Chapter 102: The Favor of Destiny

The first thing Chen Luoyan did upon waking up was check herself—her cultivation was intact, and it seemed she hadn't lost her purity.

Compared to before, however, that maddening burning sensation had vanished. Who had cured the aphrodisiac poison? Chen Luoyan tried to recall, her memories finally settling on the moment right before she lost consciousness, when Wang Ping lightly tapped the center of her brow. She froze. It was him? How could he cure the aphrodisiac poison?

At that thought, she immediately tried to get up and confront him.

But the moment she moved, a violent surge of pain wracked her entire body. Her back and waist ached as if she had been carried for hundreds of miles over a bumpy road.

A pleasantly surprised voice immediately rang out.

"Luoyan! You're awake?"

Only then did Chen Luoyan realize Madam Su was sitting right by the bed. She hastily schooled her expression and asked softly, "Cousin... was it brother-in-law who saved me and brought me back?"

Madam Su's face instantly flushed bright red.

"What brother-in-law... yes, my husband brought you back." Madam Su stroked Chen Luoyan's face with deep heartache.

"Those extraordinary persons, not a single one of them is any good. Look at you—someone slapped you across the face. It's swollen, and after all this time it still hasn't gone down..."

"Ah?"

Chen Luoyan touched her cheek in belated realization, then looked toward a nearby bronze mirror. Sure enough, she saw the stark red handprint across her pretty face.

Soon after, the memories that had been blurred by her feverish state rushed back. Chen Luoyan's already flushed cheeks turned a violent crimson, and she gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Yet, on second thought, she had to admit his slap had been the right thing to do. She had no reason to be angry.

Damn it all, her chest hurt from the sheer frustration.

Chen Luoyan panted heavily for a while. She was just about to say something else when she suddenly paused, taking out the jade slip that had previously given no response to her calls.

"...Cousin, please step out for a moment."

Madam Su possessed an orchid heart and wise intelligence; naturally, she didn't insist on staying. She nodded immediately, got up to leave, and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

The moment Madam Su left, Chen Luoyan's expression rapidly cooled. She gently brushed her hand across her cheek, instantly erasing the handprint and swelling to revert back to the aloof, arrogant female sword cultivator. She then rubbed the jade slip in her hands, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.

Chen Luoyan was no fool.

It was one thing to fail to react while caught in the middle of the play, but now that the curtain had fallen, how could she remain oblivious and devoid of vigilance?

Master was scheming against me?

That evil cultivator was obviously targeting me, and it nearly led to me giving myself to another man. Is this the so-called tribulation Master spoke of before I descended the mountain?

What a joke!

She refused to believe such coincidences existed. She had no grievances or enmity with that evil cultivator; he had clearly targeted her because of Book Mountain.

Since the cause lies with Book Mountain and not me, Master, who is proficient in divination, should have sensed something beforehand and warned me. Even if he didn't state it plainly, gifting me a pill or two to cure aphrodisiac poisons would have been a trivial effort. Yet Master did absolutely nothing.

The more Chen Luoyan thought about it, the colder her heart grew.

Ultimately, though, she reined in her emotions. Checking the bronze mirror to ensure she had fully restored her usual demeanor, she finally activated the message jade slip in her hand.

A second later, a faint light flared.

A wisp of spiritual consciousness within the jade slip activated, taking on a human form shaped by magical power. It landed steadily atop the slip, taking the exact appearance of the Book Mountain Sect Master.

"Luoyan, are you alright?"

The moment the Book Mountain Sect Master appeared, he asked with deep concern, "I had just entered seclusion when I saw your message. Have you already encountered your tribulation?"

"Your disciple is fine," Chen Luoyan replied, shaking her head.

"Tell me about it."

The Book Mountain Sect Master pressed further, "What exactly did you encounter? Rest assured, if you have truly suffered any grievances, your Master will naturally seek justice on your behalf."

Hearing this, Chen Luoyan narrowed her eyes slightly.

Master wants to know what happened that badly? That shouldn't be. With his divination arts, he could find out anything just by casting a hexagram.

As an orthodox disciple of Book Mountain, Chen Luoyan had received a comprehensive inheritance. A theory instantly formed in her mind: Is it because the destinies don't match? Was there someone involved last night whose destiny was so unyielding that Master didn't dare to calculate it, or simply couldn't, leaving him with no choice but to pry for information from me?

Then, who could it be?

She quickly arrived at an answer. The person Master wants to ask about should be Ye Chao. That man almost took advantage of my weakness to claim my body; he is definitely no ordinary person.

It's even possible that Master engineered my encounter with Ye Chao from the start!

It's just that... an accident occurred.

At this thought, Wang Ping's face suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Back then, that guy suddenly appeared, drove Ye Chao back, and saved me. To be able to pull that off only proves that his destiny is even stronger than Ye Chao's.

He is the source of the accident!

So what Master actually wants to know is what influenced Ye Chao... No, I have to cover this up. I can't let Master find any clues.

A life-saving grace was a debt as heavy as the heavens. Although Chen Luoyan still felt somewhat ashamed and angry over Wang Ping's earlier actions, she was absolutely not the type to repay kindness with enmity. Now aware of the Book Mountain Sect Master's goal, she quickly made a decision and shook her head. "I apologize, Master. I can't remember the details clearly."

"...Can't remember clearly?"

The Book Mountain Sect Master's tone abruptly changed. After a moment of silence, he asked bluntly, "Luoyan, tell me honestly. Did you lose your chastity? Is your purity still intact?"

Just as I thought!

With those words, Chen Luoyan immediately realized all her suspicions were true. Her heart grew even colder, but outwardly, she feigned astonishment. "Why would Master ask such a thing?"

"Your disciple's purity remains entirely intact."

The Book Mountain Sect Master was stunned.

"It is?"

The Book Mountain Sect Master remained impassive on the surface, but a dark mood gathered in his heart. After all, this completely derailed his meticulous prior arrangements.

The plot was not supposed to play out like this.

His Book Mountain disciple was supposed to fall victim to the evil cultivator's scheme and give herself to the Child of Destiny, thus cementing a karmic bond that would later bring him into Book Mountain.

To ensure this, he had laid plans over a decade in advance. He specifically took in a female disciple with the Furnace Physique and molded her into an aloof, arrogant woman, all so she could be used at this precise moment. She was meant to be the bait to draw the "protagonist of this grand play" into his sect and forge that karmic tie. Yet now, it seemed a fatal flaw had emerged in the plan.

Luoyan did not lose her purity.

The Book Mountain Sect Master sighed inwardly. I deliberately spared that Old Immortal Bliss years ago just for this exact moment. And yet, he couldn't even manage to inflict an aphrodisiac poison properly?

Trash!

More importantly, according to the message the Ancestor had passed down from the heavens, the Child of Destiny was currently trapped in a predicament. Though he would pass without danger, there were inevitably hidden risks.

He needed to grasp the situation of the Child of Destiny as soon as possible.

Yet he couldn't divine a single thing. He had hoped to glean a few clues from Chen Luoyan, only to find she knew absolutely nothing. This left the Book Mountain Sect Master increasingly dissatisfied.

Furthermore... Luoyan bears resentment toward me now.

The Book Mountain Sect Master was profoundly shrewd. He had walked the mortal realm for over two hundred years; he understood every facet of human nature. Naturally, he could see right through Chen Luoyan's emotional state.

However, his mind was exceptionally deep. After a brief thought, he arrived at a solution and chuckled. "By the way, Luoyan, didn't you mention earlier that you were seeking a cultivation method for your cousin? The resources required for the Six Desire Heavens Sovereign Attainment Method, the eggs of six desire beasts, have all been located by your Master. I can send them over to you."

The moment these words were spoken, Chen Luoyan's expression instantly shifted.

"Well?"

Seeing this, the Book Mountain Sect Master softened his tone and said gently, "Have you remembered anything? Think carefully, take your time. Your Master believes you can recall it."

"..."

Chen Luoyan fell into hesitation.

And through that very hesitation, the Book Mountain Sect Master instantly knew the score. In my script, Luoyan's cousin was supposed to die at the hands of Old Immortal Bliss.

Looking at it now, she didn't die.

"Who saved her?"

The Book Mountain Sect Master pinched his fingers to divine the answer, but his fingertips simply split open. Yet this did not disappoint him; on the contrary, he was filled with joy. "It's good that I can't calculate it."

For a mere Mortal to block his divination, she could only be connected to the Child of Destiny. Considering she was a woman, perhaps she was his bedfellow?

Struck by this thought, the Book Mountain Sect Master suddenly spoke.

"Right, Luoyan, you encountered a tribulation yesterday, but did it involve your cousin? She is merely a Mortal. For her to survive, did someone save her?"

"...It was my brother-in-law."

Chen Luoyan replied softly, "Brother-in-law saved my cousin. He fought Old Immortal Bliss, so your disciple used the chaos to escape. After that... I truly don't remember."

Having weighed the matter repeatedly, Chen Luoyan decided against revealing that Wang Ping had driven off Ye Chao. She could figure out another way to help her cousin, but she absolutely could not allow her brother-in-law to be targeted by her Master just for kindly saving her. If her actions caused him harm... she would never be able to forgive herself.

On the other side, however, the Book Mountain Sect Master had already pieced together the "truth."

"Luoyan was poisoned by Old Immortal Bliss and then fled. All of this fits my prior arrangements. The only variable is her cousin's husband."

"This man was not part of my plan."

"More importantly, he was actually capable of fighting off Old Immortal Bliss... So, considering the sisters' relationship, he must have gone looking for the fleeing Luoyan afterward."

"This is why Luoyan claims she can't remember."

"She has the kind of personality that repays kindness, and she already holds a grudge against me. She suspects I mean to harm her brother-in-law, which is why she refuses to tell the truth at any cost."

"Unfortunately, she is still too green."

The Book Mountain Sect Master methodically sorted through the clues, his eyes shining ever brighter. "It seems Luoyan's brother-in-law successfully found her in the end and crossed paths with the Child of Destiny."

"That man saved Luoyan, preventing her from losing her purity. It's highly likely the Child of Destiny was thrown into his predicament as a result of this encounter. However, his life is not in danger, which is why the Ancestor noted he would pass without harm. Looking at it from this angle, there can only be two outcomes: either the Child of Destiny has been imprisoned by that man..."

"...Hmm!"

At this thought, the Book Mountain Sect Master shifted his reasoning. "That doesn't make sense. The Child of Destiny possesses great karmic luck and carries wondrous treasures. It is impossible for him to be imprisoned."

He ruled out that possibility first.

"It has to be the second outcome: the Child of Destiny killed that man, then disguised himself as his opponent. Now he is trapped in an enemy camp, which explains why his destiny shows signs of distress."

"But for it to be a scare without real danger proves the Child of Destiny's disguise is utterly flawless. Not even the person who should be closest to him—Luoyan's cousin—has noticed... Then again, why would the Child of Destiny disguise himself as that man? Could it be that the man's identity is special and useful to the Child of Destiny?"

Right at that moment.

An idea suddenly sprouted in Chen Luoyan's mind, and she spoke up. "Speaking of my brother-in-law... he is actually an extraordinary person, and it seems he shares a karmic destiny with our sect."

"Oh? Is that so?"

That single sentence instantly unraveled all the Book Mountain Sect Master's doubts.

So that's how it is!

Worthy of being the Child of Destiny acknowledged by the Ancestor! Even with the plot derailed, he still carved out an alternate path, achieving the exact same result through a different method!

He had racked his brains all this time just to use Chen Luoyan to usher the Child of Destiny into Book Mountain. He thought he had fallen short of success at the very last step, but this alternate route led to the exact same destination. The Child of Destiny had disguised himself as Luoyan's brother-in-law and claimed to have a karmic bond with the sect. He could simply ride the momentum and accept him into their ranks.

It all fit. It all perfectly fit!

In a flash, all the Book Mountain Sect Master's anger evaporated, replaced by a broad smile. "Good, good, good! Since he shares a karmic destiny with us, he is meant to join Book Mountain."

This way, the Child of Destiny had still fallen neatly into his trap.

However, relying solely on the karmic bond of master and disciple left a minor flaw in perfection. It would be ideal if he could forge an even closer connection between Book Mountain and the Child of Destiny.

Thinking of this, the Book Mountain Sect Master abruptly shifted the topic.

"Luoyan, since your brother-in-law shares a karmic destiny with our sect, and he has just saved your life, why not become dao companions once he joins us?"

"You can cultivate together in the future, supporting each other so the path to immortality will not be lonely."

"What do you think?"

Chen Luoyan: "...???"