Chapter 37
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 37
The carriage passed through the village, slowing its pace as it moved along.
Gong Wu leaned halfway out of the window, admiring the village scenery glistening after the rain. She looked up as a large shadow fell over her.
—It was an exceptionally tall Arahant pine.
“This pine tree must be centuries old,” the driver remarked from the front. “I’ve never seen one so grand.”
“Wait a moment!” Gong Wu suddenly exclaimed. “Please, stop the carriage!”
The carriage had already traveled a fair distance. The girl steadied herself against the carriage and leapt down gracefully, lifting her skirt as she ran to the Arahant pine and crouched beside it.
What her master had mentioned earlier seemed to point to Yin Mountain!
It was said that at the foot of Yin Mountain stood an Arahant pine, and beneath that pine rested a large bell.
The tree was so massive that it would take four people to encircle it. After circling the trunk, she finally spotted the metallic glint peeking out from the roots.
“Here it is,” the ancient bell called to her. “Move a bit to the right, hey, lower your head, lower it more. Can you see me now?”
The Fox Ancestor lay by the window, watching from a distance, its ears twitching slightly.
“Who is speaking?”
“A bell.”
“…A bell??”
The observant driver skillfully reversed the carriage, allowing Hu Fengyu to catch a glimpse of the large bell hidden beneath the tree’s roots.
Gong Wu picked up a branch and brushed away the leaves and dirt from the surface of the large bell. Just as her master had said, she could neither discern the material clearly nor use her spiritual energy to remove the parasitic branches and leaves clinging to its top.
Hu Fengyu, too lazy to step down for a closer look, leaned against the window and asked, “What wrong have you done to be suppressed here?”
The large bell cleared its throat and spoke in a clear, articulate tone, “Will you grant me your full cultivation?”
…It truly was just as the legends said.
“What will happen if I grant it?”
“I will give you a big treasure!”
Gong Wu, though immensely curious upon encountering such a bell in person, was not inclined to take risks lightly.
She had endured too much pain from her previous attempts. Now, even with the chance to meet this strange bell, she decided to merely observe and not act further.
On the other hand, Hu Fengyu’s ears perked up, and he became genuinely intrigued.
“Then I’ll give it a try.”
“Are you sure?” Gong Wu could tell he wasn’t joking. “We haven’t even reached the capital yet.”
To her surprise, before the servant could help him down, the strange bell swiftly declined.
“You cannot provide it.”
“Why?”
“Your power is stored elsewhere. Even if you give it now, it will not be complete.”
“So greedy,” the fox muttered, feeling displeased. Then, a thought struck him: “Your enemy has set harsh conditions. Even after a few more centuries, you won’t escape.”
The strange bell let out a bitter laugh. “What can be done?”
Whether it was the conditions to break the curse or its ability to speak, everything seemed tightly constrained.
Gong Wu initially wanted to chat more and inquire about the strange bell’s past, but it could only monotonously repeat the same question.
…Will you grant me your full cultivation?
No, it was definitely a no.
After bidding farewell to the wonder, they arrived early in the imperial city that evening.
The Hu Clan at Rainbow Ridge had estates in various regions and was said to be involved in numerous businesses, amassing wealth while also performing good deeds, earning a solid reputation in commercial circles.
As the carriage approached the imperial city, Hu Fengyu paused in his sleep, opened his eyes, and said, “Someone is looking for you.”
Gong Wu noticed the carriage hadn’t stopped, and the surroundings were calm. Just as she was about to say it seemed like no one was there, a sparrow fluttered toward her palm.
Before the little bird could settle, as soon as its claw touched her hand, it spun and transformed into a feathered arrow, piercing through a letter within.
Beside the spiritual seal were the words, “To Gong Wu, personally opened.”
As her fingers touched the writing, they involuntarily tightened.
It was from her senior brother—a letter from her senior brother!
Hu Fengyu crossed his arms and glanced over, showing rare surprise.
“This transformed bird delivering the letter is no small feat. Usually, you can’t even send it with money.”
“Where did your senior brother get such connections?”
“What?”
“He doesn’t know where you are. He probably paid a great price to invoke some divine power, allowing this arrow to find you using your name and birth date.”
Gong Wu had not yet opened the letter, but hearing that her senior brother had gone to such lengths for her made her heart swell with warmth.
…Senior brother!
It was because of her that he had stumbled into the Demon Realm, yet his concern for her remained undiminished.
She longed to embrace him tightly and bring him home with her.
“Transformed bird letter?” she repeated the unfamiliar term. “Can you really do something like that?”
Fox Ancestor replied nonchalantly, “I’ve lived for nine hundred and forty-two years. What do you think?”
“Surely you can—”
“I can’t,” Hu Fengyu admitted honestly. “This method belongs to the dark arts. How could I possibly learn it?”
Gong Wu let out a soft “oh” and carefully removed the letter from the feathered arrow, reading it line by line.
“Little Wu, I hope this letter finds you well.”
She gripped the edge of the note, each word conjuring an image of her senior brother as he penned those lines.
The four or five pages were densely filled, overflowing with words that could barely contain all he wished to say.
He briefly recounted the strange events he had encountered along the way, mentioning that he would arrive in the capital in a few days, visit the Bamboo Theatre to refine his magical tools, and then stay in the capital for a month, hoping to meet her.
By the time Gong Wu reached this part, she was smiling through tears, her eyes glistening.
“Senior brother is going to the capital, and he’s also heading to the Satin Red Workshop,” she said, her excitement bubbling over, her smile as radiant as spring blossoms. “I’ll get to see him—after all this time, I’ll finally see him again!”
“When we meet in the capital, I’ll go back to the Valley with him!”
Oh, and she must bring some capital delicacies and fabrics back to the Valley, and buy all sorts of interesting things!
Hu Fengyu watched her quietly for a long moment before saying, “I’ve never seen you smile like this before.”
Gong Wu’s eyes sparkled, and her entire being seemed to glow with newfound brightness.
“I’m an orphan, and my master and senior brother have been with me all my life. How is that any different from having blood relatives?”
“Is it just because he’s your blood relative?”
“What else could it be?”
Hu Fengyu pressed the book against his lips, shaking his head slightly, and chose not to press further.
Ji Yang had held nothing back from Gong Wu, even explaining the origins of the transformed bird letter.
He had encountered a demon lord who had a habit of collecting children, first demanding two plums from him, then requiring another plum to commission a demon archer to shoot this arrow, though he wasn’t even sure it would reach her.
While waiting for his magical fan to be refined, he had uncovered a secret about the Eye Serpent Plague.
The few sparse lines he had gathered matched exactly what Gong Wu had learned when she interrogated the demon general.
The Eye Serpent Plague was the work of the Southern Abyss, and it had now alarmed the Northern Cliff, raising fears that the Abyss Master might be planning to raise an army.
Deep within the Demon Realm, Ji Yang had also stumbled upon a more critical clue.
“The Eye Serpent Plague appears to be a ritual for the followers, capable of drawing essence and blood while also channeling spiritual energy.”
“The Southern Abyss reveres witchcraft and poison, while the Northern Cliff venerates celestial demons, hinting at secrets beyond these two realms… He Zhao Li is one of the followers of the Eye Cult.”
Upon reading this, Gong Wu was instantly transported back to her memories of Jin Yan Tuo.
After He Zhao Li treacherously assassinated the old Master, Tu Xuixin had slashed his back with a sword, revealing a spine marked by a chilling, sinister eye.
And… He Zhao Li himself possessed golden pupils!
Unable to finish the letter, she quickly turned to the meditating Hu Fengyu, asking, “Do you know of any sects that use eye totems or might be connected to the Eye Serpent Plague?”
The Fox Ancestor, half-asleep, murmured, “I’ve never heard of such a thing…”
He lifted his jade-white finger and traced a few lines along the carriage wall. “The Southern Abyss is fond of crafting voodoo dolls, and the demon sect’s symbol resembles a small figure with a head and limbs.”
“The Northern Cliff dabbles in formations and cunning arts, and their demon sect’s symbol is a whirlpool. See what I’ve drawn?”
“What about the Monster Realm?”
Hu Fengyu simply gazed at her in silence.
Gong Wu covered her mouth with her hand.
Of course… it must be similar to humans practicing Buddhism or Daoism, or revering their ancestors before transformation.
The final page of the letter was written with a gentler hand, tinged with regret.
“I deeply regret missing your birthday last year.”
“Next year, let us celebrate together. I wish you a long life of a thousand years, and may we walk the path to immortality side by side.”
After reading the letter, Gong Wu went over it several more times, reluctant to set it aside.
The fox, growing impatient, nudged her with the book.
“Pay some attention to me.”
Realizing she had been absorbed in the letter for too long, the girl carefully tucked it close to her heart, unwilling to discard even the feathered arrow.
Outside the city walls, guards had set up checkpoints. The carriage blended into the crowd and passed through without incident.
Gong Wu chatted with him for a while, then remembered the unfinished story and casually inquired.
The fox shook his head.
“I’ve been trapped too long to know.”
From the rumors that leaked out of the Satin Red Workshop, it seemed Qin Mianjiu, who had stolen the fox’s heart, lived for several more decades before succumbing to illness.
Afterward, the workshop strictly adhered to the teachings of the Master Ancestor, refusing any sickly male infants to prevent future calamities.
Through generations of masters, the tradition was upheld, though none might know the whereabouts of Hu’s Celestial Ancestor.
After Qin Jiangyu ascended to her divine role, she could no longer descend to the mortal realm. Dozens of dispersing immortals ascended from the Satin Red Workshop, none ever returning, likely occupied with celestial duties.
Masters were replaced every century, always individuals of Jade Balance or Heavenly Authority caliber.
As the carriage slowly entered the inner city, Hu Fengyu signaled the driver to stop and helped himself into the wheelchair.
A servant appeared to assist, his voice tinged with concern.
“The night is late, and the dew is heavy. Must the Celestial Ancestor go to the Satin Red Workshop now?”
Hu Fengyu listened intently for a long while, as if seeking the heartbeat carried by the long wind.
“Alright, let her take me.”
Four or five servants vanished once more, and even the carriage’s outline dissolved into the night, leaving her to push him beneath the willow tree.
“I haven’t asked you yet—what is your name?”
“Liu Feng.”
“That’s a lovely name.” Hu Fengyu lowered his gaze, idly turning a jade bracelet on his wrist. After a pause, he said, “I kept you with me because I don’t know what fortune or misfortune lies ahead.”
“If my heart isn’t successfully taken, and I die there… please return my body to the Hu residence, so that future generations may lay me to rest properly.”
Gong Wu sighed inwardly, hoping he wouldn’t die again, and softly agreed.
“They revere you as the Celestial Ancestor, so surely it won’t come to that, right?”
“Who knows?” Hu Fengyu still remembered Qin Mianjiu’s innocent demeanor as a child. He smiled faintly and shook his head. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”
She pushed him all the way to the West Bridge, where they soon caught sight of the lotus boat and the lanterns hanging from the flower pavilion.
“That entire area belongs to the Satin Red Workshop,” Hu Fengyu explained slowly. “For celebrations, blessings, festivals, and funerals, people often invite the dancers and musicians from the Satin Red Workshop to perform the rites.”
“Over the past few hundred years, as they grew closer to the court, even the nobility in the palace began inviting them to conduct dance and music rituals, elevating their status significantly.”
In his youth, he had taken pleasure in painting and calligraphy.
After the Satin Red Workshop gained its renown, even princes and nobles would carry lutes, and not being able to play a tune was seen as lacking refinement.
Gong Wu adjusted the magical umbrella at her side, ready for any sudden battles, though she wasn’t paying much attention to his words.
Hu Fengyu glanced at her and immediately discerned that her magical tool wasn’t of the highest quality. It barely met the standard.
“This umbrella has a good foundation, but the materials are lacking. You should take it to the Bamboo Theatre for some enhancements.”
“The manager there is an old friend of my family. Once he senses your monster energy, he won’t charge you a thing.”
Gong Wu, devoid of greed, lightly declined, “This umbrella is fine as it is. There’s nothing that needs repairing.”
“It’s still not suited for killing,” Hu Fengyu said with a laugh. “If you encountered a slightly stronger physical or magical practitioner, it wouldn’t even pierce their barrier.”
“If it were me, I’d imbue each crane feather with a sharp magical blade. The Bamboo Theatre excels in that kind of work.”
“…I don’t wish to kill.”
“But many are eager to capture you.” The Fox Ancestor glanced toward the glowing lights of the Satin Red Workshop, his tone laced with intrigue. “Like catching a cage full of foxes.”
Even he felt a quiet unease at how many eyes might be watching them along the way.
Gong Wu was unaware that, aside from the time the demon general had blocked their path, his disciples had intercepted and neutralized numerous threats, either erasing or altering clues about her across various regions.
It wasn’t just a frenzy in the black market; her portrait was being circulated with hefty bounties. It seemed people from all corners of the north and south were searching for her face.
In the countryside, evil spirits even disguised themselves as officials, plastering walls with wanted posters to capture her and send her to prison. They had drafted numerous charges, each one written with unshakable certainty.
Since he had issued the order, reports had been streaming in from all directions.
If she hadn’t been abducted into the Mysterious Void Cave and, by chance, saved his life, the Bone Abyss might have already undergone strange transformations.
Silly girl, so many want to capture you to refine pills, and you’re still not on guard?
Seeing Hu Fengyu remain silent for so long, Gong Wu finally relented. “I see I was thinking too simply. I’ll go tomorrow.”
After a moment, Hu Fengyu regained his composure and casually remarked, "I listened for a while, and that heart is thumping loudly upstairs."
Gong Wu inquired, "If you call it, can it fly over by itself?"
Hu Fengyu responded, "Well, it can."
"But I should at least see who is using it now."
After a moment’s thought, Gong Wu found that reasoning sound.
"How do we sneak in?"
"Use the front door," Fox Ancestor said, resting his head on his hand. "The Celestial Ancestor has returned, so he can receive greetings from all directions."
She sighed, reluctant to be the center of attention, but now she couldn’t find anyone else to push the ancestor inside.
The two of them then set off, walking openly toward the Satin Red Workshop.
In front of the Satin Red Workshop stood a plaque gifted by the emperor, and the entrance was beautifully painted in red and blue.
Gong Wu pushed Hu Fengyu closer to the entrance, where two female disciples blocked their way.
"Stop! We do not accept visitors at night!"
Hu Fengyu smiled and nodded, "Kneel."
The female disciples looked shocked, and before they could get angry, their bodies stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
"This isn’t good," Gong Wu whispered, "You can’t force others like this."
"They practice the techniques I passed down," Hu Fengyu said lightly. "If your Master Ancestor wanted to kill a traitorous disciple, it could be as easy as brushing off dust."
The girl did not know the way, so she pushed him deeper inside.
An impulsive disciple shouted a reprimand, but an observant older disciple quickly stopped them.
Soon, a golden bell rang rapidly, waking up everyone who was sleeping, and they hurriedly dressed to come out and greet.
The bell rang six short notes followed by one long note, a sound that had not been heard in hundreds of years!
The bell’s meaning was clear—Master Ancestor has returned—has he really come back?!
Countless young and old disciples rushed forward, and they quickly spotted the unfamiliar young girl and the man she was pushing.
The man wore a dark robe and had red hair, emanating a powerful monster energy, looking so handsome he could easily be recognized as a fox reincarnated!
"It’s the Rainbow Ridge Celestial Ancestor!"
"The Celestial Ancestor has returned, quickly pay your respects!"
"Congratulations to the Celestial Ancestor for emerging from seclusion; long live the Celestial Ancestor!"
In less than a moment, people surrounding Gong Wu were already kneeling everywhere, and the heads of various workshops came out respectfully to greet him, not daring to show any delay.
She clearly saw many of the younger disciples looking astonished, perhaps still unaware of the Satin Red Workshop’s ancient origins.
The tales of the royal tomb from a thousand years ago felt like a dream to them.
After hundreds or thousands of people changed their clothes, they came to pay their respects, and the area outside was brightly lit.
They could not look directly at his eyes, only daring to glance at Gong Wu, who was pushing the wheelchair.
The little girl felt uncomfortable under the gaze, cleared her throat, and lowered her head to ask Hu Fengyu, "Is your heart among these people?"
Hu Fengyu shook his head and kindly gestured for the disciples to rise.
“Where is your sect leader?”
Several heads of workshops exchanged glances, realizing that one person was missing.
The sect leader was clearly present, but for some reason, she had not come down after hearing the bell; it seemed… she was still in her Seven-Pointed Tower?
Hu Fengyu noticed the clue and spoke up again, “Little benefactor, please help me push me over.”
“Alright.”
He pointed in a direction, and she pushed the wheelchair forward, passing through countless astonished gazes.
The Celestial Ancestor called that little girl a benefactor??
Who is she?? What could she have possibly done to deserve such a title?
Gong Wu pushed Hu Fengyu through the grand entrance, and by the time they reached the Satin Red Workshop, her legs had grown tired.
She still marveled at how vast the territories of these prominent sects could be.
The Satin Red Workshop occupied only seven entrances and exits in the capital, yet the magical techniques made the grounds expand endlessly, complete with gardens and bamboo groves, making it feel like they could never reach the end.
Hu Fengyu seemed to sense her thoughts, chuckling softly, “Just two more courtyards to go.”
Gong Wu sighed, “So you’ve made your benefactor do all the hard work.”
As they approached the Seven-Pointed Flower Pavilion, they could see the main hall on the first floor shining brightly with lights; a woman stood elegantly in makeup, waiting at the door.
Hu Fengyu was also cautious of potential traps but froze for a moment when he saw her appearance, hesitantly calling out, “Little Cuo?”
When he lost his fox’s heart, that girl was only six or seven years old, and now she appeared to be in her thirties or forties, making her somewhat unrecognizable.
The sect leader smiled, looking up, “Long live the Celestial Ancestor—please take your time!”
“Quick, quick, push me over.” Hu Fengyu turned the wheels, and the sect leader hurried over to help with the wheelchair, along with Gong Wu, pushing Hu Fengyu inside.
This was also Gong Wu’s first close encounter with the leader of a famous sect.
The woman was already in the Heavenly Authority realm, just a step away from Ascension to Immortality, and her immortal aura exuded faintly around her.
Once a person cultivated to this level, their aura and demeanor seemed like a celestial being in a painting, ethereal and divine, with kind eyes.
As she approached, Gong Wu could smell the fresh, delicate scent of bell flowers, and her robes, just as her master said, shimmered like a golden-threaded jade garment.
Hu Fengyu looked at her like he was gazing at his beloved granddaughter, nodding with great satisfaction.
“To reach the Heavenly Authority realm at over two hundred years old, both your roots and efforts are exceptional like your master’s—good news, good news!”
He recalled the main topic and introduced Gong Wu.
“This is Qin Cuohua, a little girl my disciple Qin Jiangyu saved from the palace.”
Gong Wu respectfully returned the greeting, still feeling in awe of the leader of a renowned sect.
“Little Cuo originally worked as a little maid in the old dynasty’s palace, but she almost got hanged for breaking an ice flower porcelain cup,” Hu Fengyu said gently. “My disciple heard the news and stole her out of the palace overnight; later, she brought her to see me—at that time, little Cuo was this tall, just like a little potato!”
Qin Cuohua warmly linked arms with Gong Wu, “Did you pick her up on your way back?”
“This is the benefactor who rescued me,” the Fox Ancestor remembered the important matter, “By the way, how did my heart end up with you?”
Qin Cuohua patted her chest, her smile full of pride.
"You tricked me into coming here."
She summoned her maid to serve Pu’er tea and peach blossom cake, setting the stage for a long, intimate conversation.
“Oh right, are the Master Ancestor and the benefactor hungry?”
“I’d like some wontons,” Hu Fengyu said, glancing at Gong Wu. “She’s shy. Just calling her ‘benefactor’ makes her ears turn red.”
“That’s not true!”
Gong Wu often felt a bit hesitant around strikingly beautiful women, especially when the other person was the Master of a renowned sect. Her words carried a touch of youthful innocence.
“The Master can just call me Little Wu.”
“Alright! Little Wu, what would you like to eat tonight?”
“I’ll have a bowl of wontons too!”
Qin Cuohua cheerfully placed the order, her joy evident upon seeing the Celestial Ancestor return.
She had waited and waited, but her master never descended, and she could never find the Celestial Ancestor’s whereabouts, leaving her anxious for a long time.
With the Celestial Ancestor’s return, she felt as joyful as she had in her childhood.
“Grandpa Celestial Ancestor, how about I give you my heart first, and then we can slowly talk about the past?”
“No need to rush,” Hu Fengyu replied curiously. “What happened to your heart afterward?”
“It was originally stored in an ice cellar, but after so long, even with protective spells, it couldn’t be preserved.” Qin Cuohua whined, “Grandpa, if I give you back the fox’s heart, you have to give me a good one in return!”
Hu Fengyu shrank back slightly. “I’m not used to you acting this way…”
Qin Cuohua let out a soft laugh, then transformed back into her seven or eight-year-old self, just as she had been when the two of them first met.
“Ah, this way, you look pleasing to the eye again.” Hu Fengyu pinched the Child’s cheek, smiling kindly.
He turned his gaze toward Gong Wu, momentarily curious.
“When you’re several hundred years old, what age would you want to remain as?”
If one sought dignity, they might choose to appear in their forties or fifties.
If one wished to exude an immortal aura, they might take on the appearance of a heroic elderly man or woman.
Many also chose to remain in their twenties or thirties, preserving their most beautiful form.
“I think the way I am now… seems just fine.”
Gong Wu noticed the child still seemed a bit uncomfortable, but after a moment of warmth, he transformed back to his usual self, cheerfully sharing stories with them.
“After my master ascended, Qin Mianjiu acted as the sect leader for a while.”
“…but I think I sensed something was wrong on the very day my master left.”
Three bowls of wontons arrived steaming hot, garnished with green onions and accompanied by crispy fruit rings.
Hu Fengyu took a spoonful, his expression darkening as he recalled the past, a hint of suppressed anger in his eyes.
“When Qin Mianjiu ascended to the Immortal Ascension that day, he returned claiming he had been enlightened by the Celestial Ancestor and had risen to the Jade Balance realm. According to tradition, he should inherit the legacy and become the sect leader of this generation.”
When Qin Cuohua brought up this matter again, her smile turned cold.
“Clearly, there were several other Uncles with considerable cultivation, but he relied on the Celestial Ancestor’s approval to elevate his own status to an extreme height.”
"Afterwards, his character underwent a drastic change, becoming increasingly domineering."
Before he replaced the fox’s heart, he was a frail disciple with an uncertain future.
After seizing the power, he sought to indulge in everything that was never rightfully his, more voraciously than before.
Qin Mianjiu had not advanced to a higher realm; he remained in the Opening Sun Realm.
However, with the formidable fox’s heart, it was as if he had an inexhaustible supply of spiritual energy. He ruthlessly punished three or four lower-ranking disciples who defied him, nearly beating them to death in public.
At that time, Qin Cuohua sensed something was amiss and secretly sought out the Celestial Ancestor once. But the little foxes said he was away, seemingly rescuing someone.
Connecting the dots, she felt increasingly uneasy.
The other sisters in the Satin Red Workshop were also perceptive, yet with such bloody examples before them, none dared to risk their lives to question his sudden rise to power and cruel demeanor.
In matters of interest, clarity is often elusive.
Direct confrontation would yield no answers.
Qin Cuohua hid in the shadows for decades, watching Qin Mianjiu eliminate dissent and oppress his sisters. She harbored deep resentment, constantly seeking an opportunity to break through.
“Actually… people have been looking for you all these years,” Qin Cuohua said softly, “but we couldn’t find any clues.”
“I understand,” Hu Fengyu replied through clenched teeth, “I shouldn’t have shown this beast any kindness.”
“He sent word asking for help, claiming he was captured by demons in another district. I pursued him, but who would have known this would be the outcome!”
Gong Wu sipped the wonton soup carefully, suddenly feeling Qin Cuohua ruffle her hair.
“Are you still hungry? Here are some small flower buns; you can have more.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Just call me Ah Cuo,” Qin Cuohua said gently, “Since you are the Celestial Ancestor’s benefactor, you are naturally a benefactor of the Satin Red Workshop as well. No need to be so formal.”
She looked at Hu Fengyu, and as memories of the past came flooding back, her expression changed, revealing a bit of disgust.
“Qin Mianjiu… he actually had feelings for my master.”
“My master treated him like his own son, yet he harbored such insidious thoughts!”
Hu Fengyu frowned, “He wouldn’t dare to openly say anything filthy that would tarnish my disciple’s reputation, would he?”
“Later, he openly adopted a masculine identity, marrying wives and mistresses, all the sisters in the workshop saw it.”
“Either they looked similar to my master, or their voices were reminiscent of his; every aspect mirrored my master’s smiling features!”
The Fox Ancestor listened with disgust, spitting in disdain, “He ruined those girls’ lives! What a sin!”
“I planned to kill him, and after uncovering this weakness, I started to have such thoughts.” Qin Cuohua spoke frankly, “I originally disliked cosmetics, focusing solely on cultivation, but to unravel these mysteries, I carefully enhanced my appearance to resemble my master more closely.”
Though her eyebrows and eyes bore no resemblance to her master, she was skilled and used cosmetics to adjust her lips to be quite similar.
Such transformations took time, subtly changing day by day.
If the change were too sudden overnight, it would only raise the thief’s suspicion.
Qin Cuohua intentionally made herself seem different in obvious ways while still gradually matching her speech, demeanor, and even clothing color.
Until one night, when Qin Mianjiu got drunk and began to berate her, she dismissed her maid and personally went to serve him wine.
The once overbearing sect master looked at her with tears and laughter, grasped her hand, and pressed it to his heart, proclaiming that his heart was now better than ever, begging her to feel it.
Qin Cuohua suppressed her anger and coaxed him with a few words, luring him to reveal more.
Though she couldn’t sense that he had replaced his heart with the Celestial Ancestor’s fox’s heart, the strange occurrences from the past hinted at something amiss.
—When Qin Mianjiu was first taken in, he had been frail and weak by nature. How had he changed so drastically?
She dragged Qin Mianjiu to the bed, and in a moment of inspiration, pricked her finger, staining the center of the bed with her blood and smearing it on his manhood.
Then, with a casual gesture, she summoned a spring dream for this wretched disciple, pretending to doze beside him while tearing her skirt and undergarments.
When Qin Mianjiu awoke from his drunken stupor and realized he had slept with a junior sister, she seized the moment to feign awakening, tears streaming as she fled in panic.
“Killing the heart by murder,” Hu Fengyu clapped in admiration. “To kill him, you must first deceive his heart.”
“Did he ever truly love me?” Qin Cuohua smiled faintly. “He only saw me as a mirror reflecting his master.”
She would always remember how her master had taken her from the woodshed in the dead of night, introduced her to all her relatives, taught her the ways of the Dao, and guided her in reading and writing—his kindness was as vast as the heavens.
“One night alone may not be enough to turn his heart and mind upside down,” Hu Fengyu sighed. “If I were there, I would have taught you some more effective methods.”
“It truly takes effort,” Qin Cuohua reflected on those days, still feeling a headache. “First, I had to maintain a cool distance, then feign reluctance while enticing him, all while sharing his joys and sorrows.”
All her life, she had only sought quiet and ascetic cultivation. How could she have known the art of dealing with men?
Fortunately, the workshop saved many sisters from ruin each year, and among them were like-minded junior sisters, one of whom had been a courtesan in the old dynasty.
Qin Cuohua applied the same diligence she used in studying Daoist scriptures to learn from her senior sister, the former courtesan, gradually leading this reckless sect master deeper into his delusions.
In his dreams, he was entangled with his master and junior sisters, while in waking life, he saw Qin Cuohua and felt as though he had lost something. He fell madly in love, even dismissing all his wives and concubines, desperately seeking to marry her.
Following the teachings of her senior sister, Qin Cuohua abruptly withdrew from the entanglement and secluded herself for a hundred years, finally reaching the Jade Balance tier. But when she became stuck on the path to ascension and could progress no further, she slowly emerged from seclusion.
A century in the mortal realm had left Qin Mianjiu waiting in agony. He returned to the poison lair several times to vent his rage on the Fox Ancestor.
Before this, the Hu Clan at Rainbow Ridge had discovered the Master Ancestor’s whereabouts, believing that the Satin Red Workshop had betrayed their trust and extinguished their lineage. They severed all ties with the workshop.
“Once I emerged, I shared a drink with him, laughing and weeping over my fear that I might never achieve Ascension to Immortality—that my life had reached its end.”
“Until then, I still planned to steal his spiritual energy, seize the opportunity to strike back, and demand the Master Ancestor’s whereabouts,” Qin Cuohua shook her head repeatedly. “I never imagined you would give your heart to him so completely.”
Hu Fengyu’s smile was desolate, and he merely uttered a soft “um.”
“But Qin Mianjiu has already lived long enough.”
He knew he could never have his master or his current junior sister.
He would rather tear out his heart and offer it to her, if only to see her smile.
Half-drunk and half-awake, Qin Mianjiu revealed everything—except the location of the Celestial Ancestor’s imprisonment.
Qin Cuohua, who valued loyalty above all, could barely maintain her facade upon hearing this. Suppressing her anger, she carefully lured him further.
In a half-dreaming state, he truly exchanged hearts with her, giving her his fox’s heart entirely.
Then, he was stabbed through the lung, coughing up blood violently as he finally regained consciousness.
“Cuohua—you, you—”
“You never truly cared for me, did you—”
Her hatred was laid bare as she pressed him relentlessly, gripping his neck and demanding the Celestial Ancestor’s whereabouts.
Qin Mianjiu stared at her in a daze, then suddenly laughed three times before collapsing and dying.
"Then, I took back my own heart and fed his corpse to the dogs."
Qin Cuohua held her bowl of wontons and spoke slowly, "Master Ancestor, what can we exchange for it? My power is all concentrated within the Golden Core, so having an empty heart cavity seems fine."
Hu Fengyu, still immersed in old memories, replied after a long pause, "Naturally, I will return to you the best heart."
He had discreetly sent the little fox to fetch something. Suddenly, the little fox appeared, carrying a translucent spirit jade the size of two fists.
Qin Cuohua, who hadn’t seen the little fox in a while, exclaimed with joy and smiled, reaching out to scratch its belly.
The little creature rolled around in delight, its fluffy tail wagging back and forth until Hu Fengyu cleared his throat, prompting it to scamper away.
The Fox Ancestor presented a piece of spirit jade that had been preserved in the treasure vault of the capital and held it up to her.
"How about this?"
Qin Cuohua reached out to touch it and laughed, "It’s still warm."
"Warm in winter and cool in summer, and it aids cultivation. It was taken from Night Poison Mountain; it’s the finest jade."
He carefully shaped the jade into a heart and gently blew on it, causing the ice-white heart to begin beating.
"Little Cuo, you are virtuous and sincere; you deserve this exquisite jade heart."
That night, as the Magical Formation shifted, the fox’s heart returned to its rightful place.
Gong Wu went to the side hall to sleep first, leaving the two of them to burn talismans and exchange their true hearts within the formation.
When Qin Cuohua opened her eyes again, she felt her spiritual platform was clear and bright, even more comfortable than before.
She had never utilized the power within the fox’s heart; all her magic and tools relied on the spiritual energy contained in her Golden Core. Thus, even after changing hearts, she did not feel as if she had lost anything.
After Hu Fengyu changed hearts, he opened his eyes to a dazzling golden-red light, and his body felt entirely renewed as he slowly stood up from his wheelchair.
This is my heart.
… and finally, I have become myself again.
He turned around, his fox ears and nine tails appearing, releasing an abundant immortal aura.
No matter how the mediocre and wicked ones squandered, the spiritual energy he could summon was only one percent.
With the fox’s heart retrieved, all bindings and obstructions vanished without a trace.
Qin Cuohua looked on with relief, genuinely saying, "I’m glad I waited for you to return."
"By the way, that benefactor… How do you plan to repay her in the future?" she asked gently. "If there’s anything the Satin Red Workshop can assist with, please let me know, but it’s up to the Celestial Ancestor to decide."
He stood in the morning light, his nine tails gently swaying.
"I owe her so much."
The man looked down and smiled, a hint of self-mockery in his expression.
"…maybe I can never fully repay it."
