Chapter 146: Mistakenly Entering the Depths of the Lotus Flowers

Outside the tall wooden archway of Liantian Town, a wild wolf with a white mane stood. Its fur was black, its build large, and its two pointed ears were perked up. In its hand, it clutched a massive club bristling with iron spikes resembling wolf teeth.

"I am Tian Sha Wu Qi, master of the Twin Evil Caves of Langya Mountain! Your previous heavy-handedness with Di Sha disgraced Langya Mountain. Today, I, Tian Sha, have come to demand justice!" declared the wolf demon, Wu Qi, as it brandished its wolf-tooth club.

The demon's challenge stirred ripples in Ning Xiaoling's dull heart. Excited by the news, she quickly ran towards the town's edge, eager to catch a glimpse of the creature.

However, she soon noticed that most people seemed uninterested in the self-proclaimed formidable demon's challenge.

The artisans did not stop their work, and the farmers remained focused on their fields, not even straightening their backs. Only other demons showed some concern for the dark wolf, discussing its origins, but eventually, they all burst into laughter.

Ning Xiaoling looked around and realized she had gotten overly excited.

"Senior Brother, why do they have no sense of urgency with such a formidable enemy at hand?" Ning Xiaoling asked, unable to understand.

"Perhaps they are used to it," Ning Changjiu replied.

Ning Xiaoling and Ning Changjiu were, in fact, the first to arrive outside the settlement.

In the overgrown wilderness, Wu Qi stood composedly on a lone rock, leaning on its club. Upon seeing the brother and sister, it coldly asked, "Just you two?"

Wu Qi's eyes showed disappointment.

"You yellow-haired girl, do you also wish to experience the martial arts of Langya Mountain?" Wu Qi waved its club, as if intending to simply drive them away.

Ning Xiaoling's eyes were equally disappointed. She sighed, thinking that this demon's challenge was indeed "loud thunder but little rain." She couldn't even be bothered to draw her sword and simply rolled up her sleeves to face the demonic wolf.

After three rounds, Ning Xiaoling brought down a palm chop, cleaving its wolf-tooth club in two. Wu Qi stared dumbfounded at the broken weapon, then let out a strange cry of "You're tough!" and turned to flee.

Ning Xiaoling didn't bother to chase after it.

She couldn't understand why such a weak demon would bear such a grand name, causing her to get excited for nothing.

Such challenges continued for several days.

For these days, Ning Xiaoling went to meet the challengers, growing more disappointed with each encounter. The townspeople, however, were quite interested in seeing the immortal master in action, and more spectators gathered. After driving away the seventh demon, Ning Xiaoling finally reached her limit and decided she would no longer bully small animals.

Later, they learned from Qiusheng that Liantian Town held a Lotus Seed Festival. During the festival, numerous spiritual lotus seeds would grow in the lotus pond, and the townspeople would invite many powerful demons to celebrate. Thus, before summer, demons often came to issue challenges, seeking to prove their strength and earn an invitation to the Lotus Seed Festival.

Only then did Ning Xiaoling realize that all the truly powerful demons in the vicinity had been "bought off" by the lotus seeds. She couldn't muster any more enthusiasm.

"I swear I won't step out of Liantian Town until the Godless Month ends!" Ning Xiaoling declared solemnly.

Ning Changjiu smiled helplessly; he had heard his junior sister's complaints too many times these past few days.

Ning Xiaoling eventually gave up the struggle. "For the remaining half a month, I'll focus on cultivation. Senior Brother, do you have any impressive spells to teach me? Like that formation that can move great distances instantly? I want to learn that..."

"That's not something you can learn overnight," Ning Changjiu said.

"Then how long did it take you to learn, Senior Brother?"

"I didn't learn it; I figured it out myself."

"..." Ning Xiaoling retorted angrily, "Senior Brother, you're teasing me again!"

The following days were uneventful. Though demons still occasionally came to issue challenges, Ning Xiaoling had "sealed her sword" and no longer went out. Someone else responded, and in any case, none of the challenging demons gained any advantage.

Ning Xiaoling spent her days eating fish, playing with the cat, practicing her sword, and strolling through the town. Ning Changjiu was often pulled along by his junior sister to do these things, occasionally teaching her some profound Taoist techniques.

The biting spring chill gradually dissipated, and sunlight dappled every corner of Liantian Town, the warmth now mixed with a hint of dryness.

After settling down, Ning Xiaoling's heart truly found peace. Life was so leisurely and comfortable. As the warm sunlight fell upon her white Daoist robe, she suddenly felt like a small tree, growing and developing little by little in the light and dew, as if she would soon become a beautiful fairy like her master.

Ning Changjiu also cherished this tranquility. It felt like returning to his Daoist temple in his previous life, where his days were spent in single-minded cultivation, sitting by the cliff watching the sunset, or visiting the simple townspeople of Dahe Town.

Now, when alone in the house, he often scrutinized the paintings, sensing the somewhat familiar brushstrokes, pondering their origins and hidden stories. His gaze would always eventually settle on the layout map of the town in the center.

Ning Changjiu always believed that "when things are unusual, there must be something strange going on." Given the old man's painting skill, he shouldn't have produced such unremarkable works in both poetry and painting.

And yet, it hung right in the center.

Ning Changjiu couldn't make sense of it. For over twenty days, the old man had remained isolated in that small building, with Qiusheng delivering his meals, never once coming to meet his two guests.

Qiusheng, however, served the two immortal masters impeccably in all aspects of their daily lives. Little Lian was also very well-behaved. True to her name, she often took a boat out onto the vast, misty lotus pond. Now, the lotus leaves reached the sky, an endless expanse of green where the swaying lotus breeze resembled the slight sway of a young girl's skirt.

To Ning Xiaoling's delight, her quiet cultivation over the past ten days had indeed solidified her realm significantly. However, she had reached this realm by ascending a "cloud-ascending ladder," meaning her foundation was unstable. So, no matter how diligently she cultivated, reaching the initial stage of longevity still seemed a distant dream.

Ning Changjiu calmly watched the days pass, thinking of Lu Jiajia's challenge letter and the Four Peaks Sword Meeting in half a month. A hidden worry grew in his heart; he felt things were not peaceful.

As the Godless Month drew to a close and the Sin Lord's divine realm was about to open—the day before they were to leave the town—all the previous calm seemed to be awaiting the ripples after a great storm. And before the significant change arrived, Ning Changjiu, still in Liantian Town, was pulled by Ning Xiaoling to bid farewell to the little demons one by one.

Ning Changjiu accompanied Ning Xiaoling through several alleys until they finally encountered the patrolling rabbit demon. Ning Xiaoling stopped the rabbit demon and earnestly bade it farewell. The rabbit demon still wore its tile-like armor, and three carrots were strapped to its back like swords.

Learning that Ning Xiaoling was leaving, the rabbit demon hesitated, then reluctantly took off a carrot and, like a treasured sword gifted to a hero, presented it to Ning Xiaoling with both hands. Ning Xiaoling solemnly accepted the carrot.

On the rooftops on both sides of the street, the lizard demon and the toad demon were still croaking competitively. A green-headed duck also waddled its slightly plump body through the streets and alleys to them, quacking as it said goodbye.

Ning Xiaoling bent down and stroked its smooth feathers.

The first time she saw this duck, it was being chased by a fish in the lotus pond. Ning Xiaoling kindly helped it out of its predicament, never imagining that a month would pass in the blink of an eye.

"Senior Brother, when can we bring some demons into our sect?" Ning Xiaoling suddenly mused.

Ning Changjiu dispelled her fantasy with a single sentence: "Do you think your senior brothers and sisters don't have good enough food?"

Ning Xiaoling sighed, continuing to bid farewell to the demons as they walked back to their residence.

Qiusheng had caught a large bass today and brewed a thick pot of soup. The black cat was already sitting upright, its cat eyes staring intently at the steaming heat, enduring the temptation of the fish with immense patience.

Ning Xiaoling sat beside the black cat, habitually picking it up and stroking it in her arms. Then, she picked up a piece of the most delicious meat from the fish's belly and fed it to the black cat. The black cat meowed contentedly a few times, but its sounds strangely resembled a baby's cry.

By the time they finished dinner, the sky was painted with the lingering sunset glow.

The entire small town was like an exquisite painting, with light and shadow varying from far to near: the red of the clouds in the distance, the green of the flowing clouds nearby, the myriad swaying greens, the dark silver of the lotus pond's rippling water. All the colors were perfectly balanced, outlining its peaceful and quiet appearance.

After dinner, Little Lian suddenly ran into the small wooden building, then quickly ran out again.

Ning Xiaoling, who was still chatting with Qiusheng about going to see the strong great snake again, felt a tug on her clothes from behind.

Ning Xiaoling turned around and saw Little Lian's wide-open eyes. The little girl was babbling something with an open mouth, which Ning Xiaoling only half-understood.

Beside them, Ning Changjiu suddenly opened his eyes.

After listening to his sister, Qiusheng also frowned and looked uncertainly at the two immortal masters. He said, "Grandpa... um, Grandpa invites you in."

"We haven't seen him for a month; why now?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Little Lian twisted her fingers, drew some vertical and horizontal lines, and then gestured the outline of her own body.

This time, Ning Changjiu understood: "The old man wants to paint my portrait?"

Seeing that he had understood, Little Lian excitedly jumped up and pointed towards the courtyard, signaling them to go in.

Ning Changjiu smiled and said, "Since the host invites us, there's no reason not to go."

Ning Xiaoling instinctively glanced at the lifelike black cat painting on the wall, knowing that the old man's painting skills were extraordinary. If she could get two paintings, she would have something impressive to show off when she returned to her peak.

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling walked towards the small wooden building.

In the twilight, the old building stood like a solitary symbol.

The door bolt was not latched today; as they pushed open the ajar door, the scent of ink wafted towards them.

Ning Xiaoling looked around in surprise at the bamboo building, which was permeated with the essence of ink. Many paintings hung on the walls. The age of these artworks was difficult to determine, their edges a faint yellow. The paintings varied greatly in style, some exquisite and elegant, others grand and magnificent, captivating Ning Xiaoling's gaze in their diverse forms.

Thus, Ning Xiaoling paid no attention to her senior brother's expression beside her.

The moment Ning Changjiu entered the room, his breath hitched slightly.

He recalled some past events; his three months of painting apprenticeship suddenly surged into his mind. The layout of the room before him was so familiar, and some of the paintings on the walls even overlapped with images in his memory.

This must be just a coincidence...

Ning Changjiu thought this, and then, at a turn, he saw the old man standing at a desk, his arm moving with deliberate, rhythmic strokes. The old man wasn't too aged; he wore a bluish-yellow robe, and perhaps from long hours bent over his work, his back was slightly stooped.

Ning Xiaoling walked towards the old man, curious about what he was painting.

Ning Changjiu, however, suddenly grabbed her hand, stopping in his tracks.

Her arm stinging, the junior sister turned her head in confusion, then also froze. She rarely saw such an expression on her senior brother's face.

Ning Changjiu was staring at the old man before them without blinking, his expression frighteningly calm, as if the air in the room had solidified with his gaze.

"Hmm... cough, cough..." The old man lifted his brush, then cupped his mouth with a fist, his body trembling with the cough. The air in the room seemed to flow again with his cough.

The old man slowly turned around.

Coincidence had become reality.

"Old Mr. Zhang," Ning Changjiu could not suppress the impulse in his heart and called out his surname.

He recognized the old man before him; this was Old Mr. Zhang from his previous life, the man he had taken as his master in Dahe Town and learned painting from for three months!

Only then did he recall the brushstrokes of those other paintings. However, Old Mr. Zhang from Dahe Town was a hidden master, and traces of a cultivator were clearly visible in his brushwork. But the old man before him, all his paintings were the works of a mortal. That's why Ning Changjiu had only felt a sense of familiarity, never connecting them.

And today, before nightfall, as the old man met them for the first time, Ning Changjiu heard the drumming of his own heart.

Dahe Town and Bu Ke Guan both belonged to a hidden mountain. If his previous life's memory was correct, he had been sent by his eldest senior sister to learn painting from Old Mr. Zhang when he was eight. Old Mr. Zhang should still be in Dahe Town. Could it be that time had flowed backward, changing many things?

Then, he immediately thought of the most crucial thing.

This old painter might know the way to Dahe Town!

In a very short time, while Ning Xiaoling merely looked up and blinked twice, countless thoughts flashed through Ning Changjiu's mind.

"You know me?" Old Mr. Zhang asked faintly, looking at his unusual gaze.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "No, I just heard Qiusheng mention you."

No! Senior Brother definitely knows him!

Goosebumps suddenly rose on Ning Xiaoling's body. She could distinctly feel her senior brother's thoughts; at that moment, his spiritual fluctuations were too intense, a deep panic that even made her mind waver. This was an emotion that absolutely could not be hidden.

But how could Senior Brother know him? And why such complex feelings?

The smile on Ning Xiaoling's face gradually faded. When she looked at the old man again, her eyes were filled with wariness.

Old Mr. Zhang showed no suspicion. He half-turned, his fingers gliding over the paper. His voice was neither soft nor loud as he said, "The two paintings are almost done, but I still haven't captured the essence of your eyes, so I wanted to look at you more closely."

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then led Ning Xiaoling forward, feigning calmness.

Ning Xiaoling looked down at the tabletop, her expression freezing in astonishment again.

Two unmounted paintings lay spread on the desk. They were portraits of her and her senior brother. She didn't know when Old Mr. Zhang had begun painting them, but before them now were two almost completed works. On the scrolls, the boy in white and the girl in a white dress were depicted with realistic eyes and brows, so meticulously crafted that they seemed divinely skilled.

Then, a terrifying thought occurred to Ning Xiaoling—to paint them in such detail, had the old man been secretly observing them from the shadows all this time?

Images of dark corners in their daily life flashed through Ning Xiaoling's mind, imagining a pair of eyes always hidden there, sending a chilling breeze through her heart.

Ning Changjiu knew Old Mr. Zhang's skill, so he was not particularly surprised. He carefully scrutinized the painting; apart from the eyes, which were somewhat lifeless and dull, there was no other fault to be found in the entire piece.

"A fine painting," Ning Changjiu praised.

Old Mr. Zhang was unconcerned. "I've painted my whole life, and I have no other skills. I envy you, though, for entering the path of cultivation at such a young age."

"Can't the old man cultivate?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Old Mr. Zhang glanced at him, smiled, and said, "How can an immortal cultivator be a mere painter?"

The statement sounded convincing, but Ning Changjiu nodded outwardly while inwardly disbelieving it. He knew Old Mr. Zhang was a very powerful cultivator; if he was a master eight years ago, he was certainly even more so now.

"The old man's paintings possess quite an immortal aura. Have you ever sought out immortals or the Dao?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Old Mr. Zhang shook his head. "Not interested."

"The clothes you're wearing look like a Daoist robe?" Ning Changjiu said.

Old Mr. Zhang didn't raise his head, stirring his brush in an inkpot, and replied casually, "Indeed, I cultivated for two years."

Ning Changjiu pressed on, "May I ask which Daoist temple the esteemed elder visited?"

Old Mr. Zhang counter-questioned, "Why do you ask? Why not be a proper immortal and choose to be a Daoist priest instead?"

Ning Changjiu replied with a smile, "My junior sister and I were Daoist priests before joining the Sword Sect. Seeing your Daoist robe now fills me with nostalgia."

Old Mr. Zhang replied, "There aren't many Daoist temples nearby. Back in my day..."

He moistened his brush with fresh ink.

Ning Changjiu waited for him to continue, but Old Mr. Zhang instead put his brush to the paper with focus, dotting the eyes in the portraits.

"Grandpa, didn't you say you wanted to look closely at our eyes?" Ning Xiaoling interjected.

Old Mr. Zhang replied while still painting, "I've already seen them."

From beginning to end, he had only glanced at them twice.

And Ning Changjiu waited until he finished the two paintings but still couldn't ascertain the origin of the Daoist temple.

The sky gradually darkened.

Ning Changjiu, having been too engrossed in thought, suddenly looked up and saw Qiusheng pacing nervously outside, as if he had something urgent to tell him.

Old Mr. Zhang completed the paintings. He looked them over from top to bottom, nodding in satisfaction. "I will give you these paintings tomorrow before you leave."

Ning Changjiu did not reply.

Ning Xiaoling could feel her senior brother's anxiety. She didn't know what he was worried about, but since the old man was giving them paintings, she politely expressed her gratitude.

By the time Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling stepped out of the house, the bright moon was already in the sky. Its light was like water, yet it appeared like a lonely lamp hanging from the eaves.

Qiusheng had been waiting anxiously outside the door for a long time.

"What's wrong?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Qiusheng nervously said, "Nothing bad happened, right? Old Mr. Zhang didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Ning Xiaoling was confused, thinking the old man seemed perfectly amiable. Had she missed something?

"No," Ning Changjiu replied.

Qiusheng slightly relaxed and whispered, "Immortal Masters, follow me!"

"What's happened?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Qiusheng said nothing, simply hurried into the main hall, gave Little Lian a few instructions, then turned to Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling solemnly. "Immortal Masters... actually, I've been hiding something from you. I thought this kind of thing wouldn't happen, but by coincidence... well... I'll take you to see the town's biggest secret!"

The town's biggest secret.

The moment these words were spoken, they carried a strange magic. The entire world seemed to subtly shift.

Ning Changjiu stepped out of the house and looked back. He wondered if it was his imagination, but the bright moon in the sky seemed to have dimmed slightly, its light stolen by the solitary lamp hanging on the wall.

The lamp's shadow was also like water.

Qiusheng led them through the town to the lotus pond behind.

A layer of mist hung over the lotus pond. Moonlight filtered through the mist, like layers of white gauze.

The three of them stepped onto a lotus boat.

"Immortal Masters, please go forward," Qiusheng said.

Ning Changjiu lightly tapped the boat's side, and the lotus boat sailed into the distance.

As they passed the center of the lotus pond, the terrifyingly huge dark shadow reappeared beneath the water's surface. The shadow lurked beneath the water, only its dark blue head emerging. The snake's head calmly gazed forward as its body glided.

It moved alongside the lotus boat.

The lotus leaves were sometimes sparse, sometimes dense, and the mist deepened. Without spiritual energy protecting the boat, they would have been covered in dew by now.

The lotus boat sailed further and further. Ning Xiaoling nervously peered into the depths of the cold mist, fearing she might encounter some terrifying monster. Then, she suddenly realized that the dark shadow of the giant python beside the boat had disappeared at some point.

Ning Changjiu knew it had vanished when the second layer of white mist rose, likely diving underwater. Perhaps even it dared not approach the area ahead.

Qiusheng remained tense the entire time, saying nothing.

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling also remained silent, the atmosphere maintained in an eerie quiet.

Ning Changjiu could feel a strange fluctuation in the misty area.

Ning Xiaoling kept muttering to herself. Although this lotus pond was vast, in the past, one could see the opposite bank by looking far into the distance. Why had their lotus boat been traveling for so long today, yet they still hadn't left this thick mist?

"Senior Brother, are you really going in a straight line?" Ning Xiaoling asked, feeling uneasy.

Ning Changjiu's finger tapping the boat's side showed no change. He nodded, silently watching the thick mist, a golden light appearing in his pupils.

He saw far into the distance.

It was still just a vast expanse of mist.

The lotus boat sailed for an unknown duration, so long that Ning Xiaoling's initial tension had subsided. Finally, light appeared before her eyes.

Ning Xiaoling's face lit up with joy.

Ning Changjiu's expression, however, grew heavier.

The lotus boat broke through the mist, and the countless layers of white gauze were finally left behind. Ning Changjiu's tapping motion on the boat's side ceased.

Ning Xiaoling looked ahead and let out an irrepressible gasp, "How can this be!"

Before the bank where they docked, an archway stood prominently, with three clear characters inscribed on it: "Liantian Town."

And that familiar town was enveloped in the mysterious moonlight.

Qiusheng moistened his dry lips, his voice tense and apologetic. He looked ahead and said, "Although immortal masters visit our town every year, we actually don't have a 'Ghost Festival' in the usual sense. This... this is our 'Ghost Festival.' It just doesn't happen at a fixed time. Sometimes it occurs every few months, sometimes not for several years. The last time was three or four years ago, I can't quite remember. In short, well... we just happened to stumble upon it."

In the town, the sound of the night watchman's clapper sounded once more.