Not Like a Good Man: Chu Xingchen

Zheng Zhaoling narrowed her eyes slightly, looking a little more intently. Though the name was rather blunt, the calligraphy itself carried a profound charm.

Moreover, Chu Xingchen had invited her personally. While his purpose was unclear, he must have made some preparations.

Like this eye-catching yet somewhat awkward door plaque—perhaps it was a hint and a tone set by Chu Xingchen himself.

"One Loving Family"...?

Was this a gesture of goodwill?

Or was he planning to ally with Yunmeng Pavilion? If an alliance was the goal, was he intending to use her as the entry point?

Zheng Zhaoling did not enter rashly but fell into brief contemplation. If the topic was this, how should she respond? How should she represent the interests of Yunmeng Pavilion?

Currently, Chu Xingchen's reputation among the Eighteen Immortal Sects was thunderous. Bai Xuanling, the world's only True Immortal, had not ascended for some reason.

These two men, one represented the present, the other the future.

They could not be offended, yet interests could not be easily conceded.

"You must be Fellow Daoist Zheng."

A clear, bright voice sounded from the doorway.

Zheng Zhaoling's heart tightened. She hadn't detected anyone so close. Her gaze turned towards the door, where a handsome young man stood by the entrance, dressed in a pale blue robe adorned with flowing gold Daoist patterns.

His hands were clasped behind his back, a light smile on his lips, his gaze calm and steady, yet it felt as if he had seen right through her with just one look.

What made Zheng Zhaoling even more wary was that, even with the young man right before her, her spiritual sense perceived him only as a wisp of primordial clear qi. She could sense neither his cultivation level nor any trace of Daoist resonance.

Indeed, a great reputation is not built on mediocrity. A genius among geniuses was truly unfathomable.

His demeanor, though relaxed, inexplicably gave her immense pressure.

Zheng Zhaoling had a fair idea of who this was, so she clasped her hands in greeting:

"I am Zheng Zhaoling. I have long admired Fellow Daoist Chu's great name."

Chu Xingchen gave a slight nod:

"I have also long heard of Fellow Daoist's reputation. I hope you do not mind this presumptuous invitation."

Zheng Zhaoling replied calmly:

"To be invited is my honor."

"You seemed to be looking at the plaque for quite some time," Chu Xingchen said with a light laugh. "Do you find it vulgar? Unbefitting of an immortal family's style?"

Zheng Zhaoling shook her head gently: "Perhaps there is a deeper meaning from the Fellow Daoist that I have not fully grasped."

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen slightly raised his head, his gaze turning to the plaque, and said softly:

"Under heaven, within the Dao, we are originally one family striving together on the great path."

"Now, with powerful enemies arrayed against us and the Heavenly Dao crumbling, if a family is not loving and harmonious, it will only end in ruin."

"This is also my aspiration. But speaking of it, others would likely find it pretentious. So rather than a resplendent and grandiose name, it's better to be crude and straightforward."

Zheng Zhaoling looked at Chu Xingchen's somewhat lonely expression, but her heart was not greatly moved. In rumors and intelligence reports, Chu Xingchen was not described as such.

Still, she had to respond.

She put on a rather approving expression and said:

"Fellow Daoist Chu's aspiration is truly admirable."

Chu Xingchen raised a hand: "Please, come inside to talk."

Zheng Zhaoling gave a slight nod of agreement.

The two walked in, heading towards the inner courtyard.

Following behind, Zheng Zhaoling's eyes subtly surveyed the surroundings. The decor here was not lavish, quite different from what she had imagined. Based on the personality described in the intelligence on Chu Xingchen, she had expected at least some luxury, but it was unexpectedly simple and plain.

She followed his steps but suddenly noticed Chu Xingchen was not leading her to the main hall but to a small courtyard.

Xu Jin of the Xuanqing Tianzong and Daoist Yuyang of the Taidao Zong were simply seated on stone chairs.

Chu Xingchen raised his hand and introduced them:

"These two are Xu Jin and Yuyang."

Zheng Zhaoling clasped her hands: "Long heard of your great names."

Xu Jin and Yuyang both stood up to return the courtesy. As fellow core disciples, although her cultivation might be lower than theirs, their status was equal.

Chu Xingchen gestured, inviting Zheng Zhaoling to take a seat.

Daoist Yuyang naturally picked up the tea set beside him and began brewing tea. He had no desire to taste Chu Xingchen's "pot-scraping water," and as for Xu Jin, who could drink it, Yuyang didn't expect him to have any discernment.

As for "Chun Nuan" tea, the three of them didn't have enough to share, so naturally, none was prepared for Zheng Zhaoling.

Zheng Zhaoling sat down, watching as Yuyang brewed tea with a calm expression. Xu Jin's face was cool and detached, yet he offered her a polite smile.

This... was not quite what she had imagined.

She had thought the meeting would involve some confrontation, with Chu Xingchen joining forces with the two core disciples to exert pressure and deliver veiled warnings.

Why did it feel, upon sitting down, like a casual tea gathering among friends?

Daoist Yuyang was even brewing tea for her.

Although Zheng Zhaoling looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, that did not mean her age was. The situation was unusual. She took the teacup handed to her by Daoist Yuyang and chose to wait and see.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng," Chu Xingchen began, his tone calm. "I am a person who prefers to be direct, to say what needs to be said. I specifically invited you here because there is a matter I wish to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhaoling straightened her back slightly further. Her expression unchanged, she looked at Chu Xingchen and said:

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist."

Chu Xingchen gave a slight nod: "Fellow Daoist Zheng, the reason for inviting you this time is to briefly inform you that the Tianyan Sect and the Xuanqing Tianzong intend to establish a presence in Yunmengze."

Zheng Zhaoling was taken aback, her expression one of disbelief, as if she had misheard. She instinctively asked again:

"What did you just say, Fellow Daoist?"

"The Xuanqing Tianzong and the Tianyan Sect are preparing to enter Yunmengze," Chu Xingchen's tone remained calm, then he added emphatically, "Led by Bai Xuanling. Both Brother Xu and I will be going as well."

Zheng Zhaoling's gaze sharpened, her tone turning cold:

"Then this matter, Fellow Daoist Chu, should not be discussed with me. You should speak with the Sect Leader."

Chu Xingchen's expression remained placid: "Because this is not a negotiation, but a notification. Whether your sect agrees or not, we will go."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhaoling stood up, her tone no longer courteous:

"Then do you intend to humiliate me, to humiliate Yunmeng Pavilion?"

"On the contrary, this is to save face for your esteemed sect," Chu Xingchen said, glancing at her sideways. "If your sect is willing to cooperate, it will naturally be a powerful alliance, praised by all. If not..."

Chu Xingchen left the sentence unfinished, the implication hanging in the air.

Zheng Zhaoling gave a cold laugh and stated decisively:

"Your sects are so domineering, aren't you afraid of how the other immortal sects will view this? Yunmeng Pavilion has directly governed Yunmengze for a thousand years. Such bandit-like behavior, do you truly believe it will gain the approval of the other immortal sects?"

"I originally thought Fellow Daoist Chu, famed for vanquishing demons, was at least righteous and benevolent at heart. I never expected your true nature to be like this. Coming to this meeting today was my lack of discernment, my mistake in judging a person."

"Since Fellow Daoist Chu's decision is made, then we shall meet in Yunmengze."

With that, Zheng Zhaoling turned to leave, her posture resolute.

Seeing this, Chu Xingchen casually tossed out a sentence:

"Yunmengze is remote, its spiritual energy sparse. For immortal sects, it's essentially a useless piece of land."

"Fellow Daoist, won't you ask the reason why we are doing this?"

Zheng Zhaoling's steps halted upon hearing this.

Chu Xingchen continued:

"A justifiable cause is inevitable. Since I invited you here, it was naturally to express sincerity. Are you truly not interested in hearing more?"

Zheng Zhaoling was silent for a moment, then turned back and sat down again.

Xu Jin listened for a long while. If he hadn't truly known that Chu Xingchen had no real intention of going to Yunmeng Marsh, he would have genuinely thought Chu Xingchen wasn't a good person... Alright, even after knowing the truth, he felt even more that Chu Xingchen didn't seem like a good person.