Chapter 62: The Hall of Celestial Mysteries

Han Su had not enjoyed her days of leisure for long. No sooner had she emerged from her secluded cultivation than, within three days, she found herself welcoming two distinguished visitors to her doorstep.

That day, she had just finished arranging matters for Su Yunmo’s lover, thoughtfully preparing everything for him, when an attendant disciple arrived at her cave dwelling to inform her: the Sect Master and the Head of the Celestial Mechanism Hall had come to Spirit Mist Peak and requested her presence. Han Su was bewildered. Even if these two eminent figures visited, what could their business possibly be with her? It should be her parents who received them, not her—why was her attendance required?

Though inwardly grumbling, she nonetheless tidied her appearance and respectfully made her way toward the discussion hall. The Peak Master and his wife were already seated inside, as were the Sect Master and the Celestial Mechanism Hall’s Head. The conversation among them seemed tense, the atmosphere far from harmonious. The moment Han Su entered, she was like a stone cast into the heart of a lake, breaking the taut silence.

She had barely crossed the threshold, not yet begun her formal greeting, when the Head of the Celestial Mechanism Hall swept aside his knee-length beard, rose from his seat, and hurried over to her. He stooped slightly, gently supporting her just as she was about to bow, his face radiant with joy as he exclaimed, “Ah, so this is little Han Su! Excellent, excellent. So young, so accomplished—you surpass us old fellows by far. I hear you’ve received the inheritance of the formation techniques. I am, after all, the Head of the Celestial Mechanism Hall; perhaps you and I should exchange our insights?”

His expression was utterly sincere, his eyes filled with delight. Though his hair and beard were white, his frame slightly hunched and aged, his face was smooth and unlined, and his pure white robes lent him an air of immortal elegance. Such a venerable elder, gazing at you with genuine warmth, his smile like spring sunshine, his words nearly impossible to refuse…

“Ahem, Elder Han Yangzi, my daughter has only studied formation techniques for thirty years—how could she compare to an old monster like you, who’s researched them for centuries? Don’t embarrass us! Han Su is honest and earnest, easily taken in. Isn’t that so, dear?” Daoist Lord Hengbo, seeing the old eccentric shamelessly try to coax her child, could not help but interject, giving her husband a pointed look to urge him to support her.

Daoist Lord Lanhe, ever modest and respectful, was soft-hearted, too. Though he felt for his daughter, it was hard to refuse when an esteemed elder personally requested her presence. Yet, faced with his wife’s ‘help me or suffer’ expression, he hesitated and muttered, “Han Su falls short; she’s hardly equal to the disciples of the Celestial Mechanism Hall.”

This stirred the hornet’s nest. Daoist Lord Hengbo, though she’d just said her daughter’s cultivation was insufficient, would never tolerate others belittling her. That her child’s father would disparage her before her own eyes was intolerable! She immediately retorted, “Our Han Su may have studied only thirty years, but she’s far superior to those blockheads in your hall!” Upon saying it, she realized she’d contradicted herself.

Her concern lay with the Celestial Mechanism Hall’s notorious tradition—whether forced or voluntary, disciples entered and remained shut in for decades, days spent researching formations until the isolation drove them peculiar. Since Han Su embarked on the path of cultivation, she’d never been free—always secluded or confined. If the hall borrowed her now and kept her for decades, wouldn’t her temperament change dramatically? Every disciple of the Celestial Mechanism Hall had some odd quirk. Han Su was already a bit daft—if she became even more so or picked up some eccentricity, who could she turn to for justice?

Yet, aside from this, if Han Yangzi himself guided her, the benefit to her mastery of formations would be immense. Moreover, having just spoken, to reverse her words now would be awkward. Should she agree? Her gaze shifted, and she thought of a clever solution.

From the moment Han Yangzi supported her, Han Su had stood quietly in the hall. Now, Daoist Lord Hengbo’s expression changed—her brows furrowed in a way that drew sympathy, eyes shimmering as if with tears. She walked to Han Su, gently took her hand, and said sorrowfully, “Su-su, my good daughter, your face is so pale—has your internal injury relapsed again? Don’t worry, the healing plan I devised for you is entering its final stage. Starting tonight, I’ll treat you every day; I estimate you’ll recover in another ten years.”

As she spoke, her voice quivered with emotion, and she lightly wrapped her arms around Han Su’s waist, resting her head on her daughter’s shoulder as if grieved by her child’s illness. Yet the eyes she hid from others sparkled with mischievous amusement.

“Ah, Han Su’s health is still poor? Every night, Sister Hengbo, you’re welcome at the Celestial Mechanism Hall. The cave dwelling I’ve chosen for Han Su has far richer spiritual energy than yours—it’ll aid her recovery. No time to waste, let’s go at once!” Han Yangzi, hearing Daoist Lord Hengbo’s words, understood her real concern—Han Su being shut away—and discreetly hinted he wouldn’t do so, finally easing her worries.

She straightened, thought for a moment, and cheerfully decided, “Then let’s go!” With that, she took Han Su’s hand and moved toward the door. The others exchanged glances, but being used to her manner, shook their heads and prepared to follow. The Sect Master, Daoist Lord Zhuji, was about to speak on Han Yangzi’s behalf when Daoist Lord Hengbo’s words startled him into silence, fearing the formidable lady would use Han Su’s healing as a pretext to extort him. When the coast was clear and he was about to speak, Daoist Lord Hengbo, striding toward the door, suddenly turned back and said, “By the way, Senior Zhuji, is there any reward for Han Su contributing to the sect while ill?”

“Ahem, ahem, ahem,” the Sect Master, about to respond, was choked by his own saliva. Loath to answer but unable to refuse, he braced himself and said, “The Celestial Mechanism Hall will see to that. You may confirm it with Han Yangzi later. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave!” With that, he hastily summoned his flying treasure and quickly vanished.

The remaining few watched his retreat, shaking their heads in speechless amusement. The Sect Master was admirable in all things—except his stinginess, which never changed…

Han Yangzi produced a finely crafted spirit boat and invited Daoist Lord Lanhe, Daoist Lord Hengbo, and Han Su aboard, steering it toward the Celestial Mechanism Hall atop the main peak.

The Celestial Mechanism Hall held a unique position in the sect, perched upon the main peak. Its disciples were few—only five in total—covering all stages from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul. The hall chose disciples not by spirit root, talent, background, or status, but by divination.

Thus, the chosen disciples were a motley assortment: some had only just begun their cultivation journey and knew nothing of formations, while others had already achieved Gold Core and served as guardians of various peaks. They were men and women, young and old, sharing only an extraordinary innate talent for formations and, in their personalities and actions, all differed markedly from ordinary folk.

Han Yangzi, as the Hall Master, rarely taught disciples directly. His days were spent in astrology and divination, amusing himself. The five disciples, once admitted, were taught formation arts by Han Yangzi’s spirit beast, the Moonlight Spirit Cat, who acted as their instructor. Thereafter, each pursued their own research, with periodic reviews by their master—a system reminiscent of a modern advisor guiding graduate students.

This time, he sought Han Su partly because he’d heard she’d inherited the legacy of an ancient formation sect, and partly due to guidance from his astrological readings. Though the stars indicated several disciples would influence the sect’s future, only Han Su was connected both to this divination and to the hall’s selection of disciples. Han Yangzi wouldn’t miss the opportunity. At present, attracting her to join the hall was somewhat difficult, but at least exchanging formation techniques would be a boon for the sect.

He thus prepared generous conditions: Han Su was to be given the most luxurious cave dwelling, rich in spiritual energy, and had even summoned Ling Mei—who had not left her cave in ten years—to participate in research and deduction. Each disciple of the hall had their own peculiarities, and Ling Mei was considered the most elegant. Rumor had it Han Su had brought back a handsome demon in human form and suffered serious injury for him, so clearly she had a taste for handsome men. Thus, the old man quietly arranged for Ling Mei to deploy his charm and help lure Han Su as a disciple.

Daoist Lord Lanhe and Daoist Lord Hengbo, after inspecting the opulent cave dwelling, left satisfied, entrusting Han Su to this place full of unknown “dangers.” Of course, Han Su herself had no inkling just how bizarre this place would turn out to be. She arrived with a responsible attitude, eager to exchange knowledge on formations, full of hope for the Celestial Mechanism Hall.

Ling Mei was a good friend of Senior Brother Lin Qing, whom Han Su had met before, having received a pile of advanced formation plates from him before entering the Hexi Secret Realm. At the time, she was awed by Ling Mei’s mastery of formations, and though she was briefly astonished by his devilish charm, her admiration outweighed any other feelings. She had heard plenty from Tu Qiqi and others about the hall’s eccentricities, but never took it seriously, settling in with ease. As it turned out, she was far too naïve…

On her second morning, having settled in, Han Su planned to follow Han Yangzi’s instructions and meet the other disciples in the hall. As soon as she opened the door and stepped outside, she was startled by the old plum tree suddenly planted before her doorway and by Ling Mei lounging upon its rugged branch. The tree blocked her entrance, its twisted limbs supporting a man in red, lounging at an angle. His collar was open, revealing a patch of smooth, pale skin; his long hair draped down, partially obscuring his sharply defined face, softening his wildness with a touch of gentle charm. Hearing Han Su, he did not turn to face her, but his narrow phoenix eyes, half-lidded, gazed at her through a veil of hair—what a dashing sight!

Yet to Han Su, the scene conveyed only one message: “This man is a fool—keep your distance.” She dearly wished to pretend not to see him and slip away, but the tree blocked her path, and her earlier dazed expression had already given her away. Reluctantly, she stepped forward and said, “Senior Brother Ling, you’re up early…”

Ling Mei made no reply, his brows flickering as he turned his head to the other side, striking another pose, yet conveying the same message. After preening for a while and seeing no sign that Han Su was shy or charmed, he lazily slid down from the tree, glanced at her, and said, “Unlike you, sleeping like a pig despite being a Gold Core cultivator.” With that, he shuffled off, long legs striding into the distance. Han Su spread her hands helplessly, looked at the abandoned plum tree, hesitated, then decided to follow.

Author’s note: I actually finished this yesterday, but couldn’t post it due to technical issues, so here it is today. Soon I’ll be writing a whole bunch of oddballs—someone as upright, proper, and normal as me can hardly imagine what counts as eccentric! (Serious face.) It’s a real challenge for me! Enough said—writing while nodding and swaying is dizzying!