Chapter 193: Chapter 159: Landscape Scholar of Xuan Du, Candidate for the Palace of Assembled Elegance

"I’m really leaving this time."

Xiaoqiao waved and turned to leave.

"See you later, Lord Qiao. Don’t forget there’s a humble artist in the Palace of Gathered Elegance, awaiting your patronage."

Jiang Yi bowed slightly, adding with a smile.

Then he stood quietly before the palace gate, watching the green-clad girl depart.

With a hum, the phantom image of the golden paper flashed in his eyes, and tiny, tadpole-like characters materialized upon it.

’So she really is just an "ordinary female ghost"? That Miss Xiaoqiao doesn’t seem to have much of a ghostly aura.’

His recent encounters with too many "Upper Cultivators" had led Jiang Yi to develop the good habit of consulting the Celestial Book about everyone he met.

If it didn’t require much time to deduce, it meant their origins were relatively clear, and at the very least, they weren’t hiding some catastrophic trap.

"Mountain-and-Water Scholar of the Profound City."

Jiang Yi glanced down at the Jade Token on his hip, then lifted his foot over the high threshold and walked into the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

The interior of the palace was truly magnificent, with interconnected pavilions and towers that pierced the clouds.

As he ventured deeper, he saw carved beams and painted rafters, exquisite skylights, and even lotuses planted upside down in round pools and square wells, their green pods and purple seeds dripping like clusters of pearls. The cloud patterns on the roof beams, the colorful paintings on the pillars, the intricately carved dragon brackets—every detail was a work of art.

In the main hall, a massive mural captivated Jiang Yi, and he stood before it for a long time, unable to look away.

He didn’t know which master had created it, but it depicted Mountain Gods, sea spirits, strange treasures, and exotic creatures, all rendered with such lifelike detail in ink and color.

"Cat Master, why are you so quiet?"

After admiring the art for a moment, Jiang Yi found an empty side room to settle in and set down True Master Xuanmiao, who he had been carrying.

The cat had been unusually well-behaved today, which was rather strange.

"That girl could see me."

True Master Xuanmiao said in a low voice.

"You need to be careful, Xiao Jiang."

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow. ’Miss Xiaoqiao actually noticed the Cat Master?’

After all, True Master Xuanmiao had always maintained a state of near-invisibility to outsiders.

People might notice that Jiang Yi had a cat with him, but they would never pay it any special mind.

This was a perfect example of the saying: "His fate cannot be divined, his presence cannot be ensnared by Divine Techniques."

"What makes you think so, Cat Master?"

Jiang Yi thought back to the encounter. Miss Xiaoqiao didn’t seem to have mentioned True Master Xuanmiao at all.

"Every time that girl looked back, she looked at me first, then at you, Xiao Jiang. She must have sensed me to some degree."

True Master Xuanmiao nervously licked his front paw.

"Xiao Jiang, you have to marry that lady as soon as possible! Once the yin-marriage is complete, we’ll join an Ancestral Sect!

"With that lady’s fortune nourishing you in return, the tribulations you face when breaking through will be much less severe."

Regarding the matter of the yin-marriage...

Jiang Yi had once pretended to "seek guidance" from True Master Xuanmiao on the matter.

The Cat Master, for his part, was more than happy to see Xiao Jiang become a kept man of sorts by the powers of [Fengdu].

A yang-marriage to a yin-bride wasn’t some selfish method that harmed one party for the other’s benefit. On the contrary, it was recorded in the Profound Laws as a supreme "Art of Forging Bonds."

A yin being borrowing a living person’s luck to walk the Mortal World sounded like a one-sided deal.

But Xiao Jiang carried an immense weight of karma, was the new master of the [Yang Qi Taiyin Heaven], and possessed the fate of a Perfected [Saint King].

The one thing he didn’t lack was Luck. Sharing a portion of it was no big deal; his would just keep replenishing itself endlessly anyway.

And if that lady borrowed his fortune and Luck, she would naturally have to shoulder a share of his tribulations in return. It was a win-win situation.

"What if that lady wants to keep me in [Fengdu] to live happily ever after with her?"

Jiang Yi reached out, teasing the Cat Master’s soft chin.

"Not likely."

True Master Xuanmiao batted Jiang Yi’s hand away with a paw and got down to business.

"[Fengdu] was blasted open by the [Thunder Core], which is why it has manifested for these hundred days. With the complete collapse of the [Ghost Dao], any and all ghostly yin beings who were officially enfeoffed or who command the Profound Laws are forbidden from walking in the world of the living."

"That lady’s plan is really no different from what Ghost Granny was plotting. They all want to escape [Fengdu], seize the opportunity to switch to a new Daoist Lineage, and continue their path of cultivation.

This sort of thing is common among the world’s major Daoist Lineages. They call it ’Runzou Chengyu.’ It means leaving a Daoist Lineage that has already fallen into decline and joining a major one that still has a path forward.

"Take the [Immortal Dao] of the Dongsheng Continent for example. The Twelve Great Houses, who are titans in their own right, almost all have command over ’True Master Runzous’ and ’True Monarch Chengyus’."

Jiang Yi narrowed his eyes. ’So True Masters and True Monarchs who have lost the backing of their [Daoist Lineage] are like the loyal ministers and orphaned heirs of a fallen kingdom,’ he thought. ’If they want to continue their cultivation, they have no choice but to pledge allegiance to a new house.’

"The major Daoist Lineages are always happy to accept them. Even the [Immortal Dao], which places the most importance on one’s ’origins,’ never turns away such True Masters and True Monarchs. At worst, it’s just a matter of having them reincarnate to wash away their pasts.

The [Buddhist Dao] is even willing to promise them the attainment of Arhatship or the position of a Bodhisattva just to recruit them to serve under the [World Honored One]."

As a veteran who had mingled among the Four Great Daoist Lineages, True Master Xuanmiao spoke of these matters with endless eloquence.

"That lady is probably planning the same thing. She’ll form a yin-marriage with you, borrow your Luck to walk the mortal plane, and then, when the time is right, find a new body, join a Dharma Lineage within the ruling Eight Sects, and start her cultivation path anew."

Jiang Yi considered this. ’So that’s probably why the Celestial Book called it a "fated match,"’ he mused. The "fated" part came from this logic.

Viewed this way, even if this yin-marriage involved no romantic feelings, it would still be sowing good karma.

At the very least, he would gain a future "fellow cultivator" who was also in one of the Demon Sects.

"What about that Miss Xiaoqiao?"

Jiang Yi looked at True Master Xuanmiao.

"Perhaps she has a certain talent for ’Nethergaze’ or ’Clear-sight.’ That girl didn’t see through my origins; she merely noticed my existence."

True Master Xuanmiao considered this carefully. After a moment, he seemed to grow tired, flopping onto his back on the low table with his limbs splayed out, exposing a belly as white as cotton.

"Xiao Jiang, oh, Xiao Jiang, you absolutely must win over that lady! Otherwise, with your immense fortune and Luck, the tribulation you’ll face during your Flying Foundation Establishment will be utterly unprecedented!"

A chill went down Jiang Yi’s spine. This was why the ancient Cultivators paled at the mere mention of tribulations.

As the saying goes, "Since ancient times, great talent is ground by the heavens; those who pass the trials amass great power."

To perfect one’s Dao nature, increase one’s Dao Wisdom, and grow one’s Dao power, one had to face tribulations, endure suffering, and pass the trials set by the Celestial Lord.

It was a step no one could avoid.

"Within one hundred days, I will reach the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer and condense the Innate Qi."

Jiang Yi set this small goal for himself. The Spiritual Energy in the Palace of Gathered Elegance was abundant, far surpassing that of Guanlan Peak at the Qianji Sect by several orders of magnitude. He would naturally be able to accumulate Merit much faster here.

"This True Master is greatly pleased to see such ambition in you, Xiao Jiang.

"In his first life of Cultivation, my former master passed the Tenth Layer Qi Barrier and condensed the First Grade ’Six-Yang Gentle-Bright True Qi.’ After several reincarnations, he finally achieved the supreme-grade ’Miliuo Wondrous-Essence True Qi.’"

True Master Xuanmiao struck a seductive "go on, pet me" pose and said nonchalantly,

"You must secure a First Grade True Qi, Xiao Jiang, and strive for the supreme grade.

"The former grants you the hope of ascension; the latter gives you the chance to truly attain it."

Jiang Yi clicked his tongue and smiled freely.

"I won’t disappoint you, Cat Master."

...

...

「Profound City Central Palace.」

The green-clad girl skipped along, full of life.

She hummed a little tune, her delicate nose held high.

"Home so far, the road so long, the western geese fly toward the sun; big brother holds my hand so tight, he says to run with all our might.

"Through pretty springs and autumns bleak, we run and run and cannot speak, and now my little paper kite, has vanished from my sight..."

The tune was light and simple, and her swaying song drifted across the vast, empty plaza before the palace, floating far, far away.

Sitting on the high threshold of the Profound City Central Palace, a chubby girl propped her round face in her hands and muttered to herself,

"Looks like Gui’er can start calling him ’Young Master’ soon. Young Master Jiang has already moved into the Palace of Gathered Elegance. That’s the kind of treatment reserved for a favored consort!"