When crossing the chasm, the monk and Zhao Fusheng made a bizarre yet efficient and wise choice.
The monk once again summoned his peacock dharma idol, this time fanning out its tail feathers immediately. He clutched all the propulsion cylinders, while Zhao Fusheng wrapped his arms around the monk from behind, using his own body to shield against the Sea Maiden's attacks. The attacks from the Sea Race crowd crashed relentlessly into Zhao Fusheng, making him cough up blood, but the impact only propelled the two forward faster.
The monk activated the cylinders, and the two shot across the abyss like falling stars. The giant maw emerged once more, but the fanned-out peacock froze it for a split second, allowing the two to barely reach the opposite cliff in the nick of time.
Wei Yuan couldn't help feeling that their posture looked rather improper. Out of prudence, he recorded the imagery of the scene.
Where Wei Yuan had landed was a shallow cave that led to a dead end. Consulting his map, he estimated that excavating a tunnel five hundred zhang forward would bring him to a natural cavern, which belonged to the human domain.
He immediately cast his Golden Light Water Blade Art and began digging, motioning for the monk and Zhao Fusheng to follow.
The monk maintained a calm, serene expression throughout. Zhao Fusheng's face, however, was twisted with conflicted emotion; after a long sigh, he followed in silence.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Yuan had cut through more than ten zhang, the water blades in his hands never stopping for a moment. Both the monk and Zhao Fusheng were subtly moved. Zhao Fusheng suddenly said, "Do either of you have spare clothes? Could you spare a set? Great kindness needs no words of thanks."
The monk quietly retrieved a spare set of monastic robes from his storage magic treasure. Wei Yuan had quite a few storage treasures on him—not just his own, but seven or eight taken from others. As he was rummaging through them, someone within suddenly offered a suggestion.
So Wei Yuan took off his outer robe and tossed it to Zhao Fusheng.
Zhao Fusheng caught it in shock, momentarily lost for words. Seeing this, the monk also invoked the Buddha's name and put his monastic robes away.
The three moved forward in silence. Wei Yuan popped a few medicinal pills from time to time to replenish his spiritual qi. The monk handed over a bottle of qi-replenishing treasure pills, each roughly ten times more potent than what Wei Yuan was taking. Although the monk and Zhao Fusheng possessed far greater dharmic power than Wei Yuan, neither had an earth-excavating tool like the Water Blade Art, leaving them unable to help at the moment.
A moment later, Wei Yuan finally excavated through the rock strata and returned to the human domain. The Shadowless Flying Marten suddenly appeared, landing upon Wei Yuan's shoulder.
The monk and Zhao Fusheng looked back at the long tunnel, their expressions turning somewhat solemn.
Wei Yuan patted the Shadowless Flying Marten and said calmly, "Once we step outside, everything that happened here will be in the past. All grievances are wiped clean. Whatever everyone wants to vie for, we can start fresh."
The monk chanted a Buddhist prayer, while Zhao Fusheng said, "This Zhao is not an ungrateful man..."
Wei Yuan cut him off, saying, "I saved you two purely because I did not want two future luminaries of our human race to perish prematurely at the hands of the alien race. Like I said, once we leave, what happened here is done. We shall rely on our own abilities."
Within the Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, the crowd of crouching dragons and fledgling phoenixes silently tore up the drafts they had prepared and began rethinking their proper stances.
The three moved quickly, arriving at the secret realm's entrance shortly after. The Bao family's reception personnel were already waiting there.
Shortly thereafter, Wei Yuan was ushered into an elegant side hall. Sitting opposite him were Bao Manshan and an elderly man he had never seen before. Judging merely by his bearing, the elder's cultivation was clearly above Bao Manshan's.
The dharma idol cultivator leading the way showed not the slightest pretense in front of Wei Yuan. A seat had been prepared for Wei Yuan in the hall, placed directly opposite Bao Manshan and the elder.
The elder sized Wei Yuan up and down, stroking his beard as he said, "To think that Old Thief Chunqiu... ah, my apologies, I do have some old grudges with that old thief, so calling him that isn't really an insult. To think the old thief's luck is so good that he could add such an exceptional disciple to his sect."
"Thank you for the praise, Senior."
The elder said, "Originally, based on your performance this time, you could make two requests. But I find you pleasing to the eye—not asking for a beating like Old Thief Chunqiu—so I shall grant you an extra request. Manshan, what do you think?"
The last sentence was directed at Bao Manshan.
Bao Manshan smiled. "That is a good thing."
Wei Yuan said, "First, I want one year of time. During this year, let Bao Yun live according to her own wishes."
"The immortal path is measured in millennia; a single year is truly insignificant. Child, you underestimate the promise of our Bao family," the elder cautioned.
Wei Yuan said, "Just one year."
The elder nodded at once. "Very well, I agree."
Wei Yuan patted the flying marten in his arms. "Can this be given to me?"
"This creature was wild in the first place and not truly the Bao family's property. If you wish to take it, there is certainly no problem. However, I must remind you that you only have one last request left. You had best ask for something of value."
Bao Manshan coughed and said, "Second Elder, that crosses the line! You shouldn't prompt him like that."
The elder glared at Bao Manshan. "At worst, I'll pay out of my own pocket. Do you have a problem with that?"
"I have no problem. I just think Old Thief Chunqiu might laugh very merrily."
The elder's face instantly contorted with conflicted annoyance.
Wei Yuan fought back a laugh and said, "For my third request, I want to see Bao Yun once."
The elder paused, startled. "I never joke with juniors. You may change to another request."
Wei Yuan said, "To me, this is the most valuable thing at the present moment. As for worldly possessions, this junior will have them sooner or later, so there is no need to waste an opportunity on them."
Bao Manshan said immediately, "Good! I agree."
The elder's eyes widened in a glare. "I do not agree!"
The elder waved his hand, and Wei Yuan abruptly lost all hearing. He could only watch as the two grand elders of the Bao family engaged in a fierce argument, until Bao Manshan finally relented with great reluctance.
Wei Yuan's hearing was restored. The elder said, "You wish to see the Yun girl—I agree to this, and consider it a bonus gift to you. Make another request! The promises of my Bao family are not child's play."
Wei Yuan replied, "Being able to see her is already priceless. There is no need for an extra request."
"Have you thought this through? After this, there will never be another chance like this!"
"Junior has everything, or will in due time. So I only ask Senior to grant this."
The elder took a long, deep look at Wei Yuan and said, "Fine, fine, fine. This is the first time an elder like me has been looked down upon by a junior. Then so be it!"
Bao Manshan gave a snort, looking as though he had known all along this would happen.
In another side hall, Zhao Fusheng faced three elders and said, "My Qiongshan can show more sincerity: we can let the Bao family choose two first."
The three elders pondered for a long time, offering no reply.
Zhao Fusheng said with a wry smile, "In truth, my ancestral grandfather might not even agree to these terms; I can only say I am seventy percent sure I can persuade the old man. As you know, cultivating the Floating World Dragon Diagram is mostly to pave the way for the second generation. If you take six and I get three, Qiongshan will eventually be swallowed by you; we might as well just join the Bao family right now. Were the requirements for cultivating the Floating World Dragon Diagram not so exacting that no other candidate could be found for the moment, even the original terms would never have been accepted."
In yet another side hall, the Peacock Monk said, "If Miss Bao truly refuses to embrace this karmic fortune, there is another choice: Benefactor Wei Yuan can take her place instead. Benefactor Wei has affinity with our Buddha. In our Pure Land, the position of the Great Sun Tathagata is still vacant. If Benefactor Wei dislikes constraint, there is also the throne of the Great Joy King Buddha."
...
A dharma idol cultivator led Wei Yuan to a secluded courtyard and then withdrew.
Wei Yuan knocked gently. When the door opened, there was that smiling face, like spring flowers blossoming, like skies clearing after rain.
Wei Yuan looked at her arm. It was exceedingly frail and tender, out of place with the rest of her body.
Bao Yun raised the newly regrown arm, spreading her five fingers before Wei Yuan like a blooming flower, and said, "Look, it works already. Older Brother doesn't need to worry about me. It's just my own poor fate, that's all. Whatever suffering there is, I can bear it myself..."
Wei Yuan's face stiffened. "Speak properly!"
Bao Yun stuck out her tongue and ushered Wei Yuan inside. The two sat down in the study.
"Why did you come?" Bao Yun asked.
"I had a sudden whim a few days ago and just didn't want to wait anymore. I decided to come see if you were doing well, so here I am."
"The elders agreed to let you see me?"
"I traded one of my requests for it." Wei Yuan briefly recounted what he had gone through, including the three requests. Just then, the flying marten flitted in over the courtyard wall, settling onto Wei Yuan's shoulder. A pair of round, beady eyes looked curiously at Bao Yun.
"The Shadowless Flying Marten? You subdued it?" Bao Yun was somewhat surprised.
"No. We were just forced by circumstance to reach a temporary cooperation."
Getting that pearl into the Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains had been easy, but taking it back out was as difficult as ascending to heaven. With an object weighing tens of millions of jin, how could Wei Yuan possibly budge it? Left with no choice, both man and marten were dumbfounded.
The marten also knew it could not carry the pearl away, yet could not bear to part with its aura. It had no choice but to stay by Wei Yuan's side, fed a tiny wisp of its aura by Wei Yuan each day.
The two sides initially could not communicate, but once the process was guided by the Beast-Taming Immortal Heart, everything went smoothly, and they quickly reached an agreement to everyone's delight. Meanwhile, the mortals inside the Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains had embarked on a new research topic: studying spirit beast languages.
After hearing the three conditions, Bao Yun said, "Older Brother really is the cleverest..."
Wei Yuan felt uncomfortable all over listening to her and had to say once more, "Speak properly!"
Bao Yun stuck out her tongue, finally speaking normally this time: "If you had asked for too much, the elders might have brushed you off with other things and refused to grant any breathing room. These requests of yours left them with no way to refuse, so they had to agree, giving us a year of buffer. Hmm, Qiongshan Immortal Island will likely raise their offer, but only by so much. After all, their current terms are already very generous."
"What terms did they offer?"
Bao Yun explained Qiongshan Immortal Island's conditions, then added, "From the Bao family's perspective, trading a Bao Yun with a damaged Dao Foundation in exchange for five children of comparable or even superior talent is naturally an unbeatable bargain. If I were the family head, I would agree as well."
"I don't agree!" Wei Yuan blurted out without a second thought.
Bao Yun looked at him with an ambiguous smile and asked, "From what stance and in what capacity do you disagree?"
Wei Yuan froze.
Bao Yun gave a slight smile, stepped up to Wei Yuan, and tapped his chest with a finger. "No rush. There is still a whole year. Think it over slowly, and come back once you've figured it out."
Wei Yuan was just about to say something when Bao Yun covered his mouth, gave him a tight hug, and pushed him out through the courtyard gate.
...
Boarding the flying boat, Wei Yuan looked back at the Bao family ancestral grounds cloaked in clouds and mist. The time was not yet ripe; he still had a year to plan and prepare.
With the bustling, industrious Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, a great deal could be accomplished in this year.
Chapter 404