Chapter 128: The Master of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets

"I never expected to uncover such vital information on this trip! Now that things have reached this point, I must return as soon as possible. Yet, I have another critical mission to attend to... I truly find myself spread too thin!" the man muttered to himself.

"Oh? May I ask what this important mission is? Perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing it with me?" Xu Cheng asked with genuine concern.

"All of you, get out of here!" The man did not answer immediately; instead, he turned and roared at the townspeople behind him. His hair whipped about as he unleashed the formidable aura of a Primordial Spirit realm master.

Terrified, the people scattered like rabbits, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"You two, get lost as well!"

The two men who appeared to be his disciples did not move. With eyes wide and expressions of defiance, they growled back at him.

"Yes, yes, understood!" Seeing his reaction, they dared not linger and retreated immediately.

"This person..." The young man finally turned his gaze toward Boss Chi.

"It is fine, he is a trustworthy man," Xu Cheng quickly intervened on behalf of Boss Chi.

"Oh? Very well. I am Qingfeng, a cultivator of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. Whether the two of you are truly trustworthy remains to be tested by the arts of my Pavilion!" The young man, known by his Daoist name Qingfeng, then veiled his eyes in a cyan glow, a technique remarkably similar to Xu Cheng’s Yellow Springs Eye, which allowed for the peering into destiny.

Perhaps the arts of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion were simply unique in their own right.

After a moment, the cyan light in Qingfeng’s eyes faded. "While I cannot see through your fate, I can discern that you are indeed a man of your word," he stated.

"My mission is not exactly..." Just as Qingfeng began to speak, a ragged, unkempt old man appeared, accompanied by a young girl.

Qingfeng froze, staring at the old man in utter astonishment, as if witnessing something impossible.

"Keep talking. Why are you staring at me?" The old man unhooked the gourd from his waist, took a sip of wine, and sat down on the ground.

"Grand... Grand Ancestor, I have finally found you! And Senior Sister, too!" In an instant, Qingfeng seemed like a child again, sitting closely beside the disheveled elder.

"Qingfeng, why are you looking for me? You are no longer a child. Can you not handle the affairs of the Pavilion on your own?" the old man asked earnestly.

Xu Cheng surmised that finding this old man must have been the other important mission Qingfeng spoke of.

"If it were not a matter of life and death, I would not dare disturb you, Grand Ancestor. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, I beg you to calculate the destiny of our Great Han nation. What is its future?" Qingfeng asked, his face etched with anxiety.

"Calculate the nation’s destiny?" The old man grabbed his matted hair and pondered.

His hair was a tangled mess of knots, appearing as if it hadn't been washed in decades. His face was smeared with yellowish mud, and there was not a clean spot on his entire body. In stark contrast, the girl beside him was fresh, bright, and impeccably dressed, her hair styled in an elegant bun. The disparity between the two was like heaven and earth.

"My own strength is insufficient to calculate the fate of a nation. I implore you to help me, Grand Ancestor!" Qingfeng pleaded.

"You have certainly found me a fine disciple! You cannot even find a successor, yet you expect me to calculate the national destiny?" the old man retorted angrily, refusing to agree immediately.

"Grand Ancestor, finding a disciple can wait. Everyone knows your power is unparalleled and your lifespan is surely destined to be extended. But the most urgent matter right now is the calculation of our national fate!" Qingfeng continued to urge him, but the old man seemed indifferent, clearly signaling that if he didn't find a disciple, he would not perform the calculation.

"Father's remaining lifespan is already insufficient for such a calculation. After doing so, he would either have to ascend to the Immortal Realm to gain ten thousand years of life or report to the Underworld to undergo reincarnation," the young girl said hurriedly, clearly unwilling to see her father depart so easily.

At the mention of lifespan, Xu Cheng’s interest piqued instantly. What he lacked most was Merit Golden Light, which he could use to exchange for lifespan on behalf of others through the Yellow Springs. With a glint in his eyes, he quickly interjected, "If the senior is worried about his lifespan, there is no need! I am an emissary who can exchange Merit Golden Light for longevity. No deceit, no double pricing: ten thousand Merit Golden Light for sixty years of life!"

"Are you an emissary of the Yellow Springs in the mortal realm?" Having lived for so long, the old man was naturally well-aware of the Yellow Springs emissaries.

"Indeed. How about it, Senior? Would you like to make a trade with me?" Xu Cheng’s excitement was palpable. Even Qingfeng stared at him with wide eyes, his hopes resting entirely on this man.

"Naturally, I am willing. Let me see how much Merit Golden Light I possess!"

The old man closed his eyes, sensing the golden light hidden within his body. After a long while, he opened them again. "I have enough Merit Golden Light! But I wonder how much of my lifespan this calculation of national destiny will consume."

"May I ask for your secular name, Senior, to facilitate the exchange?" Xu Cheng asked.

"My secular name? I am Ning Daotian, and this is my daughter, Ning Daocha." The old man gestured to the vibrant young girl standing beside him.

As he spoke, the Yellow Springs token in Xu Cheng’s hand flickered incessantly. The final result shocked even Xu Cheng: Ning Daotian possessed three hundred and sixty thousand points of merit. This meant he could exchange for three hundred and sixty cycles of sixty years—surely more than enough.

"You have enough for thirty-six centuries of life!" Xu Cheng smiled. If this trade were completed, he would possess a vast amount of merit, perhaps enough to fully master the Supreme Treasures recorded in his memory.

"Exchange it. Exchange all of it!" Ning Daotian decided instantly, leaving not a shred of merit for himself.

One had to understand that this marvelous merit had special properties; it could subtly influence a person's fortune, guiding it toward a favorable path. For instance, if one encountered danger, those with ample merit could turn misfortune into good luck; if one met with good fortune, it would be even better.

"Father!" Ning Daocha pouted, clearly unhappy.

"My mind is made up. Say no more," Ning Daotian said, waving his hand to silence her.

"But..." Ning Daocha tried to continue, but Ning Daotian’s hands shimmered with cyan light, covering his daughter. With a single spell, he rendered her unable to speak.

"Proceed with the exchange," Ning Daotian said, looking at Xu Cheng with a serious expression.

"Since that is your decision, Senior, I shall comply," Xu Cheng bowed respectfully. He began to channel the merit from the old man to himself, then transferred the longevity to him.

In the end, Ning Daotian gained approximately two thousand years of life. Feeling the surge of vitality, he reached into his robes and produced an object—a magical artifact designed specifically for calculating heavenly secrets. It consisted of dozens of interlocking rings that rotated independently according to a set pattern, with a transparent orb at the center where images flickered from time to time.