Chapter 1 The Repercussions

For Ye Chuxiao, neither of the Wen brothers possessed much vision or ambition, which was naturally a good thing.

Having forcefully passed the three trials in front of everyone, it was easy to imagine that Ye Chuxiao's reputation would experience another surge from today onward.

But at this moment, Ye Chuxiao only wanted to return to his cave dwelling to adjust his state of mind, so he could visit Mr. Nanshan in the evening and obtain his inheritance.

However, when Ye Chuxiao returned to his cave dwelling, he was informed that it had already been arranged for another 'honored guest', and he had been temporarily reassigned to a cave dwelling two levels lower in quality.

Of course, this matter was not made known to Wen Tingting, otherwise she would definitely try to prevent it.

This was clearly Wen Liangjue's means of retaliation… rather childish!

Although it was indeed unsettling to have his best cave dwelling occupied by someone he considered a thorn in his side.

Evicting Ye Chuxiao was only to be expected.

If Ye Chuxiao were in Wen Liangjue's position, he would have done the same.

But the fact that he also arranged for a cave dwelling two levels lower seemed somewhat like an attempt to cover up his actions, lacking a certain forthrightness.

Ignoring the request to move to the lower-level cave dwelling, Ye Chuxiao, who had just left the Wen family building, turned around and headed back.

Without much thought, there was no place for him to rent in Wenjia Mountain City at the moment.

Wen Liangjue clearly wanted to make it impossible for him to gain a foothold in the city, forcing him to leave before taking further action.

He seemed very anxious to achieve this goal before Ye Chuxiao received the Nanshan Study Records six days later.

And the Wen family building was indeed the only place where Ye Chuxiao could temporarily reside.

Not only because Wen Tingting was in the Wen family building, but also because, with Wen Liangyu's personality, he should be happy to have Ye Chuxiao stay in the Wen family building, constantly hanging around Wen Liangjue to disgust him.

Sure enough, after Ye Chuxiao returned to the Wen family building, he received a personal reception from Wen Liangyu.

Not only was he extremely enthusiastic, but he also personally arranged for Ye Chuxiao to stay in a large apartment on the nineteenth floor of the Wen family building. The living space and environment here were much better than the cave dwelling Ye Chuxiao had been staying in before.

Coincidentally, Wen Liangjue lived on the eighteenth floor.

Ye Chuxiao was now essentially living on top of Wen Liangjue.

Faintly, Ye Chuxiao seemed to hear the sound of objects breaking downstairs.

Ye Chuxiao had no intention of getting too involved in the Wen brothers' feud.

Living in the Wen family building, Ye Chuxiao seemed to be entering the tiger's den, but in reality, as long as he didn't completely offend the Wen family and Wen Liangjue didn't fully take control, it wouldn't be a problem.

Ye Chuxiao was confident enough to handle some underhanded tactics with ease.

A day passed quickly.

Ye Chuxiao slowly opened his eyes from the warm jade bed in the quiet room.

After a day of resting and adjusting his breath, he had emptied his mind, maintaining his thoughts in a relatively pure state.

Waiting to receive the inheritance tonight.

In the Plum Garden of Little Nanshan, thousands of plum blossoms were fixed in their most beautiful season, never withering.

But the owner of this plum garden was collecting plum blossoms, putting them into wine jars.

His expression carried a hint of melancholy.

"If you're reluctant to leave, you can continue to stay. The situation is different now, after all," Ye Chuxiao jumped over the wall, ignoring the complex formations within the plum garden.

Wherever he passed, the Ten Thousand Plum Tree Formation, composed of ten thousand plum trees, spontaneously opened a small path, allowing him to walk through.

Mr. Nanshan held a jade pendant, using the energy stored within to manipulate the changes in the formation.

After Ye Chuxiao had completely entered, he waved his sleeve, manipulating the formation to fully open some hidden key points, ensuring that the plum garden was completely transformed into his private residence, no longer subject to prying eyes.

"It's precisely because the situation is different that I must leave!" Mr. Nanshan said, stroking his beard.

Hearing this, Ye Chuxiao nodded slightly: "Indeed, even if a broken mirror is mended, the cracks are still there. Besides, if you suddenly return after being away for so long, it's bound to arouse suspicion."

"Presumably, your insistence on helping me pass the third trial was also to make a more thorough break with the Wen family."

Hearing this, Mr. Nanshan sighed.

He had feelings for the Wen family.

But some things cannot be explained simply with the word 'feelings'.

Moreover, while he considered the Wen family to have been kind to him, the Wen family had a tendency to use that kindness to their advantage.

And this tendency had become increasingly obvious in recent years.

This was also one of the reasons why Mr. Nanshan had originally insisted on retiring to his hometown.

"Alright! Let's not waste time on idle talk. The night is still long, and I have a lot of things to say, and they're quite diverse. Listen carefully."

"If there's anything you don't understand, don't ask immediately. Accumulate ten questions first, then ask them all at once. If you never reach ten questions, then don't ask. Think for yourself," Mr. Nanshan said.

Ye Chuxiao nodded.

Seeing Mr. Nanshan gesture towards the stone stools under a nearby pavilion, Ye Chuxiao went over and sat down.

Mr. Nanshan casually took out a stack of books, placing them on the stone table next to the stone stools, and then opened one of the books, beginning tonight's lesson with the content within.

Ye Chuxiao listened attentively, initially thinking that Mr. Nanshan was analyzing some classic texts, interspersed with some of his own insights.

But gradually, he became engrossed in it.

Mr. Nanshan wasn't simply analyzing the texts, but dissecting some classic cultivation questions in a variety of different ways, angles, and directions.

In the end, he often didn't give Ye Chuxiao a fixed answer, but instead left more questions for Ye Chuxiao to ponder.

Ye Chuxiao instinctively wanted to ask questions, but remembering Mr. Nanshan's instructions at the beginning of the lecture, he temporarily suppressed his questions, storing them in his mind to ask after he had accumulated enough.

But as the lecture progressed, Ye Chuxiao found that he couldn't seem to collect ten questions.

Some questions, in the subsequent lectures, he gradually gained direction and ideas for, no longer needing Mr. Nanshan's explanation.

And some questions, as time passed, when he looked back at them, he felt that they weren't worth mentioning at all, and there was no need to dwell on them.

Putting the questions aside, many problems seemed to solve themselves.

Those that could be solved would naturally be solved.

Those that couldn't be solved were no longer important.

This seemed to be another kind of wisdom and attitude towards life.

But Ye Chuxiao himself didn't fully accept this attitude.

It had its positive aspects, but also its negative aspects.

Mr. Nanshan interpreted one book after another, and in the process of explaining, his experience, wisdom, thoughts, and accumulation were constantly flowing out, being absorbed by Ye Chuxiao, and transformed into a mirror.

Facing Mr. Nanshan's accumulation and thoughts wasn't about becoming him, or following his old path.

But rather, using him as a reference point, positioning himself through Mr. Nanshan, and finding his own direction.

At this moment, in Ye Chuxiao's mind, thoughts and wisdom were constantly colliding and burning. The sparks of inspiration, although not yet fully formed, had already laid the foundation. Ye Chuxiao only needed to wait for a more suitable opportunity to transform all of these accumulations into real power.

This lecture was fleeting, and time was hard to measure.

It wasn't until noon the next day that Mr. Nanshan closed the last book in his hand, looking very tired.

"Alright! Let's stop here!"

"The essence of what I've summarized and accumulated over the years has already been passed on to you. Do you have any questions to ask?" Mr. Nanshan asked.

Ye Chuxiao thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I have questions, but I shouldn't ask you!"

After saying that, he stood up and cupped his fist in salute to Mr. Nanshan.

Although this was originally a transaction, Mr. Nanshan did have the kindness of imparting knowledge, teaching, and resolving doubts, and it also greatly accelerated his cultivation accumulation, with countless benefits. This salute… was only right and proper.

"It's best if you understand!"

"Whether you read the Nanshan Study Records or not, it's up to you. It was originally a stupid method for fools. What kind of climate can be achieved by blindly imitating?"

"If it were really that useful, the Wen family wouldn't have released it."

"In fact, most of the essence was already in those baits they announced at the beginning," Mr. Nanshan said frankly.

"Ah?" Ye Chuxiao didn't expect this at all.

Sure enough, no matter which world you're in, the rulers have many tricks, making it hard to defend against.

"Then it's really useless?"

"Aren't they worried about incurring public anger afterward?" Ye Chuxiao asked, puzzled.

Mr. Nanshan said, "If you can't comprehend much, is that the problem with the records? That's clearly because the comprehenders themselves don't have enough accumulation and wisdom."

"There will always be people with rich accumulation who are just one step away. For such people, the records are still very effective."

Ye Chuxiao understood, this was the Emperor's New Clothes.

"I've had my share of glory in these decades, roaming the martial world, and I've also been down and out, with almost no place to stand. After such ups and downs, the so-called records inevitably contain some insights and decadence. Don't learn these, and don't pay attention to them. Young people should be full of vigor. This is your characteristic and your capital. If you seem shrewd and calculating at a young age, you'll lose your edge." Mr. Nanshan said, standing up, then crossed his arms and bowed to Ye Chuxiao.

"You gave me hope, and I returned your accumulation, helping you avoid a few years of detours. This can be considered a fair exchange."

"The martial world is vast and distant, we'll meet again in the martial world in the future!" Mr. Nanshan said.

Ye Chuxiao said, "The martial world is too small! It can't accommodate you and me. How about we gather again in the more vast heavens in the future?"

"The next time we meet, I won't be the one receiving your teachings anymore. We can sit and discuss the Dao, each expressing our own opinions!"

Mr. Nanshan laughed heartily: "Good! I'll be waiting for that day."

"Kid! I like the look of you, so I'll give you another piece of advice."

"Youthful spirit is heavy, dismissing the Five Sacred Mountains lightly. Middle-aged spirit is deep, difficult to find even in the Nine Abyss. Old-age spirit is thick, the autumn wind withers the green trees."

Ye Chuxiao memorized this sentence. Although he didn't understand it for the time being, he knew there must be a deeper meaning in it.

But he wasn't annoyed that Mr. Nanshan didn't explain it clearly.

Sometimes, knowing some so-called detailed cultivation information in advance isn't necessarily a good thing.

Because if you know too clearly, you'll subconsciously change in that direction, and you'll lose your essence even more.

This kind of veiled reminder, when the time hasn't come, only gives a vague direction. When the time comes, you'll naturally be enlightened and kick open the door.

The Ten Thousand Plum Tree Formation shifted, and Mr. Nanshan was about to send Ye Chuxiao away.

But Ye Chuxiao had already sensed the rapid spread of death energy in advance.

In the blink of an eye, it had become so thick that Ye Chuxiao could unleash several slashes of the Eternal Life Blade with all his strength.

"Wait! Someone's coming! Very strong!"

"Is there a secret room or passage here? Can I hide for a while?" Ye Chuxiao asked Mr. Nanshan.

Mr. Nanshan's cultivation had been crippled. Although his cultivation was high in the past, at this time, his spiritual perception wasn't much different from ordinary people.

"Someone's coming?"

"The visitor is hostile?" Mr. Nanshan frowned.

Then he shook his head: "There is a secret room here, but if even you find it difficult to deal with, I'm afraid hiding in the secret room won't help."

Mobilizing the Ten Thousand Plum Tree Formation, the formation rotated and operated, and the complexity within had been turned to the extreme.

"Brother He! This old brother has come to visit, why be so inhospitable?" A powerful voice came from outside the plum garden, echoing within, as if it were right next to the ear.

Mr. Nanshan said with an ugly expression: "It's that old scoundrel Wen Xianfu!"

"He is the true head of Wenjia Mountain City, the father of Wen Liangyu and Wen Liangjue. Compared to their father, their little tricks are like the puppy teeth of a dog."

Ye Chuxiao said, "A hostile visitor? Why would he go to such lengths!"

Whether from Ye Chuxiao's perspective or from Mr. Nanshan's perspective, it seemed that this actual ruler of the Wen family had no need to deliberately make things difficult.

Mr. Nanshan said with a wry smile: "This old man has too many ties with the Wen family. In recent years, I've inevitably given them advice. Looking back now… still wanting to retire and return to my hometown, this old man was indeed a little naive."

"If I'm not mistaken, before today, in front of everyone, I had already left Wenjia Mountain City and returned to my hometown."

"If I hadn't put on a full show, this old scoundrel wouldn't have chosen to attack!"

Hearing this, Ye Chuxiao immediately thought of the Grand Eunuch Feng Yu in the dungeon.

Compared to Mr. Nanshan, Feng Yu seemed to be smarter.

Choosing to 'enjoy his old age' in prison, putting the rulers at ease, and also leaving a chance for himself.

Above the sky, an invisible formation barrier was unfolding section by section.

It seemed to indicate that this place was turning into a dead end.

"You're not naive, you just wanted to die!"

"What you originally wanted was to return to your hometown and die in your hometown."

"This may be your tacit understanding with the Wen family, but now that you continue to stay in the plum garden, reluctant to leave, they've seen the signs," Ye Chuxiao analyzed rationally.

Even if Mr. Nanshan said it himself, Ye Chuxiao didn't fully believe it.

Mr. Nanshan said with a wry smile: "As expected, I can't hide it from you. That's right… this old man's old injuries were about to flare up, and I didn't have much time left anyway. Dying here is no different from dying in my hometown."

"It's just that after obtaining the Dao Rhythm, I had hope and didn't want to die anymore. In these days, I used some past connections to collect magical artifacts and formation diagrams for setting up an altar. I think that's why I leaked the signs."

Ordinary cultivators weren't Ye Chuxiao. To cross the heavens with the Dao Rhythm as a ticket, they still needed some auxiliary means.

"In that case, didn't you make some preparations in advance?" Ye Chuxiao asked Mr. Nanshan.

Mr. Nanshan said, "Forget it! You kid just watch carefully."

"Although this old man's cultivation is gone, I haven't been completely useless all these years."