Chapter 8: Aspiration

Uncertain of how much time had passed, Ye Kong felt his legs becoming somewhat numb, and the drowsiness in his mind continued to rise. His eyelids felt as heavy as if they weighed thousands of pounds, and he longed to collapse onto the bed and fall into a deep sleep, which would be the ultimate bliss

How could there be books in my mind? Ye Kong found his own speculation amusing

He not only devoured the soul of Chen Jiuniang's son, but now he also intends to personally end his life; once he dies, Chen Jiuniang will also be unable to survive

However, his feelings of homesickness did not last long. Since he had already decided to persevere in this unfamiliar and harsh continent, he needed to suppress these emotions, even to the extent of forgetting his identity as an Earthling, and integrate into this world that lacked warmth, in order to reclaim a measure of dignity and happiness for himself

"Empty." Chen Jiuniang was startled and instinctively hid the cold steamed bun she was holding behind her.

Disappointed, frustrated, and disheartened

Never mind, let's meditate first

This is far worse than Earth. He no longer wanted to stay on this wretched continent and began to think of ways to return. However, there was no Miss Zhao here to give him a slap. He muttered to himself, wondering if dying would allow him to traverse back... Or perhaps... he should just commit suicide

Speaking of this matter, Ye Wen laughed, "That fool has such beautiful thoughts, it's utterly ridiculous. Didn't you see the look of disappointment on his face at that time? Haha..." As Ye Wen laughed, it caused pain in his arm, and he let out a cold snort, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, saying, "Fool, I will definitely get this back from you sooner or later!"

Oh? What news?" Ye Wen and Ye Wu asked with interest

Ye Kong felt dejected, having lost the spirited demeanor of the morning. Bearing his injuries and heeding his mother's words, he managed to eat a bit of lunch before retreating to his room to daydream.

Madam San said again: "I heard you all say that this Ye Kong is no longer foolish, but rather cunning and vicious, so you must establish a good relationship with him." Madam San looked at her two sturdy sons and whispered, "You need to learn to use your brains. This fool has become clever and has offended Madam Er, so let them fight it out, shall we? Do you understand? His ugly mother will not win the general's favor, so as long as we can turn Madam Er against him... then I will be the mistress of this inner courtyard!" His ugly mother will not win the general's favor, so as long as we can turn Madam Er against him... then I will be the mistress of this inner courtyard!

Ye Kong's eyes widened in surprise. He came over because he guessed that his mother must have served him all the dishes, so he wanted her to come over to his side and have some food as well

The atmosphere in the library is quite distinct. Compared to daytime, the water attribute's spiritual energy has significantly increased, the wood attribute's spiritual energy has also seen a slight rise, the earth attribute remains unchanged, while the fire and metal attributes are so weak that they are nearly imperceptible

The three heads leaned together, and Mrs. Er murmured something, causing the two brothers to break into smiles, their eyes filled with envy.

Abandoning martial pursuits for literary ones and writing exquisite articles? That is sheer nonsense. Do not be fooled by his eloquence; in reality, he is someone who does not love learning. Otherwise, he would not have dropped out of school in the middle of junior high.

Ye Kong did not understand why he had come here, nor did he know where a person's soul resided. In any case, it should not be in the energy center or dantian; it was most likely in the mind or the purple palace.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, my dear... I just love eating steamed buns." Chen Jiuniang seemed to fear that her son would not believe her, so she took a few more hearty bites of the steamed bun. However, the overnight buns had long lost their moisture, becoming dry and hard, causing her to choke and bring tears to her eyes

Chen Jiuniang noticed that her son was acting strangely, but she did not dare to disturb him. By evening, it was time for dinner, yet Ye Kong still had not come out

How to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? Is it through deep breathing? How to seize the creation of heaven and earth? ... And what about the Ren and Du meridians ... I haven't really read the novel, so I genuinely don't know where the Ren and Du meridians are located.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to stay for long." Ye Kong sighed as he pushed open the door to Chen Jiuniang's room

Ye Kong gritted his teeth, slowly raising his head, as if he had forcibly swallowed something down...

When he flew not far above the golden light, he was astonished, "Heavens! It really is a book! There is a book in my mind!"

This feeling is truly hard to swallow, yet he managed to swallow it. At this moment, he also solidified his belief, completely crushing and shattering all the frustration and despondency from the afternoon

Ye Kong sat cross-legged on the bed. He had already adapted to the air of the Cangnan Continent and no longer felt any discomfort. However, he could still sense the spiritual energy in the air

"In ancient times, people would hang their heads from beams and prick their thighs with awls; today, I shall learn from this as well!" Ye Kong climbed back onto the small bed and sat cross-legged.

Ye Long lamented, "Mother, it is not that I am unable to win; it is that he used underhanded tactics to cheat."

There is no future in martial arts. In other words, his aspirations to display his prowess and ride boldly across the Cangnan Continent have all become mere illusions

Learning martial arts for self-defense is possible, but it is absolutely impossible to make any progress in the path of martial arts.

Oh! The two strong sons finally understood and quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "It is indeed mother who has the solution."

The plump woman snorted sarcastically, "What’s the matter? Now that my son is recovering, he thinks he can be favored? Does he want to ride on our heads?"

Another hour had passed. In a daze, Ye Kong finally entered a state of half-dreaming and half-waking for the first time. His breathing was calm, slow, and rhythmic; his mind was clear, yet empty, devoid of any thoughts. His eyes were slightly open, but the scene before him was not the moonlight in front of him.

Although the second and third wives have temporarily quieted down due to the mysterious news, Ye Kong has truly been affected by Ye Haoran, feeling an indescribable sense of frustration. He has no desire to engage in conflict with others and remains in his room, seemingly in a daze.

Ye Kong did not even know how he had come out from Ye Haoran's presence; he had already been rendered incapable of thought by his father's words.

No, no, Sister Ma, I just want to give him a little extra. Chen Jiuniang's eyes shyly glanced at the braised pork in the pot over there

He felt a complete blank in front of him, utterly despairing. However, upon returning to his small courtyard and seeing his eagerly expectant mother, he could only force a smile and casually respond with a few words.

A similar scene is also unfolding in the room of the third lady

Returning to the small courtyard, I placed a few yellowed cold steamed buns in my room, and then knocked on my son's door, setting the meal on the table.

This is my own soul! After entering meditation, I unexpectedly arrived at the place where I had the soul-seizing battle with the fool last time

But who would have thought that I, an old woman, could not even afford plain rice, hiding in the house and gnawing on cold steamed buns

Even in death, one should be a gluttonous ghost

What is that? Ye Kong flew up.

At this moment, their mother, Madam Er, spoke up, "We must still give him 20 taels of silver; do not let the general know, or he will be angry. Recently, you should behave a bit more properly in front of the general. Hehe, I have learned a significant piece of news today"

Sister Ma, the plump one, glanced over with a cold smile and said, "Eat more steamed buns to nourish your brain." She reached into the basin and took a few leftover cold steamed buns that others had discarded, tossing them over.

However, this payment encountered a minor obstacle with the second wife in charge of the accounts

Ye Kong speculated that this was likely due to his origin from the Earth, where spiritual energy is scarce. It is akin to a person who has lived for an extended period in a high-altitude, oxygen-deficient environment suddenly arriving in a plain abundant with oxygen; the subtle sensations experienced would undoubtedly surpass those of someone who has always lived in the plains

Ye Kong was familiar with meditation. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, with both hands palms up resting naturally on his knees, he adjusted his breathing, cleared his mind of distractions, and gradually entered a state of deep concentration

Mother, that Ye Kong is truly detestable; you must avenge me!" Ye Long lay on the bed, groaning and cursing Ye Kong.

"We cannot let this fool bite off the skin from my wrist; he should compensate us for the cost of the medicinal soup!" Ye Wu sternly intervened as he returned to the room.

Ye Wu mocked, "That fool, how dare he ask his father to teach him martial arts? Hmph, truly overestimating himself, he should take a look at how poor his aptitude is."

Chen Jiuniang did not dare to disturb her son, so she had no choice but to take the food container herself to fetch the meal

Chen Jiuniang wanted to say something, but in the end, she still walked away with the rice and steamed buns. What else could she do? These managers are not to be trifled with; despite being servants, they are all connected by kinship. Sister Ma is the most favored relative of the Ninth Madam from her hometown. Even if she reported it to the general, with her ugly appearance, would it even make a difference?

Although there was no meat, it was still quite tasty. However, as he continued to eat, he suddenly thought of something.

"Please give a little more, my family's Kong'er has recovered but got injured again today, so he needs to eat a bit more," Chen Jiuniang said softly

However, while this may sound simple, it is not so straightforward when it comes to execution

Ye Kong had just been contemplating suicide and returning to Earth, but after witnessing the scene before him, he realized how cruel he truly was

Just endure it.

Suddenly, he realized that he was not alone in the space; above him, there was a shimmering golden light stirring to life

"Damn those immortals! I will go and kill them!" Ye Kong turned around and left

No matter how much effort is expended, it is still difficult to achieve greatness

Ye Kong set down his chopsticks, opened the door, and walked out of the room. At this moment, the moon was already high in the sky, yet the sky had not yet darkened. The moon, belonging to the leader, was surrounded by a red halo, presenting a magnificent beauty that could not be seen on Earth

The third lady is also a practitioner of martial arts, and her temperament is slightly more forthright than that of the second lady. She scolded, "Useless thing! Unable to fight for yourself, you let a woman like me step forward. What kind of ability is that?"

The nights on the Cangnan Continent are brighter and more tranquil than those on Earth. Moonlight filters through the window frames, which have been torn in numerous places, casting patches of pure white light of various sizes on the floor in front of the bed, evoking a slight chill.

Therefore, recently you should avoid provoking that fool, stay calm, be obedient, remain at home, and let your mother take care of you, striving to ensure that you all have the qualifications.

Ye Kong was taken aback for a moment and quickly looked at himself, only to find that he had transformed into a white sphere of light

Ye Kong suddenly felt that he was not entirely useless; he was more sensitive to spiritual energy than the people of the Cangnan Continent. Could this be the area where he could make his mark?

Alright

The place where the meals are served is controlled by a plump woman. Despite her unattractiveness, she is quite narcissistic and often wonders why General Ye has not taken a liking to her. Even someone as unattractive as Chen Jiuniang has borne children for the general.

Mother, rest assured, one day I will make them understand that those who have taken from me must return, and those who have bullied me will regret it too late

These two sentences have completely defeated Ye Kong

"Mother, are you just going to eat this?" Ye Kong's anger surged.

Once again, it is unclear how much time has passed; Ye Kong's thigh has already been punctured several times, with strands of blood staining the coarse fabric of his trousers, leaving behind numerous round spots

Hatred is also a form of motivation

"Do not! Kong'er, your mother is fine, just do not cause trouble. As long as you are well, that is enough for me." Chen Jiuniang rushed forward and embraced her son, pleading with tears in her eyes, "You are clear-headed now, I cannot express how happy that makes me. But Kong'er, you are only twelve years old, you cannot fight against them. My greatest concern now is you. If you are well, I can live on just the bare minimum. If anything were to happen to you, how would I be able to go on living..."

Ye Kong pondered carefully for an entire afternoon, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had made a mistake in his attire

No! I want to live! I want to live on with Ye Kong's life! Not only do I want to live better, but I also want those malicious and unscrupulous people to pay the price!

In the afternoon, Butler Ye Cai came over to make up for this month's regular payment, but Ye Kong did not come out

Indeed, mother, you must help brother avenge this grievance. This fool has become so cunning and vicious, and even father has not punished him. It is truly detestable, " Ye Hu said, gritting his teeth.

Although she is not his biological mother, and there is no real emotional connection... seeing this scene is something Ye Kong cannot endure

Thus, she was naturally very rude to Chen Jiuniang

Madam San smiled proudly and whispered, "Today, I have learned a significant piece of news from m.hetushu.com..."

It must be said that entering a state of deep meditation is quite difficult. Achieving that state of being neither fully asleep nor fully awake, with no distracting thoughts in the mind, is not an easy task

The bright moonlight before the window, suspected to be frost on the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, and lower it to think of my hometown... This poem, "Quiet Night Thoughts," is one of the few poems that Ye Kong remembers. At this moment, reciting it is indeed fitting for the mood and the scene

I have read many novels about immortals and martial arts, where one absorbs the spiritual energy of the five elements to enhance oneself and seizes the opportunities of heaven and earth to enjoy immortal fortunes. Ye Kong is well aware of this; those novels explain it very clearly. One absorbs the spiritual energy into the sea of qi, and when needed, releases the energy. Isn't that sufficient?

However, Ye Kong is also a person of firm resolve. Since he has strengthened his confidence and has no other options, he must eliminate all notions of luck and continue to practice diligently

Even if one cannot become an immortal, cultivating internal energy or qigong, and opening the Ren and Du meridians is still acceptable. After a few years of practice, one could become a martial arts expert, traveling far and wide, upholding justice and righteousness. After making a name in the martial world, who would dare to look down on oneself or bully one's mother

Indeed, that bastard is utterly shameless, standing outside the ring and claiming he hasn't lost, even biting! What a disgrace!" Ye Wen scolded while wrapping the bandage.

Ke Ye Kong continues to persevere; he does not believe that he cannot even overcome this stage of settling in.

However, Ke Ye Kong knew that it was definitely not the sun, because the object in the golden light was flat and felt like a book

After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air, and his clenched fist gradually relaxed.

Upon looking at the meal, the white rice is steaming hot, resembling the Earth. Then, looking at the vegetables on top, they are green leafy vegetables similar to greens.

After Chen Jiuniang finished speaking, tears streamed down her face like rain

He did not know where he had arrived, feeling that this was a chaotic void, surrounded by clouds and mist, unable to see the outside, while the space within was empty and desolate

... ...

Only the golden light hung high in the center of space, not large, but not small either, roughly the same size as the last time the fool's soul appeared, yet its brightness was very high, the golden radiance dazzling, as if it were a red sun within the space

Perseverance leads to victory! Ye Kong dispelled the tempting thought of "let's talk about it tomorrow" from his mind, jumped out of bed, stretched his legs, and then found a large embroidery needle that Chen Jiuniang used for her work.

In the martial arts training ground, Ye Kong did not make any further requests to Ye Haoran; however, Ye Haoran still instructed the butler to increase his monthly allowance by 20 taels of silver.