Chapter Forty-Five: Straying from the Path, Unaware

Page 1

“Thinking about the gift for you today, I must confess it gave me quite the headache. Gold and jewels are not hard for me to procure, yet they seem too vulgar. Secret manuals and rare techniques—I have none that could impress someone of your caliber. After much consideration, since your father invited me here, I suspect there may be something I can assist with. When the time comes, I will do my utmost, and such service would surely surpass any other gift,” Shen Lian said with a gentle smile, neither hurried nor slow.

“You are a clever man, Master Shen. Fourteenth Daughter, don’t make things difficult for him.” The voice was aged, but still carried a hint of amusement.

Xin Fourteenth Daughter shot Shen Lian a glance, placed her hand on an old plum branch, and walked inward.

Shen Lian entered. The room was brightly lit, and the first figure he saw was an elderly man, his stature akin to Xin Fourteenth Daughter’s, yet with the bearing of a learned scholar. His eyes held the traces of many years, even more unadorned and pure than Shen Old Master’s gaze.

Those of great wisdom, tempered by storms and tempests, though they may not cultivate their spirit deliberately, achieve a steadiness of mind and heart.

As the saying goes: ‘To bear unwarranted blame without anger; to remain unruffled when Mount Tai collapses before you.’ This is the pinnacle of self-cultivation—neither immortal nor monk, but different from mere practitioners.

Such composure does not come merely from a powerful spirit, but from dispelling acquired confusion and grasping the fragments of one’s true nature.

Though Shen Lian was serene, his composure paled beside Shen Old Master, who had weathered decades of ups and downs.

The elder did not feign depth. He nodded slightly, his manner natural, yet somehow inspiring respect, making one overlook his frail body.

When Shen Lian was a student, he attended lectures by many renowned scholars. Some elderly professors, though eighty or ninety years old, still radiated energy; their movements possessed an inexplicable charisma. Even the simplest truths, once spoken by them, were readily absorbed, never tedious.

Shen Lian bowed slightly, his expression formal. “I hope you are well, sir.”

“You braved the snow to come tonight, and though we may have neglected you somewhat, it was to test your courage. You are indeed as harmonious and steadfast as jade. I have not chosen wrongly,” the elder said, gesturing for him to sit.

The winter night was cold, but the elder and Shen Lian were both impervious to heat and cold, yet they gathered by the hearth to converse.

Xin Fourteenth Daughter poured tea, her hands graceful. The tea was clear and transparent, but its surface quivered, as if scalding hot.

Page 2

Shen Lian did not even glance at the tea; he drank it in one motion. To guard against it being too hot, he had taken half a mouthful of saliva beforehand. To his surprise, the tea was just right, blending with the saliva like a mouthful of fresh spring water. As it slid down his throat, a surge of warmth rose, climbing upward and leaving his brow faintly heated—yet the sensation was indescribably comfortable.

“Master Shen, why are you not afraid that the tea might be poisoned?” Xin Fourteenth Daughter asked from the side.

“With the means old sir used on Ye Liuyun, truly unfathomable, even if I wished to guard against it, what could I do? Better to face it openly,” Shen Lian replied in a low laugh. Having witnessed the elder’s abilities, Shen Lian knew the gap between them was vast, impossible to bridge with mere tricks. Since he was here, he might as well accept it.

“This is the Awakening Elixir. An old friend taught me its recipe years ago. Though you possess methods to refine your spirit and your soul is pure, you seem somewhat out of harmony with your physical body. Thus, although you’ve reached the stage of soul projection, you cannot grasp the true meaning of ‘no self, no thought.’ If this continues, you may eventually find yourself lost, unable to advance or retreat,” the elder explained, clearly seeing through Shen Lian.

Shen Lian knew his path of cultivation, feeling his way as he went, was bound to encounter problems. He thought he was cautious enough to avoid disaster, but it seemed he could not escape trouble.

The elder might have exaggerated, but he was not simply trying to frighten him.

That day, when he recited ‘In the snowy woods, I clothe myself,’ his soul was suddenly clear, as if on the verge of breaking through a bottleneck. He suppressed it with his composure, yet found himself unable to fully control his inner turmoil.

Though the poem matched his temperament, it should not have moved him so deeply.

This was the difficulty of the Dao. Refining the spirit was far more arduous than cultivating the breath; the complexities of the human heart could never be summed up in a single phrase.

Shen Lian was not a born prodigy in the Dao. His achievements so far owed much to luck and circumstance.

Fortunately, his mind was steadier than the body’s previous owner, preventing irreparable errors.

“I ask for your guidance, sir.” Shen Lian was sincere—‘For the learned, anyone can be a teacher.’ The attitude of seeking knowledge and solutions was essential in cultivation.

“You may address me by name. Though I am much older, we are all seekers on the same path; no need for excessive formality. My family name is Xin, and our names follow the order of birth. Fourteenth Daughter is so called because she is my fourteenth child. When I traveled and studied among mortals, I adopted the name Xin Qu Bing, courtesy name Shao An,” Xin Qu Bing said gently.

“Then I shall call you Master Shao An. May I ask, what exactly do you mean by ‘no self, no thought’?”

“That was mentioned by others; I am not qualified to explain in detail. You are a rough gem; in the future you will surely enter the Immortal Gate. The orthodox teachings of the Dao far surpass my wild ramblings. Within the Immortal sects, there are certainly ways to resolve your soul’s disharmony with the body,” Xin Qu Bing replied with a smile.

Page 3

Shen Lian realized he had indeed usurped another’s home; the so-called disharmony between soul and body was surely because of this.

And the elder before him saw through it at a glance, yet called himself a ‘wild fox’—could he be a fox immortal, cultivating for centuries?

“Master Shao An, you have mentioned the Immortal Gate several times. Is there a deeper meaning?” Shen Lian grasped the crux, knowing this must be the heart of tonight’s discussion.

“As martial artists have sects, so do cultivators have Immortal Gates. Yet the Immortal stream exists beyond the world, contending with fate itself; they do not, like martial folk, flaunt their prowess among mortals,” Xin Qu Bing replied.

Shen Lian thought, as expected—from Ling Chongxiao’s tales, and what the elder said, it seemed this world truly contained sects dedicated to transcending life and death, full of wisdom from those who came before.

Only by joining them could he have a greater chance at attaining longevity, rather than muddling along now, ignorant and lost, not only failing to gain eternal life, but risking a single misstep that could lead to sudden death.

“Master Shao An, you seem to know how one enters the Immortal Gate. What must I do?” Shen Lian believed there was no love without reason in this world. Only the wise can benefit all under heaven. The elder did not seem like a saint who had transcended all worries, so surely he would not help him for nothing.

This Awakening Elixir was effective for the soul, a rare treasure. If it could be given away like ordinary tea, Shen Lian would not believe it.

He was not afraid of being unable to repay the favor. The elder sought him out, surely believing he could accomplish the task required. Thus, he felt no great burden.

To speak plainly, he was now like a pig unafraid of boiling water.

“What I require of you can only be accomplished once you enter the Immortal Gate. Do not worry—first, look at this,” the elder said, drawing a scroll from his sleeve.

PS: Thanks to Light as Foam for the reward of 588, and to Qianxuzi, Guo Junwu, and Sword Song in the Nine Heavens for their rewards.