The starting point is auspicious; the fiancée will not call off the engagement.

Fang Zhou and his companion walked back along the main street of Cheng'an City. The sunlight shone directly down from above, pressing their shadows into small clumps.

The aroma of steaming noodles wafted from the roadside noodle shop. Fang Zhou's eyes lit up, and he walked into the noodle shop, randomly choosing an empty table to sit down.

Ye Ninghan sat down opposite him, her gaze sweeping across the table before settling back on Fang Zhou's face.

What would you like to eat?

Fang Zhou looked at the menu on the wall and asked Ye Ninghan.

"Just be like you."

"Then two bowls of beef noodles."

Fang Zhouchong held up two fingers.

The noodle shop wasn't big, and there weren't many people at this time. The owner responded and turned to busy himself at the stove. Before long, two steaming bowls were placed on the table. The noodle soup had an amber sheen, the beef was cut into even slices, and it was sprinkled with a handful of bright green scallions, the aroma of which wafted straight into the nose.

Fang Zhou glanced at the beef in the bowl and suddenly remembered that famous scene from his previous life.

"Uh, I don't eat beef."

Ye Ninghan looked at Fang Zhou with a puzzled expression, not understanding what he meant.

"Just kidding."

Fang Zhou took his chopsticks off the bowl, bent down, picked up a large piece of beef, and stuffed it into his mouth.

As a transmigrator, he often felt lonely in this world. No one could understand his jokes, and no one could make him completely open up.

Silence spread between the two as they silently finished their meal, paid, and left the noodle shop.

Fang Zhou and Ye Ninghan stared at each other on the street, unsure of what to do, completely unaccustomed to each other's presence.

"Are you busy this afternoon?" Fang Zhou broke the silence.

"No," Ye Ninghan said. "The sect hasn't made any arrangements these past few days."

"Oh. So what do you usually do at the sect?"

Fang Zhou led the way toward the small building, with Ye Ninghan following half a step behind him.

"Usually at the sect," Ye Ninghan thought for a moment, "I cultivate, handle affairs within the peak, and occasionally practice some spells."

"Sounds very busy."

"It's alright. I'm used to it."

Fang Zhou pushed open the courtyard gate of the small building. Xiao Yue was lying on the windowsill sunbathing. Hearing the noise, she only raised her eyelids slightly and lazily wagged her tail as if to say hello.

He sat down on a chair in the living room, and Ye Ninghan also came in and sat down at the table. There was a table and a short silence between the two of them.

Xiaoyue suddenly jumped down from the windowsill, strolled to Ye Ninghan's feet, looked up at her, and then leaped onto her lap, curling herself into a ball of fur.

"It seems to like you quite a bit," Fang Zhou said.

"You've taken good care of it." Ye Ninghan looked down at the cat on her lap and gently scratched the back of its ear with her finger. Xiaoyue purred and squinted its eyes, snuggling closer into her palm.

"Have you named him yet?" Ye Ninghan asked, her voice softening as she stroked Xiaoyue.

Fang Zhou leaned back in his chair, watching Ye Ninghan's profile as she looked down at the cat. Her fingers were long and slender, her nails neatly trimmed, and she was gently scratching Xiaoyue's chin with a tender gesture.

"I'm not very good at naming things, so I'll just call it Xiaoyue."

"Xiaoyue." Ye Ninghan repeated the name, her finger pausing behind Xiaoyue's ear. "It sounds very nice."

When Xiaoyue heard someone call its name, it rolled over, exposed its belly, and let out a soft cry.

Looking at Ye Ninghan, Fang Zhou suddenly felt less lonely.

"Hey, Ninghan, what's it like inside the Ten Thousand Saints Sect?"

Fang Zhou suddenly spoke up. He was very curious because, whether it was the disciples or the management system, the Wansheng Sect was different from the sect he had imagined.

"A sect?" Ye Ninghan pondered for a moment. "Everyone in the sect is a good person. They treat everyone the same and often teach us that cultivators and mortals are no different. In general, there's nothing special about them."

No, do you know what you're talking about?

Is it right for a cultivation sect to disregard cultivation levels and advocate for equality for all?

"This isn't right." He pulled his chair forward. "Shouldn't a normal sect be one where the strong rule and the mighty get the final say? Outer disciples have to bow to inner disciples, and menial disciples aren't even allowed to enter the main hall. That's how it's written in the stories."

Ye Ninghan tilted her head slightly, her expression as if to say, "What kind of things do you usually watch?"

"The Ten Thousand Saints Sect doesn't have that many ranks, and the strong are usually busy cultivating and don't have time to manage sect affairs."

"What about the sect's rules?" Fang Zhou asked. "There must be rules, right? What are the punishments for breaking them?"

Ye Ninghan thought for a moment, "The sect doesn't have that many rules. As long as you don't affect others, there usually won't be any punishment."

Fang Zhou leaned back in his chair, taking a few breaths to process this information. "What if I really break the rules?"

"Depending on the circumstances, those who damage property will be fined spirit stones and required to make compensation at the Affairs Hall; those who commit serious offenses will be confined and punished at the Discipline Peak; and those who commit even more serious offenses will cross the bottom line of the Ten Thousand Saints Sect, where only death awaits them."

Fang Zhou really didn't know what to say this time. "My ideal sect!" he thought, but he still asked, "What if there are conflicts between disciples? Surely not everyone will love each other."

"It's normal to have conflicts." Ye Ninghan changed Xiaoyue's position, letting it lie in her arms. "The sect has a debate platform. If you're not satisfied, go up and fight. After the fight, no matter who wins or loses, all grudges will be resolved. If the problem still can't be resolved, you can seek mediation from the sect. The sect has only one requirement: no killing among fellow disciples."

"What if you really can't stand the other person?"

Ye Ninghan thought for a moment: "There is a senior brother who can't stand another senior brother. Every time they meet, they have to fight on the Dao Discussion Platform. They've been fighting for three years. Now the sect has built a special Dao Discussion Platform just for them and locked them up inside. They can only be released when they've had enough fighting."

Fang Zhou chuckled; this sect was truly interesting.

Ye Ninghan grew up in such an environment, no wonder she is so upright.

"Is the sect very strict in accepting members?" Fang Zhou asked.

Ye Ninghan thought it over carefully, and finally shook her head.

"I don't quite understand either. When sects recruit disciples, they don't look at talent or cultivation level, nor do they look at age. They only look at character, morality, and the desire to pursue the Dao."

Why?

"My master said that the existence of a sect is merely to provide a place for like-minded people to exchange ideas and grow together."

"A fellow traveler? What kind of path is it?" Fang Zhou was very curious about this, but seeing that Ye Ninghan also seemed to only have a vague understanding, he didn't press further.

"If that's the case," Fang Zhou said, putting his arm behind his head, "the school teaches people to read and do math, and teaches them the principles of being a good person. The affairs hall allows visiting cultivators to take on missions and collect certificates. Mortals and cultivators in the city eat the same food, and they are punished the same if they commit crimes. What exactly is the Ten Thousand Saints Sect trying to do?"

Ye Ninghan raised her head and looked at him.

"My master said that cultivators and mortals are both human. Since we are human, we should live human lives." She paused for a moment. "The Myriad Saints Sect doesn't have any particularly lofty goals. We just want to reduce the bullying of the weak and increase justice in this world."

Fang Zhou remained silent for a long time.

Outside the window came the cries of street vendors and the laughter of children chasing each other. Sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on Ye Ninghan's profile, and her eyelashes trembled slightly in the light.

Xiaoyue rolled over in her arms, lying on her back with her four paws in the air, exposing her belly, and her tail swaying leisurely back and forth.

Is that how it is?

My ideal is to join this sect.

Fang Zhou made up his mind.