The moonlight was enchanting, the evening breeze just right, originally…
So Master had known all along!
“Disciple…” Lin Yao was utterly ashamed. Lifting her skirt, she knelt before her master and confessed everything from beginning to end, then quietly awaited her master’s judgment.
Jing Yang gently helped her up, pressed two fingers against her pulse point, and with a surge of energy, drew Tao Wu out of her body. Then, with a swift flip of her palm, she formed a spiritual seal Lin Yao had never seen before and cast it upon Tao Wu.
“Master—” Lin Yao exclaimed in alarm, quickly shielding Tao Wu behind her.
“If I wanted to capture it, would I have waited until now?” Jing Yang said calmly. “Tao Wu is an Ancient Wood Essence, shaped like a rabbit. Its Essence Crystal can refine the Bone Exchange Pill, allowing demons to be reborn and become truly human.”
So the “Tao Wu can be used for alchemy” mentioned in the books referred to refining the Bone Exchange Pill. No wonder the demons from the He family wanted Tao Tao!
Lin Yao stepped aside. As Jing Yang’s seal took effect on Tao Wu, Tao Tao—who had been confused by the Spirit Control Tune—regained clarity. Gratefully, Tao Tao said, “Thank you,” then quickly retreated into Lin Yao’s body.
Lin Yao breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Master.”
“No need for thanks. It’s only because its spiritual energy is pure and it’s not an evil spirit. Otherwise, Zhou Tianshi wouldn’t have tolerated it right under his nose,” Jing Yang added. “With my seal, it will no longer be affected by the Spirit Control Tune.”
Lin Yao’s face lit up with joy. “Master, can this seal conceal Tao Tao’s aura?”
“No. In this world, only the Goddess Tear can suppress the Demon Spirit Aura. Unfortunately, the Goddess Tear is rare, appearing once in a hundred years,” Jing Yang sighed softly. “The Goddess Tear is an East Sea Mermaid Pearl, not something ordinary people can obtain.”
Seeing Lin Yao’s disappointed expression, Jing Yang comforted her, “Most demons rely on their demonic power to seize by force. They don’t bother to understand human hearts or take their time with plans, nor are they willing to waste time on others. So you needn’t worry too much about implicating your family.”
Hearing this, Lin Yao felt considerably relieved. She then cautiously asked, “Master, why do you know the Spirit Control Tune?”
Jing Yang smiled faintly. “Your grandmaster was a member of the Spirit Control Sect.”
“But Master, isn’t your master Zhou Tianshi?”
“Not exactly. I just have history with the Abbot. Later, when I joined the Jade Capital Pavilion, I was ranked according to his seniority.”
Lin Yao nodded, somewhat uneasy. “But Master, am I not also an anomaly? I’m just a few remnant souls relying on Tao Tao’s demonic arts to regrow flesh and bones. Why doesn’t the Spirit Control Tune affect me?”
Upon hearing this, Daoist Master Yujing laughed softly, shaking her head. “Silly child, the Spirit Control Tune controls wandering spirits in the world that have no master and cannot be reincarnated. You are not one of them. Although Tao Wu used spiritual arts to help you regrow flesh and blood, that vitality was originally your own.”
Lin Yao breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, she truly felt she still belonged to herself. She couldn’t help but grin, but as she smiled, tears began to fall.
“Thank you, Master.” Choking up, Lin Yao hugged Jing Yang tightly, regardless of whether she was willing or not.
Jing Yang affectionately patted Lin Yao’s slender back, thinking that perhaps having a disciple wasn’t so bad after all!
“Alright, tonight at midnight, go to the western suburbs of Po Ridge to practice the tune.”
Lin Yao was somewhat confused. Hadn’t she been forbidden from practicing the tune at night before?
“It’s time to try controlling spirits.”
“Yes, Master!”
The moonlit night was tranquil, and the entire Po Ridge was utterly silent.
At the foot of Po Ridge lay a sunken pit, originally formed by a natural landslide. Over the years, it had become a mass burial ground. Unclaimed corpses were uniformly buried here, and if the corpse carriers were lazy, merely shoveling a few handfuls of earth, the bodies would remain largely exposed in the pit—a horrifying sight!
Yan Wuyou stood on the ridge, arms crossed, watching the young girl leaping and darting about the mass grave in the distance. He couldn’t help but feel suspicious: Had she gone mad from cultivating her skills? In her eyes, was this burial ground now a palace of jade and jewels?
Just as Yan Wuyou was about to step forward to investigate, he saw the girl suddenly stand still, then swiftly fly into the pit! Yan Wuyou was so startled he grabbed his own jaw, his eyes filled with even greater confusion. But then, something even more bizarre occurred—
A sharp flute melody rose, cutting through the all-devouring darkness like a blade. Gradually, it became melodious and sorrowful, as if pouring out a lament. Moments later, countless emaciated hands emerged from the pit.
Then, as the flute’s tune shifted, those withered hands began to climb upward—
Before long, a dense crowd of gaunt, wandering spirits stood neatly around the pit, facing its center and raising their hands in unison as if paying homage!
Suddenly, the girl soared into the air—
Hovering effortlessly in the sky like a deity descending to the mortal realm. The bright moonlight illuminated her delicate, fair face, accentuating her exquisite features. The gentle breeze tousled her hair, enhancing her graceful figure and proud, unyielding spirit!
As if sensing someone’s gaze, she suddenly flashed a sly smile, parted her crimson lips, and lightly tapped her jade flute with her fingers. A murderous aura instantly emanated from the flute’s melody—
The wandering spirits, hearing the sound, turned toward Yan Wuyou and slithered toward him! Lin Yao, hovering above the spirits, also advanced step by step—
A playful smirk curled Yan Wuyou’s lips as he watched her. When they were less than three zhang apart, he unslung the wooden zither from his back and plucked a note—
The deep, resonant sound of the zither clashed with the clear, piercing flute melody. For a moment, the wandering spirits hesitated, halting in their tracks. As the flute’s notes rose by one degree, the zither’s tones deepened by two; when the flute wailed mournfully, the zither responded with three parts of ethereal clarity. After several rounds of this, the flute’s energy finally wavered, losing its steadiness and falling at a disadvantage.
Lin Yao played one final note, then put away her flute and slowly descended to the ground. All the wandering spirits vanished instantly.
“You played quite impressively, not bad!” Yan Wuyou stored his zither and leaned against a tree.
It was all her fault for getting too excited and forgetting her master’s instructions, recklessly channeling her inner energy to resist the zither’s sound. The excessive exertion had drained her, leaving her body weak and depleted. Before Lin Yao could even open her mouth to speak, her vision went black, and her entire body slumped to the side—
Yan Wuyou hurried forward to catch her, feigning surprise as he said, “Hey, this isn’t my fault! You fainted on your own—don’t go blaming me!”
Leaning in the crook of his arm, Lin Yao felt the strong, steady rhythm of his pulse and inexplicably found it comforting. She closed her eyes, letting go of her stubborn will, allowing the weakness to wash over her as she fell into a powerless slumber—
“Hey, stop pretending to be dead!” Yan Wuyou gently shook her, but she swayed like a drifting willow catkin. He grumbled irritably, “Why show off when your skills aren’t polished? Hurting yourself and others—hmph!” With that, he gritted his teeth, mustered his resolve, and swept her up into his arms, rushing swiftly toward the Quiet Bamboo Residence.
Along the way, Yan Wuyou grumbled inwardly: It’s all my fault for being so curious! The moonlight was enchanting, the evening breeze just right. He had been swaying on the swing, secretly sipping osmanthus wine, occasionally plucking the zither strings to savor the bliss of harmony between heaven and man!
But his sharp hearing caught movements from the back hill. Tracking the sound, he discovered Lin Yao sneaking around! After following her all the way to Po Ridge, the result was…
Thankfully, the night was deep and quiet, with no one around to witness, or his lifelong reputation would have been ruined in an instant!
“Hey, Senior Brother—” a junior disciple called out.
Startled, Yan Wuyou could only turn his back to him: “Who are you trying to scare, staying up so late?”
“Reporting to Senior Brother, we’re going down the mountain tomorrow to perform rituals. It’s my first time, and I’m a bit nervous, so I asked Thirteen to practice the positioning with me.”
“Hey, Senior Brother, is that Little Junior Sister you’re holding in your arms?” Thirteen asked curiously.
Yan Wuyou widened his eyes and snapped: “Are you all blind in the middle of the night? This is Xiao Yuanzi, Xiao Yuanzi, got it?”
With that, he sped away like a gust of wind, light-footed yet guilt-ridden, leaving the two diligent junior disciples stunned in place—
“Is that Little Junior Brother?”
“If Senior Brother says so, then it must be. Never mind, which way do we turn at this step?”
Arriving at Quiet Bamboo Residence, Yan Wuyou heaved a heavy sigh of relief, only to look up and see Jing Yang standing at the doorway, staring right at him! Yan Wuyou truly wanted to drop Lin Yao and flee, but then he saw Jing Yang silently open the door—
Even more awkward! He had no choice but to brace himself and carry her inside.
After laying Lin Yao on the bed, Yan Wuyou cleared his throat lightly, gestured with his hands, but couldn’t utter a single word. Finally, he just opened his mouth and said with utmost sincerity: “Aunt-Master, she fainted on her own.”
Unexpectedly, Jing Yang only shook her head with a light laugh: “I know. Hurry back now.”
Yan Wuyou felt as if a weight had been lifted and swiftly fled Quiet Bamboo Residence—
After Yan Wuyou left, Jing Yang closed the door properly and sat by the bed.
“Yao Yao, come to think of it, I should be calling you Junior Sister. You always thought it was Tao Wu who brought your remnant soul into the Soul-Locking Wood, but in truth, it was Master who exhausted his own cultivation to summon your three souls and lock them into the Soul-Locking Wood,” Jing Yang chuckled bitterly a few times. “Master was truly biased.”
Jing Yang rubbed the wooden flute, tears glistening in her eyes, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile: “I refuse to let you have your way. I don’t want that troublesome ice flute—only this wooden flute you carved with your own hands to keep me company!”
“Nourishing Tao Wu with your own blood and energy will eventually lead to backlash over time. This is all I can do for you.”
With that, she channeled her inner energy, murmuring incantations, and guided streams of true qi into Lin Yao’s body with her fingers.
Tao Wu shook its head vigorously: How did so much of the Essence Crystal get repaired during my nap? When did that happen? I must have been really drowsy…
Waking the next day, Lin Yao suddenly felt refreshed and exceptionally energetic!
Recalling the events at Po Ridge, Lin Yao asked: “Does Wuyou Senior Brother know that Master practices the Spirit Control Art?”
Jing Yang nodded, feeling pleased, and said: ‘Wuyou is extremely clever—there’s no book in the library he can’t understand.'” The Soul Calming Art I’m praised for is actually a form of the Spirit Control Art—controlling spirits to pacify them. Wuyou figured it out after seeing it just once.”
“No wonder he could use his zither to control spirits yesterday. He must know some methods to counter the Spirit Control Art.”
“Exactly. From now on, when you go to practice the Spirit Control Art, you can invite Wuyou to join you. Training together will surely yield twice the result with half the effort.”
Lin Yao remembered her master’s words. In the afternoon, she picked a basket of kiwi berries and headed to Listening Wind Cliff.
Arriving at the Lakeside Cottage, she saw Yan Wuyou practicing swordplay. The sword energy rustled through the air, startling countless blossoms to fall wherever it passed. Petals of pink and white drifted down slowly, settling into his growing hair, brushing past his delicate jawline, and coming to rest on his broad shoulders—a breathtaking sight!
Lin Yao called out softly, “Senior Brother—”
Yan Wuyou leaped back abruptly, his face guarded as he recalled last night’s incident. “What do you want now? Stay away from me—”
Lin Yao smiled awkwardly. “Thank you for yesterday, Senior Brother. I specially picked this basket of kiwi berries to show my gratitude.”
Seeing Yan Wuyou still looking at her with disdain, she picked one up, wiped it on her sleeve, then took a bite. “It’s sweet. Not poisoned.”