Chapter Twenty Obsession
He lowered his head to think for a moment before raising his head: “Shidi admires shixiong’s bravery. But the ling herb is third-grade, if it cannot be planted in third-grade or above ling fields, the ling energy would likely dissipate and the grade will drop.”
Wei Sheng’s expression changed but recovered. He smiled, responding: “If that’s the case, it will mean I won’t have to suffer the pain.”
Compared to the calmness on Wei Sheng’s face, there was heavy worry on Old Black’s face.
His heart considering for a second, Zuo Mo quickly organized his words: “Little brother might have a solution to try.”
“Oh, Shidi, please tell.” Wei Sheng’s mood roused.
“I have been requested by Hao Min Shijie to take care of the medicine fields in Cold Mist Valley. I saw that many of the fields in the valley are empty. We could plant it in the valley. I’m just worried if Hao Min Shijie returns before Shixiong enters zhuji, something will happen.”
Wei Sheng’s expression became joyful: “Shidi doesn’t have to worry. Hao Min Shijie and Luo Li Shixiong wouldn’t come back so quickly.”
Zuo Mo finally remembered that Wei Sheng Shixiong was Luo Li Shixiong’s sword servant. He probably knew where the two people had gone. He was naturally willing to be able to help Wei Sheng Shixiong, but thinking about the fact that Hao Min Shijie wouldn’t be returning soon, his mood instantly darkened. He was extremely careful everyday, fearful that something would go wrong in the medicine fields. It was like a hot potato.
Sorting out his emotions, Zuo Mo smiled, declaring: “Then it’s good. I will first congratulate Shixiong for successfully zhuji.”
Wei Sheng waved his hand: “It’s too early to say those things.” Finishing, he took out a jade stick, handing it to Zuo Mo: “Shixiong doesn’t have many possession, and nothing to give out. This is some of the experiences that Shixiong had these years. Hopefully they would help Shidi.”
Zuo Mo was overcome with joy. He had always been along in learning with no one to discuss with. Wei Sheng Shixiong’s cultivation was only just higher than him, but his experiences and realizations were just what he needed and could use.
He wasn’t courteous and gleefully took it: “Many thanks, Shixiong.”
After the three chatted for a while, Wei Sheng and Old Black stood and made their farewells.
After the two left, Zuo Mo hurriedly took the fire dragon grass to Cold Mist Valley. The medicine fields in Cold Mist Valley were third-grade and Zuo Mo had been drooling after them. He didn’t know much about ling herbs but he knew what the price of third grade ling grains were!
Finding a patch of empty ground, he carefully planted the fire dragon grass. And then he cast [Little Art of Cloud and Rain]. The effect of the fourth level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was extremely evident. The fire dragon grass quickly recovered its vitality, the leaves becoming even shiner.
Greedily inhaling the thick ling energy in the air, Zuo Mo exclaimed inside, third grade was really third grade!
He made another circle around the medicine fields. Finding no problems, he left.
When he returned home, the sky was already dark. Sitting on the rooftop, Zuo Mo suddenly thought if he couldn’t complete one breath in the one month of [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], then wouldn’t he be hampering Wei Sheng Shixiong’s zhuji?
But then he turned it around. If he wasn’t successful, he wouldn’t even have a life left, how could he care about that?
Thinking about Wei Sheng Shixiong, he automatically took out the jade stick that Shixiong gave to him and sent ling energy into the jade stick.
Very quickly, he was entranced.
The jade stick described in fine details the realizations and experiences of Wei Sheng’s entire cultivation journey. It was extremely scattered in many places. It could be seen that it was only Shixiong would just casually record down whatever he thought.
The rumor that Shixiong was infatuated with the sword wasn’t false. The writings in the jade stick were scattered all over, not a system to be found, but the great majority were about sword xiu.
After reading for a while, Zuo Mo’s heart started to jump uncontrollably.
“Those of sword, enter the grounds of death, find life in death, like a wounded soldier, hold the resolution of death, attack with full power, nothing is undefeatable!”
“Travelling night, encounter over twenty Blood Duck Bats, hard battle, injured twenty one places, all slaughtered.”
“Streamside met Iron Ape, skin like steel, hard to wound with blade, tempted enemy two hundred so miles, wounded eye, no strength to chase.”
……
These phrases were all extremely short, yet the vicious and resolute aura came through the words. Life and death, they were the characters that appeared the most. The Wei Sheng Shixiong in the jade stick and the person he saw today were like two people.
What made the biggest impression on Zuo Mo and gave him the most shock were these few segments.
“Walked hundred days, finally saw nine rivers falling over sky, gazed from bottom, galloping and rolling, like the godly thunder of heaven, weight like thirty thousand catties, vast and unending, cannot be resisted. My heart follows, if aura of sword can be so, no regrets in death!”
“Sat and gazed three months, thought day and night, but due to dumbness, cannot find the meaning. Stood on top of waterfall seven days, not sleeping, not drinking or eating, suddenly comprehended. Fish jump following the water and down, moving among, forgetting life and death, consciousness clear, and finally found flavour! Broken bones thirteen, bedridden half year, loss hearing and sight, so practised in heart……”
Zuo Mo fell into a daze, muttering: “Insane!”
Such insanity, such obsession, it wasn’t anything he had ever thought of.
Under the stars, he sat on the roof, hand holding the jade stick as his thoughts wandered.
In his own world, there wasn’t anything that made him so crazy, so obsessed. He had great talent in the field of the five elements. He easily learned any kind of spells. He didn’t have high expectations for life. He put effort into learning and comprehending the five elements spell, it was only so that he could live a better life.
The obsession that Wei Sheng Shixiong had towards the sword, it gave him an unparalleled blow to his spirit. He could see the sweat and fresh blood behind each character.
Something inside his body seemed to be turning and vibrating, making him feel uncomfortable.
A long time later, his emotions gradually calmed down but he didn’t have any desire for sleep. Under the night sky, he just started to learn the sword motions according to the sword scripture in the jade stick.
There was a set of sword scriptures recorded in the jade stick. It was moves Wei Sheng Shixiong had picked out of the sword scriptures he practised and read everyday. Wei Sheng Shixiong had rich battle experience and these sword moves were extremely useful. There were not beautiful techniques, it was extremely simple to start with. It was a pity he didn’t have a flying sword. After motioning for a while, he could only sit down.
Once he sat down, he started to muse about [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] again.
[Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] was cryptic, but now he wasn’t discouraged at all, only ashamed. The obsession of Wei Sheng Shixiong deeply provoked him. Compared to Wei Sheng shixiong, what were the little difficulties that he ran into?
Alright, if he wanted to see ge’s humiliation, Pu Yao, wait for the next life!
Deeply inhaling a breath, he started to once again investigate this [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] that he couldn’t wrap his head around.
The days passed one by one. Other than going once a day to Cold Mist Valley, he didn’t take a step out any other time.
In the sea of consciousness, Pu Yao sat on the gravestone and leisurely listened to the sound tablet.
Zuo Mo gritted his teeth but still went forward, fawningly asking: “Pu, what is really the main point of the first step of [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]? I’m stupid, can’t you show a little bit?”
“The first step? Very simple, there’s no main point.” Pu Yao didn’t even raise his eyelids, still listening to the sound tablet.
Looking at the sound tablet that Pu Yao held on his leg, Zuo Mo thought that since asking didn’t work, then it had to be enticement.
He asked: “Pu, this sound tablet isn’t bad, right?”
“Pretty interesting.” Pu Yao inattentively responded.
“Do you want a better one?” Zuo Mo’s voice was like that of a strange uncle that was holding a lollipop to fool little girls.
For the first time, Pu Yao opened his right eye, the deep red pupils expressing interest: “Want.”
Zuo Mo shook his head: “If you help me explain [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation, I’ll buy a better one……”
“I can buy it myself.” Pu Yao said carelessly. He closed his eyes again, listening to the sound tablet.
Zuo Mo stared with an open mouth: “You have jingshi?”
“No.” Pu Yao’s eyes were still closed. With a face full of enjoyment, following the music that the sound tablet broadcasted, his body strangely swayed.
Zuo Mo released a breath, his tone smug again: “If there’s no jingshi, you can’t buy anything.” He suddenly realized, with Pu Yao’s strength, if he tried to snatch one, that wasn’t impossible! Or he could steal one, he definitely wouldn’t leave a trace.
“You have jingshi.” Pu Yao moved his body following the beat of the music.
“Then you have to explain……” Zuo Mo’s heart was comforted, and he continued to emphasize the relationship between jingshi and the sound tablet. Inside, he muttered: Thankfully he hadn’t thought to just use brute force.
Pu impatiently interrupted Zuo Mo. Holding out his right hand, he showed a handful of jingshi: “I can take it myself.”
Zuo Mo was dumbstruck, staring at the jingshi on Pu Yao’s hands. So familiar. After a silent moment, he suddenly gave a sky-shaking bellow like a beast in desperate straits.
“Damned renyao! You dare to move ye’s jingshi, ye will kill……”
Beside the pond in Cold Mist Valley, Zuo Mo gazed at the pond water, scared. The pond water was cold to the bone. He had touched it with his hand. Even now, the palm was still stiff.
There was only three days left until the last deadline. He still hadn’t made it past the gate of the first breath. Pu Yao still didn’t seem to care. Zuo Mo understood. This guy really didn’t care about his life and death. But in these many days, it wasn’t he hadn’t made any progress. He thought of a method. Right now, he was thinking of trying to find out if this method was right or not.
But……
The rushing waterfall couldn’t stop the coldness of the pond water from spreading. Just from beside the pond, he still could feel the oppressive coldness.
He nervously licked his lips. He didn’t want to try this method. But seeing that there were only three days left, he had no other choice. He hesitated for a moment, hardened his heart, closed his eyes, and jumped into the pool.
The bone-aching iciness of the pond water seemed to freeze his entire body into an ice cube in an instant. He couldn’t help shudder. He was like a rock, continuously sinking. The pond water flowed up his mouth and nose. The outside world seemed to have been blocked off, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat.
After the initial panic, Zuo Mo quickly calmed down. He then followed [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] to move his breath.
He didn’t know if it was the stimulation from the cold pond water but he was abnormally alert, the movement of the breath was abnormally smooth.
After ten minutes, when his breath was almost consumed, the feeling of suffocation became even stronger.
Zuo Mo raised his awareness. He knew. The most crucial time had arrived. Before, everytime, it was at this step that he would unconsciously open his mouth to breathe. [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] didn’t have much elaboration on this step, as though in the eyes of the xiuzhe that created this scripture, this was the simplest thing.