PID Chapter 99.1

(5/5) Extra Update

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Hearing the crowd’s unified greeting, Xiao Mo paused mid-step. Though his expression remained calm, he felt completely out of place.

 

Back when Chu Jinglan ascended to the Upper Realm and became widely recognized for his unparalleled talent, Xiao Mo had grown accustomed to people staring at him wherever he went. But back then, those gazes were silent and discreet—many people only dared to sneak glances.

 

This was different. Now they were openly bowing before Xianzun with reverence and awe.

 

Standing beside Chu Jinglan, Xiao Mo also received the crowd’s respectful bows, feeling as though he had been placed on a high pedestal, like a divine statue meant to receive incense offerings and worship.

 

But when the crowd finally raised their heads, Xiao Mo clearly saw their expressions shift—from amazement to shock—and eventually settle into a gaze that practically spelled out: Where did this little enchantress come from!?

 

Xiao Mo: “…”

 

Was it really so strange for Chu Jinglan to bring a living person with him?

 

Oh, right—they were holding hands.

 

Good brothers holding hands in front of so many people wasn’t exactly normal. But if Chu Jinglan wanted to hold his hand, Xiao Mo was more than happy to oblige.

 

In the past, Xiao Mo had already acted as Chu Jinglan’s Dao companion to shield him from trouble. Rumor had it that many people still coveted a place by Chu Jinglan’s side. Was Chu Jinglan bringing him here now to use the same tactic—displaying him openly to ward off those with ulterior motives?

 

If that was the case, Xiao Mo didn’t mind. But this time, he intended to turn the act into reality.

 

He was going to win Chu Jinglan’s heart and become his true Dao companion.

 

Xiao Mo sent a voice transmission to Chu Jinglan, asking if that was his plan.

 

Now, the two of them could only communicate through spiritual energy spells instead of directly speaking in their sea of consciousness like before. However, no one dared to eavesdrop on Xianzun’s transmissions, so their conversation remained secure.

 

Truthfully, Chu Jinglan hadn’t thought of using Xiao Mo as a shield—Xiao Mo had never been his excuse for anything. But since Xiao Mo was offering himself willingly, Chu Jinglan saw no reason not to accept. “If I publicly announce that we’re Dao companions, you wouldn’t mind?”

 

Xiao Mo needed to confirm one thing first: “You don’t have anyone else in your heart right now, do you?”

 

If Xiao Mo had asked whether Chu Jinglan had someone in his heart, he might have received a different answer. But by casually adding the word “else,” the meaning subtly shifted—it became much more significant.

 

Chu Jinglan replied calmly: “No.”

 

No one else—only you.

 

Xiao Mo let out a long breath of relief. Since Chu Jinglan didn’t have anyone else in his heart, he could pursue him without hesitation. He nodded firmly: “Mm, I don’t mind.”

 

Meanwhile, Wang Yichen, Yue Ming, and Jun Bushu were all secretly observing Xiao Mo.

 

He was undeniably beautiful—peerless in elegance. Jun Bushu even thought this person bore a striking resemblance to Mo Lan in demeanor and expression. As someone skilled in divination and observation, Jun Bushu often scrutinized people’s aura and temperament. Many sects had tried training individuals to mimic Mo Lan’s traits in hopes of winning favor with Chu Jinglan—but none of them ever got it right. Their appearances and mannerisms were always off, let alone their essence. Yet this person… carried Mo Lan’s spirit and form.

 

And then there was the Golden Flame Flowing Fire Phoenix perched on Xiao Mo’s shoulder after shrinking its size.

 

How long had they known each other for the phoenix to already be so close to him?

 

The three couldn’t help but speculate silently as Wang Yichen stepped forward as host and invited Chu Jinglan to take the main seat.

 

Chu Jinglan didn’t refuse and brought Xiao Mo with him as they sat together at the same table.

 

With Xianzun now present, Jinxiu Pavilion officially announced the start of the banquet.

 

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The Treasure Banquet was no ordinary feast. During the event, attendants would present Jinxiu Pavilion’s finest treasures for guests to admire and bid on—similar to an auction but distinguished by two key features: first, the banquet itself; second, the exceptional quality of the items presented.

 

Artifacts below heaven-tier were not allowed at the banquet; pills below eighth-grade were excluded; materials or spiritual herbs that weren’t rare wouldn’t make it onto the list either. Anything substandard would tarnish Jinxiu Pavilion’s reputation—so everything they displayed was guaranteed to be top-notch.

 

Additionally, guests were allowed to present their own treasures for exchange—either with Jinxiu Pavilion or with other attendees’ items. All exchanges were conducted on-site under Jinxiu Pavilion’s supervision, ensuring no one dared bring inferior goods lest they embarrass themselves publicly.

 

The clinking of cups, the dazzling display of treasures, and the joyous chatter of guests—all defined the lively atmosphere of the Treasure Banquet.

 

Xiao Mo had agreed to come here on a whim, thinking it would help ease the tension after their reunion and give him time to sort out his emotions. But as he watched the guests present their treasures one by one, an idea struck him:

 

He wanted to buy something for Chu Jinglan.

 

In the past, all their wealth had been earned by Chu Jinglan. It didn’t feel right to use Chu Jinglan’s money to buy something for him. Now that Chu Jinglan was Xianzun and could even offer spiritual veins and treasure lands to repay Yingyue Sect’s kindness, it was clear he wasn’t lacking in material wealth. This meant that whatever Xiao Mo chose had to be thoughtful as well as high-quality.

 

What should I give him? Xiao Mo wondered. His storage device contained items redeemed from the system’s store, but none of them seemed suitable.

 

His gaze swept across the various treasures in the hall. Noticing this, Chu Jinglan asked, “If you see something you like, just say so.”

 

Xiao Mo nodded while continuing to think. After a moment, his eyes landed on a silver-blue Xuan Ice Stone. He immediately spoke up: “Fellow Daoist at the tenth table on the left—are you looking to trade your Xuan Ice Stone for another item or spirit stones?”

 

The man froze, clearly not expecting someone standing beside Xianzun to take an interest in his possession. He quickly stammered: “E-either is fine!”

 

Chu Jinglan finished placing food on Xiao Mo’s plate and picked up his wine cup, his tone calm and indifferent: “Name your price.”

 

The man hesitated, looking conflicted.

 

If he were someone particularly wealthy, this would have been an opportunity to immediately offer the item to Xianzun as a gift. But he only had one or two valuable items in his possession and had come to the Treasure Banquet with the sincere intention of trading them. Giving it away for free was something he couldn’t bear—but setting a price? What price could possibly be appropriate when dealing with Xianzun?

 

The lively banquet hall fell silent as conversations quieted or stopped entirely. All attention turned toward this exchange.

 

The sudden silence only amplified the invisible pressure weighing on the man.

 

Chu Jinglan placed his cup down on the table and glanced at him briefly. “I have a thousand-year Fire Essence. Would you be willing to trade?”

 

Noticing that the man had a fire-aligned spiritual root, Chu Jinglan made an offer that suited him perfectly. The man froze for a moment before his face lit up with joy. The Xuan Ice Stone was useless to him, but Fire Essence was a treasure beyond compare for someone like him. He immediately replied: “Thank you, Xianzun! I’m willing!”

 

“Wait!” Xiao Mo’s voice interrupted.

 

The man’s smile froze awkwardly on his face, and his heart leapt into his throat. Is it not okay? While trading a thousand-year Fire Essence for his Xuan Ice Stone was already more than generous, now that Xianzun’s companion had spoken up—what could he possibly want?

 

Wang Yichen and the others discreetly shifted their gazes toward Xiao Mo.

 

To their surprise, Xiao Mo directly retrieved an item from his storage device and said: “I have a thousand-year Fire Marrow here—I can trade it with you as well.”

 

It was a piece of pure and flawless Fire Marrow. The man stared at it in shock before his expression turned into one of uncontrollable delight—his eyes practically glued to the treasure in Xiao Mo’s hand. He even raised his hand instinctively before catching himself in time.

 

Though overwhelmed by excitement at first, he quickly regained composure and lowered his hand without responding immediately. His gaze darted nervously between Chu Jinglan and Xiao Mo, unsure of what to do or say in this situation.

 

Ah, this… Both the thousand-year Fire Essence and Fire Marrow were excellent treasures, but which one should he accept?

 

The man glanced nervously between the two, unsure of what to do.

 

Chu Jinglan’s grip on his wine cup tightened slightly. He slowly turned his head toward Xiao Mo and asked, “Why don’t you want my item?”

 

Xiao Mo replied calmly, “I’m actually quite wealthy myself now.”

 

Chu Jinglan remained silent, simply staring at him. Xiao Mo immediately realized that this reasoning wouldn’t pass with Chu Jinglan. The truth was, Xiao Mo wanted to buy the Xuan Ice Stone to personally craft a sword tassel for Chu Jinglan. However, revealing this would ruin the surprise. But if he didn’t explain, Chu Jinglan seemed determined to pay for it himself.

 

So Xiao Mo decided to reveal part of the truth.

 

“I want to make something for you,” Xiao Mo admitted with a sigh. “Of course, I have to use my own money to buy it.”

 

He added helplessly, “Now the surprise is half ruined.”

 

Chu Jinglan froze for a moment, the strength in his hand—just shy of crushing the cup—gradually easing. His pitch-black eyes shifted slightly: …Ah, it’s for me.

 

Lowering his gaze, Chu Jinglan averted his eyes. For the first time in centuries, he felt something stir in his chest. Over the past three hundred years, he had ignored his heartbeat entirely, convinced that his chest held nothing but pain and emptiness. Even when he saw Xiao Mo again, he couldn’t tell whether his heart was alive or dead.

 

But now—holding Xiao Mo’s hand and hearing his words—he realized that perhaps it was still alive after all. Perhaps it could still be moved unexpectedly.

 

“Alright,” Chu Jinglan said softly. He no longer insisted on paying himself, allowing Xiao Mo to successfully trade the Fire Marrow for the Xuan Ice Stone.

 

—

 

Wang Yichen raised his folding fan slightly to cover his expression while Yue Ming and Jun Bushu exchanged glances with him. The three were secretly communicating through transmission jade tokens rather than using sound-transmission techniques—they didn’t dare risk Chu Jinglan overhearing their conversation.

 

Yue Ming: “What do you think?”

 

Wang Yichen: “Hmm… hard to say. I don’t know if this person has ulterior motives, but they’re definitely skilled—a master at this.”

 

Following Chu Jinglan meant having access to anything one could desire. Yet this person had deliberately used their own treasure to trade for something instead of spending Chu Jinglan’s resources—and even planned to give him a gift. It was a small gesture but far more elegant than the clumsy schemes of those who had tried before and failed miserably.

 

Jun Bushu: “Without their items or spiritual energy or blood as reference points, I can’t calculate precisely. But based on my rough observation… they seem destined for a good match.”

 

Yue Ming and Wang Yichen perked up instantly: “Really!?”

 

Jun Bushu nodded. “When their hands were clasped together earlier, their aura of marriage fate looked promising.”

 

Yue Ming smiled faintly and said, “Your predictions are always accurate—I’ll trust you this time!” His gaze drifted toward the high platform where Chu Jinglan and Xiao Mo sat together. Over the years, Yue Ming had occasionally visited Chu Jinglan and only ever found an endless frost and loneliness surrounding him. They could never truly help him with anything. If someone could finally dispel that eternal coldness… Yue Ming would be deeply grateful to them from the bottom of his heart.

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter