A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

The following morning, Duan Rong transformed into a wisp of green smoke and arrived at Tianzhu Peak as promised.

As soon as he arrived at Tianzhu Peak, he saw Lin Youjian and a group of female disciples waiting in the open space in front of the pavilion.

The wisp of green smoke swirled in front of everyone, and then Duan Rong revealed himself.

Upon seeing Duan Rong reveal his true form, Lin Youjian immediately led his disciples to prostrate themselves and kneel down, respectfully saying, "Lin Youjian, along with all the disciples of Tianzhu Peak, respectfully welcomes the Ancestor."

Duan Rong scanned the area with his divine sense and found that Jiang Hanyan was not among them, so he said indifferently, "Elder Lin, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise."

"Yes, old man."

Lin Youjian and the female disciples all stood up, but only Lin Youjian raised his head and smiled at Duan Rong, while the other disciples stood with their heads down.

Lin Youjian laughed and said, "Your subordinate has been too bold as to invite the Ancestor to come over. The Ancestor's willingness to come is an honor for Tianzhu Peak."

Duan Rong said, "When I was an inner disciple, I was quite interested in Elder Lin's sonic energy. Being able to see it in person today is a long-cherished wish."

Lin Youjian was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected that Duan Rong had once been interested in sonic energy. She then smiled and said, "These new pieces are a testament to Youjian's hard work. Ancestor, you should take a look."

"Ancestor, please!" Lin Youjian gestured with his hand in a salute, and the disciples behind him immediately made way for him. As they made way, some of the female disciples took the opportunity to glance at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong walked slowly toward the pavilion, with Lin Youjian following behind.

The two chatted as they went up to the upper floor and arrived at Lin Youjian's room.

Duan Rong entered the room.

The room was spotless, and the various ornaments were quite exquisite. Wisps of sandalwood incense rose from the incense burner on the table...

Inside the room, only Jiang Hanyan was present. She seemed to have been waiting there all along. As soon as Duan Rong entered, she immediately prostrated herself and knelt down, saying, "Disciple Jiang Hanyan greets Ancestor."

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Han Yan, you're here. I didn't see you downstairs."

As Duan Rong spoke, he gently nudged Jiang Hanyan's arm. "Get up."

Lin Youjian's eyes lit up with a hint of joy as he watched Duan Rong's gentle movements.

Jiang Hanyan slowly rose to her feet with Duan Rong's gentle guidance and said, "Thank you, Ancestor."

Jiang Hanyan stood up, and Duan Rong noticed that she seemed to have applied rouge and lipstick, and even her eyebrows were drawn like distant mountains, which added to her charm.

Jiang Hanyan bowed her head and said, "Ancestor, Master, the Hundred Flower Honey is ready. Please take a seat."

Lin Youjian smiled and said, "Ancestor, please."

Duan Rong then walked to the table and slowly sat down.

After Duan Rong sat down, Lin Youjian sat down opposite him at the table.

At this moment, Jiang Hanyan took a bottle of wildflower honey, poured it into a water glass, and then brewed it with hot tea.

Lin Youjian said from the side, "This hundred flower honey, when paired with light tea, not only tastes excellent, but it is also quite good for clearing the mind and brightening the spirit."

Jiang Hanyan prepared a cup and personally offered it to Duan Rong, bowing her head and saying, "Ancestor, please have some."

Duan Rong took it, and after a light sniff, he found that the aromas of honey and tea were indeed intertwined and quite refreshing. He then smiled and said, "This stuff is rather novel."

Lin Youjian said, "This was just a sudden idea of ​​mine. After trying it, it turned out to be quite good. I tried it a few more times and changed it to what it is now."

Jiang Hanyan prepared a cup for Duan Rong and another for her master.

Lin Youjian held the cup and said, "Ancestor, please."

Duan Rong said, "Elder Lin, please."

The two raised their glasses and took a sip.

Duan Rong praised, "Yes, it's not bad."

Lin Youjian rose and bowed, saying, "I will now play a tune on the zither to entertain the Ancestor. I would also appreciate any guidance from the Ancestor."

Duan Rong laughed and said, "This Hundred Flower Honey is just the prelude. The sonic force is the real show."

Lin Youjian smiled upon hearing this, then got up and walked to the zither table. Her usual zither was already there, and a faint sandalwood fragrance wafted from the incense burner in front of it...

She sat down at the zither, her long, slender, fair fingers pressing on the strings. At that moment, Lin Youjian's demeanor changed abruptly.

Just as a soldier goes to the battlefield or an actor goes on stage, in an instant, she becomes a completely different person.

The zither music began to sob, as if weeping and lamenting. At the pause in the melodious strains, Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly.

Duan Rong had encountered Lin Youjian's sonic energy several times, but that was all before he reached the Cave-Ming Realm. He had always been quite curious about this mysterious and strange technique.

But now that Duan Rong is a Nascent Soul cultivator, this once mysterious technique has almost instantly lost its mystique.

"It's just the application of the power of laws, using music as a medium."

Duan Rong sighed inwardly, his interest waning. He simply drank the Hundred Flower Honey Water one sip after another.

As Lin Youjian's music drew to a close, the strings trembled slightly, the sound faint and lingering, gradually fading into silence...

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly lit up, shining brightly.

At that moment, he sensed something different.

The music finally faded, and the room fell silent, but within that silence, the sound seemed to linger...

Lin Youjian closed his eyes for a long time before slowly opening them, smiling faintly as he stood up.

Duan Rong couldn't help but praise, "The music ends and the sound disappears, yet within the silence lies a universe. Excellent skill!"

Lin Youjian laughed and said, "Ancestor, you flatter me."

Duan Rong said, "I only discerned the true level of this sonic force at the very end. Elder Lin is quite shrewd."

Lin Youjian said, "Youjian's meager skills are hardly worthy of the Ancestor's attention."

Lin Youjian smiled and took a seat, sipping a mouthful of Hundred Flower Honey Water.

Duan Rong smiled slightly and said, "I've also tasted the Hundred Flower Honey. I've also witnessed Elder Lin's sonic power. Elder Lin didn't call me here just for these childish things, did he?"

Upon hearing Duan Rong's words, Lin Youjian immediately stopped smiling.

Duan Rong suspected Lin Youjian had something to do when he received the invitation yesterday, otherwise he wouldn't have invited him to Tianzhu Peak for no reason. However, the person who delivered the invitation yesterday was Jiang Hanyan. If it had been anyone else, he would have definitely asked for clarification on the spot.

Although Lin Youjian was the chief elder of Tianzhu Peak and also the head of the Office of Transmission, she invited him to Tianzhu Peak without specifying the reason. Duan Rong really didn't have time to deal with her scheming.

Lin Youjian didn't speak, but turned his head to look at Jiang Hanyan.

Jiang Hanyan immediately stood up and silently prostrated herself at a short distance away.

Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that the matter might be related to Jiang Hanyan.

Lin Youjian said, "I dare to ask you to come here, Ancestor. Actually, it's about my disciple. Hanyan has been with me for many years, and I've always treated her like my own daughter."

When Duan Rong saw that Lin Youjian's words had really touched on Jiang Hanyan, he couldn't help but stare at Jiang Hanyan, who was kneeling on the ground, and wondered what was going on.

Given his relationship with Jiang Hanyan, even if he were to become an ancestor now, if Jiang Hanyan needed anything, she could simply ask him directly. Why go through the trouble of going through Lin Youjian?

"But daughters grow up and leave home," Lin Youjian suddenly sighed.

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat.

Lin Youjian said, "She is deeply in love with you, Ancestor. If you pity her, then take her in as a concubine or a maid, and let you do as you please."

Duan Rong stood there, stunned. He had never expected this. At that moment, the air was deathly silent.

Lin Youjian and Jiang Hanyan waited silently for Duan Rong's reply.

Duan Rong looked at Jiang Hanyan, who was lying prostrate on the ground, and saw that her body was trembling slightly, as if she was afraid.

Duan Rong knew that Jiang Hanyan's willingness to stay here while Lin Youjian was saying these things to him meant that she had already made a tremendous decision.

Duan Rong had no doubt about the words "deeply in love" that Lin Youjian had just mentioned. In fact, he had long been aware of Jiang Hanyan's feelings, but he had never thought of having Jiang Hanyan become his concubine.

He had never imagined that even now, in front of Lin Youjian and Jiang Hanyan, he would have the same thoughts.

Duan Rong suddenly called out softly, "Han Yan."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanyan gently knelt down and raised her head. Her lips trembled slightly as she stared blankly at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong gazed at her for a few moments before speaking softly, "Hanyan, I do not wish for you to be my concubine. That is not where you belong."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, Jiang Hanyan's tears welled up for no apparent reason and flowed silently.

She received Duan Rong's answer. Although it might not be the answer she wanted.

She wanted to be present for today's events, a request she herself had made to Lin Youjian. She wanted to hear Duan Rong's answer with her own ears.

That reply was like a spear, piercing her heart and shattering her emotions.

Duan Rong looked at Jiang Hanyan for a while, then turned to Lin Youjian and said, "Elder Lin, I'll take my leave."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared on the spot.

Lin Youjian slumped in his seat and sighed, "Hanyan, I never imagined that your fate would be the same as mine."

Jiang Hanyan turned slightly, kowtowed to Lin Youjian, and said, "Thank you, Master. Hanyan will go back to her room now."

After Jiang Hanyan finished speaking, she stood up dejectedly.

She staggered back to her room, closed the door, lay down on the bed, covered her mouth with a pillow, and burst into tears.

Lin Youjian stood outside her door, listening to the heartbreaking sobs, and her own heart shattered along with them. Lin Youjian wiped away the tears streaming from her eyes and sighed, "Are all the hearts of men in this world made of iron and stone?"

Lin Youjian stood outside the house the whole time, afraid that Jiang Hanyan would do something foolish.

It wasn't until midnight, when Jiang Hanyan was exhausted from crying and her pillow was soaked with tears, that she finally drifted off to sleep.

A sigh echoed in the darkness. Lin Youjian had appeared beside Jiang Hanyan's bedside without anyone noticing.

She took the wet pillow off the table; it was so wet you could wring water out of it.

Lin Youjian laid Jiang Hanyan on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and tidied her disheveled hair. He said calmly, "Hanyan, it's alright. He doesn't want you, but Master does."

Unbeknownst to Lin Youjian, tears streamed down Jiang Hanyan's face again in the darkness.

Lin Youjian sat for a while, and only left the room after seeing that Jiang Hanyan's breathing had stabilized. However, her divine sense continued to linger over the room.

Jiang Hanyan lay there, half-asleep, still able to feel her heart throbbing with pain.

The next morning, Jiang Hanyan woke up. She sat up and sat for a long time before getting out of bed. After washing her face with water, she sat in front of the table in a daze.

Lin Youjian had been watching her with his divine sense, but she also knew that Jiang Hanyan needed to be alone at this moment. This kind of profound pain could only be overcome by herself; no one else could help.

Jiang Hanyan was sitting there when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Jiang Hanyan opened her mouth, but felt her throat was dry, and she felt completely weak, even finding it difficult to speak.

But the knocking on the door continued, and then a female disciple's voice came from outside, saying, "Senior Sister Hanyan, the Ancestor sent someone over to deliver a letter to you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanyan leaped up with the agility of a cat, instantly reaching the door. She opened it and asked, "Where is he?"

At this moment, Shen Mizhi stepped out from behind the female disciple, cupped her fists and said, "By order of the Ancestor, I am delivering this letter to you, young lady."

Shen Mizhi was no longer receiving orders at the Lü family residence, but was at the Court of Judgment and Clan Affairs. However, she had been to Tianzhu Peak several times and had also met Jiang Hanyan. After Duan Rong finished writing the letter, he personally went to find Shen Mizhi and asked her to deliver it.

Jiang Hanyan received the letter and stared at it intently. She saw that the envelope was addressed to Hanyan in Duan Rong's handwriting.

Jiang Hanyan looked up at Shen Mizhi, clasped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for making the trip in person, Miss Shen."

Shen Mizhi smiled slightly and said, "The letter has been delivered. I will take my leave now."

Jiang Hanyan glanced at the female disciple and said, "Cuimo, please see Miss Shen off for me."

"Yes, senior sister."

The female disciple led Shen Mizhi out of the pavilion.

Jiang Hanyan closed the door, sat back down at the table, and looked at the letter in her hand, feeling somewhat nervous. After a while, she took a deep breath, tore open the envelope, and pulled out the letter.

Lin Youjian naturally saw all of this with her divine sense, but although she was curious about the contents of the letter, she did not investigate it. After all, it was a private letter between Duan Rong and Jiang Hanyan, and it was not appropriate for her to find out.

Jiang Hanyan unfolded the letter, which contained two pages of tiny, neatly written characters.

The preceding text describes how Duan Rong met Xiao Yu and Lü Qingzhu before he entered the Taiyi Sect. Since entering the sect, he has focused solely on spiritual cultivation and has lost interest in worldly affairs.

Even after he condensed his Cave of Clarity and Nascent Soul, he felt a sense of estrangement from Xiao Yu and Lü Qingzhu.

"That is a kind of detachment from worldly affairs after cultivation," Duan Rong wrote in the letter.

The word "peeling" made Jiang Hanyan pause for a long time.

She suddenly realized that if Duan Rong could peel away his skin, then she could peel away hers too.

Having achieved the stages of Enlightenment and Nascent Soul, can one truly detach oneself from worldly affairs?
Jiang Hanyan's gloomy mood vanished as if she had grasped at a straw. She was instantly grateful to Duan Rong for writing her such a letter.

She turned to the second page, the second page of the letter, which contained a four-line poem.

"You were born before I was born, and I was born after you were old. You regret that I was born too late, and I regret that you were born too early."

Jiang Hanyan held the second page of the letter and read it over and over again, muttering to herself, "You hate that I was born too late, and I hate that you were born too early."

For some reason, these four lines of poetry seemed to have some kind of magic, and she gradually felt her heart lighten, and some of her burdens melted away.

Looking at the four lines of poetry, Jiang Hanyan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

She suddenly walked to her zither stand, sat down slowly, and without burning incense, began to play the zither.

The strings of the zither and her heartstrings began to resonate at that moment. The first note of the zither rang out, and Jiang Hanyan shed tears, but this time they were not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy.

A constant stream of vitality gushed forth from her strings and from her heart.

As Jiang Hanyan played the zither, she sang: "You were born before I was born, I was born after you were old. You regret that I was born too late, I regret that you were born too early..."

The music and singing lingered in the room, indistinguishable between sorrow and joy...

Although Lin Youjian did not peek at the letter, he had been using his divine sense to probe Jiang Hanyan. Upon hearing the zither music, his expression suddenly changed.

As the music ended, Jiang Hanyan's eyes softened and shone. The melody faded into the silence, echoing endlessly...

Jiang Hanyan looked up and saw that her master was standing not far away, looking at her with a horrified expression.

Jiang Hanyan smiled and said, "Master, I have mastered the final killing move of the Sonic Wave Force."

"Heartless, cruel. The music ends, the person is gone, only the green peaks remain on the river." (End of Chapter)