Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality

Three days after the banquet, Little Dot had already settled into life in the capital. Every morning, Huo Ling'er would come to find him and take him to eat the best breakfast in the capital. In the morning, they would cultivate in the palace; Huo Ling'er would practice swordsmanship while Little Dot meditated. In the afternoon, Huo Ling'er would take him out to play, exploring every street and alley of the capital. In the evening, they would watch the stars, bicker, argue, and then make up in the palace's back garden.

Little Dot found these days very comfortable. No fighting, no risking his life, no living in fear. All he had to do was eat well, drink well, play well, and sleep well. But he knew these days wouldn't last long. Uncle Li had said he'd be going to the border in a few days. The ferocious beasts of the Ancient Divine Mountain were causing trouble at the border, and the Fire Emperor wanted him to go and deter them. He agreed because the Fire Emperor was good to him, Fire Spirit was good to him, and the Fire Kingdom was good to him. He couldn't just eat and drink their food without helping them out.

That afternoon, Huo Ling'er took him to stroll through the West Market of the capital. The West Market was the most bustling place in the capital, selling everything imaginable. Food, drinks, clothes, household items, toys—it had everything. Little Dot could never get enough of it every time he came, wishing he could carry the whole street back to Stone Village.

"Fat sister, what is this?" The little one squatted in front of a stall and asked, pointing to something colorful.

"Those are sugar figurines, made with sugar syrup, and they're edible."

"Can we eat this?" The little one's eyes lit up. "I want one."

Huo Ling'er paid, and the little boy took the sugar figurine, took a bite, and squinted his eyes because it was so sweet.

"Delicious! Fatty, you should try a bite too."

He held the sugar figurine to Huo Ling'er's lips. Huo Ling'er hesitated for a moment, then took a small bite. The sugar was very sweet, so sweet that it made her heart feel sweet too.

The two continued walking. The little boy held a sugar figurine in his left hand and a skewer of roasted meat in his right, chewing as he looked around. He thought the capital was wonderful, so much better than Stone Village. Stone Village didn't have so much good food, so many fun things to do, or so many people. He wanted to bring the people of Stone Village over so they could also taste these delicious foods and experience these fun activities.

Just then, the little boy suddenly stopped. His gaze fell on a corner where a beggar was squatting. The beggar was dressed in tattered clothes, his hair was messy, his face was dirty, and he was looking down, so his face was not visible. Beside him was a broken bowl, which was empty.

The little boy looked at the beggar, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him. He remembered his own time in Stone Village, when he too wore tattered clothes and sometimes went hungry. Back then, the people of Stone Village gave him food, clothing, and a home. Now that he had money, food, and clothes, he should help others.

He walked up to the beggar, squatted down, and handed him the remaining half skewer of roasted meat.

"for you."

The beggar looked up at the little boy. It was an old face, full of wrinkles, with cloudy eyes and chapped lips. He looked at the roasted meat in the little boy's hand, hesitated for a moment, then took it and began to eat it in large mouthfuls.

The little one handed over the sugar figurine he was holding. "This one's for you too."

The beggar took the sugar figurine, but didn't eat it. He just held it in his hand, looking at the little one with eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you, young master."

The little one waved his hand. "You're welcome. What's your name?"

"My surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Laosi."

"Zhang Laosi, what are you doing begging here? Don't you have a home?"

The beggar lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. "I have a home, but I can't go back."

The little boy didn't understand what "can't go back" meant, but he could hear the sadness in the voice. He didn't ask any more questions, but simply took out a few spirit stones from his pocket and put them into the beggar's broken bowl.

"Here, take these and buy some food."

The beggar stared, stunned, at the spirit stones in the bowl. Those few spirit stones were enough for him to eat for several months. He looked up at the little one, his lips trembling, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a single word.

The little one stood up, turned around, and walked back to Huo Ling'er's side.

"Fat sister, let's go."

Huo Ling'er looked at him, at the light in his eyes, and a feeling she couldn't quite describe welled up inside her. This brat, usually so arrogant, had a heart softer than anyone else's. She suddenly felt that she liked him even more. Not just any kind of liking, but something... she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The two continued walking, but the little boy didn't notice that the beggar's gaze followed him until he disappeared into the crowd.

The beggar lowered his head, looking at the spirit stones in the bowl, then at the half-melted sugar figurine in his hand. A strange smile slowly spread across his lips. It wasn't a smile of gratitude, but a sinister smile of triumphant scheming.

He took the spirit stone from the broken bowl, stuffed it into his robes, then stood up, took off his tattered clothes, revealing a clean black outfit underneath. He removed his wig, wiped the dirt from his face, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. That face had no wrinkles, no signs of age, only a cold, almost cruel calm.

He was the informant of the ancient sacred mountain.

His name was Mo Lin, a ferocious beast in human form, his true form being a black dragon. He didn't hold a high position in the Ancient Divine Mountain, but his mission was crucial—to infiltrate the Fire Kingdom's capital, gather intelligence, especially regarding that child. He had been infiltrating for half a year, without a chance to approach the palace. But today, the opportunity presented itself. That child had actually walked up to him and given him spirit stones and a sugar figurine.

Mo Lin stopped smiling, turned around and walked into an alley, disappearing into the darkness.

Little Dot was unaware of all this. He was still strolling through the West Market with Fire Spirit, eating candied hawthorns, drinking beast milk, and having a wonderful time. He didn't know he was being watched, nor did he know that the beggar was an informant from the Ancient Divine Mountain. He simply felt that helping others was a joyful thing.

As night fell, the little boy returned to the palace. After taking a bath, he lay on his bed, hugging the earthenware pot, preparing to sleep. He closed his eyes, and the image of the beggar's aged face floated into his mind. Remembering his words, "I have a home, but I can't go back," he felt a pang of sadness. He decided to visit the beggar again the next day and bring him some food.

He turned over and fell asleep.

Li Chenzhou sat in his study, a lamp before him casting a dim, yellow light that illuminated half his face. His eyes were closed, seemingly dozing, yet also deep in thought. His senses spread out, enveloping the entire capital. He sensed the armored soldiers patrolling the palace, the shops still open in the streets, the sleeping commoners, and the black-clad figure moving through the darkness.

Mo Lin walked through several alleys and arrived at a dilapidated temple on the west side of the capital. He pushed open the door and went inside. The temple was dark, with only a few oil lamps flickering in the wind. Several people stood in the temple, all dressed in black and with their faces covered, so their features could not be seen. They were Mo Lin's accomplices and also the spies of the Ancient Divine Mountain.

"What have you found out?" someone asked.

Mo Lin walked up to them, took out the spirit stones from his arms, and placed them on the table.

"That child gave me a few spirit stones today. He's soft-hearted and easily fooled."

"That's all?"

"That's all," Mo Lin said. "But I've gotten close to him. Next time, I can find an opportunity to strike up a conversation and extract more information."

"Not enough," another person said. "What the master wants isn't information, it's that child."

Mo Lin fell silent. He knew who his "master" was. It was a king from the Ancient Divine Mountain, the patriarch of the Qiongqi clan, a peak Venerable Realm expert. He hated that child to the core because that child had defeated his son in the Void God Realm, and because the person behind that child had killed an elder of his clan. He wanted that child dead, but he knew he couldn't touch the child, because Li Chenzhou stood behind that child. So he sent spies to gather intelligence, hoping to find an opportunity to strike when Li Chenzhou was away.

"That Li Chenzhou is by that child's side every day, never leaving her side," Mo Lin said. "We have no chance at all."

"Then let's wait," the man in black said. "Our master said that when that child leaves the capital and goes to the border, that's when we'll make our move."

Mo Lin nodded. "Okay. I'll keep an eye on it."

The group exchanged a few more whispered words before dispersing. Mo Lin walked out of the dilapidated temple and disappeared into the night.

He didn't know that a pair of eyes had been watching him all along.

Li Chenzhou opened his eyes, his gaze calm. He had long known that the Ancient Divine Mountain had planted spies in the capital, and he had also known they were after Little Dot. He hadn't acted, not because he couldn't, but because he wanted to see what tricks these people could pull. Now he saw it—nothing special.

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the night sky. There were no stars, only thick clouds obscuring the moon. A wind blew from afar, carrying a chill and a fishy stench. It was the aura of ferocious beasts drifting from the border.

Li Chenzhou knew that the major operation of the Ancient Divine Mountain was about to begin.

The next morning, Little Dot got up early. He carried the pottery jar and went to find Fire Spirit. Fire Spirit was still sleeping and was woken up by him, so she stomped her feet in anger. But she still got up, washed up, and followed Little Dot out of the palace.

"Where are you going?" Huo Ling'er asked.

"West Market. I want to go see that beggar from yesterday."

Huo Ling'er nodded and followed the little one to the West Market. They searched for a long time in that corner but couldn't find the beggar. The place was empty, except for a broken bowl with a few spirit stones inside.

The little boy picked up the spirit stone, looked at the broken bowl, and a strange feeling welled up inside him. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he felt that something was off.

"Fat sister, that beggar has disappeared."

"Maybe he's gone," Huo Ling'er said. "He has spirit stones now, he can buy food, he doesn't need to beg anymore."

The little boy thought for a moment and realized that Huo Ling'er's words made sense. He put the spirit stone back in the bowl, stood up, and turned to leave. Unbeknownst to him, there was a note pressed under the broken bowl. The note read in small print: "Young Master, thank you. We will meet again."

If he had seen the note, he might have been alert. But he didn't, because he never looked down at the bottom of his bowl.

Li Chenzhou stood high in the palace, gazing calmly towards the West Market. He saw the note, and he saw the words on it. He didn't tell the little one, because he felt that some things were more meaningful for the little one to discover for himself than to tell him.

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