Chapter 15

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(The story plot is fine, everything is under control, but the text feels a bit off, not very smooth. I was revising it all night, and it's improved somewhat. If you need to, you can reread the two chapters from yesterday to see if they are smoother now. The mention of eleven-year-old Laihe in the previous chapter was not a bug, but it can easily cause confusion when compared to the prologue. After some thought, I decided not to change it and to follow the original outline. I posted a tutorial about recommendation votes in the book review section; those who are not familiar can take a look. Also, I won't put these words in the author's note to make them more noticeable. Additionally, I love Chen Changsheng, but I also love Xu Yourong; it's just that they don't love each other. There will be two chapters tomorrow, thank you everyone.)

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In the present world, the National Religion receives the grace of the Heavenly Books and unifies the faith of the realm. Because the Heavenly Books are enshrined in the capital, the religious forum is naturally also in the capital. Before the Zhou Dynasty, the Popes were all from the Shang Dynasty. After the Shang Dynasty was overthrown and the Zhou Dynasty established, each Pope was inevitably a Zhou person. The Central Plains Dynasty, which was founded in the capital, was already powerful, and with the protection of the National Religion, it naturally became the center of the human world.

Compared to the previous Shang Dynasty and the subsequent Zhou Dynasty, the southern part of the Central Continent has numerous forces, with various countries and sects each ruling their own territories, relatively loosely organized, but the number of strong individuals is not small, and it even seems to exceed the Zhou Dynasty. Among them, the Southern Stream斋 (Nanxizhai) on the Holy Maiden Peak, the Longevity Sect, and the Qiushan Family are the most powerful.

After the brutal war between humans and demons ended, the southern forces, which also made many sacrifices, naturally wanted to gain their rightful status. They believed that the Heavenly Books should be a common holy relic of the human world and should not be solely controlled by the Zhou Dynasty. Similarly, the interpretation rights of the Heavenly Books should not be controlled by the orthodox National Religion represented by the Pope.

For this reason, the southern forces engaged in relentless struggles with the three successive emperors of the Zhou Dynasty regarding the procedures and even the name of the Imperial Examination. Within the National Religion, a Southern Sect also split off—the Southern Sect still belongs to the orthodox National Religion but only regards the Pope as a spiritual leader, with actual affairs managed by the Holy Maiden.

The Holy Maidens of the Southern Sect are all supreme strong individuals of extraordinary realms. However, as each Holy Maiden needs to balance the numerous forces in the south and lacks a powerful army as a backing, their actual power and status are naturally not as high as the Northern Pope. However, they are still the most respected figures in the south, standing on equal footing with the Pope in terms of spiritual authority.

Because of the special status of the Southern Sect's Holy Maiden, each Holy Maiden has always been a southern woman, without exception for thousands of years, until the present, when an exception may finally appear.

All the Holy Maidens of the Southern Sect have come from the Southern Stream斋 (Nanxizhai), which is why the mountain where this lineage has existed for countless years is called the Holy Maiden Peak. And now, the Southern Stream斋 (Nanxizhai) has only one successor.

The girl is named Xu Yourong, the reincarnation of the Heavenly Phoenix, with unparalleled talent in cultivation, proficient in the true meanings of the Daoist canon. At the age of twelve, when she first visited the Holy Maiden Peak, she could interpret the true script of the Heavenly Books. The elders of the Holy Maiden Peak were amazed and, despite her being a Zhou person, announced to the world that they would take her as the only female disciple of the Southern Stream斋 (Nanxizhai). This means that, without any unexpected events, this girl named Xu Yourong will become the next Holy Maiden of the Southern Sect, a religious leader who will stand on equal footing with the Northern Pope!

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The night was deep, the sky full of stars, which seemed to never move, yet also seemed to move at every moment, solemn and captivating to the point of making one's heart race. The night peak, shrouded in a light mist, was quiet. Suddenly, a clear crane call broke through the clouds and descended. A moment later, a white crane descended from the night sky.

Under the night sky, the white crane, illuminated by the starlight, seemed almost unreal, as if made of paper, without a single blemish. The crane call echoed through the empty mountain cliffs, breaking through the clouds and dispersing the mist.

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Perhaps it was just that the time had come, and the night gradually faded. A white light appeared on the eastern horizon, and the morning light abruptly arrived in the world.

The girl sitting on the cliff edge untied the brocade bag from the white crane, took out the letter, and casually opened it, reading it calmly. As she read, her finely drawn eyebrows occasionally arched, but most of the time, she remained calm. Her eyes, reflecting the faint morning light, were bright like lake water, her beautiful brows and eyes still retaining a touch of innocence, but without any naivety.

As the morning light grew stronger, the south was very humid, and the mist became heavier. The light was scattered by the moist air, becoming even softer when it fell on her face. Her features did not become clearer, but they became more beautiful, even taking on a hint of sacredness.

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"That guy is very strange. He says he's here to break the engagement, but for some inexplicable reason, he doesn't. I don't know what he's up to. I thought he was just trying to save face, but after thinking about it, it doesn't seem to be the case. When he said those things, he was very calm, without any anger."

"Grandma has been watching him for a few days. It's said that the guy gets up at five every morning, does things meticulously, like a wooden man, and has a cleanliness obsession. It always makes me think of those sinister and perverted people you used to tell me about, which is a bit chilling. Well, Miss, I have to admit, the guy isn't unattractive. When I talked to him, I found him quite likable and wanted to get close to him, but that's even more scary, isn't it? It was the first time I met him, after all."

"Regarding the engagement, the guy hasn't told anyone, and I don't know if he's smart or stupid, but our family has been keeping an eye on him. Miss, I feel that the guy is very hypocritical, with deep scheming and many plans. From recent developments, if he continues to纠缠 (entangle), Lord and Lady might take some action."

"Miss, although I don't think the guy deserves death, the way he holds the engagement letter and treats the family with cold eyes, acting as if he has nothing to fear, makes him very hateful. And... I heard that the Shan family will come to the capital next year to propose. What if that scoundrel causes trouble then?"

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The girl sat on the cliff edge, quietly reading the letter, her clothes on her shoulders fluttering in the morning breeze, her black hair like silk, gently brushing past her face, adding a touch of solemnity to her charming innocence.

After finishing the letter, she was silent for a moment, muttering to herself, "He really came to the capital?"

The white crane, which had been waiting quietly beside her, even when crouching, was half a person tall. Seeing her close the letter, the white crane turned, picked up a brush from somewhere, and dipped the tip in ink that was full but wouldn't spill, emitting a faint fragrance.

The girl smiled, stroked the white crane's smooth neck, and took the brush to reply, but for a moment, she didn't know what to write.

She had been close to her grandfather since childhood. If he hadn't passed away, she might not have left the capital at twelve to come to the Southern Stream斋 (Nanxizhai) to seek the Dao. Even the white crane by her side was left to her by her grandfather. If it were any other matter her grandfather had entrusted her with, she would definitely follow through, but... the engagement was definitely out of the question.

She remembered that the little Taoist from Xining Town should be surnamed Chen, right?

She frowned slightly, recalling the stories she had heard as a child, and realized she had no real impression of that little Taoist.

She remembered that the engagement letter was specially blessed by the current Pope, with only the man able to break the engagement. Thinking of what Shuang'er said in the letter, her fine eyebrows arched slightly, wondering if the little Taoist was really that hypocritical and despicable. She remembered that he didn't seem like that when she was young.

She knew that many people in the capital, including her father, hoped she would represent the Zhou Dynasty in a marriage alliance with the south and would never allow the little Taoist surnamed Chen to interfere with this. They might even kill him. Thinking of this, she felt that the little Taoist was really very foolish and stupid. Did he really think that with his little clever tricks, he could gain more benefits from the Shenjiang Mansion?

Thinking of this, she felt somewhat displeased, a rare emotion for her, but she didn't know if it was because the little Taoist didn't know how to take care of himself or because... the little Taoist was really very annoying—well, no matter what the little Taoist becomes, the engagement must be broken.

But... don't harm him.

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A clear call, the white crane took off with the two letters she wrote, breaking through the clouds, accompanied by the morning breeze and light, flying towards the distant capital.

The girl placed the brush in a puddle of water between the rocks, stood up, and walked to the cliff edge, standing with her hands behind her back.

Her eyes and brows were still clear and innocent, but her demeanor was extraordinary. It wasn't that she was as mature and calm as Chen Changsheng, but that she possessed a quality called grandeur. The small girl, standing on the cliff edge, being blown by the morning breeze, gave a sense of stillness and majesty.

Stillness and majesty are usually used to describe grandmasters who have lived for hundreds of years.

She is only fourteen years old, but she already deserves these four words.

The morning breeze continued to blow, fluttering the clothes on her shoulders, the black hair falling from her shoulders, the strands brushing past her innocent and beautiful face, bringing a smile.

She only took five breaths to forget the letter she had just read, to forget the outside world, leaving only tranquility, and thus smiled.

She smiled in the spring breeze, and the flowers on the mountain bloomed.

Countless exotic birds flew over, their calls continuous, and even three green phoenixes could be seen.

A hundred birds came to pay homage.

She is the unique fledgling phoenix in the human world.

She is the next Holy Maiden of the Southern Sect.

She is the top of the Qingyun List.

She is Xu Yourong.

She is still innocent, but that innocence is not mischievous, but pure.

She smiled radiantly, but that radiance is not an emotion, but the spring light.

She doesn't want to care about the people and things in the world. What the world thinks is related to her is actually not, such as the engagement she is about to forget, and even Qiushan Jun.

She admits that Qiushan Jun is very powerful, even perfect, the best partner in everyone's eyes, but what does that have to do with her?

All of those are very good, but they are not what she wants.

Of course, the little Taoist is even less what she wants.

What she wants to do now is just to stand by the cliff, admire the snow, listen to the rain, gather herbs, read books, read books, and keep reading.

Books contain the great Dao, one volume surpasses countless love affairs.

She is devoted to the Dao, who can shake her resolve?

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Chen Changsheng left the inn and walked towards the second-to-last college on the list his master gave him.

He very much wanted to know what methods Miss Xu would use to make him fail today.

Of course, even if he fails again, he won't waver.

What he has done since childhood is to guard the temple, sweep the snow, shelter from the rain, take medicine, read books, read books, and read books again.

Books contain the great Dao, one volume surpasses a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers.

He is devoted to the Dao, who can stop his steps?

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