I Too Have Wasted My Time in the World

Chen Xu paid no mind to Cui Yunqi behind him.

He had racked his brain to solve the topological problem of the Yin Yang Twin Pendants and was inwardly delighted. Following the Moonlit Sprite's instructions, he took a step forward onto the mirror-like water surface.

With this step, the scene before his eyes abruptly changed.

He saw the boundless Moon Lake beneath his feet suddenly condense into raging waves and surge towards the sky.

What?

Caught off guard, Chen Xu's footing faltered. He instinctively wanted to dodge, but where could he go?

When the waves rose, they came from all directions, from the heavens and the earth.

Chen Xu felt as if he had become a tiny boat amidst the waves, or perhaps a mayfly lost in this world.

He couldn't move. In his ears, a crisp sound, like pearls rolling, seemed to leap and giggle: "Don't rush, I'll take you to see the teacher on the Moon Boat."

Chen Xu swayed and found himself seemingly sitting on a Moon Boat.

The world was filled with inverted, roaring waves, surging upwards like a reversed waterfall.

The Moon Boat followed the waterfall to the peak. Before he could get a clear look at the scenery at the summit, the reversed waterfall suddenly cascaded down with a splash, scattering into a sky full of golden light.

It was as if the waterfall had fallen into moonlight, the moonlight melted into golden rain, and the rain flowed into the grains of time.

Rustle, rustle, the sound of rain was vast.

The next moment, the Moon Boat plummeted down with this sky full of golden light.

Finally, Chen Xu saw a mountain and a person.

That person raised a Glazed Cup and collected the golden light, which had transformed from the moonlight, into the cup.

Ancient wonders paled in comparison to this moment.

Chen Xu didn't know when he had landed on the mountain. The Moon Boat was gone, and the Moonlit Sprite was gone.

Only he stood there, leaning on his cane, facing the person holding the cup filled with moonlight. His heart pounded like a drum, his ears roared, and for a moment, he completely lost the ability to speak.

The person opposite him had white hair cascading down, a gaunt face, and a wide Taoist robe draped over him, empty and fluttering in the wind.

He was so thin, like a skeleton.

Yet his aura was calm and profound, like a vast, clear lake.

Boundless, yet close at hand, and yet seemingly as far as the horizon.

"My Moon Slave is mischievous, has she startled you, young friend?"

He spoke with a smile. Contrary to his withered appearance, his voice was clear and gentle, like still water under the moonlight, which calmed one's emotions without them realizing it.

Chen Xu quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "A junior from Jichuan, Chen Xu, pays his respects to you, teacher. I wasn't startled, but rather, my horizons were greatly broadened."

Across from him, the scholar chuckled and flicked his sleeve.

Immediately, a stone table, two stone stools, a pot of tea, and two teacups appeared before him.

"Meeting each other is fate. Please sit, young friend, and share this cup with me." He personally poured the tea. The tea, seemingly flowing from a cool jade pot, was surprisingly warm, emitting wisps of steam that blended with the mountain scenery.

He then picked up his teacup and said, "My surname is Zhou. May I ask, young friend, what kind of broadened horizons have you experienced this time?"

Chen Xu was overwhelmed with gratitude. He quickly raised his teacup to his chest and bowed again.

Then he sat down and said, "To answer your question, teacher, today I witnessed your Star Array and realized the wonders of this world. I feel that my past self was like a frog in a well looking at the sky, or like someone with a leaf blocking their vision."

He sighed softly as he spoke, "Although my horizons have broadened, I am even more confused. What kind of world is this? In the past, I saw mountains as mountains and water as water. Although I was ignorant, I saw everything clearly.

But now, I see mountains that are not mountains and water that is not water. I feel as if I no longer recognize this world."

His mind was filled with questions, but Mr. Zhou opposite him suddenly exclaimed, "A fine saying, 'seeing mountains as mountains, water as water'; even better is this one, 'seeing mountains that are not mountains, water that is not water!'"

With that, he slightly closed his eyes and savored these words for a moment.

A moment later, he opened his eyes. The seemingly withered and cloudy eyes now blazed with divine light in an instant.

Although the divine light retracted quickly, Chen Xu felt in that instant that he was facing not a pair of eyes, but a vast and boundless, brilliant sun!

Chen Xu's eyes stung, and just as he was about to close them, he heard a voice in his ear: "Drink your tea quickly."

Tea!

Chen Xu raised the teacup in his hand, and a line of text appeared before his eyes: "[Moonlight Nectar Spirit Immortal Tea, High Grade. Drinking it can enhance spiritual wisdom, nourish the body, and to a certain extent, improve aptitude.]"

He quickly brought the cup to his lips and drank. As the tea entered his abdomen, he instantly felt a surge of pure energy spread from his dantian to his limbs and bones.

The wondrous sensation made him feel light and airy, as if he had been cleansed of all worldly dust in an instant, a beautiful feeling of sublimation.

As for the stinging in his eyes, it had long since vanished.

Chen Xu wanted to savor the feeling, but this light, ethereal sense of sublimation only lasted for a moment before disappearing again.

Before he could feel regret, he heard Mr. Zhou say, "Young friend, after your 'seeing mountains that are not mountains, water that is not water,' there should be another sentence, right?"

Just as Chen Xu was about to reply, Mr. Zhou continued, "Let me guess, it should be 'seeing mountains as mountains, water as water,' is that correct?"

Chen Xu replied with surprise, "To answer you, teacher, that is exactly right."

Mr. Zhou asked, "Did you think of this sentence yourself?"

No, that statement was something Chen Xu had heard from his previous life.

It was a famous quote by Wang Guowei, a scholar from the late Qing Dynasty.

He said, "It was something a senior, who has since passed away, told me."

Mr. Zhou couldn't help but sigh, "There are indeed hidden masters among the common folk."

Just by looking at Chen Xu's attire, he knew he came from a humble background, yet Chen Xu had elders who could utter such profound words, which truly made one sigh in admiration.

Mr. Zhou said, "Young friend Chen, your words have helped me immensely. I must repay you."

Before Chen Xu could refuse, he waved his hand and said directly, "I too have wasted my time in this world. Looking back now, I've only reached the realm of 'seeing mountains not as mountains, seeing water not as water.' I've always struggled to break through the final barrier.

You ask me what this world is truly like? I can only tell you that this world is infinitely more wondrous than you can possibly imagine.

When the Grand Ancestor founded the nation, five-zhang jade rulers descended from heaven during the ritual sacrifice, prophesying that the Great Li Kingdom would last for five hundred years.

Now, four hundred and eighty-nine years have passed since those five hundred. In recent years, the Yao from the mountains and the Mo from the human world have been causing disturbances from time to time.

These disturbances grow from small to large, and one never knows when they might suddenly spiral out of control.

Beyond the Li Kingdom lie the vast seas, the Five Barbarians and their celestial wolves, and the Land of the Red Water, far beyond the Tianshan Mountains. But these are still not the entirety of this world."

Chen Xu studied at the County School and had only heard his teachers speak of the grievances between the Li Kingdom and the Five Barbarian tribes; he knew nothing else.

But these were not what he truly cared about. His only question was: "May I ask, sir, since there are Yao and Mo in this world, is it possible to cultivate and become an immortal? Is there a path to eternal life?"

Mr. Zhou was taken aback. Instead of answering Chen Xu's question directly, he smiled, "Young man, it's not unusual to yearn for immortals and gods and to focus on longevity. However, whether longevity is achievable, I do not know, but there is one thing I must tell you."

"Please enlighten me, sir."

"You are tainted with a fresh trace of malevolent energy that has yet to dissipate."