"Could it be that he forged a divine artifact? Ordinary spiritual weapons wouldn't trigger heavenly lightning, but legendary divine artifacts might."
"There were others who speculated similarly. At that time, many people with ulterior motives came to visit Shuling Mountain. The Founding Master said it wasn't a divine artifact and persuaded them all to leave."
Xin Xiu asked, "And they believed the Founding Master just like that?"
"Haha, what could they do if they didn't believe? They couldn't defeat the Founding Master anyway. Our Founding Master didn't just persuade with words."
Xin Xiu understood - it wasn't persuasion by reason, but by force.
Everyone engaged in a free-wheeling discussion about what exactly Elder Master Shentu had forged.
One senior brother listening in sighed, "If it were me facing that heavenly lightning, I'd probably be obliterated. Elder Master Shentu is truly formidable. Actually, I wanted to learn artifact forging in my early years, but Elder Master Shentu didn't want to take disciples then, and his personality made him unapproachable and intimidating."
This senior brother patted Xin Xiu's shoulder, "I'm so envious of you, Junior Sister Xin Xiu. You must study artifact forging diligently and not waste Elder Master's talents."
A senior sister who was tying grass ropes nearby couldn't help joining the conversation, "My master once told me that Elder Master Shentu wasn't always like this. It was after that heavenly lightning tribulation that he changed. I heard that in the past, Elder Master Shentu was quite arrogant, with a bad temper, and would resort to violence when displeased."
Xin Xiu listened with great interest and asked, "Violence? My master used to fight with people?" It was hard to imagine such a reclusive master getting into fights.
The senior sister continued, "I heard that my master once went to Elder Master Shentu for help in forging a weapon. He saw two jars of honey on the table and took them home to eat. This angered Elder Master Shentu so much that he chased after my master and tore off his roof... Of course, I personally think Elder Master Shentu wouldn't resort to violence over two jars of honey. My master must have been exaggerating."
Xin Xiu: ...I think it might be true.
She didn't know whether to marvel at her master's long-standing love for sweets or the fact that such a homebody once had a hot-tempered youth. It was too funny to think that he used to get angry at his junior brother over two jars of honey, when now he wouldn't mind if she played with any spiritual artifacts he forged.
"Oh no, I'm late! Has it started yet?" Senior Brother Cai Xing hurried in with his squinty eyes, scanning the tea party scene of people crowded on cushions.
"Why is Cai Xing so late?"
"We thought you weren't coming to Elder Master Bu Suanzi's divination class today. How strange."
Cai Xing greeted everyone and sat down next to Xin Xiu, patting her head with a smile, "Is Junior Sister Xiu here to learn divination too? Are you interested in this art?"
Xin Xiu replied honestly, "The Sixth asked me to come. I'm just here to join in."
Indeed, the one teaching divination was The Sixth's master. These divination classes weren't held daily, but depended on the teacher's mood. The Sixth found her master's divination classes interesting, so she specially invited Xin Xiu to experience it.
Just as they were talking, a scholarly-looking man walked in, followed by a graceful young girl - it was The Sixth.
Having been a disciple for only a few months, The Sixth looked different from when she first arrived. The rustic village girl from their first meeting had blossomed, clearly having received a good education. Her manners were much more refined now, though she still retained an air of simplicity. Following her master into the room, she saw Xin Xiu and smiled, walking over to sit beside her.
"Big Sister, you really came," she said softly.
They all knew that Big Sister was in low spirits after failing to raise an iron-eating spirit beast, so they had discussed finding interesting activities to invite her to join. It just so happened that her master was in the mood to give a lesson, so she tried inviting Big Sister to come.
Xin Xiu, unaware of the younger disciples' private discussions, casually said, "You rarely make requests. How could I not come? I brought you some pickled sour bamboo shoots."
The Sixth was delighted but also a bit embarrassed, chuckling softly.
As the Elder Master at the front began the lesson, everyone sat up straight to listen.
The Elder Master's name was Bu Suanzi. When Xin Xiu first heard this name, she thought it sounded like a poetry form. This Elder Master must have a deep love for poetry and prose.
Judging by his demeanor earlier, she had thought he might be the type to carry a large ink brush as a weapon, able to trap people by drawing a circle, and recite poetry while fighting. But it turned out his main focus was divination.
Cultivation wasn't a simple matter - it was a never-ending journey of learning. They didn't just meditate and cultivate qi every day. Besides self-cultivation and absorbing spiritual energy, they had to learn various skills. Cultivators like her master Shentu Yu, who only excelled in one area like artifact forging, were quite rare. Most people studied a variety of disciplines.
Divination was one such cultivation path. Most of the elders and seniors at Shuling Mountain knew a bit about it, with Elder Master Bu Suanzi being the most skilled. The fact that even his name was "Bu Suanzi" showed his confidence in this art.
Learning divination probably required talent, and after listening for a while, Xin Xiu felt she might not possess such talent. She listened with a dizzy head, full of question marks.
She only understood the beginning, where Elder Master Bu Suanzi explained that there were various methods of divination. One involved using objects like tortoise shells or divination ropes, or even a single character or stone could serve as a medium once a certain level was reached. Another method relied on sensing the laws of heaven and earth to find cause and effect, using finger calculations. The saying goes that the ten fingers are connected to the heart, so all these perceptions were inextricably linked to the heart.
After that, she couldn't quite follow. This metaphysical subject was truly profound. There's a universal rule about classes: students who don't understand the lesson are 100% likely to be called on to answer questions. Even the world of cultivation couldn't escape this law.
"Niece Xin Xiu, tell us what you see," Elder Master Bu Suanzi pointed at a round ink blob floating in front of him.
The ink blob was something he had casually drawn while lecturing. Xin Xiu only found it peculiar that the ink was floating in the air and couldn't discern anything else. Since she couldn't see anything special, she had to make something up: "Um, I see... that it's a ball. It's big and round, black and shiny?"
Elder Master Bu Suanzi nodded slightly, "Niece, you have great talent."
Elder Master, if I'm making things up, you shouldn't play along. Xin Xiu thought this praise must be a polite gesture out of respect for her master, so she accepted it graciously.
Apart from Xin Xiu, the other senior brothers and sisters, even The Sixth, all listened attentively, as if they understood everything. Especially Senior Brother Cai Xing, who listened with rapt attention. Xin Xiu wondered if everyone here except her was a top student.
The senior brothers and sisters present weren't Elder Master Bu Suanzi's disciples, but it was normal for disciples of the same sect to attend classes given by other elders. In Xin Xiu's understanding, this was like an open course - anyone interested could attend.
After the class ended and everyone dispersed, Xin Xiu sat on her cushion and asked The Sixth beside her, "Did you understand everything?"
To her surprise, The Sixth answered with a sincere face, "Of course not."
Xin Xiu: "?" If you didn't understand, why were you nodding and looking thoughtful? You acted quite convincingly.
The Sixth laughed happily, "But it's okay if I don't understand now. Master says if you don't understand, just keep listening. After listening enough times, you'll eventually understand."
"Nan Ke, since you want to chat with Niece Xin Xiu, I'll take your things back for you," Elder Master Bu Suanzi came over and picked up the box of sour bamboo shoots Xin Xiu had brought.
The Sixth: "Alright, Master."
The Sixth's original name was A'nan, but her literary (old) youth master Bu Suanzi had changed it to Nan Ke.
This little girl had learned to tease her master. She whispered in Xin Xiu's ear, "Master will definitely eat half of the sour bamboo shoots."
Xin Xiu: "Elder Master Bu Suanzi likes to eat too? He looks like someone who has transcended worldly desires."
The Sixth laughed like a little duckling, "Not at all. Last time we had hotpot, I brought back a plate of meat, and Master ate it all. He even wrote a poem after finishing it, haha~"
After spending half a day with The Sixth, Xin Xiu received an invitation from The Seventh and Old Eighth, that pair of golden boy and jade girl. They said they missed her, so Xin Xiu rode her motorcycle to visit the two children.
Uncle Bai Fei's dwelling was mobile - it was a painted pleasure boat. Several pavilions were scattered elegantly on the boat, exquisitely designed, drifting along the vast misty waters. It was said that Uncle Bai Fei grew up in a water town and was later confined in the deep palace for many years. Perhaps what she missed most was boating along the waterside in the old days. So after she attained the Taoist way of freedom, she became even more attached to these leisurely landscapes.
Xin Xiu boarded the painted boat and saw vines climbing on the outer walls of the pavilions, with clusters of red flowers hanging under the eaves like red lanterns.
The Seventh and Old Eighth clung to her, chatting away, and served her food and drinks with the air of gracious hosts. Uncle Bai Fei had a gentle nature and didn't treat her as an outsider. She took Xin Xiu along to cut fresh grapes and even asked for her advice on how to make food that suited the tastes of the two children, creating an atmosphere of casual family conversation.
It was evident that her relationship with her two disciples was full of warmth, more like that of a mother and her children.
"I can never make it taste the same as you do. Bao Fu and De Rui seem to have lost some weight."
Xin Xiu thought: I can't bring myself to tell such a lie. They've clearly gotten fatter. Look at how round their faces are - stick some sesame seeds on them and they'd be flatbreads.
Xin Xiu had a meal there and tasted Uncle Bai Fei's cooking, thus understanding how the two children's chubby faces came to be.
She also observed Uncle Bai Fei cultivating her disciples' artistic sensibilities. She taught The Seventh to dance and Old Eighth to play the konghou.
A simple konghou in Uncle Bai Fei's hands appeared understated yet luxurious, worth a hundred times more. But in Old Eighth's hands, his chubby fingers on the strings looked more like he was plucking cotton, his clumsy appearance making Xin Xiu laugh heartily.
When teaching dance, Uncle Bai Fei stood facing the wind on the painted boat, looking like a fairy gliding over waves. With a wave of her long sleeves, she swayed like a breeze. Xin Xiu watched, unable to take her eyes off her, thinking to herself: If I had an empire, I would give it to this beauty.
Then, looking at the chubby Seventh learning to dance, she wore a flowing skirt of the same material and style as Uncle Bai Fei's, but the effect was entirely different. If Xin Xiu had to comment, she could only say that The Seventh was putting a lot of effort into her yangko dance moves.
After a jolly afternoon, she returned to Secluded Bamboo Mountain, where she saw a magpie coming to deliver a message. It was from The Second, inviting her to see the earth dragons below the Cloud Realm Taoist site tomorrow.
Holding the letter, Xin Xiu wondered what was going on these days. She had suddenly become so popular, with her brothers and sisters taking turns to spend time with her, one invitation following another seamlessly.
After a moment's thought, Xin Xiu understood and shook her head with a smile. Could it be that they thought she was in a bad mood and were deliberately trying to cheer her up?
She suddenly felt a sense of contentment, as if all the children were being filial, warming her old heart.
