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. Jiâs recent departure via cloud, the Niu Batian of before wouldnât have cared one big whether the Wei family had a âvalid excuseâ for their actions â after all, the Old Bull himself would also have a âvalid excuseâ 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 hadnât been in vain. The key was that he was very afraid of Ji Yuan. Still, he couldnât help but curse under his breath.
âDamn it all to hell! This Old Bullâs immortal guidance⊠Ah! Itâs goneâŠâ
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 â the âSword Intent Inscription,â 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 Batianâs 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 Yuanâs departure by cloud that had the greatest impact on the Wei family.
Wei Xuanâs heart raced, and his expression was somewhat agitated. He shifted his gaze away from Niu Batian, looked at Yan Fei, and carefully inquired.
âHero Yan, that elder of yours, he just⊠flew away on a cloud. Is he perhaps an immortal being? â
Yan Fei crossed his arms, clasping his longsword to his chest, and smiled at Wei Xuan and Wei Ming.
âYou have eyes, do you still need to ask me that? My visit today was primarily to bring Mr. Ji to view your Wei familyâs âWordless Heavenly Book.â Since this matter is concluded, I shall take my leave as well. â
After Yan Fei finished speaking, he patted Niu Batianâs shoulder.
âBrother Niu, shall we go? â
Yan Fei didnât 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.
âHaha, alright, Mr. Ji has left, thereâs no point staying here anymore. â
Wei Xuan quickly gave his son a meaningful look. Wei Ming nodded and stepped forward quickly.
âHero 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 Yanâs elder, surelyâŠâ
âNo need! â
Yan Fei raised a hand to stop Wei Mingâs 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 âWordless Heavenly Bookâ back into its wooden box and covering it.
âAlthough 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 wonât 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?â
Yan Feiâs 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.
âHero Yan! Hero Yan, what are you talking about! â
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.
âOh no! If only we had let him borrow the book just now, would we have received personal guidance from the immortal? â
âOf course!â
âI canât believe our Wei familyâs Heavenly Wordless Book to truly be a heavenly bookâŠâ
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?
âNow that it has come to this, whatâs 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 immortalâs handwritten translation!â
Wei Xuanâs words successfully shifted everyoneâs 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 shouldnât 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.
âWei Ming, Iâll give you a few final words. If todayâs events were to spread outside, it might not be good for the Wei family. The âWordless Heavenly Bookâ 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.â
âHero Yan, youâŠâ
Wei Ming looked a little nervous.
âRest 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. â
The Old Bull beside him was already growing impatient. He directly pulled Yan Fei along and headed out.
âLetâs go, letâs 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, Iâll definitely invite Mr. Ji to visit your grave and offer some incense or something. â
Hearing this, Yan Feiâs mouth twitched, feeling both exasperated and amused.
âHahaha, Brother Yan, come on, letâs go to the Soft Jade Building in Luoqing City! Yesterday, this Old Bull here met many close confidantes; Iâll introduce you! â
Old Niu laughed lewdly, dragging Yan Fei towards the city, and soon disappeared from Wei Mingâs 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 âWordless Heavenly Bookâ 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.
âMingâer, youâre back? Where are Yan Fei and that fellow surnamed Niu? â
Wei Xuan glanced at Wei Ming, then once again turned his attention to the table.
âHero 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.â
âOf course.â
Wei Xuan nodded in deep agreement, then looked up at the surrounding Wei family members and servants.
âNot a single word of todayâs events can be mentioned to anyone. Otherwise, if this draws unwanted attention, our relatives and families will be in danger. However, with this immortalâs handwritten copy of âA Dream of Wandering in the Clouds,â thereâs no need to worry about the Wei familyâs prosperity!â
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 couldnât 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.
âJust this calligraphy alone⊠is already pricelessâŠâ
One of the Wei familyâs 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.
âŠ
On the road between the Wei family estate and Luoqing City, Niu Batian and Yan Fei were walking back towards the city.
âBrother Niu, do you think that copy of âA Dream of Wandering in the Cloudsâ that Mr. Ji copied for the Wei family has the power to bring good fortune to the Wei family?â
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.
âBrother Yan, Mr. Jiâs didnât have any real intentions in leaving this writing. The Wei family is, after all, ultimately mortal, so itâs 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 Bullâs cultivation is still too shallow to see through it. â
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.
âIn 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?â
Hearing Yan Feiâs question, the Old Bullâs simple, honest face broke into a smile.
âYou could say that. If the Wei family is careful enough, a long-term contemplation of the text will certainly bring some benefits.â
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 immortalâs 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
âŠ
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 âA Dream of Wandering in the Cloudsâ truly resided. A portion of Zuyueâs 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 âA Dream of Wandering in the Clouds,â and Ji Yuan muttered excerpts of âXiaoyao Youâ to himself, which he considered his own perception of the wonders of an immortalâs travels.
ââŠthose who follow the natural righteousness of Heaven and Earth, control the changes of the six Qi, and wander without endâŠâ
2
T/n: I like how this instance really just solidifies one of JYâs 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 âlike taking candy from a babyâ
Excerpt from the Xiaoyao You. As per usual with these kinds of texts, this is just one of the many possible interpretations and translations