Chapter 393 - 392: Everyone Loves Gossip
Gu Zhao left Yazhou, crossed Wuya Ridge, and arrived at the Green Water Pool.
"Sect Leader Gu?"
Before Gu Zhao could even enter the water, he ran into Mo Wei, who was roasting fish by the shore of the Green Water Pool. Mo Wei was the very same guard who had been with Bi Yingying when several old Daoists came to investigate the pool.
After Bi Yingying joined Daluo Palace, Mo Wei returned to the Green Water Pool to serve as its gatekeeper. He guarded the perimeter of the pool with nothing much to do all day. Besides Cultivation, he spent his time fishing and roasting fish.
Don’t think that being a gatekeeper is a sign of being undervalued. In fact, only those who are loyal, trustworthy, and possess a certain level of strength can serve as the gatekeeper for a major power.
Have you not seen that the gatekeepers of the South Celestial Gate are the Four Great Heavenly Kings, and the gatekeeper of Jade Void Palace is the White Crane Child?
As for the gatekeepers of Daluo Palace, the Guardian Star Officials took turns in the role. Each of them had hundreds of years of Dao Practice, ensuring that no riff-raff would ever be allowed to cause trouble.
"Mr. Mo."
"I don’t dare to be called ’Mr. Mo’ by the Sect Leader. You can just call me Mo Wei." Mo Wei quickly put down his roasted fish, stepped forward, and cupped his hands. "Miss Zhuo and the others arrived not long ago. I’ll open up the pool and send you down."
Gu Zhao nodded. Mo Wei then performed a water-parting technique. The pool water before them split down the middle, opening a path wide enough for two people. The water on either side stood like walls, serene and emerald green, like flawless jade.
Gu Zhao could even see fish swimming within the walls of water. One of them seemed to want to poke its head out, but the moment it reached the edge, it was as if it had hit an invisible barrier. After bumping against it for a while, it swam off to the side.
Gu Zhao nodded to Mo Wei and strolled down. Only then did he discover that there were actual steps beneath his feet, paved with shells and snails, leading straight to the Bishui Palace at the bottom of the pool.
"How come I didn’t get this treatment last time?" Gu Zhao laughed.
Mo Wei scratched his head. "Last time you came, the Palace Master personally welcomed you and opened a passage through the water. You didn’t take this path!"
Gu Zhao roared with laughter and continued down the path, soon arriving outside Bishui Palace. Mo Wei then withdrew his Magical Power, and the pool water closed up behind them. The little fish that had been stuck against the barrier quickly swam about again, resuming their normal activity.
Bishui Palace had a Water-Repelling Pearl that kept the pool water at bay. By this time, Bi Jingjing had already received word from Mo Wei and had come to the entrance with the women of Daluo Palace to welcome him.
Xu Sirou stood behind Zhuo Qingyan and giggled. "You just got here, Sister, and the Sect Leader has already chased after you."
He Cailian couldn’t help but smile. "Sister and the Sect Leader are certainly close."
Zhuo Qingyan pressed her lips together but still shook her head. "If he wanted to come, he would have just followed us directly. Besides, we took our time sightseeing on the way here, so he definitely didn’t come specifically to chase after me."
Sure enough, Gu Zhao cupped his hands toward Bi Jingjing and said, "I was just returning from Yazhou and happened to be passing by the Green Water Pool. I remembered that Qingyan and the others were guests here, so I thought I’d drop by and impose."
"Sect Leader Gu, please." Bi Jingjing gestured for him to enter and asked curiously, "My little sister just said the Sect Leader was enjoying his leisure at the palace. How did you manage to make a trip to Yazhou so quickly?"
Generally, prying into someone’s private affairs, especially the whereabouts of the leader of a major sect, would be considered quite rude. However, since he had brought it up himself, it was a natural opening for conversation.
"Because Zhan Qing was abducted by a banshee."
"Ah!"
"To marry him and achieve Harmony."
"Huh?"
Bai Ke couldn’t help but complain, "Can you not be so dramatic when you talk?"
Most of the Elders in Daluo Palace were old men. Although they had varied personalities, with some being kind, approachable, and humorous, they all looked like old men in the end.
Therefore, the five young people—Yunyang, Changyi, Yangshuo, Zhan Qing, and Jingyi—stood out and found it easy to blend in with the other young disciples in the palace.
So, when everyone heard that Zhan Qing had been captured, they were all quite worried.
Of course, their worry only lasted for a moment. After all, Gu Zhao was returning from the direction of Yazhou and was still in the mood to visit the Green Water Pool, which naturally meant he had already solved the problem.
But what they hadn’t expected was that the banshee had abducted Zhan Qing to marry him and achieve Harmony?
The fires of gossip burned in the eyes of the women. Even Zhuo Qingyan’s eyes lit up as she immediately asked, "Details!"
Only Bi Jingjing managed to restrain herself. "Sect Leader Gu, please come in. Let’s sit down and talk."
...
Meanwhile, Xue Yining had also returned to Snow God Mountain.
Snow God Mountain was located in Jing’an Prefecture, in the southernmost part of Yazhou. Jing’an Prefecture was already mountainous, and here at the southernmost border of the nation, the mountains stretched on and on, an endless expanse of undulating peaks.
At the edge of this continuous mountain range was a cluster of mountains taller than the rest, soaring into the clouds and piercing the sky. They were shaped like a lotus flower, with layers converging toward the center, where a single, highest peak stood, its snow-capped summit never melting all year round.
This was Snow God Mountain.
It was said that an ancestor of the Snow Maidens had used her Magical Power to shape the earth’s veins, raising Snow God Mountain from nothing. By borrowing the terrain of the surrounding mountains, she had created not only a sacred ground for a sect, filled with abundant Spiritual Qi, but also a natural Array that protected the mountain and its spiritual veins.
A white light served as Xue Yining’s Protective Body, and a biting chill emanated from her. In the nearby mountains, a ripple seemed to flash and vanish, interacting with the coldness from Xue Yining before disappearing once more.
SWOOSH—
Xue Yining flew straight into the lotus-shaped Snow God Mountain, heading directly for a relatively tall peak on its side.
"Yining?" A gentle voice reached Xue Yining’s ears, tinged with a faint hint of confusion. "Why did you suddenly come back? Where’s Bingbing?"
"Bingbing has found her destined partner."
"Then why didn’t she come back with you?"
A graceful figure in white appeared on a platform near the mountain’s peak. Looking closely, one could see a small palace built of ice and stone nestled against the cliff face, exquisite and magnificent, as if not of this world.
"Because the man also has a significant background."
Xue Yining landed on the platform in a streak of Escape Light. The light dissipated to reveal her form, and she cupped her hands toward the woman. "The man’s name is Fang Zhanqing. He is a disciple of Daluo Palace from Jiangzhou."
"Come inside first." The woman took Xue Yining’s hand and led her into the palace, asking curiously, "Tell me the details?"
"Bingbing went down the mountain to travel and find her future husband."
As she walked, Xue Yining explained, "She traveled all the way to Qinglan Prefecture, north of Yazhou, where she encountered a Black Bear Spirit that had come down from the mountains. The Black Bear Spirit took a fancy to Bingbing and wanted to take her back to be his chieftain’s wife."
The woman chuckled. "Quite bold of him."
"But that Black Bear Spirit’s Dao Practice was not weak, and Bingbing couldn’t defeat him yet," Xue Yining said. "Then, three young men appeared and helped Bingbing kill the Black Bear Spirit."
"Their Dao Practice was similar to Bingbing’s, but their Magical Power was pure, their Magic profound, and their foundation very deep."
Xue Yining quickly recounted how she had appeared and taken Fang Zhanqing away, and how, not long after, the Daluo Palace Master had found them and stated Daluo Palace’s stance on Fang Zhanqing and Xue Bingbing.
By now, Xue Bingbing should already be traveling the martial world with that Fang Zhanqing.
’Neither servile nor overbearing, with grand aspirations.’ The woman looked to the north, a flicker of interest in her eyes. ’Daluo Palace? Interesting!’