Seeking the Dao in the Seemingly Mundane Mortal World

Chapter 43: Wrong Teaching

Qin Yi slowly opened his eyes.

The sun was already up, and he could faintly make out the servants walking and running errands in the distance. They sounded so distant that he felt as though they were in the mortal world while this courtyard had become an immortal dwelling.

He had successfully made his first step into the cultivation world.

Although he only had the most basic whiff of spiritual essence, he knew he had changed fundamentally.

With a wave of his hand, the gourd filled with wine and a floating talisman flew toward him as if he was pulling it with a string. When he utilized his internal energy before, he could barely make it float, and its movements were quite shaky. Once he had spiritual essence, it no longer merely floated in the air; it moved like a shooting arrow.

“The most typical use of spiritual essence is controlling objects,” Liusu said slowly. “Spiritual essence itself isn’t powerful enough to directly damage people until you reach a certain stage. It’s more so used to control objects, manipulate the five elements, summon the wind and rain, and attract thunder and lightning. But it doesn’t do much for improving your physical strength, and that’s the most obvious difference from internal energy. Don’t think of the two of them as the same.”

Liusu had indeed anticipated that Qin Yi would think that way in the beginning, so Qin Yi grinned and said, “I think I can tell a warrior from a mage.”

“Warrior and mage…” Liusu pondered the two words and understood what he meant. It slowly said, “From the outside, yes, but you have to realize one thing: cultivation is essentially about prolonging life. Regardless of the external manifestations, they are all means to protect oneself so that one can live longer. In other words, your martial arts practice is one of the means as well, and it works all the same, be it your internal energy or the club manual.”

Qin Yi was surprised. “That’s why you’ve been teaching me martial arts. I’ve always thought that it was just for the transitional period, but are you saying that I can keep learning it?”

“I suggest you keep learning it. That way, you’ll be able to choose a path of cultivation through martial arts, which focuses on one’s physical strength and fighting skills. It has always been part of the cultivation system. Otherwise, why did you see a spiked club among all the cultivation apparatus in Immortal Deeds?”

“Yes! That’s right! I’ve been carrying you around and it only makes sense if I choose that path.”

“What do you mean by carrying me around?!”

“Well… Fine, I’ve been worshiping you.”

“Hmph. Anyway, martial arts cultivators aren’t as good at prolonging life as the others, but they’re very capable fighters. You can take advantage of both of their merits if you practice both,” Liusu added. “Minghe focuses on her spiritual essence only, which is typical for cultivators who care about their spirit over their physical body. They may be able to summon the wind and rain, but they can do next to nothing with a sword. Of course, their way works too. As long as they reach perfection, they’ll become invincible as well. But I still find that approach risky. If they happen to lose their spiritual essence, any street vendor can beat the crap out of them.”

That was rather graphic. Qin Yi wondered if Liusu had wanted to do that itself.

“Of course, a person only has so much energy, and the path of cultivation is endless. One may only have a glimpse of the whole picture after a lifetime of study. Most people don’t have the energy or capability to walk both paths and have to pick one side, but you’re a different story…” After some pause, Liusu said, “You were born for this. If you can’t walk both paths, no one can.”

After a moment of silence, Qin Yi suddenly said, “Liusu…”

“Urgh? Mhm???” Liusu was utterly surprised, but that seemed to be the first time that Qin Yi had ever called its name.

Rising to his feet, Qin Yi bowed all the way down at the club. “Even formal teachers couldn’t have been as diligent as you. I may be idling my life away, but I do have a heart. I hereby make an oath: I’ll do everything in my power to help you rebuild your body.”

Liusu didn’t reply. A long moment passed before it spoke again. “Are you trying to stop me from taking your body away?”

Qin Yi clicked his tongue and said, “Don’t push it.”

“…”

“If you can rebuild your body, you won’t have to drool over mine all the time…”

“I’m not drooling over your body!”

Qin Yi chuckled before switching the subject. “If the day comes when someone like me has failed to adapt to this magnificent world, I may not even be able to leave Nanli… When that happens, my body is yours.”

Liusu didn’t say anything.

Qin Yi walked to the door and looked in the direction of Li Qinglin’s house not too far away. Judging by the position of the sun, it was past nine in the morning. That meant he had meditated for seven or eight hours, which only felt like a fleeting moment to him.

With time flying by like this, it wouldn’t be long before the result of the conflict presented itself. He wondered how well-prepared Li Qinglin would be.

Li Qinglin was the one who wouldn’t believe in the power of fate.

Or rather, he did believe in it but just wouldn’t think about it.

With Liusu ready at hand, Qin Yi sometimes felt sympathetic toward him, for Li Qinglin reminded him of Don Quixote charging at a windmill.

He could faintly comprehend the way Liusu and Minghe looked down on other people. It really felt like looking at a different species.

Minghe certainly wouldn’t say so much to a common mortal man. It wasn’t that she was too proud to, but to her, it would be like talking about the universe to a frog sitting at the bottom of a well. If there was nothing to talk about, why was she willing to talk to Qin Yi like an equal? Because he was a fellow cultivator. Regardless of his cultivation level or social status, he was from her world.

But deep down, Qin Yi secretly found Li Qinglin the more relatable one—that was, if he had told the truth the night they drank together.

After all, Qin Yi was still a mortal man, not an immortal.

He wondered if and when he became an immortal, would he behave like Minghe or Liusu?

Maybe he would.

“Qin Yi! Qin Yi!” Li Qingjun ran towards him, lifting her dress off the ground. Her hair hung loosely on her shoulders, and she looked the way all people looked when they saw their loved one. “You’re up! I thought you stayed up late with my brother last night.”

Qin Yi spread out his arms, waiting for her to jump into them.

Seeing Li Qingjun could really lift his spirit. Immediately, his depressed and pensive mood vanished.

Li Qingjun hit the brakes before she bumped into him and tilted her head. “You wish. Now, tell me what plan you came up with last night.”

“The plan was to drug you.” Qin Yi chuckled. “We’re even prepared for the commotion in the city. All of Nanli will know that Princess Zhaoyang is Qin Yi’s girlfriend, and those barbarians from Xihuang can go to hell.”

Li Qingjun still stared at him with her head tilted. She didn’t even blink.

“What?” Qin Yi scratched his head and wondered if she had taken the joke seriously.

Li Qingjun said, “Did you use any nourishing skin care medicine last night?”

“Huh?”

“You seem to have become even more good-looking overnight. You look like you’re going to fly away with the wind just by standing there.”

“That sounds great.” Qin Yi finally realized what was going on. Cultivation wouldn’t just improve his skin, but it would change his demeanor as well. Right now, he must look more immortal-like than the day before.

Li Qingjun hesitated before saying, “Qin Yi, you can’t let the wind take you away and leave me behind.”

“Where did that come from?” Pulling her into his arms, Qin Yi whispered in her ears, “Your father is a cultivator, but he still has a lot of wives, doesn’t he?”

“Bah!” That successfully distracted Li Qingjun, and she stomped on his foot. “We’ve only just become a couple, but you’re already thinking about more wives!”

Qin Yi hopped around, holding his foot. “It was just a random example…”

Li Qingjun glanced at him sideways and smiled a little. “Random examples more accurately reflect your true thoughts. Qin Yi, you aren’t as noble as you look.”

Liusu couldn’t agree with that more.

Qin Yi was amazed as well. He couldn’t understand how a reckless girl like her could be so acute in this respect. Was that part of the female instinct? He didn’t try to explain himself, because there was no point. He would be a hypocrite if he refused to admit his fantasies about a palace of wives, but he wouldn’t try to achieve that, and that was the important thing.

Hence, he threw his arms around Li Qingjun again and chuckled. “Of course, I’m no nobleman. Right now, I’d like to taste our princess.”

Liusu gave him the thumbs up.

Men could progress so quickly when it came to such things. Qin Yi was so naive only a few days ago, but after he got a girlfriend, he was like a new person.

Li Qingjun let him wrap his arms around her and looked at him with flushed cheeks. This time, she didn’t look as shy as before but she immediately closed her eyes.

Qin Yi swallowed and pressed his lips onto hers.

Liusu leaned against the door and watched. At first, it was only a happy onlooker, but it gradually felt uncomfortable.

It felt like a private tutor watching its students, who were cuddling instead of listening to its teachings. Of course, it didn’t feel happy.

But it had given Qin Yi the suggestion to experience everything in this world. However, it now wondered if it had taught Qin Yi the wrong things…