Chapter 138: Meeting the Pavilion of Bewildering Dao Again, Song Zhihua's Grandfather

...

However, whenever a buyer gets tricked into a deal by a seller, they are bound to lose out. Don't ask why; experience is the only answer.

This person spoke only of the battle armor's advantages while completely ignoring its flaws—clearly a veteran in this line of work.

Cao Chengyu figured that spending so many spiritual stones on a lump of iron like this would be much less worthwhile than buying the crafting methods, which meant books.

They were definitely several times cheaper and held far more reference value.

"Forget it, too expensive."

"Hey, don't walk away! The price is negotiable, if you're not satisfied we can talk about it, Senior."

Ignoring the man entirely, Cao Chengyu pulled Lin Yunjiao along and continued strolling through Feihong Immortal Market.

This time, he specifically looked for shops selling books and manuals.

And sure enough, there were quite a few such establishments.

They were generally opened by various factions specifically for rogue cultivators. Many low-level techniques, secret arts, strategic treatises, and common knowledge of the immortal cultivation world belonging to those factions could be found in these text shops.

Although there were no high-end goods, the prices were very fair—after all, they relied on small profits and quick turnover. The number of rogue cultivators patronizing them was naturally quite high.

Even cultivators merely passing through Feihong Immortal Market would buy a few copies to see what local specialties the region had to offer.

"Scroll Studio, Artificer Academy, Thousand Arts Dao Canon Selection, Delusion Dao Pavilion?"

If Cao Chengyu remembered correctly, Dayue also had a Delusion Dao Pavilion that sold scrolls.

However, Dayue had already transformed into a nether realm—a paradise for ghost cultivators. It shouldn't be the same one, yet it still prompted him to walk inside.

Back then, it was because of Ning Que that he had set his sights on Ning Wenjun. Now that everyone had gone to the Eastern Region seeking medical treatment, bringing up the past now filled him with an extraordinary sense of longing.

Upon entering the building and catching sight of a figure, a myriad of emotions washed over him, plunging his mind into complexity.

Originally, he had thought the man had perished in the calamity of Dayue, yet to encounter him here was truly incredible.

That person was none other than Yang Jiuxuan, his introductory teacher in this world. Their bond was beyond words. Feeling a surge of excitement, he stepped forward and called out.

"Master Yang, why are you here?"

The man glanced sideways at him, looking somewhat puzzled.

"You are?"

"Oh..."

Only then did Cao Chengyu remember he was currently using Chu Liuxiang's disguise. With a spin on the spot, he restored his original appearance, simultaneously lowering his cultivation realm to the mid-stage of the Dao Body.

"I am Cao Chengyu. It has been a long time. I never expected to see Master Yang again."

"Cao Chengyu?"

Yang Jiuxuan turned around completely, still looking thoroughly perplexed.

"I don't know you, and this old man is not called Yang Jiuxuan. Little friend, you must have mistaken me for someone else."

"This..."

...

Cao Chengyu scrutinized him carefully and found that this man looked even older than Yang Jiuxuan, with longer beard and whiter hair, yet his facial features were identical, save for a more aged appearance.

"How could this be..."

Just as he was about to continue speaking, a figure came pattering down the stairs from the upper floor. It was actually Song Zhihua!

"Grandfather, the Che family has agreed to let our Delusion Dao Pavilion sell the articulation scrolls of the Artificer path. You—"

"Huh?! You're Ning Que's little sidekick!"

"..." Cao Chengyu.

...

Feihong Immortal Market, Five Flavors Restaurant.

Cao Chengyu downed the warm wine in his cup in one gulp and asked perplexedly, "You mean to say that when the human calamity happened in Dayue, your grandfather brought you and the collection of books from the Delusion Dao Pavilion and instantly arrived here?"

"Yeah, yeah! I asked grandfather about it, and he said he didn't know how he managed it either. He got so flustered his memory went blank, and the next thing he knew, he was right next to some barren mountain near Feihong Immortal Market."

"So I didn't think too much about it and settled down here with grandfather. I never thought I'd run into an old acquaintance from Dayue."

As Song Zhihua spoke, her expression turned nostalgic.

She hadn't been here long, having just established a foothold. She still needed to adapt to the new environment and make new friends, finding it quite difficult to integrate into the locals' circles.

Cao Chengyu and Lin Yunjiao exchanged glances. Both of them had met Yang Jiuxuan, and both had met Song Zhihua's grandfather, yet both felt utterly bewildered.

Yang Jiuxuan was a mortal; the trajectory of his entire life could be traced.

Yet Song Zhihua's grandfather was a late Zifu-stage cultivator who had been by her side ever since she could remember.

Lin Yunjiao thought for a moment and asked, "Zhihua, what is your grandfather's name?"

"Song Xuanguan. Why?"

While answering, Song Zhihua shoved food into her mouth, getting grease all over her lips. She really remained carefree and oblivious.

Cao Chengyu, however, was having a hard time.

He tapped the table in frustration, unable to make any sense of it.

They looked identical, yet their identities were worlds apart. Twin brothers? That was impossible...

Moreover, her grandfather had experienced that kind of memory blackout, snapping back to awareness only to find himself in a completely different place.

Even though Song Zhihua had stayed with Song Xuanguan for so many years, she had only ever encountered this one incident.

The three of them chatted for a long time at the Five Flavors Restaurant.

Song Zhihua had no idea why Cao Chengyu was asking her grandfather so many questions, but running into someone from one's hometown in a foreign land always brought a sense of familiarity.

"Let's call it a day for now, Zhihua. Tomorrow, Chengshu and I will come over again to ask your grandfather in person."

"Whatever you say, Sister Yun. Why on earth did you take a fancy to... uh... why are you together with Cao Chengyu? He seems even younger than me..."

Cao Chengyu's face darkened. Was a small horse pulling a large carriage really that unacceptable? He waved his hands repeatedly.

"What are kids asking so many questions for? Shoo, go away."

"Hey～↑ I could be your older sister! What kind of attitude is that? I'm not playing with you anymore. Sister Yun, let's go."

"..." Cao Chengyu.

Watching the two women—one older and one younger—walk ahead, Cao Chengyu followed behind in deep thought.

In the immortal cultivation world, there were no inexplicable weird events without a reason; there had to be a cause.

Furthermore, the magic power and divine abilities required to teleport from Dayue to the Giant's Domain would at least demand a Nascent Soul realm expert to personally set up a teleportation array for it to be possible.

Yet according to Song Zhihua's account, it felt as though the world merely flashed, and people were already here.

Even a Deity Transformation Lord would probably find it difficult to cross domains in a single thought—though of course, it was also possible that Cao Chengyu lacked breadth of vision and had never witnessed the mobilization of this realm's ultimate power.

It was a bit like a peasant imagining the emperor farming with a golden hoe, sitting in a well and viewing the sky.

But if Yang Jiuxuan's true identity was a Deity Transformation Dao Lord, wouldn't that be far too bizarre?

Did I learn how to read simply by sitting under the tutelage of a Dao Lord?

The mere thought of it made his entire body uncomfortable.

After bidding farewell to Song Zhihua, the two returned to the spirit boat, preparing to pay another visit the next day to figure out the situation.

By the desk in the cabin, Lin Yunjiao gently massaged Cao Chengyu's temples, soothing him.

"Stop overthinking it. No matter how extraordinary Master Yang's identity is, it has nothing to do with us for the time being."

"You can't put it that way. I'm just vexed that I didn't learn anything from Master Yang back then. I was too playful at the time and never imagined I would have the aptitude for immortal cultivation."

The first half of Cao Chengyu's words was true, but the second half was false.

Before the rankings came out, he had genuinely despaired over his lack of aptitude and his inability to step onto the Dao of Immortality.

Thus, he had given up on treatment and happily lived as a wealthy young master.

Later, through a twist of fate, Lin Yunjiao had given him a good start.

The ways of the world were fickle and unpredictable indeed.

Night passed.

Originally, Cao Chengyu had wanted to use the Minor Arts of Qi Men Dun Jia to calculate Yang Jiuxuan's origins, but the previous lesson from the calamity of Dayue made him somewhat apprehensive, leaving him too afraid to recklessly pry into the foundations of others.

Delusion Dao Pavilion...