Chapter 103: The Fragrance of Fate Shattered

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Huayu Yan nodded slightly. She said that since Master Hu San dared to cause trouble in the village beneath Mount Changbai, feeding on women’s life force in broad daylight, it must have been under the orders of Grandfather Hu San. The elder Hu San was extremely indulgent toward his grandson. Though he publicly dismissed his death as just deserts, in private there was no way he would let it go peacefully.

“Indeed, no matter what, we must exercise great caution in all matters,” said the Old Mountain God.

Today, when we visited the Taiyin Shrine, the four elder protectors Huang, Bai, Liu, and Hui did not appear. Perhaps the reason Grandfather Hu San held back his fury was because those four guardian immortals were not present at the Taiyin Shrine.

Afterwards, we visited several more villages but found no sign of the wild immortals.

Huayu Yan said the matter of the wild immortals was far from over. She feared that Grandfather Hu San’s revenge would involve all sorts of schemes. Therefore, even staying in the villages below was unsafe. She suggested that the Old Mountain God and I move to Lingying Palace, so that if the wild immortals stirred again, we could confer and act immediately.

However, Lingying Palace was all disciples of the Kun path. She wondered if it would be inappropriate for two men like us to stay there. When I asked, Huayu Yan smiled and said, “Lin Yi, your thoughts are surprisingly meticulous. But rest assured, Lingying Palace has many halls—I have made arrangements.”

Lingying Palace sat atop Mount Changbai, by the Heavenly Lake.

Approaching the lake, one could see mists swirling around like a fairyland. Across the lake, a white palace appeared faintly through the clouds. The palace seemed dreamlike, almost unreal, as if it were a crown atop the clouds.

The Taiyin Shrine’s wariness of Lingying Palace was not without reason. On the way, we encountered easily hundreds of Lingying Palace disciples.

Huayu Yan led the Old Mountain God and me through the crowd of Kun path disciples, who were mostly orphans raised on the mountain and had never seen men before.

To them, especially to one as young as me, I was even more rare than the celestial gods.

This made me somewhat embarrassed; being the focus of hundreds of women’s stares, I felt like a monkey in a zoo. Some whispered, “Look, he has two eyes too! Look, he has two legs! He’s looking at me!”

Their chatter gave me goosebumps, which made Huayu Yan and the Old Mountain God chuckle.

Huayu Yan told me that besides herself, Lingying Palace had nine great protectors, all at the pinnacle of the primordial spirit realm. Each of these protectors also had nine disciples, all at the primordial spirit level as well.

I couldn’t help but sigh. Compared to Lingying Palace, the Taoist sects in Central Plains, which might have one or two primordial spirits per sect, seemed worlds apart.

The palace was decorated in white and gilded tones, immaculate everywhere, with the ground paved entirely in white marble. In the main hall stood a huge jade incense burner carved with dragon patterns. Inside it was a thick incense stick, about the thickness of a human arm. Huayu Yan explained that this incense represented the dragon vein’s spiritual energy of Mount Changbai.

After that, Huayu Yan took the Old Mountain God and me to arrange living quarters for the Old Mountain God.

The room was so clean that even the Old Mountain God didn’t know where to place his feet. He chuckled, “This is far better than my mountain shrine.”

I thought to myself, of course it was—his mountain shrine was just three thatched huts, exposed to rain from all sides, no contest against this place.

After settling the Old Mountain God, Huayu Yan led me to another place, much larger and far more beautiful than the previous room.

“How do you like it here?” Huayu Yan asked.

“Not bad!” I replied.

“Good, then you’ll stay here,” she said.

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“There’s no need for something so luxurious, just anywhere will do. I can squeeze in with the Old Mountain God,” I said. The room clearly looked like a woman’s chamber—like a bridal room in a rural home—and I felt it was somewhat inappropriate for me to stay there.

“This is the place,” she insisted.

Then Huayu Yan told me, “Lin Yi, since you’re new to Lingying Palace, I’ll take you to meet the nine great protectors.”

“Should we bring the Old Mountain God along?” I asked.

“No need,” she said.

She then led me to another palace.

The nine great protectors of Lingying Palace were also practitioners of the Kun path, older than Huayu Yan, mostly middle-aged but with skin as smooth as polished jade, showing no signs of aging.

Huayu Yan told me they were all over a hundred years old and quite stubborn, always talking a lot. When they asked questions, I should answer what I could, and if not, Huayu Yan would answer for me.

It seemed the nine protectors were Huayu Yan’s elders. When I met them, I only saw eight, but they grilled me thoroughly, asking more questions than a census official.

I wondered if they suspected me of being a thief.

Finally, one of the nine protectors, named Hualinglan, honored as Protector Lily of the Bells, spoke to Huayu Yan with deep meaning: “Palace Mistress, since ancient times, the marriages of Lingying Palace’s leaders have never been smooth. You know what the previous mistress experienced. To step into the mortal world is to plunge into an abyss. Are you not afraid you’ll regret it?”

I found this question strange—why suddenly ask such things?

But Huayu Yan smiled serenely and said, “Without entering the mortal world, how would one know it is an abyss? Perhaps the trials that must come will come. If I cannot resolve my own fate, how can I let go of worldly attachments?”

“Very well, that is your choice. We will bless you,” Hualinglan said.

After she finished, Huayu Yan nodded, and I left the protector’s hall with her. Outside, Huayu Yan sighed and said, “They didn’t scare you, did they?”

I scratched my head. “No, but I don’t understand why they asked so many questions. I’m not going to steal anything from Lingying Palace.”

“What if you did?” she retorted.

“That’s impossible,” I said, thinking she was joking.

Then I asked about the ninth protector. Huayu Yan said she was stationed at Shanhaiguan, guarding the pass.

Night fell.

Huayu Yan said she was going to rest, so I returned to my room alone. To be precise, it could hardly be called a room—it was truly a palace. The space was vast, with a white round bed in the center draped in sheer curtains. Lying there, I felt as if I were being displayed in a grand plaza.

That day, the three of us had inspected nearly ten villages, and I was utterly exhausted. Shortly after lying down, I fell into a deep sleep.

I do not know how long I slept.

Perhaps at dawn, I opened my eyes and saw a woman lying beside me, still asleep. Her attire was different from usual—she wore sheer silk, dazzling and radiant, yet pure and ethereal like a celestial fairy. At first, I thought it was a dream, but as I grew more awake, I sensed something amiss.

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Was this not Huayu Yan?

Could it be that I had entered the wrong room and fallen asleep in her chamber because of exhaustion?

As this thought crossed my mind, Huayu Yan opened her eyes. She looked at me sleepily and, seeing my shocked expression, asked, “Lin Yi, what’s wrong?”

“I… why am I in your room?” I asked. Fortunately, I was still clothed; otherwise, if anything had happened between us, how could I explain to Weiyang?

I hastily jumped out of bed and apologized repeatedly.

She lay there, gazing at me foolishly, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Nothing happened between us, so what are you afraid of?”

“Sorry, Miss Yu Yan, I entered the wrong room,” I said, though I clearly remembered she had arranged this room for me. Perhaps all the rooms here looked too similar? My mind was in chaos when Huayu Yan said, “I’m going to change clothes. Will you stay here?”

“Sorry, Miss Yu Yan, I… didn’t mean to. I’ll leave now.” I hurried out of the room, but as I opened the door, I saw many Kun path disciples passing by. Upon seeing me emerge from Huayu Yan’s room, each of them bowed respectfully.

I didn’t know what this meant, so I returned their greetings.

With nowhere else to go, I sought out the Old Mountain God. On the way, I passed hundreds of Kun path disciples, all bowing to me with shy smiles.

I touched my face, wondering if there was something on it.

When I reached the Old Mountain God, he asked why I looked so disheveled. I told him about the disciples bowing to me.

He looked at me oddly and asked, “Where did you sleep last night?”

Before I could answer, a Kun path disciple approached. I expected another bow but instead she said, “Honored guests, there is an emergency at Lingying Palace. The Palace Mistress requests your presence in the main hall.”

The Old Mountain God and I followed the disciple.

Outside the main hall, nearly everywhere were Kun path disciples, all wearing anxious and worried expressions.

We entered the hall.

There, the eight protectors were all gathered, along with Huayu Yan. They were all staring intently at the incense burner in the center.

The incense inside represented the dragon vein’s spiritual energy of Mount Changbai, connected to the mountain’s dragon vein and capable of burning for 49 days. After burning for 49 days, it was replaced with a new one.

However, today, the incense, only halfway burned, was broken in half.

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