Chapter 38 Willingly Walking Into A Trap

m over for a visit with you at his place. Now that Prince Jing is home, Miss should go there right away!"Yun Qianyue thought about the events of today; she figured that Old King would want to understa...Chapter 38: Luring the Willing

The tenderness in Rong Jing's eyes could melt an entire ice mountain. How much more so a person

Yun Qianyue felt like she was melting too! And willingly too! The sky as her blanket, withering vines as her bed, and mist as her furnace; she felt like the whole of herself was being roasted. Even if there's just one shred of consciousness left, all she can think about is whether it would hurt...

It’s said that it hurts terribly!

"Though today has been good, I don’t wish to make you endure hardship," Rong Jing suddenly sighed softly as he moved slightly away from Yun Qianyue. His eyes were filled with deep smiles while looking at her passionate face amidst the mist; she looked like a fairy with flushed cheeks akin to clouds. He chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her lips lightly, saying tenderly: "It’s enough that I know your heart is willing!"

Yun Qianyue felt her heart soar as if riding on an aerial ride roller coaster. Her face instantly turned red when he mentioned she was willing! She was about to say something when Rong Jing suddenly picked her up and flew them off the withering vines, soaring straight into the air towards the cliff.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback; turning her head to look at Rong Jing in surprise: "Your martial arts have recovered"

"Mm!" Rong Jing replied and instantly carried Yun Qianyue to lightly land on the cliff.

His lightness skill was extraordinary, landing soundlessly without even a rustle from their clothes or sleeves.

Yun Qianyue felt that his lightness skill was far superior to hers. She pushed him away angrily: "You’ve already recovered your martial arts skills right You actually made me carry you over the lake in Hundred Flower Garden, and then make me leap over palace walls; even making me cross a mountain ravine from the opposite side almost falling down! You... You this..."

Before Yun Qianyue could finish her tirade, Rong Jing already repositioned her into his embrace and kissed her to block off her unfinished words. Her body was already weakened by passion at the vine half-way up the cliff; now she had no strength left to resist. This kiss swallowed back all the fire from within her, and then softened it with his tender advances.

Only after Yun Qianyue’s anger melted completely did Rong Jing reluctantly release her, smiling as he looked at her.

Yun Qianyue panted in his arms, too exhausted to be angry anymore. She recalled a widely circulated saying that a man's words are the best weapon to shut a woman up; indeed it was true! She glared at Rong Jing weakly: "You... You liar!"

No wonder Xian Ge couldn’t withstand her 'Tenfold Ambush' tune, and even though Bao Ma ran madly as if crazy he remained unharmed. This bastard had recovered his martial arts skills! He was本來就比她高，又同出一脈，她怕真傷了他冇武功護體的身子，將音符用內力掌控都向外擴散了去，他自然安然無恙。

Rong Jing chuckled softly.

“You’re a black-hearted devil!” Yun Qianyue said angrily, thinking that her face had gone red when she pulled him through Hundred Flower Garden's lake earlier. If she had known he had recovered his martial arts skills, no matter what she wouldn't have fallen for it and maintained his stupid reputation.

"Be a good girl, don’t be angry. I’ve only just regained my martial arts skill yesterday. I merely wanted to give you a surprise," Rong Jing held Yun Qianyue’s soft, boneless body gently and said tenderly: "After seeing how much you cared for me by stepping in on my behalf, I couldn't help but make you do more things. I didn’t deliberately deceive you."

"Hmph!" Yun Qianyue was unconvinced. It wasn't intentional Who would believe that!

“To make up for it, I'll cook fish for you today. How about that" Rong Jing asked softly.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue immediately agreed. His recovery of martial arts was a good thing. From now on he could do the exhausting work of carrying people and making amends at the same time; what’s not to like

Rong Jing chuckled softly, “You’ll catch fish for me.”

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue nodded. She was good at catching fish! She wouldn't be like that Night Light Dye who had turned out to be so terrible at it!

"You'll prepare the fish!" Rong Jing said.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue thought, she could also prepare fish.

“You’ll start a fire!” Rong Jing added.

Start a fire She didn't seem to be good at that. Looking up at Rong Jing, she asked: "And what will you do"

"I'll cook the fish for you," Rong Jing said.

"So you’ll just grill it" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow. So he left all the miscellaneous tasks to her He still called that cooking fish for her and making amends

“Yes! I can only cook.” Rong Jing met Yun Qianyue’s gaze, his expression somewhat unnatural.

Yun Qianyue was speechless. After a day of折騰到現在大半夜就吃了一盒糕點，她早就餓扁了。點點頭，有些無奈地道：“好吧！不會烤也沒關係，會吃就行。”

"Alright!" Rong Jing smiled and nodded, carrying Yun Qianyue down.

Their clothes moved silently; so close to him that Yun Qianyue couldn't sense even a hint of his breath. She felt humiliated thinking that her impressive martial arts was still far inferior to his.

A few toe touches on the ground later, Rong Jing brought Yun Qianyue to mid-slope.

The fragrance of half-lotus flowers greeted them. A waterfall cascaded down, and the murmuring sound of spring water mixed with the solemn drum beats from Lingtai Temple echoing through the mountainside. The combination of movement and stillness here calmed one's mind.

Rong Jing let go of Yun Qianyue and gently said, "Go catch some fish! I'll gather firewood!"

Yun Qianyue inhaled the fresh and clear air of the mountain. She took a look around; this was exactly where she had barbecued fish with Ye Qingran two months ago—the place now showed no trace of that event. She nodded, bent down to pick up a branch, then plucked some lotus leaves. Using the starlight in the sky and the dim lights from Lingtai Temple that illuminated the mountain’s entire expanse as guidance, she headed towards the riverbank. Placing the lotus leaf on the water's surface, she leaped into the air, softly landing on the leaf. She lowered her head to observe the river’s movements; upon landing, a sleeping fish in the stream was startled awake. With the branch in hand, she swiftly caught a two-jin fish within moments. She looked up at Rong Jing with satisfaction and showed it to him, asking, "How is it"

"Not bad!" Rong Jing had just picked up two pieces of dry firewood and raised his head upon hearing her words, nodding with a smile.

“Catch!” Yun Qianyue tossed the fish over to him.

Rong Jing gently held the fish using the two sticks. He bent down again, picked another lotus leaf, and placed the fish on it.

Yun Qianyue thought this person was a true nobleman—his hands never got dirty. She looked back at the river and asked, "How much will you eat We shouldn't waste anything; I really can’t bear to kill sleeping fish!"

"One!" Rong Jing chuckled.

“I need two. So let's make it three then,” Yun Qianyue said after a moment's thought.

“This monk also needs two!” An old voice suddenly rang out.

Yun Qianyue lifted her head abruptly but saw no one; waiting for a long while, she still didn’t see any clothing or footsteps. She looked at Rong Jing.

"It’s Master Pushan. He should be in the Scripture Repository right now. You can't see him," Rong Jing explained with a smile.

So he was still in the Scripture Repository, no wonder I couldn’t see him! This must be some kind of distant voice transmission technique then! Clearly this person has high martial arts skills. She recognized this voice; it belonged to the old monk she met earlier today when looking for him at Lingtai Temple to retrieve two envelopes—though he didn't show his face, but surely it was this old monk He’s called Master Pushan. It seems like he's more senior than the most revered monk in the land, Venerable Lingyin, by two generations; he must be over a hundred years old already! She looked at Rong Jing with doubt, "Monks eat fish"

"Master Pushan’s favorite is the barbecued fish from this spring mountain. He was repeatedly breaking his rules due to gluttony and was demoted to watch over the Scripture Repository. But even after reading countless scriptures there, he hasn't changed his ways. The moment he hears us grilling fish, of course, he can’t resist his cravings!" Rong Jing explained with a chuckle.

Yun Qianyue nodded understandingly, "So let's make it five then."

"No, Master Pushan said two, so you should at least give him four," Rong Jing shook his head with a smile.

"Does he really have that big of an appetite" Yun Qianyue was about to catch another fish when she asked.

“Yes!” Rong Jing nodded.

“Haha, this monk knows my kind heart well! I too recognize you as a true friend!” Master Pushan’s old voice came again, clearly in high spirits—Rong Jing had hit the nail on the head.

"To be recognized as a good friend by such a master is an honor for me," Rong Jing smiled faintly.

“Quickly barbecue the fish; I'll go down to get two pots of fine wine,” Master Pushan announced and it seemed like he had already left.

Yun Qianyue was dumbfounded, thinking this monk not only ate meat but also drank alcohol! She looked at Rong Jing.

"There's a saying: 'Wine and meat pass through the belly, Buddha stays in the heart.' Master Pushan has a kind heart towards Buddhism," Rong Jing said with a smile.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes; it was just an excuse to cover up his gluttonous nature. She resumed fishing while muttering, “Monks shouldn’t look like this, might as well go home and barbecue sweet potatoes!”

Rong Jing smiled but didn't say anything more, bending down to gather firewood.

In no time, Yun Qianyue had caught seven fish and returned ashore. She saw the lotus leaves piled with white-bellied fat fish and folded her hands together, chanting “Amitabha, sin upon sin.” After finishing her prayer, she lowered her hands and asked Rong Jing, "Do you have a knife"

"I thought seeing your compassionate heart meant you wouldn't kill these fish," said Rong Jing; he had also gathered enough firewood. He put down the wood and handed over an extremely small but exquisite dagger to Yun Qianyue with a smile.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and began efficiently gutting the fish, asking at the same time, "Do you know what a food chain is"

Rong Jing squatted down in front of Yun Qianyue to watch her efficient work and replied with a smile, “What is a food chain”

“Big fish eat small fish; small fish eat shrimp; shrimp eat purple mud. As you can see these seven big fish have eaten many smaller ones, who in turn ate countless shrimps which themselves consumed much mud. Therefore, it’s natural for us to eat them—this is called a food chain, cause and effect,” Yun Qianyue declared with great authority.

"You make sense!" Rong Jing agreed heartily.

Yun Qianyue thought of the essence of Chinese civilization over five thousand years—it made perfect sense!

"What a cycle of cause and effect! This young lass has quite the Buddhist roots!" An old voice rang out, and with that, the person appeared.

Yun Qianyue looked up to see an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face. He was wearing monk's robes and carrying two jars of wine; as soon as he arrived, a nose-tingling fragrance of alcohol filled the air around them. She took another look at him, her mind automatically producing the phrase "simplifying the complex to its essence". This old man’s level clearly surpassed Master Lingyin’s Buddhist martial arts in depth. Master Lingyin carried the scent of worldly life with him, but this elderly man held two jars of wine in his hands without any trace of worldly smoke and fire. She now believed what Rong Jing had said earlier about "wine and meat passing through the intestines" to be true; while it might seem like empty talk when applied to others, here on this old man, she could see his profound cultivation!

"Fine wine!" As soon as Rong Jing smelled the fragrance of alcohol, he complimented Master Pusuan’s two jars of wine.

"Of course it's fine wine! Ordinary brewers can’t match the quality of Wine Lady’s scattered brew. I’ve been drinking her great-grandmother’s, then her grandmother’s, and finally her own brew for over a hundred years. This is what I love; no other wine can satisfy my addiction to alcohol."

Master Pusuan laughed heartily as he placed the two jars of wine in front of Yun Qianyue and said to her, "Little lass, you grill the fish while Rong Shizi and I play a game of chess. Apart from Prince Rong a hundred years ago, this old monk hasn’t played with anyone else. Today, let’s have his descendant challenge me."

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue agreed readily; she hadn't expected the nobleman, Rong Jing, to do any grilling himself in the first place. Looking at him in that moon-white brocade robe and those delicate fingers of his made her feel like it would be a waste to make him grill fish; better if she did it herself.

"How about it Rong Shizi Did you bring your chessboard" Master Pusuan looked over at Rong Jing.

"Of course I brought it!" Rong Jing took out the chessboard from his chest.

"Ah, black ink chess pieces on white jade; good." Master Pusuan’s old eyes lit up, and disregarding the grass and mud on the ground, he sat down cross-legged first.

Rong Jing lifted his robe and also sat down in a lotus position without caring about the grass and soil on the ground.

Yun Qianyue was filleting fish while glancing at Rong Jing’s chessboard and the old monk across from him. She felt that this guy had planned to grill fish today with some ulterior motive, probably involving this old monk; she never believed he would do anything pointless.

"Master Pusuan, do you want to play as black or white" Rong Jing asked after setting up the chessboard.

"Black. Prince Rong of that time liked wearing black robes, so I played with white pieces then; now you wear a white robe, so naturally I’ll take the blacks." Master Pusuan said.

"Your disciple respects your benevolence!" Rong Jing put the box containing the black chess pieces in front of him.

"What nonsense about respect! You’re even better at pretending than your great-grandfather was. Come on, how much does the winner get" Master Pusuan asked.

"One game decides it all." Rong Jing smiled and added: "That way, we can drink wine and eat fish."

“Haha, good! Then one game it is.” Master Pusuan nodded at Rong Jing. “What happens to the loser”

"The loser gets to make a request of the winner," Rong Jing said.

"This old monk knows you came here today with a purpose, and I’ve been led right into your trap." Master Pusuan looked as if this was exactly what he had expected.

“Master Pusuan is willing to take the bait!” Rong Jing smiled. “I might not win for certain, nor can you lose for sure; it’s an unpredictable game of chess. If I lose, you’ll also be able to make a request of me—aren’t you going to have some conditions”

“Haha, that's true! This old monk is indeed like this. It’s truly a case of taking the bait willingly,” Master Pusuan laughed.

"Then let’s start" Rong Jing asked with a smile.

"Let’s begin!" Master Pusuan straightened his expression.

“Master, please make the first move!” Rong Jing observed proper etiquette.

Master Pusuan didn’t hesitate; he made the first move as black.

Rong Jing then played with white pieces.

The two of them no longer spoke, only hearing the sound of chess pieces being placed one after another.

While Yun Qianyue was filleting fish, she glanced aside once and wondered what Rong Jing could possibly want from Master Pusuan that he had to drag her along. Clearly, it must be about her. She remained silent as she pondered this; in no time at all, she had cleaned seven fish with lotus leaves, washed them by the water’s edge, and set up a fire.

Only after arranging dry wood did Yun Qianyue realize she didn’t have matches. After hesitating for a moment, she walked over to Rong Jing and reached into his chest pocket without warning; Rong Jing looked at her with a smile on his thin lips, while Master Pusuan also glanced at her and said, “Little lass, pour some wine in the fish’s belly, then stuff it with lotus leaves.”

"Okay!" Yun Qianyue nodded. She noticed that there weren’t just two jars of alcohol on the ground but also a large bag of spices. Remembering how Rong Jing didn't carry such things like Ye Qingran did, she realized he indeed knew how to coax Master Pusuan out. She picked up one jar and poured some wine into each fish; added lotus leaves, then cut open their flesh with her dagger and sprinkled on the spices before wrapping them in lotus leaves and putting them over the dry wood. Finally, she used a flint to light the fire.

Soon enough, the crackling sound of burning wood filled the air as wine fragrance, fish aroma, scent of lotus leaves, and spice scents mingled together.

Sitting down herself, Yun Qianyue began to flip over the grilling fish with twigs while watching them play chess.

This round of chess was different from the one Rong Jing had played with her that day at Nanshan Temple; it was like the game of True Dragon Chess that she and Nan Lingrui raced up to Dongshan earlier, which she had only briefly glanced at but recognized.

The True Dragon Chess Game, also known as the Ancient Chess Game. It unfolds in eighty-one moves, with Heaven's Eye and Phoenix Catastrophe included, symbolizing the embrace of all things. It is a grand game characterized by great fluctuations and dramatic ups and downs. Ordinary people can hardly even set up such a game, let alone understand its profound truths.

Yun Qianyue wonders what Rong Jing truly seeks

According to Master Pushan, he and the Prince of Honor played this very chess game a hundred years ago. So, what did the Prince of Honor seek back then

The two started off with rapid moves but gradually slowed down. Rong Jing's expression remained as calm as ever, giving no clue to his thoughts. In contrast, Master Pushan's elderly face displayed various emotions constantly, making it hard to discern what he was thinking due to the complexity and diversity of them.

Yun Qianyue turned down the fire under the kindling, allowing the fish to cook slowly. She shifted her gaze forward; monks who smelled the scent of roasting fish had approached but quietly retreated upon seeing the three figures here.

A half an hour later, when the fish was fully cooked, the two were still halfway through their chess game.

Yun Qianyue glanced at them and picked up a piece of fish to eat. But Pushan snatched it away from her hand just as she grabbed it and lectured her: "Little girl, you must respect your elders and care for the young!" Then he started chewing on it without minding how hot it was.

Yun Qianyue smiled, thinking to herself that what he said made sense. Respecting elders and caring for the young, he himself is both old and young, doesn't he cover all bases She then picked up another piece of cooked fish and looked at Rong Jing. Seeing him smiling back at her, she handed the fish over to him, who ate it gracefully.

"Mm, little girl can definitely be a virtuous wife and mother in the future! This fish is well-cooked," Pushan praised.

Rong Jing smiled and nodded gently, looking at Yun Qianyue affectionately: "Master speaks truly!"

"But whether it's a virtuous wife or mother from which family remains to be seen," Master Pushan said while eating fish and placing another chess piece.

"Mine! Definitely mine!" Rong Jing stated firmly, without room for argument.

Yun Qianyue bit into the fish she had just picked up. Hearing this, she nearly choked on a bone, thinking he really doesn't blush!

Pushan glanced at Rong Jing and shook his head: "Unlikely!"

"What is likely" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow to look at Pusshan.

“Likeness is ordained by heaven,” said Pusshan.

“Likeness arises from the heart. If I say it's likely, then it is," Rong Jing said as he placed another piece on the board.

A hundred years ago, the Prince of Honor sacrificed his kingdom for a woman, only to be tormented by fate,” Pusshan said.

"I am not my great-grandfather. What's mine is mine, and if I don't want it, no one can snatch it away—not even Heaven," Rong Jing said.

Pusshan placed another chess piece, looking up at the sky: "Young Master Jing, did you see the constellation in the center of the sky"

"What if I saw it What if I didn't" Rong Jing asked without lifting his head and placing a piece.

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue looked up at the sky. The stars were numerous and splendidly dotted across the Milky Way. The Big Dipper twinkled in the distance, and Venus shone brightly. Each star, even the smallest one, was dazzlingly bright.

"With chaos arising from revival, half of the empire will be empty. A great calamity is upon us," Pusshan said.

Yun Qianyue blinked, wondering why she didn't see that. She saw a clear sky dotted with splendid stars in their respective orbits without any positional error. The sight made her heart tranquil and pure.

"Master originally saw this; do you know what I saw" Rong Jing asked without looking up.

“Oh Young Master, please share!" Pusshan withdrew his gaze.

"The empire will fall, but a new one shall rise. A splendid and glorious era will emerge—a great omen of good fortune," said Rong Jing.

Pusshan gave a surprised exclamation, placed another piece, then burst into laughter.

Rong Jing also smiled gently.

Yun Qianyue thought that one real monk and one fake one were just playing word games, making things truly exhausting. She returned her gaze to the sky, silently eating fish.

"What a splendid and glorious era! In this regard, your great-grandfather can't match you. Indeed, blue surpasses its source," Pusshan said after laughing: "The constellation comes from within one's heart, not from the skies. Young Master has reached enlightenment! Your great-grandfather failed to do so back then, leading to a century of struggle for the Prince of Honor."

Rong Jing smiled without speaking, but his smile seemed somewhat cold.

"Little miss, give me another fish." Pu Shan threw the fish bones he was holding and waved at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue immediately handed him a fish.

Pu Shan took it and then ordered, "Wine!"

Yun Qianyue directly threw a jar of wine to him.

Pu Shan reached out again to take the jar, then said, "Give that jar of wine to Prince Jing."

Yun Qianyue frowned. She estimated she would need to carry him back after drinking this big jar of wine. She shook her head and said, "No way! He doesn’t drink!"

"Little miss, you’re already in charge before marrying him" Pu Shan raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue blushed. In her heart, she scoffed and huffed, "If he wants to drink that’s fine, but if he gets drunk then it’ll be your responsibility to carry him back; I won’t."

"So you’re worried about his getting drunk You don’t know this. The men of the Rong王府 have a talent unmatched by anyone else in addition to their talents that cover the world, and that is drinking ability. They can drink thousands of cups without becoming drunk; it’s not excessive at all. This is just one jar of wine, little miss; you still don’t know him." Pu Shan said with a smile.

Yun Qianyue frowned as she looked suspiciously at Rong Jing. She had seen him get drunk before with her own eyes. Could it be fake

"I only get drunk from the Divine Spirit Spring!" Rong Jing met Yun Qianyue’s skeptical gaze, his eyes flashing slightly as he explained for her.

Divine Spirit Spring Was it the wine Night Tianyi brought back from the Northland Could there be a connection between it and her Yun Qianyue nodded somewhat understandingly and handed the jar of wine to Rong Jing, "Then you drink."

Rong Jing reached out gracefully to take the jar.

"I, this old monk, have lived for over a hundred years and rarely meet someone so pleasing in a century. Today I’ll consider you as my peerless friend!" Master Pu Shan held the wine jar in one hand and the fish in the other, looking at Rong Jing with a smile.

"A great fortune of Rong Jing!" Rong Jing smiled and nodded.

When the two finished speaking, they simultaneously raised their jars to each other and clinked them. The porcelain jar made a "dong" sound as the two pulled back and began drinking.

Mistress Pu Shan was worthy of being called a heavy drinker while Rong Jing remained as elegant as ever.

Yun Qianyue watched the two of them. Although she usually loved wine, today she had no desire for it at all. After finishing one fish, she picked up another and glanced at the chessboard between them, thinking that half a kingdom was about to collapse; this was nearing its end!

Mistress Lingyin finished his jar of wine in gulps, threw away the empty jar without saying anything, and began eating fish.

This time Yun Qianyue didn’t wait for him to speak but placed all remaining fish in front of him.

Rong Jing set down the empty wine jar and stopped moving, quietly watching as Yun Qianyue ate fish.

Yun Qianyue noticed that Rong Jing’s eyes were especially bright today, rivaling the stars in the sky. She gave him a wry look and said silently, "Drunkard!"

Rong Jing chuckled softly.

In no time, all of the fish were finished by Pu Shan; he patted his stomach with satisfaction and wiped his hands on a lotus leaf before looking at Rong Jing. "Little boy, once you make your move there’s no changing it! There is only one more step left—think carefully before making that move. If you lose then I’ll keep this little miss for roasting fish!"

"Once the move is made, there’s no change; Master is unlikely to win." Rong Jing smiled slightly.

"That’s not certain. My last strategy will determine everything and your efforts won’t be enough to turn it around—there’s no way you can win!" After speaking, Pu Shan put his black stone on the board.

Yun Qianyue turned her head to look; she saw that the dragon in the game had already been completed with white stones having nowhere else to go. She looked at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing raised his eyebrows calmly, and the hem of his moon-white clothes swept over the chessboard as he dropped a white stone. When he pulled back his hand, Pu Shan’s eyes were wide in shock as he stared at the board. Yun Qianyue blinked and suddenly laughed!

Only Rong Jing could carry out this flawless subterfuge under someone else's nose! She saw that while a white dragon had been completed, the black stones remained scattered across the board. Truly it was like how things changed in an instant—turning clouds into rain.

"This monk concedes!" Pu Shan suddenly burst out laughing.

Rong Jing smiled slightly and said, "Since Master lost, you’ve finished your fish and drank your wine; shouldn’t you agree to a request of Rong Jing’s"

"To lose at chess but not change the agreement—that is true righteousness. This monk will naturally keep it; speak up!" Pu Shan nodded.

Rong Jing suddenly stood up, gently smoothed his robe, glanced at Yun Qianyue, bowed deeply to Pu Shan, and spoke in a warm tone, "My request is for the master to lend a hand and restore her memory!"

Yun Qianyue was taken aback.

The old eyes of Master Pu Shan flickered with light. "So what you seek is this!"

"Yes! In the world, no one other than Master Pu Shan can unravel the Phoenix Tribulation that Cloud Concubine set." Rong Jing said in a warm voice.

Yun Qianyue's thoughts stirred as she looked at Rong Jing. He mentioned Cloud Consort Could it be that losing her memory has to do with her mother The Phoenix Tribulation Is he referring to the obstruction in her mind Master Pu Shan looked at Yun Qianyue and gestured for her to come closer, "Little girl, move over here."

Yun Qianyue frowned slightly.

"The master wants you to sit over there. Be good!" Rong Jing saw that Yun Qianyue wasn't moving and gently coaxed her.

Yun Qianyue glanced at Rong Jing, then moved closer as instructed.

Master Pu Shan reached out to take Yun Qianyue's pulse. After a moment, he released her hand, nodded his head, "Indeed it is the Phoenix Tribulation!"

"What does the Phoenix Tribulation mean" Yun Qianyue tilted her head and asked.

"The Phoenix Tribulation is a method to restrain one's connection with the True Scripture of the Phoenix. Tribulation means heaven, earth, human, ghost, soul, and spirit tribulations. It negates all seven emotions and six desires. This is known as the Phoenix Tribulation." Master Pu Shan explained.

Yun Qianyue looked at him with little understanding.

"It's about eliminating everything in this world to return to one's original state. Just like now, you're facing your tribulation and sealing away all memories within your mind. You're starting from scratch," Master Pu Shan clarified.

Yun Qianyue nodded her head. She didn't understand why her mother would give her the Phoenix Tribulation. She looked at Rong Jing, "How do you know for sure that it was my mother who gave me this Couldn't it have been someone else"

"No one other than deceased Cloud Consort could bestow this tribulation," Rong Jing replied: "Moreover, there are two energies within your body. One originates from yourself, the other is contrary to the inner energy in your body and matches the power of a Phoenix Tribulation. Therefore, I deduced it comes from Cloud Consort. The duration also closely aligns with your physical growth, likely passed on around the time she died. These two energies counterbalance each other. Once you reach the final stage of the True Scripture of the Phoenix, the opposing energy locks down your abilities and prevents you from completing the scripture. It's possible that when you forcefully wanted to break through the seal, this collision triggered the tribulation, causing you to seal away your memories."

Yun Qianyue frowned, "Would my mother really harm me Why would she give me a Phoenix Tribulation"

"There is no mother who harms her daughter. Cloud Consort wouldn't do that to you, but only she knows the reason!" Rong Jing shook his head, yet a glimmer of light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Yun Qianyue nodded. Her mother left her Red Pavilion; she certainly didn’t harm her!

"Perhaps this monk understands Cloud Consort's intentions," Master Pu Shan said after some contemplation, slowly speaking up.

Yun Qianyue looked at Master Pu Shan.

"The Phoenix Tribulation, after passing through it, one lives for a long time. Death is life, and life is death. It’s but a thin line between the two." Master Pu Shan gazed at Yun Qianyue and slowly continued, "True scripture turns into true form, stunning all under heaven. The universe, sun and moon, earth's myriad creatures, within oneself, nothing fails to be amazed by it. Yet, where is there a Phoenix flying into an ordinary household It always graces the abode of an emperor."

Yun Qianyue squinted her eyes; she somewhat understood!

"How many can comprehend this truth! I didn’t expect Cloud Consort to understand!" Master Pu Shan, upon finishing his speech, praised with a sigh. "This monk has met Cloud Consort once and regards her as an extraordinary woman. Alas, her life was short-lived, a tragic beauty. Amitabha!"

Yun Qianyue remained silent.

"Little girl, this monk can now remove the Phoenix Tribulation for you and help recover your memories." Master Pu Shan reached into his robe and pulled out a crimson pill to hand over to Yun Qianyue, "Take this first. An hour later, I will use my power to eliminate the seal of the tribulation."

Yun Qianyue looked at the pill in Master Pu Shan's hand, raised an eyebrow, "As long as I take this, my memories can be restored"

"That’s correct! This monk has two cycles of sixty years' worth of cultivation, plus one cycle from Prince Rong Jing. No matter how grave your tribulation is, we both together will help you overcome it!" Master Pu Shan said.

Yun Qianyue suddenly stood up and walked down the mountain path. Master Pu Shan was startled; he looked at Rong Jing. Rong Jing in turn watched Yun Qianyue. She took a few steps, then turned back to say to Rong Jing, "I feel it's fine as is; there’s no need to unravel it."

—— Interlude ——

Rong Jing's martial arts are restored! How cool is that o(n_n)o~

Thank you to the following friends for sending diamonds, gifts, and flowers!

Mengluofanhua (520 diamonds), Kikilovejie (50 diamonds, 1000 donations), Hua3389818 (20 diamonds), Cher Nv妖(10 diamonds, 80 flowers, 200 donations), Lu LaLa (100 flowers), Athwil (10 diamonds), Jing Fei (9 diamonds), Dong Han Ying Luo (2 diamonds), 499415104 (20 flowers), Anotherworld (1 diamond), Wgh301415 (1 diamond), Goodbykiss (1 diamond), Yun Yun Yue (1 diamond), Zhu YuYu (2 flowers), Chuozixiaowu (3 flowers), wodebaobeito (1 flower), 18628620759 (1 flower), Xiao YeziziZhu (1 flower), Hai Zai Fei (1 flower), Ren Yue Huang Huan Hou Na (1 flower), Jin Shi Jin Ri (1 flower), Bu Taoxi De Wan Zi (1 flower), Hou Jian (1 flower). Kisses o(n_n)o~nd silently nodded."What is it" Ye Qingran asked."I want your Crimson Lacquer Viper!" Yun Qianyue said.Ye Qingran suddenly narrowed his eyes, "Little miss, what do you need my Crimson Lacquer Viper fo...