CHAPTER 45: 45. SCHEME TO ENHANCE COMPREHENSION

Lei Jun turned his head to look at the coughing Shangguan Hong, "My words were too flippant, I apologize to Li and that Mr. Fang,

but on Dragon Tiger Mountain, suddenly striking out and causing such a commotion, I couldn’t help exaggerating a little."

Shangguan Hong coughed twice more, "Fang Mingyuan... Mr. Fang, is already quite well-known over in Jingxiang, and as a young man, he’s thin-skinned and impulsive in his actions."

This little Taoist himself wasn’t even twenty yet, but he made old-mannered comments about Fang Mingyuan; although his words were subtle, they were hardly complimentary.

*Considering the relationship between the Shangguan Family—imperial relatives and newly established military nobles—and the scholarly Fang Clan of Jingxiang, it could only be even more intricate than their ties with the Celestial Master Mansion.*

Lei Jun, meanwhile, thought of another party involved—Master Ziyang’s daughter, Li Ying.

Looking back after the fact, it seemed that things between her and Fang Mingyuan were still just at the initial stage.

*In Lei Jun’s pre-Blue Star days, this might have been called matchmaking?*

Although things had unfolded beyond his expectations, in retrospect, there were signs one could have picked up on.

Yong Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan still remained rather impartial, trying to keep everyone balanced.

Meanwhile, Elder Ziyang’s branch, whether with Fang Jian, who had joined the Celestial Master Mansion, or with the Fang Clan, had grown ever closer these past years.

If the Li Clan really did ally by marriage with the Fang Clan, it wouldn’t be anything particularly shocking.

Both Li Ying and Fang Mingyuan were close to their family cores, though neither was truly at the core just yet.

What most captivated attention both inside and outside the mansion was that the wedding of Yong Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan was still unsettled...

Zhang Jingzhen and Fang Jian responded swiftly, and the turmoil in the medicinal garden didn’t spiral out of control.

Li Ying, in order to avoid suspicion, went directly into seclusion for solitary cultivation.

The initial plan for a Li-Fang alliance through marriage looked to be temporarily canceled.

With the Celestial Master Mansion taking conscious steps to manage things, the situation was handled discreetly.

On another front, the young disciples of the two Taoist Sacred Lands also wrapped up their bouts and decided the winners.

The one representing the Celestial Master Mansion was an old acquaintance.

Chen Yi.

Ever since he’d failed in the Hall of Adherence at the start of last year, his master, Elder Yao, had kept him in confinement until the New Year of this year, when he was finally let out.

He appeared even steadier than the year before, his sharpness much more concealed.

But it was more like a sword sheathed—unassuming when at rest, but more dazzling when drawn.

It was hard to say what the elders of the sect expected from Chen Yi in battle.

*Lei Jun suspected he had read too many Blue Star novels before crossing over; once he saw Chen Yi step forward, he couldn’t help but guess he’d probably win.*

In the end, Junior Brother Chen didn’t let Senior Brother Lei down, securing this win for the Celestial Master Mansion.

He felt vindicated and finally released a year’s worth of pent-up frustration and growth, leaving a strong impression on those watching from the sidelines.

Yuan Mobai set up his furnace for alchemy, producing thirty-six elixirs in one go. Chen Yi alone received two, and the rest were distributed among those present, with several reserved for Fang Jian to pass on to Zhang Yuan and Fang Mingyuan after the event.

*So this was the Seventh-Rank Opportunity mentioned in the neutral lot...* Lei Jun nodded to himself.

The good side had already come true; the only question was when the flip side of blessings and misfortune would show itself.

As for the redemption order of a moderately good lot versus a moderately unlucky lot, Lei Jun had figured that out as well.

Heading to the Great Elixir Room first was the only way to catch that strange medicinal bowl before its spiritual nature receded—go too late, and the bowl’s nature would hide itself, and the Huo Sui Yang Yu would be hard to spot.

Later, if he visited the medicinal garden, the matchmaking crew would probably have already left, so they would just miss each other and nothing would happen there.

On the other hand, if he went to the garden first, then the Great Elixir Room, not only would he miss out on the mysterious medicinal bowl, but he might also accidentally walk in on Li Ying and Fang Mingyuan’s covert meeting.

Different people faced with the same event might yield different outcomes.

Lei Jun’s strength far surpassed Zhang Yuan’s, so obviously, he wouldn’t have been injured by Fang Mingyuan.

But it would have fulfilled the lot’s warning: "Uncovering secrets stirs suspicion; hidden troubles are buried."

Even if Fang Mingyuan kept it quiet himself, the Fang Clan behind him was unquestionably a giant.

More crucially, this path only led to trouble, no reward, and he’d miss out on the moderately good lot’s Sixth-Rank Opportunity—the mysterious medicinal bowl.

Now that he had the bowl, Lei Jun didn’t feel pressed, so he quietly stood behind Master Yuan Mobai once again.

Though there had been some drama behind the scenes, overall, the Celestial Master Mansion’s latest Transcension Ritual wrapped up perfectly.

Afterward, the guests who had come for the ceremony began to leave the mountain in succession.

Within the Chu Family’s convoy, a stunning young woman changed out of her noble-lady’s dress into a more form-fitting hunting outfit, reclining lazily by the window.

Outside the carriage, a Chu youth stood at the window, "That Chen Yi was really something. He fell behind at first, then came back to win in the end. Honestly, I thought he was done for.

The woman answered with an "Mmm," her gaze distant, lost in thought.

The young man outside seemed used to this, "Later on, I’ll give the order to add this little Taoist to the list—keep an eye on him."

The woman said "Mmm" again, then collected herself, "Add one more: Lei Jun."

The Chu youth was surprised, but replied respectfully, "Yes, cousin."

Once the guests had cleared out, Lei Jun and the other Celestial Master Mansion disciples took charge of tidying up the aftermath.

After wrapping things up, Lei Jun went to check on the injured Zhang Yuan and the temporarily grounded Luo Haoran.

Zhang Yuan’s injuries had stabilized. While he still needed to rest, there was no serious harm.

However, seeing Lei Jun, Zhang Yuan looked absolutely miserable, as if he wanted to cry but had no tears left.

Luo Haoran, though confined, was also perfectly fine.

Both the Celestial Master Mansion and the Fang Family wanted the matter handled quietly; Luo Haoran’s grounding was more for show, not actual punishment.

He himself took it in stride and even comforted Lei Jun, who had come to visit.

"With the Fang Clan, Ziyang was a bit too hasty."

Afterward, Yuan Mobai, unusually frank, offered a straightforward comment, "As long as Nephew Zhengxuan can stay firm, it’ll be fine."

At the side, Xu Yuanzhen dabbed her brush on paper, painting as she listened.

Like usual, she didn’t attend such grand ceremonies, but now, upon hearing Yuan Mobai’s words, she remarked,

"Li Zhengxuan? He’s in no hurry, but tends to waver and wants a piece of everything."

Yuan Mobai smiled calmly.

Lei Jun, meanwhile, busied himself fiddling with his medicinal bowl.

After pondering over it for a long time, he was beginning to gain some understanding.

*With his knack for seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster, his luck this time really had gone above and beyond.*

The newly acquired bowl was actually a spiritual object for balancing yin and yang—with water and fire spirits concealed within—and could be called the Weiji Bowl.

Weiji, like Jiji, was one of the hexagrams, but the meaning was the opposite.

The Jiji hexagram placed water above fire; Weiji, water below fire.

Still, not all Weiji aspects were suited to Lei Jun.

This Weiji Bowl, though, was a perfect fit.

On top of that, with Master Yuan Mobai having sent him to the Great Elixir Room, Lei Jun almost wondered if this was all arranged by his master.

But obviously, Yuan Mobai had no reason to go through such trouble.

Sure enough, once he met Lei Jun’s gaze, Yuan Mobai shook his head, "That’s just your personal fortune. This master isn’t nearly powerful enough to lay claim to heaven’s merit."

Lei Jun said, "I’d gone to the Great Elixir Room earlier and checked things out in secret, but found nothing. This bowl must have appeared later."

Xu Yuanzhen took the bowl from Lei Jun’s hands and examined it, "Someone was secretly refining elixirs, but didn’t want the outside world to know. This treasure was forged as a by-product."

Lei Jun blinked.

Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai were both masters of cultivation, with Yuan Mobai a renowned alchemist.

If even the two of them couldn’t figure out the bowl’s origins right away, there really weren’t many people on Dragon Tiger Mountain capable of creating it...

"You’re in luck. With this Weiji Bowl and the Huo Sui Yang Yu, you truly have a real shot at improving your comprehension,"

Xu Yuanzhen didn’t pursue the earlier topic, instead turning to say, "As long as you can also find the Water Marrow Yin Fish."