Chapter Ninety-Three: Ning Xianyu Is the Wild Card

The system said, with a wounded air, that the problem lay precisely there: headquarters had never found out what was wrong with it, and had merely installed a monitor to keep watch over its frequency. That way, the next time something went wrong, they would be able to discover it in time.

After thinking it over, Ning Xianyu asked, “If headquarters is monitoring you, doesn’t that mean they can monitor me at the same time?”

The system admitted that they could.

“No. This is a violation of my human rights. I’m filing a complaint.”

“Fine. I’ll help you send the complaint.”

On this point, the system was still unfailingly obedient. It had her record an audio complaint and sent it off to headquarters.

“When will they reply?”

After a moment’s thought, the system answered, “Probably in a few months.”

“Damn it!”

Ning Xianyu finally lost her temper. What kind of lousy system was this? Headquarters worked so slowly—no wonder the system kept malfunctioning.

She ignored it and decided to leave it hanging for a while.

The system had not followed the script and wanted to ask what was going on, but got no reply, and was even ordered to keep quiet.

At that moment, Elder Bao Jiao was inviting Xuan Yuan Tunhan and Ning Xianyu to sit down, saying that she wanted to examine the Star-Gazing Stone.

Ning Xianyu looked to the great villain. Seeing him nod, she raised a hand and summoned the stone into being.

Elder Bao Jiao froze for a moment, looking at Ning Xianyu, then at Xuan Yuan Tunhan.

When she saw Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s astonished expression, she could not help smiling.

“It seems this stone will not be leaving with me.”

Ning Xianyu thought to herself that if the great villain wanted it, then of course it would not be leaving with anyone else.

Elder Bao Jiao took the stone for a look, then placed it upon a bagua slab made of yin-yang stone and performed several spells.

Ning Xianyu could not tell what she was doing, but both Elder Bao Jiao and the great villain looked solemn.

After a while, Elder Bao Jiao opened her eyes. Her expression was still as gently smiling as ever, and no shift in mood could be read from it.

Yet the great villain was visibly tense.

Ning Xianyu had never seen him like that before. Could it be that she had just witnessed a divination concerning him?

Was it about romance, or about his lifespan?

At his age, it would be only natural to worry about such things.

Elder Bao Jiao said gravely, “There has been a change.”

Then she looked at Ning Xianyu.

Ning Xianyu was baffled for a moment, then instantly understood. “You want me to step outside, right? I’ll go now.”

This was a private matter, and she really ought to leave.

She rose at once, but before going, she asked, “Could you divine something for me later too? I have a question I want to ask.”

Elder Bao Jiao looked somewhat puzzled, but Xuan Yuan Tunhan said directly, “Go out.”

Ning Xianyu took that as his assurance and went out at once.

Inside, Elder Bao Jiao said, “There was no need to send her out, actually. She’s connected to this matter.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan said, “No need for her to know. Say it—what did you see?”

Elder Bao Jiao replied, “The result changed. Before, the outcome was certain death, but this time it changed.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s expression brightened slightly, and he could not help asking, “It changed for the better?”

Elder Bao Jiao said, “No. There was a change, but the result remains unknown.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan was not disappointed; instead, he felt delighted.

Since there could be a change, that meant there was hope. As for whether the outcome would be good or bad, that was not for Heaven to decide, but for them.

“At the very least, this time fate is in our own hands.”

He looked at the stone, and the tension that had long held his face finally eased somewhat.

Elder Bao Jiao said, “The Star-Gazing Stone indicates that the change lies with Ning Xianyu. Ancestor, had you already discovered this, and that was why you brought her with you?”

No wonder the ancestor had always protected Ning Xianyu, even taking her personally under his wing and helping her improve her cultivation.

So the ancestor had long since found the place where the change lay.

He truly had far-sighted vision, always moving ahead of everyone else.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan completely ignored her admiring gaze and gave no explanation.

Only, he asked again, “When the result appears, will I still be there?”

Elder Bao Jiao shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t see it. There are too many variables, and it is too unclear.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan said nothing more, only telling her not to tell Ning Xianyu about this.

“She does not need to know. When she later asks for a divination, simply avoid this matter.”

“Yes, disciple understands.”

As Xuan Yuan Tunhan was about to leave, Elder Bao Jiao said, “Ancestor, Senior Brother Juejue he...”

“No need to worry about him. He will not do anything harmful to the sect.”

With that, he went out first.

Elder Bao Jiao thought to herself that although Senior Brother Juejue would not do anything harmful to the sect, he would act against the ancestor.

Even so, did the ancestor truly not care?

Ah, she only hoped Senior Brother Juejue would not go too far.

After Xuan Yuan Tunhan came out, he went straight back to his own chambers, leaving Ning Xianyu alone at the doorway.

After a moment of hesitation, she wandered about for a bit, then went in.

Elder Bao Jiao was already waiting for her. Seeing her enter, she smiled and invited her to sit.

“You helped me obtain the Star-Gazing Stone. I ought to fulfill your wish.”

Ning Xianyu smiled. “Then thank you, Third Elder. May I ask several questions? There are many things I want to know.”

Elder Bao Jiao said, “I cannot give you definite answers. Matters of divination contain too many variables; sometimes they depend on fate.”

“All right.”

Ning Xianyu was not disappointed. She immediately poured out everything she wanted to ask.

“I want to know how long I can live, whether I’ll become richer than a kingdom, whether I’ll find a handsome, carefree man who loves only me, whether I can become invincible under heaven, and whether I can remain forever beautiful?”

In truth, what she most wanted to ask was whether she could still go home.

But she did not dare ask that directly, so she could only phrase it more obliquely: “Will my father and mother live to a hundred and always be happy?”

This last question was the one she most wanted answered. She wanted to know whether her parents were all right.

She had run off to another world like this—were they doing well?

Though she had asked many questions, Elder Bao Jiao showed no impatience at all. She looked at her with endless patience, and only at the end realized that the final question was the one Ning Xianyu truly cared about.

She placed her hand on the Star-Gazing Stone and began to divine, entering a mysterious and unfathomable state.

After waiting a while, Ning Xianyu saw Elder Bao Jiao’s expression suddenly turn very strange.

She looked over, then seemed to sense something, then looked over again.

Ning Xianyu touched herself and asked, “Third Elder, what is it?”

Elder Bao Jiao shook her head. “Junior Sister Ning, your father and mother are both very well. They are living very well.”

After asking for so long, was that the only answer?

“All right, are you certain?”

Ning Xianyu was delighted to hear the news, but still felt a pang of sorrow.

Elder Bao Jiao said she was certain, yet then added, “As for everything else, I can’t divine it. Junior Sister Ning, although I can foresee certain things through divination, fate is always in our own hands.”

Though she had not gotten answers to anything else, Ning Xianyu was not disappointed, because she had already received the answer she cared about most.