Chapter 35
“Who would have thought that by choosing two book boys for you, you’d be willing to come here more often?” the lady chuckled.
“Mother!” the Seventh Young Master huffed.
“I know, I know, it’s not because of those two.”
“Speaking of which, Mother, why don’t you find a steward for Gao Yuan?” the Seventh Young Master suddenly suggested.
“Hmm?”
“He’s good at studying, has some talent in martial arts, and he’s also quite diligent.” The Seventh Young Master no longer harbored any disdain for Gao Yuan. “Just get him a teacher to learn accounting; he’d be good enough to be the chief steward of the estate in the future.”
The lady nodded and asked, “What about the other one?”
“Zheng Fa…” The Seventh Young Master couldn’t help but show a hint of annoyance on his face. “He has a talent for talisman arts; he might even enter the immortal sect… But that book you gave him, ‘Ling He Shen’ (Spirit Crane Body), it wouldn’t have mattered if he could practice it, but now that he can’t, he’s been acting like he’s possessed these past few days.”
“He couldn’t practice it in the first place.” The lady lowered her gaze, watching the steam rising from her teacup.
“Mother?” The Seventh Young Master slowly turned his neck to look at his mother. “What did you just say?”
“He can’t practice it.”
Chapter 40: Stirring the Heavens
“Can’t practice it…” The Seventh Young Master stuttered, seemingly unable to comprehend his mother’s words. “What does that mean?”
“Can’t practice it means he can’t practice it.” The lady seemed oblivious to his expression, her gaze still fixed on the floating tea leaves in her cup. “‘Ling He Shen’ is not a martial art for ordinary people to cultivate.”
“Didn’t Master Xu say that this martial art can lead one to the Dao through martial prowess, allowing entry into the immortal sect?”
“Lead to the Dao through martial prowess? That’s more like a game of broken telephone.” The lady’s face bore a hint of mockery. “People often get things backward, dreaming up wild ideas.”
“Why?” The Seventh Young Master’s expression darkened further.
“It’s not that practicing this martial art allows one to enter the immortal sect; rather, one must enter the immortal sect to practice this martial art.”
Seeing the confusion on her son’s face, the lady explained, “Do you know the origins of ‘Ling He Shen’?”
The Seventh Young Master shook his head.
“People say that cultivating immortality depends on one’s talent, but what is talent?”
“Spirit roots?”
“Correct, spirit roots are crucial, but besides spirit roots, the immortal sect also values another kind of talent—Dao Body. The most exceptional geniuses in the immortal sect often possess a single spirit root along with an innate Dao Body.” The lady continued, “The Dao Body is naturally formed, but some powerful predecessors have created methods to cultivate a Dao Body later on.”
“‘Ling He Shen’ is actually…” The Seventh Young Master’s expression showed signs of interest.
“What are you thinking? A martial art like that? However, ‘Ling He Shen’ is indeed based on a certain innate Dao Body, though its effectiveness may be less than one-tenth, and it might only work in the early stages of cultivation.”
“Since it only works in the early stages and ordinary people can’t cultivate it, what’s the point of this technique?”
The Seventh Young Master pointed out the contradiction.
“Because while this technique doesn’t require much in terms of cultivation, it often demands a high level of comprehension.” The lady explained, “For instance, to comprehend ‘Ling He Shen,’ one must observe all kinds of birds in the world. How can an ordinary person manage that?”
The Seventh Young Master remained puzzled, and the lady clarified, “These martial arts were originally meant for those powerful beings to train their own descendants.”
“Those powerful descendants can summon at least a Nascent Soul cultivator to reflect the vastness of the world and observe all kinds of feathered creatures.”
The lady fixed her gaze on the Seventh Young Master. “Can Zheng Fa do that?”
The Seventh Young Master understood. “So, you knew from the start that Zheng Fa couldn’t practice it?”
“Yes.”
“Why? If you knew it wouldn’t work, why give him ‘Ling He Shen’?”
The lady seemed to ignore his anger, her gaze returning to the teacup. She gently swirled her right hand, causing the tea leaves to drift aimlessly in the water.
“Years ago, Master Xu achieved great success in martial arts within twenty years and wanted to leave the Zhao family to venture into the world.” She seemed to be answering a different question. “I didn’t want to use my influence to hurt feelings, so I gave him ‘Ling He Shen,’ and then… he stayed at the Zhao estate as a teacher for twenty years.”
The Seventh Young Master looked at his mother, half understanding.
“Failure made him realize that his talent wasn’t worth much; he came to terms with himself and accepted his fate.”
“Zheng Fa… is the same?”
“The same.” The lady raised her head to look at the Seventh Young Master, her gaze devoid of warmth. “He has better talent, but he’s more ambitious and shows you no respect.”
The Seventh Young Master couldn’t hold back anymore. “Mother! I don’t even care!”
“But I do! If he lacks the qualifications to enter the immortal sect, I could tolerate his ambition, but if he can, I won’t allow it!”
“I’ll go tell him!” The Seventh Young Master suddenly stood up.
“Zhao Jingfan!” The lady’s tone rose sharply. “You are the master; he is the servant! Zheng Fa should be your hands and legs, assisting you in managing the Zhao family and helping you enter the immortal sect.”
“But I absolutely won’t tolerate him stepping on my son’s shoulders! You may forget your identity, but he must remember!”
The Seventh Young Master stared at his mother, his cheeks puffed up, but he couldn’t find the words. In the end, he could only leave in silence, brushing his sleeves aside.
…
The teacup on the table still emitted steam as the lady watched her son’s retreating figure, remaining silent for a long time.
“Madam,” a nearby maid said cautiously, “don’t be angry with the young master; he’s just kind-hearted.”
“Kind-hearted? I think he’s just foolish!” The lady scoffed, sitting down. “He’s been foolish since he was little!”
“His father is out there fooling around with women, producing several illegitimate children, and he, on the other hand, goes and plays the little brother! He doesn’t even realize he’s being taken advantage of!”
“Later, he learned a bit and followed his sister everywhere. Wherever she went, he went! When she entered the immortal sect, he cried and clung to his pillow and blanket, sleeping in her room for a year like a little girl!”
The lady coldly criticized, “Does he hate me for not being able to enter the immortal sect? If he had that ambition, I’d be pleased! He hates me for separating him from his sister!”
The maid lowered her head, not daring to speak.
The lady continued her tirade, “Now that he’s grown up, he wears a cold face and offends people every day, pretending to be clever, but when he meets a pleasing book boy, he pours out his heart!”
“Didn’t you say before, Madam, that with you watching over him, it’s not a bad thing for the young master to be a bit naive?” the maid asked, puzzled.
At this, the lady rubbed her temples. “His sister wrote to say she’s coming back early, trying to find a way to get this boy into the immortal sect.”
“The eldest young lady?” The maid looked a bit surprised. “That’s great news!”
“Great news, my foot! With that brain of his, what will he do if he enters the immortal sect without anyone to protect him?”
“So, Madam, you…”
“Zheng Fa is a good seedling, with talent and a steady temperament, though a bit arrogant. I was planning to let him go to the immortal sect with this boy, so I’d feel more at ease.” The lady shook her head. “But before going, I need to refine this seedling; it’s a pity I rushed it a bit.”
The maid understood and could only sigh deeply. “Madam, you have such a heart for the young master.”
“I owe him for bringing him into this world.” The lady sighed.
“I’m just afraid… if the young master really tells Zheng Fa, it might breed resentment in him.”
“Resentment? Who would he resent? He’d resent me, of course.” The lady laughed, her gaze drifting toward the training grounds. “Didn’t that boy pry the secret of cultivating ‘Ling He Shen’ from me? Isn’t he preparing to sell me out to comfort himself? Shouldn’t he be more grateful to his own young master? The worse I am as a lady, the more loyal my foolish son will be!”
“But the young master doesn’t understand you, and Zheng Fa hates you…”
“I don’t need him to understand; I need him to be well. As for Zheng Fa? I can handle the resentment of a book boy.” The lady blew on the floating tea leaves in her cup, utterly unconcerned.
After a long while, the maid hesitantly spoke up, “What if… what if Zheng Fa’s talent is truly exceptional, and he soars into the immortal sect in the future?”
“What then? My son is a fool, but he has his own good fortune. He’s been building a good relationship with him, pouring out his heart; would he really turn against me?” The lady seemed amused, jokingly saying, “If he truly has that talent, I’d be happy for him!”
With that, she furrowed her brow, looking toward the training grounds, her ears slightly tilted, her gaze focused.
A faint crane call echoed from the training grounds, starting softly and melodically, gradually rising to a high, intense pitch, soaring into the heavens. The white clouds above rolled with the sound waves.
People throughout Jingzhou City looked up, curious about the source of the sound.
The lady recalled the records she had read, her hand trembled, and the teacup fell to the ground without her noticing. She murmured, “He succeeded?”
The maid, looking at the puddle of tea on the ground with the tea leaves dancing freely, sighed deeply in her heart.
Madam, you don’t seem to be as pleased as you claim.
Chapter 41: Wept
Just moments ago at the training grounds, Zheng Fa stood with his eyes closed, unaware of how long he had been standing there.
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