Ling Fengxiao pulled on the reins of the horse, bringing Zhaoye to a trot.

  “You’re uncomfortable?”

  Lin Shu was indeed a little nervous, his right hand grabbing at a fistful of Zhaoye’s beautiful mane tightly.

  Zhaoye shook his mane.

  Lin Shu: “Hand.”

  The Big Miss’s eyebrows rose in mild confusion, before gently retracting her arm: “I did not notice this. I apologize for the rudeness.”

  Lin Shu thought to himself. In actual fact, that was not considered rude at all. It was just a casual place to be touched, and the sole cause of that was Ling Fengxiao being worried that he might fall. The ancient world paid a great deal of attention to etiquette, and the Big Miss was an unmarried lady. Based on this, with the way the Big Miss was half hugging him, she was the one who had the short end of the stick.

  But if Ling Fengxiao had not taken her hands away, and continued like that for a while longer, he would probably become agitated.

  Exactly when this problem arose, he had no idea.

  All he remembered was that ever since he grew to his teen years, and finally matured a little, he realized that most of society lived in groups, but no matter what he did he could not muster the courage to strike up a conversation with anyone else.

  At that time, he thought back to the past when he was younger. In elementary school, he had gone to school and went back home alone, while his classmates would gather around chatting and playing. A concept formed in his head: even from young, a person’s life ahead was already determined.

  It’s not that he had never interacted with others. Here or there it did happen when necessary, such as the time a pencil suddenly rolled over to him on the floor.

  On the seat next to him was a haughty chubby boy, who snickered and said, “Little dumb one, pick up the pencil.”

  To pick or not to pick it up. These things happened way too often for him to recall each instance.

  Most of the time, the other people in the classroom would gather around to watch.

  If he picked it up, he would be met with: “Hey, the little dumb one still can understand human speech!”

  If he did not pick it, someone would say, “Does he not know how to speak, or are his ears not functioning anymore?”

  Then, the onlookers would burst into fits of laughter.

  Memories were often vague, the specific details could never be recalled, but the malicious light in their eyes, the mocking laughter, a full classroom of heat from the many human bodies, like the breath of a monster, mixed to form a nauseating odour, would always remain in his memory.

  He wanted to leave and run far, far away. The further the better.

  To a place that belongs to him and himself only. Then, would he be able to breathe easier.

  It seemed that over time, things had developed to what it was now. A severe allergy, to living people.

  The lingering cold fragrance on Ling Fengxiao’s body pulled him back to the present.

  It smelled really nice.

  The Big Miss had a bad temper, but after all, this lady was upright and honest. Every time she was angered, there was always a cause. She held no grudges either. It was neither bullying nor benevolence. As a child, she must have been startlingly different from that bossy boy.

  If this reaction had not already seeped bone deep, coexisting peacefully with the Big Miss would not totally be unthinkable.

  Lin Shu mulled over it silently for a long time, and suddenly realized — was he finding excuses for Ling Fengxiao?

  \r \r \r

  In order to maintain the friendly relationship with this rich woman, he actually tried to overcome the psychological trauma of more than a decade.

  Lin Shu was almost ready to slap himself.

  Although the Big Miss had moved her arm away from Lin Shu’s waist, she still had to steer the horse. Thus, the posture of the two did not change much. Lin Shu was still being half hugged by the Big Miss.

  He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, and finally calmed down a little.

  The horse’s speed gradually increased, and after half an hour, he once again reached a gallop on the mountainous road.

  Ling Feng Xiao said: “Are you better now?”

  Lin Shu: “Yes.”

  There was a slight smile in Ling Fengxiao’s voice: “Zhaoye has a twin brother named Zhaoxue who was raised in Phoenix Villa. Like Zhaoye, he is a well-known god-level horse in the Jianghu. He looks absolutely stunning. I saved him for you for many years. You don’t have to be afraid of horses.”

  The Big Miss’ things, from medicine to treasures to horses, were all precious items, and she gave them away so easily, often leaving Lin Shu’s mind numb.

  But this time, he found a blind spot.

  Lin Shu: “Many years?”

  “Four years,” said Ling Fengxiao, “Back then, I thought, after graduating from the academy, I would travel the mountains and seas. Without a good horse, it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. You have to accompany me. Naturally, you’ll have to use a mount of the same standard as me. It just so happened that Zhaoye and Zhaoxue are twins, and thus were chosen to be raised.”

  Lin Shu roughly understood the Big Miss’ logic.

  As it turned out, the Big Miss did not raise her hamster on impulse, but had made plans since a long time ago.

  The cage, wheel, and food were all prepared first. Then, a pleasant hamster was found and brought back.

  ——Big Miss, does your fiancé know that you did all these?

  Oh, there was also the possibility that Zhaoxue was originally prepared for the fiancé she had never met, but by luck of the draw, the fiancé died. The Big Miss began to blame herself, and turned to keeping hamsters. The original preparations, by extension, also became the hamster’s to enjoy.

  He said nothing. Ling Fengxiao concentrated on guiding the horse, bolting down the road. He was a spirit horse. Speed as such could not be compared to the flying spells of cultivators. Within an hour, they had already passed through several estates, and reached the holy mountain surrounded by rings of clouds.

  A rock at the base of the mountain read, “Mortals Must Stop”

  There was no other reason. The Celestial Sect had set up various protection arrays around the mountain, and raised many spiritual beasts, many of them fierce. It was not a place for mere mortals incapable of protecting themselves.

  Therefore, the moment this kind of rock was seen, it meant that the area beyond was the realm of the cultivators.

  Like the Dream Hall, the school which Yue Ruohe and Yue Ruoyun were born into.

  Zhaoye slowed down and entered the mountain range. Past a stretch of rugged mountain road, the view in front gradually cleared up.

  In the middle of a gentle slope, between the mountain and water, sat various temples and celestial houses, simple yet elegantly designed. They looked as if they could blend in with the mountainous forest — this was reflected the path that the Dream Hall took upon.

  The entire Immortal Dao was divided into two sub-paths, the “Broken Dao” and “Complete Dao”.

  Types like Ling Fengxiao, who entered the Dao through martial arts, and wielded spiritual qi, was the “Broken Dao”. After cultivating to the end, one could break away from the rules of the Heavens, strip himself of his mortal status, and enter the celestial realm. This was known as “Ascension”.

  “Complete Dao” was different. The cultivators who walked this path regarded the Heavens with respect and honour, relying on the rules of the Heavens while learning martial arts. Upon breaking through the highest realm of Dao, their soul will assimilate with Heavens, while their physical bodies would disintegrate and be scattered across the world. This was called “Amalgamation”.

  Located in the western part of the Shu region, the Dream Hall was a large sect of the “Complete Dao”. Its famed skill, “Part of Ten Thousand”, allowed one to feel the dynamic changes of hundreds of miles of grasses and trees. Whenever monsters made their way into the academy, asking for help from the Dream Hall was the fastest way of identifying the source of breach. The purpose of Ling Fengxiao’s visit was precisely to invite the Old Lord Yue Buhun, who had the deepest understanding of this skill, out of the mountains.

  Ling Fengxiao dismounted first, followed by Lin Shu. After the two were on the ground, they immediately went to knock on the mountain gate: “Ling Fengxiao of the Shangling Academy requests an audience with Lord Yue.”

  A disciple wearing green took the token identification of the academy, and led the way: “Big Miss, please come with me.”

  Well, really, every single person of the Immortal Dao, including this little disciple on a mountain, knew that Ling Fengxiao was the Big Miss.

  Weaving through flowers and lakes, they came to a stop at the main hall. Inside, a well kempt middle-aged man sat in a dark green robe.

  Ling Fengxiao: “Lord Yue, I come with no ill intentions.”

  Lord Yue: “For what purpose has the Big Miss graced our sect?”

  Explaining the situation briefly, Ling Fengxiao continued: “This is an urgent situation, and there was no choice but to intrude upon you. If Lord Yue or Old Lord Yue is able to extend a hand, the academy will be infinitely grateful.”

  After hearing the story, a stern look crossed Lord Yue’s face: “Every sect trains with the same qi. Moreover, the Academy is where the young disciples of various schools and institutions gather. The Dream Hall will definitely do our best to help.”

  Ling Fengxiao bowed: “This junior is grateful for understanding the esteemed elder.”

  “It is expected of us. You do not need to say thanks.” At this, Lord Yue’s face clouded over, saying: “This matter is of great importance. My father is the most skilled at channeling Part of Ten Thousand. If he comes forward, naturally he is reliable…… However, given my father’s age, his memory has been deteriorating the past couple of years. Now, he cannot even recognize me, and only cares for seeking the things that entertain him. I am unsure if he can be convinced.”

  Ling Fengxiao: “I will try it.”

  Lord Yue nodded: “Very well. Follow me.”

  Walking across a bridge, a pavilion was revealed at the end. Two words “Dreamlike Sword” were engraved on the pavilion’s plaque.

  Before any person was spotted, voices were heard, engaged in a heated dispute.

  Lord Yue’s face took on a slightly embarrassed flush: “My father enjoys debating with others, thus I invited some gentlemen to chat with my father. I apologize for this unseemingly sight.”

  Ling Fengxiao smiled: “An old soul with a young heart. It is really enviable.”

  Lord Yue also smiled.

  Lin Shu was secretly observing the Big Miss, and discovered that this person was considerate when communicating with outsiders. Not too enthusiastic, not too polite. Her tone was very calm and pleasant.

  As they approached, the sounds in the pavilion gradually became louder, and the context could be understood.

  In the middle of the pavilion, a wooden wheelchair-like object was parked. An old man with white hair and a ruddy face sat atop it. His surprisingly sturdy body was dressed in a dark green robe as well, the color of the Dream Hall. It was clear who Old Lord Yue Buhun was.

  Old Lord Yue’s body was healthy. His face showed no signs of illness, but his eyes were a little glazed, and indeed they had a vaguely faraway look about them. The few ordinary mortals sitting beside him all looked pale, seemingly on the brink of passing out.

  A few of them pointed their chins at a particular person, gesturing to him to do something.

  That gentleman forced some spirit in him, and spoke: “When it comes to the scenery one sees in a day, my three most beloved sights and sounds are dawn, noon and dusk. In the morning, the breeze of wind sets the perfect mood for reading. When taking an afternoon nap, the sound of the rain pouring against the window is a unique experience. And at night, under the moonlight, seeking friends and reciting poems……”

  Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted.

  “What you said made no sense,” Yue Buhun shouted while slamming his wheelchair. “It’s good to have a breeze in the morning, but once that happens, the sun will be shining strongly at noon, and if it rains at noon, it will be muddy at night. There will be no stars and no moon. If the sky is clear at night, there will be a breeze again the next morning, leading to a sunny day. How can you teach someone contentment like this?”

  The gentleman countered: “The world is not perfect. In a day, if I have any one of the three, I will be satisfied.”

  Old Lord Yue continued hitting the wheelchair: “If you like rain at noon, you must hate the breeze in the morning, if you like the moon at night, then you must hate rain at noon, how can you say that you like all three? Contradictory!”

  People were talking about the wind and the moon, and it actually made the Old Lord Yue hoist himself up. Lin Shu was stunned. As Ling Fengxiao had said, today he finally understood where the ability of the brother and sister duo of the Yue family to talk had come from.

  The two mini-geniuses of debate, Yue Ruohe and Yue Ruoyun, must have been influenced by Yue Buhun, the original debating genius. There was a saying: “The subordinates will follow the example set by their superiors.” Presumably, the Dream Hall must have countless other talents who are good at talking. If they were all to be gathered in one room, the scene would be indescribable. Lin Shu felt a headache when he thought of the barrage of noise. He thought to himself, he really should stay away from Yue Ruohe in the future. It would be better not to have any relationship with this sect.

  Lord Yue has an elder above him, and Yue Ruohe Yue Ruoyun after. Yet he was at the point where he had to hire people to accompany his old father at conversation. The true victim right there.

  Old Lord Yue was immersed in his point, tuning everything else out, and seemed to be in a state of bliss. Even Lord Yue said that there was no way to convince him. Lin Shu had no idea how to invite him to come down the mountain.

  In the midst of his thoughts, Ling Fengxiao suddenly grabbed his sleeve, and the two stepped forward together, sitting down at the stone table.

  Ling Fengxiao said lightly: “Old Lord Yue, from the looks of this junior, your previous sentence was biased.”

  Looking at her posture, she was ready to give Yue Buhun a run for his money.

  The Big Miss was unbelievably talented.