Dusk Returns to the Ruined Building

Xuanyuan Jade Peak, Wulang Study Hall.

There is a very inconspicuous little valley with only one thatched hut in the valley. However, the hut is surrounded by all kinds of exotic flowers and plants. These are not natural, but carefully cultivated by the owner of the hut.

This valley is called Mengyun, with Mengpu in front of the thatched hut and Yunpu behind it.

Only one person lives here year-round; everyone calls him the Hermit of Dream Clouds.

The disciples of Wulang Academy are all familiar with Layman Mengyun, because all the flowers in Wulang Academy come from here. Also, most of the disciples in Wulang Academy are young, and the flowers they give to their sweethearts are picked from here.

The hermit of Mengyun rarely speaks.

When the couplet outside the Thousand Temples changed, a change also occurred in Dream Cloud Valley.

In an instant, all the flowers in the Dream Garden withered, while all the flowers in the Cloud Garden bloomed, a complete reversal!

The hermit of Mengyun stepped out of his thatched hut, his expression solemn. He gazed at the distant sky, and after a long while, let out a soft sigh:

"What was bound to happen has finally happened. I've been waiting for this day for almost a thousand years!"

The Dream Cloud Hermit vanished in a flash of light. If the disciples of Wulang Academy had seen it, they would have been utterly astonished, for everyone thought the Dream Cloud Hermit was just an ordinary gardener, and no one knew that he was a cultivator.

Tianyi Pavilion.

Located in the very center of Wulang Academy, the Twelve Halls of Wulang are distributed around it according to the twelve earthly branches.

Tianyi Pavilion holds a very high position within Wulang Academy. No matter who you are or which sect you come from, you must obtain permission from the manager before you can enter Tianyi Pavilion to read books, and you can only read designated books.

Tianyi Pavilion is not only protected by formations, but also by guards, whose cultivation is said to be no weaker than that of the hall master.

The night was past midnight. In the semi-open-air study on the top floor of Tianyi Pavilion, there was an old man with white hair and a youthful face sitting cross-legged. He seemed to be dozing off, and drool was dripping onto his clothes.

Not far behind, in the shadows, stood a person, dressed in a long robe, with a slender and thin body, wearing a mask, bowing respectfully.

With a flash of light, the Hermit of Dream Cloud appeared inside Tianyi Pavilion. Both he and the masked man were clearly taken aback, obviously neither of them expected the other to appear there. However, neither of them spoke.

As the waning moonlight shone on the face of the white-haired, youthful-looking old man, he awoke, slowly opened his eyes, and whispered:

"Hey, what brings you two here in the middle of the night?"

The hermit of Dream Cloud and the masked man looked at each other at the same time, both wanting the other to speak first, but neither of them showed any intention of speaking.

“Speak! You’ve both come here for the sake of the Ji family. The two of you have been jointly managing the Wulang Academy for a thousand years, and the Ji family has always been standing between you!”

Master Mengyun shook his head. He chose to concede, bowed deeply, and said softly:

"Senior, something has happened at the Thousand Temple. I would like to ask you to make a trip there and bring that person back!"

"All paths lead to one; does the Ji family truly have someone who can stand above all paths?"

The old man with white hair and a youthful face had a noticeably serious expression between his brows.

"I think so, the chosen one really does come from the Ji family!"

The hermit Mengyun spoke in a low voice, and his expression was truly solemn.

"He cannot enter the Wulang Academy; he will bring devastating disaster to it!"

The person wearing the mask objected outright.

Master Mengyun did not respond, because he was also unsure and could not see through it. The two of them quietly looked at the old man with white hair and a youthful face.

As the light of the waning moon receded from Tianyi Pavilion, the white-haired, youthful-looking old man spoke softly:

"Fanxin, what are you doing here?"

The person wearing the mask bowed slightly and responded:

"Uncle-Master, a member of the Ji family has entered Yanquan, and the Ji family's divine armies have already deployed their troops at the edge of Yanquan. All signs indicate that they are here for Wulang Academy!"

Upon hearing this, Layman Mengyun trembled slightly and glanced at Fanxin, who was wearing a mask.

"Ling Yun, from this day forward, you will be in charge of Tianyi Pavilion!"

After the white-haired, youthful-looking old man finished speaking, his body flashed with a faint light, and he disappeared into the night sky.

Wearing a mask, Fan Xin exclaimed in surprise:

"Uncle Master, no!"

Fan Xin's voice was urgent and panicked, but there was nothing he could change.

Inside Tianyi Pavilion, the hermit Mengyun and Fanxin remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, the hermit Mengyun slowly walked to the spot where the white-haired, youthful-looking old man had been, sat cross-legged, and softly said:

"The Ji family probably knows about the existence of the Cloud Spring Tomb!"

Wearing a mask, Fanxin quietly watched the retreating figure of Mengyun Jushi, and let out a soft sigh:

"Hey, what if the Ji family knew of your existence? Mo Fan sent a message saying that a young man who knows the Holy Emperor's Art of Harmony of Heaven and Earth has arrived in Yanquan. What exactly did you and Ji Xuanfeng agree to back then?"

The hermit of Mengyun trembled almost imperceptibly.

"It has nothing to do with you, and nothing to do with Wulang Academy! A thousand years ago, I promised you that if the Ji family came because of me, I would not hesitate to go back with them and would not cause any trouble for Wulang Academy. Although a thousand years have passed, I will not break my promise!"

"Ji Lingyun, I have absolutely no interest in the affairs of the Ji family, but it won't be so easy for the Ji family to destroy Wulang Academy!"

Fan Xin, wearing a mask, left.

After a long while, another sentence came:

"The woman inside Ji Xuanfeng's body, are you two old acquaintances?"

Master Mengyun suddenly turned his head, his expression one of horror. After a moment, he let out a soft sigh:

"Sigh, a thousand years have passed, why are you still so persistent?"

"Hmph, what about you? Aren't you less persistent? Aren't you always waiting for the person who will change the fate of the Ji family? I'm really curious to see what kind of person he will be!"

The hermit of Mengyun looked up at the distant sky and murmured to himself:

“There are probably many people who are curious about him. If Wulang Academy is destroyed because of him, Fanxin, will you hate me?”

Mengyun Jushi did not say these words to Fanxin, because he was waiting for that person to come to Wulang Shutang.

The hermit of Mengyun is named Ji Lingyun. Without a doubt, he is a member of the Ji family. People all over the world, and even the people of Wulang Academy, probably would not have imagined that the Wulang Academy, which never recruits members of the Ji family, actually harbors a member of the Ji family!

Moreover, Master Mengyun is the second manager of Wulang Academy who has never shown his face before!

Luowu Ancient City.

Young Master Ji Xuanyan was not asleep either. She stood alone by the window, looking at the moon hanging in the sky.

Ji Xuanyan held a slip of paper in her hand; it was a message she had received not long ago, from Ji Qingyun of the Ji family.

Ji Xuanyan didn't know how to reply; she was actually thinking about something else.

Shen Yichen has not yet shown up. How could Ji Qingyun be so sure that Shen Yichen is still alive? This is too strange. She has the Qiankun Jade Pendant and is very certain that Shen Yichen is not dead. But what is Ji Qingyun relying on to be sure?

Although the four forces sent by the Ji family to Yanquan had different targets, Ji Xuanyan could tell at a glance that this was preparation for eliminating Wulang Academy. The four Jianghu forces were all closely related to Wulang Academy and were located around Wulang Academy.

Ji Xuanyan found it very strange. How did Ji Qingyun manage to make such a big show of things and mobilize so many people from all the branches of the Ji family? The Ji family members didn't even suspect anything. It was one thing for the other branches to be suspicious, but even the family head Ji Qingfeng and the royal family members didn't react at all.

Ji Xuanyan really couldn't understand it. Now she didn't know where to go. Ji Qingyun had rescued her, but she would never obey Ji Qingyun. Ji Qingyun himself knew this, but the four members of the Ji family still regarded her as their leader!

"Ji Qingyun, what exactly are you up to?"

Ji Xuanyan sighed softly, and the letter in her hand turned to ashes.

A moment later, Ji Xuanyan suddenly turned around, and there was a person in her room, an old woman, a frail old woman.

"Yan girl, you came to my Luowu Ancient City without even saying hello?"

Ji Xuanyan smiled slightly and bowed deeply.

"Junior Ji Xuanyan greets Lord Luowu!"

"This is so formal. I'm not the Lord of Luowu anymore, I'm just your elder now, since I came alone!"

Ji Xuanyan smiled gently!

"Xuan Yan greets Granny Sheng!"