Chapter 17 Exceptional Excellence (Part 5) How Shameless!

A sage once said: "Do not listen with your ears, but with your heart; do not listen with your heart, but with your spirit. Spirit is that which is empty and awaits things. Only the Dao gathers in emptiness; emptiness is the fasting of the mind."

The first step for a cultivator to enter the path of cultivation is meditation. One observes all things with the mind and listens to all things with the breath. One constructs a vast world based on the feelings of the present moment, achieving utmost purity. This is the first realm, also known as the realm of fasting of the mind.

Back when Lin Feiran and the others were still little kids, they first practiced disciple swordsmanship for a year before their master took them to the sword realm left by their ancestors to meditate and comprehend the Dao, trying to eliminate distracting thoughts and break through the mental fast.

Daohe Palace is strict in selecting disciples, but once they enter the sect, they are left to their own devices. After the master leads the disciple to the Sword Realm, he sits in meditation and concentrates his mind, no longer caring about the disciple's fate.

On the first day, everyone arrived, but on the second day, half the number came, and on the third day, they arrived sporadically, with some disciples even having a snowball fight in the sword realm.

They were all teenagers who could endure the hardship of sword practice but not the leisure of meditation.

Amidst the playful banter, everyone realized that the number one person would naturally be Wei Changzai. He was the head disciple's last disciple, possessing exceptional talent, even surpassing Bingxue Ningjing.

One day, the peaks within the Sword Realm hummed softly, indicating that someone had broken through to a higher realm. Everyone turned to look, and their gaze fell upon Wei Changzai, who also opened his eyes and glanced slightly to the side.

There sat a young female disciple.

With relaxed brows and a slight upturn at the corners of her lips, she exuded an air of inner peace and carefree ease. Unlike Wei Changzai's serene and graceful demeanor, she was more like a steadfast pine tree or a silent mountain range, yet her brows held the power of a cleansing wind and a gentle, misty rain.

She is experiencing the world.

After a long period of staring, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she finally opened her eyes, her eyes shining and her face veiled in mist.

Meeting everyone's curious or surprised gazes, she smiled, revealing that she was missing a tooth on both the top and bottom, but that did not diminish the brilliance of her smile.

"I think I've broken through to the state of mental fasting."

Lin Feiran broke through the realm in January, and from then on, the name Lin Feiran spread throughout Daohe Palace.

...

Suddenly recalling the past, she felt no ripples in her heart; ten years of trials and tribulations had long since blurred such memories.

She could only sigh that she hadn't felt so carefree and unrestrained in a long time, and her heart was filled with confusion and lack of clarity. Perhaps this was what Xian had said about her Dao heart being damaged.

She herself was unaware, but the sword bone reacted first.

In the end, will her old friend, who has been with her for many years, still leave her?

A slight sense of melancholy suddenly swept through Lin Feiran's heart. It wasn't regret, just a feeling of melancholy.

Her resolve was hard to solidify, and her heart was filled with confusion. But she didn't even know what those confusions were, so she had no way to unravel them.

At least until the sword's bones disintegrate, she wanted to choose a truly suitable sword for it. The Lianyan sword that Wei Changzai gave her was good, but it was only more suitable than an ordinary sword.

She looked down at the map Xun Feifei had given her, searching for the place marked on it where swords were forged. Then she paused, looked up again, and realized that the surrounding area had nothing to do with the streets and alleys depicted on the map.

Lost in her thoughts, she took the wrong turn.

This street was so remote that there were few pedestrians and shops. Only two men in black stood on the embankment, wearing cloaks and hoods, cursing and swearing.

"What kind of door did Xie Kanhua open? We fell into the river as soon as we came in. If we hadn't reacted quickly, we would have been soaked to the bone."

The voice was very familiar. Lin Feiran paused in his steps as he was about to ask a question. The two people also happened to look up and looked at each other in silence.

The young man who had spoken pulled back his hood, looked her over again, and then suddenly laughed, a cold and contemptuous laugh.

"It's like a fairy striking a bell by a clever coincidence, so clever it's baffling."

The other person remained silent, standing quietly to the side, the curve peeking out from under the hat appearing very familiar.

Seeing that she seemed to be in a daze, the young man crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You forgetful old fool. What, you've only been in the demon realm for a few days and you've already forgotten your former fellow disciples?"

Lin Feiran's gaze finally settled on his face, and she slowly said, "How could I forget you, Jiang Jin?"

Fei Ran became a cripple, but Jiang Jin was the first to shout it out.

*

Every disciple of Daohe Palace receives a mission to exorcise demons, which is related to their academic performance and whether they can attend the primary school next year.

Unlike Wei Chang, Lin Feiran was not a direct disciple. She needed to pass the exams to stay at the primary school and, more importantly, to use those results to silence the gossip.

When she takes on a task, she always prioritizes those that she can handle alone, but she also has a chance of success if she goes with a group. The people who dare to go with her are always the same few, who are like her, the marginal disciples who go their own way in Daohe Palace.

Apart from that, she rarely traveled with her fellow students.

One day, the disciples guarding the mountain received a letter from the Northern Plains pleading for help.

The Northern Plains were in chaos, and many independent cultivators went to subdue them, but all returned empty-handed. Since there was no sect stationed there, in the midst of the chaos, someone sent a message to Daohe Palace.

Therefore, Master Daohe Palace sent Ji Changying to lead a team, and selected six disciples from among his many followers to go on the expedition and explore, including Lin Feiran.

Unlike the Central Plains, the Northern Plains are covered in snow all year round. The mountains and fields are desolate, and when the wind blows, it feels like flesh is being ripped out of bones. Even though the group had grown up in the Sanqing Mountains, they could not withstand such sharp winds and snow.

When the group arrived at the village, they were no longer dressed as they had when they first left Luoyang. Now, everyone was wearing a silver fox fur cloak, a hood over their head, their cheeks were flushed, and they were covered in wind and snow as they walked.

When the villagers saw it, they were so frightened that they thought the Xunfeng wolf had become a spirit, and they almost raised their iron bows to attack.

At that time, Lin Feiran silently followed at the back of the group, looking around, occasionally shivering from the wind.

The disciple at the front sniffed, clutching his sword, his jaw trembling slightly, his tongue dry, looking utterly pathetic. He looked at the villagers who kept forcing smiles, and seemed to be taking his anger out on them.

"Demons are demons, and beasts are beasts. Beasts cannot transform into humans. This common sense has been said for countless years. You're just taking it seriously because of some strange tale. How utterly ridiculous!"

"Fang Ping, you mustn't be rude!" Ji Changying stepped forward, her brows furrowing slightly, her usually gentle eyes darkening a bit. "Junior brother is new to the world and doesn't know proper etiquette. Changying apologizes on his behalf."

The old village chief, who had rushed over, adjusted his felt hat and subconsciously smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes. He smiled awkwardly and said, "No offense, no offense. The young Taoist priest is right. We live in the Northern Plains, so it's inevitable that we are a little behind in our news. Please forgive us... It's cold outside. Why don't you come with me for a cup of tea to warm yourselves up before we discuss the matter of slaying the demon?"

Ji Changying nodded again and said apologetically, "Thank you for your trouble."

He stood up and looked around, his gaze falling on Lin Feiran. The small mole under his lip twitched slightly, and his eyes curved into a smile. He raised his hand and beckoned to her: "Junior sister, come here."

The accompanying disciples glanced over, their expressions varying.

Lin Feiran was already used to such strange looks, and walked straight past the crowd without glancing at them.

She was tall and slender, her silver fox fur cloak reaching her ankles. Although she was clearly wrapped up tightly, she seemed to be cold, with half of her face hidden in the hood, only a few strands of black hair flying out to reveal her eyes.

Those eyes were like warm, misty pools, clear and bright.

"Several fellow Daoists have perished here before, which must indicate something is amiss. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I must investigate first. My fellow disciples will stay here to protect you... They rarely descend the mountain, so please forgive them if they are impolite."

Ji Changying smiled and turned slightly to face Lin Feiran opposite the village chief, explaining.

"After I leave, Junior Sister Lin will lead the team, and she can make all the decisions."

Upon hearing this, the other five people glared at Lin Feiran, then looked at Ji Changying, and one of them spoke up in dissatisfaction.

"Senior Brother, what can she decide?"

Ji Changying is recognized by all the disciples of Daohe Palace as the senior disciple.

The title "Senior Brother" wasn't just because he joined the sect early and had a high level of cultivation, but also because of his status as Zhang Chunhe's chief disciple. In addition, his easy-going nature and care for his disciples earned him the trust of many.

But now he's summoned Lin Feiran alone and given her the authority to command everyone. What gives him the right?

Could it be because she is acquainted with the elders? Or because she is engaged to Consort Wei?

"Senior brother, why should we listen to her!"

Ji Changying looked up and smiled as usual. He took off the straw hat tied at his waist and put it on top of his hood. Wearing the two hats on top of each other looked rather mismatched, but with his face, it couldn't be said to be ugly.

He laughed and said, "Because I'm the senior brother."

Ji Changying nodded to everyone and then left. His loose hair was whipped up by the wind and snow, and his voice carried on the wind: "Fellow disciples should love each other. If I find anything wrong when I return, I will punish the person."

His figure quickly disappeared into the vast snow. The other five looked at Lin Feiran with dissatisfaction, but she looked at the old village chief and nodded slightly: "Please lead the way."

The old village chief, with his hands tucked into his sleeves and a sheepish smile, led them toward the only ancestral hall in the village.

"This was built by several nearby villages together. It is sturdy and thick. At night, as long as you burn a pot of charcoal, it won't be cold at all."

After saying this, he asked several young men to bring over two basins of charcoal and several bundles of firewood. Just as he was about to tell them to put them down, one of his disciples stopped them.

"This charcoal is pitch black, and it produces endless thick smoke when it's burning. Do you still want this silver fox fur? We have talismans, so we don't need your charcoal."

With a wave of his hand, a long talisman appeared from his sleeve. Just as he was about to stick it on the old village chief's forehead, Lin Feiran intercepted it.

She then removed her hood, revealing a few strands of hair sticking up, and said calmly, "A talisman is not meant to be stuck on a person's forehead."

That's how you affix the seal to a demon-suppressing beast.

With a clap of her hands, the talisman was firmly affixed to the old village chief's chest.

"Village chief, since the things have already been moved here, just leave them here. I'd like to ask, how many villages are there around here, and where have the Xunfeng wolves, which caused the beast rampage, been appearing recently?"

The young man, who had been silent, finally spoke: "There are five villages nearby, not far apart, but our village is the closest to the snow mountain, so the old wolf often comes here. There are still its footprints outside the village."

Lin Feiran pondered for a moment and said, "Many cultivators have come before and all of them have been defeated. Have you seen them fight?"

The old village chief nodded, then quickly shook his head: "I did see it. Those Taoist priests were fighting with the old wolf on the snowfield. We could only watch from afar as lightning flashed. Once the fight started, the snow fog filled the sky, and we couldn't see anything clearly. When it became clear, those Taoist priests were all defeated."

Another young man added, "The last time I took care of that Taoist priest, he said that this old wolf is very evil and can't be killed at all!"

The group continued to talk, and Lin Feiran was still listening when two disciples slammed down their swords. After a muffled thud, they sat down to the side and closed their eyes to rest.

Seeing this, the village chief stopped talking and a hint of apology appeared on his face: "You are all immortals from Daohe Palace, so there shouldn't be any problem... You immortals have come from afar and must be tired. You should rest first, and we will go prepare some food."

Lin Feiran glanced at the two people and said with a pursed lip, "Thank you for your help."

After seeing off the village chief and several young men, she returned to the ancestral hall, where the five people, who had previously appeared tired, were now chatting animatedly.

"It must be that those cultivators down the mountain are not skilled enough and cannot defeat them. They could have learned so much more Dao techniques if they had stayed on the mountain, but they insisted on going down the mountain. Once they go down the mountain, they will never be able to return to their sect."

"Since our senior brother has already taken action, let's just wait for news. He won't let us get into danger."

"Too."

The five people were chatting enthusiastically and ignored Lin Feiran who had just entered. She paused briefly, turned around and sat down to the side, pondering the news she had just received.

The sky in Beiyuan always darkens quickly, and by the time the old village chief and others came to deliver the milk crisps, it was already night.

The village chief and his companions felt that the ancestral hall was too cramped and dark, so they gathered firewood, cleared a space in front of the hall, and invited the villagers to go out for a meal.

"This butter tea is only fragrant when it's freshly brewed, so the butter won't be too greasy, and you'll have more energy to fight demons."

The old village chief looked at the fine tea in his hand, a little reluctant, but still happily stirred it into the pot, his eyes shining.

The disciples huddled together, exchanging glances as they listened to these words, their eyes filled with unspoken mockery. They couldn't help but chuckle softly, "He thinks exorcising demons is like doing farm work."

Another person glanced at Lin Feiran sitting by the fire and whispered, "We weren't familiar with her before, but we only realized how quiet she is these past few days while traveling. How do you think she and Senior Brother Wei talk? Are they just speechless?"

One of them crossed his arms, chuckled, and said in a loud voice, "They only look down on us and don't bother chatting with us. They entered the Mind Fasting Realm in less than a month and are the first person to do so. How can they be the same as us?"

"Jiang Jin, keep your voice down!" another disciple pulled him back. "She was raised by the senior brother, their relationship is extraordinary, be careful she doesn't tell on you!"

The old village chief, however, took these words to heart. He stopped stirring his milk tea and asked hopefully, "Really? Young lady, you're that amazing? Are you the first person to do this?"

The wind and snow fell softly, and all was silent except for the bubbling of the red-hot kettle over the fire.

Jiang Jin glanced at the girl sitting alone in the corner, and could no longer hold back, bursting into laughter: "Yes, she's amazing! She was clearly the first to enter the Forgetfulness Realm, and after years of cultivation, she's still in the Forgetfulness Realm!"

The others didn't speak, but they couldn't help but cover their mouths and slurp their words.

Everyone's eyes turned to it simultaneously, and they burst into laughter.

The girl sat alone in the wind and snow, her dark eyes reflecting the campfire, silent.

The old village chief and the others didn't understand the meaning behind these words, but they didn't want to show their ignorance and spoil the fun, so they joined in with laughter and vigorously stirred the milk custard.

Jiang Jin burst into laughter, saying, "Look, even the villagers in these remote mountains look down on you. You want to be the team leader? You're dreaming!"

The old village chief's dry laughter gradually stopped. He looked at Lin Feiran, then at Jiang Jin. He understood what Jiang Jin meant.

People from mountain villages.

His ears turned slightly red, and he slapped the young man beside him who was still grinning foolishly. Then he buried his head in stirring his milk tea and said nothing more.

Since that day, the name Fei Ran has been associated with the useless person. Since they both start with the same sound, people no longer care when calling her name to her face. They always like to speak in a pretentious tone, deliberately slurring their words, making her sound like Lin Fei Ren.

This call has been going on for many years.

...

It was midday, and the soft sunlight shone on this secluded corner.

A warm breeze swept by, blowing off the hood and finally revealing the true face hidden beneath: black hair like silk, skin as white as ice and bones as smooth as jade, and eyes without any emotion.

He remained calm and did not draw his sword, but simply looked at her and spoke.

"Feiran, come back with us."

A note from the author:

The realms set in this story (described in the previous chapters) are: Fasting of the Mind, Sitting in Oblivion, Reflecting on the Sea, Questioning the Heart, Freedom, Ascending to Heights, Carefree Wandering, Spiritual Journey, Selflessness, Returning to Truth

P.S.: This story will soon be available for purchase. Just a reminder that it's a slow-burn, growth-and-leveling story, not a fast-paced, feel-good novel. As is typical of growth stories, there will definitely be some angst. The plot and romance are evenly matched, and it's an ensemble piece where each character has their own story and stance. There are no absolute good or bad characters, and there are many foreshadowing elements. For anything not explicitly stated, feel free to speculate, but please don't jump to conclusions.

P.S.: All things considered, this is only the author's third book, and also the first time the author has expanded the world-building and written a leveling-up story. It's a practice piece, and the author will try to write it well, but if it doesn't suit the author's taste, please stop reading in time.

-