The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 341 Reward
Ding Lin watched Wang E's hardworking back, then suddenly thought of something, his eyes changed, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

He had only been in Heaven for a short time and had not yet picked up these habits, but Wang E had been immersed in them for countless eons, and his actions were so natural.

If the Heavenly Court is a cage, then official positions and power are shackles, binding one's true nature.

Ding Lin could already assert that even if Wang E comprehended the Law of Sufficient Number, he would not be able to break through to the Taiyi level. He had already been subtly influenced and deeply immersed in it, unable to extricate himself.

If the king is so wicked, then what about himself?
The Taiyi realm is a self-contained entity, which is intolerable to the will of Heaven. It can be said that one is in adversity everywhere. The methods of avoiding calamity can only be used temporarily. One must still be careful to restrain oneself and conceal one's aura at all times.

Even if one achieves the Taiyi realm and resides within the Three Realms, one is still not as carefree as a Golden Immortal.

However, integrating into the Heavenly Dao system is different. With the protection of an official position, one is recognized by the will of Heaven, and one's every move exudes immense power. Wearing a purple robe, one is full of vigor and high spirits, but isn't this also a shackle?

Although the rebels are weak, they are not part of the system. They hide in the shadows, concealing their weapons, and when the time comes for a change in the political climate, they can rise up and call for change, and may very well take over the government.

Once recruited into the government, the official position erodes their spirit, and they gradually forget their original aspirations amidst the power and influence...

It's not that they can't be recruited.

If one can conceal one's true nature and not be blinded by ignorance, and rely on the court to strengthen oneself, that would be another path. However, if one cannot see through things in advance and remain steadfast as a rock, how many people can remain true to their original intentions after many years?

The realm is high.

It is also a case of Wang E.

They just need to use higher-grade bait.

"Brother Dao," Wang E gestured for them to enter.

"Thank you for your trouble." Ding Lin went into the thatched hut, and Princess Jade Face followed him in. Only Princess Iron Fan was left unattended by Ding Lin. She could only stay where she was, feeling rather lost.

"Sister." Princess Jade Face remembered Princess Iron Fan as soon as she entered the thatched hut, and she turned around to greet her.

"Oh," Princess Iron Fan replied. When people are at a loss, they tend to obey subconsciously.

Ding Lin glanced at Princess Iron Fan. She was a pitiful woman, but... what did it have to do with him? Ding Lin had no remorse for instigating this. His eyes were calm, but perhaps due to some wicked thought in his heart, he remained silent, tacitly agreeing to Princess Jade Face's actions without comment.

Princess Iron Fan only realized something was wrong after entering the thatched hut.

Ding Lin's gaze was indifferent, yet it made her feel even more uneasy.

When Princess Iron Fan and Princess Ding Lin shared a cave in the Zheyue Linked Caves of Hidden Mist Mountain, the cave was spacious, like a palace, with each having their own independent space. This thatched hut...

too small.

Even though Wang E had built the thatched hut as large as possible, it was still just a thatched hut, only a few dozen feet in size, which was just enough to house them. However, Princess Iron Fan and Ding Lin were clearly not close enough to live together in the same room.

"Your Excellency, Princess Iron Fan had no intention of offending you. Please forgive me." Princess Iron Fan hurriedly apologized and withdrew. She lowered her head and only breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the thatched hut.

A gust of wind blew in my face.

Princess Iron Fan calmed herself down and looked around. Another wave of sorrow washed over her. In a daze, she felt as if the world was vast, yet she had nowhere to belong.

But she was, after all, Princess Iron Fan, a cultivator who had reached the Golden Immortal realm. How could she not be strong-willed? Even if she felt utterly helpless, this brief moment of loss of composure was already her limit. In fact, if it weren't for the Bull Demon King's decisive action disturbing her mind, she wouldn't have experienced this brief period of confusion.

Princess Iron Fan raised her right hand and tidied the stray hairs at her temples.

The sun had already set in the west, leaving the sky ablaze with red clouds; night was not far off.

Princess Iron Fan drew her longsword with a flash of light in her hand, then lifted her skirt and walked towards the remaining forest several hundred feet away.

Do it yourself.

brush!
With a swing of the longsword, a small tree, as thick as an ankle, snapped at its roots.

Princess Iron Fan quickly used her demonic energy to support it.

She had overheard Ding Lin and Wang E's conversation and knew about the special nature of the Five Elements Mountain. Naturally, she dared not make any noise, lest she attract trouble she shouldn't.

Fortunately, it was just logging and gathering grass.

The magical power of a demon core realm cultivator is sufficient to handle the situation.

brush!
Another sapling has been cut down.

Just as Princess Iron Fan was about to catch it, a magical force moved faster than her. She turned around and saw Princess Jade Face.

“I’ll help you,” said Princess Jade Face.

Princess Iron Fan pursed her lips, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She subconsciously pursed her lips to conceal the fluctuations in her emotions.

"Sister, there's not much work to do. I can handle it myself. You should go back and keep the Venerable One company," Princess Iron Fan said.

“Sister Iron Fan,” Princess Jade Face began, then suddenly stopped, looking somewhat odd. She had been the Bull Demon King’s concubine, while Princess Iron Fan was his first wife. This way of addressing her… She added, as if to cover up her misunderstanding, “You have cultivated for much longer than I have, so it’s only right that I call you sister…”

“Sister.” Princess Iron Fan naturally understood Princess Jade Face’s explanation. “Although we have only met a few times before, and because of… we had some unpleasant interactions, I know you are a good girl after spending time together. You don’t mind and are willing to call me sister, which shows the friendship between us sisters.”

The sapling was felled.

“That’s right,” Princess Jade Face said, easing the awkwardness. “The Venerable One has already begun his cultivation and doesn’t need me to serve him. You haven’t fully recovered your cultivation yet, so I can’t say anything to him. I can only help you with some chores. I can’t just stand by and watch you…”

Princess Iron Fan felt a mix of emotions. Having fallen to this state, she never expected that the one willing to show her kindness would be her former enemy, and even her husband...

She was momentarily lost in thought.

The image of the Bull Demon King resolutely swinging his iron cudgel flashed through my mind again.

They became husband and wife, but when disaster struck, they still went their separate ways.

The more intense the emotions once invested, the deeper the desolation now.

Princess Jade Face also saw the moment when the Bull Demon King swung his staff, but she had long since given up on the old bull, so she was fine. However, she could sense Princess Iron Fan's current state. She didn't say much, but simply accompanied Princess Iron Fan as she worked.

In silence, the trees were trimmed and leveled.

The framework is in place.

They started weaving straw mats again.

Lay it on the roof, bundle the remaining thatch into bunches, connect them with straw ropes, and assemble them in an orderly fashion.

Although Wang E's small house appears to be located in the same place as Ding Lin's, a closer look reveals that they are actually quite far apart. Although he entered this inner circle using Ding Lin's identity, he is not Ding Lin's true subordinate. The immortal path is most concerned with personal relationships. Having lived for a long time and served as an official in the Heavenly Court for many years, he is shrewd and knows how to handle things perfectly.

This distance, while appearing intimate, also ensures individual privacy. With the dense laws of the Five Elements Mountain shielding their senses, they can barely be considered semi-independent.

Wang E only glanced in this direction at first before retreating back to his thatched hut to cultivate. He needed to treat Ding Lin with caution, even to the point of currying favor, but as for the two monsters that Ding Lin had recently taken in, whether they were pets or playthings, he should just pretend to ignore them until the situation became clear.

As dusk fell, not far from Ding Lin's thatched hut, Princess Iron Fan's small thatched cottage was also completed. It was smaller than Wang E's, only two or three zhang inside, but more than enough for a solitary dwelling. In the distance, a stream murmured.

Princess Iron Fan and Princess Jade Face went over and washed their hands and feet.

Sure enough, whether mortal or immortal, the love of beauty is innate. Even though they had protected themselves with magic while working and there was no grass or dust on their bodies, they still needed to wash themselves to feel comfortable.

The two women returned to the thatched cottage.

"Jade-faced sister, let me boil a pot of tea. Please have a cup," Princess Iron Fan said, waving her hand to release a jade table.

"No, now that the house is built, I'll head back first. Sister Iron Fan, you've had quite a fright today, so please get some rest," said Princess Jade Face.

Princess Iron Fan paused for a moment.

“Very well,” Princess Iron Fan nodded. “We were able to escape today thanks to the Venerable One. Before,” she paused, her eyes showing even more desolation, “it was my sister’s fault for misjudging people. The Venerable One is indeed worthy of your trust.”

Princess Jade Face smiled slightly, but quickly suppressed it, knowing that showing such emotion in front of Princess Iron Fan would only exacerbate the latter's pain.

"Go ahead," Princess Iron Fan forced a smile.

"Sister Iron Fan..." Princess Jade Face was a little worried.

“Good girl, now that you’ve met a good man, you should hold on tight,” Princess Iron Fan said.

“Then… I’m leaving,” said Princess Jade Face.

"Go."

……

Ding Lin closed his eyes to cultivate. The atmosphere of laws here was rich, and cultivation was indeed twice as effective with half the effort. With the help of the knowledge in his memory, he only needed to identify the laws to which they belonged, which was even easier than copying homework.

In just a short while, he had already figured out the general idea and had a plan for developing the first law.

Sensing that a figure was standing quietly beside him, having been there for quite some time, he decided not to disturb him, seeing that the figure was cultivating.

Ding Lin opened his eyes.

The figure beside him saw that he had woken up and immediately rushed over. When Wang E built this thatched hut, he specially put up a skylight on the roof. A sliver of moonlight shone down, and he opened his arms to catch the little ball of flesh that rushed over.

Soft jade and warm fragrance.

A pair of sweet, soft lips came closer.

Ding Lin caught it without hesitation, his large hand touching a fluffy tail. His hot breath tightened, and he heard a gentle breath in his ear.

Clothes removed...

"Today, I almost thought I was going to die..." An hour later, Ding Lin propped himself up, and Princess Jade Face rested on his chest, drawing circles with her fingers, her snow-white tail obscuring her beauty.

"What's wrong, sister? Are you touched?" Ding Lin said. He didn't consider himself to have high emotional intelligence, but he had been through a lot and wouldn't say anything carelessly. "Sister, I told you, with me here, I won't let anyone hurt you."

“Good brother…” Princess Jade Face blushed, and she looked at Ding Lin with the utmost tenderness in her eyes, “If only I had met you a few hundred years earlier.”

Princess Jade Face's eyes suddenly turned forlorn.

Ding Lin's heart tightened. He had some experience; once a woman got emotional, trouble was likely to follow.

"Don't worry," Princess Jade Face suddenly smiled, her finger moving upwards to tap Ding Lin, a glimmer of hope still in her eyes, "I know you have a family, I won't bother you, I'm just sighing. After we leave Five Elements Mountain, you can settle me somewhere nearby, and if you have time, come visit me." She gently bit her lip, her allure fully displayed, and whispered in Ding Lin's ear, "Don't worry, I won't let her... or them, know."

This is……

Ding Lin's heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of emotion; it was truly...

That's why everyone talks about fox spirits...

“Sister…” Ding Lin swallowed hard, he could hear it himself. His voice was dry. It wasn’t just Princess Jade Face who was like this because of her race, but all mature women were like this. These few words made him feel embarrassed and even impatient. He felt as if he had unlocked a new attribute.

"Good little brother, you really are mischievous," Princess Jade Face said with a half-smile. She had caught Ding Lin's fleeting emotional fluctuations, though subtle. "I only hope that as time goes on, you won't tire of me. Do you remember what I said? I'm like a vine. I can't compare to them. If a vine is abandoned by a tree, it can only wither and die. I've already been abandoned once, and if I'm abandoned again..."

“Sister, with me here, I will ensure your safety for the rest of your life,” Ding Lin said, his voice more resolute than ever before.

They cuddled together again.

overnight.

As dawn broke again, Princess Jade Face rose, her thick, furry fox tails concealing her private parts. She bent down to pick up her scattered clothes and put them back on.

A spiritual light flashed around Ding Lin, a red robe enveloped him, and he closed his eyes to begin his cultivation.

Occasionally, one can indulge oneself, but ultimately, spiritual practice should be the main focus.

……

In the small house next door.

Princess Iron Fan did not sleep all night.

She looked up at the countless stars fading away in the sky, her mind wandering aimlessly, unsure of what she was thinking. Surrounded by solitude, she felt increasingly lonely and desolate, yet finally able to reveal herself without reservation. Her sorrow no longer needed to be hidden. She raised the teacup in front of her and drank it all in one gulp. The tea had long since been consumed, just as her once passionate heart had died.

Desolate, decaying.

The Five Elements Mountain is situated within the sixty-four laws, among which the wood element is naturally present.

Princess Iron Fan was overwhelmed with grief when she suddenly had a feeling that, after the perception of the laws was amplified infinitely, her shattered Golden Immortal spiritual senses were able to provide some relief.

Sorrow, death, desolation...

It smells like rotten wood.

Princess Iron Fan sat in front of the jade table, suddenly stunned. The teacup in her hand fell to the ground, and the scene of the Bull Demon King swinging his staff kept flashing through her mind.

She felt as if she could see her own heart dying, like the tree she had just felled.

If no one cleans it up, it will just lie on the ground and rot away little by little.

Ok?
Ding Lin suddenly sensed something. He got up and walked out of the thatched hut. He looked to the side and saw Princess Iron Fan with her eyes closed in the newly built hut, her face still showing a look of sorrow.

But Ding Lin knew that this woman was about to comprehend another law.

In the thatched hut behind him, Wang E, who was a little slower, also sensed the fluctuations. He opened his eyes, stepped out of the hut, and saw Princess Iron Fan. His eyes showed surprise and astonishment.

He never expected that Ding Lin, the maid, would gain something so soon after entering the Five Elements Mountain territory.

(End of this chapter)