A Dream of Nanke

Su Yao headed towards Qixia Mountain. Halfway there, as he passed Shouwei Mountain, a thought suddenly struck him.

Come to think of it, his nephew Su Mingcheng should already be at the Foundation Establishment Peak Stage, and it's time for him to seek the Purple Mansion.

This nephew was, after all, the only person in this world with whom Su Yao shared a blood relationship. He had to take extra care of him.

So he first used the Prism to look into Shouwei Mountain. In earlier years, there was only a Foundation Establishment level formation on the mountain, which Su Yao could freely examine in the Great Void. However, later, a Purple Mansion formation was given to him, which could no longer be directly examined.

The purpose of giving him that formation back then was twofold: to protect him and to hide him.

Unexpectedly, this has now turned out to be the case that keeps me out.

However, upon investigating this time, Su Yao was shocked.

Suddenly, a Purple Mansion appeared in Shouwei Mountain, and he was cultivating the Dao of Heavenly Governance Administration.

Heavenly Governance...

This moment reminded Su Yao of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Governance he had met when he returned from Nanzhao, but he had never encountered him again since.

Seeing this, Su Yao had a thought and unleashed the Half Farewell to Heaven technique, which enveloped the entire Shouwei Mountain and the formation with endless radiant light.

The next moment, he flashed and appeared in Shouwei Mountain.

In Shouwei Mountain, Su Mingcheng and Gu Wanniang sat facing each other.

Su Mingcheng said excitedly:

"Auntie, it's been over a hundred years since we last met. Where have you been all these years?"

Although he knew that this woman was probably not related to his uncle, since Su Yao had married Zilin True Person of Purple Yang Temple in Mount Lao more than a hundred years ago, he was actually closer to this aunt, since she had accompanied his grandparents to their final days.

Upon hearing this, Gu Wanniang, dressed in a red robe and wearing a veil, shook her head:

"Don't call me auntie anymore."

She paused, then smiled wryly:

"As you know, he married True Person from Purple Yang Temple. I pretended to be there when he got married, and it was truly a perfect match, something... beyond my reach."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng sighed softly:

"Although I don't know the exact relationship between my uncle and aunt, the affection my aunt showed my grandparents at our old Su Household all those years was undeniable..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wanniang smiled and said:

"It was all just a dream; I took it too seriously all those years ago. I just can't let go..."

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Wanniang suddenly froze and looked up at the sky.

The next moment, a radiant glow enveloped the entire Shouwei Mountain.

Gu Wanniang exclaimed in surprise:

"Half Farewell to Heaven... Isn't he? Didn't the descendant of the Red Emperor go to stop him?"

Having said that, he got up to leave.

But the next moment, Su Yao, dressed in Qingyi, appeared not far in front of her.

Seeing this, she stopped, gave a slight bow, and said:

"Greetings to the Abbot of Qixia Temple. Wishing the Abbot eternal happiness and well-being."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao remained silent, only gazing into those familiar eyes opposite him.

At this moment, Su Mingcheng realized something was wrong and took two steps forward, bowing to Su Yao:

"Greetings, Uncle. This... True Person Zhiyan is a close friend of mine from my childhood. Now that he has achieved the Purple Mansion, he has come to seek me out for a chat..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao shook his head and smiled wryly:

"I never expected you to lie to me like this?"

This child is kind-hearted after all.

He knew the woman's background was unknown, yet he was still willing to cover for her.

Then, before Su Mingcheng could react, he turned to look at Gu Wanniang:

"This Master Zhiyan must be the same Master Sitian who interrupted my spell back then, right?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng lowered his head.

Gu Wanniang smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Su, why make things difficult for a junior like me? I have no ulterior motives. I am just about to go into seclusion to seek my second Divine Ability, and I thought that Mingcheng should also be in seclusion to break through to the Purple Mansion. I don't know if we will meet again in the future, so I came to see you. I have no other intentions."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao simply took out Pear Blossom Return and was about to point it at Gu Wanniang.

At this moment, Su Mingcheng exclaimed, "Uncle! Aunt wasn't lying! If it were to harm me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to wait for you to return from Nanzhao..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao said coldly, "Auntie?"

He paused, then looked at Su Mingcheng:

Your aunt is Zilin.

After saying this, Gu Wanniang lowered her head.

Su Mingcheng said:

"Zilin True Person is my uncle's lawfully wedded wife, but Aunt Gu Wanniang..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Yao had already flashed in front of Su Mingcheng, staring at him and saying:

"What did you say her name was?"

Gu... Wan... Niang?

This name...

In my Boundless Illusion, I called her that name for a lifetime.

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng was filled with fear. At this moment Su Yao's aura was as imposing as Mount Tai, leaving Su Mingcheng speechless.

At this moment, the Heavenly Governance silver light rippled, and Su Mingcheng finally caught his breath.

Gu Wanniang said, "I am Madam Gu Wanniang, and I will not change my name or surname. Fellow Daoist, please do not make things difficult for Mingcheng."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao calmed himself down before saying:

"Mingcheng, you can go down now."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng glanced at Su Yao, then at Gu Wanniang. Seeing Gu Wanniang nod, he bowed and withdrew.

After everyone had left, Su Yao turned to Gu Wanniang:

"Fellow Daoist, we should have a serious talk."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wanniang said:

"Then let's go inside the hall for a talk."

Su Yao nodded.

The two entered the hall.

In the central hall, neither of them tacitly took a seat; Su Yao sat in the first seat on the left, Gu Wanniang sat in the first seat on the right.

After all, the two middle seats are reserved for the "master" and "mistress" of this place.

After the two were seated, Gu Wanniang looked at Su Yao and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist, it's been many years since we last met. I never expected you to have mastered the Five Laws so quickly."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao remained silent.

Seeing this, Gu Wanniang said again:

"Actually, it was all my fault. Years ago, I lost my footing at sea and fell into the ocean. I entered a secret realm and received the favor of the Heavenly Governance within, which allowed me to see the future..."

She paused, removed her veil, and looked at Su Yao.

As Su Yao watched the veil of the Spirit Artifact being removed, and saw the familiar face from his Boundless Illusion of yesteryear, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

It was her... but now it's all meaningless.

At this moment, Gu Wanniang said again:

"In the future Heavenly Governance I met, neither of us cultivated, and we... we were happily married."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao sighed inwardly.

She paused, then continued, "Later, seeing you two happily married, I fell into a trance for nearly a hundred years. Then, a wisp of Qingxuan's aura drifted in from somewhere and brought me back to my senses. Only then did I realize that I shouldn't have come to the Su Household back then, but I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to see Ming'er and Yao'er again. But... more than a hundred years ago, seeing you marry the True Person of Purple Yang Temple, I knew I would never see them again..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao thought to himself: Qingxuan's aura... it must be Qingzhu who made the move.

It seems Qingzhu knew of her existence long ago, but never mentioned it to me.

I'm afraid Qingzhu is worried that I'll get distracted.

Or perhaps, Qingzhu felt that she should face this matter herself.

Upon hearing this, Su Yao frowned slightly, and then said:

"Everything is a dream; you and I may both be pawns in someone else's game."

It's unpleasant to say, but it has to be said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Wanniang was shocked. "Impossible..."

Su Yao shook his head and said, "I don't know how much of the Daoist Canon you've read over the years, but I read it thoroughly when I was young. It says that the Heavenly Governance is the star, who comes from the way of the Heavenly Sovereign, and acts by borrowing power."

He paused:

"What the Heavenly Governance Calculations reveal is all illusion. We're alright, but if we were to calculate the True Lord, a slight change in True Lord mind would cause utter upheaval; everything is beyond our calculations..."

He paused, then said:

"That person might just be playing a minor role. After all, now that I've joined Qixia, this marriage isn't something I can decide alone; it often involves the True Lord."

The mastermind behind this might be the Yuanfu, the Confucian School, or even... that person from the Lingxiao Hall.

Upon hearing this, Gu Wanniang was momentarily stunned.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Wanniang murmured to herself:

"What about Yao'er, Ming'er, and the others..."

She still can't let go of those two children.

Su Yao shook his head:

Even if I had married you and had children with you more than a hundred years ago, it wouldn't have been those two, but two other people.

When he said those words, Su Yao Su Yao felt a moment of emptiness, but it was only for a blink of an eye before he returned to normal.

The two children in his Boundless Illusion had once called him "Father" from his knees. But that was just an illusion conjured up by his Boundless Illusion and the little thought in his heart.

Gu Wanniang paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said:

"I just wanted to try..."

Seeing this, Su Yao frowned and said:

"If that's the case, I really don't know how you spend your time in Boundless Illusion."

Boundless Illusion tests one's character.

Those with weak wills would have long been distorted by illusions, unable to distinguish between reality and falsehood. She managed to pull through, but she still couldn't let go of those two children...

Gu Wanniang remained silent for a long time.

She lowered her head and looked at her hands, hands that had once held children, brewed tea, and sewed clothes in Heavenly Governance calculations. But now, those hands were empty, holding nothing at all.

"I understand," she said softly, her voice carrying an indescribable sense of relief, like a string that had been stretched for a long time finally snapping, no longer tense.

Su Yao looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "Those with weak minds are easily distorted and manipulated by what the Heavenly Governance Deduction shows. You've already been fortunate."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. "Once you're out, pretend you know nothing. Otherwise, your fate is uncertain. After all, the person behind you sees you as useless and might..."

He didn't continue.

If the person behind her knows that she has regained consciousness and has escaped the control of the Heavenly Governance divination, then she will no longer be a pawn, but a discarded piece.

Abandoned pawns must be eliminated.

Gu Wanniang raised her head and looked at Su Yao. In those eyes that were exactly the same as in her "dream," there was no longer any obsession, only a faint clarity.

"I know." She put her veil back on, her voice regaining its calm. "I will forget about today's events once I leave this hall."

Su Yao nodded slightly upon hearing this.

She's a sensible person.

Gu Wanniang stood up, gave Su Yao a slight bow, and turned to walk out of the hall.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, without turning around, and whispered:

"Fellow Daoist Su, thank you for all those years..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao lowered his head and remained silent.

Seeing this, she didn't linger any longer. Her figure transformed into a streak of silvery starlight and disappeared into the depths of the Great Void.

Su Yao stood in the hall, gazing at the departing starlight, and remained silent for a long time.

"A dream of Nanke..." he murmured, then shook his head and turned to walk out of the hall.

Once she leaves, I'm afraid I'll never see her again.

That's fine.

Outside the hall, Su Mingcheng was waiting at the foot of the steps. When he saw Su Yao come out, he hurriedly stepped forward, but hesitated to speak.

Su Yao glanced at him and said calmly:

"That True Person Zhiyan is gone. I won't get involved in your affairs. Her kindness to your grandparents is a separate matter, but both she and I are just pawns in someone else's game, with no choice in the matter."

These words were said to Su Mingcheng, but also to himself.

Su Mingcheng opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't ask anything, only bowing respectfully.

Su Yao paused, his gaze falling on Su Mingcheng's face, and suddenly asked:

"How is your mastery of the Secret Method going?"

Putting aside those other matters, this nephew was the real reason he was passing through Shouwei Mountain.

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng immediately composed himself, cupped his hands, and said:

"Uncle, I have mastered all five Secret Method within the ' Li Fire Heaven-Burning Instruction ' to perfection. I only need to go into seclusion to attempt to Spirit Transformation."

Su Yao nodded, then asked:

"Is the spirit item, Li Fire, ready?"

Su Mingcheng replied, "It's ready. I found a ' Crimson Yang Essence,' which is the essence of the Li Fire that condensed within the earth's veins. It's barely enough."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao frowned slightly. "The Crimson Yang Essence... is ultimately lacking. Although the Earth Fire is fierce, it lacks the true 'civilization' essence of the Li Fire."

Li Fire lands on the ground, it becomes earth fire.

The True Intention of the Way of Li Fire is the light of the dawn of civilization, the Way carried within fire, while the Crimson Yang Essence is a step below.

He paused, then said, "I observe that there is still a ' Radiant Brightness Li Fire Pearl ' in the inner treasure cave. This pearl is formed from the Li Fire of the Fire of Departure, containing the light of the dawn of civilization, and is far superior to your Crimson Yang Essence. I will have someone deliver it to you later."

Su Mingcheng was overjoyed upon hearing this and was about to bow in gratitude when Su Yao raised his hand to stop him, saying:

"I'll also give you a spiritual fire of the Li Fire type—'Wen Literary Radiance Flame '. This flame is based on Wen Fire and fueled by Li Fire. It is extremely gentle and peaceful, perfectly suited to your temperament. Embracing this flame will be beneficial as you break through to the Purple Mansion."

Su Mingcheng could no longer contain himself and bowed deeply. "Nephew thanks Uncle!"

At the same time, he thought to himself:

Literary Radiance Flame's temperament is compatible with his own; he is gentle and mild-mannered, and the Divine Ability he cultivates with gentle heat will have a more stable foundation.

Su Yao waved his hand:

"No need for formalities. In this mundane world, you are my only nephew, and I must take care of you."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng thanked him again, and then couldn't help but ask:

"I heard from you... I heard from the True Person that you are about to seek gold?"

Su Yao nodded upon hearing this:

"Yes, at most a hundred years."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon:

"If I achieve the Golden Core, given our blood relation, breaking through to the Purple Mansion should be easy for you. If I fail, with your talent, it will be a bit of a stretch, but you should still give it a try."

This is true. The blood ties between True Lord and a mortal are intertwined, and their destinies are intertwined, making it much easier to break through to the Purple Mansion.

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng nodded:

"I know, but ultimately, one must rely on oneself to the Purple Mansion."

Su Yao nodded, then suddenly said:

"If I fail..."

He paused:

"Qixia Temple is still under the jurisdiction of the Su Household, it's just not as good as it is now."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng nodded:

"The Su Household has prospered rapidly over the years thanks to Qixia Temple. Without Qixia Temple, they probably wouldn't be where they are today."

Su Yao then added:

"The Purple Mansion they taught you back then hasn't been discovered yet, but it's certain they were trying to scheme against me. They didn't expect my cultivation to progress so quickly."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng was greatly surprised.

Su Yao waved his hand:

"It's alright. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Now they're all watching me pursue this gold. I'm practically Rainbow Clouds, detached from worldly affairs. If they want me to fail, it will only make the Su Household stronger; if they want me to succeed, they'll slaughter you all. But I suppose not many people want me to succeed."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng was momentarily speechless; he had probably never considered this possibility before...

At this moment, Su Yao said again:

"If I succeed in obtaining the gold... the Su Household will be like the Zhu Household of the three generations of the ancestral master Heavenly Venerable Caiche."

Upon hearing this, Su Mingcheng quickly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you very much, Uncle!"

After all, none of the Zhu Household under Qixia Temple have experienced any major changes.

Seeing this, Su Yao simply nodded and said no more. With a flick of his body, he transformed into a streak of rainbow light and soared into the sky towards Qixia Mountain.

Behind me, Shouwei Mountain was lush and green, rustling softly in the morning breeze.

There is a word cloud:

All Heavenly Governance calculations are illusions; a fleeting dream can ruin one's life.

We met again at the foot of Shouwei Mountain, Half Farewell to Heaven, breaking free from our lingering attachments.

Don't say there's nothing real in dreams; you'll only realize it's all an illusion when you wake up.

The silver star vanished without a trace; a lone figure in a green robe stood alone in the morning breeze.

Li Fire and the sky burn, there is always a way out; the bright light of literature illuminates the gate.

Do not say that worldly ties are of no importance; every branch and leaf is a matter of concern.