bookcurios Chapter 286 Xuannv 151
Chapter 286 Xuannv 151
The perpetually shrouded clouds and mist of Kunlun Ruins suddenly surged like waves, and the morning dew clinging to the jade steps reflected the shifting sunlight. Zheyan leaned against a vermilion pillar, gently waving a bamboo fan in his hand. The lapis lazuli inlaid on the fan ribs shimmered with a faint blue light in the morning glow, and the vibrant peach blossoms painted on the fan trembled in the breeze, as if real flowers were falling.
Suddenly, a faint light shone from the dome of the main hall, and Mo Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his wide, moon-white sleeves seemingly swirling with stars. The white jade crown from Kunlun Ruins that bound his hair still held the frost and snow from his seclusion, but his brow bone held a serene tranquility unlike anything he had ever known in the mortal world. His Daoist aura flowed like spring water over bluestone, rippling outwards without leaving a trace.
"Mo Yuan, you've emerged from seclusion. It seems you've gained quite a bit this time." Zhe Yan's peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and he lightly tapped the light flowing around Mo Yuan with his fan. "Judging from this aura, it's probably catching up to my Peach Blossom Wine, becoming even more mellow. In a few more days, I hope even this old bone of mine will have to admit defeat."
Mo Yuan raised his hand and gently brushed the snowflakes off his shoulder. His faint smile seemed to emanate from the morning mist of Kunlun Ruins, warm yet distant: When will the rare guest, the High God Zheyan, have time to come to Kunlun Ruins? Could it be that you're trying to rummage through the ancient secret techniques in my study again? The "Xuanhuang Creation Chapter" that you took last time hasn't been returned to its rightful owner yet.
"Didn't you come here to ask for a celebratory drink after hearing that the God Mo Yuan has emerged from seclusion?" Zhe Yan approached, fanning himself with his fan. His nose twitched slightly, and he suddenly smiled slyly. "As for you, before you went into seclusion, you said you wanted to comprehend the Nine Heavens' Guide. Did you grasp any of its secrets? Or did you, like three hundred years ago, go to sleep halfway through comprehending it?"
Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps echoed down the stone steps. The morning mist still clung to his black robes, and the Kunlun Ruins-style jade pendant at his waist jingled softly with each movement. He knelt on one knee, his gaze steady and unwavering as he bowed: "Master, there are two men outside the hall, carrying the rare Crimson Sky Sword. They say they have traveled a great distance to Kunlun Ruins to become my disciples, their words are earnest, and I beg you, Master, to make your decision."
Mo Yuan's fingertips traced the jade slip in his sleeve, his gaze sweeping over the white cranes circling the eaves. A mountain breeze swept through his moon-white robes, the fluttering fabric seemingly carrying the sounds of thunder and clouds: "Bring him in." As he turned, his wide sleeves stirred a gentle breeze, causing peach petals from Zheyan's fan to scatter in a flurry, weaving a crimson haze in the morning light.
Zheyan gazed at that composed figure, tapped his palm with his folding fan, and a playful smile appeared on his lips: It seems there's going to be a good show today. Suddenly, a clear and melodious zither melody pierced the air, its sharp, resonant notes like tearing silk, stirring up the pines all over the mountain, and even causing the distant sea of clouds to surge, as if foreshadowing something extraordinary about to happen in Kunlun Ruins.
In the main hall of Kunlun Ruins, the air was thick with the fragrance of sandalwood. In the flickering light of the bronze lamps, Zi Lan, his black robes billowing, knelt on one knee, the jade pendant at his waist clinking softly: "This humble student, Zi Lan, pays respects to the High God Mo Yuan." Before his words had even finished, a figure in crimson gracefully landed. Si Yin, her hair tied with a simple matching ribbon, her blue robe still adorned with peach blossom petals, mimicked his gesture with a graceful bow: "Si Yin of the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Forest pays respects to the High God Mo Yuan."
Mo Yuan lowered his gaze to the two people below the steps, his jade-like fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the gilded chair. His brows furrowed slightly, like a thin mist veiling distant mountains. Suddenly, he turned to look at Zhe Yan, who was leaning against a jade pillar: "Is this the disciple you found for me?"
Exactly! Zheyan waved his Xiangfei bamboo fan, his peach blossom eyes curving into crescents. The nine-tailed fox painted on the fan with cinnabar seemed to leap out in the light and shadow. He had encountered this little wild fox outside the peach grove the other day. Judging from its extraordinary physique, it was a natural-born cultivator. He specially brought it here to polish it up.
Si Yin looked up in confusion, only to see Mo Yuan's expression as cold as frost and snow, his deep eyes seemingly able to see through the disguise of her magic. Sure enough, his clear, cold voice fell like a cold spring into a deep pool: Si Yin, you and I are not destined to be master and disciple. You should go back to the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Forest with Zhe Yan.
The air in the hall suddenly froze. Si Yin's fingertips trembled slightly as she gazed at the Kunlun Ruins Token hanging at Mo Yuan's waist. She suddenly remembered Zhe Yan saying that this High God was extremely strict and self-disciplined. At this moment, Mo Yuan's gaze was sharp, and he had already seen through her disguise as an ordinary fox, recognizing the true form of the nine-tailed white fox hidden beneath the surface—the most beloved youngest daughter of Emperor Bai Zhi of Qingqiu, the legendary troublemaker in the Four Seas and Eight Desolations who stole immortal wine and toyed with heavenly soldiers.
For immortals, the matter of taking a master is a matter of karma spanning three lifetimes. Mo Yuan gazed at the faint nine-tailed fox mark behind Si Yin's ear, recalling the rumors about Bai Qian throughout the four seas and eight wastelands. With such a free-spirited nature, if he were truly taken as a disciple, who knows how many troubles would arise in the future? He subtly stirred the spiritual energy in his sleeve, startling the cranes circling outside the hall into scattering in all directions. His voice carried an undeniable determination: "Kunlun Ruins has strict rules; it is probably not a place for you to reside."