Free Web NovelWalking on the iron cable bridge, the cold wind whistling through the cliff valley receded, and the swirling clouds and mist around her gradually faded like a veil being gently lifted.
In the distance, the green mountains were verdant, and the palace stood majestically. Zhenting Hall was located at the peak of the mountain, and the faint sound of chanting spells could be heard carried on the breeze.
In front of the main hall was a pool of water. The breeze swept over, but the water remained undisturbed, still as a mirror, clearly reflecting the green mountains and the palace. Among the clusters of green lotus leaves by the pool, half-opened lotus flowers revealed hints of pink.
The scenery was beautiful, but Lu Yibei was in no mood to appreciate it.
Damn it, the Ancestor only said how he was severely beaten by the Divine Beast at first, and then how he severely beat the Divine Beast later. He didn't say the Zhenshan Divine Beast also had to do this kind of work!
If she had known there was such a step, she should have inquired about what the Zhenshan Divine Beast liked to eat and brought a portion for the Old man. Bribing it with food might have helped her sneak through.
What should she do? How about sneaking away first? It's not necessary to enter Da Chunyang Palace through the front gate openly. She wasn't a gentleman anyway, so entering through the back door wasn't impossible.
Thinking of this, Lu Yibei whispered to Fu Xinyi, "That... Senior (female)? I think, maybe I shouldn't go in with you? This is my first time at Zhenwu Mountain, I want to go explore the scenery."
"What's more, I have social anxiety and don't like interacting with too many people!"
Recalling the scene in Tang City when Lu Yibei left Professor Hou speechless, Fu Xinyi smiled and glanced at her, raising her eyebrow slightly, "You? Social anxiety? Are you terrifying at socializing?"
"Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding! Haven't you heard, Senior (female), of extroverted social anxiety?" Lu Yibei said, "It's the kind where you feel anxious and can't control your mouth when you see a lot of people."
"Huh? There's such a thing?" Fu Xinyi asked in surprise.
"Yes!" Lu Yibei said seriously, "It's probably talking hard until the other person can't stand it and leaves on their own... Well, if you can't solve the fear, solve the person who creates the fear, you understand?"
"..." Fu Xinyi pondered for a few seconds, unable to tell if Lu Yibei's words were true or false, and pouted, "I don't care, I think you're just afraid of the Divine Beast!"
"You're a man, don't be so timid, okay? Hurry up, you go first."
Saying that, she walked behind Lu Yibei and gently pushed her forward.
Lu Yibei, "..."
My fear is not quite the same as the fear you understand, okay?
She was indeed afraid of the Zhenshan Divine Beast, but it wasn't because she was worried...
"Roar——!"
Just as she feared, while Lu Yibei was secretly having a headache, a low roar suddenly came from the depths of the pool ahead, interrupting her thoughts.
The low roar, like muffled thunder, broke the surface of the pool, causing it to boil. Immediately after, a huge whirlpool appeared in the center. In an instant, waves rolled, and a powerful figure leaped out of the pool.
As the splashing water fell like a curtain slowly lowering, Lu Yibei clearly saw the Da Chunyang Palace enrollment brochure... No, the figure of the Zhenshan Divine Beast.
Its body resembled a magnificent horse, yet it was taller and sturdier than any known horse breed, covered in green scales with a metallic sheen. Its thick limbs were muscular, and a smooth, light golden mane, like silk, extended from its head to the tip of its strong tail.
Its entire body exuded a sense of beauty that perfectly blended strength and speed.
It shook its body, splashing water everywhere, but the water droplets did not fall. As if unaffected by gravity, they swirled around it, glistening in the sunlight. Occasionally, bright blue electric arcs "crackled" among them, like a dazzling nebula.
Lu Yibei stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move rashly. The moment her gaze met that of the Zhenshan Divine Beast, Lu Yibei's heart skipped a beat.
She confirmed the look in its eyes; that thing wanted to bite her.
And that Zhenshan Divine Beast stared at her with a pair of deep eyes, turning them left and right as if thinking like a human. Then, its eyes suddenly lit up, and it excitedly snorted, then strode forward on its four hooves, slowly walking towards them.
Terrifying Spiritual Energy fluctuations, accompanied by a strong damp smell, rushed towards them.
Seeing this, Lu Yibei's heart tightened. Just as she was about to sneak away, a hand quietly rested on her shoulder, pressing her in place, as if it had discovered her intention to escape.
"Don't be afraid, Junior Brother, that's our Da Chunyang Palace's Zhenshan Divine Beast. Isn't it handsome and imposing?" Fu Xinyi said with a triumphant smile, "You're lucky today. If you weren't with me, the Divine Beast might not even show up!"
"Let me tell you a little secret, the Divine Beast really likes me!"
Lu Yibei looked at Fu Xinyi, a string of question marks appearing in her mind.
Good heavens! So you're the one who led the dog here?
Damn it, Fu Xinyi, I'm your sworn enemy!
Lu Yibei cursed silently in her heart, then quietly retreated behind Fu Xinyi, one hand gripping the shoulder strap of the metal box, her feet slightly apart, simultaneously prepared to fight and to escape.
At this moment, the Zhenshan Divine Beast's steps suddenly quickened, its body instantly transforming into a cloud of mist, fast as lightning. As it rapidly approached, it let out bursts of snorts, making it hard to tell if it was excited or irritated.
Oh no, it's too late to run! Lu Yibei cried out inwardly.
In that instant, she had already imagined the tragic life of being "tamed" by Da Chunyang Palace, and from now on, squatting in front of the mountain gate with the Divine Beast, serving as an enrollment brochure.
Just as she was slightly distracted, the Divine Beast had already reached her front and stopped.
Its massive head, adorned with sharp horns, was held high, standing over three meters tall. Its gaze slanted down at Lu Yibei, revealing majesty in its eyes.
The next moment, as if it were an illusion, Lu Yibei actually caught a hint of joy in its eyes. Immediately after, it became cheerful.
With the soft sounds of its four hooves rising and falling, it bounced around Fu Xinyi and Lu Yibei, sticking out its tongue and shaking its head.
Something's not right! Is it because of this guy? Lu Yibei glanced at Fu Xinyi out of the corner of her eye, her brow relaxing, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems the Divine Beast really likes her...
It can't possibly like me, right?
The Ancestor used to beat it up all the time, and she was a urban legend. It was already pretty good that it didn't go berserk and bite her to death.
As she was thinking, the Divine Beast suddenly bent its four hooves and lay down on the empty ground in front of Fu Xinyi, lowering its huge head. At the same time, its thick, powerful tail swept back and forth along the ground, making a whooshing sound, displaying a posture of "Let's go, Grandpa will take you for a ride!"
Lu Yibei, "..."
Why is this Divine Beast acting so dog-like?
Also, why is its head bald? Is the work pressure of being an enrollment brochure too high, causing endocrine imbalance and hair loss?
This... Can she report Da Chunyang Palace for animal abuse to the animal protection association?
Fu Xinyi had never seen the Zhenshan Divine Beast display such a posture. Seeing this, she was stunned for a few seconds, then came back to her senses, understood the Divine Beast's intention, and felt a sudden realization. Then she tentatively extended her hand towards the Divine Beast.
"Heavens! The Divine Beast has recognized a master!"
"Breaking news, breaking news, Junior Sister Fu Xinyi has created another miracle!"
"The Zhenshan Divine Beast actually knelt before Senior Sister Fu Xinyi and voluntarily allowed her to ride it. As expected of a once-in-a-century genius, as expected of the idol I admire!"
As Fu Xinyi's tender white hand just touched the Divine Beast's head, a sudden exclamation came from a distance.
Following the sound, several youths wearing moon-white Daoist robes hurried towards the depths of Zhenting Hall.
Hearing the shouting, Fu Xinyi's face turned pale, and she turned to Lu Yibei, saying, "Oh no, those guys saw it!"
"Those guys?" Lu Yibei was puzzled.
"How should I put it..." Fu Xinyi rubbed ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) her forehead, "It's a bit embarrassing to say... In short, whenever I come back from outside, some Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, and occasionally Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters, will spontaneously organize to come and watch the excitement."
"I understand, I understand!" Lu Yibei understood her meaning from Fu Xinyi's slightly flushed face, nodded and said, "Those are your admirers, right? Just like a fan club, right?"
Speaking of which, Fu Xinyi was a once-in-a-century genius of Da Chunyang Palace.
Moreover, she was beautiful, had a good figure, was kind to others, had a good personality, and was also particularly hardworking and ambitious.
It was only natural for such a person to have some admirers.
There was nothing wrong with being a fan of such a person, at least she wouldn't tell others to "bear with it" or anything like that. freēwēbnovel.com
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"Probably... that's about it!" Fu Xinyi sighed silently, then gritted her silver teeth and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore, I have to go chase them first, lest they spread rumors and cause me trouble."
She had already shouldered too much, gritting her teeth and working hard every day, teetering on the brink of sudden death.
If her teachers and elders found out that the Zhenshan Divine Beast had shown signs of submission to her, who knows what extra courses they might add for her!
Just thinking about this made her head throb.
"Junior Lu, come with me. We'll catch up to them in a bit, and I'll find someone to take you to a place to rest."
Fu Xinyi said, turning to the staff member accompanying them and carrying Fang Ji, "Brother Li, could you please take him to Qingnang Grass Hut for treatment first? I'll take this friend to find a place to stay."
"Okay, don't worry!" The staff member brother responded with a smile, then carried Fang Ji along a winding path of white pebbles, taking a shortcut towards Qingnang Grass Hut, and quickly disappeared from sight.
After watching the staff member leave, Fu Xinyi led Lu Yibei, chasing after the Da Chunyang Palace disciples who had run ahead, towards Zhenting Hall. They hadn't gone far when they heard a long snort from behind them.
"Hiss—!"
Hearing the sound, Lu Yibei looked back and saw that the Zhenshan Divine Beast had already stood up, its front hooves restlessly pawing the ground, staring intently at him.
Seeing Lu Yibei look over, it excitedly wagged its tail, and then...
Threw Lu Yibei a flirtatious glance, its eyes seeming to say, "Big Brother, come play again when you're free!" This made Lu Yibei's body jolt.
Turning back, Lu Yibei pondered for two seconds, then quietly asked Fu Xinyi, "Excuse me, could I ask, is your Zhenshan Divine Beast male or female?"
Fu Xinyi's lips parted slightly. She thought for a moment and said seriously, "Probably male? I'm not very sure. Why do you ask?"
Seeing Fu Xinyi's strange look, Lu Yibei quickly explained, "Uh, don't misunderstand, I'm not a furry fan, I was just asking."
Fu Xinyi was in a hurry to catch up to her Senior Brothers, so she didn't ask further. She shrugged and continued walking forward.
Lu Yibei followed behind her. After walking a distance, she glanced back at the Zhenshan Divine Beast lingering by the pool, frowned slightly, ignored the beast, and quickly averted her gaze.
Utterly indifferent!
Although he now realized that the Zhenshan Divine Beast's reaction just now was very likely due to him, since everyone misunderstood that Fu Xinyi caused the beast to react that way, he felt it was better to let this beautiful misunderstanding continue.
He was planning to sneak things out of Da Chunyang Palace next. At this critical juncture, attracting unnecessary attention because of the Zhenshan Divine Beast would be quite disadvantageous to his actions.
This kind of thing was like trying to sneak something out of a police station and running into a police dog eagerly trying to please you the moment you climbed over the wall.
If he got entangled with the Zhenshan Divine Beast, what fun would there be?
So, it was better to let Fu Xinyi take the blame!
Anyway, she was also a rare genius of Da Chunyang Palace, so no one would find it strange if she accomplished some great feat, right?
If necessary, he could even help solidify her reputation for making the divine beast submit.
Oh right, speaking of watermelons...
He'd have to go find that Old man later and make him perform eating watermelon. Lu Yibei thought.
----
On a prominent boulder by the Cold Pool in the back mountain of Da Chunyang Palace.
Hua Sang sat cross-legged on the boulder, holding a fresh brined chicken and eating heartily. A moment later, the bones were scattered all over the ground.
After finishing the brined chicken, she wiped her greasy little hands on her Daoist robe and muttered to herself, "Emm, not bad, really not bad. Back in the mountains, I feel completely comfortable."
As she spoke, she took out the black iron-colored discipline ruler from her 懷, and while picking through the chicken bones for a while, she selected a bone that still had a bit of meat on it. She used a thin red string to tie the discipline ruler and the chicken bone separately, then casually tossed the end with the chicken bone into the Cold Pool.
She had been fishing for turtles here for so many years and was already familiar with their habits. Those delicate baits, or the medicinal herbs cultivated in Qingnang Grass Hut that were rich in Spiritual Energy, were simply not effective.
She had already asked Qingji. To catch turtles, you had to use Human Fireworks!
As for what Human Fireworks was, Hua Sang's understanding was the food and dishes from the kitchen, so before each fishing session, she would go to the mess hall to grab some food.
However, using the dishes directly was a bit wasteful, so she would always eat first, and then use the leftovers to fish for turtles.
Sometimes it was leftover vegetable leaves, sometimes fish heads, and sometimes gnawed chicken bones.
What to use as bait depended on what the main dish prepared in the mess hall was that day.
After skillfully completing the preparations for fishing for turtles, Hua Sang stretched, inserted the discipline ruler into a crack in the stone beside her, then leaned back, lay down on the boulder, stretched out her limbs, closed her eyes, and began to nap.
After lying down for a while, as if to let the sunlight fully and evenly reach every corner of her body, she turned over again, facing down, and lay sprawled on the boulder.
Immersed in the tranquil pleasure of "returning to nature," Hua Sang was completely unaware that a white-bearded Old man wearing a white vest and a straw hat was approaching her side silently, his face filled with anger.
Zhang Huainan stood beside Hua Sang, stared at her for a few seconds, then backhanded the discipline ruler from the crack in the stone, aimed at her perky backside, and began to thrash wildly.
As the discipline ruler rose and fell, the wind howled, and faint thunder could be heard. Even the boulder beneath Hua Sang was shaken, rumbling loudly and kicking up dust.
"You wretched girl infuriate this Old man! Letting you laze around here, letting you laze around here!"
However, except for the first unexpected strike of the discipline ruler which made her body twitch, Hua Sang was almost completely unfazed. After two miserable cries, even her screams became perfunctory.
"Ouch... so painful, it hurts so much... my butt's blooming..."
Listening to Hua Sang's weak, emotionless wails, Zhang Huainan not only felt no relief, but became even more furious. He angrily threw the discipline ruler aside and said in a deep voice, "You wretched girl, I ask you, why did you leave that kid Lu Yibei down the mountain?"
"Is this the way a Da Chunyang Palace disciple should treat guests?"
Hua Sang turned over, tidied her messy hair, and said in surprise, "I didn't! I asked Senior Brother to pick him up! With Senior Brother's speed, taking a shortcut would get him down the mountain in five minutes at most. Surely he couldn't wait for even five minutes, could he?"
"Nonsense! Your Senior Brother didn't go to pick him up at all!" Zhang Huainan said. "I already asked your Master. Your Senior Brother went down the mountain early in the morning to run errands in Shizhou City!"
"But..." Hua Sang was a little wronged and argued, "I clearly saw my Senior Brother!"
"..." Hearing this, Zhang Huainan seemed to suddenly remember something. He fell silent for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Really?"
"Really, could I still lie to you?"
"Haven't you lied to me enough already?"
"Not this time, really." Hua Sang said seriously.
"..." Zhang Huainan was silent for a while longer, then handed the discipline ruler back to Hua Sang. "I'll believe you for now. Keep fishing! When you catch one, roast it well and bring it to this Old man. You know where to bring it, right?"
Hua Sang pouted, took the discipline ruler, and waved her hand, saying, "I know, I know, hurry up and leave. You're making so much noise here, you'll scare the turtles away!"
"Hmph!" Zhang Huainan let out a cold snort, put his hands behind his back, tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, and soared into the air. After a few flashes of his figure, he disappeared into the mountain forest.
----
On the other side.
In Zhenting Hall, on a certain long corridor.
Fu Xinyi crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Lu Yibei, who was sitting on the railing, with a face full of confusion. She asked, "What's wrong with you? You suddenly fell to the ground and started twitching. Are you feeling unwell?"
"I..." Lu Yibei opened her mouth, then sighed silently and said, "Never mind, I'm fine. You should hurry and go chase after your admirers, shouldn't you?"
Should I tell her that my butt suddenly hurts? Like someone hit me.
How could I say that?
Moreover, this situation might also be caused by that strange connection with Hua Sang.
Damn it, what is that guy doing? Butt hurting... I didn't see this coming, she's playing quite big! Lu Yibei thought.
