One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

The inner courtyard of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The old-fashioned red-lacquered gate was tightly closed.

A faint scent of sandalwood wafted from the crack in the door.

Zhang Lingyu walked to the door, straightened his clothes, and was about to raise his hand to knock and announce his arrival.

boom!

A loud bang.

The two heavy wooden doors were kicked open with a groan of despair as they slammed against the walls, sending dust flying.

Zhang Lingyu's hand froze in mid-air, and her face twitched violently twice.

You don't even need to look to know who did it.

"Senior brother! Wake up! Don't sleep!"

Zhang Taichu swaggered in, his tattered white robe stirring up a gust of wind with his movements, instantly dispelling the tranquility of the room.

The interior furnishings were simple.

A bed, a table, and a few chairs.

On the armchair directly opposite the main gate, a tall, elderly Taoist priest sat cross-legged.

Even when sitting cross-legged, his figure could be seen as a majestic mountain.

The old Taoist priest had white hair and beard, and his eyes were slightly closed, as if he were meditating or dozing off.

The old Taoist priest didn't even lift his eyelids at the commotion Zhang Taichu made, which was practically like the demolition office entering the room. Only his originally steady breathing rhythm was slightly disrupted.

"Tsk, the tea's gone cold."

Zhang Taichu didn't stand on ceremony. He walked straight to the table, picked up the cup of tea that was clearly prepared for the Old Celestial Master, and gulped it down.

Gumbling.

After finishing his drink, he smacked his lips as if he wanted more, then casually tossed the empty teacup onto the table with a crisp sound.

"puff……"

Zhang Chulan, who was following behind, almost popped his eyes out. He quickly covered his mouth, afraid that he would be struck by lightning if he laughed out loud.

Who is that?

That's the old Celestial Master!

The pinnacle of the superhuman world! The one below one person!

Throughout the entire world, the only one who would dare to steal the Celestial Master's tea and kick his sect is probably this Taichu Ye.

Wang Ye lowered his hat brim and huddled in a corner, wishing he could become invisible.

This scene of gods fighting was too much for him, an outsider, to bear.

Only Chen Duo.

She stood at the doorway, not daring to move an inch inside.

If Zhang Taichu had previously given her a sense of security as arrogant as the blazing sun...

The old Taoist priest in front of her, who was resting with his eyes closed, gave her the feeling that...

day.

An insurmountable sky.

The fear, stemming from her biological instincts, made the hairs on her body stand on end.

The primal poison within her body seemed to sense some kind of deadly threat, and began to stir restlessly in her meridians, while the bead hanging on her chest flashed wildly with purple light.

Tap tap.

Chen Duo took two steps back, her heels hitting the threshold, and she almost fell.

"What? Are you scared already?"

Zhang Taichu turned around, looked at Chen Duo who was huddled in the doorway like a frightened quail, and raised an eyebrow:

"Weren't you just helping your nephew bury someone on the boat?"

"Come in."

Chen Duo bit her lip, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly until her knuckles turned white.

She didn't want to go in.

Her instinct screamed, telling her to run away.

"In the beginning..."

Just then.

The old Taoist priest on the grand chair finally spoke.

The voice was old and deep, carrying an echo that seemed to come from ancient times.

The old celestial master Zhang Zhiwei slowly opened his eyes.

That instant.

The light inside the room seemed to dim slightly.

There was no sharp glint in those eyes, nor any intimidating pressure.

There was only tranquility.

Calm as an abyss.

"What's wrong with you? You're tearing down my door as soon as you get back."

Zhang Zhiwei glanced at the still-shaking door and shook his head helplessly:

"What? You're not investigating anymore?"

"We'll still investigate, but I came back to talk to you about something."

Zhang Taichu pulled over a chair, slumped down without any regard for appearances, and crossed his legs.

As he spoke, he pointed to Chen Duo standing by the door:

"This girl will be under the jurisdiction of Longhu Mountain from now on."

"I've already spoken to Nadutong. You'll have to take the blame for the rest, Senior Brother."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiwei's gaze slowly shifted towards the doorway.

When his gaze fell on Chen Duo.

Chen Duo felt like she had been completely seen through.

From body to soul, from the past to the present.

No secret can be hidden before those eyes.

"The Holy Child with the Gu Body..."

Zhang Zhiwei read those four words aloud softly.

"come over."

Zhang Zhiwei waved to Chen Duo.

Chen Duo trembled all over.

She subconsciously looked at Zhang Taichu.

Zhang Taichu was busy picking at his fingernails, not even looking up, and just lazily hummed:

"Go."

"This old man may look fierce, but he doesn't eat people."

With this statement...

Chen Duo took a deep breath.

She took a step and crossed the high threshold.

step.

Two steps.

With each step she took, she had to use all her strength to fight against the terror that came from the depths of her soul.

at last.

She walked up to Zhang Zhiwei.

The sense of oppression reached its peak at that moment.

Chen Duo lowered her head, not daring to look at that aged face, her body trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Just then, a large, wrinkled, and somewhat withered hand slowly landed on her head.

Chen Duo instinctively wanted to dodge and try to use her Qi to resist.

But though the hand was slow, it possessed an irresistible magic, and it steadily covered the top of her head.

"well……"

A soft sigh came from above.

"She's a child with a tragic fate."

Zhang Zhiwei gently ruffled Chen Duo's hair, his movements clumsy and even a little rough, making Chen Duo's already messy bangs even more disheveled.

But Chen Duo did not dodge.

Her eyes suddenly felt a little sore.

Ever since I can remember.

Apart from Uncle Liao and Master.

This is the third person who dared to touch her so unguarded.

He was also the third person to treat her as a child, not a weapon.

"Alright."

Zhang Zhiwei withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and without caring about the dirt, casually wiped the stains off Chen Duo's face:

"Now that we're here, we're family."

"If you've been wronged outside, just come home."

Chen Duo felt as if there was a wad of cotton stuck in her throat.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but could only utter a few monotonous syllables:

"Um……"

"Master... Uncle."

The "Uncle-Master" was called out very softly, as soft as a mosquito's hum.

But Zhang Zhiwei heard it.

A faint smile appeared on the old master's usually stern face.

"Okay, good girl."

After speaking, he turned his head and looked at Zhang Taichu, who was still sitting with his legs crossed. His expression changed instantly, and the kindness he had shown just moments before vanished.

"You bastard!"

"Such a fine child, and you've turned him into a beggar!"

"And what's that thing hanging around her neck? Couldn't she have at least picked a nicer rope!"

Zhang Taichu was stunned by the scolding, and spread his hands innocently:

"Senior brother, this isn't my fault."

"This girl has a special constitution; she melts within two seconds of being hung on a regular rope."

"Besides, I wanted to buy her something nice, but I was in a rush."

"and……"

Zhang Taichu changed the subject, his eyes becoming somewhat playful:

"That old bastard Zhao Fangxu is furious."

They said they were going to come to Longhu Mountain to demand an explanation from me.

"I was thinking, Senior Brother, you are renowned throughout the world, this little trouble is certainly no problem for you."

Zhao Fangxu was mentioned.

A glint of light flashed in Zhang Zhiwei's cloudy old eyes.

The aura that had just been contained suddenly surged forth like a sleeping dragon turning over; even a brief leak caused the paper windows inside the room to rattle and tremble.

"Zhao Fangxu?"

Zhang Zhiwei snorted coldly, picked up the teacup, only to find it was empty, and could only helplessly put it down:

"He dares."

Just two simple words.

Yet it carries an air of domineering arrogance that looks down upon the world.

Standing to the side, Zhang Chulan felt his knees buckle and almost knelt down to shout "666" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome").

This is the backstage area!

That's a thigh!

From now on, he can roam freely in the world of supernatural beings, and who would dare to say a word against him?

"Alright, stop standing there."

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand, a gesture to shoo people away:

"Lingyu, take your... junior sister to find a place to stay."

"I've cleaned myself up."

Zhang Lingyu, who had been standing at the door as a backdrop, quickly stepped forward and bowed in greeting:

"Yes, Master."

He walked over to Chen Duo's side, and when he looked at his junior sister again, most of the resistance in her eyes had disappeared.

Even the master approved.

Then we're truly family.

"Junior sister, come with me."

Zhang Lingyu's voice remained cold, but there was a subtle softening in her tone.

Chen Duo nodded.

She turned around and glanced at Zhang Taichu, who was still slumped in the chair.

Zhang Taichu waved his hand at her, as if shooing away a fly:

"Go on, go on, wash your face, you're all covered in dirt."

Chen Duo pursed her lips and then secretly glanced at Zhang Zhiwei sitting in the armchair.

The old Taoist priest who had just been touching her head had now closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.

But the lingering warmth on my head was real.

Chen Duo reached out and touched the top of her head.

It seems like there...

It's not so cold anymore.

She took a deep breath and followed Zhang Lingyu out of the room that both terrified and reassured her.