Lin Yun followed Deng Pengzu to the third floor. There wasn't a single person in sight. The space was still vast, but there were only a dozen or so bookshelves, also with different classifications. Compared to the floors below, however, the classifications of the manuals here were far more detailed.
Lin Yun looked around and decided to pick a movement technique. In terms of swordsmanship, after his experience in Lizhu Cave Heaven, he figured there was nothing left in the Flowing Cloud Sect that could help him. As for other fist or palm techniques, he wasn't interested. The only thing he lacked was a movement technique.
Deng Pengzu saw Lin Yun go straight for the movement techniques and nodded in satisfaction. As expected of malleable material. He isn't greedily pursuing more sword arts but is humbly shoring up his weaknesses. If it were an ordinary person, they would certainly be thinking about getting an even stronger sword manual.
It was just that Lin Yun's eye for things was truly terrible. For every one he looked at, Deng Pengzu tossed it aside. A quarter of an hour passed like this, and he still hadn't found one.
Deng Pengzu grew impatient. "I give up. It's just a movement technique manual. Is it that hard to choose? Move aside, I'll pick one for you!"
With a wave of his right hand, several manuals flew off the shelf.
"Taiyi Movement Art," "Flying Immortal Mystic Art," "Void-Rushing Ghostly Art."
"These are all good choices. I suggest you..."
Before Deng Pengzu could finish, Lin Yun had already grabbed the "Void-Rushing Ghostly Art" and used his reception token to break the seal on it. A dark light flashed, and the contents appeared before Lin Yun.
This "Void-Rushing Ghostly Art" was indeed powerful, but due to its remarkable effects, it was naturally something that ordinary people found difficult to master. Lin Yun held the manual and fell silent.
"You kid, I don't know what you were in such a hurry for. This 'Void-Rushing Ghostly Art' is actually quite suitable for you, but it's very difficult to master completely." Deng Pengzu was a bit conflicted. Given Lin Yun's current situation, it really wasn't ideal for him to spend too much effort on a movement technique.
"Don't worry, I'll just learn it slowly," Lin Yun said with a smile.
Seeing this, Deng Pengzu didn't dwell on it.
Afterward, he took Lin Yun to the back mountain. On the way, Lin Yun couldn't help but ask, "Elder Deng, are you very familiar with Elder Hongxiu?"
Although Deng Pengzu was willing to teach Lin Yun, he wouldn't agree to Lin Yun becoming his formal disciple, nor would he let Lin Yun address him as "Master."
Hearing Lin Yun's question, he smiled. "You could say we're somewhat familiar. It's just that it was many years ago. What little scheme are you cooking up now, kid?"
Lin Yun grinned. "Well, I offended Elder Hongxiu, so I was thinking of making it up to her. I was wondering if Elder Deng had any good ideas?"
Deng Pengzu rolled his eyes. How would I know?
"That woman has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She's very good to her disciples. It's just a pity that her disciples from back then all left her for one reason or another. After that, she probably couldn't bear the feeling and stopped taking disciples."
Lin Yun smelled gossip. "Won't Elder Deng elaborate?"
Deng Pengzu snorted. "There's nothing to elaborate on. Her disciples had very good fortune and often stumbled upon opportunities, big and small. But you have to understand, everything involves cause and effect. When people obtain things that don't belong to them, they will suffer a backlash. This is what we often call 'when things reach an extreme, they reverse'!"
Lin Yun had thought Hongxiu's disciples had all run away. He hadn't expected them to all be dead. It made sense; with Hongxiu's destiny, an ordinary person really couldn't handle it.
"Also, don't you be calling her 'Elder Hongxiu' this and 'Elder Hongxiu' that. If she hears you, she'll slap you to death! Shouldn't the elder of Qingxia Peak be Shangguan Wan?"
Deng Pengzu glanced at Lin Yun. "Although her name is Hongxiu, the elders in the sect all call her Ancestor Liuyun!"
Ancestor Liuyun?
It all clicked for Lin Yun. No wonder Gu Xiande had been so docile in front of her. She was the person with the highest seniority in the entire sect.
At the same time, Lin Yun thought of something else. Wasn't Qin Xiyan supposed to be taken in as Ancestor Liuyun's personal disciple a few months from now? He had already helped Qin Xiyan get on the right path early. If he could get the two of them to meet sooner, would it have an effect?
Lin Yun frowned. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
The jade pendant!
At that moment, Lin Yun hesitated no longer and immediately stood up. "Elder Deng, I have something urgent to attend to. I'll come back another day."
Before Deng Pengzu could say anything, Lin Yun had vanished...
For Lin Yun, what was the most important thing right now? The life-or-death calamity in just over half a month. The best method at hand was to build a complex network of relationships. That way, if he couldn't win a fight, he could call for backup!
By the time Lin Yun arrived at Qingxia Peak, it was already evening. He searched around but couldn't find it. Forget a jade pendant, there wasn't even a jade anything!
Suddenly, Lin Yun thought of a possibility. Could Bai Zhuqing have already picked it up?
Lin Yun found someone on the road, asked for Bai Zhuqing's address, and then rushed over like the wind.
...
Duan Heng was humming a little tune. He was in a good mood today and thought of grabbing Bai Zhuqing for a game of cards. Whenever he was short on cash, he would always look for Bai Zhuqing, and that great sucker never refused. Duan Heng had a very strong feeling today that he could win a great treasure from Bai Zhuqing.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past him. It took him a moment to make out the figure. Huh, isn't that Junior Brother Lin? Why is he in such a hurry?
Duan Heng intended to say hello, but Lin Yun had already disappeared.
In reality, Lin Yun had also seen Duan Heng on the road. And he had also seen the guy's panel!
[Name]: Duan Heng
[Realm]: Eighth Level of the Void-Gazing Realm
[Destiny]: A String of Good Luck (Purple)
[Fate]: Stronger Through Setbacks (Blue), Fated Romance (Gold)
[Outcome]: Is defeated by an opponent in the Sunset Glow Valley, his Dao perishes and his body is destroyed.
[Recent Turning Point]: In a game of dice with Bai Zhuqing on Great Cloud Peak, you win a great victory. Having no spirit stones to give, Bai Zhuqing gives you a jade pendant!
The jade pendant ends up in Duan Heng's hands after all? Looking at Duan Heng's golden "Fated Romance," Lin Yun certainly wasn't foolish enough to think he had something going on with Hongxiu. So, it was highly likely that Duan Heng would be the one to give the jade pendant to Qin Xiyan. And it was through this pendant that Qin Xiyan would have the chance to meet Hongxiu, leading to the discovery of her unique constitution.
Now, it all made perfect sense!
So Lin Yun didn't stop to say hello and charged directly to Bai Zhuqing's Cave Abode.
"Senior Brother, you really came." At this moment, Bai Zhuqing had already set up the game. "Huh, Lin Yun? Why are you here?" Seeing who it was, Bai Zhuqing was a little surprised.
"I was bored on the mountain and came to play a couple of rounds with you. Quick, quick..." Lin Yun sat down directly in front of Bai Zhuqing.
Although he had already made plans with Duan Heng, Bai Zhuqing clearly didn't think he would lose to a novice like Lin Yun, so he nodded and agreed.
The dice game began.
Evidently, the thousand-year unlucky soul was still too confident in himself. His performance was extremely stable: he lost four games in a row. In the end, he could only give the jade pendant he had picked up to Lin Yun.
"I saw Senior Brother Duan on my way here. Were you waiting for him?"
Bai Zhuqing nodded, his face mournful. "Senior Brother Duan knows I like to gamble and comes to find me every few days. But since you got here first today, I'm afraid I won't be able to play with him."
Lin Yun frowned slightly, then tossed down a bag of spirit stones. "Bai Zhuqing, I advise you to gamble less in the future. Your luck is just too terrible."
He didn't dare to stay long. After saying that, he hurried away.