Each of the nine dragon maidens possesses extraordinary abilities.

As the palace lanterns lit up one by one, the shadow of a crane swept past at the end of the cloud-like steps. The layout inside the pavilion was extremely simple. In the center was a round table made of three-life stone, its surface as smooth as a mirror. One by one, zombies with talismans pasted on them sat down around the round table; they were all people who had died and returned.

No one expected that there would be such a building behind Suxian Palace: a pavilion floating above the white clouds, a small interior space, with Ling Suxian sitting in the main seat, and the burly man standing behind her being the Iron-Eating Beast.

Ji Cheng's avatar walked in, looked left and right, and found that there was no seat left for her at the round table. Suddenly she heard someone blowing on her, and then she realized that someone was waving at her from the corner. It was Zhong Sifu.

She was also an incarnation, and came alone, without Ye Buxi.

"Second sister, you're here? Sit here, I saved a seat for you." Zhong Sifu smiled and gestured to the seat next to her.

"I don't want to sit with you," Ji Cheng said, turning around to find there were no seats left.

"Just bear with it, we're just eavesdropping. You can't disobey your eldest sister's orders, can you... Besides, look, she only invited the two of us, which means she trusts us the most. You can't disrespect her," Zhong Sifu said with a smile. "Third brother has been busy with something lately, and fifth brother, eldest sister doesn't like her. Sixth brother and eighth brother are the best of friends, but eighth brother has recently gotten into trouble. Seventh brother is withdrawn, she definitely won't come if we invite her. As for ninth brother... hey, we haven't heard from her at all, she's probably dead."

"You're gloating."

“I’m not close to her anyway. If you were to die one day, I’d definitely be gloating. So we need to build a good relationship,” Zhong Sifu said with a grin.

"So you're going to build a good relationship with me, and then stuff that Seed of Fear into my hands?" Ji Cheng said, sitting down next to her, but still with a grim expression.

"Hehe, well..." Zhong Sifu could only awkwardly force a smile.

Ji Cheng said, “Don’t lump me in with you. You’re all crazy, but I’m not. Zhong Sifu, you might have misunderstood something. I obey my elder sister’s orders not because I’m afraid of her, but because she always gives me benefits. If it weren’t for those benefits, I wouldn’t even give her a second glance. She’s a madwoman. This must be your first time here. Do you know what this place is for? This is a place to discuss fate, the Wentian Tower built by Ling Suxian. The people who come here are all ancient diviners and sorcerers, people who peer into fate. They all came here through a deal between Ling Suxian and Death. A bunch of stinking old madmen who refuse to reincarnate, and you actually like listening to what they say?”

"Ah... I didn't think that much about it. I was happy to come when my older sister invited me. It's rare for her to invite me," Zhong Sifu said, scratching his head.

Ji Cheng scoffed; she didn't believe Zhong Sifu was so honest.

"But isn't it nice to listen to their stories? The ancient times were before the Twilight Age; I'm so curious about what happened back then." Zhong Sifu pouted like a little sister, "People need to learn more, right, second sister~"

Ji Cheng sneered and showed his fist.

"My two sisters, please be quiet. Our discussion is about to begin." Ling Suxian gently tapped the air with her hand, and the silent sound echoed out.

Ji Cheng and Zhong Sifu both fell silent. At this moment, their hearts were truly filled with only tranquility. Conversely, the old zombies began to stir. The oldest of them stood up shakily, only managing to stay upright thanks to the talisman that stabilized his body; otherwise, his body might have collapsed at any moment.

“Mr. Wu Xian, please speak first. Among us, you are the one who understands destiny best.” Ling Suxian looked at the oldest zombie with her blind eyes and smiled. “The topic of discussion today is very simple. It is about the fate of [history]. I have already shared the relevant speculations with everyone through talismans. After you finish speaking, everyone can speak freely.”

Wu Xian, Ji Cheng said, had seen this person's name in ancient records. Legend has it that this person was proficient in a certain kind of magic and was specifically tasked with assisting the holy king in communicating with the heavens.

"The fate of history... the so-called fate of history should not exist." Wu Xian said tremblingly, his voice muffled and hoarse, even leaking air, making one wonder if his throat was about to rot.

He shifted his body, probably trying to find a more comfortable position, but ultimately gave up.

"History... is simply 'one' and 'one person.' One person's words, one person's pen, one person's record. Such a single perspective... even if it can glimpse fate, it is only the fate of the recorder; objective historical fate does not exist..."

"What is he saying?" Zhong Sifu asked Ji Cheng telepathically.

Ji Cheng said he couldn't be bothered to pay attention and gave her a warning look.

“All things in heaven and earth have their own destiny, and the destinies of all things in heaven and earth are intertwined, but this cannot constitute the destiny of history. As Lord Wuxian said, history is just one person’s opinion. My prosperity and his decline are different. At the same time, everyone’s destiny is different, so it does not have the quality of destiny.” Another zombie spoke up, and he spoke fluently.

Ling Suxian asked, "In that case, if I want to influence a certain period of history through fate... can I only influence the person who records it? Ah, I may be being vague, but can I influence the history shaped by someone, whether it is true or false, through fate? If not, can I influence the person who records it?"

Zhong Sifu was completely confused, but Ji Cheng said he understood a little better. Ling Suxian was actually questioning and probing Qing Zaishan.

"Personally... I believe... history should be above fate. The history that has been written is like ink splashed on silk; the ink has dried. Whether the ink marks depict a real dragon... or a fake insect, it is already a painting. The joys and sorrows of the people in the painting are the events within the painting; the moment fate influences them, they are already part of the painting," Wu Xian said breathlessly.

"How could fate, which is continuous, not affect those who record history?" a zombie retorted.

“Fate is an existence that can ignore time. In terms of priority, its power is the highest. No matter what power is against fate, fate will take effect first,” another zombie said. “The ripples of fate that start at noon can also affect the time before 3 AM.”

Wu Xian, panting, said, "Fate is not like that... In the early days, fate was separate, and destiny indeed had the highest priority, even higher than time... But after fortune was added, things changed. The priority of destiny has become weaker than that of time." He was probably anxious, and with his lisp, he quickly said, "History is a record of the past. How should destiny influence the past?"

The zombies started arguing, looking ready to overturn the table.

Zhong Sifu suddenly asked, "What if the people who recorded history were still alive?"

The zombies suddenly fell silent and all stared at her.

Zhong Sifu spread his hands and said, "Look, I recorded something yesterday, so yesterday's events are history to me now. I'm still alive and well. Besides, there are many ways to prolong life in this world. Even if you don't prolong your life, you'll still be reincarnated. If you don't reincarnate, you'll just be like everyone else, serving around [death]. In any case, that person still exists, and since they exist, they can influence things sooner or later."

“No, it’s not like that…” Wu Xian said, “History is not just about recording things. Besides recording human events, history also records the changes in the Way of Heaven. It has certain laws, and its power is closest to the Way of Heaven. Therefore, those who record history must also understand the changes in the Way of Heaven. That is why, in ancient times, those who recorded history were called Grand Historians. They, like us, also possessed certain powers.”

“I see, it’s because we must follow the way of Heaven…” Zhong Sifu said thoughtfully.

"The laws governing the power of destiny and the laws governing the power of history are different, so they cannot influence each other." Ling Suxian looked gently at Wu Xian. "Sir, is that what you mean?"

“That’s right. In the past, it was also called the Ben Tian Yin Fu Jing (本天阴符经),” Wu Xian said softly.

Now everyone fell silent. The words of the veteran made all the difference; those born slightly later were merely parroting others' opinions. Those who had initially questioned Wu Xian now fell silent; he was the sole witness in ancient times.

“In that case, wouldn’t the power of history be the most powerful power? As long as you control it, you can interpret the meaning of the heavens. Even fate can’t match that.” Ling Suxian sighed softly.

"The power of history has a high priority, but it only interprets the laws of heaven. The laws it has to follow are probably not so simple. If it is powerful enough to do whatever it wants, then the most powerful god would be the god who controls the power of history, right?" a zombie said.

"Haha, who knows?" Ling Suxian clapped her hands with a smile. "Alright, thank you all for your explanations, they were all very good and cleared up many of my doubts. I will trouble you all to explain fate to me again next time. Now please rest in peace, otherwise [Death] will be angry."

The zombies rose and bowed, the talismans slowly burning, and they all turned into a pile of rotten flesh, crumbling there. After seeing these old things off, Ling Suxian snapped her fingers, and the burly man behind her began to tidy up. Once it was clean, Ling Suxian invited her two younger sisters to sit down.

"Did you find anything useful? You can come back anytime if you want." Ling Suxian smiled and clapped her hands. The burly man then laboriously laid out the spirit fruits and pastries.

“Since everyone’s true forms are not here, you can only come in avatars.” Zhong Sifu smiled and ate the spiritual fruit and pastries with courtesy. “But if you want to invite me in the future, you can do so anytime.”

"I wouldn't come if there were no benefits," Ji Cheng replied succinctly.

"I invited you here not only to hear this, but also for another reason, which is about Eighth Sister."

"You want to lay a hand on her?"

Ji Cheng stood up and looked at Ling Suxian with a dangerous gaze: "Your idea is very dangerous. We all possess the bloodline of the Dragon God. It's one thing to stand by and watch someone die in ordinary times, but if we kill each other, the Dragon God will definitely punish us. I'm warning you, give up this idea."

“I want to too, but she’s already made a move on us.” Ling Suxian clapped her hands, and the burly man huffed and puffed as he brought over a wooden board with a musical score carved on it.

Ling Suxian played softly, as if an invisible zither was placed in front of her. The beautiful melody echoed, and Zhong Sifu and Ji Chengshuo were both shocked.

"What did you do?" Ji Cheng asked.

“Let’s restore our original destiny.” Ling Suxian smiled slightly.

"Restore?" Ji Cheng frowned. "Restore what?"

"the truth."

The three of them saw a scene at the same time: corpses, so many corpses, the endless pit filled with Qing Zai Shan's corpses, but her face was distorted and unclear, and her true appearance could not be seen.

"Please draw." Ling Suxian stopped, clapped her hands, and the burly man handed her three sheets of white paper.

"What should we draw?" Ji Cheng asked, her brows furrowed, a bad feeling lingering in her heart.

“Let’s draw Qing Zaishan, whom we know,” Ling Suxian said with a smile, and she had already started drawing.

Zhong Sifu didn't dare to delay and immediately started drawing. Ji Cheng pondered for a long time before finally starting to draw as well.

Finally, they finished drawing, put down the white paper, and compared it with the drawings. They were shocked to find that there were three different faces.

The Eighth Sister in their memories was actually different.

Chapter 94: My arrogant dream is to hang Lu Yueyuan up and beat him up (4k)

Youzhou, the underground palace.

Qing Zaishan was extremely weak and had been recuperating ever since he came to Mo Zhiyan's place.

Therefore, it was Qing Zai Shan's maid who spoke with Mo Zhiyan, and she was the one who communicated with Mo Zhiyan.

The maid said, “As you have seen, the agents of the Four Gods have already attacked us against the agreement. Our lord has not broken the agreement, but the agent of the Heavenly Venerable attacked her. You should have been in contact with Miaoyin’s current agent recently. Youzhou is not as fragmented as Qingzhou. The three gods of Youzhou are not as cowardly as the two gods of Qingzhou. Not to mention, besides those three gods, Youzhou also has the most mysterious [Death], which is the opposite of the power of the Great Virtue True Monarch and the greatest enemy of our Jiuyi Sect. Under such circumstances, your rash entry is a risky move.”

Mo Zhiyan said, "I'm just going through the motions, it doesn't matter. Fengdu is constantly searching for my whereabouts, and they are guarding the earth veins very closely, but it doesn't matter. Even if the representatives of the three gods of Youzhou come to besiege me, I can still escape unscathed."

After a pause, Mo Zhiyan continued, "But coming to me is not a good choice for you. It's not that I don't welcome you, but isn't your master closer to the Sixth Protector? She is in Yanzhou, so wouldn't it be more convenient for you to come south from Qingzhou to seek refuge with me? Why did you come to me?"

The maid said, "My master said that although she has a good relationship with the sixth guardian, she knows very well that guardians do not cherish their feelings for each other. The only one who would not stand by and watch someone die is you."

Mo Zhiyan felt a little embarrassed by these words.

Although the nine guardians had no feelings for each other and all wished to see their sisters make a fool of themselves, Mo Zhiyan was not like that. She might really be lacking in love and always wanted to get along well with her sisters.

Now that Qing Zaishan has been attacked by the Heavenly Venerable's proxy and has come to her for help, she cannot ignore him.

However, Youzhou is not the same as Qingzhou. Mo Zhiyan's entry into Youzhou was not as simple as Qing Zaishan's entry into Qingzhou.

Youzhou, a northern province, is perpetually shrouded in darkness. The sky is covered by a gray curtain called the Nether Curtain, and the ground is strewn with black Nether Crystals. A river, the River of Oblivion, flows through Youzhou, its waters a dark yellow, said to be the manifestation of the lingering attachments of the deceased.

Like Qingzhou, Youzhou is ruled by a sect. The strongest sect in Youzhou is Fengdu Ghost Mansion. Like Jiuyi Sect, they also worship gods, and there are three of them. Naturally, there are also three deity agents to help protect the sect.

The three gods of Youzhou are: the god of mountains and hunting—the White Mountain Ancestor; the god of water and harvest—the Black Water Goddess; and the god of the hearth and home—the Guardian Immortal. Although they are not as powerful as the four gods of the Jiuyi Sect, they are much more united than the two gods of Qingzhou, and therefore Youzhou has a large number of followers of these three gods.

Besides this, there is another god in Youzhou who is in charge of death. However, this god does not protect the Ghost City of Fengdu, and his followers are elusive. Everyone knows that this god should be in Youzhou, but what kind of feelings he has for Youzhou and who his representative is remains a mystery.

Everyone knows that the Great Virtuous Lord of Life dislikes Him because of the conflict of powers; the two deities are irreconcilable. Perhaps this is also a factor, as Youzhou and Zhongzhou have maintained a long-standing antagonistic relationship.

Unlike the two gods of Qingzhou, the three gods of Youzhou did not neglect Youzhou. The Ghost Palace of Fengdu was not a loose merchant group like Qingzhou. In addition, Youzhou had a natural aversion to Zhongzhou. Mo Zhiyan encountered considerable difficulties in the process of settling in.

Now, she can only hide underground in Youzhou, looking for an opportunity.

However, she was still quite lucky. In recent days, many disasters have broken out in Youzhou. The Netherworld veil that shrouded Youzhou suddenly broke, and a monster called the Dead Soul began to ravage the land of Youzhou. The agents of the three gods of Youzhou were busy putting out fires everywhere, so they had no time to pay attention to Mo Zhiyan.

A few days ago, the Dead Souls seemed to have completed their evolution, and a group of Dead Souls with strength comparable to the Dao Masters appeared. The White Mountain Ancestor's proxy went to suppress them, and was said to have been seriously injured.

Mo Zhiyan didn't know the specifics of the situation; she only knew that everyone in Youzhou was currently in a tense state.

In this state, Mo Zhiyan certainly didn't want to provoke Youzhou and Fengdu. Those people were all reckless; once they got angry, they wouldn't care who you were and would come at you to fight. So taking in Qing Zaishan was fine, but Mo Zhiyan couldn't let her wander off.

She said, "In that case, rest well here. You can tell me if you need anything. But I don't understand why the Celestial Venerable's proxy suddenly wants to attack you. The grand plan has just begun, why is he in such a hurry?"

The maid shook her head: "I don't know either. Maybe we're doing well in Qingzhou, and he's afraid the other three gods will beat him to it. He's also eager to show his loyalty to the Heavenly Venerable, so he's in a hurry."

Mo Zhiyan pressed his temples in surprise: "No matter how anxious he is, the Heavenly Venerable will not be anxious, and the Heavenly Venerable does not even stop him."

The maid said, "The relationship between gods and their agents is often very complicated, especially the relationship between the Four Gods. Perhaps we cannot simply define it and assume that the Heavenly Venerable must favor Yan Qianjie."

Mo Zhiyan said, "That's true. Just like the Dragon God, it seems that He has never had an agent."

The maid said, "The great Dragon God is beyond our judgment, and Lord Mo, you should know what I'm trying to say."

Mo Zhiyan remained silent.

The maid said, "The Four Gods are untrustworthy. You are now so close to the agent of the Fairy of Wonderful Sound, you are easily influenced and made the wrong judgment. I hope you will consider my words."

"........I know."

Mo Zhiyan sighed, "Thank you for your kindness, but you should go back first. I'll go see Eighth Sister when she's almost fully recovered."

She didn't rush to accept the maid's suggestion. Like the other guardians, Mo Zhiyan wanted to wait for the right price.

The maid bowed slightly and offered no further advice.

She left and entered the complex tunnels, which had clearly been fully developed by Mo Zhiyan, and where she could even encounter disciples of the Zhiyan lineage.

Walking to the end of one of the roads, a bright and open space appeared, which was also a temporary underground palace. Mo Zhiyan had it specially built for Qing Zaishan to live in.

A maid entered, and Qing Zaishan was lying on the bed taking a nap.

She looked at Qing Zaishan gently, like a mother looking at her child, and tenderly covered her with a blanket before leaving.

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......

Lu Yueyuan lay on the bed, already transformed beyond recognition by jealousy. And now, the little guy was hanging a huge magical artifact above his bed, which looked like a wreath on a tombstone.

These past few days, Lu Yueyuan's soul has been repaired quite well, and even the Holy Emperor has awakened. He was greatly displeased with Lu Yueyuan's private conversations with Lord Hengjun, so he made a scene for quite a while. In the end, he only calmed down after possessing Lu Yueyuan's body and eating a feast made by Gluttony. These days, Jealousy has also started to enter the room, so the Langya Gang and Gluttony have been coming and going. Jealousy ignores them and is busy decorating the entire room.

“I need these materials too.” Jealousy handed Wen Ciji a new list.

Wen Ciji took the document and nearly fainted. This was outrageous! She was jealous of his small stature, but her appetite was enormous and greedy. Lu Yueyuan had already almost finished repairing it; what did she need so many rare materials for? Was she just trying to fleece the Langya Gang? Wen Ciji was on the verge of tears, unable to utter a word of refusal. What could she do? Jing Xingzhou gave her whatever she wanted.

This guy and Lu Yueyuan had a good chat, and here they are again today. The two of them mainly discussed the arrangements for the Holy Emperor's faith and the matter of educating the people of Qingzhou with the etiquette of the academy. Wen Ciji sat idly to the side, watching the two big men talk passionately and give their opinions. The hermit was so engrossed that he fell asleep, while the jealous guy over there was still making a lot of noise.

Whenever grand things like ambition, dreams, and the world are mentioned, even the oldest man becomes passionate and seems to become young again. Wen Ciji yawned and noticed that there was someone else waiting patiently, just like her.

It's arrogance.

She sat by Lu Yueyuan's bedside, carrying a food box, without uttering a sound to interrupt. Actually, Aoman was the first to arrive today, most likely to bring food, but then the Langya Gang members arrived, so Aoman obediently sat down next to Lu Yueyuan. Aoman had left a deep impression on Wen Ciji. While Lu Yueyuan was unconscious, it was Aoman who handled the handover with the Langya Gang. At first, Wen Ciji didn't recognize Aoman as a woman; she was simply amazed that such a handsome yet sharp young man would go to such lengths for another man. Later, when she learned Aoman was a woman, Wen Ciji wasn't surprised anymore; she saw a reflection of herself in Aoman.

The two walked side by side, but gradually they became one in front of the other. Of course, it wasn't because the one lagging behind was slower than the one in front; she deliberately lagged behind, willing to step on his shadow to reach the end.

Wen Ciji suddenly realized that the conversation between the two men might go on for a long time, perhaps all night. Jealousy was creating things, and the Hermit was sleeping. She also needed to find something to do. Waiting here would make her look like a fool. So she looked at Arrogance, but then felt that it wouldn't be good for her to just leave like this.

"Shall we talk some more?" Wen Ciji transmitted his voice to Aoman.

"What are you talking about?" Arrogantly raised his head and met Wen Ciji's gaze.