Dong! Dong! Dong!
The air in the sect echoed with the deep, resonant tolling of bells coming from the towering spires.
The skyward towers, like colossal sentinels, soared into the heavens, catching the golden hues of the rising sun.
Threads of vibrant lights zipped through the air, weaving past the disciples below like ethereal ribbons before converging towards their respective towers.
Disciples in tattered robes scurried about, a whirlwind of activity, their eyes reflecting a mix of excitement and reverence.
"Look at that! The sect hasn't seen such a gathering in decades.”
“I heard rumors that it’s a secret realm! Too bad we didn’t make a breakthrough in time…”
“When they return, maybe we’ll have a chance to feast our eyes on the saintess of the other sects!”
“Look! Look! Are those the elders?! That’s Elder Mo and Elder Wu! Also, Elder Ma!”
Bubai stood at the center of the bustling plaza, his gaze darting between the towers, trying to discern the participating elders in the spectacle unfolding above him.
He didn’t recognize the others, but he definitely saw the Golden Core Ma Pei.
Eventually, the last of the lights faded away.
Soon, Bubai watched as spirit ships rose from the docking platforms of ten towers. Rumbling through the air, the ships eventually lined up and hovered in a perfect V formation against the brightening sky, silently waiting in place.
A hush gradually fell over the crowd.
Suddenly, the glow of the rising sun dimmed, as if drawn away by an unseen force.
In a surreal display, the diminished sunlight gathered into a swirling seam of energy, growing larger and larger in front of the ships, until it manifested into an enormous golden tripod!
The colossal tripod dwarfed the fleet, its presence commanding the attention of all who witnessed its emergence.
As flames leaked from the tripod's furnace, they danced in the air like ethereal serpents, birthing an awe-inspiring sun!
The glow of the new-born sun radiated from the towering manifestation, casting a warm, golden hue across the entire sect, accompanied by a voice, ancient and commanding.
"For the glory of the Sun. Set off!"
The reverberating words stirred a sense of pride and desire within Bubai… automatically snuffed out by a strand of green Qi shortly after taking effect.
Uh… Bubai immediately pumped his fist and did his best to fit in because...
Around him, the maniac cheers rose like a wave, merging into a collective roar that echoed through the sect.
“For the glory of the sun! For the glory of the sun! For the glory of the sun!”
As if in response to the cheers, the flames burst forth from the tripod in a brilliant display. A flaming red barrier swiftly enveloped the spirit ships, swirling into a protective cocoon that shimmered with radiant energy.
When the flames faded away, the colossal golden tripod had already vanished into the ether, leaving the ships unscathed and ready to set sail.
The ten celestial vessels, like a glorified fleet of war machines, began to embark on their odyssey into the vast expanse of the dawning sky.
The bells, once tolling with intensity, now followed the ships' departure, their echoes slowly diminishing as the sailing fleet faded into the real rising sun...
Mixing into the excited and dispersing crowd of outer disciples, a sly smile slowly distorted Bubai’s ugly face. “Finally… gone.”
Due to the momentous ceremony, Granny Shu had reluctantly granted him a day off. He now had a day to himself, and he intended to put it to good use...
Tower. Bedchamber.
In front of the mirror, a man with a face etched with wrinkles methodically applied an unknown oil-like liquid using a fat brush.
After swabbing the final patch of skin and scrutinizing its wrinkly texture, the man calmly placed the brush back into the bowl of mysterious liquid resting on the side table.
Then, the man’s hand reached up. Gripping the edge of the skin that had already started to peel off, he began tearing off the skin from his own face!
As it peeled away, the skin resembled sticky glue – gripping onto the skin beneath akin to vengeful ghosts. The mirror reflected this gruesome, harrowing scene, yet the man didn’t even flinch.
He remained composed, steadily removing the entire wrinkled layer until only a baby face visage remained.
Gazing into the mirror, revealing a handsome face unseen for a while, a sunny smile graced Bubai's youthful features. His hand couldn’t resist delicately caressing his smooth, soft skin, “Truly mysterious and unbelievable…”
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He still couldn’t comprehend the principles behind this “mortal” method. However, the fact it could fool cultivators meant it was anything but simple.
Carefully, Bubai flattened the wrinkled face mask in his hands, inspecting the faintly distorted visage of Ah Niu. Noticing no damage, he nodded his head, “Still usable.”
In a fleeting moment, the Ah Niu mask disappeared, replaced by another. In silence, Bubai gently stroked the new mask before he raised it up, laying it onto his own face.
His hand reached for a bowl filled with water, and he began dabbing the wrinkled face mask.
As water made contact with the wrinkled mask, the mask seemed to devour the water like a living entity!
After absorbing the liquid eagerly, the wrinkled part squirmed slightly, smoothing itself out, and Bubai sensed that part of the mask sticking to his own face.
With unwavering hands, he continued to "feed" the mask with water until it seamlessly merged with his face...
After ensuring the edges were all flawlessly integrated, Bubai finally stared into the mirror at his altered, handsome face - a mature face contrasting his original youth, bearing a fair-skinned countenance with sharp features.
“Liang…” A hint of gloom crossed his eyes, and he averted his gaze, exhaling a sigh while carefully stowing away the face-changing supplies in his hidden storage space.
Then, Bubai retrieved a black mask and a matching set of black attire - the robe and cloak from his visits to the Ling City black market.
He quickly donned the outfit over his old handyman outfit, securing the mask in place, and pulled up the hood of the cloak to finalize the disguise.
Facing the mirror, a mysterious, inscrutable figure stared back at him. As a finishing touch, Bubai hung his inner disciple token onto his waist, ensuring it was prominently displayed on the outside of the robe.
Lowering the hood further to obscure more of his features, Bubai turned away and headed out.
Downstairs.
When Bubai stepped into the lounge, his abnormal get-up immediately seized the attention of the twins and Xiao Lan, who already had her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“It’s me.”
Recognizing the familiar voice, the tension subsided, prompting Xiao Lan to silently avert her gaze, dismissing the need for further concern.
On the other hand, the twins curiously stared at him and Wei Er's inquisitive nature got the better of her, “Master, you… why are you dressed like that?”
“Heading out,” Bubai churned his mind for a reason, nonchalantly walking past them, “I’ll be out overnight... and it might not be safe where I am going.”
Watching her master head down the stairs, Wei Er pouted slightly, “Is there anywhere not safe in the sect?”
Wei Yi lightly rapped her on the head and gave her a glare.
Stepping out from his tower, as Bubai routinely waited for the entrance to close behind him, he turned his gaze towards due east.
“This direction should be the closest distance...”
He began to make his way forward, discreetly altering his usual steady gait to a swaggering one and clearing his throat to change the pitch of his voice to the one he had long practiced in secret.
Just when he was barely midway through his journey, an unexpected gust of wind caught his attention.
Abruptly, his mind sank, finding himself falling onto a chair in a dark room, and a knife was chopping down toward his little brother from the front!
Holy son of a-
Yet, as swiftly as it materialized, the vision disappeared, his sober mind sensing the familiar, refreshing sensation coursing through him.
However, Bubai remained rooted in place, and didn’t dare to move because he felt another familiar sensation pricking at his throat.
Peering down through his mask, he recognized the unmistakable jade handle of a familiar curved dagger. Once again, it was placed against his throat, its owner having managed to position herself behind him with the assistance of her mysterious technique.
“Ahem- S-Senior sister… my identity token is clearly displayed.” Following his statement, Bubai maintained absolute stillness, refraining from any unnecessary movements.
The air hung in silence for a brief moment until her voice finally reached his ears. “Why?”
In response, Bubai patiently waited for a moment, a subtle twitch at the corner of his lips when he heard no clarification.
Why? Why what? What is she asking for? Can’t she be a little bit more clear?
“S-Senior sister, you’re asking about…”
“Outfit.”
Ack. So, it was because of his suspicious outfit.
“Uh, senior sister, I’m heading to the outer sect, and I heard conditions aren’t great there… So, I wanted to dress up a bit. Is this now allowed? If so, I’ll just take it off-”
The dagger tapped against his throat, “Off.”
Sigh. He really wasn’t doing anything suspicious, he promise! Alas, she left him with no apparent choice.
Resigned to the situation, he retrieved his identity token, holding it in his palm.
With limited movements, Bubai began to carefully remove his black robe, trying his best to not bump into the softness behind him because he felt the dagger pressing closer every time…
In his ragged, worn handyman disciple clothes once more, Bubai gingerly hung his identity token back on his waist. “Senior sister, is this good enough?”
If not… he can take off his dirty rags as well.
“Hands up.”
Oh no, is she really going to search his body? Why is he a bit excited….
Bubai released his black robe, allowing it to cascade to the ground, and slowly raised his hands above his head.
“Turn around.”
He slowly turned around…
As expected, he was met with the sight of a familiar law enforcer – a woman with a tall, curvaceous figure and a long, black ponytail. It seems he was rather fated with Officer Ponytail.
With her dagger still pressed against his throat, her jade green eyes bore through her mask, fixed on his face, “Mask.”
Seriously? Even a mask isn’t allowed in the sect? He recalls seeing many masked men and women during their late night rendezvouses…
With a measured movement, he reached down to remove his mask, exposing his face as he gave the officer a smile, staring her right in the eye.
“…”
After a brief moment of silence, Officer Ponytail stepped back, delivering a stern warning in a cool tone. “Suspicious activities are prohibited.”
A sudden gust of wind ruffled his feathers, and the woman vanished as if carried away by the wind.
After surveying the surroundings with a relaxed smile, Bubai's gaze drifted down to the mask in his hand.
Ha! Want to see his true face? She probably didn’t expect that under his mask was another mask! Kakaka hahaha shishishi! Ahem. Don’t mind the unique laugh.
Bending down, Bubai retrieved his discarded black robe and stowed it away into his storage pouch alongside his mask.
With the smile lingering on his face, Bubai resumed his journey with a pronounced confidence, his chest subtly puffed as he swaggered off.
Perched atop a nearby building, the woman in black maintained a watchful gaze on the figure below. Her silhouette flickered from roof to roof, secretly trailing after him, scrutinizing his every move.
It wasn't until she observed him cross the towering sandstone arch, leaving the inner sect boundary behind, that she halted in place. Underneath her veil, her lips pursed slightly, “Really going to the outer sect?”
After observing for a bit longer, she pivoted and retraced her steps, returning to her patrol.
Down below, there was no fluctuation in Bubai’s expression, but an internal sigh of relief echoed within him when he felt the peculiar sensation of being watched gradually fade away.
Finally gone. Now, he is really free to go do what he needs to do.
Maintaining a vigilant gaze, his sharp eyes glinting with determination, Bubai focused on the path ahead.
The outer sect awaited.