Speaking of resentment, the Old Bull felt that he was the most miserable party here. As he stared at the masters and servants of the Wei family, his eyes blazed with an anger, bloodshot and quite terrifying.
Had it not been for Mr. Ji’s recent departure via cloud, the Niu Batian of before wouldn’t have cared one big whether the Wei family had a ‘valid excuse’ for their actions — after all, the Old Bull himself would also have a ‘valid excuse’ to grow furious and go on a killing spree!
But after only a few breaths, he forcefully suppressed his anger. After all, his journey with Ji Yuan hadn’t been in vain. The key was that he was very afraid of Ji Yuan. Still, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath.
“Damn it all to hell! This Old Bull’s immortal guidance… Ah! It’s gone…”
Yan Fei also felt a little disappointed, but he was better off than Niu Batian, precisely because he believed Mr. Ji had already imparted immensely valuable principles onto him – the “Sword Intent Inscription,” his confidence in returning to the martial path, and his belief in breaking through.
The Wei family members had not yet fully recovered from their shock. They had initially been staring blankly at the sky, but now, spurred on by Niu Batian’s aura, many were now nervously watching the bloodshot-eyed Niu Batian.
In that instant, this simple, honest-looking man had erupted with astonishing ferocity, overwhelming all the members of the Wei family. They were not all on guard, convinced that this individual was also a terrifying master.
But ultimately, it was Ji Yuan’s departure by cloud that had the greatest impact on the Wei family.
Wei Xuan’s heart raced, and his expression was somewhat agitated. He shifted his gaze away from Niu Batian, looked at Yan Fei, and carefully inquired.
“Hero Yan, that elder of yours, he just… flew away on a cloud. Is he perhaps an immortal being? ”
Yan Fei crossed his arms, clasping his longsword to his chest, and smiled at Wei Xuan and Wei Ming.
“You have eyes, do you still need to ask me that? My visit today was primarily to bring Mr. Ji to view your Wei family’s ‘Wordless Heavenly Book.’ Since this matter is concluded, I shall take my leave as well. ”
After Yan Fei finished speaking, he patted Niu Batian’s shoulder.
“Brother Niu, shall we go? ”
Yan Fei didn’t want to stay here for another moment, and the Old Bull was even less inclined to do so, glad to avoid stewing in his anger here.
“Haha, alright, Mr. Ji has left, there’s no point staying here anymore. ”
Wei Xuan quickly gave his son a meaningful look. Wei Ming nodded and stepped forward quickly.
“Hero Yan, Master Niu, please stay. Our Wei family was unaware just now and inadvertently offended the immortal. Will that immortal be returning? Please, both of you must stay and allow our Wei family to fulfill our duties as hosts. That gentleman is Hero Yan’s elder, surely…”
“No need! ”
Yan Fei raised a hand to stop Wei Ming’s polite words, finding them somewhat irritating.
He turned back to look inside the main hall, where a disciple of the Wei family was currently placing the ‘Wordless Heavenly Book’ back into its wooden box and covering it.
“Although I have always considered Mr. Ji my teacher, there is a distinction between immortals and mortals. It has been over a decade since we last met, and I do not know if we are fated to meet each other again in this lifetime… I won’t trouble you further. Besides, Brother Niu has a rather bad temper, and his martial arts are more than ten times better than mine. Would the Wei family truly be at ease if we stayed here?”
Yan Fei’s words caused Wei Xuan and Wei Ming to freeze for a moment. Before Wei Ming could say anything else, Yan Fei smiled at Niu Batian, and the two walked out of the estate together.
“Hero Yan! Hero Yan, what are you talking about! ”
Wei Ming hurriedly gave chase. His father, Wei Xuan, lifted his foot but ultimately did not step forward.
Once the two outsiders were gone, some of the members of the Wei family nearby angrily began tussling.
“Oh no! If only we had let him borrow the book just now, would we have received personal guidance from the immortal? ”
“Of course!”
“I can’t believe our Wei family’s Heavenly Wordless Book to truly be a heavenly book…”
Wei Xuan snorted coldly, and the rustling sounds around him immediately ceased. Of course he regretted it, but as the head of the Wei family, how could he stand being the scapegoat?
“Now that it has come to this, what’s the point of arguing any further? if the immortal returns to borrow it again, I will naturally offer up the Heavenly Book to him with both hands. For now, we at least have the immortal’s handwritten translation!”
Wei Xuan’s words successfully shifted everyone’s attention, quickly bringing them out of their despondency and regret. They began to feel a surge of excitement. Many had already rushed back into the hall.
On the table in the hall lay over a dozen sheets of Xuan paper stacked in a pile, each page filled with small calligraphy.
In the eyes of the Wei family, this undoubtedly exceeded the realm of ordinary martial arts manuals; this was a miraculous divine technique left behind by an immortal. If they could obtain this technique, then even immortal cultivation might be within reach.
At this moment, Wei Ming was still chasing after Yan Fei and Niu Batian, hoping to persuade them to stay, saying that he felt that the matter shouldn’t end on such a note today. However, Yan Fei and Niu Batian paid him no mind and simply kept walking forward, heads held high.
However, after walking down a stretch of road outside the Wei family mansion, Yan Fei paused, gazing back towards the main hall, and spoke to Wei Ming, who had been following them all this time.
“Wei Ming, I’ll give you a few final words. If today’s events were to spread outside, it might not be good for the Wei family. The ‘Wordless Heavenly Book’ used to be just a rumor in the martial arts world, but now that an immortal has read it and even left a translation, it is no longer a matter of mere speculation.”
“Hero Yan, you…”
Wei Ming looked a little nervous.
“Rest assured, although I do not claim to dedicate myself to righteousness and chivalry, I disdain such acts. I have no interest in that heavenly book in your home, nor will I spread word of it. ”
The Old Bull beside him was already growing impatient. He directly pulled Yan Fei along and headed out.
“Let’s go, let’s go, Brother Yan, why bother with them? Even if you never see Mr. Ji again, this Old Bull will live a long time. If you pass away someday, I’ll definitely invite Mr. Ji to visit your grave and offer some incense or something. ”
Hearing this, Yan Fei’s mouth twitched, feeling both exasperated and amused.
“Hahaha, Brother Yan, come on, let’s go to the Soft Jade Building in Luoqing City! Yesterday, this Old Bull here met many close confidantes; I’ll introduce you! ”
Old Niu laughed lewdly, dragging Yan Fei towards the city, and soon disappeared from Wei Ming’s sight.
Wei Ming watched for a while, then sighed and turned back alongside his servants. However, rather than feeling disappointed, the Wei family on the whole felt that today was a day of good fortune. After taking a few steps back, smiles began to bloom on their faces.
In the main hall of the mansion, all the Wei family members, led by Wei Xuan, gathered around the table. Wei Xuan had picked up the ‘Wordless Heavenly Book’ and was flipping through it, comparing it to the words Ji Yuan had left on the table. It looked as though he could see the handwriting of the book written in Heavenly Script.
When Wei Ming returned, those gathered naturally made room for him.
“Ming’er, you’re back? Where are Yan Fei and that fellow surnamed Niu? ”
Wei Xuan glanced at Wei Ming, then once again turned his attention to the table.
“Hero Yan and Hero Niu have left. However, before Great Hero Yan departed, he warned us that if word of the immortal that helped us translate the heavenly book were to spread, it could bring about a fatal calamity for our family.”
“Of course.”
Wei Xuan nodded in deep agreement, then looked up at the surrounding Wei family members and servants.
“Not a single word of today’s events can be mentioned to anyone. Otherwise, if this draws unwanted attention, our relatives and families will be in danger. However, with this immortal’s handwritten copy of ‘A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds,’ there’s no need to worry about the Wei family’s prosperity!”
Wei Xuan declared with absolute certainty. The surrounding members of the Wei family, including Wei Ming, shared a look of pride and excitement, as if basking in the glory.
Wei Xuan examined the heavenly book for a while, but ultimately couldn’t discern any characters. He returned the book to its box and began to carefully examine the handwritten manuscript on the table alongside his family members, its ink still fresh.
“Just this calligraphy alone… is already priceless…”
One of the Wei family’s elders murmured, a sentiment which deeply resonated with everyone in the room. Even those members of the Wei family who were uneducated or disliked writing found the sight of this calligraphy made them feel extremely comfortable.
…
On the road between the Wei family estate and Luoqing City, Niu Batian and Yan Fei were walking back towards the city.
“Brother Niu, do you think that copy of ‘A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds’ that Mr. Ji copied for the Wei family has the power to bring good fortune to the Wei family?”
Regarding whether the Wei family could keep today a secret, Yan Fei actually thought they might be able to. After all, the Wei family lived alone outside the city, isolated and internally stable, so they must have significant control over their people.
“Brother Yan, Mr. Ji’s didn’t have any real intentions in leaving this writing. The Wei family is, after all, ultimately mortal, so it’s unlikely that they will be able to ascend to heaven in one step just by relying on this script. However, this calligraphy was written by Mr. Ji himself, and furthermore, he had been so immersed in reading the book just now that he even manifested strange visions of the changes in heaven and earth. That manuscript must be somewhat extraordinary. Before I left, this Old Bull used a technique to observe that document carefully, and I could indeed see a fleeting glimmer of light. However, this Old Bull’s cultivation is still too shallow to see through it. ”
The Old Bull was not mistaken: Ji Yuan indeed only intended to leave the manuscript without injecting any true intent, but during the process of reading, his spirit and will involuntarily merged, and some of his profound essence naturally flowed into the handwritten text. Even Ji Yuan himself was unaware of this. After reading the book, he felt enlightened, and when he failed to borrow the book, he simply used his flight technique to leave.
“In that case, although the Wei family annoyed Mr. Ji this time and cut off their chance to become immortals, have they actually still been blessed?”
Hearing Yan Fei’s question, the Old Bull’s simple, honest face broke into a smile.
“You could say that. If the Wei family is careful enough, a long-term contemplation of the text will certainly bring some benefits.”
The Old Bull actually left one final thing unsaid: in the current era, the Wei family needed to guard against more than just mortals.
The Wei family members might be able to keep silent to outsiders, but what about their own family members, when they were studying the immortal’s handwritten text within their home? Perhaps they might even hold some kind of ritual sacrifice or incense burning ceremony.
What if other immortal cultivators, ghosts, demons, or monsters learned of this matter? The first might be alright, but in the latter cases, it would be like a child holding gold in their hands, exposing it to everyone.
1
…
As the Old Bull and Yan Fei were returning to Luoqing City, Ji Yuan was flying rapidly through the sky on his cloud.
Ji Yuan had no intention of finding a place nearby to meditate. Firstly, the land of Zuyue was quite chaotic, with ghosts and demons frequently emerging, making it unsuitable for quiet cultivation; secondly, what he had just comprehended at this moment did not align with this kind of practice.
However, Ji Yuan had no intentions of returning to Dazhen.
Instead, he continued eastward. The most suitable place for secluded cultivation at this moment was the boundless sea; that was where the true meaning of ‘A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds’ truly resided. A portion of Zuyue’s territory bordered the Eastern Sea.
Half a day later, Ji Yuan could already smell the sea breeze. His pale, ancient eyes gazed far into the distance, and faintly, he could already make out the blurry blue of the ocean.
His mental world was filled with images from ‘A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds,’ and Ji Yuan muttered excerpts of ‘Xiaoyao You’ to himself, which he considered his own perception of the wonders of an immortal’s travels.
“…those who follow the natural righteousness of Heaven and Earth, control the changes of the six Qi, and wander without end…”
2
T/n: I like how this instance really just solidifies one of JY’s defining characteristics: his wanderlust and sheer wonder at the world around him. His style of cultivation is truly to simply wander.
The English equivalent would be “like taking candy from a baby”
Excerpt from the Xiaoyao You. As per usual with these kinds of texts, this is just one of the many possible interpretations and translations
Reading Settings
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