Chapter 141: Chapter 104: One Lotus (Part 2)

The subsequent plans unfolded smoothly, with the villagers never suspecting a thing. Aqing and the woman he "bought" officially got married, and he even gave her a nickname, "Ayue."

After the wedding, the two lived harmoniously. Although Ayue was a monster, she was unaware of it and thought she was still a horse.

Aqing had to gradually correct her behavior, help her adapt to human life, and teach her to speak.

After three years, as life gradually improved, Ayue became increasingly like a normal human woman, and Aqing couldn’t be happier.

Until the Daoist appeared and his life was completely destroyed.

Aqing said painfully, "At the time, that wandering Daoist gave a warning, and I felt something was amiss, but I stubbornly denied it and forcibly drove him away."

"The next day, I took my wife to the county town to hide for a while. After staying a few days and seeing nothing happen, we dared to return."

"I originally thought the issue was resolved, but unexpectedly, three days ago, Ayue suddenly disappeared..."

After Aqing finished speaking, Chu Xuan sighed slightly. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Qingqing raised her eyebrows, "What a domineering Daoist! Even if she is a monster, she hasn’t harmed anyone, yet he forcibly took her away, separating a loving couple. There must be a reason."

Gu Haitang shook his head slightly, "Perhaps it was truly for Aqing’s own good?"

"Then why didn’t he say a word before taking her?" Qingqing argued, "If he really wanted what was best for the mortal, he should at least give him the right to choose, shouldn’t he?"

Aqing, feeling helpless, could only look towards Chu Xuan pleadingly.

Chu Xuan retrieved three copper coins from his sleeve, placing them into an ancient turtle shell before holding the shell with both hands, shaking it while chanting:

"The moon will join time to seek Meng and Zhong. Heaven’s disk belongs to it; traces of Meng are distant, Zhong is near, and Ji closely attacks nearby."

After silently praying, he poured the coins from the shell into his palm, repeating the movement six times precisely.

This is the "Hexagram Divination," extracting a line with each coin’s heads or tails, forming six lines after six times, ultimately divining the hexagram’s results.

"Southeast." Chu Xuan muttered to himself, gazing towards Niu Gu Mountain.

"Let’s go and take a look; see if your wife truly was taken away."

Aqing, hearing this, hurriedly expressed his gratitude, but before he could finish, Chu Xuan lifted him up, riding on sword light to ascend the clouds.

Aqing was so frightened that he quickly shut his eyes, not daring to look down, thinking with surprise: Have I encountered a living immortal today?

Soon, he felt genuine joy, feeling rescued, knowing Ayue was going to be saved!

...

Aqing only felt the wind whistling past his ears, and shortly afterward, his feet touched the ground, prompting him to quickly open his eyes.

Before him lay a dilapidated mountain temple, located on the other side of Niu Gu Mountain, abandoned long ago, even the main gate missing.

Fixing his gaze, he saw cross-legged inside the temple a middle-aged Daoist in a black robe.

He carried a long sword on his back, his eyes tightly shut, with three strands of long beard under his chin, wearing a stern and serious expression.

Beside the Daoist lay a birdcage-like golden cage, housing a miniature pony, it’s as small as an adult’s palm, its fur entirely yellow with a white mark on its forehead, eyes constantly tearing.

Upon seeing Aqing suddenly arrive, the pony called out "chirp chirp," desperately hitting its head against the cage, which remained unmoved.

"Ayue!" Aqing, seeing this, felt both sorrow and urgency, intending to dash forward and rescue his wife.

But Chu Xuan stopped him, and at that moment, the Daoist in the temple slowly opened his eyes, furrowing his brow as he looked at Chu Xuan and the others:

"Who are you, fellow Daoists? Report your names."

"Such audacity," Qingqing said, arms crossed, "You first report your name."

Seeing the pony and realizing it truly was captured by the Daoist, she instinctively felt displeased upon seeing him.

The middle-aged Daoist, unfazed, stood up and said, "Li Yuanshan of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Dao."

Chu Xuan gently patted Qingqing’s hand, signaling her to remain calm.

"Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace, Chu Xuan, greetings to this fellow Daoist."

Gu Haitang also nodded, "Purple Heaven Jade Mansion, Gu Haitang, greetings, Daoist."

Li Yuanshan looked shocked, as these two families are famous within the cultivation world, with Daoist Palace cultivators rarely venturing out.

Additionally, he had heard about the reputation of the female cultivator surnamed Gu, which indicated trouble today...

Chu Xuan was also pondering; this world’s Celestial Master Dao isn’t particularly large, but it is a part of the orthodox lineage.

Unlike other sects that focus on detached cultivation, they emphasize worldly cultivation, with many actively joining mortal dynasties as high-functioning state preceptors.

Li Yuanshan here is likely a traveling disciple of the Celestial Master Dao, tasked with subduing demons, a part of their cultivation practice.

Regarding strength, he should be at the peak of Foundation Establishment, allowing Chu Xuan to relax a bit.

"Have fellow Daoists accompanied a mortal here for this evil being?" Li Yuanshan asked, pointing at the pony in the cage.

"You’re the evil being!" Aqing, eyes brimming with tears, clenched his fists tight with extreme anger, barely retaining enough sanity to not rush forward and fight the damned Daoist.

Li Yuanshan shook his head, sighed, "You’ve been beguiled, I don’t blame you."

He then turned to Chu Xuan, "I just want to ask, fellow Daoists, why have you come?"

Chu Xuan calmly replied, "I wish to first ask Daoist Li, why abduct the mortal Aqing’s wife?"

"Because she’s a monster." Li Yuanshan’s face remained unchanged.

"So what if she’s a monster?" Qingqing countered, "Ayue hasn’t done anything wrong, hasn’t harmed anyone."