Chapter 200: Immortal's Guidance

The churning waves eventually had to subside, allowing the ripples to spread towards the center of the river and gradually dissipate.

Hu Yun didn't actually flee back to the city at this moment. This was partly because being on the shore gave him a certain sense of security, and partly because he perceived that although the old tortoise was enraged, the fierce waves just now had not been aimed at him or the large green fish.

The red fox felt extremely guilty now. He had come to realize that what Mr. Ji had lectured on the terrace at Niukui Mountain was truly profound, yet he had barely remembered any of it. He only vaguely recalled the gist of the conversation between Mr. Ji and Lu Shan-jun that followed.

"Don't be angry," he pleaded. "At most, next time I'll see if I can ask Mr. Ji again, and then I'll tell you!"

Hu Yun's words made the old tortoise appear even more dejected, yet they did somewhat alleviate his anger. He shook his head, looked at the red fox, and spoke in a drooping tone.

"True teachings are not easily passed on. Some things happen only once. Even if Mr. Ji is easy to approach, asking him again will yield no results. However, if you reach a certain level in your cultivation and have questions about the subsequent methods, then there might be a slim chance..."

The old tortoise lowered his head and sighed at the river surface; he had now calmed down.

"Actually, what just happened wasn't necessarily a bad thing for me. If you had truly told me the principles taught on the terrace, it would have been like me stealing knowledge, which is a great taboo. You..."

The old tortoise only lifted his head at this point, and the rest of his words died in his throat as he suddenly noticed someone standing behind the red fox.

The newcomer was slender, with his hair loosely gathered in a topknot, held only by an ink-jade hairpin, without a crown or headband. His unadorned, beardless face showed no age. His grayish-white eyes were slightly open. One hand was clasped behind his back, the other hung loosely at his side. His white robe glowed faintly in the moonlight.

He stood there calmly. As a gentle breeze blew past, even dust seemed to drift away from him.

Sensing the old tortoise's gaze, Hu Yun also cautiously turned his head and saw Ji Yuan standing behind him.

"Mr. Ji!" he exclaimed. "When... when did you arrive?"

The red fox felt both embarrassed and clearly relieved. The first part of his exclamation was surprised, but the second part faded into a whisper.

However, Ji Yuan did not acknowledge him, but instead looked at the old tortoise on the river.

The old tortoise froze for a moment. Then, with a jolt, he quickly paddled towards the bank. Amidst a "whoosh-whoosh" of water, he slowly, step by step, climbed onto the shore.

The giant tortoise then pushed off with its front legs, using its hind legs and tail as a pivot, and stood upright. Its liberated front legs, one higher than the other, were pressed together in a respectful bow.

"Old Tortoise Wu Chong respectfully greets Mr. Ji!"

The old tortoise was now far more nervous than Hu Yun. He had no idea when this person arrived; perhaps he had been there the whole time, even when he questioned Hu Yun about the terrace lecture. The thought made the old tortoise's heart pound.

Ji Yuan nodded, politely returning the old tortoise's bow.

"My name is Ji Yuan," he said. "You've heard a bit about me, so I won't offer a lengthy introduction."

Ji Yuan looked at the old tortoise. Since its shell prevented it from bending, it tried its best to lower its neck as a bow.

The scene looked quite comical, yet no one present—from Ji Yuan to Hu Yun and even the large green fish in the river—could manage a laugh. Perhaps a day earlier, Hu Yun would have guffawed, but now he felt no such inclination.

The old tortoise waited for Ji Yuan to acknowledge his greeting before slowly lowering his front legs, which landed with almost no sound, as if fearing that a louder noise might cause displeasure. He then stood there quietly, not daring to speak, waiting for the other party to initiate conversation.

The large green fish had already swum to the bank, occasionally blowing a bubble in the water. Hu Yun nervously glanced from Ji Yuan to the old tortoise, and after a moment of hesitation, spoke to break the awkward silence.

"Mr. Ji," Hu Yun began, "you see, it's so difficult for this old tortoise to cultivate. Perhaps..."

In the past, Hu Yun might have directly asked if he could elaborate on the lecture from the terrace that night. But now, he was somewhat hesitant, especially since he himself had forgotten the "Wandering in Absolute Freedom" passage, and greatly feared Mr. Ji's reprimand.

Ji Yuan turned his head to look at the red fox.

"Are you suggesting we help him?" Ji Yuan asked. "You, the great Fox Immortal Hu Yun, are so capable, why don't you help this old tortoise yourself?"

Hu Yun dared not speak. Though he had been naive in the past, he had never dared to make casual requests in front of Mr. Ji. The fact that he mustered the courage to speak up this time, and under these circumstances, indicated that he truly felt sorry for the old tortoise.

After speaking, Ji Yuan continued to examine the old tortoise. With his divine eye open, the tortoise's vital energy was fully revealed to him. The water-element energy within its body was more abundant than before, and especially on its dark shell, there were hidden divination patterns related to the Eight Trigrams of Gong Palace.

"Indeed, your cultivation has not been easy," Mr. Ji remarked. "But over the years, your obsession has only deepened. Relying on your innate abilities, you've expended boundless effort, wasting centuries. Yet in the end, all your meticulous plans have come to nothing. Your magical power has deepened, but your cultivation has long since stagnated. You've committed few killings, yet you're still burdened with a malevolent aura that clouds your spiritual essence and corrupts your nature. It's truly lamentable!"

At this point, Ji Yuan recalled some details he had previously learned from Bai Qi, and then posed a question to the old tortoise.

"How is the cultivation method that River God Bai gave you progressing?"

The old tortoise was already feeling uneasy from Ji Yuan's earlier assessment, but hearing this question now made his heart tremble even more. *Mr. Ji knows about this too?* he thought.

But since he had been asked, he naturally dared not lie.

"To answer your question, Mr. Ji," he replied, "I, this old tortoise, have diligently cultivated the method given by the River God without slack. For six years, I've occasionally felt a burning sensation in my bones and muscles, but nothing else beyond that..."

As an old tortoise with a long lifespan, he naturally possessed great patience. Although the cultivation method's effects were only mediocre, it at least offered a glimmer of hope. His only fear was that despite this hope, he might not live long enough to see it fulfilled.

Ji Yuan once again scrutinized the giant tortoise, observing the changes in its aura. During this examination, the old tortoise carefully stole a glance at Ji Yuan's eyes. Though placid and grayish, with no apparent eye contact, they gave off a sense of being able to see through everything.

After observing the old tortoise closely several times, Ji Yuan noticed that Hu Yun, the old tortoise, and the large green fish all seemed somewhat tense. He then suddenly smiled broadly, and his smile felt like a breeze that dispersed much of the pressure.

"Old Tortoise Wu Chong," Ji Yuan began, "you have helped quite a few mortals over the years, seemingly hoping they would assist you once they became prosperous. So why aren't you doing that now? The malevolent aura clinging to you is likely connected to this, isn't it?"

Hearing this, the old tortoise's expression became somewhat dejected, but he didn't evade the question.

"Calculating fates is easy; calculating human hearts is difficult," he sighed. "I am merely an old tortoise skilled in divination. I cannot overturn rivers or turn stone into gold. My magical power has its limits, and my abilities have their strengths and weaknesses. However, the desires in some people's hearts are boundless. I, this old tortoise, have always had bad luck, often entrusting my hopes to the wrong people. Each time it seemed like a good move, but as time passed, negative consequences and karma would often catch up. Alas..."

The old tortoise sighed and continued.

"Nowadays, I've already abandoned that idea."

The old tortoise was profoundly aware of the ebb and flow of luck for both humans and demons. This feeling had deepened especially after meeting Hu Yun, as he himself was often the one with poor fortune.

Ji Yuan's expression was thoughtful, and after a long moment, he smiled and spoke.

"Heh heh, how about this?" Ji Yuan said. "Whenever Huaiyuan Academy has a day off, a scholar named Yin comes here to read to this large green fish. If you don't mind that the scholar is young and has limited knowledge, you could listen in with them, how about that?"

The old tortoise's eyes flashed with ecstasy; there was absolutely no thought of refusal or disdain.

He knew well that this was an exceptionally rare opportunity, perhaps even greater than he imagined. This was truly the legendary "immortal pointing the way."

*My luck is about to change!*

As soon as this thought arose, he could no longer suppress his joy.

Unlike Hu Yun, that ungrateful fox, the old tortoise clung tightly to every opportunity. He couldn't help but stand up again, bowing repeatedly.

"Thank you, Mr. Ji, for showing me the clear path! Thank you, Mr. Ji!"

"It's not as if there's no compensation," Ji Yuan replied.

Ji Yuan's words only made the old tortoise pause for an instant, yet he continued to express profuse thanks, assuring Mr. Ji to command anything within his power to accomplish.

"You won't need to go through fire and water," Ji Yuan said with a smile. "Over these many years, from the people you've helped, choose some stories that left a deep impression on you. Recall them well, and tell them to me when you have time."

Ji Yuan said this with a smile, then slowly walked towards the riverbank, looking at the large green fish that was still resting in the water near the bank.

The large green fish saw Ji Yuan walk to the water's edge and look at it. It immediately waved its fins, blowing "bloop... bloop... bloop..." bubbles from its mouth, as if greeting him. Unfortunately, no matter how long its fins were, they couldn't meet, making a formal bow impossible.

"Although you, this large green fish, haven't yet refined your transverse bone," Ji Yuan said, "I found you pleasing to the eye back then. I suppose you don't have a name yet. Why don't you be called Luo Biqing from now on?"

Ji Yuan didn't know if the large green fish was male or female, nor had he researched the gender of fish. While some animals could be distinguished by their Yin and Yang energies, water creatures were mostly Yin-dominant. There might be differences between male and female, but Ji Yuan had no other large green fish to compare it to at the moment.

The name Luo Biqing could suit either male or female. If, one day, the large green fish cultivated enough to transform into a human, the name would still be suitable.

"Splash, splash... splash, splash..."

The large green fish happily swam in circles several times in the water near the bank, continuously blowing "bloop bloop..." bubbles from its mouth.

Having heard so much from the old tortoise earlier, the large green fish knew that being named by a master like Ji Yuan signified a profound karmic connection.

Now, the old tortoise's heart also grew eager. His pair of large tortoise eyes looked at Ji Yuan with intense expectation. Even Hu Yun could clearly read "Please give me a name" in that fervent gaze.

Ji Yuan was somewhat speechless. His ancient, placid grayish eyes calmly turned to the old tortoise.

"What, don't you have a name?"

The old tortoise was startled, then immediately slumped in disappointment.

"I... I do..." he mumbled.

The old tortoise silently cursed himself a thousand times. *Why did I bother giving myself a name? Why imitate those worldly scholars who try to appear refined? Would I die without a name? Anyway, for so many years, everyone has just called me "Old Tortoise"; having a name or not made no difference at all.*

*Sigh... I shouldn't be envious. I should be content!*

Ji Yuan shook his head and looked towards the river. A faint, colossal white shadow subtly lurked at the bottom of the river. He cupped his hands in that direction, then slowly walked towards the dock.

Hu Yun hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed. The old tortoise and the large green fish, however, knew it wasn't appropriate for them to follow, so they remained still.