Chapter 1020: Celebrating the New Year

When Lu Yang rushed back to Tianmen Peak, he beheld his Eldest Senior Sister throttling the Emperor of Zhongtian by the throat with one hand, while her other fist introduced itself to his face.

The Emperor of Zhongtian's head slumped to the side, and he ceased to move.

"Dead?!"

Lu Yang was thoroughly stunned; when this Emperor of Zhongtian had made his grand entrance, he bore the aura of a sovereign poised to swallow the world and sweep across the eight wildernesses, so how had he vanished from the mortal coil in the blink of an eye?

"It seems to be merely an avatar."

The Immortal Fairy remarked, casting a couple of discerning glances at the Emperor of Zhongtian.

"Yet, it is not without its uses." Yun Zhi formed hand seals with both palms, invoking an unknown technique that caused a crimson thread to manifest from the avatar of the Emperor of Zhongtian, stretching outward into the unknown distance.

"I shall return shortly."

Leaving behind these words, the Eldest Senior Sister vanished from sight, leaving only a fading afterimage in her wake.

"What is this?"

"Giri Yun is tracing cause and effect in reverse, seizing this opportunity to calculate the true location of the culprit," the Immortal Fairy explained. Although the original body had severed its connection with the avatar at the very first instant, traces still remained for the probing.

An hour passed before Yun Zhi flew back, carrying three copies of the Emperor of Zhongtian in her grasp.

"Why are there so many?"

Lu Yang muttered to himself, wondering if they were now operating on a wholesale basis.

Yun Zhi set down the duplicates of the Emperor of Zhongtian and shook her head in regret: "He did not control this avatar directly from his true body; rather, his true body controlled an avatar, which controlled another avatar, and so forth in a chain until the final avatar reached our sect."

"I pursued and captured three successive avatars, but the subsequent connection grew too faint to trace any further back."

"However, it was not entirely a fruitless endeavor. From the soul-searching results of these four avatars, certain matters have come to light."

"What matters?"

Yun Zhi recounted to Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy the incident of the dark shadow breaking into the Celestial Palace and leaking information regarding Tang Chuanwu.

Lu Yang roughly pieced together the sequence of cause and effect behind the event.

"In other words, the Emperor of Zhongtian perceived that the dark shadow wished to use him to test the waters, so he dared not come directly and sent an avatar instead. If he could capture Tang Chuanwu, it would prove the dark shadow had not deceived him, and all would be well."

"But if the avatar fell within our sect, it would impart this portion of its memories to us as a means of exacted vengeance against the dark shadow?"

"It appears this dark shadow is indeed the mastermind behind the curtains."

"Yet the question remains: how did the mastermind learn of Tang Chuanwu's existence?"

Lu Yang frowned; his own discovery of Tang Chuanwu had been a stroke of happenstance, so could the mastermind's discovery truly be mere coincidence as well?

"Could it be that the mastermind knew of Tang Chuanwu's existence long ago and has been observing from the shadows, seeking clues regarding the user of the Time Dao Fruit?"

"Or did he simply stumble upon Tang Chuanwu by chance as well?"

After a moment of contemplation, Yun Zhi surmised: "It may not entirely be a matter of pure coincidence."

"It is highly possible that the battle between the Grey Fairy and Scholar Meng drew the mastermind's attention."

"Thereafter, the mastermind temporarily remained in the Buddhist Kingdom and chanced upon the anomalies within Kaihuang City."

"Do not forget, during the sixth cycle of reincarnation, you and Junior Brother Meng fought against two elders of the Heartless Cult, which prompted their Vice Cult Leader to make a move."

"During the eighth cycle, however, you and Junior Brother Meng chose not to engage the elders, sending Junior Brother Dai to fight instead; therein lies the discrepancy."

"You remain unaffected by the reincarnation cycles due to the presence of the Senior Fairy, but the mastermind does not necessarily know this."

"The mastermind then traced the events of Kaihuang City to discover Tang Chuanwu's existence, yet out of sheer caution, he refrained from acting himself. Instead, he passed this intelligence to the Emperor of Zhongtian, intending for him to test the waters."

Yun Zhi glanced askance at the four avatars still strewn upon the ground and continued: "The Emperor of Zhongtian, driven by his own caution, truly did nothing more than test the waters."

As the time arrived, the four avatars gradually dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind not a single trace, entirely useless even for artifact refinement.

"Or perhaps he utilized the Cause and Effect Dao Fruit to ascertain matters concerning Tang Chuanwu; for instance, the more people who know that Tang Chuanwu can reverse time, the stronger the causal ties become, allowing the mastermind to perceive him through the Dao Fruit."

"Alternatively, the mastermind might have located the Immortal of Left History and utilized his Dao Fruit of Insight to find Tang Chuanwu."

Following the collapse of the Xinhuo Dynasty, the Immortal of Left History had likewise vanished without a trace; though the Dao Fruit of Insight possessed little combat prowess, it was exceedingly useful for tracking individuals.

The three of them pondered for a long while, yet none could be certain of the exact method by which the mastermind had located Tang Chuanwu.

"For the time being, do not allow Tang Chuanwu to leave the sect."

This turn of events signified that both the Great Qian Dynasty and the mastermind were aware of Tang Chuanwu's existence, placing him in a predicament far more perilous than that of Li Haoran; should he depart from the Dao-Seeking Sect, he might well be abducted in the very next instant.

……

"Woohoo, the New Year is upon us!"

Within the mental spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy dismantled her grand palace to erect a cozy wooden cabin, pasting spring couplets, writing characters of blessings, hanging bright red lanterns, and donning vibrant new crimson robes, filling the space with festive cheer.

Cultivators possessed immense lifespans, and by custom, they celebrated the New Year only once every ten years, a tradition to which the Dao-Seeking Sect was no exception.

Not only within Lu Yang's mental space, but the entirety of the Dao-Seeking Sect was bathed in a joyous atmosphere; vibrant red decorations met the eye at every turn, everyone had changed into brand-new garments, and the senior brothers and sisters who had traveled far on missions had all returned. For the duration of this month, no assignments would be accepted, and upon meeting, disciples would clasp their hands with beaming smiles to exchange New Year greetings.

The Immortal Fairy spread out brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone upon the ground; she lay prone on the floor with her small feet kicking up behind her, licking the brush to moisten its tip before dipping it into the ink to write the couplets, her expression exceptionally earnest.

"A grand success!"

With the couplets completed, the Immortal Fairy found herself covered in ink splatters, with several accidental ink strokes adorning her own face.

Those who achieve great deeds do not bicker over trivialities; the Immortal Fairy was one destined for greatness, and thus she naturally paid no heed to such details.

She floated into the air to paste the couplets while Lu Yang stood by the main entrance, watching.

"Little Yangzi, come take a look, are these couplets of this Immortal straight?"

Lu Yang raised his head, reading the couplet with utmost seriousness.

The first line read: Having eaten this meal, there is yet the next.

The second line read: Once today has passed, tomorrow arrives.

The horizontal scroll read: Yet Another Year.

"Magnificent! This couplet composed by Your Majesty possesses a perfect metrical balance, formed as if by nature itself, destined to be passed down through the ages."

"As the old saying goes, food is the heaven of the people; this first line focuses upon sustenance, reflecting Your Majesty's profound philosophy that the people are precious while the sovereign is light. Looking at the second line, though it appears ordinary and utterly commonplace on the surface, it actually contains the Dao of Time which is so often overlooked by the common mortal. Your Majesty pointing it out will surely enlighten the minds of the masses!"

"This horizontal scroll is a stroke of pure genius, adding another touch of brilliance to the couplets; it is truly wondrous beyond words, absolutely wondrous beyond words."

"Throughout the five years since the founding of our Great Soybean Dynasty, no emperor has ever possessed the literary talent of Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty's talent is immense, serving as a paragon for all scholars under heaven, invoking deepest reverence."

"Hehe, it is not quite that spectacular," the Immortal Fairy scratched her head in embarrassment; she had merely intended to ask Little Yangzi if the couplets were pasted straight.

However, since Little Yangzi had spoken his heartfelt truths so earnestly, she could hardly claim that she had meant otherwise.