The Secret in the Heart

Donggua quickened her pace, heading straight for the coffin shop Chu Xingchen had mentioned.

Funeral businesses generally offered "one-stop" services—paper effigies, coffins, and candles were all available. If one shop was closed, another would be open, but coffins were never displayed out in the open.

A mortal visiting for the first time might not be able to find it on their first try.

For Donggua, however, it was naturally a trivial matter.

The door to the coffin shop was ajar. Donggua stopped, took a gentle breath to steady herself, and then walked inside.

The moment Donggua entered, a young man stepped forward to greet her, opening his mouth to say:

"My condolences, valued customer."

Donggua froze upon hearing this. Was he pronouncing her dead already?

But she quickly realized the context. People didn't come to a coffin shop for happy occasions; offering condolences was standard procedure.

Donggua's spatial ring had been stripped clean when she was first captured by Cui Hao. When she fell into Wukong's hands, he naturally hadn't bothered to equip a prisoner with such a luxury either.

So, Donggua simply retrieved the token Chu Xingchen had given her from her sleeve.

Upon seeing the token in Donggua's hand, the young man instantly dropped his mournful expression. He decisively reached out to take it, probed it with his spiritual sense, and without a word, pulled a talisman from his robes and activated it with spiritual energy.

After doing this, the young man turned without hesitation and headed toward the back of the shop.

Left standing there watching his retreating figure, Donggua hurriedly called out:

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

The young man paused, turning to look at the anxious Donggua with a confused expression. His tone was equally puzzled as he replied:

"Run... faster?"

The moment the words left his mouth.

Donggua immediately bolted. However, she didn't dare use her spiritual energy to run. With Tribulation Transcendence cultivators sweeping the area with their senses, she already stood out like a lantern without using energy; using it would be no different from a death wish.

Still, Donggua was a Deity Transformation cultivator; even running on physical strength alone, she was incredibly fast. Following Chu Xingchen's instructions, she headed east.

Heading east meant running back the way she came.

Donggua didn't understand the logic behind this, but she had no other options and could only obediently comply.

The path was clear, and in just a few breaths, Donggua found herself back near the inn. Since Chu Xingchen hadn't given a specific meeting point, she just kept running east.

However, she soon ground to a halt...

For a simple reason.

Not far from the inn, right on her path.

Chu Xingchen was standing by the roadside with two monks, buying candied fruit. He was currently in the middle of picking and choosing through the selection.

For a moment, Donggua didn't know whether to feel angry or relieved.

Angry because she had likely been fooled by Cui Hao again and made into a laughingstock; relieved because she had survived this ordeal, and it hadn't turned out to be overly dangerous.

Donggua approached quickly, her face betraying no sign of displeasure:

"Are you waiting for me here?"

Chu Xingchen paid for the sweets, stowed away the package the vendor had wrapped, and replied casually:

"Partly. You really are a fast runner, though."

Donggua looked at Cui Hao's face and took a deep, heavy breath:

"So where do we go now? Back to the inn to wait?"

Chu Xingchen looked at Donggua strangely upon hearing this.

"Of course we run. It's very dangerous right now."

Donggua didn't reply; she simply lowered her gaze to the candied fruit in Chu Xingchen's hand.

Her meaning was crystal clear: *If it's really that dangerous, how do you have the leisure to be shopping for sweets?*

Chu Xingchen didn't answer. He just stood there for a moment.

Then, a golden Buddhist light suddenly erupted in the sky. Buddhist inscriptions descended from the heavens, surrounding them from all directions.

The spiritual senses of several Tribulation Transcendence cultivators swept frantically across the area.

Donggua was instantly stunned.

Chu Xingchen stored the candied fruit into his spatial ring and spoke calmly:

"Since you've joined our team, you count as one of us. I told you before: I, Cui Hao, never lie to my own people."

"Now you know I was telling the truth." Chu Xingchen gestured for Donggua to look at the Buddhist formation enveloping the sky. "Take a look. Isn't it very dangerous?"

"...It is the truth. Shouldn't we be running now? With this formation... can we really escape? The Buddhist Sect's Tribulation Transcendence experts must all be here..."

"Of course we can." Chu Xingchen sounded extremely confident. "Even your Demon Realm people can infiltrate the Buddhist Sect as moles. For an organization like that, it's only reasonable that I've found a few double agents of my own, right?"

Donggua looked skeptical. The Buddhist Sect was one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects. With so many Worldly Buddhas, she had never heard of anyone truly betraying the sect. Her tone was suspicious:

"Is... is that reasonable? Aren't you afraid they're feigning loyalty to lure us into a trap?"

Chu Xingchen didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Bright Buddha, who was standing nearby eating candied fruit.

Seeing Chu Xingchen pass the conversation to him, Bright Buddha didn't leave him hanging. He nodded with great certainty and said:

"What Fellow Daoist Cui says is very reasonable."

Chu Xingchen smiled, then turned and began walking out of the city:

"Let's go. Just remember not to walk too arrogantly; otherwise, do as you please."

Donggua didn't ask any more questions. Gritting her teeth, she followed after Chu Xingchen.

Tianyan Sect, One Big Happy Family Peak.

Li Xingtian walked through the corridor, his gaze falling upon his Third Junior Sister, who was already seated and waiting with freshly brewed tea.

He paused, looking at Chen Baiqing’s grown-up features. Yet, unconsciously, he would always see the shadow of her younger self—quietly sitting in a chair, holding a book, and nibbling on candied fruits.

Li Xingtian walked over and sat in the chair opposite her.

"Third Junior Sister, is something the matter?"

Chen Baiqing offered a sweet smile before pouring a cup of the tea for her Second Senior Brother.

"Master has been gone for a few days now. Does Second Senior Brother have any tasks for Baiqing to handle?"

Li Xingtian clasped the teacup, studying Chen Baiqing's expression, then gently shook his head.

"No."

"Then is there anything that needs to be done by others?"

"No, nothing."

Chen Baiqing nodded with understanding, then pressed on.

"Then, has Second Senior Brother had any strange dreams lately?"

"...I haven't slept, so how could I dream?"

With a beaming smile, Chen Baiqing suggested, "Then perhaps Second Senior Brother should go take a nap and see if a dream comes?"

"..."

At this point, Li Xingtian naturally understood why his Third Junior Sister had called him over.

She was intelligent by nature, and his previous hint had been far too obvious.

Regardless of her deductions or how much they might deviate from the specific details, she at least had an accurate grasp of the outcome.

Li Xingtian spoke earnestly, "That is not something known through dreaming. I do not know the specifics, nor can I control it. However, the absence of strange dreams is likely a good thing. After all, I only had that dream during that one specific incident."

Chen Baiqing nodded gently upon hearing this. "That is good, then..."

As she spoke, she lifted her gaze once more to look at Li Xingtian.

"If anything happens, Second Senior Brother should come to discuss it with Baiqing first."

Li Xingtian nodded with a smile.

Yet, within his gaze, he faintly seemed to see a completely different Chen Baiqing amidst the River of Time.

But this secret was one he would likely have to keep for a lifetime.