Chapter 1265: Chapter 1265: The New Sovereign Has Yet to Arrive
Since Ning Fan entered the Ziwei Beiji Palace, several months have passed in the blink of an eye.
During these months, the ancient cultivators of myriad clans of the Boundary River did not pursue him here, as if they were entirely unconcerned about Ning Fanâs whereabouts.
Ning Fan was naturally unaware that this was all because the All-Knowing Elder caused quite a commotion in the Boundary River.
He also did not know that due to his repeated actions, a temporary truce was signed between Northern Heaven and the Northern Boundary River; the Liubo Chess Society hosted by Yishi Palace was indefinitely postponed; the disciples of the Pure Yang Sect were left waiting for the return of the Pure Yang Ancestral Master, causing chaos; the Water Sect, without the Northern Sea True Lord, was divided among various forces from Northern Heaven; within the Four Oceans Sect, without Ancestor Leize overseeing the operation of the stars, numerous problems arose...
Even further removed from his knowledge, following a series of major events, the prestige of Zhao Jian, the ancient cultivator of Northern Heaven and the Northern Boundary River, reached unprecedented heights.
The days suddenly became peaceful.
Time suddenly became abundant.
Thus, Ning Fan gathered all the fragments of Duowen Wushuang and began repairing this itemâall thanks to the efforts of people like Ji Fuyao and Nvluo who helped find the fragments.
Duowen Wushuang is one of the four magical treasures of the Ziwei Immortal Domain; when combined, the four treasures are comparable to the creation of heaven, and the grade is undoubtedly extremely high; however, this item is severely damaged, and repairing it is as difficult as crafting a magical treasure of the same level anew.
Despite Ning Fanâs skills, he failed five consecutive times and still couldnât repair the item.
Today marked the sixth day Ning Fan secluded himself to repair Duowen Wushuang.
Time was indeterminate, but suddenly a loud bang echoed within the rocky seclusion cave, shattering the stone door directly from a blast; afterwards, billowing black smoke emerged from within, and Ning Fan, covered in soot and with disheveled black hair, walked out in a sorry state.
"I didnât expect repairing this item would be so difficult..." After failing the sixth repair, Ning Fan, with his steadfast mind, couldnât help but sigh.
"Not good! Brother Ning, this repair attempt of yours, could it have failed again!" The Pure Yang Ancestral Master, who had been waiting outside the rocky seclusion cave, asked anxiously.
Why was the Pure Yang Ancestral Master waiting outside the rocky seclusion cave?
There was a reason for this.
Realizing that ancient cultivators of the Boundary River hadnât pursued them here, Ning Fan released Ancestor Leize, the Pure Yang Ancestral Master, and Fish Master from the Wind Masterâs Pocket, allowing them to peacefully rest and heal within the Ziwei Beiji Palace.
After all, this place was once the Immortal Emperorâs cave mansion, even though it has been abandoned for countless years, the spiritual energy is far denser than outside, making healing here considerably more effective.
Coupled with Ning Fanâs myriad heaven-defying healing techniques assisting from the side, the recovery of injuries naturally occurred quickly.
Letâs not mention the shock these three felt upon initially entering the North Pole Palace.
Afterwards, upon hearing Ning Fanâs intention to repair one of the four magical treasures of the Ziwei Immortal Domain, among the three, the Pure Yang Ancestral Master was the most intrigued.
"Yes, failed again." Ning Fan took a deep breath, his mindset returned to its usual calmness, as if he wasnât affected by the blow of the sixth failed repair.
"How much was consumed in this repair attempt?" the Pure Yang Ancestral Master asked.
"Two pieces of Cold Spirit Stone remain, nine taels of Dragon Blood Sand, and half a Crimson Water Demon Candle. The other materials have all been used up," Ning Fan replied calmly.
As if the items consumed in this attempt werenât valuable treasures.
But actually, each of these items can sell for tens of gold at the Tongtian Sect, bought by Ning Fan with real gold and silver; if placed in the resource-poor Purple Dou Illusion Realm, their value could multiply several times, becoming precious enough to entice Quasi-Saints to fight over them.
"Just one repair attempt expending so much celestial material..." the Pure Yang Ancestral Master felt distressed.
He felt distressed for Ning Fan!
Six times! A whole six times! Six repair attempts, six failures! Every failed attempt consumed celestial materials equivalent to the entire assets of an ordinary Quasi-Saint!
The loss from six attempts would be enough to bankrupt six Quasi-Saints!
Itâs too expensive, really too expensive...
With so much money, couldnât one do something worthwhile instead of wasting it?
"Ah, Brother Ning, listen to my advice. This item is too severely damaged to have any hope of repair; itâs not worth wasting celestial materials on it..." Pure Yang Ancestral Master.
"Thank you, Brother Lv, for your kind words, but I still have no intention of changing my mind. Fortunately, each failure allows me to glean some insights; I think trying several tens more times should help me to understand more..." Ning Fan.
What?
You still plan to fail dozens more times?
Even if you have money, you shouldnât squander it like this!
Unfortunately, no matter how the Pure Yang Ancestral Master tried to persuade, Ning Fan still didnât change his decision.
Thus, in the days that followed, Ning Fan continued trying to repair Duowen Wushuang, leading to a seventh failure, an eighth failure, a ninth, a tenth...
Gradually, the Pure Yang Ancestral Master became accustomed to it, numb to it.
He had lived an entire life and had seen people view money as dirt but never encountered anyone as wealthy and extravagant as Ning Fan.
This young man was rich, extravagant, spent money decisively, cold and unfeeling, yet indulgently wasteful, stubbornly adamant, spending money like water, scattering wealth like dirt.
No matter how he tried to persuade, he was immovable!
Truth be told, he, Lv Chunyang, held the title of [Wealth God], yet compared to Ning Fan, he was nothing.
Judging by Ning Fanâs expenditures these past days, itâs clear that Ning Fan is wealthier and not just by a small margin!
From Ning Fanâs spending bravado, he, the grand Wealth God, was actually less bold than Ning Fan.
This matter dealt quite a blow to the Pure Yang Ancestral Master.
But beyond the blow, it also brought the Pure Yang Ancestral Master new enlightenment.
What he cultivated throughout his life was the title of [Wealth God], pursuing the Dao of wealth.
In the past, he was overly dedicated to the money itself, passionate about earning it, saving it, throughout his life, he had repeatedly transformed into a mortal merchant, learning the art of making money.
He understood the way of generating wealth.
He also understood the difficulty in doing so.
Because he understood this, his nature inherently included thrifty (stingy) traits.
To ask him to spend money extravagantly for the sake of a possibly unrepairable magical treasure, like Ning Fan did, he probably would never manage.
But why did Ning Fanâs attitude of spending money freely, without restraint, touch him so profoundly?
"It seems that what Iâve cultivated in this life is, perhaps, incomplete..."
"The way of wealth isnât just about earning money, managing money, it should also include the art of spending money..."
"I dedicate ten parts of my heart to earning wealth, twelve parts to managing it, but when it comes to spending, Iâm overly stingy, always hesitating..."
"A person should be frugal, but as the Wealth God, my existence itself isnât for hoarding wealth, nor should I be overly attached to money itself..."
"Earn, then manage; manage, then spend; spend it for its purpose, then regenerate, endlessly cycling... Right, right, this is how it should be!"
Days passed.
Ning Fanâs number of failures had accumulated to nineteen.
Pure Yang Ancestral Master surprisingly gained immense insight from Ning Fanâs repeated failures.
Inside his body, the cultivations sealed by the Heaven Evading Coffin once again... began to flow!
"My stagnant mana actually started to grow with my insights again! This..." Pure Yang Ancestral Master was overjoyed.
Normally, a person whose years are sealed by the Heaven Evading Coffin canât continue to increase their cultivations.
Previously, Pure Yang Ancestral Master could only continue to improve his mana by absorbing the power of Heavenly Dao Gold and Silver due to the special nature of the Wealth God title.
But now, he was truly enhancing his cultivations through his own insights!
Perhaps itâs because the Wealth God title is too special, even the Heaven Evading Coffin canât completely seal it; or maybe because he is the inventor of the Heaven Evading Coffin, he can achieve this.
"My cultivations have been stagnating for too long due to the Heaven Evading Coffin... Years of accumulation, stagnant water forming glaciers, melted in one moment, resuming flow, itâs impossible to be just a stream, but a flood!"
Pure Yang Ancestral Masterâs insight deepened continuously!
Alongside his increased insight, his originally stagnant cultivations were also elevated!
In the days to come, his mana began to surge furiously, to such an extent that even the power of the Heaven Evading Coffin couldnât suppress it!
The speed was astonishingly fast, approaching the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint!
Unfortunately, on the verge of breaking through to the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, the feeling of a flood surging slowed down and randomly encountered breaks.
Unable to break through to the second rank in one swoop... Is my insight insufficient?
"Spend! Spend! I need to comprehend more of the art of spending to break through to a deeper level!"
Pure Yang Ancestral Master decided to push through to the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint!
...
This was Ning Fanâs twenty-sixth repair failure!
As usual, Ning Fan emerged from the rocky seclusion cave, looking disheveled.
Pure Yang Ancestral Master, as always, waited outside the cave.
Pure Yang: "Brother Ning, did you fail again?"
Ning Fan: "Indeed, but after this failure, Iâve found even more clues..."
Pure Yang: "You really donât intend to give up?"
Ning Fan: "Why would I give up?"
Pure Yang: "You really are going on, Brother Ning is truly determined and admirable! Or perhaps, Brother Ning deliberately uses this to remind me? To make me understand the true meaning of spending money? If thatâs the case, then Brother Ning has gone to great lengths."
Ning Fan, somewhat confused, "???"
Lately, Pure Yang Ancestral Master seemed a bit odd, yet Ning Fan couldnât quite pinpoint exactly what was off.
"This item, wasnât Brother Ning interested in it before? Iâll give it to you then." While speaking, Pure Yang Ancestral Master handed Ning Fan some jade scrolls.
Back then, Ning Fan bought a mantra called "Refining Purity Formula" from Pure Yang Ancestral Master to improve his mana purity.
However, it wasnât the complete purchase; Ning Fan only obtained up to the Eternal Six Tribulations.
This time, the mantra Pure Yang Ancestral Master gave Ning Fan included all the remaining parts.
"Giving it to me? Isnât that too valuable?" Ning Fan hesitated to accept it for free.
He recalled the price Pure Yang Ancestral Master set when he first sold the Refining Purity Formula.
The purity mantra for the Immortal King Fifth Calamity cost five hundred gold; for the Sixth Calamity, a thousand gold; for the Seventh Calamity, fifteen hundred gold; for the Eighth Calamity, two thousand gold; for the Ninth Calamity, twenty-five hundred gold; for the First Order Quasi-Saint mantra, three thousand gold; for the Second Grade, three thousand gold; for the Third Grade, another three thousand gold...
This time, the additional mantras Pure Yang Ancestral Master gifted were worth fifteen thousand Heavenly Dao Gold.
Such value, how could Ning Fan accept it for free? Moreover, Pure Yang Ancestral Master had helped him not long ago.
He should not take Pure Yang Ancestral Masterâs gift without giving anything in return.
Instead, Ning Fan considered he should express his gratitude to Pure Yang Ancestral Master.
"Brother Ning is hesitant, he canât be thinking of giving me money, right?" Pure Yang Ancestral Master joked upon seeing Ning Fanâs hesitation.
"Of course not..." Ning Fan sighed inwardly, thanked Pure Yang Ancestral Master, and accepted the gift.
He lied.
This item was too precious, his hesitation was indeed due to considering payment.
But ultimately, he did not proceed.
Not because he couldnât afford fifteen thousand gold, but because he didnât want to measure Pure Yang Ancestral Masterâs intentions with mere gold and silver.
However, considering how much significance gold and silver held for Pure Yang Ancestral Master, Ning Fan would remember this matter in his heart.
In the future, there would be other returns, albeit not mentioned intentionally at this moment.
Pure Yang Ancestral Master seemed to have seen through Ning Fanâs thoughts, laughing, "Brother Ning really doesnât need to be so formal! In past life-and-death battles, Brother Lv risked his life for righteousness, sacrificing even his own life, how can gold and silver matter! Such a trivial mantra, I give it to you, donât mind!"
"Thank you." Ning Fan replied earnestly, cupping his fists in thanks.
Pure Yang Ancestral Master merely waved it off casually, then awkwardly admitted, "Also... Honestly, this âRefining Purity Formulaâ isnât worth much. To tell you the truth, I made it up idly long ago, the real cost was just half an hour of my time and some Void Jade Slips. For such an inexpensive item, I demanded over ten thousand gold from Brother Ning back then and even cheated you out of thousands of gold. Shame, shame! In the past, I cherished gold as dearly as life, not feeling anything wrong with it, always smug when recalling the moment. Now, with my spirit sense furthered, I realize how misguided I was, every time I think back, itâs so shameful, so shameful indeed... What treasure can sell for over ten thousand Heavenly Dao Gold? Being the Wealth God, I never held any reverence for money, just knowing to quote astronomic prices, sitting and negotiating, I was wrong, entirely wrong!"
Ning Fan: "???"
Ning Fan: "!!!"
Ning Fan: "..."
Pure Yang Patriarch: "Brother Ning, your expression seems a bit mixed?"
Ning Fan: "I just didnât expect such a profound mantra to be something Brother Lv casually made up..."
Pure Yang Patriarch: "I also didnât expect that when I casually named a price back then, someone would actually pay..."
"..." Ning Fan felt a bit offended.
Was he implying that back then I was a... fool in your eyes?
"Uh, a slip of the tongue, my apologies." Pure Yang Patriarch awkwardly said.
"No matter, back then we were strangers, and it was normal to scheme against each other and harbor suspicions. In any case, I must admit today that Daoist, your genius is truly remarkable." Ning Fan sincerely praised.
Casually creating an item like the Heaven Evading Coffin.
Writing the "Refining Purity Formula" out of boredom.
Saying Pure Yang Patriarch is exceptionally talented is no exaggeration!
Such a person, trapped in the Land of Dreams, held back by fate, hence only a First Order Quasi-Saint; if born in the Real Realms and apprenticed under a Saint, who knows what heights he might reach.
Ning Fan firmly believed Pure Yang Patriarch had the potential to become a Saint.
"By the way, Iâve heard that Brother Lvâs mana has improved greatly recently, and it wonât be long before you break through to Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, right?" Ning Fan asked after putting away the jade scroll of the Refining Purity Formula.
"Uh, you can see that my cultivation has advanced?" Pure Yang Patriarch was startled.
He used the power of the Wealth Deity title to hide his aura; even an Ancient Great Cultivator shouldnât see through his advancement.
How did Ning Fan see through!
This guyâs perception is monstrously keen!
"Yes."
"When did you notice? It usually takes some time to see through this, right? You must have noticed recently when I was nearing the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint breakthrough and let my guard down, right?" Pure Yang Patriarch was deeply shocked and questioned.
"..." Ning Fan wasnât sure how to answer.
Should he admit that he noticed the signs of advancement from the first day? But just never found the opportunity to ask?
"You brat, youâre really a monster." Pure Yang Patriarch saw through Ning Fanâs thoughts, feeling even more shocked.
"Iâve heard that when a Quasi-Saint breaks through to the Second Rank, they often call friends for help. When Brother Lv is ready to break through, donât forget to let me know." Ning Fan said.
"Haha, when it truly comes time to break through the Second Rank, it would be essential to ask for Brother Ningâs help. Old friends from time immemorial, comrades who would die for me, I have lived too long, and few of my peers are left. Besides Brother Ning, I really donât know whom to invite..." Pure Yang Patriarch sighed, feeling the vicissitudes of life. In this world of change, waiting for those who never return, itâs... very lonely.
"On the day you break through, I will surely be there."
"Haha, no need, no need, if thereâs something important, Brother Ning doesnât have to come." Despite saying this, Pure Yang Patriarch knew that since the person in front of him said he would come, then even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire, he would definitely come.
Itâs truly wonderful to still be able to find a true Daoist friend in this lonely Cultivation World.
"Alright, alright, continue with your work, I should go find Fish Ji Zi!" Pure Yang Patriarch bid farewell.
Fish Ji Zi is the true name of the Fish Master.
"...If thatâs the case, Iâll go with you." Ning Fan said.
"No! Iâm going to disperse wealth with the old Fish Master; what kind of thing is it for you to accompany me? Besides, it seems the old Fish Master is still angry, and he may not want to see you! You should focus on your artifact restoration!"
...
The Fish Master was indeed angry with Ning Fan.
But actually, it was only when he first learned the whereabouts of Jiu Xiaojiu.
After understanding the ins and outs, he would no longer be angry with Ning Fan but would rather feel somewhat apologetic.
Yes, the Fish Master already knew that his granddaughter-like wine demon had gone missing because Ning Fan had captured her.
How did the Fish Master know about this?
It started when Ning Fan invited the Fish Master to the North Pole Palace to heal.
Going back to that day, the Fish Master bid farewell to Ning Fan, Pure Yang, and Leize.
Ning Fan: "This place is the Immortal Emperorâs Cave Mansion, perfect for healing. Why rush to leave, Fish Elder?"
Fish Master: "I have urgent business, canât stay long."
Pure Yang: "If thereâs difficulty, feel free to share, maybe we can help."
Fish Master: "Sigh, itâs like this, I know a little girl whom Iâve seen grow up, like a granddaughter. This little girl never stayed away from me too long, but recently sheâs gone missing."
Leize: "Missing? Any clues?"
Fish Master: "No. I placed a mark on her, but now I canât sense anything at all. I donât know if sheâs trapped in some ancient ruins, or caught up in some danger... or maybe sheâs just mad at me for always stealing her wine to drink, hiding on purpose? Can you help me figure out which possibility is most likely?"
Ning Fan: "Do you have her soul plate?"
Fish Master: "Yes. Her soul plate is intact."
Ning Fan: "With your Quasi-Saint mark on her, itâs unlikely anyone could easily attack her; but if itâs your enemy seeking revenge... and as for being trapped in ancient ruins, itâs not impossible..."
Fish Master: "In the Dreamland Realm, I shouldnât have any enemies."
Ning Fan: "That sure?"
Fish Master: "Enemies with cause and effect have all been killed."
Ning Fan: "..."
Fish Master: "Getting trapped in some ancient ruins or special space is quite likely. This girl, with her restless nature, loves to venture into ancient ruins..."
Leize: "That can be dangerous. Although the Northern Heaven has Heavenly Decrees maintaining order, there are still quite a few evil cultivators. These demoness cultivators love to set up their abodes in ancient ruins. Your granddaughter better not have been caught by some lustful cultivator during her exploration and been raised in a Cauldron Space."
Fish Master: "Itâs infuriating! Iâll go search each part of the Northern Heavenâs ruins and bring Jiu Xiaojiu back!"
Pure Yang: "Donât go! Old Lei was just making offhand remarks, do you really believe him? Those demonesses wouldnât dare capture anyone related to Quasi-Saints, didnât Brother Ning say this before?"
Leize: "Old Lv, youâre mistaken! People who act recklessly arenât concerned with consequences. What if there really is a reckless fool who doesnât fear death? Look at Fish Elder, so majestic in appearance, surely his granddaughter must be a beauty..."
Pure Yang: "They arenât blood relatives..."
Leize: "In any case, Fish Masterâs granddaughter is indeed a beauty."
Pure Yang: "But youâve never seen her, how can you assert such a thing?"
Leize: "Intuition! In my life, whenever Iâve faced life and death situations, itâs always my intuition that helped turn misfortune into fortune."
Fish Master: "Haha, Old Lei is right. My granddaughter is indeed quite beautiful. Although Leize and Lv may not have met her, Ning must have seen her. Back then, she was secretly spying on Ning, planning to take action against him, but I talked some sense into her and she must have listened..."
Speaking, Fish Master showed the group Jiu Xiaojiuâs portrait.
Afterwards...
Time returns to the present.
"Grandfather Fish Master! You donât know how despicable Ning Fan is! After he captured me, he locked me up with his magical treasures! Do you know how many magical treasures he has? A hundred thousand, no, maybe a million, ten million... I couldnât count them all because itâs simply uncountable! His lecherousness shocked me! I was really scared then!" said Jiu Xiaojiu.
"Brother Ning is young and vigorous, raising a hundred thousand or eighty thousand magical treasures is normal," Fish Master said unconcerned.
"Is this... is this really normal?" Jiu Xiaojiu was aghast.
"Do you know how many fish eggs our Flying Fish Tribe can produce at once? Even the common grass carp can produce 400,000 eggs in one go, some special fish can produce billions of eggs..." Fish Master.
"This is clearly different!" Jiu Xiaojiu protested.
"Then letâs discuss the matter as it stands. You initiated action against someone first, and though he detained you, he didnât harm your life nor touch a hair on you, which is already merciful. If it were me, and someone came to stir trouble, Iâd kill with one sword without explaining so much. Be content, learn from this, and donât stir trouble again." Fish Master.
"But..." Jiu Xiaojiu.
"Find an opportunity to apologize to Brother Ning." Fish Master.
"What! He captured me and I have to apologize to him?" Jiu Xiaojiu.
"Hehe, if you donât go, and he captures you again next time, I wonât intervene." Fish Master.
"Uh, then, itâs better if I find an opportunity to apologize to him... surely he wonât hold a grudge against me." Jiu Xiaojiu conceded.
While talking, Pure Yang Ancestral Master arrived.
He immediately brought gifts to Fish Master.
This was the so-called scattering wealth by Pure Yang Ancestral Master. In his view, as long as he kept scattering wealth and grasped the Dao of Wealth, heâd break through to the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint realm soon.
After gifting Fish Master these things, Pure Yang Ancestral Master went to Leize, and similarly gave him a lavish gift.
This indeed startled Ancestor Leize.
Mysterious! This matter is mysterious!
Normally stingy Pure Yang Ancestral Master, unprecedentedly visiting with gifts, and giving such valuable items, was utterly shocking.
...
Jiu Xiaojiu decided to apologize to Ning Fan.
Not actually knowing whether she recognized her mistake, mainly, she was intimidated. This time being captured by Ning Fan genuinely frightened her. If only she had Grandfather Fish Masterâs backing, sheâd have some courage not to fear Ning Fan, but now...
To avoid Ning Fanâs retaliation, she had to personally resolve this matter.
Furthermore, it seems Ning Fan holds something Grandfather Fish Master is fervently searching for, and she wants it.
To show sincerity, this apology certainly canât be done empty-handed.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find premium wine brewing materials?" Jiu Xiaojiu stopped a young demon from the North Pole Palace and asked.
"Get lost, I have mountain patrol to do, no time for you!" the young demon grumbled.
"Hey hey hey, I say before you act all arrogant, take a look at our cultivation differences! I am a grand Crossing Truth Realm cultivator, youâre just a Golden Core level demon! Seriously!" Jiu Xiaojiu exclaimed.
"Crossing Truth Realm? You?" The young demon looked at Jiu Xiaojiu as if she was an idiot.
Somehow doesnât see her as any kind of powerful cultivator.
"If you donât believe, Iâll show some pressure and let you witness the might of Crossing Truth cultivator." To prove her status, Jiu Xiaojiu decided to release some pressure.
Yet, just as she was about to release pressure, an invisible Star Fighting Force dispersed her pressure into the air.
Not a single bit landed on the young demon.
Couldnât land!
Because... Ziwei Beiji Palace forbids it!
This was the former Immortal Emperorâs Cave Mansion, mere outside Crossing Truth cultivators didnât even have the privilege to exert pressure here!
"How about that, got scared right?" Jiu Xiaojiuâs pressure only lasted a moment before she withdrew it, mainly she feared releasing too much for too long might directly suppress the young demon to death. She thought sheâd intimidated the other, entirely unaware her pressure had been dispersed instantly, primarily because it happened so swiftly.
"Oh truly a Crossing Truth Realm cultivator, oh my, scared me to death... Alright alright, arenât you looking for wine brewing materials? Go, go over there, ask our leader. Poor girl, such a good thing like her, brain injured at a young age." Finally, the young demon gave her directions.
Probably sympathizing that this girl had a poor working brain.
Jiu Xiaojiu wasnât bothered by the demonâs ridicule.
Mainly she didnât comprehend the demon was saying her brain wasnât working well.
After she walked away.
The young demon looked up to the sky, gazing at the ethereal dome of Ziwei Beiji Palace, muttering.
"Just now, I felt a sense of being protected by the heavens, that feeling, like the book describes of the[Purple Tenuity Astrological Protection]. Warm and comforting, making one feel sleepy. Probably just an illusion though."
"Old ruler is gone, new ruler hasnât arrived, Purple Tenuity protection couldnât possibly reappear."
"Really want to see Ziwei Beiji Palace with its owner again."