Chapter 8: The Path of Learning

Xie Yuezi quickly said: "Senior Brother Gu is going to refine the Golden Elixir, and it just so happens that I, as your junior brother, can ask you for guidance. At the same time, the three of us can work together to set up a formation. I believe that the external demonic entities will find it difficult to break our formation, right? Even if it is Junior Sister, she also..."

Amidst the undulating mountain peaks, the mournful wails of the fierce wind echoed, while even louder was the indignant, aggrieved roar of the little cat, as if it were wronged by the snow falling in June. The voices of the person and the beast gradually faded away, while Zhao Yue'er looked at the path with a beaming smile, softly humming a tune.

Gu Lingzi nodded repeatedly: "This is indeed the truth. If the junior sister and the junior nephew get together, at most we will lose thirty percent of our medicinal materials, but at least we can avoid the trouble of the junior sister bothering us all day. Otherwise, if we leave the junior sister alone on the mountain, it would be just like the last time with my furnace of spirit elixirs... tsk tsk..." Gu Lingzi seemed to recall some unfortunate events that were hard to look back on, shaking his head repeatedly.

The kitten let out a mournful howl, desperately carrying the heavy "Mount Tai talisman" as it dashed out of the study and into the bamboo forest like the wind. The fierce wind hesitated for a moment, and in the sky, there was a series of "crackling" explosions, with lightning bolts as thick as hundreds of arms striking down. The fierce wind finally understood what "thunderclap" meant, and could not help but emit a sharp, mournful howl, kicking its own backside with all its might, and ran away like the wind.

Zhao Yue'er chuckled, saying: "Who told you that you have so much innate spiritual energy in your body before even entering the sect? Compared to ordinary people, you naturally need to undergo more rigorous training to become a talent, as my mother told me. According to my mother, when Senior Brother Xiao Longzi and the others ascended the mountain, they were not like you, with all your meridians fully connected and such a dense accumulation of spiritual energy, possessing immense strength, able to leap three zhang in a single bound. All the senior brothers were still mere mortals when they ascended the mountain, so they naturally used wooden buckets and firewood knives."

Zhao Yue'er gently tapped the table twice and said: "The tasks of fetching water and chopping firewood are originally meant to temper your restless heart. If you are not made to exert yourself a little, how can this be accomplished?"

The electric flashes transformed the vast bamboo forest into flying ash, and several deep pits appeared on the ground in front of the study, still emitting wisps of blue smoke

Li Feng was stunned, and he involuntarily loosened his grip on Zhao Yue'er’s calf, shouting loudly: "Master, you can't be so heartless; this could cost lives!" Li Feng had been with Zhao Yue'er for three days, how could he not know that the distance from the main peak of Mount Hua to Qingyun Ping was over 200 miles? Especially since the only path down from Qingyun Ping was a narrow, steep trail carved from the cliff, barely a foot wide, unless one was flying with a sword.

Zhao Yue'er gently tapped Li Feng's head and said seriously: "This won't do. Of course, I can read all the mental techniques and scriptures to you, but how much can your mind actually retain? Even if my father is the sect leader, the Yuanyuan Sect has a total of 137,645 volumes of scriptures, 5,967 volumes of legal texts, 314 volumes of ancient classics, 125 volumes of the Immortal Mansion's Zilü, and 2 volumes of the True Scriptures of Cultivation. He cannot possibly remember all of them; he has to refer to them regularly. With your laziness, how could you possibly remember anything? Do you expect me to recite them to you at all times? What if I enter seclusion?"

Li Feng was completely collapsed on the ground, while the little cat let out a low growl in frustration: "If I had known, why did I come with you today? Do I have to supervise you? Isn't it like a tiger that I have to run over four hundred miles every day? My life is so miserable." Unfortunately, Li Feng could not understand his complaints.

The blue light flashed again, and Zhao Yue'er rushed in, saying urgently: "I can tell you, if you don't come back in the morning, the next day will be doubled. Moreover, on that day, you will have nothing to eat. I will lock you in a secret room so you can't get out, remember? ... ... This is what those three old men said: for the disciples, there's no need to be too good to them, as long as they don't die, it's fine ... ... Hehe, this is what Master Songzi told me when he was drunk and scolded the three ancestors. " After saying this, Zhao Yue'er flew out again.

"You really are incredibly foolish. 'At the beginning, human nature is inherently good,' just these six characters, and you've been struggling with them for half an hour without memorizing them?" Zhao Yue'er looked at Li Feng with an expression of disbelief, shaking her head vigorously and sighing repeatedly.

As the three waited, not knowing where they had flown off to, Chen Songzi appeared beside the study with a small wine flask in hand, carried along by a gentle breeze. He tilted his head back and took a swig of wine, muttering softly: "These little brats, each one more cunning than the last, do they not realize the need to revitalize the sect? They actually handed their own disciples over to the junior sister. Do they expect us old men to teach the newcomers? Alas, the misfortune of the sect, the misfortune of the sect... However, there is some truth to it; that child Yue'er is quite ambitious, and Fengzi should do well under her guidance. They actually handed their own disciples over to the junior sister. Do they expect us old men to teach the newcomers? Alas, the misfortune of the sect, the misfortune of the sect... However, there is some truth to it; that child Yue'er is quite ambitious, and Fengzi should do well under her guidance... Hmm, indeed, indeed, haha, haha.

Zhao Yue'er rolled her eyes a few times and suddenly burst into a strange laugh: "I just remembered that it seems Fifth Senior Brother mentioned that when Seventh Senior Brother Lei Zhenzi went up the mountain, he also refused to focus on studying the Dao texts. As a result, he was punished by Master Miao Miao to carry three times the amount of water and chop three times the amount of firewood every day. He then obediently sat in the study and worked hard. It looks like I need to learn from Master Miao Miao's method as well. So it's decided: from now on, you won't go to the stream on Qingyun Ping to fetch water. Instead, you will go to the stream on the west side of the main peak of Huashan outside Qingyun Ping. On the way, you also need to chop a bundle of dry firewood to bring back. Hehe. I will have the little cat supervise you."

Zhao Yue'er squinted her eyes and said, "Otherwise, you will start complaining again. I have been teaching you for two days, and you have only remembered how to write one character. You can't write any of the others at all, which is truly embarrassing for me as your teacher... Every day I teach you to read and write, and you either doze off or have a stomachache, so you might as well work hard for a change." Zhao Yue'er gave the little cat's head a heavy pat and commanded, "Lazy cat, from now on, you will follow Xiao Feng to fetch water every day. In any case, you must not let him slack off. If he dares to be lazy, you should use your tail to hit him."

Li Feng rushed towards Zhao Yue'er, clutching her calf and wailing: "Master, please spare your disciple. These things are not meant for humans to learn. Just do me a favor and read everything out loud for me; why must I learn it myself? Don't even mention the big seal and small seal scripts; my head is spinning!" Li Feng's nose twitched uncontrollably, but inside he was laughing heartily: "Heavens, Master’s legs smell so good, even better than the 'Cold Night Orchid' I dug up the night before last. Those young ladies in Suzhou, all painted and powdered, in comparison, their perfumes smell like a toilet."

The three exchanged smiles, and Xiao Longzi said with a chuckle, "Those who cultivate the Dao should strive for progress every day; that is the principle. Hehe..." The three found a grandiose reason and swiftly vanished like the wind. Faintly, one could still hear Xiao Longzi's voice: "Handing Fengzi over to the junior sister is not a bad idea; at least she can freely enter and exit the sect's forbidden areas. Whatever benefits there are will also be a boon for Fengzi, hehe, it doesn't mean I'm an irresponsible master."

Zhao Yue'er carefully opened the jade slip and couldn't help but smile: "Hehe, this is the ancient Tadpole Heavenly Book. The strokes are indeed simple, but can you read the contents within it?"

The fierce wind rose straight up from the ground and made a grimace at Zhao Yue'er, pleading: "Master, please have mercy. I have already exhausted myself this morning carrying water and chopping firewood. Just select a few simple characters to teach me; there is no need to teach anything too difficult, right? Look at these characters, each one twisted and turned. How could I possibly remember so many complicated strokes?"

The kitten suddenly felt a weight on its belly. Opening its eyes, it found, as expected, that the fierce wind had indeed settled on its belly, using it as a pillow and preparing for a nap. The kitten stared for a moment, shook its head, yawned, and mumbled, "You fellow, don't you cherish the opportunity to be a deity? If I were a human, I would definitely work ten times harder than you... Ah—never mind him, I'm going to sleep now."

Zhao Yue'er became increasingly happy as she fought, and couldn't help but shout: "Don't run away, take a few of my Heavenly Thunder strikes before you go. I just learned the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Combo' yesterday."

Zhao Yue'er furrowed her brows and tilted her head, sighing: "Is this what they call having many strokes? I actually think this script is much easier to learn. After all, it is the writing that is popular in the world today; it should be the simplest to learn... Look here." Zhao Yue'er waved her hand, and immediately two bamboo slips and a jade slip flew over from a row of bookshelves against the wall.

Xiao Longzi shuddered all over: "Hurry up, hurry up, while Junior Sister is chasing those two unfortunate fellows, we should hide first."

Casually unfolding a slightly yellowed bamboo slip, Zhao Yue'er smiled and said, "This is the Small Seal Script. Do you think this stroke is a bit more difficult?" Li Feng let out a miserable groan, his eyes already starting to roll around. Unfolding another bamboo slip, Zhao Yue'er's smile grew even wider: "This is the Large Seal Script. Do you see that it is quite easy to learn?" Li Feng emitted a strange 'giggling' sound from his throat, as if he were about to faint. Unfolding yet another bamboo slip, Zhao Yue'er's smile became even more pronounced: "This is the Large Seal Script. Do you see that it is quite easy to learn?" Li Feng emitted a strange 'giggling' sound from his throat, as if he were about to faint.

Oh my, how unfortunate I am. I thought I had found a good support, akin to having a reliable big brother. Who would have known that my fate would be so harsh? Just like that, my water-fetching route was easily changed. Heaven, a round trip would probably only take a morning, right?

A faint golden light emanated from the shoulder pole, flickering and vanishing in an instant. The natural spiritual energy that had originally filled Li Feng's body was immediately suppressed into a mass by that golden light, condensing within Li Feng. He could only rely on his physical strength to carry this pair of items weighing over one hundred pounds down the mountain. However, considering that Li Feng's physique was already much stronger than that of an ordinary person, this additional weight of over one hundred pounds merely made him as fatigued as an ordinary disciple would be each day. In this regard, Zhao Yue'er had a very keen eye.

Xiao Longzi and Xie Yuezi both revealed their forms. Xie Yuezi raised his head slightly with great spirit and said, "As cultivators, what is there to regret about material possessions? Aren't they just a few 'small peaches'? Eating them won't make one an immortal, so what is there to be heartbroken about? Even regarding my 'Cold Night Orchid', although I feel a bit pained when I think about it, as long as Junior Sister is happy, and we ourselves do not suffer any significant loss, what do a few material possessions amount to?" Even regarding my 'Cold Night Orchid', although I feel a bit pained when I think about it, as long as Junior Sister is happy, and we ourselves do not suffer any significant loss, what do a few material possessions amount to?

Gu Lingzi hurriedly exclaimed: "How shameful! As cultivators, how can we harbor any fear? ... However, Junior Brother Xiao, my Golden Core is still lacking in refinement, and I will need you to assist me in protecting my law more often."

Li Feng grumbled, "I actually wish you would read to me all the time." Of course, he sweetly said, "Then, Master, what do you think I should do? Reading and practicing writing is quite a laborious task, it gives me a headache."

Xiao Longzi rolled his eyes and repeatedly nodded, saying: "Indeed, indeed, why should I concern myself with a few peach trees? In any case, I believe this disciple is quite good. First, it spares us from the incessant nagging of those five old fellows, who are always urging us to take on disciples; this can be considered a way to get by. Secondly, it seems that the junior sister has found someone to keep her company, allowing us to enjoy some peace and comfort... At most, we might lose a bit more medicinal herbs, but hasn't a lot already been ruined by the junior sister in the past?"

Li Feng was completely stunned. He raised his hand and shouted angrily: "Is this a place to teach people how to cultivate, or what? Even Zhou Bapi, the stingiest in Suzhou Prefecture, is not this cruel to his tenants. At least they would have enough to eat... You bunch of immortals, damn it, you are worse than a wealthy landlord... Heaven, I want to go back to Suzhou"

After a day of silence, early the next morning, Li Feng was awakened by Zhao Yue'er, who had a slight pout on her face and was using a small palm thunder to rouse him. Zhao Yue'er kicked Li Feng and the little cat in succession, shouting loudly: "You two lazybones, get up! What are you doing? Get up! Li Feng, go fetch the water bucket and the axe. Little cat, don’t run away; you need to carry a 'Mount Tai talisman' on your back before going out."

Zhao Yue'er relentlessly chased after them, shouting loudly: "Xiao Feng, Xiao Mao, don't run, stop right there, just for a moment, it won't kill you."

The figure of the ancient spirit in a blue robe suddenly appeared at the edge of the study, almost moaning as he said: "Good, good, good, Brother Xiao, you are truly something. You took on a disciple and left him to fend for himself, and now he has fallen into the hands of the junior sister... Your few 'little flat peaches' have met a just end... Even my 'Zhu Long grass', although it was a waste for that kid to consume it, I will accept it as well.

Zhao Yue'er could hear the complaints in the kitten's meows and couldn't help but scold with a smile: "Just wait and see if you dare to sleep in again. Little Feng has been led astray by you, this lazy old tiger. Go and supervise Little Feng properly. If you two dare to collude and deceive me, just wait and see how I deal with you, especially you, little kitten. If you dare to slack off with Little Feng, the next time I come down, I will use the 'Five Mountains Talisman' to suppress you." After saying this, Zhao Yue'er laughed charmingly and waved her hands, unleashing countless palm lightning strikes that crackled towards Li Feng and the kitten. Both the person and the tiger were so frightened that they scrambled out the door.

As for Li Feng, he had long been frightened into a series of strange cries, much like a kitten, by the continuous flashes of lightning. With a heavy axe inserted in his back and a pair of water buckets slung over his shoulder, he dashed down Qingyun Ping like the wind, rushing down the narrow, winding, and steep path, about an inch wide, strewn with bizarre rocks.

The little cat tilted its head and glanced at the completely hysterical Li Feng, snorted softly, and lazily lay down on the ground, preparing to sleep. It let out a few low growls from its throat, implying: "You, with all this time to complain, might as well sit down and cultivate your energy; gaining even a bit of inner vitality will at least make tomorrow a little easier!" As it thought about this, the little cat felt that not having to carry water and chop wood all day was indeed a kind of happiness, and it couldn't help but curl its lips into a smile, comfortably closing its eyes. It let out a few low growls from its throat, implying: "You, with all this time to complain, might as well sit down and cultivate your energy; gaining even a bit of inner vitality will at least make tomorrow a little easier!" As it thought about this, the little cat felt that not having to carry water and chop wood all day was indeed a kind of happiness, and it couldn't help but curl its lips into a smile, comfortably closing its eyes.

Zhao Yue'er swiftly traced her fingers, and with a flash of yellow light, a talisman was firmly affixed to the back of the kitten. The kitten let out a mournful wail: "Heavens, 'Mount Tai Talisman', how cruel you are, considering that I used to carry you around the mountains all day when you were little... It must have weighed a full thousand jin, so please use a little less of your magical power."

Zhao Yue'er stood on a golden long sword, hovering at the end of the path, and shouted loudly: "Little Cat, no slacking off; Little Wind, no tricks. Both of you must return by noon, otherwise, there will be no food, especially for Little Cat. If Little Wind slacks off, it will definitely be your bad influence, understood?"

The fierce wind howled to the sky: "Heavens, Master, are these six characters really that simple? But no matter how I look at them, they seem to be spinning! Each character is desperately turning in circles, my eyes are getting blurry. These characters are too complicated; is there not a slightly simpler character to learn?" He simply lay lazily on the floor, starting to whimper: "Master, my whole body aches... these characters are too complicated; is there not a slightly simpler character to learn?" He lay lazily on the floor, starting to whimper: "Master, my whole body aches... Just talking about fetching water and chopping firewood, if you give me two iron buckets, an iron carrying pole, and a thirty-jin axe, that would be enough. Why do we also have to use charms on top of that? It makes me feel weak all over. I barely managed to complete this task, but it was too exhausting."

Li Feng was taken aback, and before he could voice a stronger protest, Zhao Yue'er had transformed into a wisp of hazy blue light: "I am going to read the Daoist scriptures now, Xiao Feng, do not be lazy. This study is sealed by the talismans of our ancestors from generations past, so there is no need to fear that any external demons can intrude. You can meditate with peace of mind. I have already taught you the most basic Qi refining mantra, so you must work hard." After saying this, a beam of blue light shot out of the door and vanished in an instant. A beam of blue light shot out of the door and vanished in an instant

A gust of fresh wind, and this old Taoist has vanished without a trace