All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 164: Another Curse

The four were in a private room, with no one else around. Feng Xueqing removed her veil. It would be impolite to keep her face covered in front of elders, especially since there were no outsiders here.

The moment she unveiled her face, Zhanyue understood why she needed to wear a veil. It was a face that could captivate souls. Even Zhanyue, who had seen many characters, was stunned by her beauty. Her eyebrows were thin like willow leaves, with the slightly upturned ends seeming to carry a hint of pride. Her crystalline eyes were like two black gems, sparkling with wisdom and youthful vitality. Her long, high nose bridge was beautiful, with a slightly upturned tip revealing her lively temperament. Her face was delicate, like a lotus emerging from water, flawless and fine. Her skin was as white as snow, seemingly so delicate it could be pinched. That extremely pure white complexion was like spring peach blossoms, full of alluring charm. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, black and glossy, smooth as black velvet. A few strands fell across her forehead, complementing the flower crown on her head, adding a touch of cuteness and shyness.

A flower fairy, a spring spirit, breathtakingly beautiful yet not intimidating. Unlike Holy Maiden Lixi’s sanctity, Baizhi’s cuteness and loveliness, or Gong Xiaoyu’s mature allure, Feng Xueqing gave Zhanyue a sense of gentle elegance. Just looking at her seemed to bring the feel of a spring breeze.

The Alchemist coughed lightly, bringing Zhanyue back to his senses. He quickly averted his gaze, smiling awkwardly. Even though he had seen countless beauties, he still lost himself for a moment.

Seeing Zhanyue’s reaction, Feng Xueqing just smiled slightly, adding a unique charm to her already stunning face, a smile that could topple a city. Yan Baifeng was used to such reactions, knowing how eye-catching her disciple was, which was why she had instructed her to wear a veil when going out.

Zhanyue could only marvel at how the Myriad Spirits Realm lived up to its name as a mystical realm. Under the nourishment of spiritual energy, human beauty had broken through a barrier. There was no beauty filter here, but everyone seemed to have a natural one. The heavily edited, perfected beauty photos he had seen on the internet in his previous world were now within reach in this world. If he were to take a photo of the woman before him and show it in his original world, it would probably be met with comments like “great Photoshop work,” and the lively aura couldn’t even be captured in a photo. Zhanyue thought to himself that according to his aesthetic standards, the Illumination Goddess ranked first, and the woman before him could even rank second.

“Junior Feng Xueqing pays respects to Senior,” Feng Xueqing said respectfully. Although the Alchemist didn’t take disciples, in Yan Baifeng’s eyes, he was no different from a master, so Feng Xueqing naturally regarded him as a grand-master.

“Baifeng, is this the little girl you mentioned adopting in your letter?” the Alchemist asked, looking at the graceful Feng Xueqing.

“Yes, it is. Senior, can you introduce the young man beside you? Is he your disciple?” Yan Baifeng asked. She was also curious about Zhanyue’s identity. The illness she couldn’t cure was easily solved by Zhanyue, which was too shocking. If this young man was the Alchemist’s disciple, it would make sense.

Unexpectedly, the Alchemist shook his head, “What qualifications do I have to take him as a disciple? I wouldn’t dare to overstep.”

Yan Baifeng and Feng Xueqing’s expressions changed simultaneously. They knew the Alchemist’s strength and abilities, but for him to say such words, who exactly was this young man?

The Alchemist explained, “Zhanyue is the Illumination Goddess’s disciple. Before the Goddess transformed into a star, she specially entrusted Thunder Lord to take care of her disciple.”

This was probably the most shocking thing Yan Baifeng had ever heard in her life, but she quickly understood. If he was the Goddess’s disciple, then any extraordinary abilities he had would be reasonable.

Feng Xueqing’s eyes were now full of stars as she looked at Zhanyue, “You’re really the Goddess’s disciple? Have you met the Goddess?”

Zhanyue nodded, thinking to himself that his sister’s influence was indeed great. This girl was clearly a die-hard fan of the Goddess.

“Tell me quickly, what does the Goddess look like? Does she look like the statues?” Feng Xueqing asked curiously. The Illumination Goddess was her idol, a legendary figure. Now she felt like legend had walked into reality, how could she not be excited?

“Xueqing, you’re being impolite,” Yan Baifeng reminded. Her disciple was usually calm and detached from worldly matters, but now she was so excited and losing composure. However, she could understand. After all, everyone grew up hearing the Goddess’s legends, and everyone was protected by the Goddess.

Feng Xueqing calmed down, looking at Zhanyue apologetically, her cheeks slightly red.

“Uh, this isn’t something I can’t talk about. My… my master doesn’t look like the Goddess statues at all. She’s very beautiful, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and the person I trust the most,” Zhanyue said. Since the Goddess had told Thunder Lord their relationship was master and disciple, then that’s what it would be. Zhanyue didn’t mind, after all, calling the Goddess his master wasn’t a problem at all. Telling others they had a brother-sister relationship would be too outrageous.

“Young Master Zhan is the Goddess’s disciple, no wonder his skills are so extraordinary. Even an illness I couldn’t cure was easily solved by you,” Yan Baifeng sighed, no longer coveting Zhanyue’s techniques.

“Not just you, even I couldn’t do it. This kid has many secrets. If he doesn’t want to talk about them, we can’t force him,” the Alchemist smiled. Although he was also curious about what method Zhanyue had used, since it involved Zhanyue’s secrets, and possibly even the Illumination Goddess’s secrets, he knew not to ask about things that shouldn’t be questioned.

Yan Baifeng nodded, turning the page on this topic. She knew her limits. “Senior, I brought my disciple to the academy town for two reasons. First, to participate in the competition for Book World trial slots; second, to ask for your help in determining the cause of my disciple’s illness.”

“Illness?” The Alchemist couldn’t see anything wrong with Feng Xueqing by just looking.

“Xueqing,” Yan Baifeng asked her disciple to demonstrate.

Feng Xueqing nodded. She closed her eyes tightly, circulating her power. Soon after, a blood-colored lotus formed on her forehead, then her hair instantly turned white, her skin became withered, and her entire being became like an old person, a candle in the wind, no longer the stunning beauty from before.

When Feng Xueqing withdrew her power, the blood lotus on her forehead disappeared, and she returned to her original beautiful appearance. Zhanyue was shocked, and the Alchemist beside him also frowned deeply.

“For one day each month, Xueqing is forced to transform into this elderly appearance. Other than that, there are no other effects. I’ve searched through ancient texts but can’t find the reason,” Yan Baifeng sighed. Although the strange illness seemed to have little impact at present, not knowing the cause was still a worry for her.

“In my opinion, this should be a curse, and a very strong one at that. I’m powerless against it,” the Alchemist shook his head, then asked, “When did this strange illness appear?”

“I had an extraordinary encounter in the Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave, but after receiving that fortune, this problem appeared,” Feng Xueqing explained. In fact, she didn’t have much hope.

“Looking at it this way, it really is a curse. The one who tied the bell must untie it. The method to break the curse is probably still in that Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave,” the Alchemist said.

“Sigh, she went back to search, but found nothing,” Yan Baifeng’s eyes were full of disappointment. After all, the Alchemist was her last hope.

Feng Xueqing held her master’s hand, comforting her, “Master, it’s alright. It’s just one day a month. I’ll just stay indoors on that day. It’s not a life-threatening issue.”

“A curse, another curse?” This was the third time Zhanyue had encountered a curse. These things were always troublesome when they appeared. Even the Illumination Goddess couldn’t do anything about curses. Those who could place curses were all supremely powerful beings.

“Alright, Senior. Xueqing and I will go see Thunder Lord now. After all, participating in the trial competition is our main purpose for coming,” Yan Baifeng said.

“You may go,” the Alchemist didn’t keep them.

As they left, Feng Xueqing secretly glanced at Zhanyue, clearly very curious about him.

“Tsk tsk tsk, just over twenty years old, with cultivation at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm. This old Taoist is truly enlightened. What kind of extraordinary encounter did this girl have?” the Alchemist said.

Zhanyue nearly fell off his seat. He had just entered the Star Profound Realm, and this girl, who looked even younger than him, was at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm? Was this a joke?

“The Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave has great opportunities, so this isn’t surprising,” the Alchemist understood. In fact, he didn’t care much about it. Even so, he still felt Zhanyue had greater potential. Because Zhanyue could do things that even he couldn’t do!