Hou Niao looked at Bamboo Madam. "Actually, Madam, you are Yu Daoguang, and the Sea Retribution God is the mistress of Bamboo Island. Is that right?"
Bamboo Madam still said nothing, but Hou Niao would not tolerate her silence.
"You're here attempting to form your core, aren't you? Do you think you still have a chance of forming it smoothly with me here?"
Bamboo Madam's expression shifted before she finally gave a long sigh.
"What could you possibly gain from being so curious? Very well. Since you want to know so badly, I'll satisfy your curiosity, in view of all the effort you put into helping those disciples of mine."
Bamboo Madam's gaze grew distant. "A hundred and fifty years ago, I came to this barren island. I took a liking to its surroundings and wanted to change its natural state. I chose rouge bamboo.
"To be fair, I chose rouge bamboo because it was a rare cultivation resource that could make me self-sufficient, so I wouldn't be left stretching my sleeves to cover my elbows for lack of resources."
Bamboo Madam sank into her memories. "At first, the planting went very poorly. Although the conditions here allowed bamboo to grow, too little of the rouge bamboo reached maturity-so little that it couldn't possibly cover the island's expenses. I poured everything I had into it, but still couldn't change that wretched situation.
"For the first twenty years, I struggled bitterly in that predicament. When I finally couldn't hold on any longer and was about to give up, I met a Golden Core Venerable Master who happened to pass through and discovered my plight."
She shook her head with a bitter smile. "Even now, I don't know whether meeting him was good fortune or misfortune.
"He disapproved of my changes to