After seeing Ming Xiao off, Chu Xinghui returned home.

Following the sound, he walked into the kitchen, where Xie Liufeng was chopping fish.

Seeing him come back alone, Xie Liufeng casually asked: “Why didn’t you invite your friend to come eat together?”

Chu Xinghui looked around the kitchen, washed his hands, and started selecting vegetables: “He ran away.”

Xie Liufeng was curious: “Did you bully him?”

Although he thought Chu Xinghui probably wouldn’t bully anyone.

Chu Xinghui glanced at him honestly and said: “I guess it’s because I said I wanted you to be my Dao partner, and that scared him.”

Xie Liufeng almost cut his hand as his knife slipped.

Chu Xinghui leaned over to look at his hand, confirmed he wasn’t really hurt, then continued picking vegetables as if he hadn’t said anything unusual.

Xie Liufeng felt this topic was a bit risky, so he changed the subject: “Previously, the sect leader told me that Yue Yao had awakened. She was seriously injured, and even though she has been treated, she still needs a long time to fully recover. Right now, it’s not suitable for her to be traveling. To show the sect’s hospitality, the leader has taken some measures to ensure Yue Yao can rest and recover here.”

Although the main goal was to extract more information from Yue Yao, overall, it was a win-win situation.

Chu Xinghui thought for a moment and nodded: “Alright, I’ll go see her after dinner.”

Xie Liufeng guessed the reason: “The matter about Cultivator Biyun?”

Chu Xinghui responded with a “hmm.”

He had gotten some news about Cultivator Biyun from the black-robed man earlier. Now that Yue Yao had awakened, he should inform her.

*

Yue Yao had a special identity and was placed near her residence by Fang Yan.

When Chu Xinghui arrived at Yue Yao’s place, she was already waiting for him.

Yue Yao greeted him and gestured to the seat in front of her: “Dao friend Chu, it’s been a while since we last met.”

Chu Xinghui was not surprised she knew he was coming, and sat in the seat she indicated.

Yue Yao poured him some tea and took the initiative to thank him: “I have yet to properly thank Dao friend Chu and Senior Xie for saving my life. When I return to Bihai Taohua Island, I will prepare a generous gift for both of you.”

Her once clear and gentle voice was now hoarse and seemed strained, even much lower than usual.

Chu Xinghui was taken aback: “Your throat…”

Yue Yao covered the lower half of her face with a fan, embarrassed but smiling: “How embarrassing, my throat was injured, and the voice won’t recover for a while.”

Chu Xinghui didn’t ask more and got straight to the point, relaying the black-robed man’s words exactly.

Whether it was because of her injury or for some other reason, Yue Yao’s tone was somewhat strange, with a hint of mockery: “That’s what he said?”

Chu Xinghui nodded: “Exactly as it was said, word for word.”

Yue Yao smiled and lightly shook her fan: “I trust Dao friend Chu’s character.”

She put down the fan, her fingers unconsciously stroking its edge, her expression somewhat strange—like she wanted to laugh, yet also seemed saddened: “Anyway, thank you for remembering to ask about this on my behalf.”

Chu Xinghui replied objectively: “After all, these words are only one side of the story. The true situation about Master Ling is still unknown.”

Yue Yao lowered her gaze to the fan and simply said: “Thank you for your consolation.”

Chu Xinghui asked her: “That black-robed man seems to have some connection with Bihai Taohua Island. Do you know him?”

Yue Yao looked up, somewhat surprised: “He has a connection to the island? As far as I recall, the island doesn’t have any disciples resembling him. Did you discover something?”

Her demeanor seemed natural, making it hard to tell if she was telling the truth or not.

Chu Xinghui didn’t answer.

His initial suspicion of that man’s link to the island came precisely because of Yue Yao’s unusual reaction.

Yue Yao sensed something from his silence and nodded: “If so, I’ll investigate carefully once I return.”

Chu Xinghui made no comment.

The two weren’t particularly close, had no common language, and certainly no shared stance. Besides, Yue Yao had just tricked him to meet the black-robed man before, so it was fair to say there was some resentment.

Having said what he needed, Chu Xinghui planned to leave, but Yue Yao suddenly called out: “Dao friend Chu, wait a moment.”

Yue Yao looked at him and took the initiative to say: “Given my current condition, it’s hard to say if I can participate in next year’s Immortal Sect Competition. Since we can meet face to face today, it’s a good opportunity to discuss what I promised you before.”

Chu Xinghui stopped moving.

Yue Yao self-deprecatingly said, thinking of her current state: “In the end, it’s because I wasn’t skilled enough, I didn’t foresee that I would suffer such a calamity.”

She sighed softly: “But not foreseeing it is common. As a disciple of Bihai Taohua Island, the first lesson learned is that human calculation cannot compare to Heaven’s will. Fate is a constantly changing concept—choices by the person involved, by those connected through cause and effect, and changes in the external environment… These changes are threads that weave together into a net that shapes the person’s destiny. The best diviners might see the most threads, but no one can see them all.”

Chu Xinghui wasn’t very interested in the cultivation of Bihai Taohua Island, but he was somewhat curious about the matter Yue Yao had promised him before: “Are you referring to Qin Suyun’s matter?”

Too much had happened recently, and Qin Suyun herself was of little use. Everyone was busy investigating the suddenly appearing black-robed man and had little time for her.

Yue Yao nodded: “Exactly.”

She didn’t waste time and asked directly: “Dao friend Chu, have you heard of the ‘Book of Fate’?”

Chu Xinghui recalled the stone tablet on Changyang Mountain.

Yue Yao observed his expression and chuckled lightly: “…Then you have heard of it.”

Chu Xinghui replied: “That artifact should not be in this realm.”

Yue Yao nodded: “Indeed, it’s not in this realm, but it records the paths of everyone in this realm, both those already taken and those to be taken… so it must have originally been created here.”

She explained: “Its original form is a divine stone deep in the East Sea. When a person places their hand on it, the stone will automatically reveal that person’s life story — not only what has already happened, but also things yet to occur, and these future events all came true one by one.”

Chu Xinghui furrowed his brow tightly: “If such a divine artifact once existed, even if it’s no longer in this realm, there should still be some record of it here.”

Yue Yao smiled: “That’s because it was deliberately concealed.”

Chu Xinghui frowned again.

Yue Yao continued: “That divine stone was obtained by the then island master of Bihai Taohua Island… technically, my ancestral founder. He sought countless rare materials and refined the stone into his life-bound spirit weapon — which later became the ‘Book of Fate.’”

“The Book of Fate can reveal the destiny of everyone in this realm, and he quickly became an unprecedented, supreme diviner.”

Chu Xinghui recalled a name: “Cultivator Fu Guan?”

He had once seen that name in a pile of miscellaneous books Xie Liufeng had given him.

That person was once famous, but after a brief peak, he vanished without a trace. Since Bihai Taohua Island rarely communicated with the outside world, no one knew whether he ascended or perished.

Yue Yao looked somewhat surprised: “It’s been so long that even the most brilliant talents eventually fade from memory. Not many people still know that name today.”

Chu Xinghui steered the conversation back: “Using such an artifact, is there truly no cost?”

Yue Yao’s expression turned pale: “There is a cost… This item was never meant to be privately owned, so naturally there’s a price. Later, this ancestor died under heavenly punishment — his body and soul turned to ash in the thunder tribulation, and the Book of Fate disappeared. Since then, only Bihai Taohua Island retained records about it. If not for that ‘god’ descending to this realm five hundred years ago, claiming the Book was in the upper realm, probably no one here would even know it exists.”

Chu Xinghui brought up the original topic: “What connection does this have with Qin Suyun?”

Yue Yao was silent for a moment, then looked him directly in the eyes and revealed the most critical information: “By using certain special methods, the Book of Fate can be directly altered. Small things like changing a person’s attitude, to major twists involving fate… The closer the relationship, the greater the chance of success.”

Chu Xinghui suddenly recalled the “book” that appeared in his mind when he first arrived in the cultivation world.

Those “plots”… were they the results of such modifications?

Yue Yao watched his expression: “Back then, Qin Yuwen… probably tried to use the Book of Fate to influence you. But for some reason, you strongly resisted him from the start and distanced yourself.”

Chu Xinghui didn’t answer that directly, instead asking: “Is the Book of Fate in Qin Suyun’s possession?”

Yue Yao shook her head: “She doesn’t have that much power, but she likely has contact with it, and might occasionally be able to make some changes.”

“She needs to stay alive… because we need her to help us destroy the Book.”

“Even though the records about this item on Bihai Taohua Island are insufficient, based on the limited information available, the harm this thing causes far exceeds its benefits.”

Chu Xinghui was not fully convinced: “This has been going on for more than five hundred years, and countless people have been affected. Why did you say before that the timing wasn’t right, and only reveal this now?”

Yue Yao said: “Because I only recently confirmed this myself.”

She closed her eyes briefly: “After the Sword Sovereign slew the gods five hundred years ago, the concept of the ‘Book of Fate’ reappeared in this realm. My master recalled the island’s records and began researching the related information intermittently. This matter is somewhat a scandal for Bihai Taohua Island, so she kept silent until she found definitive evidence. But even before she disappeared, she hadn’t found this key point.”

The information she gave seemed comprehensive and the causality clear.

But Chu Xinghui still held reservations about her story.

Yue Yao probably still hid many things.

She didn’t seem to care whether he believed her or not, poured herself another cup of tea, and lamented: “Ah, looks like the tea is gone. I suppose I’ll have to treat Dao friend Chu again another day.”

Chu Xinghui understood her meaning and said goodbye.

After walking some distance, he suddenly turned back and asked again: “Dao friend Yue, do you really not know the identity of that black-robed man?”

Yue Yao gently shook the fan in her hand, smiled: “I don’t know him.”

Rarely did she show emotion, but now a genuine hatred flickered in her eyes: “He is the enemy who harmed my master. If I knew who he was, I would tear him limb from limb to relieve my hatred.”

Chu Xinghui listened and slowly frowned.

Yue Yao’s attitude was strange.

Even without conclusive evidence, she seemed certain her master was already dead.

 

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