Upon reaching their accord, Miao Yu departed alone.

Huang Jin Mo, however, remained atop the tall pavilion for a long time, gazing into the distance.

At the very end, he sighed a single lament: “Where in this world lies the moon, shrouded in dust?”

“Where in this world lies the moon, shrouded in dust, where lies the bright moon dimming the mountains and rivers?”

As long as one’s own light shone blindingly bright, there would always be a day when it could hang high in the night sky, illuminating the mountains and rivers thoroughly.

Having left the territory of Jiujiang city, Jiang Wang hurried along his path.

He was almost fleeing, afraid he would be unable to resist turning back to tell Du Ye Hu the truth.

He believed that one day Du Ye Hu would grow, would be able to use his fist to flatten his anger. But not now. Far from now.

Just like a fierce tiger lying in a wild mountain, it must, must endure, lurking its claws and fangs.

This return trip to Zhuang Country was also a process of tearing open old wounds.

A person who knows nothing and a person who bears everything, both endure pain.

On the way back to Lingxiao Pavilion, Jiang Wang no longer tarried in the “Maple Forest Ghost Domain.” He paid no mind to anything else, reaching a safe and steady reunion with Xiao An An.

In the days that followed, while Jiang Wang incessantly dedicated himself to bitter cultivation, he did not forget to supervise Jiang An An. Of course, every day after their cultivation ended, he would still take An An out to play.

In the span of a few days, the brother and sister duo had visited all the relatively famous places in Yun Country and tasted all the renowned delicacies. Ye Qing Yu occasionally accompanied them, but more often, she was preparing for Chi Yun Mountain.

Happy times are always short, especially for Jiang An An. Because the opening of Chi Yun Mountain finally arrived.

On this day, Jiang Wang stood in a cloud corridor, waiting.

And Jiang An An, in her small room, struggled with a stack of calligraphy copies newly bought by her dear brother. At least during this period of Chi Yun Mountain’s opening, she should not have too much free time to “cause trouble.”

A clear wind brushed his face, and the Lingxiao Pavilion Master drifted closer.

He glanced left and right, then asked: “Has that waste disciple Xiang Feng Qi left?”

A figure like Ye Ling Xiao would, of course, not fail to see Xiang Qian’s inherited lineage. And Xiang Feng Qi had indeed left a very deep impression on him.

Jiang Wang was momentarily stunned, then realized who Ye Ling Xiao was referring to, and couldn’t help but feel somewhat displeased: “Xiang Qian is not a waste.”

“Are you his friend, unable to listen to the truth?” Ye Ling Xiao frowned: “What kind of person was Xiang Feng Qi? As his disciple, without a shred of fighting spirit, disheartened and depressed. What is that if not waste?”

He harbored no malice, but was born proud and could not bear to see Xiang Qian’s lack of drive. Especially since Xiang Qian’s master, Xiang Feng Qi, was a character who had left a profound impression on him.

But sometimes, even without malice, words can be very hurtful.

Even when disheartened, Xiang Qian did not want to bring shame upon his master in Lingxiao Pavilion. Think of that Dong Zhen Wu Di, Xiang Feng Qi, who held considerable respect for Ye Ling Xiao.

Rather than say Xiang Qian valued Ye Ling Xiao’s opinion, it was more accurate to say he cared about Xiang Feng Qi. He cared about Xiang Feng Qi’s face.

Jiang Wang said seriously: “You have not experienced his life; please do not rashly evaluate him.”

“Oh?” Ye Ling Xiao raised his beautiful but suddenly sharp eyes: “Are you teaching this Pavilion Master how to do things?”

Jiang Wang felt his fate was somehow at odds with this Lingxiao Pavilion Master; why did every meeting feel like they were on the verge of a fight? But no matter what, he could not ignore someone slandering his friend in front of him.

“Jiang Wang wouldn’t dare. But Xiang Qian is absolutely not a waste. If you don’t believe me, just wait three or two years.”

“Heh.” Ye Ling Xiao let out a cold laugh.

But this cold laugh abruptly shifted, becoming one of amusement.

He laughed genially, even patting Jiang Wang’s shoulder: “You boy are not bad. Take care when you go to Chi Yun Mountain.”

Jiang Wang was initially confused, but seeing Ye Qing Yu arrive with a drift, he understood.

So he laughed along: “I will.”

“Dad.” Ye Qing Yu landed beside them, suspicious: “Didn’t you say the Chi Yun Mountain matter would be my responsibility?”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Ye Ling Xiao’s smile at this moment was heartfelt, abnormally gentle: “Our Qing Yu has grown up; it’s time for her to stand alone.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“I’m just sending you off, sending you off.”

The arrogant Ye Ling Xiao perhaps only displayed such a humble side in front of his daughter.

“No need! Sending me a thousand miles, we must eventually part.” Ye Qing Yu waved her hand: “You old man should go back.”

“Good, then Heroine Ye, please take your time.” Ye Ling Xiao casually looked at Jiang Wang: “Young Hero Jiang, please also be careful.”

Even if Jiang Wang was dull, he could hear that Ye Ling Xiao’s “careful” was not about being careful of the dangers of Chi Yun Mountain.

He nodded honestly in return: “Please rest assured, Pavilion Master Ye.”

“Let’s go.” Ye Qing Yu was quite straightforward, soaring up immediately.

Jiang Wang quickly followed.

After the two had flown far away, the sea of clouds surged, squeezing out a strange-looking beast.

It was strange in shape because its body was adorned with cloud patterns, yet it had a single horn on its head, its body was three zhang long, and its long hair was like fluff. Its four feet trod upon clouds, and its long tail still had a cluster of colorless water balls attached.

It stood before Ye Ling Xiao, its mouth spitting human words: “To achieve a ten-to-one success rate on Chi Yun Mountain is not impossible. Is this young man reliable?”

“A child does not lie; they are merely a mirror, reflecting the adults around them. To be able to teach An An to be that way is sufficient to explain Jiang Wang’s character.”

Ye Ling Xiao said slowly: “As for his strength… the Qi Country people have already seen it clearly.”

“Hehehe…” The strange beast chuckled lightly: “He doesn’t seem to be afraid of you. Are all Heaven’s favored sons like this, looking down on everyone? Daring to talk back in front of a True Person?”

“He is not unafraid of me. But he has persistence and knows his limits. In this age, to know the words ‘know your limits,’ he must have lived a difficult life.”

“Sounds like you appreciate him quite a bit?” The strange beast seemed to be deep in thought.

Ye Ling Xiao smiled, a smile both handsome and charming. It was a pity that only this strange beast was before him, unable to truly appreciate it.

“The Cloud Top Immortal Palace inheritance is unique, and its divine abilities are indeed rare treasures in the world. To obtain the Cloud Seal divine ability, the primary point is not to kill people. So although I have arranged quite a bit of tempering for Qing Yu, she has never truly experienced life and death. In a true confrontation, she will certainly suffer losses. With a teammate like Jiang Wang, who has both strength and brains, both persistence and restraint, the opportunity on this trip is extremely large.”

“Cloud Top Immortal Palace emphasizes the unintentional缘分 (yuánfèn – fate/destiny). Do you still remember that four-character motto? It’s called ‘Unintentional Edge’. The more you rush towards the inheritance, the less opportunity there is.”

The strange beast knew he was not just talking about the opportunity for the Cloud Seal, and it couldn’t help but let out a muffled sound: “Don’t intervene too much.”

Ye Ling Xiao smiled proudly: “How could I not know? Rest assured, my Qing Yu follows me, she is beautiful and talented, she will certainly obtain the Cloud Seal. And she will also…”

“Cloud Seal, ah…” The strange beast gurgled twice: “This divine ability hasn’t appeared in the world for several hundred years now; it truly makes people nostalgic.”

“Yes, ah.” Ye Ling Xiao also sighed: “I didn’t know the rules back then, otherwise I would have taken it down early. Why wait until Qing Yu has grown up?”

The strange beast cruelly exposed him: “If it weren’t for me back then, you would have long since been…”

“If it weren’t for me, your head wouldn’t be in good shape, right? Ah Chou!” Ye Ling Xiao countered disdainfully.

“You heartless Ye Xiao Hua!” The strange beast was also angered: “My head was almost gone, wasn’t it to save you? You have no ability but love to boast. You wanted others to join you, and as a result, they beat you until you couldn’t find north! If it weren’t for me…”

“I have no ability?” Ye Ling Xiao pounced over, grabbing Ah Chou’s single horn like a scoundrel trying to evade the topic, angrily: “If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you won’t know how fierce this Ye is!”

The strange beast named Ah Chou was furious beyond measure, swinging its long tail, stirring up waves in the sea of clouds: “Ye Xiao Hua, try moving me a bit!”

Before the words fell, it took a punch.

“Ouch!”

Ye Ling Xiao directly smashed Ah Chou far away, rolling up his sleeves and leaping into the sea of clouds.

But amidst the rolling mist, the true situation was obscured.

Only Ah Chou’s voice continuously transmitted outwards, roaring incessantly—

“Old man, I’ll fight you to the death!”

“Ouch! Pain, pain, pain!”

“Let go, let go, my hair is being pulled out!”

“If you have the ability, don’t rely on your realm!”

Finally, there was Ye Ling Xiao’s wild laughter: “I have no ability! What about it!”

Ps: “Just like a fierce tiger lying in a wild mountain, lurk claws and fangs endure.” — From Water Margin, Song Jiang’s Xi Jiang Yue

However, the meaning expressed here is not the same.