While Zhang Xiaohua was helplessly facing the bracelet in his hand, the bracelet unexpectedly emitted a faint fluctuation. This fluctuation was different from the Yuan Qi fluctuations Zhang Xiaohua was familiar with before—those still fluctuations that required constant awareness. Or rather, this was a true fluctuation, something akin to breathing, a wave that could propagate.

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. He really had become uncanny—whatever he thought of would come?

But immediately after, he came to a realization. The night was already deep, and midnight was about to arrive—just the time he would fall into a stupor.

At that moment, a thought suddenly arose in his mind: “If I’m not wearing the bracelet, will I still fall unconscious?”

As soon as this thought appeared, it was like a seed meeting water, growing uncontrollably. Thus, Zhang Xiaohua bit his lip, placed the bracelet in front of him together with the small ring, then took out two small Yuan Stones from his bosom. Sitting with his eyes observing his nose and his nose observing his heart, he began cultivating the Carefree Heart Sutra.

At first, the bracelet placed on the ground showed no movement. But when midnight arrived, that faint fluctuation suddenly intensified, spreading like a fishing net that enveloped Zhang Xiaohua within. As Zhang Xiaohua cultivated the Carefree Heart Sutra, his entire body immediately began to shimmer, its frequency similar to the fluctuations of the bracelet, surging ceaselessly. At the same time, boundless starlight from the night sky streamed down, no different from his usual cultivation.

The only difference might be that at the instant the starlight descended, the bracelet on the ground suddenly disappeared. When it reappeared, it was already tightly attached to Zhang Xiaohua’s left arm, as if it had never been removed at all!

Meanwhile, the small ring beside it remained where it was, unchanged in the slightest.

At dawn the next day, Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes. Seeing the sunlight streaming into the room, his heart stirred, and he quickly looked toward the ground. Finding nothing there, his heart skipped a beat. Reaching out with his right hand to feel, he finally relaxed. But immediately after, he frowned. “I clearly remember taking it off yesterday. It wasn’t put back onto my left arm.”

Then, stroking his chin, he fell into thought.

After a while, his brows relaxed, and he lifted his gaze toward the small ring on the ground.

He reached out to pick it up, examining it from left and right, comparing this way and that, yet no matter how he looked at it, it seemed impossible to fit onto his arm. Moreover, the small ring didn’t seem capable of shrinking on its own. Looking at his fingers instead, they seemed somewhat suitable.

Without much thought, Zhang Xiaohua put it on one of his fingers. Taking a look—hmm, worn on the middle finger of his left hand, it fit quite well. Thus, Zhang Xiaohua held up his middle finger, looking at it from left and right. The more he looked, the more it resembled a treasure. Hehe—better to wear it wrong than miss it!

After dealing with the two items he had obtained, Zhang Xiaohua floated to his feet, put away the meditation cushion and the jade ingots arranged around the courtyard—cough cough, that is, the ingot-shaped jade talismans he had refined—then, with his hands behind his back, walked out of the small courtyard.

Worthy of being one of the nineteen peaks of the Incense Spreading Sect, the morning at Tianmu Peak was exceptionally beautiful. Green bamboo swayed, lush grass rose and fell, and a gentle mountain breeze carried an incomparably fresh scent. This small courtyard of the Tuodan Hall was very close to the valley—after walking only a short distance, one would reach the mountainside. Looking at the trees in the valley, then at the drifting white clouds overhead and in the distance, as well as the white cranes dancing along the edge of the clouds afar, it was almost like being in an immortal realm.

However, when Zhang Xiaohua looked up at the towering peak that pierced into the clouds, he could not help but feel a trace of anticipation. What kind of magnificent scenery lay above that sea of clouds?

Gazing toward the far eastern horizon, at the brilliant sun slowly rising, Zhang Xiaohua narrowed his eyes. Within the depths of his pupils, two nearly imperceptible clusters of flames quietly stirred—seemingly reflections of the morning sun, yet also like real flames. Zhang Xiaohua suddenly opened his mouth, his abdomen slightly contracting, and a trace of fiery essence passed through the air and was directly drawn into his body. The flames within his eyes became even clearer.

Amid this mountain breeze, upon this mountain peak, Zhang Xiaohua smoothly completed his practice of the Big Dipper Divine Fist, and only then leisurely returned to the small courtyard. At this time, it was still early—if Chen Fengxiao were to come, it would likely not be until the sun was already high.

Thus, Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged within the courtyard, contemplating the Heavenly Dao. Along the journey to the Incense Spreading Sect, Zhang Xiaohua had consistently focused on cultivating the concealment incantation within the Guiding the Spirit, and now he had already reached great accomplishment. During his entry into the sect, no expert had noticed anything unusual, so it was likely to be of great use. Zhang Xiaohua, therefore, continued to use this method—it did not consume much True Qi anyway.

As for the rabbit talismans within the Niwan Palace, Zhang Xiaohua had comprehended more than ten of them, yet still could not master them in one go. He could only proceed step by step. Now, another rooster talisman had appeared within the Niwan Palace. This was a talisman capable of devouring black qi—without even thinking, one could tell it was extremely powerful. However, after comprehending just one talisman, Zhang Xiaohua already felt somewhat dizzy and did not dare to delve deeper. It was likely that his cultivation was insufficient; he would have to wait until his strength deepened before gradually working on it further.

The Heavenly Dao is boundless. Zhang Xiaohua had only just begun to comprehend it slightly when time passed like flying, and before he knew it, the sun was already high in the sky. Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes, looked at the sun above, and could not help but frown. “Eh? Could it be that my estimation was wrong? Could it be that Chen Fengxiao had some change with Wu Dalang last night?”

Just as he was thinking this, he seemed to sense something. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Xiaohua’s mouth. He stood up and walked to the entrance of the small courtyard. In the distance, was it not Chen Fengxiao, bringing along a middle-aged man in a white robe, walking this way?

When they drew near, Zhang Xiaohua stepped forward to greet them, cupping his hands and saying: “Boss Chen, I have kept you waiting for quite some time.”

Chen Fengxiao returned the courtesy and said: “It is not that I did not come. Early this morning, I already wanted to come pay a visit to my little brother and have a proper talk with you. However, it would not do for me to come alone—I had to wait for an important person.”

As he spoke, he pointed with his hand and introduced: “Come, come, Brother Ren. This is the strategist of our Herb Division, surnamed Qiu, given name Weicheng. Though his name is ‘Weicheng’ (Not Yet Accomplished), everything he does is accomplished.”

Zhang Xiaohua immediately bowed and saluted, saying: “Greetings, Senior Brother Qiu.”

Qiu Weicheng stepped forward, helping Zhang Xiaohua up, and said: “Brother Ren, no need for such courtesy. Although this is our first meeting, today I heard from the boss about your actions in the dining hall last night—it was truly most gratifying!”

At the side, Chen Fengxiao said: “Junior Brother Qiu was not at Tianmu Peak yesterday. Only today did I wait for him to return, explain the matter to him, and then come together to have a detailed discussion with little brother.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “That is exactly what I was hoping for.”

Then, glancing at the small courtyard behind him, he said: “Boss Chen, this courtyard—I only arrived here last night and made no preparations. There is quite a lot of dust inside, so it is not convenient for receiving guests.”

Chen Fengxiao slapped his forehead and said reproachfully: “Look at my memory—I was so delighted at little brother’s arrival that I forgot about this matter. Presumably, little brother did not rest well last night either. Here, I offer my apologies.”

After speaking, he bent into a deep bow. How could Zhang Xiaohua dare let him bow? He quickly reached out and supported him. Chen Fengxiao exerted all his strength yet could not lower himself in the slightest, and was inwardly somewhat astonished. He promptly took the opportunity to straighten up.

At the side, Qiu Weicheng observed everything carefully. Early this morning, upon returning, Chen Fengxiao had already pulled him aside and explained in detail the events of the previous night. In his heart, he had not taken it too seriously—after all, Cheng Shi was merely a somewhat well-known disciple of the Pill Division, and Ma Xu was even more unworthy. Being able to deal with them did not count as anything remarkable. He had thought Chen Fengxiao was simply coveting the boy’s gold leaves, which was why he was placing such importance on him.

Now, seeing Chen Fengxiao’s manner, how could it be any false show of politeness? It was simply more sincere than genuine sincerity itself. Qiu Weicheng could not help but immediately grow suspicious: “Could it be that Boss Chen truly values this young disciple? Just what kind of background does this disciple have? In any case, I already sent someone back to Baiyue Peak this morning to inquire—by the afternoon, there should be news. I’ll wait and see.”

Qiu Weicheng smiled and said: “Boss Chen has many matters to attend to. These kinds of trivial affairs are usually handled by me, so it is no wonder he forgot. When we return shortly, I will give orders, and in no time at all, the place will be cleaned.”

But Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “It’s not Boss Chen’s fault. Last night, I was also somewhat rash, only wanting to find a quiet place. This place is indeed quiet; just a few people live here. But in any case, I won’t be staying long, so there’s no need to clean it.”

Not only Qiu Weicheng, but even Chen Fengxiao was also taken aback. He asked in surprise: “Little brother won’t stay here? Then where will you stay? Could it be that you’re going down the mountain back to Baiyue Peak?”

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head. “Since the hall has assigned me to Tianmu Peak, I will naturally remain here. It’s just that this place seems too far from the medicinal fields—it’s rather inconvenient to live here.”

Hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, and both burst into laughter. After a while, Qiu Weicheng said: “Little brother need not worry about planting matters. Boss Chen will have arrangements. You can just stay here at ease.”

Zhang Xiaohua sighed inwardly. Tianmu Peak was clearly the sphere of influence of Chen Fengxiao and Wu Zhouxu. As long as he was useful to them, who would care whether he was planting medicinal herbs or simply sleeping all day?

Immediately after, Zhang Xiaohua looked at the sea of clouds overhead, pointed toward the unseen mountain summit, and asked: “Boss Chen, are there medicinal fields planted on the mountain top?”

Chen Fengxiao naturally raised his head and replied in puzzlement: “Of course there are. The environment at the summit is good, and medicinal herbs grow well there. Several especially precious herbs can only grow at the top.”

Qiu Weicheng looked at Zhang Xiaohua and asked: “Little brother means…?”

Zhang Xiaohua said with a smile: “I have always liked peace and dislike being disturbed. If I could find a place at the mountain top where I could both live and plant herbs, wouldn’t that be a life like that of an immortal?”

Chen Fengxiao and Qiu Weicheng looked at each other awkwardly, exchanging glances. Both thought to themselves: “Little brother, we’re not the Hall Master—you don’t need to put on any false front in front of us, do you? Among all the disciples who come to Tianmu Peak, who doesn’t want to find a comfortable residence and live an easy life? No one wants to do the hard and tiring work of planting medicinal herbs. Yet here you are—we’re offering you the leisurely life others envy, and you still want to go up the mountain to plant herbs. Cough cough—especially the very peak of Tianmu Peak! That’s a place no one wants to go. Just one round trip takes half a day.”