Tricking Someone into Holding Him

Xie Xiyi questioned him in an icy voice. "Did you cultivate today?"

Xiaoqiu said, "Uh, Your Highness, I cultivated for six hours today."

Xie Xiyi said, "A mere six hours, and you're proud of yourself? With ordinary talent, you must work harder than others. If others cultivate for twelve hours a day, you must cultivate for twenty-four."

Chi Yu couldn't help speaking up. "Wait, senior brother, he's only ten. Why demand so much of him?"

Xie Xiyi said, "You reached Foundation Establishment in your teens. Surely that cultivation came from diligent practice day and night. So exacting with yourself, yet so lenient with others-what are your intentions?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Great, the peacemaker got punched.jpg

Chi Yu turned to Xiaoqiu. "Xiaoqiu, tell him how many hours I cultivate each day."

Xiaoqiu said, "...Your Highness, Brother Aotian only cultivates for three hours a day. He's even lazier than I am!"

Xie Xiyi looked at Chi Yu in some disbelief, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "Three hours?"

Chi Yu said with perfect confidence, "I'm busy. I have test papers to do, too. Cultivating for three hours a day is already being generous."

Xie Xiyi's gaze traveled over him, finding it hard to imagine how he had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Zizai Continent did not test spiritual roots, but Xie Xiyi could tell that Chi Yu's were not particularly good. Very little spiritual energy entered him with each breath.

With excellent spiritual roots, spiritual energy would ordinarily mingle and flow into the qi apertures.

As far as Xie Xiyi could see, Chi Yu had at least three types of spiritual roots.

Still, he couldn't jump to conclusions.

After all, Chi Yu possessed great Buddhist affinity.

Spiritual roots, innate constitution, and comprehension were all important to a cultivator.

Xiaoqiu had an excellent innate constitution-as did all members of the Great Xia Imperial Clan-but his comprehension was truly ordinary, even somewhat dull. Despite the Xie Clan's unique cultivation method, he had started cultivating at six and only reached the qi refining third layer in four years. He could be called exceedingly dull.

Achieving this level of cultivation was already fairly good.

As for Long, even if he had five spiritual roots, with such exceptional comprehension, experiencing enlightenment at every moment, it was entirely possible for his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

While Xie Xiyi was thinking, before he could speak, Chi Yu hurried into the kitchen. "Xiaoqiu, make some tea and invite His Highness to sit down. I'm going to cook."

Xie Xiyi's eyes shifted, and Xiaoqiu gave him an awkward smile. "Your Highness, come and sit."

The corners of Xie Xiyi's lips lifted in a faint, ambiguous smile. "You've become his little houseboy."

Xiaoqiu pouted. "That's not my fault. You were the one who gave me to him."

Xie Xiyi sat down. Xiaoqiu deftly took a tin of tea from the cabinet, fetched a teacup and boiling water, and brewed tea for him.

He was used to doing these things and felt no discomfort. He merely lowered his voice and whispered, "Your Highness, this tea is a bit poor, but it's not as though we need fine tea, is it? Please make do."

Xie Xiyi said nothing and lifted the tea to drink.

Chi Yu spent half an hour making three dishes and a soup, cooking an extra portion of rice. Not knowing how much an adult cultivator ate, he went by Xie Xiyi's build and made him twice as much rice as himself.

Xiaoqiu deftly served Xie Xiyi rice and used jade chopsticks to place food in his bowl.

Chi Yu now got to observe firsthand how a crown prince ate.

He had to admit, it was quite pleasing to the eye.

Xie Xiyi took a bite of Chi Yu's scrambled eggs, and his desireless lips and tongue were instantly touched with a hint of life.

It wasn't that he had never eaten food, but his distant memories told him that even the finest chefs in the imperial kitchens had never made anything as delicious as this.

There was feeling in it, intense feeling, carrying a faint sorrow, but still more vigorous life and tranquility.

Movement and stillness came naturally; karmic affinities came naturally.

Xie Xiyi paused slightly as he ate, his golden eyes involuntarily turning toward Chi Yu.

Chi Yu watched him with a smile, seemingly a little expectant. "Senior brother, how is it? Is it good?"

Xie Xiyi said calmly, "Yes. Your cooking is delicious."

After a pause, he asked, "What dish is this?"

Chi Yu answered, "It's home cooking, bringing you a taste of home. What do you think, senior brother? Does eating it make you a little homesick?"

Xie Xiyi glanced at him. "I think you're the one who's homesick."

Chi Yu readily admitted it. "Yes, I miss home."

This time, Xie Xiyi did not have Xiaoqiu serve him. He picked up his own chopsticks, took a bite, and savored it.

To blend the seven emotions and six desires into his dishes, yet appear so detached from worldly things-

Long Aotian had the makings of a Buddha-son.

Xie Xiyi's tone softened somewhat. "You could become a Buddha-son."

Chi Yu answered without thinking. "No. You do it."

Xie Xiyi: "No, you do it."

Chi Yu: "No, no, no. You do it."

Xie Xiyi: "Do you know what standing a Buddha-son holds?"

Chi Yu: "I don't know, and I don't want to. I'm not doing it."

Xie Xiyi said, "You'll regret it someday."

Chi Yu said, "I never regret anything."

Xie Xiyi: "You will."

Chi Yu: "I won't."

Xiaoqiu: "..."

Your Highness, even if Brother Aotian becomes a Buddha-son, he'd be the Buddha-son of another Buddhist sect. You'd still have to be one!

Your Highness!

Author's note:

Buddha-son: Am I something that worthless? Nobody wants to be me QAQ

Little Puppy Fish: Hairstyles matter!

[1] This is a quotation from a poem by Li Bai.

Chapter 27: Tricking Someone into Holding Him

Chi Yu truly had little interest in becoming a Buddha-son.

Even if it would bring more cultivation resources, he didn't take it to heart.

After all, he had a mission and had never intended to stay in the cultivation world forever.

But sometimes, when opportunities insisted on falling into his hands, there was nothing he could do.

Perhaps he had left Lecturer Hong with too good an impression. On his day off, Lecturer Hong sent him a message asking him to come over.

The message talisman transformed into a white butterfly and fluttered ahead to lead the way. Seeing that Chi Yu hadn't moved, it flew back and bobbed in front of him, reminding him to follow.

Chi Yu quickly came to his senses and followed.

The butterfly flew leisurely for quite some time before finally bringing Chi Yu to the foot of a mountain. A long flight of steps climbed the mountain, its end out of sight. Young and healthy as he was, Chi Yu felt no fear at the sight of those steps and started up them.

Lush greenery lined both sides of the mountain path, suffused with the glow of rich spiritual energy. Buddhist chants drifted down from the summit. Sensing something, Chi Yu hesitated inwardly.

What Senior Brother Xuanji had said around noon finally put Chi Yu somewhat on his guard.

If even the future Buddha-son said he was suited to becoming a Buddha-son, would his teacher let him off?

Could this be...

Chi Yu thought to himself that he must have drawn too much attention earlier.

But Long Aotian was supposed to take on heaven and earth. There was nothing wrong with him showing off.

I'll handle whatever comes. In any case, there's no way I'm becoming some Buddha-son.

With that thought, Chi Yu's mood grew peaceful again. He huffed and puffed his way up for over an hour before finally reaching the top.

At the end of the steps stood a building about two stories high, with incense smoke curling up from the temple roof, carrying a clear fragrance that could stir the spiritual mind.

The sun shone brightly and the breeze was gentle, the fragrant grasses serene, the orchids and fine trees lending the scene a poetic beauty.

Chi Yu stood on the mountaintop admiring the scenery until the butterfly flew before him again, shimmering with spiritual light and fluttering its wings as though urging him on.

Chi Yu smiled. "I know. Don't rush me, don't rush me."

He walked toward the building and entered its vermilion gates, where he saw Lecturer Hong. Beside Lecturer Hong stood a senior monk with fair, clear skin and a solemn, dignified appearance, looking very compassionate.

Seeing him arrive, Lecturer Hong smiled and beckoned him over to sit, introducing them. "Young friend Aotian, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Venerable Hanshan of the Zhengtong Buddhist Sect."

Chi Yu thought, Just as I suspected!

He respectfully bowed to Venerable Hanshan. "Greetings, Venerable."

Venerable Hanshan smiled at him. "Please sit here."

Chi Yu obediently went over and sat down.

Venerable Hanshan reached out and took his wrist, carefully feeling his way up from his wrist to his shoulder. Chi Yu didn't ask what he was doing. Since he already understood certain things, there was no need to voice them and make himself look inferior.

Venerable Hanshan observed his expression, his smile unchanged, his rich Buddhist voice echoing through the building. "Your talent is indeed excellent. In my view, you are on par with Xuanji, perhaps even slightly better."

Chi Yu froze. Had he actually received such high praise?

Venerable Hanshan said, "But you are not of this world, are you?"

Chi Yu: "!!!"

He met Venerable Hanshan's eyes, his mind reeling. "How did you know?"

Venerable Hanshan smiled. "A world in a flower, enlightenment in a leaf. Is that so, or not?"

Chi Yu nodded emphatically. He opened his mouth to say something, but Venerable Hanshan seemed to know what he wanted to say. He took out a large pearl and offered it to him. "This is a supreme Buddhist treasure. Fill it through your cultivation, and you will be able to fulfill your wish."

Chi Yu instinctively moved to accept it, but stopped just as he extended his hand and asked somewhat warily, "Do I need to give anything in return?"

Venerable Hanshan smiled. "Nothing at all. All this comes from the convergence of causes and conditions. You and I share this stretch of karmic affinity. Once I give you this treasure, that affinity will end. That is all."

Only then did Chi Yu relax, saying gratefully, "Thank you, Venerable."

He reached out to accept the pearl and put it in his Sumeru Ring.

Venerable Hanshan said, "If there is nothing else, go back and cultivate."

Chi Yu bowed to him, then turned and left.

Only after Chi Yu had left did Lecturer Hong speak to Venerable Hanshan. "You truly don't intend to take him as Zhengtong's Buddha-son?"

Venerable Hanshan said, "His will is firm, beyond an ordinary person's ability to sway. Though he has the qualities of a Buddha-son, his heart has a place to return to. That is attachment."

Lecturer Hong said, "Xuanji is the same."