Chapter 52

Yu Tao had heard the name Su Liuli many times before, and had also heard information about her from others.

For example, because Yu Tao resembled Su Liuli, she had the opportunity to become a disciple of Xuan Yuzi. Another piece of information was that Su Liuli’s mother and her mother were sisters, making Yu Tao and Su Liuli cousins.

However, the news she had heard the most was that Su Liuli had passed away a few years ago.

Now, from what the divine attendants were saying… Su Liuli had died and been resurrected, and would soon become Yaochi’s next goddess?

Yu Tao had never heard of such a resurrection technique, but at this moment, her heart skipped a beat. If such a thing were possible, then her mother…

The thought crossed her mind for only a moment before Yu Tao pushed it away, feeling a twinge of melancholy and regret.

As for this matter, her mother had already made her choice that day on the boat. Yu Tao had no right to interfere with her mother’s will. Moreover, she didn’t want her mother to suffer in this world just because of unnecessary entanglements.

Thinking about how she was about to visit her mother’s former residence, Yu Tao slapped her face lightly and forced a smile. Her mother would certainly not want to see her with a sorrowful expression.

Avoiding the patrols of the divine attendants, Yu Tao arrived at the Star-picking Cliff.

The lonely moon hangs high above the cliff, cold and aloof. Through the misty clouds, the countless stars were visible, as if they were close enough to touch with a stretch of her hand.

There were only a few simple wooden houses here, supported by vines and scattered around a towering tree.

Yu Tao had noticed on her way here that the Star-picking Cliff was quite remote. Even the divine attendants did not patrol this area.

But this suited Yu Tao just fine—if she were being watched by the divine attendants, it would be troublesome.

Yu Tao climbed the vine ladder and reached the treehouse. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Contrary to her expectation of a dusty, cobweb-filled space, the interior of the house was very clean and neat, with not a speck of dust. Yu Tao looked around and recognized the familiar layout from her memories. She was certain this was the place.

This was the bedroom, though there didn’t seem to be much evidence that her mother had lived here. It wasn’t clear whether it had been cleaned, but what remained most were books.

Yu Tao picked up a book from the desk and opened it. The language was obscure and difficult to understand, but she could just about make out that it was a book on formations and prohibitions. Most of the other books were similar.

Thinking about the forbidden formations from the Xuanyue Sea, Yu Tao thought, could the goddess mentioned by Feng Mian really be her mother?

But how had her mother gone from being a cultivator at the Mahayana stage to a mortal with no cultivation?

Frowning, Yu Tao put the book down and moved to another wooden house. This one had even more books, neatly arranged on vine bookshelves.

In addition to the books, there were many odd items—beast teeth, totems, various magical tools and weapons. These seemed to be items needed to form the formations.

Her mother must have been studying formations here.

Yu Tao hung the ancient sword that had fallen on the ground back on the wall and walked over to the desk in the room. On the old wooden table were two unusual items.

One was a white robe, placed in a box, and the other was a small black box, pressing down on the robe.

The white robe resembled the robes of the divine attendants, though it was clearly more ornate and solemn. The collar and belt were adorned with intricate patterns, and faint golden gemstones glimmered on it.

Yu Tao opened the small box, inside was a delicate silver tail ring. She picked it up and looked at it, and a surge of spiritual energy conveyed a message to her.

The language was somewhat complicated, but the general meaning seemed to be—whoever wears this ring will be the ruler of Yaochi.

Yu Tao had just begun to interpret the message when, without warning, the ring activated on its own and slipped onto her finger.

Yu Tao: “?!”

She froze, quickly trying to take it off, but it wouldn’t budge. No matter how hard she tried, the ring remained firmly on her finger.

“…” This was a mistake, she shouldn’t have touched it.

Yu Tao frowned, looking at the tail ring on her finger. Its design featured birds and fish entwining each other, with a small blue gemstone at the intersection, resembling the blue of the sea and sky. The gemstone was clear and translucent, making the ring quite beautiful.

But she didn’t believe the message the ring conveyed.

If this ring were truly as important as the message suggested, why was it left here on the unattended Star-picking Cliff? Shouldn’t it have been hidden away and guarded by the people of Yaochi long ago?

Despite thinking this, Yu Tao couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the ring that she couldn’t take off.

…She should probably ask Classmate Zhu and Senior Sister Lu how to remove it.

Yu Tao looked around the Star-picking Cliff again, but didn’t find anything else left behind by her mother. This trip had only yielded this inexplicably troublesome ring, and she wasn’t even sure if it was really her mother’s relic.

She made her way back to Liuyue Residence, without encountering any dangers. She smoothly bypassed the divine attendants’ patrols and returned safely to her room.

The maid that Lu Qingyu had brought, Xian Zhi, was waiting in her room. She smiled at Yu Tao. “Miss Yu, while you were away, no one came. You can rest easy.”

Yu Tao thanked her, and Xian Zhi quietly returned to her own room.

Yu Tao sat back at the desk, raising her right hand to examine the ring. It hadn’t shown any unusual signs or discomfort since she’d put it on. She just hoped that when Zhu Tongxue and Lu Shijie returned, they could help her figure out how to remove it.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Yu Tao’s heart tightened, and she calmly asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Zhe Li, the divine attendant from earlier today.” A gentle female voice laughed. “I had some urgent matters in the afternoon and forgot to take the jade plate back. Would it be convenient for you to let me in now?”

Since entry and exit from Yaochi required registration, Zhe Li was the alias Yu Tao had been using. Yu Tao nodded and replied, “Alright, come in.”

The divine attendant opened the door and entered, apologizing with a smile. “It was my oversight, I sincerely apologize, Zhe Li.”

Yu Tao shook her head. “It’s fine.”

The divine attendant walked over to her, her gaze inadvertently scanning a certain spot. With quick movements, she gathered the dishes from the table into a food box and closed it.

“Was it not to your taste? I noticed you didn’t seem to touch it much,” she remarked.

Not just “not much,” Yu Tao hadn’t tasted a single bite. Feeling a little embarrassed, she hesitated. “Sorry… I was a bit tired on the way here and didn’t have much of an appetite.”

Although she didn’t want to waste food, she wasn’t sure if it was safe, so she hadn’t eaten.

The divine attendant smiled gently. “Indeed, the Wuchang Sect is quite far from Yaochi. You should rest well these next few days, Zhe Li.”

Yu Tao nodded. “Alright.”

The divine attendant left, and Yu Tao relaxed. As long as the attendant hadn’t discovered she had gone to Star-picking Cliff, everything was fine.

After a whole night of evading the patrolling divine attendants, she was exhausted. She locked the door and went to bed.

Outside Liuyue Residence, Kou Yi handed the food box to the waiting divine attendant, her expression gentle. “Please bring some light meals tomorrow.”

The divine attendant bowed respectfully. “Understood, Divine Attendant Kou.”

The lonely moon hung high, and Kou Yi looked up. The full moon’s soft light spilled across the courtyard’s stone ground, casting a clear reflection in the small pond.

Her furrowed brows relaxed, and a light, contented smile appeared on her face.

The new ruler of Yaochi…

Yu Tao stayed in Liuyue Residence for several days. Aside from sneaking out the first day, she spent the rest of her time quietly staying in her room, afraid of causing trouble by accident.

She didn’t go out, but the divine attendant often came to find her, bringing her various delicacies. With all these offerings, Yu Tao felt she couldn’t refuse anymore, and eventually, she ate. Fortunately, the food seemed fine.

As time passed, the divine attendant, Kou Yi, began spending more time in Liuyue Residence, chatting with her. Yu Tao also learned that her name was Kou Yi, and she was one of the more experienced divine attendants there.

“Tomorrow, Miss Zhu and Miss Lu’s baptism will be over. It just so happens that tomorrow is also the ceremony for the new divine goddess’s succession. They’ll be invited to attend the ceremony. Zhe Li, would you like to come along?”

Yu Tao bit into a flaky pastry, her cheeks puffing up. She was a bit surprised. “Eh? I can go too?”

“But isn’t the ceremony invitation-only?” she asked.

Kou Yi rested her chin in her hand, her tone gentle. “Zhe Li, am I not inviting you right now?”

She smiled and said, “Don’t worry. After staying in Yaochi for so many years, I still have this little bit of authority.”

Yu Tao wiped her hands and smiled brightly. “Then thank you!”

In the few days they had spent together, she found Kou Yi to be a kind person—gentle in speech, and her temperament seemed very nice.

However, Kou Yi often seemed to be lost in thought when looking at her, and Yu Tao couldn’t quite figure out what was on her mind. When she asked, Kou Yi would only give a soft laugh and change the subject. But everyone has their own secrets, so she didn’t think too much about it.

“By the way, I heard the succession ceremony was supposed to be held the day before yesterday. Why was it postponed?” Yu Tao asked, a little curious.

When she first arrived, she had heard the divine attendants mention that the ceremony would be held soon, but several days had passed without any word.

“Hmm…” Kou Yi hesitated for a moment. “There were some unforeseen circumstances, so it was delayed for a few days. But it’s all been resolved now.”

Yu Tao nodded. “That’s good, then.”

After tomorrow’s ceremony, they would be able to leave. Thinking that made Yu Tao feel much lighter, though there was still the matter of her mother… She would ask Su Chengfeng about it when they returned.

The next morning, Yu Tao saw the divine attendants were already busy. She yawned lightly and suddenly noticed Kou Yi walking toward her.

“Let’s go, Zhe Li.”

“So early?” Yu Tao asked, a bit surprised.

“The ceremony is in the main hall, at noon. But first, you need to go to the back hall with Miss Zhu and the others to wait,” Kou Yi replied with a soft laugh.

“Right.” Yu Tao smiled sheepishly and followed Kou Yi to the Yaochi Palace.

Once inside, Kou Yi reminded her that anyone who would meet the divine statues must be purified first. So, after another round of bathing and grooming, Yu Tao emerged in a simple white dress. Kou Yi gently guided her to sit at the dressing table, took out her cat-shaped hairpin, and let her long black hair cascade down.

“It turns out to be made from Phoenix Divine Wood,” Kou Yi said with a gentle smile. “The person who crafted this pin was quite thoughtful. They used such a clever concealment method—I didn’t even notice.”

As Kou Yi’s fingers worked through her hair, she slowly twisted it into a bun and asked, “This pin, is it from someone special to you?”

Though it was phrased as a question, her tone was certain.

Yu Tao’s cheeks turned slightly pink as she softly hummed in acknowledgment. Then she lifted her eyes slightly. “What is Phoenix Divine Wood? Is it very precious?”

Kou Yi paused for a moment before responding. “Well, it’s not particularly rare. The Phoenix Divine Tree in Penglai has stood there for billions of years. Anyone who wishes to see it only needs to make the effort to visit Penglai.”

“However, obtaining this divine wood is extremely difficult. There are phoenixes guarding the tree, and one must undergo trials to receive it. Few people can pass the trials. But even so, many people still seek out the Phoenix Divine Wood as their Dao companion. Every year, people from Penglai make the journey.”

Yu Tao was confused. “Why a Dao companion?”

Kou Yi finished securing the hairpin in her hair, placed her hand on Yu Tao’s shoulder as they both looked into the mirror, and smiled brightly. “What do you think, Zhe Li?”