The Wang of Su, Wang, Mi, and Pei

Although Xiao Nan was a notch stronger than Old Demon Luo in spell combat, he could not destroy this magic treasure. He dared make such a bold claim because he possessed the Profound-Heaven Glazed Lamp.

Though the Black-Wind Baleful Cloud was a treasure Old Demon Luo had painstakingly refined over several centuries, how could it compare to the former Primordial Sect's sect-suppressing treasure?

Once the Black-Wind Baleful Cloud entered the Profound-Heaven Glazed Lamp, Xiao Nan gave a sharp shout. The cloud shattered within the lamp, turning into scattered fragments of cloud and wisps of gray vapor.

Xiao Nan could not help being secretly astonished. I never expected the Profound-Heaven Glazed Lamp to be so powerful. It clearly is not a treasure made for slaughter, yet it can so easily destroy Old Demon Luo's protective magic treasure. If I had possessed this treasure when I fought him, even an Old Demon Luo would have been no match for me.

Xiao Nan took out a gourd and pointed its mouth toward the Profound-Heaven Glazed Lamp. A mass of pitch-black qi was drawn out, and he said to Wang Chong and Zhu Ying, "Earthcore Sha Qi is only suitable for refining unorthodox magic treasures. It is turbid and heavy, and will instead make flying magic treasures somewhat slower."

"Old Demon Luo borrowed Earthcore Sha Qi to wear down an enemy's true qi, but our Five-Terrace Sect has no use for such unorthodox effects."

With a point of his finger, Xiao Nan split the shattered cloud into two. He said to Wang Chong and Zhu Ying, "Each of you take half of this shattered cloud. I'll teach you the Five-Terrace Sect's cloud-riding art—the Soaring-Cloud Technique!"

Zhu Ying took a pouch from her waist. Embroidered upon it was a Dragon Palace, exquisite in miniature and lifelike. She collected half the shattered cloud. She did not truly care much for this magic treasure; even a complete Black-Wind Baleful Cloud would not have meant much to her, much less these scattered scraps of cloud.

But when she thought that Xiao Nan would teach both her and Wang Chong the Soaring-Cloud Technique, and that the two clouds came from the same source, paired together like a matched set, she happily put it away.

Wang Chong, however, recalled that he had gathered a fragment of cloud in the back mountain long ago. If I refine it using the talismans on the stone stele, I wonder what it will become?

Later, I'll divide it in two as well. I'll refine one half with the Soaring-Cloud Technique Master taught us, and the other with the talismans on the stone stele.

Xiao Nan imparted the Five-Terrace Sect's Soaring-Cloud Technique to his two registered disciples and had them go off separately to refine their clouds. He too entered seclusion.

This time, he had obtained one volume of Daoist scripture and five magic treasures from behind the bronze door. The Daoist scripture could be studied later, but he intended to refine these magic treasures as quickly as possible.

At present, he could only use them in a preliminary fashion; he had yet to refine them to the point where they answered his will.

Zhu Ying took Wang Chong by the hand, but rather than hurrying to find a place for cultivation, she merely led him wandering about the Zhu family's estate. Though they had not been apart for long, after meeting again, they truly had much to say.

With a smile, Zhu Ying said, "Now that you, like me, have become a disciple under Benefactor Xiao Nan, there are some things I need no longer hide from you."

"Your sister truly is not human."

Little Bug could not resist adding, "You must be a fairy maiden descended from the Ninth Heavens into the mortal world."

Zhu Ying reached out and tapped him. "How improper."

Little Bug hurriedly said, "As soon as you said the first half, that line naturally popped into my mind. You cannot blame me. It sprang forth by itself, beyond the control of human effort."

Sweetness filled Zhu Ying's heart, but she said, "That line truly has no refinement. Are you mocking me for not deserving any fine verse?"

Little Bug racked his brains but still could not find words to match. He could only search through the learning in his mind and recall his father's collected works. He found a piece, "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River," but felt it did not suit the occasion. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he thought, Why hadn't Father prepared a few more poems suited to different occasions? What am I supposed to do now?

Zhu Ying did not press him further. In a gentle voice, she said, "Your sister truly does live in the Eastern Sea. I am the Eastern Sea Dragon King's daughter, invested by the Heavenly Emperor. I rank seventh in my family. Above me are four elder brothers and two elder sisters, and below me are more than ten younger brothers and sisters."

"When I accompanied my father to a banquet in the Heavenly Court, there happened to be a newly ascended immortal there. He was a grand master of the literary world, elegant and distinguished. The Heavenly Emperor ordered him to compose poetry to enliven the festivities, and he wrote six poems in succession, every one rich and splendid in literary grace."

"I admired the literature of the human race, so I secretly ran away, hoping to study for a few years and broaden my learning and experience."

Little Bug could not help asking, "There are scholars who become immortals too?"

Zhu Ying smiled. "Why not?"

Little Bug was somewhat unconvinced. "The scholars who died in recent years had no particularly outstanding figures. Only Su Baiquan's writing was passable."

Zhu Ying laughed. "It was precisely Su Baiquan. Why are you unconvinced?"

Little Bug replied, "In today's literary world, the four great masters are Su, Wang, Mi, and Pei. But this Su is not Su Baiquan—it is Little Su, Old Su's son."

There was another thing he was too embarrassed to say: My father is the Wang among Su, Wang, Mi, and Pei. In terms of splendid prose, Big Su might surpass my father, but Old Su trails him by more than eighteen streets.

Because his parents had fallen out, Wang Chong had not been raised at his father's side. Yet the pride of being a son was not something he could speak of to outsiders.

What was more, he and Zhu Ying had grown close. Naturally, he felt there was no need for Zhu Ying to admire Su Baiquan's literary brilliance. His own father was one of the leaders of the current literary world.

Zhu Ying did not know these little thoughts of his. She smiled and thought, Little Brother Chong is usually modest and mild, but whenever writing is mentioned, a streak of pride rises in him. He refuses to yield to anyone.

His literary reputation has not yet emerged, but in the future, he may not necessarily lose to Su Baiquan. I should encourage him more.

Among the dragon maidens, Zhu Ying was quite an oddity. From childhood, she had loved reading and held scholars and literary students in great fondness. Otherwise, she would not have been dazzled by Wang Chong and developed strands upon strands of affection for him.

She laughed softly and said, "Perhaps one day, you will be the Wang among the four great masters."

Little Bug shook his head. I'm no good at poetry or prose.

Zhu Ying told Little Bug about her family background. Little Bug hesitated over whether he should tell her about his own family as well, but Zhu Ying did not care much about such matters. With her status as a dragon maiden, no mortal, however noble, could be a suitable match. On the other hand, a disciple of Xiao Nan from the Five-Terrace Sect could be considered well matched in family standing.

Zhu Ying simply did not care who Little Bug's family was.

She said to Wang Chong, "Back then, my father received the Heavenly Emperor's talisman decree and was entrusted with governing the Eastern Sea. Though he holds a divine office and enjoys an honored status, it cannot benefit his descendants."

"So all us brothers and sisters must seek our own paths."

"My third brother has had the best fortune. He was taken in by an arhat from the Western Heaven as his mount, and now he is considered the most accomplished member of our family. All our other brothers and sisters envy him greatly."

"My royal father has always hoped that I could enter Master Xiao's sect and become a formal disciple. But I heard that the Five-Terrace Sect does not permit non-humans to join, and I have long been quite disheartened."

There was something Zhu Ying had not told Wang Chong. The Five-Terrace Sect did not accept non-humans, but there was a loophole: if a non-human was the spouse of a sect disciple, they could enter the sect and take a master alongside their husband or wife.

She had never considered this path before, but Wang Chong's appearance had stirred many thoughts in this dragon maiden's heart.

To Zhu Ying, Wang Chong was simply the most perfect husband imaginable: gifted in literature, peerless in aptitude for the Dao, and capable of bringing her with him to enter the Five-Terrace Sect under a master.