I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 194: Brewing Tea and Discussing the Dao (Bonus Chapter for 1000 Monthly Tickets in May)

On the eve of Cold Dew, Xiao Wujiu, wearing a cotton coat, put the last batch of radishes into the cellar.

“That’s great,” he said, patting the dirt off his hands and looking up at the second floor with a smile. “When the snow closes the mountain, we’ll take a few radishes, stir-fry them with lard, stew them into a hot soup, sprinkle with chopped green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil. The taste will be better than anything in heaven. Remember to offer a bowl of that soup at my grave when the time comes, senior.”

The bamboo curtain in the tea room on the second floor was half rolled up. Jiang Yi leaned against the window. This guy was on the verge of death yesterday, but today he secretly took a pill and became full of life again.

That medicine was perhaps left by his family for this final moment, so that he would have the energy to finish what he hadn't done.

"Come up and brew me a pot of tea."

The earthenware pot on the red clay stove gurgled. Jiang Yi leaned against the door as Xiao Wujiu skillfully arranged the tea set. Before long, he placed the brewed tea in Jiang Yi's spot.

"If my spiritual root had been detected back then, I would have done anything to survive... Now I'm actually glad I did."

"What are you glad about?" Jiang Yi asked casually.

"I'm glad I don't have that many worries. At most, I just feel sorry for my radishes. Senior, you called me up here so I could give my last words, right? But I have no regrets or unfinished business. The only thing I can't let go of is Bai Yu."

"But it doesn't matter. Even if I'm not around, it will still live its own life. After all, it's just a silly goose; it doesn't understand human differences. Just let nature take its course. But you, senior..."

Jiang Yi returned to the table and sat down, picked up the teacup and slowly took a sip. Today's tea was bitter.

“Senior, you’ve stayed here for so long, it’s not just because of the karma of that pendant, is it? If I may be so bold as to say that if you have any unresolved issues, you might as well tell me now. Anyway, I’ll take everything to my grave tomorrow, so I’m safe.”

Jiang Yi paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you think is the purpose of immortality?"

Xiao Wujiu chuckled, "So, senior himself can't understand the Great Dao of Immortality? You use laziness as an excuse all day long, not doing this or that. Could it be that senior is cultivating the Dao of Laziness?"

Jiang Yi remained silent.

Xiao Wujiu sat up straight. "First, I must apologize. I am just a mortal, but I have dared to say a few words. If I say anything wrong, please don't be angry, senior."

"Ah."

"Mortals seek sustenance, while cultivators seek immortality. They seem worlds apart, but in reality, they lead to the same goal. An old farmer can live a fulfilling life watching the rice ears sprout, while a cultivator, fixated on a thousand-year lifespan, is filled with worry. Death and immortality are merely outcomes. I believe what truly matters is the path that leads to that outcome!"

"People always feel that the Tao is mysterious and profound, but isn't the Tao just the path under our feet? No one, whether a mortal or a cultivator, can predict the future outcome, but the scenery and feelings along the way can be chosen by oneself. Regardless of whether you can reach the end, you should not waste the beautiful scenery along the way."

Xiao Wujiu's voice grew clearer and clearer as he recited poetry and shook his head in a pretentious manner.

"A single thought can obstruct a thousand mountains, a single thought can dispel the clouds. Immortality should not be the goal; the true meaning of life lies entirely in the word 'this moment.' Just as I, knowing I will die, still teach children to 'bloom in full glory,' this is my path, Xiao Wujiu's."

Jiang Yi paused slightly in her teacup, suddenly recalling the scene of that sunset when this person chased the evening glow with a goose in hand, making the children laugh heartily. It was so vivid and bright, far surpassing the loneliness of many cultivators sitting in their caves for hundreds of years.

A monk should live a long life, not to suffer.

Xiao Wujiu continued, "Actually, I sometimes don't understand why you are lazy, senior. It seems like you are lazy for the sake of being lazy. It seems like you are pursuing a carefree life, but in reality, this kind of deliberate laziness is also a constraint."

"Just like when the senior wanted to learn the zither, but used laziness as an excuse, was it because he was afraid of wasting time for cultivation? But what's wrong with this kind of waste? Living a life of strict obedience is nothing but tiring. Life is about experiencing the seven emotions and six desires and all things in the world. Joy is the most important thing."

"Life and spiritual practice are not for show; their meaning can only be given by oneself. Even if you stop your spiritual practice to learn the zither, there is no waste. Since you have stopped, enjoy this moment of comfort and don't let useless anxiety ruin this carefree life."

I agree with that.

Jiang Yi readily admitted that she was glad she hadn't suppressed her thoughts that day.

These days, cultivation is tedious, sword practice is boring, and the frustration brought by the Heart Tribulation constantly lingers in my mind.

Fortunately, there was still the zither.

When fingertips brush across the strings, the clear sound flows like a spring, washing away the pent-up emotions in one's heart.

Those unspeakable restlessness and those lingering distracting thoughts quietly dissipated as the strings vibrated.

Playing the zither is not a waste of time, but rather a way to nourish the soul with music; love can withstand the long years.

Xiao Wujiu leaned slightly closer. "I dare to guess that your past experiences have led you to fear loss. You feel that as long as you don't try to hold on, you won't lose it. You even suppress your own preferences because of this, right?"

Jiang Yi raised her eyebrows, not denying it. She was much better now than when she had just been brought back to life. "Senior, I forget which book I read a sentence in: 'What I have lost is not truly mine; what I have sought is what binds me. All things are for my use, not for my possession. A wise man uses things, but is not used by them. The great way is simple: without desire, one is invincible; without action, one can accomplish anything.'"

"By doing nothing, nothing will be left undone..."

Jiang Yi stroked the teacup with her fingers, then looked up at the person in front of her who was about to die the next day.

He knew he was going to die, but he was too lazy to dwell on it. He didn't deliberately pursue life, nor did he ask her to break the curse of heaven for him. He went with the flow, which was non-action.

But he still farmed, taught, played the piano, raised geese, and even carved his own tombstone in advance, living a carefree, fulfilling, and joyful life. This is what it means to do anything.

My own "laziness" is truly doing nothing, not doing what I should do, and not doing what I want to do. This is indifference towards life, not true freedom.

True laziness is not about escaping or being lazy; it is about being too lazy to be persistent.

I'm too lazy to dwell on life and death, too lazy to dwell on cause and effect, too lazy to dwell on yesterday's suffering, too lazy to dwell on tomorrow's worries; I only do what moves my heart today.

Like a stream choosing its path, it flows without resistance, eventually converging into rivers and seas.

Like spring flowers that know they will eventually wither, yet still bloom freely, a moment that becomes eternity.

As Zhuangzi wrote in "Free and Easy Wandering," one is not dependent on external things, nor is one bound by life and death. One rides the right course of heaven and earth, and controls the changes of the six qi, so as to roam endlessly.

Laziness is the way of carefree living!

A sudden realization dawned on Jiang Yi, and she stopped clinging to the answer to 'why seek immortality'.

She only wants,
At this moment, my heart is at peace!

The tea room fell silent. The bamboo curtains moved without wind, and a powerful sense of languor arose out of thin air from within Jiang Yi's consciousness, rather than coming from outside. The shackles of Jiang Yi's mid-stage Foundation Establishment were shattered inch by inch.

The once restless mind instantly returned to calm, like a moonlit lake without a ripple.

She entered a state of profound tranquility and focus, her mind shutting out all external disturbances, as if she were the only person in the world.

Jiang Yi's spiritual perception range also gradually expanded at this moment, and he could even clearly perceive the pleasant sound of frost flowers condensing on the bluestone more than ten miles away.

After the initial excitement comes 'divine stillness', a state of mind as calm as still water that doubles the efficiency of cultivation, until the late Foundation Establishment stage when one begins to integrate true essence and divine sense in preparation for Core Formation.

Xiao Wujiu noticed that Jiang Yi's aura was flowing around her, as if a gentle breeze was blowing, causing the bitter tea in the cup to release a wisp of fragrance.

"Congratulations, senior, your inner conflict has been resolved."

When Jiang Yi looked up, there was no longer any confusion in her eyes, only a clear and bright gaze.

“It’s a pity there’s no wine,” Xiao Wujiu shook his head and sighed softly, “otherwise I would definitely have drunk three cups with you, senior, to celebrate this enlightenment.”

Jiang Yi smiled slightly, raised her cup in invitation, and said, "A true friend is not someone you can drink a thousand cups of wine with; even an empty cup of tea can be intoxicating."

Xiao Wujiu laughed loudly, and also raised his cup. The tea swayed gently, reflecting the two figures.

"Then let this cup of tea... wish you a long and healthy life, with spring in every year!"

Tea cups clinked together, producing a delicate, lingering sound.

After tonight...

One person calmly faced death.

One person defies the odds to survive!

　This is the fifth update today!

　　Hey everyone, keep showering me with monthly votes, don't stop!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)