The author of this article

Chapter 193 Mao Dong
Breaking through to a higher realm through seclusion is not an easy thing. Even with the highest talent, one will encounter a bottleneck. This is the limitation that Heaven imposes on the human race.

After half a year of continuous breakthroughs, the young apprentice, who was only one step away from the Boundless Realm, also encountered an insurmountable bottleneck.

During those days, her mind was in turmoil, and the small room she usually used to calm herself down was of no use at all.

Yan Shu also knew that if she continued to cultivate in this way, her Dao heart might be afflicted by demons.

Just then, snow began to fall.

There is no heavy snow in Lingzhou, only a few scattered flakes.

But these few scattered fragments reminded her of this time last year, of her longest journey through the martial world, of her casual encounters with strange men, of the fireside chats and roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast on winter days, and so the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was lost again…

"Senior Sister Zhuo, you were lying to me after all!"

"You can't just say things like that, Cui'er. How did I lie to you?"

"You said the Master of Appraisal was just going down the mountain for a stroll and told me not to be anxious, but it's been three days already and the Master of Appraisal still hasn't returned. The Peak Master even came to ask me about it yesterday!"

“I’m not lying to you. The appraiser was indeed feeling down, so he went down the mountain for a stroll, but… but this time he might have gone a bit too far.”

"But there has to be a destination, right? Senior Sister Zhuo, just tell me, where did the Master of Appraisal go?"

Zhuo Wanqiu stood atop the mountain and pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "Where else could they have gone? The Master of Appraisal has gone to visit his relatives, hasn't he?"

When I was little, my mother always said that women are the most outgoing, and once they get married, they will always be thinking about their husband's family.

She thought that a woman of Xiao Jianzhu's status must be different, but she later discovered that Xiao Jianzhu was just like everyone else.

Ever since she hit a bottleneck in her progress, she's been complaining about how boring it is up in the mountains.

In Zhuo Wanqiu's opinion, this wasn't because she was bored on the mountain, but simply because she had someone she wanted to see in Shengjing.

As dusk approached, the last rays of the setting sun poured into the civil servants' residences, illuminating the quiet courtyard with a radiant glow.

Kuang Cheng rolled up his sleeves and started cooking again. The stove fire, which had not yet gone out, was relit, while a conversation could be heard from inside the main house.

"You've broken through to a higher realm?"

"Breaking through a barrier is not something that can be accomplished in a day. The process is bound to be full of ups and downs. I have just encountered a bottleneck, which is why I decided to go down the mountain and travel around 'aimlessly'."

"How could someone wander aimlessly through the streets and alleys to get here?"

"It was a coincidence..."

Ji You wasn't annoyed; a smile played on her lips as she thought to herself, "Say what you will."

A girl traveled a long way to Shengjing to find him, and even arranged so many plays all by herself. It would be a lie to say he wasn't happy, so he felt it didn't matter what she said.

Even if she said she came to Shengjing to kill him, Ji You might still stand tall and cooperate with her.

Yan Shuyi was a little embarrassed and annoyed to see him always smiling: "You don't believe me?"

Ji You shook her head: "It's not that I don't believe it, it's just that I still can't process it. Seeing you sitting alive in front of me feels like a dream."

Yan Shuyi was taken aback: "You... you often dream that I appear in front of you?"

"If you're dreaming, then it's not just something right in front of you."

"?"

Wei Rui carried the washed vegetable leaves into the kitchen, glanced at Kuang Cheng who was cooking, and said, "The relationship between Young Master Ji and his wife is really strange."

Kuang Cheng glanced at her: "What's strange?"

"Just now at the door, Madam Ji insisted that Young Master Ji say what a coincidence, and she would get angry if he didn't say so. Then she said that he just wandered around and accidentally met him. But when I came, I saw that she had been wandering outside the door for almost half an hour, and there were his footprints all over the ground."

Wei Rui said softly, "Even after we went inside, Madam Ji's eyes were glued to Young Master Ji the whole time, she couldn't take her eyes off him, but she had to keep a cold expression on her face."

Kuang Cheng thought for a moment: "Perhaps this is the majesty of the empress."

Wei Rui paused for a moment after hearing this, then put on a cold expression: "Just focus on cooking, you ordinary, unremarkable stranger..."

"???"

Wei Rui turned around and went into the courtyard. She looked into the house through the door frame, got into position, and prepared to study seriously.

Meanwhile, Yan Shuyi inside the house remained indifferent, claiming it was a chance encounter. If Ji You disagreed, her delicate, jade-like feet, clad in boots, would kick his knee.

But those deep, beautiful eyes, just as Wei Rui had said, though feigning indifference, were always glued to the other person.

As the sun sets, sunlight streams through the window, making the eyelashes of the woman before me shine brilliantly, and adding a halo to her delicate, flawless face. She truly deserves the title of "national beauty and heavenly fragrance."

Ji You looked at her for a long time: "How many days do you plan to stay in Shengjing this time?"

Yan Shuyi swung her legs and said without thinking, "Shengjing is nothing special. It's far inferior to my Lingzhou. It's only worth seeing on snowy days. I'll be going back in a few days."

"Continue in seclusion?"

"Yes, for Xuanjian Peak to be stable, and even for Lingjian Mountain to be stable, I need to cultivate to a higher level."

I sent you a letter a while ago, why didn't you reply?

"As the esteemed judge, I hold a high position and receive numerous letters daily. Do I really have to reply to every single one? Wouldn't that exhaust me?"

Yan Shuyi's voice suddenly became strained as she spoke, and she whimpered for a long time before realizing that her tone was wrong. So she frowned and decided not to speak anymore.

I caught a cold and my throat is sore.

Just then, a series of footsteps sounded, and Kuang Shusheng brought out a few stir-fried dishes, which were now on the table.

So the two women, who hadn't eaten yet, sat at the same table. Ji You and Kuang Cheng drank some of the leftover fried peanuts and fried pork cracklings, each looking at their respective girls.

"Brother Ji."

"Ok?"

Ji You turned to look at Kuang Cheng, paused slightly, and thought to herself that the scholar who was eating at the same table with her looked very familiar.

Kuang Cheng wasn't surprised by the look in his eyes; he had experienced this kind of mental overload, where he couldn't recognize his friends.

The scholar took a sip of his drink: "Brother Ji, seize the opportunity. Your house is very large and quite empty."

Ji You: "..."

Wei Rui and Yan Shu exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat bewildered.

Wei Rui had heard this phrase before, but she still didn't understand its meaning. She always felt it was some kind of secret code between them, something strange and odd...

We ate and drank, and the sun began to slowly set.

Wei Rui and Yan Shuyi chatted while eating, asking each other where they lived, how old they were, and how many people were in their families. Although it was their first time meeting, they didn't feel like strangers.

Yan Shuyi was actually a little surprised, because she had never experienced equal sisterly affection in all these years, and for some reason she felt a natural affinity for this ordinary woman in front of her.

In this respect, Wei Rui, who had studied music, chess, calligraphy and painting since childhood and had read countless plays about talented scholars and beautiful women, knew much more than the young appraiser.

Their natural closeness stems from the fact that their beloved is a sworn brother.

This kind of relationship, which doesn't involve disputes over family property but is as close as brothers, will inevitably lead to a deep bond between the sisters-in-law.

In addition, Wei Rui also felt a shared goal of marrying and moving to Fengzhou with her sister in the future, and considered them like-minded friends.

Before long, Wei Rui was already calling Yan Shuyi "elder sister," and Yan Shuyi also thought she spoke nicely, so she gave her a beautiful jade bracelet.

By the time the meal was over, the sky outside the window was gradually darkening, and dusk was approaching.

Wei Rui got up, intending to go back.

She wasn't a cultivator, and as a young lady from the capital, spending the night in the home of a single man was bound to draw criticism.

"Shall we go back too?"

Ji You put down her chopsticks and looked at Yan Shuyi.

The young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain raised his eyes, thinking that the appraiser should return to the inn. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kuang Cheng clench his fist and raise his arm towards the stranger...

Kuang Cheng's current residence is not far from the bustling city. On the way back to Nishan, he will pass several inns, one of which is where the young master of Lingjian Mountain is going to stay.

Yan Shuyi walked over and took a look, thinking to himself that it was time to say goodbye.

But soon, she saw Ji You stop ahead, look at her with some confusion, and then wave to her.

After a moment's thought, the young appraiser silently followed him up the Nishan Divine Path, registered Zhuo Yao's false identity at the Steward's Office, and walked into the courtyard.

However, when passing the Baiyutai Terrace, Yan Shuyi walked straight towards Ji You's old courtyard in the outer courtyard, like a cat that knows its home.

"Wrong go."

"?"

"After entering the inner courtyard, I moved to another courtyard and no longer live there. The reason I asked you to register is because the inner courtyard cannot be entered at will."

Ji You pointed to the vast forest and then muttered to himself, thinking to himself that this girl had planned to come back with me from the beginning.

The young appraiser squinted his eyes: "You go first."

"Even though he didn't know the way, he acted as if he were home..."

Ji You whispered something, and saw a pink fist raised. She immediately led her towards the inner courtyard and arrived at the Immortal Abode Villa.

The young appraiser stepped into the room, looked around, and then went into the bedroom on his own. As soon as he looked up, he saw his own teacup on the lacquered red wooden cabinet.

I bought that last time I came here. When I left, I told Ji You to keep it for him so he could use it next time he came.

When she went up the mountain, she thought that Ji You had changed courtyards and might not still have the cup, but she didn't expect it to still be there, and there was no dust on it.

She didn't tell Ji You when she came, so he couldn't have wiped it beforehand. The only possibility is that he cleans the cups regularly and is waiting for her to come...

Light the stove, ignite the fire, brew tea, and roast sweet potatoes.

Yan Shuyi took her stool back from the corner, with the cotton cushion she had used last time still on it, and then sat down in front of the stove.

It even knows where to go.

Ji You lit the stove and placed the teapot on it, feeling as if she had returned to a year ago. Yan Shuyi also had the same feeling, as if she had never left Shengjing since that trip.

After all, she had been in seclusion for half a year, and there were no other memorable moments in her life. Looking back, the most vivid memory was her winter night conversation with this stranger.

At this moment, Ji You poked the stove a few times, and seeing the flames rise, he got up and sat on the stool to the right and behind Yan Shuyi.

"When I arrived, they told me you had broken through to a higher realm?"

"Yes, I went into seclusion briefly after returning to the Heavenly Academy, and I just broke through to a higher realm a few days ago."

"Are you going to participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly?"

"It's not just for the Heavenly Dao Association, I just want to make myself stronger."

When will the sweet potatoes be ready?

"It'll be a while, you're not in a hurry."

"Is Wei Rui Kuang Cheng's lover?"

"Your use of the word 'lover' seems a bit too simplistic; 'sweetheart' would be a more appropriate term..."

"How is Fengzhou?"

"With the tax reductions and exemptions, things should be a bit better next year as we wait to reclaim the wasteland."

The stove was warm, the tea was fragrant, and the two of them looked a little dazed as they chatted idly, seemingly having a lot to say but not knowing where to begin.

Then, while whispering amongst themselves, their eyes darted around and eventually met, staring at each other for a long time.

At this moment, Ji You pursed his lips and then reached out to embrace that slender waist.

I hugged her so many times back in Lingjian Mountain, but it's been so long. I wonder if this haughty fairy will still let me hug her...

Yan Shuyi watched as he reached out, gradually approaching her waist. In silence, she narrowed her eyes slightly, then gently raised her arm...

Then it tightened, and a soft, delicate touch instantly filled my embrace.

The two were very close at this moment; the young appraiser's delicate nose almost touched Ji You's nose, and her cheeks were slightly red.

Ji You looked at her, feigning composure: "What's wrong?"

Yan Shuyi looked at him and found that he was acting as if she should be held by him. She couldn't help but purse her lips slightly, then turned around to make herself more comfortable in his embrace.

Long before the fire was lit, Yan Shuyi had already taken off her boots and socks, her two fair and delicate feet resting on the small stool, looking cute and petite in the firelight.

Her feet have always been cold, and she loves being near this rising warmth.

Her jade-like feet, which were originally stretched out while warming themselves by the fire, with ten slender white toes spread out, now couldn't help but curl up slightly.

"Shopkeeper, it's getting late, and all the customers are resting. Shall we serve the food?"

"Get on the board."

"But...but one guest hasn't returned yet. Should we send someone to look for him?"

"You mean the girl who stayed in the upper room? It's okay, she said when she booked the room that she might not come back to stay."

"There are customers like this..."

"Yes, there was one like that last year. He paid but didn't stay. He even looks a bit like this girl."

In the following days, it stopped snowing in Shengjing, and the temperature rose slightly.

Ji You's sweet potatoes in the courtyard were being consumed very quickly, and he still looked like he hadn't rested well. Every time he came out to practice Taoism at noon, he would yawn.

However, his aura became increasingly restrained and profound.

He Lingxiu had seen him many times on the cliff in the inner courtyard. Every time she saw him, she would think of the fiery passion on the day he broke through his cultivation realm, and she would have the idea of ​​testing his strength.

"Has Junior Brother Ji's cultivation level stabilized?"

"Yes, it's stable."

As the sun shone between the cliffs, Ji You slowly opened her eyes and nodded gently.

He Lingxiu spoke softly from behind the cliff: "When you broke through to the next realm that day, I noticed your spirit was very strong. There's been a lot of discussion in the academy about your current combat strength. How about it, are you interested in exchanging sword blows with me?"

"Never mind, men and women shouldn't touch each other."

"?"

Ji You let out a long sigh of relief, and the golden light in his eyes gradually faded.

He was not simply stabilizing his state of mind, but also seeking an opportunity to attain enlightenment. Many thoughts arose from his visualization, intertwined like a tangled mess, just like the people and events in this world.

Some of these thoughts are distracting, while others are the aspirations of the Tao.

Cultivators at this stage need to clear away distracting thoughts and listen to the Dao heart deep within their hearts; this step is called peeling away the layers.

This is something that must be experienced in each of the five realms, because cultivation itself is something that requires eliminating distracting thoughts.

My senior classmate said that opportunities require timing, and sometimes you can't be impatient, because the more impatient you are, the less likely you are to meet.

Just then, a disciple from the academy came up the mountain, carrying a sack on his shoulder and two large black pots on his back: "Junior Brother Ji, these are your things."

Ji You's eyes lit up when she saw him: "I didn't expect it to arrive so quickly, thank you, senior brother."

He Lingxiu glanced at it and asked, "Junior brother, what are you buying a pot for?"

"Cook."

Ji You got up, put the sack into his storage gourd, and carried the black pot toward his own courtyard.

He Lingxiu felt that she couldn't see through him. After staring at him for a long time, she turned around and went to the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest. There she saw Chai Ze and Shi Junhao talking about something in the tea pavilion with serious expressions.

She listened for a while and realized that they weren't talking about anything important, just about the brick wall in their yard.

According to them, something strange has been happening in their yard these past few days: their yard wall has been getting shorter and shorter for some reason.

Cultivators value the detachment from worldly possessions and are not particularly concerned with external matters.

However, even if you're not a cultivator, you wouldn't care how many rows of bricks your courtyard wall has, unless you built the wall yourself.

The reason they noticed it today is, supposedly, because while standing in their own courtyard, they saw their junior brother next door with his bottom completely naked...

At the same time, Ji You had already carried a sack and a black pot into the yard, walked towards the newly built stove, and placed the two pots on it, fitting them perfectly.

He said he was skilled and could build such a suitable stove without even blueprints.

Then he threw firewood into the stove, ignited it with the spirit fire, opened the sack, took out the oil bottle, poured some into the pot, and began to heat the oil.

After the pot was heated, he took out the rice bag, poured it in, and steamed the rice. When the rice grains gradually softened, he then sliced ​​the cured meat he had bought and spread it all over the rice.

Before long, as the smoke from the chimneys slowly rose, the aroma began to waft through the courtyard.

Ji You continued chopping vegetables, putting the sliced ​​meat and green peppers into the pot, when Yan Shuyi came out of the house, wearing a little floral jacket, stretching in the bright sunlight and letting out an "ah".

Upon seeing this, Ji You straightened up, holding an iron shovel and placing his hands on his hips.

For several days now, the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain hasn't mentioned leaving. He focuses on his three meals a day, sometimes quiet, sometimes noisy, as if he's forgotten who he is.

Yesterday, Wei Rui invited her to go out, and she bought a lot of things when she came back.

Like the paintings hanging in the bedroom, the gauze cover used to shield from dust, the pretty teapot, and the little floral jacket she's wearing now, there's a sense that she's already married into the family and is making plans for her life.

Ji You has already made her decision, and Yan Shu also wants to come and spend the winter with her.

But since it was winter, he couldn't eat roasted sweet potatoes every day, so he picked up some bricks from someone else's wall, built a stove, and planned to cook in his own yard.

"Are you up?"

"Okay, time to get up..."

Yan Shuyi answered, then couldn't help but yawn. She and Ji You would sit around the stove until late every night, and she had started sleeping in more often. At this moment, she turned her head and tilted her head to watch Ji You stir-frying the food, thinking to herself that he could actually cook.

She had never seen anything like this before.

As for cultivators, they live far from the secular world, floating in the air. For them, cooking is considered lowly.

Who would have thought that the man who slew a king of soldiers and killed a demon general with his sword, and who was the talk of the town, was now wearing a coarse apron and covered in soot?

But she never seemed to have imagined that the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain would one day wake up in the courtyard of a single man and then be so tempted that she started drooling.

Yan Shuyi stepped over and said, "It smells so good."

Ji You stir-fried for a while: "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Who taught you to cook?"

“Where I used to live, the cook didn’t cook well, so my younger siblings and I would often sneak into the kitchen to steal some vegetables, climb over the wall to a dilapidated yard next door, and cook for ourselves. Back then, we had a very simple mindset; we always thought that if we could cook, we were adults.”

After Ji You finished speaking, he looked at her and asked, "Can you cook?"

Yan Shuyi looked up at him and said, "No, you'll be cooking from now on."

"after?"

"I mean, I'll come back and browse around sometime in the future."

Yan Shuyi turned around without making a sound, walked to the door with his hands behind his back, set up a small square table in the courtyard, placed bowls and chopsticks on it, and began to wait for the meal.

My mind is calm now, truly calm.

But Jing seems to have given up on cultivating Taoism.

If she weren't the appraiser of Lingjian Mountain, and if she weren't burdened with the continuation of the Dao lineage, she would actually prefer this kind of life of two people in one house, three meals a day, and four seasons.

Yan Shuyi felt that this was not a meditation, but rather the fall of a fairy.

(End of this chapter)