Xiayan Peak, within the small courtyard.
The Sect Leader, Qi, carried a wooden bucket as usual, feeding the young piglets he was raising.
Feng Yichen lounged idly in a corner, a strand of foxtail grass in his mouth, staring blankly at the sky.
Ever since he was knocked out of the tomb chamber with a single palm strike from the Taoist Ancestor, Feng Yichen’s spirit had been gravely injured. The once confident and spirited young man was now nowhere to be found, replaced by a dejected and dispirited version of himself, deeply entrenched in the throes of self-doubt and existential questioning.
He simply couldn’t understand it, truly couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Where exactly was he inferior to Jiang Shouzhong?
Sure, there might be a *tiny* gap in looks, but in every other aspect, he was leagues ahead, wasn’t he?
How could the Taoist Ancestor disregard him so entirely?
Of course, all that was secondary. What truly crushed him was that the girl he had painstakingly fallen for ended up being snatched away right under his nose. That was a genuine heartbreaker.
"If it’s really hopeless, just go down the mountain and find yourself a wife."
Qi casually suggested while pouring feed into the trough, "Don’t just stay here wasting my rations."
Feng Yichen lazily replied, "Might as well slaughter and feed to the pigs."
"That’s not a bad idea."
Qi paused for a mont, then grinned widely.
Kneeling down, he began scrubbing the piglets’ fur and said slowly, "You know, from the very beginning, I knew Jiang Mo...er, I an Nephew Jiang, would pass the Taoist Ancestor’s trial. But I still sent you. Do you know why?"
Feng Yichen didn’t respond, shutting his eyes and pretending to sleep.
Qi sighed, "You, ah, have had far too smooth of a ride. You’ve never faced any major setbacks. This is detrintal to your cultivation journey—it’s a hidden danger.
I wanted to use this opportunity to temper your ntal state. Otherwise, when you encounter even greater adversities in the future, you won’t be able to save yourself. They say when Heaven bestows a great responsibility, it must first burden one’s mind and spirit."
Feng Yichen sneered, "Keep spinning your tales."
Qi’s expression grew a bit awkward. Just as he was about to launch into another bout of philosophical lecturing, a flash of red appeared at the entrance of the courtyard.
It was Qu Hongling, standing prettily by the gate. The hem of her dress fluttered as she called out in her crisp voice, "Feng Yichen, co with . I need your help with sothing."
Without waiting for a reply, the young woman twirled gracefully, her slender waist slightly swaying, and headed toward Qiushi Mountain.
Feng Yichen was montarily stunned.
After confirming he wasn’t hallucinating or hearing things, he hurriedly spit out the foxtail grass in his mouth and dashed after her.
Watching his foolish disciple’s delighted expression, Qi couldn’t resist pouring cold water on the mood: "Look at you, grinning like that. That lass is probably asking you to help her find her sweetheart."
Feng Yichen turned back and cursed, "Shut up, old man. Keep talking and I’ll blow up your worthless mountaintop."
Qi was so infuriated his teeth itched.
The rascal had abandoned his teacher at the sight of a pretty face and was even threatening to destroy his peak.
Feng Yichen moved like the wind and soon found Qu Hongling standing gracefully beside a small pond to the north of the maple forest at Qiushi Mountain.
The surrounding maple leaves, in shades of crimson and yellow, painted a vibrant tapestry. Against this backdrop, the girl’s graceful figure seed alive with motion, as though drawn by a master painter—utterly unforgettable at first glance.
Feng Yichen couldn’t help but stop and gaze.
In that mont of daze, he felt as though nothing in the world could surpass the beauty of this scene.
This made his envy of Jiang Shouzhong grow even deeper.
Qu Hongling, anwhile, was counting the maple trees beside the pond, muttering sothing under her breath.
If one listened closely, it sounded like phrases such as "Qian Sheng Two Three."
When she noticed Feng Yichen’s arrival, Qu Hongling pulled out a translucent crystal ball, about the size of an infant’s fist, and handed it to him: "I really couldn’t find anyone else. Do a favor, will you? Oh, and we’re friends, right?"
The girl’s clear, bright eyes stared directly at him.
"Yes, we are."
Feng Yichen instinctively nodded.
Qu Hongling then pointed at the maple leaf-clad pond before them: "Do you know what this is?"
"A pond?"
Feng Yichen was baffled by her cryptic question.
Qu Hongling imdiately broke into a radiant smile: "Good, it’s better that you don’t know. Here’s the deal: when the morning bell from the rear mountain rings, use your fingers to flick this crystal ball twice. When red light appears inside, throw it into this pond imdiately."
"Miss Qu, what is this—"
"Did you get that?"
"I... I got it. But what exactly is this—"
"Repeat it back to ."
Qu Hongling interrupted him.
"Um..." Feng Yichen stamred, pointing at the crystal ball in his hand. "When the rear mountain bell rings, flick this crystal ball twice. Once red light appears, throw it into the pond... Miss Qu, is that right?"
"Correct, right on."
Qu Hongling nodded vigorously, her lovely eyes curving into crescent moons. "Thanks a lot, okay? Bye now."
She waved her hand and hurried off again.
Feng Yichen was left utterly bewildered.
Scratching his head, he lowered his gaze to examine the unassuming crystal ball in his hand, his face full of questions: "What is this thing? What exactly does Miss Qu want to do?"
Feng Yichen couldn’t puzzle it out for the life of him.
Soon, the morning bell from the rear mountain sounded gently.
Still confused, Feng Yichen hesitated for a mont, but eventually decided to follow her instructions. He flicked the crystal ball twice with his fingers.
Sure enough, a faint red glow began to illuminate from within the ball.
Feeling the ball gradually heat up, becoming slightly too hot to hold, Feng Yichen quickly threw it into the pond.
*Plop!*
Water splashed.
But then, nothing happened.
Feng Yichen stepped forward, craning his neck to peer into the pond, his confusion only deepening: "What on earth is this thing? Could it be... Miss Qu’s token of love for ?"
The young man couldn’t help but indulge in the delightful fantasy.
At that mont, Feng Yichen suddenly noticed ripples spreading across the pond surface, expanding outward in strange patterns as if faintly resonating with so mysterious energy in the heavens and earth.
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