Yan Shouyi did not yet understand why his four pets possessed the rare True Dragon Purple Qi.
However, if the five of them had any commonality, it was only the True Dragon Purple Qi.
“Er Ya, you truly are a lucky star!” Yan Shouyi pinched Er Ya’s cheek and praised her with a smile.
Er Ya hesitated, and what came out of her little mouth made Yan Shouyi laugh and cry, “Th-th-th-then… can Master guarantee he won’t eat me or use me to make medicinal wine in the future?”
This little one seems to have a deep misunderstanding of me…
To salvage his image as a big brother, Yan Shouyi forced a gentle smile, “Don’t worry, not only will I not eat you, but I’ll also buy you lots of delicious food.”
“Yeeeee~~~”
Er Ya jumped up and down with joy, the flesh on her face quivering.
Li Genmiao asked, “It seems you’ve found a way to break the Heavenly Gate’s restriction?”
“None of your business,” Yan Shouyi retorted coldly.
Li Genmiao rubbed his nose, “I’m beginning to suspect my intelligence is flawed. Your inner demon doesn’t seem to have stayed at Hanshan Temple, and it’s only growing stronger.”
Li Genmiao still underestimated Yan Shouyi’s hatred for him, or perhaps, he underestimated the damage he had inflicted upon Yan Shouyi.
Whenever Yan Shouyi found himself getting along peacefully with Li Genmiao, almost forgetting their deep-seated enmity, he would quietly remind himself that Li Genmiao was a menace.
If this guy isn't dealt with, sooner or later, more innocent people will die.
Without further explanation, Yan Shouyi brushed past Li Genmiao, then leaped to the very top of the Heavenly Gate, sitting beside the wooden bird.
He placed his hand on the wooden bird’s head and channeled a wisp of True Dragon Purple Qi from within, infusing it into the wooden bird.
Something magical happened. As the True Dragon Purple Qi entered the wooden bird’s body, its eyes blinked. Then, its head turned left and right, its wings fluttered, and the wooden bird broke free from the Heavenly Gate’s constraints. After a few seconds of adjustment, it spread its wings and soared!
Its tail, though carved from wood, moved with the fluidity of willow branches, leaving a trail of purple starlight in the Changbai Mountain night sky as it flew into the distance.
Yan Shouyi jumped down from the Heavenly Gate and attempted to pass through again.
This time, the invisible force had indeed vanished, and he could pass through to the other side of the Heavenly Gate unimpeded.
“Little Master succeeded!” Shan Ji exclaimed excitedly, with a hint of pride in his voice.
All four pets considered Yan Shouyi their master, and if their master was recognized by the Immortal Sister, they, as pets, would naturally feel proud and happy.
Even though they had only known each other for a few hours.
Yan Shouyi looked up at the wooden bird flying further and further away, and he began to guess why his mother had set up this Heavenly Gate.
Folk sects were a mixed bag, easily straying from the righteous path. If Yan Shouyi hadn’t learned well, seeing his mother at Tianchi would be pointless, only adding to their mutual distress.
But if Yan Shouyi could possess the True Dragon Purple Qi, it would signify he was on the right path. Passing through the Heavenly Gate meant limitless possibilities, and only then would a mother-son reunion hold meaning.
As the moment approached, Yan Shouyi found himself feeling nervous and a bit intimidated.
He looked at Uncle Weng and asked, “Uncle Weng, can I go see my mother now?”
Uncle Weng nodded kindly at Yan Shouyi, “Follow this path straight ahead, and you will reach Tianchi. Around this time, Miss should already be awake and studying.”
The path lay before him. Yan Shouyi only needed to take a few more steps forward to see the mother who had appeared in his dreams countless times.
Yan Shouyi glanced at Li Genmiao.
As Li Genmiao took a couple of steps forward, Tie Zi blocked him:
“My friend, this is a moment for the little master to reunite with the Immortal Sister. It’s best not to have outsiders present. You can go up after they’ve reunited.”
Li Genmiao retorted, “Are you all going too?”
Tie Zi put his hands on his hips, “We are the Immortal Sister’s family, of course we’re going!”
If nothing else, the overly confident bear was truly thick-skinned.
Shan Pao thought his grandfather would grab the Treasure Seeking Staff to discipline Tie Zi at this moment. To his surprise, his grandfather did not intervene this time. Instead, he said, “You four also go along and guide the little master. I will stay here and wait with this gentleman.”
“Yes! Grandfather!”
The four pets acknowledged the order and eagerly led Yan Shouyi up the mountain.
Yan Shouyi certainly approved of this arrangement, and with trepidation and excitement, he followed Tie Zi and the others up the mountain.
As Yan Shouyi walked away, the smiles on Li Genmiao’s and Uncle Weng’s faces almost simultaneously vanished.
Their relationship seemed rather subtle.
Li Genmiao asked faintly, “When I was at Tianchi, there was no such Heavenly Gate. Was the gate meant to test Yan Shouyi, or to keep me out?”
Uncle Weng’s back seemed to stoop even lower. He said with downcast eyes, “Your old servant knows nothing.”
“It seems you are now more inclined to obey Jiang Qingxue. Do you no longer wish to descend the mountain?”
Uncle Weng suddenly knelt on the ground, bowing his head to the floor, and said softly, “Your old servant misses his family terribly. I beg the Ancestor to remember this old servant’s loyalty over the years and allow this old servant to return home.”
Li Genmiao did not answer Uncle Weng’s question but turned and looked up past the Heavenly Gate, at the end of the small path where the stars were scattered across the sky.
“Alas, time flies like an arrow, and the sun and moon like a shuttle. Although Tianchi, where I secluded myself for hundreds of years, still bears the name Jiang, it is no longer my Jiang.”
Uncle Weng trembled all over and quickly said,
“Ancestor, Tianchi will always be your Tianchi. This old servant swore to serve you for a lifetime! After you left, this old servant protected your body daily, never allowing it to be harmed in the slightest. When Miss returned, she even placed your body in the Heavenly Fiend Suspended Coffin to preserve it perfectly… Everything you commanded, this old servant has fulfilled!”
“Yes, I have seen all your actions,” Li Genmiao said with a smile. “Therefore, am I not back to reclaim my body?”
Uncle Weng finally understood everything, and a knowing expression appeared on his face, yet a hint of struggle flickered in the depths of his eyes.
He hesitated for a moment and said, “Ancestor, Miss might not agree to return your body to you.”
“She was taught by me, after all. Do you think she can be my match?” Li Genmiao sneered, but then he became troubled. “However, Yan Shouyi can no longer be underestimated. In my current state, I do not have absolute confidence in defeating Yan Shouyi. Most importantly, that brat possesses Qin Shi Huang’s sword. The Ancestral Dragon Sword is said to be a divine sword that can sever karma. If I encounter it, I might also perish, my soul scattered.”
Uncle Weng pondered for a moment and said softly, “Perhaps, this old servant can find a way to have Er Ya and the others take Yan Shouyi’s Ancestral Dragon Sword?”
“Oh? What plan do you have?” Li Genmiao asked with a smile.