“Storytime’s over. Time for you all to go rest,” Yan Zihui said, shooing them away.
Jumping off the couch, the four juniors left the room in a downcast mood. The eagerly anticipated story turned out to be quite distressing, particularly for Lu Yaoyao. Who would have thought that one of the main characters would be her Master?
What a mess…
But then again, what’s done is done. No matter how much she fretted, it wouldn’t change the past, and it wasn’t like she’d ever have any interaction with the city lord of Moxuan City.
However, the story left Lu Yaoyao tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep well. The next day, when Wen Zixing and the others were enthusiastically planning their activities, she listlessly said, “You guys go ahead, I’ll stay at the inn.”
Seeing this, Yan Zihui told Wen Zixing and the others to go on ahead while he stayed behind to chat with Lu Yaoyao.
“What’s wrong? Still troubled by last night’s story?” Patting the little girl on the head, he softly asked.
Lu Yaoyao shook her head. She didn’t know; she just suddenly didn’t feel like going out anymore.
“You’re really still a kid,” Yan Zihui teased.
Lu Yaoyao protested, “I’ve already grown up.”
Yan Zihui smiled indulgently, “You’re still young.”
“You know, Yaoyao, on the path of cultivation, we’ll meet many people and go through many things. This is just a small trial on the road to becoming stronger.”
“You’ll make many friends in the future. These friends might benefit from knowing you, perhaps gaining certain advantages, but they might also be implicated because of you, facing the wrath of those who bear grudges against you. Everything has its good and bad sides.”
“For example, you make a friend. You treat each other sincerely, helping each other improve. Because of this friend, you might enjoy the hospitality and convenience offered by their acquaintances during your travels together. But on the flip side, you also need to be prepared for the possibility of being dragged into trouble because of that friend.”
“Of course, we don’t make friends just for the benefits, but there’s truth in the saying that everything has its pros and cons. The world isn’t just black and white; there are many shades between.”
“If one day you’re implicated in trouble because of a friend, would you blame them, Yaoyao?”
Lu Yaoyao shook her head, then nodded. “It depends on the situation. If they’re innocent, then we’re both victims—why would I blame them? But if the trouble was caused by them doing something wrong, then not only would I blame them, but I’d also cut ties!”
“That’s a good approach,” Yan Zihui laughed.
Lu Yaoyao’s expression turned serious. “Senior Brother, I understand what you’re saying.” Basically, the road of cultivation is mired with dangers, so you have to be careful when making friends.
Lu Yaoyao thought of her many demon friends and her identity as a half-human, half-devil herself. If one day the world found out, those close to her could very well be dragged into trouble. She didn’t want to bring harm to her friends.
Thinking of this made her even more upset. Maybe she should send them a letter and break off their friendship… She didn’t want to implicate her friends.
Yan Zihui, now serious, continued, “Yaoyao, as the daughter of His Venerable, you’ll face many challenges in the future. Right now, you’re having fun with Muxue and the others, and your relationships are pure and good. That’s wonderful…”
“But in the future, if someone can’t get close to you, they might target people around you instead. They would be the easiest targets. Your friends might face deception, manipulation, or even threats to their lives because of their closeness to you. Those things could become a thorn in your relationships, a test of your bonds…”
“Cultivators cultivate both the body and the mind, but cultivating the body is easier than cultivating the mind. Sometimes, one event can bring someone down, and they may never recover…”
Lu Yaoyao couldn’t help but think of her Father and her Daddy. Their cultivation levels were now at the pinnacle of Yuanqi, and they were among the oldest on the entire continent.
Did that mean they had gone through countless trials to get to where they were? Lu Yaoyao didn’t know much about their past, but from scattered hints, she could glimpse a small part of it—and didn’t seem to be pleasant.
“If I ever get implicated, even if it costs me my life, I wouldn’t regret making such a good friend, nor would I blame them for causing it.”
“Bah, bah! What ‘costs my life’? You’re going to live a long and healthy life!”
Suddenly, Lu Yaoyao heard two familiar voices coming from the other side of the door.
She walked outside, only to see that Wen Zixing, Chao Muxue, and Du Qianshan, who were supposed to have left earlier, were crouched by the corner of the wall, eavesdropping on their conversation. At that moment, Wen Zixing, reacting strongly to what Du Qianshan had said, raised his voice several octaves to refute him. Wen Zixing had always remembered the original fate of Du Qianshan, who died for Chao Muxue, so he was particularly sensitive to any talk about life and death.
“We’ll all live for a hundr— no, for thousands, for tens of thousands of years!”
Lu Yaoyao looked at her crouching friends and tilted her head, “Why are you still here?”
With expressions of innocence, the three stood up. “We thought you got lost, so we came back to find you!” Wen Zixing led the other two and walked in with righteous indignation. “How could you talk in secret? Let us in too!”
Chao Muxue’s tone was serious as she spoke, ”Yaoyao, don’t worry about dragging us down. So many people would be thrilled to be your friend. Being implicated and whatnot—there are no such things between us.”
Wen Zixing added, “It’s too early to worry about that, anyway. All we need to do is work hard to become stronger. With enough power, no ill intentions can harm us.”
“It’s not just about Yaoyao. You guys should also keep this in mind: remain vigilant whenever you’re away from home,” Yan Zihui advised. “Why do cultivators always seem to travel out to gain experience? Because the world is vast, and life is full of challenges. Only by seeing more and experiencing more can you truly refine your heart and gain enlightenment.”
Yan Zihui was deeply concerned about his junior brothers and sisters. In his eyes, they were barely-hatched chicks who had just taken their baby steps into the vast, dangerous world. As a senior, he wished he could impart all the wisdom from his own experience to them, so they wouldn’t have to repeat the same hardships.
“You’ll make many friends. After enduring hardships together, your bonds might deepen, turning into lifelong friendships where you’d trust each other with your lives. But there’s also the possibility that you’ll grow apart, or even end up at each other’s swords.”
The four of them listened attentively, taking his words to heart.
“Still, no matter what happens, your senior brother hopes you all never forget your original intentions,” Yan Zihui said earnestly.
Wen Zixing pounded his chest and promised solemnly. “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. We’re so smart, we won’t be fooled like you were.”
“…” Yan Zihui immediately knocked Wen Zixing’s forehead. “Who’s been fooled?”
“Senior Brother, you’re experienced, and you’ve got all this wisdom—aren’t those your life lessons? Don’t worry, even if you’ve been tricked nine, ten, or however many times, you’re still our awesome senior brother!” Wen Zixing confidently replied, giving Yan Zihui a thumbs up.
“Nonsense! How could someone as smart as me get fooled that many times?” Yan Zihui grumbled, his face darkening.
Lu Yaoyao grasped the key point, “So, how many times have you been tricked, Senior Brother?”
“…” Yan Zihui cleared his throat and looked up at the sky, his gaze distant, “Just two or three times, that’s all.”
“Ohhhh—” Four pairs of eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Yan Zihui scowled, “Alright, enough. What about your plan today? Are you going to dilly-daily like this until evening?”
Lu Yaoyao and the others realized he was right. They could pester Yan Zihui for all the juicy details—especially the parts where he got tricked—later in the evening. So, it’s best for them to use the daytime to keep exploring.
The group left the inn and continued exploring the parts of the city they hadn’t yet visited.
“I heard there’s a really good pancake shop in the northern part of the city. Should we go there?”
“What do you all think?”
“Sure, let’s head north today.”
Wen Zixing, Du Qianshan, and Chao Muxue were chatting as they made plans for the day, but after a while, they realized that Lu Yaoyao, usually the most enthusiastic, hadn’t said anything. Wen Zixing turned to her and called, “Yaoyao, are you still feeling down?”
Lu Yaoyao shot him a glare, “You’re the one who’s feeling down!”
“Then why are you so silent?”
“I’m watching the people,” Lu Yaoyao replied, nodding toward a group of passersby ahead on the right. “Don’t they seem a bit familiar to you?”
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I really like that Yan Zihui pointed out the cruel reality that Lu Yaoyao might face in her relationships with others because it’s something that both she and her friends will most likely encounter in the future. With such sincere and sound advice, though, it should further urge the seriousness of training to improve their strength so that each of them will have the ability to deal such possible situations.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀