Devour

Chapter 468 The Broken Zither Reveals Whose Heart It Is

Cheng Bai was captivated by her breathtaking beauty and keenly noticed that Feng Yong was staring intently at him, her eyes brimming with unfathomable depth.

A melodious tune flowed from the Miaodi Stringless Zither. Feng Yong's fingers flew like lightning, as if a butterfly was dancing, and the body of the zither shimmered with seven-colored light.

"Could Feng Yong still be holding a grudge about what he said last time?" Cheng Bai suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold air beside him and inwardly groaned.

As expected, Ningxiang glared at her and questioned, "Are you very familiar with them?"

Cheng Bai looked serious and said cautiously, "We just met by chance in the martial world. There are bound to be some conflicts between sects, so we can't really be considered very familiar with each other."

Seeing this, Mr. Bei tactfully retreated to the back of the crowd and remained silent.

Ningxiang took a step closer and casually linked arms with Chengbai, feigning intimacy.

Gou Changniang narrowed her sharp, hawk-like eyes as she saw her precious armor, which had been stripped from her, now draped over the body of another beautiful woman, a sight that burned both her eyes and her heart!

In an instant, her eyes flashed with a fierce light, and her anger seemed about to burst forth.

Feng Yong's fingers trembled slightly, and the smooth and melodious piano music suddenly went out of tune and then stopped abruptly.

She hurriedly looked away, lowered her head, and looked displeased. The temperature inside and outside the pavilion seemed to drop several degrees due to her emotions.

"Oh dear! The lady in the purple and white dress looks at me like she wants to kill me." Ningxiang chuckled softly, her clear voice cloyingly sweet. "Do you owe her money? Or have you betrayed her feelings?"

Cheng Baiyun said casually, "I've fought her before, and she lost."

“But that lady in red, she was playing the zither perfectly fine when she suddenly stopped, her mind in complete disarray.” Ningxiang tilted her head, blinking her big, watery eyes, seemingly innocent and naive. “If you’re not hiding something from me, even a ghost wouldn’t believe it.”

She brazenly grabbed Cheng Bai's hand, opened her cherry-like mouth, revealing her clean, white teeth, and gently bit the back of his hand.

Then, Ningxiang leaned forward slightly, close to Chengbai's ear, and whispered in a breathy voice, "I'll teach you a lesson tonight! If you can't explain the whole story... hmph! The consequences will be severe."

Cheng Bai felt her slender fingers pinching the soft flesh around his waist, and he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild: "It seems there's no punishment, but rather an unexpected reward!"

"Da Bai has really made it big! Look at his fancy clothes, it's enviable, tsk tsk!" Yun Juan, having witnessed the two flirting, decided to add fuel to the fire, "Your Senior Brother He is still empty-handed after all this time, and Shen Ya also lacks protective armor. Aren't you going to help your old friend?"

Faced with this indirect questioning, Cheng Bai felt somewhat embarrassed, but he was quick-witted and deliberately changed the subject, asking, "It is said that Shan Hui City has 'Eight Great Ming Kings,' but in reality they are all proud disciples of different sects. Why do they have the same type of title? What is their connection?"

Relying on the miraculous effects of the art of communication, Cheng Bai successfully diverted everyone's attention.

Min Wushuang knew this very well: "It's a long story. The historical origin of the title 'Mingwang' is closely related to the World Honored One's teachings. In order to spread the teachings and enhance its prestige, the saints within the teachings formed a contract to guide people outside the teachings to become protectors of the Way."

He further explained: "The Longevity Society, the Sword Qi Pavilion, and our Tu Min Society are all considered Dharma protectors. According to ancestral tradition, those who are granted the title of 'Ming Wang' in the provincial examination are regarded as holy sons within the Buddha's teachings."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Bai suddenly realized: "The foreign religion's Mingwang is like the 'honorary holy son' of the Buddha's religion."

Min Wushuang clapped his hands in praise: "You've hit the nail on the head! Tianmen is in charge of this matter. Each cycle of reincarnation selects four Mingwang, who have the privilege of going directly to the imperial examination. The eight Mingwang are the pride selected from the previous two cycles of reincarnation. If it weren't for the limited number of places, all the major sects would be eager to compete for more seats."

Cheng Bai said thoughtfully, "I estimate that the cultivation level of the Holy Maiden of the Non-Heavenly Sect is similar to that of Brother Min. Why doesn't she become a Ming King?"

Min Wushuang couldn't help but smile bitterly, and lowered his voice to say, "The World Honored One's teachings emphasize 'universal salvation,' while the Asura teachings advocate 'following one's true nature.' Their doctrines have been contradictory since ancient times and are openly opposed. The Asura teachings have never been a protector of the Dharma, so they will not have a Bright King."

He paused briefly, then continued, "Moreover, the demonic arts circulating in the Five Continents mostly originate from the Feitian Sect, which seriously hinders the propagation of the 'Floating Pagoda Treasure Wheel' righteous Dharma, and is therefore denounced as a 'demonic sect' by the World Honored One's sect."

Cheng Bai asked in bewilderment, "The 'Floating Pagoda Treasure Wheel' is ranked among the top-grade martial arts manuals, holding an extremely prestigious position. Why not learn this good one, and instead become interested in demonic arts?"

Min Wushuang shook his head and said, "The Floating Pagoda Treasure Wheel is divided into three realms: the first is the widely circulated entry-level 'Floating Pagoda Purple Qi'; the second is the advanced 'Floating Pagoda Blood Amber' that only the core disciples of the World Honored One Sect can comprehend; and the third is the highest cultivation technique 'Floating Pagoda Glazed Glass' that only the Sect Master can cultivate."

He said solemnly, “The reason for the craving for demonic arts is that they are easy to master quickly. As for the path of the Purple Qi of the Floating Pagoda, although it seems that there are many followers and high ranks, those who truly achieve success are extremely rare.”

Cheng Bai suddenly exclaimed, "A single divine skill is divided into different ranks, and its secret teachings are hoarded, resulting in vastly different levels of achievement. The so-called 'equality of all beings' is nothing but a pretty slogan with double standards!"

Min Wushuang said meaningfully, "There is no absolute equality among people in the world. The brilliance of the Buddha's teachings lies in the fact that it uses 'emptiness' as its essence and 'dependent origination' as its function to construct a complete and comprehensive doctrine."

"Although the sect does not have a clear hierarchy such as servants, outer disciples, inner disciples, and elders, those who undertake labor are called 'diligent ones' to encourage you to work hard; outer disciples are called 'practitioners' to motivate you to work hard; inner disciples are called 'superiors' to praise your profound cultivation and noble virtue; and the inner elders hold high positions and are revered as 'Dharma Kings' to grant you the authority to spread the truth."

"Even someone as powerful as Prince Yongyao, being an outer disciple, could only attain the rank of 'Fate One,' a status comparable to an outer disciple elder. However, by obtaining the title of Ming King through the provincial examination, he had already reached a level comparable to the Holy Son Xian Gen."

Min Wushuang spoke with great familiarity, and after finishing, he smiled knowingly: "The great sect's methods are superb, and all the smaller sects take them as a model and strive to imitate them."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Bai understood the situation and sighed, "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. The impartial law of Heaven towards all living beings may be the purest form of 'equality' that transcends good and evil. But how can true equality be achieved when people have selfish desires, reason has factions, religions have sects, and power is contested?"

Min Wushuang exclaimed in admiration, "That's absolutely right! Brother Bai may be young, but he understands people very well."

After a long conversation, everyone dispersed, finding suitable private rooms to settle in and prepare for the grand event the next day.

Ningxiang led Chengbai down the spirit ship island and along a quiet and secluded passageway. At the end, a door slid open quietly, revealing not an ordinary cabin, but a luxurious bedroom furnished with a private and comfortable atmosphere.

The floor is paved with warm, lustrous mutton-fat jade, and the dome is inlaid with bright moonstone, emitting a soft halo that bathes the spacious room in a hazy glow.

Inside the hall, a hot spring pool was shrouded in a light mist. On the clear water, a few green plum blossom petals swirled slowly in a silent rhythm.

At the deepest part stood a magnificent bed made of golden royal wood, with a dragon and cloud relief carved on the headboard, and a gossamer-thin silk gauze curtain hanging down, with a faint, cool fragrance lingering in the air.

"This is my private residence. It's much more comfortable to live here than in the bridge command seat," Ningxiang said languidly, taking light steps to sit down by the hot spring pool.

She removed her boots and socks, and her slender feet dipped into the hot spring.

With a gentle stir of the toes, one can see the clear pool bottom covered with various colored spirit stones, arranged in a mysterious pattern to form a continuously operating "Little Spring Array".

The magic circle patterns shimmered with a faint light, and a gentle warmth arose, keeping the spring water at a pleasant temperature.

Cheng Bai walked slowly to the edge of the pool, admiring Ningxiang's delicate feet immersed in the water. Her smooth skin shone with a captivating luster under the soft light.

"She looks even fairer and more delicate than before." Cheng Bai thought to himself, and like Ning Xiang, he took off his shoes and socks, sat down next to her, and put his feet into the hot spring.

A warm current surged from the soles of the feet, quickly spreading throughout the body, harmonizing the body's Qi and blood, and dispelling fatigue.

"Hoo..." Cheng Bai let out a long breath, feeling relaxed and comfortable. He sincerely praised, "It's fragrant. Soaking your feet in this warm water every day, you really know how to enjoy life."

Ningxiang's beautiful eyes flashed with a cunning light. Suddenly, she pretended to wipe away tears and said in a plaintive voice, "This is the bathing pool for me to bathe in, not for grown men to wash their feet. Your big feet stink so badly, defiling my sacred spring. Waaah!"