Chapter 2: Sect Incense

                      

The Nine Abyss Immortal Sect had risen into a shimmering mirage.

With the sect master trapped and the primary throne left vacant, the nine great academies each claimed a seat around the round table. Thirty-six elders were present. Tian Quzi—having only just washed away the demonic taint—sat pale-faced, his lips colorless. It was midsummer, heat smothering the whole of June, yet he still wore a feather-satin cloak. The thin veil of illness upon him was unmistakable.

The eight other academies fussed over him with benevolent concern—after all, if he collapsed, who would shoulder their workloads?

Tian Quzi reported the latest discoveries but carefully omitted Xu O’s escape. She had fled from the inner temple of Yingchi in a state far too disheveled; whatever she had endured, one could imagine.
The privacy of another should not be laid bare. Tian Quzi’s fingers played absently with the piece of amber hidden in his sleeve as the other academy heads pressed curiously about the “demon puppet.” Mu Kuangyang rubbed his chin.

“If a female demon puppet can give birth to a demon child, then surely a male demon puppet might also carry its parents’ bloodline,”
he mused.
Turning abruptly to the four elders of the Dao Academy, he added,
“If I manage to capture a male demon puppet, you four won’t object, will you?”

The four Dao elders twitched at the eyelid and said in unison that they had no objections—as long as no one came to harass them, they had no problem with whomever Mu Kuangyang tormented.

As they were discussing this, a disciple rushed inside.

“Reporting to all heads and elders—there is a woman at the foot of the mountain requesting to meet Xi Zhangyuan.”

A chorus of frowns. It was Tian Quzi who asked:

“You know the full council is in session. Why report now?”

The disciple swallowed carefully.

“Xi Zhangyuan… the woman calls herself the leader of the demon puppets—Xu O. Since she is… a demon, we did not dare make the decision ourselves.”

The hall froze—then thawed in an instant. Eyes around the table gleamed.

Tian Quzi said mildly:

“Invite her to the Bitter Bamboo Grove and serve tea.”

But the Bitter Bamboo Grove was his residence. Dao Elder Fu Chunfeng immediately objected.

“This concerns the survival of our Immortal Sect. It is not only Xi Zhangyuan who cares. Why not invite the puppet leader directly to the Mirage Tower?”

Tian Quzi realized the misstep even as it passed his lips, but now was not the time to insist. He waved for the disciple to carry out the correction.

---

There were no true pavilions and no true towers.

What appeared to be jade spires, painted halls, and flying eaves were but illusions woven by the Nine Abyss Immortal Sect’s grand array. Xu O stepped across the crimson terrace, watching as winds curled around her and the tower sank into drifting cloud.

A faux fairy palace was not difficult to create with magic—but the grass, the trees, the birdsong, the fish glittering below—each carried spirit, detail, and flawless artistry. Even the knife-cut carvings upon the steps were sharp and exact.

This single array revealed the unmistakable grandeur of the Nine Abyss Immortal Sect.

Xu O’s robe was red and black, her hair bound with a pearl-studded crown. She wore none of the softness she’d once shown—now she carried a proud, valiant sharpness. Tian Quzi’s gaze lingered briefly on the folding fan matching her robe before he lowered his eyes.

“What is the purpose of the puppet leader’s visit?”

His heartbeat rushed, but each word fell slowly, coolly—perhaps even coldly.

In contrast, Xu O was warm and unabashed. She glanced at the gathered elders and immediately spotted the yin-yang Pisces pendant at Tian Quzi’s waist. A faint smile curled in her voice.

“Xi Zhangyuan is too polite.”

She inclined slightly. Her folding fan closed with a soft snap.

The entire mirage was thick with the sweetness of osmanthus—honeyed, intoxicating. Xu O stepped into the Immortal Sect without the slightest apprehension befitting a demon. Tian Quzi, however, felt suffocated. The dark fragrance wound through his meridians. He sat stiffly.

“The puppet leader surely did not come here merely for courtesy.”

The other academy heads exchanged glances. Tian Quzi, head of the Yin-Yang Academy, was known for his gentleness. This cold front was… unusual.

Zai Shuanggui stepped in smoothly.

“The puppet leader arrives from afar—the Nine Abyss Immortal Sect shines with honor.”

He signaled for a seat to be added and an attendant’s table prepared.

“Please, puppet leader, sit and have tea.”

Xu O took her seat with easy grace; her ten attendants lined behind her. Disciples served fragrant tea, though nothing could mask the demon puppet’s natural sweetness. Zai Shuanggui glanced toward Tian Quzi, but Tian Quzi merely turned away, silent.

Everyone could see it—Xi Zhangyuan clearly harbored no fondness for the demon puppets.

Zai Shuanggui tried again.

“What important matter brings the puppet leader here?”

Xu O smiled.

“I dare not hide from the Great Elder—last time was a coincidence, and I owe a debt. I have come to repay it.”

The gathered immortals stared—
A demon puppet… owing the Nine Abyss Immortal Sect a favor? When?

Xu O continued:

“I wonder… is there a disciple under Xi Zhangyuan named Yun Jie?”

Xi Yunjie.

At the sound of that name, Tian Quzi’s heart lurched. A soft secret he had hidden for so long felt suddenly exposed. His pulse burned hot—yet his face remained perfectly still.

He refused to answer.

The attendants behind Xu O bristled. The slight was obvious.
Still, the sect and demon clan had long been at odds; even if demon puppets lived in seclusion within the Painted City, they were ultimately born of demon lineage.

To ease the tension, Yu Lanzao spoke:

“I have long admired the puppet leader’s renown. Indeed, Yun Jie exists—he is the chief disciple of the Yin-Yang Academy’s head.”

If demon puppets could extend the Immortal Sect’s dwindling bloodline, it could solve a pressing crisis.

Xu O nodded politely.

“Then may I trouble the Great Elder to summon him? I wish to thank him in person.”

She had noticed Tian Quzi’s discomfort toward demon puppets and directed nothing further at him.
Tian Quzi’s palms were slick with sweat. The familiar sweetness washed away the bitter bamboo cold that clung to him. The dream-figure of his memory stood right before him—yet her gaze weighed a thousand jin.

He dared not look up.

Zai Shuanggui coughed, signaling Tian Quzi to restrain himself. When Tian Quzi remained motionless, he stepped forward.

“Of course. Puppet leader, please wait.”

He sent disciples to find Xi Yunjie.

---

Xi Yunjie arrived in haste, still in his training uniform. His posture was proud, his bearing immaculate—Tian Quzi demanded strict discipline of his disciples.

Standing in the illusory pavilion, Xi Yunjie looked utterly baffled.

Xu O, seeing his “true appearance,” found him even younger than expected. She always favored clear-featured youths and found herself even more pleased.

“Yun Jie, long time no see.”

She shifted sideways, giving him half of her seat.

Xi Yunjie was utterly lost. Zai Shuanggui frowned inwardly—His master has already been rude enough. This disciple cannot be clueless as well.

His tone held authority:

“Why are you not greeting the puppet leader?”

As Great Elder, his word was final. Xi Yunjie bowed to Xu O and, after some hesitation, sat beside her.

The Immortal Sect’s prized disciple radiated clean, crisp spiritual energy. Xu O, in good spirits, smiled.

“This time, I have brought a gift for you.”

Xi Yunjie startled.

“I… have never met the puppet leader. How could I dare accept such great kindness?”

Her brows loosened. The smile blooming on her lips was radiant.
He had indeed hidden the truth of her previous humiliation—he had not wished to expose her.

“It is of no concern.”

She gestured.
A young girl stepped from the line of attendants, bowing to Xi Yunjie.
She was fresh-faced, innocent.

Xi Yunjie flushed scarlet.

“Puppet leader, this… this is—?”

Xu O chuckled softly at his flustered panic.

“This child is given to you in gratitude for that day’s great favor. Raise her well; blessings will follow.”

Xi Yunjie’s ears and neck were now crimson.

“This… this cannot be! Puppet leader, this is impossible!”

Before Xu O could reply, Tian Quzi finally frowned.

“You, as leader of the demon puppets—how can you treat your clansmen as playthings to be gifted at will?!”

Xu O turned her gaze on him for the first time.
He had shown her nothing but coldness since her arrival.
Clearly one of those Immortal Sect elites who despised all demonkind.

She saw no need to argue.

“If Xi Zhangyuan knows I am puppet leader, then he should understand that interfering in another clan’s internal affairs is crossing a line.”

There was unmistakable displeasure in her tone.

Zai Shuanggui quickly stepped in.

“Xi Zhangyuan spoke without ill intent. Puppet leader, please do not take offense.”

Then, he discreetly signaled Xi Yunjie—
What mattered most now was whether a demon puppet could bear children for the Immortal Sect’s bloodlines.
Xu O offering one herself was a tremendous opportunity—how could it be rejected?

Xi Yunjie found himself forced to accept a young demon puppet girl. His mind reeled at the absurdity. Xu O seemed unconcerned. She rose and bowed lightly.

“My intent is fulfilled. I shall take my leave.”

The academy heads exchanged looks immediately.

“Puppet leader, you have come from afar. The Nine Abyss Immortal Sect has yet to properly host you. Why not stay two days so we may extend our hospitality?”

The speaker was Nine Lanterns of the Instrument Academy. With talent dwindling, some sects were already losing patience.

Zai Shuanggui added warmly:

“Indeed. Since the puppet leader has an old acquaintance here, why not allow Yun Jie to show you around? View the misted peaks of Mount Rongtian.”

With a few simple words, he both retained Xu O within the sect and placed her directly under the Yin-Yang Academy—rather than letting Tian Quzi’s coldness ruin relations.

Xi Yunjie was the ideal escort.

Xu O leaned back in the chair, gently twirling her fan.

“If the elders insist, I shall respect your kindness.”

Relief swept through the hall. Zai Shuanggui signaled to Xi Yunjie.

Xi Yunjie could only rise.

“Puppet leader, please.”

Xu O nodded, and Zai Shuanggui escorted her out.
Xi Yunjie accompanied her toward the mountain paths.
Tian Quzi watched her departing silhouette—his thoughts a maelstrom.

Zai Shuanggui returned and shot him a look.

“Even if you have prejudice against the demon puppets, this is not the time. Could you not restrain yourself?”

Tian Quzi paused, then replied quietly:

“I have no prejudice against the demon puppets.”

“Then you object to the puppet leader?”

“No.”

Zai Shuanggui frowned.

“You know her?”

A long moment later, Tian Quzi finally answered:

“In the Heavenly Demon Sanctuary… we met once.”

He glossed over the details.
Zai Shuanggui knew his disciple—if he refused to speak of something, there was always a reason.

“You infiltrated the Heavenly Demon Sanctuary carrying Yun Jie’s token. So she mistook you for him?”

Tian Quzi’s heart felt hollow, as though it had followed someone out of the room.

“Mm.”

Zai Shuanggui nodded.

“Since you refuse even the smallest courtesy, letting Yun Jie handle it is best.”

Tian Quzi jerked upright.

“No. Master, I…”

I want to!
But the words stuck. They would not pass his throat.

This disciple of his was the coldest in temperament—he avoided all dealings with female cultivators.

Zai Shuanggui merely patted his shoulder with a knowing expression.

The other academy heads whispered among themselves—each calculating what benefit could be gained from the demon puppet clan.

Even Mu Kuangyang was uncharacteristically serious.

Yu Lanzao said:

“If the demon clan knows of the demon puppets, they will not let it go. Internal conflict is likely. The puppet leader’s sudden visit—might it carry deeper intent?”

Array Master Chunyi added:

“Regardless, our situation is dire. We must seize any opportunity.”

All eyes fell upon Tian Quzi.

He understood. Nothing in either the demon clan or the immortal world came without purpose.
Cultivation or corruption—human hearts were never free of desires.

“I understand.”

Mu Kuangyang folded his arms.

“If you understand, then show her a pleasant face. Even if it disgusts you, endure it.”

Nine Lanterns chimed in:

“If the Yin-Yang Academy truly refuses to host her, the Instrument Academy can take over.”

At that, nearly every academy head perked up—except the Buddha Academy’s Ever-Still Bodhi, who remained unmoved.

Tian Quzi rose.

“The Yin-Yang Academy can host the master of the Painted City. There is no need for concern.”

He turned and left.

---

Yin-Yang Academy

Xi Yunjie dutifully guided Xu O through the sect. The Academy’s hallmark domain, the Ten Directions World, lay before them—its waters half-boiling, half-frozen; its vegetation half-withered, half-thriving. Sun and moon hung together; day and night layered one upon another.

Xu O adored strange phenomena.

She pointed toward the lake.

“The gray shadow beneath the fish—is that its reflection?”

Every fish bore a double, as if mirrored.

Xi Yunjie flushed.

“The Dao of Yin and Yang… is profoundly complex. I… understand it only vaguely.”

Xu O clapped his shoulder lightly.

“There’s no need to overthink it. This place tries too hard to display Yin and Yang—like scholars red-faced in debate. Lacks naturalness. Tell me, if this space had a master, would he also be an ‘Yin-Yang person’?”

Xi Yunjie stiffened.

“Puppet leader, please don’t joke. This was created by my master.”

Footsteps approached behind them.
Xu O didn’t need to look.

The Yin-Yang person is here. Of course he is—talk about someone and they appear.

She turned. Tian Quzi walked toward them in white robes, zither slung behind him, sword at his back. His narrow waist and the twin-fish pendant swayed lightly as he moved. In the shifting light of day-and-night, he looked ethereal.

But clearly, he had heard every word. His expression was sour.

Xu O cleared her throat and gave a proper greeting.

“Xi Zhangyuan.”

Tian Quzi’s gaze slid aside.

“A childish sketch done in leisure. It must have amused the puppet leader.”

His voice softened deliberately—a gesture of peace.

Xu O accepted the olive branch immediately and praised:

“Even a playful creation reveals extraordinary mastery. The academy head’s learning runs as deep as the sea. Xu O is in awe.”

But instead of softening, Tian Quzi’s brows tightened.

His voice cooled.

“The puppet leader is neither amused nor in awe. Why offer such empty flattery?”

Xu O blinked. Did this man hold onto grievances like precious treasure?

She fired back without hesitation.

“The academy head is correct. All things flourish with natural grace. Beauty hides ugliness, light holds shadow; yin resides in yang, yang in yin—they have never been separate. But here, the scenery forces yin and yang into the eyes. Form without spirit—pretending to profundity while lacking authenticity. Best taken down as soon as possible.”

Silence blanketed the Ten Directions World.

Xi Yunjie nearly choked.
Zai Shuanggui—who had silently trailed behind—felt his blood pressure spike.

Tianquzi’s long lashes lowered again coming to this point once more. Yet the faint sweetness lingering at the tip of his nose seemed to tug at his soul, dulling the sharpness of thought he usually relied on. He had never been good with words. Born into nobility and raised in comfort, he’d lived a life free of hardship. While others begged for apprenticeship and endured countless trials, he entered Zai Shuanggui’s tutelage only after the elder spent a full month persuading him.

Most people, when learning the arts, flatter their teachers and build favor among their peers. He never understood such things. Before he could even speak, Zai Shuanggui had already made every arrangement for him.

The Nine Abyss Immortal Sect’s Nine Veins held absolute authority over their respective courts. Outsiders viewed them as the pinnacle of strict hierarchy, where competition was fierce and unrelenting. Yet Tianquzi had always been protected, always supported, always relied upon by his division.

His life had been far too smooth. He refused to bow his head and had never learned how to bend.

But still—he was reluctant to leave.

Standing against the railing, the river wind rose to greet him—half warm, half cold. It lifted the hem of his robe, its dark patterns shimmering under shifting light. His thin lips pressed together in silence, his white garments and dark hair giving him the appearance of ice-carved jade—exquisite, aloof, perfectly in tune with the ethereal atmosphere around him.

Xu O found him far more bearable when he wasn’t speaking.

Zai Shuanggui finally broke the stalemate. “The puppet leader’s words are not without reason. The World of Ten Directions was created ten years after Xi Zhangyuan entered the Dao. At the time, he was only eighteen—young, easily moved by whatever he saw. A thousand years have passed since then, and naturally his mindset must be very different now. But precisely because of its charm, the previous president cherished this creation. That is why it endured until today. Forgive us for causing you amusement.”

Yes—that was how it should’ve been phrased. So why was he unable to help himself earlier?

Tianquzi casually plucked a blade of grass. The formation beneath their feet trembled—no magic circle dared resist the hand of its master. Even Xu O felt a shiver. Although her earlier criticisms had not come from the heart, if this truly was the work of someone under twenty, it was undeniably astonishing.

This place was a complete formation—half real, half illusion. Though the landscape remained incomplete, the technique itself revealed a mastery that was delicate and profound.

With Zai Shuanggui smoothing things over, Xu O also wished to de-escalate. After all, stirring up conflict with the head of the Yin-Yang Academy was not the purpose of her visit. She said, “I did not expect that when Xi Zhangyuan had not even reached his twenties, he was already so gifted. It seems the insight of this seat is shallow.”

This praise was sincere. Tianquzi did not turn around, though he was already thinking of how to mend the tension from earlier. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Xu O continue:

“Xi Zhangyuan is over a thousand years old, yet he still looks so handsome. The Nine Abyss Immortal Sect truly has remarkable techniques.”

…What did that mean? Was she implying he was old?

Tianquzi finally turned his head, voice cold. “May I ask the age of the puppet leader?”

What had gotten into him today? He had never cared about such trivialities before.

Xu O noticed his strange demeanor as well. A man of the Xuanmen—powerful and revered—why would he care about age? She sighed inwardly but forced down her irritation. “Since Mengzhang Yuan asks, this seat happens to be five hundred years old.”

Five hundred—six hundred years younger!!

For the first time in his life, Tianquzi tasted the bitterness of losing ground. It was a difficult thing to swallow.

“Five hundred years old?” he repeated. “The Nine Abyss Immortal Sect does possess a few manuals of exceptional quality. If the puppet leader wishes, we can bestow them upon you.”

What did that mean? What exactly did that mean?!

There was no need to guess. He was clearly calling her old.
Bastard! Insolent! Old man!!

He had stepped squarely on a woman’s deepest sore spot. Xu O could endure no more. She shot back:

“The face-preserving arts of your courtyard may be elegant, but they lack masculinity. They are indeed more suited to women. I am ashamed.”

Although Tianquzi looked no older than twenty-six or twenty-seven, his bearing was upright and dignified—not feminine in the slightest. But coming from her lips, the words were sharp enough to cut. Tianquzi flicked his sleeves sharply and turned to leave.

Leave—yes. Even attachment couldn’t hold him now. If he stayed longer, things might escalate into a real fight…

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