Chapter 39: Will Reach a Climatic Stage

On his way home, Ji Yuan had been thinking about Yin Qing.

If the clarity with which he saw the Third Master last time could be attributed to the man's high martial arts skill and unique aura, then Yin Qing's case could only be a matter of innate potential. Ji Yuan just wasn't sure what kind of potential it was. Although Ji Yuan suspected Yin Qing might possess the potential for immortal cultivation, he also felt this was too narrow a view. It was equally possible for him to excel in scholarly or martial arts pursuits. He decided to wait and see.

For Ji Yuan, the Yin family was his first true neighbor after settling in Ning'an County.

The next day, at dawn, Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing arrived outside Ju'an Pavilion, carrying a box of pastries and two bottles of Huadiao wine. The father and son looked at the small courtyard, which used to be gloomy. Standing outside, they now felt a refreshing and natural aura. Their breathing became exceptionally smooth, and all their previous fear vanished instantly.

Yin Zhaoxian shifted the string tied to the pastries to his right hand. Just as he was about to step forward to knock, he heard a steady, strong, yet low voice from inside.

"Come in, the courtyard gate isn't locked!"

Yin Zhaoxian paused for a moment, quickly straightened his clothes, then pushed the gate open and stepped inside.

"Yin Zhaoxian, with his son Yin Qing, has come to visit Mr. Ji!"

"Haha, Master Yin, there's no need to bring anything when you visit."

Ji Yuan put down his bamboo slips and cupped his hands in greeting towards Yin Zhaoxian, who, still holding the gifts, returned the gesture.

"It would be impolite to come empty-handed for a first visit. Besides, Mr. Ji's words yesterday truly enlightened me. Please accept this small token of my appreciation!"

With that, Yin Zhaoxian took a few steps closer and placed the gifts on the stone table. He naturally noticed the rolled items on the table and couldn't help but exclaim softly.

"Bamboo slips?"

In this era, paper had long been common among scholars; bamboo slips for writing were extremely rare, almost obsolete.

"Yes, they are indeed bamboo slips." Ji Yuan replied indifferently. "These bamboo slips were all gifts from friends. My eyesight is limited, so I cannot read ordinary books. Master Yin and young Yin Qing, don't just stand there, please have a seat."

Watching Yin Zhaoxian lead Yin Qing to sit by the stone table, Ji Yuan proactively steered the conversation.

"I heard some time ago that Master Yin would be taking up the post of headmaster at Ning'an County School. I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet; instead, you've troubled yourself to visit. How are the preparations for the school coming along?"

"Oh, it's nothing, merely thanks to the kindness of everyone in Ning'an County. The school preparations are almost complete; we'll be welcoming students and commencing lessons in two days."

This was something Yin Zhaoxian was extremely proud of, and he spoke with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, Yin Qing kept staring at the well in the courtyard, which was covered with a wooden lid and weighted with a stone.

"Mr. Ji, you have a well in your courtyard, so why do you still fetch water from outside?"

In front of Ju'an Pavilion's kitchen were two water vats, one large and one small. The large one still held half a vat of water, which had been fetched from outside ten days prior. Ji Yuan glanced at the well in the courtyard and replied casually.

"This well was once tainted by something unclean. Although I'm not a germaphobe, I prefer not to drink its water."

Some things didn't need to be explicitly stated; intelligent people could always make the connection. Combining this with the old rumors about Ju'an Pavilion, Yin Zhaoxian realized something. He instinctively shifted his body, moving slightly away from the well, and as he braced his hand on the table, he touched a rolled bamboo slip.

'This bamboo slip is so cold!'

Glancing back, he saw the words "Thirty-Six Chess Breaks" written in seal script on the bamboo slip, which gave him more topics to discuss with Ji Yuan.

Yin Zhaoxian didn't ask about ghosts or deities like the City God; his sole purpose was to build a good relationship with Ji Yuan. After an initial period of stiffness, Yin Zhaoxian gradually relaxed. Ji Yuan was remarkably easygoing, naturally putting people at ease. Moreover, the small courtyard itself created a sense of comfort and ease, whether sitting, standing, or moving about.

The two men chatted extensively about everything under the sun in the small courtyard, while Yin Qing listened quietly beside them. The more they talked, the more Yin Zhaoxian felt that Mr. Ji was truly unfathomable. He discussed everything from astronomy to geography, and many of his insights were unheard of, yet upon closer thought, they were uniquely profound. However, despite seemingly knowing almost everything, he often lacked common sense in trivial worldly matters and frequently consulted Yin Zhaoxian.

It wasn't until midday that the father and son departed. Yin Zhaoxian still felt a reluctance to leave, while Yin Qing had long since grown bored.

Ji Yuan also enjoyed the conversation. Since the last time at the temple tower, this was the most he had spoken in a while. Moreover, chatting with a learned yet not pedantic scholar like Yin Zhaoxian was relatively easier, with more common ground than with others. He didn't feel as constrained asking about mundane matters as he did when speaking with the City God.

Looking at the Huadiao wine on the stone table, Ji Yuan picked up a jar, pulled out the red stopper, and sniffed it. Noticing the faint alcoholic scent, he simply lifted it and took a sip.

"Though the wine is mild, its flavor is surprisingly good!" Ji Yuan mumbled to himself, recalling that in his previous life, although he occasionally drank with his grandfather, he never found wine particularly enjoyable.

He set the wine jar down, extended a finger, lightly touched the opening, and then pulled it through the air. A thin stream of wine flew out from the opening. Following Ji Yuan's circling finger in the air, it swirled once before entering his mouth.

'Hmm, this minor water-repelling spell can be considered mastered now.'

The minor water-repelling spell was loosely a form of water manipulation, and this particular technique left Ji Yuan exceptionally pleased!

***

On the second day of the fourth lunar month, the Beginning of Summer, the jujube tree in Ju'an Pavilion blossomed.

***

Over two hundred *li* away, Niu Kui Mountain stretched across the border of Desheng Prefecture, traversed Dingyuan Prefecture, and grazed Tianyue Prefecture, thus spanning three prefectures.

That night, deep within Niu Kui Mountain in Dingyuan Prefecture, "ROAR!" A tiger's roar echoed for several *li*, startling birds into flight and sending beasts scattering!

"Rumble..."

Dark clouds subtly gathered in the sky, with lightning flashing and thunder rolling within them. They gradually dispersed after more than an hour, leaving only a mountain rain.

On top of the City God Temple in Chengzhe County, Dingyuan Prefecture, the golden-bodied, high-crowned deity gazed at the nearby Niu Kui Mountain, his sight extending to the gradually dissipating rain clouds.

"Alas, it seems a demonic creature is about to reach its full potential!" After shaking his head and sighing, the City God's divine form vanished from its spot.

In the mountains, a ferocious tiger, two or three times the size of an ordinary tiger, with fierce, downward-slanting eyes, was looking up at the moon. This was the tiger demon, Lu Shanjun. The towering thunderclouds in the recent mountain rain filled Lu Shanjun with both trepidation and immense excitement.

Cultivation was an act against heaven's will, and thunder was a symbol of divine power. Plants, birds, and beasts were particularly afraid of heavenly thunder. Some enlightened spirits instinctively sought shelter everywhere during thunderstorms, as if a profound fear was etched into their souls. Moreover, when a spirit, especially a malevolent one, was about to achieve its full potential, its location often became more prone to thunderstorms, sometimes even triggering severe off-season thunderstorms, as if Heaven would not permit it. Of course, no matter how terrifying, thunder was merely a weather phenomenon. Spirits and demons that had come into their own usually possessed considerable intelligence and had many ways to evade it. While it wasn't impossible for an unlucky one to be struck down, such cases were rare—for example, those lacking common sense who hid in tree hollows during a thunderstorm and were 'bathed' in lightning along with the tree.

At this moment, the tiger demon calmed his mind, leaped down from the rock he was on, and pondered that perhaps in another decade or even just a few years, he would be able to break through the crucial shackles limiting demons. Only then would he truly be able to roam the world outside!

Meanwhile, in Tianyue Prefecture, where it bordered Niu Kui Mountain, two groups of highly skilled martial artists were engaged in a life-or-death chase, battling their way into Niu Kui Mountain, all for a clue to a certain martial arts treasure.