“Demon Envoy, the human Grand Preceptor has escaped, and our men failed to catch him. Should I dispatch more to pursue him?”
Amid the wreckage of the tavern, a man clad entirely in black rasped the question to another.
The other man waved his hand dismissively, a bloodthirsty smile curling at his lips. “No need! Hah! The Grand Preceptor of the human race—he may escape the monk, but can he escape the temple?”
As the sun set in the west, dusk descended.
The western sky blazed with vast stretches of fiery clouds, resplendent like roses blooming across the heavens.
In the distance, a mist-shrouded peak loomed in the twilight, its layered ridges ethereal as a mythical fairyland.
Mo Changxing descended slowly to the foot of the mountain with Yun Qingxue, his lips curving into an exquisitely handsome smile. His voice, as he spoke to her, was as refined and gentle as the chime of jade beads.
“Little junior sister, we’ve arrived at Luoyun Mountain.”
Yun Qingxue’s beautiful eyes swept their surroundings. Her sense of direction was sharp, and throughout the journey with Mo Changxing, she was certain they had been heading northwest—precisely the direction of Luoyun Mountain.
So, was this picturesque place before her truly the Luoyun Mountain she had longed to reach?
Her breath began to quicken slightly.
If this was indeed the dwelling of the legendary Purple Song Sage, who could teach her magic, then…
Yun Qingxue could hardly believe it. How could the path to apprenticeship be so smooth? So smooth it felt like a dream—so dreamlike she could scarcely trust it.
Thus, at this moment, she didn’t even half-believe Mo Changxing’s claim that this was Luoyun Mountain. If meeting her master could be this effortless, what did all her hardships along the way amount to?
Her experiences before and after her transmigration had taught her not to easily trust that anything could be achieved so effortlessly!
“Master! I’ve brought our little junior sister back!!! Come out and greet us!!!” Mo Changxing shouted toward the depths of the mountain forest.
Yun Qingxue stumbled, nearly losing her balance. She stared at Mo Changxing with exasperation, growing increasingly convinced that this man was utterly abnormal!!!
In all her years, this was the first time she’d heard of a disciple demanding their master come out to greet them! If a disciple could act like this, the master must truly be pitiable…
Mo Changxing’s voice echoed through the layered peaks.
“Brat, what are you yelling for? Trying to summon a ghost?!!!” A lazy, disgruntled voice suddenly rang out from behind a large boulder.
Yun Qingxue turned toward the sound and saw a young man leisurely emerging from behind a massive rock not far away.
The man had a face like carved jade, eyes as bright as stars, and an extraordinary aura that instantly gave the impression of someone transcendent—untouched by mortal dust.
Of course, “transcendent” and “untouched by mortal dust” were merely impressions his aura conveyed. If one looked at his attire, they’d immediately associate him with another legendary figure…
The man’s demeanor was impeccable, but his clothing style was exactly like the song described: “tattered shoes, tattered hat!!!”
Yes, precisely—the Living Buddha Ji Gong!!!
This man’s unkempt appearance rivaled—if not surpassed—that of Ji Gong!!!
Yun Qingxue glanced at Mo Changxing. The slovenly man’s tone suggested familiarity—was he Mo Changxing’s accomplice?
Mo Changxing rubbed his temple, his expression caught between laughter and tears, his exquisitely handsome features twisted in distress.
Then, Yun Qingxue heard his clear, resonant voice tremble slightly as he said, “Master! Little junior sister just arrived—could you at least try to maintain some dignity?”
Master????!
Yun Qingxue blinked in disbelief. Was Mo Changxing implying…
That this man, dressed like the Living Buddha Ji Gong with his tattered shoes and hat, was the so-called master—the Purple Song Sage?!
“A child doesn’t scorn their mother’s ugliness! A dog doesn’t scorn its home’s poverty!!!” the man retorted nonchalantly, his bright eyes locking onto Yun Qingxue like Columbus discovering the New World. His gaze practically sparkled!!!
Yun Qingxue frowned tightly. If this man truly was the Purple Song Sage, his appearance was a far cry from what Jin Lin had described back in the aquatic realm!!!
“Disciple!”
After observing Yun Qingxue for a moment, the man called out cheerfully. Though the boulder he stood on was some distance away, in the blink of an eye—without Yun Qingxue even seeing him move—he was suddenly right in front of her.
Without hesitation, the man seized Yun Qingxue’s hand, gripping it tightly as he exclaimed excitedly, “A thousand years! Your master has waited, counting the stars and the moon, and at last, you’ve arrived!!!
“Not easy! Truly not easy!!!”
Yun Qingxue’s lips twitched, utterly speechless…
Mo Changxing stepped forward and slapped the man’s hand away from Yun Qingxue, his tone icy. “Snap out of it already!”
The man didn’t take offense at being swatted away. Instead, he continued studying Yun Qingxue before suddenly grinning at Mo Changxing. “Your master is in a good mood today—I’ll let it slide! This girl is perfect! Exactly what I’ve been looking for in a disciple!”
Yun Qingxue lowered her gaze…
The Living Buddha Ji Gong might have been unkempt with tattered shoes and hat, but he possessed true skill and compassion. She wondered if this man, aside from resembling Ji Gong in appearance, shared any of his virtues. So far, beyond the superficial, she saw no resemblance.
He claimed she met his standards for a disciple, but in her heart, she wasn’t convinced he met her standards for a master!
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