The Dragon

Star-Moon Orchid

Gu Fuyou took Zhong Michu back to the gambling house first to retrieve the reward for the canyon race. The same lady in red greeted them.

The lady in red seemed a bit surprised when she learned that they had won. However, she remained composed, asking no further questions, and presented the prize.

The prize consisted of a brocade box and five hundred thousand spirit stones.

Impatient, Gu Fuyou eagerly opened the box to see the actual reward.

The moment the box was opened, Zhong Michu noticed Gu Fuyou’s hands trembling.

Her gaze shifted to the contents of the box. Inside was a book, its pages tattered and yellowed. Only half of the book remained, without a cover, but one could clearly see the dense text and strange diagrams on it. It was a fragment of a book on array formations.

With trembling lips, Gu Fuyou muttered, “Qimen…”

Zhong Michu knew what Qimen was; it was the origin of all array formations.

Long before humans began cultivating, array formations were already in existence.

They deciphered the mysteries of the universe, and altered the yin and yang and the five elements. Array formations are the culmination of tens of thousands of years of human wisdom.

It was a point of pride for humans, proving that although they might be insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe, they still possessed the ability and audacity to manipulate it.

Back then, one might spend an entire lifetime just to develop a single formation. But like-minded people would come together, building upon one another’s work, passing down knowledge from generation to generation. And thus, from a single spark, a great fire of knowledge spread, evolving these array formations.

All types of formations can be traced back to a single origin, like a grand tree with many branches, all leading back to a single point. The book “Qimen” contains these original formations.

Ancient formation methods leveraged the natural spiritual energy of the world. Even those without cultivation, if they understood the theory, could set up a formation given the right time and place.

However, such formations had many limitations. First, they depended too much on external conditions like the right time or location. Second, they were complex and hard to understand. One had to thoroughly understand the formation’s nature, characteristics, weaknesses, and connections to other formations.

After humans began cultivating, they discovered that they could create formations quickly using their own cultivation, which were more powerful, unrestricted by external conditions, and didn’t require them to remember the origins of the formation.

As a result, ancient formation methods fell out of favor. Fewer and fewer people sought to understand how and why these formations originated.

Gradually, ancient formations were phased out, and fewer and fewer people studied the origins of formations and their reasons for existence.

Books detailing ancient formations became rare, and Qimen, already a rare book, became even scarcer. Finding a fragment of it now was truly a rarity.

This reward truly touched Gu Fuyou’s heart.

Overwhelmed with joy, a tingling sensation crawled up her spine. Biting her lip, she let out a hum of delight, seemingly unable to contain her happiness.

Upon seeing Zhong Michu by her side, she immediately lunged forward and hugged her, exclaiming, “I’m going to die, I’m going to die. Senior Sister Zhong, what should I do…”

Zhong Michu once again witnessed her passion for array formations. That pure, fervent love for something one would spend a lifetime achieving, something Zhong Michu herself did not possess. Yet, at that moment, she felt as if she had been infected by Gu Fuyou’s enthusiasm.

It felt as if she had found something worth dedicating her life to. It was a cause to laugh and cry for, to feel happy during the good times and sad during the bad times. Working tirelessly towards it, once achieved, it would bring her unmatched satisfaction and glory.

It seemed far more enticing than spending a lifetime cultivating on Gushen Peak, forsaking all desires to achieve immortality.

Zhong Michu smiled slightly and said, “You can’t die yet, your sword isn’t forged.”

Gu Fuyou felt that laugh like a siren’s song, tugging at her heartstrings.

A ticklish sensation enveloped Gu Fuyou’s ears, reaching deep into her heart.

With her face flushed, she took a step back, pressed her lips together, and after a moment, glanced up to ask, “Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Gu Fuyou quietly moved to the other side of Ah Fu, keeping a distance from Zhong Michu. She needed a moment to compose herself.

Shortly after they left, a man hurried into the gambling house. He approached a lady in red, and they went into a room deep within the establishment, a place where ordinary people weren’t allowed.

The lady in red, standing in front of a screen, exclaimed in surprise after hearing the man’s report, “Are you sure it’s a White Dragon?”

The man responded, “Absolutely. So many people saw it. It can’t be that everyone’s eyes were mistaken. If Lady Kunling doesn’t believe it, you can ask the two witnesses from the race.”

Kunling frowned deeply and muttered to herself, “I initially thought she was just some young noble sneaking out for fun. But the White Dragon… it’s really the White Dragon…”

The person said, “Lady Kunling, look, this, this…”

Kunling pondered and said, “I have to personally go to the Eastern Sea with the association president for this matter. You go and investigate her background, send someone to secretly follow her and protect her at all costs. If necessary, use the power of the merchant association.”

“Yes.”

Kunling added, “Wait, She has a beast mark. It seems like she’s made a pact…”

“How is that possible?”

“Investigate that Gu Fuyou as well.” Kunling felt strange in her heart. When she saw the beast mark on Zhong Michu earlier, she thought it was just some kind of deal between Zhong Michu and Gu Fuyou, not a simple pact.

Throughout history, no one has ever been able to summon and make a pact with the Dragon and Azure Phoenix clans. These two clans are mythical beasts, not spirit beasts, and cannot be controlled by humans. Moreover, the relationship between Gu Fuyou and Zhong Michu doesn’t seem to be that of a master and servant.

But now, the White Dragon is willing to entrust itself to Gu Fuyou, which confuses Kunling. Their relationship is obviously special.

“Understood,” the man replied.

After Zhong Michu and Gu Fuyou left the gambling house, they went to the street. These days it was the Flower Festival, and the streets were bustling with excitement.

Originally, the Flower Festival in ancient times was in spring, not only for enjoying flowers but also to pray to the gods for a good harvest.

Today, with the popularity of the immortal path, people use their spiritual power to cultivate flowers. The varieties of flowers have become more exotic and bloom all year round. The Flower Festival gradually shifted to summer.

Flower farmers breed new varieties every year. The streets are full of laughter and joy.

The streets were crowded, filled with laughter and chatter. Even the most detached individual would be enveloped in the festive atmosphere here.

The two didn’t visit many places before it got dark. The street was even more crowded, and lanterns were lit everywhere.

The crowd grew denser, pushing the two forward until they reached a display of lanterns. Beside it was an inn where patrons drank and sang in celebration.

Suddenly, Gu Fuyou caught sight of a familiar figure. She tugged at Zhong Michu and asked, “Senior Sister Zhong, do you see that person? Isn’t that the Senior Elder?”

Zhong Michu, wearing a hat, looked in that direction, subtly lifting the white veil of her hat, “It’s him.”

Entering the inn was Ji Xiyan, followed by another man, a dignified man in his thirties with a beard. This man made a gesture inviting Ji Xiyan inside.

Confused, Gu Fuyou asked, “Why is the Senior Elder with Zuo Yuezhi?”

Anticipating that Zhong Michu might not recognize the name, Gu Fuyou added, “He’s the son of the Xu Ling Sect’s leader, and the father of Zuo Tianlang, the one who was chasing us in the race.”

Zhong Michu, upon seeing this scene, didn’t seem surprised. “The dealings between Xuan Miao Sect and Xu Ling Sect have always been managed by the senior elder.”

She hadn’t been concerned or informed about these matters before. Only this year, when Ji Chaoling asked her to familiarize herself with the immortal sects, did she begin to understand.

The matter with Ji Xiyan was among those things she learned.

Gu Fuyou understood. Although the relationship between Xiaoyao City, Xuan Miao Sect, and Xu Ling Sect was delicate, they still had to maintain appearances. With their territories adjacent to each other, there were many matters they needed to discuss face-to-face.

Gu Fuyou, feeling a bit guilty for sneaking Zhong Michu out and running into the Senior Elder, didn’t think much of it. She took Zhong Michu’s wrist and blended into the crowd, leaving the area.

She led Zhong Michu out of the city gate . Outside the eastern gate was Yunduan Grand Canyon, and outside the western gate was Xingyue Slope.

The streets was bustling with people, many holding lanterns, chatting and laughing. It looked like thousands of fireflies in the wilderness, presenting a unique ambiance.

Zhong Michu asked, “Where are we heading?”

Perhaps the warmth of the crowd had rubbed off on her, causing Zhong Michu’s voice to sound less indifferent and instead laced with a hint of anticipation.

Gu Fuyou replied with an air of mystery, “I’m taking you to see the wonders of the mortal world.”

On the slope, there was a pavilion with bamboo fences on both sides, which appeared ordinary but were actually a defensive formation.

On the other side of the bamboo barrier, the wind rustled, giving the impression of a grassy slope and carrying a deep, expansive scent.

To enter, every person had to pay a fee of 100,000 spirit stones. Gu Fuyou seemed quite reluctant to part with this amount.

Zhong Michu didn’t quite understand. She clearly had tens of millions of spirit stones, so why was she fussing over such a small amount?

Gu Fuyou grudgingly paid the spirit stones and even purchased the most expensive service.

The two climbed up the slope, and a servant began setting up a table behind them, brewing wine and making tea.

Zhong Michu looked at the dark wilderness and smelled a subtle fragrance: “Is this a flower field?”

Gu Fuyou nodded with a smile, then turned around to fetch some wine. “You have to wait a while for the flowers to bloom, you should see it.”

“Alright.” Zhong Michu sat back down, sipping the sweet-scented tea. It was flower tea. She took a cup and tasted it, finding it uniquely delightful.

One poured wine while the other drank tea.

Even in silence, time passed easily.

After a pot of wine, Gu Fuyou was slightly tipsy. She suddenly stood up and excitedly said, “Senior Sister Zhong, it’s happening! Look!”

Zhong Michu, with her keen senses, felt a change in the winds of the vast fields.

She turned around to look, and the dark clouds above the night sky dispersed, revealing a bright milky way.

In that flower field, the buds emitted a faint blue glow, slowly blooming like a white phoenix spreading its wings, ultimately revealing their most beautiful form.

Countless dots of luminescent white light rose from the buds, flying towards the sky, resembling rising stars.

The luminescence of the ground danced alongside the stars, their lights melding and enhancing one another, blurring the lines between heaven and earth.

It was the most elegant, the most serene, the most breathtaking sight.

As Gu Fuyou said, it was a world’s wonder.

The servant had quietly left, leaving just the two of them and Ah Fu on the hillside. Zhong Michu removed her bamboo hat, gazed at the wondrous flowers sprawled across the wilderness, and inquired, “Are these the Star-Moon Orchids?”

Gu Fuyou responded, “Senior Sister Zhong, have you seen them before?” There was a touch of disappointment in her voice. She had thought that Zhong Michu had never seen them and had brought her here to surprise her. That’s why she had been so mysterious about it.

The Star-Moon Orchid blooms for only one night. When it blooms, the clouds clear up, and the ground appears as if stars have risen, hence its name. They are incredibly challenging to cultivate, and their blooming time is unpredictable. Planting an entire field of these flowers and ensuring they bloom at the same time required immense effort from Wantong City, which is why so many spirit stones are charged for entry.

Zhong Michu replied, “I’ve read about them in books.”

This was one reason she hesitated to descend the mountain. Because everything was recorded in books, once she knew what they looked like, she lost interest in seeing them in person.

But now she suddenly realized that actually seeing them evoked a different feeling, something that pictures and words couldn’t just capture.

“Gu Fuyou, I really like this place. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Gu Fuyou’s smile bloomed like a flower, “If you like it, that’s good.”

She happily drank a few more cups of wine. When she turned to look back, Zhong Micchu was still standing on the edge of the hill, gazing at the field of Star-Moon Orchids. The gentle night wind blew, fluttering her clothing and long hair.

From Gu Fuyou’s perspective, she couldn’t make out Zhong Michu’s expression, but she could see the broken horn on the left side of her head.

A wave of discomfort surged in Gu Fuyou’s heart, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Sister Zhong… how did your dragon horn get injured?”