Zhuohua

"An internet celebrity?!"

Li Chengxuan frowned even harder and took the phone to have a look.

Sure enough, it was true.

Several of Hua Chunning's videos were extremely popular, some even having over a million likes.

In some videos, Hua Chunning was assigning tasks at the construction site.

They had probably been filmed on the sly by workers at the site.

The contrast between a beauty in ancient dress and the noisy construction site was a real talking point.

Most of the comments praised her looks, saying she was "a fairy who descended to the mortal world to make a living at a construction site." Some even suspected she was AI-generated.

Before long, however, other videos corroborated her existence.

Some people also revealed that it was a redevelopment project in the subsidence zone outside Stone Ridge County.

The Supreme Mystery Courtyard had become a sensation before it was even finished.

Naturally, a few people also suspected it was a publicity stunt.

The most popular video showed Hua Chunning visiting nearby villages to treat patients.

A beauty in ancient dress was practicing medicine in rundown villages, her skills so remarkable that many old miners showed visible relief from their ailments almost immediately.

That video sparked even more discussion and controversy.

Many internet-famous doctors joined in, questioning whether it was overblown hype or whether she was practicing medicine illegally.

Duanmu Ren hastily said from beside him, "Rest assured, Daoist priest, I've already ordered people to guide public opinion online. I won't allow anyone to malign or offend Fairy Hua."

"That doesn't matter."

Li Chengxuan shook his head and handed the phone back. "There's only one thing: don't reveal her name."

Duanmu Ren didn't understand.

Wasn't becoming famous a good thing?!

Not only could she make money easily, but she could also give the Supreme Mystery Courtyard free publicity.

Li Chengxuan looked at Hua Chunning and said gravely, "This is the defilement of the mortal world. It can easily wash away your Manifestation and sully your cultivation."

"Fortunately, your true name hasn't spread. Otherwise, your Dao Path would have been utterly destroyed, and even immortals couldn't save you."

Hua Chunning went pale as she listened, shaken by the narrow escape. "Thank you for the warning, Sect Master. I was ignorant and nearly made a grave mistake."

Li Chengxuan shook his head. After pondering for a moment and sensing the [Two Worlds Pearl], he decided, "I'll take you back to Supreme Mystery Mountain to lie low. Once the attention dies down, we'll decide what to do."

With that, he looked at Duanmu Ren. "County Magistrate Duanmu, sorry for the trouble, but please delete those videos, especially the ones that reveal her identity, location, and name."

Duanmu Ren was naturally unwilling to lose a publicity asset and political trump card like Hua Chunning, but he didn't dare object to his face. He reluctantly agreed, then had a thought. "I recall you have another disciple, Daoist priest, a man surnamed Liu. Why not invite him back to oversee things?"

This Fairy Hua was mysterious in origin, aloof and proud.

Several attempts to find out more had all ended with her coldly turning him away.

But the fisherman Liu Zhiqiang's background was clear.

Through him, Duanmu Ren could find out more about Li Chengxuan's background.

Li Chengxuan naturally understood what Duanmu Ren was thinking. He shook his head. "He's at a critical point in his cultivation and can't afford to be distracted."

Duanmu Ren's heart sank.

That was what he said, but who knew whether, like in those dark novels, he had taken Liu Zhiqiang and refined him into a pill to eat!

That was also the main reason Duanmu Ren had never dared agree to become Li Chengxuan's disciple and cultivate, despite knowing how unfathomably mysterious he was.

He held high office and great power and was in the prime of his life. There was really no need to gamble his life on the nebulous prospect of immortal cultivation.

Duanmu Ren's thoughts raced, but no matter how he pondered, he couldn't come up with a good plan. He could hardly force the two of them to stay, so he could only humble himself and plead, "Please understand, Daoist priest. I'll deal with the matter online as soon as possible."

"It's just that we really can't do without Fairy Hua for the courtyard's construction."

Li Chengxuan nodded.

He agreed to send Hua Chunning back in a month.

Hua Chunning watched Duanmu Ren's departing figure and said, "That man is cunning. He fears power but feels no gratitude for kindness. Do you really intend to take him as your disciple, Sect Master?"

Li Chengxuan glanced back at Hua Chunning and smiled without speaking.

Hua Chunning was a clever person too.

In the past, she would never have dared say such a thing.

Now she was a Registered Disciple of Supreme Mystery Mountain and had entered the Grotto-Heaven to manage its general affairs. She could be said to have earned considerable trust, and only then had she grown much bolder.

Liu Zhijian had already become the eldest disciple, and that couldn't be changed.

But Duanmu Ren was clearly a mere mortal who spent his days scheming against others and couldn't see past worldly fame and profit.

If he became the sect master's disciple, his status would be above Hua Chunning's.

Hua Chunning naturally felt somewhat threatened, which was why she had spoken up to sound him out tactfully.

The complexity and fickleness of the human heart were a wonder to behold.

If he still regarded Hua Chunning as the cautious, obedient steward of the General Affairs Hall, he would be underestimating her.

When Hua Chunning saw the smile on Li Chengxuan's face, her heart skipped a beat. She hastily fell to her knees. "I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, Sect Master."

Li Chengxuan ignored her and reached out to touch her shoulder.

Their figures abruptly faded and vanished without a trace.

Supreme Mystery Mountain

Li Chengxuan sent Hua Chunning to the General Affairs Hall and went to the library himself to consult its texts.

Understanding worldly affairs was itself a form of learning.

Tempering one's heart in the mortal world was naturally unavoidable.

But since he meant to cultivate [Continue Lost Teachings], the proper course was to read all manner of texts thoroughly and familiarize himself with the Dao teachings of every school.

As Duanmu Ren had put it, he needed to understand the laws by which the world operated.

Most of the texts in the library had been collected by generations of Supreme Mystery Mountain's predecessors.

Later, the many texts from broken lineages sent over by Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain had considerably enriched the collection.

Li Chengxuan had only skimmed them before, without seeking a thorough understanding.

He had merely hoped to have some impression of them when he needed them.

"Found it."

"This is the bamboo slip."

Li Chengxuan found the bamboo slip he remembered and studied it carefully.

The fact that it was on bamboo meant it naturally came from ancient times.

Unfortunately, more than half of it was missing.

Most of what Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain had sent over was in the same condition.

He didn't know whether the texts had already been incomplete or whether someone had deliberately damaged them.

"Name and Nature Method..."

"Words are the secrets of heaven and earth; names are the shadows of the great Dao."

"The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; the named was the mother of all things."

"The Dao was nameless by nature, but it was given the name Dao, and thus the great Dao arose of itself."

"People were nameless by nature, but they were given the name people, and thus spirituality arose of itself."

Li Chengxuan read it carefully and frowned.

He didn't know which lineage this text came from. It looked simple and ancient, yet its subtle words held profound meaning and a distinctive charm.

It was a method of [defining nature through a name].

Simply put, one gave a person a name, then made their thoughts, words, and actions conform to it. This would increase their spirituality and accumulate destiny.

Li Chengxuan shook his head inwardly as he read.

This [Name and Nature Method] certainly predated the flourishing of the [Purple Mansion Golden Core] Dao.

Otherwise, in an age when [Fruitions] were manifest, if you dared name a descendant [True Lord So-and-so], you would probably fail to gain any spirituality and instead draw the gaze of a [Fruition], which would wipe out your entire clan.

But now the Old Method had declined, and the [Fruitions] had withdrawn from the world.

It seemed the method might work.

The Hua Household... Could that have been what they had in mind?!

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Hua Chunning requested an audience.

In the Founder's Hall, Hua Chunning first paid her respects to the founder, then to the sect master, before speaking. "Sect Master, I have looked into the matter."

"The order to change the generational character for the Hua Household's direct line came from High Person Zhuohua."

"She was the Hua Household's last Foundation Establishment cultivator and wielded great authority. To this day, the clan honors her final instructions and dares not change them."

"I am the eldest of my generation and was born on the first day of spring, which is why I was named Chunning."

Just as he had expected.

It was the work of the Hua Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Li Chengxuan nodded slightly, a plan forming in his mind. He asked, "Do you also have three younger siblings who happened to be born on the first days of summer, autumn, and winter?"

Hua Chunning froze, her mind going blank. Slowly, she said, "Your insight is uncanny, Sect Master. That's exactly right."

After a pause, she lowered her head. "It's just that all three of them died young. I was the only one who survived."