The Light of the Righteous Path 9

Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion is the guardian treasure of Mount Yuelu. It is a treasure created by the senior ancestral masters of Mount Yuelu after going through countless hardships and dangers. Generation after generation of disciples have entered it for trials; it is practically one of the symbols of Mount Yuelu.

And it just shattered like that?

Baoshu Zhenren looked at Lin Qi, whose entire body practically screamed the words 'plain and ordinary', finding it hard to believe that he was the savior prophesied to save all living beings.

Clearly, based on the divination technique's deductions, it should have been Du Chengying! But the facts were right in front of him. After Du Chengying entered the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion, he came out coughing up blood with nothing to show for it, while Lin Qi brought out a rare Spirit Beast that hadn't appeared in a millennium.

After her initial shock, Yuan Yu looked up and was the first to show a look of joy, "Lin Qi! You're out!"

Her upward gaze made Lin Qi a little uncomfortable.

Lin Qi actually really wanted to get down first. He had already lightly pressed the Water Qilin a few times to signal it to lie down, but unfortunately, the Water Qilin seemed to have lost its sentience at this moment. It continued to stand proudly, its green eyes looking disdainfully at the people below it, itching to snort a few more times to show that its master's... sweetheart was just that amazing!

Lin Qi said embarrassedly, "The Water Qilin took me for a few laps, so I was a bit slow."

He spoke as if it were nothing, but Yuan Yu couldn't help but let out a surprised and delighted cry. "Lin Qi, how did you find the Water Qilin? And..." Yuan Yu's gaze fell more upon the Spirit Butterflies, revealing a look of pity. "So many Spirit Butterflies." Born in the morning and dying in the evening, what a pity.

When her Spirit Butterfly died, it was as if she herself had experienced life and death. With the passing of the Spirit Butterfly, her cultivation comprehension also rose to a higher level. But if she had to choose, she would rather that Spirit Butterfly not disappear.

"It's a long story, just stumbling around and getting lucky, I guess." Lin Qi also found it hard to explain to everyone what a male lead's halo was. His face reddened slightly, feeling like he had inexplicably stolen the male lead's script.

Baoshu Zhenren looked at Lin Qi with a complex expression. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't see any signs on Lin Qi that he could save the world. He said to Lin Qi solemnly, "Come down, I have questions to ask you."

Lin Qi also really wanted to come down, but the Water Qilin was standing like a mountain, and he didn't have the skill to jump down. While he was in a dilemma, the Water Qilin seemed to finally understand and slowly bent down to lie on its stomach. Lin Qi breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to slide down the Water Qilin's smooth fur, involuntarily petting it one more time.

A warm aura closely followed behind him, invisibly giving Lin Qi a sense of security.

He didn't know since when, but Lin Qi had gradually gotten used to Du Chengying's company.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Baoshu called Lin Qi away. Since the Water Qilin also followed with elegant steps, Yuan Yu didn't say anything. With the Water Qilin there, there was no need to worry about Baoshu making things difficult for Lin Qi.

The Water Qilin, a legendary Spirit Beast. Yuan Yu had only seen a portrait of it in the Hall of Immortals on Mount Yuelu, and the depiction wasn't very clear, but she wouldn't mistake the overwhelming spiritual energy and imposing aura.

She hadn't expected Lin Qi to have such good fortune. Although Yuan Yu and Baoshu didn't get along, they shared a similar opinion regarding Lin Qi: Lin Qi didn't seem like someone who would have such fortunate encounters.

They walked all the way to a deserted place before Baoshu Zhenren turned his face around. He was actually quite handsome. Cultivation knew no years, so his face looked like that of a handsome young man. It was just that his constant frowning left a lingering gloominess on his face. Right now, facing Lin Qi privately, he couldn't be called amiable, nor was there any obvious disgust; he was just ordinarily aloof.

Baoshu looked Lin Qi up and down. Lin Qi stood obediently, letting him look.

Baoshu's eyebrow twitched as he asked slowly, "How many people are in your family?"

Lin Qi: "..." With such a serious expression, he thought they were going to discuss the Great Dao.

Lin Qi thought back carefully and answered honestly, "Including my siblings, there are twelve people in total."

Baoshu: "..." That wasn't right. The divination clearly stated that the fated person possessed the fate of the Lone Star of Heavenly Calamity.

Refusing to give up, Baoshu asked, "Are you sure they are your biological parents?"

Lin Qi: "...I'm sure." That was the setting, indeed.

Baoshu's gaze wandered over Lin Qi again, scrutinizing him inch by inch, from the strands of his hair all the way down to the soles of his feet. He was looking so intently that suddenly, he felt a chill on his leg.

"Wuxia!" Lin Qi hurriedly shouted to stop it. "Let go!"

Expressionless, Baoshu met the fierce, glowing eyes of the Water Qilin. The Water Qilin bared its sharp teeth, wrinkled its nose, and even the roots of its whiskers exuded murderous intent.

It was a genuine Water Qilin. Although it was entirely snow-white and still in its infancy, it was undeniably a Water Qilin. Baoshu thought in a daze, could the divination and prophecies all be wrong?

Lin Qi hugged the Water Qilin's large head and said softly, "Quickly let go. Be good."

Only then did the Water Qilin let go. It shook its head, its long white fur brushing against him, and shot Lin Qi a glance. Lin Qi hurriedly checked Baoshu's leg and found that there were just two large holes on his Dharma robes; Baoshu hadn't actually been hurt. He finally let out a sigh of relief. Hugging the Water Qilin's neck and rubbing it, he said apologetically to Baoshu, "Martial Uncle, I'm sorry, Wuxia... I haven't taught him yet."

Baoshu said nothing and turned to leave. His retreating back seemed a bit unsteady.

The Water Qilin turned around, raised a smiling face, and smiled obsequiously at the cold-looking Du Chengying.

An entry assessment made Lin Qi famous overnight. Sanyue Zhenren's mountaintop was almost flattened by the coming and going crowds. Because of this, Xiao Mo had to step forward personally, squatting under the cedar tree to stop and persuade them to leave one by one.

But since these people had already come, how could they leave easily? How could they resign themselves without catching a glimpse of a once-in-a-millennium talent? Left with no choice, Lin Qi had to send out the Spirit Butterflies to accompany Xiao Mo, letting everyone see the Spirit Butterflies so that their trip wouldn't be entirely in vain.

Xiao Mo simply set up a stall under the cedar tree to collect admission tickets. "Spirit Butterfly cleansing and comprehension experience, two hundred Spirit Stones per time, five thousand Spirit Stones for a monthly pass! Line up, line up."

When Wan Zhufeng returned to the mountaintop, he was immediately startled by the dense crowd under the cedar tree. "Senior Brother, what is going on here?"

Xiao Mo was immersed in the joy of counting Spirit Stones. Hearing Wan Zhufeng's voice, he shouted loudly without even lifting his head, "Junior Brother, hurry and help me collect the Spirit Stones!"

Thus, Wan Zhufeng, completely bewildered and travel-worn, sat down first to help his Eldest Senior Brother collect Spirit Stones and keep accounts.

It wasn't until the sky turned dark that Xiao Mo waved his hand. "We're closing the stall for today. Everyone, maintain order and leave in an orderly manner. Come early tomorrow! Those who have gained comprehensions should meditate in their own cave dwellings for a few more days. Don't blindly undergo continuous cleansing; it harms the body."

The disciples respectfully bid farewell to Xiao Mo and Wan Zhufeng. Wan Zhufeng's fingers ached from collecting so many Spirit Stones. He feebly cupped his hands at the crowd. Only after the crowd had completely dispersed did he have the time to catch his breath. "Senior Brother, what exactly is going on here?"

Xiao Mo said gleefully, "Get up, let's talk while we walk!"

Upon entering the mountain, Xiao Mo recounted what had happened with Lin Qi. Wan Zhufeng listened until his jaw almost dropped to the floor, finally letting out a sigh from the depths of his soul, "Our master... has gotten lucky this year!"

This gathering place for salted fishes suddenly received two great gods—the genius Du Chengying and the luck prodigy Lin Qi. Wan Zhufeng found it a bit hard to adapt for a moment. When he saw the magnificent palace in front of him, the jaw that was hanging on his face finally fell completely. He said in terror, "This... this..." He looked uncertainly at Xiao Mo, "This wasn't built using the collected Spirit Stones, was it? Is it Master's new cave dwelling?"

"No," Xiao Mo said loudly. "Junior Brother Lin, Second Senior Brother has returned. Do you want to see him?"

Wan Zhufeng's expression grew even more terrified. This... the mountain was changing too fast; he couldn't adapt.

In the pitch-black cave dwelling, two bright lights suddenly shot out and shone on Wan Zhufeng's face. Wan Zhufeng shuddered as a gigantic snow-white beast slowly appeared in his line of sight.

The Water Qilin... So this was the legendary ancient Spirit Beast, the Water Qilin... That terrifying pressure and aura almost made Wan Zhufeng unable to resist the urge to fall to his knees and worship.

Xiao Mo happily waved his hand, "Wuxia, good evening."

Wan Zhufeng cast a sidelong glance at Xiao Mo, terrified in his heart. As expected of the Eldest Senior Brother, his attitude towards a Spirit Beast was so casual. What immense audacity.

Wuxia shook its fluffy head and said softly, "Meow."

Wan Zhufeng: "..."

Xiao Mo cheerfully glanced at the dumbfounded Wan Zhufeng. "Cute, right?"

Wan Zhufeng: "...Cute."

"Is Junior Brother not here?" Xiao Mo stretched his neck to look behind Wuxia a couple of times but didn't see anyone.

Wuxia let out two more 'meows'.

Xiao Mo said, "Oh, he went out with Junior Brother Du."

Wan Zhufeng: "???" Why couldn't he understand anything?

Wuxia: "Meow, meow, meow."

Xiao Mo: "Alright, then I'll come back later."

Wan Zhufeng: "..." This world had become incomprehensible to him.

The full moon's light was exceptionally bright. It pierced down through the dense forest like sharp blades, carving a maze onto the stone table. A slender figure was sitting on a stone stool, drinking wine. The moonlight spilled over his blue clothes, leaving behind mottled shadows. His fair side profile was cast with a layer of faint illusion, tranquil and beautiful, making anyone who saw it forget worldly matters.

Lin Qi felt bitter in his heart. After going through the scenes meant for the male lead and becoming famous after a single battle, he couldn't even find peace hiding in his cave dwelling. What made him even more despairing was... the System was gone again.

The plot had run wild, the System had run away, and the tasks were all greyed out.

Other than having acquired a fluffy pet, his life was now a total mess.

The wine pot in his hand was empty. Lin Qi set it down and let out a light sigh.

"What are you sighing for?"

The familiar voice that suddenly popped up made Lin Qi's whole body jolt. "System, where did you run off to again?"

The System said self-righteously, "I didn't run off. Haven't I been silently keeping you company by your side all along?"

Lin Qi: ...It was quite 'silent' indeed, not even making a sound.

Lin Qi didn't pursue the matter further. This System was just unreliable on a daily basis. He only asked, "Has Du Chengying's Blackening Value decreased?"

System: "Wait a moment."

After a while, the System said leisurely, "I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Lin Qi: "...The bad news, I guess."

System: "Du Chengying's Blackening Value is still at a hundred percent."

Lin Qi buried his head in his arms with a headache. Du Chengying treated him very well and wished he could yield everything to him, but this completely went against the core purpose of his task.

How on earth could he make Du Chengying return to the righteous path?

The catalyst for Du Chengying turning into a demon was his death. He was perfectly alive right now, so why was Du Chengying's Blackening Value still so high? What exactly did Du Chengying want? Could it be that he really wanted to...

Lin Qi agonizingly tangled over this for a while. Because he had drunk wine, the intoxication hit him, making his headache even worse. He asked in a low voice, "Then what about the good news?"

The System said cheerfully, "The good news is that No. 017's revival match was a success, haha!"

Lin Qi: "..." He reasonably suspected that the System's silence during this period was because it had been binge-watching a variety show! He really wanted to swear... but he had to hold it in...

Carrying two pots of new wine in his hands, Du Chengying watched Lin Qi, who was slumped over the stone table, from afar.

The hunched figure under the moonlight remained desolate. Lin Qi... was unhappy again...

Du Chengying's fingers slowly clenched tight. Obtaining the world's greatest treasure, the Water Qilin, and making everyone endlessly envious didn't seem to be anything particularly worth rejoicing over for Lin Qi.

Du Chengying was very surprised to find that Lin Qi's fondness for the Water Qilin was no different from his fondness for ordinary beasts. Just touching and rubbing it could bring a momentary smile of satisfaction to his face.

His senior brother was so easy to please, yet so difficult to truly delight.

Once again, Du Chengying felt that familiar, ungraspable sense of powerlessness.

Lin Qi, what exactly do you want?

"Junior Brother," Du Chengying said gently, "the wine is here."

Lin Qi propped up his face and looked back. Seeing Du Chengying coming with the wine, he momentarily felt a sense of overlapping time and space. In his past life, he and Du Chengying also frequently drank together under the moon. Both of them had dull personalities and didn't like to converse. Instead, they each pondered their own thoughts, finding joy in their own ways.

At that time, what was Du Chengying thinking about?

Du Chengying looked at Lin Qi's flushed cheeks, set the wine pot aside, and said softly, "Junior Brother, you're drunk. Let's go back."

"Du Chengying," Lin Qi said slowly, "do you... like me?"