“Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Senior Brother Mo Bai, please go and remind the Confucian Sage that Senior Sister is severely injured and cannot be disturbed. Please ask him to come here quickly.” Su Baiyi paced back and forth in the main hall, his face full of anxiety.
Mo Bai kept reassuring him, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Master has already arrived here, he won’t run away.”
“But who can say for sure? This Confucian Sage is so elusive, like seeing a heavenly dragon’s head but not its tail. What if he runs away again?” Su Baiyi said anxiously, “No, I have to go see him first. By the way, didn’t you say Senior Brothers Feng and Xie also came? Where are they?”
TN: To see a heavenly dragon’s head but not its tail. This idiom refers to someone who is incredibly elusive or disappears as quickly as they appear.
“They said they hadn’t bathed in days, so they went straight to bathe as soon as they arrived,” Mo Bai smiled. “They really did smell quite a bit. It’s hard to believe they are disciples of the esteemed academy.”
“Wouldn’t the Confucian Sage also be quite smelly then?” Su Baiyi asked.
“Who’s smelly?” A handsome young man dressed in white robes, as pure as snow, appeared at the door, smiling as he spoke.
“No, I’m going now.” Su Baiyi ignored the young man and walked outside.
“Where are you going?” The handsome young man reached out to block his way.
“Move aside, move aside.” Su Baiyi pushed the handsome young man’s hand away. “I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll chat with you later, little brother.”
“Little brother?” The handsome young man turned around, grabbed Su Baiyi by the collar, and flung him straight into the center of the main hall.
Su Baiyi fell to the ground, a puzzled look on his face. “Where did this crazy kid come from?!”
“Crazy kid?” The handsome young man raised an eyebrow.
Mo Bai wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although the Confucian sage had always been kind and approachable, in his memory, no one except his fearless second senior brother had ever dared to be so disrespectful towards the sage.
“I’m the person you’re looking for,” the handsome young man smiled. “The Confucian Sage, Dongfang Xiaoyue.”
“You’re the Confucian Sage?” Su Baiyi exclaimed. “Are you kidding me?”
“Your original name was Chen Sancai, and you used to live in Qianxi City. Your adoptive father was Chen Tianze, and your adoptive mother was Murong Qian. When you were nine years old, you were hunted down by unknown assassins, and both your adoptive parents died. Fortunately, you were saved by Xie Kanhua and survived, growing up under his care. Xie Kanhua taught you reading, writing, listening to the wind to discern directions, and the most basic sword techniques. He also passed down the Book of Immortals to you, but only half of it.” Dongfang Xiaoyue spoke slowly.
Su Baiyi frowned slightly. “I’ve only told my senior sister about these things. Did you eavesdrop on us before?”
“Then let me tell you something she doesn’t know. Since you were nine, you’ve had the same dream every night, a dream where a white-clothed immortal calls your name. This dream tormented you endlessly, but after you started cultivating with that half of the Immortals’ Book, you stopped having it.” Dongfang Xiaoyue’s pupils narrowed slightly. “However, every time you fall asleep, you lose your sanity, and in that state, you possess incredibly powerful martial arts skills.”
“Confucian Sage, do you really know everything in the world?” Su Baiyi finally started to believe that the young man in front of him was indeed the Confucian Sage.
“Your master often writes to me, I know everything about you from your childhood to the present day. In fact, it was my suggestion to your master to teach you only the art of drawing the sword, and not other sword techniques.” Dongfang Xiaoyue stepped forward and helped Su Baiyi up. “All these years, I’ve been watching you grow up. In fact, we’ve met quite a few times.”
Su Baiyi scratched his head. “Why don’t I have any memory of it?”
“Every time we meet, I look different, so naturally you wouldn’t remember,” Dongfang Xiaoyue replied. “But you always look the same, like a child who never grows up.”
“Master Confucian Sage!” Su Baiyi had just stood up, but suddenly knelt on one knee again and clasped his fists, “Please, Master Confucian Sage, save my master!”
“I can’t save him,” Dongfang Xiaoyue shook his head.
“Why can’t you save him? Second Senior Brother alone can overturn the Shanglin Heavenly Palace. You are his teacher, is there anyone in the Shanglin Heavenly Palace who can stop you?” Su Baiyi said anxiously.
“You underestimate the Shanglin Heavenly Palace and overestimate me. Besides, your master doesn’t need to be rescued. They won’t kill Xie Kanhua until they get the Immortals’ Book. And Xie Kanhua is not that easy to kill. If they really do it, at least the Misty Rain Tower and Spring Breeze Tower among the Three Towers and Four Courtyards will rebel directly. Although Helian Chunshui took your master away, the friendship between him and your master is far deeper than you think. If not, do you think your master would have surrendered that day?” Dongfang Xiaoyue extended a finger and tapped Su Baiyi’s forehead, “What you need to worry about now is yourself.”
“Myself?” Su Baiyi sighed softly, “The Shanglin Heavenly Palace seems to know that I possess the Immortals’ Book, and people keep coming to capture me.”
“Ning Qingcheng was severely injured by Yulou back then, and only the Immortals’ Book can heal his wounds. But the Immortals’ Book was taken away by Xie Kanhua. Now that he sees hope, he naturally won’t let it go easily,” Dongfang Xiaoyue said. “But half of the Immortals’ Book is useless. You must cultivate the complete Immortals’ Book. When that time comes, you won’t have to ask anyone for help, you can go up the mountain and bring your master back yourself.”
“What kind of martial arts is the Immortals’ Book?” Su Baiyi asked. “The Lord of Jimo City gave me the sword technique they had, and I also received the three pages from Qing Yilang. How many are left?”
“The Book of Immortals, just like its name, is not a book of the mortal world,” Dongfang Xiaoyue smiled. “Back then, Grand Palace Master Su Han obtained this secret manual and originally wanted to destroy it directly, but the heads of other sects disagreed. In the end, it was divided into many parts, and each sect took a part. Everyone wanted to obtain supreme skills from those fragments, but the most important half with the mental cultivation method was left in the Shanglin Heavenly Palace. Forcibly practicing those fragments would only lead to Qi deviation.”
“Not a book of the mortal world? Does that mean practicing it can really lead to immortality?” Su Baiyi shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t know if that counts as becoming an immortal, but at least they appear ethereal like immortals, ageless and deathless, with unparalleled skills. However, they are devoid of emotions and love, viewing the living beings of this world as if they were ants,” Dongfang Xiaoyue said faintly.
“Ageless and deathless? Could it be that you have mastered it, sir?” Su Baiyi asked.
“How could that be? I haven’t cut off all emotions or love. I cherish this vast world deeply. But I did once encounter the person who mastered this technique, and then…” Dongfang Xiaoyue patted his chest, “He severely injured me, almost to the point of death. You all think I look so youthful again because I’ve mastered some divine skill, but no, in fact, it’s because I was harmed by this divine skill that I have no choice but to look like this! When I was gravely injured, I was already over sixty years old. Five years ago, I looked like I was in my forties. Now, don’t I seem even younger than you? What about five years from now?”
Both Su Baiyi and Mo Bai were shocked.
“I will become an eight-year-old child!”
“And in another five years, I will be dead.”