Back in the room, Li Haimo couldn't shake the feeling that he'd forgotten something important, but he just couldn't recall what it was. It puzzled him—whatever it was, it was enough to disrupt his state of mind.
After freshening up, Xiao Meng appeared in a light gauze dress, looking utterly captivating. Noticing Li Haimo's dazed expression, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Li Haimo looked up, glanced at her, then reached out and pulled her into his embrace. "I forgot something, but I can't remember what."
"You can't force these things; pushing too hard goes against our Daoist principles of serenity. If you can't recall it, just let it go for now," Xiao Meng comforted him.
After some intimate whispers and closeness, Xiao Meng asked again, "Are you hiding something from me? You've been pulling strings—like getting Lord Longyang into the Human Sect and freeing Hei Bai Xuan Jian from the Luo Net."
"It's nothing major. I just accidentally bestowed the heavenly Dao remnants on the entire Sanghai Confucian community. Even Fu Nian and Yan Lu have reached heaven-man unity," Li Haimo said, trying to sound casual.
"The entire city of Sanghai!" Xiao Meng was stunned. Even though Sanghai wasn't a massive metropolis, it was a substantial coastal port town with at least fifty or sixty thousand people. In the Warring States era, that made it a first-tier city outside the national capitals. The Guan Miao Terrace on Taiyi Mountain couldn't cover an area that large.
"What about the emperor's nectar?" Xiao Meng pressed. With such a vast scope, there had to be plenty of emperor's nectar. When she herself had harmonized with the Dao, there were heavenly Dao remnants and emperor's nectar too. Gai Nie had only received a strand, while the rest went to Daoist disciples. That was why only inner sect disciples were allowed to reside on Taiyi Mountain—though Daoists pursued detachment from desires, they wouldn't nurture people of unknown backgrounds. Only those inner sect and above, whose roots were thoroughly vetted, got such opportunities.
Gai Nie's entry into Taiyi Mountain wasn't just because the Daoists supported Ying Zheng; it was also due to his mindset and character aligning with Daoist ideals, leaning toward the Dao. Plus, with Xiaoyao Zi on the verge of heaven-man unity, he'd invited Gai Nie to gain insights through analogy.
"Xue Nu got sixty percent, ten percent went to the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower, ten percent to the Heavenly Thunder Ginkgo, ten percent was absorbed by Fu Nian and Yan Lu, and the remaining ten percent scattered across Sanghai," Li Haimo replied.
At the time of his Dao harmony, he couldn't control it—his focus had been on lecturing Xue Nu, so most went to her. The Great Dao Ephemeral Flower was the catalyst for his entry, so it claimed ten percent. The Heavenly Thunder Ginkgo, destroyed by lightning when he abandoned the Daoist principle of establishing a heart for heaven and earth, received ten percent as heavenly compensation after he reestablished his Dao. Fu Nian and Yan Lu, being the highest in realm and closest, plus having heard the Dao's sound, got ten percent.
"No wonder the Confucians are so eager to recruit you."
Xiao Meng finally understood the fuss from the Confucians earlier—the heavenly Dao remnants and emperor's nectar covering all of Sanghai, plus the Dao he'd established, which they must have benefited from. How infuriating—it feels like such a huge loss. No way; they had to dig up that Heavenly Thunder Ginkgo and bring it back to Taiyi Mountain. And not everyone in Sanghai who got the emperor's nectar was a Confucian disciple, so the Daoists deserved at least seventy percent of those beneficiaries.
Moreover, the Confucians had to offer equivalent compensation. That was two heaven-man unity experts, not some common commodity—each one was the pinnacle of the jianghu. What a raw deal. Counting herself and Senior Brother Xiaoyao Zi, the Daoists only had three. Even adding the newly recruited Hei Bai Xuan Jian made four. The key point: the Confucians had none before! And Fu Nian and Yan Lu weren't ordinary; their entry into heaven-man unity wasn't like Dong Jun's initial stage—they dove deep right away.
Li Haimo knew this was a big deal, which was why he'd refused to join the Confucians outright. He'd wait for Xiao Meng to decide how to demand compensation from them.
"The Confucians' Ten Wings must be given to us as recompense for the core of the Dao you established. The Heavenly Thunder Ginkgo has to be returned to Taiyi Mountain—it's ours to begin with. For the non-Confucian disciples in Sanghai who received emperor's nectar, we Daoists get priority selection, at least seventy percent. Plus, they must help us cultivate two heaven-man unity experts. Finally, they have to send one of their heaven-man unity practitioners to our Guan Miao Terrace on Taiyi Mountain!" Xiao Meng declared. Even that would only even the score, mainly because the Confucians had gained from the newly established Dao—something irreplaceable. They couldn't very well slaughter the entire city of Sanghai.
"And the disciples from the various schools in Sanghai—the Hundred Schools must compensate us too," Xiao Meng added. Those who received heavenly Dao remnants and emperor's nectar wouldn't be ordinary folk; plenty of Hundred Schools disciples must be among them. Dream on if they think they can freeload. Only we Daoists get away with that.
"I've already memorized the Ten Wings; I can copy it out once we're back on the mountain. I discussed this with Senior Brother Xun Zi, including sending back the parts of the Daoist Scripture the Confucians obtained. As for the Heavenly Thunder Ginkgo, I'd love to uproot it, but it's impossible—only a single branch survives now. Moving it would kill it," Li Haimo said.
"Then designate Wang Garden as our Daoist enclave in Sanghai," Xiao Meng insisted.
"But that's Yan Lu's private property." Li Haimo couldn't bring himself to ask.
"That's between you and Yan Lu. This is between the Daoists and the Confucians!" Xiao Meng retorted, still feeling the loss keenly.
"Fine, I'll talk to Fu Nian about it later." Li Haimo nodded. He was too close to Yan Lu to broach it, but Fu Nian, as Confucian leader, could persuade him.
"And you—come with me. I still feel like we're shortchanged!" Xiao Meng stood up, shooting him a glare. She couldn't let it go; the culprit was this guy, and she wouldn't calm down until she dealt with him.
Li Haimo paused, then smiled wryly. He'd known it would come to this.
"How should I punish you, I wonder?" Xiao Meng sat on the bed's edge, her tone light.
"Ahem—" Urgent, waiting online: any way to save myself?
On the rooftop, Hei Bai Xuan Jian—who'd come to guard them for the night—let a faint smile crack his stoic face. It wasn't that he wanted to eavesdrop; as a heaven-man unity expert, it was hard not to hear without barriers in place. So Wuchen Zi is just like the rest of us—henpecked by his wife. But begging for help? And right in the room? As a veteran, let me tell you: in moments like this, pounce and silence her with a kiss.
"Pounce on her!" Hei Bai Xuan Jian figured he'd need to get along in the Daoist school eventually, so he sent a mental reminder to his new sect leader.
Li Haimo blinked, then it clicked. Right—why am I trying to reason with a woman? Am I stupid? The veteran knew best!
So Li Haimo acted, scooping Xiao Meng up and pressing her onto the bed. After nurturing this for so long, it was time.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian chuckled, leaving a soundproof barrier for them before heading back to his room. No need to witness what wasn't suitable for all ages.
Xiao Meng was caught off guard. Hei Bai Xuan Jian didn't know Daoist long-distance transmission, so she'd heard his words too—and now Li Haimo was upon her, eyes gleaming.
"Be gentle," Xiao Meng whispered, a mix of nerves and anticipation.
Master Nian Duan had explained these things to her, assuming Daoists, focused on cultivation, might not understand, so she'd taught them some basics.
Li Haimo gazed at Xiao Meng's exquisite features. From the day he'd brought her to Taiyi Mountain, their fates intertwined. Then, a decade later, their reunion—two people on one mountain, the unruly Daoist Scripture drawing them together time and again. The awkward first meeting, followed by deeper connections. Finally, wandering the world side by side.
"Maybe we should wait until we're back on Taiyi Mountain?" Li Haimo paused, feeling it was too rushed.
"You!" Xiao Meng erupted in fury. I've prepared myself, and now you say this? You've already stripped me, and you're claiming you can't?
A night of passionate entanglement, the room filled with spring's symphony.
The next morning, Xue Nu and Dong Jun were up, glancing at Hei Bai Xuan Jian sitting in the courtyard cradling the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower. Oddly, the other two were nowhere in sight.
"I'll go wake Master!" Xue Nu said, heading for the door. It was routine.
"I think you'd better not," Hei Bai Xuan Jian suddenly advised.
Xue Nu paused, confused. She'd done this before, and surely they were up by now.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian eyed her, wondering how to explain without being blunt or vague.
Dong Jun caught on from Hei Bai Xuan Jian's look—if Xue Nu barged in now, the awkwardness would be mortifying.
"Your master got punished pretty severely last night, so you'd best not disturb them right now!" Hei Bai Xuan Jian said.
"Punished? What did Master do wrong this time?" Xue Nu still didn't get it.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian glanced at her, then turned away. I've warned you—what happens next is on you. If you want to court death, go ahead.
"Weird," Xue Nu muttered, rolling her eyes as she approached the door.
"I wouldn't open that if I were you," Dong Jun advised, feeling the need to clue in this girl who seemed sharp but was clearly sheltered. A married couple in one room, still abed this late—can't you guess?
Xue Nu scanned between Dong Jun and Hei Bai Xuan Jian, sensing they knew something she didn't—and it seemed risky. She backed off from the door. Curious as she was about what her master and uncle-master were doing, their expressions screamed "do not disturb."
It wasn't until the sun was high overhead that Li Haimo and Xiao Meng stirred. Last night had been intense.
"Time to get up?" Li Haimo asked, looking at Xiao Meng beside him.
"Don't want to," Xiao Meng murmured lazily.
"Then let's stay a bit longer!"
And so they lounged until afternoon before finally opening the door.
"Everyone's here?" Li Haimo said, holding Xiao Meng's hand as he saw the three in the courtyard, all turning to look. He greeted them awkwardly.
Xue Nu studied the pair, sensing a change but unable to pinpoint it—just that her uncle-master seemed even more beautiful, with less of that aloof, otherworldly air. She felt more human now.
"Another breakthrough?" Dong Jun noted Xiao Meng's shifted aura, surprised. Could marrying really lead to a breakthrough?
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