35

There were more people inside Tianshi Manor than Jiang Luo had expected. A single glance took in everyone from children to elders, businessmen to officials. He even spotted a few familiar faces — celebrities he saw on TV every day.

Some of them looked anxious, others deferential. Despite the constant flow of people, the great courtyard held no clamor — everyone kept quiet on their own.

But the vast majority of these people would never get to see the Celestial Master himself.

Jiang Luo was awed by the Feng Clan's prestige. Chen Pi led him past the waiting crowd to the first courtyard gate. A young disciple stood guard there; upon seeing them, the disciple cupped his fist and said, "Uncle Chen, Master Feng is already inside waiting for you."

Feng Li?

Jiang Luo glanced sidelong at Chen Pi. What did his bargain master want, bringing him to see Feng Li?

Once they crossed the threshold of the first courtyard, the crowd thinned at once. They hadn't walked far before passing a Lotus Pond, where a set of stone-carved table and chairs sat, occupied by two people.

One of them had a flowing white beard and looked kindly and approachable. Chen Pi walked over at once and said respectfully, "Shifu."

This must be the Elder Celestial Master. Jiang Luo followed and also called out, "Shizu."

"Good," the Elder Celestial Master said with a benevolent smile. After exchanging a few words with Chen Pi, he looked at Jiang Luo. "So this is the disciple who just took first place in the Competition?"

Chen Pi said, "Yes, this child is called Jiang Luo."

"Jiang Luo," the Elder Celestial Master turned the name over. "Not bad, a good child."

The Elder Celestial Master looked at the elder seated across from him. "This child has excellent talent — no less than that child of your Chi Clan."

The Chi Clan?

Jiang Luo's expression didn't change, but his attention sharpened.

His peripheral gaze swept over the elder — somewhere around seventy or eighty, age spots covering his hands and face, narrow forehead, thick brows, jutting cheekbones, a glint of sharpness in his eyes. "Which child of mine does the Elder Celestial Master mean?"

The Elder Celestial Master laughed. "Besides Chi You, which child could bear the words 'good talent'?"

"The children of their Direct Lineage have astonishingly strong talent," the Chi Clan elder said coolly. "Talent is talent, but they lack the fate for it. Has anyone from that line ever lived past thirty?"

After saying this, he glanced at Jiang Luo. "This one looks like he'll live long. Elder Celestial Master, your disciple isn't bad."

The Elder Celestial Master laughed heartily and waved Chen Pi on. "Go, don't delay your business."

Chen Pi bid the Elder Celestial Master farewell and led Jiang Luo away from the Lotus Pond.

Soon, they arrived at the Ancestral Hall.

The moment Jiang Luo stepped inside, he saw Feng Li burning incense. Feng Li was still in his Tang suit. After finishing, he turned around and said flatly, "You're here?"

Though Chen Pi was older than Feng Li by who knew how many years, and had even been taken in by the Elder Celestial Master before him, he truly didn't dare act presumptuous in front of Feng Li. He said respectfully, "Shidi, I've brought Jiang Luo."

"Mm." Feng Li's gaze swept the dark-haired youth from head to toe, then suddenly furrowed his brow. "What is this?"

His gaze fixed on an inconspicuous strand of white hair near the youth's ear.

A flash crossed Jiang Luo's eyes. "What?"

Feng Li stepped forward and picked out that strand of white hair from among his locks. The moment he saw it clearly, his face went cold. "You've met with him again."

Jiang Luo blinked innocently.

Feng Li suddenly plucked a white hair from Jiang Luo's head, walked to the table, took a piece of paper from the drawer, and folded it into the shape of a small figure. He wrapped the white hair around the Paper Figures, then turned his head and instructed Chen Pi, "Go get eight bowls of water."

Chen Pi, along with disciples from the Ancestral Hall, brought eight bowls of water. Feng Li arranged them around the Paper Figure in the pattern of a Ba Gua Formation, then formed a seal with one hand and pointed at the Paper Figure. "Move."

The paper figure lying on the table suddenly began to move slowly, as though possessed by something. It stood on the table and looked around with unfamiliar eyes.

The paper figure had no features on its face, but it paused the moment it saw Jiang Luo. Strangely, Jiang Luo felt a certain familiarity in this tiny paper figure.

Jiang Luo's brow twitched. He looked at Feng Li. "Master Feng?"

Feng Li said coldly, "I've told you — if I see you mixing with him again, I'll scatter his soul to oblivion."

Without waiting for Jiang Luo's reaction, Feng Li lightly touched the bowl in the southeast position. "Xunfeng."

The water in the bowl trembled slightly. At the same moment, a fierce wind rose abruptly on the table's surface. The wind was violent, carving several knife-like gouges into the wooden tabletop as it rushed mercilessly toward the Paper Figure.

The Paper Figure stood still, but before the wind could even approach it, it vanished without a trace.

Feng Li said slowly, "Some ability."

But since the opponent was Chi You's Ghost, Feng Li had expected as much.

He touched the bowls in the southwest and northeast positions in turn — these two positions symbolized Kun Earth and Gen Mountain.

The tabletop suddenly became uneven, with peaks shaped like High Mountain rising abruptly, leaving the Paper Figures almost no place to land.

The Paper Figure lightly stamped its left foot. All the peaks were instantly shattered — and not just the peaks, but the southwest and northeast bowls as well. Clear water spilled across the floor.

Silence fell over the Ancestral Hall.

Chen Pi nearly buried his head in his chest, groaning inwardly. At his age, he still had to suffer through something like this — the Celestial Master dueling someone, and losing. Was this something anyone could witness?

Especially since Feng Li was the type to repay every slight — whoever you crossed, you didn't cross him.

Feng Li looked at the wreckage on the table, his expression unchanged. He tipped over the white porcelain bowl at due north. "Kan Water."

Kan Water belongs to yang; its element is water. Water upon water, yin and yang in opposition — the moment it appeared, it came with ferocious force, savage in its intent to drown and tear apart the Paper Figure.

The Paper Figure was indeed submerged.

Chen Pi exhaled in relief, surreptitiously wiping sweat from his brow, and said cheerfully, "The Celestial Master lives up to his name — the moment he strikes, the Evil Presence can't escape his grasp."

But Jiang Luo didn't relax as quickly as Chen Pi had. If Chi You was truly possessing the Paper Figure, how could it be dealt with so easily?

He watched the tabletop, churning like a stormy sea. Just as everyone had let down their guard, a sound of water breaking rang out — the Paper Figure burst through the surface, and in one move shot out of the Ba Gua Formation's range, charging straight at Jiang Luo!

Jiang Luo reacted swiftly, stepping back. But suddenly another hand appeared at his waist, catching him and pulling him to the left rear, with a voice full of concern: "Shidi, careful."

Jiang Luo could have dodged steadily on his own, but because of this unknown good samaritan's unnecessary intervention, his balance faltered and he nearly fell. Fortunately, he instinctively gripped the disciple's arm to steady himself. He couldn't complain about this hidden loss, so Jiang Luo could only offer a stifled thanks: "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," the unknown good samaritan gave him a smile, then looked at the floor. "Master Feng has already subdued the paper figure."

Jiang Luo froze, turning to look at the paper figure. It had been pinned to the ground by a writing brush driven through it, utterly motionless.

Feng Li wiped his hands with a handkerchief. The disciple beside Jiang Luo sighed admiringly, "Master Feng is truly formidable. No matter what demon or monster, in Master Feng's hands it lasts no longer than a moment."

Jiang Luo sensed something was off. "What about the thing possessing the paper figure?"

"Probably dead," the disciple smiled, looking at the paper figure soaked through and nearly falling apart. "Master Feng's strike just now was as fast as lightning. As long as nothing went wrong, it should be dead."

Jiang Luo thought to himself: then something definitely went wrong.

He absolutely did not believe Chi You would die so easily.

"Shidi seems quite concerned about that Evil Presence," the voice beside him interrupted Jiang Luo's thoughts. The young disciple asked curiously, "Does that Evil Presence have some connection to Shidi?"

Are everyone at Tianshi Manor this nosy?

The thought flashed and was gone. Jiang Luo quickly went along with it: "…There is indeed some connection."

He wished he could tell the whole world about his 'love' with Chi You, so that everyone would stand by his side when Chi You tried to kill him. Jiang Luo skillfully pressed down the corners of his eyes, his expression heavy with sorrow. "He's the person I love."

The disciple looked at him, taking in his slightly pursed, reddened lips and his half-lowered thin eyelids, then smiled. "Ah, is that so."

"Don't be sad," the disciple lowered his voice to comfort him. "Otherwise, he will definitely…"

The corner of his mouth lifted imperceptibly, his tone lifting lightly. "…be very sad."