Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: Memories (5)

At this moment, Gu Mojiang’s mood was one of utter despair, as if he wanted to die but couldn’t. Ye Zheng’s foundational training was unbearably difficult; Gu Mojiang simply did not possess such a high level of comprehension. With only a month’s time, he had no idea how much he could truly learn or how familiar he could become with the techniques.

If he were studying human cultivation methods, he would not be so restless and anxious. In the past, whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he could always ask his father or mother, or at worst, other people in his clan. But here it was different—he only knew Ye Zheng, and Ye Zheng paid no attention to him at all.

All the difficulties and confusions he faced had to be worked out on his own, painstakingly deducing and testing bit by bit. The more complex problems he could only set aside for later. Every day was filled with regret and self-reassurance. He regretted his compromise, the impulsive decision to come to Wu Mei Mountain.

Yet he constantly tried to comfort himself: since he was here, he might as well settle down. Even if Ye Zheng didn’t care for him, the cultivation methods Ye Zheng provided were all top-tier. No matter how much he could master, once he left Wu Mei Mountain, he would still stand above others and could leverage his status as Ye Zheng’s disciple to accomplish things he never could before.

This was the most direct benefit of having taken Ye Zheng as his master. He could not afford to lose all this for the time being; he even used this to do things others did not know about.

Days passed one after another, and Gu Mojiang slowly made progress, though Ye Zheng continued to ignore him as usual. Every day Ye Zheng was either drinking or sleeping in the bamboo courtyard, completely indifferent to Gu Mojiang’s affairs.

There were still half a month left, but Ye Zheng was in no hurry. He wanted to see if Gu Mojiang truly had talent and whether he was suitable to cultivate under him. If Gu Mojiang really lacked talent and the rumors proved false, Ye Zheng might choose to send him back. A genius without room to grow could no longer be called a genius. Such limitations made Ye Zheng unwilling to waste his time teaching someone who wouldn’t learn much.

If the results after a month were what he desired, then perhaps he would teach Gu Mojiang properly and treat him a little better.

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Today was the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Ye Zheng had originally planned to visit the mundane world but ended up not going. The lively atmosphere was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time, and he feared he might not be able to handle it, so he decided to stay quietly on Wu Mei Mountain.

Still, it was for the best. He resolved to send Gu Mojiang back for the New Year and then pick him up again after the fifteenth. After all, Gu Mojiang was human, different from the spirits and demons here. It was better to wait until after the fifteenth to bring him back.

“Pack your things. I’ll send you back for the New Year. After the fifteenth, I’ll come to get you,” Ye Zheng said lightly, though his gaze was less cold—after all, Gu Mojiang cooked for him every day.

“Master, what about my studies? Will they be postponed?” Gu Mojiang thought hopefully, as a delay would give him more time to work hard. Unfortunately, this hope was only in his mind. Ye Zheng would not comply. “No postponement. When you come back, I will test you. Don’t let the New Year holidays interfere with your main tasks.”

See, Ye Zheng only cared about what mattered to him. Other people’s affairs were of no concern.

“Study hard when you return. Don’t go fooling around with those troublemakers. Consider your identity before deciding whether to join them in drinking and partying,” he said with a detached look, but his words were meant for Gu Mojiang’s own good.

This was the first time Ye Zheng had spoken so earnestly and thoughtfully to Gu Mojiang, which moved him somewhat. Since becoming his disciple two weeks ago, this was the first time Ye Zheng had treated him with such kindness. Perhaps he did harbor some goodwill toward him.

“These are two high-grade spirit cores, a reward for your progress during this time. Keep them well,” Ye Zheng said, tossing two spirit cores toward Gu Mojiang before turning away.

Gu Mojiang was thrilled holding the spirit cores. Their quality alone was impressive, and the potent spiritual energy within was palpable. Such spirit cores were priceless in the mundane world if exchanged for silver coins. He hadn’t expected Ye Zheng to be so generous.

After a simple packing, Gu Mojiang went to the courtyard where Ye Zheng was indeed waiting.

“This is a Swift Travel Talisman. You can go back on your own. Be careful on the road!” Ye Zheng slapped a talisman onto Gu Mojiang’s back and urged him to leave.

Having eaten and rested here for half a month, Gu Mojiang had made only slight progress. Frankly, Ye Zheng was a bit reluctant to pay him any attention. Yet since he had indeed improved, Ye Zheng felt it inappropriate to say nothing. So he picked two of the less perfect spirit cores gathering dust in the storage and gave them to Gu Mojiang.

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Those spirit cores were of little use to him—just shiny, pretty trinkets with a bit more aesthetic value. The storage was full of spirit cores, but he rarely glanced at them, finding no reason to care. However, he could save them up, and when he came across children in the future, he could give these as toys or decorations. Girls especially liked shiny things, and these spirit cores were perfect. He had plenty to spare and could give them away generously.

After Gu Mojiang left, no one cooked for him anymore, so he didn’t eat. He spent two days on the mountain before visiting the place where he had initially lived. The area was much larger now, and many trusted followers were stationed there. He wanted to see if there were matters to handle.

The last time he had returned was more than a century ago. He did not know how many people remained. If the numbers were few, he might disband the group right then and there.

He truly wasn’t very invested in these affairs. Having lived so long, with so many memories flooding his mind, he often experienced bouts of confusion. When his memory faltered, he could not recall past events for extended periods, temporarily forgetting many things.

For instance, he hadn’t returned to Tianming Mountain for a hundred years.

After some thought, he changed into new clothes, placed a protective barrier around his courtyard, and set off toward Tianming Mountain. Wu Mei Mountain lay to the northwest, but Tianming Mountain was to the south. He never quite understood why he moved so far.

Before leaving, he made sure to greet the few elders atop the mountain so they wouldn’t worry and fret if they couldn’t find him.

“The master has gone home. He probably regained his memories recently and recalled past matters. We don’t know how long he’ll be gone,” Qing Dai said softly before gathering her belongings and descending the mountain.

Since the master was absent and no one was supervising them, they could afford to have some fun down the mountain.