The visitors were Elder Li and Pavilion Master Zhengyi.
"Who is the Pavilion Master going to pay respects to? Whose portrait is this?"
Probably because no one chatted with him, and he'd been idle for too long, Zhang Ze now spoke with quite the flair of Senior Sister Qiao.
Old Li pushed the wheelchair, pretending not to hear.
Zhengyi sat in the wheelchair, smiling in silence.
He held a square mirror in his arms, and in the mirror, another old man was glaring with puffed cheeks.
"You brat, what outrageous rudeness!"
Zhengyi released the mirror to let it float in the air by itself.
"Do not be rude; this is Pavilion Master Chen from the Third Sword Pavilion, here for the matter of your little orb."
"Disciple spoke carelessly; I ask Pavilion Master Chen to punish me."
"No worries, knowing your mistake is good; first, let me see that orb."
This Pavilion Master Chen was also a carefree person, not bothered by such trivial matters.
Zhang Ze rummaged around before finally finding the hidden orb in his pocket at his waist.
"It is this object; I hope Pavilion Master Chen can enlighten me."
Pavilion Master Chen in the mirror furrowed his brow, looked for a long time, then suddenly asked.
"Is this orb soft?"
"Yes, it can bounce... hmm? Why has it hardened?"
Zhang Ze was about to demonstrate the bouncy ball trick for Pavilion Master Chen but found that the orb in his hand was as hard as steel.
Unexpectedly, Pavilion Master Chen nodded and started inquiring about the shape and appearance of that small coffin and the details of the spirit snake sculpture.
After asking, Pavilion Master Chen looked at Zhang Ze with a strange expression.
"Kid, you're really lucky; such a spiritual object is so close to you."
Hearing this, Zhang Ze perked up, feeling like his favorite 'son of destiny' scenario was playing out.
Pavilion Master Chen coughed, left the mirror,
and returned after five minutes with a pile of ancient books.
Then, Old Mr. Chen began speaking from the creation of heaven and earth, incorporating the Yin Yang Five Elements Theory, with interjections of historical texts about the ancient Human, Demon, and Barbarian Races, adding a touch of geographical features and a bit of Taoist technique insights...
He spoke for a whole two-hour period before getting to the matter of the little orb.
"This object is called Stone Pill."
"It transforms after the death of an ancient Demon Race."
"If a Great Demon dies unexpectedly and gains a heaven-earth fortune, the bones turn into stone, trapping the spirit within."
"The principle within, I must start from...."
Perhaps Zhengyi couldn't listen anymore; he flicked his finger, sending two sword qis onto the mirror surface.
Pavilion Master Chen in the mirror bit his tongue from the shock.
"Hey, you ignorant old rascal!"
Zhengyi did not argue back, and Pavilion Master Chen, finding it dull after muttering for a while, returned to the main topic.
"There are two types of Stone Pills."
"One is called a Demon Pill, where the demon resentment within the pill remains unpurged, buried underground, the resentment deepens over the years, and when unearthed, the demon pill will seek someone to devour."
"It transforms into a nuisance called Stone Demon Ghost, causing endless troubles."
"When I was young, I once..."
"Cough," Zhengyi coughed, pulling the conversation back on track again.
Pavilion Master Chen snorted coldly and continued.
"The second type is called Soul Pill, where the demon was a benevolent one, blessed by the heavens, the pill itself cycles through reincarnation."
"One dreams within the pill, the past washed away in dreams, waking to return to the mortal world."
After hearing this, Zhang Ze clapped his small hands.
"Got it, this is a demon beast egg, and it's about to hatch, right?"
Pavilion Master Chen wanted to speak more precisely but felt that the kid's understanding wasn't too far off.
"Yes, you could see it that way." Pavilion Master Chen nodded.
"Could Pavilion Master Chen know the origin of that spirit snake sculpture and the small coffin?" Zhang Ze asked.
"Naturally, it was a magical artifact made by ancient evil cultivators for refining the Stone Pill."
"But there seemed to have been an accident; the artifact was completed but not used for refining."
"Buried until today, the Spiritual Snake Taoist excavated it for continued sacrifice and refining."
"You blew up that statue, essentially saving the demon beast's life within the pill."
"Thus, it feels very close to you."
Zhang Ze rubbed his hands eagerly, "Does Pavilion Master Chen know when this demon beast in the Stone Pill can be born?"
"Soon."
"How long is soon?"
"As little as a year, as much as a hundred years. After all, this is the first time I've seen a Soul Pill."
"..."
Having been in this world for quite some time, Zhang Ze still hasn't gotten used to how these top big shots define the length of time.
Zhang Ze's dream of having an Ancient Demon Beast companion instantaneously dissolved.
Zhang Ze's Diary
August 25th, Clear.
Pavilion Master Chen of the Third Sword Pavilion destroyed my beast taming dream.
...
Having clarified the background of this egg, Zhang Ze naturally didn't need to stay here anymore.
Pavilion Master Chen, being a responsible person, also instructed Zhang Ze on many precautions.
But these matters were mostly learned from ancient secret texts.
After bidding farewell to the two Pavilion Masters, Old Li took Zhang Ze out of the large house.
After the two left, Zhengyi turned over the mirror to look at the old man inside, who hadn't disappeared yet.
"Why are you still here?"
Pavilion Master Chen had a serious expression.
"Naturally because there is an important matter."
Zhengyi's face darkened.
"What matter?"
Pavilion Master Chen frowned, it seemed to be a serious matter, and after thinking for a long time, he spoke with difficulty.
"Where is my sister?"
Zhengyi was momentarily stunned, then flipped the mirror face down over his leg irritably.
"Why are you asking me about your sister instead of the Sect Leader?"
Zhengyi felt that Chen Mushi would never change this habit in his life.
Having lived for a thousand years, they're both at this age, yet still, every little thing had to be treated with such seriousness.
The mirror flipped back with a vigorous motion.
"What's wrong with me, as the elder brother, wanting to see my little sister?"
Pavilion Master Chen was about to argue when the large house's door was pushed open.
Chen Qin poked half her body inside.
"Pavilion Master, where's Zhang Ze?"
"He just left not long ago, go look for him." Zhengyi replied with a smile.
"Alright, goodbye Pavilion Master... and goodbye to the senior in the mirror."
With that, Chen Qin gently closed the door and ran down the mountain, holding Mei'Er's hand.
Chen Mushi, the eldest son of the Sword Sect's Sect Leader, known as the senior in the mirror by his little sister, could not speak for long periods.
After quite a while, he muttered to himself.
"Why doesn't my little sister recognize me? I am her elder brother."
"When she was little, I held her. Why?"
Zhengyi had an odd expression, calculating the time.
"When did you hold her?"
"When she was just born, I left my closed-door cultivation for five minutes and held her for five minutes."
"And then?" Zhengyi asked.
"Then I naturally continued my cultivation; if it wasn't for you hurriedly calling me to investigate that little orb, I would still be in the cave."
"Then why would Chen Qin recognize you?"
"Because I am her elder brother!"
Zhengyi sighed, feeling a bit powerless.
Chen Mushi continued to speak, whether or not Zhengyi was listening, muttering for a long time.
Though Chen Mushi was just an elder brother, having lived for thousands of years, he reached the age of an Old Ascender.
His Old Ascender radar went off.
"Wait a moment?! Zhengyi, tell me clearly, who is this Zhang Ze? Was it that kid just now?"
"What is his relationship with my little sister?"
"Why is my little sister looking for him?"