By the shore of Baisui Lake.
Wang Ping casually reclined on a soft cushion. A fishing rod was set up before him, and behind him sat a small tea table. Steam rose from the fresh tea on the table, and next to it, the charcoal in a brazier glowed brightly, roasting so dried fruits.
On the distant horizon, the duel between Yu Lian and Hu Qianqian continued. Their fight was quiet, marked only by occasional flashes of blinding light. Sotis, ice cones carrying a chill aura would fall from the sky, or the lake water would bizarrely flow backward.
But none of this commotion could affect Wang Ping. The area where he fished seed to be isolated by a protective barrier.
Behind the pier, Hu Xin stared at the battle on the horizon. She paced from left to right, occasionally scratching her ear with her right hand. She looked like she wanted to get a closer look but was hesitant because of Wang Ping fishing on the pier.
A quarter of an hour passed like this before the duel in the sky concluded. Hu Qianqian was the first to descend, transforming into a streak of milky-white light. She landed behind Wang Ping, gave her fluffy ears a shake, and bowed silently to him.
Yu Lian, on the other hand, dropped directly into Baisui Lake. Only when she neared Wang Ping’s fishing spot did her massive head erge from the water. Her body then shot out of the lake, and after shaking off the water, she shrank to a half-zhang form. She rode a cloud to land on Wang Ping’s lap, swallowed a lake shrimp she’d caught on the way, and fixed her vertical pupils on the fresh tea on the table.
Hu Xin imdiately ran over, took the teapot from her master’s hand, and patiently began to brew more tea. Soon, steam once again swirled above the tea table. Hu Xin held a cup and carefully brought it before Wang Ping.
"Grandmaster, please have so tea."
Her tone was respectful, tinged with humility and nervousness. In her subconscious, Wang Ping’s primary identity was that of a Patrol Envoy from the Daoist Scripture Hall. She was particularly sensitive to this status because, in Zhongzhou, a Patrol Envoy from the Daoist Scripture Hall could decide the fate of any mber of the Demon Race at will.
Moreover, she had once personally witnessed Wang Ping do sothing similar in Ningzhou Road.
Wang Ping accepted the tea. He could clearly sense Hu Xin’s nervousness, but he paid it no mind.
Yu Lian glanced at Hu Xin but also paid her no mind. Then, she rode a cloud to land beside the tea table and looked at Hu Qianqian. "If you cultivate for another fifty years, you should be able to reach the Second Realm, right?"
"It’s all thanks to this treasured land, and to the Master for taking in." As Hu Qianqian spoke, she bowed to Wang Ping’s back. She didn’t share Hu Xin’s nervousness around Wang Ping, as she understood more than her disciple did.
After speaking, she glanced at her own disciple, a flicker of worry in her eyes.
Yu Lian smiled and replied, "I’ve always heard you talk about your clansn. Now that you’re settled, why not think about bringing them here?"
"They have their own destinies. They might not adapt if they ca here," Hu Qianqian said, shaking her head.
Yu Lian flicked her tongue, curled it around the teacup, and took a sip. "This is new tea. It seems different from the Master’s tea leaves."
"It’s a fresh tea grown by a Mountain Monarch using their unique thods. It’s been selling well in Wudao Prefecture for the past two years. The first two jin that sprout after the rains each year sell for as much as twenty thousand taels of silver. I happened to save so for Master and Martial Aunt."
"What are you saving it for? Brew it and drink it! Your master isn’t actually that picky." Yu Lian turned to glance at Wang Ping, making the decision for him.
"Alright!"
Hu Qianqian was not a demon to stand on ceremony.
...
Wang Ping stayed at Baisui Lake for half a month this ti. After returning to Qianmu Mountain, he first went to his master Yu Cheng Taoist’s residence to report on his conversation with the Xiao Shan Lord.
Returning to his Mountain Peak Dojo, Wang Ping received many invitations. He ignored most of them, choosing to reply only to those from people he was close to, such as Liu Shuang, Wang Yang, Shen Xiaozhu, and Zhang Xinghuai.
"Liu Shuang should have at least two sixty-year cycles of life left, shouldn’t she? Why is she already so worried?" Yu Lian asked after reading Liu Shuang’s letter.
"Those two disciples of hers have caused a change in her state of mind," Wang Ping said, shaking his head gently.
"This must be what the Buddhist Family calls a fated calamity," Yu Lian said, gazing in the direction of Liu Shuang’s Dao Field.
...
At this mont, only a little girl was at Liu Shuang’s Dao Field. It was her newly accepted direct disciple, Yang Rong, an exceptionally bright child.
Liu Shuang, anwhile, had gone to Zhao Yu’Er’s Dao Field in Yongshan County. She had made a habit of visiting Zhao Yu’Er every so often over the years.
Zhao Yu’Er’s Dao Field was very unusual.
Firstly, it was surrounded by a dense jungle thick with a Wood Spirit Aura, cutting off any possibility of ordinary people visiting. There were also Water Spirit restrictions in the sky, which deterred most Cultivators from investigating and also prevented Zhao Yu’Er from leaving.
Secondly, half of the Dao Field was a courtyard surrounded by flower clusters, complete with rockeries and an artificial fish pond. The other half, however, was scorched earth, upon which small fires still burned.
"Master, you’re here again?"
Seeing Liu Shuang land above her Dao Field, Zhao Yu’Er’s spirit and emotions beca abnormally excited. Wood Spirit Qi proliferated around her, only to be ignited by the open flas. Yet she herself cheered with delight, a sight that would seem bizarre and terrifying to an outsider.
Liu Shuang, however, was unfazed by the sight. She carefully examined the state of Zhao Yu’Er’s spirit and asked, "How have you been feeling lately?"
"If I say I feel great, will you let out?"
Zhao Yu’Er asked this petulantly, then continued, "But you, Master... you seem a little uneasy. Are you afraid of sothing?"
As she spoke, she patted at the burning spots on her body like a child, and the flas were actually extinguished.
"WOOF!"
The Spiritual Dog with Liu Shuang bared its teeth and barked ferociously, then began to pace around her feet.
"What a clever little dog. I just want to go for a walk. Is there sothing wrong with that?" Zhao Yu’Er’s gaze fell upon the Spiritual Dog, and the Spiritual Qi around her body suddenly turned violent. But in the next mont, a stream of Water Spirit Qi descended from the sky, forcefully suppressing the volatile energy around her.
"If you walk out of here, you won’t survive for more than three breaths’ ti."
"Three breaths would be fine. I don’t like it here."
"As long as you’re alive, anything is possible in the future."
"What could possibly happen? Will Grandmaster let go? You’ve followed Grandmaster for so long, don’t you know what he’s thinking? He only has eyes for the Great Dao, and the Great Dao is rciless." Flas erupted around Zhao Yu’Er again.
"Master is actually a very gentle person."
"Perhaps. But he looks down on . I’ll never forget the cold look in his eyes that day."
"You’ve misunderstood again."
Liu Shuang stared at Zhao Yu’Er and asked, "What do you want to do if you get out? Confront Master?"
Zhao Yu’Er’s emotions, which had been on the verge of erupting, cald down for so reason upon hearing this. She seed to recall sothing terrifying, and her spirit beca listless.
"When can I get out? Am I going to be locked up here for the rest of my life?"
"Didn’t Martial Aunt Yu Lian tell you? When you can suppress the frantic thoughts in your mory, or when your spirit ascends to the Third Realm."
"I hate uncertainty!"
"That’s because your cultivation is still lacking. Have you read the Taoist scriptures I brought you last ti?"
"I have, but I’m just an ant. I can’t comprehend the great principles of the Cosmos and all of creation."
"It is precisely because you cannot comprehend them that you must continue to cultivate. When you can speak to calmly, I will go and plead with Master to let you out."
"You might not live to see that day."
Zhao Yu’Er let out a soft, bitter laugh.
Liu Shuang was silent for a mont before saying, "I’ll co see you again in half a year."
With that, she decisively gathered her Sea of Qi Spiritual Qi and left the Dao Field with her Spiritual Dog. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at Liu Ling’s Dao Field. She rely exchanged a look with Liu Ling from above the Dao Field before flying off toward Qianmu Mountain.
When she landed at her own Dao Field, Yang Rong, who had just finished her practice, ran over happily and exclaid, "Master, I feel like my Chang Chun Technique has improved a lot!"
Liu Shuang gazed at her disciple’s innocent smile and was lost in a daze for a mont. She was transported back to when she had just taken in Liu Ling and Zhao Yu’Er. They were just as innocent back then, as were Wang Li and Su Sea who ca later.
"Keep up the good work. The path of cultivation values a determined heart and perseverance."
She gently stroked the back of her disciple’s head and said patiently, "When you do your evening studies, you must seriously reflect on the reasons for your recent progress, and also recall any mistakes you’ve made in your cultivation during this ti."
"Yes, Master!"
Yang Rong agreed, though not fully understanding.
Liu Shuang gently patted her disciple’s head again, then turned to look outside the Dao Field’s courtyard. An Inner Sect Disciple was walking over quickly, holding a letter in his hand.
It was Wang Ping’s reply. He had replied to Liu Shuang first, not even his own direct disciple, Shen Xiaozhu.
"Is that a letter from Grandmaster?" Yang Rong asked, watching the happy smile on Liu Shuang’s face as she opened it.
"Yes!"
Liu Shuang’s feelings for Wang Ping were completely different from anyone else’s. She had left her parents at a young age, and it was always Wang Ping who had taught her the Dao and resolved her doubts. In her heart, her master was like a father to her.
After reading the reply, Liu Shuang grew even happier. She looked at her disciple and instructed, "Go put on the new Daoist Robe I made for you. We’re going to the Mountain Peak Dojo to pay our respects to your Grandmaster."
"Do I have to go too?" Yang Rong was a little reluctant. In her eyes, her Grandmaster was a stern elder, and also the immortal her Yang Family had worshipped for generations.
"Of course!"
Yang Rong swallowed the words, ’Can I not go?’ By the ti she returned to her small hut, her face was filled with an irrepressible sense of anticipation. She was excited to wear her new clothes.
Once she had changed into her new clothes, her apprehension vanished completely, replaced by even greater anticipation.
She walked out of the hut, full of excitent, only to find that her master had not yet erged.
Two quarters of an hour later, Liu Shuang finally ca out. She had also changed into a new Daoist Robe and had re-tied her hair in a topknot, held by the sa coronet her master had prepared for her during her first journey.
"Master, did you cut your hair?" Yang Rong asked.
Liu Shuang chuckled softly and reached out to stroke the back of her disciple’s head, but she didn’t answer. The Spiritual Dog, resting in the distance, sensed the shift in its master’s emotions, got up, and trotted happily after them.
User Comments
0 comments from readers