Chapter 29 [VIP]
The council hall doors were wide open, and as Jiang Zhuochen stepped inside, he could still hear the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from within.
He calmed his hasty manner, placed two fingers in front of his chest, and bowed slightly in greeting. "Greetings, fellow martial uncles."
Peak Master Ni Gui of Qihuang Peak chuckled twice, "Isn't this the Sect Leader's Eighteenth Brother? He's only just woken up now?"
The peak master of Chixiao Peak, Ju Mo, gave a light snort, "How can cultivators be so lax? If this continues, when will they ever catch up with their senior brothers?"
Xu Xing beckoned Jiang Zhuochen, who was cowering, to his side, his tone full of indulgence: "It's alright, he's just recovered from a serious illness, let him rest for a few more days."
“Exactly, who starts cultivating right after recovering?” Jiang Zhuochen stood behind Xu Xing, his courage growing. “Even oxen don’t work like that.”
Ju Mo couldn't stand Jiang Zhuochen's smug face, so he turned to look at his precious disciple to calm down. "Sect Leader, if you continue to spoil him, let alone three years, he won't be able to go down the mountain alone for thirty years. This is harming him."
"Look at these senior brothers here." Ju Mo surveyed the area with satisfaction. "This is the true symbol of Wangxian Valley's enduring strength for a thousand years."
Jiang Zhuochen glanced at it quickly and retorted, "It's just a bird egg. I could do that when I was seven."
The senior brothers lowered their heads, suppressing their laughter, while Ju Mo was almost red with anger. "That's a Demon Phoenix Pearl refined by the Gu Diao from a white egg. Its power is comparable to the Samadhi True Fire, and only one is found every hundred years!"
Jiang Zhuochen didn't care about the Samadhi True Fire, but he was quite interested in the rare one that was only available once in a hundred years, and his expression was eager to try it.
Ju Mo quickly protected the bead, saying, "This was obtained by the combined efforts of all the disciples. How can we let you have it for nothing?"
"I won't steal my senior brothers' things," Jiang Zhuochen retorted softly.
"If you wish to become my disciple, you can have Hezhou and the others take you there," Xu Xing said at the opportune moment.
"No," Jiang Zhuochen refused. "Can't Shizun come with me?"
Ju Mo's head was about to ache again upon hearing this. "Otherwise, you should just take the Demon Phoenix Pearl."
What is a broken bead compared to Xu Xing? His identity is obvious, yet he blinds himself to his foolishness every day, causing Ju Mo heartache.
Ni Gui blew on the tea, "Turning the pages of a book is nowhere near as fast as Sixth Junior Brother's temper."
"Stop making sarcastic remarks!"
Jiang Zhuochen touched his nose and followed Xu Xing out the door, unable to help but laugh as he thought of his uncle's angry and glaring appearance.
"Do you want that bead?"
"Huh?" Jiang Zhuochen quickened his pace to Xu Xing's side and shook his head. "No, my uncle will scold me again later."
Xu Xing gently tapped his brow. "Are you his disciple?"
“It’s from Master.” Jiang Zhuochen beamed. “Then Master, please accompany me down the mountain again when you have time.”
"Um."
A gentle breeze blew by, and the ends of their hair became tangled and knotted. Jiang Zhuochen lowered his head, picked up a strand of hair, twirled it around his finger, and smiled brightly.
After two days of quiet recuperation in the mountains, Jiang Zhuochen had long forgotten the contents of the Heavenly Secrets, and the Heavenly Punishment had passed. Now that his master was safe and sound and Wangxian Valley had been restored to its original state, he forgot his mistakes and resumed his days of catching chickens and walking dogs, occasionally engaging in serious cultivation.
Jiang Zhuochen was still sleepy. He opened the wardrobe, grabbed a piece of clothing at random, and only realized he had made a mistake when he smelled a cool fragrance on it.
He slowly took off his clothes, his elbows jingling as he bumped into one of the inner garments. He raised his eyelids slightly, mischievously hanging the silver chain from his outer garment onto Xu Xing's clothes. Then, he stretched, yawned, and went to the school.
He was taken in by his master when he was fifteen, and his playful nature hadn't changed much, so his literacy had been mediocre for the past three years. He not only found these literary theories daunting to read, but also made him sleepy to listen to.
He leaned on his book, his expression hazy, and absentmindedly drew circles with his pen.
This lazy posture was caught by the teacher who disliked him. The teacher walked up to him and slammed the book on the table. Jiang Zhuochen was jolted and straightened up.
The teacher gave a forced smile: "It seems you've learned everything taught in this lesson."
"It's alright..." Jiang Zhuochen said guiltily.
"In that case, I'll test you." The gentleman's beard twitched, and his tone slowed, clearly indicating that he didn't believe Jiang Zhuochen's claim that he could do it.
Jiang Zhuochen reluctantly stood up, wrinkling his nose slightly as he met the intense gazes of his fellow disciples.
The master asked him, "What is an inner demon?"
Jiang Zhuochen avoided eye contact, thinking for a long time without coming up with an answer. The gentleman let out a short, hurried breath, with an expression that said, "I knew it."
As the ruler drew ever closer, he cried out in his heart: Master, save me!
The next moment, Xu Xing's voice rang in his mind, and Jiang Zhuochen cleared his throat and read it out word by word.
"Inner demons are obstacles. They arise in the mind and disturb the spirit, and are born of desires and obscure the light. Clinging to falsehoods becomes an obstacle, greed and anger are the path, fear and delusion arise together, like a shadow following the body. Without external refuge and without introspection, demons arise from thoughts, and karma follows the mind."
The man paused for a moment, slightly hesitant, then asked in a deep voice, "What is the method to break it?"
"The way to overcome evil begins with understanding the mind. When delusions arise, be aware of them; awareness brings no blame. When desires arise, control them; control them and you will return to righteousness. Clear your mind and still your waters, and do not stir up any turbulent waves. Nourish your vital energy like a deep pool, and evil will not invade."
Jiang Zhuochen finished speaking and almost imperceptibly curled his lip. What a terrible mental cultivation method! It's so convoluted; he almost couldn't even read it smoothly.
After escaping a calamity, Jiang Zhuochen excitedly ran to the Inner Affairs Pavilion, only to encounter his senior brother carrying a pile of homework in the corridor.
He asked, "Is Senior Brother going to find Master?"
“Yes.” Shen Hezhou patted the pile of booklets in his hand. “Today’s assignments need to be reviewed by Master.”
Jiang Zhuochen took their homework from them and said, "I'm going to find Master too. Senior Brother, I'll take it for you."
Shen Hezhou didn't refuse. After putting away his schoolwork, he asked with a smile, "Are you asking your master to play with you again?"
“It’s about balancing work and rest,” Jiang Zhuochen corrected. “There’s always more to do, so give yourself some breathing room.”
“Junior brother is right.” Shen Hezhou nodded in agreement, then teased, “But Master is very busy, so please don’t ask him to accompany you to the back mountain to mess with those little animals again.”
Jiang Zhuochen covered his face with the booklet and slipped away from Shen Hezhou. He went to the Inner Affairs Pavilion, placed his homework on Xu Xing's desk, and then sat quietly to one side, resting his chin on his hand.
Xu Xing casually picked up a book and opened it, asking with a look of seeking comfort.
Jiang Zhuochen fiddled with the table, "Have I been disturbing Master too much?"
Xu Xing put down the booklet and looked at him. "Why do you say that?"
"My master said I'm neglecting my duties," Jiang Zhuochen said dejectedly. "My fellow disciples also know that I sought out Master so that you would accompany me."
"It's alright, play if you want," Xu Xing replied.
“Well…” Jiang Zhuochen tilted his head slightly, drawing out his words. When he met Xu Xing’s calm and focused gaze, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He changed the subject: “I’ll go out and play by myself later.”
Xu Xing raised the corners of his mouth, a faint smile on his lips. "Want me to keep you company?"
Jiang Zhuochen was so captivated by the sight that he unconsciously swallowed.
The back mountain, brimming with vibrant spiritual energy, was soothing to the body and mind. Jiang Zhuochen followed behind Xu Xing, peeking out after the other cleared away the obstructing vegetation.
Before me lay a vast expanse of green grass and a deep lake, with wildflowers swaying back and forth as they were bumped by the strolling creatures.
Those few snow-feathered, red-crowned cranes, their long, dark beaks gleaming coldly in the sunlight, their necks held high, their expressions aloof, seemed to be the unspoken lords of this world.
For some reason, this sight reminded Jiang Zhuochen of someone beside him. "Master, is this your mount?"
Xu Xing understood his unspoken meaning, "Then I can't sit all of them."
He flipped his hand, revealing a jar. "Would you like to try feeding it?"
Jiang Zhuochen took the jar. "Master, wait for me over there."
He walked to the lakeside, opened the jar his master had given him, and a sweet, fragrant aroma of grains wafted out. The flock of cranes by the lake stopped their leisurely pace, and instantly all their amber-colored golden-brown eyes turned to him, staring sharply at him.
Jiang Zhuochen felt a fierce chill for no apparent reason.
Then an even more domineering spiritual force bypassed him and rushed out. The crane in front of him shook its wings and obediently lowered its head.
Seeing that someone was backing him up, Jiang Zhuochen became bolder. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a handful of millet from the jar, and threw it on the ground. After the crane started eating, he stepped forward.
The crane, its neck arching gracefully, ate its meal peacefully, ignoring the unruly hand on its body. But the owner of the hand became even more brazen, reaching for the wings and attempting to lift them to examine the inside.
This act, which resembled sexual harassment, successfully enraged the crane. With a 'screech,' a white shadow rushed over with a strong gust of wind.
Jiang Zhuochen was dizzy from the impact. He just wanted to see how big the crane's wings were, so why was he pecked? The force was so strong that he thought his forehead was going to be pecked through.
Before he could even think, the cranes, hearing their companions' calls, attacked in a swarm. Jiang Zhuochen retreated hastily, the jar in his hand flying off somewhere.
Several more sharp cries rang out, and the crane took flight, its long beak piercing the river's surface with the ferocity characteristic of birds.
"Ah!!" Jiang Zhuochen's voice changed as he scrambled towards the figure standing quietly not far away.
Xu Xing remained standing in the same spot, the sunset light brushing against his face, even smoothing the black hair draped in front of him, exuding a calm indifference. Yet, a faint smile flickered in his deep eyes, then rippled outwards.
He extended a finger and pointed it lightly in the air, without any extra gestures or exertion of any pressure. However, the flock of cranes that were chasing and pecking fiercely seemed to have run into a wall, their attack abruptly halted in mid-air.
They flapped their several-meter-long wings with a slight surprise, and when they realized they couldn't break through, they stopped completely and stared straight at Jiang Zhuochen.
Jiang Zhuochen held Xu Xing in his arms, and read undisguised contempt in the eyes of the flock of cranes.
“They…” Jiang Zhuochen looked around, then stopped speaking, a hint of resentment in his voice. “Is Master here to laugh at me?”
"No." Xu Xing helped him straighten his somewhat disheveled clothes. "Wings are an important part of a bird's body. Next time, don't be so rough."
"It hurts so much." Jiang Zhuochen rested his chin on Xu Xing's shoulder. "Master, please hug me."
Xu Xing put his hand on his back and hugged him, while his other hand stroked his hair and gently ruffled it. "Want me to feed you again?"
"Hey," Jiang Zhuochen said in a sticky, slurred voice, "Master, you'll have to protect me this time."
As night deepened, Xu Xing carefully placed Jiang Zhuochen on the bed, and his usually lively face softened without him even realizing it.
Xu Xing leaned against the headboard, his slender fingers now daring to openly slide from his forehead to the tip of his nose, and then down to his chin, his eyes swirling with greed and jealousy.
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