As soon as Qiu Feng left, Yin Qing and Hu Yun finally relaxed in the courtyard of Ju’an Pavilion.
Ji Yuan was still outside the courtyard, and hadn’t yet come back inside. Yin Qing turned around and began to lecture Hu Yun in a teaching tone.
“Look at you! A fox yelling all day long – you should be glad it only happened here, at Mr. Ji’s place. If it had been somewhere else, if someone had seen a fox running and jumping on two legs and talking, they would first off be scared to death, and then would calm down and find hoes and rakes and tools and gather the villagers to beat you to death!”
“What nonsense! Why should I be afraid of them? My claws and teeth are very powerfull!”
Hu Yun snorted, waving his sharp claws and arguing back at Yin Qing.
“Oh, if you’re so powerful, then why do your curl up into a ball on my back whenever you see a dog in the streets?”
Yin Qing sneered and looked at the red fox with extreme contempt, making the latter’s fur stand up on end like a cat. He grinned to reveal thin and sharp fangs, as if looking for a fight.
Yin Qing also rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong arms.1
The boy and the fox faced each other down for a minute, but neither of them really stepped forward. After a while, they could no longer hold back. Yin Qing looked at Ji Yuan who had passed by them and sat back in front of the chessboard. It seemed that Mr. Ji had no intention of arbitrating the battle between man and fox.
“Forget it, forget it. Why would I bother with a stinky fox like you who only just learned how to speak? I am a scholar!”
Yin Qing sniffed and tossed his sleeve back into place.
“Forget it, forget it. I’m a studious fox, and I’m older than you. Why would I bother with a brat like you?”
Hu Yun also put on airs as if he wasn’t going to bother arguing with him.
Ji Yuan glanced sideways at these two, shook his head, and continued playing chess.
For others, understanding the moves and playstyle of chess masters was just a way to improve their own chess skills. For Ji Yuan, however, it was a form of cultivation practice.
Just like when he had been watching the masters play chess in the Capital Prefecture, when the two colored pieces competed with one another, it also showed the changes in Yin and Yang. The process of black and white in competition developed a path of mutual growth.
The more skilled the chess player, the deeper the feelings Ji Yuan felt during the game. It would have been best to watch the game live, but true chess masters were not necessarily easier to find than even the gods. It was also very good practice to experience it from across time and space, though the chess manuals handed down from generation to generation.
Yin Qing and Hu Yun looked at each other, then they both walked quietly over to the stone table and sat down.
“Mr. Ji, who was that gentleman just now? Hu Yun didn’t even notice that he was inside. If an ordinary person had seen a fox running around and speaking human language, he would have been terrified!”
Hu Yun nodded from the side.
“It’s good that you know this, so be more restrained in the future, especially you.”
Ji Yuan turned to look at the red fox.
Facing those still eyes, the red fox froze again.
“Just because I am alright with it doesn’t mean it will be the same for everyone else. There are very few kind-hearted monsters in this world, and even fewer monsters who can prove their kindness. Yin Qing’s words are actually true: before you are skilled enough, you should not be too active outside.”
Seeing that the fox didn’t dare to answer, Ji Yuan didn’t say anything more.
“Um, well… Mr. Ji, we’re going to go cook. When it’s ready, we’ll bring it over here to eat together. I’ll be taking my leave, then!”
Yin Qing felt that Mr. Ji might not be in a very good mood today, so he gestured to Hu Yun and the two of them quickly left the courtyard.
Ji Yuan placed down the piece in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the backs of the man and the fox as they departed, his thoughts inscrutable. After a long time, he finally shook his head.
About an hour later, Qiu Feng had flown back to Yuhuai Mountain. Upon returning, he didn’t bother to go see his disciple. He first called his senior brother Yang Ming, then went with him to Shuyun Tower to find Senior Uncle Ren.
Shuyun Tower was a special building in Yuhuai Mountain. It contained many spiritual arrays inside that could help cultivators calm their minds. It was also a place for the disciples on the mountain to meditate and enter seclusion.
At the same time, two great masters of Yuhuai Mountain would rotate taking charge of Shuyun Tower every 20 years. It was quite the difficult job to look after the building’s formations and prevent the cultivators in seclusion from deviating in their practice. Most importantly, they would have to deal with the major events happening in Yuhuai Mountain during their 20 year terms.2
In fact, the immortal residences and communities in this world, although different from those described in classic literature, could be roughly divided into two different types. One was a hierarchical-style sect, with a head cultivator in charge of the affairs of the immortal residence; Yuhuai Mountain could be classified as the second type, where there was no single head or other similar figure. After reaching a certain level of Taoism, everyone took turns to look after the Yuhuai Holy Land.
In these past 20 years it had been Qiu Feng and Yang Ming’s turn to be the Martial Master and Martial Vice Master. During this period, they could not go into seclusion or travel around at will. If anything happened, they would be the first to deal with it, and would generally not disturb the other masters of their generation or their seniors.
The title of “True Master”3 did not directly correspond to the strength of one’s cultivation level or spiritual energy. Spiritual energy was naturally one of the criteria to be considered, but it corresponded more with whether one truly understood the meaning of cultivation. The word “True” held profound significance, and the designation of “True Master” did not simply divide the strong and the weak, but focused more on emphasizing the true meaning of practicing Taoism.
Even among masters of great seniority, very few could be called “True Masters.”
Of course, “True Master” was just what they called themselves in Yuhuai Mountain. In the orthodox world of immortal cultivation, most people who had achieved success in cultivation would be given the title of “Immortal Master.”
The two great masters this term were not as idle as before. First, there were rumors from Tianji Pavilion, and it was difficult to determine whether they were true or false. If they needed to wait for Master Pei to return, then what Qiu Feng had to report after he came back from visiting Ji Yuan today would be no small matter.
On the roof of Shuyun Tower, Master Ren, dressed in a green robe, listened to Qiu Feng’s brief account of the day’s events. The whole time, he was deep in thought, furrowed brows never once relaxing. Qiu Feng and Yang Ming sat down before him and waited.
“Today’s matter is of great importance. We are unable to make a decision; we must discuss with with the other Taoists and teachers of Yuzhu Peak!”
The man in the green robe stood up.
“Both of you, come along.”
The three of them left Shuyun Tower and flew to a place surrounded by clouds and light on the eastern side of of Yuhuai Mountain. This was one of Yuhuai Mountain’s forbidden areas.
They flew for a long time in the maze of light and fog. They passed by places that seemed to have been swept by strong winds from beyond the sky. After a while, they finally passed through a barrier of light and clouds that resembled an aurora. Before them, an enormous mountain with a glowing white peak and green base appeared. This was the Yuzhu Peak of Yuhuai Mountain.
Qiu Feng and Yang Ming had not had the opportunity to visit this place much. They would only come here when their master or Martial Uncle were cultivating there, or when there was something really important they had to do.
There were many jade pavilions on Yuzhu Peak, scattered all over the mountain side. The main hall was situated at the summit. Under normal circumstances, it would be devoid of people, but now, Ren Butong brought his two martial nephews straight to the main hall at the top of the mountain.
The hall was constructed entirely of white jade and surrounded by snow-white columns. At the top of the hall hung a large golden bell.
Ren Butong gestured with his hands and chanted incantations, then waved his sleeves and pointed at the golden bell in the dome with sword fingers. Rays of supernatural light shot out.
As the bell rang, halos of light spread out like nets of mist across the entire Yuzhu Peak along with the sound.
Qiu Feng and Yang Ming glanced at each other from behind. Even though they had reached the level of cultivation where they could both be considered masters, they could still see a little nervousness in each other’s eyes.
The bell rang a total of six times, indicating that everyone not currently in seclusion needed to head to the Jade Dome Hall to participate in an important decision. If the bell rang nine times in a row, it would indicate a life and death crisis for Yuhuai Holy Land.
After waiting for a while, lights began streaming in from all directions. Men and women, old and young, all appeared around the hall. Ren Butong and his two martial nephews bowed and greeted them one by one.
A total of eleven people arrived. The most senior individual was an old man named “Ju Yuanzi,” of the same generation as Ren Butong, over 800 years old. His cultivation was also the highest in Yuhuai Mountain, and his spiritual power was unfathomable. At first glance, he had the greatest hope in all of Yuhuai Mountain of attaining enlightenment and becoming a True Immortal; however, the likelihood of that event was something only he himself knew.
There was no greater aspiration than this. Even the so-called “immortals” in the eyes of mortals could not avoid the end of their lifespan, nor the cycle of aging, sickness, and death.
“Taoist Friend4 Ren, are you faced with a difficult decision?”
“Have you encountered a powerful enemy?”
“Is it just Taoist Friend Ren? Where’s Taoist Friend Pei?”
The visitors asked questions as they took their seats in the hall.
“Several major events have happened recently, all of which are related to Yuhuai Mountain. I apologize for disturbing you all…”
Ren Butong told the story slowly, starting from the rumors in Tianji Pavilion, to the appearance of a True Demon in Bing Province, and then Qiu Feng’s trip to Ning’an County today. He included Ji Yuan’s request to see the Mountain Imperial Decree. Many details were elaborated on by Qiu Feng.
It was quite a large amount of information, and by the time the whole tale was finished, everyone in the hall could no longer hold back.
“Did the Dragon Lord truly let go of what happened back then?”
“Who is this Mr. Ji? Can there really be a True Immortal hidden in our Dazhen territory?”
“His last name is Ji, and his given name is Yuan. Why have I never heard of him before? Is it a pseudonym?”
“If those are the True Immortal’s words, then perhaps the Dragon Lord has truly let the grudge go.”
“Is what the Immortal said the truth?”
“Then what about Tianji Pavilion? There were actually demons attacking our Yuhuai cultivators!”
“For now, it’s not clear whether this matter is true or false. The key is the mountain edict. Will we allow for it to be shown?”
“How can we show others the treasure of our mountain sect so easily?”
“That’s right, it can’t even be easily shown to Taoist Immortals!”
“I disagree. Since Mr. Ji mentioned to Taoist Friend Qiu that he was proficient in the art of edicts, he might know how to use the decree. If he could teach our Yuhuai Mountain this technique…”
“What a joke! The Laws of the world cannot be shared so lightly. Even if he truly does know how to use it, what could we possibly give him in return?”
The discussion kicked off, with everyone talking at once. There were no shortage of arguments. Qiu Feng and Yang Ming sat quietly beside their martial uncle, not daring to say a word.
“Fellow Taoist Qiu Feng, in your opinion, what other miraculous aspects does this True Immortal character have, besides seemingly being at the stage of Return-To-Origin5?”
Ju Yuanzi, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly turned to Qiu Feng and asked a question. His unique, aged voice paused the discussion in the hall.
Qiu Feng was a little hesitant. In fact, he didn’t really want to talk about Ji Yuan’s “sentimentality.” He had only mentioned it briefly before. But now that Ju Yuanzi, a True Master, had asked him about it, he must have wanted to know more than what he had already informed them. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꞁire.net
“To reply to Fellow Taoist Ju Yuanzi, in fact, I did personaly experience something today…”
Qiu Feng grit his teeth and recounted his own experience of cultivating immortality and reminiscing about the past. He then mentioned starting a conversation, wanting to ask Ji Yuan about his own past. When he spoke about how Ji Yuan was sentimental about the changes in the world, Qiu Feng was obviously a little nervous.
“At that time, I could feel nothing but the sense that this small courtyard was traveling outside of this world and across the universe. Everything in the world seemed to be close at hand, and the changes of the Tao were like the triumphs and struggles of life. Further away… I didn’t dare to look, and…”
As Qiu Feng spoke, sweat had already begun seeping out of his body. His Qi appeared to be unstable, and his spiritual energy was disordered.
The golden bell at the top of the Jade Dome Hall was actually slightly trembling, emitting faint golden waves of noise.
“Not good! Stop talking, keep your mind steady!”
“Protect your mind, Fellow Taoist Qiu, quickly calm down!”
Ren Butong and several other cultivators around him all took action to help the cultivator. Some even cut off the spiritual connection between the Jade Dome Hall and the outside world.
For someone of Qiu Feng’s level, these signs just now were definitely not good. The others were terrified; it was hard to imagine what Qiu Feng was feeling at that moment.