"Shiniang is re-refining her Natal Artifact," Qing Feng said, touching the tip of his nose as the alchemical furnace suddenly cooled.
"I'm tired from refining medicine; making some meals will be a good change of pace," Yan Yi said, tying up her dark hair and walking towards the stove. As her skirt brushed the threshold, a sentence floated back: "Remember your words, medicine is ultimately not as nourishing as soup."
Qing Feng sighed, watching the woman's retreating figure, and drew circles on the muddy ground with his bamboo staff. He mused that if Master had even a third of his understanding, he wouldn't have failed to perfect the Art of Bigu. He then lay back on the futon, letting the mountain breeze caress his eyelids.
Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, waves gradually rose. Ancient Divine Kun stirred the vast ocean, Golden-winged Great Peng tore through the sky, spirit butterflies flapped their wings, causing the Milky Way to cascade, and Kirin's steps on the clouds brought forth thunder and fire.
In the chaotic mist, he suddenly saw an ape's shadow holding up a heavenly pillar and a Sword Immortal holding a jade pot—figures from the old Journey to the West tale he had told Senior Sister two months ago.
These stories had been told for over two years and were still not fully concluded.
It wasn't that he intentionally dragged it out; it was just that the common people needed time to comprehend. If he were to throw out all the allusions like the Sword Immortal Equal to Heaven and the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, he feared the listeners would be utterly confused.
Now, he was secretly arranging for a troupe to perform shadow puppetry and had storytellers sing in teahouses, waiting for the moment when the collective thoughts of all beings would converge and take shape.
The copper bell on the eaves suddenly rang, startling his thoughts. Outside the window lattice floated the ethereal image of a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, specially prepared for that illegitimate daughter from Hu Ji Peak.
Last month, he had used a fox immortal's avatar to enter her dreams, and the wooden puppet he casually carved had become a sacred object that she worshipped day and night.
Now, that girl burned incense and reported every single detail, even elaborating on the private tea parties of the main peak elders.
Qing Feng listened to the murmuring in his Sea of Consciousness, turned over, and found the stone pillow cool and perfect for sleep.
Thirty days passed with clouds rolling and unfurling, and then immortal music was suddenly heard from the peak of Xiao Yao Peak. The sound of the seven-stringed zither drew hundreds of birds to circle and caused floating clouds to linger. Even the most skilled painters of this era would struggle to depict this profound realm where sound and image merged.
A clear, cool sound drifted in from beyond the bamboo curtain. Qing Feng turned over on the soft couch by the window, pushing down the "Classic of Alchemy" that covered his face.
Yixian Palace had been residing on Xiao Yao Peak for over half a month, and he had unexpectedly gained a benefit: Miss Yun Qingrao's morning and evening zither lessons were even more sleep-inducing than calming incense.
Just as he was about to resume his interrupted nap, the golden statue of the fox immortal enshrined deep within his Sea of Consciousness suddenly trembled.
In a daze, he heard a woman's gritted-teeth prayer: "I beg your ladyship for protection. This faithful disciple will surely lure Qing Feng to Nine Curves Pond to stumble upon the Immortal Maiden of Yixian Palace bathing."
Qing Feng chuckled silently, resting his arm on his pillow. This Lin Qian was indeed an interesting person. Just the day before, he had unblocked her obstructed meridians, and today she wanted to ruin his Dao path.
He lightly tapped the edge of the couch with his fingertips, and a wisp of divine consciousness traced the wish power back to its source.
In the side room under the wisteria trellis, Lin Qian was bowing to a palm-sized jade carved idol. She suddenly felt the scent of sandalwood wafting around her, hastily hid the object in her cosmetic box, and lay down on the embroidered pillow, still dressed.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a celestial mountain amidst a sea of clouds. The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's Dharma appearance hung high in the sky, its Yingluo and tassels swaying without wind.
"What do you seek?" The divine voice was like a chime.
"Please enlighten me!" Lin Qian prostrated herself before the jade steps. "That Zhang Gao forced me to be a secret agent, to bewitch Qing Feng of Chen Ming Peak. But that fellow..." She twisted her sleeves, gritting her silver teeth, "Even a prodigy like Senior Brother Qi Lin looks favorably upon me, so why does he treat me as nothing?"
Qing Feng, who was above the clouds, almost broke his composure. Three days ago, when this girl was crying and asking for guidance with a ruined alchemy pill, she didn't show such temper. With a slight movement of his divine thought, the fox immortal's wide sleeve swept across a thousand miles of mountains and rivers: "Tell me the plan."
"Immortal Han Zhang loves novelty the most. I've already coaxed her to Nine Curves Pond to try some 'Youth-Preserving Spirit Spring,'" Lin Qian's eyes gleamed with a faint light. "At that time, I just need to make Qing Feng 'happen' to pass by..."
"Although Qing Feng is a blockhead, his Senior Brother Lu Ran is easily swayed. These days, I've been getting close to him, even figuring out the location of his sleeping quarters. A few days ago, I publicly pretended to sprain my ankle and fell into his arms. Now, the Sect is even spreading rumors that we are deeply in love."
"When the time is right, I just need to invite him to meet at the pond under the guise of Fairy Su Yan. Then, I'll subtly set up an illusion array, guaranteeing he'll fall right into the trap."
"When he's disheveled, I'll 'happen' to stumble upon him with my sisters. With both human and material evidence, Lu Ran and Su Yan's engagement will naturally be called off."
"As for Qing Feng, the Disciplinary Hall will take care of him."
Qing Feng, listening from the shadows, muttered to himself: Sixth Senior Brother usually boasts about being experienced with women, yet he can't even distinguish a white lotus from a green tea.
Fortunately, he had slipped a memory stone into his sachet the other day, otherwise, not only would this engagement be ruined, but he himself might also get dragged into this mess.
After all, as a direct disciple, he needed to rotate three times a month to Xiao Yao Peak. If he were truly calculated to be there at the precise time, he would indeed be unable to defend himself.
However, now that he had discerned the conspiracy, Qing Feng rubbed the jade token at his waist, contemplating which auspicious geomantic location he should reserve for Junior Sister Lin tomorrow.
"I respectfully ask for your ladyship's blessing," Lin Qian devoutly kowtowed.
"Granted."
Along with the ethereal divine sound, a warm spiritual energy poured into her head. Lin Qian trembled all over, and when she opened her eyes again, the Qi Refining in her body surged, directly breaking through to the ninth stage of Qi Refining. She caressed her increasingly delicate face, a sneer flashing in her eyes: "This group of sword fanatics from Beast Taming Sect is even easier to manipulate than mundane fops. Once I take down Qi Lin, this chess piece..."
In the side room, Qing Feng stretched lazily and kicked the sleeping Black Dog awake: "Go invite Aunt-Master Zisu. Tell him that his treasured thousand-year-old Zhuyeqing is about to be gnawed by rats."
"Has the sun risen from the west?" Black Dog stared with his brass-bell eyes. "You usually avoid Dao Lord's statue like a cat avoids water, but today you're actively provoking him?"
"If you don't go, Senior Brother Liu's wedding will really be ruined. Although he's a bit simple-minded, he's taken the blame for us quite a lot over the years."
Qing Feng stepped on his soft sword and soared into the air, muttering, "The sound transmission array on Xiao Yao Peak needs new talismans, lest Senior Sister Su Yan keeps not receiving love letters." A purple sword light cut through the night sky, startling the sleeping birds on the mountain.
Although the Chen Ming Peak villa was temporarily lent to Yixian Palace, many female cultivators now resided there, so etiquette and rules naturally could not be neglected.
As soon as Qing Feng sent out the communication talisman, he saw a flash of spiritual light in the sky. Fairy Su Yan gracefully descended, stepping on green smoke, her silver bells at her waist tinkling softly: "Is Junior Brother here again to ask for a new song?"
"This matter is of great importance and concerns Senior Sister's engagement with Sixth Senior Brother." Qing Feng rarely restrained his smile, lightly tapping the jade token at his waist with his fingertips.
Fairy Su Yan heard this, put away her teasing expression, and with a gentle wave of her cloud sleeves, she had already set up a sound-insulating barrier around them: "What do you mean by this?"
"I heard that Immortal Han Zhang is the fellow disciple Senior Sister values most?"
"Han Zhang and I have cultivated together since childhood; we are like sisters." Fairy Su Yan's brows furrowed slightly. "You suddenly mention her..."
"Has she been in close contact with Lin Qian of Chen Ming Peak recently?"
"Lin Qian is a Disciple from your peak, introduced by your Sixth Senior Brother to assist with internal affairs here. That girl handles things properly, and I saw that she got along well with Han Zhang, so I didn't stop it." Fairy Su Yan's eyes gradually turned cold. "Is something amiss?"
Qing Feng took out a memory stone from his sleeve: "According to secret intelligence, this woman is actually a secret agent from Hu Ji Peak. In three days, they are scheduled to bathe in Nine Curves Pond, and at that time, someone might scheme to lure Sixth Senior Brother to accidentally intrude..."
Fairy Su Yan's Natal Artifact in her sleeve suddenly hummed, and the surrounding Qi Refining surged like boiling water: "Can this matter be verified?"