Chapter 0: 75. Destiny is Mine
The mission to tell Qiu Lingyun the truth beforehand was naturally completed smoothly.
Two days later.
In order to understand the “Celestial Master Wang Xuan” better, Qin Gou had Qiu Lingyun pilot the spirit boat, leading them directly to Wang Xuan’s secluded residence.
“This is for you.” Qin Gou took out an Emperor Weapon sword from his Nas virtual ring and handed it to Li Yuanzhen, saying, “I originally planned to refine it myself before gifting it to you, but then I thought, with my artifact refining skills, it’s better not to damage such a treasure.”
Li Yuanzhen took the Emperor Weapon sword and exclaimed, “Isn’t this Sect Master Xia’s personal Emperor Weapon, the ‘Myriad Derivations Sword’?”
“Indeed. Use it to familiarize yourself first, and when the time is right, consider whether to use it to advance your ‘Invisible Slash’ Spirit Tool.” Qin Gou nodded. This was a trophy Ye Qishuang obtained from fighting Xia Luyin with her own skill. However, it was useless to her, so she gave it to Qin Gou as a gift. Qin Gou, on the other hand, had no sword-type Spirit Tools, so after a long journey, it returned to the hands of someone from the Sword Questioning Sect.
“But this is the Sect Master’s Myriad Derivations Sword. How can this humble Daoist accept it?” Li Yuanzhen’s dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, a resilient spirit of righteousness burning in her eyes.
“What? You don’t want this Myriad Derivations Sword?” Qin Gou raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Of course!”
Li Yuanzhen nodded seriously and said, “Therefore, this is clearly not the Myriad Derivations Sword! From now on, this humble Daoist will call it the ‘True Feelings Sword’!” As she spoke, Li Yuanzhen quickly replaced her own sword, which was slung across her back, with the Myriad Derivations Sword.
Qin Gou gasped, “Are you a dog?”
Li Yuanzhen: “Woof?”
At the same time, the spirit boat slowly descended and finally landed steadily in a mountain stream.
Qin Gou looked around and asked, “Little Ball, is this Wang Xuan’s former residence? In this wilderness, Master doesn’t think it looks like it.”
Qiu Lingyun walked over with an embarrassed expression and said, “This is just the general location of Wang Xuan’s former residence. As for the specific spot, this humble one is also a bit confused.”
Qin Gou said sheepishly, “You’ve forgotten in just a few days? Do you have a map? Let Master see it.”
“There is no map. This humble one only knew the general direction from the very beginning,” Qiu Lingyun replied truthfully.
“Abbess Fusheng didn’t give you a map and just sent you here? Then last time…” Qin Gou seemed to suddenly remember something.
“Because in this world, perhaps only this humble one can find traces of Wang Xuan under such harsh conditions!” Qiu Lingyun tidied her robe and, after leading Qin Gou and the others off the spirit boat, suddenly picked up a branch from the ground and said, “Old Qin, don’t worry. This humble one just needs to repeat the old trick.”
“Oh?”
The three looked at Qiu Lingyun with curiosity in their eyes.
Qiu Lingyun formed a ‘Middle Finger’ hand seal with one hand and murmured softly, “Destiny is Mine.” Immediately, she casually tossed the ordinary branch in her hand into the sky.
The branch fell, its pointed end pointing south.
Qiu Lingyun picked up the branch and said with a smile, “We’ll head south, and we’ll be sure to be right.”
“This…” Ao Banwei’s little face was bewildered.
Li Yuanzhen was also confused, “Has A’qiu gone mad?”
However, Qin Gou unhesitatingly pulled the two along with Qiu Lingyun’s pace, saying, “This is the wonderful use of Little Ball’s ‘Eight Directions Destiny’ Spirit Tool.”
“Eight Directions Destiny Spirit Tool? Does this Spirit Tool’s ability allow it to find paths?” Li Yuanzhen asked curiously.
“The Eight Directions Destiny Spirit Tool’s ability is not pathfinding; it only has one effect.”
Qin Gou watched Qiu Lingyun, who continuously tossed branches and accurately determined directions, and said, “Heavenly Fortune.”
In this manner, Qiu Lingyun, by simply throwing branches all the way, successfully led Qin Gou and his party to Wang Xuan’s former residence.
The white-walled courtyard hidden in the mountains was surrounded by dense arrays. As long as there were enough spirit stones, they could be maintained for many more years.
“This is it,” Qiu Lingyun pointed to the white-walled courtyard.
“Little Ball, go and stop this array directly. Before we leave, Master will help you rebuild a few more to prevent this residence from being destroyed by wild beasts,” Qin Gou said immediately.
“Okay.”
Qiu Lingyun readily agreed and ran a few steps forward. Without using any spirit arts, she plunged directly into the array alone.
“Qiu, you’re…” Seeing Qiu Lingyun’s rashness, Li Yuanzhen exclaimed in surprise.
However, Qiu Lingyun, already inside the array, turned her head in confusion and asked, “Demon Dao Sister, what’s wrong?”
“As if I said anything.”
At this moment, the layers of killing arrays seemed to have collectively malfunctioned. Various solidified sword energies and flaming dragons rapidly passed by Qiu Lingyun, but they didn’t even damage the corner of her clothes.
“Then I’ll begin. This humble one is not afraid at all.” After saying that, Qiu Lingyun aimed at a sharp sword qi and deliberately walked towards it with her body. However, her foot inexplicably slipped, and she narrowly avoided it.
But she was still unconvinced. She repeated this several times. Finally, at this moment, a sword qi was driven straight towards her brow. Just as the sword qi was about to kill Qiu Lingyun on the spot, with a loud ‘boom,’ all the arrays collapsed on their own for unknown reasons, and all killing power vanished in an instant.
“Done.” Qiu Lingyun smiled leisurely. Was she really not afraid at all? Impossible. Timid as a quail, hesitant and fearful, these were things Qiu Lingyun readily admitted about herself. But this was the first time she had shown her progress over the years to her Master after meeting him again; how could she falter?
The three, who felt their hearts pounding just by watching, immediately stepped forward. When they reached Qiu Lingyun’s side, Qin Gou calmly retrieved the Bud of Taihuang, which he had quietly hidden in Qiu Lingyun’s hair as a precaution.
Entering the courtyard, Qin Gou went directly to Wang Xuan’s study.
Li Yuanzhen and Ao Banwei, unable to suppress their curiosity, went to the core of the Mountain Guarding Array to investigate. They found that the core array flags had already been shattered beyond recognition. The true reason for the malfunction could no longer be known.
An incense stick’s duration later.
Qin Gou was still in the study, while Li Yuanzhen and the others waited in the courtyard.
“Demon Dao Sister, you said before at the Seed Demon Sacred Cult that you wanted to play dice with this humble one again. This humble one was busy piloting the spirit boat just now, but now that I’m free,” Qiu Lingyun said to Li Yuanzhen, sitting on the stone steps.
Li Yuanzhen was wiping her sword, her pretty face blank, “Did I? When did this humble Daoist say that? I don’t remember.”
“Wasn’t it last night?” Qiu Lingyun scratched her head. “Did this humble one remember incorrectly again?”
“No, Banwei was there too. Yuan Zhenjie did say that she was not convinced and must win back!” Ao Banwei covered her mouth and smiled from the side.
“This humble Daoist remembers. Look at my brain.” Li Yuanzhen chuckled dryly and patted her hair, then added, “However, the word ‘gamble’ is the root of all evil. This humble Daoist has already… quit!”
“Ah?! When did this happen?” Qiu Lingyun asked in surprise. This Daoist sister in front of her had previously vowed that gambling was her only hobby in life.
“When you were around!” The Little Gambler looked at Qiu Lingyun eagerly and with immense envy, then shifted her position, still shaken.
