Chapter 96 – Not Teaching

What Xuanhe explained and taught was not just Zuowang, but rather spoke of the five levels of enlightenment.

Zhan Changfeng recalled Xuanhe’s first lesson, which broadly proposed that enlightenment is not sudden, but actually gradually accumulated over a long time, divided into fasting and abstinence, peaceful dwelling, concentrated visualization, Zuowang, and spiritual liberation.

Zuowang is the result of accumulating the first three stages and the prerequisite for the later stage of spiritual liberation and enlightenment. It’s just that the first three stages are intangible, and the last stage is too fanciful, so they only focus on Zuowang.

Fasting means purification; abstinence means restraining the body, meaning to regulate the physical form, replenish essence and blood, keeping the body in peak condition.

Peaceful dwelling, first, means choosing a place for cultivation where yin and yang are balanced and the energy of heaven and earth is abundant; second, means calming the heart and eyes, eliminating distracting thoughts and desires to settle the body.

But, is having a strong body and a suitable cultivation environment enough?

People interact with external things all day, their eyes see others, their minds think about how to make a living, yet they often turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to themselves. Such people will never see the truth, only drifting with the world.

This requires us to practice concentrated visualization.

Concentrated visualization means preserving one’s spirit, contemplating one’s own body. Closing the eyes, one sees one’s own eyes; withdrawing the mind, one sees one’s own heart. The control over oneself is always higher than attention to the outside world.

Only then can one enter the state of concentration—Zuowang.

The sign of success in Zuowang is enlightenment.

This is a very long and winding process. It’s not about memorizing these five stages, but making these five stages a part of oneself. Enlightenment is merely an instant when conditions are ripe.

After realizing this, Zhan Changfeng paid even more attention to her words and actions. Those unnecessary attentions, wasteful arguments, and behaviors contrary to her true heart—she neither did nor said them, gradually unifying spirit and body, knowledge and action.

At this time, she felt a trace of ease; the world seemed broader.

Meanwhile, the teachers and students of Qingbai Mountain found that this person had become even more willful.

In the afternoon, cicada chirps gradually emerged, and the sun was dizzying.

When Zhan Changfeng entered room one of Orchid Heart Pavilion, the students were all buried in their books, somewhat like having ears that hear nothing outside the window, probably to cope with the upcoming recitation check. History and literature were troublesome this way—memorize, recite, memorize, recite, nothing else.

She also took out a book to read.

The window was open, the shadows of branches and leaves cast inside, gently swaying.

Qingbai Mountain’s progression by depth of learning was Chrysanthemum Plucking House, Bamboo Inquiry Tower, Orchid Heart Pavilion, Plum Gazing Lodge, but there were exceptions.

For example, the neighboring Bamboo Inquiry Tower had eleven floors, symbolizing rising higher step by step, but those staying on the top floor were special talents in the community school.

“How long has it been?” A youth of sixteen or seventeen, with refined brows and bright eyes, dressed in gentle white robes, a green bamboo hairpin crowning his hair, stood by the window. His gaze passed through the shadows of trees and branches, landing on the opposite Orchid Heart Pavilion. Coincidentally, he could see someone holding a scroll in thought, expression indifferent.

“Seventy-nine days, seven hours, and fifteen ke!” A girl with willow-leaf eyebrows and starry eyes said fiercely, “Is a game of chess that important? How can one live without eating or drinking.”

In the room, a child of about seven or eight stared at the chessboard before him, motionless, completely lost in it.

Hongsang nudged him, “Ji, stop looking, go rest for a while!”

Ji’s gaze didn’t move.

Hongsang stamped her foot, “I’ll go tie up that instigator right now, truly causing harm.”

“Don’t be impulsive.” Qinghe smiled helplessly, “I’ll go invite that person over.”

The two came to room one of Orchid Heart Pavilion and announced clearly at the door, “Is the person who set the unsolved chess game here? I have a request.”

“Qinghe from Bamboo Inquiry Tower, why is he here?”

“Didn’t you hear him asking about chess? Probably the recent chess match spread.”

Zhan Changfeng changed to another book volume and continued reading, as if hearing nothing.

Everyone’s glances swept over subtly. She didn’t feel it, but Wang Xi in front of her felt as if sitting on pins and needles, turning to whisper, “They’re looking for you.”

Zhan Changfeng, “Why look for me?”

Yu Sheng reminded, “Probably for Ji’s sake.”

“And who is that?”

“A chess fanatic, eight years old this year. Once he holds a chess piece, nothing else can distract his heart. It’s said that once he was playing chess by the stove and didn’t even notice his clothes catching fire. If others hadn’t seen it, he might have burned to charcoal.” Wang Xi exaggerated.

Zhan Changfeng had long forgotten about the unsolved chess game and didn’t expect someone to seek her out after so long.

She went out and said, “Lead the way.”

“Please.” Qinghe discreetly sized up the person before him, somewhat disbelieving. Someone so young could set up such an unsolved game?

Probably obtained some rare chess manual.

Having Ji in chess was already rare.

Qinghe said politely, “Trouble the lady to play against Ji and solve the game.”

Zhan Changfeng neither agreed nor disagreed. Going upstairs, she saw the child, looking haggard but with very spirited eyes. She walked to his side, looked at the chessboard, and hadn’t placed a single piece.

Hongsang frowned, “What are you waiting for? Don’t tell us you can’t solve it either.”

“Who said being able to set it up means being able to solve it?” Zhan Changfeng raised her hand and knocked the child unconscious with a chop, “Nothing serious, feed him some rice soup first.”

With that, she left with her wide sleeves fluttering.

“She… she…” Hongsang stared wide-eyed, exclaiming, “How can there be such a person!”

Qinghe also facepalmed.

Zhan Changfeng left right after finishing history and literature class, almost stepping on the sound of the dismissal bell.

“Such haste.” Qin Huan put away the ruler, tucked the teaching materials under his arm, and didn’t say much more. He occasionally heard the teachers from the neighboring cultivation group talk about this student. Although there were complaints, there was more praise, even envy, because just based on her reaching Postnatal realm perfection at twelve, they knew her future would certainly go further than most.

For such a student, even if her cultural subjects were a bit lacking, he couldn’t say much. Besides, she wasn’t lacking; on the contrary, she was extremely outstanding, having already completed the progress of basic courses like arithmetic, chess, geography, etc., ahead of schedule a few days ago. Currently, among the basic courses, only history and literature were still being studied.

What Qin Huan didn’t know was that she had also completed Daoist Rites and Body Tempering, so she went to find Yao Yu again.

This was her second time coming before the thatched hut. Not far away, on the cliff face, people were still climbing up and down.

“I have passed Daoist Rites and Body Tempering. Can Yao Yu teach me spells?”

Yao Yu scratched his head, somewhat impatient, “Go climb up there a hundred round trips, then I’ll teach you.”

Zhan Changfeng asked, “Just a hundred round trips? Are there any special conditions to meet?”

“Not teaching, not teaching!” Yao Yu scolded, “Since you come to learn skills, you should trust the master wholeheartedly. If the master tells you to jump off the cliff, you have to jump! Your attitude isn’t right, I won’t teach!”

Yao Yu said to the students looking over, “All students should take this as a warning. Learning skills requires the proper demeanor. Don’t act like a big shot; no one here will indulge you. If you don’t want to learn, leave!”

The students bowed one after another, “The master speaks rightly. We definitely won’t disobey you.”

Zhan Changfeng thought her attitude was already very good, but if he didn’t want to teach, there were a thousand reasons.

Zhan Changfeng didn’t really come to learn spells either. If she wanted to learn, she would learn the Five Elements Dao Scroll from the Dragon Scale Divine Scripture.

She just wanted to closely observe the differences in the essence, energy, and spirit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yao Yu’s aura was indeed several times stronger than the Prenatal realm, and his soul was very stable. Her Soul Suppression probably wouldn’t be of much use against him.

As for strength, that would require a fight to determine.

But these analyses had no reference value for how to build a Dao foundation.

Zhan Changfeng suppressed the impulse to perform a soul search on him and remained composed as usual, “Since Yao Yu doesn’t want to teach, I won’t insist. Farewell.”

Unexpectedly, this matter was spread by several students, making the community school lively for a while.

Zhan Changfeng, apart from consulting with the teachers, actually kept to herself and had no leisure to socialize with others. But she herself excelled in studies, had a unique temperament, and was occasionally mentioned by several teachers to educate others. This way, who didn’t know that a powerful external student had newly arrived at the community school.

Moreover, this external student excelled in both cultivation-related courses and cultural courses, as if there was nothing she couldn’t learn.

Students who had heard of her name were all envious, wishing they could swap brains with her.

Yet today, she was reprimanded by Yao Yu!

“Not that impressive after all. So what if she studies well? If she can’t cultivate spells, no matter how good her Daoist Rites and arithmetic are, it’s just an empty shell. At most, she’ll become a teacher in the future.”

“Even Yao Yu doesn’t acknowledge her. See who in the community school dares to teach her spells. This person is finished.”

Extra update today!

The “Tianyinzi·Spiritual Liberation” says: “Fasting and abstinence are called ‘faith liberation,’ peaceful dwelling is called ‘leisure liberation,’ concentrated visualization is called ‘wisdom liberation,’ Zuowang is called ‘concentration liberation.’ When faith, concentration, leisure, and wisdom—the four gates—connect with the spirit, it is called ‘spiritual liberation.'”

(End of Chapter)