The Secret of the Golden Bead

"Sister Bai!" Yue Qianchou called from this side of the bridge. The zither music in the pavilion abruptly stopped. White Fox gracefully stood up and said softly, "Brother Chou! You haven't visited me in days!" If the elders of the Qingguang Sect knew White Fox was acting like this, they wouldn't know what to think.

Yue Qianchou lifted the package in his hand and smiled, "I'm afraid I'll be troubling you this time, Sister. I plan to stay in the cave with you for a month."

White Fox frowned, "Why is that?"

"Master is going out for a month. Before leaving, he instructed me to find a secluded place to cultivate," Yue Qianchou said, sitting in front of the pavilion. White Fox nodded, sat down, and continued to play the zither and sing softly. The former smiled, knowing she didn't like to talk much, and didn't say anything further. He took out the Mysterious Heaven Skill from his package and studied it carefully.

After several days of cultivation, he felt that the spiritual energy in the air was no longer of much help to his cultivation. He took out two Spirit Stones from his package and held them in his hands. He circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and dense spiritual energy was slowly absorbed until the Spirit Stones in both his hands became dull and lifeless. However, the True Qi in his body immediately felt much more substantial. Yue Qianchou opened his eyes and looked at the stones in his hands, sighing. No wonder cultivators used these as currency; they were truly good things! One top-grade stone could be exchanged for a hundred mid-grade ones, and one mid-grade stone could be exchanged for a hundred low-grade ones. His Master had given him over ten mid-grade Spirit Stones at once, which were worth more than ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.

White Fox's zither music and soft singing still echoed in his ears. Yue Qianchou had listened for several days. At first, he found it enjoyable, but now his ears felt calloused. He thought to himself, Doesn't Sister Bai get tired of singing the same song over and over? He tossed the stones in his hand into the pond, stood up, and called to White Fox, "Sister Bai!"

White Fox stopped. Her peerless, world-beating beauty lifted, and she asked with confusion, "Brother Chou! What is it?" As she spoke, her gaze flickered towards a white shadow that flashed by the cave entrance, but she paid it no mind.

The white shadow at the cave entrance was Qu Ping'er, whose body Yue Qianchou had secretly glimpsed that day. As soon as she entered the cave, she heard someone speaking. Upon seeing who it was, she was startled. She never imagined that perverted thief would be talking to that incredibly beautiful woman. She quickly hid to the side.

Yue Qianchou wondered if he should ask White Fox to change the song. With his cultivation, he hadn't noticed anyone at the cave entrance. He said with a fawning smile, "Sister Bai, why don't you change the song? I see you always singing the same one."

White Fox's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I collected famous songs from renowned artists from all over the world in my early years. After that event, none of them could touch my heart. Since I heard the song you taught me, I feel that no other song can compare. Why should I change it?"

Qu Ping'er, hiding at the cave entrance, trembled all over and murmured, "That song was made by that pervert? How is that possible!"

"Sister Bai's zither skills are unparalleled. How about this! I'll compose another song for you, and you can accompany it with your zither. What do you think?" Yue Qianchou asked.

White Fox's eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded her jade head. "Brother Chou is truly talented; I have long experienced it. If you can compose another song, I would be overjoyed!"

Yue Qianchou nodded and walked back and forth on the bridge with his hands behind his back, his head bowed in thought about what song to choose. It would be best if it could be accepted by White Fox, and she could also like it, and perhaps even guide her. Otherwise, it was too much of a waste for a late Tribulation stage expert to hide here. She was truly material for a top-notch bodyguard!

Her contemplative pacing filled White Fox's eyes with anticipation. Qu Ping'er, peeking from the cave entrance, was also full of curiosity, wondering what kind of peerless song this unremarkable pervert could compose.

"I've got it!" Yue Qianchou suddenly clapped his hands, his eyes darting around, and he smiled, "The song is called 'Mandarin Duck Butterfly Dream'!"

"Judging by the name, it's another good song. Sister will be able to feast her ears again," White Fox said softly.

Qu Ping'er at the cave entrance murmured, "Mandarin Duck Butterfly Dream! What a beautiful name!"

Yue Qianchou walked back and forth with his hands behind his back. After a moment of emotional preparation, he sighed and sang in a slightly hoarse voice: "Yesterday, like eastward flowing water, it left me far behind, unable to be held back. Today, it troubles my heart, with much sorrow. Drawing my sword to cut the water, it flows even more. Raising my cup to dispel sorrow, sorrow only deepens. Tomorrow, the clear wind will scatter me. Since ancient times, only new lovers laugh, who hears the old lovers cry? Love, these two words, are so difficult. Should I seek an explanation, or pretend to be oblivious? Knowing much or little, it's hard to be satisfied. It seems like a mandarin duck and butterfly, in an era where it shouldn't be, but who can escape the sorrow of the human world? A world of flowers, mandarin ducks and butterflies, already mad in the human realm, why ascend to the heavens? It's better to sleep gently together..."

When the song ended, White Fox was stunned into silence.

Qu Ping'er at the cave entrance looked at the unremarkable pervert in disbelief and murmured, "Every note touches the heart. Someone who can compose such a beautiful song must have good character. Could it be that I wronged him last time?"

"Sister Bai! What do you think of my song? Is it still listenable?" Yue Qianchou asked with a hint of uncertainty.

White Fox gazed blankly ahead and nodded. Her slender jade fingers caressed the zither strings and plucked them. Her lips parted slightly, and the zither music, accompanied by her singing, flowed out like a river of autumn water, stirring the soul. Those who listened also sighed with melancholy.

Qu Ping'er listened a few times, secretly memorized the song, and quietly retreated. Yue Qianchou couldn't help but marvel at White Fox's musical talent. With just one song sung, she could compose a melody that was full of flavor.

Looking at her lips parting and closing, he couldn't help but recall the golden core she had given him. Listening to the new song, he sat down cross-legged, and a golden bead circulating in his Dantian True Qi appeared in his mind. Yue Qianchou focused his attention, hoping to understand something.

The surface of the golden bead was smooth and round. After observing it for a long time, he found nothing special. He locked a wisp of his divine sense onto the circulating golden bead, intending to investigate its internal structure. Yue Qianchou trembled, and he, sitting in front of the pavilion, vanished.

White Fox in the pavilion stopped playing and singing. Her beautiful eyes gazed at the spot where Yue Qianchou had been sitting. Her brows furrowed, and a powerful divine sense spread out, searching everywhere. Within a radius of several hundred meters, she found no trace of anyone. She let out a soft "Oh?" She couldn't imagine that with her current cultivation, someone could still slip away under her nose.

In a clearing several hundred meters wide, Yue Qianchou stood alone, looking around in astonishment. The clearing was desolate, with no sign of life. The surroundings at the end of the clearing were immersed in a hazy purple chaos.

"Where is this? How did I get here?" Yue Qianchou muttered, shouting loudly, "Is anyone there? Is anyone here?" The surroundings were dead silent, with no sound. He ran to the edge of the chaos at the end of the clearing, wanting to break through and see what was on the other side, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't cross.

After struggling in the desolate clearing for most of the day, Yue Qianchou was exhausted and panting. He lay on the ground, pondering what was going on. His mind flashed back to the golden bead circulating in his Dantian. He had released a wisp of his divine sense to investigate, and then this incident occurred. Could this be the world inside the golden bead?

Thinking of this, Yue Qianchou jumped up abruptly. He sent his consciousness to his Dantian to search for the golden bead. His Dantian was empty except for True Qi, and the golden bead was gone. He exclaimed in surprise, "Could this really be inside the golden bead?"

He gritted his teeth and tried to release his divine sense outside his body. He didn't know until he tried. To his shock, with his cultivation, his divine sense could usually only extend one or two meters outside his body, but here it could extend infinitely until it was blocked by the edge of the chaos.

Yue Qianchou was startled. This distance was only achievable by someone with Core Formation stage cultivation. After retracting his divine sense, he suddenly felt that this clearing, spanning several hundred meters, seemed to resonate with him. He seemed to know where everything was.

"Behind that small slope, there's a black stone," Yue Qianchou murmured and ran over to look. Indeed, it was there. He tried a few more times, and each time it was accurate, making him have a lot of fun.

Once, with a casual thought: "I want to go over there!" When he discovered that the terrain around him had changed, he was greatly shocked. Trying a few more times, he realized that here he could move freely. In other words, he could go wherever he wanted with just a thought. Gradually, Yue Qianchou discovered that in this small space, he had a sense of overall control.

For some unknown reason, this space, which was originally as bright as day, gradually darkened. Yue Qianchou stood there alone, feeling like he was going mad. He couldn't help but shout hysterically, "I want light! I want light!" It was then that he realized he wasn't the creator god here. He couldn't have whatever he wanted.

"Am I going to be imprisoned here forever? But there's nothing to eat here, wouldn't I starve to death... Wuwu!" Yue Qianchou felt immense sorrow in his heart. He sat down on the ground and burst into tears, his face streaming with tears. He cried with a contorted face, "I don't want to die! Someone save me! I want to go back..."

"Brother Chou! What's wrong?" White Fox's gentle voice reached his ears. Yue Qianchou trembled, wiped away his tears, and his vision suddenly brightened. He was now sitting in the stone cave. He jumped up high and roared with laughter, "I'm finally out! I was almost scared to death! Hahaha!"

White Fox looked at Yue Qianchou, who was jumping around as if going mad, and asked with a furrowed brow, "Brother Chou! You suddenly disappear and then suddenly reappear, what exactly are you doing? Sister is so confused!"

Hearing White Fox's words, Yue Qianchou finally snapped out of his frenzy. He waved his hand and smiled, "No rush, no rush. I haven't figured it out yet. Once I do, I'll tell Sister first. I'm going to verify something now." Under her surprised gaze, he darted out of the cave.

"Hehehe! I was right! It's already dark outside!" Yue Qianchou laughed triumphantly.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, White Fox was so disturbed by the madman Yue Qianchou that she had no mood to play the zither or sing. She saw him running in and out of the cave all day long, busy as could be. He would either carry a pile of flowers and plants or catch some birds and beasts. He would suddenly disappear in front of the pavilion, reappearing after a short or long time, and that smile on his face never closed. White Fox couldn't help but ask him several times what he was doing, but he always said, "No rush, no rush."

One day, she saw him disappear in front of the pavilion. Half a day later, she suddenly saw him holding a fragrant, steaming roasted chicken leg, his mouth covered in oil. White Fox couldn't help it and finally asked again, "Brother Chou! What exactly is going on?"