Chapter Thirty-Six: For Now, Entrust This Heart to the Bright Moon

In the evening, when Yang Nan finished his cultivation and stepped out, he found the two young maids, Baiyi and Dieyi, whispering softly in the room. Yang Nan approached with a gentle smile and asked, “What mischief are you two plotting about me?”

Dieyi blushed deeply, rising in flustered embarrassment, but Baiyi’s eyes sparkled with mischief. She giggled, “Young master, we weren’t saying anything bad about you. We were just talking about that strange woman, covered in mud and reeking of filth.”

Yang Nan sat down at the table, looking unconcerned. “Oh? Shouldn’t you be bringing out the food? I’m famished!”

Only then did Dieyi softly acknowledge him and instructed the maids to serve the dishes. With the offerings from the Four Great Commanders, the table was laden with all manner of delicacies—mountain treasures, rare fruits, and vegetables. The spread before Yang Nan was even more lavish than an imperial banquet, making his appetite soar. Inviting the two girls to join him, he began to eat heartily.

He was not yet at the stage of surviving solely on spiritual energy and was far from transcending worldly desires. Even those who had reached profound levels of cultivation would be hard-pressed not to be tempted by the colorful and sumptuous dishes before him. The two maids, seeing how much he enjoyed the meal, picked up a few morsels with their slender hands to serve him, though they themselves ate very little.

In the midst of his hearty feast, Yang Nan suddenly looked up. “Where is Yuniang?”

Usually, at this hour, Yuniang would be at his side, ever-attentive with warm towels and gentle service. Her absence tonight was odd, and he wondered at the reason.

Dieyi covered her mouth with a smile and replied, “Sister Yuniang is speaking with that strange woman in the side room. I thought you’d let it go, young master, but of course you’d miss her.”

Startled, Yang Nan reached out and pinched Dieyi’s cheek with a laugh. “Well! You little mischief-maker, learning tricks from Baiyi and teasing me now?”

Dieyi’s cheeks flushed at his affectionate gesture, but her eyes sparkled with joy. Baiyi, meanwhile, burst out laughing and ran to the door, calling out, “I’ll fetch Sister Yuniang right away and tell her that the young master misses her!”

Yang Nan laughed heartily, unfazed by the girls’ playful banter, and bent his head again to his meal. Dieyi gazed at him with tenderness, her eyes brimming with deep affection. Her lord, though ever focused on the path of cultivation, was gentle and upright—a rare man in all the world. Even among monsters, he showed not a trace of prejudice. With such a beloved as this, what more could she wish for in this life?

Before long, Yuniang entered with Baiyi and another woman. Yang Nan looked up and saw that the woman was indeed strikingly beautiful, her bearing almost like the bright moon—dignified and unapproachable, yet graceful and poised. Her eyes were tranquil and clear, exuding an unmistakable aura of purity.

Yang Nan studied her and nodded inwardly. No wonder she had disguised herself in filth to protect herself; cleansed of mud and grime, her exceptional temperament and fine features were plain to see. Had she not taken such precautions, given the brutality of the tiger demon, she would surely have met a gruesome fate.

For a mere mortal to preserve her chastity among monsters spoke to her remarkable intelligence.

After only a few glances, Yang Nan lowered his head and continued eating, unfazed. He had seen more than enough beauties in his time—any one of the women beside him could surpass this newcomer in looks, though perhaps not in aura. This woman’s presence was like the pure moon, surpassing even Yuniang in grace; among the others, they were like stars, beautiful in their own right but outshone in temperament.

She hailed from a noble house, yet wished to seek the Way at Kunlun—a puzzling ambition indeed.

“Come, sit and eat with us. Tomorrow I’ll take you to Mount Kunlun. Once there, you may do as you wish.” With these words, Yang Nan said no more.

The woman smiled radiantly and replied with the utmost courtesy, “Thank you, Immortal. I am deeply grateful.”

She had already glimpsed the array of beauties in the rear hall, and knew her own looks could not compare. Her guard eased, she sat calmly. Seeing Yang Nan’s delight in the meal, Dieyi unfurled her wings with a soft rustle, fanning a gentle breeze over him; Baiyi raised her delicate hands, filling the room with a veil of misty moisture. Several curtains of water shimmered beneath the lantern light, turning the chamber into an underwater paradise.

The woman stared in wide-eyed wonder at this magical sight, amazed that the two maids would use immortal arts to serve their master. No mortal could imagine such marvels, and she watched, transfixed.

Yuniang, seeing Yang Nan ignore the woman, smiled and said, “Sister, have some food before it gets cold.”

The woman started, awe in her expression. “Sister, these arts are truly magical. I can only imagine that Kunlun, the Immortal Mountain, must be home to countless immortals and heroes.”

Baiyi lifted her chin proudly. “Our young master is an inner disciple of Kunlun—almost like an immortal himself.”

Yang Nan laughed. “You little imp, don’t exaggerate. I’m no immortal—far from a sage, in fact.” The deeper one’s cultivation, the more one understood the difficulty of the Way. Beyond the rank of master lay the realms of Sect, Venerable, Sage, Immortal, and God—a path steep and arduous. To possess a mind empty of all distraction and unified in spirit was a rare attainment indeed; to become a true immortal was even harder.

Baiyi snorted softly, still brimming with self-satisfaction. “The young master is sure to become a sage and immortal one day—there’s no doubt about it!”

“Becoming an immortal is no easy feat,” Yang Nan thought, shaking his head, but he let the child’s words pass. With each step on the path, he realized that masters were as numerous as ants, and only those who became Venerable or Sage could truly be called human.

Even with a mighty soul forged by the Undying Yin Wheel, attaining a mind free of all thought and a body in perfect unity remained elusive. The profound state of oneness was all the more difficult to achieve!

In the end, cultivating the Way depended on the clarity of one’s heart. With a pure heart, great powers would naturally follow.

The woman hesitated, then ventured, “Since you are a high disciple of Kunlun, might I trouble you with a question?” Seeing Yang Nan’s gentle demeanor, her wariness had faded almost completely.

Yang Nan waved her off impatiently. “If you have questions, ask someone on Kunlun Mountain. I am not here to enlighten the masses, nor am I your teacher—must I answer every little thing?”

The woman was not offended by his refusal. She simply nodded and said, “Thank you, Immortal. It was presumptuous of me.”

Yang Nan waved his hand, set down his chopsticks, and returned to his inner chamber to cultivate. The woman turned to Yuniang. “Has the Immortal taken offense at me?”

Yuniang smiled warmly. “No need to worry, sister. The young master is wholly dedicated to cultivation and pays little heed to other matters. We know little of Kunlun Mountain ourselves—he has only been a disciple for three years. Even if you asked, he might not know the answers, so he simply avoids the topic. There’s no need to take it to heart. He will take you to Kunlun tomorrow. But you, a lone woman—how will you make it up the Path of Seeking Immortality?”

“Three years…” the woman mused, her eyes brightening. She smiled at Yuniang. “I have heard that where there is a will, there is a way. Kunlun Mountain cannot be an impassable hell. I am determined to reach its heights!” Her expression was resolute, full of confidence.

Seeing her determination, Yuniang sighed and let her be.

At dawn the next day, Yang Nan left Old Crab in charge of the house. He placed the thousand demon soldiers and the woman into the Rivers and Mountains Ring. Within the ring, the Roc King was confined by a seal, and now, with Commander Shrimp and a thousand soldiers guarding it, there was no chance of mishap.

Since following Yang Nan, the spirit monkey had perched atop his head, constantly begging for spiritual items to eat, and naturally accompanied him back to Kunlun Mountain. It was the monkey’s first time ascending into the sky with its master, and it leapt about joyously, drawing concealed smiles from the disciples.

Qian Ren and Hunyuan, the two disciples, beamed with joy, knowing that the little uncle would bring them back today. When they had left, they were dejected; now, they returned in triumph, their storage rings full of offerings—how could they not feel proud?

Yang Nan, seeing their smug expressions, scolded with a laugh, “Wipe those grins off your faces, or the senior brothers will think my success has gone to my head.”

Having spent much time with Yang Nan, the two disciples knew his character well. Hunyuan shook his head, smiling, “Uncle, forgive my boldness, but we have reason to be proud. The Li family once foisted this mess upon you, but you have subdued the Seventy-Two Demon Valleys with your might. If we don’t make our presence known, what if the Li family tries more dirty tricks?”

Qian Ren added, “Uncle, it’s not that we want to show off, but we must guard against the Li family’s scheming. The Seventy-Two Demon Valleys are now your foundation. We cannot let others covet them.”

Yang Nan nodded, a cold smile on his lips. “If the Li family keeps to themselves, so be it. But if they try to seize my Spirit Beast Mountain, I will teach them a lesson they won’t forget!”

He had now subdued over twenty thousand demons in the Seventy-Two Demon Valleys. If the Li family wished to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth, they had best consider whether they had the teeth to do so.

The two disciples wholeheartedly agreed. They knew well their uncle’s abilities—how else could he have subdued demon kings and cowed the demon hordes in so short a time? Now, throughout the valleys, all revered and feared him. Even when they, as outer disciples, went on patrol, the once-mighty demons addressed them as “Immortal.”

Now, the monsters, freed from their forced servitude, lived in ease and contentment.

Given these circumstances, the Li family would have to answer to the demons themselves if they tried to replace their uncle as master of Spirit Beast Mountain!

Yang Nan saw that one disciple was clever and the other steady, and felt deeply satisfied. Had he not been sidelined, such talent would never have come to him. With their help, he could cultivate with peace of mind.