...Fang Ling recalled what had just happened, so bewildered that he even wondered whether he had been dreaming.
He picked up the sleeping Emperor Shao, then raised a hand and shattered the barrier she had set up.
The two returned to the Dragon Court. Fang Ling drew aside the bed curtains, laid her back on the bed, and tucked her in.
Then his figure flashed, and he vanished.
After an unknown stretch of time, Emperor Shao's long lashes stirred, and her eyes snapped open.
She remembered perfectly well what had happened before she fell unconscious, and her fists clenched.
"You wicked scoundrel! One day, I will make you pay!"
She ground her teeth with hatred, her heart filled with shame and fury.
Meanwhile, high above, amid the clouds.
Fang Ling sat cross-legged in meditation for a long time before finally calming his tangled emotions.
I never imagined the Scent-Stealing Finger was that kind of... Master Flower Thief really did me in!
He had originally come to the Imperial City to put Emperor Shao in her place.
Who would have thought he would fail to do so and instead...
I shouldn't linger here. I ought to head to the Blood Marsh soon...
Coming back to his senses, he lowered his gaze toward a certain spot in the Imperial City.
In an elegant room on the second floor of the Auspicious Abode.
Yun Shuiqing was drinking and chatting with Dou Qin, thoroughly enjoying herself.
After a few cups of warm wine, Dou Qin, who had little tolerance for alcohol, had flushed cheeks that lent her a different kind of charm.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before them.
Yun Shuiqing hurriedly rose to greet him. "Greetings, Church Leader!"
Dou Qin looked at him without saying anything.
Fang Ling said, "The matter is settled. Let's go!"
"Sister Dou, I'll be off now. We didn't get to drink our fill this time, so next time I'll treat you to a proper drinking session!" Yun Shuiqing said to Dou Qin.
Dou Qin smiled at her. "Next time, it's my treat!"
After a brief farewell, Fang Ling left the tavern with Yun Shuiqing.
Riding the Netherworld Beast, they headed straight back to the headquarters on Black Mountain.
"Church Leader, how did it go?"
"What was Emperor Shao's attitude?"
Behind Fang Ling, Yun Shuiqing asked.
"It didn't go very smoothly. There may still be some minor trouble ahead," Fang Ling said.
"Huh? Does that mean Emperor Shao's cultivation is actually on par with yours?" Yun Shuiqing sounded a little surprised.
In the cultivation world, no matter what was being discussed, it all came down to strength in the end.
Thus, Fang Ling's answer made her think the two had probably fought to a draw.
Fang Ling neither confirmed nor denied it. He remained silent throughout the journey, unwilling to say anything more.
Yun Shuiqing did not know why her church leader seemed so weighed down by his thoughts, but she had the sense to remain silent as well.
Before long, they returned to the headquarters on Black Mountain.
The eight hundred elite troops Mister Mo had selected were already equipped and ready to depart.
Fang Ling immediately led these eight hundred elites on the journey to the Blood Marsh.
Only Mister Mo and Eagle Venerable Feng Feiyan accompanied him on this trip.
Yun Shuiqing, the Tiger and Python Venerables, and the Water and Fire Guards all remained behind to guard Nanyang.
When the group reached Dragon City, Fang Ling took the opportunity to visit the White Family.
Although the White Family had not actually contributed to the war between the Heavenly Net Church and the Six Harmonies Sect,
Their intentions had been sincere, so Fang Ling already regarded the White Family as true friends.
After eating and drinking their fill, Fang Ling and Bai Jiang strolled through the garden to help digest their meal.
Looking at that familiar pavilion, he could not help recalling the days when he had listened to Bai Ying play the zither there.
Just then, he suddenly noticed something strange and asked, "By the way, White Family Head."
"Why wasn't your daughter at dinner tonight?"
"And I don't seem to... seem to sense her presence. Has she gone away?"
Bai Jiang nodded. "My daughter has indeed gone away."
"A few days ago, an elder from the Heavenly Music Pavilion passed through Dragon City and happened to hear my daughter playing the zither in the garden."
"The elder praised her highly, saying she had exceptional talent in music, and wanted to take her as a disciple."
"That elder from the Heavenly Music Pavilion had unfathomable cultivation. Even if I had wanted to refuse, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been up to me."
"So my daughter left with the elder from the Heavenly Music Pavilion. Who knows what year or month she'll return?"
"Your daughter does have a rare gift for music. Going to the Heavenly Music Pavilion is a good thing-it will give her a chance to spread her wings," Fang Ling said.
After leaving the Zhao Family's Thatched Study, he had not stopped learning. Whenever he had spare time, he still picked up a book.
As a result, he now knew more about the Southern Dipper Domain, and even the Eight Domains as a whole.
The Heavenly Music Pavilion was a first-rate power in the Southern Dipper Domain, on par with the Great Qian Dynasty.
With an elder of the Heavenly Music Pavilion as her master, Bai Ying was bound to have a limitless future.
"Ah! If I'd had a choice, I would rather have kept her at home," Bai Jiang sighed.
"There's nothing wrong with living a quiet, ordinary life. Having her wander far from home inevitably leaves me worried and afraid."
"The Heavenly Music Pavilion has deep foundations. I imagine Miss Bai should do quite well there, so you needn't worry, White Family Head," Fang Ling said with a smile.
"I hope so," Bai Jiang replied. "By the way, since you happen to be heading to the Blood Marsh, Church Leader Fang, could you do the White Family a favor?"
"Please go ahead, White Family Head!" Fang Ling did not refuse.
"Here's what happened. Years ago, a master artifact refiner from the Blood Marsh passed through Dragon City, and our White Family commissioned him to forge an artifact to safeguard our clan."
"But at the time, we still owed him part of his payment. In another three months, the repayment deadline we agreed upon will arrive."
"Our White Family has long since gathered the outstanding payment. Originally, my brother and I planned to make the trip ourselves in a little while."
"But that place is dangerous... Neither of us is confident we could return unscathed."
"Since you're going to the Blood Marsh, Church Leader Fang, I'm sorry for the trouble, but please deliver it on our behalf."
"A trifling matter. Who is this master artifact refiner? And how should I find him once I reach the Blood Marsh?" Fang Ling asked.
Bai Jiang said, "This master is very famous. He is known as the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Craftsman, and he runs a shop in the Blood Marsh called the Heavenly Artifact Workshop."
"Once you arrive, Church Leader Fang, it shouldn't be difficult to ask around and find it."
"All right, I'll remember that!" Fang Ling nodded.
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble, Church Leader Fang! I have the payment right here..."
Bai Jiang hurriedly untied a storage pouch from his waist and handed it to Fang Ling.
He stayed at the White Family estate for only one night, setting out again early the next morning.
"Mister Mo, have you ever heard of someone known as the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Craftsman?" Fang Ling asked, looking at Mo Tong beside him.
Mo Tong had spent two hundred years in the Blood Marsh, so of course he knew of him.
"He is the foremost artifact refiner in the Blood Marsh, and extremely mysterious. No one has ever seen his true face, hidden like Mount Lu behind its veil," he replied.
"He always appears before others in the form of a puppet. Whether his real body is even in the Blood Marsh remains a mystery."
"Since you suddenly brought him up, Church Leader, do you have some fine materials you need him to refine into an artifact?"
Fang Ling shook his head. "No. I'm only delivering a payment to him on behalf of the White Family."
"I'll leave that to you. I'll go ahead to the Blood Marsh to get a feel for the place."
Before you continue