The Luminous Jade Slip

"Ah." Li Yunxin blinked without changing expression. "What do you mean? What is that?"

The expressions of both Chisongzi and Kangcangzi changed slightly, becoming somewhat complicated. Ordinary people probably would not have noticed such a change.

"Have you heard of painters, little brother?" Kang Cangzi suddenly spoke this time.

Li Yunxin raised a brow. "Oh, my father mentioned them before."

Kang Cangzi said, "Ha, your esteemed father knew of such things too? He truly was broad in experience and knowledge. Before his passing, your father was—"

Red Pine Master shot him a look, then laughed heartily to gloss it over. "Painters are common enough among worldly folk. But we are not speaking of those people. We mean the great masters of ancient times."

"Nowadays, those painters in the streets and markets have already fallen into the ranks of swindlers and charlatans. Even the occasional skilled one cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the masters of ancient times. It is said that within the famous paintings handed down by the great painters of old, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the sorrows and joys of all things, were sealed away. Take, for example, the famous scroll 'A Thousand Miles of Desolation' kept by the Shangqing Alchemy Cauldron Sect. If you used your divine sense to experience it carefully, you could feel that bleak, cold desolation. When the masters of old set brush to paper, they captured a trace of the spiritual energy within those thousand miles of rivers and mountains. Experiencing the painting was like standing within the scene itself—even more so. That was because those senior masters had attained a higher realm and blended their own insights into the painting. To experience such a painting was like receiving an empowerment from a great master."

"Then why would you need to run east and west, sleep in the wind and eat under the dew, agonizing in thought without gaining anything?" Red Pine Master sighed softly. "How many stunningly gifted people failed to advance because they lacked the tiniest fraction, and died in gloom and frustration!"

Li Yunxin blinked with pure innocence. "It is like that feeling was put into the painting and sealed away. Then when someone else looks at it, they can directly comprehend the painter's insights—basically picking the fruit straight from the tree."

"Precisely so."

"Then if this method is so great, just paint more of them."

Chisongzi smiled bitterly. "How could it be so easy? The Way of Painting has declined for a thousand years and has long since withered. Today, the world has Two Sages, but two thousand years ago, there were Three Sages—the Sword Sage, the Book Sage, and the Painting Sage! But the Painting Sage later entered the demonic path and was attacked by masters throughout the world. Since then, the supreme secret canon of the Way of Painting, the Luminous Jade Slip, has vanished without a trace, and the Way of Painting has been unable to flourish again. There are still some grotto-heavens and schools that keep great masters as Attendants—called Danqing Daoists. But even those people are far inferior to the past."

"I see." Li Yunxin nodded. "What are Grotto Heavens and schools?"

At that moment, he looked like a student seeking instruction, his eyes full of longing.

Kangcangzi seemed somewhat anxious, but Chisongzi gave him another look and patiently explained, "Today, the world has Two Sages. Beneath them are the Sword Sect's eighteen grotto-heavens and the Dao Lineage's eighteen grotto-heavens, collectively known as the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens. These are inheritances established by the direct disciples of the Two Sages, those who have had the chance to hear the Two Sages' teachings in person. Beneath them are the Sword Sect's thirty-six schools and the Dao Lineage's thirty-six schools. These inheritances were established by the disciples and descendants of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, collectively called the Seventy-Two Schools, and they are also extraordinary. Below that lies the secular world."

"The Seventy-Two Schools' residences in the secular world, the unorthodox paths established by secular people, and those wild Daoists who betrayed their masters... ah... of course, there are also some independent cultivators and recluses wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, quietly cultivating the Orthodox Method of Heaven's Heart..."

"Oh." Li Yunxin nodded. "You two are both men of the Dao. Which Grotto Heaven School do you belong to?"

"Er... the Seventy-Two Schools are already blessed lands of the mortal realm—ordinary people seldom have the fortune to see them. As for the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, they are even the dwellings of immortals. Hehe, neither of us is a disciple of a grotto-heaven or school." Chisongzi smiled bitterly. "We are merely idle Daoists quietly cultivating the Orthodox Method of Heaven's Heart. Of course, this Orthodox Method of Heaven's Heart is also the legitimate mystical lineage bestowed by supreme heavenly beings after the Two Sages perceived and inherited the ways of heaven and earth."

"That sounds awesome." Li Yunxin said.

"Hm?"

"Oh, it means super great."

"

Though he did not quite understand, Chisongzi still cupped his hands slightly. "Not at all, not at all."

Then he looked at Li Yunxin. "Little brother, you are not an ordinary person, are you?"

"Mhm. I'm not."

Li Yunxin's answer made the two Daoists freeze for a moment. They had not expected him to admit it so readily—then what had they wasted all those words for?

Red Pine Master cleared his throat. "I thought as much. Brother Li's bones are extraordinary; you are certainly no mediocre man. In truth, the two of us came to your door precisely for Brother Li."

Li Yunxin could actually see that much himself. From what the two had said, he realized that his parents... probably truly had not been simple people. He also realized that the thunderstorm from a year ago could never have been an accident. But if enemies had come to kill them, why had they not killed him as well? He could not understand that.

But that did not stop him from guessing that these two Daoists had perhaps come to his door because of the anomaly a year ago.

The villagers occasionally went to the county town. There was no shortage of major news these days, so something like a thunderstorm striking two people dead in a single night would certainly have become gossip for some time. Then it would spread farther and farther, until some interested party heard of it...

And so they had come.

The two Daoists perhaps thought their expressions could fool this fourteen-year-old boy, or perhaps they believed their probing the day before had already confirmed that he was an inexperienced fledgling. But the problem was... beneath Li Yunxin's skin was no genuine young man.

At that moment, he felt that his parents had probably thought that if the three of them could spend their lives peacefully in this mountain village, then there was no need to tell him too much. Young people, after all—once they knew too much, they always wanted to stir up trouble.

If some great change suddenly came and peaceful living became impossible, then it would not matter to explain everything to him. It was just that they had not expected to meet such an end and die.

Thinking of the divine abilities his father had once displayed, then recalling what these two Daoists had just said, a shocking and exciting speculation rose in Li Yunxin's mind.

Painting Sage, Way of Painting, painters... Luminous Jade Slip.

Could that secret canon of the Way of Painting... be with his parents?

Heh... were these two little Daoists here to hunt for treasure?

Li Yunxin replied to Chisongzi, "You came for me?"

"Yes." Red Pine Master said solemnly, "A year ago, there was a thunder transformation here. When we heard of it, we knew that perhaps a spiritual treasure had emerged. Brother Li's parents met with misfortune because of this, and this poor Daoist is deeply saddened as well. But since things have already come to this, and Brother Li appears to possess Dao Bone, this poor Daoist will speak plainly."

"Treasure is a good thing. If it is gold, silver, or worldly wealth, then when worldly folk obtain it, they may enjoy glory and riches for a time. That can be considered putting things to their proper use. But if it is something else, such as a Dao Lineage spiritual treasure or a Sword Sect divine weapon, then it is not something ordinary people can bear. For example, if little brother obtained some Dao Lineage spiritual treasure—but did not know cultivation methods or understand the Orthodox Method of Heaven's Heart—it would be no different from useless junk. Better to offer that spiritual treasure to some school, or even a grotto-heaven. First, it would be put to proper use; second, perhaps you could become a true disciple of the mystical gate, one among immortals, which would bring you immense benefits as well. The two of us came precisely because..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Li Yunxin frowned and waved his hand. "So you think that my parents and I were all rather unusual. Then something happened, and you think I have a treasure here."

Chisongzi was somewhat puzzled by his attitude. He exchanged a glance with Kangcangzi and said, "That is indeed the case. But the two of us merely cannot bear to see a spiritual treasure cast away in the mortal dust, nor can we bear to see someone as gifted and intelligent as little brother—"

"Then here is the problem." Li Yunxin grabbed pine nuts from the small basket on the table and shook his head. "Since you think that treasure can be offered to a school or Grotto Heaven—oh, the incredibly impressive sects you mentioned earlier—then it must be unbelievably precious. So... can you tell me what treasure you are looking for? That way I will have some idea, and can go search through my room in a moment."

Red Pine Master's expression changed as he was about to speak, but Li Yunxin continued chattering while grabbing pine nuts. "Then there is another problem. Look, you think my parents were no ordinary people. By normal logic, I should not be ordinary either. Then you should not try to fool me with what you just said. But you still did it—does that mean you got some news from somewhere, some information about me, and decided that I truly knew nothing? That I was just a child?"

"You came without understanding my situation, and you do not even know exactly what treasure you want... so does that mean you killed the people who truly knew and had planned to come deal with me? Haha, yes, that must be it—so you only know half of it yourselves and have no idea what exactly it is that you are looking for."

The two Daoists exchanged a glance. Suddenly, they felt that there was a trace of sinister energy about the youth before them—he did not seem like a fourteen-year-old boy at all, but more like some ancient monster!

And yet everything he said was true!

How had he figured it out?!

"I also know that you two wanted to trick me into handing over the treasure, then kill me." Li Yunxin sat up straight and pointed at his face. "There are far too many flaws on your faces. People say that murderous light shows in the eyes; the light in yours could be used as searchlights."

Kangcangzi suddenly sneered. "Oh, you are right. All of it—you are right. We did kill an injured old fellow. They said he was even from a Dao Lineage grotto-heaven—so impressive. But now you are merely a mountain brat. No matter how much you know... hehehe. You think you have some tricks, but do you know what tricks my brother and I possess?"

"Your parents were merely two traitorous disciples of the True Martial Sect. They stole a treasure and fled here. They say their talisman arts were passable, but do you know who we are?!"

He slapped the table and shouted toward the air, "Sword, come!"

From nowhere, a long sword of refined steel, two fingers wide, tore through the air and landed in his palm with a snap.

Red Pine Master also rose silently to his feet, and a steel sword likewise appeared in his hand.

The three had originally sat around the table. Now the two long swords lay across Li Yunxin's front, sealing off all his routes of retreat.

Yet after Chisongzi stood, Li Yunxin instead slapped the table as well and sprang to his feet. Not yielding in the slightest, he shouted fiercely, "You want to know what I have? Hm? Fine, I'll tell you. The treasure in my hands—listen carefully—is precisely the secret canon of the Way of Painting, the Luminous Jade Slip! You two want this? Hm? You want this? Fine, kill me and take it! Once you take it, if even the slightest whisper leaks out, let's see whether you can swallow it down! Ordinary people cannot bear it? Can you bear this thing?!"

The moment Chisongzi and Kangcangzi heard the four words "Luminous Jade Slip," their eyes widened sharply, and they froze for an instant.

That old Daoist from the Grotto Heaven... had only said it was... "A Myriad Miles Landscape" left behind by a Danqing Daoist a thousand years ago?

Welcome, esteemed readers, to read the newest, fastest, hottest serialized works here! Mobile users, please read on mobile.