Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 89 Cloud Curtain

"That's rather inappropriate."

Zhang Chengdao was overjoyed, but on the surface he maintained an air of "nobility and arrogance".

Ye Shuyun said, "Of course I know that the house you built is not like the ordinary houses. However, I can't bear to see you go through all that trouble. So I suggest that you have someone repair it first. If there are any problems, then I'll ask you to make adjustments."

“Building this main hall is probably no small expense. I can afford it, but I can’t let you, a disciple who has just entered the sect, spend the money.”

"Master, why do you differentiate between those who are close and those who are distant? To be honest, I come from the Ye family in Jiangnan, and we own quite a few properties. The money to build a grand hall is just a drop in the ocean. Besides, I joined the sect late and am not as good as my two senior brothers and sisters who have served you for a long time. Having this opportunity to show my respect to the sect is my way of showing my filial piety. Please do not refuse, Master."

That's the way to go, the way to get it right.

Zhang Chengdao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Low EQ: What a crappy sect! No plaza, no main hall, and they live in thatched huts. High EQ: The dwellings built by our master are extraordinary.

Low EQ: My family owns a mine, Lao Deng, your request is nothing, I'll take care of it. High EQ: Respecting my master is fulfilling my filial duty.

Knowing when to stop, Zhang Chengdao nodded decisively: "Ahem, since you are so sincere, then I will entrust this matter to you."

After handing over the task of building the sect to Ye Shuyun, Zhang Chengdao had a lot of free time and began to focus on cultivation.

In fact, he broke through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment in just a few days after taking Ye Shuyun as his disciple. However, it took a full seventy hours to break through from the seventh level to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment—and that was after using all available time-reduction methods!
Although his eldest disciple, who had successfully established his foundation, had been stuck in the same place due to the limited spiritual energy concentration for many days, Zhang Chengdao decided to "go into seclusion" to play Snake and Bubble Dragon for a few days, considering that if his disciple were to achieve enlightenment again, he would find it difficult to maintain his dignity as a master. He wanted to try to reach the Core Formation stage as soon as possible.

So, during lunch, Zhang Chengdao specifically announced, "I need to go into seclusion for a few days. You can discuss the affairs of the sect, and then hand them over to Xu Ying for handling."

Xu Ying originally wanted to decline the offer, at least to let Chang Ping'an take charge of the sect, but Zhang Chengdao really didn't trust the "honest man" Chang Ping'an, so he insisted that Xu Ying take charge. At most, if there were any unresolved matters, he could discuss them with Chang Ping'an, Murong Ruyan, and Ye Shuyun.

That afternoon, Zhang Chengdao built another thatched hut by the pond in the peach orchard, then hid inside and sat on the bed playing some annoying little games.

As soon as Zhang Chengdao left, Ye Shuyun told Steward Xu and then hurriedly went down the mountain with Ye Chengyu.

In fact, in the past few days, Ye Shuyun had been eagerly invited by Chang Ping'an to cultivate by the pond on Lingyao Peak every day. In just one day, she successfully guided Qi into her body and became a Qi Refining stage cultivator like Xu Ying.

Of course, the true qi and true qi meridians in his body were also completely refined, leaving not a trace.

However, the benefits were immediate: Ye Shuyun's eyes could now vaguely see some things again!
Although it was only a hazy, foggy view, he did see light for the first time in his life.

Ye Shuyun still remembers that when he first saw the light, his eyes were so stimulated that he couldn't stop crying. In the end, he had no choice but to ask his second senior sister, Murong Ruyan, to sew him a blindfold from her handkerchief to stop the tears.

At the time, his master Zhang Chengdao joked that the blindfold he wore looked just like a "cloud curtain." Ye Shuyun then asked, "What is a 'cloud curtain'?"

Zhang Chengdao replied, “That is a hanging... cough, ‘magic weapon’ from another world, used specifically to cover one’s eyes. As the saying goes, ‘Not afraid of floating clouds obscuring the view, sitting alone in the world like an immortal in wine,’ covering one’s eyes allows one to cultivate without being disturbed by the outside world, to follow one’s heart, and to return to one’s true nature.”

Ye Shuyun suddenly realized.

Although I have been blind all these years, my hearing is indeed more acute than that of others.

Besides the sounds of wind and rain, he could also hear the sounds of flowers blooming and falling, and the soft sound of butterflies flapping their wings.

Although we cannot see, we can hear what others cannot hear and feel what others cannot feel. Isn't this a gift from heaven and earth?

"I have learned a lot from you, Senior Sister. This handkerchief you gave me will be my 'cloud curtain' from now on."

Seeing Ye Shuyun draw in Qi so easily, Chang Ping'an was even happier than Ye Shuyun: "Junior brother is indeed exceptionally talented. He was able to draw in Qi in just one day. He is much better than me!"

Because Ye Shuyun had never read the "Elementary Qi Refining Book," and Chang Ping'an had deliberately avoided mentioning the time required for normal cultivation breakthroughs in the book during his explanation, so as not to put pressure on his junior brother like those outer disciples or Xu Ying and Xu Wen who couldn't get started for a long time, Ye Shuyun was unaware of some of the "common knowledge" of cultivation. At this moment, he asked curiously, "How many days does it take for Senior Brother to draw Qi into his body?"

Chang Ping'an frankly said, "My talent is mediocre. I can't compare to my junior sister, nor can I compare to you. It took me three days to draw in Qi. My junior sister is truly amazing. She drew in Qi in just one night. She is a genius!"

Ye Shuyun nodded: "They're pretty much the same. I've heard Master mention that drawing qi into the body doesn't seem to count as entering the basics?"

Chang Ping'an replied, "For ordinary people, drawing qi into the body is already considered a step forward. They don't need to worry about experts below the sixth or even fifth rank. But for cultivators, only after establishing their foundation can they truly begin to seek immortality. Whether it's physical tempering or being able to use spiritual power to fly, escape, or control the wind and objects, all of these require establishing a foundation."

Ye Shuyun knew that Chang Ping'an had already established his foundation, so he smiled and said, "I see. It seems that Junior Brother still has many things to ask Senior Brother for advice."

Chang Ping'an blushed, scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and said, "No, well, with your and Ruyan's talent, it won't be long before you catch up with me. I've only been cultivating for a few days longer than you, it's nothing!"

Compared to when he talked with Chang Ping'an a few days ago after drawing in Qi, Ye Shuyun's eyes are no longer as sensitive to sunlight, but the "Cloud Curtain" is still very important to him.

This is mainly because he has been unable to see since childhood and has taken a lot of medicine and tried various treatments, so he has a certain understanding of some medical and pharmacological principles. His newly recovered eyes cannot be directly exposed to bright light. He needs to proceed gradually, from covering them most of the time each day to gradually not needing to cover them all the time, so that his eyes can recover better.

Another reason is that it was inspired by Zhang Chengdao's words.

Perhaps it was because she had grown accustomed to the darkness over the past twenty years, Ye Shuyun found that whenever she wore the cloud-covered veil, her heart would be exceptionally calm, and she would feel more at ease while cultivating.

Therefore, he would only take it off to adjust to the sunlight in the morning and evening when it wasn't so strong; most of the time, he would still wear that cloud-like shawl.

(End of this chapter)