Chapter 251
Zi Yuan"s Faith
Zi Yuan dragged her feet into Hongling"s apartment . Ambivalent feelings had prevailed over her usual poise, over cold logic, but Zi Yuan was too tired to care . She just wanted some time alone to lick her wounds .
It was the right thing to do . . . . I did the right thing .
Everything was falling to place now: Master"s abstruse words all those years ago; the fact that Master had left the Purple Gold Jade Plate and the Great Mirror in her care instead of giving them to shībó" .
Zi Yuan"s knees b.u.mped into the edge of the dining table . She paused in front of the table and loosened her grip, feeling the strength leave the lengths of her fingers . A series of clinks and two loud clacks followed the sudden lightening of her hands . Zi Yuan sank into the chair and rested her elbows on the table .
Shards of the Great Mirror stared back at her from the table . Amidst the broken shards, lay the two broken halves of the Purple Gold Jade Plate .
The Purple Gold Jade Plate, once a vibrant and glorious shade of purple, was now no different from an ordinary piece of rock .
Two pieces of rock .
Green light flared .
Zi Yuan looked towards the balcony . Hongling leaped down from the railing and landed on the balcony . TAP! TAP! TAP! The sliding door shook, but didn"t open; Zi Yuan had locked it due to her desire to be alone tonight .
With a sigh, Zi Yuan rose from the chair and padded towards the sliding door .
The taps turned into insistent bangs .
"Zi Yuan jiějie! Zi Yuan jiějie!"
Patience had never been Hongling"s strong suit .
Zi Yuan unlocked the door with Qi Kinesis and leaned her hips against the couch . She was so, so tired tonight . She didn"t think she had been this tired before . A loud crash sounded when the sliding door flung open .
Hongling came charging into the apartment .
Zi Yuan nearly had the wind knocked out of her when Hongling barreled into her and enveloped her in a tight hug . The poor girl was in tears .
Alarm coursed through Zi Yuan .
"Hongling, what—"
"I was so worried!" Hongling wailed . "I came back as quickly as I could after I felt the Heavenly Thunder"s presence! And you weren"t picking up your phone! And . . . And I . . . "
A tide of affection flushed the feeling of dread from Zi Yuan"s system . Hongling was just worried about her .
"Hey . . . It"s okay . . . " Zi Yuan stroked Hongling"s head . "It"s alright . We both made it out alive . "
Hongling sniffed and glanced up at Zi Yuan tentatively . Zi Yuan smiled at the girl . "He survived . The divine punishment is over . "
Hongling"s eyes widened comically . The fact that her face was tear-stained made her dumbfounded expression even funnier . A chuckle escaped Zi Yuan"s lips, easing some of the heaviness in her heart .
"H- He pulled it off? B- But… but," Hongling stammered . "That"s amazing . . . "
"Mm . " Zi Yuan smiled . "You should"ve seen all the clever ideas he came up with . "
Hongling sniffed and wiped the tears from her face . "Where is he now?"
"His apartment . Recovering . "
Hongling nodded a few times . "I was so worried . " Hongling wiped her cheeks again . "You weren"t picking up your phone . And I thought . . . I thought that you . . . " Hongling"s face crumpled again . "I thought you were gone, Zi Yuan jiějie . "
Zi Yuan pulled her protégé into her arms . "You didn"t have to worry, you know . I knew what I was doing . I had a plan . "
"How could I not worry!" Hongling cried . "I… I really don"t know what I would if something happened to—"
Hongling cut off her own sentence with a loud gasp .
Surprised by the girl"s reaction, Zi Yuan pulled away slightly and glanced down at Hongling .
Hongling was staring past Zi Yuan"s shoulders .
Before Zi Yuan could even get a word out, Hongling was pushing away from her . Hongling stormed towards the dining table .
"Oh my G.o.d . . . " Hongling whispered . "T- These . . . These are . . . " Hongling glanced at Zi Yuan .
Zi Yuan"s heart sank to her toes . She knew it . She knew Hongling would react like this the moment she found out .
Hongling picked up one of the jade plate"s broken pieces .
"This is… This is the jade plate . . . isn"t it?"
Zi Yuan nodded weakly .
"And this . . . " Hongling"s hand trembled when she picked up one of the shards . "The Great Mirror . . . "
Zi Yuan sighed . "Yes . . . It had to be done—"
"No!!!!!!" The shard and the broken jade scattered across the floor when Hongling crumbled to her knees . The girl burst into tears, screaming and yelling . "No!!!! No!!!!"
Zi Yuan stepped forward . "Hongling . . . "
"This . . . This can"t be happening!" Hongling cried, her shoulders trembling wildly as she sobbed . "They"re both gone . . . Oh, G.o.d . . . No . . . "
"Please, listen…" Zi Yuan crouched down beside Hongling . "It had to be done, Hongling . " Zi Yuan reached out to pull Hongling into her arms . "There was no other way—"
Hongling smacked her hands away .
"No other way?!" Hongling screamed at Zi Yuan"s face, her eyes flashing in anger . "According to what? Some fancy poem?!"
Zi Yuan wouldn"t lie . That had hurt . "Hongling—"
Hongling sprang to her feet . "I can"t believe this," she mumbled . "You chose him above everything else . You chose him . . . "
Hongling stormed past Zi Yuan .
"Hongling . . . Please . . . " Zi Yuan rose slowly .
"You chose him!" Hongling bellowed, spinning around to face her . "You chose him over the sect, shījiě! You . . . You even sacrificed two precious magical objects to save him! You betrayed us!"
Zi Yuan flinched at the last accusation . She had honestly never seen Hongling this angry before .
"Our sect has been oppressed for nearly a decade, shījiě! A decade!" Hongling screamed . "And now we just lost two of our most powerful magical objects!" Hongling let out a few sobs . "We"re done for, shījiě . . . The Linggong Sect is done for . . . "
Hongling wept some more after that, and Zi Yuan let her . The girl needed to let it all out .
"No, we"re not," Zi Yuan said after a while . "We"re not done for . There"s—"
"Yes we are!" Hongling roared, stunning Zi Yuan once again . "G.o.d! Can"t you see?! The main sect will shut us down for good the moment they realize how weak we"ve become . And it"s all your fault, shījiě! It"s all your fault! You let Master down . "
The hurt in Zi Yuan"s heart had become impossible to bear . Tonight"s events had already left her feeling raw, forcing her to make two of the most difficult choices in her life . She had already lost two precious things tonight . Her heart couldn"t bear it if she lost Hongling"s trust too .
"Don"t you think I know that?!" Zi Yuan screamed until her voice cracked . She thought she heard Hongling"s gasped, but she didn"t care . Her knees buckled and she sank down to the floor . "Did you really think it was easy for me?! Have you never considered how I . . . " A sob tore past Zi Yuan"s lips . "Have you never considered how those choices might have hurt me too?" And it did hurt . It still hurt . Everything hurt so much that Zi Yuan just couldn"t take it anymore . Zi Yuan clamped a hand over her mouth and let her tears flow . "It pains me to think that you have so little faith in me, Hongling . . . " Even to her own ears, her voice sounded weak . "Did you actually think that my decisions were based on some frivolous whim? That I would sacrifice the mirror and the jade plate without good reasons? I . . . "
Warmth enveloped Zi Yuan"s torso .
"Say no more, shījiě . . . Say no more . . . "
And Zi Yuan said no more . She closed her eyes and leaned into the comfort that Hongling was offering . For a long while, Zi Yuan allowed herself to be held . She might have even drifted off a few times, but she didn"t care . She was just so tired .
"Forgive me, Zi Yuan jiějie," Hongling said in a small voice . "I shouldn"t have lashed out at you . I… I shouldn"t have said those hurtful things to you . . . . I"m an awful sister, a horrible person . " There was a few seconds" pause . "I hate myself . "
Zi Yuan shook her head without opening her eyes . "I don"t blame you for being angry, Hongling . " She let out a soft sigh . "I haven"t been forthcoming with you . There are . . . There are some things that you don"t yet understand . "
A comfortable silence spread between them, and Zi Yuan wasn"t in a hurry to break it . She needed this, this brief moment of comfort .
"I"m sorry, shījiě," Hongling mumbled . "Will you forgive me?"
Zi Yuan opened her eyes and withdrew from the warmth of Hongling"s embrace . "There is nothing to forgive, Hongling . " She shook her head . "I was… I was too emotional earlier . I"m sorry too . "
"So was I," Hongling mumbled guiltily .
Zi Yuan grabbed Hongling"s arm to get her attention . "It"s alright, Hongling . " She looked deep into her protégé"s eyes . "But I can explain everything . Will you listen?"
Hongling nodded .
They both moved towards the living room after that . Near the couch, Hongling pulled up short . Zi Yuan followed Hongling"s gaze and realized that her protégé was staring at the main body of the Great Mirror whose surface was now covered in cracks . Between those cracks lay several missing pieces, the shape of which corresponded to the broken shards she had left on the dining table .
"Come . " Zi Yuan pulled Hongling towards the armchair . "Sit . "
Hongling complied and sat down . Zi Yuan grabbed what was left of the Great Mirror and placed it on the coffee table .
"The mirror shall sunder, for the mortal hath sinned," Zi Yuan said as she took a seat on the couch . Once seated, Zi Yuan stared at the Great Mirror"s cracked surface for a moment . "That"s what Master"s prophecy says . "
"I know . . . "
"I figured out its meaning a while back . " Zi Yuan paused . "But I . . . " She sighed . "I didn"t want it to be true . "
And she had been trying so hard to deny the prophecy"s fulfillment . The amount of hours she had poured into the simulation"s design was proof of that .
"When?"
Zi Yuan looked towards Hongling .
"I mean . . . When did you figure out?" Hongling clarified .
"When Wushuang-qiánbèi told me about the contingencies, I—"
"Contingencies?" Hongling frowned .
"The Heir successfully dodging all 81 bolts was only the best case scenario," Zi Yuan said . "There have to be contingencies in place in case something goes wrong . " Zi Yuan shook her head . "The forces of the Heavens are too unpredictable . Too volatile . Anything could happen . " Zi Yuan paused in thought . "Wushuang-qiánbèi suggested two last resorts if all else failed . " Zi Yuan looked into Hongling"s eyes . "The Great Mirror repels all forms of magic . That"s what she said . " Zi Yuan sighed . "And I knew right away what she was hinting at . That verse from Master"s poem suddenly made sense as well . "
"The mirror shall sunder, for the mortal has sinned," Hongling whispered .
"Yes . " Zi Yuan nodded . "The mortal refers to the Heir . By killing Hé Shao, the Heir has sinned . And . . . And because he has sinned, the mirror needs to break . "
"But that"s got nothing to do with the jade plate," Hongling said, frowning . "Why did the jade plate has to be destroyed too?"
"I don"t think it"s a coincidence that Master left both the jade plate and the mirror to me, Hongling," Zi Yuan said, then paused to shake her head . "Knowing Master, I think he left those two items to me because he knew I would need them . And . . . And then there"s also something else that Wushuang-qiánbèi said that night . She told me that the last resort would require me to sacrifice the two items that Master gave me before he pa.s.sed . "
"But—" Hongling stared at Zi Yuan for a moment, looking thoroughly baffled . "How on earth did Ao Wushuang know what Master left you before he pa.s.sed?"
Zi Yuan smiled wryly . "They must have had some sort of dealing with each other in the past . How else do you think Wushuang-qiánbèi ended up wielding Bahuang?" Zi Yuan paused in thought . "And I suspect . . . "
"What?"
"It"s nothing . " Zi Yuan shook her head and sighed . The idea that Wushuang-qiánbèi and Master were past lovers had been brewing inside Zi Yuan"s mind for a while now . Of course, it could be that they were just close friends, but that wasn"t the point .
The point was that Zi Yuan had no idea that Master and Wushuang-qiánbèi even knew each other . When did they meet? Where did they meet? If Master had been to the Fox Zen School in the past, Zi Yuan didn"t know about it .
Zi Yuan did notice something, though: Wushuang-qiánbèi was expelled from the Fox Zen School around the same time Master transcended .
"So you"re saying that… that Master gave Bahuang to Ao Wushuang?"
Zi Yuan looked towards Hongling, who seemed aghast at the notion that Master would do such a thing . Zi Yuan wouldn"t blame Hongling for feeling that way . She herself had felt that way when the idea crossed her mind for the first time . In fact, it was what had led Zi Yuan to believe that Master and Wushuang-qiánbèi were lovers .
"Yes . I believe so, yes," Zi Yuan answered frankly . "I think… I think he gave her the sword knowing that she would need it at some point . "
Just like how Master had left the jade plate and the mirror to Zi Yuan .
"Why would Ao Wushuang need the sword?" Hongling said . "For what purpose?"
Zi Yuan shook her head . "I don"t know . "
Hongling stared at Zi Yuan for a long while .
Zi Yuan sighed . "You know how Master was, Hongling . "
"What"s with all this mystery," Hongling grumbled . "Why not just be upfront from the start?"
Zi Yuan contemplated Hongling"s words . Indeed, she herself had wondered about this .
"I"m not sure, Hongling," Zi Yuan said in a tone of resignation . "But there has to be a reason he chose secrecy . I think…" Zi Yuan glanced at Hongling . "I think he knew something about the future . " Zi Yuan sighed . "It feels like we"re all part of some kind of grand plan . "
"Yeah," Hongling mumbled . "You said it yourself just now . The prophecy"s fulfillment is inevitable . "
Zi Yuan chuckled humorlessly . "Believe it or not, I actually refused to accept the prophecy"s inevitability back then . "
Hongling looked up in surprise .
Zi Yuan nodded . "Oh yes, I did . " Zi Yuan chuckled darkly . "I actually tried to prevent the prophecy from coming true . I didn"t want the Great Mirror to break . And I was willing to do everything in my power to make sure it didn"t happen . " Zi Yuan looked towards Hongling . "I poured everything into making Wushuang-qiánbèi"s first solution work . "
"The simulation . "
"Yes," Zi Yuan said with a nod . "Nothing would have to be sacrificed if the Heir could dodge all 81 bolts, at least not in the context of the divine punishment . " Zi Yuan shook her head . "The mirror could still break for reasons other than the divine punishment . "
"I see," Hongling said .
Zi Yuan looked at Hongling tiredly . "And I tried, Hongling . I really did . The Heir did too . We tried so hard . " She sighed . "And it nearly worked . We were so, so close to succeeding . "
"How many bolts did he manage to . . . ?"
"He failed at the 60th . It wasn"t a direct hit, but a graze instead . But he was still hurt pretty badly . I had to step in after that . " Zi Yuan paused in thought . "But he did manage to dodge 80 bolts inside the simulation . We didn"t have enough time to figure out how to dodge the last one . " Zi Yuan chuckled sadly . "He actually confronted the real thing without having a single clue how to survive the final bolt . "
"That"s why you went after him," Hongling said in a small voice . "With the mirror and the jade plate and all . . . "
Zi Yuan shook her head . "I would"ve gone after him even if he managed to dodge all bolts inside the simulation . " Zi Yuan paused in thought . "I guess . . . I guess deep down I already suspected the prophecy"s inevitability, and I was afraid . I was afraid that the prophecy would come true . " Zi Yuan chuckled self-deprecatingly . "Which it did . "
"I never knew you doubted the prophecy, Zi Yuan jiějie . You were always so . . . " Hongling"s face scrunched up . "So . . . "
"Obsessed with it?"
Hongling blushed slightly . "Y- Yeah . . . "
"Of course I had my doubts, Hongling," Zi Yuan said with a smile . "I doubt it all the time . "
Hongling frowned, confusion spreading across her face . "Why?"
"Well . One of the verses implies that the Heir is my soulmate," Zi Yuan said . "And yet . . . "
The look of confusion on Hongling"s face deepened . "Do you… Do you feel anything for him, Zi Yuan jiějie?"
Zi Yuan shook her head .
Hongling"s confused expression turned into a look of surprise . "Nothing? Not even a little?"
"Well . He"s a close friend, if that"s what you"re saying . "
"Oh . " Hongling paused in thought . "I just thought… Well… since you were always trying so hard to help him and all . . . I thought…" Hongling shrugged . "You know . "
"I knew that"s how it must look like to you," Zi Yuan said in resigned tone . "After all, you were always complaining to be about how I was constantly taking his side . But things aren"t that simple, Hongling . " She sighed . "Believe me when I say that I"m helping him for far more important reasons than some mindless infatuation . " Zi Yuan"s eyes darted to Hongling"s face . "You know me better than that, Hongling . I always have my reasons . "
"Reasons that compelled you to sacrifice the jade plate and the mirror?"
Zi Yuan looked into Hongling"s eyes . "Yes . "
They stared at each other for a moment until Hongling suddenly looked away .
"And those same reasons led you to believe that there"s still hope for the Linggong Sect?" Hongling asked .
"Yes . "
Hongling stared at her in mild surprise . "Will you explain it to me, then?"
"Will you listen?"
"Of course . " Hongling frowned . "That"s why I asked—"
"Will you really listen?" Zi Yuan quirked her brow . "With an open mind?"
Hongling blushed . "Yes . . . "
Zi Yuan scooted sideways on the couch . Then, keeping her eyes on Hongling, Zi Yuan patted the s.p.a.ce she had just vacated . "Come here . "
Hongling complied instantly and took the seat beside her .
Zi Yuan wrapped her protégé"s hands in her own . "Yes . It"s true that we lost two magical objects tonight . But we gained something else . "
Hongling looked utterly puzzled .
"An ally, Hongling," Zi Yuan said with a pause . "We gained a powerful ally . "
For a long while, Hongling sat there wordlessly, staring off into s.p.a.ce .
Zi Yuan took that as a sign that the girl wasn"t convinced .
"What if I tell you that the amount of talent the Heir possesses surpa.s.ses even Master"s?"
Hongling"s eyes snapped to Zi Yuan"s face . "W- What?"
Zi Yuan held Hongling"s gaze for a moment . "What about me? Do you think I"m talented?"
Hongling nodded fervently .
"The Heir will far surpa.s.s me," Zi Yuan said in a serious tone . "That"s how much talent he possesses . "
"What makes you so sure?" Hongling said . "It could just be the Jindan, you know?"
Zi Yuan shook her head . "You haven"t seen the stuff he did, Hongling . " Zi Yuan eyed Hongling seriously . "He mastered all the techniques in the Mahamudra Tantra in just hours . "
"What!" Hongling gaped . "Y- Y- You mean . . . t-the E- Esoteric Sect"s . . . "
Zi Yuan nodded . "In Tibet, he sliced through the Ophidian Whip with Acalanatha"s 12th mudra like it was nothing, and then with Acalanatha"s 2nd mudra, he managed to hold back two Beads of Gore simultaneously . " Zi Yuan paused emphatically . "And he hadn"t even begun his training in the Shentong phase yet at the time . "
"W- Wow . . . "
Zi Yuan smiled, but said nothing .
"Wow . . . Zi Yuan jiějie . . . That"s just . . . " Hongling looked at her with wide eyes . "Wow . "
Zi Yuan"s expression sobered . "He would"ve died if I hadn"t sacrificed the jade plate and the Great Mirror tonight . And it would be such a waste . His death, I mean . " Zi Yuan ran a hand through her hair . "A waste of talent . A waste of potential . A waste of everything . "
Zi Yuan felt Hongling gripping her hands tighter . The gesture was soothing, so Zi Yuan smiled at the girl in appreciation .
"Consider, Hongling," Zi Yuan continued, "what would happen if he died tonight . The Jindan would be lost . His talents would be lost . " Zi Yuan paused and turned to Hongling . "The Fan of Seven Treasures would be lost too . " Zi Yuan smiled at Hongling"s slack-jawed expression . "Oh, don"t look so surprised, Hongling . You and I both know that only a man can wield the Fan of Seven Treasures to its fullest potential . "
After a moment of silence, Hongling lowered her gaze .
"Mm," Hongling mumbled, staring down at her lap .
"And by helping him survive, we have gained his allegiance . " Zi Yuan lifted the younger girl"s chin . "And along with it, the Renyuan Jindan, his talents, and the Fan of Seven Treasures . "
"You"re that sure?"
Zi Yuan raised her brow questioningly .
"You"re that sure that we have his allegiance?" Hongling asked . "You have that much faith in him?"
Zi Yuan continued to stare at Hongling until the poor girl started squirming in her seat .
"W- What?"
Zi Yuan arched her brow higher . "Have you not noticed one of his most striking qualities?"
"You mean his okay-ish cooking skills?" Hongling mumbled .
Zi Yuan smiled at the comment . "No . I meant his loyalty, Hongling . " Zi Yuan gave Hongling a few moments to chew over her words . "He"s loyal to his friends, loyal to his lover . "
Hongling snorted .
Zi Yuan turned and gave Hongling a strange look .
"Loyal to his lover?" Hongling said . "Seriously?"
Zi Yuan"s brows rose to her hairline . "Are you saying that he isn"t?"
"But he"s constantly surrounded by women!" Hongling protested . "Back on campus, I saw—"
Zi Yuan chuckled . "You saw what you wanted to see, Hongling . "
Hongling pouted adorably . "I know what I saw," she grumbled . "He was with those women . . . "
"And what, may I ask, was he doing with those women? Chatting? Sharing a meal?" Zi Yuan rolled her eyes . "Come on, Hongling . Over the months we"ve spent with him, has he made a pa.s.s at you? At me?" Zi Yuan quirked a brow . "And what about Zhou Qin? The girl was practically throwing herself at him . Did you see him reciprocate?"
Hongling stared wordlessly at her lap, fiddling with some invisible lint on her sleeve .
"You said that he was constantly surrounded by women . But doesn"t that just prove my point?" Zi Yuan paused . "He has so many opportunities, you see? So many women are ready to jump his bones the moment he says the word . And yet we saw him going crazy over a slip of paper left to him by Su Chan . " Zi Yuan hadn"t even told Hongling yet about the heartfelt voice message that Li Yundong recorded for Su Chan before he left to face the divine punishment .
Hongling hummed noncommittally .
"All that proves just how much he loves Su Chan," Zi Yuan said, pausing in thought . Seconds later, she chuckled . "He even gave me a lecture on love the other day . He said something about how love can, I quote, inspire greatness . " Zi Yuan paused upon noticing Hongling"s confusion . "That was . . . " Zi Yuan sighed and waved a few times . "You weren"t there . "
"So um… The prophecy . . . "
Hongling sounded so tentative right then that Zi Yuan found herself doing a double take .
"Yes?"
Hongling looked away and went back to fiddling her sleeve . "The verses are really coming true . . . "
"Yes," Zi Yuan said . "As far as I know, yes . " Zi Yuan let out a wistful sigh . "I"ve told you several times already, Hongling . There are forces beyond our control at play here . . . "
Indeed, Zi Yuan did not think for a second that Acalanatha"s appearance on the balcony that night was a mere coincidence . As a matter of fact, Zi Yuan was pretty sure that the term coincidence wasn"t even applicable to the Heir .
"But Zi Yuan jiějie . . . " Hongling shot her a tentative glance . "Wouldn"t that mean . . . That you"re destined to . . . " Another tentative glance . "You know, fall in love with him?"
Zi Yuan sighed inwardly . Admittedly, that was a distinct possibility . She wouldn"t lie, not to herself, anyway . "Perhaps . . . " She cleared her throat . "Perhaps completing my soul was meant as some kind of metaphor? Perhaps . . . " Zi Yuan shrugged . "Perhaps the prophecy was referring to the Heir"s soul, not mine?"
"But you told me Master said—"
"I know what Master said," Zi Yuan said a bit too quickly .
Silence spread between them .
"I just . . . I… I don"t want you to get hurt," Hongling said weakly .
Zi Yuan reached over and patted Hongling"s head . "Thank you for your concern, Hongling . " Zi Yuan gave Hongling a smile . "But it doesn"t matter . " Zi Yuan shrugged . "Some things are just meant to happen . We just have to accept them . "
"Let me guess?" Hongling mumbled . "Because there are forces beyond our control?"
Zi Yuan pinched Hongling"s cheek . "That doesn"t apply to all cases, so don"t use that as an excuse to start slacking off, okay?"
"Fine . . . "
"But in the Heir"s case? Yes . I"m convinced that there are unknown powers at play . " Zi Yuan paused in thought . "Don"t you find it odd that these things keep happening to him? That everything just sort off . . . "
Zi Yuan frowned and searched for the right words .
"Fell into place?" Hongling supplied .
"Exactly . " Zi Yuan nodded, satisfied with Hongling"s choice of words .
A comfortable silence pa.s.sed between them .
"The other night, I came face to face with Lord Acala," Zi Yuan remarked .
Hongling whipped her head around so quickly that Zi Yuan wondered if the girl had twisted her neck . "Wha— Budong Mingw.a.n.g?! How?!"
"Long story short? Lord Acala is the Fan of Seven Treasure"s guardian deity . " Zi Yuan paused to relive the memory of that night . After a while, she shook her head . "None of these occurrences are coincidences . It"s like everything is leading up to something . . . " Zi Yuan stared off into s.p.a.ce for a moment . "Some sort of greater purpose . . . "
"Maybe it"s in the prophecy?" Hongling said . "Have you figured out what the other verses mean?"
"No . . . " Zi Yuan shook her head, then gave Hongling a smile . "It has been proven again and again that the meaning of those verses will only be revealed when the time is right . "
Hongling sighed . "So you have faith in him, then? The Heir . " Hongling gave her a look . "You really think he will help us?"
Zi Yuan sighed . "I have no doubt that he would if we ask . " Zi Yuan waved her hand . "Putting aside the affairs about the Linggong Sect, I still think it"s good to ally ourselves with him . " She looked at Hongling . "In many ways, I think he"ll make us better Cultivators . "
"Um, Zi Yuan jiějie . . . About the Linggong Sect . . . "
Zi Yuan frowned . "Yes?"
"There"s . . . " Hongling gave her a grave look, then sighed . "We"re facing a serious crisis . And . . . I"m afraid we"re going to have to pick sides here . "
"Pick sides?" Zi Yuan frowned and shifted on the couch . "What do you mean?"
"The Fox Zen School is under attack, Zi Yuan jiějie . And the main sect wants us to join the attack . " Hongling gave her a pointed look . "Well, to be exact, they want you to join them . "
Zi Yuan stared at Hongling for a few seconds .
"Tell me everything . "