Chapter Forty: A Gathering of Kindred Spirits

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The Scarlet Pine Daoist Temple.

Lin You sat before the ancestral pine, sharing tea with Jiang Liunian.

After two days of rest, and with the aid of an Essence-Nourishing Elixir, all of Jiang Liunian’s injuries had fully healed. Even the long sword wound across his chest had vanished without a trace, leaving not the slightest scar. The marvelous and mysterious power of the Rejuvenation Divine Art left him in utter awe.

Before long, the fragrance of pine filled the air, and the water in the kettle began to boil. Mist curled upwards, evoking the shapes of pines and cranes.

Lin You remained composed as ever. After pouring two cups of tea, he began to quietly savor them.

Jiang Liunian, however, seemed absent-minded, his hand gripping the cup as he pondered the events of the past two days with a furrowed brow.

After a moment, he could not help but speak: “Daoist Yu Chen, that night Zhang Zongcheng suffered a heavy loss, yet he’s made no move these past two days. I doubt he’ll let matters rest so easily!”

Most crucially, the letter he had stolen from Zhang Zongcheng’s study was written by the illustrious and powerful Prince Wei Ling himself. Though its contents were veiled, they were enough to reveal an extraordinary connection between the two.

A prince with military command, writing to a provincial governor in a distant prefecture—such intentions, or rather ambitions, were quite intriguing.

Should this letter come to light, it would undoubtedly become a weapon for the prince’s political enemies to use against him in the imperial court.

Thus, Jiang Liunian had spent the last two days worrying that Zhang Zongcheng might make a countermove.

At these words, Lin You merely smiled and showed no hint of anxiety. He refilled Jiang Liunian’s cup with fresh tea.

Only then did he speak slowly: “Last night, Zhang Zongcheng already came.”

Jiang Liunian’s hand froze mid-motion upon hearing this.

“He came to Scarlet Pine Mountain last night?” he pressed.

“To be precise, only to the foot of the mountain,” Lin You nodded gently.

Jiang Liunian and the others on the mountain had noticed nothing, but not a single movement within the Daoist sanctuary escaped Lin You’s notice.

The moment Zhang Zongcheng set foot on the lower slopes, Lin You, deep within the temple, was already aware.

Zhang Zongcheng did not ascend, however; he lingered at the mountain’s base, stared silently for several breaths at the Celestial Cyan Sword Scar, and then left abruptly without a word.

Had he lingered longer, Lin You would not have hesitated to ride the wind down and deliver him another sword strike.

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Jiang Liunian listened, somewhat regretful. Shaking his head, he sighed, “Pity the man is too cautious—otherwise, we could have rid ourselves of this future trouble!”

Lin You replied, “He is but a pawn; the true mastermind behind the schemes against Scarlet Pine Temple may well be Prince Wei Ling himself.”

He had long harbored doubts—how could Zhang Zongcheng, merely a martial grandmaster, dare provoke a sect with a great master at its head? But with Prince Wei Ling’s involvement, it all made sense.

Jiang Liunian fell silent at this. A prince governing an entire province wielded tremendous power. If such a person sought to move against Scarlet Pine Mountain, it would indeed be difficult to counter.

Seeing his concern, Lin You laughed, “When the enemy comes, we stand ready. What fear have cultivators like us of worldly lords and nobles? Besides, that secret letter alone is enough to give them a headache in court.”

Jiang Liunian’s eyes brightened, and he clapped his hands with a laugh. “Well said! What need have we to fear the high and mighty of the mundane world? And with that secret letter, their troubles will only multiply.”

He had, in fact, handed the letter to Liu Xiyue at dawn the previous day, who was then escorted by Daoist Yu De all the way back to Gun Prefecture.

The Moonlight Academy had many disciples and old associates within the imperial court of the Great Yu dynasty. With Liu Zichu’s involvement, even Prince Wei Ling would struggle to escape unscathed.

Having thought it through, Jiang Liunian finally set his worries aside. Suddenly remembering something, he turned to Lin You and said,

“Daoist Yu Chen, the Pine Origin Festival is the day after tomorrow. Several fellow cultivators have already arrived in Jinhua Prefecture. We’re planning a small gathering beforehand—would you be interested?”

Lin You’s eyes lit up slightly. His greatest bottleneck in cultivation was no longer spiritual insight, but a proper immortal cultivation method. Divine arts were the foundation of defense, but true progress depended on inner cultivation.

“I would be delighted. Where shall the gathering be held?” he asked.

Jiang Liunian thought for a moment, then replied, “All are old acquaintances of mine. I intend to host the gathering tonight, on Scarlet Pine Mountain itself—provided it doesn’t disturb you?”

“Of course not,” Lin You replied.

Just then, a curious voice called from afar, “Master, are you going to the gathering?”

A figure in white darted quickly to Lin You’s side.

“Daoist Bai Yi!” Jiang Liunian greeted her with a smile as she arrived.

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Bai Yi was delighted to be addressed as a fellow cultivator, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled.

“Greetings, Daoist Jiang!” she replied, crouching before Lin You and offering Jiang Liunian a proper bow.

Then she asked curiously, “I think I heard you talking about a gathering. Master, are you going with Daoist Jiang?”

Lin You chuckled, shaking his head. “Not a market fair—a small gathering of cultivators on Scarlet Pine Mountain tonight, organized by Daoist Jiang.”

“Oh, is that so? May I join as well?” Bai Yi inquired eagerly.

“Of course,” Jiang Liunian answered with a smile.

With their consent, Bai Yi’s joy blossomed even brighter.

“By the way, Daoist Bai Yi, you seemed in quite a hurry just now. Did something happen?” Lin You asked.

Only then did Bai Yi remember her original errand. “Master, while I was wandering outside the mountain, I saw a group approaching Scarlet Pine Mountain—they look to be coming to visit our temple.”

“Oh? What were they wearing?” Lin You exchanged a glance with Jiang Liunian, surprised. Could Zhang Zongcheng have sent people for revenge?

Bai Yi replied, “They were dressed very differently, as if from several sects and only gathered by chance on the road. Among them were several women in palace robes; when they saw me, they tried to catch me. Failing that, they had a man in white shoot arrows at me! Luckily, I ran fast enough to escape.”

She blinked her large eyes, looking somewhat aggrieved.

She possessed little combat ability, only a few illusions. Up close, she would not fear such people, but at a distance, her arts were ineffective.

At this, Lin You and Jiang Liunian’s expressions grew grim. Though Bai Yi was a white fox spirit, after all this time, both regarded her as a trusted companion—more like a little sister than anything else.

Now, outsiders had not only attacked her but even tried to shoot her as if she were some wild fox of the mountains. This was nothing less than an affront to Scarlet Pine Daoist Temple itself.

Lin You’s face darkened, anger flickering even through his usual composure.

He intended to see for himself—just who were these uninvited guests, and what manner of people dared behave so presumptuously?