Yu Ci quietly watched Madame Yellow Springs sort through her clear chain of memories, deeply stirred.
Choosing Madame Yellow Springs had been both the fortune and misfortune of the Great Black Heavenly Buddha Mother Bodhisattva.
Her fortune lay in Madame Yellow Springs's innate gifts and disposition, which stood far above the common herd and were rarely seen throughout the ages. She was of immense use; judged purely by practical need, she was undoubtedly the finest choice.
Her misfortune, however, lay in the fact that Madame Yellow Springs had never been a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Cool-headed and resolute, with wisdom as deep as the sea, she had detected the problem long ago and quietly made targeted arrangements.
Only after Yu Ci saw her complete memories and train of thought did he understand. Matters such as entering the Yellow Springs Secret Mansion and roaming the Jade Firmament Celestial Palace in spirit had indeed been places the Great Black Heavenly Buddha Mother Bodhisattva had continually lured her toward, but Madame Yellow Springs had also made ample preparations well in advance.
Knowing there were tigers on the mountain, she had walked straight toward Tiger Mountain, staging a splendid play of "give before taking."
Before her journey into the Yellow Springs Secret Mansion, Madame Yellow Springs had diligently cultivated the Heavenly Demon Soul-Splitting Clone Technique. Thus, when facing the demonic spirit of the Ten Directions Ci Guang Buddha, even after a wisp of her divided consciousness was severed, she had still been able to escape. Moreover, it was precisely that wisp of consciousness that the spiritually muddled Great Black Heavenly Buddha Mother Bodhisattva had cherished as a priceless treasure, entering seclusion to study it deeply and buying Madame Yellow Springs more than ten years of breathing room.
Yet what Yu Ci admired most