Li Haimo chatted a bit longer with Bei Mingzi, asking questions about the Daoist Scripture and gaining valuable insights. When it came to understanding the Daoist Scripture, no one in the Daoist school surpassed Bei Mingzi. In his lucid moments, he exuded the commanding aura of a final boss, and sticking by his side was like leeching experience points from a master.
But high rewards came with high risks. Out of nowhere, a massive whale plummeted from the sky, slamming down with a Mount Tai Crush. Li Haimo glanced back to see Xiaomeng had vanished long ago, leaving him standing there like an idiot, flattened into the ground. His freshly donned Daoist robe was shredded into strips again. It was only Bei Mingzi's unconscious casting—had it been intentional, Li Haimo would've been half-dead, if not fully gone.
A Spring Returns to All Things washed over him. Xiaomeng, the little loli, had reappeared from who-knows-where, casting the healing technique before sitting back down to stare at him, lost in thought.
"My apologies, I zoned out again," Bei Mingzi said awkwardly.
"Master drifts off whenever he speaks for longer than a cup of tea's time," Xiaomeng noted coolly.
Li Haimo blinked. So there's a pattern? No wonder you bolted so fast. But why'd you run? No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than another massive whale burst from the ground, swatting him into the air with its tail before plopping down to crush him.
This time, he was truly injured—at least three or four ribs cracked.
"You didn't learn Free-and-Easy Wandering?" Xiaomeng asked, reappearing to cast another Spring Returns to All Things. "Transform into a Peng, soar nine thousand miles on the spiraling winds—it's a combo move. I healed you so you could run."
Now, Li Haimo was completely bare, not a thread left on him, and even his hair was half-broken.
"Is there more?" Li Haimo had learned his lesson. He formed a hand seal, determined not to get flattened again, no matter where he ended up.
But when he glanced back, Xiaomeng was gone again. The world turned monochrome—Heaven and Earth Lost Color. His technique wouldn't activate.
Done for. Time to wait for death, Li Haimo thought, closing his eyes.
Whoosh! A gale roared, tossing him through the air in a dizzying 360-degree dance. Can you even use Riding the Void Wind like this?
Half an hour later, Li Haimo was questioning his entire existence. Finally, he landed. What a beautiful day to be alive. Consulting a big shot for a cup of tea's worth of wisdom came with an hour of near-death experiences.
"Senior Brother Wuchenzi, are you okay?" Xiaomeng returned, nudging him with her sword, Xueji.
"Don't touch me—it hurts!" Li Haimo groaned. Every bone in his body felt shattered, his muscles like brittle porcelain, ready to crumble at the slightest touch.
Xiaomeng sat beside him, silent, just watching. Bei Mingzi, meanwhile, seemed lost in a trance—or rather, snoring loudly, clearly asleep rather than cultivating.
"Uh, Junior Sister Xiaomeng, could you cast Spring Returns to All Things again?" Li Haimo asked after waiting in vain for her to act.
"You said not to touch you, so I didn't," Xiaomeng explained, then casually cast the healing technique.
"Phew, I'm alive," Li Haimo sighed, stretching. His bones cracked loudly. A breeze below reminded him of his predicament. So embarrassing—flashing a girl multiple times in one day.
"Junior Sister Xiaomeng, got a spare robe?" he asked, mortified.
"This is Master's last one. Don't ruin it," Xiaomeng said, handing him a black Daoist robe.
"Thanks," Li Haimo muttered, hurriedly changing. This is rough—changing in front of a beautiful girl like her? Heart-pounding, sure, but three years in prison or the death penalty, anyone?
"We're different," Xiaomeng's icy voice cut through.
Li Haimo froze. What? Is she a transmigrator too? Testing the waters, he sang, "Everyone has a different fate."
Xiaomeng blinked, confused. Did Senior Brother get beaten silly? Why's he singing? Or is it like Master Chi Songzi said—those who study the Daoist Scripture lose their minds, just like Master?
Not it? Maybe… "Though we face different trials," Li Haimo sang again.
(◎o◎)! Xiaomeng stared, stunned. Senior Brother's really lost it. Oh no, what do I do? Run? But is he crazy from studying the Daoist Scripture or from Master's beating? I can't stay—if he starts flinging techniques like Master, I'm done for. With a Harmonizing Brilliance with Dust, she vanished.
"What's going on?" Li Haimo was baffled. Did I guess right or wrong? Or was my singing so bad she didn't recognize it?
"Junior Sister, don't run! If I got it wrong, I'll sing another one. How about Learning to Meow? Girls love that one. 'Let's learn to meow together, meow meow meow meow meow, cuddling up to you, meow meow meow meow meow…'" Li Haimo kept singing, striking poses.
"Oh no, Senior Brother's truly gone mad—or studied himself stupid. What do I do?" Xiaomeng, hiding nearby, felt her years of calm waver.
After waiting with no sign of Xiaomeng, and with Bei Mingzi still snoring, Li Haimo sighed. Guess she's not a transmigrator. He trudged out of Taiyi Mountain on foot—no way was he risking Harmonizing Brilliance with Dust and ending up who-knows-where.
Sporting a bird's nest of hair and a face blotched with bruises, he shuffled back to the Human Sect. Disciples from both sects pointed and snickered from a distance.
In the cave, Xiaomeng glanced at her budding chest, then recalled her senior brother's sturdy frame. Are we really different? Why'd he react so strongly to that phrase? Is it like Master, triggered by specific conditions? Is that phrase his trigger?
Back at the Human Sect, Li Haimo grabbed two fresh sets of clothes, changed, and sought out Xiaoyaozi, relaying Bei Mingzi's words.
"Hm, Uncle Bei Mingzi's theory makes sense. It's time for you to leave the mountain. You've studied all the Daoist Scripture we and the Yin-Yang school have. You'll need to visit the Confucian Little Sage Villa for their portion," Xiaoyaozi said after a moment's thought.
"No way, I'm not going. You'd have to kill me first!" Li Haimo leapt up. Go there and get thrashed by Fuzi Nian? I'd be crazy to try.
"Don't you want to figure out what's wrong with your techniques?" Xiaoyaozi asked, puzzled by his reaction.
"I'm fine like this. Besides, for the next Heaven-Man contest, just invite the Confucian second-in-command, Yan Lu, to join us," Li Haimo suggested.
"You're scared of getting beaten by Master Fuzi Nian, aren't you?" Xiaoyaozi said, instantly seeing through him.
_
If you want to support me and read advanced 50+ chapters and also other stories: patreon.com/Caluem