Carrying a Hoe to Cultivate

Xia Yi turned to sit up, wore his shoes which were on the side of his bed, put an outer on, and pushed the door open to walk out.

The yard remained in silence. The delicate moonlight fell on the ground through the space between the bamboo. He did not stay long enough to fully explore around last time. Xia Yi was not sleepy at all right now. He thus walked through the archway to enter the yard.

A forest of bamboo was outside of the yard. A few children were chatting and laughing nearby. They were surprised to see Xia Yi, then they recovered from that and bowed to greet him, “Xia.” Seeing these children were not curious about him appearing out of nowhere, Xia Yi greeted them in return, thinking that they must have gotten used to people travelling around just like that.

Xia Yi realized that these children were having a good time together but stiffened because they saw him, so he turned to walk back and said kindly, “I will look around back there. You can continue.”

Following the road in the bamboo forest, he proceeded and arrived at the foot of the soul mountain quickly.

It was appropriate to call this a soul mountain.

There were clouds surrounding the misty mountain. Although it was night time, the fresh beautiful trees and fruits could still be seen. Below the foot of the mountain, there was also a pool, so clear that the bottom of the pool could be seen, lotus floated on the water, and fish in gold color jumped out from the water from time to time.

Those fish were not afraid of people. They must have been fed by people daily, making them rush in front of Xia Yi when they saw him.

Xia Yi had nothing on him and felt sorry for them. He quickly left the pool because of this and followed a stone stairway at the foot of the mountain to go up the mountain.

After walking for a while, taking in the scenery along the way, fully appreciating those special greeneries, Xia Yi suddenly stopped walking with a question popping up in his mind.

This is night time. Night time! Why can I see clearly without using any torches or phones as if it was day time?

Is this the innate buff of the cultivation world? A newbie ability?

“179, 179, are you here?” Xia Yi asked without expecting a response from the system. This rubbish system is a cultivation world system but he gets stuck on his way every time to get here.

As expected, there was no response from 179.

Xia Yi gained courage as he could see in the dark. He climbed up the mountain with the aid of the stairs. At a far distance, he could see a small pavilion, which seemed like it was built on clouds, at half way of the mountain. He then decided to go and rest there so that he could try out being a wise out-of-the-world hermit, sitting alone at the end of the clouds, or playing the Chinese Zither, playing the vertical bamboo flute, or maybe playing chess. 

The path was becoming blurry. Sometimes he was able to see it and sometimes he was not, as if he was looking through a phone with a low DPI lens.

Alerted, Xia Yi halted.

What is going on? Is he transmigrating? Looking around, nothing changed. What is all these about?

When bumping into weird and unclear things, one should never be curious and should turn and leave immediately.

In all those movies, one shall not die if one does not raise the death-flag.

Xia Yi turned around to go back right away, however, at this moment, the road had vanished. The surroundings changed as well. The emerald green trees and lime colored mountain were disappearing. In front of him stood an exquisite and elegant yard in ancient style.

What the f**k. Is this the lair of the fox spirits?

I feel like I have read this from the Strange Stories From A Chinese Studio before.

Next, I would knock on the door to tell them about me getting lost, an old man would welcome me warmly and let me stay for the night. After having a meal and talking with him, the old man insisted on marrying his youngest daughter to me. His daughter was pretty and lovable, but I would discover that she was actually a fox spirit after I got home with her.

Hoho, I am not going in. I will stand outside overnight.

Hence, Xia Yi looked around him, hoping to find a stone for him to sit on for the night.

This was within the area of the Qi Shan Sect, no spirit or evil should dare to harm an apprentice of the Qi Shan Sect master. He had never seen his so-called master. Maybe he had been caught by those anti-social people from the demonic world and had not been released yet.

Just when Xia Yi was finding a smooth piece of stone, he heard a squeak from the front door behind him and the door had been opened.

F**k. What kind of demonic creature is coming out? You see that I am not walking into the trap so you can’t keep sitting around and retreat in order to advance?

Xia Yi turned around. He stared at the front door, heart racing.

I don’t care what kind of spirit or demonic creature you are, just don’t show me a weird-looking creature.

Gourd babies or cute ones like the ginseng babies would be most preferable.

A blue sleeve with carvings came out from the door.

Seeing the uniform of the Qi Shan Sect, Xia Yi exhaled in relief. I was nearly scared to death. It is not some mountain spirit or ghost at the end. It is someone from the sect.

Followed by that, a person walked out from the yard and stood under the moonlight. The figure was tall and slim, with elegance. Along with the breeze of wind among the mountains, the ribbon on his head and his sleeves swayed in the wind. If you say that Liu SiQian and Meng Wan Zi looked like immortals, then this person was an immortal person.

He walked towards Xia Yi sluggishly. Xia Yi met his eyes.

When he saw his face, Xia Yi felt like being struck by lightning. He naturally said loudly, “Zhu!”

This immortal in front of him, this nose, those eyes, Xia Yi felt extremely familiar with them. He touched them a few times before he slept.

Who can this be if this is not Zhu?

While Xia Yi screamed out Zhu’s name, Gu Wen Zhu was stunned. He looked at Xia Yi in shock, eyeing him all over, hesitated and asked, “Wang Lan?”

Xia Yi was stupefied, Wang Lan? Zhu called me Wang Lan? What does that mean?

“Zhu, why are you here? Who is Wang Lan?”

Gu Wen Zhu did not answer but walked slowly to him, with a serious look, “Wang Lan, why are you here? Where is Ze Yuan?”

Xia Yi suddenly felt befuddled, what is going on? Who is Ze Yuan?

He stared at Gu Wen Zhu who was approaching him, wanting to have a clearer look of his expression.

Is Zhu messing with me?

No, this is not Zhu. He was standing far away and could only see a black figure in the dark just now, causing him to think this was Zhu, but these were two different persons though two of them look alike.

People who are close to him will recognise the difference.

Zhu’s features are sharper, the bridge of his nose is higher and the lines of his lips are clearer.

Xia Yi judged in his mind.

The end of this person’s eye is rounder, but Zhu’s is longer and points slightly upward. Although they both have eyes like the deep blue sea, this person had more coldness and bleakness, and this person also has more shallow wrinkles which are left as traces of age.

Instantly, a name came up in his mind, the honourable immortal leader CangYi.

Cheng Ming thought Zhu was the honourable immortal leader CangYi at first as well. Could this person be the leader? The mission I had just completed was about awakening the honourable immortal leader CangYi. Did I awaken him?

This is the honourable immortal leader CangYi, right? Cheng Ming said that he had disappeared for years. The fact is that he has been cooping up at the back of the mountain. I feel bad for his apprentices going around the world searching for him, and he is right next to them all along.

My Zhu is lying in bed sleeping tightly. This must be that legendary honourable immortal leader CangYi.

Thinking of this, Xia Yi swiftly retreated a couple of steps and turned into a stern face. He bowed with folded hands, “May I ask if this is the honourable immortal leader CangYi?”

That person clearly froze for a moment, confusion growing in his eyes, “Wang Lan, you don’t remember me?”

“This must be a misunderstanding. I am not Wang Lan. Xia Yi from the Qi Shan Sect is here to greet you.” Xia Yi politely responded with eyes looking at the ground.

“Xia Yi.” He blinked and stared at Xia Yi who was in front of him, saying with uncertainty, “You are saying that you are Xia Yi and not Wang Lan?”

“Correct. My father is the prefectural magistrate Xia from the prefecture Huang Zhong. I am not Wang Lan.” Xia Yi was nervous inside.

CangYi observed Xia Yi all over, the confusion was clearing away from his eyes. Xia Yi only stood there unmoved.

“Right, you should remember nothing.” CangYi murmured, his expressions were complicated and hard to read, “You even forget about Ze Yuan.”

“But honourable immortal leader, I really am not Wang Lan. Please look closer.” Xia Yi braved up and moved his face closer to CangYi, “Look at this nose, these eyes, they are unique.”

CangYi glanced at him and looked away emotionlessly.

Xia Yi did not know if he was thinking too much, but he sensed as if CangYi felt pity for him.

“Wang Lan. Forgetting about the past is a good thing. You can focus on cultivating so that you can be an immortal earlier.” Ciang Yi mumbled.

Out of the blue, he poked between Xia Yi’s brows.

Xia Yi did not have enough time to respond, then he felt that coldness of the touch disappearing. CangYi pulled back his arm and said calmly, “You are at the middle level of the foundation phase. It is okay. Although your base is not too good, working hard should help you thrive.”

What? Foundation phase? How am I not sensing a thing if I am already at the foundation phase?

Do I have night vision because of the foundation phase? But I have no feelings in other aspects.

Does being in the foundation phase mean that I become like an owl?

I had not been cultivating at all and I know nothing about the breathing techniques or spirits and stuff. Is this a cheat granted by the system?

Right, System.

Previously, I took a few bottles of foundation establishment drinks from the system to drink. Is that the reason for this?

“Now I see that you are alright, I feel better.” CangYi kept talking to himself, “I would guess that Ze Yuan is living well.”

He then turned to look afar, his expression sad and painful, loneliness leaking from his figure.