Chapter Thirteen: The Beauty Ascends

  Every year during the Chinese New Year, there are always some families who are happy and some who are worried. This year is no exception.

  These days, Jing Xiao Zhenren was both delighted and annoyed. The annoyance was that this year he lost to his old opponent Xuan Ming Palace by a hair's breadth again, and the champion title fell to the side once more. What brought him joy was that Zhang Yin's sword skills, Taoist magic, and true yuan cultivation had all made great progress, and in the evaluation, she ranked among the top three, which truly added glory to Jing Xiao Zhenren's face and gave him a great boost of prestige.

  However, Zhang Yin had no joy in her heart, and she shut herself in her room as soon as the annual exam ended, refusing to see anyone. The disciples sent by Jing Xiao Zhenren were all turned away by her. Jing Xiao couple was astonished and personally came to comfort their daughter, saying that losing to Ji Ruochen in the annual exam was normal, and although the last match was a bit unfair, the second and third places were actually the same. Moreover, the true people could see clearly that at this level, Zhang Yin was already second only to Ji Ruochen.

  But little did they know that their comfort had the opposite effect, and as soon as they mentioned Ji Ruochen, Zhang Yin's expression became even more unusual. However, due to Zhang Yin's increasing age, her temperament had improved significantly, and she was no longer like before, where she would throw things around whenever she was unhappy. Instead, she just sat there silently, and eventually didn't even want to eat dinner.

  The couple Jingxiao was very helpless, and they deeply understood their daughter's temperament. At this moment, the more comforted her, the worse it would be. The only thing to do was to give her some quiet time to let her vent her temper. After instructing the maids to take good care of Miss, Mr. and Mrs. Jingxiao left.

  At the end of each year and beginning of another, true people are all very busy. Just the comings and goings between various veins, greeting and bidding farewell to the New Year is already a lot of trouble. And as for the exchange of courtesy with other sects, it's even more cumbersome. Fortunately, the Dao De Sect has a large wall and many disciples, so there's no shortage of people to send gifts and deliver messages. The eight true people of the veins are all prestigious figures, each one can respond to the leader of another sect, thus sharing the burden, the weight of trivial matters is not too heavy.

  On the twentieth day of the first month, Jing Xiang and his wife were going to Yun Zhong Ju for a trip. They came to ask Zhang Yin if she wanted to go together. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yin's temper had not yet subsided, and she bluntly refused. Jing Xiang didn't force her, but instead took Lan with him, along with eight disciples, who formed a grand procession with some leading the way, others following behind, some carrying swords, and others holding incense, making a big show as they headed to Yun Zhong Ju.

  Located in the southwest of Shu, built on the top of a snowy mountain, overlooking the vast Yangtze River. The mountains are extremely high and steep, the valleys are incredibly deep, the rivers flow horizontally, birds find it hard to fly across, and there is no sign of human habitation.

  The two places are far apart, and the journey is fraught with difficulties. Even if Jing Xiang, a true man of great virtue and profound wisdom, had many magical tools to assist him in riding the wind, it would still take at least half a month for a round trip. Moreover, he wanted to maintain his dignity and prestige, so he made a big show of his departure, which made the journey even slower.

  As soon as Jing Xiao Zhenren's front foot left the peak, Zhang Yin's back foot had already exited the room. She first ran to Jing Xiao Zhenren's residence, and drove all the maids out of the courtyard. Then she started rummaging through boxes and cabinets, searching carefully. In Daode Sect, there has never been a case of theft since Ji Ruoxu came to the mountain. Even if there were some thieves, who would dare to sneak into Jing Xiao Zhenren's residence? Jing Xiao Zhenren's residence naturally had some mechanisms, but those mechanisms could only prevent ordinary disciples from searching, and certainly wouldn't be able to stop her own daughter.

  Zhang Yin didn't have to make much of an effort and soon found what she was looking for. She immediately put it away safely, then hastily tidied up the room that had been turned upside down, and called in the maids, instructing them to restore everything to its original state, warning them that if anything was even slightly out of place, they would have their legs broken, and with that she took her leave.

  The night curtain began to fall, and the moon had just risen. Zhang Yin-yin had already eaten his fill, and he took a few more grains of calming medicine, but that one delicate heart was still racing nonstop, feeling anxious and uneasy. He simply called for another bottle of strong liquor, and in one breath, he downed half the bottle, and suddenly his face flushed red, his whole body felt hot, and his tense mood had calmed down a lot.

  She looked up at the sky and saw that it was already late, so she gritted her teeth and rushed out of the courtyard.

  "Goodbye!"

  Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her, the sound was not loud, but Zhang Yin was already in a state of agitation, and she was startled. She turned around to look, and saw that under an ancient tree outside the courtyard gate, Ming Yun was standing. Although they were both under the Taixuan Palace, they had been busy with their own affairs and hadn't seen each other for quite some time. At this moment, although Ming Yun was standing in a dark place, his sharp and fierce aura pierced through everything, making him seem like an unsheathed sword, its sword energy illuminating even the shadows under the tree.

  Zhang Yin saw it and immediately knew that Ming Yun's Taoist practice had reached a deep level. At this time, the true yuan was full and overflowing, which is why there were such strange phenomena. It was precisely the sign of the Three Pure Ones' true method being about to break through. Unfortunately, at this moment, she had no interest in Ming Yun's progress, let out a sigh, calmed her emotions, and impatiently said: "Ming Yun Shixiong, how did you end up here? You scared me half to death!"

  Ming Yun frowned and said, "Yin Yin, Master Jing Xiang is not here, how did you secretly drink so much wine? Look at you, with such a strong smell of alcohol, aren't you afraid that Master will scold you when he returns?"

  "We cultivators drink a little wine, it won't make us dizzy or promiscuous, what's the big deal?" Zhang Yin said disapprovingly, curling her lip. Seeing Mingyun's disapproving expression, Zhang Yin was about to bid farewell, but she seemed to have thought of something and turned her eyes, saying: "Right, Brother Mingyun, Father entrusted me with a task before he left. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it alone, so you come with me!"

  Ming Yun was taken aback, thinking that if it was something that could be handed over to Zhang Yin to handle, it definitely wasn't anything major, so why did he still need to come himself? Moreover, the age examination had just passed, what else could there be on Taixuan Peak? He had come here tonight with another matter to discuss, but hesitated for a moment before saying: "Yin, actually I..."

  Zhang Yin had something else on her mind, and she frowned slightly, saying impatiently: "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it later. For now, just follow me!"

  She rushed towards the east corner of Taihua Palace first, without noticing Mingyun wanting to speak but stopping.

  A moment later, Zhang Yin had already rushed to the front of a quiet and secluded temple at the easternmost end of Tai Xuan Palace. Ming Yun was startled and hastily stepped forward to stop Zhang Yin, saying: "The Zhen Xin Temple is a forbidden place for our sect, you can't go any further!"

  Zhang Yin ignored Ming Yun and rushed straight to the Zhen Xin Hall. Just as she was about to arrive at the hall, two flashes of lightning suddenly appeared in the air, followed by two ancient halberds that materialized out of thin air, crossing each other in front of her and blocking her path.

  It wasn't until then that two armored warriors emerged from the darkness. One of them said, "Miss Yin, this is a forbidden area for our clan. Without the permission of the true person, no one can enter. Please leave, Miss Yin!"

  Zhang Yin hummed and took out a jade token from her bosom, handing it to the guard. "This is my father's token," she said coldly. "It's as good as him being here in person. He instructed me to enter the Town Heart Hall before he left. Can I go in now?"

  Two guards stared at each other in dismay, finding it hard to believe that Jing Xiao would entrust the important task of entering the Heart Temple to Zhang Yin, who was notoriously arrogant. This was simply unbelievable. However, the jade token was indeed a genuine article from Jing Xiao. Although the jade token could be forged, the true yuan energy left on it by Jing Xiao was impossible to fake.

  At this time, a guard asked: "May I ask Miss Yin, why did the true man Jingxiao order you to enter the Zhenxin Temple?"

  Zhang Yin smiled coldly and said, "Father let me enter the Town Heart Temple, naturally there is a huge secret. This sentence of yours, I'm afraid it's not quite appropriate."

  His face turned black with rage, and for a moment he couldn't speak. What Zhang Yin said was right, this sentence shouldn't have been asked by him in the first place. But if he were to let Zhang Yin enter the palace just like that, it wouldn't be quite proper either.

  Zhang Yin didn't rush, but simply pointed to the bright moon in the sky and said calmly: "There's still a moment of time before Father's deadline, you can handle it yourself. If you say that Father's token is not enough to let me enter, then so be it. When Father comes back, you can go explain to him yourselves!"

  Two Jia Shi have been cultivating Taoism since childhood, and now they have more than 50 years of experience. Their merits are deep and profound, which is why they were entrusted to guard the Zhen Xin Temple, a place of great importance. However, they have never left the Dao De Sect, and their understanding of worldly affairs is not very keen. Moreover, Jing Xiao Zhen Ren is known for his extraordinary demeanor, and anything related to the Zhen Xin Temple must be a significant matter. If they really make a mistake, the consequences will be severe. The two Jia Shi saw Ming Yun and Zhang Yin Yin coming together, and their confidence increased by threefold. Although Ming Yun is young, he is obviously one of the most outstanding disciples of the younger generation of Tai Xuan Peak, handling matters with stability and depth, which has earned him the favor of Jing Xiao Zhen Ren, completely different from that Zhang Yin Yin.

  The two guards looked at the moon and finally opened the temple door. Zhang Yin hummed, saying to Ming Yun: "Ming Yun Shixiong, you stay here and guard, before I come out, unless it's the Eight Vein True Person himself, no one is allowed in!"

  Ming Yun felt that something was off and couldn't shake off the feeling, so he furrowed his brow and said: "Yin Yin, I'll go in with you."

  Zhang Yin shook her head and said, "This is no child's play! Father only ordered me to go in alone, you wait here for now."

  Having said that, Zhang Yin came to the front of the temple gate, took out a bronze ancient spoon from his bosom, opened the copper lock on the temple gate, stepped into the temple, and then turned back to close the temple gate.

  When Zhang Yin opened the copper lock on the temple door, both armored men let out a sigh of relief. This lock was no ordinary lock, named Duan Yue Qian Kun Lock, fire and water could not invade, swords and knives could not cut it off, and there was only one key in the world that could open it. Since Zhang Yin had taken out the key, what he said must be true.

  Inside the Zhenxindian, a steady stream of gloomy wind blows in, wave after wave of turbulent air hits you in the face. It's as if there are two completely different worlds inside and outside the hall. The interior is empty and desolate, with no tables or chairs, only a single piece of bluestone pavement. Strangely enough, although the hall appears to be old and dilapidated, it is extremely clean and tidy, without a speck of dust.

  Zhang Yin stood in the center of the hall, her face gradually turning pale, and a few strands of her hair fluttering quietly. She, who had never been afraid of heaven or earth, almost wanted to turn around and run out of the hall. Her fists were clenched tightly, her silver teeth biting hard, and her legs couldn't stop trembling. With great difficulty, she suppressed the fear in her heart and didn't take off running wildly. After a moment of trepidation, Zhang Yin finally understood why she was so afraid.

  The hall was gloomy and lifeless, with no sound of insects or sight of spider webs, devoid of even a hint of vitality. This Temple of Tranquility was originally a place of extreme stillness and death.

  Zhang Yin recognized the moonlight outside the window, silently recited a few mouthfuls of incantations, calculated the direction in her heart, and then stepped on the bluestones one by one. In the blink of an eye, she had turned three circles in the hall, stepping on 108 bluestones. When she stood on the last bluestone, a gray mist surged over, and the hall was empty.

  After dizziness, Zhang Yin found himself standing in the middle of a corridor. The corridor can accommodate several people walking side by side, and the walls are covered with moss. These mosses emit a faint glow, which is the only light source in this corridor. Both ends of the corridor are hidden in darkness, and it's impossible to see the end.

  Zhang Yin's face was pale, her heart racing. She wanted to use true fire to light the way, but feared that the glow would attract some unknown monster. So she drew her sword and took out a talisman, advancing cautiously along the tunnel they had come from, feeling her way forward step by step.

  Roar!

  A loud roar suddenly came from the end of the cave, with waves of sound rolling in like a raging tide along the cave. Wherever the roar reached, the four walls shook and rocks fell down.

  Zhang Yin felt the roar was like thunder, shaking her ears and making her body jump. She quickly lowered her head and bent her waist, using her sword to support herself on the ground, resisting the strong wind that came with the beast's roar. Her hair danced wildly, her clothes fluttered, and after a struggle, she finally managed to stand in place, not being blown away by the strong wind.

  The roar was gone in an instant.

  In just this moment, Zhang Yin's cold sweat had already seeped through her thick clothes, and this fright was obviously not light. She stood still on the spot, tightly biting her lower lip, hesitating for a while, unsure whether to continue moving forward or turn back immediately.

  But behind her, the corridor stretched out endlessly.

  Zhang Yin took a deep breath and continued on her way forward.

  This time, it was only over ten zhang away, and the corridor turned a corner. The front suddenly opened up, revealing a large hall about ten zhang square. At the other end of the hall stood a row of iron bars, behind which were cells made of black stone. The cells were empty, with no beds or chairs, but there was a woman standing in the center of the stone room, her back to the corridor.

  Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, casually scattered and hanging loose, wearing a white dress from head to toe, without a single ornament on her body.

  However, the woman did not need any ornaments.

  She simply stood there, exuding a thousand charms and ten thousand allurements from her slender figure, which quietly yet forcefully assailed one's senses, imperceptibly seeping into the marrow of one's bones. Her hair, shoulders, back, legs - every part of her was beautiful to the extreme; even the delicate curves hinted at by her clothes made one's heart fluctuate with emotion.

  Zhang Yin-yin, although a woman, was also stunned at this moment. She felt that the world seemed to be like the first snowfall, with all sounds silenced, and in the center of the vast snowy plain, there stood only one woman.

  Faintly, a sound like drumbeats seemed to arise. Zhang Yinyin carefully distinguished it and only then realized that it wasn't any drum sound, but rather her own heartbeat.

  In an instant, the woman had turned around, and in that fleeting moment, her beauty was like the earth awakening from its winter slumber, as snow melted and flowers bloomed!

  "Are you looking for me?" The woman asked with a faint smile, her voice as smooth as jade.