Chapter 2866: Qing'er's Appointment
The heavens held a bright moon, and the night embraced a gentle breeze.
Zhang Ruochen had come to Xinghuantian precisely because he wanted to see Bai Qinger, but he had never thought about what he would say or do upon meeting her.
Was it a farewell?
Was it catching up?
Or was it simply a desire to see her?
Just like now, he had absolutely no idea whether he should immediately reveal his identity.
"What is your relationship with Huang Tian?" she suddenly asked.
Zhang Ruochen stared at her back, his voice hoarse, and said, "No relationship."
"Do you know that without his permission, no cultivator can enter the Jade Fate Pavilion?" Bai Qinger's tone remained very calm, as calm as the moonlight, devoid of any worldly aura.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Didn't you just enter the Jade Fate Pavilion?"
"Me? I will never set foot in this place," she said.
Zhang Ruochen frowned, as if trying to understand her words, then said, "No matter how strong Huang Tian is, he is not the master of the Jade Fate Pavilion. The master here is Yu Yao. And I, this old man, am Yu Yao's disciple. Now do you understand why I am here?"
"No one would directly call their own master by their name."
Bai Qinger slowly turned around, her pearl-like eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen.
Even though this was not the first time Zhang Ruochen had seen her, he was still stunned by her beauty, holding his breath, feeling ripples in his heart.
Seeing a beauty under the moonlight adds three parts more charm.
Bai Qinger did not use the Heaven-Concealing Great Art to hide her true appearance, as she had when Zhang Ruochen first met her. Nor did she use the Light of Origin to block his vision.
She was just her original self, with a soft and graceful figure and a charming demeanor.
Her pitch-black eyes seemed to contain infinite sweet dreams, capable of making anyone sink into them.
Setting aside her powerful master, her beauty alone was enough to attract most of the proud sons of this era, driving them crazy and making them bet everything.
She said, "I sent people to Yunfan Star to investigate. You only appeared at the Departure Inn a few decades ago. No one knows who you are, only that there is an old man named Zhang at the Departure Inn who just won't die."
She emphasized the words "Old Man Zhang."
Zhang Ruochen remained silent.
Bai Qinger continued, "As far as I know, the time you appeared on Yunfan Star coincides with the time a friend of mine went missing in this star domain. Is this a coincidence?"
"It is not a coincidence," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qinger confirmed her suspicions and walked toward him, carefully examining every wrinkle on his face, and said, "Lu Yi said you wanted to see me."
"My lifespan is exhausted, and my days are numbered. I truly wanted to see you one last time before I die," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qinger said, "Just a meeting?"
Zhang Ruochen averted his gaze from her jade-like face, looking at the bright moon, the stone bridge, and the lake surface, and said, "Why must you get married? Even more so, you shouldn't marry someone you might not like at all just for the sake of an item."
"Is this the purpose of your meeting me? You want to stop me?"
Bai Qinger's heart was proud and aloof, and she said sarcastically, "You are just an old man in a small inn on Yunfan Star. What right do you have to stop me?"
"I just think you don't need to do this. Will this really make you happy?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"There aren't that many happy things in this world."
Bai Qinger was no longer as calm as before, seeming somewhat angry, and said, "Do you think I want to do this? Do you know that the entire universe is undergoing tremendous changes, and every person, every realm, will face life-and-death choices."
"Xinghuantian is located between the Heavenly Court and Hell. Its destruction is only a matter of time."
"If we don't build a Divine City, any God Venerable-level powerhouse could turn Xinghuantian into a fireball in the starry sky, killing billions of living beings. Any Great God could cause devastating damage to the First Divine Maiden City."
"What do you think I should do?"
"Should I hide away like you? You can't avoid it. Once you become entangled with this world, you can no longer stand aloof."
"But you have a powerful master. The gods who dare to attack Xinghuantian are very few," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qinger said, "Compared to the war between the Heavenly Court and Hell, any powerhouse is just a boat in a surging torrent. The only difference is whether the boat is big or small. But no matter how big the boat is, it cannot stop the torrent; it can only drift with the current."
"Besides, the height at which my master and the others stand is completely different from ours. A single Xinghuantian may not carry much weight in their eyes. And a disciple's path must be walked by the disciple themselves; they cannot always be sheltered under their wings."
"The enemies and challenges they will face are unimaginable to us. They cannot waste their energy on such small skirmishes. Yes, to us, it is a life-and-death challenge, but to them, it is just a small skirmish."
Zhang Ruochen could understand what she was saying. Just like with his current cultivation level, looking back at the struggles of the Saint King Realm and Great Saint Realm, weren't they also just small skirmishes?
Every cultivator stands at a different height and faces different challenges.
Zhang Ruochen could not have the energy to help Chi Kongle, Ye Luochen, Hanxue, Chi Kunlun, and the others overcome their own challenges. Just as the Starry Sky Angler could not have the energy to help Bai Qinger overcome hers.
Perhaps one day, Chi Kongle, Ye Luochen, and the others would die on the Starry Sky Battlefield, and Zhang Ruochen would only receive a letter of mourning. He could only go and avenge them.
Being willing to avenge them was already the greatest deterrent to their enemies.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Just now, you said... us?"
"That's right, us."
Bai Qinger's gaze gradually turned cold and sharp, filled with a powerful light, and said, "Turn your face around and look at me. Am I not beautiful? Am I not worth you looking at a little longer? You know, right now in Xinghuantian, countless gods want to look at me this closely. But I won't let them."
Zhang Ruochen's aged face turned to look at her.
She continued, "Even if your cultivation is crippled, your lifespan is exhausted, and your life is short, you, Zhang Ruochen, are still very outstanding. You were able to kill Wuma Jiuxing, something not every god can do. Even for me, this is a very difficult thing."
"Choosing to hide from the world is just wanting to die silently in a place no one knows. This is giving up on yourself."
"When I said 'us,' I meant to tell you that no one has given up on you. At least I haven't."
Zhang Ruochen's heart was greatly shaken. He really hadn't expected Bai Qinger to say such things. After all, in his heart, he always felt that his relationship with Bai Qinger wasn't very deep, just a karmic entanglement.
Had he underestimated himself, or had he underestimated her?
"We cultivators practice cultivation precisely to fight against death. Time wants to kill us, so we gradually age. Heaven wants to kill us, so it sends down Eon Calamities. But these are not the most terrifying things, because as long as our cultivation is deep enough, we can delay aging. As long as we are strong enough, even the Eon Calamity cannot kill us."
"The most terrifying thing is that if the fighting spirit in one's heart is gone, even if a person is still alive, it is no different from being dead," Bai Qinger said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly, "I understand these principles, but do you know what a person on the verge of death thinks?"
Bai Qinger gently shook her head.
"He only hopes that those who are alive can live better," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qinger said, "So you are always living for others. It is precisely because of this giving personality that Xumi Saint Monk chose you as his heir. He thought you were like a monk, capable of great compassion and saving all beings."
A long silence followed.
"Life and death may indeed be unavoidable, but lifespan may not be incurable. Three thousand miles west of the Divine Maiden Garment City's western gate, there is an abandoned temple in the Yuhong Mountain Range. Let's meet there tomorrow at noon. If you want to live, come. If you want to retreat, leave tonight. I will not reveal your whereabouts to anyone."
Bai Qinger's delicate body rose lightly, drifting into the mist and disappearing.
"Clang! Clang! Clang..."
The wind blew, and the bronze chimes on the rack swayed.
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, finding himself still sitting cross-legged on the bed. He got up, opened the window, and looked at the ancient pavilion in the distance.
In the ancient pavilion, there was no one, and no chimes.
Everything before had been a dream.
"Such a powerful 'Cloud Dream Thirteen Chapters.' With my spiritual power strength, I actually fell into her dream without realizing it."
Zhang Ruochen understood that Bai Qinger had infiltrated his dream precisely to confirm his identity.
Of course, the reason Bai Qinger could forcibly pull Zhang Ruochen into the dream was also because his spiritual power had been greatly depleted earlier, allowing her to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Tomorrow at noon, Yuhong Mountain Range."
Zhang Ruochen didn't know what Bai Qinger intended to do, but since he had already chosen to emerge from seclusion, how could he retreat again? Since he couldn't die, he had to fight for something.
"Death is a part of fate. If you can't even overcome death, how can you overcome fate?"
Zhang Ruochen's mental state had fully recovered. He put on a wide robe, strolled out the door, and walked around the lake under the moonlight.
Outside the Jade Fate Pavilion, a very pleasant female voice sounded: "This humble one, Minghua Fangzhu of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, Yu Qiancheng, comes to pay respects to the elder."
Zhang Ruochen stopped and looked toward the door, seeing a slender black shadow standing there. He said, "Come in."
"This place is the Jade Fate Pavilion. This humble one is not convenient to enter. Please, elder, come out to meet," Minghua Fangzhu said.
Zhang Ruochen had some doubts in his heart and wanted to ask someone, so he walked out.
Minghua was a sacred flower of the Underworld Clan, said to be incredibly fragrant, so much so that even the undead could smell its scent and become intoxicated.
Zhang Ruochen could smell this fragrance on Minghua Fangzhu.
What came into view was an extremely sexy woman, wearing a black lace dress, her snow-white skin faintly visible, like immortal ice and divine jade. Her chest was so full it seemed ready to burst, forming a deep cleavage under the lace. Her slender waist had not an ounce of fat, and even without touching it, one could feel its flexibility.
She was born into the Underworld Clan, charming and seductive, with crystal-clear red lips, but she did not give off a vulgar impression. Instead, it was a dark and evil beauty.
Having cultivated to become a god, she must have once been a top-tier proud daughter of heaven and could not be a vulgar person.
"You actually know I am here?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Minghua Fangzhu smiled charmingly, "Divine Teacher Yu Yao is not a member of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, but she often guides our cultivation. Finding this place is not difficult."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Speak, why do you want to see me? Could it be that White Queen sent you to capture me?"
"Elder, you jest. Even Wuma Jiuxing died at your hands. How could Qiancheng have the ability to capture you? Besides, you are a guest of Divine Teacher Yu Yao, and naturally, you are also a guest of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. Let's talk somewhere else."
Minghua Fangzhu was clearly very familiar with the Unnamed Manor.
Even the saint-level servants in the manor recognized her and knelt to pay their respects when they saw her.
Passing through numerous pavilions and towers, they arrived at a fiery red ancient sacred tree.
Under the tree were various musical instruments, all made from rare materials, none of which were ordinary.
There was a nine-stringed qin made from dragon sinew and phoenix bone, a praise bell made from chaotic black gold, and a sheng made from arrow bamboo that had grown for two epochs...
Although not yet used, the qin had dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing, the bell had chaotic clouds forming, and the ancient sheng emitted a vast life force.
"Splash!"
Minghua Fangzhu's slender jade fingers lightly swept across the qin strings.
Instantly, dragon roars and phoenix cries sounded.
Her eyes shone with divine light, and she said, "The instrument the elder used, Qiancheng has never seen before. Which great world does it originate from?"
Zhang Ruochen took out the wooden clappers and handed them to her.
Minghua Fangzhu immediately showed a cautious expression and took them with both hands.
But after taking them, she found that they were just two ordinary wooden sticks, one round and one square.
Zhang Ruochen said, "These were used by a mortal friend of mine before he died. They are very simple and crude, not as exquisite and gorgeous as these instruments."
Minghua Fangzhu smiled gracefully, "The Way of Music has never been about the instrument, but about the person using it. The elder was able to use such ordinary pieces of wood to communicate with the Heavenly Dao and play music like heavenly sounds. That is what truly impresses Qiancheng."
"Did you come to discuss music?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Minghua Fangzhu lightly nodded, "The elder used a single piece of wonderful music to defeat Wuma Jiuxing, who had mastered the Sword Dao Essence. Qiancheng was amazed and would like to seek guidance and learn. If the elder does not mind, would you accept Qiancheng as a disciple?"
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, "Fangzhu, you jest. You are a Mid-Level God. How could this old man accept you as a disciple?"
"The Way of Music and martial cultivation cannot be lumped together. The one who has attained mastery is the teacher!" Minghua Fangzhu was charming and beautiful, clearly a god, yet very humble.
Such a demeanor was enough to make any man in the world's heart race, eager to agree immediately and take her in.
Of course.
As a disciple.
But Zhang Ruochen seemed indifferent to her charms, shaking his head, "Fangzhu, if you weren't seeking to advance your martial cultivation, why would you humble yourself to visit, even willing to become a disciple?"
Minghua Fangzhu hadn't expected him to see through her purpose at a glance. She smiled bitterly, "The elder is right. Qiancheng indeed wants to use music to communicate with the Heavenly Dao, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Upper-Level God realm."
Minghua Fangzhu had already cultivated for sixty thousand years. If she didn't break through to the Upper-Level God soon, she would begin to age.
No woman truly doesn't care about her appearance.
Especially the women of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions.
Moreover, only by reaching the Upper-Level God realm could she have a chance to survive the Eon Calamity.
This step was the hardest. If there was an opportunity to cross it, Minghua Fangzhu was willing to pay any price.
"In the history of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, there must have been many musical sages, and countless texts must have been left behind. Fangzhu, you have cultivated to become a god, so your comprehension must be high. Why abandon the root and chase the branch, coming to seek my guidance?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Minghua Fangzhu said, "Musical instruments are divided into eight tones: metal, bamboo, stone, earth, leather, silk, wood, and gourd."
"Wooden instruments are the rarest among the eight tones, and those who achieve great mastery are even rarer. Although the Goddess Twelve Pavilions has countless musical texts, those related to wooden instruments are extremely rare."
As she spoke, she took out a zhu.
This zhu was made from divine wood, square in shape, carved with magnificent Minghua patterns. The divine wood emitted a faint divine light, containing a powerful aura, and its artifact spirit had already reached the Great Saint realm.
This was a musical instrument she had refined into a Supreme Sacred Artifact!
Minghua Fangzhu said, "Qiancheng's most proficient instrument is the zhu. It shares the same essence as the elder's instrument, both being wooden."
Zhang Ruochen fully understood now and said, "So that's how it is. This old man can indeed teach you a thing or two."
Minghua Fangzhu was overjoyed and quickly bowed, "Thank you..."
"Don't thank me yet! You must understand that to gain, you must first give," Zhang Ruochen said.
If it were another man, Minghua Fangzhu might have thought he was trying to take advantage of her situation and covet her body.
But the elder before her had already exhausted his lifespan, with one foot in the grave. He didn't seem like someone who would lust after women.
She said, "What does the elder want Qiancheng to give?"
"I want to ask you a few things," Zhang Ruochen said.
Minghua Fangzhu became alert and said, "As long as it doesn't involve the secrets of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, Qiancheng will tell you everything I know."
"Who exactly is the master of this place, Divine Teacher Yu Yao? Why does she stay in the Divine Maiden Garment City without being a member of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"This..."
Minghua Fangzhu's beautiful eyes looked around, "This isn't exactly an unspeakable secret! But the elder should have a close relationship with Divine Teacher Yu Yao. Why don't you know this?"
"I am the one asking the questions now," Zhang Ruochen said.
Minghua Fangzhu, afraid of angering Zhang Ruochen, quickly said, "Divine Teacher Yu Yao and the City Lord are biological sisters, but they have different masters."
"Then why is no cultivator allowed to enter the Jade Fate Pavilion?" Zhang Ruochen asked again.