Chapter Seventy-Two: Revered by All

Rong Mu strolled leisurely toward the tallest building in the imperial capital.

Outside the Astronomical Supervisory Office, many young Taoist novices stood dressed in white robes, each holding something different in their hands—there were incense burners, peacock feather fans, bells, tiger whips…

Wen Ran was truly startled by the scene. When he spotted Senior Brother Wei Li among the crowd, he immediately approached him.

“Senior Brother, isn’t this all a bit much? Master doesn’t seem to like this kind of display,” he said.

Wei Li frowned, doubt stirring within him. How had someone as pure and naive as Wen Ran survived all this time? Their grandmasters claimed transcendence, but if they were truly detached from worldly matters, why would they serve as officials, submitting to the court’s control? Their hearts were not immune to the allure of secular pleasures and adulation. Only their branch, the School of Qimen, was somewhat obscure and neglected; aside from border generals occasionally requesting them to set up great arrays, few in the imperial court paid them any heed. It was not like the Division of Calamity, whose members were universally respected.

Despite his inner disdain for the arts of Qimen, Wei Li forced a pleasant expression and explained to Wen Ran, “Uncle Master Rong has worked hard hunting demons outside. Now, because we failed to guard properly that night and let the demon phoenix slip into the tower, he had to rush back in haste. He might have missed many opportunities to capture great demons for us. We can’t afford to be negligent, can we?”

Dressed in black and white Taoist robes, his face youthful and delicate, Wen Ran looked puzzled. “Negligent? I think Master will be frightened by all this.”

“How could that be? Uncle Master will be delighted, not frightened. You joke too much, Junior Brother.”

“I’m not joking, Senior Brother Wei.”

“…”

“And besides, Master doesn’t actually like catching demons. That’s Grandmaster’s passion!” At the mention of Grandmaster, Wen Ran’s eyes sparkled as if filled with stars.

Wei Li’s gaze darkened. Among the Thirteen Divisions of Yin and Yang, only Qimen still had a living Grandmaster; the other twelve divisions had long turned to dust. Because of the Qimen Grandmaster, none of the Thirteen Divisions dared show any disrespect to Qimen—after all, the Grandmaster had lived for over a hundred and fifty years and was rumored to have glimpsed the secrets of longevity itself, opening the gate to immortality.

Yet, in the last twenty years or so, the Grandmaster had not appeared in public. Some said he was gravely injured, others whispered he had already ascended to immortality. Rumors were unreliable, but from Wen Ran’s casual remarks, Wei Li knew the old man was certainly alive—and living quite well.

When Rong Mu arrived at the base of the Star-Plucking Tower, he saw his obedient disciple chatting animatedly with a man. That man wore the robes of an Astronomical Supervisor; although he tried to hide it, the lingering hostility between his brows made Rong Mu frown.

“Wei Li.”

“Master!” Wen Ran ran excitedly to Rong Mu’s side, clutching his master’s white sleeve and acting spoiled. “Master, you’ve been away so long! Did you meet any interesting demons? Did you bring anything back for your disciple?”

Rong Mu gently ruffled the hair of the disciple he’d raised from childhood. “In a few years, the Qimen branch will be entrusted to you. With such a childish heart, how can I rest easy?”

Wei Li, standing behind, was startled. Wen Ran was truly going to inherit the Qimen branch—what about him? Despite his mastery of Calamity Arts, competition among his fellow disciples was fierce. Last time, he failed to buy back that divine pouch for his teacher, who was so angry he didn’t even let Wei Li leave the capital during this wave of demonic unrest. Luckily, he managed to capture the ghost of the Xing family and obtained a peerless secret treasure, or he would have suffered a great loss.

Now, with Wen Ran openly set to inherit Qimen, Wei Li knew he had to build a good relationship. The arts of Qimen might not always be practical, but their treasures were abundant.

“Uncle Master, Junior Brother Wen Ran has been working hard lately. The array, once in disrepair, is now almost fully restored by his hand. He is a true talent, making the rest of us feel ashamed.”

Rong Mu, listening to the unabashed praise, furrowed his brows but showed nothing on his face except a cool, distant attitude toward outsiders, unlike the serene warmth he showed Wen Ran. “And you are?”

Wei Li’s face flushed. Though he was just a master in training, he was one of the twelve selected individuals and often moved among the masters—yet Uncle Master didn’t recognize him. The clear sense of distance stung. Wei Li’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into fists, but he quickly composed himself, masking his embarrassment with a smile and bowing. “Greetings, Uncle Master. I am Wei Li of the Division of Calamity.”

“Yes, Master, this is Senior Brother Wei Li. While you were away, he took care of me,” Wen Ran added.

Rong Mu nodded, replying only a faint “Thank you.”

His attitude remained cold and aloof—not enough to be offensive, but just the sort of superiority Wei Li despised.

Rong Mu entered the Star-Plucking Tower, Wen Ran naturally following at his side, with the other novices and young disciples trailing behind.

Although Rong Mu was a grandmaster of the Qimen branch, he was also the only one among the Thirteen Divisions of Yin and Yang who had mastered all disciplines. Whenever they had questions, they would seek his guidance—aloof though his temperament might be, he never refused anyone. Among all the grandmasters, he was the most popular.

After everyone had left, Wei Li remained where he was, gazing up at the most magnificent and mysterious building in the capital, towering into the clouds as if connecting to the heavens themselves.

It was his pride and obsession—one day, he would stand above all others and receive the veneration of the masses.

Those who looked down on him would all be crushed beneath his feet.

He unclenched his jaw, exhaled deeply, and walked into the Star-Plucking Tower with heavy steps.

Seated leisurely in a tea room on the sixth floor, Rong Mu was unaware of all that had just transpired below. He merely inquired after his disciples’ affairs.

“The demon phoenix only broke through to the seventh floor?”

Wen Ran nodded. “It didn’t go any higher. And I also noticed something strange…”

Rong Mu looked at him. “Something strange?”

“Yes. From the outer array to the first floor and up to the sixth, there were no traces of demonic energy in the broken formations—only in Senior Brother Wei Li’s room on the seventh floor was the demon phoenix’s aura strong.”

“So you’re saying the demon phoenix was brought in by someone? And that person broke the arrays?”

Wen Ran nodded. “I think this person is extraordinary. The illusion on the formation between the sixth and seventh floors is Grandmaster’s handiwork, yet this person passed through unscathed—quite impressive. Moreover, the lingering aura the demon phoenix left that day was so intense. I can’t tell what relationship this person has with the demon phoenix, but if he is its master…” Wen Ran shook his head, “then the capital is truly in danger.”

Rong Mu patted Wen Ran’s shoulder reassuringly. “You noticed this—very good.”

Seeing Wen Ran still worried, Rong Mu added, “Your grandmaster is here. There’s no need to fear.”

Wen Ran’s excitement was palpable. With Grandmaster present, no demon, however great, was a match!