Free Web NovelChapter 1635: Chapter 988: The Difference Between Talent and Genius (Part 2)
Mu Yunye’s expression finally began to grow heavy. Although there was no trace of shock or embarrassment on his face at this moment, when Baili An handed over that Spirit Stone engraved with runes...
Fang Geyu could even imagine how foul a mood this Golden Immortal’s son must be in right now.
Whether out of an Immortal Lord’s pride, or his refusal to accept the other party’s mockery, he did not take the Spirit Stone Baili An held out.
In those calm, even cold eyes, some deep, obscure emotion seemed to be burning.
He gave a low laugh and said, "So this is the reason Third Young Miss chose him to sit in the golden carriage?"
In that instant, he seemed to have understood something, and also seemed to be quietly mocking Fang Geyu’s shallowness and pragmatism.
"I think you’ve misunderstood." Baili An said with a faint smile. "She didn’t make any choice at all. If we must call it a choice, I was merely chosen by Third Young Miss to be her kept man, that’s all."
Hearing this explanation, the heaviness in Mu Yunye’s eyes turned into a faint ridicule.
"I can understand how exceptional Third Young Miss Fang is, but Young Master Ji, a堂堂 seven‑foot man, is actually willing to lower his status to become a woman’s kept man. I wonder, if your elders back home knew of this, what would they think?"
Baili An smiled noncommittally. Lounging back with casual ease, he crossed one leg over the other, his lazy, arrogant posture a mirror image of Fang Geyu’s.
He propped his face on one hand, while the other hand lifted halfway up.
Fang Geyu’s eyelid twitched. Seeing his manner, a faint smile surfaced on her face. Giving him ample face, she personally poured a cup of hot tea and thoughtfully placed it into the hand he had raised.
Seeing that the always haughty and unruly Eldest Miss Fang actually brought tea to his hand herself, even Mu Yunye, cultivated as he was, could not help his face darkening grimly.
Baili An slowly blew at the scalding tea leaves. "Likewise, likewise. Young Master Mu,堂堂 son of a Golden Immortal, an Immortal Lord of the heavens, actually condescending to descend to the Mortal World and perform such a heroic feat as marrying in as a son‑in‑law, entering the wife’s family. I wonder, if the elders of your Immortal Lord clan were to learn of this, what they would think."
Mu Yunye was so angered he actually laughed.
As expected, for someone Fang Geyu would take a fancy to and keep as a face‑ornament, how could his mouth possibly be meek?
However, after that Spirit Stone, even someone as proud as Mu Yunye put away his contempt for him.
Along with his shock, doubt also arose in his heart.
If we say Fang Geyu is Lord Xue’s daughter of Snow City, bearing the Immortal Bloodline of the Zhonghua Immortal Estate, then although she has yet to awaken her talisman spirit, she naturally has innate advantage and comprehension in the talismanic path.
Then this person, he being orthodox Dao‑cultivation from the Taixuan Nine Classics of the Taixuan Sect, how could he possibly walk both paths at once and display such astonishing Talent in the talismanic path?
To inscribe talismans into a Spirit Stone using spiritual power alone—had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, Mu Yunye would never have believed that in the mere Mortal World, anyone could do such a thing.
Mu Yunye’s gaze flickered for a moment. Fixing his eyes steadily on Baili An, he gave a dry chuckle and said, "So it seems, Young Master Ji has just come down from the Scale Stone Platform?"
Baili An replied, "I’ve only just arrived."
Mu Yunye did not believe it. Someone who had yet to awaken a talisman spirit, how could he, out of thin air, infuse a Rune Spirit Stone with spiritual power and form a Spiritual Array?
"Young Master Ji, there’s no need to put on such airs. I’m actually not the least bit interested in what sort of talisman spirit you’ve awakened. There’s no need for you to deliberately hide your edge."
Though he said this, Mu Yunye inwardly dismissed Baili An’s awakened talisman spirit. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
He did not deny that Baili An’s control of spiritual power was exquisite to the extreme; even he was ashamed of his own inferiority before that Spirit Stone Spiritual Array technique.
But this did not mean that the other truly possessed such good fortune as to awaken a talisman spirit.
Talisman spirits have nothing whatsoever to do with control in the talismanic path; what they depend on is pure luck. Just like the probability of Spirit Roots among countless mortals—it all comes down to fortune.
And the luck of Immortals, compared to mortals, is far more refined, and can be viewed through Spiritual Observation.
If one’s fortune is close to spirit‑white or extreme violet or extreme crimson, then it is positive‑grade fortune, favored by the Heavenly Dao; such people are always blessed with strokes of good luck.
To put it more plainly—that is one’s luck value.
But if the color of one’s fortune leans toward black or green‑black, that is negative‑grade fortune, rejected by the Heavenly Dao. Opportunities and good luck will often run contrary to them.
At that very first night banquet, Mu Yunye had already used a Spirit Talisman to conduct Spiritual Observation on Baili An’s fortune. With his level of cultivation...
Though he could not see it in full, he could still perceive the extremely faint black qi flowing from the other’s body.
With such black fortune, even if he did awaken a talisman spirit, it would most likely be a low‑grade, mixed product.
Moreover, he deliberately avoided mentioning what kind of talisman spirit he had awakened. This made Mu Yunye all the more certain of his own suspicion—that Baili An knew his talisman spirit’s Rank was far inferior to Mu Yunye’s, and naturally did not dare bring it out to make a fool of himself.
Seeing him press the issue so relentlessly, Baili An did not bother to explain further. He merely turned his head toward Fang Geyu and asked, "Any requirements to go up on the stage?"
Fang Geyu naturally understood what he meant. She lazily tossed out a piece of Jade and said, "Ordinary folk who want to get on stage for testing just take a number and queue. But since you’re one of mine, your right to choose is, of course, superior to the others’."
Baili An only smiled, took the Jade, flipped himself down from the carriage, and walked toward the altar.
Watching Baili An’s receding figure, Mu Yunye felt a surge of doubt in his heart.
For a moment he couldn’t quite decide whether the other truly had not yet ascended the altar to test his talisman spirit with the Scale Stone, or was still continuing to put on a show.
Parting the crowd, Baili An arrived at the City Guard post beneath the altar. He submitted the Jade token, and no unexpected accident occurred.
The city guard, seeing the Jade in his hand, showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but quickly made a hand signal and decisively cut off the long, cawing line behind.
Then he respectfully led Baili An up onto the altar.
City Lord Fang You, who was presiding over the Sea God Festival, saw that the one coming up this time was actually Baili An, and a subtle change came over his expression as his gaze involuntarily followed that figure.
Standing at his side, Steward Fang Chi noticed the change in City Lord Fang You’s expression, but did not react too much—for the degree of attention he paid to Baili An was in no way less than that of City Lord Fang You.
One could even say that from the moment Baili An stepped down from that golden carriage, Fang Chi’s gaze had been fixed on him without a moment’s departure.
Around the Sea God Festival altar, eight tall towers had been erected. Each tower had pavilions and railings, providing people with a broader view to overlook the entire stage.
A yellow‑robed young woman standing with a parasol on a corner of one such tower saw the city guards below actually take the initiative to cut off the queue, and couldn’t help showing a startled, suspicious look as she sized up Baili An on the stage.
The yellow‑robed young woman had snow‑white cheeks and eyes like clear flowing water; her features were as delicate as spring blossoms. Her attire was especially luxurious and refined, and there seemed to be a touch of arrogance between her brows, the kind cultivated from childhood.
With a blue feather fan half‑covering her cheek, she revealed a pair of bright, striking eyes. She couldn’t help but let out a cold snort and said,
"So it’s Bu Lingyu. He belongs to Fang Geyu?" Hearing her mention Fang Geyu’s name, the Maids holding parasols and attending at her side didn’t even dare breathe loudly, all lowering their heads.
The yellow‑robed young woman’s face was cool and tinged with mockery, as if she found it extremely beneath her notice, and she gave a soft, derisive laugh:
"Since when did Fang Geyu start playing this game of looking after her own people? She actually opened the back door for Bu Lingyu. He clearly arrived this late, yet instead of lining up like everyone else and waiting his turn, he goes right up and puts on airs. This arrogant, unreasonable temperament of his really does take after Fang Geyu."
"What a pity. No matter how hard his backing, talisman spirit matters are of such weight that not even the City Lord himself has the qualifications to meddle. All he’s doing is rushing up there to make a fool of himself and provide some amusement.
Still, since Bu Lingyu has already been gifted out, this kid must hold some weight in Fang Geyu’s eyes, hm?"
"Miss, this man is a Disciple of the Taixuan Sect, surname Ji, given name Xinian. He is one of Third Young Miss Fang’s many suitors. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
At the night banquet, he was the one who forcibly took Third Young Miss back to her room. It’s said that even the City Lord was helpless against him."
"Oh?" Interest immediately brightened the blue‑robed young woman’s eyes. "So this brat does have some methods. I just wonder if he has the ability to ignite that Scale Stone and stun the whole crowd?"
"Miss jests. Talisman spirits are different from Spirit Roots—how many outside Cultivators have you ever seen that could elicit any reaction from the Scale Stone?"
