In an elegant courtyard on the Ultimate Sword Peak.
The peach blossoms in the surrounding peach blossom forest had bloomed and were stuck to the branches. When a gentle breeze blew, a sweet fragrance filled the air. Pink petals fell from the branches and swayed gently with the wind, making people feel as though they were in a fairyland.
A gentle breeze blew up Gu Gengren’s hair as he sat cross-legged with the zither in front of him. When his fingers plucked the strings, a melody that sounded like a high mountain and flowing water reverberated in all directions.
All of a sudden, the butterflies and bees in the peach blossom forest seemed to be attracted to him. They flew to his side and danced to the zither’s melody.
It was quiet and peaceful. Once Gu Gengren paused, the melody also slowed down. He lifted his fair and slender fingers, then a colorful butterfly landed on his fingertip and flapped its wings gently.
At the spur of the moment, an old man with a strong aura of death walked in.
Just as he was about to speak, Gu Gengren gestured to him to keep quiet. He looked at the butterfly with his eyes full of joy.
After a full hour, the butterfly flew into the peach blossom forest. Gu Gengren smiled, and his smile was pleasing to the eye. He asked, “Is he here?”
The old man’s fingers were dry and extremely thin. He pinched them together, causing cracks to be heard as he answered, “He’s already here, and he has been waiting outside for more than an hour.”
“It’s good to wait so that he can temper his character. He has just become an Intermediate Spiritualist, and he doesn’t know where he stands.” Gu Gengren’s voice was very soft, which sounded like heavenly music to one’s ears. He looked into the distance and at the white clouds in the sky as he added in a low voice, “Life is like the clouds in the sky. They seem casual and unrestrained, but they can’t do as they like.”
The old man asked accordingly, “Why do you say that, Young Master?”
Gu Gengren thought about it and mobilized the spiritual power in his dantian. He raised his hand and waved, then a wave of air rushed into the sky and blew away the clouds floating above his head. Afterward, he answered in a low voice, “The wind is coming, and there is an entire sky above the clouds. How much does a person have to cultivate to be able to get out of this strange circle and do what one wants to do?” The young man walked into the courtyard and casually picked a peach blossom flower. “I always feel that I’m like this peach blossom, which doesn’t know when it’ll be picked by others without being able to resist at all.”
“Young Master, you worry too much. Given your talent, you’ll surely become a Venerable One within a century. Why do you have to be so compassionate?” Although the old man was comforting him, his voice was dry and made people very uncomfortable.
Gu Gengren was a disciple of the Tianxuan Sect. When he was born, there was an abnormal phenomenon. Purple Qi spread across and shrouded the courtyard where he was.
Since he was not from a big place, the matter spread to be incredibly mysterious in just a day. Some people said that he was the reincarnation of Emperor Ziwei while some people said that he was a saint that manifested itself… All in all, they meant the same thing—an exceptional figure was going to be made in this generation of the Gu family. Later, Gu Gengren was accepted into the Tianxuan Sect. It was unknown whether it was a prophecy that unfortunately came true or something else, but he did not like to cultivate since he was young. Instead, he was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and he gradually disappeared into the crowd. The matter about the abnormal phenomenon also faded away, by which no one talked about it anymore.
Nonetheless, just when the people of the Tianxuan Sect no longer had any hope, Gu Gengren, who was almost 40 years old, broke through.
Together with his zither, which had accompanied him for 30 years, he started from a mortal and simply took a step forward to become an Advanced Spiritualist.
This was also the first time he came out of the sect after breaking through. His goal was to enter the Big Ruins but before that, he had to obtain his slot.
Although the Tianxuan Sect was only a small and weak sect in Zhangzhou, their patriarch had numerous connections with the Seven Stars Sect. If not for this, they would not have such extravagant hopes.
“Invite him in.” Gu Gengren put away the zither and sat up quietly.
Before long, Jian Chengzhe ran over with a flattering look and greeted him, “Brother Gu, how have you been! It has been 3 years since the last time we parted at the Tianxuan Sect. I didn’t expect you to achieve instant success. It’s enviable!”
Gu Gengren smiled gently, but there was a faint trace of mockery in the depths of his eyes. He responded, “Brother Jian, you’re too kind—I was just lucky. I was on a whim and forgot the time as soon as I started playing music. I hope you won’t be offended, Brother Jian.”
Jian Chengzhe shook his head like a rattle-drum and replied to him, “I won’t, I won’t.”
Gu Gengren had no intention of chatting at all. He cut to the chase and asked, “Brother Jian, did you say in your letter that Senior Wen still has a slot for the Big Ruins? Is it true?” This was the reason he came.
“Of course, how could I lie about such a thing! But…” He paused and looked hesitant.
“If you have something to say, say it!” Gu Gengren frowned.
Jian Chengzhe was delighted, but there was a bitter look on his face as he explained, “It’s just that I heard that Junior Brother Ling Yue brought back a caster, who also asked for the slot. Now…”
Gu Gengren looked calm so it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry. He nodded, indicating for Jian Chengzhe to continue.
Jian Chengzhe immediately understood what he meant. He continued, “When I received your news, I had quickly mentioned it to Master. Though Master didn’t express his take on it, he showed the intention of giving you the slot. That said, Master usually dotes on my youngest junior brother very much. If my junior brother were to say anything at this time, I’m afraid there would be complications.” He looked bitter as he was worried for Gu Gengren.
Gu Gengren clasped his hands together and walked to the peach blossom forest. He frowned deeply without saying a word.
After a long time, he turned and asked, “So What do you want me to do now?”
Jian Chengzhe had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He answered in a low voice, “Make him back out on his own before Master makes a decision.”
The words “back out” were used very well. They could be used for big or small matters, which could be solved
Gu Gengren did not express his stand. He began to ponder.
Jian Chengren knew very well that going too far was as bad as not going far enough. He did not dwell on the topic anymore and immediately changed to a more relaxed topic.
After Jian Chengzhe left, the old man’s murky eyes flickered as he noted, “Jian Chengzhe can’t be trusted!”
“Hmph, he doesn’t have good judgment, and his vision is too small as he only cares about momentary gains and losses. It’ll be difficult for someone like him to become great. Being an Intermediate Spiritualist would be his limit. A cultivator who loses one’s temperament will lose everything. The strong are strong in their mentality and courage. On the other hand, people like him who only know how to scheme behind others are destined to not be able to make it.” Gu Gengren let the sunlight shine on his body as he commented.
“What do you want to do then, Young Master?” The black-robed old man asked.
“When doing something, one has to look 10 steps ahead. But now, I can’t even clearly see the step beneath my feet. Let’s wait and see. Besides, this caster isn’t simple at all. Ever since I asked about the path, even a top-grade Spiritualist doesn’t make me feel like I’m in danger. However, when I saw him, I actually felt a sense of fear.”
“What?” The black-robed old man’s heart was in turmoil.
To him, ever since his young master asked about the path, he had never lost again. Even if the young master encountered a top-grade Spiritualist, he would be able to calmly deal with the powerhouse. Now, he actually felt a sense of danger from a caster who was also an Advanced Spiritualist. ‘Is that person stronger than a top-grade Spiritualist?’
※※※※
At this moment, Guan Yue was busy in the courtyard. She first scraped off the scales of the spiritual fish and washed them a few times. She was serious and also skilled as if she had done it 1,000 times. The young lady’s movements were fast, and she finished everything in one go. After marinating the spiritual fish in a wooden barrel, she stopped. Following that, the spiritual fish were sliced into thin pieces after 15 minutes. They were as thin as cicada wings and were stacked on a wooden plate.
Ling Yue’s voice was gentle as he remarked, “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook fish.”
“My mother told me since I was young that if you want to capture a man’s heart, you have to feed him well first.” She seemed to be implying something.
After hearing what she said, Ling Yue was elated, but he did not dare to say anything more as he was worried about his gains and losses. He only responded to her softly and thought, ‘I read from a book that in life, when one is ignorant of feelings, it’s also the time when one’s heart is the purest without any distracting thoughts. I wonder if this applies to me now.’.
Once Guan Yue was done, she glared at the men and uttered fiercely, “Move aside!”
While she said that, she poured the fish slices into the boiling water and boiled them. She continued to use the bamboo chopsticks to fiddle with them. After 100 breaths, she sprinkled some chopped green onions on them and added some spiritual herbs to season them. The fishes looked and smelled good. When steam rose, a pleasant smell filled the air.
Before long, the fishes were served on the table and were steaming hot. Ou Yangming had a faint smile on his face as he looked at his companions. He knew if nothing went wrong, the happy event would be achieved.
The liquor that they had was great. When it entered one’s mouth, it was spicy as if it could burn through one’s intestines. Despite that, after the spiciness, only a rich sweetness was left. The aftertaste was endless.
Guan Yue pursed her lips and asked softly, “Brother Yu, back at the lakeside, I was looking at the rolling waves in the lake, and I was thinking about a question. Do you think that a person should become the highest wave, whose brilliance will only shine for an instant before it’s pushed down by the tide, or the depths of a lake that doesn’t show its glimmer and isn’t affected no matter how big the waves on the lake are?”
Ling Yue also pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
Ou Yangming did not answer her right away. Instead, he thought for a while and noted, “I’ve heard this saying before—who isn’t burnt in the universe’s great Furnace? There’s no escape. Take the lake for an example, though there are no waves under the lake, there are undercurrents. One will encounter troubles and difficulties no matter the phase of life one is in. The poor live for the sake of their daily necessities as they need to have 3 meals a day; the powerful have to be conscientious and care about the world. To me, as long as I don’t have a guilty conscience, that’ll do. I’ll be able to have a compassionate heart and do compassionate things. Only then, my heart will be like Buddha, and I’ll be able to see my true self.”
Guan Yue was stunned for a moment. After thinking about his words carefully, she realized that he was right. She wrinkled her nose and asked with a crafty look, “Who taught you this?”
Ou Yangming grinned. “I blindly came up with it!”
Guan Yue pouted in disbelief.
Ling Yue was also deep in thought. He nodded hard and expressed, “Brother Yu, I’ve learned from you.”
That night, Ou Yangming had drunk too much. He thought of Wu Hanning, who told him that grinding ink was to train one’s heart. He thought of Bai Shixue, who managed the Chamber of Commerce in an orderly manner. He thought of the Noble Sacrifice, the Iron Blood Loyal Heart, Old Craftsman. Everyone and everything appeared in his mind. In fact, Xue Xuanle’s graceful figure also flashed past vaguely.
Of course, the person he missed the most was Ni Yinghong.
The sky quickly darkened and the moonlight was cold.
He exhaled a breath of alcohol and sighed. ‘The moon is still the same but what about a person?’
