Zanxing (Retranslated)

Extra 5 - ‘Zanxing’ (2)

The Martial Uncles crowded together, all eager to express how much they missed Zanxing and how much trouble Gu Baiying had caused the sect over the years. Just as Gu Baiying was about to lose his temper, a young servant came out from the inner hall and said to Zanxing, “The Ancestral Master invites Senior Sister Zanxing in.”

Everyone looked toward Zanxing.

Gu Baiying grabbed her hand. “I’ll go with you.”

“There’s no need,” Zanxing pulled her hand away, “I’ll go in by myself.”

Shaoyang Zhenren was no longer the leader of the Taiyan Sect. Now, all major and minor sect affairs were decided by Meng Ying, and Shaoyang Zhenren rarely appeared before others.

When Zanxing first saw Shaoyang Zhenren, she froze for a moment.

He was still as handsome and otherworldly as ever, but now he looked much weaker, as if he no longer belonged to this world and might fade away like a wisp of cloud at any moment.

He looked up at Zanxing, “You’ve come.”

His expression was calm, without a trace of excitement, as if he had long anticipated this moment.

Back at the Golden Gate Ruins, Shaoyang Zhenren was the only one who had glimpsed part of the truth about the Heavenly Dao from the very beginning. He knew about the choice between ‘ascension’ and ‘mending the sky’, understood the trap of the Dao of Heaven, and even knew her greatest secret.

It was he who had led her into the Golden Gate Ruins, forcing her to make a choice. And it was also Shaoyang Zhenren, in Zanxing’s final moment of transforming into a star, who used his primordial spirit to activate the Qinchong fruit within her, allowing a sliver of her soul to remain.

Before the Ascension Platform, Shaoyang Zhenren had once looked at her and said, “The divination of the Immortal Hexagram has foretold that the destruction of Douzhou is inevitable. Only if someone from outside the world appears, might there be a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation.”

The slim chance of survival in that desperate situation was not only Douzhou’s hope, but also Zanxing’s.

This seemingly calm and composed Zhenren was, in truth, the true mad gambler.

However, this wasn’t what Zanxing intended to ask today.

The man before her raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Zanxing, and spoke in a calm voice, “Don’t you have a question you wish to ask me?”

Zanxing remained silent. After a moment, she finally asked the question that had been weighing on her heart.

“Zhenren,” Zanxing began, “in the divination from years ago, what was the true meaning behind the so-called ‘outsider’? And why did you say that I was the outsider?”

The hall was silent. The intricate patterns on the crimson flower pillars depicted scenes of wealth and grandeur, with layers of magnolias, begonias, and peonies intertwined in lavish detail.

Shaoyang Zhenren smiled slightly. “The ‘outsider’ is someone who disregards the mundane world, who does not see the multitudes.”

“If, back then, you had considered yourself to be an outsider, you wouldn’t have been able to mend the sky, nor save the people. Douzhou would have been doomed to fall, with no hope for survival.”

“But now, you are one of the people, already deeply rooted in this world. You are no longer an outsider.”

“Do not dwell on the past, and do not regret the path you’ve chosen.” For the first time, the usually aloof and calm man showed a trace of emotion on his face. He looked at Zanxing and spoke warmly, “This place is your true path.”

By the time Zanxing left the Jinhua Hall, the sky was already nearing dusk.

Meng Ying had been quite busy in recent days. Several new, smaller sects from the cultivation world had sent their disciples to the sect, and she was currently speaking with them in the hall.

Being the sect leader was certainly much busier than being a disciple.

Meng Ying had already arranged for a banquet to be set in front of the Doluo Platform to welcome Zanxing back. As Zanxing and Gu Baiying walked toward the platform, before they could get there, someone called her name from afar: “Yang Zanxing!”

In the glow of the evening sun, a young man in a pink gauze robe excitedly ran over, spreading his arms toward Zanxing from a distance. “You’re back!”

Zanxing hadn’t yet recognized who he was, but the veins on Gu Baiying’s forehead pulsed as he thrust his spear in front of the young man, blocking the oncoming embrace. His tone was somewhat displeased: “What are you doing?”

Men Dong lowered his arms, looking a little aggrieved as he said, “Martial Uncle, a man shouldn’t be so petty.”

“Men Dong?” Zanxing asked in surprise.

Back then, Men Dong had still seemed like a child in Zanxing’s eyes. After a few years, he had grown into a dashing young man, though his childish nature remained unchanged.

Men Dong called out, “They didn’t tell me you’d be back today! I was out on the back mountain with Brother Tian picking spiritual herbs. Yang Zanxing, is it really you?”

Zanxing looked at him and smiled. “Who else could it be?”

“Junior Sister—” A man beside him dropped his axe with a clatter, seemingly wanting to embrace Zanxing as well. After glancing at Gu Baiying, he hesitated and then gave up. Tian Fangfang wiped away tears, saying, “Junior Sister, you’re really heartless.”

The once burly man was now choking up as he spoke.

When Zanxing had disappeared years ago, it had a significant impact on Tian Fangfang. Although he never mentioned it, whenever he came across something interesting or a spiritual treasure, he couldn’t help but say, “If only Junior Sister Zanxing were here.” New disciples of the sect didn’t understand the context and thought “Zanxing” was his old lover.

“Senior Brother Mu went to pick up Senior Sister Meng,” Men Dong glanced at Zanxing. “Let’s go to the Doluo Platform first.”

The lotus flowers in the Changchun Pool bloomed even more brightly than before.

Clusters of brilliant red were set against the verdant backdrop, and the summer night was free of worries.

Fireflies settled among the flowers at the pavilion’s edge, and even before they reached the banquet, the fragrant aroma of Floating Dream wine had already begun to waft over.

They had barely settled down when someone else arrived in the night. Meng Ying appeared in white garments, her eyebrows marked with a touch of vermilion, and the black and heavy Moon Soul Longsword at her waist. Compared to her previous ethereal, goddess-like demeanor, the current ‘Sect Leader Meng’ exuded a dignified, imposing presence. She was still stunningly beautiful, but her demeanor now carried the authority of a sect leader, more striking than Shaoyang Zhenren of the past.

This made the gray-robed youth beside her look like a loyal subordinate.

Zanxing was surprised to see how things had developed between Mu Cengxiao and Meng Ying. It was said that Mu Cengxiao had been infatuated with Meng Ying for years, but the young sect leader of the Taiyan Sect was focused solely on revitalizing the sect and showed little interest in finding a partner. Thus, their relationship had remained unchanged, with no progress.

However, the future was unpredictable. Life was long, and anything could happen.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Mu Cengxiao looked at Zanxing and took out a palm-sized box from his Qiankun Bag. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Junior Sister, I knew you were coming back, so I brought this for you.”

Mu Cengxiao, usually taciturn except in the presence of Men Dong and Meng Ying, now appeared awkward. His nervous demeanor, combined with the past rumors between himself and Zanxing, made the atmosphere awkward.

Men Dong glanced at Mu Cengxiao and then at Zanxing, quietly suggesting, “Senior Brother Mu, when did you start having a change of heart?”

Hearing this, Gu Baiying raised an eyebrow. He remained silent, watching Mu Cengxiao with a meaningful look, as if any misstep might lead to violence.

Feeling the varied gazes, Mu Cengxiao’s face flushed, and he hurried to explain, “It’s not what you think.” After a pause, he added, “Junior Sister, why don’t you open it and see what I’ve brought you?”

Zanxing smiled. “Alright, let me see what good thing my senior brother has brought me.”

She opened the wooden box in her hands.