Open Road

Changlu gazed at Nuoli, concealed by the Great Yin Dharma Robe, his heart full of conflicting feelings. If he had a True Lord backing him, how could he have fallen on such hard times?

He looked at Nuoli, then at the Prince of Qin. The prince had closed his eyes to rest and was paying him no further attention.

The bitterness in his heart deepened.

So he turned back to Nuoli:

"May I ask what arrangements the True Lord has made?"

Nuoli only wanted to settle the matter as soon as possible. He smiled and said:

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to worry. Once you go to Nanzhao, you'll have a fortuitous opportunity of your own. Never mind this Cultivation Method-even with the spirit effluence, the great ones will help you in the future. Perhaps when we meet again someday, I'll even have to address you as 'True Lord.'"

Changlu grew even more uneasy at his words. But with his head beneath another's eaves, he had no choice but to bow it. He smiled and said:

"Thank you for your kind words, fellow Daoist."

He paused.

"May I ask what the specific plan is?"

Nuoli shook his head and urged him:

"You'll know when you get there, fellow Daoist. Let alone you-even our Dao Son doesn't know what he's going to Nanzhao to do."

Hearing this, Changlu looked at Su Yao in the present world.

"Though the Dao Son holds an exalted status, he's only at Foundation Establishment in the end. There are very few Xia people in Nanzhao; most are descendants of the Witchcraft Dao..."

He turned to the Prince of Qin.

"The imperial court is currently replacing native rule with direct administration in the southwest... I wonder..."

The Prince of Qin looked at the man before him and smiled.

"True Person, there's no need to worry. I'll write a letter at once. Prince Mu will naturally help when necessary..."

But halfway through, Nuoli interrupted him.

"Prince of Qin, you mustn't."

The two men looked at him, and Nuoli continued:

"Someone will explain this matter to you later, Prince of Qin. It would be best not to let Prince Mu's Manor know about it."

He looked at Changlu, whose face was full of concern.

"There's no need to worry too much, fellow Daoist. I'll be going with you. If anything comes up, you can simply ask me."

Only then did Changlu's expression ease. It was good that he wouldn't be alone; if something went wrong, there would always be someone to shoulder the blame.

He cupped his hands.

"Sorry to trouble you to look after me in the future, Envoy. May I ask whether you know the details?"

Nuoli shook his head with a smile.

"Don't try to pry into this, fellow Daoist. Just go there and do what you're told."

He paused.

"I don't know the details either. Everything will be determined by the True Lord's decree."

The more Changlu heard, the more frightened he became. What major affair had he gotten himself caught up in?

If something went wrong, wouldn't someone as insignificant as him be pushed straight out to take the blame?

But now, the great ones' gazes were all fixed on this place.

He could only nod and ask:

"When do we set out?"

Nuoli said gravely:

"Wait a moment. I'll go have a few words with the Dao Son."

Then he turned to the Prince of Qin.

"If you have no important business here, Prince of Qin, you may return."

The Prince of Qin thought to himself:

I wouldn't dare get involved in this. I only need to make sure True Person Changlu obtains the Cultivation Method.

So he nodded and looked at the two men.

"Until we meet again."

With that, he turned into yellow light and flew toward Chang'an.

After making certain the Prince of Qin had left, Nuoli smiled at Changlu.

"Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist."

With that, he turned into a streak of gray light and flew toward the present world.

In the present world, Su Yao's face was dark. Since he began cultivating the Dao, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Liu Yunhe and Li Siyi stood beside Su Yao, and neither felt good seeing him like this.

Though neither of them held a status as high as Su Yao's,

and there was mockery and fighting among their peers, they had never encountered a Purple Mansion True Person personally attacking someone at Foundation Establishment.

The many True Persons had never personally entered the fray, always relying on the forces under them to contend openly and in secret. But today...

While the three were lost in thought, a streak of gray light descended.

It revealed a figure shrouded in gray light.

Nuoli looked at Su Yao.

"Are you all right, Dao Son?"

Su Yao shook his head.

"Senior, you are?"

Nuoli smiled.

"You may not have heard of me, Dao Son. I have served the True Lord for many years. My name is Nuoli. I've come to pass on a few words from the True Lord."

Su Yao simply looked at him without speaking.

Nuoli immediately felt helpless and thought to himself:

Our Dao Son has another flaw besides being a bit of a little tyrant: he says one thing and means another.

So he took out a token. It was yellow all over, with the ancient-looking Dao characters for "Zhongnan" engraved upon it.

Su Yao sensed it briefly when he saw it, and only then did he believe him.

He asked:

"What instructions does the True Lord have?"

Nuoli smiled.

"The True Lord knows you're going to Nanzhao on business, Dao Son. As it happens, the True Lord had the Cang Water Sect establish this secret realm here years ago, and also left a contingency within it. It will be just the thing to help you with your business."

Su Yao gave no indication of agreement or disagreement and continued:

"May I ask whether any arrangements have been made in the secret realm?"

Nuoli thought to himself that the Dao Son had taken a fancy to the things in the secret realm, so he answered each question as the True Lord had instructed:

"The True Lord said: 'Within the secret realm, apart from those few Spirit Artifacts and spirit medicines, which must not be taken, the Dao Son may take and use whatever he wishes. He need only bring out the Gui Water Heaven-Overturning Old-Remaking Scripture and the Heaven-Tilting Profound Dew Marrow as well.'"

He paused, then took out another token and handed it over.

"The entrance to this secret realm is at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, but there is another exit in Nanzhao. Once you go to Nanzhao, Dao Son, the entrance at the foot of Mount Zhongnan will be sealed. But with this token, you can still enter the secret realm from Nanzhao. The pavilions and buildings within the secret realm can also serve as a temporary place for you to stay."

Su Yao took the token.

"Please thank the True Lord for me."

Nuoli nodded.

Seeing this, Su Yao started to speak but stopped.

Nuoli had not intended to pay him any attention and was just about to leave, but Su Yao spoke up after all:

"Why didn't the True Lord say so earlier on the mountain?"

Nuoli instantly felt a headache coming on. The True Lord hadn't told him; how was he supposed to know?

At that moment, the True Lord's profound voice reached Nuoli's ears again:

"You weren't wrong. This brat has a troublesome disposition."

The profound voice paused for a moment, then instructed him what to say. Nuoli looked at Su Yao with a peculiar expression.

"A decree from the True Lord."

At those words, Su Yao performed a disciple's salute.

"I respectfully await the decree."

Nuoli held back a smile and imitated the True Lord's tone.

"For every moment you spent on the mountain, someone spent another spying on me. I could not bear the disturbance, yet I could not activate the formation to block their sight. For the sake of my peace and quiet, you would do well to leave the mountain sooner rather than later."

Su Yao's expression turned peculiar, and he thought to himself:

What does someone else spying have to do with me? This True Lord isn't nearly as amiable as Daozheng said. Clearly...

The next moment, a peachwood sword appeared directly above Su Yao's head and struck him three times.

Su Yao winced in pain and hurriedly cried out:

"This disciple knows his mistake and won't dare criticize the True Lord in his thoughts again."

A profound voice that pierced heaven and earth rang out:

"Qizhenzi's teaching leaves room for improvement."

Then Su Yao, Nuoli, Liu Yunhe, Li Siyi, and even Changlu in the Great Void all bowed.

"True Lord, please calm your anger."

The profound voice continued:

"Get to Nanzhao sooner. Don't linger at the foot of the mountain, getting in my sight and keeping me from enjoying the grand show."

Su Yao hurriedly smiled and said:

"This disciple understands. I'll go at once, at once."

With that, he called to Liu Yunhe, Li Siyi, Little Red, Little Orange, and the others, and headed for the secret realm.

Seeing this, Nuoli finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Dao Son was always like this. Fortunately, he spent his days lying in Lake Encompassing Emptiness and had hardly ever appeared before Nuoli.

After watching Su Yao enter the secret realm, Nuoli headed toward the Great Void.