Several months earlier, in a bamboo pavilion at the foot of Cloud Dragon Mountain.
A handsome man in white robes sat upright in the second-floor loft of the bamboo pavilion, gazing at a stream flowing down from the distant mountain.
Beside him sat an ordinary-looking wooden zither, several plates of spirit fruit, a pot of Spirit Tea, and a lit bronze incense burner.
Waves of fragrance drifted from the burner on the wind, mingling with the music of the zither around the pavilion. It drew many mountain sparrows and birds to alight within the pavilion, where they chirped in clear, pleasant bursts.
Just as the white-robed man was wholly immersed in this beautiful scene of mountains, waters, flowers, and birds, a flash of spiritual light suddenly appeared beside him. A young woman in black abruptly materialized inside the bamboo pavilion.
"Li Family's Li Xuanyi greets Fellow Daoist Zhou!"
Li Xuanyi's sudden appearance startled the birds in the pavilion into flight. A trace of regret flickered through Fellow Daoist Zhou's eyes, but he promptly rose and returned her salute with cupped hands.
"I am Zhou Daoping of Yellow Dragon Mountain. Greetings."
"Upon hearing today that Fellow Daoist Li had come to visit, I had no time to prepare much. I can only offer some humble tea and plain refreshments. I hope you will not find them wanting."
"You are too courteous, Fellow Daoist Zhou!"
Faced with Zhou Daoping's polite invitation, Li Xuanyi smiled faintly and sat down beside him.
After accepting a cup of Spirit Tea from Zhou Daoping and taking a sip, Li Xuanyi spoke directly. "I heard Big Brother say long ago that Fellow Daoist Zhou was one of Southern Prefecture's outstanding young talents, and I was rather curious myself.
"A few days ago, I happened to learn that