A Fated Person

Dawn broke, a fine mist lingering, ethereal and fresh. Clouds, like light veils, wound around the mountainside, softening and blurring its contours, making it appear indistinct, as if from an ink wash painting.

Xiang Yuan walked out of the Lesser Morality Temple, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth that he couldn't suppress.

Last night, with the help of his master and martial uncle, he had circulated his Qi, not only opening the Shenque Acupoint but also advancing rapidly, breaking through the barriers of the Shuifen, Xiayuan, Juque, and Zhongting acupoints. Now, his Qi had reached the chest's Tanzhong acupoint. Of the twenty-four acupoints on the Ren Meridian, sixteen were open, and Foundation Establishment was within reach.

A person in good spirits feels no fatigue. After a night of cultivation, he didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy.

Furthermore, with his cultivation progressing smoothly, he felt invigorated and much more confident.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he saw Old Daoist Quexin under a tree ahead. His figure was indistinct, the fine rain not touching him. His body gradually became transparent from the waist down, like a ghost appearing in daylight.

Xiang Yuan was greatly alarmed. Recalling the identity of the Spiritual Light Old Devil, he guessed that the opportunity was something his master had found for him in the Southern Border. He hurried forward and said, "Master, what's wrong? Your injuries... they look very serious."

They were more than serious; it looked like his physical body was gone.

Old Daoist Quexin stroked his long beard. "No need to worry. The death of Spiritual Light has further consequences. It is inconvenient for me to meet you, so I have used my divine technique to communicate with you here, to avoid being calculated by others and bringing disaster upon you."

Xiang Yuan finally relaxed. The sadness vanished. Looking at his master's current appearance, he seemed like a genie from a magic lamp.

He took out the cracked Bagua Heart-Protecting Mirror and offered it with both hands. "I owe my life to this item, but unfortunately, it's broken."

Old Daoist Quexin accepted the treasure mirror. Although he knew it would face such a calamity, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Xiang Yuan asked curiously, "Master, this Heart Protection Mirror is so powerful, it could kill Spiritual Light... uh, Martial Uncle Spiritual Light with ease. How did it break so easily?"

"It wasn't easy. It extinguished not only the Spiritual Light of this world, but also other Spiritual Lights..."

Old Daoist Quexin stopped mid-sentence. Seeing the umbrella Xiang Yuan was carrying, he smiled. "It seems fate has been decided. You have chosen to walk this path."

"Master, what exactly is this fate?"

Xiang Yuan was filled with curiosity. Carrying an umbrella on a rainy day, fate must be about helping others.

The question was, who was the person sharing the umbrella with him? Was it the thousand-year-old Snake Demon?

"Who the fated person is, you will know when you go there. If I were to tell you, you would inevitably try too hard. Whether you walk quickly or slowly, you would break the fate by forcing it," Old Daoist Quexin still refused to say more.

Xiang Yuan stopped asking and continued, "Master, your disciple has inherited some memories from Martial Uncle Spiritual Light and many martial arts, including our sect's secret technique, the Formless Seal Method. Is this appropriate?"

As he spoke, he curiously observed Old Daoist Quexin.

The moment he saw the old daoist, some of Spiritual Light's memories surfaced, mostly scenes of him being inconsiderate and foolish. These filled in the blanks, giving him a clearer understanding of his own master.

In a word, his daoist name was fitting; he was indeed quite foolish.

"Our sect values the true heart. Whatever opportunities you obtain are yours. There is no question of appropriateness. Just don't tell outsiders,"

Old Daoist Quexin calculated the time. His figure gradually faded, disappearing with the treasure mirror. "Cultivating at the Sect Gate is cultivation, and cultivating in the mortal world is also cultivation. Your path is not in the mountains. I will not take you back to Northern Qi. If you wish, you can find me at the True Heart Dao in the future."

With that, he vanished without a trace.

A divine dragon shows its head but not its tail; an otherworldly expert.

If Xiang Yuan hadn't seen Spiritual Light's memories, he would have believed it.

"Just leaving like that? I still have so many questions I haven't asked, like this illness, it seems a bit abnormal..."

Xiang Yuan muttered to himself, unable to understand his master's intentions. If he said his master was perfunctory, he had left a treasure to protect him and personally went to the Southern Border to hunt a Spiritual Light to keep his disciple safe. If he said his master was dedicated, he left without looking back after guiding his disciple, leaving him to grow wild.

And he was always showing off!

Although Xiang Yuan had some complaints in his heart, he still tidied his clothes and bowed respectfully three times in the direction where Old Daoist Quexin had disappeared.

When his divine skill reached Great Accomplishment one day, he would definitely go to the True Heart Dao in Northern Qi to serve his master tea.

Xiang Yuan descended the desolate mountain. Fearing he would get lost, he dared not take the shortcut through the mountains and walked along the official road, deliberately opening his umbrella, wanting to see who his fated person was.

He walked at varying paces, his feet covered in mud, and arrived at Yulin Academy. Five miles further was the west gate of the County Yamen. He didn't see his fated person, so he didn't give up and took a detour along a small path, following the river towards Zhao Family Village and Lin Family Village.

Perhaps his fated person was a high-ranking constable from the Six Doors, a thousand-year-old Snake Demon in human form, who happened to need an umbrella right now.

He reached the path where he had been stationed last night. The constables from the County Yamen had already left. He continued forward and arrived at Lin Family Village by the Nu River.

The village was deserted, with no signs of life, only a few constables from the Six Doors patrolling. Seeing Xiang Yuan, they quickly stepped forward to question him.

Xiang Yuan took out his constable token and explained his identity. "Last night, we were apprehending suspects in the mountains and got lost. We encountered poisonous miasma and were attacked by villains. We only came out at dawn."

He was covered in mud, his black boots unrecognizable. After explaining the cause and effect, he dispelled the doubts of the constables from the Six Doors.

Getting lost in the mountains was normal; it was a great fortune to be able to get out.

"The constables from the County Yamen have already escorted the prisoners back to the city. You don't need to wait here; you can go back yourself."

"May I ask, elder brother, when you apprehended the culprits from the Five Poisons Cult last night, did you happen to see someone like this..."

Xiang Yuan began to describe him: at the scene of the Lesser Morality Temple murder, there was a scarred man with arms reaching past his knees. Initially, he had considered the man to be from Zhao Family Village, but now it seemed he should be a member of the Five Poisons Cult.

Faintly, Xiang Yuan felt that this person held some status within the Five Poisons Cult.

"We apprehended too many people last night. If you have any doubts, you can go to the County Yamen and ask your Constable Liu." The constables from the Six Doors didn't seem very approachable.

Xiang Yuan nodded. He had only asked casually, and if there was no answer, then so be it.

He turned and left, retracing his steps. From the time he left the Lesser Morality Temple, he had traveled nearly thirty miles in total. His martial arts kept him from being tired, but his stomach growled with hunger.

Yulin Academy.

With a fine mist falling, classes at the academy ended early. The students, all dressed in pale blue and white, left in groups, some with umbrellas, others shielding themselves with their books. Laughter and the sound of poetry recitals filled the air.

While some were happy, others were not. At the academy gates, an elder was earnestly lecturing a young man in his early twenties.

The elder, dressed in a blue robe, was refined and elegant. His graying temples spoke of a seasoned maturity and composure, marking him as a learned gentleman.

He was Wang Wenxu, the instructor of Fengxian County.

The young man being reprimanded was in his early twenties, with a face as fair as jade and an imposing presence. His striking looks made him stand out amongst the students, but a weariness in his brow suggested a lack of spirit.

Perhaps he had stayed up late studying and was caught dozing off by the teacher.

Or perhaps he was simply lazy, a good-for-nothing who sought no progress.

"Your father and I are acquaintances. He sent you to this academy from afar, entrusting me to guide you to success. Yet, you spend your days fooling around outside. Where is your filial piety?"

"Esteemed teacher, you misunderstand me. I study diligently even while I'm fooling around. That's the greatest filial piety!"

"You, you..."

Wang Wenxu was so angered his face twitched. Muttering about a lack of ambition and incorrigible wood, he angrily flicked his sleeve and departed.

"Esteemed teacher, don't go! Lend me an umbrella to avoid..."

Seeing Wang Wenxu ignore him, the young man shrugged and looked around. The place was deserted, leaving him alone at the academy gates.

Rain fell from the sky. In the distance, students hurried along, holding their books over their heads. He looked at himself; he didn't even have a book bag, let alone books.

"One only regrets not studying enough when the time comes to use it. Esteemed teacher, I understand now."

"Classes ended early today, and my family's carriage hasn't arrived. Do I have to walk back in the rain?"

"That wouldn't be good. Getting my clothes wet would be unbecoming of a scholar, and the old man would nag me again if he saw."

As he muttered, he spotted a constable walking along the main road in the distance, holding an umbrella.

Their eyes met.

Ah, an umbrella.

Oh no, I shouldn't have looked at him.