C678 The Peach Blossom Calamity

Woo Zhengyang caught the object tossed to him by the woman and paused for a moment. It was an ice sculpture of a rose, carved from crystal-clear jade, lifelike and mesmerizing. This ice rose was not unfamiliar to Woo Zhengyang.

Back when the three sects of the Fallen Sun Country besieged the Profound Heaven Sect, Woo Zhengyang, Nie Fengyu, and Fu Chuan were on their way back. Nie Fengyu had taken out this very ice rose, instructing Woo Zhengyang and Fu Chuan to head to the Ice Heart Sect to find someone named Bing Yue. Given the urgency of the situation, even if Nie Fengyu knew someone from the Ice Heart Sect, it was unlikely they could arrive in time to help. Woo Zhengyang understood that Nie Fengyu's true intention was simply to find a safe haven for himself and Fu Chuan. Woo Zhengyang stayed behind and sent Fu Chuan instead.

Now, with the ice rose back in his hand and the name of the inn, Water Moon Inn, everything became clear to him.

"May I ask, are you Bing Yue?" Woo Zhengyang's tone finally betrayed his unease. If this person was indeed the one Nie Fengyu had sought, addressing her as "miss" seemed quite inappropriate.

What frustrated Woo Zhengyang even more was the thought: As an old acquaintance of our sect leader, is it really okay for you to tease his disciples like this?

"What do you mean, 'senior'? Aren't I a young lady?" Bing Yue's eyes sparkled mischievously, casting a playful glance his way.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were an acquaintance of our leader," Woo Zhengyang said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "When you didn't reveal your identity, it was one thing, but now that you have, what's with the winks?"

"Cut the nonsense. I'm not your elder, you're not my disciple, and I don't know your leader. We're just here to fulfill a promise," Bing Yue replied, her expression shifting.

"Alright then, Miss Bing Yue, I'll take my leave."

Even though it was clear Bing Yue was more friend than foe, Woo Zhengyang found her actions a bit too much to handle. Better to bring Nie Fengyu into the picture first.

"Leave? Where do you think you're going? How am I supposed to fulfill the promise without you? Come on, pick one of the three paths."

"Pick?"

"Of course! Do you think I'm joking?"

Woo Zhengyang was stunned. It was all out in the open now, and he was starting to believe those three choices were real.

But because they were real, it was even harder to believe.

Bing Yue was offering him a choice among three paths, which meant he could choose the second one, involving him and Bing Yue...

What kind of situation was this? It was all too confusing!

Just then, Bing Yue spoke up again.

"I know you had your doubts before, but now you see I wasn't lying, right? The second path is the safest and, well, the most exciting!" she said, throwing another playful wink his way.

Woo Zhengyang was even more confused.

"Um... Miss Bing Yue, I've thought it over, and none of these three paths are right for me! I must take my leave!"

Woo Zhengyang couldn't bear to stay any longer. Facing Bing Yue was more terrifying than facing a martial king; she was too unpredictable...

"What! What's wrong with you, you silly boy? Am I that unbearable? Even if you're not interested in women, do you really need to hesitate on the third option?" Bing Yue stood up angrily, grabbed an embroidered pillow from the bed, and threw it at Woo Zhengyang.

Woo Zhengyang dodged the pillow, took two quick steps to the door, formed a quick hand sign, and then dashed out in a hurry...

"I'm so mad!"

Seeing Woo Zhengyang run out like he'd seen a ghost, Bing Yue sat down on the bed in frustration, her chest heaving with anger.

"What's wrong with that silly boy? Has he really lost his mind?"

"But if he's so clueless, how did he manage to break the formation? I didn't even notice when he did it, yet he found the method to control it!"

"No, I have to keep an eye on that silly boy! Hmph, let's see if he comes running to me for help when other martial kings find him..."

Muttering angrily, Bing Yue grabbed her coat, put it on, and walked out...

...

Outside the Water Moon Pavilion, Woo Zhengyang patted his chest, still shaken.

Meeting Bing Yue was an incredibly trying time for Woo Zhengyang. Out of nowhere, he recalled something Lee Yuanye had once said. Back when they were at their ancestral grounds, they encountered a divine pet as powerful as an emperor, forcing them to repeatedly retreat into the Star World.

Lee Yuanye, caught up in his fortune-telling phase, insisted on reading fortunes for Woo Zhengyang and the others. Despite their lack of interest, he went ahead, pulling everyone, including Bing'er and others, into his antics for quite some time.

When it was Woo Zhengyang's turn, Lee Yuanye was stumped. He studied Woo Zhengyang for a long time, calculating endlessly, but came up with nothing. He had always claimed that, aside from himself being a person of destiny, he could predict something for everyone else. Yet, with Woo Zhengyang, he drew a blank, much to his embarrassment.

Determined, he brought out a set of fortune sticks for Woo Zhengyang to try, but still, nothing came of it. Frustrated, he resorted to using a tortoise shell and some peculiar coins. After much deliberation, he finally declared, "A romantic misfortune!"

The group was skeptical, suspecting he was just making things up because he couldn't predict anything. However, Lee Yuanye insisted that his prediction was genuine and that Woo Zhengyang was indeed facing a romantic misfortune soon.

To prove his point, Lee Yuanye carefully explained his perspective. When people think of peach blossoms, they often associate them with romance, but if things go wrong, it becomes a disaster. However, Lee Yuanye argued that there's no such thing as a romantic encounter; it's all about overcoming challenges.

The women listening were skeptical, so Lee Yuanye elaborated. If a relationship is destined, it's not just a chance encounter; it's fate. Everything else is a trial, varying in intensity. Some trials lead to true love, while others end in nothing.

Despite his explanation, the women remained unconvinced. According to Lee Yuanye, any interaction Woo Zhengyang had with a woman could be considered a trial. He insisted that Woo Zhengyang's current situation was a significant challenge, and time would reveal the truth.

After making his point, Lee Yuanye mysteriously collapsed and remained unconscious for an entire day. Upon waking, he claimed he had been punished for revealing secrets.

At the time, Woo Zhengyang didn't take it seriously, but now he couldn't help but wonder. Could Lee Yuanye have been right? Was his current predicament with Bing Yue truly a significant trial? Woo Zhengyang was puzzled, as he had little interaction with Bing Yue and no desire for deeper involvement. How could this be a major challenge?