Demeanor

The small mountain was not particularly high, and after the interruption of this matter, it was not far from the summit within a few sentences. Looking up ahead, Zhixin Temple was already visible in the distance. After rounding the giant boulder along the mountain path, there was a straight flight of stairs, numbering around a hundred steps, with the main gate of Zhixin Temple right at the top.

Just at that moment, Jin Huan let out a soft sound of surprise. As a Core Formation cultivator with sharp senses and formidable spiritual intent, he had detected someone catching up from behind a step early. Yet given his status and standing, he was destined not to turn his head, though Lu Yang did look back for a glance: "It's that daoist."

Except for Jin Huan, everyone else turned around. They saw that the handsome daoist from earlier was walking slowly up the mountain path. Yet with every step he landed, it was as if floating mists were lifting him, as if his feet barely touched the ground—graceful like an immortal being, appearing as though he might ride the clouds away at any moment.

Lu Yang frowned: "It looks like the Divine Movement Talisman, but to borrow a shred of the mountain mist's energy to support the body and maintain such a speed without expending the slightest bit of one's own strength—his attainment in talismanic arts is extremely deep."

While they spoke, the group had already reached the front of the temple. Given Jin Huan's cultivation, even if Lu Yang hadn't spoken, he would have known it in his heart. Hearing this, he grunted in acknowledgment:

"There are many eccentric scholars in the mountains, do not be impolite."

Yesterday, Jin Huan had already communicated with the people inside the temple. At this moment, a daoist wearing a blue cloth robe was waiting in front of the main gate of the Daoist temple, bowing to this side and saying:

"Mansion Lord Jin, please enter. The temple master has been waiting for a long time."

This welcoming daoist had a wooden expression on his face, no match for the ethereal grace of the person behind, but Jin Huan had no way to fuss over such details. He left his accompanying guards behind, entering with only Lu Yang and the two young men.

With the delay at the gate, the handsome daoist in the back had also walked over, still maintaining that leisurely demeanor. Evidently, he too intended to enter the temple. Seeing this and remembering Jin Huan's instructions, the accompanying guards all stepped aside. The daoist followed unhurriedly behind Jin Huan's entourage, even nodding in acknowledgment to a young daoist sweeping the front of the temple. The young daoist was stunned for a moment, then hastily raised a hand in return salute.

All of this was witnessed by Jin Huan and the others, further cementing their assumptions about the man's identity.

Entering the temple gate one after the other, Jin Huan's group was led by the welcoming daoist, skirting around the main hall to the right. Meanwhile, the handsome daoist turned left the moment he entered, his jade-colored robes flashing a few times among the stone steps of the corner of the building before vanishing from sight. Jin Huan said to Lu Yang:

"This person is not very old, yet his cultivation is extremely profound, far surpassing A-Chuan and Yanqi. What is even more commendable is this calm and collected demeanor, which truly inspires envy."

Although Jin Huan was praising him, it was largely driven by a desire to provide motivation. Lu Yang bowed, maintaining an unruffled expression. Judging by the expressions of the two young men beside him, they had clearly taken the bait. As for how much drive it would ignite in them, they would have to observe the later results.

While they spoke here, the welcoming daoist ahead had walked quite a distance away, looking back with a somewhat bewildered expression. Seeing this, Jin Huan gave a smile: "The dragon has nine sons, and each is different; there's no need to quibble over details... Let's go!"

He cast the matter to the back of his mind and thought no more of it. The group followed the welcoming daoist around the hall and across a bridge, quickly arriving at a garden on the side. Deep within the forest were pavilions, bridges, and flowing water. An old daoist sat upright inside the pavilion, his beard and hair like snow, yet his complexion was rosy with no trace of age. There was no one attending him at his side. Seeing Jin Huan's group arrive, he stood up.

Jin Huan swept away his usual weekday majesty, hurrying forward to take the initiative in raising his hands and bowing while calling out, "Senior Brother Yu." The old daoist descended from the pavilion to greet him, addressing him merely as "Mansion Lord Jin," which seemed rather more distant, though Jin Huan did not mind. Lu Yang followed closely behind with a deep bow, lowering his posture even further. The old daoist gave a slight nod, casting his gaze upon the two young men behind:

"Mansion Lord Jin, are these the two children you mentioned?"

Jin Huan slightly straightened his golden robe and gave a hearty laugh: "Indeed. I must ask Senior Brother to lend my younger brother a hand in sizing them up, and see if they are materials worth molding!"

Without needing him to speak, both Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi stepped forward and knelt, calling out, "Immortal Elder Yu." The old daoist emitted a soft hum, gesturing for the two of them to rise. The two young men stood up neatly in unison, standing respectfully with hands at their sides, presenting their most upright selves before the old daoist.

"Allowing them to enter the mountain to cultivate—their outward appearances just barely pass."

With a single, bland remark, the old daoist left it at that. The two young men felt a brief flash of bewilderment, but the old daoist paid them no further mind. He led Jin Huan into the pavilion, where they took their seats on opposite sides. As for Lu Yang, he could only wait outside the pavilion alongside the two youths.

As soon as he sat down, Jin Huan smiled and said: "If they can cultivate within the mountain gates for a year or a half, it will already be a supreme stroke of fortune for these two brats. This junior brother of yours won't be insatiably greedy... Come over and kowtow in gratitude!"

Before Jin Chuan and his companion could step forward, the old daoist waved his hand: "Wait, wait. This old daoist is one who takes a sinecure, and having remained within the temple for so many years, I have only a single virtue: following the rules of the sect without showing favoritism. Within the mountain gates, the Dharma has never been lightly imparted. If Mansion Lord Jin wishes to send these two into the mountain for cultivation, we must also look at..."

At this point, his words paused imperceptibly. At the same time, Jin Huan felt a premonition; shifting his gaze slightly, he saw that behind the moon gate on one side of the garden, that handsome daoist who had previously appeared as graceful as a deity was stepping leisurely through the woods and approaching.

The other party also sensed the gazes of the two men, still nodding in acknowledgment before halting by another stream and small bridge within the garden. Judging by his posture, he looked rather like someone leaning against a pillar to watch fish—leisurely and composed.

Seeing that neither Jin Huan nor the others showed any look of surprise, the old daoist assumed this was a figure from Bai Ri Mansion, someone whose disposition naturally differed from ordinary mortals simply because he was within the temple grounds, much like being in his own home. He was also a man of temperament and could not help internally praising him as "so untrammeled." He had half a mind to inquire about the man's identity, but since they were right at a crucial juncture here, it was inconvenient to interrupt. Fortunately, his thoughts moved swiftly, and though he turned over many points in his mind, it only resulted in a tiny pause in his speech as he continued:

"...We must also look at whether Mansion Lord Jin's offerings to the mountain gates over the years conform to the rules of the sect. Though vulgar, it is at least fair."

Jin Huan was brimming with confidence regarding the so-called "rules of the sect." At the same time, seeing the old daoist's reaction, he became even more certain that the handsome daoist had a profound connection with both Zhixin Temple and the old daoist. Who knows, perhaps he was a newly accepted disciple of the old daoist within the past two years?

Having settled the matter in his mind, he no longer paid attention to that side, offering a smile as he signaled the two young men outside the pavilion. Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi were both clever individuals; immediately, they untied the bundles on their persons, revealing the stone and wooden boxes contained within. The two respectfully entered the pavilion, placed the boxes upon the stone table inside, and then backed out with bowed waists.

Jin Huan personally opened the two boxes, revealing the items within. First was the stone box: "Eleven stalks of Fish Dragon Grass. Though not many, accumulated over ten years, they should suffice to exchange for a few Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pills to take back. As for the rest, might they allow one person to enter the mountain for cultivation?"

The old daoist smiled: "It was calculated last year; it is permitted."

Jin Huan then pointed to the contents of the wooden box: "I heard that the mountain gates were seeking a 'Seven Shines' primordial stone, and for this, I specially entrusted someone to bring one back all the way from the East China Sea. If this is presented, can it secure entry for yet another?"

"The Seven Shines primordial stone is a commission issued by Senior Brother Wang of the mountain gates, valued at two hundred and fifty-five 'merits.' Your esteemed mansion enjoys the right of 'exclusive procurement,' and entry into the mountain for cultivation only takes ten percent of that amount—requiring two hundred and fifty merits. This, too, is permitted."

Seeing these items, the old daoist truly raised no difficulties, merely smiling: "Mansion Lord Jin has indeed made thorough preparations, clearly well-versed in the mountain gates' method of merits. It can be considered hard on you."

Jin Huan smiled faintly, having already set aside his greatest worry. Just as he wanted to speak again, he heard someone say from nearby:

"May I ask, how many 'merits' are thirteen stalks of Fish Dragon Grass worth?"

This sentence was not spoken by anyone around the pavilion. Amidst everyone's astonishment, they followed the voice and looked over, only to see that handsome daoist who had been leaning against the pillar watching fish walk down from the bridge at some unknown moment, heading toward the pavilion. Under the burning gaze of everyone's stares, his expression was steady and his pace unhurried as he spoke in a clear voice:

"I possess thirteen stalks of Fish Dragon Grass; I wonder what price they fetch?"

The morning sunlight pierced through the gaps in the forest, casting its rays upon him and making his brilliance glow.

When the handsome daoist crossed the bridge, walked through the forest, and uttered those words, the garden suddenly plunged into a very awkward juncture. Particularly the old daoist and Jin Huan within the pavilion simultaneously cast their gazes toward one another; caught off guard, they didn't even have time to conceal the emotions in their hearts.

In each other's eyes, they both saw utter bewilderment: "Isn't he your man?"

Under such circumstances, the first to react was actually Manager Lu outside the pavilion. He possessed quite a strong sense of a subject suffering when his master was humiliated, and feeling that his master's honor was compromised. Once he figured it out, his square face had already plated over with an iron-blue hue: "You..."

The handsome daoist who had walked over was, of course, Yu Ci. Displaying the divine-charlatan techniques he had learned back in the Twin Immortals Cult, he had made a small trial of his sharp blade and successfully entered the temple grounds.

Yet he had not anticipated that Jin Huan and that old daoist would be able to keep their composure to such a degree, or rather, be so slow to react. He had originally thought that successfully bluffing his way past the temple gate checkpoint was already quite impressive, and reaching the garden would be the absolute limit. He had already prepared himself to be exposed by others, and had even drafted his responses in advance.

Yet the development of events had exceeded his expectations. Both sides had misunderstood his identity, and wishing to maintain their respective composure, they simply feigned ignorance, letting him listen from start to finish without concealing a single thing. At the rate things were going, it wouldn't even have been impossible for him to mingle until the two of them finished discussing their business.

However, that was not his original intention.

Having followed them all the way here, his primary goal was to trade the Fish Dragon Grass with someone, and what he asked for was merely a fair transaction with nothing that could not be spoken of in the open—even if he used a few small tricks, they were all employed transparently. If the previous situation continued, regardless of his original intent, things would become hopelessly entangled, and he would lose his uprightness.

Going a step deeper, after experiencing that eye-opening spectacle last night, while he didn't care about the thoughts of the Bai Ri Mansion people, he was unwilling to offend the white-haired old daoist in the pavilion.

Therefore, he spoke out decisively, actively exposing his own identity. Afterward, meeting the gazes of the five people inside and outside the pavilion, he strode forward. At first, there were some symptoms of tightened muscles, but after stepping down from the small bridge, he had entirely entered the state.

To Lu Yang's shout, Yu Ci showed utter disdain. He stood right outside the pavilion, staring directly into the old daoist's aged face with its white brows and beard: "A lone cultivator of the wilderness, Yu Ci. I have thirteen stalks of Fish Dragon Grass in my possession and found no market to sell them, which is why I followed Mansion Lord Jin here to seek a transaction with Temple Master Yu."

Only at this moment did the two bigwigs in the pavilion truly understand. The old daoist was one thing, but a flash of blood-red radiance crossed Jin Huan's face. Slowly turning his gaze, golden light like swords pierced straight into Yu Ci's face from his eyes.

Yu Ci's crown of his head shook violently as he suddenly saw before him in the pavilion a blazing red sun burning with intense heat, scattering ten thousand zhang of bloody light that covered the heavens and earth as it crushed down. At that instant, his soul's perception froze entirely, stripping him of any sense of space. All he could see was that blood-red setting sun, growing larger and larger, as if it were about to swallow him up completely!

The blood flooding a thousand mountains is still not enough; pulling down the azure heaven along with it!

This was the "Supreme Blazing Sun Method" with which Bai Ri Mansion had overawed Juebi City for a hundred years!