Chapter 1

"It's you." The grand monk walked up to Tan Yin, picked up the white lotus she had just dropped, and gently sniffed it before his nose

Tan Yin smiled faintly at his praise, remaining silent. The two white-clad guards at the tower, disregarding the blood on their heads, immediately clasped their hands together in greeting, saying: "I have met the great monk"

Once these words were spoken, it effectively confirmed his identity, causing a stir among the young ladies

Upon hearing his words, the crowd lowered their heads even further

The young ladies fell silent as if frozen in fear, none daring to move. The two individuals in white, however, were relentless; one of them even approached this way, seemingly intent on circling the pond to capture someone

What is your name? How old are you? The monk gazed at her quietly; his appearance was plain, yet his eyes were exceptionally expressive, as if they could speak.

Everyone saw that his appearance was ordinary, and his speech was quite frivolous, so no one was willing to believe that he was a high-ranking monk from the fox clan

The young ladies were sweating profusely, and boldly, they secretly raised their heads to observe him. His long black hair was casually tied up, and although his attire was luxurious, it appeared particularly casual on him. It is said that immortals are all stunningly beautiful, and at the very least, they should possess pleasing features, yet this immortal looked... cough cough, truly forgettable, as if the two guards by the tower had more distinctive appearances than he did. Several young ladies, who held the highest admiration for immortals, secretly felt disappointed in their hearts.

The young ladies, having admired the fountain enough, began to scrutinize the two figures in white across the pond. Someone speculated, "What do you think, are they mortals or celestial beings of the fox clan?"

The two men in white displayed a rather arrogant attitude: "You may as well wait, what is the rush?"

This is the true demeanor of an immortal! Such elegance and beauty in the immortal, even each strand of hair seems to be glowing.

The grand monk indeed touched his own face, appearing quite serious: "It seems to have indeed thickened a little."

The grand monk looked at the two of them, their faces covered in blood, with a frown and said with a smile: "What happened to your bloodied faces?"

Before the words had left his mouth, a voice from outside the courtyard interjected: "Feel your own face; hasn't it grown a few inches thicker?"

Indeed, everyone fell silent for a moment; however, they were all young girls, the youngest being thirteen and the oldest no more than sixteen or seventeen, all at an age full of vitality, movement, and a love for conversation. Having the fortune to be chosen by the immortal to serve in the immortal's cave abode, and if luck were exceptionally good, they might even have the opportunity to cultivate alongside the immortal—who wouldn't be excited? After a brief pause, they began chattering again, finding interest in everything around them: a wisp of flying cloud, a petal, and even the magnificent paradise bird that flew overhead sparked lengthy discussions among them.

I, Ji Tan Yin, am a young woman of seventeen years. It is a great fortune for me to serve His Highness the Great Monk.

Although these young ladies have all been chosen by the immortals, upon their first arrival at the immortal's cave, they remain curious and innocent about everything.

The guardian of the tower bowed his head and said: "In response to the words of the great monk, the blood on the face of this humble person is due to a strange wind that just blew the wind chimes off the tower, and it is because we were unable to dodge in time."

The monk only felt that her voice was faint and slightly hoarse, quite different from the delicate and melodious tones of ordinary young women. He couldn't help but turn to look at her, noticing that she held a white lotus in her hand, and for a moment, he couldn't tell whether her hand was whiter or the flower was whiter. Although this young woman was not a stunning beauty, she was refined and gentle, making one feel very comfortable.

Tan Yin silently observed him from the side, scanning from head to toe, then from toe back to head, finally resting his gaze on his left hand. In this scorching summer sun, he surprisingly wore a black silk glove on his left hand

The howling wind roared, and sand and stones flew about. The wind chimes on the seven-story pagoda jingled incessantly. Suddenly, with two clanging sounds, two strings were blown off by the wind, landing squarely on the head of the white-clad gatekeeper, instantly causing him to bleed profusely and cry out in pain. The young ladies, taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, were left in a state of shock.

Oh Immortal! Finally, someone has reacted, and with a low exclamation, in the next moment, everyone knelt on the ground, bowing their heads to the earth, and in unison said: "We pay our respects to the Immortal"

I happen to be in need of a capable maid, so let me choose one first

Sister, elder sister

The lotus varieties in the Zifang Pond are unique, having been personally obtained by him from Jun in Meishan sixty years ago. The petals total nine times nine, with each flower consisting of eighty-one petals, neither one more nor one less. This unfortunate white lotus, it seems, has had two or three petals cruelly plucked by some heartless little rascal, appearing quite desolate.

"I need to arrange the duties now. If you have something to do, please leave; if not, I kindly ask you to leave as well." Tanghua said this without any courtesy, urging the people to go.

He has always loved to be close to beautiful women, and he couldn't help but smile and say: "Your Highness, the title can be omitted. Did you pick this flower? Indeed, this flower is quite worthy of you"

Tan Yin sat on the bluestone by the pond, elegantly taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, occasionally teasing the red-headed carp in the pond with a willow branch, and occasionally exchanging a few pleasantries with the girls chattering around him

She stared at his left hand for a long, long time. Suddenly, she clasped her hands together, bowed to him, and whispered, "Could it be that you are His Highness the Great Monk?"

The guardian of the tower presented the fallen wind chime to him. The high monk noticed the peculiar break at the copper ring of the wind chime's tail and could not help but touch it; it felt smooth to the touch, clearly having been severed by a sharp instrument. After a brief contemplation, he placed the wind chime into his bosom without further inquiry, instead turning back to look at the ten or so young girls in the courtyard and asked, "What are so many elder sisters doing in the Zifang courtyard?"

The several young ladies were so frightened that they dropped their flowers and hid in the crowd, not daring to make a sound. Tan Yin stood up, brushed off the dust, bowed to the opposite side, and asked, "May I inquire, esteemed sirs, when the immortal will arrive?"

"How arrogant..." the young ladies murmured, "with their noses held high..."

The two individuals in white guarding the tower have likely been observing this place for quite some time. Upon seeing someone plucking a lotus flower for amusement, they immediately spoke aloud: "This is the celestial cave of the immortals; what kind of decorum is it to frolic so freely? Every flower and blade of grass here possesses spiritual essence; how can one dare to pick them without permission?"

This is a large courtyard, in the center of which stands a massive fountain made of white stone. The water columns change in myriad ways, enveloped in a rainbow of colors. Many people, seeing such a fresh and marvelous sight for the first time, gather around, expressing their admiration. Beside it, there are rockeries, ponds, and small bridges, with large patches of lotus flowers growing in the pond, interspersed with red and white, creating a scene of exquisite beauty

Amidst a chorus of relieved sighs, Tan Yin's voice sounded particularly faint

Tan Yin bent down to pick up the white lotus that had fallen at her feet, bringing it gently to her nose for a sniff. Suddenly, in this beautiful and sunny paradise, a fierce wind began to blow across the ground. The lotus flowers in the pond were tossed about chaotically by the hurricane, some young women lost their hairpins, while others were dazzled by the wind, all of them screaming in surprise

In response to the great monk, they are the young daughters from good families selected by Master Tanghua from Yuancheng. A few days ago, several batches of maids and servants who had reached the age of twenty-two were released. Seeing the shortage of personnel, Master Tanghua decided to select a new batch of recruits.

The thought of the legendary monk being like this gives the young women an almost overwhelming impulse to cover their faces and flee

He glanced at the white lotus with a few missing petals, then at Tan Yinxue's snow-white little hands, unable to tear his gaze away. Yet he remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "Tang Hua has many affairs to attend to, yet he still remembers this; it seems his true nature is hard to change."

It is the height of summer in July, with the sun shining brightly and the wind feeling almost fiery, causing the lotus flowers in the courtyard pond to appear somewhat wilted.

Across the pond stands a quaint and exquisite seven-story pagoda, with its eaves elegantly curved upwards, adorned with a bronze wind chime. When the wind blows, the clear and melodious sound of the chime is quite pleasing to the ear. Beneath the tower, two individuals in white attire stand guard at the entrance. Although their clothing is simple, the golden embroidery on their cuffs imparts a unique delicacy.

A man in a black robe leaned against the back of a bird, with the collar and cuffs intricately embroidered with dense golden patterns, exuding great luxury. He curiously looked down below, and after a while, he smiled and spoke: "Is something happening?" His voice was very gentle, but his tone seemed somewhat frivolous

Tang Hua walked over with a bitter smile; he found it impossible to speak seriously with this person. Well, in fact, no one in the clan had ever been able to have a serious conversation with the Grand Monk. He loved to tell jokes and interrupt, often sharing those kinds of jokes that sent chills down one's spine

The grand monk is still laughing: "Strange wind? Is this not just a dream talk?"

As he spoke, a young man in white entered, followed by two stunning maidens, one carrying a bundle of ink and the other a stack of white paper. In an instant, everyone felt that the blazing sun was overshadowed. It is said that the fox clan is renowned for its beauty; the earlier monk had made the young ladies doubt whether their eyes were deceiving them, but the celestial young man who appeared before them restored their confidence in an instant

The man in the white robe floated down to the ground, his clothes billowing. With his hands clasped together, he performed a bow and said, "Ladies, there is no need for excessive formalities, please rise."

Little did they know that the two individuals had particularly keen hearing, and they actually heard these two complaints, which immediately made them furious: "Who just said that? Step forward!"

The monks of the Fox Clan are distinct from the monks of the mortal world. In all the various celebratory rituals of the clan, it is the monks who preside over them. Within the clan, apart from the elders, the monks hold the most esteemed status. The term "great monk" does not refer to a name; rather, these three characters merely signify his status as the one with the highest rank among the monks of the Fox Clan

Tan Yin sat on the bluestone for half a day, and a thin layer of sweat formed on her back from the sun. She raised her head to check the sunlight; it was already past midday. The young women had spent a considerable amount of time in the courtyard, yet the fox clan still had not sent anyone to assign roles. She continued to elegantly take a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her sweat when she suddenly heard a girl beside her say, "Look at the lotus flowers in the pond!"

"They should only be the servants chosen from among mortals, just like us. How could true immortals be the ones to guard the door?" Some young ladies seemed to be quite familiar with this place and spoke earnestly, "In my opinion, we should refrain from chattering too much. This is the realm of the immortals; we must not provoke their displeasure or disturb their tranquility."

The lotus flowers planted in the pond are indeed not ordinary. At noon, when the sunlight is intense, the white lotus flowers gradually transform into a pink hue, and the pink ones slowly revert to white. The petals change color, creating a dreamlike illusion. Several bold young women have already approached the edge of the pond, reaching out to scoop up the lotus flowers to play with them

The monk lingered without leaving, his eyes wandering back and forth over the faces and bodies of the young women. Each girl who was scrutinized by him buried her head low, wishing she could shrink into a small ball

Just as the commotion reached its peak, a melodious and enchanting chirping sound suddenly echoed from above. Following that, a cascade of fine golden light fell, and the fierce wind ceased instantly. Tan Yin looked up and saw a gigantic blissful bird suspended in mid-air, its feathers as white as snow, with several long golden tail feathers swaying gracefully, exuding an extraordinary presence

The grand monk smiled while observing the young ladies, each possessing a face as delicate as a hibiscus and a figure as graceful as a willow. Among them, there were even a few with stunning beauty, truly pleasing to the eye. As he gazed, his attention shifted back to Tan Yin, who was still holding that white lotus, her fair fingers gently caressing the petals. That scene was, of course, quite beautiful as well

The grand monk strolled over with a smile, glancing at this and then that, while every young woman avoided him. Only Tan Yinyuan watched him from a distance, her smile warm and gentle, appearing both refined and generous