Did you understand the Master's Lesson in Chapter 104 of the Hehuan Sect?
The sky was clear and blue, with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by. Seagulls spread their wings and soared across the heavens. From high above, a single tiny speck of ink could be seen moving rapidly across the vast, boundless sea.
Zooming in, the ink dot actually represents a simple little cargo ship, its sails billowing in the wind, moving nimbly. The ship cuts through the sea, creating ripples and splashing up colorful waves.
Zhu Shibai leaned forward to look, and the color of the sea ahead suddenly turned dark and gloomy, becoming darker the further he went. The boundary between the horizon and the sea was like a line drawn with thick ink, striking and eye-catching.
“We’re probably close to our destination.” Zhu Shibai withdrew his gaze and discussed with his fellow disciples, “Let’s go ahead too.” He turned to Shen Qingluo, “Wang Zhen and I will guard the position, how about you and Fellow Daoist Shi go together? If it doesn’t work out, we can discuss it later.”
Shen Qingluo also heard Shi Jinle's howl.
The former has already disappeared.
“I’ll talk to her.” Shen Qingluo nodded and turned back to the bow of the boat first.
"I trouble you all to guard the stern," Zhu Shibai said to the three people opposite him.
Shao Qingshang clasped his hands in a salute: "Fellow Daoist, please rest assured, the spirit boat of the Void Sect has slowed down and is following behind. We are just right to guard this place."
Fu Daolan pointed at Ji Xingyang, who was immobilized, and said, "It's not good to leave him here alone anyway. We'll keep an eye on him. Brother Zhu and Brother Guan, you two go ahead and try to persuade Sister Shi to release Brother Ji."
“Shi Jinle is a bit crazy, it’s hard to say.” Guan Wangzhen glanced at him: “But this immobilization spell will only last for a quarter of an hour, just wait a bit.”
Zhu Shibai said, "Just call us if you need anything, and we'll come right away."
In the short time it took to say those few words, Shi Jinle had already run up to the bow deck.
A person was lying on the deck, his hands neatly folded over his waist, staring blankly at the sky.
Shi Jinle's eyes sparkled with laughter. She lifted her skirt, knelt down in front of Ji Mingran, and asked with her head bowed, "Mingran, what are you looking at? You seem so engrossed."
Suddenly, an upside-down smiling face appeared in his field of vision. Ji Mingran said in a cheerful tone, "Fellow Daoist Shi, you've arrived. Perfect timing, Dan Niang has left. There are a few birds in the sky; could you help me shoot them down? They would surely taste good roasted."
"Birds?" Shi Jinle looked up and indeed saw birds soaring in the sky.
Her smile froze on her lips, and she slowly lowered her head: "Mingran, you should just bear with it. The 'birds' you saw each had more than a dozen wings and dozens of toes and claws. Underneath their feathers, there was only skin and bones, no flesh. They were terrifying. They were no different from the strange birds we encountered in the Realm of All Beings. You can't eat them."
"Oh," Ji Mingran said dryly, "Okay."
The person in front of him instantly lost their usual luster in their eyes, and Shi Jinle could only comfort them, saying, "Sister Mingran, there will be food tonight. Our Hehuan Sect's spirit boat should find us in two or three days, and there will be even more food then."
The Hehuan Sect's spirit boat is coming soon. Ji Mingran had already said this to Shi Jinle half a month ago, but now there was no trace of it. She didn't hold out any hope and simply said to her superior, "Okay."
Shi Jinle looked at her with bright eyes, smiling, but said nothing.
Ji Mingran was not in a hurry and waited patiently.
The people on the ship all had different personalities; some were quiet, while others were lively. Anyone who came to visit her would always chat with her for a bit. Among them, Shi Jinle was the easiest to talk to.
After a moment of silence, Shi Jinle spoke up, "Mingran, I want to ask you about someone."
"Inquiring about someone?" This was different from the sect topics she had been casually discussing earlier. Ji Mingran asked curiously, "Who?"
“I want to hear it too.” A melodious voice, like the tinkling of a cold spring, rang out from above. Shi Jinle looked up, and Ji Mingran’s vision cleared a corner, where the hem of a long red dress drifted in.
"Qingluo, you're back so soon," Ji Mingran said. "Didn't you just change shifts?"
Shen Qingluo sat down. "It's not just me."
A series of footsteps sounded. "Let's all come over here and see what's going on." It was Zhu Shibai's voice, but he didn't come into view. Ji Mingran didn't bother to turn around and replied, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. We're probably close to our destination, so we came to check on things." Guan Wangzhen's voice came from the mast. "Grandma, just lie there and chat with them. I'll come down and chat with you again when I'm done here."
"Okay," Ji Mingran replied.
"Tell me," Shen Qingluo said, turning her gaze to Shi Jinle. "Who are you asking about?"
“I…” Shi Jinle didn’t mind having more people listening, and just lowered her head and smiled shyly at Ji Mingran, “I want to inquire about the disciples of the Nameless Sect who are close to you.”
The nameless sect disciple who was close to her. Ji Mingran: "A chick?"
"It's not him!" Shi Jinle's lips immediately fell, and she pouted before smiling again. "It's another cold and taciturn cultivator from an unknown sect. It seems he's becoming increasingly reluctant to go out, and you don't seem to spend much time with him either."
"Oh, him?" Ji Mingran said honestly, "He doesn't want to come out. I don't want to go in either."
After learning that they were using demons to pull the boat, Yu Tianxing only said to her, "That is indeed a method." After that, he became more inclined to stay in the room.
Ji Mingran vaguely sensed that the closer they got to their destination, the more silent Yu Tianxing became. However, when asked several times, he only said, "It's just a little uncomfortable, nothing serious. Don't worry, I can help."
Ji Mingran had no choice but to submit to him.
As for why she rarely sought him out, Ji Mingran rubbed her stomach, feeling helpless. It was because Yu Tianxing had food, and the more she looked at him, the hungrier she became. However, there wasn't enough food, so she had to stay away to avoid constantly thinking about how hungry she was.
"I see," Shi Jinle said. Since the two of them didn't have much contact, and she was now more certain, she added, "Mingran, I'm quite interested in him."
Ji Mingran: "Why did you suddenly become interested in him?"
“This…” Shi Jinle immediately gave the reason he had already thought of, and said hastily, “Well, his mysterious, cold and indifferent aura attracted me for some reason.”
He immediately got to the point: "Mingran, I like you, but that doesn't mean I won't like others. You don't mind, do you?"
"No." Ji Mingran readily accepted Shi Jinle's change of target: "Didn't you tell me before that the Hehuan Sect is the most benevolent and loving sect, dedicated to spreading love throughout spiritual cultivation and giving everyone a home? It's normal for you to like more people; you Hehuan disciples have great love."
Shen Qingluo raised her eyes and looked at the person opposite her: "..."
While they were away, Shi Jinle instilled something in Mingran.
"Huh? Ah, yes." Shi Jinle raised her eyes and blinked at the cold eyes opposite her. "Hahaha. Yes, that's true."
"Uh, but I'm not talking about myself. I mean, do you mind if I like him?" Shi Jinle asked cautiously.
Shen Qingluo's gaze gently shifted to Ji Mingran.
Ji Mingran readily agreed, "No way. He's an extremely likable person, so it's normal for you to like him." Yu Tianxing's face appeared in her mind, and she said cheerfully, "Most people would like him after meeting him."
Shi Jinle stared intently at the person in front of him, not missing a single change in expression.
Her bright, lively eyes were as joyful and happy as ever, and her delicate and beautiful face showed no trace of jealousy, gloom, or displeasure at the sight of others admiring her beloved.
She truly had no romantic feelings for him, considering him only a friend.
Shi Jinle couldn't stop smiling.
"Is that so?" Shen Qingluo suddenly said from the side, "But he looks gloomy and unpleasant, and doesn't seem like an easy person to get along with. I'm afraid that if you spend too much time with him, you'll also pick up his listless mood."
“It’s okay, he’s just a good listener and he can keep secrets,” Ji Mingran said without hesitation. “I’m happy to talk to him.”
Shen Qingluo's eyes were thoughtful as she softly asked, "Suppose, I mean suppose, he is a bloodthirsty man with countless lives on his hands, what would you do?"
“No way.” Ji Mingran replied without hesitation, “He’s not that kind of person.”
She killed them all.
Back in the small world, Yu Tianxing always brought back wave after wave of pursuers, not only giving her practice but also allowing her to earn a lot of money for her coffin.
In response, Ji Mingran added, "He is actually a very considerate person."
“Is that so…” Shen Qinglu raised her eyes, exchanged a glance with the person who was keeping an eye on things, and slowly nodded.
Two inquiries, three maintenance requests.
The meaning is self-evident.
Zhu Shibai nodded silently.
"Haha, Sister Shen is overthinking things." Seeing Shen Qingluo fall silent, Shi Jinle assumed she was being overly cautious and didn't trust the cultivator from the unknown sect. Therefore, he asked Ji Mingran about her attitude and smoothed things over, saying, "These are all hypotheticals, not real."
However, Mingran kept speaking well of that person, which made Shi Jinle feel a little uncertain again.
He said gently, "Mingran, do you know what 'like' means when I said 'like'?"
“How could I not know?” Ji Mingran said. She was an educated person and had seen the word before.
"Then tell me about it," Shi Jinle said patiently.
"It's about having similar interests and being able to get along," Ji Mingran explained.
This answer... Shi Jinle's heart sank. Why did Mingran seem genuinely clueless?
She explained, "That's right. But there are many kinds of liking, and one of them is the kind that allows you to experience all the flavors of life."
A look of confusion appeared in her clear eyes. Shi Jinle cried out in her heart, "So she really doesn't understand!"
Shi Jinle nervously posed the crucial question: "Would you want to be with him all the time?"
Ji Mingran said, "No." She has her own things to do and doesn't want to be with Yu Tianxing all the time.
Shi Jinle then confirmed, "If it's someone you like the most, you'll keep them in your heart, put them first, and respect them above all others. Mingran, would you do that?"
Ji Mingran shook his head: "I can't."
Shi Jinle breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, so he doesn't like it." She hadn't misjudged the situation.
Ji Mingran asked in confusion, "Neither does that mean you don't like it?"
Shi Jinle: "Not exactly. What you mean by 'like' is different from what I mean."
Ji Mingran was even more confused: "I don't understand."
"When I say 'like,' I mean meeting someone I hope to be with for a long, long time. Even if we're not together, I'll think of her when I'm happy, I'll think of her when I'm sad, and I'll think of her even when nothing's happening. If something new or exciting happens, I'll want to share it with her immediately; if something ordinary happens, I'll write it down and tell her about it later. I'll want to help her solve her problems and bear her suffering. Life is long, and I hope to spend it peacefully and joyfully with her."
Shi Jinle spoke very slowly, word by word, feeding Ji Mingran his thoughts.
"Is this what liking someone is?" Ji Mingran's brain was trying to comprehend the word.
"Furthermore, if one truly loves someone, one would hope that she can become one's Daoist partner," Shi Jinle said.
Ji Mingran had never heard of the term "Daoist Companion" before. "What is it?"
"Hmm..." Shi Jinle racked his brains to describe it: "It's about finding a partner who is compatible with you, supports you, and is willing to cultivate together for a long time. Usually, people only choose one person, but, well, for a sect like our Hehuan Sect that has a heart full of love, multiple people are also acceptable."
"Once the oath is reported to Heaven and Earth, we will be Daoist partners, and the vow will reach the ears of Heaven and the netherworld, and will be unbreakable. Those who betray us will suffer the backlash of Heaven."
Ji Mingran: "Really? Only someone you trust deeply could do that."
"Yes, after all, we've already had physical intimacy and close contact. Unless someone like us Hehuan has great love in our hearts or is naturally promiscuous, we generally won't betray each other easily."
Ji Mingran: "Skin-to-skin contact?"
Shi Jinle was in a good mood and explained in detail: "Yes, if we become Daoist partners, we will not reject physical intimacy."
Ji Mingran: "Oh, I've learned something new again." Her eyelashes curved, and her eyes shone with a bright smile: "Thank you, Sister Le."
"Be on guard!!!" A loud shout cut off Shi Jinle's words.
Shi Jinle looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"
She looked up, completely stunned: "What's going on? Why is it so dark?"
The sky, which had been bright and sunny just moments before, was now as dark and gloomy as night. The celestial phenomena changed so quickly that only the luminous pearl at the ship's rudder emitted a faint glow.
"It's dark clouds, all dark clouds."
"Could it be that someone here is also going to undergo tribulation?"
"It doesn't look like it!"
"Another storm is coming!" Guan Wangzhen gripped the mast with one hand, his eyes fixed on the front. "And there are hordes of demons, monsters, and sea beasts!"
Shen Qingluo immediately stood up: "Mingran, go back to the cabin first."
Shi Jinle immediately let go of Ji Mingran's hand, his eyes serious: "Mingran, next time I'll play with you, go inside and stay there."
The boat creaked and tilted to one side.
The two people beside him were caught off guard and slid several meters away from where they stood.
"The waves are rising, hurry back!" Shen Qinglu shouted. "Have Dan Niang prepare some spirit-storing pills for you, and you can use the formation inside the ship."
"Okay." Ji Mingran's eyes lit up, and he scrambled to his feet, his heart filled with joy.
It's getting dark!
It's dark! It's dark! No matter how suddenly it got dark, it's still dark, and when it's dark, it's night. At night, you can ask Yu Tianxing for food, and he can't refuse.
Ji Mingran thought happily, staggering as he ran into the cabin.
Eat something quickly to replenish your energy, and then tell him about the interesting thing she just heard.
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