The more you wish for time to pass quickly, the slower it seems to crawl.
“Are you feeling hot?” Qing Yao asked, glancing at her temples.
Fu Yu quickly raised her hand to wipe her face, the sweat soaking into her sleeve and spreading into a damp stain.
Oh no… this is so awkward. Fu Yu wanted to get up and run away.
It was autumn, and even with the sun out, it couldn’t possibly be considered hot. There was only one reason she was sweating: burning desire.
Fu Yu wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Unaware of the real reason, Qing Yao thought she was genuinely hot and kindly suggested, “If you’re really feeling warm, you can take off your outer robe.”
Fu Yu hurriedly declined, insisting she wasn’t hot. “Perhaps I’ve been indoors for too long. I’ll be fine once I step outside.”
She thought Qing Yao would immediately take her out of the room, but to her surprise, Qing Yao showed no intention of moving and remained seated as still as ever. Instead, she got up and walked to the dressing table nearby, retrieving a sandalwood fan from the drawer.
“Here, use this to fan yourself.”
Fu Yu took the fan and began fanning herself vigorously.
“You, silly girl, must have a weak constitution if you’re sweating just from sitting around like this. When you return, have your Second Senior Sister teach you some exercises to strengthen your foundation and improve your health.”
Fu Yu nodded obediently. “Yes, Senior Sister.”
After resting for a while, Qing Yao remembered something else. “Give me your hand. I want to check your pulse. Last time, I asked your Senior Sister Zi Su to examine you, but she never reported back to me.”
Fu Yu’s heart resisted the idea, but seeing that Qing Yao had already rolled up her sleeve, revealing a fair, delicate wrist ready to take her pulse, she found herself inexplicably extending her hand.
As her wrist was held by the same hand that had just passed her tea, it felt as though her heart had been seized. It thumped wildly in her chest, like a hamster scurrying around. The nervousness made her sweat even more.
Simply unbearable.
Then, she suddenly remembered something extremely important. When Senior Sister Zi Su had checked her pulse before, she mentioned that Fu Yu’s vital energy was severely depleted. She had no idea if it had recovered yet, and she definitely didn’t want Qing Yao to find out.
Qing Yao’s soft fingers pressed against Fu Yu’s wrist. After a moment, she said, “You’re very weak.”
Pfft…
Fu Yu, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly spat it out.
She hastily swallowed the tea and stammered a clumsy denial, “No, no, I’m perfectly healthy.” As she spoke, she struggled to pull her hand back, hiding it under her sleeve.
Qing Yao withdrew her hand as well, slowly adjusting her sleeve. “Little Junior Sister, don’t avoid treatment out of fear. If you need medicine, you should take it. When you return, go to the Qihuang Hall and get some medication.”
Fu Yu wilted like a deflated balloon. “Yes.” Great, now she had two tasks to complete upon returning.
Afraid that her senior sister might misunderstand something, Fu Yu added after a moment, “Senior Sister, I’ve always been chaste and disciplined. My condition is probably just innate.”
Qing Yao looked at her calmly, her tone equally composed. “Oh.”
Fu Yu gazed at her earnestly. “I mean it, Senior Sister. I’m someone who takes loyalty in relationships very seriously. Once I commit, I would never betray that trust.”
Qing Yao clearly didn’t take it seriously and replied dismissively, “Alright. If you ever wish to form a partnership with a Dao companion in the future, I can help you tie the knot of shared hearts.”
For some reason, hearing this made Fu Yu’s heart stop racing. Instead, it felt as though she had been kicked, and the heat in her body suddenly cooled. “Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Sister. I’d like to focus on my cultivation for a few more years.”
Qing Yao nodded. “That’s fine. By the way, when are you planning to enter the Two Forms and Four Symbols Valley?”
Fu Yu said, “Third Senior Sister told me to enter this year.”
The Two Forms and Four Symbols Valley was located in the far west of the Guiyuan Realm, containing three thousand realms and countless transformations. Legend had it that the valley’s formations were left behind by the deity Qi Yu. After undergoing trials within, cultivators could discern which path of cultivation suited them best.
Qing Yao had entered the Two Forms and Four Symbols Valley to comprehend the Path of Emotionlessness after practicing for some time as a novice. From then on, Qing Yao devoted herself entirely to this path.
Fu Yu was still in the stage of learning the universal path and needed to pass the trials in the valley to discover which specialized path suited her.
Fu Yu felt this was quite similar to the college entrance exam. In high school, everyone studied the same subjects, but after the exam, it was time to choose a major. Most people selected their subjects based on their strengths, though there were always some stubborn ones who insisted on following trends and picking popular majors, which was understandable.
For cultivators, the Path of Emotionlessness was not a popular choice, as its fundamental requirement was to abandon all desires. How many people in the world could truly achieve that? Those like Qing Yao, who were born with an untainted heart, were as rare as a drop in the ocean.
Fu Yu had no idea which path suited her. Personally, she preferred more practical paths, such as the Path of Plant Spirits or the Path of Artifact Refining. One focused on cultivation, the other on craftsmanship. Even if she didn’t achieve great success in these paths, she could still make a living by growing spiritual plants or refining small magical tools to sell.
Fu Yu was quite curious about which path suited her. Some high-level cultivators could roughly discern a person’s aptitude, so she asked Qing Yao, “Senior Sister, which path do you think suits me?”
Qing Yao turned her head and studied Fu Yu carefully for a moment. Then she stood up, walked to a nearby wardrobe, opened the bottom drawer, and took out a box of wooden plaques.
“What are these?” Fu Yu asked, puzzled.
Qing Yao methodically arranged the plaques face down in a neat row. “These are toys from my childhood. Each plaque bears the name of a cultivation path from the immortal realm, created by a Golden Core cultivator who followed the Path of Fate. Though not entirely accurate, they might be sixty to seventy percent reliable. They’re still fun to play with.”
Fu Yu looked at the plaques and thought to herself, “So these were Qing Yao’s childhood toys? So Qing Yao played with toys too?” It seemed she was learning more about her senior sister. “How do you play with them?”
Qing Yao asked, “Do you need a demonstration?”
Fu Yu nodded.
Qing Yao then picked up a palm-sized compass from the box, extended her right index finger, and pressed it firmly onto a small copper spike in the center of the compass without hesitation.
Fu Yu winced just watching, but Qing Yao’s expression remained unchanged.
The compass absorbed a drop of Qing Yao’s blood, and the pointer began to spin rapidly. After a few moments, it stopped, its golden tip pointing to a specific direction.
“Kun One,” Qing Yao said, reaching into the pile of plaques and drawing one. She turned it over, and the words “Path of Emotionlessness” were clearly written on it.
Fu Yu stared at the plaque in amazement. She moved the compass closer and extended her own index finger toward the copper spike. But when it came time to press down, she hesitated, after all, she was quite afraid of pain.
Then, just as she was caught off guard, another hand swiftly pressed hers down. “Ah!” Fu Yu let out a cry like a slaughtered pig and looked at Qing Yao with grievance.
Qing Yao had already withdrawn her hand and was calmly pouring tea for herself.
The pointer began spinning rapidly again, gradually slowing down after a while.
Fu Yu stared at the pointer as it slowly came to a halt in the “Qian” area. For some reason, however, it didn’t stop completely, wavering uncertainly among the numbers in the “Qian” section.
Just moments ago, Qing Yao’s pointer had decisively landed on “Kun One.” Why was it that when it was her turn, the pointer trembled incessantly as if it had Parkinson’s?
“Is it broken, Senior Sister?” Fu Yu thought to herself. If it broke right when it was her turn, it would be rather awkward. Could it be that her blood was causing the problem, jamming the mechanism?
Qing Yao didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the compass.
Fortunately, the pointer finally settled, stopping at “Qian One.” Fu Yu exclaimed, “Qian One! It’s the exact opposite of Senior Sister’s.”
But in her excitement, she loosened her grip on the copper needle, and the pointer inexplicably shifted, pointing to “Xun Three.”
Fu Yu was taken aback. “Ah, which one counts? Qian One or Xun Three?”
Qing Yao replied, “The final result is what matters.”
She then picked up the card corresponding to “Xun Three” and placed it in front of Fu Yu, telling her to flip it over herself.
Fu Yu was quite nervous. Clutching the card, she slowly turned it over…
???
The Way of Animal Nurturing.
As the name implied, “Animal Nurturing” referred to the practice of raising spiritual livestock, which stood in contrast to the Way of Plant Nurturing.
However, Fu Yu felt this was even worse than the Way of Plant Nurturing.
Generally speaking, those who cultivated the Way of Animal Nurturing would inevitably raise pigs, ducks, chickens, and rabbits in their own yards. Unless one reached the Golden Core stage, tasks like cleaning up manure and shoveling waste would have to be done by hand.
Fu Yu found it hard to accept. She didn’t want to become a professional livestock farmer. Wuwu…
“Can I see what Qian One is?”
Qing Yao handed her the Qian One card.
Fu Yu looked at it: The Way of Passion.
It was the complete opposite of the Way of Path of Emotionlessness.
For some reason, Fu Yu’s heart raced as she held the Way of Passion card. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved that the pointer had shifted.
If it were the Way of Passion, it would be the exact opposite of her senior sister’s path. While her senior sister sought to suppress “passion,” the Way of Passion required one to fully experience “emotion.” Moreover, a crucial cultivation method in this path involved entering the mortal world to undergo three cycles of reincarnation, tasting the bitterness of love in three lifetimes. This meant that with each journey into the mortal world, she might fall in love with someone new, making it impossible for her to devote herself wholeheartedly to her senior sister alone.
Fu Yu took such matters very seriously. Since she had already… her senior sister, she felt she must take responsibility and never betray her. Even if her senior sister didn’t remember, she would remain loyal to her partner.
But if she were to enter the Two Forms and Four Symbols Valley in the future and be tested as suited for the Way of Passion, ensuring she loved only one person for life would be objectively challenging.
She seemed dissatisfied with both options and looked up to ask Qing Yao, “Senior Sister, how accurate is this test of yours?”
Seeing her holding one card in each hand, both with a look of disdain, Qing Yao advised, “Senior Sister thinks you’re more suited for the Way of Animal Nurturing.”
Fu Yu’s eyes lit up at this. Could it be that her senior sister also didn’t want her to cultivate the Way of Passion and end up loving three different people through three cycles of reincarnation?
Qing Yao continued, “After all, your constitution is rather weak. I fear you might not withstand the toll of three cycles of reincarnation.”