Going by seniority, Xue Meng went first. Chu Wanning could tell that he was nervous because he started to walk with the same arm and leg the closer they were to Jincheng Lake.
Only one person could try at a time, so Chu Wanning and his two other disciples waited at the end of the stone path which led to the center of the lake. The person who wanted to try should go to the other end of the stone path, produce a small spiritual ball, and leaned it close to the icy surface, all the while praying that it would thaw. While Xue Meng went off to try his luck, Mo Ran was happily chatting with Shi Mei, giving him tips on how to thaw the Jincheng Lake's surface as if he knew for sure that he could do it. Hmph.
They saw Xue Meng produce a spiritual ball and knelt close to the icy surface. He knelt for a long time. Maybe he thought that the first spiritual ball was not good enough, so he produced another spiritual ball that shone brighter than the first one and tried again. And again. And again. Chu Wanning and the others waited for quite some time before Xue Meng came back with a dejected face. Chu Wanning felt his heart go soft. He did not say anything, just put an arm around Xue Meng's shoulder and patted his arm. Mo Ran and Shi Mei also did not say anything. Shi Mei was next, and after seeing that Xue Meng failed, he got even less courage to try. Nevertheless, knowing that he too would fail, Chu Wanning still gently pushed him forward. Shi Mei kept looking back at his companions. Mo Ran smiled at him and raised both thumbs up. Shi Mei gave him a nervous smile before he steeled his resolution and walked to the center of the lake.
Devastated at his failure, Xue Meng kept asking Chu Wanning, "Shizun, did I do something wrong? Why would the ice not thaw?"
Chu Wanning, "Only a small fraction of those who come here to get a weapon actually goes back with a weapon. Xue Meng, don't sweat about it too much."
Xue Meng said helplessly, "But Shizun, if I don't have a spiritual weapon, I… I am worthless."
"That is not true."
Chu Wanning patted Xue Meng on the head.
Staring at them from some distance away, Mo Ran crossed his arms and glared at Xue Meng. For some reason, he looked extremely displeased. Just as Chu Wanning wanted to say something before Mo Ran tried to provoke Xue Meng, Shi Mei came back. With no weapon of course. Mo Ran immediately forgot about Xue Meng and went to welcome him, ready to comfort his Shi Mei.
"I don't want to waste any more time," Shi Mei admitted. "I am sorry to disappoint Shizun."
"It's fine," Chu Wanning said. "We will try again next time."
Xue Meng mumbled, "Shizun can we come every year? I really really… want to try again."
Chu Wanning smiled. He was not sure if he could fulfill that promise but he still nodded in agreement.
"Mn."
Mo Ran was the last to try. He stalked to the center of the lake, brimming with self-confidence. Truly, just like in the previous life, the lake thawed on his first try. Xue Meng gaped when the ice at the bank also thawed.
"Ahhhhh!" he screamed angrily.
Mo Ran could not hear him because at the same time, a mighty dragon broke through the surface and an ancient barrier in form of a dome spread over the lake, separating Mo Ran and his companions.
Xue Meng burned with envy.
"Shizun, Mo Ran is not much better than I am. I started cultivating first, so why…"
Chu Wanning sighed. There was no use explaining to Xue Meng again and again that it all boiled down to luck, so he just kept quiet and let Xue Meng rant as much as he wanted.
The barrier went down not long after. In the previous life, Mo Ran hastily went down the mountain to pick a fresh branch of plum blossoms to bring to the dragon before he triumphantly came back with that wretched blade. This time, Mo Ran did not even come out. Chu Wanning knitted his brows. Aside from the dragon, there was a man who stood with Mo Ran at the other end of the stone embankment. The man was very handsome and carried with him a majestic air. Chu Wanning had met him in the previous life when he came to greet him before giving him Tianwen and Jiu'ge. It seemed that Gouchen the Exalted had a penchant to personally come and greet cultivators who he deemed to possess extraordinary spiritual power. This was something that Chu Wanning had personally experienced so it was not at all out of line. Then again, he did not show up to greet Mo Ran in the previous life. Chu Wanning could not be mistaken. Back then, it all went quite quickly. Mo Ran got his weapon within an hour after thawing the lake. So what was different this time?
Gouchen the Exalted recognized him, and they held some small talk regarding the spiritual weapons he gave him.
He did not remember that he gave Chu Wanning two spiritual weapons. No, in fact, he did not even detect said two spiritual weapons on Chu Wanning.
Chu Wanning became increasingly suspicious when Gouchen the Exalted offered to take everyone under the lake so that they could pick any weapon that fit them. No matter how one looked at it, it was too great an honor to bestow a teenager, no matter how great his spiritual power was. Mo Ran had always showed great talent in cultivation, and he even became the first emperor in the cultivation world. At this point of time, though, his spiritual power was nothing special. So why did Gouchen the Exalted even agreed to give both his shixiongs spiritual weapons just because Mo Ran asked for it?
It was almost as if… as if he was using the spiritual weapons as bait, to take him underwater for whatever purpose he might have…
"… Shizun?"
"… Hmm?"
Xue Meng pulled at his sleeves, his face looked pitiful.
"Can we please go…?"
"…"
Something was waiting for them under the lake. His gut told him to take his disciples and go, but that was all he had. He could be wrong. Could he deprave his disciples of spiritual weapons based on gut feeling? What if he was wrong? He had been wrong many times before.
Chu Wanning had caused many changes since he went back in time to redo everything. Maybe he inadvertently did something to improve Mo Ran's cultivation, enough to attract Gouchen the Exalted.
Maybe he had been too traumatized by the horrible events happening in the previous life that he could not even appreciate something like luck and kindness anymore.
"Alright," Chu Wanning said.
All three disciples cheered. Shi Mei and Xue Meng who had failed in getting a weapon on their own were especially happy.
The group went under the lake surface, deeper and deeper until they reached the lake bottom. Xue Meng was at the front, chattering up Gouchen the Exalted while the latter showed the group around the underwater town. Chu Wanning walked at the back, with Shi Mei and Mo Ran holding hands in front of him.
Everyone was happily enjoying the remarkable sight in the underwater town, but Chu Wanning was deep in thought.
-If I am not wrong, then… the person who is in danger the most is…
-Mo Ran.
A lot of sea creatures were haggling in the underwater market, selling a lot of items to passersby. Xue Meng located a merfolk apothecary in the middle of the hawkers.
"Shi Mei, look at all these herbs!"
Shi Mei specialized in healing, so he of course was interested to check the apothecary out. It was a rare chance for Chu Wanning to be left behind with Mo Ran alone. He took the chance to pull at Mo Ran's arm from behind and toss him a warning.
"Mo Ran, be careful. Things are not as they seem."
Mo Ran widened his eyes in surprise. Chu Wanning knitted his brows at him and then left to walk at the front.
After the group was done sightseeing, Gouchen the Exalted took them back to his residence. They headed directly to the weapon arsenal, which was located inside a gigantic willow tree that towered up into the sky. Xue Meng plucked a leaf out of curiosity before Gouchen the Exalted asked them not to touch the tree. Chu Wanning was extremely embarrassed with the way Xue Meng misbehaved and went to apologize to Gouchen the Exalted, who was speechless at how fast Xue Meng moved to pluck a leaf.
The holy weapon arsenal was not at all a cramped, messy place as Gouchen described to them before they entered. It was a huge place with racks and racks of holy weapons lining the inner walls. The weapon shelves towered so high up that they could not catch a glimpse at the weapons lying on the topmost shelf. In the middle of the holy arsenal was the smelting pool. Some unfinished weapons were lying inside, blades glowing red from the heat.
Upon Gouchen's invitation, Shi Mei and Xue Meng quickly scattered to find themselves suitable weapons. Gouchen himself got busy to try finding Mo Ran a more suitable weapon than his destined blade. Chu Wanning was not sure if it was better or worse for the cultivation world.
Gouchen had Mo Ran try out various weapons, but all of them did not resonate well with Mo Ran. Even Xue Meng and Shi Mei returned with holy weapons of their liking – Xue Meng got himself a long sword and Shi Mei a short flute – before Mo Ran finished picking up his spiritual weapon.
"Could you be of the wood element…?"
The Exalted God turned to gaze at Chu Wanning, wondering.
"But…"
Chu Wanning pressed on, "What is it, Exalted God?"
Gouchen the Exalted said nothing and merely summoned Ji Baihua, a fox spirit. Ji Baihua was a male fox spirit, but he looked very pretty. He flirted with Mo Ran a little before Gouchen reprimanded him to get on with the business first.
Long time ago, Gouchen the Exalted entrusted a weapon of high caliber to Ji Baihua, who then sealed it inside an intricate brocade box called Ever-Yearning. It could only be opened under one condition.
Mo Ran asked, "And the condition is?"
Ji Baihua giggled.
"Teehee, I cannot tell you in front of everyone. Why don't we step aside for a bit…"
Chu Wanning opened his mouth to say something, but Ji Baihua already teleported Mo Ran away.
Mo Ran had been taken away!
In front of his eyes!
Chu Wanning could not believe it. Panicked, he was about to search the whole palace by force if needed be, but then Mo Ran returned with the box in his hand, looking very confident. Ji Baihua already excused himself.
Mo Ran walked toward Shi Mei, all smiles.
"Shi Mei, can you help me open this box?"
He offered the box to Shi Mei, who took the box and flipped it through his hands a few times to try and see whether there was a gap between the wooden plates. There was none. It was as if the brocade box was sculpted from a whole tree seamlessly.
The smile on Mo Ran's face disappeared.
The box did not open in Shi Mei's hands.