Chapter 193 Winter
It is not easy to break through the realm through seclusion. No matter how talented one is, one will encounter bottlenecks. This is the limitation of heaven on human beings.
After half a year of continuous breakthroughs, Xiao Jianzhu, who was only one step away from the boundless realm, also encountered an insurmountable bottleneck.
During those days, her mind was in a state of confusion, and the hut where she usually used to meditate was of no use at all.
Yan Shu also knew that if she continued to practice forcefully like this, her spiritual heart might be corrupted.
At this moment, snow fell.
There is no heavy snow in Lingzhou, only a few scattered snowflakes.
But these few scattered pieces reminded her of this time last year, of her longest journey in the martial arts world, of meeting a strange man, of the winter days of talking around the fire and eating roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast, and so the little master of Lingjian Mountain was lost again...
"Senior Sister Zhuo, you really are lying to me!"
"Don't say anything careless, Cui'er. How did I lie to you?"
"You said that Master Jian was just going down the mountain for a stroll and told me not to worry, but it's been three days and Master Jian hasn't come back yet. Master Feng even came to ask me about it yesterday!"
"I didn't lie to you. The master was indeed in a bad mood, so he went down the mountain for a walk. It's just... it's just that he may have walked a little further this time."
"There must be a destination, right? Senior Sister Zhuo, just tell me, where did the Master of the Imperial Academy go?"
Zhuo Wanqiu stood on the top of the mountain and pursed her lips, thinking, where else could he go? Maybe Master Jian went to visit his relatives.
When I was a child, my mother always said that girls are the most extroverted, and once they get married, they will always think about their husband’s family.
She thought that a woman of Xiao Jianzhu's status must be different, but later she found out that Xiao Jianzhu was the same.
Ever since she reached a bottleneck in her breakthrough, she always complained that she felt bored in the mountains.
From Zhuo Wanqiu's point of view, it's not that she's bored in the mountains, it's just that there's someone in Shengjing she wants to see.
As dusk approaches, the last rays of the setting sun cast their rays onto the residential quarters of civil servants, illuminating the small courtyard.
Kuang Cheng rolled up his sleeves and started cooking. The stove fire, which had not yet been extinguished, was ignited again, and a conversation was heard from the main house.
"You have achieved a breakthrough?"
"It takes time to break through a realm, and the process is bound to be full of ups and downs. I encountered a bottleneck this time, so I decided to go down the mountain and travel aimlessly."
"Can you wander aimlessly through the streets and alleys here?"
"It just happened..."
Ji You was not angry. With a smile on his face, he thought to himself, "Whatever you say."
A girl came all the way to Shengjing to find him, and she arranged so many dramas by herself. It would be a lie to say that he was not happy. He felt that it didn't matter what she said.
Even if she said that she came to Shengjing to kill herself, Ji You might be able to stand up and cooperate with her.
Yan Shuyi was a little embarrassed and annoyed when he saw that he was always smiling: "You don't believe it?"
Ji You shook his head: "It's not that I don't believe it, but I still haven't reacted. Seeing you sitting in front of me is like a dream."
Yan Shuyi was stunned for a moment: "You... often dream about me appearing in front of you?"
"If you dream, then it's not just in front of you."
"?"
Wei Rui walked into the kitchen carrying the washed vegetable leaves, glanced at Kuang Cheng who was cooking and said, "There's something really strange going on between Master Ji and his wife."
Kuang Cheng glanced at her and asked, "Why is it strange?"
"Just now when we were in front of the door, the wife of the Ji family insisted that Master Ji say what a coincidence it was. She got angry if he didn't say it. Then she said that she just happened to meet him while walking around. But when I came here, I saw that she had been walking around outside the door for almost half an hour, and there were his footprints all over the ground."
Wei Rui said softly, "Even after entering the house, the Ji family's wife's eyes were glued to Master Ji. She couldn't move away, but she had to look so cold."
Kuang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Maybe this is the majesty of the queen."
Wei Rui was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then put on a cold look: "Cook well, this ordinary stranger..."
"???"
Wei Rui turned around and walked into the yard at this time, looking into the house through the door frame, and after getting into position, she planned to study seriously.
Yan Shu in the room also had an indifferent expression on his face. It was just an accidental encounter. If Ji You disagreed, the delicate jade feet in boots would kick him on the knee.
But those deep and beautiful eyes were just as Wei Rui said, although they pretended to be cold, they were always glued to the other person.
As the sun sets, the sunlight from outside shines through the window lattice, dyeing the eyelashes of the fairy in front of him glowing brightly, and also making her delicate and smooth face look like a halo. She is truly worthy of the words "beauty of the country and heaven".
Ji You looked at her for a long time: "How many days do you plan to stay in Shengjing this time?"
Yan Shuyi swayed his feet and said without thinking: "Shengjing is not interesting. It is far worse than my Lingzhou. It is only worth a visit on a snowy day. I will go back in a few days."
"Continue the retreat?"
"Well, if Xuanjian Peak wants to be stable, or even Lingjian Mountain wants to be stable, I need to cultivate to a higher realm."
"I sent you a letter some time ago, why didn't you reply to me?"
"I am in a high position and receive a lot of letters every day. Do I have to reply to every one of them? Wouldn't that tire me out?"
Yan Shuyi's voice suddenly became hoarse as he spoke, and he murmured for a long time before realizing that the tone was wrong, so he frowned and decided not to speak again.
I caught a cold and my throat is sore.
At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded, and Kuang Shusheng had fried a few side dishes and brought them to the table.
So the two women who had not eaten yet sat at the same table, while Ji You and Kuang Cheng had a drink with the fried peanuts they had not finished eating, each looking at their own girl.
"Brother Ji."
"Um?"
Ji You turned to look at Kuang Cheng, was slightly stunned, and thought to himself that this scholar who was eating at the same table with me looked so familiar.
Kuang Cheng didn't feel surprised when he looked at him. He had experienced this kind of situation where his mind was so occupied that he couldn't recognize his friends.
The scholar took a sip and said, "Brother Ji, seize the opportunity. Your house is very big and empty."
Ji You: “…”
Wei Rui and Yan Shuyi looked at each other at this time, both of them were a little confused.
This was not the first time Wei Rui had heard this sentence, but she still did not understand what it meant. She felt that it was a secret code between them, something weird...
While we were eating and drinking, the sun began to slowly set.
Wei Rui and Yan Shuyi chatted while eating. She asked where her home was, how old she was, and how many people were in her family. Although it was the first time they met, they did not feel strange.
Yan Shuyi was actually a little surprised, because she had never felt the equal sisterhood for so many years. She didn't know why she felt a natural closeness to this ordinary woman in front of her.
In this regard, Wei Rui, who has learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting since childhood and watched all kinds of plays about talented men and beautiful women, knows much more than the young master.
Their natural closeness comes from the fact that they are friends for life and death.
This kind of relationship, which does not involve disputes over family property but is as close as that of brothers, will lead to a deep affection between sisters-in-law.
In addition, Wei Rui also has a common goal of marrying to Fengzhou with her sister in the future, and feels that they are like-minded friends.
So before long, Wei Rui had begun to address Yan Shuyi as sister, and Yan Shuyi thought she spoke nicely, so she gave her a beautiful jade bracelet.
By the time we finished our meal, the sky outside the window had gradually darkened and dusk was approaching.
Wei Rui stood up and prepared to go back.
She was not a cultivator, and she was a young lady from the capital. It would be easy for her to be criticized if she stayed in a single man's house at night.
"Shall we go back too?"
Ji You put down his chopsticks and looked at Yan Shuyi.
The young judge of Lingjian Mountain raised his eyes and thought that the judge should go back to the inn. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kuang Cheng clenching his fist and waving his arms towards the strange man...
Kuang Cheng's current residence is not far from the downtown area. On the way back to Mount Ni, he will pass by several inns, one of which is where the young master of Lingjian Mountain is going to stay.
Yan Shuyi walked over here, took a look, and thought to himself that he wanted to say goodbye.
But soon, she saw Ji You stopped in front of her, looked at her with some confusion, and waved at her.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Jianzhu followed him silently, and followed him up the Nishan Sacred Road. He registered Zhuo Yao's fake identity in the Office of the Chief Officials, and walked into the courtyard.
However, when passing by the Dengxian White Jade Platform, Yan Shuyi walked straight towards Ji You's old courtyard in the outer courtyard, like a cat that knew its home.
“Wrong way.”
"?"
"After entering the inner courtyard, I changed courtyards. I don't live there anymore. I asked you to register because you can't enter the inner courtyard at will."
After Ji You pointed at the vast forest, he said something secretly, thinking that this girl had been planning to go back with me from the beginning.
The young master narrowed his eyes and said, "You go ahead."
"I didn't know the way, but I felt so confident as if I had returned home..."
Ji You whispered, and saw a pink fist raised, so he immediately took her to the inner courtyard and came to Xianju Villa.
The young master stepped into the door, then looked around, and finally went into the tea room by himself. When he raised his eyes, he saw his own teacup placed on the lacquered mahogany cabinet.
He bought it the last time he came here. When he left, he asked Ji You to keep it well for him so he could use it next time he came.
When she went up the mountain, she thought Ji You had moved to a new home and the cup might not still be there, but she didn't expect it to be there, and there was no dust on it.
She didn't tell Ji You when she came, so he couldn't have wiped it in advance. The only possibility was that he often cleaned the cup and waited for her to come again...
Light the stove, start the fire, make tea, and roast sweet potatoes.
Yan Shuyi took his stool back from the corner, covered with the cotton pad he used last time, and sat in front of the stove.
He even knew how to find a place on his own.
At this time, Ji You raised the stove and placed the teapot on it, feeling as if he was dreaming back to a year ago.
Yan Shuyi actually had the same feeling, as if he had never left Shengjing since that time.
After all, she had been in seclusion for half a year and had no other memories in her life. Looking back on the past, the most profound memory was the winter night talk with this strange man.
At this time, Ji You poked the stove a few times, and seeing the flames rising, he stood up and sat on the bench behind Yan Shuyi to the right.
"When I came here, I heard them say that you had achieved a breakthrough?"
"Well, after returning to Tian Academy, I went into seclusion for a short period of time, and my realm was just broken a few days ago."
"Are you going to attend the Tiandao Association?"
"It's not just for the Tiandao Society, I just want to make myself stronger."
“When will the sweet potatoes be ready?”
"It will take a while, and you are not in a hurry."
"Wei Rui is Kuang Cheng's lover?"
"Your use of the word 'lover' seems a bit lame. 'Sweetheart' would be more appropriate..."
"How's Fengzhou?"
"With the tax reduction, we should be able to have a better life next year while waiting for the land to be reclaimed."
The fire, the smell of tea, both of them looked a little dazed, chatting ramblingly, it seemed like they had a lot to say but didn't know where to start.
Then they kept talking to each other while their eyes moved around, and finally they bumped into each other and stared at each other for a long time.
At this time, Ji You pursed his lips, then stretched out his hand to embrace the slender waist.
I have hugged her many times in Lingjian Mountain, but I haven’t seen her for a long time. I wonder if this arrogant fairy will still let me hug her...
Yan Shuyi watched him stretch out his hand, gradually approaching her waist, narrowed his eyes slightly in silence, and then raised his arm slightly...
Then it tightened, and a soft touch instantly filled my arms.
The distance between the two was very close at this moment. Xiao Jianzhu's nose almost touched Ji You's nose, and her cheeks were slightly red.
Ji You pretended to be calm and looked at her: "What's wrong?"
Yan Shuyi looked at him and found that he looked like she should be held by him. She couldn't help but pursed her lips slightly, then turned around to make herself feel more comfortable in the hold.
Long before the fire was lit, Yan Shuyi had already taken off her boots and socks. Her two white and tender feet were placed on a small stool, looking cute and petite in the reflection of the fire.
Her feet have been cold since she was a child, and she likes to be close to this rising warmth.
The pair of jade feet were originally in a relaxed state when they were roasting by the fire, with ten white toes spread out, sparkling and smooth, but at this moment they couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"Boss, it's getting late and the guests are all asleep. Shall we go up to the board?"
"Get on the board."
"But...but there's still a guest who hasn't come back yet. Should we send someone to look for him?"
"You mean the girl who lives in the upper room? It's okay. She said when she booked the room that she might not come back to stay."
"There are still guests like this..."
"Yes, there was one last year, too. He paid but didn't stay. He looked a bit like this girl."
In the following days, it stopped snowing in Shengjing and the temperature rose slightly.
The sweet potatoes in Ji You's yard were consumed very quickly, and he looked like he had not had enough rest. Every time he came out to practice Taoism at noon, he would yawn.
However, the aura around him became more restrained and profound.
He Lingxiu had seen him on the cliff in the inner courtyard many times. Every time she saw him, she would think of the passion he had on the day of his breakthrough, and she would have the urge to test his strength.
"Junior Brother Ji, has your realm stabilized?"
"Yeah, it's stable."
Under the sunlight on the cliff, Ji You slowly opened his eyes and nodded gently.
He Lingxiu spoke softly from behind the cliff: "When you broke through that day, I found that you had a strong spirit. There is also a lot of discussion in the courtyard about your current fighting ability. How about it, are you interested in fighting with me?"
"Forget it, men and women shouldn't touch each other."
"?"
Ji You let out a long sigh at this time, and the golden light in his eyes gradually faded.
He was not simply trying to stabilize his state of mind, but was also looking for an opportunity to achieve concentration. Many thoughts emerged through visualization, entangled together like a tangled mess, just like the people and things in this world.
Some of these thoughts are distracting thoughts, while some are thoughts of the Tao.
The cultivator at this stage needs to put aside distracting thoughts and listen to the Tao heart deep in his heart. This step is called unraveling the mystery.
This is something that must be experienced in each of the five upper realms, because practicing Taoism itself is something that requires eliminating distracting thoughts.
Senior Brother Ban said that opportunity requires timing, and sometimes we cannot be impatient, because the more impatient we are, the less likely we are to meet.
At this moment, a disciple from the Head Office came up the mountain, carrying a sack on his shoulder and two large black pots on his back: "Junior Brother Ji, your things."
Ji You's eyes lit up when he saw him: "I didn't expect it to be delivered so soon, thank you, senior brother."
He Lingxiu took a look and asked, "Brother, what are you buying a pot for?"
"Cook."
Ji You stood up, put the sack into the storage gourd, and walked towards his yard carrying the black pot.
He Lingxiu felt that she could not see through him. After staring at him for a long time, she turned around and went to Zizhu Zen Temple. She saw Chai Ze and Shi Junhao in the tea pavilion, talking about something with serious expressions.
She listened for a while and found that they were not talking about anything important, just the brick wall in their yard.
According to them, something strange happened in their yard in the past few days. The strange thing was that for some reason, their yard wall became shorter and shorter in the past few days.
Those who practice Taoism pay attention to not having material possessions outside of their body and do not care much about external things.
But then again, even if you are not a cultivator, you will not care how many rows of bricks there are on your courtyard wall, unless you built the wall yourself.
The reason why they noticed it today was said to be because when they were standing in their own courtyard, they saw the naked junior brother next door...
At the same time, Ji You had already walked into the yard carrying a sack and a black pot. He walked towards the newly built stove and placed the two pots on it, fitting perfectly.
He said that he had skills and could build such a suitable stove without even any blueprints.
Then he threw the firewood into the stove and used the spiritual fire to ignite it. He then opened the sack, took out the oil bottle, poured some into the pot, and began to practice cooking.
When the pot was finished, he took out the rice bag, poured the rice in and steamed it. When the rice grains gradually softened, he sliced the bacon he had bought and stuffed it into the pot.
Soon, as the smoke slowly rose, the fragrance gradually began to float in the yard.
Ji You continued to cut vegetables and put the meat slices and green peppers into the pot. Then he saw Yan Shuyi coming out of the house. He was wearing a small flowered jacket. He stretched lazily in the bright sunlight and let out a cry.
Seeing this scene, Ji You stood up, holding the shovel and putting his hands on his waist.
For several days, the young master of Lingjian Mountain has not mentioned leaving. He focuses on three meals a day, sometimes quiet, sometimes noisy, as if he has forgotten who he is.
Wei Rui invited her to go out and play yesterday, and she bought a lot of things when she came back.
Like the paintings in the bedroom, the gauze covers to block out dust, the pretty teapot, and the little flowered jacket she is wearing now, she gives a feeling of having already married in and is planning for life.
Ji You has already confirmed that Yan Shu also wants to come and spend the winter with him.
But since it was the winter, he couldn't eat roasted sweet potatoes every day, so he picked up some bricks from someone else's wall, built a stove, and planned to make a fire in his own yard to cook.
"Are you up?"
"Well, wake up..."
Yan Shuyi answered, and then couldn't help yawning. She and Ji You sat around the stove until very late every night, and as a result, she slept in more often. At this moment, she turned her head and tilted her head to watch Ji You cooking, thinking that he could actually cook.
She had never seen anything like this before.
What about the cultivators? They stay away from the secular world and float in the air. Cooking is considered a lowly thing for them.
Who would have thought that a man who killed the king of soldiers with a sword and the demon general, and was talked about by people inside and outside Shengjing City, was now wearing a coarse apron and a fireworks-like appearance.
But she didn't seem to have thought about it. Who would believe that the young master of Lingjian Mountain would one day wake up in the yard of a single man and then drool over it.
Yan Shu also walked over: "It smells good."
Ji You stir-fried for a while and said, "We'll be ready to eat soon."
“Who taught you to cook?”
"Where I lived before, the cook's food wasn't very tasty, so my brothers and sisters and I would often go to the kitchen to steal some vegetables, climb over the wall to the shabby yard next door, and cook our own meals. At that time, we had very simple ideas and always thought that if we could cook, we would be adults."
Ji You finished speaking and looked at her: "Can you cook?"
Yan Shuyi looked up at him and said, "No, you will be the one cooking from now on."
"after?"
"I mean, I'll stop by and hang out sometime."
Yan Shu turned around calmly, walked to the door with his hands behind his back, set up a small square table in the yard, put the bowls and chopsticks on it, and began to wait for the meal.
The mind is calm, truly calm.
But Jing seemed to not want to practice Taoism anymore.
She feels that if she were not the Master of Lingjian Mountain, if she were not responsible for the continuation of the Taoist tradition, she would actually prefer this kind of life with two people in one house, three meals a day and four seasons.
Yan Shuyi felt that this was not meditation, but the fall of a fairy.
(End of this chapter)
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