He might be a bit vexed but Mei Chao Bing wasn’t somebody who would lose his composure that easily. Right now, blue butterfly was there. Even if she couldn’t answer this specific question, she might be able to answer some others. There was no need to focus on one thing too much. “Then, if the black warrior told you about what I’ve told him, you should know about the situation in the border region and what our ideas are so far. What do you think they are doing this for? Do you have any idea?”

Blue butterfly’s expression turned thoughtful and she took another sip of her wine before slowly turning the flask between her fingers. “An idea … Honestly, I haven’t thought too much about it. The things that are currently going on in the cultivation world, they hardly have anything to do with the four of us. The sects like to keep us where we are.

“It’s a way for them to feel safer as if nothing could happen as long as we are there. Although I guess the four of us have a different worth when it comes to this. That black warrior of yours is more valuable in a fight than me or the red priest would be.”

Mei Chao Bing wasn’t sure what to say to that last part, so he focused on the first. “So you have no idea.”

Blue butterfly gave another hum. “No, I really don’t. But I guess there would be a chance to find out about it. You know, somebody on the other side is sure to know a bit and have some subconscious thoughts about that. I could try and pay them a visit.”

At that, Mei Chao Bing couldn’t help but straighten up. “Would that be possible without putting yourself in danger? Since the other side knows about your ability, could it be that they have taken precautions against this? Something that might be dangerous to you?”

For a while, blue butterfly didn’t answer. The danger to them … “You might not realize this but none of these abilities come without a cost. If you focus on developing them, then something else will suffer to the same degree that you attain Mastery.

“This ability of mine, while I can travel wherever I wasn’t in the dreams and visions of people, I also spent most of my time outside the real world where different rules exist. I also don’t really know much about what is going on in my sect, with our foes and allies, or outside the cultivation world altogether unless I look for it. It makes you become … detached.

“In a similar manner, that black warrior of yours has visions of the future but he is unable to do anything but speak of them. There is no surefire way to prevent the disasters or make sure that the blessings come true that he sees. It is not a problem if it happens once or twice but if you spent your whole life like that, you become doubtful of whether it is worth it. So you see, there’s never an ability without a downside even if it might look differently at first.”

Mei Chao Bing nodded but, to be honest, she hadn’t answered his question. He wasn’t sure if she had deliberately evaded it or if she had just gone off track but had originally had a point. Either way, it was still helpful.

This detachment she had spoken of, he could see it. Looking at her, she differed from any other person had ever met. While she might be looking at them, talking and smiling, she didn’t seem to be all that involved as if what they understood and did with this knowledge meant nothing to her and she was just floating by, only to disappear straight away when the time to end this dream came.

It felt odd. As the guardian of the Jian Chu Sect, she should be more worried about the matters threatening it. But if you spent more than half your life in dreams, the troubles of the real world indeed had to start feeling less real. No wonder she was like this.

Mei Chao Bing didn’t dwell on it for too long and instead reiterated his question. “Well, of course, there are downsides. But would there be any danger to your well-being if you were to do this?”

Blue butterfly smiled and for just a moment, her attitude seemed different from before as if she had reconnected with her old self for a heartbeat. “You know, you’re a good person. You are actually wondering about something like this when my suggestion might be able to solve the shitty situation you’re in. If I said yes, you’d probably tell me not to do it as well. You’re that type of genuinely good person.

“As for the answer to your question, I don’t know. It depends on what I find. In general, I think everything is possible. In this world, there’s nothing that can’t be done. You just need to find a way to do it.” She fell silent and then motioned at him. “You know, you told the black warrior that you think that your Master had a specific reason to choose you back then. The theory that the black warrior had was that your Master might’ve been able to see the signs of a talent. In fact, I’m not sure if that is the case.”

Mei Chao Bing’s brows furrowed again and he couldn’t help but inquire. “Then, what does senior think is the case?” What the black warrior had said had made a lot of sense to him. Why would this not be the case? It was the perfect explanation for what was going on.

Blue butterfly smiled at him. “What did he tell you about his own ability? That even before he gained it, he had a keen intuition. And then, he was able to have visions later on in life. In fact, these things aren’t unrelated. Originally, he had a talent. And as it so happened, that talent aligned with the practice he was taught at your Teng Yong Sect.

“It is a lucky coincidence, really. Many disciples out there choose the wrong sect because they don’t know their talent and don’t know what practices will be most compatible with it. They go to the nearest sect, not the most suitable, and then start to learn.

“In the best case, they happen to learn a practice that doesn’t interfere with their talent, and maybe over time, that talent can still be cultivated into something. But in the worst case, that talent will be impeded by the practices of the sect. In other words, it can’t be refined any further and might completely dry up.

“As for your Master, maybe he was in a very similar situation as the black warrior when he came to your sect. Maybe his talent was actually one that was promoted by the sect’s practices instead of being blocked. In that case, does it really seem so strange that he would be able to pick out the perfect disciples?”