Deep within the mausoleum grounds lay a grove of emerald bamboo. Within the grove, a small bridge spanned a flowing stream, spiritual mist swirled, and white cranes danced in flight, lending the place a somewhat immortal and paradisiacal air.
At this very moment.
Two individuals were seated on stone stools within the bamboo grove, playing a game of black and white Go.
Both appeared to have hair and beards as white as snow, as if they had lived for many, many years.
The elder holding the white stones wore pristine white robes. He sat upright on the stone stool, his face kind and benevolent. Holding a cup of fragrant tea, he stroked his white beard with a faint smile gracing his lips. Amidst the spiritual, immortal-like atmosphere of the emerald bamboo grove, he cut a rather transcendent and sage-like figure.
In contrast, the elder holding the black stones seemed somewhat out of place in this serene bamboo setting. He sat directly on the ground, leaning against a large tree, one leg crossed over the other. Not only that, he held a wine pot in his mouth, drinking without much care for decorum—tilting his head back, opening his mouth wide, and pouring the wine directly from the pot.
"I say, Xuanze, you've gotten pretty good, kid. Haven't seen you in a century or so, and your Go skills have improved," said the elder with the black stones, rubbing his chin. "What's the deal? Did you spend the last hundred years in seclusion specifically studying the art of Go?"
The elder addressed as Xuanze, who appeared quite transcendent, shook his head slightly and offered a faint, somewhat helpless smile. "I never expected that after all these years, your Go skills would still be as terrible as ever, you old monster Tang."
"Hahaha!" Old Monster Tang laughed heartily, then continued, "But, speaking of which, why did you suddenly emerge from seclusion out of the blue, kid? I know you well. If it weren't something life-or-death, you definitely wouldn't have come out. You don't have any close family left, your disciples have either attained the Dao or become Immortals, so nothing major should have happened. And even if something did occur, given your temperament, you probably wouldn't lift a finger to help."
Without waiting for Xuanze to respond, Old Monster Tang continued speculating, "And as luck would have it, I also happen to know that the reason you've stubbornly remained in this world, refusing to leave, is because you've never been able to let go of the Taiji Sect in your heart. I recall you mentioning before that the Taiji Sect seems to face a tribulation in this current era. And if they fail to overcome this tribulation, the Taiji Sect might face utter annihilation. Am I right?"
"Since you already know, why bother asking?"
Xuanze was an Ancestral Patriarch of the Taiji Sect, and a reclusive one at that. Even within the Taiji Sect, very few knew of his existence.
The truth was exactly as Old Monster Tang had said. As far back as the Ancient Times, Xuanze had divined that the Taiji Sect would face a tribulation in the current era. It was precisely the existence of this tribulation that had kept him anchored in this world.
"Your Taiji Sect has always developed steadily and stably. There's no sign of any tribulation, let alone one of utter annihilation. Could it be the Immortal Dynasty? That makes no sense. Given the Immortal Dynasty's current situation, they have no reason to move against any major sect, especially not an ancient, long-standing lineage like your Taiji Sect."
Old Monster Tang asked, "Could it be that your divination was mistaken, kid?"
Xuanze shook his head but did not respond.
Old Monster Tang did not press further. He knew his question was redundant. Others might not know, but he was well aware that Xuanze possessed profound mastery in the arts of divination and prognostication. Over the years, nearly every major and minor tribulation the Taiji Sect had faced had been correctly predicted by him. Even the tribulations of the Yanluo Royal Family had been divined without error.
To give just one example: during the Ancient Times, before the calamity befell the Yanluo Royal Family, Xuanze had already predicted it. Moreover, he had stated that although the royal family would face a great tribulation, they would have the aid of a noble person and would ultimately emerge unscathed.
And the result?
There truly was a noble person who came to their aid.
Although that noble person was somewhat unreliable, his actions and methods were excessively violent and frenzied, enough to make Old Monster Tang extremely uneasy. Still, fortunately, that noble person did indeed help the Yanluo Royal Family overcome their crisis.
"This... Xuanze, there's one matter I really don't know how to bring up with you."
"You want to ask me about the current tribulation facing the Yanluo Royal Family, don't you?"
"Oh, you know already?"
"Ever since the Heavenly Mandate descended, you've been pestering me every few days. And today, you specifically invited me here. Isn't it precisely for this matter?"
"Well... hehe." Old Monster Tang laughed awkwardly.
Truth be told, he and Xuanze were old acquaintances. However, because he had once done something that greatly wronged the Taiji Sect—or more precisely, greatly wronged Xuanze himself—he was reluctant to ask for favors unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, Xuanze had already helped the Yanluo Royal Family numerous times during the Ancient Times, and Old Monster Tang felt too embarrassed to trouble him again.
"Old Monster Tang, your mastery of divination and prognostication is no less than mine. Why do you always come to me?"
"You know I performed some foolish divinations in the past, which led to a demonic obstacle in my mind and spirit. My divination results are hit-or-miss now. I have little confidence in my own divination arts. Please, be gracious and help our Yanluo Royal Family perform one more divination. You've already helped so many times; one more won't make a difference, right?"
"You!" Xuanze shook his head helplessly again. He picked up his cup of fragrant tea and took a slow sip. "While in seclusion, I already performed a divination for your Yanluo Royal Family."
"Oh?" Old Monster Tang immediately perked up, sitting up straight and leaning forward. "What was the omen?"
"Rest assured. This time, your Yanluo Royal Family will pass through safely."
"The omen from my own divination was the same. And... and according to the omen, our Yanluo Royal Family actually has the aid of a noble person again this time?"
"That's correct. According to the omen, that is indeed the case."
"So, according to your divination, our Yanluo Royal Family will once again have the aid of a noble person this time?"
Seeing Xuanze nod, the stone that had been weighing on Old Monster Tang's heart finally settled.
He truly was skilled in the art of divination, and his mastery was absolutely not inferior to Xuanze's. However, the demonic obstacle in his heart greatly affected his divination arts. When he divined that the Yanluo Royal Family's current tribulation also involved the aid of a noble person, Old Monster Tang was somewhat skeptical.
If the Yanluo Royal Family had the aid of a noble person during their last tribulation, how could they possibly have one again this time?
Was the fortune of the Yanluo Royal Family really that good?
Every time they faced a tribulation, a noble person came to their aid?
As an Ancestral Patriarch of the Yanluo Royal Family and a reclusive expert, Old Monster Tang deeply understood that all things in this world followed the principles of cause and effect. What seeds were sown in a past life would bear fruit in this one. Good deeds had good causes, evil deeds had evil causes. Nothing in this world happened without reason or cause.
Yet, upon careful reflection, Old Monster Tang couldn't recall the royal ancestors having accumulated any particularly great virtue.
However.
Although Old Monster Tang distrusted his own divination results, he had absolute faith in Xuanze's. If Xuanze's divination also indicated the aid of a noble person, then the Yanluo Royal Family truly would have such aid this time.
"During the Ancient Times, when our Yanluo Royal Family faced tribulation, it was that strange kid Gu Tianlang who helped us overcome the crisis. Who will the noble person be this time?"