At daybreak, a fine drizzle lingered in the air, bringing a tranquil freshness. Clouds and mist entwined around the mountainside like a thin veil, softening and blurring the mountain’s outline until it appeared and disappeared like an ink-wash painting.
Xiang Yuan walked out of the Little Morality Temple, the corners of his mouth raised in a smile he could not suppress no matter how hard he tried.
With the assistance of his Master and Martial Uncle last night, he circulated his energy and practiced qi circulation. Not only had he opened the Shenque Acupoint, but he had also advanced rapidly and broken through the Water Separation, Lower Pass, Juque, Zhongting, and other acupoints with unstoppable momentum. His qi had now reached the Tanzhong Acupoint in his chest. Of the twenty-four acupoints along the Ren Meridian, sixteen had been opened. Foundation Establishment was just around the corner.
When one encountered happy events, one felt refreshed. After cultivating all night, he did not feel the slightest bit sleepy.
And because he now had a path of Cultivation ahead of him, he was brimming with spirit and had become much more confident.
He had barely taken two steps when Xiang Yuan saw Old Daoist Que Xin beneath a tree ahead. His Figure was blurry, yet the drizzle did not touch him. From the waist down, his body gradually became transparent, As if a ghost had manifested in the Daytime.
Xiang Yuan was Greatly alarmed. Remembering Old Demon Lingguang’s identity, he guessed that the Opportunity had been found for him by his Master in the Southern Border. He hurried forward and said, “Master, what happened to you? Your injuries... they look very serious.”
More than serious. From the looks of it, he did not even have a Physical Body anymore.
Old Daoist Que Xin stroked his Long Beard. “There is no need to worry. Lingguang’s death has further consequences. Your Teacher cannot meet with you directly, so I have sent this projection of my Daoist arts here instead, lest someone divine my whereabouts and bring a fatal disaster upon you.”
Only then did Xiang Yuan relax. His sadness vanished, and when he looked at his Master’s current appearance again, he clearly looked like a spirit from a magic lamp.
He took out the cracked Eight Trigrams Heart-Protecting Mirror and offered it with both hands. “I owe my life to this object. It’s just a pity that the mirror broke.”
Old Daoist Que Xin put away the Treasure Mirror. Although he had known that the Treasure Mirror would suffer this calamity, he still could not help feeling heartbroken.
Xiang Yuan asked curiously, “Master, this Heart-Protecting Mirror is so Fierce that killing Lingguang... er, Martial Uncle Lingguang was as easy as turning over a hand. How did it break so easily?”
“It did not break easily. It destroyed more than just Lingguang from This Realm. It also destroyed other Lingguang...”
Old Daoist Que Xin stopped halfway through his sentence. Seeing the Umbrella on Xiang Yuan’s back, he smiled and said, “It seems that Fate has been determined. You have chosen to walk this path.”
“Master, what exactly is this Fate?”
Xiang Yuan was filled with curiosity. Carrying an Umbrella on a rainy day—his Fate was certainly connected to helping someone.
The question was, who would share an Umbrella with him? Could it be the Thousand-Year Snake Demon that had cultivated for a thousand years?
“You will know who the Destined Person is once you go there. If Your Teacher informs you, you may develop deliberate intentions. Whether your pace is fast or slow, forcing the matter will sever the Fate.” Old Daoist Que Xin was still unwilling to Say more.
Xiang Yuan stopped Pressing for an answer and instead said, “Master, I obtained some of Martial Uncle Lingguang’s memories and inherited many martial arts. Among them is our sect’s Secret Technique, the ‘Formless Seal Method.’ Is that suitable?”
Saying this, he began to examine Old Daoist Que Xin curiously.
The instant he saw the old Daoist, fragments of Lingguang’s memories surfaced. Most of them showed his Master behaving disgracefully and being Simple-minded. They filled in the White Space and gave him a Clearer Cognition of his own Master.
In a single phrase, his Daoist Name had not been chosen incorrectly. He truly was rather Simple-minded.
“Our sect emphasizes the True heart. Since the Divine skill opportunity has come to you, it is yours. There is no question of whether it is suitable. Just do not Inform any Outsider.”
Old Daoist Que Xin calculated the time. His Figure gradually faded and disappeared together with the Treasure Mirror. “Cultivation at the Mountain Gate is Cultivation, and Cultivation in the mortal world is also Cultivation. Your path is not Inside the mountain, so Your Teacher will not take you back to Northern Qi. If you wish, come to the Northern Qi Benxin Dao to find Your Teacher in the Future.”
After saying this, no trace of him remained.
A divine dragon reveals its head but not its tail—a worldly Expert.
If Xiang Yuan had not seen Lingguang’s memories, he would have believed it eighty percent of the time.
“He left just like that. I still have so many questions I haven’t asked, such as this Head Sickness. It seems somewhat abnormal...”
Xiang Yuan Muttered to himself. He could not figure out what his Master was thinking. If one said he had been Perfunctory, he had left behind a Treasure for body protection and even personally gone to the Southern Border to hunt Lingguang, ensuring the safety of his Disciple. Yet if one said he had done his utmost, he had brought his Disciple into the sect and then left without looking back, allowing him to grow wildly on his own.
And he had been Showing Off the entire time!
Although Xiang Yuan had some complaints in his heart, he still straightened his Clothing and respectfully bowed three times toward the direction in which Old Daoist Que Xin had disappeared.
Once his Divine skill was accomplished, he would surely go to the Northern Qi Benxin Dao and serve tea to his Master.
Xiang Yuan walked down from the Wilderness. Afraid of getting lost, he did not dare take the shortcut through the mountains. Instead, he followed the Official road and deliberately opened his Umbrella, wanting to see who his Destined Person truly was.
He traveled at varying speeds and, with his feet covered in mud, arrived at Yulin Academy. Five li farther ahead was the western gate of the County Yamen. He did not see his Destined Person and refused to give up, so he turned onto a smaller road and followed the river toward Zhao Family Village and Lin Family Village.
Perhaps his Destined Person was a high-ranking Constable of the Six Doors, or a Thousand-Year Snake Demon that had Shapeshifted and happened to need an Umbrella at that very moment.
When he reached the small road where they had been Stationed last night, the County Yamen’s Constables had already left. He continued forward and arrived at Lin Family Village on the riverside of the Nu Shui River.
The village was empty and utterly devoid of signs of life. Only several Constables of the Six Doors remained Stationed there, patrolling the area. When they saw Xiang Yuan, they hurried over to question him.
Xiang Yuan took out his Constable Token and explained his identity. “Last night, while surrounding and capturing the criminals, I got Lost in the Mountain forest. I also encountered Poisonous miasma and suffered the schemes of Robbers, so I only managed to make my way out at daybreak.”
He was covered in mud, and the Shape of his black boots could no longer be discerned. After he explained the cause and effect, he dispelled the Constables of the Six Doors’ suspicions.
Getting Lost in the mountains was perfectly normal. Being able to make it out was already a great blessing.
“The County Yamen’s Constables have already escorted the prisoners back to the city. You need not wait here. Return on your own.”
“May I ask, Elder brother, whether you saw someone like this when you apprehended the Fierce people from the Five Poisons Sect last night...”
Xiang Yuan gave a brief description. At the scene of the murder at the Little Morality Temple, there had been a Scarface burly man whose arms hung past his knees. At first, he had regarded the man as someone from Zhao Family Village, but now it seemed that he was probably a member of the Five Poisons Sect.
Vaguely, Xiang Yuan felt that this person held some status within the Five Poisons Sect.
“We apprehended Too many people last night. If you have questions, go to the County Yamen and ask your Captain Liu.” The Constable of the Six Doors did not seem particularly easy to talk to.
Xiang Yuan nodded. He had only asked casually in the first place. If there was no answer, then so be it.
He turned and left, Return the same way. Counting from when he had left the Little Morality Temple, he had tossed and turned his way for nearly Thirty Li. His Martial arts kept him from feeling tired, but the hunger in his stomach was unbearable.
..
Yulin Academy.
Because of the fine rain, the Academy dismissed classes early. The students all wore blue-and-white Clothing. Some left in groups beneath Umbrellas, some raised their book satchels to shield themselves from the rain, while others recited poetry and composed couplets, their laughter ringing out without end.
Some were happy while others were troubled. At the Academy gate, a young man in his early twenties was being sternly lectured by an Old man.
The Old man wore a green shirt and was refined and elegant. His graying temples made his Steady and composed bearing, weathered by years of hardship, even more apparent. He was a Well-read old Teacher.
Wang Wenxu, the Instructor of Fengxian County.
The young man being scolded was in his early twenties. His Face was as fair as jade, and he was handsome and distinguished. His outstanding appearance made him stand head and shoulders above the Group of students. There was merely a look of weariness between the eyebrows, and he appeared to lack spirit.
He had probably stayed up late studying poetry and books, then been caught dozing during class by his Teacher.
It was also possible that he was simply a lazy fellow, a good-for-nothing Not Seeking Progress.
“Your father is acquainted with me. He sent you here from ten thousand li away to study at the Academy and even entrusted me with educating you into a capable person. Yet you fool around outside all day. Where is your filial piety?”
“Esteemed Teacher, you have misunderstood your student. I study hard while I’m fooling around. That is supreme filial piety!”
“You, you...”
Wang Wenxu was so angry that his Face twitched. He scolded him for Not Thinking of Progress and being a rotten log that could not be carved, then angrily flung his sleeve and left.
“Esteemed Teacher, don’t leave. Lend me an Umbrella so I can avoid...”
Seeing that Wang Wenxu ignored him completely, the young man shrugged and looked around. The area was empty and deserted, with only him left standing at the Academy gate.
Rain fell from the sky. Students in the distance held books over their heads and hurried along at a run. Looking at himself, he had not even brought a book, let alone a book satchel.
“One only regrets having too few books when the time comes to use them. Esteemed Teacher, your student understands now.”
“Classes ended early today, and the carriage from home has not arrived. Could it be that I have to hurry back through the rain?”
“That would not be good. Getting my Clothing wet would be Disgraceful, and if that old man saw me, he would start nagging again.”
As he Muttered to himself, he spotted a Constable passing along the main road in the distance, holding an Umbrella.
Their eyes met.
Oh, the Umbrella has arrived.
Damn it, I should not have looked at him.