Chapter 1037: Unbroken Past Six

She Ji’s escape technique was quite unique; it wasn't flying on clouds or burrowing into the earth. She was like a faint, ethereal mist, quickly moving away from the mountain. As she checked her knuckles, she kept looking back frequently.

The sudden appearance of that female cultivator and Sun Yiqiu surely indicated a connection. She Ji didn’t want to complicate matters and chose to retreat for now, but she was reluctant to give up on Sun Yiqiu.

Hidden within a mist-shrouded valley deep in the mountains was She Ji’s cave dwelling, a small secret realm. With an unhappy expression, she hastily returned there in a flash of light.

The valley entrance was enveloped in mist, but inside, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and small bridges spanned flowing streams, like an ethereal fairyland, a world of its own.

Mr. Gao was playing chess with an old man under a tree. The old man was the first to notice She Ji’s return, looking up at the approaching spiritual light and smiling.

"Is Lady She back? Oh, where's your beloved husband?"

Mr. Gao also turned to look behind him. He saw She Ji land and walk towards them, her face practically screaming "in a bad mood."

Logically, a wisp of Sun Yiqiu's consciousness should have returned with She Ji, allowing him to linger in the secret realm "in a dream." With the spiritual energy of the place and the company of a beautiful woman amidst beautiful scenery, he should have quickly developed feelings for She Ji. If he had promised marriage, half the task would have been complete.

The method they used was very gentle; they were willing to take extra time. When done, even the records in the underworld would show a connection between the man and woman, let alone any harm inflicted upon him.

But with only She Ji returning, something had clearly gone wrong.

"Lady, did something unexpected happen on the way?"

Mr. Gao forgot about the chess game and quickly stood up to ask.

She Ji didn't vent her frustration on him; she just spoke with some displeasure.

"Today, a mysterious female cultivator suddenly appeared. Her words suggested she had an old acquaintance among Young Master Sun's ancestors. She thought I was some malicious demon trying to harm Young Master Sun. I wanted to fight her, but she wouldn't let me leave. I had no choice but to briefly use her power to escape back to his home. With such an elder in his family, I'm afraid my match with Young Master Sun is unlikely to happen."

She Ji sighed. For days, she had been chatting and walking with Sun Yiqiu every night, and her mood had been consistently good. She couldn't help but tease him, finding his awkwardness amusing, and had already imagined a future with him. Now, she truly felt some reluctance to let go.

"It's really not wise to make more enemies!"

Mr. Gao pondered for a moment, then spoke again after She Ji had walked past.

"Lady, please don't be pessimistic yet. From what you just said, you didn't have a major fight with that female cultivator, did you?"

"No, I was afraid of hurting her and making it difficult for Young Master Sun to explain. I even deliberately held back my magic when I struck."

"So, no ill will was created? And you haven't been disrespectful to Young Master Sun recently, have you?"

Mr. Gao took two steps closer to confirm again.

She Ji's face flushed slightly.

"As for Young Master Sun, I did tease him a few times playfully, which was quite amusing, but it certainly didn't harm his vitality."

Mr. Gao calculated briefly and nodded slightly.

"Young men are full of vigor; it's quite normal. Hmm, Lady, you don't need to be upset just yet. Let me think!"

She Ji stopped, waiting for Mr. Gao to ponder. After a while, he returned to the chessboard and quickly started placing pieces. It was clearly a special divination method. He arranged many games consecutively before stopping.

"Hmm!"

"Lady, perhaps this isn't a bad thing at all..."

Mr. Gao was setting up the tenth game. Only when the last piece in his hand was placed did he look up at She Ji.

"Lady, do you know that when I first performed divination for you, nine out of ten outcomes were dead ends? Later, as we slowly sought solutions, the situation slightly improved. Today, however, it's fifty-fifty."

"Lady, what was the female cultivator's cultivation level?"

She Ji instinctively gently caressed a knuckle on her right hand with her left.

"Although she didn't give me a sense of threat, now that I think about it, I'm quite unsure of her true depth."

Mr. Gao nodded.

"Lady, my opinion is that you must not give up on Young Master Sun. Not only must you not give up, but you must become even more infatuated. If you can move the Sun family, perhaps that female cultivator could even become an ally. At that point, even if you cannot achieve a breakthrough, you might not be without the power to contend!"

The old man also chuckled.

"Mr. Gao speaks wisely. If you become in-laws, there would be a reason to help each other!"

"Precisely!"

She Ji's eyes lit up, and her mood immediately improved significantly. Compared to advancing her cultivation through auspicious fortune, the help represented by that female cultivator was much clearer and more tangible. Moreover, she wouldn't have to give up on Sun Yiqiu. It seemed like a beautiful outcome in every way!

"But how should I approach Young Master Sun now? The previous method is clearly no longer suitable..."

"That will depend on your own methods, Lady. This time, I wouldn't dare give casual advice."

Mr. Gao said meaningfully, watching She Ji leave with a radiant smile.

After She Ji left, the old man sitting opposite him noticed something unusual.

"Mr. Gao, your..."

Mr. Gao's hand, holding a chess piece, had turned grayish-white. Cracks were now appearing and spreading upwards from his fingertips, like brittle, cracking stone. His face, too, alternated between pale and ashen, with flickering halos of light, and his aura was unstable.

After a long while, Mr. Gao finally stabilized his aura. He tapped his left hand several times on his shoulder, then lightly stroked his right arm. His entire right arm gradually returned to normal, though it seemed somewhat stiff.

"Do not tell Lady She about this, lest she be distracted. If this succeeds, all tribulations will vanish like smoke!"

Mr. Gao's face, usually calm and composed, now showed a hint of excitement. Looking back at the chessboard, all the black and white pieces had turned to powder, scattering completely with a gust of wind.

The old man's expression suddenly became quite complex, with various emotions flashing across his face. Finally, he sighed.

"I'm already this old. If I just continue to faithfully serve for another sixty years, I can retire successfully. Now, not only will there be no reward for my efforts, but I might also incur formidable karma. Mr. Gao, please don't harm me."

"Hahahaha, Elder Gong, what's meant to be, good or bad, cannot be avoided. Though you are a revered mountain god, your destiny holds a tribulation that is shrouded in mystery, with fortunes and misfortunes unpredictable. If it doesn't manifest with Lady She, it might be in an even more dangerous place. Since you always say you've already come to terms with things, why bother yourself with worry?"

The old man shook his head, stood up, lingered by the chess table for a long time, then sat back down.

"Never mind, let's play chess."

"Hahahaha, Elder Gong, please take the first move!"

"Oh, you. Was this step merely a coincidence, or did you calculate it beforehand? Lady She's nature is quite benevolent; don't truly harm her."

"Though I, Gao, am not entirely upright, I am certainly not malicious. I genuinely wish to help Lady She."

The old man smiled, said nothing more, and placed a piece on the board. New pieces had materialized again, though it was unclear when.

Granny Zao lingered in the mountains for a long time, several days passing in a flash. She imagined many stories of scholars encountering beautiful fox spirits at night, and when she opened her eyes, a smile still lingered on her lips.

"Hoo-ah..."

Granny Zao yawned. Accompanied by a mountain breeze that stirred the red fallen leaves on the ground, she took a step, soaring into the sky with the wind, flying towards Ning'an County in the distance.

It was also night. The heavens were kind today; a half-moon hung high in the starry sky, with glittering streaks of light across the firmament, a dazzling spectacle as far as the eye could see.

A gentle breeze drifted about, swaying and accompanying Granny Zao as she floated across mountains and plains, rivers and lakes, villages and towns. Every household was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, creating a joyful atmosphere. Lanterns twinkled and fireworks bloomed...

"Aooooh—"

*Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble*

Though the sky was clear of clouds and lightning, a mighty, rolling sound echoed in all directions, like divine drums beating from the ninth heaven, or fierce tigers roaring from the peaks of a thousand blades.

The wind carried Granny Zao far away, to Desheng Prefecture, then to Ning'an County, and finally to the Niukui Mountain Range. Granny Zao turned to gaze, and a man dressed in black and yellow cloud-patterned robes stood on a stone platform in the mountains. As Granny Zao looked, he also turned his head to look back.

"Hmm, it's the Year of the Tiger!"

Granny Zao murmured, her face now full of smiles.