Returning Home in Glory, Undercurrents in the Seven Spirits Sect

Ao Ding did nothing. The true Gang on his body automatically rose to protect him, and a layer of golden light forced the fist back.

Turning around, he saw a young man whose face looked somewhat familiar.

"You're... sorry, do we know each other?"

He's not from the kitchen gardens. He must be from the outer court... I generally don't remember names over there.

At the sight of Ao Ding's familiar "innocent expression," the young man's face darkened. He was about to flare up, but then, as though something had occurred to him, he fixed his eyes on Ao Ding.

"You-you've broken through! You've reached the Mystic Gang Realm?"

His incredulous gaze held a measure of jealousy.

A fire-tending boy... actually... actually broke through to this level?

How many outer court disciples are stuck at this very hurdle!

Without another word, the young man turned and headed out.

He had come to the kitchen gardens today to order a banquet to celebrate a fellow disciple's promotion to the inner court. He had never expected to run into this fellow, who was rumored to have suddenly died.

I have to have a proper talk with those senior brothers in the inner court. And Senior Brother Ku, he...

Seeing him leave, Ao Ding flicked a finger. True Heaven Golden Gang wound around the young man like a ribbon of silk and dragged him back to his side.

"Sorry, but I don't intend to alert too many people to my return. Let's skip the unnecessary complications, showing off, and slapping faces... I've been away for three years. I don't want to come back and give every last one of you another thorough beating." Ao Ding's expression held a hint of wistfulness. "I finally got the chance to come back for a visit. It wouldn't be very nice if fighting you lot ruined the mood of my homecoming."

You bastard...

The young man's eyes blazed with anger.

The same old rhetoric, the same attitude that his victory is a foregone conclusion...

He wanted to curse aloud, but Ao Ding acted first, shrinking him to the size of a palm and stuffing him into his sleeve before strolling off to announce his return to Auntie Wang.

By the pool in the kitchen gardens.

Auntie Wang was directing several kitchen women as they washed vegetables when a loud call suddenly came from the entrance.

"Auntie, I'm back."

Auntie Wang turned her head and saw a seventeen-year-old youth in brocade robes standing at the entrance with a broad smile.

Delighted surprise spread over her face. "You-you're back?"

Creeeak-

The doorframe the youth was resting his hand on nearly fell off.

"Why is it still so rickety? The door repairs... still aren't finished?" the youth muttered, tapping the doorframe lightly.

The House-Building Technique flashed, and the doorframe restored itself. Even the entire gate and the surrounding walls were repaired.

Striding over, Ao Ding spread his arms and let Auntie Wang take a close look at him.

His features were well-formed, without scars. His limbs were long and slender, with nothing missing.

"As long as you're safe. As long as you're safe."

Auntie Wang looked Ao Ding up and down. Seeing that he had suffered no harm at all, and that even his left eye, which he had once been unable to open, could now see people-an illusion from the Primordial Truth Mirror-she was so moved that she nearly shed tears.

After hearing what Wang Weilong had said back then, she had spent years feeling uneasy, afraid that a single notion of hers had landed the boy Ao Ding in danger.

Now that he had returned safely, the great stone in Auntie Wang's heart finally settled.

The other kitchen women gathered around as well, asking how he had been.

Ao Ding offered the story he had prepared long ago while taking out the gifts he had brought.

"I've been cultivating with a True Person, and now that I've achieved a little success, I came back for a visit... This rouge, jewelry, and clothing are all for you, sisters. There are also things I made myself inside. Please be sure to accept them."

He placed particular emphasis on the last part. The kitchen women exchanged glances, caught his meaning, and accepted the gifts with smiles.

Auntie Wang looked a little worried. "Spending so much on us-will it affect you at all?"

Ao Ding smiled and shook his head, indicating that it would not. With his present wealth, these things were nothing. Instead, he worried that giving the kitchen garden staff too many fine things would draw covetous eyes from the outer court, or even the inner court. Thus, he had prepared one Jade Sun Life-Restoring Pill and one Mystic Truth Jade Gang Pill for each person. One was medicine to save their lives; the other helped Qi-Seeding cultivators break through to the Mystic Gang Realm.

The kitchen women's pills were hidden inside jade bracelets. Those for the workers and kitchen assistants were hidden in jade belt clasps.

Afterward, Ao Ding went inside and chatted with his sisters for a while. Though he had spent three years cultivating in seclusion with little conversation, his gift of the gab had not gone to waste.

He had the kitchen women beaming with delight, and before they knew it, they had neglected their cooking duties.

"No matter-with me here, why should you sisters trouble yourselves?"

Ao Ding tapped lightly with his spirit staff. Pots, bowls, ladles, basins, and knives all "came alive," beginning to wash vegetables and cook by themselves...

Everyone smiled knowingly at the sight and remained seated to chat.

"Oh, where's Master Wang? Why haven't I seen him?"

Auntie Wang's expression dimmed for a moment before she smiled. "He was recalled to the inner court last year-he was originally demoted to the kitchen gardens as punishment. Now that he's completed his service, naturally he should go back and cultivate properly."

Ao Ding gave it no further thought and took out two bundles.

"It's inconvenient for me to visit the inner court. Sorry for the trouble, Auntie, but please deliver the things I prepared for Master Wang and Luo Qiushui."

For Wang He, besides pills for cultivation, there were Ao Ding's own insights and experiences in cultivating the Northern Yin Hell Method, along with another immortal cultivation manual of the Jade Casket grade, which could take one as far as the Primordial Embryo Realm.

For Luo Qiushui, there were rouge and face powder, small, exquisite pieces of jewelry, and a thousand-year-old spiritual specimen of the Chain Form grade.

Before long, the spiritual dishes on the stove were ready. Though the kitchen women had not needed to busy themselves cooking, they could hardly let Ao Ding serve the dishes and rice for them too.

Everyone reluctantly left. Ao Ding then went out back to greet several kitchen garden workers and give them the fine wine, tea, and other things he had prepared.

In the sect's great hall.

Wang Weilong withdrew his gaze and instructed the disciple beside him, "Pass on my verbal order. Send your Martial Uncle Wang He to the rear mountain. There are some miscellaneous matters there that need his supervision. Then summon Luo Qiushui and tell her this..."

He whispered into Fang Cheng's ear for a while, and Fang Cheng immediately went off to make arrangements.

In the cold, quiet hall, Wang Weilong let out a long sigh. "Returning at a time like this... I suppose Martial Uncle has already undergone Liberation by Violence?"

Deputy Sect Master Wu stroked his chin, staring at the image of the kitchen gardens projected in a water mirror. Beside him stood a graceful young gentleman in white, elegant as a jade tree in the wind.

He came back after all.

The deputy sect master chuckled twice, then suddenly rose. "Linglong-"

"Your nephew is here." The white-robed gentleman cupped his hands.

"Go find Wang He and tell him-that boy named Ao Ding is back."

"Wang He? But... isn't he on good terms with Ao Ding?"

Wu Linglong had been persistently pursuing Luo Qiushui lately and knew of Ao Ding's existence as well.

Rumor had it that Luo Qiushui treated everyone coldly because she was waiting for a fire-tending boy who had mysteriously disappeared.

"Wouldn't... wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Seeing his nephew's hesitation, the deputy sect master's eyes showed a measure of disappointment.

"You... when a youngster like you goes out into the world, I truly worry that someone will scheme you to death one day without you even knowing it. Do you really think Wang He looked after Ao Ding out of kindness? He has plans for Ao Ding!"

A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

"That fellow Wang refuses to take on Sun Chen's karmic entanglements... ours isn't the only faction in the Seven Spirits Sect dissatisfied with that. Why do you think Wang He sent Ao Ding away back then? For the boy's future? He's cultivated for centuries, yet he let someone go over a few years of friendship? What a joke-go, find him! Tell him about Ao Ding. He'll know what to do."

In the kitchen gardens.

After a good bout of playful roughhousing with several young men, Ao Ding left their gifts with them and waved goodbye.

"Main self, leave quickly-beware of becoming entangled in the karma here and getting hurt in the ensuing storms," Yellow Boy hurriedly reminded him.

"I understand." Having seen his old acquaintances, Ao Ding felt refreshed in mind and spirit. Even his true Gang circulated a little faster.

Leaving the kitchen gardens, he chose to pass through the outer sect and leave by the east gate.

Concealing his movements with the Hidden Dragon Qi-Concealment Technique along the way, he walked quietly through the outer court, studying the disciples who went about their duties lazily.

"Brother Wang, when are we going to have some more fun at the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion?"

"Next time. Those women aren't easy to handle. We need to save up our vital essence first."

"Junior Sister-what did your cousin give you? When are you planning to marry into my family?"

"Old Qian, have you got any medicinal powder left? Share a little more with me!"

Listening to the outer court disciples, Ao Ding frowned.

When he had been here, the outer court had not been like this. Why did it now seem that none of them cultivated properly?

Little did he know that, for his sake, Wang Weilong had specifically instructed the outer court's teachers to reform its atmosphere. In those years, never mind romance-even sneaking out for some relaxation had been expressly forbidden, for fear that Ao Ding would pick up bad habits. All medicinal powders and Dharma Artifacts used for pleasure had been banned as well.

With no entertainment, they naturally vented their bellies full of anger on Ao Ding.

But after Ao Ding left, Wang Weilong saw no hope of bringing him back and simply lifted the outer court's restrictions, restoring its arrangement for "Mortal World Tempering."

The outer court was where the mortal world's red dust met the tranquil immortal realm.

All manner of desires converged here, as did all manner of hearts seeking the Dao.

Only those who endured its trials and distinguished themselves amid this degenerate environment were the inner court material the Seven Spirits Sect needed. This practice was called "Mortal World Tempering of the Heart."

As for the others who failed to qualify, after cultivating here for a dozen years or more, they could be sent down the mountain to enjoy mortal wealth and status, or manage the Seven Spirits Sect's various businesses within a thousand li.

"Cultivating in a place like this... I wonder what the inner court is like."

Ao Ding turned to look back at the spiritual mountain.

Azure smoke curled upward, and immortal light shone like rainbows.

He had never had the chance to see the inner court of the Seven Spirits Sect before.

"Main self, don't let fresh branches sprout from the knot."

"I understand." Ao Ding immediately withdrew his gaze.

"Let's go. We're leaving."

Going to the inner court... would probably mean trouble.

He turned toward the east gate and headed straight out of the Seven Spirits Sect's territory without once looking back.

Only then did Yellow Boy breathe a sigh of relief.

With Luo Qiushui's beauty, she surely had no shortage of suitors in the inner court either. If the main self appeared, he would certainly draw provocations from petty men-and then a great fight would break out.

"Hmph-" Red Boy scorned Ao Ding and Yellow Boy's aversion to trouble. "A mere Seven Spirits Sect! So what if someone provokes us? Main self has achieved success in cultivating the Northern Yin Great Method, holds seven hell Dharma Artifacts, and even has a genuine Dharma Treasure! If they dare provoke us, just kill them!"

The Blue-Robed Boy offered a cautious reminder. "Main self, someone has been watching us ever since we entered the Seven Spirits Sect."

"Sect Master Wang."

A hundred li away, Ao Ding looked back toward the Seven Spirits Sect. He could still faintly sense that Divine Sense enveloping him.

"Sect Master Wang noticed as soon as I entered. If I caused trouble in the Seven Spirits Sect, wouldn't that put this senior in a difficult position afterward? It would also bring trouble to everyone in the kitchen gardens."

If they couldn't find Ao Ding, couldn't they vent their anger on the people in the kitchen gardens?

Thus, seeing his old acquaintances and leaving early was the safest course.

Don't cause trouble, don't get in anyone's way... but-if they pursue me beyond the Seven Spirits Sect's territory, without Sect Master Wang watching, they can't blame me for showing no mercy and striking ruthlessly.