Chapter Seven Under the Smoke Waves

  Yu Xuan Zhenren had already been waiting in the Jing She. As usual, Ji Ruochen always arrived a little earlier, and today was no exception. Normally, all the Zhenrens would arrive on time, but for some reason, Yu Xuan Zhenren actually arrived even earlier than him.

  In the pavilion sat a woman, looking up to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with high hair tied back in a cloud-like bun, wearing a plain-colored long dress, without powder or rouge, and not adorned with pearls or jade. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains in the mist, her eyes were like warm spring water, and her gaze was as if lost in thought.

  At first glance, Ji Ruocheng felt that this was a woman completely formed from water, with an indescribable softness and elegance. When he looked again, she was sitting upright, but her entire body seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of misty water vapor, as if separated by a veil, only revealing her shadow without showing her true form. Ji Ruocheng was slightly startled, and when he focused his gaze on her again, it happened that she also looked over in this direction. In the instant their eyes met, those eyes, which seemed to be lost in endless water vapor, had an infinite attractive force, instantly drawing Ji Ruocheng in deeply, unable to extricate himself.

  "Yue, you're here." Yu Xuan's call just pulled Ji Yue's attention out of those endless smoky eyes. She pointed to the girl and said: "This is my Dan Yuan Palace disciple, Han Yan. Today I'm going to explain the 'Ba Su Zhen Jing' to you, and it happens that Han Yan also needs to study this scripture, so I called her over to listen together. Yue, go sit down."

  Ji Ruocheng nodded, looked up at the position pointed by Yu Xuan Zhenren, and found that it was next to the desk with a faint scent of smoke. Suddenly, his heart beat faster. Ji Ruocheng walked closer, feeling a faint fragrance like musk and orchid wafting from the tip of his nose. When he took a deep breath, he couldn't smell anything, but when he relaxed, the fragrance returned, lingering around him like an ethereal melody from a secret realm in the dark night.

  He had just sat down when the smoker slightly turned his head, and in a voice as gentle as ripples on a river, said: "I've seen you before, Brother Ruichen."

  Ji Ruochen only felt a surge of blood rushing to his head, and for a moment he was dazed. He didn't dare look at her face again, hidden behind the ripples and mist. In his panic, he lowered his eyes, staring fixedly at the surface of the purple sandalwood table, and hastily said: "In our sect, those who enter first are considered senior... This... Huanyan you..."

  Han Yan said softly: "If Dusty is a direct disciple of Zi Yang Zhen Ren, he is senior and older than me by one year. However, our sect does not distinguish between generations within the palace pulse. So Han Yan calling him 'Shixiong' is actually a bit too much."

  Ji Ruocheng suddenly felt his mind go blank and didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, Yu Xuan Zhenren cleared her throat and began the lesson, which slightly alleviated his embarrassment.

  For the entire morning, Ji Ruochen felt as if he was floating on air, as if in a cloud, as if in a mist. Although he sat upright and still, his eyes not straying from the scriptures, his mind was filled with the snowy skin and icy muscles of the person beside him, the pale lips, the slender fingers. As for what Yu Xuan said, he hadn't actually heard a word. The subtle Daoist principles that Yu Xuan had taught him were all like clear water flowing over stone, leaving no trace behind.

  It was as if in a dream, and time passed exceptionally quickly. Ji Ruochen only felt that Yu Xuan had just finished teaching, but it was already dusk.

  After paying respects to Yu Xuan, Ji Ruochen reluctantly left the pavilion. Until this moment, he still couldn't be certain whether the woman beside him, shrouded in mist and water vapor, was real or just a fleeting dream of spring.

  Ji Ruocheng suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned back to look. Yu Xuan Zhenren was slowly walking towards the distance, behind him a woman followed, under whose feet rose faint wisps of cloud smoke, as if she were treading on air, gradually moving further and further away. It wasn't that enchanting smoke, but who else could it be?

  Ji Ruochen was only then able to confirm that what he had just seen was real and not a dream. At the same time, his heart felt a surge of joy and panic. The faint misty clouds were so ethereal, as if they would disperse without a trace with just one gust of mountain wind. He suddenly remembered that he still had Yu Xuan's lesson tomorrow, and his heart was filled with great joy.

  Ji Ruochen stood there in a daze, watching Yu Xuanzhen and Han Yan disappear into the distance before he quickened his pace towards the Tai Chang Palace.

  In the distance, Yu Xuan Zhen Ren lightly waved his hand with a dustpan, revealing a hint of a smile, saying: "Look at that Ji Ruocheng being very interested in you, I really didn't think it would be so smooth. However, Han Yan, from now on you also can't be careless, lest all your previous efforts go to waste."

  After a long silence, he finally replied in a low voice: "This matter is related to the rise and fall of Dan Yuan Palace. Master, rest assured, Hanyan will definitely do his best."

  Yu Xuan Zhen Ren sighed and said, "You have this heart, it's the best. Hanyan, I know this matter is very difficult for you, but you are my most outstanding disciple in the palace, only you are the most suitable. Moreover, what we cultivators seek in our lives is nothing more than the great Tao's true fruit. If you can have a fate with Ruochen, then it will not be difficult to achieve the great Tao in the future. This...can be considered as compensation for you. After returning to the palace, rest well, there is still another day of lessons tomorrow!"

  Ji Ruocheng hastened his pace, and before long, he saw the suspension bridge in the distance. Yun Feng Daozhang was already standing there, waiting to escort him across the bridge. As soon as Ji Ruocheng caught sight of Yun Feng Daozhang from afar, he suddenly felt like he had just woken up from a dream, and let out a soft cry of "Ah".

  It wasn't until now that he realized he hadn't heard a single word of the lesson that Yu Xuan Zhenren had just taught, and when he thought back on it, his mind was completely blank. The only thing that remained deeply etched in his heart was the faint smile and raised eyebrow.

  "What's wrong, have you forgotten something? Never mind, I'll go with you to get it." Yun Feng said.

  "Ah, no, I just remembered that there's still one more lesson I haven't done. Yunfeng Shixiong, let's head back to the Tai Chang Palace now."

  Yun Feng Dao Chang smiled and said, "Ruochen, your diligent practice is a good thing, but you must not be too impatient. The first priority of the Three Pure Truths is to understand the truth, many times diligent practice may not be effective."

  Ji Ruochen nodded in agreement, but he was actually extremely perplexed. He couldn't understand why he was so infatuated with that woman who was as elusive as smoke and water, to the point where he had even neglected his studies, which he usually focused on diligently. As soon as he thought about neglecting his studies, Ji Ruochen suddenly remembered Luo Feng.

  That majestic and extraordinary fat sheep seemed to be staring at him with a cold smile, then let out a loud shout: "Little thief! Return my life to me!"

  Ji Ruocheng's whole body trembled, and in an instant, cold sweat covered his entire body. His foot slipped, and he fell towards the bottom of the iron chain bridge, plummeting into the depths below! Yun Fengdao swooped down diagonally, scooping up Ji Ruocheng with one hand and pulling him back onto the bridge.

  Ji Ruochen gathered his thoughts, on the one hand resisting the gusty mountain wind, and on the other hand proceeding step by step along the suspension bridge. But after only two steps, he couldn't help but think: "They say that when people die unjustly, they may become vengeful spirits seeking revenge. What if that cursed sheep I knocked over with my staff comes back to haunt me? How will I deal with it then? If my magical powers were as great as those of the True Man of Taiwei, and I could release the Nine Heavens Thunder Symbol, perhaps when it comes for me, a single divine symbol would be enough to eliminate it. But alas, I've wasted an entire day's worth of study! What if things go awry in the future, my magical powers are shallow, and I won't even be able to escape from Xixuan Mountain? Ji Ruochen, you're playing with fire, your life is at stake, and yet you still have the audacity to indulge in such frivolous thoughts! What's the difference between you and those sheep? The shopkeeper has already said that deceiving sheep can only be done for a short while, so when using the staff, one must be quick and accurate. If even sheep can't be deceived for long, true immortals are all-seeing and all-knowing, do you really think you can deceive heaven and earth for an entire lifetime?"

  He thought the more he was afraid, his feet softened, and he almost fell off the rope bridge again. As for that girl like water and smoke, she had been washed away by endless fear to a distance of thousands of miles.

  But it's already autumn with many things happening.

  The next day, Yu Xuan Zhen Ren continued to teach, and Ji Ruochen stepped into the pavilion with a slightly uneasy heart. He didn't listen to what Yu Xuan Zhen Ren said at all yesterday, so he just bitterly cultivated the Tai Qing True Method for one night. Fortunately, Yu Xuan Zhen Ren did not ask about the details of his homework, but only let him sit down beside Han Yan and continued to teach on his own.

  As soon as Ji Ruochen sat down, Hanyan greeted him with a bow and asked how he was doing. As she bowed her head, Ji Ruochen suddenly felt the ripples in front of his eyes, the smoke swirling around, and her face hidden again. Faintly, a strand of fragrance wafted over, seeping into his heart and lungs, making his uncooperative heart beat wildly once more.

  This time, Ji Ruochen was still somewhat sober and hurriedly returned a courtesy, barely avoiding losing face. After Han Yan had paid her respects, she turned around and devoted herself to listening to Yu Xuan's teachings, not looking back at him again. However, no matter what, Ji Ruochen couldn't calm down; although he wasn't as clueless as the day before about what Yu Xuan was saying, every now and then, he would involuntarily sneak a peek at Han Yan. He sat up straight, not daring to look too much, but whenever his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of her clothes or a finger, his heart would skip a beat.

  In the blink of an eye, it's dusk again.

  Ji Ruocheng continued to watch the figures of Yu Xuanzhen and Han Yan disappear into the twilight, before turning around to head towards the Taichang Palace via the Suo Bridge. He had only taken two steps when he suddenly woke up as if from a dream, letting out a silent cry of surprise, realizing that he had wasted another entire day. His anxiety rose again, and he once more abandoned Han Yan in the distant clouds.

  The next day was the day of Shouzhēn's true transmission, and Jiǎo Chén doubled his efforts, thinking that he would make up for the lost time of the previous two days. Shòu Zhēn was extremely satisfied, and when the lesson ended, he stroked his beard and smiled: "Jiǎo Chén, I think you have a foundation in your true yuan, and you also have some understanding of the pre-heavenly trigrams. Tomorrow, Master will transmit to you a precious method for controlling the strategy, the heart secret of the purple crystal trigram seal. Remember to bring that purple crystal trigram seal tomorrow, it's not just for divining good or bad luck, but also a powerful magic tool. The most valuable thing is that it combines attack and defense, and doesn't require much true yuan, which suits you perfectly. As long as you master this trigram seal, it won't be difficult to defeat your fellow disciples in the small exam."

  Ji Ruochen was shocked, cold sweat suddenly gushing out like a spring. The purple crystal divination slip had been unintentionally broken by him with one palm, and the spiritual energy had been swallowed into his belly. How could he possibly find another identical one now?

  Shou Zhenzhen immediately noticed Ji Ruochen's intentional expression and asked: "What's wrong, Ruo Chen? Is there something difficult?"

  Ji Ruochen stiffened his scalp and replied: "This... disciple doesn't know if he should speak or not."

  "But it doesn't matter if I say it."

  Ji Ruochen hesitated for half a day before saying, "Disciple discovered that many small items in the house had gone missing over the past few days, including the purple crystal divination slip you gave me. Now, out of the 64 divination slips, only one is left."

  Shu Zhen's eyebrows shot up, and he exclaimed: "Is this really the case?! There are actually thieves in our sect! This is unbearable! I will inform Zi Qing myself. You don't have to worry about this matter, just focus on your cultivation."

  Ji Ruocheng was secretly worried, knowing that things would go wrong when he drew the Zi Jing divination slip. Now that things had gotten out of hand, he could only grit his teeth and see it through to the end.

  After bidding farewell to Gu Shouzhēn, Ji Ruòchén returned to the Tai Chang Palace with an uneasy heart. The lamps in his room did not go out until after midnight. In the Listening Wind Pavilion opposite his residence, Yun Fengdào also stood motionless for half the night. When the moon was high in the sky, he quietly descended and headed towards the Ming Xin Hall of the Tai Chang Palace where Zi Yangzhēn resided.

  Ziyang Zhenren had not yet sat down to rest, and was reading *** under the lamp, with great interest. Yunfeng Daoren walked in quietly and bowed, saying: "Master..."

  "Wait a minute..." Zi Yang Zhen Ren waved his hand, stopping Yun Feng Dao Ren, shook his head and read: "I am not a saint, I learned it. So I seek the Tao, nothing is unacceptable, thousands of classics and techniques, all depend on one's will. Well said, well said. Yun Feng, do you have something to say?"

  Yunfeng said: "The disciple has been observing Ji Ruochen's behavior and facial expression for several days, and finally confirmed that he has already cultivated the Taiqing Sacred Realm to perfection."

  "Oh?" Ziyang True Person raised his head, stroking his beard and smiling: "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Ruochen for almost half a month either. I didn't expect him to make progress so quickly. Ruochen entered our Dao De Sect in September, right? He cultivated to the Taiqing Shengjie stage in just over four months, which is pretty good."

  Yunfeng Daoren said: "Master, could it be that he has taken the Longhua Dan of Zhenzhen Ren and the Huangting Ri Yue Dan of Zi Yun Zhenren, which are very helpful for his cultivation? This is why he has made such progress. However, despite this, he still can't compare to Mingyun and Li Xuanzhen, let alone Ji Bingxian who broke through to the Taiqing Shengjing realm in just one month without relying on any external help. Therefore, I think that Wu Chen's true yuan progress doesn't quite match his banished immortal nature. Could there be some problem with this?"

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren closed his eyes and meditated for a moment, then opened them and said: "There are countless people in the world, so there are countless methods. Even within the same school of Taoist thought, some people find it easy at first but difficult later on, while others find it difficult at first but easy later on. How can we possibly understand the affairs of heaven when even the distinction between immortals and mortals is unclear? Don't indulge in wild fancies; just focus on doing our own tasks well."

  "Disciple has learned. However... You have not been teaching Wu Chen lately, what if he refuses to enter the Taichang Palace gates during the grand examination?"

  Ziyang Daochang smiled and said, "With the seven true men being so diligent, what need is there for me? As for four years later... Yunfeng, all things in the world have cause and effect. If he doesn't want to enter my Tai Chang Palace, it's also impossible to force him. Let him go then. However, if Dust True Yuan's progress isn't going well at this time, that would be a good thing."

  Yun Feng was taken aback and asked: "What's going on?"

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren picked up the Dao Cang again and said, "You go back and think carefully. When you understand, your cultivation will naturally improve."