Chapter 62 - Experiment (2)
On the same night, Zanxing exchanged her prize with Mu Cengxiao and received the Tianji Dharma Robe.
The Tianji Dharma Robe was woven from snow silkworm silk, impervious to ordinary blades and resistant to fire and water, capable of withstanding several magical attacks. When worn, the garment automatically adjusted to fit the wearer’s body shape and sex.
The next morning, Zanxing put on the Tianji Dharma Robe bright and early.
The robe was a beautiful lake green color, clear and refreshing, with dark purple winter jasmine patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem of the skirt, along with matching hair ties. After tying her hair, Zanxing left the house and encountered Tian Fangfang, who had come to play with the cats.
“Junior Sister, you look so beautiful today!” Tian Fangfang sincerely complimented.
After all, the Tianji Dharma Robe was still a robe, and its style couldn’t be considered particularly exquisite. However, its bright color stood out among the predominantly gray garments of the sect, naturally catching the eye. Like seeing the fresh green leaves of spring in the haze of winter, it exuded vitality. Zanxing, now just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, standing in the snow, looked radiant and charming, if one ignored the black marks on her right cheek.
Tian Fangfang reached out and touched Zanxing’s sleeve, then pursed his lips. “This fabric looks expensive. Junior Sister, did you strike it rich?”
Zanxing replied, “I exchanged it with Mu Cengxiao for the Xianyu Lingzhi.”
“What?” Tian Fangfang exclaimed, shocked. “You exchanged the Xianyu Lingzhi with Mu Cengxiao?”
Zanxing nodded.
After recovering from his shock, Tian Fangfang immediately began to lament, pounding her chest and stamping his feet. “Junior Sister, how could you squander such a precious treasure! You must exchange it back. Why didn’t you talk to me first? I’m willing to trade with you, I…”
Zanxing stopped his wailing. “Senior Brother Tian, I didn’t want the Fire Wolf Fang anyway, so naturally I exchanged it with Mu Cengxiao.”
“Don’t you know how precious the Xianyu Lingzhi is?” Tian Fangfang emphasized. “Even if you sold it at the Hua Jin Pavilion, you could get a thousand more spirit stones for the Xianyu Lingzhi than for the Tianji Robe!”
“I know, Senior Brother,” Zanxing said helplessly. “Weren’t you supposed to help with moving things today? Let’s go, we shouldn’t waste any more time.”
Now Zanxing, Mu Cengxiao, and Tian Fangfang were all personal disciples of Xuan Lingzi, so their accommodations were bound to improve as they moved from the public dormitory wooden building to the Miaokong Hall. However, they didn’t have much luggage, especially Mu Cengxiao, who only carried a small bundle and had already gone to the Miaokong Hall early in the morning. Zanxing had a little more stuff, so Tian Fangfang came to help.
When they arrived at the Miaokong Hall, Xuan Lingzi was already waiting for them.
Perhaps it was because it was his first time being a master, Xuan Lingzi had dressed up nicely today, meticulously tying up his hair bun. Although he tried to maintain a serious demeanor, there was a smile in his eyes. He rubbed his hands nervously and said to Zanxing and Tian Fangfang, “I have prepared three empty courtyards in the backyard of the Miaokong Hall for you three. Cengxiao’s room is in the Hanwu Courtyard, Fangfang, you’ll stay in the Songfeng Courtyard, and Zanxing, your courtyard is the farthest inside, near the wall next to the Elysium Hall, in the Mingxiu Courtyard.”
“The courtyards are all furnished, if anything is missing, just tell Ziluo and it will be noted down in the register, and it will be delivered next month,” he said. “Let me take you for a stroll first.”
Although the entire sect favored a high-level gray and aloof style, each senior uncle’s dharma hall still bore some personal touches. For example, Xuan Lingzi liked a warm and practical style. Every three steps, there was a small pavilion to rest, every five steps, there was a bench, and low couches were arranged as desired. The trees planted were all fruit-bearing ones for convenience.
When Zanxing arrived at her own Mingxiu Courtyard, she couldn’t help but be surprised.
The courtyard was very spacious, with a gate at the front leading to the bedroom inside, and outside, there was a small pond dug, with a delicate pavilion by the side. Although there were many flowers and plants, none were in bloom due to the winter season. Various wind chimes hung under the eaves. In the center of the courtyard stood a tall persimmon tree. At a glance, the water pool and the flowers and trees were all part of the scenery.
Although she had heard that the living conditions for the sect’s personal disciples were very good, with each having their own small villa, Zanxing couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw it for herself. Taiyan Sect was indeed very wealthy.
“Don’t just look outside, go inside and have a look too.” Seeing Zanxing’s expression of amazement, Xuan Lingzi couldn’t help but feel proud as he led her into the bedroom.
The bedroom was also divided into an outer room and an inner room. Unlike the picturesque scenery outside, the style inside the room was overly warm. As soon as Zanxing entered, she sneezed from the fragrance.
“I had your Fourth Senior Uncle
1 send a long-lasting incense pill to put at the head of the bed, it has the fragrance of magnolia flowers.” Xuan Lingzi cleared his throat, “Since you’re a female disciple, I arranged it according to the style that those girls in Pingyang Town like.”
Zanxing: “…”
The room was filled with peachy and rosy colors, all very girlish. The quilt was embroidered with crimson red lilies, and the canopy was a light pink color. Even the tea set on the table was painted with pink peach blossoms.
Zanxing was almost blinded by all the pink in the room. She also noticed a cherry-colored cushion placed at the head of the bed, with two white porcelain bowls in front of it, presumably for Mimi’s princess cat bed. Zanxing sighed inwardly, but after all, it was her master’s heartfelt love for her disciple, despite his somewhat stereotypical view.
“Thank you, Master, for arranging everything for your disciple. I really like it,” Zanxing said insincerely.
Xuan Lingzi was indeed pleased and smiled, “As long as you like it. As a member of the Miaokong Hall in the future, you should naturally have the best. I’ll come down the mountain again in a few days and buy some more things that girls like for you. If there’s anything you like or want, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll buy it for you.”
His tone carried a hint of being a generous benefactor.
After expressing her gratitude again, Xuan Lingzi went to see Tian Fangfang in the Songfeng Courtyard. Zanxing walked to the window and looked at the scenery in the courtyard.
The wooden house was close to the cliff edge, surrounded by a spiritual aura. The courtyards of the Miaokong Hall were like ordinary residential courtyards, lacking some ethereal atmosphere but filled with warmth. It felt more like a ‘home.’
Zanxing smiled as she looked for a while. She opened her palm and saw that the red mark on her palm had indeed faded slightly since last night. It wasn’t an illusion.
The Xianyu Lingzhi was supposed to be the reward for Mu Cengxiao, so she changed the plot, hence the deepening of the red mark. Last night, when she made the trade with Mu Cengxiao, it was actually an experiment. The Xianyu Lingzhi returned to its rightful owner, and indeed, the red mark on her palm faded slightly.
Zanxing clenched her fist, covering the red mark, and looked into the distance.
She couldn’t change the main plot… nor could she steal the protagonist’s spotlight.
Only by doing so could she avoid drawing warnings from the original world.
Footnotes
That would be Li Danshu.