After mooching a meal off Cousin Sister Yudie, the three of them took her up Rain God Peak for a tour.
Rain God Peak was the Yu Shizun’s cultivation grounds. Ordinary disciples had no right to set foot there, and even elders needed to send word ahead and request an audience before ascending.
Cousin Sister Yudie looked around with keen interest, displaying immense curiosity for scenery she could usually only gaze at from afar.
Yan Zhen watched with equal relish. After all, before awakening his past-life memories, the script’s mere textual descriptions had paled far in comparison to seeing it all with his own eyes.
Mentor Yu Xuan played the role of tour guide, introducing the various sights atop Rain God Peak one by one.
Standing at the edge of a cliff shrouded in hazy clouds, Cousin Sister Yudie drew a deep breath and sighed,
“The mystic qi of heaven and earth here is so dense! It’s several times richer than at Disciple Peak. Even just breathing feels like cultivation.”
A gentle breeze swept in, causing the disciple robes draped over her body to flutter alongside her short hair like flags in the wind. She cut quite the valiant and heroic figure.
Yan Zhen blinked, thinking that girls like Cousin Sister Yudie—with her bold and straightforward personality—always gave off a vibe that made him want to treat her like one of the guys.
That said, back in the Inner Academy, she wasn’t short on admirers. He’d occasionally overheard tales of some pursuer confessing to her in public, only to get laid out flat with a single punch.
No doubt plenty of guys were into that fierce, spirited big-sister type. Er, though she wasn’t really that much older.
Yan Zhen pulled his gaze away from Cousin Sister Yudie and pointed toward a cave mansion near the peak’s summit.
“Is that where the Yu Shizun is in secluded cultivation?”
Mentor Yu Xuan nodded.
“That’s right. It’s called the Rain Master Mansion. The Venerable One remodeled the interior using spatial power, making it incredibly spacious. Not only did she plant all sorts of spirit herbs inside, but there’s even a lake shimmering with five brilliant colors of light—like something straight out of a fairyland. I only went in once, right when I first arrived at Rain God Peak.”
Cousin Sister Yudie immediately wore an envious expression.
“That sounds amazing. When will I get summoned by the Venerable One~?”
“By becoming the chief disciple?”
“That’s no small task. Besides, even chief disciples rarely catch the Venerable One’s eye. The Rain God Peak’s chief disciples are typically mentored by the elders.”
Long Ying coughed twice at the side, striking a pompous pose as she declared,
“I shall point you down a clear path. Join my ranks and become my subordinate. I’ll have your back then—you’ll feast on the finest foods and quaff the sweetest wines from here on out.”
Cousin Sister Yudie found it hilarious and played along.
“I almost forgot—Little Long Ying is the unparalleled Supreme Dragon-Phoenix under heaven.”
“Hmph. If I recover my former strength, I’ll be far more powerful than the Yu Shizun.”
In her previous life, she had reached the Divine Spirit Realm, only a hair below Yan Zhen and Chen Xi’s Emperor Realm. She wasn’t exaggerating.
Naturally, Cousin Sister Yudie didn’t take her seriously. She reached out to ruffle that little horned head, but Long Ying dodged with nimble grace. The girl shrank behind Yan Zhen and grumbled in dissatisfaction,
“You dare show such irreverence toward me? I’m not taking you as a subordinate anymore. If someone bullies you, I won’t lift a finger to help. Hmph!”
Cousin Sister Yudie regretfully withdrew her hand. She recalled how she had carried that dragon egg back from the Great Forest Outside the Academy to the academy, only for Long Ying to bond exclusively with Yan Zhen. Wuu~~~.
That thought prompted her to shoot Yan Zhen a look full of resentment, as if he’d stolen her man.
Unfortunately, this cousin brother-in-law had progressed far too quickly. Now she wasn’t even a match for him in a single exchange.
The real kicker was how favored Yan Zhen was. Even if she could beat him, she didn’t dare lay a hand on him—otherwise, she’d have hell to pay back home.
Thus, Cousin Sister Yudie’s expression grew even more resentful, this time as if Yan Zhen had toyed with her affections before heartlessly discarding her.
“…”
Yan Zhen grew rather uneasy under her stare. He averted his eyes from Cousin Sister Yudie and forcibly changed the subject.
“By the way, who exactly are the Jialan Seven Sages? I only know the Yu Shizun, Thunder Supreme, Merchant Supreme, and Mirror Supreme. What are the names of the other three Supremes?”
Mentor Yu Xuan answered,
“The Jialan Seven Sages correspond to ‘Wind, Rain, Thunder, Cloud, Sunny, Fog, and Snow.’ The seven Supremes differ in strength, but their statuses are equal.”
Yan Zhen let out a surprised sound, pretending to be puzzled.
“What about the Merchant Supreme and Mirror Supreme, then?”
Mentor Yu Xuan smiled as she explained,
“The Merchant Supreme is the Wind Supreme. He manages the Merchant Alliance and has rather a merchant’s personality, so he’s come to fit that image. Outsiders habitually refer to him that way. The Mirror Supreme is the Snow Supreme—she wields a tremendously powerful Supreme Treasure Mirror. Whenever that treasure mirror appears, plenty of enemies flee in panic, earning her the title.”
“What nonsense,” Long Ying muttered, pursing her lips. She hadn’t listened at all. “Mother Concubine said names are terribly important. You can’t go calling people whatever you please.”
—Because you’re God Race.
Yan Zhen couldn’t help ribbing her inwardly.
God Race names embodied the origins of their bloodlines, carrying extraordinary significance. The Human Race and beast races didn’t fuss so much over it.
Still, Wind Supreme did suit the “Merchant Supreme” label better. He was a pure conniving merchant—the sort who deserved to be strung up from a lamppost.
Of course, he was no match for Yan Zhen and Ji Ya.
Later on, Ji Ya would expand into stocks and financial ventures within the Merchant Alliance, pulling off a masterful empty-handed wolf maneuver that left those tycoons spinning. Merchant Supreme would end up the biggest fool of the year.
Snow Supreme—also known as Mirror Supreme—was the Wen Family’s backer. She aimed to control Holy Land Academy through them, putting her at odds with Yu Shizun.
Her cultivation had reached Fourth-Rank Supreme, one grade above Yu Shizun and second-to-last among the Jialan Seven Sages. Yet her actual combat prowess went beyond that, courtesy of her Supreme Treasure Mirror and its extraordinary might. With it, she handled even Fifth-Grade Supremes with ease.
Per the script from his past life, once Yan Zhen became Rain God Peak’s chief disciple, he’d clash with the Snow Spirit Peak crew—including that scum Wen Canglan.
More noteworthy than Wind Supreme or Yu Shizun was Fog Supreme. Her true identity was the shadow of the Demon Domain Lord; she had sealed away her own memories and sense of self. Should the Demon Domain Lord move to release those seals, she would revert to her original persona.
In the script—that previous lifetime—Fog Supreme backstabbed Thunder Supreme at a pivotal moment, plunging Holy Land’s side into dire straits in an instant.
He wondered whether Mentor Yu Xuan had passed this secret along to Yu Shizun.
The group continued wandering about.
Before sunset, Cousin Sister Yudie departed. The three returned to the cave mansion to bathe.
Yan Zhen had hoped to share a romantic mandarin duck bath with Mentor Yu Xuan and get a bit intimate, but with Long Ying there, Mentor Yu Xuan felt too bashful. She shut herself in her room to bathe alone.
Left with no choice, Yan Zhen retreated to his own room and bathed Little Long Ying, treating it as practice for looking after a daughter someday.
Bare as the day she hatched, Long Ying sat obediently on the little stool with her eyes squeezed shut and her back to Yan Zhen. As his fingers worked through her scalp and hair, her cute little face lit up with bliss.
After rinsing the suds away with hot water, Yan Zhen scooped Long Ying up and settled her into the bath bucket to soak before cleaning his own body.
Long Ying blinked her big eyes at Yan Zhen’s toned physique, flushing a little with shyness. Still, she offered eagerly,
“Yan Zhen Zhen, let me help you wash! I’m great at scrubbing backs.”
Yan Zhen refused without a second thought.
“No need. I can handle it myself.”
Long Ying puffed out her cheeks at once.
