Chapter 133: Lessons from the Master of the Eighteenth Floor (A Ten-Thousand-Word Update—Please Subscribe)

"It's nothing. Just stay here and recover from your injuries; I will come to see you again after some time."

She left swiftly after speaking, leaving Gu Yi completely bewildered.

Once she departed, the place fell utterly silent. With nothing else to do, he simply decided to sleep. Physically exhausted and mentally drained, he drifted off to sleep very quickly.

After he fell into slumber, a trace of magical splendor manifested within the wooden cabin. Water currents crashed against the stone walls, and with every impact, ripple-like spiritual energy swirled around the pillars, permeating the tiny space.

Gu Yi originally thought he was just taking a brief nap, but in reality, he ended up sleeping through a sunset and then a sunrise, repeating this cycle twice.

When he gradually regained consciousness, he heard the sound of someone smacking their lips nearby, and a faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils. It took him a considerable amount of effort to fully wake up and recognize the person before him: the 18th Floor Lord.

"Awake, are you? You slept comfortably enough."

Gu Yi clutched his head, feeling a dull ache. He had thought that waking up would find him in the middle of the night, but the bright sun was shining outside, leaving him somewhat confused.

"It's you... What time is it now?"

The 18th Floor Lord chuckled and continued eating. "In the Great Rain Palace, who ever asks for the time? In any case, as long as you know it's daytime, that's enough."

What nonsense. Did one really need to ask whether it was day or night?

However, what he said was true; there was indeed no need to ask about the time within the Great Rain Palace.

Gu Yi pulled open his tunic to inspect his wounds. A spiritual talisman was attached to his chest, and moving his body still caused a twinge of pain. As expected, healing was not that easy, though he felt his vital energy and blood had recovered quite a bit.

"Is there any left?" He was still feeling hungry.

Hearing this question, the 18th Floor Lord looked a bit embarrassed and even spat out what he had just put into his mouth. "I didn't think you would wake up. Never mind, there's still a little left, you can have it."

To make a gluttonous person give up their food was truly touching.

However, Gu Yi lost his appetite. Leftovers were one thing, but spitting them out was quite another.

"Forget it." Gu Yi pushed aside the quilt, wanting to move around a bit, but his body felt entirely numb from lying down for so long. "How did you end up coming here?"

"At first, I came to see how your recovery was coming along. Since you were always asleep, I didn't want to disturb you. Later, I saw that Lady Shuyu had brought you things. Presumably, seeing that you were asleep, she didn't wake you, so she just set the food down and left. I figured food shouldn't go to waste, so I came over to eat it these past two days. After that, she probably assumed you were eating all the food herself, so she kept sending it continuously, and thus I came over every time."

Gu Yi: "..."

Your explanation is certainly thorough. I honestly don't know whether to praise your honesty or call you utterly tactless.

"Wait a minute, the past two days? Have I slept that long?"

"A good thing. One recovers the fastest while sleeping, and catching up on sleep is also a healing medicine."

Gu Yi couldn't help but expose him, pressing the point with a retort: "Is it that eating the food is what makes it best?"

"That's part of the reason," the 18th Floor Lord said with even greater candor. "But there is something you need to explain clearly to Lady Shuyu."

"What is it?" He suddenly had a bad premonition.

"Well, I ate all the food. She didn't know I ate it; she thought you did, and furthermore assumed you were awake. Though she called out to you a few times, you didn't respond. I didn't think much of it at first, but for the past two days you haven't acknowledged anyone at all. Lady Shuyu will probably think you are ignoring her on purpose."

Gu Yi: "???"

"Last time I was sleeping, you made my roasted fish disappear; this time I'm resting, and you've also ruined the good impression I managed to build up in her heart. How am I supposed to talk to her about leaving the Great Rain Palace now?"

Gu Yi couldn't help but continue muttering, "They say encountering a proud son of heaven like the 18th Floor Lord is one of life's great fortunes. To me, it's nothing short of a tragic ordeal."

"Hahaha." Far from being angered, the 18th Floor Lord laughed heartily, brandishing his chopsticks. "For many years, no young fellow has ever dared to speak to me like this. No wonder White Porcelain wants to keep you around. Everything you say and do is unconventional; although slightly lacking in propriety, it is also rather interesting. And interesting things are so scarce here in the Great Rain Palace."

"I must admit I didn't handle this matter well, but I really couldn't bring myself to tell a young lady that I stole and ate all her food. That would be too humiliating."

Gu Yi shook his head.

Perhaps the phrase 'making trouble out of nothing' truly held some truth.

Not a single person here was completely normal.

His own body was more important. He tried to stretch his chest, only to bare his teeth and hiss in pain.

The 18th Floor Lord hurriedly advised, "Hey, if your body is injured, don't force it. It's not just a simple flesh wound; how could it possibly heal completely after resting for just a couple of days? Have some patience, take it slow. If you rush, you still won't be able to get out."

"I know," Gu Yi said irritably, then asked, "When will Shuyu likely come again? I'm genuinely hungry."

"I have no idea. She might come soon, or she might not come at all today because she's angry with you. Just make do with a little something; it won't kill you."

Gu Yi felt he might as well just stay hungry. "18th Floor Lord, what on earth did you come to find me for?"

"What for? Naturally, for your cultivation. White Porcelain left you in my care, and since you killed Qingfeng yourself, do you have any other matters at hand?"

"Really none."

"Then try cultivating and see. Letting your talent go to waste would be as much of a pity as dumping this plate of apricot-yellow marrow."

What kind of terrible analogy is that?

"Shouldn't I wait until my injuries heal first?"

"Mm, mm," the 18th Floor Lord said with a mouthful of food, waving his chopsticks. "It is proper to wait, but seeking immortality places utmost importance on the word 'enlightenment,' which cannot be purely imparted. What I have comprehended, you might not necessarily understand; what you comprehend, I might not necessarily grasp. Therefore, what should truly be taught is the *method* of comprehension. On this point... well..."

"...Actually, there's nothing much to teach, hahahaha."

Gu Yi: "..."

"Please go on, I'm listening."

"Shall I tell you the story of how I achieved Accordance with the Earth?"

Gu Yi guessed, "They say you entered the Returning to Simplicity realm overnight in a snowy night. Is that true?"

"It is not false."

"Then when did you enter the Dao Accordance realm?"

The 18th Floor Lord rested his chin on his chopsticks and thought for a moment. "Probably five or six days later."

"What? That fast?!"

The old fellow looked rather smug. "Has any successor of Luyang Courtyard ever broken my record?"

***

Gu Yi was genuinely impressed. "What about the Saint of the World?"

"The Saint of the World was somewhat slower. I suppose it was after traveling through the Great Liang and Li Kingdoms and witnessing countless ordinary mortals that I became enlightened and entered the Saint of the World realm. Come to think of it, that was already twenty years ago."

A heavy thud echoed in Gu Yi's heart.

He thought of an experience very familiar to him.

He, too, had entered the Saint of the World realm overnight, yet for the three years following, he had gained nothing more.

"Even someone as talented as the 18th Floor Lord has been trapped in the Saint of the World realm for twenty years without progress."

"Don't mock me. White Porcelain has been trapped in the Saint of the World realm for no less time than I have. Do you see any sign of her breaking past it?"

From his tone alone, it was clear she hadn't.

The 18th Floor Lord felt a tinge of sorrow over this. "Yet hearing you put it that way, it really does seem like a terribly long time. Gradually, it even makes me feel as though the Mortal Realm is not the seventh realm after all."

Gu Yi's body instantly froze.

"The Mortal Realm is not the seventh realm!"

"Hah, I'm just speaking idly. Perhaps it's because I always fail and cannot find a way out, so I'm just guessing blindly. It's just that sometimes I feel it might really be this way."

"Perhaps the Mortal Realm... truly is not the seventh realm..."

"This mystery perhaps must be unraveled by you." The 18th Floor Lord finally put down his chopsticks and stood up. "Your talent is no weaker than mine, nor is it weaker than White Porcelain's. As long as you cultivate properly and guard your Dao heart, one day you will achieve this level of accomplishment. However, whether you can enter the Mortal Realm is yet another matter."

Ah.

Gu Yi nodded solemnly.

"18th Floor Lord, please go on. About Dao Accordance."

In truth, given Gu Yi's knowledge, he already had some understanding of Dao Accordance. However, just as the 18th Floor Lord said, the path of seeking immortality places utmost importance on enlightenment.

True understanding comes after perception.

Listening more to the wisdom of predecessors is often helpful.

The 18th Floor Lord dipped his finger in water and chose a wooden board, writing two characters per term vertically, from left to right: Entering Concentration, Establishing the Mind, Guarding the Spirit, Returning to Simplicity, Dao Accordance, Saint of the World, Mortal Realm.

After finishing, he crossed his hands and spoke gracefully: "The seven realms of cultivation encompass all of this. The first is Entering Concentration, becoming still to know the world; next is Establishing the Mind, centering oneself to know the true self; then Guarding the Spirit, maintaining steadfastness to hold one's ambition; and finally, Returning to Simplicity, keeping things concise to understand one's original intention."

"This means that on the path of cultivation, the primary step is to perceive the world and acquire spiritual energy, followed by illuminating one's own heart and confirming one's direction. Once confirmed, one must guard it—which implies perseverance—and finally walk all the way without forgetting where one started, which is called Returning to Simplicity."

"Up to this point is the cycle of the first phase. Cultivators in the world are numerous, but the majority remain within this scope. As for the subsequent Dao Accordance, that belongs to another world. In my view, the 'Dao' of Dao Accordance refers to the laws between heaven and earth: trees and flowers bloom in spring and wither in autumn, water flows from high to low, humans experience joy, anger, sorrow, and grief—these are all laws."

"However, the Dao seen, heard, and acknowledged by different people is not the same. Therefore, entering Dao Accordance varies accordingly. What Luyang Courtyard teaches is the Human and Earthly Dao, but the two Dao Accordance practitioners by my side follow the Demoniac Dao. I have also known eccentric individuals; some followed the Tea Dao, others the Sword Dao. You could say every Dao is distinct, yet there has never been a true Heavenly Dao."

Gu Yi humbly asked for instruction: "What is the Heavenly Dao?"

The 18th Floor Lord sighed and shook his head, "I do not know either."

"What Dao do you follow?"

"I do not belong to the Earthly or Human Dao." The 18th Floor Lord raised his head, and a layer of snow drifted onto the back of his hand. "I have comprehended the Snow Dao."

"What is that?"

"Snow can form flowers and turn into water; because its form is unfixed, it can undergo thousands of transformations."

When Gu Yi last entered Dao Accordance, it was the Human Dao, which was probably the simplest among them. Yet many of the things the 18th Floor Lord spoke of remained unknown to him, such as the Sword Dao.

Initially, he had indeed thought there were only the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

The 18th Floor Lord had a most crucial question to ask Gu Yi: "Have you ever considered what your Dao is?"

Gu Yi replied, "Ever since I began cultivating immortality, I have valued letting nature take its course and allowing success to come naturally. Therefore, I have never thought about needing a specific Dao. Some Daos may sound pleasant, others perhaps not, but I care nothing for that. What I care about is whether it is truly the Dao within my heart."

The 18th Floor Lord nodded with satisfaction. "Teaching someone like you is always somewhat easier. Then let nature take its course, and let success come naturally. Everything I have told you is merely to prevent you from being bound to Heaven, Earth, and Man, and even more so from being constrained by any single thing. At best, it can save you some time."

Gu Yi acknowledged this, stepped back, and cupped his hands in a bow. "Thank you, 18th Floor Lord. Although you've eaten quite a bit of my food, your gratitude must still be expressed."

"Hahaha. No need for thanks. I suppose I have grown somewhat disillusioned with the Mortal Realm, yet I could find no master to instruct me. So I thought, if someone of your talent reaches the Saint of the World realm, perhaps before I die, you might let me hear a glimpse of the inner meaning of the Mortal Realm, even if it's just a little bit."

Perhaps this was a selfish motive.

However, Gu Yi had already stated in his previous conversation with Shuyu:

One cannot demand that the people around them be entirely without selfish motives and live solely for them.

That would be a sign of immaturity.

Therefore, Gu Yi didn't mind such a reason; after all, the man had treated him well and done him no harm.

While this elder and junior were chatting happily here,

Shuyu had returned to the Gu Family Village to calm her mind and dispel the stifling frustration in her chest.

Everyone in the Gu Family Village knew her. Some even asked where Gu Yi—who had appeared the other day—had gone, saying the jokes he told were quite amusing.

Shuyu picked two of them and asked the villagers to retell the jokes, only to find them completely unfunny when she heard them.

Perhaps the 18th Floor Lord was right; she really was angry.

It was nothing much to begin with, but on that day she had blurted out the wrong words, asking, "Does Gu Yi want a sincere heart?"

She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something was amiss.

And leave it at that she might have.

Yet why had Gu Yi ignored her ever since?

Every time she sent food, he ate it, but when she called out to him, he wouldn't wake up. Was it because she had asked that overly-nosy question that things had come to this?

And what on earth did he mean by this behavior?

"Shuyu, why are you daydreaming in this peach grove?"

Hearing the voice, Shuyu turned around instantly and bowed slightly. "Palace Master. I... I was just thinking about things here."

***

"Thinking about what?"

"Thinking about Gu Yi."

She simply blurted it out just like that.

Gu Baici didn't ridicule this odd preoccupation; she was merely curious. "What about him are you thinking?"

Shuyu, remarkably, either because the Palace Master asked and she dared not withhold the answer, or simply out of her own turmoil, spilled all the doubts in her heart in one breath.

"Palace Master, you tell me, why is this happening?"

"Hmm... he probably doesn't like you very much." If anyone else had drawn such a conclusion, Gu Baici might have paused to think, but顾益 truly had a poor impression of them. "He is still single-mindedly intent on leaving the palace. However, I can tell these past few days that Gu Yi is a genius with exceptional cultivation talent. I am unwilling to let him return to the Xu State, so Shuyu, you must not plead for him later."

Shuyu was startled by the warning. "How could I plead for him? I naturally obey the Palace Master's commands."

Gu Baici gave her a deep look, the subtext being: *Would you really not?*

As expected...

Shuyu weighed her phrasing and asked, "However, Gu Yi truly dislikes staying here; I can sense it. He is gloomy and listless all day long. If it were anyone else, that would be one thing, but Palace Master, you yourself said he is someone who can understand the Mo tribe. Why must you do such a thing?"

"The Eighteenth just went to his place. The Eighteenth also knows that Gu Yi possesses considerable talent, so he is thinking of taking him under his wing. Do you say he is worth keeping or not?"

If both of them agreed on this, Shuyu didn't have enough confidence to say he wasn't worth it. If he could stay, of course it would be for the best; in the future, he would undoubtedly become a major pillar of support for the Mo tribe.

He might even become the protective strength of the Mo tribe. Their tribe was one that desperately needed strong individuals, and Gu Yi possessed this potential. If he succeeded, he could guarantee a century of peace.

Perhaps a century was merely a fleeting instant, but to them, a year or even a day was precious.

Shuyu knew the importance of this, yet she still hesitated before speaking. "But... staying in the Great Rain Palace truly makes his heart bitter and troubled."

"Then go and comfort him a bit more."

Comfort him with what? She was still harboring some lingering anger in her heart. Shuyu didn't reply for a moment, feeling somewhat aggrieved. "Didn't the Palace Master say he doesn't like me?"

"People change. When you first met him, did you think he looked like a good person?"

People change... That presumably held some truth.

***

Gu Yi walked out of the wooden cabin. With a wound on his chest, he couldn't move too carelessly, so he tried to walk as slowly as possible. Chiefly, his stomach was utterly empty, and the 18th Floor Lord was a rough brute who wouldn't care about such things, leaving him no choice but to forage for food himself.

He could forget about meat; Gu Yi only hoped to find some fruit trees so he could get something to eat.

However, although he eventually found them, his body was so weak that even raising his arm was a painful ordeal. For a moment, he found himself in a difficult spot.

Normally, he would have just chopped the damn tree down, but right now he didn't even dare to kick it, lest he slip and fall—that really would pain him to death.

In the end, he could only search for a very long tree branch, hoping to knock a couple of fruits down.

Calling it 'knocking' was generous; it was more like gently waving the branch twice, a sight that left Shuyu, who had just stepped into the woods, utterly perplexed.

Seen from behind, it looked remarkably like he was dancing with a tree branch.

Utterly baffled.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah?" Startled by the voice, he immediately turned around, inadvertently tugging at his wound and sending a wave of intense pain through his chest. "Hiss... damn it..."

"Are you alright?"

"Obviously not alright, it hurts so much... I feel like I'm about to die." Gu Yi exaggerated.

This left Shuyu at a loss. Why did he always say such unexpected things? Wouldn't a normal person grit their teeth and say they were fine?

With him, it was straight to dying of pain.

Shuyu slowly approached carrying a basket, completely unsure how to offer comfort, and simply said, "You should... won't die from it, right?"

Gu Yi: "..."

He always had the distinct feeling these people were cursing him whenever they spoke.

"Where is the 18th Floor Lord?"

"He left." Gu Yi forced himself up through the pain, not daring to move his arms rashly as the aching almost made him sweat. "I wasn't messing around, I was just hungry and wanted to find some fruit to eat."

"You didn't eat this fruit, did you?" Shuyu asked in alarm.

"No, no, I haven't eaten it yet."

"You mustn't eat it. It's not meant for people. If you eat it, you'll probably end up like the Salt Wolf or the Long-legged Cat—they're always eating these things for no reason."

Gu Yi's brow twitched violently as he cried out in disbelief, "They turned into demons from eating this? Does the world even have such fruit? Doesn't that violate biological barriers or something?"

"Uh, no, I mean... I meant it gives you endless energy with no way to vent it."

Gu Yi gave up. Talking to her felt like they were on completely different wavelengths. Forget it, but as for the fruit... "Is it really that potent?"

"In the Great Rain Palace, that's not a good thing."

That was true enough.

"Just eat what I've prepared for you instead."

"Thank you." Gu Yi's eyes welled up with grateful tears. "You people really are good folks. Once I've eaten and recovered my spirits, I'll go see Palace Master Gu and see if she'll let me leave."

Hearing this, Shuyu couldn't help but feel a fresh surge of inexplicable emotion. He really was still eager to leave.