Su Hua was just Su Hua, not a saintly savior.
She could travel the world to heal the sick and aid the suffering, or tour the realms to give lectures and guide the lost. But she would absolutely never champion justice for others, nor seek redress on anyone's behalf.
As the former Nine Heavens Profound Maiden in her past life, she understood better than anyone that this world had never known true justice, and this universe had never held any fairness. All that existed was struggle and contention, with people stopping at nothing to achieve their ends. Such was the way of the Three Thousand Great Daos, let alone the common masses.
This was also the fundamental reason why, after reincarnating into this world, she refused to involve herself in any disputes.
"Wan'er, I heard that the Female Sect Master will be emerging from seclusion soon, is that right?"
Yun Wan nodded and replied, "My master will emerge from seclusion nine days from now, on Sunset Day."
"Your master, she… why did she choose to emerge at this time? Is it for the sake of the Monarch?"
"This…" Yun Wan shook her head slightly, indicating she did not know.
Su Hua couldn't help but fall into contemplation. Ye Tianlan, the Female Sect Master, wasn't emerging early or late, but precisely after the return of the Chixiao King. This was clearly aimed at the Chixiao King.
If that were truly the case, what was her purpose?
To settle an old love debt with Gu Qingfeng?
No.
It definitely wasn't that simple.
Others might not know Ye Tianlan's background and identity, but Su Hua had some idea. She knew that Ye Tianlan was not only the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect, nor merely the Palace Mistress of the Immortal Dynasty's Kun Palace. In the Ancient Era, she also had another identity—the Immortal Dynasty's Eldest Princess. However, that wasn't important. What mattered was that Su Hua knew Ye Tianlan's true identity was connected to a certain great power in the Great Desolate Celestial Realm.
As for exactly which great power, Su Hua wasn't clear for now, but she knew it was certainly the case.
Moreover, she could guess that Ye Tianlan's appearance in this world was probably also for the sake of karma—karma that was definitely related to Gu Qingfeng.
The only thing she didn't understand was what specific karma existed between Ye Tianlan and Gu Qingfeng, and what Ye Tianlan's true objective was.
Of course, this matter had nothing to do with Su Hua, and she wasn't compelled to investigate it thoroughly. It was only because it involved Gu Qingfeng, and Gu Qingfeng was her own karma, that she felt somewhat curious. That was all.
After turning it over in her mind, she still felt it best to find Gu Qingfeng as soon as possible.
But where could that fellow be?
Su Hua knew Gu Qingfeng had come to the Shangqing Sect to visit his mentor, Immortal Master Zhenjue. She asked, "Wan'er, is Immortal Master Zhenjue still in the back mountains?"
Hearing Su Hua inquire about Immortal Master Zhenjue, Yun Wan's expression shifted slightly, seeming both puzzled and concerned.
"What's wrong?"
At that moment, Immortal Master Zhenting beside them spoke up, "Fairy Hua, my senior brother has entered the Shangqing Pagoda."
"The Shangqing Pagoda?"
Hearing those words, Su Hua's heart clenched. *This is bad*, she thought.
The Shangqing Pagoda was the Shangqing Sect's cultivation holy land, its heritage pagoda. As such, it had always been under the control of the Sect Master, and only the Sect Master had the authority to open it. More importantly, Ye Tianlan had been in seclusion within the Shangqing Pagoda all this time. Now Immortal Master Zhenjue had also entered. What exactly was going on?
Su Hua clearly remembered that when she visited Jin'er a few years ago, Immortal Master Zhenjue was still recuperating quietly in the back mountains. How could he have suddenly entered the Shangqing Pagoda?
Moreover, Immortal Master Zhenjue had long since given up cultivation. He wouldn't cultivate anymore.
He couldn't possibly enter the Shangqing Pagoda.
Could it be… that Immortal Master Zhenjue didn't want to see Gu Qingfeng, so he hid inside the Shangqing Pagoda?
Su Hua knew that Immortal Master Zhenjue had been endlessly blaming himself for what happened to Gu Qingfeng back then. All these years, he had been reciting scriptures in the back mountains. It wasn't impossible that he might hide to avoid seeing Gu Qingfeng.
But what if that wasn't the reason?
Suddenly, Su Hua thought of someone.
Ye Tianlan, the Female Sect Master.
If Immortal Master Zhenjue hadn't voluntarily hidden in the Shangqing Pagoda, but it was related to Ye Tianlan, then the situation was truly terrible.
Consider this: Gu Qingfeng came to the Shangqing Sect to visit his mentor Zhenjue. And Ye Tianlan not only chose to emerge from seclusion at this precise time, but before emerging, she also confined Immortal Master Zhenjue within the Shangqing Pagoda.
What did she mean by this?
Could she be planning to use Zhenjue to threaten Gu Qingfeng?
This…
Without thinking further, Su Hua felt she must find Gu Qingfeng as soon as possible.
…
Near the Shangqing Sect was a mountain named Changsheng Mountain.
On Changsheng Mountain stood a Daoist temple called Changsheng Temple.
The term "Daoist temple" was quite unfamiliar to people of the Present Era, because this world was filled with great sects and major schools, while Daoist temples were few and far between.
Not just in the Present Era; even in the Ancient Era, Daoist temples weren't common.
Mentioning Daoist temples always reminded people of a distant era.
The Primal Era.
It was said that in the Primal Era, there were no great sects, nor any schools. There were only Daoist temples. The cultivators of that time weren't called cultivators, but Daoist priests—practitioners of the Dao.
Changsheng Temple was a Primal Era relic.
As for when this Primal Era relic manifested in the world, no one could say clearly anymore.
In short, it was very, very ancient.
Changsheng Temple's presence was extremely low-key, so low-key that many people in the Weiyang Great Domain sometimes forgot a Daoist temple even existed there.
People only knew that an old Daoist priest lived within Changsheng Temple, addressed as Elder Daoist Changsheng. No one knew exactly how long this old Daoist had lived, nor who he truly was. In fact, many had never even seen this old Daoist priest.
On this day.
As the sun set in the west.
Gu Qingfeng and Fei Kui arrived at the foot of Changsheng Mountain.
Glancing at the Daoist temple atop the mountain, Gu Qingfeng began his ascent.
Although he had cultivated at the Shangqing Sect for nine years back then, he truly had no strong impression of this Changsheng Temple nearby. In his memory, he seemed to have come here once. That time, he was being besieged by a group of Shangqing Sect disciples and had inadvertently fled to Changsheng Temple to take refuge.
As for what happened afterward…
There was no afterward.
Gu Qingfeng only remembered that after barging into Changsheng Temple, the next time he woke up, his mentor Zhenjue had already brought him back to the Shangqing Sect.
What exactly happened in Changsheng Temple, he had no impression at all. He had asked his mentor Zhenjue about it, and Zhenjue told him he had been unconscious in the temple and was sent back by the old Daoist priest of Changsheng Temple.
Ever since returning from Changsheng Temple, he felt his body had undergone some inexplicable changes. As for what changes, he couldn't articulate them clearly. He just felt different from before. These changes didn't bring him any particular benefits, but they didn't cause any harm either. So, back then, Gu Qingfeng hadn't paid it much mind. Now, thinking back carefully, he realized the matter was somewhat peculiar.
However.
This wasn't the reason for his visit to Changsheng Temple this time.
He hadn't come to ask the old Daoist priest about what happened back then.
He had come to find the Great Scholar.
Back in the Yanluo Kingdom, Elder Mei said he had seen the Great Scholar here, that the Great Scholar had been living in seclusion at Changsheng Temple. Elder Mei also said the Great Scholar had been waiting for him here all along.
Therefore.
Gu Qingfeng had come.