Yu Ziyu stood at the stern of the boat, looking upstream.
Seeing Li Jiyan swim close to another painted boat and nimbly flip onto it, the young men traveling with him were astonished, seemingly asking him when he had fallen into the water.
She decided to give Li Jiyan a few more days to act, and once he looked better, she would reluctantly become his wife.
But if she really marries Li Jiyan, she’ll have to discipline him properly.
After all, she is a sage sent from heaven, and Li Jiyan is truly lucky to marry her. If Li Jiyan is willing to cultivate immortality with her under her “discipline”, that would be even better.
After traveling upstream on the Fengwei River for about an hour, the painted boat slowly approached the shore.
Princess Ningyuan and Yu Qingdai talked for a while, after which Ningyuan led her entourage back to the palace, and Yu Ziyu followed her sister back to her residence.
Before they had walked for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they unexpectedly ran into the second brother, Yu Yuanchu.
Yu Yuanchu is usually idle and good-for-nothing, spending his time playing with cats, dogs, and idle clouds. He is rarely home, and Yu Ziyu hasn’t seen him for several days.
”Yuan Chu, where have you been these past few days?” Yu Qingdai called out.
Yu Yuanchu looked around, squinted, and turned to look at them for a while before recognizing her sisters. He ran over with a grin and said, “Big sister, what are you doing here?”
Yu Qingdai: “I brought Ziyu out to travel with Princess Ningyuan.”
Yu Yuanchu stroked his chin and looked at Yu Ziyu: “Xiaoyu, you’re not cultivating immortality anymore. It’s such a nice day, why aren’t you climbing the mountain to cultivate? You’re just out playing around. You’re really wasting your time on trivial pursuits!”
Yu Qingdai adopted the authority of an elder sister and scolded, “Why do you keep teasing her?”
Yu Yuanchu patted his mouth, waved to a thin woman not far away, and called out, “Qiu Niang[1]niang as a ‘girl’ jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2167543_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2167543_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, come here quickly, these are my eldest sister and third sister, come and say hello.”
The woman was dressed very simply, in a faded gray-blue cloth dress, and her hair was styled in a married woman’s bun, with only a wooden hairpin in her hair. She stood there, her chest hunched and head bowed, clutching an old bundle tightly in her arms, looking nervous and uneasy.
Yu Yuanchu walked over to her and urged, “What are you afraid of? My eldest sister is a very kind person, don’t be afraid. My third sister is oblivious to everything else and only focuses on cultivating immortality and comprehending the Dao. She may be a bit crazy, but she has the best heart.”
Led by Yu Yuanchu, the woman slowly walked over with him.
Yu Qingdai then noticed that the woman seemed to have a leg injury; she was lame, and her feet walked with one foot higher than the other. It was clear that she was trying her best to keep her legs steady, but she couldn’t hide the fact that she was lame.
Standing before the Yu sisters, the woman dared not raise her head, her voice trembling with nervousness as she softly said, “This humble girl, Zhu Shuqiu, greets the eldest and third young ladies.”
”No need for formalities.”
From Zhu Shuqiu’s words and actions, Yu Qingdai could roughly tell that Zhu Shuqiu must have come from a poor family and must have been very cautious and timid in her dealings with others. At home, she was not loved by her parents and would probably be terrified even if she broke a bowl, for fear of being scolded.
Over time, this fostered a personality characterized by inferiority, timidity, and hesitation.
Compared to Yu Ziyu, they are the complete opposite.
Yu Ziyu was the youngest daughter in the family, and Yu Ningying tended to spoil her. This led to Yu Ziyu being overly confident from a young age. Once she decided to cultivate immortality, she had no worries and firmly believed that she was the only one who was sober while everyone else was drunk.
Yu Yuanchu explained, “Sister, Qiu Niang’s husband has passed away, and she is being bullied by her husband’s family. Her own family is not a place she can turn to for help either. I plan to take her back to the manor and arrange a job for her.”
Yu Qingdai looked at Zhu Shuqiu’s deeply bowed head and asked, “Is it because you have difficulty walking?”
Zhu Shuqiu became even more nervous and hurriedly said, “Miss, my leg is fine. I’m a village woman who has done farm work since I was a child. I’m very agile. I can do everything, from chopping wood and fetching water to washing clothes and cooking.”
Yu Qingdai smiled gently: “That’s not what I meant. I meant that after you enter the manor, I’ll find a doctor to examine your leg. Maybe it can be cured.”
Zhu Shuqiu, who had been keeping her head down, raised it slightly, flattered and surprised, and said, “Thank you so much, Miss. My leg has been a chronic condition since I was a child, and I’m afraid it can’t be cured.”
Yu Ziyu, who had been meditating and cultivating with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
“How could such a minor illness not be cured? Back then, my leg was broken into three pieces, a bloody mess, and I couldn’t feel anything. My ancestral master performed a ritual for me, and I was cured in less than half an hour.”
Zhu Shuqiu was still shaken when she heard this, and couldn’t help but secretly glance at Yu Ziyu’s legs.
Yu Yuanchu laughed out loud and tapped Yu Ziyu’s forehead with his finger: “What nonsense are you talking about? You were meditating for too long and your legs were numb.”
Yu Ziyu was displeased and confidently retorted, “Nonsense! It was already broken; it was bitten off by the starving ghost. I fought that starving ghost for three hundred rounds, and it bit off my leg.”
Yu Yuanchu suppressed a laugh and whispered in Zhu Shuqiu’s ear, “See, I told you long ago that my sister is very funny.”
Yu Ziyu’s interruption made Zhu Shuqiu seem less nervous.
Yu Qingdai urged everyone to return to the manor: “It’s getting late, we should go back.”
Back at the Yu residence.
Yu Qingdai could vaguely sense that Yu Yuanchu and the young widow had an unusual relationship. So she arranged for Zhu Shuqiu to work in the maid’s quarters in the backyard, so that she could serve by her side from now on.
She then specifically reminded Yu Yuanchu: “I can tell that Qiu Niang doesn’t like you very much. Don’t do anything to force her, or I won’t let you off the hook.”
Yu Yuanchu remained carefree as ever: “Am I that kind of person! Besides, it’s not that she doesn’t like me, it’s just that her husband just died and she’s afraid of gossip, so she doesn’t dare to get close to me.”
”Just be careful and don’t cause any trouble.”
Yu Yuanchu said indignantly, “Ziyu causes trouble every day, but you never say anything to her. All you do is criticize me.”
Yu Qingdai frowned: “Is she like you? She’s just not thinking straight!”
”I’m not thinking straight either. I like Qiu Niang so much that I’m out of my mind.” Yu Yuanchu smiled smugly and quickly made his escape.
Yu Ziyu returned to the room, and Qinghe brought her a steaming bowl of medicine, saying, “Miss, it’s time to drink your medicine. You’re still coughing, you can’t skip it.”
”Just leave it there for now, I’ll drink it later.” Yu Ziyu took a few steps back, away from the medicine bowl, afraid that the wafting medicinal aroma would taint her immortal marrow and bones.
Qinghe said, “Miss, this medicine isn’t bitter. I added honey to it for you.”
”Leave it for now, you can go now, I need to cultivate.” Yu Ziyu sat down at the desk, suppressed a cough, and opened a stack of ancient books.
Qinghe put down the medicine bowl, walked to the door, and then said worriedly, “Miss, please remember to take your medicine.”
”I remember, you don’t need to worry about such a small thing.”
After Qinghe left, Yu Ziyu took out Liezi’s “Tang Wen” and began to study it carefully.
Since her failed tribulation after summoning heavenly lightning, she has been recuperating in her room for the past few days, reviewing her cultivation blueprint. After some reflection, she realized that her cultivation has made no progress and she is unable to cultivate an inner core, which might be due to her incorrect methods.
She has always relied on her own reading and enlightenment, with occasional guidance from her ancestral master.
Although she possessed exceptional talent, she was ultimately lacking in refinement. Her ancestral master was highly accomplished, but she wasn’t a true immortal. Yu Ziyu pondered for a long time before reaching this conclusion.
To truly understand, one would probably need to find a real deity to guide them.
These past few days, she has been studying “Fangxian Dao”.
Fangxiandao was a group of alchemists who practiced Taoist cultivation and sought enlightenment during the Warring States period.
These alchemists combined Huang-Lao philosophy with the art of cultivating immortality, gradually forming their own school. They were keen to find immortals and seek elixirs in order to break through the limits of all things.
Yu Ziyu read many miscellaneous books about the Fangxian Dao and gained a lot of insights.
The *Tang Wen* states, “There are five mountains: the first is Daiyu, the second is Yuanqiao, the third is Fanghu, the fourth is Yingzhou, and the fifth is Penglai…” “The pavilions and terraces on them are all made of gold and jade, and the birds and beasts on them are all pure white.” “The people who live there are all of the lineage of immortals and sages; those who fly to and fro each other every day and night are countless…”
It records five immortal mountains: Daiyu Mountain, Yuanqiao Mountain, Fanghu Mountain, Yingzhou Mountain, and Penglai Mountain.
These species on the sacred mountains are the offspring of immortals and saints, possessing extraordinary spiritual power and all being of celestial quality!
After reading it, Yu Ziyu slammed her hand on the table: “It seems I still have to go to the immortal mountain to find the immortals. Trying to comprehend the Dao on my own is like building a cart behind closed doors; it will never break through the limits of life. Going to find the immortals is the right path!”
With that thought in mind, she made up her mind to go find the immortal herself!
But she didn’t know where this sacred mountain was, and it was thousands of miles away; she feared the journey would be difficult alone. She thought of Li Jiyan…
Li Jiyan expressed his love for her and his desire to marry her. As a husband, it was his duty to devote himself to helping his wife cultivate immortality, and he should do so without hesitation.
With that in mind, Yu Ziyu decided to go see Li Jiyan again.
If Li Jiyan is willing to accompany her to the immortal mountain to find the immortals, she will marry him tomorrow.
She poured the medicine that Qinghe had brought into the flowerpot. After straightening her clothes, she tucked the book “Tang Wen” into her bosom and went out.
Upon arriving at the back garden, they encountered the newcomer, Zhu Shuqiu. She looked bewildered, holding a piece of paper in her hand, constantly glancing around.
Yu Ziyu jumped down from the corridor and landed in front of her: “What are you doing here?”
Zhu Shuqiu hurriedly bowed and said somewhat awkwardly, “Hello, Third Miss. The steward told this slave to take this list to the storeroom to get some daily necessities, but I can’t find where the storeroom is.”
Yu Ziyu said, “Stand up straight, don’t be nervous. My family doesn’t have so many rules. You don’t need to call yourself a slave, and you don’t need to call me Miss.”
Unable to make a decision, Zhu Shuqiu asked, “Then how should this girl address you?”
Yu Ziyu had a sudden inspiration. She had finally seized this excellent opportunity. Suppressing her inner joy, she coughed and said, “Listen carefully, from now on call me Yuanshi Deguang Taishang Xuanhuang Wuliang Tianzun.”
This is the divine title she gave herself; she has decided that she will use this title once she attains immortality.
Zhu Shuqiu, whose memory was still good, blushed and said shyly, “Okay, okay, Yuanshi… Deguang Taishang Xuanhuang Wuliang Tianzun.”
Yu Ziyu couldn’t help but get carried away and laughed loudly, “You’re a quick learner! By the way, if the doctor can’t cure your leg, come to me and I’ll perform a ritual for you. My leg was really bitten off by a starving ghost before, and it was my ancestral master who performed a ritual to heal it.”
“Thank you, Third Miss. No… thank you, Heavenly Venerable.” Zhu Shuqiu replied, bowing her head.
”Go straight this way to the warehouse, and turn left after you leave this yard,” Yu Ziyu reminded her, laughing as she walked forward.
Zhu Shuqiu watched her retreating figure from behind and sighed softly, wondering whether she should tell the Third Miss that performing rituals was just a trick by charlatans to swindle money.
Her father was a shaman in the village, so she was already very familiar with these scams.
But then I thought, since I’m new here, it’s not good to say too much.
……
The General’s Mansion, Study.
Li Fanglian and Li Jiyan sat cross-legged at the chess table, playing chess in silence.
After a long silence, Li Fanglian finally asked, “After arriving in the capital, has he shown up again?”
Li Jiyan pondered for a moment before replying, “It seemed to happen for a fleeting moment when Yu Ziyu beat me on the mountain that day. It wasn’t long, and I don’t remember it very well.”
Li Fanglian: “Sigh, when Father went to the palace before, he consulted the imperial physicians. They said that this is also a type of hysteria, that there are two people in one brain. When he occupies the body, you can’t appear, and when you occupy the body, he can’t come out.”
Li Jiyan had known for a long time that his body was possessed by two consciousnesses. However, it didn’t seem to be too serious; the other consciousness appeared only a handful of times.
He appeared once when I first met Yu Ziyu. He also appeared once more when I was seriously wounded on the battlefield.
He also appeared after being slapped by Yu Ziyu in the cemetery that day, but quickly disappeared.
Li Jiyan still couldn’t figure out where this “he” came from or whether he was the same person as himself.
All he knew was that when “he” appeared and occupied his body, he would fall into a deep sleep, completely unaware of what “he” would do with his body.
Li Fanglian took a sip of tea.
He said slowly, “Father will try his best to find a miracle doctor. If the miracle doctor can cure your illness, he might be able to cure Yu Ziyu as well. You two, your in-laws, are both crazy.”
They are playing chess.
A guard came to report that Yu Ziyu had come to the general’s mansion and wanted to see Li Jiyan.
Li Fanglian waved his hand and said to Li Jiyan, “Go ahead. It would be best if the two of you could be together so you can discuss the illness.”
Li Jiyan stood up: “Then I’ll take my leave.”
Upon arriving at the front courtyard of the mansion, he saw Yu Ziyu, as always, carrying a long sword and a curved saber. She stood with her back to the gate, holding a book in her hands, engrossed in her reading.
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