half days.
After receiving one hundred Earth-grade spirit stones, Bitao followed Zhan Kui upstairs.
At dinner time, the two of them didn't need to go downstairs; the cultivators from Wenxin Pavilion brought the dinner up.
The food box was opened, revealing roasted pig's trotters.
Roasted pig's trotters!!!
Caramelized and tender, soft and chewy!
When I eat the peach, I feel as if I have gone through a cycle of reincarnation and been reborn.
"I told you, if you just talk to Meteor, he can get anything!"
Zhan Kui didn't like roasted pig's trotters, but there were things she liked in the food box, so Liu Xing prepared them for her without her having to ask.
While eating, Zhan Kui said, "He's become handsome now. If he weren't that other guy, I would really consider marrying him."
Zhan Kui had been hungry for many days. Although Liu Xing could always find some fruit for her in the mountains, how could that stuff fill her stomach?
With his mouth stuffed full, Zhan Kui said, "I'll consider marrying him," as if an emperor were saying, "Give him an official position."
"Mmm." Bitao couldn't speak, and after finishing two pig's trotters, she stopped and licked her fingers.
He said, seemingly casually, "It smells like incense that attracts souls."
Zhan Kui picked up a large piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth: "Huh?"
"Wenxin Pavilion is where the Soul-Guiding Incense is produced, so it's normal for it to have a scent, right?"
Bitao nodded.
She snatched a piece of fish from Zhan Kui's bowl and ate it.
Then he picked up a crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roasted pig's trotter, hesitated for a moment, and took a big bite.
The two quickly devoured the entire table of delicious food, and sat down on either side of the table, patting their round bellies.
Suddenly, the sound of horses neighing came. Zhan Kui went to the window, pushed it open, looked down, and then said to Bi Tao, "Ming Guang and the others are getting ready. They'll leave as soon as Yun Chuan returns from the Underworld."
"You really aren't going with them?"
"Back in the Heavenly Realm, I couldn't even get close to him. To even touch him, I had to risk cracking my immortal essence. With such a perfectly legitimate opportunity to cling to Mingguang, you're actually hanging out with me..."
Bitao poured herself a cup of tea.
Just as he took a sip of tea, Zhan Kui said, "Could it be that after Mingguang regained his memories, he became impotent in that area? Is that why you got bored so quickly?"
Zhan Kui felt he had seen the truth and slammed his hand on the table: "I told you that he looked cold and indifferent to death just by looking at him, and that neckline was so high it was almost choking him. He didn't look like someone who could do that kind of thing at all!"
Bitao spat out a mouthful of tea, and without even looking up, grabbed the teacup and threw it at Zhan Kui.
Zhan Kui didn't even bother to dodge; with a simple movement, the teacup landed steadily in his hand without spilling a drop of water.
She laughed shamelessly.
After a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "This time, the Merit Immortal position is also being pursued by the Ancient Immortal Clan. Even if he's not up to par, you have to be patient with him. Don't argue with him at this critical juncture."
Bitao didn't lower her voice. She poured herself another cup of tea and brought it to her lips, taking several big gulps to finally suppress the taste of the soul-summoning incense in her mouth.
Too lazy to argue with Zhan Kui about whether Ming Guang was capable or not, and even after Ming Guang regained his memories, Bi Tao hadn't tried him.
He simply said, "Even if we argue, it won't affect our cooperation. Do you think I'm the kind of person who acts impulsively?"
"Besides, even if I don't allow You Tian and his people to cooperate with the ancient immortal clans this time, they won't listen to me. Cooperation in this realm is the only and best way to return to heaven."
Bitao smiled and asked Zhan Kui, "You heard the conditions Mingguang offered, don't you want to use them to your advantage and die?"
Zhan Kui took a sip of tea from the teacup in his hand: "Think about it, with Ming Guang leading the way, we'll definitely be able to return to heaven and attain our positions smoothly. We don't even need to use our brains, we just need to follow his instructions. We can also achieve perfect merit and ascend to the immortal ranks. Where else can you find such a good thing?"
However, Zhan Kui quickly changed the subject, closed the window and said, "But if you say I can't cooperate with them, then even if a path to heaven were placed in front of me, I wouldn't take it."
Bitao smiled happily: "You truly are a good sister, trusting me so much. But what if I delay you, and you can't pass away peacefully?"
Zhan Kui blinked his big eyes, his face full of arrogance: "Are you kidding me? I am the Koi Fairy. If I cannot return to heaven smoothly, even if others embark on the road to heaven, that road will be cut off halfway."
Those favored by Heaven have such confidence.
"Besides, if I can't go back, then you definitely can't go back either. It would be fun for the two of us to live a carefree life and grow old slowly in this star realm!"
"Then we'll search the mortal world for a hundred or two hundred beauties, changing grooms every night and making brides every day, hehehe..."
"But seriously, if you're not going with them, do you have other plans?"
Bitao squinted her peach blossom eyes at Zhan Kui and slowly shook her head: "No, it's just because... well, Mingguang isn't good enough, and looking at him annoys me."
Bitao said, "Go and get me some more paper money and gold ingots or something."
Zhan Kui pointed at Bi Tao: "Oh, oh, oh! I knew he couldn't do it. So you dumped Ming Guang and were planning to meet the Earthly Fiend King again!"
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Bitao said seriously, "I can let others talk nonsense, but these two ghost kings cannot be offended."
Zhan Kui quickly covered his mouth with his hand, indicating that he would not talk nonsense anymore.
Bitao then said, "Bring me another set of needles and thread."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head, pulled up her sleeve, and ripped a large hole almost to her armpit in the sleeve of her perfectly good clothes.
Zhan Kui was baffled, but she could never guess the purpose of Bi Tao's instructions, and she was too lazy to ask, so she just did as she was told.
Not long after, Meteor and Yun Chuan returned from the Underworld.
Yun Chuan's eyes were a little red. Bi Tao was waiting for him in the corridor downstairs.
The two exchanged a few words, mostly Bitao asking questions and Yunchuan answering.
Regarding the method of sending a soul into reincarnation, Bitao confirmed, "You mean, to send a soul into reincarnation, we need to build a single-plank bridge on the Broken Bridge and let the soul walk across it on its own?"
Yun Chuan nodded: "That's right."
Yun Chuan still feels lingering fear when he talks about this.
There are some other little devils who were collected by shooting stars and taken down to be sent into reincarnation.
However, the makeshift log bridge was unstable, and karmic fire flowed beneath it. There were also other incomplete souls on the bridge trying to seize the path to reincarnation, making it extremely dangerous.
There were dozens of little devils in total, and half of them fell into the karmic fire.
Xiuniang almost didn't make it. At that time, Yun Chuan and Liu Xing were unable to use their spiritual power to assist in the collapsed underworld, so they could only use brute force to drive away the evil spirits that were trying to seize the cycle of reincarnation.
The scene of countless ghosts rushing forward, their souls wailing and their spirits howling, was truly horrifying.
Bitao asked about some other details, and then said to Yunchuan, "Xiuniang is kind-hearted. She will definitely have a very good next life after she enters the cycle of reincarnation."
She never revealed the truth about Yun Chuan's birth mother, but each time she used a double entendre, it warmed Yun Chuan's heart.
Yun Chuan smiled and sincerely said to Bi Tao, "Thank you."
After the two parted ways, Yun Chuan left with Ming Guang and his group.
When Bitao returned to her room, she stood by the window on the second floor, pried open the window a very small crack, and peered through it.
I started counting in my head.
When they counted to eighteen, they saw Mingguang, who was riding a tall horse, slightly turn his head, as if he wanted to turn back, but he quickly turned back.
When they reached the fiftieth count, the group reached the end of the long street. After turning the corner, they would be hidden by the bushes and could no longer be seen.
But just as they turned the corner, the tallest person in the group of people who had already gone far away quickly turned his head and glanced in their direction.
Bitao slammed the window shut, then leaned her head against the closed windowpane and laughed like a fox who had stolen a chicken.
Mingguang glanced at it quickly and then turned his head back, but his expression was even colder and more solemn than before, to the point of being somewhat terrifyingly chilling.
He saw nothing.
She truly only loved Wei Danxin and didn't care about him at all.
Zhan Kui quickly returned carrying a large stack of paper money and ingots. He saw Bi Tao leaning against the window, smiling broadly. He wanted to tease her, but then remembered that Bi Tao wouldn't allow him to tease the Ghost King, so he kept quiet.
After midnight, everyone rested, and Bitao, carrying some things, took Zhankui out.
I walked far away from the Wenxin Pavilion and squatted down beside a forest of countless returning souls growing in a maze of interconnected paths to burn paper money.
Tell Zhan Kui to stay far away and keep watch for her.
The fire was only half-burned when the person Bitao wanted to see appeared.
She immediately stood up and happily called out, "Father Bai Duo!"
Bai Duo nodded reservedly, suppressing a smile, and glanced back.
A man, slightly shorter than Bai Duo and with a handsome, scholarly appearance, walked over by the corner of the road.
Bitao threw the remaining paper money into the fire and walked towards the two people.
Bai Duo raised his hand to introduce Bi Tao, but Bi Tao walked straight to the man's side, opened her arms, and quickly hugged him.
She took a step back and then obediently called out, "Father Zhuoxian."
Zhuoxian: "...Sigh."
He was a ghost who had been dead for many years, yet now he was experiencing what it meant to be helpless again.
If the dead man's face weren't so pale and bloodless, he would be blushing like a ripe cherry right now.
The three people should have been very unfamiliar with each other.
But before long, the three of them were all smiles and sat around the fire not far away.
Two of them craned their necks, watching Zhuoxian mend Bitao's sleeves.
"It's so good to have a father."
Bitao looked at Zhuoxian with admiration in her gentle peach blossom eyes: "In all my life, only Father Zhuoxian has ever mended my clothes."
In fact, Bitao has a lot of clothes. Jie Wei Danxin is addicted to this, and has bought her a lot of clothes. They are so damaged during missions that they don't need to be repaired and can just be thrown away.
As for the celestial realm, I've never heard of any immortal needing someone to mend their clothes. Immortals with higher cultivation levels can simply use a fragment of cloud or mist to make robes.
However, Bitao was truly enamored with these most ordinary interactions in the mortal world, with her family. That's why she deliberately tore her sleeve before coming and even brought a needle and thread.
She even felt that the stitches themselves were a kind of mark.
Carrying the purest care and love of loved ones, and able to be carried with you anytime, anywhere, it is a kind of true affection that is rarely seen and touched in this world.
The two ghost kings knew perfectly well that immortals didn't need anyone to mend their clothes.
Bitao deliberately tore her clothes and even brought a needle and thread, just to ease the awkwardness and unfamiliarity between the three of them.
If Bitao doesn't genuinely enjoy being with them, why would she need to specifically find such "topics"? Even if her daughter is considerate, why make things difficult for each other if they can't get along?
At this moment, the two ghost kings exchanged a glance and could both feel that Bitao's admiration and attachment were genuine.
The emotions conveyed by the soul cannot be deceived, especially not by the Ghost King who deals with souls all day long.
Then the daughter's behavior can be explained as the child deliberately "falling down" in order to seek the care and attention of her elders.
They are so pitiful and adorable.
The two ghost kings were very upset.
Bitao then said, "I remember that Father Zhuoxian is very good at making hairbands. When you have time, Father, could you make me another one?"
Zhuoxian: "Ah... okay." His smile was a little stiff, and his hands holding the needle and thread were trembling slightly.
The headband he made is ugly!
It's fine for young children to wear, especially children in rural areas. Even if you tied a worm to their head, no one would care.
But now that my daughter is a celestial being, if she were to wear an ugly headband and parade around in public, wouldn't she be ridiculed?
Zhuoxian secretly resolved that he would diligently practice needlework once he returned home...
However, Bitao's words evoked fond memories shared by the three of them.
After the sleeves were mended, the three of them sat facing each other and casually began to discuss things from the past.
"You have no idea, once when your father was transferred away, I went back temporarily and found that he hadn't eaten for several days. The moment I opened my eyes, you forced me to eat..."
Zhuoxian looked distressed: "Food in the mortal realm is really hard to eat..."
"Hahahaha!" Bitao laughed heartily. "People in the underworld can't taste the food from the mortal world, can they?"
"It's not just unpalatable; it tastes like chewing wax and is indigestible."
Zhuo Xian is gentle and more talkative than Bai Duo, and more like a "human".
If Bitao weren't a cultivator who could sense the continuous, surging ghostly energy emanating from the two of them, one would almost doubt that he was just a refined and elegant scholar.
Bai Duo wasn't as talkative as Zhuo Xian, but he still managed to squeeze in a comment: "It tastes absolutely awful!"
Bitao laughed until her face hurt, cupping her cheeks in her hands and rubbing them: "I'm the one who's scared, okay? Any other little kid would have been scared to death by the two of you. No normal person would go seven or eight days without eating, haha..."
“At first I thought ‘Grandma’ was some kind of spirit medium. People from other places often come to the village to perform shamanistic rituals. It is said that they can communicate with spirits.”
Bitao said, "That's the most unusual identity I can imagine."
"As time went on, I slowly began to suspect that I wasn't raised by the same person. I discovered that the spirit medium hired by the village also needed to eat..."
Zhuoxian reached out and gently patted Bitao's head: "Then why have you been so persistent in hunting and exchanging money for doctors for the two of us for so many years?"
Bitao scratched her nose and said, "Because I only have one mother-in-law, I always think, what if it can be cured?"
At that time, she was a little girl who was abandoned by her parents at birth. She only had one relative to depend on, and she had a lot on her mind at such a young age.
Knowing that her loved ones were different from ordinary people, she didn't want to lose them, so she did everything she could to keep her mother-in-law by her side.
Ghosts don't cry; crying consumes their soul.
However, Zhuoxian and Baiduo were both heartbroken and didn't know what to do.
Bitao's next line was: "But I really want to ask why, why have we been eating flatbread for so many years?"
"The flatbread tastes awful too!"
Upon hearing this, the two ghost kings forgot all their sentiments and instead displayed embarrassed expressions.
In the end, Zhuoxian told Bitao how difficult it was for ghosts to make a living in the human world.
"The cheapest option is the mixed grain flatbread..."
"Hahahaha!" Bitao never expected this reason and laughed so hard she almost fell over.
Bai Duo began to "complain," vividly describing how the Ghost King made money in the human world without disrupting the order or showing any abnormalities, a task as difficult as ascending to heaven.
The three of them chatted enthusiastically from the fourth watch of the night until the fifth watch.
They talked about how difficult it is to make money on Earth, and then about many interesting stories and rules between the Underworld and the Astral Realm.
They chatted until dawn, when Zhan Kui, who was keeping watch, got so bored that he fell asleep not far away.
Bitao was reluctant to go back, and the two ghost kings were also reluctant to leave.
Zhuo Xian said reluctantly, "I don't know when we'll meet again."
Bitao smiled and said, "I ask my father to come and get together whenever I have time."
"Once the competition is over, we can see each other anytime."
"The roots of the great peach tree I live in connect to all realms and traverse the netherworld. I have never been to the main underworld before. When the time comes, my two fathers will take me on a tour so that I can brag to my friends when I get back."
Although the two of them thought the underworld was not fun at all, and did not think that the immortals would be interested in the underworld, they both readily agreed.
Before the two fathers left, Bitao saw them off for a long time, almost to the end of the forest.
As the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, Bitao followed closely behind.
Bai Duo reached out and pressed down on Bi Tao's shoulder: "My dear daughter, don't see us off anymore. If you hadn't, we would have already returned to the underworld."
The three looked at each other and then laughed.
Bitao watched her two fathers with reluctance as they parted.
But it was almost dawn, and the two of them had to leave.
Bitao then looked at Zhuoxian and asked, "By the way, Father Zhuoxian, you didn't come last time. Father Baiduo said you went to work on official business."
"It is said that there was a... Ghost King who performed a great service, but his soul was damaged. He tried to reshape his soul with his merits. I wonder if he succeeded?"
Zhuo Xian smiled and replied, "It's a success. That Ghost King has ascended to the position of Yama. As a new official, he's always making a big splash. He's the superior of both me and your father, Bai Duo."
"So if you don't let us go back, and we leave our posts all night, we're afraid we'll be punished by that Yama."
Bitao chuckled awkwardly, "Father Baiduo, Father Zhuoxian, see you next time!"
"By the way, if there is anything you want in the mortal world, you don't need to set up a stall to earn money. Just tell your daughter."
"It is my duty to be filial to both fathers!"
Bai Duo was initially reserved, but now she's grinning from ear to ear.
Both he and Zhuoxian were widowed and alone for over a thousand years, yet they were able to have family again because of a public office. How fortunate they were!
Moreover, her daughter has a fair complexion, is lovely and delicate, and is so clingy...
He and Zhuoxian were overjoyed.
Bai Duo bent his knuckles, glanced back at Zhuo Xian, and teasingly tapped Bi Tao's forehead: "What kind of ghost king in the mortal realm could possibly want? Probably only merit, right? You can give that away? Hahaha..."
Zhuoxian smiled and said gently to Bitao, "We lack nothing, so there's no need to burn so much paper money next time. We'll come back after just one or two sheets. Go back now."
After he finished speaking, he took a step forward, moved his lips, and couldn't help but want to remind his daughter of something.
The scent of the incense that draws souls from her was too strong.
Those who followed the race viewed it as if they were watching fish swimming through clear water.
He was terrified that his daughter might suffer a great loss if she wasn't careful.
However, Bai Duo managed to grab her arm in time.
Bai Duo even unleashed his crimson demon eye, silently warning Zhuo Xian.
Even if he, the Ghost King, no longer wants to be the Ghost King, any information revealed to the contestants by the accompanying immortals will lead to the contest's failure!
The next instant, the two ghost kings transformed into yin energy and, right in front of Bitao, swiftly vanished underground.
Bitao then turned around and walked back.
The reluctance on her face had not yet faded; she truly loved spending time with her fathers.
The underworld they talked about was so interesting. They sat there without saying a word, yet Bitao felt a warmth she had never experienced before.
Zhan Kui slept on the ground under the open sky all night, and his neck became crooked from sleeping so much.
With her neck tilted to the side, she walked over to Bitao and complained, "Can't you walk a little faster? I'm going back to ask Liuxing to massage my neck; he knows massage..."
As dawn broke, Bitao was pulled by Zhan Kui into the Wenxin Pavilion.
Bitao looked up at the sky, her gaze falling on the octagonal eaves of the Wenxin Pavilion.
Her thoughts, like her steps, were always halting, as if there were a few "locks" that couldn't be fastened, like chains hanging from the octagonal eaves of the Wenxin Pavilion.
Zhan Kui pushed Bi Tao: "Walk properly. My neck is all crooked. How can you bear to put all your weight on me?"
Bitao snapped out of her daze and looked at her, asking, "Where is the portrait of the Xuanmen Patriarch of Wenxin Pavilion? Take me to see it."
Zhan Kui tilted his head, widened his eyes, and mysteriously whispered as he approached Bi Tao: "Meteor and the others are all here, this won't do!"
Bitao asked, "What's wrong with that?"
Zhan Kui thought Bi Tao was completely confused: "They're already plotting to get rid of the Xuanmen Patriarch, and the Wenxin Pavilion is also on the list of suspects. Isn't it inappropriate for you to go and look at the portrait of the Xuanmen Patriarch so openly?"
Bitao tapped Zhan Kui's forehead with her finger, thinking to herself that the Xuanmen patriarch had been entrenched here for over two thousand years. The entire world was probably under his control.
Regardless of who he possessed, if he wanted to kill them, he would have done so long ago.
He was clearly waiting for an "opportunity".
Before this "opportunity" arrives, Bitao could now stand with her hands on her hips and drag out all eighteen generations of the Xuanmen patriarch's ancestors to curse them to the ends of the earth.
There will be no danger.
Besides, it's just looking at a portrait.
In the end, Zhan Kui took Bi Tao to see the portrait, both openly and furtively.
Her strategy was to first use her beauty to entangle Meteor, get him to give her a massage, and then let Bitao sneak over to look at the portrait.
The portrait was hung in the main hall on the eighth floor, which was called "Yuqing Hall".
The portrait is almost life-sized and hangs high on the incense table, which is filled with countless incense bowls and overflowing with incense ash, indicating that the incense burning was still quite prosperous.
The Xuanmen Patriarch, Yu Junlang, held a prominent position in the cultivation world. Cultivators who came to exorcise evil spirits would offer him incense to pray for peace.
Bitao looked up and met the gaze of the Xuanmen Patriarch in the portrait, whose gentle eyes held a sorrowful expression.
His colorful robes fluttered, and his long hair trailed on the ground. The words Zhan Kui had used to describe his beauty were far from enough to capture the charm of the portrait he had seen in person.
Just then, a gentle breeze swept in from outside the wide-open palace doors, stirring the portraits on the walls.
In an instant, the person in the painting seemed to come alive.
Refined and elegant, pure and otherworldly, these words are insufficient to describe even a fraction of the vividness of his writing.
If the portrait is like this, it's not hard to imagine what a magnificent and peerless beauty he must have been in real life.
Bitao stared at the portrait for a long time, especially at the eyes.
None of the faces, expressions, and mannerisms in my mind could match it.
She then turned her gaze away and looked at the neatly arranged fruits and offerings on the altar.
And there was a weapon rack that occupied most of the incense table, and on the weapon rack was the Tongtian Mace, the weapon of the Xuanmen patriarch.
Bitao stepped forward and reached out to grab the handle of the Tongtian Mace.
Someone spoke urgently from behind her, the voice already rough, and deliberately lowered to sound even more furtive: "Ancestor! Don't move!"
Bitao turned around and saw Zhan Kui waving his hands in the air, making a big fuss and telling Bitao to put them back.
Bitao didn't put it back; instead, she picked it up and weighed it in her hand.
He looked behind Zhan Kui, or rather, at the shadow on the ground behind Zhan Kui.
Soon the shadow moved, and Meteor stepped into the hall from the corridor. His voice was like a clear spring striking stone, exceptionally gentle: "It's alright, Ancestor won't blame me."
"Besides, that one isn't the real Tongtian Mace. It's a replica, just like the ones that various sects in the cultivation world keep for fun."
As Liuxing walked in, Zhan Kui was so frightened that he pressed himself against the door. His neck was no longer crooked, but his eyes were wide open, and his little face twitched like a dried fish. He stammered, "You...you didn't go to buy me bamboo leaf cakes!"
Meteor looked innocent: "In this world, where can you buy bamboo leaf cake? If I want to buy it, I would have to ride a horse day and night for more than ten days to reach Rizhao or the capital of Wenchang Kingdom."
"You're in such a hurry, can you wait? Besides, there's no guarantee the food won't spoil after going back and forth."
Meteor smiled indulgently at Zhan Kui: "I'll get some dried bamboo leaves, soak them in water first, and then I'll wrap them for you to eat later."
Then, with a calm demeanor, he walked into the main hall, slipped through a small door in the side room, and soon produced a bundle of dried bamboo leaves.
As he closed the door, Bitao glanced inside. There were all sorts of dried vegetables and jars containing various kinds of rice and grains.
You can tell at a glance that you love life.
Moreover, this is not strange at all; in fact, it makes some sense.
Because the eighth floor of Wenxin Pavilion is well-ventilated on all sides, it is the most suitable place to store items that need to be kept dry.
Zhan Kui: "..." She frantically winked at Bi Tao.
Meteor is the prime suspect. He caught the two of them red-handed. Aren't they going to run away?!
Shouldn't we go and join up with Mingguang and the others?
For a moment, Bitao couldn't describe whether Zhan Kui was bold or cowardly.
To say she's timid is ridiculous. Meteor was clearly the prime suspect, yet she went back to Wenxin Pavilion with him, asking him to prepare all sorts of food for her and instructing him to massage her neck and other sensitive areas.
She's incredibly brave; she finally remembered to run away.
Bitao ignored Zhan Kui's "hint". She carried the Tongtian Mace, walked up to Liuxing, and raised the mace to press against the scar on his neck where Tianhua had cut off half of it.
They blocked his way.
Zhan Kui hissed and gasped.
She wasn't actually afraid. Who was she afraid of, being a lucky koi fairy?
She was afraid of not being comfortable in life. Meteor could get anything and do anything, so she definitely wanted to hurry back to Wenxin Pavilion to enjoy herself.
But Bitao has always had bad luck!
Seeing Bitao pointing the Heavenly Mace at Liuxing's neck, Zhan Kui roared inwardly.
It's over! Bitao, that unlucky and arrogant brat, is going to take on the Xuanmen Patriarch all by herself!
But Zhan Kui reacted very quickly, his eyes sweeping haphazardly across the room before grabbing a broom from a corner and assuming an attack stance.
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