After resting in the small town for a few days and replenishing their dry rations and necessary supplies, the three set off directly.

Mount Yuxu was only a three-day journey from this small town. If they rode on horseback, they would reach their destination in just over a day.

On the day they arrived at the foot of Mount Yuxu, it happened to be drizzling. The three, wearing cloaks and bamboo hats, stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing at the distant peak.

Mount Yuxu pierced straight into the clouds, with mist surrounding the mountainside and lush trees, making one feel timid even from afar.

Zhang Jingmo said, "Where is the item you're looking for? There are quite a few beasts on this mountain..."

Gu Chenshan said, "Baicang, we're not afraid of the beasts. We're just afraid of being ambushed like the other day. I know you have ways. Will you help us?" As she spoke, she showed a pleading look.

Seeing Gu Chenshan's expression, Zhang Jingmo involuntarily nodded and said, "Chenshan, don't worry. I'm not easy to bully. I will definitely protect you."

Gu Chenjiang interrupted their conversation and simply said, "Let's go."

With that, the three slowly entered Mount Yuxu along a mountain trail.

Zhang Jingmo actually wasn't sure if he could find the ancient temple this time, after all, he couldn't probe into people's hearts and didn't know how strong Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan's desire for this unknown treasure was.

But to his surprise, this journey was much easier than he had imagined.

Snakes, insects, and rodents were countless in the mountains. On the third day of their ascent, they encountered a black bear. Zhang Jingmo was injured, and Gu Chenshan secretly shed tears for a long time after seeing Zhang Jingmo hurt, but she didn't suggest going down the mountain.

And Zhang Jingmo also seemed unaware of how seriously he was injured and continued to persist in helping the siblings on the mountain.

Just as Zhang Jingmo was on the verge of death, the desire for life from either Gu Chenjiang or Gu Chenshan finally caused the ancient temple hidden in the mountains to reveal itself.

The ancient temple was very ordinary, exuding a peaceful and tranquil aura, completely different from what Zhang Jingmo had seen before—the temple's appearance seemed to depend on the state of mind of the person seeking it. If they were filled with fear, the temple would be eerie and frightening; if they were furious beyond control, the temple would have red bricks and tiles, like the mouth of a ferocious beast. This was why Zhang Jingmo chose this method to approach the Gu siblings. He didn't want to face an ancient temple full of danger, nor did he want to risk his life challenging the techniques of a powerful cultivator.

Let alone Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan, even their deceased grandfather, Elder Gu, probably never imagined that the person he was indebted to was a powerful cultivator who could summon the wind and rain with a flip of his hand.

That powerful cultivator gave the Gu family a peerless treasure, but the Gu family members had no fortune to enjoy it.

Now, the Gu siblings stood at a fork in their destiny once again.

Gu Chenjiang was the first to step into the ancient temple. His expression was guarded, eyes filled with hope and fear of the unknown, yet he still resolutely took that first step into the temple.

Zhang Jingmo, supported by Gu Chenjiang, also entered the ancient temple, while Gu Chenshan followed behind them, entering this mysterious temple.

As soon as the three stepped into the temple, the door behind them slammed shut heavily.

Gu Chenshan was about to speak when she suddenly froze. Right in front of them appeared a mirror the size of a wash basin, looking ordinary yet emanating a strong spiritual energy. With one glance, Zhang Jingmo knew this was no ordinary object.

The three looked into the mirror and saw their own faces, which suddenly distorted into other scenes—

Gu Chenshan saw herself in the mirror, nestled in the arms of a man whose features were blurry. Around them, the playful voices of children could be heard from time to time. Gu Chenshan watched as a porcelain-like doll ran up to her, calling out "Mother, mother, brother is bullying me." Then a boy of seven or eight appeared, saying "Mother, I didn't bully sister."

The more Gu Chenshan looked, the more entranced she became. She couldn't help reaching out, wanting to touch that scene which only appeared in dreams. However, when her fingertips touched the cold mirror surface, she suddenly shivered.

So cold. In an instant, Gu Chenshan woke from the illusion. She was dazed for a couple seconds before reacting to what had happened. But when she turned to look at Chen Baicang and Gu Chenjiang standing beside her, she saw two completely different expressions.

Gu Chenjiang was smiling—Gu Chenshan had never seen such a brilliant smile on her brother's face, as if he had obtained everything he ever wanted...

As for Chen Baicang, his face was completely cold. Seeming to sense Gu Chenshan looking over, he slowly turned his head to face her. That look in his eyes made Gu Chenshan involuntarily shudder, even giving rise to an absurd thought that this person wasn't Chen Baicang at all, but some emotionless mountain demon possessing a human body.

Fortunately, this feeling vanished in an instant. Gu Chenshan quickly saw Chen Baicang's standard foolish grin again as he said, "Chenshan, what did you see?"

Hearing Chen Baicang ask what she saw, Gu Chenshan reflexively shook her head. She felt she didn't want to say what she had seen. This mirror seemed to reflect the deepest desires of one's soul.

That's right. As a descendant of the imperial lineage, Gu Chenshan had no great ambitions. She only wanted a lover who cherished her, to form a warm family, live a stable life, with children and grandchildren all around.

Seeing Gu Chenshan not answer his question, Zhang Jingmo shifted his gaze away. However, in that instant his eyes moved, they turned cold.

In the mirror, Zhang Jingmo had seen a face—a face extremely familiar to him. Sword-like brows, hawk eyes, an indifferent expression, and a scar running from chin to corner of mouth, all telling Zhang Jingmo this person's identity.

Despite countless calculations, Zhang Jingmo never expected that before this Soul-Searching Mirror, he would see the adult Lu Guijiu, that cold, ruthless youth who had imprisoned him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jingmo couldn't help reaching up to rub his temples. In his heart, he wondered just whose heart this mirror was inquiring. How could his soul's deepest desire possibly be Lu Guijiu?!

Zhang Jingmo was the first to awaken from the fantasy, followed by Gu Chenshan. The one immersed longest was Gu Chenjiang, whose desires were the most intense.

Unlike Gu Chenshan, Gu Chenjiang wanted too much, far too much.

He wanted power, to vindicate his Gu clan. He wanted wealth, to give his sister a comfortable life. He wanted immense strength, to protect everything he had seized—

In the mirror, Gu Chenjiang saw a dynasty, one he had founded single-handedly, prospering for a thousand years, while he became a wise emperor praised by all throughout history.

When Gu Chenjiang came to his senses, he saw Zhang Jingmo and Gu Chenshan already waiting beside him. Only then did he reveal a look of realization and hoarsely said, "Was that a dream?"

Zhang Jingmo nodded, looking worried, but inwardly thought, if that is what you desire, then I shall fulfill your wish, as the price for taking your treasure.

Gu Chenjiang's heart was quite steadfast. After waking from the beautiful dream, he quickly adjusted his state of mind and said, "Let's go." With that, he was the first to step further into the temple.

Zhang Jingmo and Gu Chenshan followed close behind, also entering the temple's main hall.

Although the ancient temple looked dilapidated from the outside, the inside was very clean. Not only clean, but the furnishings all highlighted a sense of vastness like the primordial universe.

Gu Chenshan and Gu Chenjiang were ordinary people, so they could only be awed by this atmosphere. However, Zhang Jingmo was very clear that all the furnishings were transformations of magical techniques. The reason this majestic aura could be felt was because the one who laid down these techniques walked the path of ascending to immortality.

Who knows what Elder Gu had done back then to make this powerful cultivator bestow the Gu family with such a generous gift.

The three slowly walked forward, quickly reaching the end of the main hall. At the end were two meditation mats. On the wall in front of the mats hung a painting.

The painting depicted a handsome young man riding a reddish-brown steed. He had a smile on his face as he galloped forward with raised whip, reminding Zhang Jingmo of a line of poetry: "In the prime of youth clad in bright attire, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a day." The painting looked so lifelike, as if the person in it could walk out of the canvas at any moment. The only flaw was that the jade pendant at the young man's waist seemed to have a piece missing, revealing an empty circular hole.

Gu Chenshan stared blankly at the young man in the painting and softly said, "Isn't this... Mother?"

Before she could finish, Gu Chenjiang coldly said, "This isn't Mother, it's Grandfather." Although they had never met their mother, they had seen many of her portraits. While the face in this painting greatly resembled their mother's portraits, it had the bearing of a man. One look and you could tell it wasn't a woman.

Thus, Gu Chenjiang quickly realized this person wasn't their mother, but their maternal grandfather.

As the three were observing the portrait, a faint sigh suddenly echoed from within the temple. Gu Chenjiang's body stiffened: "Who's there?"

No one answered his question. After a few moments, a deep voice spoke up.

The voice said, "Are you descendants of the Gu family?"

Gu Chenjiang was startled, realizing this person was the one who gave them the jade pendant. Gu Chenjiang replied, "Yes, my sister and I are both descendants of the Gu family."

The voice said, "Step forward."

Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan exchanged glances, then walked to the prayer mat in front of the portrait.

The voice spoke again, "Kneel."

The two did not hesitate and knelt on the prayer mat before the portrait, bowing to their late grandfather in the painting.

The voice asked, "Has Gu Qiao passed away?"

Gu Chenjiang replied, "Grandfather passed away six years ago."

Another sigh. The voice uttered one last sentence, "Smear your blood on the jade pendant and embed it into the portrait."

Then it disappeared.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chenjiang drew out his dagger, cut his hand, and smeared his blood all over the jade pendant. Gu Chenshan also did not hesitate. Following the voice's instructions, she did the same as Gu Chenjiang.

After coating the pendants with blood, the two pieced the jade together and embedded it into the missing part of the portrait.

As the jade was set in place, a huge boom resounded above their heads. Gu Chenshan showed a hint of terror, but Gu Chenjiang reached out and put his arm around his sister's shoulders, trying to soothe her emotions.

After the loud noise, the entire ancient temple crumbled. Tears of blood flowed from the eyes of the portrait before the three. The originally gentle smile gradually turned sorrowful, then completely perished along with the collapsing debris.

Logically, when an ancient temple collapses, the three inside should have been affected somehow. But in fact, not a single tiny grain of sand touched them as the temple disintegrated. Gu Chenshan and Gu Chenjiang were alright, but Zhang Jingmo was slightly surprised. He stretched out his hand and caught a handful of soil. The soil was soft and fine, without a hint of spiritual energy, looking nothing like something created by magic.

Just a handful of soil already revealed that this mighty cultivator had reached the pinnacle state of the mortal world, where mountains are still mountains and water is still water... This was a state Zhang Jingmo had only reached a few times in his over 120 reincarnations.

After the ancient temple crumbled, a blood-red heart appeared where the portrait used to be. The heart was still beating, the surrounding blood vessels also incredibly lifelike, looking every bit like a real heart.

Gu Chenjiang hesitantly stepped forward, obviously not understanding the purpose of this heart. He slowly reached out and cautiously touched the heart. However, after just one touch, he withdrew his hand and pursed his lips, saying, "It's hot."

Gu Chenshan looked perplexed. "Brother, what is this?" she asked.

Gu Chenjiang stared at the heart for a long time. Finally, gritting his teeth, he still took the heart into his hand. Only when he held it did he discover that the heart not only had warmth but was also slowly beating.

Even with Gu Chenjiang's courage, he found it a bit horrifying.

Just as the three were at a loss for words, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the mountains, stirring up dust and sand, making it difficult for Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan to keep their eyes open.

After the strong wind passed, Gu Chenjiang took a careful look and discovered that the heart in his hand had disappeared.

However, just as he was about to say something, a distant voice sounded from the sky, "I can promise each of you two one wish."

Gu Chenshan and Gu Chenjiang both showed ecstatic expressions.

The voice continued, "Come, speak your wishes into the pouch." After these words, a small black brocade pouch fell in front of Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan.

Gu Chenjiang bent down to pick it up and softly spoke his wish into the pouch.

Next was Gu Chenshan. After stating two wishes, this young lady turned to look at the pale-faced Zhang Jingmo. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Baicang, do you have any wishes? I- I can help you fulfill one."

Seeing this, Zhang Jingmo put on a smile and said, "Silly girl, my wish is for you to be well."

Gu Chenshan's face flushed slightly. She wanted to say more, but seeing Zhang Jingmo's resolute expression, she sighed and made another wish to the pouch.

Zhang Jingmo had keen hearing and sight, so how could he not hear what these two were saying? Moreover, the black pouch was something he had tossed down himself.

Since he had taken the treasure originally belonging to the Gu siblings, he definitely had to compensate them with something. Although Zhang Jingmo could not yet defy the heavens, helping two mortals fulfill their wishes was more than enough.

And Gu Chenshan, this lovely young lady's final wish was "I hope Chen Baicang will be safe, happy, and live peacefully in this lifetime."

What a pity, there had never been a little Daoist named Chen Baicang in this world.

Having obtained what he wanted, Zhang Jingmo descended the mountain with the Gu siblings. He had been attacked by a bear on the mountain and his injuries had not yet healed. After coming down, he recuperated for three months.

During these three months, although Gu Chenjiang and Gu Chenshan lived with Zhang Jingmo, they often disappeared, seeming to be busy with something. Three months later, when the dust had settled, Gu Chenjiang rode his horse and asked Zhang Jingmo if he wanted to travel together.

But Zhang Jingmo smiled and shook his head. He said, "Meeting is fate, but those with different paths should not scheme together. Brother Gu aspires to the world, while Baicang is content with a single room."

Gu Chenjiang looked at Zhang Jingmo in silence. He said, "Don't you like my sister?"

Zhang Jingmo was slightly startled.

Gu Chenjiang said, "If you come with me, I will grant you high office, great wealth, and boundless prospects."

But Zhang Jingmo replied, "Chenshan is a good girl."

Gu Chenjiang did not speak.

Zhang Jingmo said, "Naturally, there will be someone better suited for her."

Gu Chenjiang gave Zhang Jingmo a deep look, said nothing more, and rode away.

Watching Gu Chenjiang's retreating figure, Zhang Jingmo sighed softly, thinking to himself that the ancients did not deceive - human desire is insatiable, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

However, how could time allow for so many good things? Even immortals find it hard to have everything go their way and be perfect every time.