Lanke Chess Edge

Chapter 410: Ju Yuanzi Is In a Good Mood

Ji Yuan’s words reflected not only his own sentiments, but also those of many people on Yuhuai Mountain. However, due to Master Zi Yu’s high cultivation and status, not many people in the entire Yuhuai Mountain sect dared to say such things.However, Yuhuai Mountain was tnot a sectarian sect; there was no single leader or dominant figure. The relationships between the various lineages, while not all that distant from one another, were still relatively parallel. Therefore, many of the older generation had reservations about Master Zi Yu.

“Mr. Ji is correct. We don’t know where Junior Brother Zi Yu is right now.”

Ji Yuan didn’t dwell on this issue. He was more concerned about the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly.

“Yuhuai Mountain has foregone the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly twice already, but surely you must still have some understanding of the conference’s proceedings?”

Ji Yuan was currently completely clueless about the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly. Although he really wanted to go and broaden his horizons, he couldn’t just stumble around blindly. Now, he also began to feel that this group of “homebodies” from Yuhuai Mountain were somewhat unreliable.

Ju Yuanzi thought for a moment and then answered truthfully.

“Sir, you may not know this, but the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly is held only once every sixty years. That is no short period of time. Therefore, each assembly is different, and is adjusted depending on the venue and the sects’ preparations. There is no universally accepted set of rules.”

Ju Yuanzi paused for a moment, then continued.

“However, some things remain the same. Although not all immortal sects attend the so-called Cultivator’s Grand Assembly, quite a few will. It’s a rare opportunity for exchange and communication. We cultivators seek the Tao and enlightenment, so we regularly discuss those subjects with each other while there. And sometimes, we inevitably get into fights…”

Ji Yuan just laughed. He knew words were cheap, and actions spoke louder. Aside from the supernatural aspects, it was actually no different from the street squabbles of ordinary people in the marketplace.1

“Of course, the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly is a great opportunity to witness some special supernatural powers, hear strange tales, and acquire or exchange treasures and rare items.”

Ji Yuan nodded.

“I see. Then, will immortal cultivators at the True Immortal level also appear?”

This was a point of great concern for Ji Yuan. After all, he had never seen a real-life True Immortal level cultivator. He was particularly eager to meet the author of is even more looking forward to meeting the author of “A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds.”

After his cultivation on the island and his discussion with the Mingwang Buddha of Inscriptions, Ji Yuan had many more subtle points to analyze with regards to the state described in “A Dream of Wandering in the Clouds.” If he could verify these points with the original author, he might even be able to come up with something interesting.

Hearing Ji Yuan’s words, Ju Yuanzi understood perfectly. Given Ji Yuan’s status and cultivation, he would find it boring to watch a group of juniors bickering at the Assembly. He would only go if he could “have a good chat” with someone of his level.

“I can understand Mr. Ji’s thoughts. There will certainly be quite a few highly skilled cultivators attending. As for whether or not they are True Immortals, I cannot be certain. The term ‘True Immortal’ is too lofty for ordinary cultivators. It is too vague and unclear.”

Ju Yuanzi paused, but having come this far, he didn’t hesitate any longer.

“Some immortal sects, claiming to have True Immortal level experts, went to the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly together. Some of them I truly couldn’t see through, but others were actually no better than me. What do you think of such True Immortals, Mr. Ji?”

Ji Yuan understood what Ju Yuanzi meant.

A so-called “True Immortal” wasn’t like having a level 100 character icon in games from his past life; their strength couldn’t be guaranteed 100%.

While “Bright Strategies” did indeed state that the convergence of the Three Elements of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity was the mark of a True Immortal, that wasn’t entirely correct. Ju Yuanzi could also be considered to have reached the Return to Origin stage, but obviously he did not dare to claim himself a True Immortal. In Ji Yuan’s opinion, he was indeed still lacking in the necessary skills.

Of course, judging from “Bright Strategies”, this was generally the standard for judging “True Immortals” in the cultivation world. If one really wanted to call themselves a True Immortal, only those in the highest positions of power would be qualified to criticize them.

Ju Yuanzi was essentially telling Ji Yuan that only he could judge for himself whether someone was a True Immortal or merely a high-level expert. At this, Ji Yuan seemed deep in thought.

There was a significant difference between those who cultivated immortality and those who cultivated demonic arts.

Demons and monsters prioritized “power,” while immortals and Buddhas prioritized the “Tao.” The former was more straightforward, while the latter was extremely mysterious and difficult to judge directly. Of course, if one reached a sufficient level, it would certainly be relatively easier to judge.

Ji Yuan remained silent for a while, then smiled helplessly.

“Alright, alright, let’s talk about it when we get there. How many people are coming from Yuhuai Mountain? Have you already chosen anyone?”

Hearing Ji Yuan’s question, Wei Yuansheng began frantically signaling to Ji Yuan with meaningful glances, practically pleading, “Sir, please put in a good word for me! I really want to go!”

“Ahem, ahem…”

Qiu Feng couldn’t stand it anymore and deliberately coughed twice to signal his disciple to tone it down. However, Wei Wuwei secretly sipped his tea, glancing sideways at his son in approval.

With someone as powerful as Mr. Ji around, it would be truly foolish not to curry favor with him.

Ju Yuanzi answered truthfully.

“In the end, there are still a few years left before the time comes. Yuhuai Mountain hasn’t decided how many people to send, nor who. But I will probably go, haha. To be honest, I also want to have some more exchanges and discussions with Mr. Ji…”

At this point, Ju Yuanzi glanced at Wei Yuansheng and Shang Yiyi. The former was startled when he looked over, and immediately became serious.

“Of course, it’s a rare opportunity, and there will definitely be younger disciples coming along. I think Yuansheng and Yiyi are quite good, and I will recommend them to Yuzhu Peak.”

Ji Yuan smiled at his words. Wei Yuansheng really wanted to go, and Ji Yuan naturally hoped that he come too, but this was Yuhuai Mountain’s business, and he couldn’t interfere. Ju Yuanzi’s words were a perfectly timed gesture of goodwill, so Ji Yuan readily went along with it.

“That’s true. Yuansheng is pure and lovely, and generous and poised. He is indeed a rare talent and should broaden his horizons more.”

‘Yes!’ Wei Yuansheng thought with relief, unable to conceal the joy on his face. With both Master Ju and Master Ji having declared as such, his trip to Heng Province in the Northern Territories was basically a sure thing.”

Even Shang Yiyi couldn’t hide her delight at this moment, and seeing Wei Yuansheng’s suppressed excitement only made her more amused.

Given Ju Yuanzi’s status and cultivation level, Ji Yuan naturally understood that this man could be considered one of the leaders of Yuhuai Mountain, so they naturally discussed more matters.

Ji Yuan didn’t hold back. He directly inquired about the other details of the Cultivator’s Grand Assembly from Ju Yuanzi, Yang Ming, and Qiu Feng. They also discussed when it would be appropriate to set off, and how to get there. Since they would definitely be taking the younger generation of disciples with them, it wouldn’t be suitable for them to travel across realms on their own. Therefore, they would definitely need to take a realm-crossing ferry to their destination.

After the conversation had nearly ended, the pastries on the table were almost finished, and several rounds of tea had been poured. Of course, the later rounds were just ordinary tea, as Ji Yuan himself didn’t have much honey crystal, and didn’t want to be too wasteful.

Finally, Ji Yuan took the opportunity to announce that he would be postponing his original plan to go to Yuhuai Mountain within half a year. He would go to Yuhuai Mountain at the beginning of the Wuxu year2 in a couple years, and would then set off with the people of Yuhuai Mountain.

Ji Yuan’s words were tantamount to directly telling them that he had originally planned to go to Yuhuai Mountain for this little discussion, which they had ended up clearing up today, leaving Ju Yuanzi and the others both amused and exasperated.

As evening approached, Ji Yuan didn’t let them leave. Instead, he personally cooked a meal for them.

It was a rare opportunity for Ji Yuan to personally cook, and even Ju Yuanzi was amazed.

Wei Yuansheng and Shang Yiyi helped Ji Yuan with the cooking, while Ju Yuanzi, who had been watching for a while and sensed something inexplicable, couldn’t sit still any longer and went to the kitchen to help — or rather, to watch Ji Yuan cook.

Two local old hens from Ning’an County, purchased from the neighbors on Tian Niu Lane, a large piece of pork bought from the market, served with sides of salted cabbage, dried vegetables, and other ingredients, were combiined to make a sumptuous dinner. The dinner included stewed chicken, poached chicken, braised pork with dried vegetables, salted vegetable soup, and even a generous bowl of steamed tofu with fermented amaranth.

Dishes were brought out one by one, until the table was full.

Standing in front of the table, smelling the aroma of the dishes, Ji Yuan felt a sense of accomplishment. These dishes seemed simple and didn’t require much technical skill, but it was precisely because they were simple that they were difficult to make well. With his sense of smell, it wasn’t hard for him to conclude that the dishes smelled absolutely delicious.

When he was focused on cooking, his mind became clear and serene, as if he were in a dreamlike state, standing amidst mountains and rivers, beside an alchemical furnace, with pots and pans set out before him…

Before he knew it, all the dishes were ready.

“Mr. Ji, your cooking skills are amazing! None of the chefs in our Wei family can compare to just one of your hands!”

Wei Yuansheng gave an exaggerated compliment, and Ji Yuan smiled.

“Haha, I’m just showing off my limited skills. Please don’t be shy, everyone, just dig in! Oh, by the way…!”

As he spoke, Ji Yuan took out a white jade wine jug from his sleeve and poured wine for everyone. The wine had only just been released when its unique aroma filled the courtyard, creating a hazy, intoxicating atmosphere that seemed to gather spiritual energy.

“I happen to have some good wine here. Uh, are you gentlemen alright with a drink?”

Ji Yuan paused for a moment as he poured the wine.

“No, no, there’s no rule against it!”

“Yes, yes, no problem!”

Everyone quickly replied, and Ji Yuan continued to pour drinks for everyone before taking the lead in raising his glass and picking up his chopsticks.

At midnight, the Yuhuai Mountain contingent returned on the clouds. Wei Yuansheng, Shang Yiyi and Wei Wuwei all had rosy cheeks, obviously still feeling the effects of the wine, but otherwise showed no signs of intoxication. Ju Yuanzi and the other two showed no abnormalities.

“Master, I wasn’t paying attention just now, but now that I think about it, we’ve drunk quite a bit. I kept thinking that this wine was so good, we should finish it all, but why didn’t Mr. Ji’s wine ever run out?”

Qiu Feng smiled and looked at his apprentice.

“The white jade jug in Mr. Ji’s hand is a rare and magical treasure called the ‘dou pot,’ which comes in ten-dou, one-hundred-dou, and one-thousand-dou sizes. Its crafting instructions are said to have been lost long ago. Not only can it preserve large quantities of fine wine, but it can also absorb spiritual energy to enhance the wine’s flavor, making it increasingly mellow and fragrant.”

“Oh, oh, oh, so there exist such treasures! Mr. Ji, a wine connoisseur, would surely love it! And Mr. Ji’s cooking, I just praised him without thinking before, but I didn’t expect it to be so delicious. It’s just ordinary steaming, stewing, frying and stir-frying, but it’s so fresh and delicious. Dad, our family’s chefs are truly not as good as Mr. Ji…”

Shang Yiyi strongly agreed with Wei Yuansheng’s words and nodded in agreement.

Ju Yuanzi laughed out loud and looked at Wei Yuansheng.

“No wonder Mr. Ji likes you, Yuansheng. Mr. Ji is a rare person in this world. He has truly returned to simplicity. No matter what he wishes to do, he pursues it with pure and genuine intent. This is true path of immortality. Even ordinary cooking is a part of this; or rather, for Mr. Ji, cooking is also the ‘Tao’!”

Ju Yuanzi deduced these words based on his own feelings. If their pre-meal conversation could be categorized as “serious business,” then the act of cooking gave him an even stronger sense of recognizing “freedom and true wonder.”

Ju Yuanzi, driven by personal motives, had asked Ji Yuan a question at the dinner table. Having seen Ji Yuan cook, he couldn’t hold back any longer: “What exactly does it mean to become an immortal?”

Such a question was quite abrupt from an “old immortal” like him, but since the question was directed at Ji Yuan, no one present found it strange.

At that moment, Ji Yuan didn’t think much of it. He simply pointed to the dishes on the table and the surrounding area, and blurted out his feelings from the bottom of his heart: “It’s nothing more than a carefree life!”

Others had probably claimed the same statement before, and even Ji Yuanzi had said these words to others, but what he had seen and participated in at Ju’an Pavilion today, not to mention the essence of the Tao on display here, directly convinced him. For a few moments, Ju Yuanzi felt as though he were sharing Ji Yuan’s experience.

It was like setting up a stove and cooking pot beside a furnace amidst the mountains and rivers of heaven and earth, chatting and laughing as they cooked.

For this reason alone, Ju Yuanzi felt that his trip had not been in vain. As for Mr. Ji’s delayed trip to Yuhuai Mountain, it didn’t matter. Haha, in any case, he had visited today, and needed to digest what he had learned today back on the mountain. It was good that Mr. Ji wasn’t going to visit again for the next few years, it would save him from having to break out of seclusion again out of worry.

In high spirits, Ju Yuanzi waved his sleeves, riding the wind and clouds, unrestrained and carefree.

“Let’s go. We’ll wait for Mr. Ji to come to Yuhuai Mountain in a few years. I want to ride the wind and roam freely, wandering through the endless of rivers and mountains…”

Uh, sure, if ordinary street squabbles could potentially level mountains 35th year of the 60-year cycle, earth element and dog zodiac