Turbid Torrent

Liu Zhijian suddenly broke into a fit of coughing, a great volume of clear water pouring from his mouth. The bizarre sight was truly frightening.

Jiang Xiaoyu's eyes widened, and she was about to step forward to see what was happening.

Hua Chunning reacted swiftly, grabbing Jiang Xiaoyu in one motion.

Here in the Ancestral Hall, before the sect master himself, Supreme Mystery Mountain's current eldest senior brother had suddenly been stricken with a strange illness. It was no matter for a little mortal girl to interfere in.

Liu Zhijian was stunned as well. He tried to explain, only to find clear water flowing from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

Li Chengxuan's expression did not change. He turned to Hua Chunning and said, "You two, leave."

"Yes." Hua Chunning dared not delay. She scooped up Jiang Xiaoyu, who was still struggling, and left the Ancestral Hall.

Only Li Chengxuan and Liu Zhijian remained in the Ancestral Hall.

Li Chengxuan did not hurry to deal with the matter. Instead, he said, "Normally, after Qi Ingestion, one begins practicing a Cultivation Method, bringing body and consciousness into harmony with one's Manifestation."

"But you were delayed outside for quite some time. Now your Manifestation has grown far beyond your body and Divine Sense, so it has filled to overflowing."

"Back in High Antiquity, many of the 'innate anomalies' recorded in the lives of great cultivators came about much the same way."

After his initial panic, Liu Zhijian gradually calmed down. Seeing that his master still had leisure to talk about ancient times, he knew all the more certainly that his life was not in danger.

The overfull Kan Water Manifestation followed the Clear Qi Above the River, turning into clear river water that poured ceaselessly from his mouth and nose.

A short while later, Liu Zhijian returned to normal. Looking at the clear water on the ground, he could not help marveling.

The way of cultivation truly was wondrous.

Li Chengxuan took out two Jade Slips and explained, "These are the two highest-grade Kan Water Cultivation Methods in the sect. Both are third-grade and can be cultivated to the completion of Foundation Establishment, but both lack the part needed to break through to the Purple Mansion."

He raised his left hand slightly and continued, "This Cultivation Method is called the River and Great Mound Scripture. I found it in the sect's library."

"I looked through it briefly. It should undoubtedly be an orthodox ancient method. Its imagery is drawn from rivers rushing forth, blocked by mountains and mounds. It emphasizes overcoming dangers and tribulations and gathering one's fate. It has quite an ancient air to it, but it is harder to cultivate."

Then he introduced the Jade Slip in his right hand. "This Cultivation Method is called the River and Sea One Qi Scripture. It was sent by Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain. Its intent is to swallow streams and rivers and accomplish everything in one breath: to devour rivers and merge them into oneself. I reckon it was created by some great cultivator before the tribulation and struggle between the New and Old Methods. It counts as a method that incorporates the ancient."

"Because it incorporates ideas from the New Method, it is much easier to cultivate."

"Two Cultivation Methods, two Dao Paths. The choice is yours."

After listening, Liu Zhijian pondered for a moment and made his decision. He reached out with both hands and accepted the River and Great Mound Scripture.

Li Chengxuan gave no indication of approval or disapproval. He put away the other Jade Slip and casually asked, "Why didn't you choose the easier River and Sea One Qi Scripture?"

"Master," Liu Zhijian replied. He concealed nothing, speaking his true thoughts. "This disciple is not a hidebound traditionalist who reveres the past and scorns the present. In truth, I don't care where a Cultivation Method comes from or how difficult it is to cultivate."

"It's just that, after hearing your explanation, I couldn't help recalling my years traveling and fishing."

"Rivers, lakes, and seas belong to nature and the world to begin with."

"Some people, for their own selfish desires, forcibly seize them and treat them as private property. Yet they fail to take proper care of them, turning many clear rivers foul and murky and snuffing out all life within them."

"This disciple loathes such things with every fiber of his being."

"Unfortunately, my station was low, and I was powerless to stop them."

"This disciple is nothing more than a humble angler. Now that I have set foot on the immortal path, I am already completely satisfied. So even if my Dao Path is cut short, I will never swallow streams and rivers."

"Perhaps I will be powerless to change the world in this lifetime, but I still intend to hold fast to my heart and not let the world change me."

Having chosen a Cultivation Method, Liu Zhijian went into seclusion to cultivate and bring his Manifestation into order.

Jiang Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was carefree. Even in a completely unfamiliar place, she showed not the slightest trace of nervousness or fear. Every day she climbed up and down the mountain, playing until her head was covered in sweat and enjoying herself immensely.

Sometimes she would also trail behind Hua Chunning, supposedly helping but actually making trouble.

"Senior Sister, Senior Sister," Jiang Xiaoyu said ingratiatingly. "Take me down the mountain to play again."

"Call me Martial Aunt!" Hua Chunning corrected her somewhat helplessly.

By allowing Jiang Xiaoyu into the Ancestral Hall, an important place within the sect, the sect master had already made his attitude clear.

Jiang Xiaoyu was now also a Registered Disciple of Supreme Mystery Mountain.

She was, however, under Liu Zhijian's name, making her Hua Chunning's junior.

At the foot of Supreme Mystery Mountain, Liu Zhijian had called Hua Chunning "Junior Sister," granting her some Kan Water and just barely completing her Manifestation.

Hua Chunning was naturally deeply grateful.

But Liu Zhijian was the sect master's personal disciple and Supreme Mystery Mountain's current eldest senior brother. His status was far beyond anything Hua Chunning could compare with.

Now he had also gone into seclusion to cultivate.

So Hua Chunning turned that gratitude toward her little martial niece Jiang Xiaoyu, whom Liu Zhijian had personally brought up the mountain and treated almost as his own child. She chose some introductory Daoist scriptures and taught her personally.

Unexpectedly, though Jiang Xiaoyu seemed clever and quick-witted, she simply was not cut out for study. She cared only about having fun.

As soon as she sat down, she would examine what the meditation cushion was made of. As soon as she opened a Daoist scripture, she would try to tear out a couple of pages to fold into cats and dogs.

In the end, Hua Chunning did not dare forcibly restrain and discipline her, so she could only let her be.

Jiang Xiaoyu was free, but this made her set her sights on the library.

A few days earlier, she had stolen an ember from the Hua Household and secretly prepared to burn down the library at night, putting an end to future trouble.

From then on, Hua Chunning never dared take Jiang Xiaoyu down the mountain again.

Jiang Xiaoyu pestered her for a while longer, then, finding it no fun, took the medicinal herb hoe she had stolen from the Hua Household at the foot of the mountain and went to dig a channel beside the mountain's spirit creek. She meant to divert the water over and flood the library.

The spirit creek on the mountain did not carry much water, and the library was protected by a formation.

As for Jiang Xiaoyu's grand plan to flood the library, Hua Chunning simply pretended not to see it.

In the blink of an eye, the Grain Rain season arrived.

A light drizzle began to fall over Supreme Mystery Mountain.

Hua Chunning was somewhat moved.

Had she not encountered the Mortal World Tribulation in the Grotto-Heaven, she might still have been augmenting her Manifestation and gathering the three phases of Grain Rain, and none of the twists and turns that followed would have happened.

As she was thinking this, she faintly heard the roar of rushing water.

Jiang Xiaoyu dropped her medicinal herb hoe and ran as fast as her two short little legs could carry her, shouting as she ran, "A flood! A flood!"

Hua Chunning was startled to hear it.

How could there possibly be a flood on Supreme Mystery Mountain?!

As she wondered, she saw surging waves pour out behind Jiang Xiaoyu and sweep her up.

Hua Chunning went pale with shock. She hurried forward, pulled Jiang Xiaoyu out of the water, and held her up in one hand.

Jiang Xiaoyu's face was full of grievance and confusion.

Hua Chunning looked closely and discovered that it was the little creek on the mountain. For some reason, its flow had increased many times over, and it was rushing down the little channel Jiang Xiaoyu had dug.

The mountain flood poured down in surging waves, heading straight for the cave abode where Liu Zhijian was cultivating in seclusion.

A figure was slowly walking out of the cave abode. It was Liu Zhijian.

The roaring, turbid torrent struck the space before Liu Zhijian as though blocked by a mountain ridge. Unable to advance another inch, it could only flow back, turning into a smooth, waveless current that spread out, its earlier terrifying force gone.

Hua Chunning set Jiang Xiaoyu down. "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on succeeding in your cultivation."

Liu Zhijian had used the River and Great Mound Scripture to bring his Kan Water Manifestation into order. It had become restrained and ordinary, with none of its former astonishing aspect. He shook his head slightly and said, "I've barely gotten started, that's all."

The creek water, which had surged under the influence of Liu Zhijian's successful cultivation, gradually subsided as well.

Jiang Xiaoyu paid no attention to any of this. She went up to him and said with perfect seriousness, "Senior Brother Liu, I looked carefully. There aren't any fish in the creek on the mountain. It's no fun at all!"