Since the Heart Monkey was trapped, Jiang Yuan began the next day, under the guidance of his Master, to slowly calm the Heart Monkey's nature.
He recited the incantation continuously every day and gathered spiritual energy to purify the Heart Monkey.
This gathering of spiritual energy also had its own method; it was not simply a matter of sitting down and waiting for the spiritual energy to come.
The Master taught Jiang Yuan to drink the mountain dew in the morning and to consume the last wisp of wind from the mountains in the evening.
Dining on wind and drinking dew.
Jiang Yuan followed this practice daily, and indeed, it helped to stabilize the Yin and Yang Fish significantly.
He felt his body growing lighter each day.
On this day, Jiang Yuan could leap to a height of four zhang.
He did not know how much time had passed; he simply served his Master, dined on wind and drank dew, recited incantations to calm his heart, and roamed freely in the mountains.
Since he severed his ties to causality and distanced himself from the mundane world, he seemed to feel much lighter in the passage of time, not caring much about the flow of time.
Jiang Yuan was currently engaged in a game of Go in front of his cave dwelling with his Master.
In terms of Xiangqi, Jiang Yuan could win a few pieces, but when it came to Go, he was not a match for his Master, who could easily defeat him in every game.
No matter how Jiang Yuan strategized, it was all in vain.
“Master, not long ago, we were playing Xiangqi. Why have we switched to Go in recent days?” Jiang Yuan wondered if his Master had grown tired of being defeated in Xiangqi and had returned to Go.
It was as the saying goes, “One report deserves another.”
The Master simply replied, “After playing too much Xiangqi, isn’t it better to play some Go?”
Jiang Yuan said, “Master, I can win a few pieces from you in Xiangqi, but I lose to you many times in Go.”
The Master would not relent and continued to place his pieces.
Jiang Yuan had no choice but to accompany him.
After playing three or four games, Jiang Yuan lost one after another.
As night fell, Jiang Yuan seized an opportunity, consumed a wisp of wind, and returned to the cave dwelling with his Master.
He served his Master into the quiet room and then returned to his own quiet room.
However, not long after Jiang Yuan returned to his quiet room for cultivation, he suddenly heard a voice echoing.
“Jiang Yuan, Jiang Yuan!”
“Come with us; your lifespan is at an end.”
“Jiang Yuan!”
The voice fluctuated, both loud and soft, resembling a soul-reaping sound.
Awakened from his quiet cultivation, Jiang Yuan stepped forward and opened the door, only to see two figures in black robes waiting outside the cave dwelling, holding ropes and looking eager to act.
One of the soul-reapers held a decree and pointed it at Jiang Yuan, saying, “Jiang Yuan, your lifespan is at an end. We have come with a decree to take you away; hurry and follow us.”
Jiang Yuan was startled.
He had left home at sixteen, became a disciple at twenty-nine, and now, counting, he was barely over thirty.
How could his lifespan be at an end? He would never allow the soul-reapers to take him away; he would smash the Yu Ding if necessary.
“Which wild ghosts dare to deceive my disciple?”
The Master's voice came from the quiet room.
Seeing two beams of golden light fly out, they struck the soul-reapers, instantly turning them into a pulp.
Jiang Yuan turned to see his Master stepping out.
He hurried to ask, “Master, are these two the soul-reapers from the Underworld?”
The Master nodded, gently flicking his sleeve, and a gentle wind blew, sweeping the pulp away from the entrance of the cave dwelling.
He said, “Indeed, I did not expect your lifespan to be so short, barely over thirty. There are many who perish in the Southern Zhanbu Continent, and you are no exception.”
Jiang Yuan felt a wave of fear.
He had not yet entered the Dao and had not attained the profound truths of immortality; how could his lifespan be at an end? Without the protection of his Master, would he not be captured and taken to the Underworld City?
He said, “Master, what should I do?”
The Master shook his head and said, “Do not be afraid, child. Since you have entered my sect, the soul-reapers of the Underworld should not come for you. It is just that the Underworld does not pay attention to the Southern Zhanbu Continent, where many perish, and they do not keep track of such matters; they only come to reap souls. Since you have entered my sect, just focus on your cultivation.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan expressed his gratitude and bowed deeply, feeling thankful in his heart.
He sighed, “If I had not become your disciple, I fear I would be in danger.”
The Master smiled, “Child, would you like to see what would happen if you had not become my disciple?”
Jiang Yuan’s mind sparked, and he asked, “Does Master have a method?”
The Master shook his head, “It is not that I have a method; it is your Yu Ding. You can take the Tian Shui and Di Shui and place them in the Yu Ding. At night, you will be able to glimpse the truth; your primordial spirit will assist you. Three days later, it will rain on Jing Mountain; the rain will fall at the hour of Wu and stop at the hour of Shen. Behind Jing Mountain, there is a well; inside it is a hidden well, and you can take the Di Shui from there.”
Jiang Yuan replied, “Yes.”
The Master then returned to the quiet room.
Jiang Yuan also returned to his quiet room, keeping in mind the matter of Tian Shui and Di Shui.
...
Three days later, it indeed rained at the hour of Wu and stopped at the hour of Shen.
Jiang Yuan collected the boundless rainwater, marveling at his Master’s extraordinary abilities, and then went to gather the Di Shui.
That night, he poured the Yin and Yang water into the Yu Ding.
As he saw the surface of the water in the Yu Ding ripple, he gently blew a breath.
The surface of the water rippled lightly, changing again and again.
In a daze, he saw himself in the water, returning to the year he was four years old, awakening from a great dream.
However, the version of himself in the water had not yet resolved to seek the Dao for immortality; instead, he was accompanied by the various experiences from his great dream, living in the mortal world.
In his sixteenth year, after his parents passed away, he entered the world to educate others.
Every word and action could provoke deep thought.
He improved musical instruments, created farming tools, and taught people to do good.
He was a sage among men, imposing and dignified, creating wonders in the world.
Lords and nobles treated him as a distinguished guest, and the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty praised him endlessly.
The common people revered him, bowing in worship.
There were no more disputes among the hundred schools; he alone represented them all.
The Sage of the Hundred Schools!
Time passed swiftly, and the years flew by.
With each ripple on the water's surface, it seemed to pass like the pages of history.
The version of him in the water, emerging from sixteen, returned to thirty, already in his prime.
He had become a person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the “Three Ancestors.” Were it not for the existence of a ruler in the world, he would have been pushed to become the ruler of all.
The pen of history was like iron, and he still left behind a brilliant and resplendent article.
The “him” in the water of the Yu Ding seemed to sense Jiang Yuan in front of the quiet room and turned to look at him.
Their eyes met.
One was full of vigor, while the other was calm as water.
This was his life.
A single thought could lead to entirely different outcomes.
The Great Sage of the World! The Sage of the Hundred Schools!
Jiang Yuan shook his head.
His lifespan was only in his thirties; what could he do with such vigor?
Sure enough, he saw the ripples in the Ding rise again.
In the water, the scene changed once more.
The thirty-something version of him, still full of vigor, was pushed by a green-faced ghost with sharp teeth into a hall filled with chilling winds and dense black mist.
In that hall, a ruler sat high, his lips moving as he recited from a document in his hand.
Jiang Yuan could not hear his words, but he could see the document.
It read: “The mortal Jiang Yuan, since entering the world, has deceived the people, causing chaos in the Southern Zhanbu Continent, neglecting sacrifices, and incurring the wrath of Heaven. With twisted reasoning and evil words, he has brought disaster to the common people. He has created farming tools and researched medicinal stones, resulting in deep sins, and the Book of Life and Death has marked him for death... His crimes warrant imprisonment in the Hanging Muscle Prison, the Ghostly Injustice Prison, and the Fire Pit Prison for ten thousand years.”
Jiang Yuan was shocked.
The version of him in the water was clearly educating the world; how could he end up in the mouth of the ruler of the Underworld, becoming a figure of countless crimes?
He then saw the ripples in the water, where the “him” was being skinned alive, hanging under a ghostly tree, his feet a foot off the ground, suffering the cold winds day and night.
He also saw the “him” in the water pierced through by an iron stake, roasting in the fire pit, unable to seek life or death.
Jiang Yuan shivered and took two steps back.
This was the Underworld, and he had not expected it to be so terrifying.
(End of Chapter)