A seed

"What exactly is cultivating the Dao?" Su Mo asked.

Su Mo was full of curiosity about cultivation in this world.

"Cultivation is really about cultivating the heart. You gain insights into life in different ways... for instance, I use the sword to understand the freedom of repaying kindness and settling grudges; Luo Yin uses music to understand emotions. With insight, gains naturally follow!" Gu Yu explained patiently. He did not know why, but although Su Mo appeared to be an ordinary person, he was still willing to answer his questions.

After all, he looked cultured and refined, was pleasant enough to look at, and could even play the flute-and quite well, too.

Gu Yu suddenly thought of that bunch of oddballs at the academy... how wonderful it would be if the academy had someone this normal!

Cultivation is cultivating the heart... Su Mo pondered, puzzled.

"How do you connect cultivating the heart with cultivation?"

Gu Yu gave Su Mo a surprised glance... he knew nothing about cultivation, yet could identify the key to taking its first step.

"Ten thousand changes never depart from their root. Every Dao ultimately cultivates the person themselves. Cultivating the heart is only a broad concept. The body follows the heart..."

Gu Yu deliberated briefly, as though making a decision.

"Since you just did her a great favor, I'll give you a gift."

Su Mo's eyes lit up. He waved the Heart Flute in his hand and asked, "Are you going to give me this flute?"

After all, this flute looked valuable at a glance... Then I won't have to worry about having no money, Su Mo thought. I'll sell it later.

At those words, Gu Yu's face darkened. He could barely resist drawing his sword and simply hacking the man before him to death.

"Not this. It belongs to my teacher. I only borrowed it temporarily." Gu Yu told a little lie. He had actually stolen it.

Su Mo was thoroughly disappointed. "What, then?"

"A seed."

Su Mo's face filled with confusion.

Gu Yu extended his hand, and a small sword shimmering with golden light formed in his palm.

With a wave of Gu Yu's hand, the little sword flew toward Su Mo's chest. It kept going, merging into his chest as Su Mo stared, dumbstruck.

As the little sword merged into him, Su Mo instantly felt warm all over, as though something had been added to his body. A warm presence spread throughout him. Just as Gu Yu had said...

A seed had been planted.

This seed only needed to wait for spring to arrive before it could sprout and grow.

It needed an opportunity.

"This is..." Su Mo was utterly astonished.

Gu Yu beckoned, and the jade flute in Su Mo's hand flew into his own. It flew rather slowly, though, as if extremely reluctant.

Gu Yu glared at the jade flute, then turned and drifted away, giving Su Mo his answer as he left.

"This is the key that connects cultivating the heart with cultivation... spiritual power!"

Carrying the Heart Flute, Gu Yu returned to the Riverboat Pavilion's upper deck. By then, the guests there had long since left satisfied. Today's harmonious duet of zither and flute would surely become a celebrated tale in Capital City.

The guests had gone, leaving the Riverboat Pavilion empty except for a few courtesans, maidservants, and Luo Yin, who was staying there temporarily.

As soon as Gu Yu entered, he saw Luo Yin staring blankly at the windowsill... her eyes shimmered, as though she were thinking about something.

"Oh my~ It looks like our great artist Luo really is yearning for romance... just look at the spring in those eyes!" Gu Yu teased.

Luo Yin rolled her eyes at Gu Yu and asked with apparent casualness, "How did it go?"

"That's right, it's the Heart Flute! I got it back!" Gu Yu casually offered the Heart Flute to Luo Yin.

"I've already broken through, so I don't need it anymore." Luo Yin looked at the Heart Flute and shook her head. Then she fell silent and turned to look out the window, as though nothing else concerned her.

Gu Yu watched Luo Yin with a fixed smile and said nothing... instead, he picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, and leisurely began drinking.

A long while passed...

Looking out the window, Luo Yin spoke as though asking an idle question.

"Oh... right. Who was playing the flute?"

Gu Yu acted equally unconcerned.

"Hmm... he seemed to be an ordinary person!"

Luo Yin froze...

"An ordinary person? Ordinary in what way?"

Gu Yu smiled...

"He hasn't cultivated... seems to be a scholar who came to the capital to sit the examination..."

Luo Yin nodded and poured herself a cup of tea as well, taking a small sip.

"How could an ordinary person make the Heart Flute sound?" Luo Yin asked with apparent indifference... I'm only concerned about the Heart Flute!

"I don't know. Maybe there's something special about him!" Gu Yu curled his lip... Who the fuck are you trying to fool!

Su Mo returned to his little Painted Pleasure Boat, slumped onto the rocking chair, and stared dazedly up at the night sky.

Seeing Su Mo return, the little girl immediately bounced over to his side. Finding him lost in thought, she asked in confusion, "What's wrong, young master?"

"Someone bullied me!" Su Mo sighed... He just flew off like that. I still had so many questions to ask.

The little girl rolled up her sleeves like an enraged little tiger cub and declared in her childish voice, "Who bullied my young master? I'll go bite him to death!"

Su Mo turned his head, laughter in his eyes, and ruffled the little girl's hair.

She was only a little over ten, still at an age when a gust of wind could topple her. She lived cautiously in this world, yet bared her teeth and claws to defend him.

That day, snow had swirled thickly through the air. Newly arrived in this world, Su Mo was experiencing his first winter here. This world's winters were especially cold.

Su Mo had spotted a little girl trembling by the roadside. Her tangled hair obscured her face, but through it, he could see a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.

That bewildered gaze struck a chord in Su Mo, as though he were looking at his own equally lost self.

Su Mo bought two steamed buns and handed them to the little girl.

Flustered, the little girl cautiously accepted the buns and began eating with great care. Yet she ate only one, returning the other to Su Mo.

At the time, Su Mo had only just arrived and did not know how to tie up his hair or wear this world's clothes. Disheveled from head to toe, he looked little better than the girl. She thought Su Mo was wandering homeless like her and feared that if she ate too much, the older boy before her would go hungry.

A stray dog lunged at Su Mo, aiming for the remaining bun in his hand.

The little girl rushed out and stood in front of Su Mo, baring her teeth and claws to scare the stray dog away.

Looking at that tiny figure before him, Su Mo felt as though lightning had struck him.

Su Mo offered the remaining bun to the little girl again, but she shook her head.

Su Mo bought two more buns and ate both in front of her before offering her the other bun again. Only then did she take it and begin eating happily, a smile emerging on her face.

"Where do you live?" Su Mo asked.

The little girl shook her head blankly.

"Are there any adults left in your family?"

The little girl shook her head again.

"Would you like to come with me? I'm going to Capital City to become an official, and I need someone to look after me!" Su Mo coaxed. "I can take you to eat lots of delicious things."

He could not bear to leave this little girl wandering the streets! Though he had seen countless displaced people along the way, he could not let go of this one frail child who had stood before him and frightened away a stray dog, even though he himself was only in his teens.

At his words, the little girl raised her head and looked at Su Mo.

After a long while... she nodded.