The next day, Yu Zhao pushed the door open and saw Ancestor Sui Bian wearing a woeful expression; she dipped her head and said: “An… cestor.”

She took one look and quickly lowered her gaze, suppressing a smile as she saluted; Ancestor Sui Bian’s voice drifted over: “Are you laughing at me?”

Yu Zhao answered solemnly: “How would this disciple dare.”

He narrowed his eyes and said: “I saw it. Your mouth was twitching.”

She replied with perfect seriousness: “That is because I did not rest well last night.”

After one sleepless night, with eyes swollen almost like peaches, Ancestor Sui Bian reluctantly accepted Yu Zhao’s excuse; he straightened his sleeves and said: “Since we have arrived at Four Seas City, come with me to pay respects to the seniors.”

Yu Zhao set her expression and answered: “Yes.”

Four Seas City had become the main stronghold of the cultivation world’s cultivators. The residences they occupied within the city sprawled so widely that they nearly took up half of Four Seas City, divided into several quarters by sect.

The first seniors Ancestor Sui Bian brought Yu Zhao to greet were those of the Five Elements Dao Sect. Just before they entered, something occurred to him; he turned to glance at Yu Zhao and asked: “Where are your two bright red hair ribbons?”

[He actually didn’t forget.]

She was about to find a reason to refuse when Ancestor Sui Bian reached behind himself and, with great flourish, produced two bright red hair ribbons; he beamed and said: “Ha, I knew you would forget, so I prepared them for you!”

Yu Zhao blinked and murmured: “Ancestor…”

But he cut her off, tone brooking no argument: “No.”

Struggling was useless, and in the end she tied on the two ribbons.

Outside the hall, Ancestor Sui Bian announced in a clear voice: “Sui Bian, accompanied by his forty-eighth-generation disciple Yu Zhao, comes to pay respects.”

A calm answer came from within: “Enter.”

At the reply, Ancestor Sui Bian adjusted his robe and led Yu Zhao inside. Five people were seated in the hall. The one at the head wore a golden Daoist robe; a massive gold sycee hung at his neck, gleaming blindingly. Yu Zhao took one glance and quickly withdrew her gaze, then bowed respectfully and said: “Junior disciple Yu Zhao greets the honored seniors.”

In truth, they had already met in passing on the road to Four Seas City; time had been short then, and there had been no chance to speak at length. Now at last they could sit and talk properly.

The man in gold burst into hearty laughter and said as a gentle current of spiritual power lifted Yu Zhao to her feet: “Up, up, quickly now!”

Standing beside her, Ancestor Sui Bian made the introductions: “This is the Thirty-Fourth-Generation Ancestor of the Five Elements Dao Sect, Ancestor Jin Yuan.”

Thirty-fourth generation! Yu Zhao’s heart gave a heavy thump; she bowed again and said: “Junior disciple Yu Zhao greets Ancestor Jin Yuan.”

Ancestor Jin Yuan smiled, eyes crinkling: “I have heard everything about you from Sui Bian. Since this body of yours is a split-body incarnation and must cultivate anew from the beginning, I will gift you this Golden Pixiu Necklace. Wear it at your chest, carry it daily; it will help you absorb spiritual power quickly and double your results for half the effort.”

He held out a Golden Pixiu Necklace whose brilliance matched his personal style. Yu Zhao glanced at Ancestor Sui Bian and saw his mouth nearly splitting with delight as he nodded at her again and again; she raised both hands to receive the necklace solemnly and offered her thanks to Ancestor Jin Yuan.

No sooner was it in her hands than Ancestor Sui Bian urged her to put it on at once. Yu Zhao obeyed. The instant the Golden Pixiu Necklace rested against her, spiritual energy from all directions surged toward her; the vortex of spiritual power within her dantian spun of its own accord. Her body jolted, her eyes widened in joy, and she finally understood what “double the results for half the effort” meant.

When Ancestor Sui Bian introduced the second senior, Yu Zhao froze for an instant; this senior looked five parts like Senior Sister Zhou Jin Yue. The difference was that, unlike Senior Sister Zhou’s bright radiance, this senior’s bearing held a gentle composure weathered by a thousand sails.

Sensing something odd in Yu Zhao’s gaze, the woman lifted a soft, water-like smile and asked: “What is it? Is there something amiss about me?”

Ancestor Sui Bian gave Yu Zhao a light nudge from behind and said: “Ancestor Yun Xi is speaking to you.”

Yu Zhao came back to herself and answered, a little hesitant: “There is nothing amiss about you, Ancestor. It is only that you resemble an old acquaintance of mine.”

“Oh?” Ancestor Yun Xi arched her brows slightly and asked: “Does your acquaintance perhaps bear the surname Zhou?”

Yu Zhao’s eyes lit up and she said: “Yes. The chief senior disciple of the Forty-Eighth Generation of the Five Elements Dao Sect bears the surname Zhou and is named Jin Yue.”

“Zhou Jin Yue? A fine name,” Ancestor Yun Xi said with a small smile. “Barring accident, she should be of my Zhou clan’s bloodline.”

At that, Yu Zhao also remembered. She had indeed heard before that Senior Sister Zhou had an ancestor who had been a disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect and had ultimately succeeded in ascending from the Lower Realm. Senior Sister Zhou was always low-key and rarely spoke of her family, so Yu Zhao had thought it was mere rumor—she had never expected to meet Senior Sister Zhou’s ancestor in person.

“Since Zhou Jin Yue is the chief senior disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect, how does she conduct herself in the sect? Speak frankly,” Ancestor Yun Xi asked.

The other seniors looked genuinely interested. Yu Zhao then gave a detailed account of Senior Sister Zhou. She did her utmost to minimize exaggeration, yet even so, after listening, they still looked a little skeptical. The Senior Sister Zhou in Yu Zhao’s account was simply too good—without flaws, perfect to the point of being unimpeachable.

Yu Zhao all but wanted to swear an oath to prove that every word was true; her heart whispered: [Senior Sister Zhou really is that good.] She had gotten a second chance at life and still chose to remain in the Five Elements Dao Sect; nine parts out of ten, that was because of Senior Sister Zhou Jin Yue.

Naturally, everyone could see how highly Yu Zhao revered this chief senior sister. Ancestor Yun Xi’s gaze grew even gentler; she beckoned Yu Zhao forward and, at the two small hair buns atop her head, gently slid in two short hairpins. She said: “I picked up these protective artifacts at a market. Each hairpin can offset one fatal attack. I hope you will never have the occasion to use them.”

Yu Zhao lifted her face with a light smile and said: “Many thanks, Ancestor.”

By the time Yu Zhao stepped out of the main hall where the Five Elements Dao Sect’s ancestors were gathered, several glittering, treasure-bright artifacts had been added to her person, dazzling enough to stir even Ancestor Sui Bian’s jealousy.

Next door to the Five Elements Dao Sect compound stood the residences of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s ancestors. Just before knocking, Yu Zhao glanced at the heap of gifts on her and asked: “Ancestor, should I put away the treasures the ancestors gifted me first?”

Ancestor Sui Bian started to nod, then his eyes rolled and he flatly refused: “No. Not a single one. Keep all of them on you.”

Because she was their own junior, the ancestors had been generous to a fault. If Yu Zhao walked in bedecked like this to greet the other seniors, then for the sake of face alone they would hardly dare be stingy.

A wicked grin tugged at Ancestor Sui Bian’s lips as he thought: those old fellows have hoarded their goodies for over a thousand years—time to bleed a little.

He clapped his hands and said with great vigor: “Come on, let’s go knock on the Heavenly Sword Sect’s door right now!”