Volume One: Youths Meet in Their Humble Beginnings Chapter Thirty-One: A Stone Cast Stirs a Thousand Waves (Part One)

After Li Yu returned to the room, Master Lin took out the scripture from yesterday and handed it to him, asking, “You can recognize all the characters, right?”

Li Yu had already glanced through it when he received it yesterday, and now, hearing the question, he pondered, “I recognize most of them, but I don’t understand their meaning.”

Master Lin nodded, “Since that’s the case, from now on, I’ll guide you through a reading. Whenever you come across something you don’t understand, make a note of it yourself. After you’ve finished reading all three thousand six hundred scriptures here, you’ll start copying them.”

With that, he began teaching Li Yu to read, “The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless is the origin of heaven and earth; named is the mother of all things. Therefore, ever without desire, one observes its wonders; ever with desire, one observes its boundaries. These two emerge together but differ in name; both are called mysterious. The mystery of mysteries is the gateway to all wonders.”

The master would read once, and Li Yu would follow. After completing the first section, they moved to the next, “All under heaven know beauty as beauty, and thus ugliness arises. All know good as good, and thus not-good arises. Being and non-being generate each other, difficult and easy complement each other, long and short contrast each other... To give birth yet not possess, to act yet not rely, to achieve yet not claim, precisely because there is no claim, nothing is lost.”

Thus began Li Yu’s formal path of cultivation. There was no drawing of qi into the body, no refining of qi into emptiness, no union of yin and yang—only the simple act of reading. As they read, the lamp in the main hall cast a hazy ring of seven-colored light, sending ripples through the void that radiated outward. Not everyone could sense this wave; only a select few did. They observed with their spiritual awareness, quietly wondering what Master Lin intended.

In the town of Tianmen, an old woman in a paper craft shop set aside the paper figure she was making and looked up at the sky, murmuring, “Is he preaching the Way? But this wave doesn’t quite feel like it.”

By a small stream near a smithy, a burly middle-aged man was forging a curved blade for a client. Feeling the ripple in the air, his hammering unconsciously matched its rhythm, and he grinned with satisfaction, “Looks like this curved blade will be unexpectedly good!”

Students in the academy were reciting texts with their teacher, swaying as they chanted. The teacher, dignified and calm before the lectern, opened his clear yet somewhat clouded eyes, gazing into some distance in the void. Twirling his beard, he mused, “Just how far has his strength grown?”

Out at sea, an old man was fishing, but curiously, his basket held no fish. He seemed to be contending with some extraordinary creature in the ocean; neither yielded. When the ripple reached them, the creature mocked, “Look at that—do you even know how to cultivate? If I were you, I’d jump in now and let me eat you. At least you wouldn’t embarrass yourself before others.”

The old man ignored it, gazing solemnly toward Tianmen Town, pondering, “He’s never acted like this before. What is his purpose?”

In the kitchen of a tavern, the cook was preparing dishes for the day. He picked up a fish from the basin, slit it open from the mouth with a sharp knife, gutted it, and each fish became meat on the chopping block. Then he deep-fried them in oil. When the last fish was done, he showed his yellowing teeth, lamenting, “Too bad this fish didn’t cook long enough.”

At the heart of Tianmen Town, a refined and elegant courtyard hosted two men playing chess. A man in brocade robes made a move with interest and asked the scholar in plain robes across from him, “Was this move within your expectations?”

The scholarly man studied the move, thought briefly, and played his own, responding concisely, “It wasn’t.”

The man in brocade robes smiled ambiguously, “But why do I feel you did it on purpose?”

The scholar looked up at him, self-deprecating, “You overestimate me. I don’t have that kind of skill.” With that, he made another move, decisively capturing a large section.

“I don’t care what you’re planning, but you must remember: we are all pieces on this board. Life and death are not ours to decide. Perhaps we can influence the fate of a few pieces, but ultimately, we are still someone else’s pawns.” With that, he cut off his own retreat, saying, “This game is dull. I’d rather save my energy for what comes next.” And he withdrew.

The scholar gazed at the sky for a while, then spoke to the servant standing outside the pavilion, “Mo Bing, go inquire what’s different about his return this time.”

Mo Bing bowed and departed, “Yes, City Lord.”

Li Yu, meanwhile, knew nothing of all this. By the time he finished reading the scripture with the master, it was nearly noon. The master rose, “Come, let’s eat.”

They set out together, with the master heading first to a tavern. Even before he arrived, his voice rang out, “Wang Er, two catties of ‘Never Return’!”

The tavern owner, Wang Er, recognized the master and cheerfully greeted him, “Is it because the wine outside still isn’t as good as ours?” As he spoke, he fetched a wine jar.

The master and Li Yu entered and sat at a nearby table. The master began munching peanuts, “Of course. If it’s wine, yours is best. Outside wine never tastes right—not pure. I only drink it to satisfy my cravings.”

Wang Er replied without modesty, “Naturally! My wine can even rival the tribute wine, you know!”

Li Yu sat quietly, listening to their conversation. He didn’t speak or eat peanuts. Wang Er noticed Li Yu following the master and asked, “Is this the kid you brought back?”

The master nearly spat out his wine, laughing and scolding, “Watch your mouth! What do you mean, ‘the kid I brought back’? Sounds like he’s mine! He’s my new apprentice.”

Wang Er joked, “I thought so, he doesn’t look like your kind. Look how polite and handsome he is, then look at you—sloppy as ever. Not a trace of the immortal’s grace!”

No sooner had he finished than Master Lin flicked a peanut at Wang Er, hitting him square on the forehead. Wang Er cried out, laughing, “Look at you—talking and throwing things! How did a trip outside make you so petty?”

The master retorted, “You never give me any face. My apprentice’s here, and you insult me in front of him. If I don’t teach you a lesson, won’t he think his master useless?”

Wang Er handed over the wine, smiling apologetically, “Alright, alright, my fault. I shouldn’t have said that in front of your apprentice.”

The master took the wine and pulled out some silver, handing it over, “As long as you know. Next time, when I drink at your home, have your wife cook her best dishes.”

Wang Er agreed, “No problem at all.” He then took out a few pieces of sweet cake, wrapped them up, and handed them to Li Yu, “Here you go, little one. These cakes are really sweet.”

Li Yu glanced at the cakes, then at the master. The master chuckled, “Whenever Uncle Wang gives you something to eat, just take it. I’ve done enough business at his place. A few cakes are fine.”

Only then did Li Yu accept, thanking Wang Er, “Thank you, Uncle Wang.”

The master handed the wine to Li Yu. Li Yu held it, though he could manage, he was not used to it, and after walking a bit, was out of breath. The master said, “Not bad, you’ve got some strength. I’ll teach you a method for circulating qi. When you’re not reading scriptures, practice it yourself.”

Li Yu asked, “Can I practice if I don’t have the ‘Heavenly Aperture’?”

The master laughed, “Who says a spear without a head can’t kill? Who says you need the Heavenly Aperture just to circulate qi? There’s no such rule in the world.”