Yu Ke considered the situation at hand.
He could only brace himself and say:
"Junior Sister Xie, you are being far too polite. This was what I should have done in the first place. However, my Foundation Establishment attempt failed this time, and the Spirit Stones I borrowed from you earlier... I fear I will be unable to repay them anytime soon."
"I hope Junior Sister can grant me a little more time."
Xie Wanwan, however, replied lightly and calmly:
"Senior Brother Yu, they are only a few Spirit Stones, hardly worth mentioning. Why should you take them to heart? Repay me when you have money to spare."
Her tone was utterly unconcerned. Just a few Spirit Stones.
Upon hearing this, Yu Ke thought, Is this the charm of a rich young lady?
I truly love it!
He suddenly felt that Junior Sister Xie before him was like a fairy descending to earth, her whole person radiating holy light.
The Tea Mountain Xie Clan was a famously wealthy family within the Great Zhou Dynasty. Whenever its descendants traveled the martial world, each possessed abundant wealth.
Among the children of great clans, second-generation rich heirs made up the majority. Yet even among such heirs, the difference between them could be as vast as heaven and earth.
To gather the materials required for Foundation Establishment, Yu Ke had nearly emptied his entire family fortune and borrowed money everywhere before barely scraping together enough.
Yet Xie Wanwan did not care about such a debt in the slightest.
She truly was a little rich lady!
"Then many thanks, Junior Sister!"
Of course, more importantly, Xie Wanwan was not worried that Yu Ke would refuse to repay her.
Though Yu Ke was not a direct descendant of the Yu Family, his name was still recorded in the family register, and he was blood acknowledged by the Yu Family.
The Yu Family had been rooted in the Luo River region for many years, with deep foundations and countless servants. Their ancestors had even produced a great True Person who once suppressed an entire province. Their power was immense.
They would never default on such a small amount of Spirit Stones and lose face over it.
Moreover, Yu Ke had already written an IOU, and the sect had its own impartial rules.
If there truly came a day when he failed to repay the debt and the matter reached the Yu Family, could such a trifling sum of Spirit Stones possibly settle it?
Xie Wanwan had known Yu Ke for three years and understood his character well.
Thus, she harbored no concern. She merely smiled faintly and said:
"Senior Brother Yu, you are too polite."
"I should go do my lessons too. You can continue... washing dishes."
Her tone was rather strange when she said the words "washing dishes."
After speaking, Xie Wanwan turned to leave, but curiosity got the better of her, and she looked back to ask:
"Senior Brother Yu, have you recently taken some kind of whitening pill, or cultivated some special technique?"
Yu Ke was utterly bewildered upon hearing that.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Wanwan understood.
"It is nothing. Senior Brother Yu, carry on with your work."
There was something else she did not say aloud, thinking to herself:
Senior Brother Yu is much fairer and more handsome than before.
And compared with his former stiff, wooden personality, where he knew nothing but cultivation, he has changed a little.
As for exactly what those changes are, I cannot quite say. I only feel that Senior Brother Yu's eyes have become much brighter.
Yu Ke took her words to heart.
He bent slightly over the pool in the courtyard and saw his present appearance reflected there.
On the water's surface, besides the blue sky, white clouds, and pristine pear blossoms hanging upside down in reflection, there was also the face of a young man.
He could not be called especially handsome, but he possessed a certain delicate refinement.
His brow was open and relaxed, while his eyes were dark as stars.
The corners of his lips curved faintly upward, seeming to hold an elusive smile that gave him a gentle, reserved air.
Yu Ke looked left and right, then touched the hair at his temples.
He did seem to be a little fairer than before.
His once resolute yet dull features had gained a touch more life.
Sure enough, one's appearance was born from one's heart.
"Ah... What a bother. I have become handsome again."
Yu Ke could barely suppress the curve of his lips.
Just then!
The new neighbor from the western room, that white-robed youth, strolled out from the western room.
He stood beneath the pear blossom tree. The pear blossoms were luxuriant as brocade. He raised his head and gazed at the sky, blue as though freshly washed, where white clouds drifted lazily.
The white-robed youth toyed with a colorful, lively little bird in his hand. The bird was full of spirit, fluttering its wings energetically upon his finger.
The white-robed youth chuckled.
"Little bird, you are so ugly. Why must you gaze at your reflection in the pool and pity yourself?"
"If I looked like that, I would plunge headfirst into the water and die."
Yu Ke whirled around.
The white-robed youth calmly walked past him, saying:
"The weather is rather fine today. Exceptionally pleasant."
Then, as though nothing had happened, he walked away and left the courtyard.
The white-robed youth was indeed strikingly handsome. His white robes outshone snow, his lips were red and teeth white, and his appearance was impeccable, like a noble young master stepping out of a painting.
Yu Ke's face darkened. Those words plainly carried another meaning.
He always felt that this brat had been picking on him from the start!
Could it be because he had looked at that beautiful married woman a few times?
Mount Zhongnan.
Located in the south, several hundred li from the capital, it was a remote place of towering mountains and difficult roads.
It had originally been a place rarely visited by people. Once winter came, it was a time when a thousand mountains held no flying birds.
But that had been several years ago. Things were different now.
Since the Three-in-One Sect, the orthodox Daoist sect personally designated by imperial decree of the Great Qing Emperor, had established temples here, its Daoist halls had risen in majestic grandeur, with incense smoke curling through the air.
The famed Lu brothers had also chosen this place for seclusion. Lu Chen's name in particular had spread far across both banks of the Yellow River, reaching even the lands of the North Wind.
After that!
Mount Zhongnan was peaceful no longer.
Whenever a festival arrived, pilgrims flowed like clouds in an unending stream. The mountain paths were packed shoulder to shoulder, forming a winding dragon that coiled through the mountains.
Even the plank roads into the mountains were crammed with people brushing shoulders and jostling elbows, bustling beyond compare.
Those of royal and noble blood traveled in sedan chairs carried by men, making progress even slower.
Even when night fell, the mountain paths remained congested, their lanterns blazing brightly and illuminating Mount Zhongnan's night sky.
Yet all this was somewhat difficult for Lu Yu to adapt to. He had long been accustomed to peace and quiet. Looking at the brilliant lights below the mountain,
he could not help missing the old days.
He sighed. It was still better when things were simpler.
At the beginning of next year's Spring Festival, the Great Qing Emperor would personally visit Mount Zhongnan to pray for blessings for all under heaven.
To this end, the Ministry of Rites had issued an imperial proclamation, strictly ordering that from the first month onward, Mount Zhongnan was to be cleared of all outsiders to ensure the solemnity of the blessing ceremony.
This news swiftly spread in all directions, causing countless commoners to rush to Mount Zhongnan to burn incense before the year's end.
For a time, the incense offerings at Mount Zhongnan reached their peak.
Incense smoke coiled through the air, while the voices of people roared like boiling water.
The incense in the great hall burned even more fiercely, like blazing firewood. It had continued for half a month without showing any sign of waning.
Many high officials and nobles from the capital had even forsaken such famous temples in the capital as White Horse Temple and Azure Cloud Temple.
They traveled hundreds of li, ignoring the hardship of boats and carriages, all just to come to Mount Zhongnan.
By then, dusk had arrived.
Lu Yu stood alone at the mountain peak, looking down at the bustling crowd below, and could not help sighing once more.
Thinking of his own master, Liu Jinchan had recently been all smiles.
Promoting the Three Truths Sect was his duty to begin with. Recently, he had smiled so much that he had even put on quite a bit of weight.
Whenever powerful figures from the capital came calling, his master Liu Jinchan always feared he might not receive them properly, so he would summon Lu Yu to deal with those distinguished guests.
Lu Yu was deeply troubled!
Unlike Lu Yu, his elder brother was more adept at dealing with people. Yet Lu Chen chose to meet no one, devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.
No matter how exalted a visitor's status, it could not shake his resolve to pursue the martial path.
Even the Great Qing's Second Prince had personally come to visit in the middle of the year, hoping to catch a glimpse of Junior Guardian Lu's true face.
Yet Lu Chen had politely declined through his elder brother.
Now, his elder brother had gone into hiding in the Tomb of the Living Dead on Mount Zhongnan.
Lu Yu was going to find his elder brother today, though not because of worldly matters. He knew his brother did not like hearing about such things.
He harbored a heaven-shaking secret in his heart, one he could not wait to share with his brother.
Lu Yu raised his head toward the vault of heaven. Several stars had already emerged in the sky, and an obscure aura seemed to stir within them.
"The heavens have changed!"
He slowly spoke those three words, as though conversing with heaven and earth. Every word seemed to bear the weight of a thousand jun.
Then, a point of white light slowly emerged in Lu Yu's palm. It emitted a gentle, mysterious glow, flickering faintly like a candle flame being kindled.
"The spiritual energy of cultivation recorded in ancient texts seems to have descended upon the world once more."
Facing the breeze blowing from Mount Zhongnan, Lu Yu spoke.
Before you continue