Bai Yu opened the manual in his hands with excitement. Back when the girl had been studying the Xuanxin Jue, he’d sneaked a peek, but the text was so abstruse that he’d given up after just two lines. This book, however, was completely different. Since Yun Jiao had no spiritual meridians, her copy naturally carried no hidden mystical force. He could read it smoothly, even skimming ten lines at a glance, and it wasn’t dizzying in the least.
If he had to put it into words, the girl had taken the deep, profound Daoist method and broken it down piece by piece, expanding and explaining every word and point. She even added illustrative examples on the side so that at a glance one could grasp the meaning. Now he understood why it was called Detailed Analysis of the Xuanxin Jue. It was so thoroughly “diluted” that, as Yun Jiao had said, unless you were an idiot, you could follow it.
Bai Yu had never thought learning a Daoist method could be this simple. If this kept up, he might actually be able to master it in a short time. Growing more excited, he flipped page after page, devouring it hungrily, completely forgetting about his meal. Not that there was much food left anyway.
Until Yun Jiao suddenly snatched the book from his hands. “Wait, girl… let me read a bit more!” For the first time in his life he truly wanted to study Daoist arts. Even his late master would have wept with joy at the sight.
“Learning isn’t urgent.” Yun Jiao closed the book and handed it back. “If you’ve got free time, why don’t you head to the nearest market these next two days?”
“Market?” The old man blinked. “What, girl, you’re short on something? What do you need to buy? I’ve got money!” He still had the forty taels he’d earned last time. Saying so, he started fumbling for it.
“We’re out of grain.” She pointed at his bowl. “That was the last of the rice. Next meal, the cupboard’s bare.” They had vegetables in the back garden, but the staple food was gone. She’d meant to mention it days ago, but had been too absorbed in her medical texts.
“Already?!” The old man was stunned. He hadn’t cooked for so long he hadn’t checked the rice jar, but in the past it had always lasted half a year. Then he realized—now there was Yun Jiao, and recently even the Ancestral Master had shown up for meals. Of course it vanished fast. And since he himself would soon begin training in the Xuanxin Jue, he wouldn’t have time to go out. Better to prepare early.
He glanced at the sky outside. “The market’s not far, just at the foot of the mountain. Half an hour after that and we’re there. It’s still early—let’s go today. Finish eating and we’ll set out.” Maybe he’d even have time to read later.
He quickly cleared all the dishes, didn’t even bother cleaning up, and dragged Yun Jiao outside. “Come on, come on, hurry before the grain shops close at sundown!”Dragged out the door, Yun Jiao: “…” Excuse me? I never said I was going too!
But it was too late. Swept up by Bai Yu’s newfound zeal, she was hauled out the gates of Qingyang Temple, which were left wide open behind them.
In an instant, the great temple fell silent.
Moments later…
The tower doors, closed for half a month, creaked open a crack. A white light slipped out, and a white-clad figure appeared at the messy dining table. His cold gaze swept the nearly bare dishes. His brows furrowed, his flawless face clouded with two parts fury, seven parts irritation, and one faint shade of… grievance.
Not… not a single bite left.
(д;)
For a moment, he actually wanted to expel someone from the sect.
“Achoo!”
Hurrying down the mountain, Bai Yu sneezed, feeling a sudden chill at his back. He looked up at the sunny sky. Strange. Not a cloud in sight. Shaking his head, he glanced at Yun Jiao’s calm face and muttered,
“Girl, stick close. The terrain of Kui Mountain is tricky—without a guide you’ll get lost easily. Only because I’ve lived here for decades do I know it so well. Just head east and we’ll reach the market.”
“Got it.” Yun Jiao nodded—then promptly yanked him back.
“This way. That’s west.” So much for knowing the way.
Bai Yu: “…”
“Ahem, well…” His face stiffened, but he quickly recovered, pretending nothing was wrong. “By the way, did you bring the bag I told you to?”
“This one?” Yun Jiao lifted a palm-sized pouch. “What’s it for?”
“For carrying grain, of course.”
“…” Yun Jiao froze. That tiny thing? It could barely hold a bun.
“You don’t understand!” Bai Yu smirked proudly. “That’s a Qiankun Bag. Looks small, but it has a space-folding array inside. It can hold at least a hundred jin of grain. A sect treasure left by my master. Keep it safe.”
Yun Jiao’s eyes widened as she examined it. A Qiankun Bag? Wasn’t this exactly like the space pouches in TV shows? Did this world’s science already reach space-folding technology? How did it work? She turned it over and over, baffled. The scholar in her regretted not minoring in physics back in college. This was Nobel-level stuff.
“Truly, the ancients didn’t deceive me. Only when you need knowledge do you regret not studying more.” She resolved to tackle ten more books when they got back.
This time the old man took a different route down. Maybe because of the direction, this stretch of forest hadn’t been ravaged by that storm wind months ago. The trees were lush and thriving. But whether from the canopy blocking too much light, or simply because it was getting late, the further down they went, the darker it grew—until it felt like dusk already.
Even Bai Yu started to sense something was off. He shivered, glanced around nervously, and poked Yun Jiao. “Girl… don’t you feel it suddenly got colder?”
Yun Jiao looked around—and abruptly froze, her gaze locking onto a massive ancient tree.
“What is it?” The old man followed her stare, but saw nothing but thick branches. “There’s nothing there. What did you see?” Remembering her heavenly eye, a chill crept over him. He lowered his voice. “Don’t tell me… there are ghosts here too?”
Yun Jiao’s lips twitched. She nodded and pointed up at a high branch. Her tone stayed flat. “Mm. That female ghost stuck halfway up the tree, kicking furiously because her leg got caught—that one.”
Bai Yu: “…”
The would-be-scary ghost: “…”
MMP!
(End of Chapter)