On the back of the bronze mirror, a ball of pale yellow light curled up in the corner, its head buried in its arms, shoulders trembling.
"Father, Mother, Clan Leader Grandfather!
It was Xian Qiao's fault. Xian Qiao does not want to live alone, does not want to remain in this world all by herself!
Brother Fu, Brother Fu, it's me… I was the one who saved you. I was that little girl back then…"
"What a pity." An Xiaolin's gaze lingered on the image of Pei Xianqiao. A trace of regret flickered in his eyes. "Her willpower and courage are not lacking in the slightest, but… her fate burns too brightly. And besides…"
An Xiaolin's eyes shifted toward the woman in purple robes who had just stepped into the side hall. "Today, there is someone stronger than her."
Stronger, and far more striking.
The bronze mirrors placed along the side passage were called the Four-Walled Heart-Linking Linglong Mirrors. The backs of the mirrors were inscribed with Taiyi profound patterns and etched with a spell of Illusory Clarity. Their polished surfaces gleamed, and anyone reflected in them whose mind wavered even slightly would have their heart ensnared, dragged into an illusionary trap.
That was why An Xiaolin had arranged for Junior Sister Yan to provoke and belittle the visiting cultivators at the gate—to destabilize their minds, making them more susceptible to the mirrors' illusions.
But he had not expected someone to treat the mirrors as if they didn't exist at all…
An Xiaolin rubbed his forehead. "Is she truly devoted to the Dao, or has she simply experienced too little, leaving no gap in her Dao heart for the mirrors to seize upon?"
Inside the side hall.
The old steward's eyes were bleary. Without even glancing at the newcomer, he waved his hand, tossing out two mission tokens that hovered in midair.
"Take your pick. Which road to death—ah, no, I mean which road to take for your task?"
The steward swayed on his feet, yawning wide.
Yao Ranran stared at the floating mission tokens, a massive question mark in her mind.
Were these tasks even possible for a human being?
[Mission One: Save the Daoist temple. A Yuanying Evil Emperor covets the temple. You are to slay him and his three thousand followers.]
[Mission Two: Save the Daoist temple. Palace Master An Xiaolin neglects his duties and thinks only of gathering disciples. Shu Xi Palace is falling into disarray. You are to seize his body and become its new master.]
"…Is there no third option?" Yao Ranran couldn't help asking.
The steward seemed to have expected that question. Without lifting his eyelids, he replied lazily, "There is a third option. Give up…"
"I'll take the third—"
"…and die!" the steward added drowsily.
Yao Ranran swallowed her words back down.
"…What did you say you chose?" The steward rubbed his eyes.
"Eenie meenie sheepie sheep, pick the fattest one to keep…" Yao Ranran muttered to herself, pointing first at Mission Two, then quickly sliding her finger over to Mission One.
The steward looked over, grinning wide. "Girl, I saw you choose to seize the Palace Master's body. Bold! I admire youngsters without strength but with guts like fat sheep. Off you go, let me send you on your way!"
"No, I picked One!"
A blast of force tore through the air. Yao Ranran, as light as paper, was instantly swept away by the wind.
The steward, suddenly energized, picked at his ear and chuckled like a blossoming flower. "Ah, in life, there's no turning back!"
Yao Ranran appeared in the central plaza.
An Xiaolin stood before her, his lips curving into a gentle smile.
"You want to usurp the Palace Master's seat?"
Yao Ranran glanced around. The scene was almost identical to when she had passed the previous trial.
So… choosing Mission Two was actually the real correct answer?
A loud thud echoed.
Another cultivator crashed down from above.
An Xiaolin, still smiling faintly, repeated softly, "You want to usurp the Palace Master's seat?"
The male cultivator rubbed his backside, then looked around at the familiar surroundings and at Yao Ranran standing nearby. He laughed. "As expected, this is the right way through! Everyone who came here was aiming to become the Palace Master's disciple. Who would seriously choose to seize the Palace Master's body and rule over this useless Shu Xi Palace?
But exterminating the Evil Emperor? According to the logic of the previous trials, there must truly be such an opponent. Either you kill your way through, or you fall and perish!
So I went against the current, choosing the least likely option, and it worked. Haha! Hahaha!"
The man rambled on excitedly, brimming with pride.
An Xiaolin's voice remained soft. "You don't wish to seize the Palace Master's seat?"
"Of course not! I have no such desire. Disciple only wishes to become your student!" the man declared without hesitation.
An Xiaolin's eyes cooled. "A disciple who does not love Shu Xi Palace… what use do I have for such a one?"
"What?"
The man's expression froze. His head slid cleanly off his neck, hitting the ground with a dull thud. His headless body collapsed, both body and severed head melting into a pool of blood that seeped into the ground.
An Xiaolin's gentle smile returned. "Do you want to usurp the Palace Master's seat?"
Now, only Yao Ranran remained in the plaza.
Watching the man's fate, she instantly understood—the trial was not over.
She met An Xiaolin's gaze and spoke firmly: "You condemned him for not loving Shu Xi Palace. Then if you love Shu Xi Palace, why do you care only for collecting disciples while ignoring the life and death of Shu Xi Palace itself?"
An Xiaolin's features were flawless, his whole bearing aloof and ethereal, gentle as polished jade. His voice was tender. "Obedient disciple, the palace's resources are dwindling. To support this place, I must expand outward. But now… I can no longer find anywhere to seize resources from."
Yao Ranran frowned.
What was that supposed to mean?
"You would seize my body, then go out to plunder resources?" An Xiaolin asked again.
Yao Ranran thought of Jiang Shengxiang's sacrifices for his village. She imagined herself in the place of Shu Xi Palace's disciples, and lifted her head sharply. "If I am a disciple of Shu Xi Palace, then of course I should seize your body!"
An Xiaolin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Yao Ranran pressed on. "But I will not plunder blindly. Seizing without end does not solve the root problem. What Shu Xi Palace truly needs is the ability to produce. If cultivation resources are lacking, then we must search for them, harvest and use them reasonably, and cultivate spiritual plants for future disciples."
Her words were rough, her idea immature and difficult to achieve. To most ears, it might even sound laughable.
But An Xiaolin did not laugh.
The smile faded from his lips, his gaze dark as the abyss. "Your thinking is fanciful, but… it is enough to pass this stage."
Yao Ranran exhaled in relief. She had never expected to provide some grand strategy for governing a palace. Passing the trial was enough. After all, she had no real intention of seizing An Xiaolin's body.
Mainly because she couldn't win!
"Now, we move on to the next stage," An Xiaolin said. His robes billowed as he slowly descended from the high platform.
A foreboding chill crept up Yao Ranran's spine. "What is the next stage?"
An Xiaolin chuckled softly. "The first trial tested your Dao heart. The second, your courage. This final one… will test your ability to seize your master's body!"