An Impertinent Request

The red-robed Daoist nun left Shouxian Palace and hurried toward the outskirts of Chaoge.

She stopped in a mountain hollow.

The icy expression she had worn before King Zhou in Shouxian Palace was gone. Now she looked uneasy, her face tense.

"This little demon pays her respects to Your Ladyship. May Your Ladyship enjoy boundless longevity!"

She glanced at a large tree in full bloom, then bowed respectfully.

At the sound of her voice, a radiant woman in palace robes emerged from behind the tree.

Had Di Xin been there, he would have recognized her at once: she looked remarkably like the statue of Goddess Nuwa.

"Report everything truthfully," Goddess Nuwa said, sparing her words.

Hu Ximei was secretly surprised. She had not expected Goddess Nuwa to come to Chaoge. She had come here after receiving the goddess's summons, but the goddess had clearly been in Chaoge at the time. Why, then, was she asking Hu Ximei?

Goddess Nuwa was the leader of the Monster Race. Before her, the Jade Pipa Spirit was of humble standing and dared not ask questions. She promptly reported everything Daji had told her, word for word.

She also described everything that had happened when she met King Zhou, leaving nothing out—even though she knew the goddess must already have been aware of it.

After Hu Ximei finished speaking, Goddess Nuwa furrowed her brows slightly and fell silent in thought.

Hu Ximei scarcely dared to breathe. She simply waited quietly at the goddess's side.

Only after a long while did Goddess Nuwa speak again. "Pipa Spirit, arrange for the Nine-headed Pheasant Demon to stay in Chaoge for the time being. Keep a close watch on the various Qi Cultivators who appear in the city, and miss nothing. Make note of every strange or unusual occurrence. I will send someone to contact you. Keep in regular touch with the Fox Spirit as well, and report anything important."

"Yes. I will obey Your Ladyship's decree!"

Hu Ximei replied respectfully, then turned into a faint blur and vanished into the distance in a few swift flashes.

As the Jade Pipa Spirit departed, Goddess Nuwa slowly raised her right hand. A flash of white light and a flash of red appeared beside her, transforming into two peerlessly beautiful women.

One wore robes as red as flame; the other was dressed in plain white.

"Profound Maiden, Pure Maiden, you two should also go to Chaoge. Do as I instructed earlier." Goddess Nuwa gazed toward the city as she spoke.

Both women were disciples of Goddess Nuwa. The one in red was called the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden, while the one in white was the Nine Nether Pure Maiden.

"Yes!"

The two women each answered, then flashed away as streaks of red and white light.

Goddess Nuwa watched them disappear. After a moment, she gave a light tap and rose into the air. A great azure luan flew out from among the clouds and landed beneath her.

Just as she was about to ride the luan away, Goddess Nuwa suddenly looked into the distance. A streak of white light was rapidly approaching, and in the blink of an eye it had reached her.

The light settled and transformed into a handsome young man dressed in white.

He had striking features, but unlike an ordinary person, he had a third eye in the middle of his forehead.

"Are you Yang Jian?"

Goddess Nuwa looked him over and asked. Though she had never met Yang Jian, his forehead's Heavenly Eye made him easy to recognize, so she had already guessed who he was.

The young man in white glanced at Goddess Nuwa and the azure luan beneath her, then cupped his hands. "You know of me, Senior? May I ask who you are?"

Goddess Nuwa smiled and nodded. "Heh... You're a disciple of True Man Yu Ding of the Golden Cloud Cave on Jade Spring Mountain. I've naturally heard of you. In terms of our origins, we share the same lineage. I am Nuwa."

"So Your Ladyship is here! This disciple was discourteous. Please forgive me!"

When he heard Goddess Nuwa introduce herself, Yang Jian hurriedly bowed deeply.

His master, True Man Yu Ding, was one of the Twelve Golden Immortals and a disciple of the Primordial Lord of Heaven. The Primordial Lord of Heaven, in turn, was a direct disciple of Old Ancestor Hongjun.

Goddess Nuwa was a Registered Disciple of Old Ancestor Hongjun and one of the earliest six to attain sainthood. She was of the same generation as the Primordial Lord of Heaven.

By seniority, Yang Jian should have called Goddess Nuwa his grandmaster.

"Yang Jian, there's no need to be so formal. Why have you come here instead of cultivating on Jade Spring Mountain?"

Goddess Nuwa showed no displeasure that Yang Jian had not called her grandmaster. She simply asked him calmly.

Yang Jian and his master, True Man Yu Ding, both belonged to the Chan Sect. The Chan Sect taught according to one's aptitude and was extremely selective in choosing and instructing its disciples. By contrast, Lord Tongtian's Interception Sect believed in teaching without discrimination: anyone who aspired to follow the Dao could join.

As a result, the Interception Sect had disciples throughout the land, including many members of the Monster Race with scales or horns. But because the sect accepted disciples indiscriminately, most failed to attain enlightenment, drawing heavy criticism from the Chan Sect.

If the Interception Sect was viewed that way by the Chan Sect, it went without saying that the entire Monster Race, led by Goddess Nuwa, fared even worse.

For that reason, Nuwa's relationship with the Chan Sect was very delicate, and the two sides rarely interacted.

Yet Yang Jian was one of the few among the Chan Sect's third-generation disciples who held little prejudice against the Monster Race.

He kept a demon beast named Sky-Howling Dog, and so felt little aversion toward other demon beasts.

Under the circumstances, Yang Jian's ability to overcome his sect's prejudice against the Monster Race and pay her the respects due to an elder was already remarkable.

At Goddess Nuwa's question, Yang Jian hesitated.

Goddess Nuwa gave a soft laugh. "I was only asking in passing. If it's inconvenient, you needn't tell me."

Yang Jian gave a wry smile. "Your Ladyship, it isn't that it's inconvenient; it's just difficult to speak of. This disciple was cultivating on Jade Spring Mountain today when Sky-Howling Dog suddenly turned into a streak of white light and flew away. I followed its trail by sensing its presence, only to find that it had reached Chaoge. Unfortunately, I soon lost that sense, so I came here to search for it. I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself before Your Ladyship."

As he spoke, Yang Jian watched Goddess Nuwa's reaction, intentionally or otherwise.

He knew that, as the leader of the Monster Race, she had many ways to control its members. Could she have been behind Sky-Howling Dog's disappearance?

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he had run into her here?

"Do you suspect that I was behind what happened to Sky-Howling Dog?" Seeing Yang Jian's expression, Goddess Nuwa immediately guessed what he was thinking and asked with a soft laugh.

"This disciple wouldn't dare. You asked, so I simply answered truthfully."

Yang Jian hurriedly bowed. He also felt that his suspicion had been rather presumptuous. Given Goddess Nuwa's status, she could command the Monster Race throughout the land. She would hardly be interested in his little white dog.

He looked up at Goddess Nuwa, seeming to hesitate.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

Goddess Nuwa spoke casually.

Yang Jian said, "This disciple has an impertinent request. I hope Your Ladyship will grant it. I've heard that you possess an Acquired Spiritual Treasure called the Monster Summoning Banner. By activating it, you can summon the Monster Race within a certain radius at will. Sky-Howling Dog is a demon beast, so it should be within the treasure's range as well. Could I trouble Your Ladyship to use the treasure and help me find where Sky-Howling Dog went?"

"Uh..."

Goddess Nuwa felt a sudden tightness in her chest, as if something had gotten stuck there.