"Ping'ai?"
Li Xinyi repeated it once, completely unable to figure out what the name meant.
Li Chu did not want to say much, so he merely looked at Li Xinyi and gave her a profound, unfathomable smile.
He had learned it from Yu Qi'an. Whenever someone asked a question, all he needed to do was smile like that. Even if she understood nothing, she would still think it was impressive and give up asking further.
Whenever he asked his master questions, his master often wore that very same smile.
The difference was probably that his master truly was impressive, while he simply could not be bothered to explain.
Sure enough, though Li Xinyi was utterly baffled, the inscrutable smile on Li Chu's face suddenly made her feel that this might involve some unspeakable secret.
So she stopped asking.
Brushing the dust from her clothes, Li Xinyi let out a breath and said, "That counts as completing the mission perfectly. Let's head back."
"Mm." Li Chu set off with her.
Once they stepped out of the courtyard gate, Li Xinyi suddenly stopped.
After the resentful qi vanished, a light summer-night breeze began to rise.
She gazed at the empty courtyard, reached up to pull off the red ribbon binding her hair, and gave her head a shake. A waterfall of lovely hair spilled down, incomparably soft and smooth.
Li Chu turned back to look at her. "What is it?"
"Nothing." She shook her head.
Then she raised that strip of red ribbon, released it, and let it drift away on the wind.
Li Chu watched her movements without saying a word.
After watching the red ribbon float away for a while, she finally turned back with a smile and skipped after him.
With her long hair draped over her shoulders, she had lost a little of her former heroic air and gained a touch of gentle beauty. She looked far more approachable now.
Walking shoulder to shoulder with Li Chu, she asked with a grin, "Young Daoist, do you prefer me with my hair tied up, or with it down?"
Li Chu's instincts told him this question was a trap, so he refused to answer.
Li Xinyi asked again, "Young Daoist, why are you so formidable?"
Li Chu answered seriously, "I'm not formidable."
"Hmph. You can unleash sword qi that powerful, yet you say you're not formidable." Li Xinyi snorted, then asked, "Did you deliberately conceal the fluctuations of your true qi?"
"No."
"Then—" Li Xinyi drew out the last word. "Do you prefer me with my hair tied up, or with it down?"
"..."
On that clear moonlit night came croaking frogs, chirping cicadas, birdsong, dog bark, and Li Xinyi's chatter. All sorts of sounds mingled together, and amid the clamor was instead a touch of worldly charm that dispersed the gloom from before.
A sudden peace filled Li Chu's heart.
There were many bad things in this world, and many unfortunate people. But no matter what, as long as they were fortunate enough to live peaceful lives, they should strive to cherish them.
They soon reached Yuhang Town. Li Xinyi went to the county government office, where someone would naturally arrange lodging for her, while Li Chu still had to walk back to Ten Li Slope.
At their parting, Li Xinyi reluctantly tugged at the Little Daoist Priest, telling him that when he had the chance, he had to take her on a proper tour of Yuhang Town.
Li Chu said that next time, he definitely would.
On the way back, he reflected on what he had seen that day.
Though the process of dealing with the Vengeful Spirit had been simple, it had taught him a vivid lesson.
The rivers and lakes were slippery roads, and human hearts were complicated.
Li Xinyi was clearly stronger than that Vengeful Spirit, yet because she had softened her heart for a moment, she had nearly been killed in return by it.
If he had not been beside her, she would surely have died for nothing.
But on second thought, if Li Xinyi had not appeared today, and he had gone alone to exorcise the evil, then faced with such a little girl kneeling before him and begging for mercy, could he have kept pity from stirring in his heart?
Perhaps not.
If no one else had been there, might the one who died have been him?
Thinking of it that way, he could not help feeling a chill of lingering fear.
By the time he reached the gates of Virtuous Cloud Temple, he had already distilled a lesson from the day.
The Daoist Scripture said: a man who was not ruthless could not stand firm.
The next morning.
His master, with immortal bone structure, still sat beneath the tree in a posture of returning to simplicity. Without uttering a word, every shift of his gaze, from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet, brimmed with the bearing of a lofty master.
Li Chu stepped forward and respectfully said, "Master, this disciple has something he wishes to ask."
"Oh?" Yu Qi'an smiled faintly. "Speak freely."
Li Chu sat across from him and asked, "This disciple wishes to ask: what are the Seven Realms of Celestial Being?"
"The Seven Realms of Celestial Being?" Yu Qi'an paused. "Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
"Yesterday, someone asked which realm of the Seven Realms of Celestial Being this disciple had cultivated to, but this disciple knew nothing at all. So I became curious and wished to ask Master about it." Li Chu answered honestly.
Although Li Xinyi had said yesterday that it was unimportant, he was not stupid. Why would she ask about something unimportant?
So the question had remained in his mind.
"This? It is merely common knowledge among Cultivators," Yu Qi'an said slowly.
"The Seven Realms of Celestial Being are the seven major realms that Cultivators generally experience. So-called celestial being means ascending from man toward heaven; these seven realms are the road to heaven."
"They are Body Tempering, Qi Sea, Spirit Fusion, Dragon Transformation, Myriad Forms, Zhanshui, and Heaven-Reaching."
"Among them, the Body Tempering Realm cultivates sinews of steel and bones of iron; the Qi Sea Realm cultivates the Dantian into a sea; the Spirit Fusion Realm cultivates an indestructible primordial spirit; the Dragon Transformation Realm cultivates the fleshly body into a dragon; the Myriad Forms Realm cultivates unity between man and heaven; the Severing Decay Realm cultivates transcendence beyond the mundane; and the Heaven-Reaching Realm cultivates an Earthly Immortal."
So that was how it was.
Li Chu nodded in understanding. Was this the classification of cultivation realms in this world?
Then how should he be counted? It seemed he possessed none of the traits belonging to any of these realms.
Still, his cultivation method differed from theirs, so it was normal for the classifications to differ as well.
Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, Yu Qi'an continued:
"Actually, not all Cultivators must walk this path. It is only that the mainstream Cultivators of today, known in ancient times as Qi Refiners, advance according to the Seven Realms of Celestial Being."
"Other inheritances, such as Martial Artists, Gu Users, Witchers, and countless others, all have their own realm classifications. Demons, devils, ghosts, monsters... each has its own Great Dao to walk. So there is no need to cling too tightly to this; just take it as a rough reference."
Li Chu nodded, accepting the instruction. "This disciple would also like to ask: at what realm can one be considered an expert in the rivers and lakes?"
He had actually always wanted to know the answer to this question.
At the end of the day, he wanted to know exactly how far he needed to cultivate before he could leave the Novice Village and roam the rivers and lakes.
Yu Qi'an stroked his beard and smiled again. "Hehe, that depends on how you define an expert."
"Under heaven, those born with spiritual roots who can embark upon the path of cultivation are already one in ten thousand. And of those with spiritual roots, ninety percent will remain in the entry-level Body Tempering Realm for their entire lives. Compared to ordinary people, they are already absolute experts."
"Upon entering the Qi Sea Realm, one can be considered outstanding among one's peers. Traveling the rivers and lakes, one may be called a master."
"If one possesses Spirit Fusion cultivation, it is a blessing bestowed by heaven. One may serve as a pillar within a sect of the rivers and lakes, or take office under the imperial court and command a region."
"Once one steps into the Dragon Transformation Realm, one may be called a renowned veteran of the rivers and lakes, able to make a name and establish oneself anywhere!"
"Beyond Dragon Transformation lies an entirely different vista. The first three realms before Dragon Transformation are closer to man, while the latter three are closer to heaven! Upon entering the Myriad Forms Realm, one's words can manifest, one can stir the celestial phenomena, and one is sufficient to establish a mountain gate and become the founding patriarch of a sect."
"If one enters the Severing Decay Realm, one may be called a mighty power between heaven and earth, rarely seen in the world."
"As for the highest Heaven-Reaching Realm, once entered, one becomes an Earthly Immortal who can be encountered but not sought. That realm may be called the Human Peak; beyond the legendary Feather Ascension, there is nothing else left to pursue."
"The Seven Realms of Celestial Being—every realm is a heavenly chasm, and every realm has blocked who knew how many favored geniuses. It is like climbing a mountain: each peak rises higher than the last. Anyone may call themselves an expert, but there will always be someone higher than you."
Li Chu felt deeply shaken as he listened.
So the world of Cultivators was this vast.
Another curiosity immediately rose in his heart.
"Master, this disciple dares to ask." He probed, "What realm is Master currently in?"
"My realm?" Yu Qi'an smiled mysteriously. "You guess."
"Master had so many earthshaking achievements in his early years. At the very least... you should be in the Dragon Transformation Realm, right?"
Li Chu did not dare guess too high, afraid Yu Qi'an would be unable to save face, so he started with a realm he considered relatively low for his master.
Yu Qi'an smiled and shook his head.
"Could it be Myriad Forms?" Li Chu asked again.
Yu Qi'an maintained his smile and shook his head again.
"Could Master already be a mighty power of the Severing Decay Realm?" Li Chu's eyes shone.
Yu Qi'an smiled again and shook his head again.
"Ah..." Li Chu was inwardly exhilarated. "Could Master already be... in the Heaven-Reaching Realm, an Earthly Immortal?!"
"Hehe." Yu Qi'an chuckled. Just as Li Chu thought he had guessed correctly, he shook his head again.
"Huh?"
Li Chu was utterly puzzled. None of those were right, but if his master was merely a cultivator of the first three realms, how could he possess such bearing?
With an inscrutable expression on his face, Yu Qi'an fixed his eyes on Li Chu and revealed that familiar, profound, unfathomable smile.
That smile left Li Chu somewhat dazed, but he did not dare ask again.
The air fell silent for a while before Yu Qi'an finally said slowly, "Our cultivation is the cultivation of the heart realm, not the body realm. If you cling to cultivation level, then what use is moving mountains and overturning seas? Disciple, do not cling to form."
Li Chu hurriedly nodded. "This disciple understands."
In truth, he did not understand at all.
He only understood one thing: his master's realm was absolutely beyond his measure!
Thanks to Silent Sword Dancer for the hundred-coin reward.
Thanks to everyone for your collections and recommendations.
Before you continue