Chapter 252: Smoke and Rain Ten Years

The jujube tree in the courtyard swayed with the wind, its rustling leaves creating a rhythmic sound. This rhythm seemed to perfectly match Ji Yuan's writing pace, echoing the varying pressure as he formed strokes and characters.

During his previous conversation with the old beggar, Ji Yuan indeed seized the opportunity to discuss many trivial human matters and minor details with him. What the old beggar shared, viewed through his unique perspective, was quite different from what others might say.

The old beggar, having traveled extensively, sought patterns in the demonic and immortal beings, as well as the natural and man-made disasters he encountered. He discerned variations in the Qi dynamics across different regions. Using the old beggar's perceptions to describe the states of peace or chaos was beneficial for Ji Yuan, helping him understand the localized aspects of the so-called "trends of the world."

Such experiences were rare for immortal abodes like Yu Huai Mountain, which disliked venturing among mortals, and even less common for demon clans like the old dragon. Only profound individuals like the old beggar, who enjoyed wandering the mortal world or cultivating amidst its dust, possessed such a wealth of knowledge.

Therefore, it was no wonder the old beggar complained after leaving Ning'an County that Ji Yuan had intentionally led him astray with aimless chatter. In truth, Ji Yuan wasn't trying to mislead him; a large part of the reason was simply that Ji Yuan wanted to hear these very things.

Writing was not only a process of deducing his own Daoist methods for Ji Yuan but also a form of meditation. As he wielded his brush, seemingly detached yet deeply focused, he also pondered past events, especially the initial matters concerning Monk Huitong and Yunzhou.

Monk Huitong had remained undisturbed, which might indicate that nothing was amiss in Tingliang or Tianbao kingdoms, or perhaps it was pure luck. It was also possible that the complete eradication of evil spirits during a Water-Land Dharma Assembly had startled something.

Thinking negatively, the old dragon's furious massacre and the subsequent Water-Land Dharma Assembly seemed somewhat like "beating the grass to startle the snake." However, everything has two sides; from another perspective, it was a case of "shaking the mountain to scare the tiger."

Given the sudden sense that the situation in Yunzhou might be changing, yet remaining unclear, "shaking the mountain to scare the tiger" was certainly the more appropriate approach.

Moreover, although he couldn't explain it to others, Ji Yuan was more inclined to believe that something would eventually go wrong in Yunzhou. In terms of time, this wouldn't constitute a so-called "heaven-and-earth calamity," but it would undoubtedly become a significant influence centuries or even millennia later.

Rather than having all troubles erupt simultaneously, it was best to seize an opportunity to stabilize a foundation first. Even if it was just the Yunzhou region, Ji Yuan had only just opened up the situation in Dazhen, and other directions remained in the dark.

There were few mature pieces, and though the chessboard was vast, suitable positions for placement were still scarce.

This differed from placing pieces on a normal chessboard; it wasn't about filling empty spaces but about seizing opportunities. In other words, immortal abodes, demon clans, hordes of demons, and ghosts—each point of influence was a part of the game. Ji Yuan's pieces needed to land on crucial moves, and either their weight or quantity had to be significant.

'I truly feel a lack of strength; I can only take one step at a time!'

Ji Yuan sighed, and his wolf-hair brush stopped just then. Unbeknownst to him, while deep in thought, he had filled a sheet of Xuan paper with thousands of tiny, densely packed characters.

This left Ji Yuan stunned for a while after he realized what had happened, feeling quite bewildered as if wondering what on earth he had just written.

Placing the brush back on its stand, Ji Yuan picked up the Xuan paper, blew on the ink to dry it, and examined it closely. Since the true meaning imbued in his own handwriting did not dissipate, even the tiniest characters were perfectly clear to him.

Moreover, because it was the result of his deductions during a moment of spiritual wandering, as he continued to read, some wondrous divine insights began to manifest in his mind. These were precisely certain crucial, yet previously elusive, points concerning the 'Universe in the Sleeve' technique.

The more he read, the more his smile widened, and an expression of joyful surprise appeared on his face.

"A stroke of genius! Hahahahahahaha... truly a stroke of genius!"

After finishing the page of tiny script, Ji Yuan's previously somewhat gloomy mood vanished, and he burst into laughter.

The saying, "a masterpiece is born naturally, a brilliant idea found by chance," also applied to Ji Yuan's current deductions in supernatural arts and techniques.

Perhaps during his previous unconscious deductions, he had inadvertently thought about the involvement of circumstances, or perhaps it extended to the ingenious use of the old dragon's claw extending from his law-imbued sleeve when he captured the monk. In any case, these thousands of words, imbued with true meaning, represented a crucial breakthrough for Ji Yuan in mastering the 'Universe in the Sleeve' technique.

This made Ji Yuan even happier than when he had transformed the Samadhi True Fire from illusory to real, because this was a brilliant method he had genuinely deduced himself, without resorting to tricks or relying on external forces. Although the breakthrough was just the beginning, he now had a clear direction.

At that moment, residents of nearby Tianniu Lane, busy with their chores at home, could clearly hear Ji Yuan's joyous laughter.

"Who's laughing so happily?"

A village woman asked, puzzled, while an old man weaving baskets nearby identified the sound and speculated, "It sounds like Mr. Ji."

"Oh, that's rare; I've hardly ever heard Mr. Ji speak loudly before."

"Maybe he finally found a wife!"

"Huh?! No way..."

The old man glanced at his own daughter, who was still unmarried. "Could it be you still harbor improper thoughts about Mr. Ji?"

The village woman just smiled awkwardly and whispered a defense. "I don't even dare to look at Mr. Ji..."

"Good, just remember that. Don't be a toad wanting to eat swan meat!"

Yin Zhaoxian was incredibly busy with the rebuilding of Wanzhou, which was in ruins. He even called Yin Qing back to Wanzhou to help with various matters, right after Yin Qing had completed the prefectural examination in Jizhou. Unlike Yin Mu, who still saw Yin Qing as a child, in Yin Zhaoxian's eyes, his eldest son, who had already come of age, was a capable talent who could handle things independently. The assistance he provided during the previous purge of Wanzhou's officialdom had left a deep impression on him.

The Yin family was often too busy to attend to other matters, so they naturally didn't visit Ji Yuan. The old dragon often dozed, his knack for sleeping being as good as, if not better than, Ji Yuan's. Time also passed quickly for the cultivators of Yu Huai Mountain. Few others would, or dared to, disturb Ji Yuan.

Furthermore, there was no other unfavorable news during this period. Under these circumstances, Ji Yuan quietly cultivated and meticulously deduced at home until the spring of Dinghai year, almost a year passing by unnoticed.

In early April, the tranquility of Ju'an Small Pavilion was finally broken once again.

Early that morning, Ji Yuan awoke from his sleep. As he was perusing a jade slip in the courtyard, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching Ju'an Small Pavilion from the alley outside Tianniu Lane.

"Are you sure Mr. Ji is in?"

A man with a slightly weathered face asked an old neighborhood resident again. The latter smiled and replied, "Although Mr. Ji rarely goes out, he's definitely here. If he truly weren't, the courtyard gate would most likely be locked. See, it's not locked."

The weathered man's face lit up with joy, and he cupped his hands in thanks to the old man. "Thank you for leading the way, elder. This is for your trouble..."

"Hey, hey, young man, Mr. Ji and I are neighbors. Since you said you're an old acquaintance of his, it's only right that I lead you here. It's just a simple favor; how could I face Mr. Ji if I took your money?" The old man mumbled to himself and turned to leave.

The man watched the old man depart, then looked at Ju'an Small Pavilion a dozen zhang away. He could see the lush, leafy jujube tree in the courtyard. He had visited this place years ago but had forgotten the way after such a long absence.

As the man approached the pavilion's courtyard gate, Ji Yuan in the courtyard had already put down the jade slip, subtly activating an illusion spell to transform it into an ordinary bamboo scroll.

"Come in, Great Hero Lu, the door isn't latched."

A calm and steady voice came from within, making the man, who was about to knock, pause his hand.

Feeling a little excited, his heart beating slightly faster, the man pushed open the courtyard gate after a moment of hesitation.

Upon entering Ju'an Small Pavilion, his gaze immediately fell upon Ji Yuan, who was seated at a stone table under the jujube tree. Dressed in a green robe, with a jade hairpin in his hair, he was stroking a bamboo scroll, his half-closed, ancient-looking eyes fixed on the man.

This appearance of Mr. Ji seemed somewhat different from the Mr. Ji in his memory, yet he also felt that it was exactly how it should be. The man paused in a daze for a moment, then hastily put down the items in his hands and bowed. "Mr. Ji, Chengfeng has come to visit..."

He looked up at Ji Yuan again, saying with clear excitement, "Mr. Ji, you haven't changed at all after all these years!"

Ji Yuan looked at the newcomer. Compared to the graceful young hero he once was, Lu Chengfeng's face appeared much more weathered. Ji Yuan wondered what hardships he had endured over the years.

He carried no weapons. His calloused hands picked up the item he had brought from the ground—a jar of wine with a paper label reading "Tusu." Ji Yuan opened his divine eyes and observed Lu Chengfeng's current aura. There was almost none of his youthful vigor left. Though only in his thirties, he already showed signs of old age, prompting Ji Yuan to remark with a sigh, "Ten years of wandering the martial world, half a lifetime of vigor consumed by Tusu wine. Young Hero Lu, it's been over ten years since we last met, hasn't it? Please, come and sit."

Lu Chengfeng seemed somewhat dazed upon hearing this. After a moment, he turned to close the courtyard gate and then walked into the courtyard, still carrying the wine.

"I heard you enjoy wine, Mr. Ji... so I brought this jar. It's not any fine nectar, just something my late father brewed himself."

As Lu Chengfeng spoke, he placed the wine on the table. A silence of several dozen breaths followed. Ji Yuan remained seated, neither speaking nor rising, meticulously tracing the bamboo scroll.

"Mr. Ji, do you still remember the nine of us from back then?" Lu Chengfeng suddenly asked this question. Ji Yuan continued to stroke the bamboo scroll, reciting names one by one.

"Yan Fei, Lu Chengfeng, Luo Ningshuang, Du Heng, Wang Ke, Zhao Long, Lan Xiangning, Bao Dong, Dong Bicheng. I've always remembered your voices."

Lu Chengfeng was momentarily stunned again, as if he had only just remembered that Mr. Ji was blind. "Mr. Ji has an excellent memory. I couldn't remember all of them..."