Chapter 1282: Caught in a Dilemma

Chen Changsheng wasn't entirely clear about Mo Yu's situation either. Lihua's earlier words had kept him on guard, and even now, he couldn't tell which side Mo Yu truly stood on.

Even among the three totems on his chest, the most peaceful one was Mo Yu's Qilin Totem. One could even say it didn't resist at all, as if it were entirely willing.

This was very strange.

Because whether it was the Dragon Lord or the Fox Lord, both of their totems reacted with repulsion. Yet, the Qilin Totem did not.

Chen Changsheng changed the subject and asked, "How has Mister Zhong been recently?"

Hearing this, Xiao Dongxu paused, but shook his head and said, "Mister Zhong's condition is not very good. In his early years, he used his life to pry into the heavenly secrets and paid no small price. Now, he has reached his final days."

Chen Changsheng was dazed for a moment, then said, "Just how many years has it been..."

It had been less than a hundred years since he first met Zhong Zhengyuan.

For a cultivator of such a realm, a hundred years was but the flick of a finger, much like ordinary people meeting after just a few years.

But in the blink of an eye, he was being told that this man had grown old.

Cultivators cultivated a quiet heart, but they couldn't be without pursuits. Otherwise, what was the point of moving forward step by step?

After finishing his tea, Chen Changsheng stood, ready to take his leave.

Only then did Chen Changsheng snap out of his daze. The two clinked their cups and, as if drinking wine, downed the tea in one gulp.

It was not until Xiao Dongxu raised his teacup.

Destiny would arrive naturally.

"Where in this world is there true immortality..."

But Xiao Dongxu felt this was probably a good thing. No matter how one looked at it, the Chen Changsheng of the past had seemed like a person with no desires, which was not a good thing for a cultivator.

Xiao Dongxu asked, "Where is Mister planning to go on this journey?"

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly and nodded. "I'll borrow your auspicious words."

Chen Changsheng walked out of the tea house, pondering the words Xiao Dongxu had spoken right before he left.

Nowadays, Chen Changsheng couldn't even distinguish what exactly counted as destiny.

Amid this swaying wind and rain, everyone was changing.

It was always hard for people to accept.

Did a cultivator necessarily possess an unchanging state of mind? The answer was clearly no.

Hearing this, Xiao Dongxu opened his mouth, then paused for a moment before finally saying, "Then I shall congratulate Mister in advance—may destiny arrive naturally."

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then said, "The four corners of the world are all destinations. Wherever my feet take me, that is where I will be."

Xiao Dongxu watched the man walk away, step by step.

Chen Changsheng shook his head, saying nothing more.

At the mention of this matter, Xiao Dongxu also fell silent. He too was powerless to change it. The consequences of prying into the heavenly secrets were inherently irreversible; it damaged the very foundation, which was incredibly difficult to replenish.

He couldn't help but feel that the person before him had changed, steadily losing his former radiance. There was a touch more hostility around his brows; the comfortable feeling he always used to give off was gone, replaced by something strangely unsettling.

As the two sat in the tea house, the atmosphere felt unusually heavy and silent.

He felt that this was nothing more than coming to understand certain things.

"Perhaps everything just follows destiny."

As Chen Changsheng was thinking this, he ran into another person.

And Wang Yingying saw him as well.

This border region was very small, and almost everyone recognized those with a bit of a reputation. Wang Yingying cultivated the Qingxian Dao. Ever since she arrived at the Border Pass, she rarely rested. Whenever the pass encountered enemies, she would always leap down from the city walls. As a result, she stood out prominently when walking among the crowds.

"Priest Wang, would you like a steamed cake?"

"No thank you, I just ate."

"Priest, you aren't busy today."

"Ah, no, I'm not."

Wang Yingying had a fairly good relationship with these peddlers and merchants because she often stood up for them. Some of the more wicked soldiers would take a detour when they saw her.

Wang Yingying's gaze returned to the road ahead, and at a glance, she spotted the man dressed in a green robe.

Perhaps because so much time had passed, she couldn't recognize his face, but she remembered that green robe, and couldn't help but fall into her memories.

Chen Changsheng looked at her, noticing that at some point, a scar had appeared on the young woman's face. It looked terrifying, but Wang Yingying didn't seem to care at all.

Wang Yingying walked up to Chen Changsheng.

Looking at him, she hurriedly and respectfully cupped her hands in a salute. "Greetings, Mister Chen."

Chen Changsheng paused and asked, "You still remember This Chen?"

Wang Yingying was a bit confused and asked, "It hasn't been that long. How could I forget Mister?"

Chen Changsheng said, "The last time I saw you, you were still cultivating at Qingxian Temple."

Wang Yingying was taken aback. "Wasn't it at the Imperial Palace?"

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng froze.

"The Imperial Palace?"

Wang Yingying looked at Chen Changsheng in bewilderment.

Chen Changsheng felt a bit disoriented. He asked, "Last time, last time..."

He composed himself and asked, "When you were at the Imperial Palace..."

Wang Yingying said, "Mister, I am the Director of Astronomy."

Chen Changsheng raised his hand and began pinching his fingers to calculate.

He blanked out for a split second, unable to help but look at Wang Yingying.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He had never expected that Wang Yingying would also be tangled up in this.

Wang Yingying asked, "When did Mister arrive here? Have you eaten?"

"I drank a couple cups of tea..."

Chen Changsheng murmured in response.

"Then the timing is perfect. I will treat Mister to a meal."

Wang Yingying looked at this familiar yet foreign person. At this moment, all she wanted was to make him stay. She harbored doubts in her heart that had never been answered.

Chen Changsheng didn't refuse, and the two arrived at a restaurant.

They picked a relatively secluded corner seat, and after sitting down, ordered their food.

Along the way, the two hadn't spoken a single word.

It wasn't until Xiao Er served all the dishes that Wang Yingying pulled out her chopsticks and said, "Mister, please."

"Mhm."

Chen Changsheng nodded and immediately picked up his chopsticks.

The meal felt incredibly awkward; both of them sat in silence.

After taking only a few bites, Wang Yingying set down her chopsticks. Her gaze drifted outside, as if she didn't dare make eye contact with Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Are you full?"

Wang Yingying said, "At this point, eating food is merely to satisfy the desires of the palate. It's the same no matter how much I eat."

"What Realm have you reached now?"

"I'm not sure..."

Wang Yingying hadn't looked into it closely, but it wasn't bad either.

She opened her mouth, suddenly asking, "Why did Mister come looking for us back then to help us consolidate the world's qi destiny?"

Chen Changsheng paused, then shook his head and said, "That wasn't me."

Wang Yingying blanked out for a moment, looking at Chen Changsheng in bewilderment.

"Mister refuses to admit it..."

Chen Changsheng stopped his chopsticks, looked at her, and said, "This Chen finds it necessary to explain it to you."

Wang Yingying looked at him, waiting for Chen Changsheng's explanation.

"Back then..."

As Chen Changsheng spoke, his hand suddenly paused.

He said, "In short, what you saw was not the real This Chen, but someone else in disguise."

"Is that so?"

Wang Yingying sneered coldly and said, "I don't know what you were truly after, but no matter how you put it, you really did fool everyone. With just a single set of Formations, you threw the world into chaos."

"I have already repented and resolved to return peace to this world. No matter what you truly want, I won't let you have your way!"