No Cultivation Is Easy

Summer mornings arrived with striking promptness.

Nian Yun’er’s room was yet to be furnished with screens or any other sun-shading adornments. Consequently, a bold streak of sunlight pierced through, landing directly on her delicate face.

Moments later, Nian Yun’er’s eyelids fluttered, her eyes stirring beneath them.

A soft groan escaped her lips.

Nian Yun’er’s spirit remained somewhat listless, a clear indication that she had once again suffered a restless night.

Two consecutive nights of poor sleep had caused dark circles to emerge, unceremoniously marring her appearance.

Furthermore, having cried recently, both her eyes were slightly swollen. Her appearance upon waking was utterly pitiable.

Sitting upright, Nian Yun’er instinctively reached for her waist, only to find the item she sought missing.

A brief moment of recollection followed.

Her delicate face immediately flushed crimson.

She realized, with a pang of mortification, that she had made a spectacle of herself the day before.

She ought not to have wept before someone she had only just acquainted herself with.

Glancing back towards the head of her bed, she spotted her Qiankun pouch and a small black notebook, both carelessly discarded in a corner.

The small black notebook lay slightly ajar, its exposed pages distinctly creased.

It must have been inadvertently pressed while she slept during the night.

Nian Yun’er picked up the small notebook, and the exposed page boldly declared the words: ‘Wugou, big idiot.’

Nian Yun’er instinctively glanced around, then playfully stuck out her tongue. With a quick motion, she snapped the small black notebook shut, her grip tightening slightly around its covers.

Fortunately, as a spirit treasure, it wouldn’t be easily damaged by a mere squeeze.

A long moment passed.

Nian Yun’er’s lips parted once more, unable to resist uttering a few words.

‘Big idiot.’

Yet, she immediately hunched over, burying her face in the pillow, her expression a tangle of conflicted emotions. ‘What am I going to do?’ she mumbled incessantly. ‘How am I supposed to greet him today…’

After a considerable time.

Nian Yun’er meticulously groomed herself.

Then, with light footsteps, she exited her room.

She arrived at the entrance of Wugou’s dormitory.

Peering through the unlatched window, she cast a curious glance within.

The boy’s nose seemed to be blowing bubbles, while one hand and one foot dangled precariously over the edge of the bed. Despite a vast expanse of unoccupied space at the other end, he lay curled up, half his body swaying loosely.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed a yellow mass in the very center of that expansive ’empty’ space. It periodically rose and fell, appearing to be a living creature.

Could Wugou be harboring a pet?

Leaving it on the bed like that hardly seemed appropriate, did it?

And what of the girl from yesterday?

Nian Yun’er meticulously scanned Wugou’s dormitory, confirming there was indeed no one else present.

‘Fortunately, she doesn’t live here…’

Nian Yun’er exhaled a soft breath, her spirits seemingly lifting a little.

She cleared her throat with two light coughs.

Then, she gently rapped three times on Wugou’s dormitory door before calling out, ‘Wugou, it’s morning! Time to head to the Skill Transmission Pavilion!’

‘…’

Complete silence reigned.

Perhaps he had worn himself out yesterday, helping to clean the dormitory.

Nian Yun’er recalled Wugou from the day before, bustling about with a long bench and a broom, looking quite busy…

‘Pfft! Big idiot.’

Nian Yun’er clapped her hands over her mouth, a giggle escaping despite herself. ‘Let him sleep a little longer,’ she thought.

She turned to leave, but after only two steps, she couldn’t resist glancing back once more.

‘Hmph~ Big idiot.’

With a soft, chiding laugh, Nian Yun’er finally turned, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. Her small hands clasped behind her back, she skipped away, a spring in her step…

Meanwhile, on Wugou’s bed.

A-wu, curled into a ball, stirred uncomfortably, feeling an unfamiliar emptiness around her.

Squinting her eyes, she located Wugou’s position.

Exerting all her might, she propelled herself forward solely with her hind legs, wiggling relentlessly until she had burrowed into the crook of Wugou’s arm.

Still, she found herself slightly ill at ease. With a gentle nudge of her small head, she subtly reshaped the soft flesh on Wugou’s arm, finally settling back into a comfortable slumber.

‘Hmph, that wretched boy! I’ve told him countless times not to be late, yet he simply refuses to listen!’

In the bustling plaza of the Skill Transmission Pavilion, Zhu Manzhi paced restlessly, his hands clasped behind his back. Every so often, his gaze would drift towards the pavilion’s entrance, where disciples came and went, yet Wugou’s figure remained conspicuously absent.

‘Heh heh, Master, please don’t fret. Wugou has been attending our Skill Transmission Pavilion for a month now. Has he ever arrived early? You should be quite accustomed to his habits by this point.’

Zhu Youji stood calmly to one side, his expression utterly serene, yet a wave of amusement secretly rippled through him.

Just last night, his Master had already predicted that young Wugou would inevitably be late today, constantly vowing to teach him a lesson. Yet, as morning arrived, his Master had transformed into this familiar state of anxiety.

His Master had exhibited the same contradictory behavior when dealing with Senior Sister Ning Jing. It was clear he held a considerable fondness for young Wugou.

Alas, it seemed the more mischievous children always garnered extra attention.

Zhu Youji let out a slight sigh, his thoughts drifting to his own docile demeanor as a child. He couldn’t help but shake his head.

‘Elder Zhu,’ Lu Jinhan began, stepping forward and bowing respectfully, ‘the hour grows late. Might you impart the self-defense techniques to me first? As you know, I dislike squandering these precious morning hours~’

Lu Jinhan had initially intended to await Wugou’s arrival, especially after witnessing Elder Zhu’s grave demeanor when he had sought him out yesterday.

Otherwise, could something genuinely strange be afoot in the Qi Refining Hall’s Second Division? Yet, in his usual interactions with the senior disciples of that division, no mention of anything unusual had ever surfaced.

Nevertheless, Lu Jinhan had spent much of last night tossing and turning, unable to sleep, plagued by a persistent premonition that something significant was about to occur.

Having been raised in a fiercely competitive immortal cultivation clan, Lu Jinhan possessed a heightened sense of crisis from a tender age. While this cultivated a personality that was slow to trust, it had also guided him safely through numerous perils in his daily life.

Lu Jinhan, too, glanced towards the gate, a thought forming in his mind: ‘If that scoundrel Wugou were to arrive today, even if he proved utterly useless, he could at least serve as a convenient shield.’

He had been standing idly in this plaza with Elder Zhu for nearly half an hour already.

He had never held Wugou in high regard. The profound sense of accomplishment he felt from breaking through a bottleneck after a month of arduous, ceaseless cultivation had barely begun to ignite before it was mercilessly doused by that lazy boy Wugou’s voice.

That boy must have been using pills!

Lu Jinhan would periodically reinforce this thought in his mind, for only by believing it could he convince himself that his pride and diligent efforts were not entirely in vain.

Zhu Manzhi cast a glance at the sky, contemplating the old adage that the day’s plans are made in the morning. Continuing to wait seemed increasingly inappropriate.

Enough!

Zhu Manzhi sharply flicked his sleeve, declaring, ‘Very well, Lu Jinhan! From this moment forth, you must dedicate your full concentration to what your Martial Uncle Zhu Youji imparts. Absorb as much as you possibly can within the next hour!’

Lu Jinhan’s face brightened with delight. ‘Yes, Elder!’ he promptly replied.

‘The Vajra Bell, the Tiger Subduing Grappling Technique… why would Martial Uncle Zhu impart these pugilistic arts to me, especially when they are entirely Buddhist in origin? Could the Saint Water Palace possibly have some connection to the Buddhist sect?’

Lu Jinhan stood at the entrance of the Qi Refining Hall’s Second Division, his gaze fixed upwards in contemplation.

Given Lu Jinhan’s innate talent, the techniques imparted by Martial Uncle Zhu were naturally mastered with but a single glance.

Cultivators were far from ordinary mortals. Upon successfully navigating the first stage of Qi Refining, their primary meridians would fully open, and their limbs would become incredibly agile, infused with abundant true qi.

No matter how formidable a mortal’s martial arts techniques might be, to a cultivator, they were nothing more than a series of mere physical motions.

For Lu Jinhan, employing his second-stage Qi Refining Daoist true qi to execute these mortal techniques was akin to a mighty warhorse pulling a child’s cart; the resulting power was, naturally, beyond question.

He mused that a casual palm strike from him now could effortlessly fell an ordinary person.

The Vajra Bell, a purely defensive cultivation method, when activated, would circulate true qi throughout the body, instantly rendering it as hard as iron.

The Tiger Subduing Grappling Technique comprised a full eighteen moves, yet only one was capable of inflicting injury, and that solely as a defensive counter-attack.

The transmission of these two cultivation methods clearly implied a directive: he was not to take any lives.

Considering this…

Could it be that some skilled practitioners were awaiting him within the Qi Refining Hall’s Second Division?

Was this a trial?

Lu Jinhan meticulously reviewed the techniques in his mind once more, a confident smile naturally gracing his lips.

Given that Martial Uncle Zhu had only imparted these seemingly low-level cultivation methods, it was clear he deemed them sufficient.

Presumably, this trial would not prove overly challenging.

Lu Jinhan gestured with a wave of his hand, his fingers forming the familiar motion of opening a fan.

Instantly, however, he felt his fingers meet his palm without any obstruction.

A surge of anger immediately flared within him.

His most cherished folding fan had long since disappeared without a trace.

‘Hmph~ you foul rat! Just wait until I break through to the second stage of Qi Refining. Then we’ll see how you dare to swagger before me!’

With these words, Lu Jinhan strode directly towards the main entrance of the Qi Refining Hall’s Second Division.

The moment he stepped inside, Lu Jinhan sensed numerous gazes falling upon him.

Lu Jinhan, however, paid them little mind.

They were all at the second stage of Qi Refining, merely having arrived earlier than him. What was there to fear?

His gaze swept across the spacious, well-lit hall, eventually settling on an empty yellow-green meditation mat.

A prime spot!

A wave of delight surged through Lu Jinhan. He walked straight to the mat.

Just as he was about to sit down.

A thunderous shout suddenly erupted from behind him.

‘Halt! That spot is not for the likes of you!’

‘Here it comes,’ Lu Jinhan thought. ‘Could this be the trial?’

If it was a matter of contending for a seat, then it perfectly aligned with his desires.

In the Lu family clan, what possession did not require struggle and contention?

It suited him perfectly!

Lu Jinhan calmly turned around, discovering a burly man with a hairy face. Though his chest was broad and his muscles evident, he lacked the intimidating presence of Zhang Biwei, who had been selected for the Skill Transmission Pavilion at the same time as him.

‘Hmph, a mere commoner dares to challenge me!’

‘Ho, a tough nut, are we? And ‘me,’ he says~’ The hairy-faced brute mimicked Lu Jinhan’s earlier tone, gently waving his right hand forward, even twisting his waist slightly. He perfectly emulated the flirtatious gestures of a woman soliciting customers in the marketplace.

‘You!’ Lu Jinhan’s fists clenched, and, for the first time, prominent veins bulged on his slender arms!

Even when Lu Jinhan had endured maintaining an uncultivated body within his clan, even when he had faced undisguised disdain from some of his servants, he had never been mocked in such a manner. Not even Hua Youdie, an opponent he somewhat respected, had ever been more than occasionally verbally playful.

This fellow dared to compare him to a courtesan!

Scoundrel!

Upon seeing Lu Jinhan’s furious glare, the hairy-faced brute grew even more delighted, his expression akin to someone discovering an amusing new toy.

‘Heh heh, brothers, dinner time! How about we give this ‘bunny boy’ a good cleansing? Hahaha…’

The hairy-faced brute laughed as he waved his hand, and no fewer than a dozen individuals simultaneously rose from their respective mats, all mirroring the brute’s eager expression.

‘Hmph! You intend to overwhelm the few with many?’

Though surprised by the sheer number of opponents, Lu Jinhan retained full confidence in the cultivation methods Martial Uncle Zhu had imparted. At this moment, not a hint of fear showed on his face.

Nonetheless, Lu Jinhan had already secretly begun circulating true qi throughout his body, ‘warming himself up.’

‘This is my first fight,’ he thought. ‘I cannot bring shame upon the Lu family!’

A sharp glint entered Lu Jinhan’s eyes as his demeanor transformed.

He then adopted a combat stance and swiftly lunged forward.

Facing such a multitude of opponents, he advanced rather than retreated!

The dozen or so individuals were all taken aback. After exchanging glances, they charged forward as one!

‘Bang!’

‘Thud!’