Tongtian Offends Someone

In the vast Zixiao Palace, Hongjun Daozu appeared once more upon the Prayer Mat.

At the same time, a golden scroll had appeared in his hand—the key to the next tribulation, the Heavenly Book, Investiture of the Gods.

Hongjun Daozu looked at the Investiture of the Gods in his hand and muttered to himself.

"Everything is ordained by the Heavenly Dao. The Jie Sect is destined to be utterly destroyed in this tribulation. Even if I wished to shield it, I could not change it."

Master Tongtian had no idea that his actions today had already set the Jie Sect upon the path to destruction.

Had Master Tongtian known, perhaps he would not have acted as he had today, but would have learned from Yuanshi Tianzun instead.

At the very least, that would have preserved the Jie Sect's legacy and prevented its complete destruction in the next tribulation.

Unfortunately, Master Tongtian was far too forthright. Everything he did stemmed from his nature, without the slightest bit of pretense or ingratiation.

Yuanshi Tianzun, on the other hand, had already seen through the stakes and unknowingly planted a seed of goodwill.

Now, not only was Nüwa Niangniang grateful to Yuanshi Tianzun, but even the newly appointed Heavenly Emperor Haotian and Empress of Heaven Yaochi were deeply indebted to him.

Even Laozi had seen through everything at the critical moment and made the wiser choice.

Yet Master Tongtian did not feel that he had done anything wrong.

After all, in his heart, nothing mattered more than the prosperity of the Jie Sect.

As for deliberately currying favor with Hongjun Daozu, Master Tongtian disdained doing such a thing even more.

Thus, Master Tongtian felt no sense of danger whatsoever. Smiling, he made his way toward Biyou Palace on Golden Turtle Island.

Just as Master Tongtian was returning to Biyou Palace on Golden Turtle Island, Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao had also arrived outside Hong Ze's small courtyard.

Before they entered the courtyard, they heard a melodious tune from a zither.

Yun Xiao's hand, which had just reached out to open the gate, froze in midair.

"This music leaves me feeling refreshed and at peace, as though Master were expounding a supreme and wondrous Dao."

Qiong Xiao nodded as well. "Eldest Sister, perhaps this is your opportunity. Why not hurry in and meet Eldest Senior Brother?"

Yun Xiao nodded, then withdrew her hand and spoke respectfully.

"Eldest Senior Brother, your junior sisters Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao have come to pay you a visit. We ask that Eldest Senior Brother grant us an audience."

Hong Ze, who had been playing the zither, suddenly heard that Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao had arrived. He immediately pressed down on the strings.

The melodious music came to an abrupt stop, greatly displeasing the hens and donkey who had been listening to Hong Ze play.

"Just a little more! I was just about to break through! Who ruined my good fortune?"

"Brother Donkey, stop complaining. The master's romantic luck has arrived again. Are you trying to ruin his good fortune?"

A hen spoke to the donkey in the pen not far away.

The donkey could not help looking toward Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao outside the courtyard, a look of disdain appearing on his face.

"These two girls are passable-looking, but compared to Golden Spirit Mother, they fall far short.

Our master's taste cannot possibly be that poor. How could he possibly fancy these two girls?"

"That's why you're a donkey. Haven't you heard the master say that everyone has their own preferences?"

"The master also seemed to have said that one great tree could never compare to an entire forest."

The hens and donkey continued gossiping in secret, but to Hong Ze's ears, it was nothing more than clucking and braying.

He immediately scolded them, "Can't you hear that guests have arrived? Can't you be quiet for once?

If you keep making such a racket every day, I'll turn you into Donkey Burgers and beggar's chicken."

The moment Hong Ze said this, both the hens and the donkey instantly fell utterly silent.

Hong Ze was quite satisfied by this. Smiling broadly, he headed toward the courtyard gate.

Seeing that Hong Ze had actually come out in person, Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao could not help but be astonished.

They had visited Duobao Daoren before. Back then, Duobao Daoren had merely told them to enter and had not personally come out to welcome them as Hong Ze had.

This immediately made Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao think more highly of Hong Ze than Duobao Daoren.

Yun Xiao directly said, "To trouble Eldest Senior Brother to personally welcome us truly overwhelms your junior sisters."

Hong Ze smiled and waved his hand, opening the courtyard gate as he did so.

"We are fellow disciples, so why be so formal? I simply wonder why you two junior sisters had the leisure to think of visiting your senior brother today."

Qiong Xiao's eyes shifted, and she immediately said, "Eldest Sister and I came to Golden Turtle Island to visit a friend, when we suddenly heard Eldest Senior Brother's melodious zither music.

We were captivated for a moment and followed the music here. If we have disturbed Eldest Senior Brother in any way, please do not take offense."

Hearing that Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao had been drawn here by his music, Hong Ze revealed a helpless smile.

"I was merely passing the time out of boredom. Since you two junior sisters enjoy listening, come in with your senior brother."

As he spoke, Hong Ze made an inviting gesture to Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao and ushered them into his small courtyard.

However, Hong Ze did not lead them into the Thatched Cottage, but instead headed directly behind it.

It turned out that behind Hong Ze's Thatched Cottage was a modest pond. Several lotus flowers grew within it, while a few koi swam through the water.

There was also a pavilion beside the pond, where Hong Ze usually played the zither when he had nothing to do.

Perhaps because his cultivation could not improve no matter how hard he cultivated, Hong Ze had grown too lazy to cultivate. Instead, he placed greater value on enjoying life.

Just as Hong Ze led Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao into the pavilion, a burst of ripples suddenly rose in the pond.

Several koi then poked their heads out, their gazes falling directly upon Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao.

"This is the first time the master has brought his junior sisters here. Today, we must carefully assess them for him."

"Exactly. Otherwise, those hens will strut around in front of us again, acting as though only they are qualified to choose our master's future mistress."

Yun Xiao and Qiong Xiao had no idea that, in the eyes of those koi, they had already become candidates for their master's wife.

Instead, they were examining the small pond, and what they saw filled them with immense shock.

Yun Xiao even used Secret Language Transmission to speak to Qiong Xiao. "Second Sister, don't you think the water in this pond is rather unusual?"

"It's not just the water in this pond. Eldest Sister, look carefully at that lotus flower."

When Yun Xiao's gaze fell upon the lotus flower, her face instantly filled with shock.

"What is this?"

Yun Xiao was so agitated that she blurted it out, and naturally Hong Ze beside her heard every word clearly.

Hong Ze thought Yun Xiao was asking what kind of lotus flower was planted in the pond, so he answered carelessly.

"It is merely a white lotus. Why are you so surprised, Junior Sister Yun Xiao?"