Chapter 282: Heavenly Change
“Of course I didn’t hear wrong.” Cui Ninger shyly pinched the corner of her clothes and said coyly: “My heart only holds my husband. My husband is always so fierce to me…”
“Speak properly.” Lu Yun was somewhat frantic and looked at Cui Ninger in disbelief: “What good does this request do for you?”
“They say a wife’s status depends on her husband’s, right?” Cui Ninger blinked her eyes and said matter-of-factly: “If husband is good, then I am good.”
Lu Yun was actually speechless. He touched his nose, recalling his own words ‘Master is good, then disciple is good.’ He couldn’t help but shiver and thought to himself: ‘Could it be that I’ve been led astray…’
“Tell me quickly.” Seeing him silent for a long time, Cui Ninger urged: “Can you do it?”
“Of course I will do my utmost.” Lu Yun said in a deep voice.
“Not do my utmost, but you must definitely achieve it!” Cui Ninger waved her pink fists, her little face flushed red: “If you can’t do it, compensate me with ten thousand taels of silver!”
“Uh… what does this have to do with that?” Lu Yun was somewhat dazed.
“Of course it does…” Cui Ninger then lowered her head shyly: “Because I bet ten thousand taels of silver that you can get double first place…”
“Scram!” Lu Yun instantly went frantic and said in anger: “What do you take me for?!”
“Of course my husband…” Cui Ninger said pitifully: “I earn money to save for my dowry, which will benefit husband in the end…”
“What are you two chatting about?”
At this time Lu Ying’s voice rang out. Cui Ninger’s expression suddenly changed, returning to her usual refined, shy, and quiet demeanor…
Lu Yun stared dumbfounded at Cui Ninger as her face instantly turned as red as cloth. She kept her head down low with an extremely shy and embarrassed look, stammering: “Sister Lu Ying, I, we, didn’t chat about anything…”
Seeing Cui Ninger’s flushed face and flustered appearance, Lu Ying showed an understanding expression. She glared at Lu Yun and said: “I knew you were bullying the little girl. I really don’t know what to say about you!”
“I, I…” Lu Yun nearly couldn’t catch his breath. Clearly, he had been the one continuously bullied, right?
“Little sister Ninger, let’s go out and ignore him.” Lu Ying took Cui Ninger’s arm and led her outside. Actually, she didn’t want her to disturb Lu Yun…
Cui Ninger obediently followed Lu Ying out. At the doorway, she quietly turned back and gave Lu Yun an extremely charming wink…
“What the heck is this?” Lu Yun scratched his head hard, feeling inexplicably irritated. He quickly recited the Heart Calming Incantation silently, suppressing all stray thoughts, and continued cultivating.
.
Night had fallen deep, stars filled the sky. On Guiyin Peak of Mount Taishi, two hundred li east of Luoyang.
Zhang Xuanyi was not meditating quietly in the thatched hut, but sitting cross-legged on a high protruding mountain rock. The weather was bitterly cold with frost everywhere, yet within a foot around him, no frost invaded, as if white steam was faintly rising.
Xu Xuanji quietly appeared on Guiyin Peak and saw his senior brother gazing at the stars in the sky with furrowed brows in deep thought.
Not daring to disturb his senior brother observing celestial phenomena at night, he quietly stood to the side until Zhang Xuanyi retracted his gaze. Then he lowered his head guiltily: “Senior Brother, I’m back.”
“Mm.” Zhang Xuanyi glanced at him, the divine light in his eyes retracting: “Is everything settled?”
“Settled. The grandmasters are all safe and sound. The Xiahou Clan failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice instead; they should quiet down for a while.” Xu Xuanji replied respectfully.
Zhang Xuanyi was not surprised by this result. If they could die and disappear so easily, those people wouldn’t deserve to be called grandmasters suppressing destiny.
So he only nodded slightly and asked again: “Did you see Sun Yuanlang?”
“Yes.” Xu Xuanji’s expression darkened. He lifted his robe and knelt straight down, saying in a deep voice to plead guilty: “Junior Brother is incompetent, no match for that Sun fellow. I’ve disgraced Heavenly Master Dao and Senior Brother.”
“That shouldn’t be…” Zhang Xuanyi frowned slightly: “With your level of attainment, even if you couldn’t win against him, you shouldn’t have been defeated, right?”
“First, Junior Brother was careless. Second, that Sun Yuanlang actually broke through in the cave and has now reached half-step Xiantian…” Xu Xuanji said with some difficulty.
“Oh?” For the first time, surprise appeared on Zhang Xuanyi’s face, his tone involuntarily heavy: “Tell me the details of what happened.”
“Yes.” Xu Xuanji hurriedly recounted the encounter on the Luo River Bank exactly as it happened to his senior brother.
Hearing that Sun Yuanlang defeated Xu Xuanji with a single Universe Reversal move, and that Lu Xian seemed to have glimpsed the heavenly secret and entered that realm, Zhang Xuanyi not only didn’t blame Xu Xuanji further, but smiled with burning eyes. “Stand up and talk. A majestic Heavenly Master doesn’t even kneel to the Son of Heaven; why kneel to this old man?”
“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Xu Xuanji finally dared to stand up, a huge stone falling from his heart. Though he and Zhang Xuanyi called each other senior and junior brothers, and he had taken over his mantle to become the new Heavenly Master, in truth all his learning came from Zhang Xuanyi’s personal instruction. It was more accurate to call him Zhang Xuanyi’s disciple.
Moreover, Zhang Xuanyi had single-handedly revived Heavenly Master Dao, forging its current prestigious reputation. So-called Heaven’s Will was Zhang Xuanyi’s will. He, as Heavenly Master, acted according to Heaven’s Will, which was actually carrying out Zhang Xuanyi’s will!
“This time Sun Yuanlang gained fame at the Luo River. I’m afraid Taiping Dao will boast loudly, damaging our Heavenly Master Dao’s prestige.” Seeing his senior brother not blaming him, Xu Xuanji grew even more worried.
“That’s a problem.” Zhang Xuanyi said indifferently: “With Sun Yuanlang’s nature, he can stir up waves three feet high without wind. How much more after showing off in front of all those grandmasters?”
“It’s all Junior Brother’s fault…” Xu Xuanji lowered his head to plead guilty again.
“Since he has reached half-step Xiantian, it’s no crime to lose the battle.” A disdainful look appeared on Zhang Xuanyi’s face: “But if he thinks he can be invincible under Heaven now, he’s greatly mistaken!” As he spoke, Zhang Xuanyi’s gaze turned toward the distant north: “This old Taoist Priest has been in seclusion for ten years and has reached the point of wanting to move after stillness.”
“Senior Brother wants to meet Sun Yuanlang?” Xu Xuanji said in shock upon hearing this.
“A mere Sun Yuanlang isn’t worth this old Taoist Priest’s personal attention.” Zhang Xuanyi slowly shook his head, his expression gradually turning solemn: “This old Taoist Priest has recently observed celestial phenomena at night and seen Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf in the northern sky shining brightly, greatly poised to rush Ziwei from afar.”
“What?!” As Heavenly Master, how could Xu Xuanji not understand celestial phenomena? He hurriedly looked toward the North Pole celestial palace and saw the stars brilliant, the Emperor Star dim, the star image chaotic and unclear, leaving him baffled.
If not for Zhang Xuanyi having reached the Heaven-Human Resonance realm and being proficient in Ziwei Doushu, he fundamentally wouldn’t have discovered the anomaly of the Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf stars!
After Zhang Xuanyi’s reminder, how could Xu Xuanji not see it? Indeed, as Senior Brother said, the northern celestial phenomenon showed signs of Three Stars Colliding with Ziwei!
“Seven Killings is the thief that disrupts the world, Army Breaker is the general who dominates under Heaven, Greedy Wolf is the treacherous and cunning person! Once these three stars gather, the world will surely change hands, irreversible!” Xu Xuanji’s face paled as he cried out.
“Not that serious yet.” But Zhang Xuanyi shook his head: “Though the Ziwei Star is dim and weak, the other major stars are bright and shining, so the existing pattern is still stable. This old Taoist Priest going down the mountain is just to prevent trouble before it arises.” Saying this, he sighed: “This celestial phenomenon and world situation changes unpredictably. If we don’t prepare in advance, I’m afraid we’ll be caught off guard…”
“Yes, Senior Brother…” Xu Xuanji respectfully acknowledged, then said softly: “I’ve had the Heavenly Maiden stationed in the Capital City. If anything happens, she will report it immediately.”
“I hope she can shoulder this burden?” Zhang Xuanyi looked at the Heavenly Witch and Yin Sha stars shining together in the sky, his expression becoming extremely complex.
