Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 140: Brother, being too steady is not good sometimes

To many people's surprise, they ultimately failed to catch the perpetrator, who managed to escape once again, even though he was struck by another arrow from Chu Yu.

Some disciples of the Tianshi Mansion began to have doubts about this Chu Family Pavilion Mistress, while others were deeply apprehensive. If Chu Yu hadn't gone easy on him, then this fugitive's strength was truly formidable.

Could it really be that he was a Upper Heaven Realm expert? Who could he be? If he was truly at the Upper Heaven Realm, why would he trouble the disciples of the Lower Heaven Realm from Mount Longhu?

"Interesting. I didn't expect to encounter something like this," Chu Yu said, seemingly unfazed by the fugitive's escape.

With Chu Andong in an unstable condition, Chu Kun and the others stayed behind to care for him. To avoid further complications, Chu Yu chose not to pursue the enemy to the end and instead returned to regroup with the other members of the Chu family.

Meeting the gazes of her clan members, Chu Yu shook her head. “The person was undoubtedly at the Upper Heaven Realm, and not just any expert. He was carefully concealing his true abilities. If he had fought without restraint, even though he still wouldn’t have defeated me, he would have at least stood a chance.”

Hearing this, Chu Kun and the others were shocked. Such an individual, if one looked across the entire world, would surely be known by name. Who would resort to such underhanded tactics? And why?

“Was it the same person who killed Senior Brother Li Zhenchang?” Chu Kun couldn’t help but ask.

Chu Yu removed the bone ring from her finger. “I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I can’t say for certain, but...” She gazed out the window of the Cloud Carriage. “I feel it wasn’t him.”

Chu Kun fell silent. Based on what Chu Yu had said, he could sense new dark clouds gathering over Mount Longhu.

“We’re heading back to Jiangnan. Be careful when you return to the mountain,” Chu Yu instructed.

Chu Kun nodded. “Understood…”

---

Meanwhile, Liang Chen, Li Kong, and the others returned empty-handed, their hearts heavy. It wasn’t just because the enemy had escaped, but because they also felt that the truth behind this matter was far more complex than it appeared.

Others were privately discussing the situation, and there was even a sense of relief. If the Chu family hadn’t left Mount Longhu and coincidentally taken the same path, the outcome of the hunt could have been disastrous. After all, they might have faced an enemy at the Upper Heaven Realm.

Even Liang Chen, who was at the Sixth Heaven Realm, wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Upon reflection, they speculated that the fugitive had planned an ambush to eliminate them all. He fled, not because he feared Liang Chen and the others, but because he sensed Chu Yu’s presence and had to abandon his plan.

Remembering this left them feeling a lingering fear. They realized they had grown complacent after two or three years of peace. Liang Chen, Li Kong, and the others quietly reflected on this.

Such a major incident happening right at their doorstep seemed to signal that the peaceful days of Mount Longhu were coming to an end.

---

Lei Jun was among the group that returned to the mountain. After parting ways with Li Kong and Liang Chen, he intended to see his master, Yuan Mobai. However, he was informed that Yuan Mobai was currently entertaining a guest.

Wang Guiyuan, as the only disciple present on the mountain, was attending him.

“Who’s the guest?” Lei Jun asked a fellow Daoist.

“It’s His Highness, Prince Wu of the Tang Dynasty,” the Daoist replied.

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows — an unexpected yet reasonable guest.

Prince Wu was a cousin of the late Emperor Zhang Qilong and the current Empress Zhang Wantong. After the late emperor’s death, there had been disputes over the new ruler. Prince Wu's name had come up, though the throne ultimately went to the empress.

After her ascension, the other contenders kept a low profile. Rumor had it that Prince Wu had shut his doors to visitors, spending his days reading, copying Buddhist scriptures, and cultivating his virtue. It wasn’t until this New Year that he reopened his residence to guests.

The Tang Dynasty rarely permitted vassal princes to leave their territories, and Prince Wu had not left Wuyue for many years. His visit to Mount Longhu was highly suggestive.

Lei Jun suddenly recalled the Lower-Moderate Omen he’d received earlier. The fortune had mentioned no immediate danger but hinted at potential future trouble. Could that trouble lie with Prince Wu?

Lei Jun's mouth twitched. If that were true, then Wang Guiyuan might have taken the fall for him. If Lei Jun had stayed on the mountain, he would have accompanied Yuan Mobai to meet Prince Wu, or perhaps both he and Wang Guiyuan would have gone together.

Now, however...

Senior Brother, sometimes trouble finds you even when you avoid it, Lei Jun thought. Most of the time, being cautious is good — but there are always exceptions.

He silently hoped that the so-called future trouble wouldn't fall on Wang Guiyuan.

May the blessings of the Dao be with you, Lei Jun thought, but his prayer seemed to go unanswered.

When Lei Jun next saw Wang Guiyuan, his fellow disciple was wearing a wry smile.

“What happened?” Lei Jun asked.

Wang Guiyuan sighed. “Nothing major. Prince Wu wants to host a Buddhist-Daoist conference at his residence and has invited members of our sect to attend.”

Lei Jun looked at him. “Master is obviously too busy to go, so that means…”

Wang Guiyuan smiled bitterly and pointed to himself. “Yes, he wants Elder Yuan’s top disciples to attend.”

With Lei Jun and Chu Kun unavailable, Wang Guiyuan had no choice but to be the representative. Fortunately, Yuan Mobai intervened, and Wang Guiyuan repeatedly declined the invitation, so it wasn’t settled immediately.

Though this didn’t necessarily offend Prince Wu, Wang Daozhang had clearly made an impression on him.

Wang Guiyuan was visibly distressed. The feeling of always being on guard was exhausting.

Well, the omen did say there was no immediate danger, but potential trouble down the line... Lei Jun thought, sympathizing with Wang Guiyuan.

Still, his senior brother took it in stride. “A little bad luck now and then is normal. At least there’s no real danger. It's fine.”

Yuan Mobai, however, remained busy. Prince Wu's visit was no small matter. Although Yuan Mobai alone had received him, the matter still required discussion with the rest of the sect.

Yuan Mobai had no desire for the Tianshi Mansion to be drawn into royal conflicts, making Prince Wu’s visit a difficult problem.

Moreover, after learning about the events at Xiexing Peak, Yuan Mobai’s concerns deepened.

Returning from the High Priests’ Hall, his smile faded. “Chongyun, tell me everything you saw and heard at Xiexing Peak,” he instructed quietly.

Lei Jun nodded and recounted the details. He glossed over his personal motivations for joining the hunt, framing it as a desire to help the sect. Everything else, he described in detail.

Yuan Mobai listened carefully. When Lei Jun mentioned finding a mustard seed pouch, Yuan Mobai's attention shifted to Chu Yu’s battle with the mysterious figure.

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Mobai said, “Chu Yu held back slightly because of Chong’an and Chongguang, but she didn’t deliberately let the enemy escape. It doesn’t seem like she was covering anything up. The fugitive, however, was clearly hiding his true strength.”

Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan listened silently.

Hiding one's strength often implied ulterior motives or a well-known identity.

“What’s in the mustard seed pouch?” Yuan Mobai finally asked.

Lei Jun took it out. “Honestly, I haven’t had a chance to open it yet. But there’s a chilling yin energy emanating from it.”

When he opened the pouch, a surge of cold energy filled the room. Inside, a faint moonlight glowed, exuding a chilling purity.

Peering inside, they saw a smooth, round stone resembling a large Go piece, a mirror, or a full moon. The stone’s pale surface shimmered with a cold light.

Lei Jun felt the chill not only on his skin but also in his very soul.

He and Wang Guiyuan exchanged glances. “Master, is this the legendary Yin Moon Soul Stone?”

Yuan Mobai examined it and nodded. “Yes, this is indeed a Yin Moon Soul Stone. Such quality and size are incredibly rare.”

The three fell silent.

They all knew the stone's significance. It was a treasure for those who practiced yin-based Daoist arts and could also be refined by those following a balanced yin-yang path.

But its most infamous use was as a weapon against practitioners of pure-yang Daoist arts, like those of the Pure Yang Palace. For Pure Yang disciples, this stone was a forbidden weapon.

In the past, Pure Yang cultivators had actively sought out and destroyed these stones.

The mysterious figure's possession of such a

treasure raised many questions.

“Master…” Lei Jun looked at Yuan Mobai. “Besides Pure Yang disciples, who else would have reason to care about this stone?”