"The one in my yard? Are you sure you're not seeing things?" Cheng Qian asked with a little confusion.

After returning from the Vermillion Bird Tower, the group still stayed in the restaurant in the small town on the southern border. Yan Zhengming told them the whole story that he had seen in the Sect Leader's Seal - cutting out the beginning and the end, and concealing all the ambiguities that should not be mentioned.

"When the weather got hot, I used it as a cushion to copy scriptures every day, but I didn't notice any difference." Cheng Qian shook his head, "Isn't it just a flatter stone? I thought it was just a larger piece of jade at most."

Shuikeng asked curiously, "Is there really a stone in the world that can make people's wishes come true? Third Brother, what did you think about when you were copying scriptures with it as a cushion? Did it come true?"

Cheng Qian: “…”

At that time, he just suspected that the stone might be worth some money. He thought that if the Fuyao sect was too poor to make ends meet one day, he would carry the thing down the mountain and ask someone to carve something out of it and sell it.

...It seems that it has not been realized.

Cheng Qian managed to keep his face calm and said calmly, "Of course I have to put away all distractions when copying scriptures. What else can I think about?"

Shuikeng was deeply impressed after hearing this, as she herself could never achieve a state of having no distracting thoughts.

Li Yun interrupted, "Your Third Senior Brother was only in his early teens at the time. All he could think about all day was practicing calligraphy and swordsmanship, drawing Qi into his body as soon as possible, and asking Han Yuan to stop bothering him when he was taking the bird eggs. Senior Brother Xianglu, get out of here... Uh, Senior Brother, that's not what I meant."

Under Yan Zhengming's glare, Li Yun laughed dryly and changed the subject, "There is only one unique stone like that since the beginning of time. They will definitely not care about these trivial matters. The so-called 'wishes come true' must be something that is beyond human control and beyond human control."

"Don't show off your abilities," Yan Zhengming interrupted him, "Tell me what the 'Three Lives Secret Realm' is?"

"Don't provoke me. I have heard of this." Li Yun leaned back in his chair, raised his chin slightly, and said proudly, "There are three thousand great secret realms and six thousand small secret realms in the world. Except for a few that are occasionally discovered by people, most of them are unknown. The 'Three Lives Secret Realm' was first recorded in "The Magic Way"..."

"The Devil's Path?" Cheng Qian was stunned. "The one that's engraved all over the wall at the bottom of the Sutra Building? I read it when I was a kid, but I didn't see any mention of any secret realm."

"Listen to me. The content of the categories of skills in the front of The Devil's Way is very boring. But there is a volume called 'Anecdotes' at the end. You must have never read it," Li Yun said, shaking his head. "That 'Anecdotes' is really interesting. It tells a lot of stories about big demons, such as vendettas, love turning into hatred, and being deceived... all kinds of messy little stories. Some of them are quite dramatic."

Cheng Qian had no idea what he was so proud of.

Li Yun said, "Among them, there is a record of the 'Three Lives Secret Realm'. It is said that this secret realm appears once every three thousand years, and the path is nowhere to be found. Each time it is only open to those who are destined to enter. Other secret realms, even if they make those who enter them risk their lives, also give them great opportunities. This 'Three Lives Secret Realm' is very special. It drives all the 'predestined people' crazy. It is said that there is a mirror in this secret realm that allows people to see the fate of the people or things they care about most."

Puddle: "What will happen?"

These two words are not good words, and they sound like a sign of a bad ending.

Li Yun nodded and said, "Well, for example, if you are thinking about immortality, you will see yourself in the mirror, old and frail. You want something the most, but you see it go against your wishes. Just think about it and you will know how it feels. It's easy to say, but if you really go in and take a look, no one can remain indifferent."

Yan Zhengming frowned and said, "There must be something wrong with the 'predestined person' chosen for this secret realm, right?"

He had almost sorted out the cause and effect in his mind - Grandmaster Tong Ru had somehow mistakenly entered the Three Lives Secret Realm, and from the voice, he must have seen the result of the severance of the Fuyao Sect's bloodline, and then hurriedly went to find Xu Yingzhi, the owner of the Suzaku Tower, who told him his fortune, and it seemed that he had drawn a bad lot.

Later, Tong Ru found the wish-fulfilling stone through some means. The big demon in the Demon Valley and Island Master Gu both tried to dissuade him, but he insisted on doing so and even became possessed. This led to a series of subsequent events, and in the end it was just as Xu Yingzhi said, Tong Ru achieved the opposite of what he wanted and instead pushed the Fuyao sect to the point of extinction of its bloodline.

"Second Brother, you really know everything," Shuikeng said with emotion, and then changed the subject, "But when are you going to change me back?"

Li Yun: "This..."

Yan Zhengming also asked anxiously, "And that pile of useless grass of yours is enough to feed sheep. Have you refined the anti-poison pill?"

Li Yun: "I..."

"Then hurry up!" Yan Zhengming yelled, pushed the chair away, stood up and walked away, leaving only one sentence, "I'm going back to sleep, don't bother me."

The leader's impatience was almost evident in words, and the remaining three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Shuikeng heard the door open, shook his feathers, jumped onto the table in confusion, and asked, "Who invited him?"

Her two senior brothers reflected on themselves for a moment, looked at each other with "it's you" eyes, and tried to shirk responsibility.

Finally, Cheng Qian was the first to feel the condemnation of his conscience. He touched his nose and said awkwardly, "It seems to be me."

Shuikeng and Li Yun asked in unison: "What did you do again?"

Cheng Qian was actually more confused than the other two. It seemed as if for no apparent reason, the eldest senior brother suddenly ignored him - he didn't look in his direction, didn't respond to his words, and when he spoke he either lowered his head and looked around, or pretended to be thinking about something. In short, he completely ignored him.

When entering the room, Cheng Qian deliberately sat next to him. As a result, their weird head brother sat up straight on the spot, with his face so tight that it could be peeled off and used as a belt. He looked so awe-inspiring and inviolable, and he was just about to cover his face with a fan and say "I sell my art but not my body".

The three of them looked at each other, and felt that each other's expressions were all saying "The leader has taken the wrong medicine again" and "The leader takes the wrong medicine every day", so they had to disperse.

Li Yun secluded herself for two days and refined several bottles of anti-poison pills. She didn't know what use they were, but it was better to have some than nothing. During these two days, Shuikeng felt that the power in her body that was holding her back to human form was gradually loosening, so she practiced hard every day using her bird body, and was much more diligent than when she was a human.

Sect Leader Yan lived a life of never leaving the main gate or going out of the secondary gate. He didn't even see anyone every day and just shouted to people outside through the door.

The eldest senior brother has been acting unreasonably for a long time. He has had this problem since he was a child. Cheng Qian's usual way of dealing with it is to go back and practice quietly. Anyway, there is no need to pay attention to him. He will be fine in a few days.

But this time, Cheng Qian couldn't help but be distracted, thinking over and over again in his mind what Li Yun had said that day under the True Dragon.

Finally, Cheng Qian stood up silently, glanced at his spotless room and the cold water on the table, and felt his own dullness. He turned around, opened the door and went out, landing silently outside Yan Zhengming's house, like a rustling leaf, without disturbing even a speck of dust, and sat down on the slightly raised eaves.

This year, the moon was full on the 15th and 16th, which was a little imperfect during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The night sky in southern Xinjiang was clear and the moonlight was bright, but it was a little dazzling after looking at it for a long time. The distant mountains and nearby trees were all graceful.

When they were young on Fuyao Mountain, every Mid-Autumn Festival, the master would take them to worship their ancestors and the moon like playing house, and then take them to the "Unknown Hall" to share cakes and fruits. The eldest brother thought he had grown up at that time, and often asked the master for newly brewed wine to drink. However, the master always treated him like a child and fooled him. He took a large pot of osmanthus syrup, added some wine at the bottom of the cup and let him taste it, and lied to him that it was authentic osmanthus wine.

Later, this habit was preserved by the eldest brother on Qinglong Island. Every time he drank, he had to dilute it with osmanthus syrup, otherwise the taste would not be right.

The path of spiritual practice is long, and the annual festivals are like one point after another. After one, it seems as if all the previous things can be turned over.

But when Cheng Qian recalled these things, he felt that those distant memories seemed to be always separated from him by a layer of fog.

He found his blood running cold.

Cheng Qian suddenly fell down from the eaves.

At this time, the elderly shopkeeper had gone to bed, and only his daughter was counting the bills. She was startled by Cheng Qian's sudden appearance. The shopkeeper's daughter was deeply impressed by his unsociable character, and was a little afraid to talk to him. She stepped forward timidly and asked, "What do you want, sir?"

"Uh..." When the words came to his lips, Cheng Qian felt that it was a bit silly to say it. He hesitated for a moment, smiled slightly with a bit of self-mockery, and took out some change, "Thank you, young lady, for helping me buy some things."

A moment later, Cheng Qian knocked on Yan Zhengming's door carrying two wine barrels and an oil-paper bag.

An impatient voice came from inside: "I'm in retreat, what are you arguing about?"

It was the first time that Cheng Qian had seen someone being so casual in his seclusion.

He stood silently at the door for a moment, thinking: "Why should I be so polite to him?"

Looking back, when had he ever politely knocked on Yan Zhengming's door? When had he ever carefully coaxed Yan Zhengming?

"Am I afraid too?" Cheng Qian thought.

Then he put his fingers together and easily opened the door of the mortal restaurant's guest room. Cheng Qian leisurely lifted his clothes and walked in openly. As Yan Zhengming stared in amazement, he flicked his sleeves slightly and placed the things on the table. Then he said, "You're almost done. Are you not done yet?"

Yan Zhengming: “…”

Sect Master Yan remained sitting cross-legged, blinking as if in a dream, his eyes fell on the wine barrel and oil paper bag on the table, and he asked blankly, "What is this?"

Cheng Qian glanced at him, unwrapped the oil paper package, revealing a few crudely made pastries inside, and then opened one of the wine pots, a scent of wine wafting out. The other wine pot was filled with sugar water. Cheng Qian was afraid that the sugar was not completely dissolved, so he picked up the pot and shook it vigorously, then mixed the two together and called Yan Zhengming, "Come and eat."

Yan Zhengming: "…I will not accept food given out of pity."

Cheng Qian: "Don't you want to eat?"

Yan Zhengming was silent for a moment, then walked over very spinelessly.

Cheng Qian stood up and said, "I'll go call Second Senior Brother and the others..."

"Hey," Yan Zhengming reached out and held him, "No need to call them, they are both busy these days, and besides... after you left, we don't have the habit of celebrating the holidays - sit down and have a drink with me."

Cheng Qian hesitated for a moment, then sat at the table, watching Yan Zhengming take two cups, pour two glasses of wine, and push one in front of Cheng Qian: "Can I drink it?"

"Yes," Cheng Qian nodded, "but I haven't drunk it in a long time."

Yan Zhengming sat down across the table, his eyes falling on Cheng Qian's face. The moonlight was too bright on the fifteenth night, and Cheng Qian always felt that his senior brother's eyes seemed unusually deep.

Yan Zhengming said, "I noticed that you only touched water, and I thought it was because of your practice that you couldn't eat anything else."

Cheng Qian paused, then said frankly: "I cultivated my primordial spirit in the Gathering Spirit Jade and practiced the innate fasting. Good food and good wine can easily arouse my appetite. My desires are chaotic, and it will be difficult to survive when I encounter a heavenly tribulation. So I simply gave up all unnecessary things."

After all, monks are all born as mortals, and the desire for food and sex will always accompany them throughout their lives, especially for food. They have become accustomed to it over the years. Even if the physical body can fast, most monks will still retain the habits of their mortal days unless they have reached the critical moment of marrow cleansing or deliberately practiced methods such as being ruthless and eliminating desires.

Yan Zhengming nodded. He had a lot to say in his mind, but he didn't know where to start talking to Cheng Qian, so he just drank in silence.

Cheng Qian took a sip of the wine in the glass - although it was called wine, in fact, there was nothing left of it because the taste had been washed away by the sugar water. A strong sweetness rushed straight to his eyebrows. Cheng Qian felt a little uncomfortable for a moment. He pursed his lips and put the glass down again. It took a long time for the sweetness in his mouth to dissipate a little, as if awakening his dusty and rusty senses.

A warm current rushed from his chest down into his heart. Cheng Qian trembled slightly and experienced a long-lost feeling of being a human being.

Yan Zhengming suddenly asked without thinking, "Xiao Qian, are you practicing self-discipline so strictly to cultivate immortality and follow the way of heaven?"

Cheng Qian didn't know where this came from, so he paused and replied, "I haven't thought about it."

Yan Zhengming turned his head and looked at him.

Cheng Qian said, "Master once said that there is no difference between ascending to heaven and dying. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I think about it, it is indeed the same as severing the earthly ties and never meeting again. The way of heaven is so narrow, why bother to think about it? It is better to live well and be lively together."

Yan Zhengming asked softly, "Have you been with us... all the time?"

"What else?" Cheng Qian seemed to have not touched the world for many years. A sip of the lightest "Osmanthus Wine" could warm him up. He suddenly reached across the table and grabbed Yan Zhengming's wrist, whispering, "Brother, I know your difficulties."

Yan Zhengming's hand trembled, and the wine almost spilled. He froze halfway on the spot. After a while, he awkwardly broke free from Cheng Qian's hand and complained, "You are an adult now, stop touching me."

Perhaps it was the effect of the sugar water that finally relaxed Yan Zhengming's slightly furrowed brows. He sighed and said, "You are all fine. I can't say that I have any difficulties - especially you."

Cheng Qian rubbed the wall of the wine glass with his fingertips and said with a smile, "I know."

"What do you know?" Yan Zhengming laughed, shook his head, lowered his head and picked up a piece of snack that Cheng Qian brought. The anxiety in his heart suddenly faded a little, and he felt that it didn't matter. Xiao Qian would not leave anyway, and would follow him around the world in the future, looking for an opportunity to return to Fuyao Mountain together. What else was there to ask for?

Yan Zhengming's mood, which had been depressed for a few days, calmed down. He stretched out his hand and pinched the hard shell of the snack, and said in his old attitude: "Hey, you poor guy, how much money did you spend to buy the snack? It's so hard that it can hit your head. Is this thing for people to eat?"

Cheng Qian smiled and said, "If you like to eat or not, you are just a busybody."

After saying that, he picked up the wine glass and drank the sugar water mixed with a little wine.

As soon as the wine rolled down his throat, Cheng Qian realized something was wrong, but he couldn't spit it out even if he regretted it. Before Yan Zhengming could reply, Cheng Qian was stunned, as if he was sitting unsteadily, and reached out to grab something. Before he could hold the edge of the table firmly, he fell down without any warning.

This damn Spirit Gathering Jade is so damn good!

Unfortunately, not everyone can be so peaceful and calm on the night of the bright moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The playboys have been extremely worried these past few days, wishing they could dig deep into the ground to find their young master who has disappeared for no reason.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there was a bustling crowd outside the Suzaku Tower, with everyone looking forward to the moon rising to the top of the tower and the tower gate opening. Only in front of a luxurious Pegasus carriage, two Yuanshen monks were anxiously waiting for the results of their subordinates' investigation.

A middle-aged man came hurriedly, shook his head solemnly at the two old men, and whispered: "Senior, there is no news... The young master wanted to enter the Suzaku Tower, do you think he followed those people in that day?"

One of the old men shook his head and said, "Don't you know the young master's cultivation? Even if he has several rare treasures on him, how can he sneak into the Suzaku Tower at will? Go find him again... Alas, the young master was willful for a while and left home alone. The master told us to protect him..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden cry of surprise from the crowd around him. It turned out that the time for the annual opening of the Vermillion Bird Pagoda gate had arrived. The violently hot air around the tower suddenly cooled down, and the tower gate exploded with a "bang", but no one came out. There was only a ball of black air rolling inside it.

Someone said, "Look, there seems to be something wrong with the Suzaku Tower this year..."