Chapter 664: Most Gratifying

The teahouse.

“Within the Seeking Sect, there resides a paragon of unmatched genius, known to all as Meng Jingzhou.”

“This young Master Meng is no ordinary mortal; he is the eldest son of the Meng clan, the preeminent aristocratic house under heaven, and the world reveres him as the Great Master Meng!”

“His natural endowments require no elaboration, possessing a single spiritual root, a rarity found but once in a million lifetimes!”

“For any common soul blessed with such talent and lineage, complacency would have long since bred stagnation. Yet Master Meng broke the mold. He willingly renounced the opulent comforts of the Meng estate to seek the gates of the Seeking Sect, braving its grueling trials to finally secure his place as a true disciple.”

“Relying solely on his inner strength and eschewing external aids, his singular devotion to the immortal path is a testament to an awe-inspiring resolve!”

“There came a day when Master Meng ventured forth on a mission, accompanied by a maiden disciple of another immortal sect. Together, they pursued a malevolent flood-dragon across thousands of miles, culminating in three titanic clashes until they finally claimed the beast's life at the Azure Water Pool.”

“Yet that vile dragon was no easy quarry. In its final death throes at the pool, it fought with desperate fury, unleashing a cloud of noxious vapor. Seeing the maiden disciple unable to evade the impending doom, Master Meng thrust her aside, taking the toxic mist full upon himself.”

“With his formidable cultivation, Master Meng temporarily suppressed the poison, but as the echoes of battle faded, the venom broke through his reserves, refusing to be contained any longer.”

“It was only then that the two realized this malignant beast was an aphrodisiac dragon, and the vapor it expelled was no simple toxin, but a potent, lust-inducing miasma!”

“However, you still possess areas that require refinement.”

The storyteller surnamed Jin struck his gavel upon the table, bringing the day’s narration to a sudden close.

“In the end, Master Meng actually relied on sheer strength of will to violently conquer the dragon’s carnal venom!”

“Those afflicted by this poison are driven to a state of absolute madness, stripped of reason as they seek the opposite sex for release until the vapor dissipates. Since time immemorial, none have escaped this fate.”

“Reflecting on the past, the reason our Nine Disciples of the Seeking Sect could successfully deceive the Nine Underworld Sect was precisely due to our years of accumulated mastery in the art of deception!”

“My profound thanks to you, Elder Brother, for your cultivation!” Clan Chief Jin looked at Daoist Buyu with heartfelt gratitude; without him, he would never have seen this day.

“I beg Elder Brother to enlighten me!”

Daoist Buyu held his fly-whisk, his garments immaculate and pristine. Setting down his teacup, he remarked dispassionately, “Not bad. You have indeed improved.”

Nevertheless, this storyteller surnamed Jin was undeniably qualified to inherit the mantle. His tales were captivating and universally acclaimed, his skill second only to his predecessor.

Daoist Buyu was highly satisfied with Clan Chief Jin’s attitude; those who achieve greatness must possess the resolve to burn their bridges behind them. “Then accompany me to go forth and deceive the world!”

A ruthless gleam surfaced in Clan Chief Jin’s eyes. “Elder Brother, to grow stronger, there is no price I am unwilling to pay.”

This narrator was a newly risen star in the storytelling circles, a man surnamed Jin. Rumors in the martial world whispered that the previous storyteller who recounted the *Legends of the Seeking Sect* was nearing his mortal end and had sought out a successor.

Of course, this was merely the gossip of the taverns, and the storyteller surnamed Jin had publicly denied the rumor on numerous occasions.

His current focus was to heavily promote Meng Jingzhou, hoping that when the Meng family eventually came to collect his debts, they might show a measure of leniency.

“Yet what manner of man is the Great Master Meng? His Dao-heart is as unyielding as iron. Faced with feminine charms, he wavered not a single fraction, preferring to let his entire body swell with crimson inflammation rather than unleash the desires burning within his breast!”

Draped in his long traditional gown, the storyteller surnamed Jin rushed excitedly to the backstage area to find Daoist Buyu.

“Elder Brother, how did I perform?”

“It appears you possess quite a natural gift for this. Your previous lack of eloquence was merely due to a want of proper training opportunities.”

“If you wish to learn what follows, pray listen to the next chapter!”

“Your ability to adapt to sudden changes is still lacking. To forge that particular capacity, a certain price must be exacted.”

Clan Chief Jin found himself in deep agreement, considering he had been the very first victim of those deceptions.

“You must constantly bear in mind the statutory definition of ‘an exceptionally large sum involved in fraud’ as prescribed by the penal code. That is the ultimate boundary.”

Seeing the solemn gravity of Daoist Buyu’s expression, Clan Chief Jin grew tense, swallowing hard with effort. “And what if one crosses that boundary?”

“Life imprisonment!”

As if struck by a sudden enlightenment, Clan Chief Jin nodded vigorously. “I shall remember it well.”

“Different regions have varying legal thresholds regarding ‘an exceptionally large sum involved in fraud.’ I shall explain them to you one by one.”

“My deepest gratitude to Elder Brother for your guidance!”

Just as the two were about to converse further, a sudden, suffocating sensation of impending doom washed over them, as though a razor-sharp cleaver had been pressed against their necks, ready to sever their heads at any moment.

Danger approached!

The bustling street, the surging crowds, the shouting street vendors, the sugar painting dropped by a young child… everything ground to an absolute crawl, as if the temporal flow of the entire world had decelerated.

Only a single, elegant silhouette remained entirely divorced from the frozen world, stepping gracefully forward to approach the duo.

The graceful figure gently placed the sugar painting back into the child's hand before coming to a halt directly before them.

“Passing through this city by chance, I sensed the imprint I left behind and came to inspect the situation. I did not anticipate such an unexpected harvest.”

“The… the Ancestral Phoenix?!”

Clan Chief Jin was the first to recognize Jiang Lianyi, followed closely by the perpetually wicked Daoist Buyu.

Cold sweat erupted across both their brows. They were certain they had done nothing to offend the Ancestral Phoenix, yet judging by her demeanor, this was anything but a casual social call!

Jiang Lianyi had merely been passing through when she detected the mark she had placed on Clan Chief Jin. Driven by curiosity as to why the chief of the Qiongqi Clan would appear within the Great Xia, she followed the trail.

Tracing the imprint to its source, she unexpectedly stumbled upon Daoist Buyu instead.

“I have found you.”

Daoist Buyu felt his scalp go numb beneath the intensity of Jiang Lianyi’s gaze.

He had always acted with a strict sense of propriety regarding his boundaries; when could he have possibly provoked this supreme entity?

Furthermore, he was certain he had never even set eyes upon her before!

As if anticipating his confusion, Jiang Lianyi drew a book from her storage ring—a volume that looked intimately familiar to Daoist Buyu.

*The Transformations of Dragon and Phoenix*

“I am told that you are the author of this particular work?”

Damn it all, he had completely forgotten that book even existed!

Clan Chief Jin stared at his elder brother in sheer astonishment. Even he had heard of the notorious *Transformations of Dragon and Phoenix*, a forbidden text that had incensed both the Dragon and Phoenix clans to the point of fury. The author’s identity had remained a mystery, but to think it was written by him?!

“There is no need to answer; your expression speaks volumes.” Jiang Lianyi reduced the copy of *The Transformations of Dragon and Phoenix* to a pile of ash.

Lu Yang had kindly warned her that his master's mouth was a reservoir of falsehoods, and that not a single word he uttered was to be believed.

Jiang Lianyi methodically rolled up her silken sleeves.

“To slander my Phoenix Clan is a crime punishable by death.”

“Considering that Lu Yang is my martial brother, and you happen to be Lu Yang's master, it seems we must judge each relationship on its own merits, lest I restrain my strikes too much in a moment.”

“Furthermore, I currently hold the concurrent position of Guest Elder within the Seeking Sect. For an elder to assault the Sect Master would be an act of insubordination, violating proper decorum.”

“Fortunately, my elder sister once instructed me that those who achieve greatness do not bind themselves by trivialities, and must temporarily discard rigid etiquette.”

Daoist Buyu listened in absolute bewilderment. What nonsense was this about Lu Yang becoming her martial brother? Was that not merely an act? And what was this about a Guest Elder? Since when did the Seeking Sect possess a Guest Elder?

A succession of questions flashed frantically through Daoist Buyu’s mind.

Even more bewildered than Daoist Buyu was Clan Chief Jin, who, piece by piece, seemed to deduce the true, terrifying identity of the Seeking Sect from the Ancestral Phoenix’s words.

“Wait… wait a moment! Do not strike yet, I still have questions… Argh!”