Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Way of the Five Elements

After finishing the ritual, Xuan Yangzi found it was already deep into the night. He explained Chen Qingwen’s current situation to Master Chen, then took his leave.

Master Chen was overjoyed. For Chen Qingwen to forget that demoness meant a complete and lasting solution, sparing him much worry. To express his gratitude to Xuan Yangzi, he presented a banknote worth five hundred taels of silver and promised that, come the next year, he would personally oversee the renovation of Jade Void Temple.

Five hundred taels of silver was a sum that could sustain an ordinary household for decades. Even for someone as wealthy as Master Chen, parting with such an amount was no simple matter. The cost pained him for quite a while, but compared to his son, money was ultimately but a worldly possession; if it could bring Chen Qingwen back to the right path, no price was too high.

Soon, Chen Qingwen gradually awoke. He felt a dull ache in his head, as if something had been lost, but could not say what it was.

“Qingwen, you’re finally awake! Your mother and I have been worried sick,” Master Chen, who had remained at his son’s side, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him open his eyes.

Before Chen Qingwen could speak, Master Chen quickly instructed, “Steward, prepare a banquet. I wish to welcome Qingwen back and celebrate his new beginning.”

Chen Qingwen, still bewildered, asked, “Father... what happened to me?”

He felt as though he had dreamed a long, long dream. Whenever he tried to approach that dream, a strange force kept him at bay.

It was an odd sensation—indescribable, unfathomable. Chen Qingwen could not put it into words.

His heart felt hollow, as though he had lost something of great importance, and a sense of desolation welled up inside him.

“Qingwen, it’s a long story. Allow me to explain,” Master Chen sighed, then continued, “Three months ago, on a night when the moon was high and the winds were dark, you were studying at home.”

“Suddenly, a fox demon broke in, injuring several servants and abducting you.”

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“That sent your mother and me into a panic. We hurried to Jade Void Temple outside the city and sought the aid of Daoist Xuan Yang. Only then were you rescued.”

“According to the Daoist, you were drained of your vital essence by the demon, which left your body weakened. You remained unconscious until now, when you finally awoke.”

This explanation, taught to him by Xuan Yangzi, neatly filled the gaps in Chen Qingwen’s memory and accounted for his physical decline, leaving no room for suspicion.

Furthermore, Master Chen had specifically instructed all the servants to keep everything concerning Chen Qingwen strictly to themselves.

Chen Qingwen’s expression changed, and a trace of fear crept into his heart.

Sensing his son’s worry, Master Chen comforted him, “Qingwen, don’t fret. Even if I have to spend our entire fortune, I’ll seek out spiritual treasures to restore your strength and nurse you back to health.”

This too was advice from Xuan Yangzi.

Chen Qingwen nodded blankly, still struggling to digest his “ordeal.”

…

That night was shrouded in darkness, with not a single star in the sky.

Yi An and Xuan Yangzi sat facing each other in the courtyard. This time, however, it was Yi An who requested the meeting, not Xuan Yangzi.

At first, Xuan Yangzi was surprised. He was no fool—Yi An had always been somewhat resistant to him, and such a sudden change surely hid deeper motives.

“Daoist, what are your plans now? Will you return to the temple and continue your secluded cultivation?” Yi An inquired.

Normally, after resolving Chen Qingwen’s matter, Xuan Yangzi ought to return.

“No hurry, no hurry. Cultivation cannot be rushed. I might as well take this opportunity to enjoy Hangzhou’s local customs—perhaps I’ll even gain sudden enlightenment,” Xuan Yangzi replied with a smile.

In his view, Yi An possessed immense fortune. Following him might yield greater progress than solitary cultivation at Jade Void Temple, especially since Xuan Yangzi was still some distance from the Day-walking Realm and couldn’t break through anytime soon.

---

“Daoist, I noticed your mastery of the Five Elements Arts when you dealt with the fox demon. Surely you are not far from the Day-walking Realm?” Yi An mused.

“It’s a minor skill, nothing special. Breaking through is no simple matter. I’ve been stuck in the Night-walking Realm for nearly twenty years without finding the opportunity to advance. No matter how powerful the arts, they are only aids. True cultivation lies in one’s own spiritual progress,” Xuan Yangzi shook his head, not thinking much of it.

Yi An sighed, saying nothing. He looked at Xuan Yangzi with the air of someone about to speak, making the Daoist uneasy. “If there’s something on your mind, please speak freely,” Xuan Yangzi urged.

Yi An said, “Though I’ve established my foundation and formally entered the path of cultivation, I lack the arts to match my realm. Seeing your Five Elements Arts in action stirred my desire even more. Might you teach me a technique or two?”

Xuan Yangzi pondered a moment, his expression troubled. “It’s not that I don’t wish to teach you, but the Five Elements Arts are a secret of Jade Void Temple, not to be passed on. However… if you’re willing to become my disciple, not only will I teach you the Five Elements Arts, I’ll impart all my knowledge to you. What do you say?”

He looked at Yi An with burning anticipation, as if gazing upon a rare treasure. The bond of master and disciple would be far more substantial than any connection Yi An had with Wei Liang.

Yi An hesitated. He had expected a refusal, but not such a request. He was unwilling to trade his allegiance for a few basic techniques.

He replied, “There’s something you don’t know, Daoist. When I first received my inheritance, I already considered the benefactor my master. Though I’ve never met him, I could never betray that bond for another.”

“That is truly unfortunate.”

Xuan Yangzi’s face fell with disappointment.

Just as he thought the matter settled, Yi An continued, “However, rules are dead, but people are alive. Although Jade Void Temple forbids sharing its arts, rules are made by men. As the current master, you have the authority to change them. Of course, I wouldn’t accept your generosity for nothing—I’ll offer you a method to break through to the Day-walking Realm in return.”

Xuan Yangzi was greatly surprised. He knew of the methods to break through, but they were common knowledge among cultivators and not particularly effective.