Stone Fairy!

In a separate courtyard of the Xie residence.

This villa is located on the west side of the Xie residence. Although it is not as grand as the main residence, it is exquisite.

Several precious flowers and plants grow in the courtyard; although their blooming season has passed, their branches and leaves are still lush. Several glass palace lanterns hang under the eaves, their light shining through the colorful glass and casting a dazzling glow on the courtyard.

Inside the room, two middle-aged men dressed in brocade and silk sat facing each other.

The person sitting at the head of the table was dressed in purple, made of the finest brocade, with auspicious cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread, which shimmered faintly under the lamplight.

He was in his early forties, with a square face and a resemblance to Xie Tian in his features, but lacking Xie Tian's dashing air and possessing instead an air of pampered wealth. His fingers were fair, long, and well-maintained, and he was holding a blue-and-white porcelain teacup, taking a gentle sip.

This person was Xie Zong, Xie Tian's cousin.

The man sitting opposite him was slightly younger, around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, wearing a royal blue silk robe with dark-patterned piping on the cuffs and collar. His face was thinner than Xie Zong's, with slightly prominent cheekbones and long, narrow eyes that gleamed with shrewdness as they moved.

His posture was not as casual as Xie Zong's; his back was slightly straight, as if he was always on guard.

This is Xie Qi, Xie Zong's younger brother.

On the coffee table between the two was an exquisite tea set, the tea having been brewed three times and its color fading.

"How much longer do you think Xie Tian can hold on?" Xie Zong put down his teacup, his tone indifferent, as if he were asking a trivial question.

Xie Qi thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "It should be in the next few days."

Xie Zong squinted, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic tapping sound—a habitual action he took when thinking.

"Xie Tian encountered trouble on his way back from reporting for duty in the capital," Xie Zong said slowly.

"It is said that they were ambushed on the road."

Xie Qi nodded: "I heard that's true."

"Now that the emperor is getting old, his sons are fighting fiercely in court." Xie Zong's eyes flickered slightly.

"Do you think... it's possible that Xie Tian was implicated because of matters concerning the royal family?"

Xie Qi paused, seemingly considering his words, before finally saying, "It's not impossible."

Xie Qi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "The situation in the court is inherently turbulent, and Xie Tian is the city lord of Yunmei City."

"Although located on the frontier, Yunmei City is a major city in the Northwest, with a strong army and ample supplies. Which of the princes wouldn't want to win it over?"

"If Xie Tian refuses to take sides, it's understandable that someone would want to get rid of him."

Xie Zong didn't speak, but he tapped his fingers on the table a little faster.

"But in any case," Xie Qi put down his teacup and looked directly at Xie Zong.

"We all need to make plans as soon as possible."

He lowered his voice slightly: "The others are keeping a close eye on things too."

Xie Zong stopped pointing, looked up, and met Xie Qi's gaze.

If Xie Tianruo dies, the position of city lord will be vacant.

The Xie family has many collateral branches, and they are not the only ones eyeing this position.

Three-bedroom and five-bedroom apartments, which one isn't eyeing the market covetously?

Not to mention those outsiders, who are also secretly watching and waiting to get a share of the pie.

"Wait a little longer," Xie Zong finally spoke, his voice steady.

"Thank God he's still alive, we'd better not be the first to jump out."

Xie Qi nodded and said no more.

The lights inside the room flickered, casting the two people's shadows on the wall, sometimes long and sometimes short.

Such conversations took place more than once within the Xie residence.

In a courtyard to the east, the third son was having a private conversation with several retainers. On the table was a map of Yunmei City, with key points marked on it in vermilion ink.

In a side hall to the south, the Fifth Branch was meeting with several unfamiliar faces. These people were dressed in ordinary clothes, but each of them wore the same bronze plaque at their waist, on which was engraved an eagle with outstretched wings.

On the surface, the Xie family mansion appears calm and peaceful, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging, as if a volcano is about to erupt at any moment.

Late at night.

The moon rose to its zenith, round and bright, like a silver plate suspended in the dark blue sky.

The moonlight, like water, poured down, enveloping the entire Yunmei City in a silvery-white glow.

In the small courtyard on the east side of the Xie residence, Dao Zhen was meditating.

He sat cross-legged on the stone platform in the courtyard, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and even.

The moonlight fell on him, making his white clothes look like they were carved from ice and jade, with a layer of cold luster.

As Daozhen breathed, strands of moonlight fell from the sky, as if drawn by some invisible force, slowly gathering around him.

The moonlight, fine as hair, silvery and translucent, intertwined and swirled around his body.

From afar, Daozhen looked as if he were wearing a robe woven from moonlight, crystal clear and untouched by any dust.

The crimson robes rose and fell slightly with Daozhen's breath, and with each rise and fall, wisps of moonlight drifted from his body, like countless tiny starlight twinkling around him.

Daozhen's consciousness entered a state of emptiness and clarity.

He was recalling the Taoist scriptures he had once memorized and read in the Taoist temple.

The Taoist cultivation system mainly emphasizes the cultivation of both mind and body.

Nature refers to one's mind and character; destiny refers to one's physical body. Cultivating nature is cultivating the mind, and cultivating destiny is cultivating the body.

According to his senior brother, he had already reached perfection in the cultivation of destiny, his nine-aperture stone embryo had taken shape, he was born with a spiritual body, and his physical body was the purest existence in the world. He had already reached the realm of perfection without any deliberate cultivation.

And now, he is walking the path of sexual cultivation.

If one day one achieves perfection in both physical and spiritual cultivation, then one can be called a "true cultivator".

There are many ways to cultivate oneself, and Taoism is not the only one.

Of the Dao Zhen currently knows, there are Buddhist practitioners, Taoist priests, officials, martial artists, and many others he has never encountered.

Buddhist practice emphasizes understanding one's true nature and achieving enlightenment through sudden awakening; the path of incense offerings is based on the power of vows and accumulating merit to attain enlightenment.

The official path involves cultivating by taking advantage of the court's fortune and the power of the official position. The higher the official position and the greater the power, the stronger the cultivation. Martial arts, on the other hand, has the lowest threshold, but it is a life-threatening path that becomes increasingly difficult as one progresses.

Martial arts are based on the physical body, tempering muscles and bones, refining qi and blood, and entering the Dao through martial arts.

Dao Zhen sensed a rich flow of qi and blood from Xie Ning. The power was vast and intense, like flames in a furnace, surging and circulating within her body.

However, Daozhen also sensed a familiar spiritual energy in Xie Ning, indicating that Xie Ning had also cultivated Taoist techniques.

Therefore, it seems that Xie Ning should be pursuing two paths simultaneously.

She is still young and her cultivation is not yet profound, but her foundation is solid and her path of cultivation is correct. Given time, she will surely achieve something.

As Dao Zhen was deep in thought, his ears suddenly twitched slightly.

Strange noises came from the courtyard wall.