Chapter 931: One Book Hard to Find

In Yin Zhaoxian’s courtyard at Haoran Academy, the small stone table was not large enough for Ji Yuan, Yin Zhaoxian, and Wang Li to work comfortably. So, Ji Yuan produced three additional tables from his sleeve, lining them up under the plum blossom trees.

Ji Yuan laid out his writing essentials and spread the newly acquired Xuan paper. Yin Zhaoxian and Wang Li also retrieved their brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones from the study within the courtyard and arranged them.

During this time, Yin Zhaoxian had already instructed a page boy waiting nearby that he and the two masters would be secluded for writing and were not to be disturbed by anyone, with meals to be delivered only to the courtyard entrance. The page boy had been trying to overhear what Yin Zhaoxian and Ji Yuan were saying, but, strangely, after they entered the courtyard, their voices became indistinct. Upon receiving Yin Zhaoxian’s stern instructions, he promptly complied, though his curiosity only deepened. Despite his eagerness, he dared not overstep.

With everything prepared, before the three even put brush to paper, the sky began to rumble. A continuous, cloudless thunder sounded like a manifestation of Heaven’s emotions.

Paintings of the Yellow Springs hovered before the three tables, depicting various scenes, including the Netherworld Hall and other parts of the underworld. Yet, neither Yin Zhaoxian nor Wang Li seemed fazed.

“Gentlemen, as we discussed, Mr. Wang will be the main writer, Mr. Yin and I will refine the text, Mr. Yin will add specific poems, and I will contribute the paintings. If there are no objections, shall we begin?”

Yin Zhaoxian and Wang Li exchanged glances and nodded. Although their roles had primary and secondary aspects, all three began writing almost simultaneously.

Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, growing increasingly heavy and significantly dimming the Capital Prefecture.

“Crack! Boom, rumble, rumble…”

Lightning illuminated the earth, and the thunder suddenly intensified, startling everyone in the Capital Prefecture, who looked up in astonishment. Many children were frightened by the thunder and cried aloud in their homes.

Ji Yuan glanced up at the sky. Despite the rolling leaden clouds, a peculiar phenomenon occurred: only Haoran Academy, or rather, just this corner of it, had sunlight piercing through a small gap in the clouds, shining down on Yin Zhaoxian’s courtyard and directly onto the three tables of Ji Yuan, Wang Li, and Yin Zhaoxian.

Above the Capital Prefecture, atop the rolling dark clouds, Ying Ruoli stood, holding a folding fan. It was she who had gathered the wind and clouds to form the rain clouds, which had muffled the earlier "empty thunder." After the dark clouds converged, the lightning and thunder continued without her active control. She stood within the clouds, fanning herself thoughtfully, and after a while, moved gracefully through the clouds to a corner of the cloud mass. Ying Ruoli looked up, then down, observing a small opening through which faint rays of sunlight persistently reached the ground.

As the Dragon Girl gently fanned herself, lost in thought, wind and rain began to fall upon the Capital Prefecture.

“Crash, splash, splash…”

The torrential rain finally poured down, transforming the Capital Prefecture from clear skies just hours ago to a storm of strong winds and continuous downpour.

“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…”

In a guest hall within Haoran Academy, an old master paused his lecture, walked to the doorway, and watched the heavy rain outside. Most of the students in the hall also gazed out the door and windows. Many of these scholars possessed Haoran Qi; even without visible radiant light, their literary fortune was evident, and their literary essence naturally manifested.

“The sound of this wind and rain is truly mournful,” a student remarked.

“Indeed, it’s as if Heaven is weeping!” another agreed.

The old master gently tapped his hand with the book he held, his gaze drifting towards a specific direction within the academy. Although obscured by the wind and rain, because they were still within Haoran Academy and the classroom was not too far, he could vaguely discern a beam of heavenly light piercing the clouds and shining upon that area. ‘What is the dean doing?’ he wondered.

More than one person in Haoran Academy harbored this thought. Throughout the capital of Dazhen, where hidden talents abounded, many observed the sky with deep contemplation. While most understood that something significant was happening, none could fully comprehend its nature.

One day, two days, three days… ten days, twenty days, thirty days…

In Yin Zhaoxian’s courtyard, Ji Yuan, Wang Li, and Yin Zhaoxian wrote continuously at times, debated occasionally, and observed the changing scroll. The stacks of inked papers on their tables grew larger and thicker. Wang Li, indeed a prodigious talent in this field, skillfully integrated existing underworld rules, concepts from the Netherworld Hall, and ideas discussed with Ji Yuan. Using these as a core, he spun out rich and compelling stories, encompassing joy and sorrow, separation and reunion, and unwavering loyalty. There were even interconnected cases between the mortal and spirit worlds, which, even in Ji Yuan’s discerning view, were exceptionally captivating.

What happens in the mortal world is clear in the underworld;The vast Yellow Springs waters, the long, winding Yellow Springs path;Where spider lilies bloom everywhere, hearts here are filled with trepidation;Living, paths are narrow but crisscross; returning in death, the road is wide, but all souls walk one path;Humans hope that love, hate, and grievances will be repaid; at death's door, they show apprehension. Today's matters are unclear, this life's wishes unfulfilled, myriad attachments hard to release—perhaps another life in human form...

From the onset of autumn winds to the depths of winter snow, the book *Yellow Springs* was completed in just a few months, but it cost an incalculable amount of effort. During this period, countless high-ranking court officials and imperial relatives, even immortal masters, came to Haoran Academy to visit Yin Zhaoxian, but all were refused entry. Not even the Emperor could enter, receiving only an apology from Yin Zhaoxian. The Yin family naturally came many times, but were also denied entry. However, upon learning that Mr. Ji was inside, all their worries vanished.

At the end of the year, under the leadership of the Yi family’s publishing house, the six-volume *Yellow Springs* was engraved and printed, featuring text, illustrations, and poems. The book bore no single author’s name, but several individuals penned prefaces: Ji Yuan, Wang Li, Yin Zhaoxian, and Xin Wuya.

Although the foreword and preface clearly stated that the book was a novel, it meticulously depicted all aspects of human life with intricate detail and substantive content, subtly hinting at universal truths. Even cultivators, upon chancing upon it, would instinctively seek out the complete set. The profound depiction of transitions between the mortal and spiritual realms inevitably prompted readers to engage in deep contemplation.

On a street in Chunhui Prefectural City, early in the morning, while it was still faintly light, a queue had already formed outside a bookshop. Those lining up included scholars from various academies and servants sent by their masters. Despite the cold weather, those waiting to buy the book rubbed their hands and stamped their feet, refusing to leave. The smarter ones had bought hot steamed buns elsewhere before arriving and were now eating them while waiting, making others watching drool with envy.

With a creak, a sleepy shop assistant opened the bookshop door, only to be startled by the pairs of eyes fixed on him from outside. “Goodness gracious, why are there so many people today?” he exclaimed.

The student at the very front urgently asked, “We heard your shop received a batch of extraordinary books today, prefaced by Sages of Literature. Is it that book, *Yellow Springs*?”

The shop assistant paused, then nodded. “Yes, that’s right. It was unloaded from the dock last night; I only rested after the ox-cart delivered it. It’s all in the shop. Uh, are you all here to buy that book?”

“Exactly, exactly! Good, good! Quickly, get me a whole set, no, get me two sets!” the student at the front hastily declared. But as soon as his words fell, they drew dissatisfaction from many behind him.

“Hey, brother, how can you buy two sets? So many people can’t even find one!”

“Exactly! This brother arrived early, but buying two sets is excessive. So many of us are waiting in line!”

“Indeed, my friend who returned from the capital said that many bookshops now limit purchases to one set per person, and some places even limit it to one volume.”

The still-tired shop assistant suddenly remembered something and quickly added, “Oh, yes, yes, the shopkeeper also said: one set per person!”

“Then quickly open that box! We want to buy books!”

“Yes, I can even help!”

“Oh, alright, alright, honored customers, please wait a moment, it’ll be ready immediately, immediately! Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper—so many people want to buy books!” The shop assistant called out towards the back of the shop, and upon hearing a response, hurried to unseal several boxes, his own curiosity about *Yellow Springs* growing immensely.

Thus, after its initial printing, the book *Yellow Springs* circulated and slowly caused a sensation for over a month, quickly triggering a chain reaction across various groups. Storytellers found it an excellent, novel, and captivating subject; scholars found it a literary treasure and loved its stories; common people also enjoyed the narratives; and cultivators—immortals, Buddhas, spirits, demons, ghosts, and gods—unexpectedly discovered it to be a truly extraordinary book!

For a time, *Yellow Springs* became incredibly sought after and difficult to obtain.

This chain reaction, though currently radiating outwards from the Capital Prefecture of Dazhen, was astonishingly fast. It implicitly had the potential to cause even greater upheaval, as cultivators found the heavenly secrets within the book obscure, and the very words “Yellow Springs” caused trepidation among those seeking profound knowledge.