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Hua Manlou could not resist the Ginseng Spirit and agreed to keep him by his side, naming him Ren Sheng. Ren Sheng happily followed Hua Manlou, as he had found a strong ally and no longer had to worry about being taken away or eaten by others or monsters.
Looking out towards Qingcheng, the mountains were lush and green, with peaks floating in the mist of the vast sea of clouds. Silver waterfalls cascaded down from the mountain tops, splashing into countless pearls that formed rainbows in the sunlight. The streams in the valley played a melody, wildflowers on the slopes were intoxicating, and green trees lined the roadside, with peach and plum blossoms in full bloom. Under the protection of auspicious clouds, Qingcheng Mountain was peaceful and harmonious, full of vitality.
Upon arriving at Qingcheng Mountain, visiting the Shangqing Palace was a must; it is one of the most famous Taoist temples on Qingcheng Mountain, located on the sunny side of Gaotai Mountain. As the four were about to enter Sanqing Hall to pay their respects to the Three Pure Ones, three white clouds suddenly descended. As the clouds dispersed, three figures stood before them. One of them was Long Fourth Princess Ao Tingxin, while the other two were men dressed in black—one handsome and righteous-looking, and the other disheveled and unkempt; they could only be Yang Jian and Howling Dog.
"Fourth Sister, why did you bring them here?" Ao Chun initially held a poor impression of Yang Jian due to Liu Agarwood's influence. Although he later learned that Yang Jian had his reasons for enduring humiliation, seeing his cousin Aocunxin made him view Yang Jian as a scoundrel who abandoned his wife and child, and that negative impression never changed.
"Eight Brother!" Tingxin reprimanded Ao Chun to silence him and turned to Bai Tang, saying: "Bai Gu Niang, this is Judicial Deity Yang Jian; he has something to discuss with you."
She then introduced Bai Tang and Hua Manlou to Yang Jian.
Yang Jian cupped his hands towards them: "Thank you both for taking care of Aoxinchin and my child."
The two returned the gesture. Yang Jian's appearance and demeanor improved Hua Manlou's impression of him significantly. Besides having wronged Aoxinchin, he truly lived up to the titles of Judicial Deity and man.
"Bai Gu Niang, I heard that Huan'er has been placed in a very good location by you. Could you take me to see her?"
It turned out that Tingxin encountered Yang Jian on her way back to the East Sea. She felt that her cousin had suffered so much for Yang Jian; he should know this and have an obligation to care for his child. Thus, she informed Yang Jian about Xun Huan. Upon learning that he had a blood-related child, Yang Jian could no longer hide his identity and flew directly to the shores of the Western Sea to find Aoxinchin for clarification. With a child now in mind, Yang Jian's thoughts began to change. He considered reconciling with Aoxinchin to raise their child together. However, reality slapped him hard; the girl he deeply loved was not waiting for him but had another man by her side—someone who could make her smile with eyes full of affection and tenderness that he could not provide. All Yang Jian could do was leave a blessing behind and depart. With his wife gone, he wanted nothing more than to find his son. His kindness towards Agarwood stemmed from their blood relation; now that he had an even closer blood-related son, he no longer needed to envy his sister. Moreover, since he was no longer serving as Judicial Deity, he would have more time to care for and teach his son.
"Do you want to take Huan back?" came a confirming question.
Yang Jian nodded: "I am his father!"
Bai Tang replied: "I don't think you can be a good father. You couldn't even be a good husband; how can you be a good father?"
Yang Jian could not deny Bai Tang's accusations; however, just because he had not done well in the past did not mean he would fail in the future: "I will strive to be a good father; please believe in my sincerity. I have resigned from my position as Judicial Deity; all my time will be devoted to my child!"
Everyone could see Yang Jian's sincerity. Hua Manlou couldn't bear for father and son to be separated and advised Bai Tang: "Tang Tang, why not return Huan to Yang Jian? Huan can no longer reunite with her mother; why should we strip away her right to be with her father?"
"Who can't be with their mother?" Bai Tang's eyes darted as she said to Yang Jian: "Initially, Aoxinchin was imprisoned by Jade Emperor at Western Sea for your sake; now that a new child has been born, Aoxinchin's guilt should be absolved. I won't make it difficult for you; as long as you persuade Jade Emperor and Queen Mother to release Aoxinchin, I will hand Huan over to you. However, you cannot monopolize the child alone; you can raise him for half a year at most each year—the other half must be spent with her mother. Do you agree?"
"I agree!" Yang Jian readily responded. Huan was their child together; he could not monopolize him alone nor deprive him of maternal love. Reflecting on himself made Yang Jian sigh; ideally, having both parents together would be best for a child. Unfortunately, he had made mistakes that ultimately pushed the woman who loved him wholeheartedly into another man's arms.
"It's settled. Whenever Aoxinchin is released from West Sea Shore, I will bring Xun Huan back," said Bai Tang.
"Wait for me!" After Yang Jian finished speaking, a white cloud appeared beneath his feet, lifting him into the sky. Howling Dog immediately transformed back into his original form and sprinted after his master. Listening Heart thought for a moment and also chased after them.
"Let's continue!" Bai Tang clapped his hands.
"Can Yang Jian convince the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother to release my Master?" Wild Lilac asked worriedly. She learned about her Master's past with Yang Jian from Aochun, and felt very indignant on behalf of her Master. However, now that Yang Jian had become her Master's hope for freedom, she naturally became anxious.
"Don't worry. After all, Yang Jian was once a Judicial Deity. Those deities will still give him some face," said Bai Tang, which made the three of them agree. Thinking about how Aoxinchin had endured for so many years and was finally able to gain freedom, everyone's mood improved, and the scenery around them seemed much brighter.
The highest mountain in the Azure Wind Antelope Thirty-Six Peaks is called Damei Mountain, also known as Zhao Gong Mountain. The blue here is particularly vibrant, the water is exceptionally clear, the forests are especially green, and the mountains are particularly serene. The beautiful mountains and waters stretch endlessly, with peaks rising one after another. On this mountain resides the deity who points out mysteries, grasps yin and yang, grants good fortune, helps people prosper, and protects their safety—Zhao Gongming, God of Wealth. According to locals, every month on a moonlit night, sounds of silk and bamboo instruments can be heard from the top of the mountain; at dawn, just by looking at the clouds dancing atop the mountain, one can determine whether it will be sunny or rainy. Thus, there is a local saying: "If it's clear, the mountaintop shows; if it's rainy, the mountaintop is foggy."
"Let's go offer incense to the God of Wealth and ask him to bless us with prosperity!" said Bai Tang, looking at the bustling Zhao Gong Temple, addressing the other three.
Long Ba asked with a strange expression, " Bai Gu Niang, are you really short on money?"
"Ah, I'm really short on money! I haven't gathered enough for releasing Ginkgo Space!"
"You need money?" Hua Man Lou was puzzled. With so many novel items in the Bai Family's manor, how could she possibly be short on money?
"Yes!" replied Bai Tang with a smile. "I have to support an entire world; how could I not be short on money?"
Aochun and Wild Lilac thought that Bai Tang was joking, but Hua Man Lou recalled how mysterious her background was; she had managed to bring him into this world, so it was possible she could go to another world as well.
"Bai Gu Niang, if you're short on money, come with me. There are plenty of treasures in the Dragon Palace. I'll pick some to give you. You don't need to offer incense to Zhao Caishen; he's just like you—a homebody who doesn't care about earthly affairs and leaves everything to Wen Caishen," said Aochun, generously displaying his wealthy demeanor.
"Thank you, but I won't take your things for free; I'll trade something for them," replied Bai Tang. She didn't want to take advantage of the East Sea, even though the Dragon Palace was a gathering place for rich people. "Don't say that; I'm a legitimate merchant who believes in equal exchange."
Wild Lilac blinked her big eyes in confusion: "What is a 'legitimate merchant'?"
"It refers to someone who buys goods at a low price in one place and sells them at a higher price in another place where those goods are scarce, making a profit from the price difference," explained Bai Tang. She recalled an explanation she found online about how during the transition from planned economy to market economy—especially during the dual-track pricing era—some people took advantage of price differences between planned goods and non-planned goods to profit by buying low and selling high in the market. It would be surprising if any ancient person understood that explanation.
Hua Man Lou laughed and said, "I really want to know what items you are going to exchange with Eight Prince. It must be interesting!"
Bai Tang chuckled, "It's just a Music Box and a Clock."
These two items, Hua Man Lou had seen at Bai Family Manor, where Bai Tang had also given Hua Man Lou a Music Box.
"Music Box, Clock? What are they?" Wild Lilac and Long Ba asked in confusion.
The oldest Music Box in the world was developed in 1796 by Swiss inventor Antoine Favre, and the ancients naturally did not understand what these two items were or what they did. Bai Tang took a Music Box out of her backpack and handed it to Wild Lilac, teaching her how to wind it up. Listening to the beautiful music from the Music Box, Wild Lilac exclaimed joyfully. She then gave the mechanical watch to Long Ba, and Bai Tang taught him how to tell time. Once he understood how to read the watch, Long Ba was equally happy: "With this watch, it's much more convenient to check the time."
Long Ba considered both items extremely precious; although they were not magical artifacts, they held significant value. He decided that after returning to the East Sea, he would carefully choose the best items to give to Bai Tang, ensuring that he honored the value of the Music Box and the Clock.
The four of them wandered in front of the Fortune God Temple for a while before turning back down the mountain. Just as they reached halfway down, a shadow passed overhead, blocking the setting sun, and then four people and a dog landed in front of Bai Tang and the others.
"Hey, Hua Man Lou, Tang Tang, it's been so long! Did you miss me?" Lu Feng waved cheerfully. He was still wearing his bright red cloak, but its quality was clearly far superior to his previous one. This cloak was woven from the tail feathers of a Vermilion Bird, making it a treasure.
"Pfft!" Seeing Lu Feng's current appearance, both Bai Tang and Hua Man Lou burst into laughter. There wasn't much change in his appearance except for a golden-red Phoenix mark that had appeared on his forehead. Oh my, it was simply dazzling. (To be continued)
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